Open Window

Jack O'Lantern

Jack O'Lantern

The Jack O'Lantern has always symbolized Halloween to me and I've always loved the expressions carvers give to them and the light that peaks through their eyes. Some look jovial and full of laughter, others look demonic and others look just plain scary. To this day, I still get a kick out of carving a Jack O'lantern from a pumpkin; however, the ones I carve these days are a fraction of the size of the ones I carved when I was young - patience is an issue. 

I wondered about the origin of the Jack O'Lantern and what I learned surprised me. "They say" the Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. Well I have ancestors who were Irish perhaps that's my attraction.

JACK O'Lantern

Happy Halloween everyone. Please stay safe, don't let the goblins get you.

Birds in Hawaii

Day two of our trip seemed to be all about the birds.

Exotic Crowned Bird   

Common Myna Bird

House Sparrow

House Finch Waiting Impatiently

House Finch Enjoying Our Leftovers

Exotic Hawaiian Bird "Hooked" On Himself

Hawaiian Parrot

Preview of coming attractions: We took a two hour helicopter ride around the Big Island of Hawaii. What an experience that was! 

 

Hawaii - Day One

The big island of Hawaii is where we are and we're thoroughly enjoying all it's treasures and its diversity. It's history is rich, its resources seem boundless, and its beauty speaks for itself. Here's a sampling of what we saw on our first day on the island of Hawaii.

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, the City of Refuge on Hawaii

The City of Refuge - Hawaii

Statues in Hawaii's City of Refuge 

Hawaiian Butts

Local Fisherman on the Big Island of Hawaii

Honu - The Green Sea Turtle - Hawaii

Sunset at Kahalu'u Beach Park - Hawaii

 

34,000 Feet Over the Pacific

On our way to Hawaii.

Sent from my iPhone

Tomato and Mustard Tart

Tomato and mustard tart ... how could that possibly be bad?

If you've followed Open-Window for any length of time, you know that I love a tart of nearly any kind, so when I find a recipe for one I've never seen or cooked before, I'm thrilled. Patricia Wells has once again opened my eyes to how good fresh ingredients, assembled simply, can taste.

But first, I want to share a funny story about the first time I made this tart. It was this past summer when my younger sister was visiting. She's never cared much for tomatoes and was hoping that this might be one way that she would. I bought a special bottle of Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard just for this tart - a "real" French Moutarde de Dijon. 
Preparation and assembly was easy, it looked wonderful going in to the oven and coming out. We sliced the tart, plated it with a green salad, poured a small glass of white wine, and set about to enjoy our lunch.

ALERT: Unlike Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard packs an incredible punch when it's first opened. 

Following instructions, I spread the newly opened mustard over the tart pastry, then layered on the tomatoes and the herbs, and baked it. When we took our first bites of the tart, we at once felt the fire of this new mustard, to the point that my sister came to tears. As she heroically (and politely) continued to eat the tart, she began to laugh, with tears in her eyes, as only she can do ... saying "this is one way to get me to eat tomatoes ... when I can't taste them!" Sadly that was true, we couldn't taste the tomatoes for the heat from the moutarde. We all persevered with the help of the chilled green salad and that chablis, and I vowed to make this again and I did.

This time, I used only Grey Poupon, I used a Pâte Brisée rather than the whole wheat dough, added some sautéed shallots for fun, and we found the tomato and herb tart - without fire - delicious. Make your own version, it's all wonderful. 

Aftermath Footnote: Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard is only fiery hot when you first open it. Rather like horseradish, it begins to mellow the minute you open it.

Tomato and Mustard Tart
Makes One 12-inch Tart

2 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped (about 2 cups)
Flour and corn meal for dusting
1 recipe Quick Whole Wheat Bread Tart Dough, shaped into a ball
½ cup sharp imported French mustard
¼ cup mixed minced fresh chives, parsley, and basil
Extra-virgin olive oil spray
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• Place the tomatoes on several paper towel layers to drain.
• Place the baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 500℉.
• On a generously floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch round.
• Sprinkle a wooden pizza peel with corn meal and place round of dough on the peel. Working quickly to keep the dough from sticking, assemble the tart: Spread the mustard evenly over the dough; Arrange the tomatoes on top of the mustard; Sprinkle with the herbs.
• Slide the dough off the peel and onto the baking stone. Bake until the dough is crisp and golden and the top is bubbly, about 15 minutes. With a metal pizza peel or a large spatula, remove the tart from the baking stone. Transfer the tart to a cutting board. Spray it with olive oil. Cut it into 6-8 wedges and serve immediately.

NOTE: If you don't have a baking stone and a wooden peel, simply sprinkle the corn meal on a baking sheet, place the round of dough on top, assemble the tart, and bake on the baking sheet.

Quick Whole Wheat Bread Tart Dough

¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup bread flour, plus extra if needed and for dusting
1 package (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
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• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the whole wheat flour, bread flour, yeast, salt, and sugar, and pulse to mix.
• Combine ½ hot water and the olive oil in a measuring cup.
• With the motor running, gradually add enough of the hot liquid for the mixture to form a sticky ball. The dough should be soft. If it is too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more hot water. If it is too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball.
• Transfer to a clean, floured surface and knead by hand for 1 minute.
• Cover with a cloth and let rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling. (The dough will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Punch down the dough as necessary.)

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 The tomato season, sadly, is coming to and end, so, if you can, treat yourself to a version of this tart. It's easy and delicious and beats any sandwich you could ever conjure up for lunch (or dinner).

The Film "The Artist"

At the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) last night, "The Artist" was featured as one of the Spotlight films for the closing night. 

Once or twice in a lifetime, you will go to the movies and find that when the lights have been turned down low, you are transported to another place or time, one you don't want to leave until you absolutely must. That was the experience I had in East Hampton last night. "The Artist" is a 2011 romance film directed by French auteur Michel Hazanavicius, starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. The story starts in 1927 and is about a leading man in silent films who balks at the idea, let alone the reality, of talking films, and a young star-wanabe woman who falls for the charismatic leading man unwittingly. Not only is this striking film about the era of black and white silent films, but it is one!

"The Artist" is beautifully made. Everything about this film is magical. The acting, the directing, the art, the characters, and especially the music. You can't take your eyes off the screen nor do you want to. I can honestly say I have not enjoyed a festival film this much since the "Stand-ins" which was shown at the HIFF in 1997 and is a beautifully done period piece about stand-in actresses in the 1930s.

If and when you have an opportunity to see "The Artist" I highly recommend that you do. I believe you'll find yourself feasting on everything you see and hear, and wanting more, just as the audiences here did when they awarded "The Artist" with the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. You might also be interested in knowing that Jean Dujardin won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. 

P.S. If you're in or near East Hampton today, Monday October 17, 2011, "The Artist" will be shown again in Theater 2 at 2:00 p.m.

Antique Hood Ornaments

1930s Packard Hood Ornament © 2011 Claudia Ward

I adore antique hood ornaments. I think they are truly works of art, created in a time when care was taken in the design of every aspect of an automobile. Most of my favorites are from the 1930s and they come in all forms - a winged lady, airplanes, birds of many varieties, a lion's head, bullets, ships, rams, even indian heads. They represented strength, endurance, and/or speed and proudly graced the hoods of Packards, Cadillacs, Plymouths, Franklins, Chevrolets and even the trusty old Dodge. 

1931 Cadillac Heron Hood Ornament ©2011 Claudia Ward

Do you know, these would never be permitted today because of the fear that someone would be impaled on them in an accident? How sad, they are so beautiful and expressive.

1937 Dodge Ram Hood Ornament

Tomatoes

It's nearly the end of tomato season and I can honestly say this saddens me. Local tomatoes of all sizes and heritage have been wonderful this year and we've learned to do many new and different things with them.

At the beginning of the season, we would showcase them in a salad all their own -  dressed in the simplest herbal dressing to show off their exquisite fresh flavor. When friends joined us for dinner one night, we finished the meal with that wonderfully delicious Tomato Tarte Tatin that we wrote about last year, and fell in love with it all over again. 

As the season progressed, we wanted to be creative so we made tomato water which added a subtle tomato flavor to many a summer cocktail and homemade tomato jam became a standing complement to leftover cold chicken.  By late August, our blender nearly burned out making batch after batch of Heirloom Tomato soup which was cool and delicious on those really hot late-summer days. 

Here we are at the end of the season wanting desperately to extend it any way we can, so we're making several tomato sauces that we can freeze to use throughout the winter (if they last that long). We use them on homemade pizza and pasta, in casseroles, and to dress vegetables like zucchini and eggplant. Patricia Wells is our source for these two sauces (Vegetable Harvest), and we will be grateful to her all winter long.

Chunky Fresh Tomato Sauce
(Yields 5 cups) 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds garden-fresh tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and quartered

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (do not substitute fine salt, it may be too salty)
Several celery leaves
Several fresh or dried Bay leaves
1 head of plump, moist garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
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• In a large, heavy-duty saucepan, combine all the ingredients. 
• Cook, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring regularly, until the tomatoes have collapsed and are cooking in their own juices, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. 
• Remove and discard the celery leaves and bay leaves.
• Place a food mill over a large bowl. Using a large ladle, transfer the sauce to the food mill and purée into the bowl. (I don't have a food mill and used a food processor, with satisfactory results.) 
• Store, covered, in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for six months.

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Rustic Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
(6 servings)

3 pounds garden-fresh tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and halved crosswise (do not peel)
Fine sea salt
About 2 teaspoons dried oregano
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• Preheat the oven to 425℉.
• Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, side by side on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Rub the oregano between your palms, showering the tomatoes with the fragrant herb.
• Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and roast the tomatoes until very soft, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer the tomatoes and any juices to a food processor or a blender and purée until smooth.
• Store, covered, in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for six months.

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By looking at this page, it must become fairly apparent that I fell in love, not only with eating these summer beauties, but with photographing them as well. Two passions merge! Enjoy!

 

Columbus Day Poem

Every year at this time, Columbus Day rolls around and I hear the beginning of this poem reverberating around my head, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue" but I've never known the rest. So, just in case you have the same affliction, here it is in its entirety. I hope this gives you a sense of closure too. Note: I'm unable to easily find who was the original author.

 IN 1492

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.

A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.

Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.

Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.

Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.

October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!

“Indians! Indians!” Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.

But “India” the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.

The Arakawa natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he’d been told.

He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain.

The first American? No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

Note: From what I can tell, Columbus never set foot on any land that later became part of the 50 United States of America. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Corn Salad Recipe

We published this in September but omitted the recipe. Mea culpa!

It's fall and the corn crop on the East End is still going strong, despite all the late summer storms.

We love fresh corn, any way we can get it practically. On the cob, steamed or grilled is obviously fun and always brings back childhood memories of family cookouts and watching my father eat the corn as if it was a typewriter, chewing all the kernels, left to right, to the end and then saying "Ding" to indicate he'd reached the end of the line. (If you know what I'm referring to, then you knew a typewriter well, and I know roughly how old you are!)

Sautéed fresh corn is fabulous for those who may not want to negotiate the cob (we shared that recipe last year), and corn salad is just plain, and simply, wonderful. It's easy to make and lasts for several days in the fridge - that is if any is ever left over.

Corn Salad
4-6 Servings

5 ears of corn, shucked
½ cup small-diced red onion
3 tablespoons of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves (optional)
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• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse corn in ice water to stop the cooking. 
• When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
• Toss the kernels in a large bowl with red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
• Just before serving, you can toss in the fresh basil. (I do this only if I know it will all be eaten in one sitting.)
• Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Thanks again to Ina Garten in her original cookbook The Barefoot Contessa for making a simple yet delicious recipe.

Note: This year we even made corn ice cream, believe it or not. It was a little challenging, but tasted creamy, cool and corny when frozen. Sadly though, we learned that this ice cream did not have a long "freezer" life, and tasted quite odd a week or two after it was made. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Hopefully you still have late corn where you are and can enjoy this salad before next year.

 

Sanderlings at the Shore

Photographing birds at the beach I always find entertaining but this group kept me busy for nearly an hour. Running to-and-fro, chasing the waves and pecking for lunch, and then taking flight in a flock for no apparent reason but flying only yards from where they left, sanderlings are in constant motion. No wonder these birds are so svelte! They use up the calories they consume pursuing the next morsel.

I found their behavior fascinating and their colors against the sand and sea captivating, I hope you agree.

 

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

We stumbled across this recipe a few weeks ago and thought ..."Why not?" We don't have shrimp very often and, true to The Barefoot Contessa, this looked easy and flavorful - and it was! I assembled it before we went out to shoot a horse show, and then just threw it in the oven when we came home. So I did steps 2-5 and 8 early in the day and then covered everything. When we returned, I turned on the oven, and assembled and cooked the dish according to the rest of the directions. Does it get any easier than that?

The wine, garlic and tomatoes complement the shrimp without diminishing its role completely, the herbal bread crumbs add texture, and the feta cheese added a surprisingly pleasant tang (along with the lemon). This is a repeat for us, how about you?

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ cups medium-diced fennel
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 (14½ ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Pernod (we use Anisette)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1¼ pounds (16-20 per pound) peeled shrimp with tails on
5 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (4 slices of bread run through a food processor)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 lemons
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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10- or 12- inch heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fennel is tender.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned buts. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half.
5. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod/Anisette, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato mixture in the skillet.
7. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp.
8. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over the shrimp.
9. Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
10. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp.
11. Serve hot with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.

 

Surfer Off Montauk - Photo Study

Surfer Off Montauk © Claudia Ward; D90, 400mm, 1/1000 sec at f /5.6, ISO 200

Peter and I love to photograph outdoors, especially events like the Engine Run at Foster's Farm and the Antique Auto Show, but an especially favorite subject of ours is surfers. We've been shooting them now for several years, amateurs and pros, kids and old hippies - we don't discriminate because they're all interesting. The challenge in shooting surfers is obviously motion - the surfer's and the ocean's, and the objective is to stop it when something interesting is happening. Of the thousands of shots we've taken over the years, we probably have a handful that honestly and effectively stop the motion.

In Montauk, near the lighthouse, there's a park called Camp Hero and from the cliffs, which are at least 50 feet tall, you can look down on the surfers in Turtles Cove. A telephoto lense is a must and this day I was using my 120-400mm zoom lens - full out. My favorite setting for shooting surfers when I'm on the beach is the sport setting on my Nikon D90 which gives me the shutter speed to stop the action and a shallow depth of field which focuses attention on the surfer, so I used that setting here too. 

Generally I'm pretty pleased with this shot - I was lucky that the barrel wave was breaking at the same time this surfer caught his wave - but we can always do better. What would I do differently next time? Well, given the distance between the surfer and my camera on top of the cliffs, I'd probably use a monopod for stability and perhaps turn off Auto Focus and switch to Manual - at least I'd give it a try. I also might go to Shutter Speed setting and try shooting at 1/500th instead of 1/1000th. Any suggestions?