Fall Is Here

September in our area is such a beautiful time of year.  Our summer season is short and we have already had our first freeze.  We typically have two peak seasons - early in September and late October.  Because we have so many Sugar Maples on our property - we get a lot of color early.

We know it's the end of the summer when our Dahlias bloom.  Like our prior struggle with tomatoes, we struggle with Dahlias to bloom earlier and longer.  We haven't got it quite right but the Dahlias are still amazing. We winterized the property - bringing in outdoor furniture, emptying water storage barrels, putting the grill in the basement.  As the afternoon warmed,  we sat on the porch and admired the color of the leaves and watched them fall as quickly as they changed color.

I stewed tomatoes for sauce, chopped tomatillos and onions for salsa to pickle, sauteed zucchini for freezing.  Tim made a pork roast for dinner and we watched a great documentary called The Cruise.  Filmed in 1998, it tells the story of a poet/Gray Lines Bus cruise guide who attempts to broaden the horizons of the average New York tourist who catches a ride.  Pre-9/11, it is a total love letter to NYC.  Unfortunately, his "cruise" mentality would never survive the post-9/11 "anti-cruise" NYC.  I miss the pre-9/11 NY.  

Sunday, I got up early and raked the front yard and planted Fall grass seed. We watched old movies and breezed through magazines.  We got excited about the new Tim Burton Dark Shadows movie re-make that will release next year - one of our favorite Sunday afternoon TV re-runs to watch!  We stopped by our neighbors, M&M, to have a tech chat and visit with their new kitten, Daphne, who is adorable.  Back in the city, as we stood on the curb outside Grand Central waiting for a cab, I looked up at the Chrysler building and remembered the quote from the movie we had watched the night before - "uninspired voluptuousness"... I love this town.

Best Pork Roast Ever - Pork Roast with Caramelized Parsnips

This is a new recipe that Tim tried this weekend - it was delicious.  The rub for the pork seasoning was especially good.  Loved it!

Pork Roast with Caramelized Parsnips

Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary plus one sprig for decoration.
1 boneless pork loin roast (2&1/2 pounds), tied with kitchen twine.
1&1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-by-1 inch pieces (1/2 inch thick)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Coarsely grind 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the fennel seeds, orange zest, and chopped rosemary in a mini chopper or a spice grinder.  Rub spice mixture all over pork, and insert rosemary sprig under twine. Transfer to a large, heavy oven-proof skillet ( preferably cast iron) or a roasting pan.

2. Roast pork for 20 minutes. Toss parsnips with oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; arrange around pork.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Stir parsnips. Roast until an instant -read thermometer inserted into the center of pork reaches 140 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Transfer pork and parsnips to platter, and let pork rest for 10 minutes before untying and slicing.  ( If parsnips are not uniformly golden, return to oven for 5 minutes while pork rests.)

Braised Collard Greens

• I lived in North Carolina for 11 years.  I love Southern cooking and have actually taught Tim a few things about the genre.  I love collards because I love bitter flavors.  Collards can be an acquired taste like grits and Tim did his best with the collards we picked this weekend and he did a  phenomenal job.  They were delicious.  At least I thought they were. I had seconds and thirds - and they only taste better as leftovers as far as I am concerned. Tim wasn't quite as enthralled with them as I was. Oh well, he doesn't have to eat them as long as he cooks them for me I am happy.
• 
  
• 
  
• Collards
• 
  
• 1 pound collard greens, trimmed and washed, water still clinging to the leaves
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 slices bacon, cut in half lengthwise and sliced crosswise in 1/2-inch pieces
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt

1. Remove the tough stems from the collard
   leaves. Finely slice the stems crosswise.
   Stack a few leaves on top of each other and
   cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces. Repeat with all
   leaves. You'll have 8 packed cups.
2. Heat a 10-inch saute pan over high heat.
   Swirl in the oil and add the onion, bacon,
   and red pepper flakes. Fry until the onion is
   soft and the bacon is beginning to render
   its fat and crisp up, about 13 minutes.
3. Add the greens, 2 cups at a time. Stir into the
   onion mixture as you add. They will collapse
   and shrink in the heat.
4. When all the greens are in the pan and the
   heat has returned to sizzling high, pour in
   the vinegar. Stir to evaporate. Cover and
   let the greens cook over low heat until just
   tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add a bit of water
   as needed to keep the greens from burning.
   Add salt to taste and serve.

Mystery of Missing Tadpoles - Solved

It has been a sad year for the frogs in our pond.  They have been virtually childless this year.  After the freakish amount of tadpoles we had last year, we were a little more prepared this summer for the overabundance of frog babies. Unfortunately, halfway through the summer - all of the tadpoles disappeared!  Thousands of tadpoles - gone. We were really concerned that somehow we had killed them ourselves even though we don't use any chemicals or fertilizers on our property.  The frogs made a couple desperate attempts to re-lay eggs over the balance of the summer but the egg sacks disappeared.

We couldn't figure out what might have happened until this weekend.  We have seen herons at our neighbor's pond but nothing on our property.  I woke up early Monday morning after a night of torrential rain and I took my cup of coffee out the front door to check on the water levels in our pond.   I wasn't quite awake as I walked down to the pond and suddenly this huge 6 foot monster bird opened it's wings and started flying over my head.  I think we both surprised each other.  It was so damn big.  It was Godzilla bird. Those tadpoles never had a chance.  Now, I don't have issues with doing anything and everything to get rid of a woodchuck but I really like birds - so what do I do?  Do I put up a scarecrow or something to keep the herons away from the frogs?  I have no clue.

Tomatoes On Puff Pastry

In addition to the great assortment of desserts that Tim made this weekend, he found time to cook dinner for the two of us.  After years of having the worst tomatoes to choose from in our garden, we have finally figured out the key to growing great tomatoes. We picked several varieties and Tim found a great way to serve them - this makes a great side dish or appetizer:

TOMATO TARTLETS

Makes 10

All purpose flour for rolling

1 sheet frozen puff pastry , thawed

2 1/2 ounces grated Jarlsbe( 2/3 cup packed)

3 medium tomatoes , cut into ten 1/4 inch thick slices

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Ground pepper

2 white onions, minced and sauteed in olive oil

1/3 cup small basil leaves, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and middle thirds.  Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out puff pastry to a 14 x 16 inch rectangle.  With a 4 in cookie cutter, cut out 10 rounds and transfer to two parchment lined rimmed baking sheets , with a fork, prick each round all over.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese on each leaving an 1/4 inch border and top with onions and 1 tomato slice.  Brush with oil and season with pepper.

2. Bake until pastry is deep golden at edges 25 to 30 minutes  rotating sheets halfway through.  Let tartlets cool completely on a wire rack. ) Store between layers of parchment in an air tight container, up to 1 day).  Optional to serve, top with basil.   

Sunday Walk

SUNDAY WALK 

As part of our new routine on weekends, we have started to take long walks for exercise and to explore some of the local scenery.  Sunday, Tim and I ventured down to the end of our road and across HWY 6 to Mountain Brook Rd.  I was online the other day and noticed that there was a new Blog in our neighborhood from a sheep farm coincidently on Mountain Brook Rd. The walk was beautiful, old Federal homes, 1800 farmhouses, old stone walls, collapsed barns and finally the sheep farm - all overlooking this valley facing Coulter Brook where we live.  Tim has a pedometer so that we can keep count how far we walk - and his Android phone which takes great pics so we just wander with no time constraint.  We found the farm and the Finn sheep were very friendly and we watched as lambs nursed.  However, 16,226 steps later - my feet were killing me.  We head home to collapse.  I am a complete wreck the rest of the day.  A nap and some cocktails and a couple dvd's and we called it a day. 

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Tim baked like a mad man all weekend to feed people in the Margaretville area who have been displaced by the Irene floods.  He made Magic Bars,  Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Blueberry Crumb Cake.  Along with Mrs. M's Poppyseed cake, Fruit Pies and Brownie Bars - they did an amazing job baking for only one night of many meals that will have to be served for several weeks.

BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

11/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan and 1 teaspoon for blueberries

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup buttermilk

11/2 cup blueberries, picked over, rinsed, and patted dry

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 inch square baking pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 11/2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice.  In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the egg; beat until combined.

3. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined, ( the batter will be very stiff).

4. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon flour.  Fold the berries into the batter; pour into the prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Bovina Post Irene

We drove up on Friday to assess the damage.  It's pitiful - Fleischmanns, Aarkville and Margaretville are devastated.  Sections of HWY 28 are gone swept away by the river.  Army camouflage Hummers everywhere - it looks like a war zone.  They have Fleischmanns and Margaretville roped off for emergency vehicles and locals only still.  However, you have to drive through Aarkville because of HWY 28 and we can't believe the damage to the local homes along the road.  There is debris everywhere for miles along the HWY  - propane tanks, childrens toys, building remains. As we drive into Bovina, we are nervous about what we may see.  We pull into our driveway, it seems surreal, not a leaf, twig or stone out of place.  It's as if there was never a storm.  We walk our property looking for damage - trees weakened, branches and there is nothing out of place.  We feel incredibly fortunate and grateful that we seem to have been bypassed by the storm.  

We decided to volunteer to help feed the people that have been displaced by Irene in the Margaretville area.  Mrs. M coordinates and we get assigned a portion of the desserts.  Tim bakes all weekend and makes Magic Bars, Blueberry Crumble and Vanilla Sheet Cake.  I have to pull him away from the canned cream cheese frosting can which he has never had before.  I have to explain to him that one of my favorite recipes from the White Trash cookbook is Graham Crackers with Cream Cheese frosting spread on them.  

Anyone who would like to volunteer or donate to support the local areas trying to survive the Hurricane damage - www.governor.ny.gov/laborforyourneighbor.