It’s always a great joy to collaborate with singer and historical harpist, Marcia Young, singer and Baroque Dancer, Zahra Brown and lutenist Christopher Morrongiello.
On the day of the concert, we meet early at the church to have a small dress rehearsal. Beforehand, we enjoy a lunch treat from the nearby White Hart Inn Provisions, kindly provided by our wonderful sponsors, The Salisbury Association. Sitting around a table in the church Parish Hall, we catch up on events in our lives, along with gossip from the music world.
Late afternoon light streams into the historic Meeting Room of the church and as I warmup with the group on my recorders, I look out into the room; I feel my breath calming and a sense of peace comes over me.
After the concert, I drive Marcia and Zahra back to the train in Wassaic, New York and then my husband and I head out for a dinner treat at the nearby restaurant, Thai Baan. Housed in a huge old dairy barn, the stunningly renovated space boasts both an excellent Thai restaurant and a state of the art whiskey distillery.
We enjoy crispy Scallion Pancakes, Shrimp Pad Thai and Eggplant with Green Curry Sauce, accompanied by a tall glass of frosty beer; a perfect ending to long but rewarding day!
Scallion PancakesPad Thai with ShrimpEggplant with Green Curry
AND: Here’s the last “Tree of the Week” for 2025!1
“I wonder what’s coming next?”
All Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday and a Happy and Healthy New Year! I look forward to writing more posts in 2026 with music, art, travel, “Trees of the Week” and always recipes!
It’s been a busy fall with exciting new musical projects coming together- I am delighted to share news about a long planned Early Music group- meet Ensemble Zephyrus!
After many years of playing the oboe professionally with orchestras, chamber music groups and with the Hevreh Ensemble, I have decided to continue to teach oboe and play small gigs, but will concentrate my efforts on performing recorder and fulfilling my love of Early Music.
Ensemble Zephyrus is truly like a breath of fresh air to me; with this group, I have the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with excellent musicians who play harpsichord, viol, baroque violin and theorbo. Together we will perform exquisite music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
GERMANY – JUNE 24: Made by Carl Friedrich Voight. A theorbo is a type of lute, a stringed musical instrument. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
Our first concert is in NYC this week-website and pictures coming soon!
In the meantime, here are glorious autumn pictures, a food excursion, recipes and as always, the “Tree of the Week”.
The Fall foliage has been lovely this year; we have traipsed happily through our land in Massachusetts on the winding maze of trails that Paul has cut through the woods. As we walk, our minds quiet.
The patterns and designs we discover in fallen leaves, pine needles and fungus are captivating. The light is beautiful and illuminates leaves that are suspended in delicate webs.
Tiny fungi nestled in a mossy tree trunk, look like seashells on the ocean floor!
What was once a dream during COVID, is finally becoming a reality-our new cozy little house peeks through the woods!
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Every few months, our supply of Parmesan and Pecorino cheese dwindles and then it’s time to make a pilgrimage to Arthur Avenue, the Italian neighborhood in the Bronx.
There is also a sizable Albanian population in the neighborhood and on a recent trip, I treated myself to lunch at an excellent small Albanian restaurant that I discovered called Cka ka Qellu. Located on Hughes Avenue,it’s just a few blocks from busy Arthur Avenue.
The inside of the welcoming restaurant was small and cozy. People around me were chatting softly in Albanian. It felt as if I was transported to the Balkans in Southeast Europe!
I enjoyed a few appetizers- lightly pickled cabbage salad served with hot crusty bread, Tatator- a yogurt dip with cucumber and garlic and Lecenik- cornbread stuffed with spinach and cheese. This made a lovely lunch feast!
After my lunch, I walked a few blocks to Teitel Brothers, a third generation family business opened in 1915, by a Jewish immigrant family from Austria. Today, brothers Michael and Eddie stand at the counter in white aprons. I could have stayed for hours listening to their heavy New York accents as they bantered happily with their customers.
The store is small and crowded with imported Italian goods and huge blocks of cheese. Everything is top quality with incredibly low prices.
Dried salt cod stacked next to bottles olive oil and a box of sun dried tomatoes filled the air with a fishy smell.
On one visit, a huge bag of leftover scraps from procuitto sat on the counter. One of the owners asked if I would like to have it- a gift that one cannot turn down! I imagined crispy bits of procuitto with roasted brussel sprouts and in rich black bean soup! I lugged the heavy bag back to my car and planned to share it with a friend.
Instead of using pastina, I remembered a recipe for whole wheat crepes that I had made rolled and filled with freshly grated parmesan. I used the NY Times recipe for the broth; it was quick and had as much flavor as a stock that I usually simmer for hours. The crepes are easy to make and they were delicious with the fresh parmesan!
2tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), or to taste
½teaspoon garlic powder
¼teaspoon black pepper
3large carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch half moons
3large celery ribs, sliced into ¼-inch half moons
3garlic cloves, finely chopped
2teaspoons tomato paste
½cup finely chopped parsley
Preparation
Step 1Place the chicken and 10 cups of water in a large pot. Partly cover and bring to a boil over high heat, keeping a close eye so that it doesn’t overflow and skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
Step 2Add the onion, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper; stir and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover completely, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and tomato paste, stirring to incorporate the tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.
Step 3Remove the cooked chicken and place in a large bowl.
For the Crepes:
3 eggs
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cold water
About ¼ cup grapeseed or sunflower oil
1/4 tsp salt
About 3 to 4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the salt and flour. Make a well into the center of the flour and crack all 3 eggs. Whisk together well and gradually add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well to avoid lumps. After all the milk has been added, if the batter is lumpy, you can run it through a fine-meshed sieve to get rid of any lumps.
Grease up a heavy skillet or a small crepe pan, using about 1 tsp oil per crepe. Make the crepes using about 1/4 cup of batter per crepe. Swirl the batter around, cook for about 30 to 60 seconds on each side or until golden and bubbly. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water, a couple tablespoonfuls at a time. Stack the crepes on a large plate. They will miraculousy not stick together.
Sprinkle a generous handful of grated cheese on each crepe and roll it up into a cigar shape. (Divide the cheese evenly among the crepes but save some for garnish). Place the rolled crepes seam down into a large serving bowl. Serve two to three crepes per person and ladle a generous scoop or two of broth on top of the crepes. I also added some of the reserved chicken breast chopped, to the soup. Garnish with a little cheese and chopped parsley. ENJOY!
There were a few leftover crepes; the next morning we enjoyed the crepes filled with fresh fruit (whatever you have on hand is good) and plain yogurt. Topped with plenty of crunchy granola and a drizzle of maple syrup, this was an excellent quick breakfast treat!
A tricky back has kept me from the trails this past week; perusing through my notes and pictures, I discovered that I had never written about a glorious fall walk last year at Hollow Fields in Richmond, Massachusetts; a trail system operated and supported by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council.
According to BNRC:
“This land, and all of the present-day Berkshires, are the ancestral homeland of the Mohican people, who were forcibly displaced to Wisconsin by European colonization. These lands continue to be of great significance to the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation today. To learn more, visit mohican.com.”
We walked down a small hill along side the woods and then up a mowed path through the meadow, where there was a chair to enjoy the stunning views!
Leftover lemon roast chicken got me thinking about favorite recipes from old blogs. I remembered tasty chicken potpie cornbread muffins from the entry “Mozart’s Starling”- January 2022.
When I made the soup this time, I added carrot and celery to the recipe. This added even more flavor and a chunky texture to the soup. You could also add fennel! We served the soup sprinkled with grated pecorino cheese and freshly ground pepper.
Together, these recipes made a wonderful fall dinner. With the cornbread and chicken potpies baking in the oven and a big pot of soup bubbling on the stove, the house was filled with enticing aromas.
Chicken Potpie Cornbread Muffins
Adapted From Food and Wine Magazine-Published on January 12, 2016
Ingredients:
Cornbread:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
Filling:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/4 cup frozen peas (defrosted)
4 button mushrooms cut into small pieces
1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup cooked chicken cut into small pieces
Directions
Make the cornbread:
In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk the egg and buttermilk into the cornmeal mixture. Fill 12 (1/2-cup) well greased muffin tins about 2/3 full with the cornbread batter. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the filling
In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot, then stir in the onion and shallots- cook until slightly softened and then add carrots and mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, dried thyme and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then stir in the chicken and the defrosted peas. Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling over each batter-filled muffin tin.
Bake the muffins until golden around the edges, about 25 minutes.
Let cook about 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin. This will keep them from sticking to the pan.
If using fresh tomatoes: bring a large pot of water to boil. Add tomatoes and boil for a few minutes. Remove from water and slip off the skins. Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze to remove seeds and excess water. Chop roughly and proceed with the recipe.
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add onions.
Saute onions until slightly softened. Add carrots and celery. A bit of chopped fennel might also be good! Cook a few minutes.
Add tomatoes and rest of ingredients.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook about 1 hour. Add more water if soup is too thick.
Remove Bay leaf and puree with an immersion blender. Remaining chunks of vegetables are fine.
ENJOY!
The deep flavor of the ripe late summer tomatoes was sweet and delicious, the last for a while. Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to Tomatoes” will help us remember!
The street filled with tomatoes midday, summer, light is halved like a tomato, its juice runs through the streets. In December, unabated, the tomato invades the kitchen, it enters at lunchtime, takes its ease on countertops, among glasses, butter dishes, blue saltcellars. It sheds its own light, benign majesty. Unfortunately, we must murder it: the knife sinks into living flesh, red viscera, a cool sun, profound, inexhausible, populates the salads of Chile, happily, it is wed to the clear onion, and to celebrate the union we pour oil, essential child of the olive, onto its halved hemispheres, pepper adds its fragrance, salt, its magnetism; it is the wedding of the day, parsley hoists its flag, potatoes bubble vigorously, the aroma of the roast knocks at the door, it’s time! come on! and, on the table, at the midpoint of summer, the tomato, star of earth, recurrent and fertile star, displays its convolutions, its canals, its remarkable amplitude and abundance, no pit, no husk, no leaves or thorns, the tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness.
I am back from an amazing eight day whirlwind trip with my travel buddy Carol to Munich, Salzburg, Ljubjiana in Slovenia, Trieste and Bolzano! With many wonderful art and food adventures, I am just starting to sort through pictures; a few blog entries are soon to come.
In the meantime, here is a short blog from closer to home with a cooling recipe for a no-bake blueberry and strawberry tart to beat the heat!
On one of the hottest days last week, we found a cool shady picnic spot with a heavenly breeze at the Bryant Homestead in Cummington, Massachusetts.
In the distance was a sunny field dotted with wildflowers. I ventured briefly into the hot sunny meadow and discovered that it was filled with beautiful “Devil’s Paintbrush” wildflowers.
On the way home, we stopped off at The Old Creamery Coop for cold drinks; jars of organic blueberry spread with no added sugar were for sale. I imagined that this would be good for a fruit tart with the jam spread on the bottom of the crust.
Usually at this time of the year, I look forward to picking sweet succulent organic strawberries at the Thompson Finch Farm in Ancramdale, New York. It was much to hot to think about venturing out into the sun. Luckily, the kind people at Thompson Finch offered to head out very early in the morning to beat the heat to pick berries, with a very generous price of one dollar more a pound. I quickly accepted their offer and drove out to the farm in the early evening to pick up my order. Almost back home with a heaping 10 pound box of berries that perfumed our car with their sweet fragrance, a family of red foxes was crossing the main road. Cars stopped in both directions and we were treated to the fox parents, one in front and the other in the back slowly shepherding three furry adorable fox pups safely across. It was a lovely end to a hot summer day in the country!
Now, with strawberries in hand, my tart idea was complete. I pre -baked an olive oil crust; you could also use a purchased graham cracker crust. I made a filling with whole milk Greek yogurt, vanilla and maple syrup. I heaped this into the crust spread with the blueberry jam and topped it with fresh blueberries and the sweetest strawberries imaginable; very easy to make, cooling and rich tasting!
ENJOY!
No-Bake Blueberry and Strawberry Tart
Filling:
1 1/2 cups whole milk Greek yoogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
Whisk together ingredients and place in refrigerator while preparing crust
Topping:
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry on paper towel
1 cup or more fresh strawberries, washed and patted dry on paper towel
Cut strawberries in half if small or slice if larger
For Bottom of Pie Crust:
Organic Blueberry Jam to- best if just sweetened with fruit juice
Olive Oil Crust:
3/4 cup whole grain spelt flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum Organic-All Vegetable Shortening).
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons non-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons ice water (more if necessary)
Make Pastry Crust:
Combine flours and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Add olive oil, shortening, yogurt and ice water.
Process until the mixture forms a ball. You may need to add a bit more ice water, add 1 tablespoon at a time.
Wrap ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let gluten in the dough relax.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
Bring dough to room temperature and roll out into a large thin circle.
Place dough in a pie tin and line the pie tin with a sheet of parchment paper.
Prick dough on bottoms and sides with a fork.
Place coffee beans or pie weights over the paper and bake in the oven about 10 minutes. This is called “baking blind” and helps to prevent the crust from shrinking away from the sides.
After 10 minutes, carefully remove the paper and weights and continue baking the crust about 15-20 minutes more until it is lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling.
To Assemble Pie:
Spread pie crust with about 2-3 tablespoons blueberry jam.
Spoon in yogurt filling.
Heap berries on top- can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for a few hours before serving.
On a cool and cloudy day, we took a short walk at the Joffe Nature Sanctuary in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. My eye caught a lone maple leaf floating gently on the shallow marsh pond.
As we strolled on the trail that loops around the idyllic marsh, we composed haikus about the leaf. Here is what we came up with (mostly my husband Paul’s invention!)
Leaves in the pond-light
Life dances around us, bright
Time flows, a grace note
At the end of the loop, we returned to the pond to check out our lone maple leaf- it was now joined by four leaves; the sun had broken through the clouds. The light had changed the image dramatically.
That afternoon, the cool weather put me in the mood for baking and I thought of the vegan peanut butter cookies from the cozy Woodstar Cafe in Northhampton, MA. Those cookies and iced chai were my special treat during Covid and one of my best mood elevators. After eating many of these treats, I decided to try to concoct my own version and originally published it in a blog post in December 2021: “Hemlock Heaven and Bear Swamp”. The ingredients are healthy and include almond flour, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, chunky peanut butter, vanilla and maple syrup. You can also add chunks of dark chocolate. They are chewy, delicious and slightly addictive. I hope you enjoy making these!
EASY One Bowl Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Pre-heat oven to 350
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
Ingredients:
1 cup crunchy peanut butter* see note
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
handful chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup soy milk of mixture is too dry.
To make cookies:
In a medium sized bowl, mix together peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Combine well with a large spoon.
Add almond flour, ground flax seed and baking powder. Mix well, the batter will be stiff, but not dry.
If the mixture is too crumbly, add about 1/4 cup soy milk.
I like to get my hands into the batter and form the dough into a large ball. It should feel like the consistency of play dough!
Form batter into small balls- I made 15, but you could make fewer larger cookies.
Press gently with a fork to make a criss cross pattern.
Bake in middle of oven for about 1o minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are light brown- the cookies will still feel quite soft.
Note* I used peanut butter that was salted. If you use an unsalted brand, add about 1/2 teaspoon salt to the batter.
AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”
” Not Sure it’s Safe Out There“Joffe Nature Sanctuary
April 21st- The last few weeks have been rainy, raw and windy; a slow start to spring. So, when the sun finally peeked tentatively out, I made room in my schedule to head out for a hike at the Drury Preserve in Sheffield, Massachusetts.
This time, I remembered to pay attention to my surroundings! As I entered the woods, I breathed in the rich piney air and happily headed off on the familiar sun dappled trails. It felt as if I had come home.
As I continued on my walk, my thoughts turned to music and to upcoming changes in my musical career. Thursday, April 24th at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, will be my last performance with The Hevreh Ensemble; a group that I started over 20 years ago! I thought of our many trips to Europe and having the chance to travel to Iceland- wonderful memories. No regrets here, but bittersweet thoughts of leaving the group. I have decided to devote more of my musical energy to Early Music and performance on the Recorder.
And, I look forward to writing future blogs about some of the trips that Hevreh Ensemble took to Prague, Vienna, Krakow , Berlin, Amsterdam and Warsaw!
I walked past a beautiful meadow and was quickly brought out of my reverie; on the small hillside next to me, I noticed one of the first woodland flowers of spring, Blunt Lobed Hepatica.
As I looked my closely, I saw small bunches of the flowers clustered all over the surrounding area.
Tiny speckled leaves of Trout Lilies peaked shyly out of the ground.
As I was finishing my walk, my thoughts had turned to making Matzoh Ball Soup for our upcoming Passover Seder. I did pay attention to where I was going and I am happy to report that this time, I did not get lost. I retraced my steps to my car without any mishap!
Each year, we look forward to sharing Passover with dear friends; cooking a large traditional meal that always includes Matzoh Ball Soup. Over the years, I have come up with a recipe for matzoh balls that are light and also flavorful. I make a rich chicken stock with diced carrots and a touch of dill- together this soup shared with friends is truly an antidote for our crazy world!
ENJOY!!
Matzoh Balls (Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine- August 20, 2004 issue)
Ingredients:
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons white onion, grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted ( I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil and it works just as well)
3/4 cup matzoh meal
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, cayenne pepper, onion, and olive oil. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the matzoh meal in several additions. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Moisten hands with cold water and roll the matzoh mixture into 3/4 inch balls. After all the balls are formed, drop them into the boiling water. Return to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. These freeze beautifully- let cool completely and then place in a large plastic container. To use, defrost slowly at room temperature and then place in chicken stock and heat. I like to add diced carrot and fresh dill to the soup.
RICH CHICKEN STOCK
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 3-4 pounds)
1 large onion peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1 large stalk celery- cut into 3-4 pieces
1 large carrot- peeled and cut into 3-4 pieces
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon salt
TO MAKE CHICKEN STOCK:
Place all ingredients into a large stock pot
Cover with cold water
Bring to a boil- remove any scum that may rise to the top, reduce to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer about 3 hours.
Let cool completely- pour into a large bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day remove fat from top. The stock can now be used or frozen.
It’s the end of winter; last week the roads and paths on our walks were still icy and the wind had a bitter bite.
We are hearing more birds, the light is bright and the air smells sweet- spring feels like it is just around the corner.
I love cookbooks and have way too many. The shelves in the pantry are lined with dog eared and batter smudged cookbooks and the bookshelves in our living room are lined with cookbooks that were once eagerly read and and since have become ignored.
One of my favorite food writers is Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli born British chef. His recipes are deeply flavorful and creative. A few years ago for the holidays, my daughter and I surprised each other with the same Ottolenghi book!
Lately, when I come downstairs in the morning, I have discovered several volumes of cookbooks opened up to enticing looking recipes- little suggestions from someone??
One of the books was opened up to page from Ottolenghi’s book, Flavor. The recipe for Eggplant Ricotta Dumplings looked delicious and even though the recipe included ricotta and parmesan cheese, it did not look too rich.
The recipe had several steps, but was not difficult and the resulting dish was well worth any extra effort.
Roasted eggplant was combined with ricotta, eggs, parsley, fresh breadcrumbs, garlic and basil, formed into oval shaped dumplings and baked in a light paprika inflected tomato sauce topped with kalamata olives and basil. It tasted like a combination of eggplant parmigiana and baba ganoush. A few portions were leftover; the flavors melded overnight and were delicious the next day!
Eggplant Ricotta Dumplings ala Parmigiana (from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book, Flavor
1 1/2 cups/90g fresh breadcrumbs, ideally sourdough 4 eggplants, cut into roughly 2½cm cubes (1kg net weight) 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150ml olive oil Salt and black pepper 6 tablespoons/100g ricotta 2/1/12 ounces/75g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve 2½ tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped 1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk extra 1½ tbsp plain flour 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 4 tbsp basil leaves, roughly chopped- I did not have basil on hand- chopped parsley worked well! large can peeled plum tomatoes , blitzed smooth 1½ tsp tomato paste 1½ tsp sugar– I omitted sugar in my version ¼ tsp chili flakes ¾ tsp paprika 2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups/ 400 ml water 1/3 cup/45g pitted kalamata olives, torn in half
Heat the oven to 350F/160C. Spread out the breadcrumbs on an oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and dried out. Remove, leave to cool and turn up the oven to 450F/220C.
On a large oven tray lined with baking paper, toss the eggplants with 5 tbsp/ 75ml oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on the tray, bake for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway, until golden brown, then chop into a chunky mash and put in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg, extra yolk, flour, breadcrumbs, a third of the garlic, two and a half tablespoons of basil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. With lightly oiled hands, shape the mix into 16 golf-ball-sized dumplings, each weighing about 2 oz/ 55g each, and compress so they hold together.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large, nonstick frying pan on a medium-high flame, and fry half the dumplings for three to four minutes, turning them until golden brown all over (adjust the heat if they’re browning too much), then transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the dumplings.
Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in the same pan, fry the remaining garlic for a minute, until fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chilli, paprika, oregano, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for eight minutes, or until thickened slightly. Pour in 400ml water, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the dumplings and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
Remove from the heat, scatter over the olives, the last of the basil and a grating of parmesan, and serve straight from the pan.
A thick blanket of snow fell overnight and as I write this blog, ice is decorating pine needles and branches of the trees. We made a decision to stay cozily inside with a warm fire in the woodstove.
All week long, I had been craving chocolate desserts, wanting to dive into a slab of fudgy rich chocolate cake slathered in ganache. I remembered an easy one dish vegan chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding that I featured in a February 2022 post. It was easy to make, tasted completely decadent and best of all was made with stevia, coconut sugar and with no eggs or butter.
This is what I made today and we just finished big slices that were decorated with fresh raspberries and toasted pecans. It was fudgy, moist and tasted very rich. We enjoyed it with 2 mugs of frothy decaf Cafe au Lait- a perfect guilt free treat for a snowy day!
Snowy Day Chocolate Pudding Vegan Chocolate Cake
Cake Ingredients:
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar*- see note
1 cup water
To Make Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and line one 8×10 cake pan with greased wax or parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake, the cake should remain soft and fudgy. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Remove cake from pan, peel off wax paper and place on rack to cool.
Chocolate Pudding Filling– adapted from Chocolate Cake by Michele Urvater
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup coconut sugar or monk fruit ( this makes a very bittersweet pudding, feel free to add up to 1/2 to 3/4 sweetener.)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond or soy milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 ounces dark chocolate chopped (I used Equal Exchange Extremely Dark chocolate, but you could semi or bittersweet chocolate for a sweeter taste)
To make the pudding:
In a small mixing bowl, with a fork or small whisk, combine the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the milk.
In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the remaining 1 cup milk to a simmer with the sugar, stirring occasionally so the milk does not boil over. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Whisk the cornstarch and milk in the bowl again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, and add this to the hot milk and sugar mixture. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to a simmer until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly. Remove from the hear and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts into the mixture. Stir in almond extract. Put pudding in a bowl and refrigerate until cold.
To fill the cake:
Carefully slice cake with a serrated bread knife in half and place one piece on a plate. Spread half of pudding mixture and place other half on top.
Spread remaining pudding on top and decorate with raspberries and toasted pecans. This would also be nice to decorate with sliced strawberries and chocolate chips.
* I was curious to find out why vinegar was called for in the recipe. For the kitchen science geeks, it turns out that vinegar reacts with baking soda to create a chemical reaction that makes the crumb of the cake light and tender!
Outside the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the hills in the distance were gray and foreboding and the wind chill was sharp and bitingly cold; what better time to be inside!
We were delighted to discover a special exhibition at the Clark: Wall Power! Modern French Tapestry from the Mobilier national, Paris. The exhibit displayed a wide range of tapestries created by contemporary artists from the 1920’s to today. Artists, weavers and dyers revived ancient techniques and created bold and daring new works of art. The room was full of brilliant colors and patterns; warming to the soul.
The beautifully curated exhibit included the following insightful commentary:
“Since the middle of the 20th century, the art of tapestry has continued to offer a vast field of expression to major artists, to the most varied trends and plastic research: Picasso, Matisse, Miró, Delaunay, but also to abstract artists (Hartung, Vasarely) non-figurative (Nemours, Bazaine), part of Minimal Art, new realism (Hains), narrative figuration (Erro, Aillaud) or the Supports-Surfaces group (Buraglio, Rouan, Pincemin). More recently, Louise Bourgeois, Bertrand Lavier, Sheila Hicks or Orlan have distinguished themselves with their woven creations. In perpetual evolution, the works created by the Manufactures nationales reflect the most diverse trends in contemporary art”.
“A Thousand Wildflowers” by Dom Robert, a Benedictine Monk, recalled wildflower fields that were popular in the Middle Ages.
“A Thousand Wildflowers”- Dom Roberts (1907-1997)
Several of the tapestries were designed from existing works of art and then woven. Designing a work and then weaving it with a team of weavers, can take up to 2 or 3 years.
“Swallow Love”- Joan Miro (1893-1983)“Evening Music“-Pauline Peugniez-1890-1987“The Woman with the Lute”- Henri Matisse (1869-1954)“The Vines of Volnay”- Michel Tourliere (1925-2004)
The French artist Michel Tourliere who lived from 1925-2004, came from wine country in Burgundy and specialized in designing woven tapestries. His works often depict landscapes from Burgundy.
We also viewed stunning contemporary works by the American artist Kiki Smith and the French artist Jean Messagier.
“Seven Seas”- Kiki Smith (American-born Germany 1954)“Red Flames”- Jean Messagier (1920-1999)
At the end of the exhibit, it was fascinating to see the back of “Red Flames”; a work of art in itself!
And then, back home for some hearty soup!
I had roasted a chicken with basil pesto slipped under the skin and was looking for a use for the leftover chicken. I decided to make a quick stock with the remaining chicken carcass. I threw the chicken bones along with a carrot, onion, celery, thyme, peppercorns, salt and bay leaf into a big pot, covered it with water and let it simmer on the stove for a few hours and then strained the stock and discarded the solids. The result was a delicate basil scented stock, just right for beans and kale! I defatted the stock and added chopped, onion and carrot, a can of white beans and a small bunch of chopped lacinato kale. Along with bay leaf, dried thyme, dried sage and dill, I simmered the soup until all of the vegetables were tender. I added leftover chopped chicken and a small package of cooked tortellini. Sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and grated pecorino cheese, this was truly a heartwarming winter soup! ENJOY!!
Pesto Chicken, Kale, White Bean and Tortellini Soup
Ingredients for Pesto Chicken Stock
Leftover chicken bones
3 quarts water
one onion cut in half
1 large carrot roughly chopped
1 stalk celery with leaves roughly chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
2 teaspoons salt
10-12 whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Ingredients for soup:
3 quarts defatted pesto chicken Stock (home made is best, but you can use store bought and add a tablespoon of pesto)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot chopped
1 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
leftover chicken cut into small pieces
8-10 lacinato kale leaves
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 bay leaf
1 small package tortellini (I used Kite Hill tortellini with almond milk ricotta)
To Make Soup:
In a large pot, heat olive oil and add chopped onion. Saute a few minutes until onion softens. Add chicken stock and all other ingredients, except tortellini and cut up chicken.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered about an hour until vegetables are very tender. Cook tortellini according to directions on package and add to soup along with the leftover cut up chicken.
Serve with freshly ground pepper and sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese!
Christmas at Thousand Acre Swamp-New Marlborough, MA
The New Year is upon us; the last few weeks have been a happy blur of visits with dear friends and family. We have enjoyed wonderful meals together for both Christmas and Hanukah. This blog will feature a festive fruit tart that we served for Christmas and delicious chocolate and apricot rugelach that our daughter Lev made to celebrate Hanukah. Luckily we were able to go on a few hikes to work off the rich food!
Hanukah Latkes!!
One day, we walked at a a favorite place; Thousand Acre Swamp in New Marlborough, Massachusetts with serene trails that wind through pine forests and overlook a beautiful swamp.
Thousand Acre Swamp
Delicate princess pines peeked demurely through a light cover of snow.
Thousand Acre Swamp
Another day we enjoyed a late leisurely breakfast at the newly reopened Roadside Diner in Monterey, MA. The diner is operated by Gould Farm, a therapeutic community. Just down the road is the lovely 1.5 mile Diane’s Trail that winds through Gould Farm, along a wetland habitat and the Rawson Brook.
Diane’s Trail, Gould Farm- Monterey, MA
As we walked alongside the marsh, sunlight sparkled on the ice.
We trekked over a wooden bridge and saw what we thought was a large bird’s nest, made from branches lining the sides of the brook.
A bit further on, we came upon another branch sculpture that was definitely made by people or a large creative bird!
Diane’s Trail-Gould Farm
Back out of the cold, we returned home to our baking projects.
We planned a small Hanukah party and our daughter Lev, who is an excellent baker, offered to make rugelach. For those not familiar with this delicacy, the pastry can be traced back to medieval times in Eastern Europe within the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Poland.
Various fillings of nuts, chocolate, apricot and raspberry jams are encased in a delicate cream cheese based pastry. Lev even made a sugar free version for my husband, using dried apricots and chopped Lily’s Stevia chocolate.
Apricot and Chocolate Rugelach (Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com)
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Fillings:
½ cup plus 4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (or toasted pecans!)
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots (for sugar free version)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted with 1 tablespoon bitter, mixed with enough cinnamon sugar to make a paste similar to Nutella.
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped. Pecans are also great!
Milk for brushing cookies
Special equipment: parchment paper; a small offset spatula
Preparation
Step 1:Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten (in wrap) into a roughly 7×5″ rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.
Step 2:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 1–1½”-deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 3:Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining piece into a 12×8″ rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer to a tray and chill while rolling out remaining dough in same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on tray.
Step 4:Whisk ½ cup sugar with cinnamon.
Step 5:Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. For Apricot Rugelach: Spread ¼ cup preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula and a rounded ¼ cup walnuts over jam, then sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar. For Chocolate Rugelach, melt 2 ounces chocolate and mix with enough cinnamon sugar to make a coarse paste, similar to Nutella in texture. Spread evenly over dough and then sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped walnuts on top.
Step 6:Using parchment as an aid, roll up dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in lined baking pan, then pinch ends closed and tuck underneath. Make 3 more logs in same manner and arrange 1″ apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 tsp. of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, make ¾”-deep cuts crosswise in dough (not all the way through) at 1″ intervals. (If dough is too soft to cut, refrigerate until firmer, 20–30 minutes.)
Step 7:Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm on baking sheet set atop wire rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through.
ENJOY!!
I created this fruit tart for my husband. There is only a small amount of coconut sugar (very low glycemic index) in the pastry filling and no sugar in the fruit. It is light and refreshing; totally guilt free!
Festive Fruit Tart
Pastry Filling:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (more if sweeter taste is desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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
Fruit Topping:
1 large ripe kiwi- cut into think slices
1 /2 raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
Make the Pastry Filling:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the almond milk.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, bring the almond milk to a simmer with the coconut sugar.
Whisk in the remaining almond milk and stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly. It will become much thicker after it cools.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Refrigerate a few hours until very cold and the mixture has thickened. This can be made a day in advance.
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.
Refrigerate at least one hour.
Bring pastry dough to room temperature.
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit
On a floured surface, roll the dough out and place into a pie dish. Trim and crimp edges. The crust will be completely baked and cooled before filling.
Prick the crust all over lightly with a fork and line the crust with a large sheet of parchment paper. Add pie weights (I use old coffee beans) to crust and bake in oven about 10 minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and pie weights; continue to bake crust until it is lightly browned all over. If the edges seem to be browning too quickly, cover the edges with a small amount of foil. The crust will bake aprox. 15-20 minutes more.
Cool completely and then add cold pastry filling. Decorate with fruit and serve!
A Musician's Travels 