New Musical Adventures and Sweet & Savory Crepes

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.

Looking for a use for my new supply of parmesan, I decided to make a quick chicken soup with pastina that I had read about in NYT Cooking:https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022969-brodo-di-pollo-con-pastina-chicken-soup-with-pastina

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!

Chicken in Brodo with Parmesan Crepes

Chicken Broth (based on NY Times Cooking recipe)

Yield:6 servings

2large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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!

ENJOY!!

Fruit and Granola Breakfast Crepe

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Autumn at Hollow Fields and Smoky Tomato Soup with Chicken Potpie Cornbread Muffins!

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.

I picked up a box of ripe end of the season plum tomatoes at Freunds Farm in Canaan, CT and it brought to mind the smoky tomato soup that I featured in a blog from last December: “Happy Winter’s Solstice and Smoky Tomato Soup.”

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.

Smoky Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 large cans (28 ounce) whole plum tomatoes (or 6-8 ripe plum tomatoes)

1 small stalk celery finely chopped

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 small carrot finely chopped

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 bay leaf

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup water- more if needed

To make soup:

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!

Ode to Tomatoes

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.

Pablo Neruda

AND, Here is the “Tree of the Week”:

HAPPY FALL!!

Knodels and Pappardella- From Munich to Bolzano: Part 1

The plan was to write blog entries in the order of my recent trip to Europe: Munich, Salzburg, Ljublijana, Trieste and Bolzano.

Last week, on a overcast and stormy day I was inspired to try to recreate a healthy version of a rich Slovenian dessert, Pretmurska Gibanica that we enjoyed in Ljublijana. It is layered with fillings of apple, poppy seed, farmers cheese and walnuts. The rainy afternoon flew by as I researched recipes and then assembled and baked the delicacy. I’m happy to report there was success and am excited to share the recipe for the resulting dessert.

We were fortunate to discover the non-touristy, small beautiful Central European city of Ljublijana (pronounced “Loobliana”).

We drove from Salzburg to Slovenia; as we entered Ljublijana, we were met by stark Soviet era high rises devoid of any charm. Heading towards the center of the city, the architecture changed dramatically; the old narrow streets were charming with many streets for pedestrians only.

Our hotel, The Grand Hotel Union was just a few blocks from the center of the old city with lovely views of the town. Best of all, our room was upgraded to a huge suite with high windows at no extra cost!

The Ljublijana River flows through center of the old city with many small bridges.

One of most famous bridges is the Dragon Bridge, protected by fierce looking dragons on all sides.

The quaint streets were lined with cafes, restaurants, wine shops, bakeries and unusual specialty shops. One lovely shop sold liquors and brandies that were distilled in Croatia; the owner proudly showed us on a map the location of their family’s distillery.

Although there were not as many tourists as in Salzburg, there were still shops that specialized in “tchotchkes”- like this shop that sold only rubber ducks!

We had dinner at an excellent restaurant called JAZ that was recently opened by the three star Michelin chef Ana Roz. Tucked away on a hard to find side street, the restaurant was excellent- warm, welcoming and creative; a blend of Italian food with Slovenian and Central European influences.

We started with a glass of chilled Slovenian orange wine (white wine where the grape skins are not removed immediately) and a basket of crusty bread with herbed salted butter.

We shared several entrees, the first a dish of bread pasta (the server explained that the pasta is made from semolina and leftover breadcrumbs.)

The beautifully presented dish was constructed with a tarragon puree, red pepper sauce, poppy seed puree and fresh ricotta cheese. The server suggested stirring everything together before we dug in.

If you will excuse the musical metaphor, this was truly a contrapuntal texture of flavors; an intricate fugue of flavors perfectly intertwined!

The next course was a light and delicious dish of Vitello Tonnato, (tender thin slices of boiled veal with a tuna and anchovy sauce). The dish was adorned by olive oil, fresh oregano, herbs and fat flavorful capers.

Our last course was grilled fish nestled on a pea puree with local organic greens, fish roe and tiny pieces of sweet strawberry; beautiful as a still life painting.

Thankfully we had left a tiny bit of room for a show stopping Slovenian dessert; Kobarid Struklji, a traditional dumpling filled with ground walnuts, raisins and breadcrumbs, served with a buttery caramel sauce!

Before the trip, I had read about another traditional Slovenian dessert, a layered cake with poppy seed, apple, walnut and cheese. I asked our server about it and she told us we great pride that one must be certified to sell Prekmurska in stores. She kindly looked up a few places that sold it and wrote the names down for us on a slip of paper.

The next morning, we thought it would be fun to search out one of the bakeries that sold Prekmurska. We asked the clerk at the hotel desk for directions and he told us excitedly that they served the cake at the hotel and would we like to have a piece? We purchased a fat slice for a late morning picnic and set off for one more walk around the town before we headed off on our next destination to Trieste in Italy.

It was a hot day and we soon searched out a shady spot. We sat at the foot of a small fountain and took out our treat to share. It was cool and not too sweet- almost a second breakfast.

A group of tourists from Italy soon gathered next to the fountain and we listened to an Italian tour guide talk about the fountain. Although we did not understand a word, the happy sounds of the people in the group chattering in Italian made us excited for the next part of our trip in Italy!

Here is my recipe for Prekmurska Gibanica. I based it on a recipe that I found online from the Slovenian Kitchen blog. Their blog has the following description of the cake:

“Prekmurska gibanica originates from Prekmurje, which literally means ‘across the Mura river (region)’, and is the most renowned traditional Slovenian pastry. The name comes from güba, which in the dialect means a fold – implying that it is a type of cake that is folded.“

I wanted to make a cake that used only small amounts of coconut sugar, no cream and whole wheat flour in the pastry crust. I also added chopped golden raisons in the walnut layer. This is a project cake, but not too difficult. It makes a large cake, but it can be easily divided and frozen.

Prekmurska gibanica– Traditional Slovenian Layer Cake

1 package phyllo dough (completely defrosted)

Pastry Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole grain spelt four

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

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, coconut sugar, butter and shortening until just combined.

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

Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. When you want to make the cake, bring the dough back to room temperature.

Poppy Seed Layer

8 ounces poppy seeds
2 cups milk (you can also use almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter– I used Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar– you can use more, for a sweeter flavor).
3 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Walnut Layer

450 g ground walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisons (cut into small pieces if large)
1/4 cup coconut sugar

Farmer’s Cheese Layer

16 ounces farmer’s cheese (can be replaced by ricotta– if you use ricotta, make sure it is well drained).
1 egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon

Apple Layer

4 apples
1 tsp cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon

8 ounces low fat sour cream– I added 1/4 cup maple syrup and the zest from 1/2 lemon

Poppy Seed Layer

For the filling, place poppy seeds, sugar, milk and butter in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Cook at medium heat, stirring occasionally until the poppy seeds are cooked and the mixture thickens slightly- this will take about 15 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry and cook until mixture thickens. It will thicken more as it cools.
Add vanilla extract.
Cover and place in fridge.

Walnut Layer

Grind walnuts in food processor- add cinnamon, coconut sugar and golden raisons.

Farmer’s Cheese Layer

Mix all the ingredients for the farmer’s cheese layer together.

Apple Layer

Core the apples, peel them, and grate them. I placed my apples in the food processor and pulsed them for a few seconds- very quick!! Mix the grated apples with cinnamon, and the zest of 1 lemon.

Make Prekmurska gibanica:

Once all the fillings, base dough and phyllo dough are ready, you can start building the gibanica.
First, butter a large rectangular baking pan.
On a floured surface, roll out the pastry crust into a rectangular shape. Place the dough on the bottom of the baking pan.
On the top of the base dough, put one layer of phyllo pastry, spread sour cream over it, and another layer of phyllo dough.
Put half of the poppy seed filling on top of that.
The poppy seeds are then covered with another layer of phyllo dough, sour cream, and phyllo dough.
Over that spread half the farmer’s cheese filling.
The third filling is then walnuts, followed by apples. Each filling is covered with phyllo dough, sour cream, and another phyllo dough layer.
Repeat the procedure with the fillings in the same order and complete with a layer of phyllo dough, sour cream, and one final phyllo dough layer.
On top of the final phyllo dough layer, spread sour cream generously. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon.
Bake in a preheated oven at (355 Fahrenheit) for 1 hour. If top starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil until done. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

*“I Feel Like I have a Hole in My Head!”*

HAPPY SUMMER!!

Blueberry, Strawberry & Yogurt Cream Tart-A Cooling Summer Dessert!

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.

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

HAPPY SUMMER!!

A Leaf in a Pond and a Peanut Butter Cookie Treat!

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”

HAPPY SPRING!!

Woodland Spring Flowers and the Best Matzoh Ball Soup!

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.

Readers of my blog might remember an entry that I wrote, “Mann tracht un Gott Lacht” in the fall of 2022.(https://musicianstravels.com/2022/11/02/mann-tracht-un-gott-lacht-and-baked-apple-cider-donuts/) On that day, I had gotten turned around and became quite lost on the Drury Preserve Trails. I had to be rescued by my husband who had just come down with Covid!

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.

ENJOY!!

AND: Here’s The “Tree of the Week”:

*“I think I will crawl back into my safe place*“

HAPPY SPRING!!

Autumn at Twin Lakes and Crispy Chicken Katsu with Fried Brown Rice!

Early Fall at the end of September- with noticeably shorter days; enough daylight to take a late afternoon walk at bucolic Twin Lakes.

I walked down the dirt road that curves around the lake, the contrast of the water and clouds is peaceful and calming; helping to put the events of the day and our turbulent world into perspective. Lately I have been thinking about how to stay involved and help in ways that can effect positive change; at the same time balancing the importance of self care- which today is the winner!

The leaves were just starting to turn and a few brilliant red leaves and a purple aster were suspended in lacey webs.

For dinner that evening, I was thinking of a way to use the leftover brown rice and vegetables that I had on hand. This would be a good time to take out my new wok to make a quick fried rice, which I got last spring in New York’s Chinatown at the venerable store, Hung Chong Imports.

I had chicken breasts marinating in a mixture of yogurt, minced chives and onion powder (a strange combination, based on a NY Times Cooking recipe for Crispy Sour Cream and Onion Chicken). The yogurt tenderizes the chicken and the flavor does taste a bit like sour cream and onion dip! Coated in panko crumbs, drizzled with olive oil and baked in a hot oven results in the best crispy, tender and flavorful chicken! I just watched Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli and British chef, on a Stephen Colbert segment demonstrate his yogurt marinated chicken with North African spices. This is from his new cookbook, Comfort. I plan to try this version soon!

Sliced into thin strips and served over the fried rice, this turned into a delicious dinner!

Crispy Chicken Katsu with Fried Brown Rice

Fried Brown Rice Ingredients:

3 cups cold cooked brown rice

2 scallions finely chopped

1 small piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

Assortment of vegetables (whatever you have on hand is fine)

2 stalks baby bok choy cut into small pieces

1 small onion finely diced

1/2 cup steamed broccoli (cooked briefly and rinsed in very cold water)

1/2 cup frozen peas defrosted

2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

In a small cup mix together: 1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar. For a spicier flavor, you can also add a small amount of hot chili sesame oil.

Chicken Katsu- (adapted from NY Times Cooking)

Ingredients:

4boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally (see Tip) and pounded ⅛-inch thick, or use 4 chicken cutlets (don’t split or pound)
Salt and black pepper
½cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
¼cup thinly sliced chives (or 1 tablespoon dried chives), plus more for serving
2tablespoons onion powder
2cups panko bread crumbs
2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil

To make Chicken Katsu:

Preheat oven to 380 degrees and place rack on bottom of oven

Pat chicken dry, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, chives and 1 tablespoon onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. (Chicken can sit in the marinade for up to 8 hours. Refrigerate, then let come to room temperature before cooking.)
In a shallow bowl or lipped plate, stir together the panko and remaining 1 tablespoon onion powder; season with salt and pepper.
Working one at a time, press the chicken breasts into the panko, using your fingers to pack the panko onto both sides of the chicken, and place on a large sheet pan drizzled with olive oil.
Drizzle top of chicken with remaining olive oil and place in hot oven. Cook about 6 minutes until browned on bottom and then flip over. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through and crispy and browned all over, about 6 minutes more.
Let sit for a few minutes and slice into small strips.
Note: With this recipe, you will have extra leftover chicken for sandwiches, etc.!

To Make Fried Rice:

TURN ON EXHAUST FAN OVER STOVE!!

Heat wok over high heat until it starts to smoke slightly. This helps to create the traditional Chinese cooking effect of “Wok Hei” translated as “breath of a wok” that gives the food the smoky charred taste found in Chinese dishes.

Add canola or peanut oil to the wok and heat until the wok starts to smoke slightly.

Add chopped scallions and ginger- give it a quick stir.

Add chopped onion and stirring continually, cook about 1-2 minutes until onion starts to soften a bit.

Add vegetables and cook, stirring continually about 2 minutes.

Add rice, cook about 1 minute, stirring and then pour the tamari mixture around the edges of the pan. This is the best part- the sauce will bubble vigorously and give off a wonderful aroma! Stir briskly and you are done!!

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”:

*Fall flower at Hofstra University*– New York

HAPPY FALL!!

Late Summer Sounds at Chesterwood with The Salisbury Four and Vegan Raspberry Spelt Scones!

What a pleasure it was to perform a concert at the end of August with my group, The Salisbury Four at Chesterwood, located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. For many years we have presented an annual Holiday concert for the Salisbury Association in Salisbury, Connecticut.

Chesterwood was the home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost public monument sculptor Daniel Chester French who lived from 1850-1931. French is most famous as the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial. The concert was held in the artist’s spacious studio that had high vaulted ceilings It was thrilling to sit next to studies of Lincoln’s hands and of the Lincoln sculpture!

The studio opens up onto a lovely peaceful garden and the large wrap around porch overlooks Monument Mountain in Great Barrington, Massachusetts!

Our repertoire for lute, recorder, voices, historical harp and Baroque dance has expanded to include a new summer themed program; with our recent concert titled: “Fortune, Love and Time”. We are so fortunate that one of our singers, Zahra Brown, is also a gifted dancer and is a specialist in Baroque dance. Enjoy this short video of our warmup rehearsal!

The other Salisbury Four members are all food lovers and are talented cooks and bakers. When we rehearse at our singer and harpist Marcia Young’s apartment, she always has a wide assortment of unusual teas at the ready and often a freshly baked goody such as a lemon drizzle cake. Another person once brought a rich chocolate babka.

I often make spelt raspberry scones that are super easy to make with a nutty delicious flavor and they also happen be healthy! I planned to bring a plate to the concert and our lutenist Christopher Morrongiello mentioned that he was thinking about the scones a bit obsessively on his long ride up from Long Island!

I have been using this vegan recipe for spelt scones from Erin McKennas’s Baby Cakes cookbook for several years; the dough for the scones, without the sweeteners also make a great topping for either savory potpies or fruit cobblers. I substitute coconut sugar for the agave syrup used in the original recipe.

Spelt Raspberry Scones

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole grain spelt flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup hot water

To Make Scones:

In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon baking powder. Mix well.

Add oil, vanilla and hot water, stir to combine and knead mixture gently a few times with your hands. Lightly stir in raspberries. You could also use blueberries or add chopped walnuts.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pat dough into 10-12 mounds.

Bake aprox. 12-15 minutes until light brown.

ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY FALL!!

A Misty Early Spring Stroll and Wild Blueberry Ginger Crumble

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!”

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

HAPPY SPRING!

A Serendipitous Walk and Hearty Red Lentil Soup!

A few weeks ago, I put the address in the GPS for the Steepletop Preserve in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. I was looking forward to a peaceful contemplative walk on this beautiful set of trails. I drove for a few minutes, not paying close attention, enjoying the scenery around me and slowly realized that the surroundings did not look at all familiar. I had lost internet service a while back and I was basically lost!

I had ended up on a quiet dirt road that followed a small winding stream. I pulled the car over to the side and decided to walk and see where the stream and road led. I would retrace my steps later to return home.

This turned out to be a delightful serendipitous walk and I would love to return to this spot, but I am still not quite sure where I was! I did take a picture at a fork in the road and when I returned home, my husband and I looked up where we thought I was on a map! I believe it may be a small road in Mill River, Massachusetts. Any guesses??

Safely home, I decided to make a big pot of hearty Red Lentil Soup, a soup that I have made many times and wrote about in an earlier blog post. I based my current version on the delicious Moroccan Red Lentil soup that we enjoy at the Amanouz Cafe in Northampton, Massachusetts. I sauteed onion and garlic and stirred in tomato paste with cumin, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and let the mixture lightly brown. I added green beans cut into small pieces, red potato, carrot , celery and plenty of chopped parley. Fragrant with thyme and bay leaf, the soup was thick and filling enough for dinner along with a small green salad and fresh peasant bread.

ENJOY!

Hearty Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups dried red lentils

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 medium carrot peeled and cut into small pieces

1 celery stalk with leaves cut into small pieces

handful Italian parsley finely chopped

2 medium red potatoes cut into small chunks (no need to peel them)

handful fresh or frozen green beans cut into small pieces

2 teaspoons ground cumin

pinch of red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 can tomato paste

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

water to cover

To Make Soup:

In a large soup pot or cast iron pot, heat olive oil

Saute onions until translucent, add garlic and stir. Add other spices and tomato paste. Cook mixture until tomato paste starts to lightly brown.

Add lentils, vegetables and cover with water about 2-3 inches above other ingredients.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils and vegetables are very tender and soup thickens. If soup is too thick, add a bit more water. Adjust seasoning. ENJOY!