Tag: Desserts

A Misty Early Spring Stroll and Wild Blueberry Ginger Crumble

Kite Hill-Ancram, New York

It had been raining lightly most of the day, stopping long enough for a misty stroll on Kite Hill in nearby Ancram, New York. The air was invigorating, raw and cold. I headed up the gentle slope; the trees that lined the path were just starting to bud.

As I continued on my walk, thoughts of Passover came to mind. This year, our daughter Alicia would join us. In addition to being a professional singer and cantor, she is a member of a group which specializes in Early Jewish music called Myriam. She is also currently in the rabbinical program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. We were thrilled that she would be leading the Passover Service- just a little proud here! I could happily kvell for an extended period of time!

With the plans for the Passover service under expert hands, I looked forward to thinking about the guests that we would greet and welcome to our Seder table and about the food we would serve. On the menu was traditional Maztoh Ball Soup, with extra fluffy matzoh balls flavored with small amounts of nutmeg and ground ginger; a recipe inspired by the incredible Jewish cookbook author Joan Nathan. We also planned to serve often requested Smoked Whitefish Gefilte Fish, a modern take on Gefilte Fish, featured in an earlier blog: https://wordpress.com/post/musicianstravels.com/4917. Chicken breasts stuffed with wild rice, shallots and pecans and a vegetable medley of carrots, zucchini, roasted red peppers and caramelized onions rounded out the menu!

With the current strife and terrible loss of life in the Middle East and the continued war in Ukraine, this year our Passover service was all the more poignant. We chose to spend our time together talking about these important issues and our collective human frailty, but also found a way to celebrate our precious time together. AND, somehow, we found room for fresh juicy strawberries and a delicious almond torte brought by a dear friend. This dessert is so good, that an entire blog will appear soon featuring Swedish Visiting Cake!

During the Passover week, it is traditional to not eat leavened bread or flour. One night during her visit, our daughter made an improvised flourless blueberry crumble with no leavening or flour. It was so good, that I tried to recreate it and this is what I came up with. For my version, I added ground ginger and a bit of finely diced candied ginger. Easy to make, this is also good for breakfast topped with plain yogurt. Feel free to add sugar to the blueberry and tapioca mixture. This would also work with regular blueberries- I like the flavor of the smaller wild blueberries, frozen is OK, but the full intense flavor of fresh wild blueberries in the summer makes me nostalgic for past summer vacations in Maine and fresh wild blueberry pie!

ENJOY!

Wild Blueberry Ginger Crumble

Ingredients:

Filling:

5 cups frozen wild blueberries- defrosted (I used Wymans Wild Blueberries). Use fresh blueberries in the summer! Sprinkle tapioca over berries and set aside.

2 tablespoons instant tapioca

Crumble Topping

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup (more if a sweeter taste is desired)

1/4 cup finely diced candied ginger (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F

Place blueberries in a medium sized oval baking dish and sprinkle tapioca over the berries. Set aside while you prepare the topping.

Whisk together dry ingredients and then add egg yolk, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add candied ginger if using. Mix with your hands until you can form medium sized clumps. If the mixture is too dry, add either a bit more coconut oil or syrup.

Drop pieces of mixture over the berries and place in the oven on a rack that is in the middle. Check after about 10 minutes- if the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking. Bake for aprox. 40 minutes.

ENJOY!

Trusty baking dish awaiting another crumble!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week!”

“Yikes”!

First wildflowers of the Spring: Trillium and Trout Lily! William Cullen Bryant Homestead- Cummington, MA

HAPPY SPRING!

Happy Winter Solstice and Blueberry Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Kelsie Road- Sheffield, MA

Rail Trail- Salisbury, CT

Sometimes, after a brisk walk in the cold, the perfect thing is to make a batch of muffins- with a cup of tea, a good book and a cozy fire in the woodstove- nothing could be better!

Here is my recipe for delicious moist muffins that also happen to be healthy- made with whole grain flour, a small amount of low glycemic coconut sugar, they are guilt free and also perfect for breakfast.

Blueberry Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of whole grain spelt and whole wheat pastry flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 very ripe banana

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips ( I like Equal Exchange or you could also use Lily’s Stevia Chocolate Chips)

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soy or almond milk

To Make Muffins:

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees

Butter a nonstick 12 cup muffin tin (this recipe will make about 10 muffins)

In a medium size bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.

Add egg, oil, vanilla, banana and almond or soy milk and stir until combined.

Add blueberries, nuts and chocolate chips and stir to combine- do not overmix.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake aprox. 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool in muffin tin about 10 minutes before removing muffins- they will stick less.

ENJOY!!

This year for the holidays, I baked two very rich desserts on the day before Christmas earmarked for Christmas Day. As the rich aromas of chocolate, butter and spices filled the air, temptation won over and we all decided to eat the desserts for both days- a wise decision! Recipes for Kabocha Squash Pie and Chocolate Cherry Torte to follow in another blog post soon!

AND: Here is the last “Tree of the Week” for 2023!

“Feeling the Weight of the World!”

BEST WISHES FOR A JOYOUS HOLIDAY AND A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!

Kelsie Road- Sheffield, MA

Spooky Sounds and Spiced Apple Pie!

This a recycled vintage post from October 2020. I hope you enjoy the “spooky” recorder improv, many trees and my favorite recipe for sugar free spiced apple pie!

Steepletop Reserve- New Marlborough, MA

October 18, 2020

On our recent walks through the woods, I have closely observed the burled and gnarly bark of the trees and with a slightly overactive imagination, I happily anthropomorphized their unique personalities; some scary or with attitude, others shy, wise, scared and surprised or just plain silly!O

My first prize goes to to a tree with a big “schnozs”!

Other categories:

MONSTERS:

HUMOROUS:

WISE:

EVIL:

ATTITUDE:


SCARED AND SURPRISED:

SHY:

This little fellow reminds me of a Giocometti sculpture.


Alberto Giacometti

CREEPY TOES:

Last weekend after walking at the Bullitt Reservation in Ashfield, Massachusetts, we drove around doing some leaf peeping and discovered a steep and dark dirt road with an old cemetery; an excellent spot for this slightly creepy, spooky and eccentric improvisation!

This week with excellent local apples, I made a spiced sugar free apple pie. I like to mix a few different varieties of apples; particularly the Honey Crisp variety. I use plenty of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom and I make the pastry crust using a recipe from Julia Child’s, Mastering The Art of French Cooking. The recipe calls for a combination of butter and shortening and it makes an easy to work with crust that is both tender and with a buttery flavor. For my version, I use whole wheat pastry flour and whole grain spelt flour which gives it a wonderful nutty taste. The apples are so full of flavor, that no sugar is necessary, although this would taste great with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Sugar Free Spiced Apple Pie

Ingredients for filling:

5-6 apples- peeled, cored and sliced into thin pieces.

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, allspice, cloves and cardamom.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Pastry Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole grain spelt four

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter

3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening (I like the organic Spectrum brand)

3 or more tablespoons ice water

Make the pastry crust:

In the bowl of a food processor combine flours, salt, butter and shortening until just combined.

Add the ice water and process until a ball shape forms. You may need to add more water a tablespoon at a time.

Take the ball of dough and cut into 2 pieces and refrigerate at least one hour. When you want to make the pie, bring the dough back to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Bring pastry dough to room temperature.

Roll out one of the balls of dough to fit a deep pie dish.

Place filling in pie dish.

Roll out next ball of dough to fit over top of filling.

Trim and crimp edges together.

Make an egg wash with one lightly beaten egg and brush over top of pie. This will make the top of the pie bake with a golden color.

Bake aprox. 40- 45 minutes until filling is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

I leave you with a vintage Halloween treat- a clip from the “talking trees” scene from the Wizard of Oz!

Enjoy and Stay Safe!! Happy Halloween!!

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Spooky Sounds and Anthropomorphic Trees!

The Collapsible Kayak and Plum Cardamom Walnut Torte!

End of summer, with a last few carefree days before teaching and rehearsals begin.

Riding in the car with sister in-law Tracey the other day, she asked how kayaking was going. I mentioned that it was becoming harder to lift our fifty pound kayak onto the roof of the car and that our kayaks had spent a good deal of the summer propped up against a tree in the woods, collecting a wide variety of spiders and other insects.

The following happened in a manner that was both spontaneous and serendipitous: That very morning, my osteopath and I had been discussing collapsible kayaks and how great it would be to use something so light and easily transported. In the car, my husband Paul, who was in the back seat, looked up collapsible kayaks on his phone and saw that an REI Sporting Goods store was just 5 minutes from us with an end of summer sale on Oru collapsible kayaks. We quickly made an executive decision to seek out the kayaks. I turned around and headed the car in other direction on the highway.

The store was out of stock but a young eager salesperson said that she had one in her car and would we like to see how it worked? A moment later she returned proudly carrying a neat small package that unfolded like a big origami paper sculpture into a boat! We were impressed with the ease of use and decided on the spot to order one. And, two days later, it arrived!

It took only a few minutes to get it ready and then I glided smoothly off- heaven! Best of all, it weighs less than 17 pounds; I can carry it under my arm and it makes me look like I am very strong!

It also fits quite nicely in the back of my small car with one seat down!

Along with a noticeable shortening of the days and the arrival of fall, I look forward to the appearance of Italian plums at the local farmers markets. One of the New York Times most requested recipes is for plum torte, first printed over 40 years ago! The recipe is rich with butter, sugar and eggs and is delicious! I have tinkered with the recipe over the years and have come up with a guilt free version made with whole grain spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, monk fruit sweetener, soy milk and canola oil. For my latest edition, I added ripe banana, toasted walnuts and ground cardamom. The result tasted rich and not too sweet; this would also be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I hope you enjoy this.

Plum Walnut Cardamom Torte

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1/2 very ripe banana

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soy or almond milk

Topping:

8-10 very ripe plums- cut in half and pitted

To make cake batter:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar, ground cardamom and cinnamon.

Add egg, vanilla, canola oil, soy or almond milk and mix together just until the batter is smooth.

Lightly butter a tart pan or round pie dish.

Pour batter into pan and place plums cut side down over batter

Sprinkle top lightly with additional cinnamon.

Bake in middle of oven aprox. 30 minutes until plums are bubbling and a cake tester comes out clean.

ENJOY!

Rosh Hashana (The Jewish New Year) starts this weekend.

Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Bridge of Flowers- Shelburne Falls, MA

Apple Cherry Cornmeal Torte and “Happy Trails” from Bray Road!

Bray Road

During the pandemic, one of our main activities was to go on road trips and explore properties for sale in the hill towns above Northampton, Massachusetts. We had great fun bushwhacking through land, all the while dreaming and imaging that we might someday move and build a new home. After looking at over thirty properties, we came upon land that immediately spoke to both of us, quickly made an offer and became the owners of over 70 acres!

The land is scruffy and at one time was logged, but at second glance, it is quite beautiful and full of potential! There are many old logging roads; one is lined with an old stone wall.

Years ago, most of the trees were cleared and the land was used for a sheep farm. When the land was abandoned, thick forests grew back.

The land was logged and a good deal of brush was left strewn haphazardly, creating an ideal environment for the growth of interesting fungi.

My husband Paul, along with his intrepid friends Peter and Caroline have been slowly clearing some of the brush on the old logging roads and creating an intricate system of hiking trails. I follow behind with a can of spray paint marking blazes on the trees.

We have started excavation for our new home, the driveway has been roughed in and the homesite is cleared. We saved wood from the trees that were cut and the lumber will be used for pine siding and for oak floors!

At the moment, we are the proud owners of two gigantic mounds of woodchips, that we like to call “The Monet Haystacks”!

Stay tuned for future progress as we embark on this exciting new chapter of our lives!

All of this planning, clearing and hiking on trails creates a powerful appetite. I wanted to think of a dessert that tasted rich and delicious but was also healthy.

I remembered a dessert that I had at the venerable restaurant Chez Panisse last March on my trip to California. The meal was incredible; details in another post!

The dessert that I had been looking forward to, sour cherry apple galette, looked picture perfect, but I was very disappointed with the flavor and texture. The flavor was bland, my slice had all of 3 cherries and the puff pastry was so tough that I could hardly cut it with a steak knife!

It got me thinking about interesting combinations of cherries and apple; here is my version- humble home cook that I am! This is more of a torte or cake with the same batter that I use for my peach cornmeal cake. I use no regular sugar , but a combination of low glycemic coconut sugar and monk fruit and the fruit has no sugar added to it. For a touch of extra flavor and sweetness, I made a glaze to drizzle over the top from honey and cinnamon. The batter also has cornmeal- I ran out of regular cornmeal and used a bit of coarse polenta. This gave the torte added flavor and texture.

Apple Cherry Cornmeal Torte

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup fine cornmeal (you can also use 1/4 cup of coarse polenta for addded flavor and texture)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soy or almond milk

Topping:

1 1/2 cups sweet cherries pitted

2- 3 apples peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with small of amount of water to make a slurry.

1 teaspoon almond extract

Glaze:

1 heaping tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

To make filling:

Place apples and cherries in a medium size pot and cook until the fruit softens and starts to release it’s juices. Add cinnamon. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and remove from heat. Stir in almond extract.

To make cake batter:

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar and cinnamon.

Add egg, vanilla, canola oil, soy or almond milk and mix together just until the batter is smooth.

Make glaze:

Mix together honey and cinnamon. Microwave until mixture melts.

Assemble Torte:

Lightly butter a round pie dish. Pour in batter and spread evenly over pan.

Arrange apples and cherry mixture over top of batter.

Drizzle honey glaze over top of fruit.

Bake in middle of oven until fruit is bubbling and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean*, about 35 minutes.

* The fruit may be juicy, so a toothpick will come out clean only when inserted in the part of the torte where there is no fruit.

ENJOY!

Kite Hill- Ancram, NY

HAPPY SUMMER! STAY COOL!

“Joyful Mountain Landscape” and Lemon Curd/Chia Pudding Parfaits!

“Heiterre Gebirgslandschaft”- “Joyful Mountain Landscape”: Paul Klee- Swiss 1879-1940
Yale University Art Gallery

The holidays are past us and as we start the new year, I am looking forward to my group Hevreh Ensemble‘s album release concert in February at the Soapbox Gallery in Brooklyn. I realize that I need to get into shape with a regular practice routine. And, if all goes well, I am scheduled to travel to California at the beginning of March for a collaboration with the iconic jazz oboist Paul McCandless; made possible by a professional development grant from Hofstra University- all very exciting! This is made all the more fun because McCandless lives in the middle of wine country in Sonoma County and I will be accompanied by my intrepid travel companion Carol!

Not bad things to have plans on the horizon as we slog through the rest of the winter. And, on a particularly gray, cold and raw Sunday, we thought of a trip to New Haven and the Yale University Art Gallery and maybe takeout from the wonderful ramen restaurant Mecha Noodle Bar!

The Yale University Art Gallery is one of our favorite places to visit. The collection and special exhibits are excellent, the size of the museum is perfect; not too large, but big enough that you leave feeling full and satisfied and there is always free admission.

For this visit, we headed up to the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection. As were entered the large gallery our eyes were drawn immediately to a beautiful and familiar work by Pierre Bonnard- “Interior at Le Cannet”.

Pierre Bonnard- “Interior at Le Cannet”

I often become visually overwhelmed when visiting art museums and have found it helps if I stroll slowly through the galleries, not trying to see everything at once, my eyes become accustomed to all of the richness and beauty of the art; then I am drawn into a few works that I can focus on.

This particular day after a few minutes of walking together, we took off in opposite directions. I enjoyed the bold lines and brilliant colors of works by Kadinsky, Pollack and Picasso.

Wassily Kadinsky-“Abstract Interpretation”

Jackson Pollack- “Burning Landscape”

Pablo Picasso- “The Painter in His Studio”

I was most taken with works created by artists that I was not familiar with including Dora Bromberger’s Village Street.

Dora Bromberger born in 1881, was a German artist who painted expressionist landscapes. She was born in Germany into a Jewish family and in 1941 was deported to a concentration camp where she was killed in 1942.

Sara Bromberger-“Village Street” 1916

I was most taken by a work by the American painter Sam Gilliam (1953-2022) titled “Haystack”.

Sam Gilliam- “Haystack”

I sat on a nearby bench and was mesmerized by the beautiful intricate patterns and rich imagery.

Paul and I met up and we showed each other some of our favorite paintings. We both were taken by Paul Klee’s “Joyful Mountain Landscape”.

Paul Kee-“Joyful Mountain Landscape”

Perhaps it brought to mind the joy that we have experienced surrounded by the beauty of nature during our walks.

Ashintully Gardens- Tyringham, MA

Recently, dear friends from Toronto stopped through on their way to their daughter’s wedding in Boston. We had not seen them since the beginning of the pandemic. After their long drive, we wanted to make something nice for dinner. For dessert, I was thinking of something light but satisfying; lemon curd came to mind. Combined with chia pudding and fresh fruit, it looked pretty and after the holidays, was a guilt free pleasure. This could easily be enjoyed for breakfast!

Lemon Curd/ Chia Pudding Parfaits

Yield: 5 servings

Low fat Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg whites 
  • ¾ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener ( I used 1/4 cup for a very tart flavor, you could also use regular sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • ⅔ cup lemon juice

To prepare lemon curd: Whisk whole egg, 2 egg whites, granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough that drawing your finger across a coated spoon leaves a mark, 5 to 12 minutes. Do not let the sauce come to a simmer. Pour the hot curd through a fine-meshed sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids. Let cool slightly and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.

Chia Pudding

  • 2cups unsweetened almond milk
  • ½cup coconut milk
  • 85grams chia seeds (½ cup)
  • 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (or to taste)

In a quart container with a lid, combine almond and coconut milks, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Stir thoroughly so that seeds are evenly hydrated. Let rest at least 20 minutes or until pudding has a rich, creamy texture. Seeds should be fully hydrated. (Pudding will keep for up to 3 days but may require rehydrating with more almond or coconut milk as the seeds continue to absorb liquid.

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried on a paper towel

1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried on a paper towel

Assemble Parfaits

Place 1/2 of the chia pudding at the bottom of 5 wine goblets or clear glasses

Layer raspberries on top.

Place lemon curd on top.

Add a layer of blueberries.

Finish with a layer of the remaining chia pudding.

Refrigerate for a few hours .

ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

“Whoo Boy”!

STAY WARM!!

Dried Fruit Cream Scones, Sour Cherry Pie and Great Stories!

What a pleasure it was to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with our daughter Alicia, her partner Katie and both of our families! We spent a few magical days gathered around a large table, as we shared Thanksgiving dinner and other meals together. We enjoyed leisurely conversations filled with family stories and collective memories.

Katie’s grandparents owned a dairy farm in New Jersey and I loved hearing stories about the taste of the rich milk that the cows produced and this led to a conversation about making clabbered milk; naturally fermented raw milk that her great grandfather enjoyed every day. He attested that this habit was part of his remarkable longevity, he lived until almost 102 years! The word “clabber” comes from the Irish language, and it means “to thicken.” If clabbered milk is allowed to thicken long enough, it becomes clotted cream, a popular spread for scones in many parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Alicia cooked an incredible meal with the most delicious turkey ever that she spatchcocked (the backbone is removed to make the turkey lay flat), brined and rubbed with an herb mixture of parsley, rosemary, thyme, onion, lemon juice and olive oil. Roasted quickly in a hot oven, the turkey had crispy burnished skin and incredibly tender flavorful meat. I made a large chicken with this same method the other night and I will never make a chicken or turkey any other way ever again. The recipe will appear shortly in another blog post!

As always after a Thanksgiving feast, we were happily full and contented, but after a few hours we could start to think about dessert. We had a quite a lineup that included a beautifully decorated key lime cheesecake and apple cranberry pie made by Alicia.

I made a sugar free apple pie and oft requested Kabocha Squash Pie; the recipe will also appear in another post! The recipe comes from the NYT Book of Desserts by the dessert chef Pichet Ong.

The Dessert Line!

The next morning, we gathered for brunch with smoked salmon and bagels from Zabars in New York. Katie’s father, Mark who is a wonderfully talented baker and cook decided we could use some of his dried fruit scones and we all happily agreed!

Quite simply, these are the best scones I have ever tasted. They have a delicate texture with a crispy sugary top and irresistible flavor. I asked Mark for the recipe and here you go. He said that the most important thing is to use heavy cream; don’t be tempted to use anything lighter. The cream is used instead of butter in the recipe and is what makes the scones so light.

Dried Fruit Cream Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Glaze:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Use an ungreased baking sheet.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl, stirring with a fork to mix well. Add the dried apricots. Still using a fork, stir in the cream and mix until the dough holds together in a rough mass (the dough will be quite sticky).

Lightly flour a board and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough 8 or 9 times. Pat into 2 circles about 6 inches round. For the glaze, spread the butter over the top and side of the circle of dough and sprinkle the sugar on top. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and place each piece on the baking sheet, allowing about an inch between pieces.

Bake for about 11 minutes, or until golden brown

Yield: 12 scones

We had more than enough leftovers for the next day and plenty of desserts! At one point , the conversation turned to summer fruit and Alicia lamented that for the last several years, she had missed the short sour cherry season. She wistfully talked about making sour cherry pie. Somehow, even with extra desserts on hand, it was suggested that if we could find a good source of frozen sour cherries, that maybe Alicia would like to make a cherry pie! Katie’s mother Kathy looked up sour cherries online at the venerable grocery store Wegmans and the parents in the group made the executive decision that cherry pie should be made; if Alicia was willing! Mark, Paul and I headed off to Wegmans on a mission to find sour cherries. Mark had a Wegman’s app on his phone; we quickly located the frozen fruit section and purchased flash frozen sour cherries that came from Wolcott, New York near Lake Ontario.

We got 2 bags, so Alicia would have come cherries for another time. The pie was delicious; the bright red sour cherries had been picked at their peek and were packed full of flavor. The pastry crust was buttery and tender with a beautiful pattern that Alicia had created; served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, it topped off a perfect holiday; with stomachs and most importantly, our spirits full!


AND: Here is the Tree of the Week:

“I think I may have eaten too much pie”!


Merwin Road, Millerton, NY

STAY SAFE AND WARM!

Plum Torte and Jackson Heights

The past week was one of minor miracles. My husband recovered quickly from covid and knock on wood, I never succumbed! I have to confess that I was rather glad when it was time to commute to New York to teach at Hofstra; escape from the germ zone!

As a treat to Paul, I thought I would bring some Indian takeout back home; this would give me the opportunity to explore the vibrant Indian community in the New York City borough of Queens. I had heard about the neighborhood for years, but never had chance to visit the area.

A kindly cab driver motioned me into a parking spot that he was leaving and I took a picture of the street signs; no getting lost this week! From this point of reference, I started to slowly walk around the neighborhood, taking in all of the sights.

As I neared the entrance of the subway at 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, I was met by the sounds of popular Indian music blaring from a loud speaker in front of a store. As people pushed by me on all sides, I felt as if I could be in the middle of a bustling and vibrant movie set!

Enjoy this short video in front of the 74th Street subway station!

There were many thriving family businesses and clothing stores that displayed bold colorful fabrics.

The streets were lined with small grocery stores selling a wide variety of Indian spices, dals & grains and outside the stores, exotic vegetables were displayed on stands including Thai eggplants, small round purple eggplants, Bengali squash, gourds, and heaping boxes of hot green chilies. As I walked slowly through the neighborhood, a delicious aroma of garlic and spices wafted through the air.

Thai Eggplant

Bengali Squash

There were numerous cafes and Indian pastry shops with enticing displays of sweets.

The colorful and fragrant small desserts were like eye candy; I succumbed and selected a few small pastries to sample on the way back home.

I discovered that Jackson Heights is also one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the United States with over 167 languages spoken, including Mexicans, Ecuadorians, Columbians, Argentinians, Tibetans and Nepalese. As I walked down the streets and looked at all of the different faces of the people, I sensed the beautiful mix of cultures with everyone seeming to comingle peacefully!

I started to look for an Indian restaurant to order our takeout dinner and was distracted momentarily by a display of colorful cakes in the window of a Mexican bakery and of course I had to go inside. The counter person was a lovely young woman who proudly showed me the different breads , cakes and pastries.

Just down the street I saw a Tibetan restaurant that looked interesting and decided that maybe some momos (Tibetan dumplings) would be good instead of Indian food. I made a rather large order to take home along with a few other dishes. Often my instincts are on the mark when choosing restaurants, but alas not in this case. The food was greasy, lacking in flavor & the momos were filled with tough pieces of meat. So, this restaurant will remain nameless! The good news is the I will definitely make more trips to Jackson Heights and I know the next time I will find great Indian or Tibetan food!!

Back in the car, heading home, I took out one of the Indian pastry treats and took a bite. The flavor was delicious with hints of cardamom, but shockingly sweet and it made my teeth ache; time to think about a dessert that was guilt free but also delicious!

In my blog, I made a decision not to dwell on health issues, but I will make an exception for this post. More then 15 years ago my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and this caused us to make major changes to our diet. You may have noticed that many of the dessert recipes in my blog are made either without sugar and if a recipe needs a sweetener, I use either small amounts of monk fruit sweetener, stevia, or coconut sugar; all with a very low glycemic index. I find that now when I taste recipes that use regular sugar, they taste way too sweet and I enjoy the fresh taste of apples and berries without sweeteners.

Recently, I reinvented a plum torte that was made famous by the NY Times food writer Marian Burros. The original plum torte is rich and buttery and very sweet. For my guilt free version, I used the same batter that is in my Apple Strawberry Ginger Crumble Tea Cake, with the addition of almond extract and for an extra treat, I made a glaze for the top of the torte with a small amount of honey that I microwaved with cinnamon. You could also use sliced apples or apricots when they are in season. I hope you enjoy this recipe!!

Plum Torte

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla soy or almond milk

10-12 Italian plums or you can use sliced apples or apricots in season- cut plums in half and remove pits.

Glaze:

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cinamon

stir together honey and cinnamon and microwave for about 30 seconds until honey becomes liquid.

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

Lightly butter a tart pan or large pie dish.

To make cake batter:

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar and cinnamon.

Add egg, vanilla, canola oil, soy or almond milk and mix together just until the batter is smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and place plum halves cut side down in a decorative pattern over batter.

Drizzle glaze over top of the batter and fruit.

Bake until fruit starts to bubble and a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!

This fall I have been watching a spider outside of my study window. It distracted me nicely as I avoided working on my oboe reeds! I was fascinated to watch how during stormy weather or heavy rain, the spider would retreat to a corner of the window and the web would be torn apart. When the weather cleared, the spider would slowly climb back out, repair it’s web and carry on; much like the resilience that our fragile democracy has recently exhibited!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

“That was a close call”!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

“Mann tracht un Gott Lacht”* and Baked Apple Cider Donuts

* “Man plans and God Laughs”- The old Yiddish expression took on new meaning this past week. The plan was this-my Birthday week was crammed full with students, an early rehearsal in NYC for a Salisbury Four Christmas concert, teaching at Hofstra University and getting ready for the release of my group Hevreh Ensemble’s new album, Meserole Street. I thought that I would be too busy to write much in the way of my blog and the idea of a guest blogger appealed to me. My husband took a walk at the Keystone Arches in Chester, MA and returned with beautiful photographs- he would be the perfect guest!

“Keystone Arches”- Chester, MA- photo Paul DePaolo

But as it happened, too much transpired that I needed to write about. I will look forward to featuring a Keystone Arches guest blog soon!

This year, my birthday fell on a Friday, the day I travel to New York to teach; Paul suggested waiting until Sunday to celebrate. The plan was to attend an Orchestra ONE concert at Bard College’s Fisher Center. A group of my talented Advanced Ensemble students from the Indian Mountain School were planning to meet us at the concert; being kindly driven by another IMS faculty member. After the concert, Paul and I would drive to nearby Rhinebeck, New York and have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants; Gigi’s Trattoria. I returned home Saturday night; tired but happy and inspired by the rehearsal I had that afternoon. Exquisite melodies from works by Schutz and Monteverdi were still dancing around in my head and for a brief time all felt right with our crazy world. At the rehearsal, we had all talked about the soothing power of music.

Then, Sunday morning after I woke up late, I came downstairs and my husband ominously said that his throat hurt and it felt scratchy. We both took Covid rapid tests and his came back with the dreaded 2 stripes! Quickly all plans were scuttled and we were thrust into the place where no one wants to go….

Feeling frustrated with the sudden change in direction, I decided to take a hike by myself. I made sure that Paul was comfortable with plenty of tissues and herbal tea nearby and I am so glad that I decided to tell him my planned destination!

I set out for The Drury Preserve in Sheffield, Massachusetts for beautiful solitude. My car was the only one in the small lot and this suited my mood just fine. Kicking leaves, I strode off on the trail that led through a pine forest. My thoughts were full of frustration, anger, worry about Paul and plenty of self pity! The trail leads gradually down into a swampy area with narrow planks of wood over the small marsh; the entire round trip is about 3 miles. As I tramped through the woods, gradually my mood began to lighten and I thought there might even be enough time to get back to The Bistro Box in Great Barrington to bring home chicken and falafel burgers and a salad with the freshest organic greens. Things were beginning to look brighter!

I crossed the last wooden plank over the marsh and looked forward to reaching a small idyllic pond with a small wooden bench that has a lovely view of Race Mountain in the distance. Somehow I got off the trail without knowing it, but I saw the pond in the distance and climbed up a small hill and then down to the pond.

Drury Preserve- Sheffield, MA

I sat for a few minutes on the bench, breathing in the fresh fall air deeply and then started to head back. Very quickly I realized that I could not find the trail. The ground was covered with leaves and there were no blue blazes on the trees to mark the way.

I started off in one direction, realized it was not leading to the trail and went the other way. This did not work either, but I saw the pond peeking through the trees and headed back to the pond.

After a few mores tries to orient myself to the trail, I knew that I was completely lost and as the sun sank lower in the sky, a small amount of worry trickled into my mind and I decided to call my sick husband. With one bar of power on my phone, the call miraculously connected and I said “I think I am completely turned around, please come!! I had a good 45 minutes to wait for my rescuer and went back to the lovely bench by the pond; plenty of time to “cool my heels”, meditate and take pictures of the beautiful surroundings.

I even took a picture of a possible candidate for a “Tree of the Week”!

As I heard Paul’s voice calling out to me through the woods, I felt palpable relief. I bounded down the path towards him; Paul was so relieved to see me that he did not pay close attention to the way back and soon enough both of us were lost! Our friends Peter and Caroline were also coming to my rescue. Luckily, Paul remembered Peter’s advise to “cross the marsh and head east” after Peter had checked a map of the preserve. With great relief we soon saw the wooden slats of the trail in the distance and we headed back to our cars just as the sun was setting!

And best of all, my dear friend Carol created a beautiful piece of artwork, “Tree and Bird” for my birthday; this could not be a better birthday treat! To see more of her extraordinary artwork: Carol Ober.

As I write this post, Paul is recovering nicely and I wait to see if I will develop symptoms.

In the Fall, I often pass by farm stands that sell Apple Cider Donuts and I resist eating them because they are greasy, overly sweet, full of calories and I am often disappointed with the lack of apple flavor. I set out to find a recipe for Apple Cider Donuts that were baked and full of cider flavor and I think I may have found the trick! I adapted a recipe that I found online from Sweet Cayenne. The recipe calls for apple cider that is cooked down into a syrup and with the addition of allspice, cinnamon and ground cloves, they tasted light, delicious and best of all are guilt free! I liked them plain, but they could also be glazed or dipped in coconut sugar and cinnamon.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts- adapted from Sweet Cayenne

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • ⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil (canola, avocado, grapeseed, walnut)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup applesauce ( I did not have a jar of applesauce on hand, so I just cooked down a few apples and mashed them up with some cinnamon).
  • ½ cup  apple cider, boiled down to about 2 tablespoons of syrup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

For the glaze:

  • 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons milk or enough to make a spreadable glaze

Instructions

Making the donuts:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a non-stick donut pan with cooking spray. My pan makes 6 donuts, so I had to fill it twice.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, applesauce, cider syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder until smooth.
  • Add the flour, stirring until just smooth.
  • Fill a pastry bag or a sturdy gallon-sized plastic bag with the batter. Use scissors to snip off the tip of the bag, creating about an ½”’ hole.
  • Pipe the batter into the wells of the doughnut pan nearly to the rim. Or, just carefully spoon in the batter.
  • Bake the doughnuts for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. .
  • Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and loosen their edges by running a knife along the outer circle.
  • ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

“Oy Vey”

HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND STAY SAFE!!

Iceland Part 1: Lupines and Blueberry Skyr Pie

I was convinced that something would prevent my friend Carol and I from traveling to Iceland. At the last minute, either my husband or I would get Covid or some other emergency would come up; but the heavens smiled in our favor and as the plane lifted up into the clouds, Carol and I held our hands tightly together and said, “We did it”!!

So many choices and things to write about the trip. I have decided to write a three part blog. The second post will be about geothermal pools, volcanos and the Icelandic brown bread that I am going to attempt to bake. The third post will be a foodie’s delight; a road tour of the restaurants and cafes that we visited- even with all of the hiking and walking that we did, I managed to put on a few pounds!

With all of the disturbing events in our world, I hope you enjoy the next few entries as a brief respite!

We spent the first two days of our trip in quaint and charming Reykjavik and could easily have spent a week there walking around interesting neighborhoods, visiting museums and enjoying excellent restaurants and cafes.

Harpa Concert Hall- Reykjavik
Reykjavik Harbor

After our stay in Reykjavik, we headed out in our rental car, about a 3 hour drive along the coast to the western peninsula towns near Anarstapi. I was not prepared for the breathtaking and unusual landscape.

Brilliant purple lupines lined coastal inlets and mountainsides.

Volcanic rock looked as if it was tossed randomly in the fields.

Often, we were the only car on the road with sheep slowly crossing the road.

So many things to share; a hike between the two small towns of Anarstapi and Hellnar stands out. From our cozy lodging, Fosshotel in Anarstapi, we walked to the trailhead for a 4 mile hike along the sea cliffs. The rocky path, high above the ocean, was strewn with volcanic rock.

Wildflowers dotted the rugged landscape with the cries of seabirds reverberating from the cliffs.

The air was bracing, clear and invigorating; my four layers of sweaters and winter raincoat a perfect match for the sudden blasts of artic air- and this was in July!!

At the end of the hike, there was a treat awaiting us; the path led up a small set of stairs to cozy and atmospheric Cafe Fjoruhusio. The tables were covered with embroidered place settings with patterns of tiny wildflowers. The air smelled of coffee and fresh baked pastries; cinnamon mingling with butter and chocolate.

Cafe Fjoruhusio- Hellnar, Iceland

An outside deck overlooked the cliffs and the ocean.

Sykr, Icelandic yogurt, appears in many dishes. After securing a lovely spot on the deck, we ordered a piece of Blueberry Skyr Cheesecake. I am normally not a big fan of cheesecake, but this cake was light, full of tangy flavor and had a blueberry topping; irresistible! Just a few bites were all I needed; any more and I don’t think I would have felt light footed enough to make the return trek back over the craggy and rocky trail to our hotel!

That night we had a delicious dinner at the Fosshotel and since it does not get dark at all this time of year, we were able to take one more small walk at 9 PM. Just down the road, we saw a small weather beaten church; it looked like the metal structure had withstood many storms. Next to the church was an ancient graveyard overlooking the sea.

Anarstapi, Iceland

There were hours of daylight left, but shortly after returning to our room, we fell into a deep sleep. I woke briefly in at 3:00 AM and the sun was still shining brightly!

More to come………

We made it back safely home, without incident and knock on wood, no Covid! As we entered the customs hall at Newark, I was expecting to be met by throngs of sweaty, exhausted travelers. There were at the most 20 people in line. Amazed, I asked the elderly African American guard: “Where are all of the people”. He remarked dryly, “Don’t ask questions, just pray to G-d!!”

During the trip, we enjoyed desserts, ice cream and treats with abandon. After all, we did not want to miss out on anything! One day, we had three desserts (although we did share them)! Back home and to reality, I was thinking fondly about the rich Skyr cheesecake that we devoured happily. I decided to create a version with no refined sugar, healthy and guilt free. I perused a few online versions and here is what I came up with. I made the crust from whole grain flax crackers rather than sweet graham crackers and sweetened it with a bit of coconut sugar. I added a handful of toasted walnuts and some lime zest and instead of butter used a vegan butter substitute, although melted butter would also be fine.

For the filling, I used plain lowfat skyr (I used the Siggi brand) and added some pureed wild blueberries. The best part was the substitute for whipped cream. Here is a bit of kitchen magic: I put a can of whole fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight and the next day opened it and scooped out the solids. Beat together with monk fruit sweetener and vanilla, it miraculously morphed into what looked like whipped cream and it was delicious!

Blueberry Skyr Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

12 Back to Nature flax flatbread crackers

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons lime zest

3 tablespoons melted butter ( I used Kite Hill plant based butter)

1/8 cup coconut sugar

Filling:

1 cup Wymans wild blueberries

2 cups plain low fat skyr

1 can full fat coconut milk ( refrigerated overnight)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener

1 cup fresh blueberries

To make pie:

In a small saucepan place blueberries and slowly bring berries to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until berries release their juice and berries soften. Place berries in a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl and press down on solids. Refrigerate until cold.

Make pie crust:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Place crackers and toasted walnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Process until crackers and walnuts are finely ground. Place in a bowl and add cinnamon, lime zest and coconut sugar. Mix well and then add melted butter. Stir well and place mixture in the bottom of a pie pan. Pat firmly and place in oven. Bake about 8-10 minutes until crust is lightly brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Make whipped coconut:

Open can and carefully remove the solid coconut from the top of the can. Place in a mixer and start to slowly blend. The mixture will start to lighten- add the vanilla and monk fruit sweetener and beat on a high speed until mixture resembles whipped cream. Set aside.

Place skyr in a large bowl- slowly fold in whipped coconut mixture and then carefully fold in strained blueberries.

Place mixture in pie crust and smooth over evenly. Decorate with fresh berries and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. We liked this light dessert so much that we are bringing a tartlet version to our friends in Boston as a house gift this week!

ENJOY!

AND: Here is the Icelandic Tree of the Week from Reykjavik!!

“Glad that I could appear in the blog all the way from Iceland!!”

HAPPY SUMMER!