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Salmon and Israeli Couscous

This meal is simple and incredibly delicious. Not wanting overdone salmon? Try cooking it this way, it was perfectly done and moist - it doesn't get better than that. We bought a beautiful pre-packaged piece of salmon from Costco. It was thin and had the skin on. You could use salmon fillets from the fish store too; adjust cooking times according to thickness and your preferences.

Sauteed Oven-baked Salmon

Salmon
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
=====================================

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat a dry oven-proof saute pan over high heat for 4 minutes.
• Rub both sides of the salmon with olive oil and season the tops liberally with salt and pepper.
• When the pan is very hot, place salmon seasoned side down in the pan and cook over medium heat without moving for 3 minutes, until very browned.
• Turn salmon and place the pan in the oven for 6 minutes or until salmon is cooked to your liking.

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Israeli Couscous is small, round, toasted pasta - the size of peppercorns. I saw it in the market in town on Friday and then ran across this recipe - where else, bon appetit - the June issue. I already had the asparagus, peas and sugar snaps so I had to try this.  This is a keeper, I'll be making this a lot. It'll be great to take to parties as it's served either chilled or at room temperature, and the flavors are unexpected and delightful. Taste it after you've mixed the couscous, vegetables and the dressing - wow, I love that lemony flavor. Then try it after you've added the chives and parmesan cheese, the texture and flavors change wonderfully although still with an under current of lemon. Some people do not care for Parmesan cheese so I mention this because we thought it was equally good either way.

Israeli Couscous with Asparagus, Peas, and Sugar Snaps

4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Large garlic cloves, minced, divided
1/2 Teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 1/3 Cups Israeli couscous (6-7 ounces)
1 3/4 Cups (or more) vegetable broth (we used low sodium chicken broth)
14 Ounces slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 Cup shelled fresh green peas or frozen, thawed
1/3 Cup chopped chives
1/2 Cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
=====================================

• Whisk 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove and lemon peel in small bowl; set dressing aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add couscous, sprinkle with salt, and saute until most of couscous is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 3/4 cups broth, increase heat; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 10 minutes, adding more broth by tablespoons if too dry.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy large non-stick skillet over high heat.
• Add asparagus, sugar snap peas, green peas, and remaining minced garlic clove.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper; saute until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables to a large bowl.
• Add couscous to bowl with vegetables. 
• Drizzle dressing over; mixing.
• Add chives and cheese; toss. 
• Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Bon appetit!

Cooking with Patricia Wells in Provence

The other day I read an article in The Provence Post (a blog I follow religiously) entitled "Where would Patricia Wells eat?" and that triggered a flood of wonderful memories. Many of you know by now that Peter and I love to cook and a smaller number of you know that Peter and I went to cooking classes with Patricia Wells in her home in Provence in 2006. Following the "trip of a lifetime", I wrote a summary of the trip and an homage to Patricia which I'd like to share with you now. As the trip was two weeks long, only one of which we spent with Patricia and Walter, I'll separate the summary in to two posts. I know this is a great deal longer than most of our posts but we truly hope you enjoy this vicarious sojourn to Vaison la Romaine and Chanteduc, the home of Patricia and Walter Wells.  

October 8, 2006: 

Our Trip in a Very Large Nutshell

In the summer of 1999, I happily stumbled upon a hardback copy of Patricia Wells At Home in Provence, a cookbook unlike any other I’d ever seen.  Its presentation is so stylish you could mistake it for an eye-catching coffee table book; its recipes are more like short stories - each has a preamble by Patricia telling how she found or developed it, when she’s most likely to prepare it and how it makes her feel.  I took this book to the beach with me every week-end that summer, reading it once straight through, learning from the recipes, savoring the photos of the food and relishing the pictures of her farmhouse in Provence.

And when I was finished, I started again.  It is the most page-worn cookbook in my entire collection from use as well as daydreaming over the pictures.  When I learned in 2004 that Patricia teaches cooking classes at her farm in Provence, I had to sign us up and that I did – two years ahead!

The week in Vaison la Romaine at Chanteduc, cooking and learning about wine with Patricia Wells was so much fun. As you know, Peter and I cook a lot but we learned something new everyday. The first evening, while sipping champagne near the vineyard and taking in Mont Ventoux in the distance, we learned that an almond-stuffed date, sautéed  in a little olive oil and sprinkled with a little salt, makes an incredibly yummy appetizer.

The first full day, Peter and I worked together in Julia's Kitchen (Julia, as in Julia Child) - a kitchen separate from Patricia’s main kitchen, just off the courtyard, near the outdoor bread oven.  There are photos of Julia there cooking with Patricia and one of Julia's original ovens – still operational.

Here we made Cavaillon Melon Soup which was a first for both of us and out-of-this-world delicious.  That night, while we each did our part in preparing dinner, we all joined Patricia in her self-confessed addiction to toasted pumpkin seeds.  Tossed with soy and salt, toasted until “crisp and golden”, they are truly irresistible and they disappeared. 

Peter is always combining new and unusual ingredients, trying to make some new flavor combination.  Well, even he was surprised to be combining heirloom tomatoes, freshly scraped vanilla, lime juice and olive oil, resulting in an absolutely heavenly salad, which happened also to be a perfect complement to the home-smoked salmon main course. 

None of us had ever seen a stove-top smoker, in which Patricia placed a tablespoon of alder chips, covered by a drip pan and a rack, and salmon fillets, skin side down.  Adding nothing further, Patricia slid the lid closed and placed the smoker over a fairly high flame for about 15 minutes.  How simple!  This was the best salmon I’ve ever tasted, and we can’t wait to do it at home.  Of course, eating it outside, under an arbor, watching the sun bathe the valley below and sipping wine with it … certainly added to its enjoyment!

What did I learn?  I learned how to shell langoustines for deep-fried phyllo and basil wrapped appetizers, and I learned that avocados can be sliced very thin on a mandolin.  I learned that bay leaves do grow on trees – in Patricia’s courtyard - and that there are numerous types of basil, all of which grow in Patricia’s garden.  And I learned that the juice from lemons and limes picked from trees just outside the door is somehow more satisfying than the juice from those picked from a bin in our supermarchés.  Patricia said several times that she believes that people should generally eat food grown or raised within 100 mile radius which is exactly what we’ve done all week.  The lamb that was our first night’s dinner was raised on a distant hill to the east.  The chicken was raised in the valley.  The goat cheese we enjoyed one evening came from the milk of goats nurtured by Patricia’s friend Josiane.  The only exception was the avocados, which Patricia loves and sadly do not grow nearby.

We all understood how easy it would be to eat food from the area when Patricia took us to Vaison’s weekly market.  Being from the east-end of Long Island, Peter and I are no strangers to fresh produce and good quality food but this market took our breaths away.  First the simple fun of it was a joy.  There seems to be a competitive camaraderie among the vendors each vying for our attention and space in our pantries or on our tables.  It’s evident that each takes great pride in the quality and presentation of his or her products – the fishmonger, the butcher and the farmer. 

The collage of color from one farmer’s vegetables was so brilliant that no one passed without pausing to consider adding something from his produce to that night’s menu. 

Did I mention that this was a cooking and wine class?  Patricia and her longtime friend Andrew Axilrod taught the wine classes. I learned so much more than I expected to about wine and taste.  The wine part of the week-long class is constructed in such a way that each day builds upon what was learned and experienced the preceding day. 

Day one we walked amongst the vines at Chanteduc learning and seeing where wine begins – terroir and grapes – which was followed by tasting exercises.  It felt a bit silly to be sipping small amounts of sugar water, salted water, white vinegar and Campari from a tasting spoon but it really did point out where in my mouth or on my tongue I taste sugar or sense acidity.  We learned that the pleasure from wine comes not only from taste but rather a combination of sight, smell and taste.  Women, it was said, have a very strong sense of smell which I came to doubt in one blindfolded test.  We were asked if we could determine whether the wine in two glasses before us was white or red, using our sense of smell as well as taste.  For the life of me I couldn’t tell the difference.  Well I learned that I should trust my own instincts.  When the blindfolds were removed, I in fact had the same red wine in both glasses.  My senses had not failed me.

One morning, sitting under the Chanteduc oak tree, Patricia used a peculiar looking meter to measure the degree of alcohol in the Chanteduc grapes – Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, if I recall correctly.  It’s September and harvest time should be near; last year it was the 25^th of September.  This time of year the grapes ripen about 1 degree a week and if all goes well, the harvest may be in the next week or two.

With the foundation laid in our wine education, we set off on Wednesday morning for a private tour and tasting at Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  The drive to Beaucastel took about half an hour and gave us an opportunity to really see and appreciate the terroir.  Acres of vineyards stretched for as far as the eye could see lending a soft hue to the atmosphere and peaceful constancy to the landscape.  Seeing vines laden with grapes, we could also sense nervous anticipation in the air for the harvest to come.

Fabrice Langlois spent over two hours with us in the vineyards and then the cellars of Beaucastel explaining, in many colorful ways, all that goes into making a wine at Beaucastel: the constant attention to the vines, the terroir, their uncompromising standards and, when all else is said and done, a bit of chance.  A large storm was in the forecast and we could all sense the tension of uncertainty that Fabrice carried inside, this close to harvest and following a near perfect season.

The last two days of the class started with special wine tastings conducted by Juan Sanchez from a left-bank wine shop in Paris called La Dernière Goutte, which means “the last drop”.  We had to leave the arbor, which was soaked, and adjourned to Patricia’s cozy dining room.  Listening to the rain, every one of us was now worried about the harvest but we focused our attention on Juan’s discussion of the wine regions throughout France.  By this time, far from experts, but certainly more knowledgeable, we were feeling fairly confident in our appreciation of the wines we tasted and our ability to identify those that we liked the best.  Now we learned a whole new way to use everyday words to describe the experience of tasting the wines.  Words you’ve heard used before of course prevailed, such as:  plums, honey, oak, and butter.  But others were used with some regularity and did not necessarily mean something bad, for example: leather, steel, damp earth and, our particular favorite, wet horse – which always brought a whinny from one in our crowd.  Peter and I are looking forward to applying everything we learned, including our new vocabulary, to the “new world” wines from the North Fork of Long Island.

What did I come away with from this week?  I now have a few new skills that I can have fun honing and that are going to allow me to enjoy my food and wine even more than before.  What’s wonderful is that Peter was with me so we can enjoy this together.  The week with Patricia in and around Vaison and at Chanteduc was nothing short of special and exceeded even my expectations.  I know we all were “tuition-paying students” but Patricia and Walter made us feel like very welcomed guests and the fact that we worked elbow-to-elbow with one another made it feel much more like welcomed friends.  When I write to thank them for all the wonderful memories, I must remember to ask about the harvest.

 

Homemade Dill Pickles

The countryside of the Hamptons is peppered with farm stands and every spring, when they open, the small Kirby cucumbers beg me to take them home and make them into these slightly sweet dill pickles. I love everything about making these pickles, especially the simplicity. We take these on our picnics all summer long and I bring them as gifts to friends as well. Everyone seems to appreciate receiving something homemade.

 Photo by Claudia Ward, 2010 All Rights Reserved 

Slightly Sweet Dill Pickles
Makes 2 Quarts

1 Small sweet onion (Vidalia), sliced thin
2 Pounds medium Kirby cucumbers (about 8), cleaned and sliced 1/4 inch pieces
1 Large bunch of dill, coarsely chopped (stems included)
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 Teaspoons whole white peppercorns
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 Cup water
1 Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 Teaspoons dill seed
=====================================

• Divide sliced onion between two 1-quart wide-mouth glass jars.
• Pack cucumbers slices horizontally in jars.
• Top each jar with dill.
• Using a mortar and pestle or a resealable plastic bag and mallet, crush mustard seeds and peppercorns together.
• Place crushed spices in medium saucepan.
• Add vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, salt, and dill seeds.
• Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Ladle mixture evenly over cucumbers.
• Leave jars uncovered and chill 24 hours.
• Cover pickle jars tightly with lids.
• Keep refrigerated.

What's wonderful is there's no need to sterilize the jars and lids, although I do recommend washing the jars in soapy water.

Make a batch or two, you won't be disppointed.

Blue Angels

The Bethpage Federal Credit Union sponsors an air show every year around Memorial Day at Jones Beach and this year we linked up with former colleagues of mine from the bank and made a day of it. It was a wonderful day, cool, generally overcast with hints of sun from time to time, so we didn't have to worry about sunburns or too much heat. By 8:00 a.m., Kevin had secured an area for all of us along the front edge of the boardwalk. Chairs, coolers, cameras and sweaters were the required kit for the day. The show commenced at 10:00 a.m. and was over by 3:00 p.m. and I can honestly say I was never bored. Parachutes, bi-planes, helicopters and jets - you name it and we saw it fly but the pièce de résistance was the Blue Angels in the F/A-18 Hornets.

The Blue Angels were introduced to the skies over the beach by a Lockheed-Martin C-130 Hercules which the Blue Angel pilots affectionately call Fat Albert. It's big, slow-by comparison, and has propellers. The F/A-18's, on the other hand, are sleek, fast and jet propelled. Their formations are familiar to most and a challenge to photograph especially at the higher speeds between 500 and 700 mph! But thousands upon thousands of us tried and the attached slide show is an aggregation of what Peter and I thought were our best and most entertaining shots of the Blue Angels from that day. Of course I had to put music to it, so why not Navy Blue & Gold played by the American Military Band. Let us know what you think. Once you click on the arrow to start the slide show don't forget to click on the 360 and select the largest number from the dropdown list to get the highest quality slide show. Expand it to fit the entire screen by clicking on the four arrows.

 

Photos & slide show by Claudia Ward & Peter Tooker, 2010, All Rights Reserved

 

We're working on another slide show of the other performers from that day. Stay tuned.

 

The Longest Day

It's official, summer begins today. According to the internet, summer solstice occurred in the Northern hemisphere at 7:28 a.m. EDT. The word solstice means the sun stands still, which is what appears to happen when the sun has reached its most northern point in our skies. The sun rose this morning at 5:21 a.m. and will set at 8:27 p.m. here on the east end of Long Island and that means we'll have nearly 15 hours of daylight and only 9 hours of darkness.

How will you spend all those sunny hours? Many of you will be hunkered down in front of a computer screen in little boxes called cubicles, others may be lucky enough to spend some time outdoors - for it's gloriously beautiful in the northeast today! I, for one, will be in a court house. For those of you jumping to conclusions, please don't. The cold hard reality is that Suffolk County has summoned me to serve as a Grand Juror and they say this will last for at least 4 weeks. I'm packing my curiosity and computer, so I hope to continue to make regular posts. In the meantime, I expect I could speak for nearly all of us when I say, we wish we were here ....

  Coast Guard Beach, in the National Seashore Park in Eastham, MA on Cape Cod

Coast Guard Beach was picked #7 on the list of "America's Best Beaches", a list compiled by "Dr. Beach", a.k.a. Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, every year for the last 20 years. Check out the complete list, when you're not working, by clicking here.

Mixed Berry Jam

As strawberries, blackberries and raspberries come in to season, I always want to stretch the season so we can enjoy the spectacular flavors longer. A great way to do that is to make jam. Now I won't tell you the process is effortless because it's not, especially if you don't do it often but, I will say, the effort is well worth it and does infuse you with a feeling of self-satisfaction and pride.

This mixed berry jam literally explodes with flavor and I can't wait to savor it next winter when summer is but a memory and a dream (if there's any left)!

  Mixed Berry Jam
Makes 3 -4 Half Pint Jars

6 5- to 6-ounce containers raspberries and blackberries (3 containers each)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
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• Combine fruit, sugar, and lemon juice in large bowl. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Put 2 saucers in freezer.
• In bottom of heavy large stock pot, at least 3 inches deeper than the height of the jars, place metal rack or extra screw bands from canning jars. (When the jars are placed on top, they will be protected from direct heat.)
• Wash the jars, lids and screw bands of the jars you'll be using in hot soapy water; rinse well. Set screw bands on a clean towel to dry. Place lids in a small saucepan; cover with cold water and bring to a simmer; turn off heat and let rest until you top the filled jars.
• Fill the stock pot with water to a height equal to 3 inches higher than the top of the jars. Submerge the cleaned, empty jars, placing them on the "rack". Cover the pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and leave until you are ready to fill the jars with jam.
• Transfer the fruit mixture to large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. 
• Mash the mixture with a potato masher to a thick puree. 
• Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until mixture begins to thicken, stirring often, about 18 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat to test for gelling point. Drop 1 teaspoon jam on a chilled saucer and return to freezer 1 minute.
• Remove saucer and push edge of jam with fingertip. If jam has properly gelled, surface will gently wrinkle. If not, return saucepan to heat and cook jam a few minutes longer; repeat test.
• Drain hot water from jars and shake out excess water; place jars on cutting board.
• Ladle hot jam into each jar (using plastic funnel), leaving 1/4 inch space at top.
• Slide a flat plastic spatula between jam and jar to eliminate air bubbles.
• Clean rim of each jar with a damp cloth.
• Using tongs/magnetic lid lifter, lift hot lids from saucepan, 1 at a time, shake dry, and place on top of jars.
• Seal each jar with a screw band, twisting to close BUT NOT TOO TIGHTLY.
• Return filled jars to stock pot of hot water.
• Add water to pot if necessary, to cover jars by at least 1 inch.
• Cover pot and bring to boil; reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and wait 5 minutes.
• Using jar lifter, remove jars from water without tilting.
• Place jars upright on towel; cool completely at room temperature.
• Check lids for seal by pressing each lightly. Lids of sealed jars will be concave and show no movement when pressed.
• Sealed jars may be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year. Unsealed jars must be refrigerated and jam must be used within a few weeks. For an even quicker jam, skip the canning instructions, ladle hot jam into clean jars, and store in the refrigerator for up to two week.

Note: The commitment of time required to make jam and some of the techniques can seem a bit daunting. It is necessary to sterilized the jars and lids if you aren't going to consume the jam within a couple of weeks. Using ordinary metal kitchen tongs to remove the sterilized jars from boiling water is precarious and dangerous in my experience. If you want to venture, even once, into the land of home-made jam, I strongly recommend that you first purchase a Canning Kit 
which will contain a rubber jar lifter, a magnetic lid lifter and a canning funnel, all invaluable and all created to make the job of canning easier and safer.

Peonies

I saw my first peony this year and must say that I am thoroughly smitten. You may recall my mentioning bright red peonies lining the walkway to a friend's house in Indiana - "sentries to all who might come". That was my introduction and when I got home I found them nearly every where. I couldn't resist picking up an assortment nearly every time I passed the Dutch Petals section of our grocery stores.

A peony begins as a tightly wound orb about the size of a ping pong ball and opens to a five-inch wide brightly colored blossom in just a day, and looks as if it's made of the most luxurious rumpled silk taffeta.  
It's truly spectacular to watch this transformation! Colors range from pure white to deep carmine, but our favorites began as cerise pink. I say began because, as the days past and each peony opened wide, we also noticed that the colors in the petals faded, so that the flower that began as a deep dark pink finished its living days a beautiful ivory color. Look at the pictures below and please, someone, tell me - is this natural? Is this what every peony does?

 All Photos by Claudia Ward, 2010, All Rights Reserved

This is the exact same flower in each photography, just six days apart - check out the leaf pattern. What a transformation in one week!

Getting Out of Dodge

A year ago today Peter and I took the ferries to get off Long Island and at the end of the day we saw the sun set on Martha's Vineyard. Well we're on the ferries once again, this time heading to Cape Cod. Nickerson Art Gallery is having an opening on Friday evening and we're going to be there.

Sent from my iPhone

Independence Day

Some of you think that Independence Day is the 4th of July and you'd be right, but my independence was conferred upon me one year ago today when The Bank of New York Mellon terminated my employment with their prodigious organization. I didn't know then how truly liberating this experience would be.

According to Merriam-Webster, independence is "the quality or state of being independent" as in:

1. "not subject to control by others", i.e. having control or rule over oneself, and 
2. "not affiliated with a larger controlling unit".

There can be great comfort in being affiliated with a larger controlling unit. Responsibility and accountability is generally shared which can defray some of the risks that come with employment of any kind. The rub however can be that you relinquish your rights to a truly independent voice and path, and submit to corporate control of your actions in business. I always enjoyed collaborating with colleagues, working toward a common goal set by management, but now I adore collaborating with my husband in our own endeavors working toward our goals. The risks are all ours and not defrayed in any way, but so are the rewards.

Many things have changed in the past year, I no longer do many things but rather do other things instead, for instance:

I no longer:

• Set an alarm to wake up and dread the sound of that alarm.
• Wonder if I can learn fast enough to do my job well.
• Dread going to work, because there's just too much of it.
• Lay awake in the middle of the night for an hour or two watching television in order to divert my mind from the business matters darting to and fro.
• Carry around a 5 pound Franklin planner scheduling and recording my every move.
• Wear contacts, make-up, business clothes or a watch.
• Go to a concrete office building everyday and sit in a box, commonly referred to as a cubicle.

I do:

• Wake up early on my own (generally with the sun) eager to get out of bed, wondering what I'll learn that day.
• Love getting to work early each day, hoping to pack as much as possible into every hour.
• Sleep through the night, nearly every night, for the first time in nearly 17 years.
• Check the date and time from time-to-time on my iPhone.
• Wear glasses, no make-up, and comfortable, casual clothes every day.
• Go to the beach, farm fields and gardens to photograph all that I see and then sit at the island in my kitchen happily doing the work at hand.

I don't recall being quite this content in recent history and truly feel that this event has been a wide open window for me. At first, I cautiously looked through, apprehensive about the unknown. After about eight months, I was standing firmly on the sill, leaning in to see what more I could see and do. And after about 10 months, I jumped through the window embracing these new circumstances, excited about where they may take us. I haven't closed the window, I still need to see where I've been from time to time - besides that would be like "burning the proverbial bridge" and we know what "they" say about that.

Twelve months after one of the major deciding events in my life, one over which I had no influence, I'm excited and enthusiastic about the future and what we can make of it for ourselves.

Cheers!

East Hampton Swans

There's a family of Mute Swans that lives on the pond in the center of East Hampton, New York. They've been there for as long as memory serves and each spring the cob (that's Dad) and the pen (that's Mom) start a new family and produce five to nine cygnets (those are the kids). It's really quite something to watch this family float along the water right in the center of town. 

One can spend hours on the water's edge watching them preen, play and nap, which is exactly what Peter and I did last spring. There were seven cygnets then, one "blond" and six "brunettes". The pen never wanders very far from her brood, but the cob ... that's another story which plays out in the slide show and video attached below. 

Permit me to set this up for you. As we all know, swans mate for life, which is a reality that can make even the most monogamous pine for a little variety from time to time. Despite having a picture perfect family and a beautiful mate, this cob just had to stretch his wings and see what might be happening at the other end of the pond, and what did he find? Apparently one equal to his every fantasy, one rendering him powerless and unable to restrain his passionate nature, one willing to receive his attentions and caresses without complaint for hours on end - literally.

 

Photos and slide show by Claudia Ward, 2010, All Rights Reserved
Music: Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Op.20: No.22 Danse Napolitaine by Boston Pops Orchestra & Seiji Ozawa

This cob showered kisses upon this reflection of himself for over an hour and as you can see was truly devastated when the object of his affections was taken away. Have you ever seen anyone so utterly dejected?

Video by Peter Tooker, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Is it possible that the strawberries are sweeter this year and packed with more strawberry flavor? Probably not but it sure seems that way. Short cakes, smoothies, granita's ... they're all good, but nothing surpasses homemade strawberry ice cream! 

In February, I posed a question to you all, namely "Who's eating my ice cream?" and only one of you was brave enough to "'fess up" (yeah Linda!). I may not be inclined to consume my per capita portion of the 46 plus pints a year that Americans reportedly do consume, but I'll step up to be counted when it comes to homemade ice cream. The true flavors and creamy texture cannot be equaled in my opinion in any store-bought product. 

So guess what I had for breakfast? That's right ... homemade strawberry ice cream - fruit and milk - a wholesome way to start the day ... trust me!

  Classic Strawberry Ice Cream

1 3/4 cups strawberries, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar, DIVIDED
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup milk (I use 1%)
3 egg yolks
1 large pinch of salt
====================================

• In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar, stirring often, until berries begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, then pour half the berries into a small bowl and mash them with a potato masher; set berries aside.
• In a small-medium, bring cream and milk to a simmer, then remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, beat egg yolks with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the hot bream-milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking as you go; then transfer it all back into the pot to create a loose custard.
• Over medium heat, stirring constantly, heat the custard until it reaches 175℉ on an instant thermometer (this is the point at which it will thicken noticeably).
• Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout, which will be handy later).
• Stir in the salt and mashed strawberries (not the chopped, they get added later), plus any excess juice from the other chopped berries; place in refrigerator to chill 6 - 12 hours (I cover almost completely till cool and then completely).
• Once the mixture is done chilling, the temperature should be close to 40℉ on an instant thermometer. Pour into ice cream maker, being sure that there is 1 inch at the top to allow for expansion, and prepare according to freezer instructions. Add the remaining berries during the final 5 minutes of chilling.

Note: The original recipe was double the one shown above, yielding about 7 cups (1 cup short of 2 quarts). I've halved it because my ice cream machine cautions that "the maximum amount must not exceed 1 quart of liquid, due to an increase in volume during preparation".

The Open Window

When I began this blog six months ago today, the first post was called An Open Window and I explained that I'd been "downsized" like so many others and that Peter and I were looking at this like the open window that Maria spoke of in the Sound of Music, 

    "When the Lord closes a door, 
somewhere He opens a window",

thus, the name of this blog. 

Many blogs you see will show a photo of the writer on every post. I started this way too, but could not fathom seeing my "mug" that often, so I changed the Userpic to the painting that you see on every post. In all this time, only one person has asked me about the painting (thank you Ally). So for all of you who may or may not be curious, allow me to explain.

 

The painting, by Henri Matisse, is called The Open Window, a.k.a. Open Window, Collioure. Matisse painted this, the view from his apartment window in Collioure on the southern coast of France, in 1905. Somehow I felt this was a perfect fit - another Open Window for the Francophile in me - one can never have enough, wouldn't you agree?

Strawberry Granita with Red Wine

Strawberry season is upon us and the small sweet strawberries from the local Hamptons farms are exquisite. One of my all time favorite desserts is Strawberry Shortcake, made with homemade biscuits and whipped cream, but I really do want to find a way to use this fruit with fewer calories - Granita is the answer, and my oh my is this refreshing and full of strawberry flavor. This just may have displaced the shortcake.

 Strawberry Granita with Red Wine
4 Servings

Granita

1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 Cup light, fruity dry red wine, e.g. Beaujolais
====================================

• Stir 1/2 cup water and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool the syrup.
• Place halved strawberries, red wine and cooled syrup in blender; puree.
• Strain strawberry puree into a 9 x 9 x 2 metal pan, pressing on the solids to get as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. 
• Cover and freeze 1 hour.
• Using a fork, stir granita, breaking up any solid parts.
• Freeze until firm, scraping the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes to form ice crystals. 
• Keep covered and frozen.

Garnish

1 Cup sliced fresh strawberries plus 4 large whole strawberries
2 Tablespoons light, fruity dry red wine, e.g. Beaujolais
1 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar
=====================================

• Mix sliced strawberries, wine and sugar in small bowl; let stand at room temperature until sugar dissolves and juices form, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Divide sliced strawberry mixture among 4 serving dishes. 
• Scrape granita with fork to loosen ice crystals; divide granita among glasses.
• Garnish edge of each serving dish with a whole strawberry and serve.

Note: There's no reason that this couldn't be made without the wine although it does enhance the flavor. You know the old adage, "Add flavor to flavor".

Roxanne's Gardens

Gardening is taken up every spring by many a novice but none more enthusiastically than a friend of mine. Renovations completed on their Indiana home, Roxanne turned her attentions to the landscape and with a voluminous tome on the topic in hand, she began planning the gardens. The results are a glorious symphony of color that performs for nearly half the year.

The gardens begin revealing their treasures in late March and will continue to do so on cue throughout the warm spring and summer months. In May when we saw the gardens, the yellow and white daffodils had already made their exit from the stage, replaced now with tulips et al dressed in royal purples, blues and pastels. Demanding attention at center stage however were bright red peonies planted along the walkway - sentries to all who might come. 

These are some of May's "performers" in the gardens at Bye the Beach Cottage.

Photos & Slideshow by Claudia Ward, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Music: Presto, Roberto Fabbriciani, Orchestra Da Camera Di Santa Cecelia, Vivaldi: 6 Concerti Per Flauto

Remember to click the four arrows to make the slideshow larger and change the 360 to 480 for the best possible quality.

How do your gardens grow?

Lime Tart with Berries

It's official, the summer season must be here because I have oodles of fresh local fruit and vegetables in my fridge again. It never fails to bring a huge smile to my face! The quandary? What to do with all this fresh produce. I'm not a big dessert person but fruit desserts are special, so I do indulge. It also lets me use my under utilized baking skills, which I love to exercise as often as possible.

Once again, I must give credit where credit is due, if I thought bon appétit's May issue was good, June's has blown me away. This Lime Tart is just one of the recipes we've tried and loved. Don't be intimidated by the crust or the custard, they both are really easy - fool-proof I'd say, and you won't believe the yummy aroma that lingers in the kitchen after you bake the pastry.

 Lime Tart with Blueberries & Blackberries

Lime Curd

3 Large eggs
3 Large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
=======================================

• Set a fine metal strainer over a medium bowl and set aside.
• Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium metal bowl or the top of a double boiler.
• Whisk in the lime juice.
• Set the metal bowl over a large saucepan of gently simmering water (do NOT allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water).
• Whisk constantly until the curd thickens and instant-read thermometer inserted into the curd reads 178 to 180 degrees F - about 6-8 minutes.
• Immediately pour the curd through the prepared strainer set over bowl.
• Add butter to the warm strained curd (submerge each piece); let stand 1 minute then whisk until blended and smooth.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of the curd (so skin doesn't form on the curd).
• Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Lime curd can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Crust

1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Large egg yolk
1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Large pinch salt
=======================================

• Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until well blended, 1-2 minutes.
• Add egg yolk; beat to blend.
• Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until mixture resembles large peas.
• Using hands, knead in bowl just until dough comes together.
• Transfer dough to a 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Break dough into pieces, then press dough evenly up the sides and onto the bottom of pan. 
• Cover and chill 1 hour. Crust can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Uncover crust and bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan on rack.

Topping

2 6-ounce containers fresh blackberries
1 6-ounce container fresh blueberries
1 Tablespoon blackberry jam (I used red currant jelly)
=======================================

• Remove sides from tart pan and place crust on plate.
• Spread lime curd evenly in the baked crust
• Arrange blackberries in two concentric circles just inside edge of tart.
• Mound blueberries in the center of tart.
• Place jam in small microwave-safe bowl, heat in microwave until jam is melted, about 15 seconds. Whisk to loosen and blend, adding water by teaspoons if thick.
• Brush jam over the berries, giving the tart a shiny pastry-shop finish.
• Tart can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Chill uncovered.

LIRR Cannonball - The Movie

Peter's Post: 

Variations on a theme; the movie version of Claudia's slideshow: The Hamptons Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy!

Video by Peter Tooker, 2010, All Rights Reserved

Summer Rush in the Hamptons

The population of the Hamptons burgeons in the summer months. Thousands upon thousands of people pour into the Hamptons in cars, buses, trains, boats, planes and even helicopters. They come to enjoy the beautiful beaches, to rub shoulders with one another, to dine at the newest and trendiest restaurants and/or to simply enjoy the sweet country air. No matter their reason for coming, come they do - in droves.

The Long Island Railroad is one of the easiest ways to get to the Hamptons and during the summer they put on an extra train or two which the patrons refer to as the Cannonball trains - express trains from Jamaica to the Hamptons! During the winter, the trains on the Montauk Line can have as few as three double-decker cars, but during the summer the Cannonball trains have 12 double-decker cars - requiring them to make two 6-car stops at each station. The stations are small and the crowds considerable, making for an entertaining mix of people and cars, all trying to get underway as soon as possible. 

Take a look as the arrival of the 6:13 p.m. Cannonball is expected. People jockey for parking that will provide the fastest possible get-away whether legal or not; they act as if they are not locked in this tiny parking lot with thousands of strangers, all of whom must move before they will be granted an egress; and, they put on a facade of disinterested patience which could easily come undone. From the time the Cannonball turns the corner, rolling into Bridgehampton, to the time the last car exited the parking lot took all of 17 minutes - 17 minutes for hundreds of eager New Yorkers to be absorbed into the fabric of our communities. 

Photos and Slideshow by Claudia Ward; Music: The Glove by Marvin Hamlisch