Chard galore!

As promised, here is the picture of the cord of wood delivered today. And it was an adventure. My driveway is a bit slippery and steep and I've had pickups slip and slide trying to get back up it, so I warned the driver about it and he agreed to back the big dump truck just a tad down the grade and then dump the load. It was exciting. Dump trucks are cool. He did the job and I have a nice cord ready to go when needed. That is a big deal here is the frozen tundra called the coastal redwoods. Now for the fun part, lugging it down the hill and stacking it up. Maybe I'll wait 'til tomorrow.

And the chard...the chard. Anyone for some chard pudding, chard bread, chard soup, chard chips? The leaves measure 18" long. Wow. Big chard country. I don't even water it, but it keeps coming.

With Thanksgiving Day coming up, I've been watching the Food Network Thanksgiving Day special. Flay, Alton, Giada, and coolness, Ina Garten. She has some of the best recipes. I like her show, too. She was the go-to person on the show. To brine or not to brine, that is the question. Flay made his own special stuffing, which had about a gallon of chicken stock in it. I think he was a little heavy handed with the stock. It had lots of stuff in it. Ina's stuffing was a custard-style that looked interesting, but it doesn't go in the bird. I gotta have mine all juicy with turkey juice. I like my mom's stuffing. It isn't a T-day without that stuffing. Recipe? Very simple. Mom used to toast the bread herself, or we would pitch in doing the toasting, Good old white bread. Onions, butter, sage, celery, chicken stock to soak the bread, salt and pepper. That's it. Simple and sooo good. Stuff that turkey!
 

A Feast Fit for a Cheesehead

During my recent trip to NY, I had the great pleasure of a cheese and wine living room picnic with my son and his wife. We made the trip to Whole Foods at Union Square (the center of the universe, I hear) and hovered around the bakery, cheese and meat counters ogling the delicious prosciutto and cured meats, the fresh bread, the tempting cheeses from all over the world. It took a long time to make our choices but we managed to limit ourselves to a reasonable horde.

Our feast consisted of Italian bread, a good olive oil, roasted red peppers from Greece, a kalamata olive tapenade, Dijon, paper-thin fresh prosciutto, and 4 kinds of cheese: aged fontina, herbed cheddar, aged provolone, and a double brie. We chose a red from Italy at the Aster Place wine emporium, Fatalone Teres Primativo, that paired nicely with the rustic theme.

The best thing about the picnic was the company and having time to enjoy those simple pleasures with my son and his beautiful wife.

But because of my competitive nature, we had to have a Best Bite contest. We tried combinations of all the elements and the winner?

Best bite unanimous winner was aged fontina with a drizzle of olive oil, tapenade, prosciutto and red pepper on a slice of Italian bread. Delicioso!

No farewell picnic would be truly complete without a final pastry from my favorite bakery, so to top it off we shared a pistachio layer cake filled chocolate tulip.

Farewell NYC for now!

Halloween in Sleepy Hollow

Cooperstown, NY

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the story of the headless horseman who rides across the dark bridge in Sleepy Hollow while Ichabod Crane hides in terror! I am in Sleepy Hollow country in upstate NY and came across a covered bridge in a little country town. There are fields of corn awaiting harvest running from here to our baseball mecca, Cooperstown, NY. In Cooperstown, we visited the Baseball Hall of Fame to see the artifacts of the sport we love and examine the old and the new in the game of baseball.



Statue near Otsego Lake in
Cooperstown

Lidia Bastianich

 It was part of my vacation in NYC where I visited the marketplace called Eataly. The block-length building across the street from Washington Square and the Flatiron Building is bursting with restaurants, fish and meat markets, vegetable market, bakery, cookbooks, dishes and pots, cheeses, cured meats, pastas, sauces and spices, wines, beers, coffees, etc. etc. It was started by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali to bring Italy to NY and America. I went there a few years ago when it was the first Christmas season after opening and it was crowded; it is even more crowded now. It just happened that Lidia was there while I was there this week and I made a point of getting her new cookbook and standing in line to meet her and get her to sign my book. She is so gracious and gifted and I love her cooking show on PBS. Highly recommended for serious cooks.

Cheese counter at Eataly

 Eataly has an incredible cheese counter. I stood in amazement and couldn't decide what to try, it was too much to take in. Same with the pasta section, which has  at least 100 different kinds of pasta. So impressive. If in NY, I suggest checking it out, it has something for every foodie.

Veniero's Pasticceria

And when done with the prosciutto and pasta, head down to Veniero's bakery on 11th St and 3rd Ave. Just walking into that place is an experience. They have been in NY since 1894. It is traditional Italian pastries, cakes, cannoli, cookies, it is just beautiful and delicious. Take a number unless you go weekday odd hours because there's usually a line out the door. Took some pics because presentation is everything. The locals know this place.
Buon appetito!

 

Tried a nice red and a white during my food adventures in NY. One was a white from a NY winery in the Finger Lakes area, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. They are known for their exceptional Riesling. The other an Italian Valpolicella Masi that was very good, similar to a chianti, with soft tannins and a good fruit finish.

 

The autumn leaves...

Drift by my window...

Autumn arrives with a mild breeze, a hint of winter, and a helluva a lot of chard. I can't eat that much chard. But it does tell me something for next year. Chard grows well here, don't plant so much chard, deer don't like chard, but it looks cool.

I got exactly one single tomato that never ripened, planted too late, and zucchini, that the deer ate. Which is OK. I did get one decent sized zuch that I used in a ratatouille and it was one of my best ratas, one of my signature dishes, (hint, lots of herbs). They also ate my geraniums; but how can you fault Bambi?

The culprits are a family of deer: buck with amazing horns, two little Bambis, one fawn, one buck with tiny horns, and Mom, that graze the nearby small park within a short walk away, and they walk in a daily circuit that includes my street. I fear that they are too comfortable around people and dogs, people who drive carelessly, dogs who are dogs, and the thought of seeing them injured haunts me. I brake for skunks. There is a coyote I have seen twice who also frequents the street. I love them all and they can have my geraniums and zucchini. And even the tomato, which nobody wants, including me.

As the world turns...my little cat, Stella, is finding life more challenging, (aren't we all?) She went blind with a detached retina this week. Caused by high blood pressure; older cats get that. She is 22 years old, that is 100 equivalent in human years. She is dealing with it, after some serious blood pressure medicine, a vet bill, and a lot of love from her mom and her dog. Saw Penny lick her for the first time last night. Luckily she has one eye still working, so she can manage to cross the "bridge" I built from my bed to the chest of drawers where her food dish is. She's figured that out now. She is my idol. Didn't realize just how much I want her to stick around until I faced life without her.

A few people, who really don't get it, seriously said to me "well, she's had a long life...well, if the vet says toast her, it's best to do it...well, just put her to sleep". Yeah... in a nice way...those folks don't get it.  Perhaps, they have never loved an animal of another species. Perhaps, they don't understand a relationship of 22 years; whatever it is, I forgive them for their ignorance.
http://youtu.be/-FhcKJMQeyc

She is a cat. A simple house cat. A mutt. I didn't pay anything for her. I got her from a litter in the Santa Cruz Mountains from a friend 23 years ago. I didn't even choose her initially. I chose her sibling, Blanche, a beautiful all-white kitten, Snowball, they tentatively named. I was so excited to pick her up 8 weeks later.

I worked at Network General with her owner, in fact, I hired him, Ed, and he convinced me that I needed this kitten, I visited them at 8 weeks with my son way up at the top of the Santa Cruz mountains. I fell in love with Blanche (Snowball). 2 weeks later, when I came to pick her up, they informed me that the gray one had to go with the white one, they had bonded. I accepted them both. And for the next 18 years, it was a wonderful relationship of commitment and love. Blanche, Stella, and me. Husbands, boyfriends, houses, adventures, cross-country trips, jobs, assholes, traumas, dogs, they stood by me all the while. They needed love, food, cat litter. Blanche was the sweet one. Always sweet and gentle. Just loved love. Stella, the toughie, in charge, BIG attitude. Aloof, sweet but tough. The two of them never weighed more than 7 pounds, but they ruled.

I lost Blanche a few years ago. To a mysterious and sudden neurological problem. My theory, a black widow spider bite. But you have to give that little, gentle spirit credit. After her initial near-death crisis, she held on for 9 months, fighting back; but she eventually lost the battle, peacefully dying on my dog's bed. I still await her annoying constant jumps on my lap and resting position across my stomach at night. We still miss her.

Now Stella, at 22, is nearing her end. Due to old age, high blood pressure and blindness. The winds of time are blowing towards us both. I am aware and I am feeling it. I love the old girl. Yes, blind, yes, needs medicine, yes, sits on my bed waiting for me every night. I wait for her, too. And I wait and will wait. She is more than a task or a duty, she is in my DNA. Understand that, sad animal-haters. She won't be "put to sleep" because she is a hassle. It will be because she is in pain and I can't do anything to relieve that suffering. A pet is a life commitment, not a companion until it is inconvenient, after 8 years when they are sick, or when it is too expensive. Love is a life-long commitment.

Stella is still fighting on. I will hold on with her until she is ready to go. And I will know when that time comes. But until then, Stella Lives!
 

What happened to the pomegranates?

Did you know that many biblical scholars think that the "apple" of Adam and Eve fame was actually a pomegranate? Little trivia there...

Just when I was getting to love poms in everything from tea to sparkling water, all of a sudden, they are gone. Did we decimate the pomegranate population in our zest? Just wondering.

So summer comes to the mountain. Birds are having a field day and chirping like mad. Lovely. Lots of beautiful woodpeckers at the bird feeder. Love those guys. Saw a family of deer yesterday, mom, dad, and two fawns, little bambis.

My garden is growing with squash taking off and over, and the chard is ready to pluck. Got some herbs going too, Thai basil which is a real winner. My gargantuan rosemary bush didn't make it through the wet winter, so I'll need to replenish that soon. So nice to walk outside and grab some fresh rosemary for so many dishes.

Tried out some French cheese and a nice red wine with it. Epoisses is a very fragrant cheese, similar to brie. Very fragrant. And remarkably subtle tasting for all that "nose". It has a thick outer crust that keeps all that goodness in. This is a cheese that does best when allowed to warm on the counter. Nice on a cracker or baguette. For pairing, I chose a 2010 Hahn Winery Meritage that can stand up to all that cheese but adds a layer of smokiness, fruitiness and depth. It's a nice marriage.

Lots happening in the night sky these days. Asteroids, planets aligning, eclipses on the way. With summer skies in the forecast, I expect to get the scope out and start exploring the universe.

 

Remembering how to read and other surprizes

I read a book! Funny how there never seems to be time to just sit and read a good book. But I managed to find some time and got around to it. The book? Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I heard such good things about it, and it's got the Downton Abbey ambience. Actually it is a historical novel based during the reign of Henry VIII, Cromwell and Wolsey. I was surprised how good it is. So get out there and read a book, it's amazingly un-tv-like. And this week has been too tv-heavy, not fun tv, sad tv.

I was also surprised when I saw my tulips blooming. they all busted open at the same time and look really gorgeous. I did find one of the flowers picked off the stem and lying on the stairs beside it. Hmmm, still don't know which little critter saw fit to tiptoe through my tulips but fortunately it was only one of the bunch. Maybe it was the coyote I stared down on my street one morning this week. I don't think they eat flowers though.

I have continued on my phyllo pastry party. My latest venture was a muffin-sized phyllo bowl dusted with cinnamon sugar, baked, and filled with strawberries. I imagine a sploosh of whipped cream would be great on top, but even without it was good. Messy good.

I found a nice table wine at Costco the other day, Bere Toscana 2009, 90 point rating and it tastes good especially at $10. It's a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet, and Merlot.

Salute!
 

Comets and kale

Things are heating up here in the hills. I have a hyacinth blooming in the yard and to my surprise, the multitude of tulip bulbs I planted last fall are poking up towards the sun. They may be slow bloomers, but I'll be happy to see their lovely faces whenever they choose.

This is my busy time of the year working weekends as a chair umpire for college tennis, leaving me little time for gardening but that will soon change and I'll be out in the dirt once again. I am planning on planting shallots, along with the requisite tomatoes and maybe I'll try zucchini or crookneck squash. That will give me a garden-fresh ratatouille (minus the eggplant). I make a mean ratatouille.

As the cold days turn warm, I have been doing a lot of cooking experimentation. Mainly with phyllo dough. I made a muffin-size stuffed phyllo with feta, eggplant, and pistachios (I used walnuts). Of course, there was more, coriander, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. With phyllo, the tough job is painting them all with olive oil and stacking them. Having done a few now, I am a bit better at it. The first one was a sort of swiss chard quiche with feta in phyllo, with 10 layers of dough, and that came out a bit oily but palatable. I'll give that another shot, though.

Paint it as thinly as possible is my advice. It's kind of fun at any rate. The feta muffin recipe is from Martha Stewart. You layer 4 sheets, oiled between each, then cut into quarters and stuff them into a muffin pan, then fill them with baked eggplant, feta cheese, broken up nuts, and the spices mixed together. Bake those puppies up and devour. O la la, good. Mine weren't as cute as Martha's, but I barely had time to look at them anyway.

My other ingredient passion is kale. It's a type of cabbage. Tried a couple recipes, nothing great. I think the best way to prepare it is to shred the green part off the stalks, blanche in boiling water for a couple minutes, drain and then saute with garlic and onions, red pepper flakes and salt. Final touch, a few splashes of vinegar, red wine vinegar is my fave, but I have tried apple cider and balsamic too, both good, just not too much. Another way is to cook them in a chicken broth and let it reduce rather than blanching them. Kale is good sauteed with sausage too, for the meat eaters out there. You know who you are, Romania!

What vino to have with your greens? Ahh, thanks to my generous sis, I had a Christmas gift card for Whole Foods, and used it to get some goodies, including a bottle of red wine from Sicily that was dirt cheap, Piccolo Fiore 2010. Maybe there has been a mistake, but I had a pleasant surprise. It was perfect. A light red, like a Pinot or Zinfandel. Soft on the palate but flavorful. Great with veggies.

So what better to do as you sip your Piccolo Fiore and wait for the kale to blanche? Check out a comet, what else? I drove to the coast of the beautiful Pacific Ocean just minutes from my house, with my trusty star-gazing companion, Penny, to see if we could observe the comet in the evening sky just after sunset. We walked the West Cliff path looking closely for any sign of the rare sight. Just as the sky began to become darkened and the crescent moon appeared, a huge cloud bank rushed in to block any hope of seeing the cosmic event. Darn that fog! But here is what it would have looked like...
 

Spring on the horizon

Days are getting longer and the sun is coming back. I'm expecting those bulbs I buried last October to begin pushing their buds towards the heat and the first of spring blooms to surprise me one fine morning. However, my attempt to have a winter harvest of chard and spinach just didn't succeed. Guess those few but brutal rain storms just pounded the little seedlings too hard and they never got started. Upside...the bed is ready for spring planting when the time is right.

My sweet best friend, Penny, suffers through the early darkness and rainy days each year, so like me I know she is anxious for the longer days, nightly walks in the state park, and more outside fun. Meanwhile, she is holding on and hibernating by the fire.

This was a beautiful morning last weekend while strolling at a nearby park and horse ranch. She's pretty, isn't she? Such a love.

A new trend that is really taking off are the blends that many wineries are producing, particularly blends of cabernets, merlots, and other reds. I have had several that are delicious and bold, great with strong cheeses and meats, and inexpensive. One of the good ones is by the Bridlewood label that they call BlendITs. Wine prices seem to be creeping upwards. Now is a good time to savor some of the bargains available in our unique wine country. Salute!

 

Dog Days in the Trees

These are the end of summer delight days we enjoy in California. Warm days and cool nights. A fine mist rolling across the sky in the mornings and landing softly on the plants, causing the endless spider webs to be lit up with tiny beads of reflection. Beautiful.

The spiders are having their field day from tree to tree, plant to plant putting up their webs for their bugfeast. When the air cools and rains start, they'll pack up their silk and hibernate until next spring.

Meanwhile, my garden is producing fabulous tomatoes and blackberries, which I am fully savoring. The beans are still on the way.

Time for a delicious Stephen Vincent Pinot Noir or an old vine Zinfandel to go with those veggies roasted or steamed with an herbal sauce and a fresh fish baked in a rice wine vinegar and beer marinade.