Recipes – Page 2 – A Musician's Travels

Soothing Sounds and a Foodie’s Delight from Portland, Oregon!

It was the day after the election and the members of the Hevreh Ensemble were in a state of disbelief as we embarked on a short tour to Portland, Oregon. The plane headed west into the sunset; what better time for a little escape and to bring our music to others!

A week of concerts were planned with the first at one of my favorite radio stations, All Classical Portland. We were warmly welcomed by our host Christa Wessel and a lovely staff of helpful engineers.

We presented concerts for Congregation Beth El of Portland and for the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The performances were inspirational and well received; connections we made with the audience members created a sorely needed healing and soothing balm for all.

I was especially excited because Portland has a growing reputation as a foodie city. A few weeks earlier, I had read an article in the New York Times; “The 25 Best New Restaurants in Portland“. We were able to make reservations at the Korean restaurant Han Oak and the award winning Thai restaurant Lang Baan.

I had done some research on the bakery scene in Portland; the other members of the Hevreh Ensemble know me well and were excellent participants in the planned food adventures!

There were many choices to write about, but a few standouts were the Korean restaurant Han Oak, the Orange & Blossom Bakery and the Portland Farmers Market.

After our first concert for All Classical Portland, we headed off to an evening dinner at Han Oak. Our Uber driver dropped us off in a residential area and we almost missed the entrance; the eccentric and festively decorated restaurant was tucked away in the backyard of a small business.

The restaurant is owned by chef Peter Cho and his wife and partner, Sun Young Park; the food was creative and delicious. The current menu, with a $65 prix fixe was well worth the price! We started with 4 small appetizers that were replenished as often as we wanted throughout the meal.

They included homemade Napa cabbage and daikon kimchi made by the chef’s mother, pear and seasonal mustard greens with silken tofu miso dressing, fried eggplant with lemon ssam jabg (Korean soybean paste), garlic chives and scallions and smashed potato salad with eggs, garlic chives, celery, carrot and shredded gim (seaweed). Along with icy Korean beer, this could have been a complete meal!

Our next course was Roast Beef Soo Yook- delicate and tender rare roast beef with seared green and purple cabbage and charred corn vinaigrette in a rich bone broth, simmered for 15 hours.

The next course was billed as a “Gimbap Party”. We were presented with platters of barbequed meats and vegetables along with seaweed, rice paper and seasoned rice. My favorite was a bowl of hamachi (a delicate Japanese fish that is often found in the Northwest) cured with citrus and yuzu soy and served over chojang-mayo (a spice Korean sauce) and scallions. We had great fun creating or own seaweed and rice rolls.

*Himachi with citrus, gochu-mayo, yuzu soy and scallion*

Surprisingly, after all of this food, we still had room for a delicious dessert that the table shared: caramelized custard poached pears with sweetened puffed rice, vanilla whip and misugaru sauce ( a Korean beverage made from a traditional grain powder). At this point, I jokingly told the group, that the real reason we had traveled to Portland was actually for the food!

*Caramelized custard poached pears with sweetened puffed rice, vanilla whip and misugaru*

The next day, group members Laurie and Jeff had to tend to repairs on a Bass Clarinet that had encountered an unfortunate fall after our concert for All Classical Portland.

With a free afternoon before our evening concert, our guest keyboardist Renee and I headed out for a bakery adventure. I had read about an excellent bakery called Orange & Blossom. This turned out to a be a wise choice. The moment we entered the small cozy store, we were mesmerized by the wonderful assortment of beautifully presented baked goods.

The description on the bakery’s website says: “rooted in the seasons, inspired by our travels, local farms and west coast roots.” The cases were filled with enticing pastries that had an autumnal theme.

We ordered a pot of tea, a sandwich and assorted pastries for lunch. It was hard to choose but we ended up with a delicious sandwich with home made foccaccia that was filled with beet hummus, pickled vegetables, frisee and spread with garlic cashew cream cheese.

We shared a slice of pumpkin maple cake made with kabocha squash, maple butter cream and roasted peptitas, an unbelievably rich peanut cup filled with squash and peanut butter AND a rosemary orange scone.

Thinking we had probably ordered too much, I am sorry to say that we did not try the pear chai Manitozzi (Rome’s most iconic brioche bun).

We did buy an unusual and incredible brownie made with milled buckwheat, dark chocolate ganache and cocoa nibs for the airplane ride home!

On Saturday, we had a free day with an evening concert at the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. I am so glad that we had the chance to visit the famous Portland Farmers Market. After a long walk from our hotel, we finally saw the colorful booths poking through the trees located at Portland State University.

There were countless stands of beautiful organic fruits and vegetables along with stands ranging from cheeses, organic meat and seafood along with artisanal breads and pastries.

Street musicians played at various locations throughout the market.

I strolled by stand after stand of beautiful pastries; I bought a tiny bittersweet chocolate macaron. Popping it into my mouth, it was full of flavor-perfect!

I passed by a stand of fresh chestnuts and could not resist buying a quart. The owner of the stand was very engaging and described a fool proof method to peel the shells easily. He said to cut almost all of the way through the shell with a heavy cleaver and then steam the chestnuts about 10 minutes.

I took my chestnuts that I purchased at the farmers market home. Tucked away safely in my suitcase, I was looking forward to making our Thanksgiving turkey with a sour dough stuffing that included braised chestnuts.

Our last concert at the Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education was in commemoration for the anniversary of Kristalnacht (Night of Breaking Glass) that occurred in Germany in November 1938 in a wave of antisemitic violence that swept through the country. The concert was a profound moving experience for all.

On the flight home, while the other passengers were eating their allotment of a tiny bag of peanuts, we broke out our chocolate ganache buckwheat brownie.

The rich nutty flavor of the buckwheat blended beautifully with the fudgy chocolate texture of the brownie. The end of a lovely trip!

For Thanksgiving this year, I made sour dough stuffing with braised chestnuts. I prepared the chestnuts using the method the person at the farm stand recommended and it worked like a breeze! For a few recalcitrant chestnuts, I steamed them for about 3-4 minutes more and the shells and skins slipped easily off!

AND, there were lovely scraps for all of the critters in our woods!

I tasted a braised chestnut and it was sweet, tender and earthy- they made a delicious stuffing that would also be good for a Christmas roast goose or chicken!

ENJOY!!

Sour Dough Stuffing with Braised Chestnuts, Mushrooms and Pecans

Ingredients:

Large bowl of dried sourdough bread cubes (from about 2 loaves of bread)

1 medium onion finely chopped

3 celery stalks with leaves finely chopped

6-8 button mushrooms chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme (more if desired)

1 teaspoon dried sage (more if desired)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

braised chestnut mixture

1 cup toasted pecans broken into small pieces

2 cups chicken stock (more if needed)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients Braised Chestnuts:

10-15 chestnuts peeled

1 large shallot finely diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon dried thyme

freshly ground pepper to taste

To Make Stuffing:

Braise Chestnuts:

Melt butter in a small saucepan.

Saute shallots until softened, add chestnuts and cover with chicken stock.

Add dried thyme and freshly ground pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Set aside while you prepare the rest of the stuffing. (Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days).

Prepare Stuffing:

Ina large saucepan, heat olive oil and added chopped onions. Cook until softened. Add celery and mushrooms. Cook until softened and mushrooms release their liquid.

Add dried thyme and sage and freshly ground pepper. Wait to add salt until stuffing is prepared.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and add the onion and braised chestnut mixture. Stir and add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. It will take a while for the bread to absorb the liquid. Let mixture sit for a few minutes and gradually add rest of stock. You can always add more if needed. The mixture should be slightly softened. You should be able to squeeze clumps with your hands when ready to bake.

Let cool completely before stuffing turkey. After stuffing turkey, place rest of stuffing in a baking dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, remove cover and bake about 10 minutes more to create a delicious crusty topping and corners!

AND: Here is the “TREE OF THE WEEK” from Portland, Oregon!

BEST WISHES FOR A PEACEFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!

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!!

Troldhaugen (Grieg’s Home) and “Chip Shop” Curry- Norway: Part 3

Summer has ended and the fall is gearing up to be a busy one- my group Hevreh Ensemble is getting ready to travel to the west coast with performances in Portland Oregon in early November. We are excited to be presenting a concert for All Classical Portland and for the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The concert there will be for the commemoration of Kristallnacht– The Night of Broken Glass.

But first, a last fond remembrance of my trip to Norway this past summer!

Norway: Part 3

The morning we left Solvorn it was misty, atmospheric and peaceful with gentle calm water- so hard to leave a place of such natural beauty!

Our next two destinations, the small seaside village of Balestrade and a town high in the mountains; Stalheim were equally captivating.

From the porch of our hotel in Balestrade we looked over the water to a magnificent view of the mountains and the fjords. One evening we ordered burgers and beer from the hotel bistro to eat on the porch. We each had brought our books and after our feast, we sat and read to our heart’s content- with a bright sky even at 10 PM!

The next morning we donned heavy cumbersome wet suits and took a thrilling high speed motor boat ride through the narrow fjords.

On the way back, we could see our historic old hotel from the boat!

It was unseasonably warm for Norway as we set off to find our lunch destination- The Ciderhuset, an organic apple orchard with a cafe. After trudging in the hot sun for seemed like several miles, we were starting to wilt. We dragged ourselves slowly up a hill, with more than a bit of complaining on both of our parts, and then in front of us was a bucolic apple orchard and a quaint rustic cafe with a welcoming outdoor porch that looked over the mountains!

We sat on the porch enjoying local organic berry nectar as a refreshing breeze from the nearby hills washed over us; soft sounds of Ella Fitzgerald played in the background.

We ordered excellent fish cakes and an unusual sounding entree- a chicken wrap with “Chip Shop” curry sauce.

Both dishes were delicious and came with a spicy slaw topped with ground sumac.

After enjoying a piece of homemade apple crumb cake, which I am sorry to say we ate too quickly to take a photo, we thanked the gracious hostess. I mentioned that we had enjoyed the chicken curry wrap and I asked about the recipe. The hostess asked if I would like to speak to the chef and she introduced me to a lovely young man who it turned out was from Turkey! This explained the spicy Mediterranean flavors and the topping on the slaw.

The chef generously shared his method to prepare the sauce for the curry chicken wrap. I took mental notes as he lovingly described how he prepares the sauce in large batches based on sauteed onion, combined with coconut milk, a small amount of tomato paste along with cumin, ground coriander and cardamom. He then cooks the mixture down until it forms a velvety sauce, with no added thickeners.

After I got home, I decided to try to make the sauce from the taste that I remembered and my few notes. I was also curious about the name “Chip Shop Curry” and found that it is a sauce offered in chip and fish shops in England! I would imagine that this would have originated from the popular Japanese curry sauce.

I created a “Chip Shop” curry sauce that I mixed with sauteed vegetables and chunks of chicken and made my version into a potpie with an olive oil pastry crust. I am happy to report that I was delighted with the result; I hope you enjoy making this!

“Chip Shop” Curry Chicken Potpie

Ingredients:

Olive Oil Pastry Crust

1 cup whole grain spelt flour

1 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)

1 egg-lightly beaten for egg wash

Ingredients for Curry Sauce:

1 small onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic finely minced

2 cups canned light coconut milk

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cardamom

pinch cayenne powder

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Filling:

2 cups cooked chicken cut into small pieces

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/4 cup chopped celery with leaves

5-6 chopped button mushrooms

1/2 frozen peas- defrosted (optional)

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.

Bring dough to room temperature and roll out into a large thin circle.

Place dough on baking sheet with the parchment paper.

Trim edges to make a round circle.

Make Curry Sauce:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot with a heavy bottom.

Saute onion until soft, add chopped garlic and cook briefly.

Add carrots, mushrooms and celery- cook a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften slightly.

Add spices and cook about 2 minutes, stirring.

Add tomato paste and cook mixture until tomato paste start to lightly brown.

Add coconut milk and bring to a boil- reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon, aprox. 30-35 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add more cayenne if desired.

Add chicken and peas if using.

Stir mixture and pour into a large oval baking dish.

Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees

Place prepared crust over top of dish, crimp edges and lightly brush with beaten egg glaze.

Cut a few slits in the top of the crust and bake in the middle of the oven until crust browns and sauce bubbles around the edges of the crust, aprox. 35-4o minutes.

Let cool about 10-15 minutes.

ENJOY!

After Balestrade, we traveled to Stalheim, high up in the mountains. The scenery was equally stunning.

We returned to Bergen and had the chance to visit Troldhaugen, Grieg’s summer home; an absolute thrill to see the Steinway piano that he played his compositions on! It was a lovely and fitting last day for an amazing trip!

AND- Here is the “Tree of the Week”

What do you see? I feel perhaps this tree is Edvard Munch like; with hands holding a face?

HAPPY FALL!

A Summer Stroll at The Bullitt Preservation and Cherry Tomato Galette

I have safely returned from an amazing trip to Norway; part research on the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and a thrilling expedition by car driving on narrow winding roads over mountains and through countless tunnels. There were views of extraordinary fjords and of course many memorable meals! I am happily sorting through pictures and am planning a few blog entries about the trip. In the meantime, here is a short entry from our Fourth of July hike at the Bullitt Preservation in Ashfield, Massachusetts and a recipe for a summer Cherry Tomato Galette!

The Bullitt Preservation has a lovely system of trials that wind through meadows and woodlands.

At the top of the hill, there is a welcoming bench!

We have walked here in all seasons. An earlier blog written in December 2021, featured the famous French Chef Andre Soltner’s roast chicken. We discovered that the Bullitt Preservation was donated by the late William Christian Bullitt, Jr., the first US ambassador to the Soviet Union.

“William Christian Bullitt Jr. was a controversial figure. Bullitt was at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, working for Woodrow Wilson and resigned after reading the resulting Treaty of Versaille. He was the first US ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1933 and then Ambassador to France until 1940. On June 14, 1940, Bullitt refused to leave in the evacuation and stayed in Paris as the Germans attacked. He escaped with his life to return to a very disappointed President Roosevelt, who had hoped he would continue working with the French temporary government in Bordeaux. Bullitt co-wrote a book about Wilson with Sigmund Freud: Thomas Woodrow Wilson: A Psychological Study.
The Ashfield property was a Poor Farm for 50 years until 1874. William Bullitt bought the property in 1920, which has since been sold privately. The Bullitt Foundation provided the funds to develop the preserve that the public can enjoy today.
New England towns borrowed the idea of Poor Farms from England, where the practice had been put into statute as part of the Elizabethan Poor Laws during the 1600’s”.

And, we could not resist inserting a bit of Roaring Twenties soap opera details!

The following is from the Wikipedia entry about Bullitt:

Bullitt married socialite Aimee Ernesta Drinker (1892-1981) in 1916. She gave birth to a son in 1917, who died two days later. They divorced in 1923. In 1924 he married Louise Bryant, journalist author of Six Red Months in Russia and widow of radical journalist John Reed. Bullitt divorced Bryant in 1930 and took custody of their daughter after he discovered Bryant’s affair with English sculptor Gwen Le Gallienne. The Bullitts’ daughter, Anne Moen Bullitt, was born in February 1924, eight weeks after their marriage. Anne Bullitt never had children. In 1967, she married her fourth husband, U.S. Senator Daniel Brewster.
During that period, he was briefly engaged to Roosevelt’s personal secretary, Missy LeHand. However, she broke off the engagement after a trip to Moscow during which she reportedly discovered him to be having an affair with Olga Lepeshinskaya, a ballet dancer.^[21][22]

The day on which we recently walked was overcast and muggy; the path leading uphill through the meadow was lined with beautiful wildflowers.

One of our favorite series is PBS Kitchen Vignettes– a farm to table video blog by Aube Giroux, a passionate organic gardener and home cook. Recently we were enjoying the video for Cherry Tomato Galette, with a rich buttery crust and a filling of creamy ricotta and parmesan cheese. After all the rich food that I ate in Norway, I decided to create a lighter version.

For some time, I have been attempting to make an olive oil crust that is both flaky and tender. Most of my tries turned out to be flavorful but hard as a rock! I think that I may have found success with this version. I used olive oil and added a few tablespoons of Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening, ice water and yogurt; the result was a delicious flaky crust that was a breeze to roll out!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Cherry Tomato Galette

Ingredients:

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)

1 egg-lightly beaten for egg wash

Topping:

1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half and laid on paper towel to drain

2 ounces feta cheese crumbled

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

8 or more pitted oil cured olives, cut in pieces

handful sweet basil folded and cut into slivers

1 or 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

To Make Galette:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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.

Bring dough to room temperature and roll out into a large thin circle.

Place dough on baking sheet with the parchment paper.

Trim edges to make a round circle.

Place rack in the middle of the oven.

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

To Assemble Galette:

Place cherry tomatoes cut side down on crust and sprinkle with black olives.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and top with crumbled feta.

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon olive oil over top of galette.

Brush edges of galette with egg wash- this will create a beautiful brown crust!

Bake aprox. 35 minutes until crust is browned and tomatoes start to release their juices.

Sprinkle basil over top and serve immediately!

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY SUMMER!

Yellow Violets at Steepletop and Rigatoni all’Amatriciana!

It is always a thrill to discover the first illusive and secretive yellow violets of spring. The delicate plants with their characteristic heart shaped leaves thrive in sunny spots. We walked downhill towards the marsh at the Steepletop Preserve in New Marlborough, Massachusetts and magically there they were, cozily surrounded by leaf cover in the same place as last season! Their name, viola, is derived from the Greek name lo. According to a Greek myth, Jupiter protected his beloved by transforming her into a heifer surrounded by violets for her to feed upon.

We continued on the rest of our walk around the marsh area and it was as lovely as ever.

Reentering a wooded area, fiddlehead ferns newly opened, like graceful scrolls on a string instrument, lined the sides of the trail.

It was a warm day and at the end of the 2 mile loop, a stone bench with an inscription from Walt Whitman’s A Song of Joys beckoned to us: “sit, relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings”!

Like any self respecting foodie, I currently subscribe to three different food magazines. The April 2024 issue of Food and Wine Magazine is titled: “The Italian Way”. On the cover, Rigatoni All’ Amatriciana was artfully photographed. The recipe called for a few high quality ingredients, including the Italian cured meat, guanciale (gwann-chaa-lay) and pecorino cheese. We decided that we deserved a rich treat! I found guanciale at Guidos Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I read in America Test Kitchens that guanciale is from the cheek or jowl and is cured with salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and sage. Since it is from the cheek, it has a higher fat content (thus more flavor) than pancetta, which is from the pork belly.

I slowly sauteed lardons of guanciale to render the fat and crisp up the bits of meat. Our house was filled with a lovely peppery and enticing aroma.

The recipe uses all of the rendered fat in the tomato and pecorino sauce; I just used a small amount of the fat for flavor and this was fine! Made with sauteed onion, red pepper flakes and tomato paste that was browned with sauteed garlic and added to high quality pureed whole tomatoes with freshly grated pecorino; this was one of the best sauces I have ever tasted.

We purchased the best quality imported Italian Rigatoni that we could find and with the crispy bits of guanciale in the sauce, freshly ground pepper and more grated pecorino; the dish was simple perfection! Not necessary, we also served a side dish of steamed broccolini simply seasoned with fresh lemon, salt and extra virgin olive oil.

ENJOY!!

Rigatoni All’ Amatriciana- based on Food and Wine- April 2024 Issue

Ingredients

1 medium-size (9-ounce) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
5 ounces guanciale, cut into 1-1/4 inch batons
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup), plus more for serving

Directions

Heat a large high sided skillet over low heat. I used a cast iron enamel pot. Add guanciale, cook, stirring often and guanciale is crisp and fat is rendered about 20-30 minutes. Transfer guanciale to a paper towel to drain. Remove almost all of the fat from the pot- you could add a small amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper.
Add garlic, stirring about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until darkened to a rusty red color.
Using your hands or a wooden spoon, crush tomatoes; add tomatoes and their juices to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until flavors meld and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and half of guanciale to tomato mixture.
While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add rigatoni, and cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Add rigatoni to sauce in pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, adding extra reserved liquid if necessary. Serve with additional pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and reserved bits of guanciale.

AND: Here’s the “Tree of the Week”!

*“Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!”*

I end with a rare White Trillium that my husband Paul found while bushwhacking through the Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk, CT.

*White Trillum: Great Mountain Forest- Norfolk, Connecticut*

HAPPY SPRING!!

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!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY SPRING!!

Mountain Meadow Preserve and Vegetarian Tamale Pie

*Mountain Meadow Preserve- Williamstown, MA*

At the beginning of February one of my teaching positions had a short winter break. We decided to treat ourselves to a “Cabin Fever” mini vacation and traveled further north to Williamstown, Massachusetts in the Northern Berkshires- with even colder temperatures!

Williamstown is an idyllic small New England town that includes Williams College. We have often made day trips to visit the Clark Art Institute or to nearby North Adams to MASS MoCA, scene of my most recent blog post! We looked forward to having a leisurely dinner, going to see a film and not making the long trek back home in the dark!

We checked into the upscale but cozy Williams Inn made all the more attractive with inexpensive off season rates.

We decided to first visit the Clark Art Institute and headed to a favorite gallery that includes many treasures- paintings by Cezanne, Renoir, Monet, Redon and sculptures by Rodin.

It was not crowded that day, the gallery was almost empty- we sat on a comfortable couch in the middle of the room. Surrounded by beauty, we pretended we were in our mansion in the drawing room; the troubles of the world drifted away.

*Claude Monet- Tulip Fields at Sassenheim*

*Odilon Redon- Woman with a Vase of Flowers*

In a nearby hallway we visited one of our favorite paintings, “Home at Montclair” by the American painter George Innes.

*George Innes- “Home at Montclair” 1892*

The painting expresses the stillness of twilight at the end of a cold snowy day. A wisp of smoke rising from a chimney and muted light from a window in the distance drew my thoughts inward; I imagined a warm hearth and a pot of soup simmering on a wood stove.

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to dinner at the Barn Kitchen and Bar at the Williams Inn. Although the setting was lovely with friendly servers, the food was bland and disappointing and so earns my new restaurant review- a simple, “Meh”. Some think that this word which means indifferent or expresses boredom, may be derived from Yiddish!

We still enjoyed ourselves and after dinner headed just down the street to a small independently owned movie theatre. We enjoyed the quirky movie “Poor Things” with excellent acting by Emma Stone and then returned to our inn and fell fast asleep in our cozy room.

The next day, we had a quick breakfast at a local diner and then had just enough time for a brisk walk before we needed to return home. We drove to nearby Mountain Meadow Preserve with views of snowcapped Mt. Greylock in the distance; we had last walked here on a steamy day in late summer.

Today is the first day of spring, but outside it is cold and blustery; still the kind of weather for making hearty casseroles in a hot oven! Vegetarian Tamale Pie from the NY Times Cooking section, is easy to make; with a crunchy irresistible cornmeal, cheddar and scallion topping!

Vegetarian Tamale Pie – based on NY Times Cooking: Recipe by Melissa Clark

Yield:6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1large red or white onion, halved
2jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded (I omitted the jalapenos in my version)
1poblano or green bell pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1¾teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
1(28-ounce) can whole plum or diced tomatoes
3fat garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2tablespoons mild or hot chili powder, more as needed
2teaspoons dried oregano
1¾teaspoons ground cumin
3(15-ounce) cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (optional)
¾cup/135 grams fine cornmeal
2tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1½teaspoons baking powder
½teaspoon kosher salt
1large egg, at room temperature
⅓cup/80 grams sour cream or whole-milk yogurt, plus more for serving
¼cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used extra virgin olive oil)
2scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/2 cup grated Cheddar

PREPARATION

Prepare the chili: Move a rack as close to the heating element as possible and heat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Finely dice half of the onion and set aside for later.
Slice remaining onion half into ½-inch-thick half-moons and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Place jalapeños and poblano next to onions, cut sides down. Lightly brush vegetables with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Broil 2 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are charred on one side. (If the chiles are small, they will be charred after 1 to 2 minutes.) Flip vegetables and broil until the other side is charred, 1 to 3 minutes.
Transfer pan to a rack until cool enough to handle, then stem the peppers. Transfer charred vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender (or use a bowl and immersion blender). Add canned tomato and ¼ teaspoon salt, and blend to a coarse purée. You can make this up to 4 days ahead, and store in the refrigerator until needed.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add diced onion and sauté until lightly browned, 6 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, oregano, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and cumin, and cook until spices darken, about 30 seconds.
Add beans and the reserved tomato purée, and let mixture simmer until thick like a chili, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, if using. Taste and add more salt and chili powder, if needed.
While the chili simmers, prepare the cornbread: In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream or yogurt. Whisk egg mixture into cornmeal mixture until combined. Fold in scallions.
Spread cornbread topping over the chili, then top with grated cheese, if using. Bake, uncovered, until cornbread is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or warm, topped with sour cream and more scallions. I topped our version with Greek Yogurt. ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

Happy Spring!

Winter Strolls on Merwin Road and Cod Fish Cakes!

One of my favorite places to walk is on Merwin Road at Spencer’s Corner in Millerton, New York. I come here often when I have a short break from teaching. My stroll starts at the old Spencer’s Corners Burying Ground.

I continue down the street that is symmetrically lined with maple trees. In the summer, the trees offer a welcome canopy of cooling shade and at this time of year, they act as a buffer from the stiff frigid wind that blows from the surrounding mountains over the fields.

My beloved brother in-law Perry recently passed away after a long struggle with early onset dementia; this week there will be a Celebration of Life service held in his honor. This blog entry is dedicated to his memory; he was a kind, sincere, warm and intelligent man with a lovely sense of humor. He keenly observed nature and weather conditions and I know he would appreciate the quick changes on Merwin Road; one week a blustery snowy landscape and a few days later, rusty brown fields.

The other day at the fish counter, the wild caught cod looked especially fresh and my thoughts turned to crunchy cod fish cakes for dinner. I remembered a recipe from the New York Times Cooking column for cod cakes which I based my recipe on. The fish is first poached gently with lemon slices, bay leaf and black peppercorns and this gives the fish a wonderful subtle flavor. This step is well worth the extra time required. We served these crispy little beauties with lemon slices and a sauce made from veganaise, lemon, mustard and capers along with chunks Japanese sweet potato roasted with olive oil and rosemary and steamed broccolini. I hope you enjoy making these!

Cod Cakes (based on NY Times Cooking recipe by Sam Sifton

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings as a main course, 6 to 8 servings as an appetizer

4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, cut into eighths
3/4pound cod fillets, or other white flaky fish
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 rib celery diced
1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise,( I use vegenaise)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (add more if mixture is too soft)
1/4 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup neutral oil, like canola

PREPARATION

Fill a shallow, wide pan with high sides with about an inch of water, and set it over high heat. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 section of the lemon to the water, and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Place the fish into this poaching liquid, and cook, barely simmering, until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the fish from the water, and set aside to cool.
Empty the pan, and return it to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, add the celery & onions, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, then transfer them to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, egg, salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning, then add this mixture to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables, pour the bread crumbs over them and stir to combine. Add the parsley, and stir again.
Flake the cooked fish into the binding sauce carefully, keeping the flakes as whole as you can manage, then gather them into small balls, and form them into patties, 4-6 for a main course, 6-8 for an appetizer. Place them on a sheet pan or platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
Set a large sauté pan over high heat, and add to it the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the fish cakes from the refrigerator, and carefully sauté the patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side. Work in batches if necessary. Serve them alone, or with greens dressed in a lemony vinaigrette, with the remaining wedges of lemon.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Vegenaise

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons capers

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

We also accompanied our meal with a quick antipasto that included sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, green olives, marinated artichoke hearts and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzled with olive oil and lightly sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper- no recipe here- but so pretty we had to take it’s picture!

AND: Here is the first 2024 “Tree of the Week”:

STAY WARM AND SAFE!