Annual Holiday Banquet

Our favorite event to host is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We set the table with china and crystal. The day after Thanksgiving, I put on Christmas music and decorate the house for Christmas. Pretty much any knick-knacks that are not Christmas related are put away. The stockings are hung on the mantel.

Everyone brings something to eat and drink and we go around the table saying what we are most thankful for. We've had this tradition for 12 years and love spending this time with some of our favorite people. We are blessed to have such amazing friends in our life. The guest list can range from 12-30 people.

This year, I am especially thankful for
OBAMA! and all the wonderful people I met during the campaign
Family and friends who continue to fill my home year after year, surrounding my table with joy
A new job that I love (and honestly I am thankful right now to have a job)
My faith community at the Church of the Village

Special, special thanks to Zuleika, Jennifer and Suzi who helped by washing and drying dishes and everyone who helped clear the table. Ahhhh - so appreciated!

This year's guest list (and their culinary contributions):
Chris, the love of my life: Turkey (smoked on the grill) with giblet gravy, fruit stuffing, mashed potatoes with garden herb butter
Cassie, my sweet, beautiful, delightful daughter: her traditional mile high Apple Pie
Anne, my mom and Katie, my new step-mom: Gran-Anne's famous cranberry, apple walnut salad
Zuleika, my very good long time friend from high school and former roommate and her husband, Mark: Party platter (came in so handy when the turkey took an extra hour to cook)
Suzi, a very long story about how we came to know each other and became great friends - but she has come to this event for many years, except for the five "dark years" when she lived in Colorado: The most amazing chocolate, whipped cream, domed layer cake
Ed, a college friend who has been to this event EVERY year (except last year when he went to his HS reunion) and his wife, Tasha, who is like a sister to me: Ed's big lasagne (another tradition)
Jennifer, a very cool person who I got to know through her leadership in Hudson County during the Obama campaign: Corn Casserole and Sweet Potato Gnocci
Maggie, Cassie's long time friend since 4th grade - Chris and I are good friends with Maggie's parents (who weren't able to make it this year) and Maggie's friend, Natasha (who is a new US citizen and was thankful that she got to vote for Barack)
Ceallaigh, Cassie's roommate in college for the past two years

I made a vegetarian entree that was originally served to me at Katie and Dave Almroth's house. There were mixed reviews but I love the combination. It is adapted from the NY Times:

Pumpkin, White Bean and Kale Ragout

1 3-pound sugar pumpkin or butternut squash

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or canola oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large leeks, cleaned and chopped, white and light green parts only

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or use 3 cups cooked white beans)

2 cups vegetable broth

3/4 pound kale, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ( 1/2 cup), more to taste, optional

1/3 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped, plus whole berries for garnish

Coarse sea salt, for garnish.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel pumpkin or squash. Trim stem, then halve pumpkin or squash and scoop out seeds (save for roasting if desired). Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes.

2. Spread cubes out on a large rimmed baking sheet. In small saucepan, combine butter or canola oil, syrup, 1 teaspoon vinegar, kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cayenne. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until butter melts; pour mixture over squash and toss to coat evenly. Roast, tossing occasionally, until pumpkin or squash is very tender and caramelized at edges, about 30 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, rosemary and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft and not at all browned, about 15 minutes. Add beans and broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in kale, and cheese if desired. Simmer until kale is cooked down and very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in pumpkin or squash and chopped cranberries; season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Garnish with additional cranberries and sea salt, and serve.

Yield: 8 to 10 side-dish servings; 6 main-course servings.

Giving Thanks in The Poconos

Cassie, Chris and I spent Thanksgiving at my dad's in the Poconos. Ben was there with his three girls - they were lots of fun to play with and watch. The twins could entertain me for hours. I would throw a sheet over them and they would start giggling and jumping up and down. Natalie would get it off first and hug it around her sister, knocking them both down as they laughed and laughed. Chris and I drove the kids home later and they were all asleep before we left the driveway.

TJ had to work, but made it before 4:00 in time for dinner with Hee Ann. Sharon came out and did a lot of the cooking and cleaning with my dad.

Dad and Sharon brined the free range turkey and Sharon made a perfect gravy. She also made a flatbread that we began snacking on before dinner was even served. Chris prepared an apple and raisin dressing. My vegetarian contribution was very flavorfull as an entree (Cassie said it wasn't even ruined by the mushrooms) though it is not really a Thanksgiving-table food.

TOFU MISO STEW with garden fresh SAGE BISCUITS (adapted from the Tassajara Recipe Book - choice of veggies can be varied as you like). There are a lot of steps and a lot of ingredients so it's really one of those special company meals more than an everyday dinner:

Saute a chopped ONION in 2T SESAME OIL until soft
Add and stir to coat evenly with oil
4 CARROTS, sliced
Sliced PARSLEY ROOT
2 POTATOES, chopped into 1/2" sections
2 SWEET POTATOES, chopped into 1/2" sections
2 Cups quartered MUSHROOMS
5 Cloves chopped GARLIC
1" grated fresh GINGER

Cover tightly, turn heat to low and simmer

Make the sauce:
Toast 1/4Cup FLOUR in bottom of saucepan
Add 5T SESAME OIL and stir to blend with flour
Whisk in 2 1/2 Cups VEGETABLE STOCK
Simmer 10 minutes

Disolve 5T RED MISO with 1/2C Stock and add to the sauce
Remove from heat and season with soy sauce

Add Sauce to the Vegetables and continue to simmer on low heat

Press and Drain 1 block FIRM TOFU and cut into 1/2" cubes
Fry in hot skillet using chili oil
Add to Vegetables and remove from heat
Pour stew into a casserole dish

Make Sage Biscuits
Sift together
2C FLOUR
1 1/2t BAKING POWDER
1 t SALT

Combine
1/3 Cup OIL
1 EGG beaten
1/2 Cup MILK

Mix together wet and dry ingredients and stir in
1/4 Cup FRESH SAGE minced

Use a spoon to top the casserole with mounds of biscuit dough - the casserole will be covered

Bake at 375 degrees until tops are browned (about 20 minutes)

Mom and Katies Wedding

Mom and Katies Wedding

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colemanhinnen/sets/72157605273718475

May 17th was the perfect day for a wedding on the beach. I spent the evening before the wedding at my mom’s house helping prepare the flower centerpieces and keeping her company. Katie, the other bride, spent the evening at her father’s house.

The next morning, we went over to the beach (just a short walk from Mom and Katie’s house) where friends and family were gathered on beach towels and beach chairs for the ceremony. While our pastors were present, they were unable to participate in the ceremony because of the United Methodist stand on homosexuality. My mom’s long-time, dear friend, Maggie flew up from Florida and performed a lovely celebration on the sand with a simple antique table serving as the alter.

Margee Liz was the flower girl with the help of Cassie who read the story of Naomi and Ruth. Mom and Katie each came down “the aisle” barefoot. My sister and brother later brought the elements to the front and I helped Maggie by serving the cup. Guests were invited to take communion or receive a blessing from Mom and Katie. The whole service was beautifully organic.

Following the ceremony, we drove across the bay to NYC’s first airport for the reception. Much to the delight of the children, there was not only a clown to entertain them with cotton candy and animal balloons, but Dora and Diego showed up and danced with the kids and with Katie.

There was a wonderful brunch buffet with eggs, potatoes, pancakes, salmon, fruit, rolls and a carving station. Ben made the most impressive wedding cake you have ever seen with tier upon tier of butter cream and natural roses. I made cupcakes using Gale Gand’s recipe on the Food Network website (this is a great “go to” recipe if you need to make a few dozen cupcakes) and Ben turned them into additional flowers to surround the cake.

The day was appropriately festive with joy and love in abundance!

Mother's Day Garden Party

We started our Mother’s Day with a joyful Pentecost/Festival of the Christian Home at the Church of the Village. There was a Blue Grass Band, “The NY City Slickers;” tap dancing; an awesome sermon and a spontaneous solo by Cassie. It was an up-lifting and spirit filled service.

We came home after church and were joined by my mom, Katie, Chris, Cassie, TJ, Ben, Hee Ann. Cassie treated me to a Feed Bag from WFM filled with goodies including a potted rose plant.

Because this is the first spring season I have had a yard, I treated myself to a gas grill. I figure it is something I will use regularly and it brings me joy so I splurged a little. Chris did the same, but he’s more about the charcoal and bought a nice Weber.

That said, the menu consisted of all things grilled:

• Grilled Carrot Soup with garden dill
• Grilled Asparagus Salad with a Grilled Pepper Vinaigrette
• Grilled Tortellini Kabobs with a Grilled Tomato Dipping Sauce
• Grilled Swordfish with a Lemon Dill marinade

Chris made a wonderful scallop ceviche that was surprisingly rich. Cassie prepared a lovely fruit tray and TJ brought a yummy WFM fruit tart.

Grilled Carrot Soup
Grilling the veggies gives this soup a smoky flavor. Brush with oil and grill:
2lbs Carrots Sliced Lengthwise (watch closely to avoid burning)
1 Onion Sliced
1 Potato wrapped in foil (microwaved for 5 minutes first)
2 Garlic Cloves wrapped in foil (in their skin)
Once vegetables are soft, remove skins and slice and boil in vegetable broth (6-8 cups). Puree, add chopped dill and serve.

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Grilled Pepper Vinaigrette
Slice a Red Bell Pepper in Half and Grill Skin Side down until charred.
Grill 2 garlic cloves wrapped in foil
Remove from heat and when cool, remove skin
Puree with Olive Oil (1-2 T)
Balsamic Vinegar (1-2t)
Salt and Pepper

Brush asparagus with oil and grill until soft and lightly charred (be careful it doesn’t burn)
Slice Spears and serve on bed of lettuce drizzled with Vinaigrette
Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan

Tortellini Kebobs with Grilled Tomato Sauce
Cut a 1lb tomato in half and brush cut side with oil
Wrap 2 garlic cloves with foil and grill
Place tomato cut side down and grill until skin starts to pull away

Remove from grill and take off skin
Mash tomato and garlic with chopped basil, salt and pepper.

Boil 24 oz Tortellini according to package instructions
When cool, run skewers through cheese part of tortellini (there should be enough to fill 16 skewers).
Lightly grill just to heat up before serving.

Serve with sauce passed alongside.

Grilled Swordfish
Swordfish was on sale at WFM and we bought 4 fillets totaling 5lbs that we cut in half to serve 8 people. With all the other food, this was plenty. It was a really nice treat . . . This is a great fish to grill because it holds up well and tastes awesome.

Marinate swordfish for 4-5 hours:
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, Olive Oil, Dill

Salt and Pepper fish before grilling
Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side

Easter

As usual, Easter service at the United Methodist Church of the Village was a beautifully creative celebration. It was wonderful to be surrounded by such a joyful faith community but I was especially happy to share it with Cassie, Chris, and Margee Liz as well as my mom and Katie.

Bishop J’s mother was visiting and so was our conference bishop, Jeremiah Park with his wife. The church was packed and there was lots of music and dancing.

After church, we came home and brought Margee Liz to the back garden for an Easter egg hunt. She was delighted to find not only the eggs she decorated, but also some plastic eggs filled with cinnamon graham bunnies.

We then began preparing the Easter feast. Chris and I are following the Weight Watchers core plan so the meal was fairly healthy with a few moderate treats here and there.

We had a full table with most of my family here (except TJ had to work):

• Me, Chris, Cassie
• Mom, Katie
• Dad, Sharon
• Uncle Parker
• Ben, Brenda, Olgita (Brenda’s mom)
• Margee Liz, Natalie and Nicole

Snacks included:

• Shrimp cocktail
• Friendship Bread (Tasha brought it with some starter on Friday)
• Annie’s bunny cinnamon grahams
• Hard boiled dyed eggs

Dinner:

Smokey White Bean Soup
Bring 3 Cups of Water to the boil

• Add 1 pound sliced potatoes
• 1 Sliced onion

Boil for 20 minutes and puree

Stir in

• 1 Cup low fat milk
• Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Salt
• 3 Cups White Beans
• 3 oz Smoked Gouda (I used smoked provolone veggie slices)

Black Forest Ham (from Whole Foods with no nitrates)

Roasted Purple Potatoes

Polenta Primavera (use whatever veggies are somewhat in season)

Make polenta (this could have been doubled with the amount of veggies used)

• Boil 3C water
• Stir in 1 ½ Cups of coarse cornmeal
• 1 t Salt

Stir over low heat until cooked (about 30 min)
Smooth into the bottom of a pie plate or casserole dish

Prepare Vegetables
Saute until soft in a little oil

• Red Onion
• Garlic

Stir in and sauté 5 min

• 2 Zucchini, Sliced
• 1 Yellow Squash, Sliced
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced in strips
• 1 Cup Mushrooms, Sliced

Sprinkle with salt to taste
Stir in and sauté until cooked

• 3 Cups Broccoli florets
• 4 Cups Chopped Swiss Chard

Add a few splashes of Balsamic Vinegar
Stir in ½ C Fresh Basil Leaves

Pour Vegetables on Top of Polenta
Sprinkle Shredded Mozzarella Cheese over veggies (I used soy)

Bake at 350 until cheese melts
Salad with Roasted Beets and Orange Vinaigrette
Drizzle with Olive Oil and Roast at 400 for 45 minutes (or until cooked)

• Baby Beets
• Red Onion, Sliced

Make Vinaigrette:
In a jar combine:

• ½ C fresh squeezed orange juice (plus the grated zest)
• 1 T Maple Mustard
• 2 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 T Diced Shallot
• Salt
• Pepper
• Roughly Chopped Roasted Onion
• 1 C Olive Oil

Toss the Vinaigrette with:

• Mixed baby greens
• Arugula
• Peeled and Sliced Apple
• Diced Roasted Beets

Dessert
Angel Food Cake (From Whole Foods)
Previously frozen Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries with their juice mounded in the middle
Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Dad and Sharon brought them from a chocolate store in PA)

Bert and Nick come to NJ

My Godfather, Bert and his partner of 27 years, Nick, came for a visit from IL. We haven’t seen them since August 2004. It was a lovely afternoon gathering of the Hinnen family. Ben came a little later and Brenda had to work. TJ bravely picked up the three little nieces and drove them over. She also did some grocery shopping and came over the night before to help me cook.

It was so great to spend an afternoon with Bert and Nick and catch up on their lives. Chris and I are looking forward to a road trip this summer to Illinois.

Chris’ college friend, Christian, was also visiting so we had a full house (14 plus the twins). There was also plenty of food! We created quite a spread and it was entirely vegetarian. I didn’t get to take pictures of the meal but this was the menu:

• Honey Glazed Figs with Yogurt Dip (from the Tassajara Recipe Book)
• Sliced Oranges
• Tomato Cashew Soup (from the Tassajara Recipe Book)
• “Hoboken” Sandwiches
• 
  

Hoboken Bread (brushed with marinade from peppers)

Fresh Mutz from Hoboken (Some sandwiches were made with regular and some with smoked)

Arugula Mix

Marinated Roasted Red Peppers (marinated in olive oil, garlic, white balsamic)

• Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Chipotle Dressing (from Vegetarian Times)
• Terra Chips
  

• Cream Cheese Cookies with Lemon Glaze (from the Tassajara Recipe Book)
• Dark chocolate peppermint truffles
• Raspberry Iced Tea infused with Mango Nectar
• Coffee (from my dad’s trip to Costa Rica).

Christmas with Family and Friends

This Advent season was one of my favorites (I'm sure I feel this way almost every year!). Between wonderful church celebrations (including one led by MSS), opening up our new home for a tree trimming party, visiting friends' homes, having extra time to host friends for dinner and lunch, making lots of cookies with my favorite little people and a commitment to keeping gift giving simple, the actual Christmas day was just icing on the gingerbread!

Chris made 2 quiches: smoked salmon/smoked Gouda and mushroom chive.

We also had a punch made with an iced tea blend: orange blossom green tea/pomegranate white tea topped with TJs pomegranate sparkling juice. It was served in a wine decanter with lots of citrus slices.

The fruit salad was made with pineapple, grapes, banana, walnuts, dates and a squeeze of lime.

I also made Gingerbread Pancakes from the Tassajara Recipe Book (this was the recipe that helped me make the decision to buy the book).
Combine 2 Cups Flour, 1 T Baking Powder, 1 t Cinnamon, 1 T fresh Ginger (grated), 1/4 t ground Cloves, 1 t salt.

In a separate bowl, beat 2 Eggs, and whisk in 2 Cups Buttermilk (I used sour raw milk), 1/4C molasses, 1/4 C Canola Oil.

ladle 1/4 C batter for each pancake onto hot, well oiled griddle.

Other food included magic cookie bars, whole wheat gingerbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate waffles. Sharon brought flan and Brenda brought bread pudding. By the time we got to Tasha and Ed's in the evening, we were already full. But we still thoroughly enjoyed the veggie stew and George's bread pudding!

Melithaca - Day One Saturday

As you probably know, Ithaca, NY is one of my favorite get-aways. It is a 4-5 hour drive so I don't get to go as often as I would like, but I have been fortunate to have been able to make monthly trips the past three months. Generally, this blog is about menus and food I cook to share, but since Ithaca is so committed to local, sustainable eating and reflects my ideal way of life (I choose to ignore the horrendous Wal!@^~ that takes up part of what used to be Buttermilk Falls State Park land), I thought I would include it here. Besides, I bought so much food at the farmer's market, that surely this will serve as background for another entry or two.

Generally, we would leave before 8 am to beat the traffic and to take advantage of a full day when we arrive. This weekend however we took it easy in the morning (particularly since we hosted the Pampered Chef party the evening before), and left at 9:45. The traffic on Rte 80 was awful about an hour into the trip, but besides some minor construction congestion, that was the only hold up.

We stopped for lunch at our regular spot, Binghams Restaurant in Lenox, PA (it is about a half hour from when you get on Rte 81 off exit 211). The first time I went, I was skeptical . . . animal heads on the wall and a front dining room full of cigarette smoke generally are not signs of fine dining. To be honest, it's really not fine dining but it is solidly good, home style cooking with fresh baked bread and pretty good coffee. I ordered the bowl of cream of broccoli soup (tasty but a little lumpy) with a side of homemade whole wheat bread. Okay . . . I admit. . . the main reason I stop at Binghams is their pie. They have the most amazing pie. This time, I had a slice of Apple Crumb Caramel (yes! this is as good as it sounds). Chris had the wild blueberry pie warmed up and topped with vanilla ice cream which was also quite delicious.

About an hour after leaving the restaurant, we turned off the highway onto route 79 and began the final 45 minute leg of our trip. As we drove the winding roads through small towns with quaint old churches, signs for chicken barbecue, and beautiful views of tree filled hills, I felt myself begin to relax. We opened the car windows to take in the fresh air. Signs that we were getting close are the Six Mile Creek Winery and the turn-off to Cornell University and Collegetown.

When we got to the downtown area, we parked the car and took a walk on The Commons, a community centered pedestrian mall with lots of independent shops and restaurants. While on the Commons, we bought our tickets for Saturday night's screening and discussion at Cinemapolis, a non-profit independent movie theater.

On the way to our motel, we stopped at our favorite coffee shop, Gimme! Coffee. We picked up a copy of The Ithaca Times while we sipped a truly perfect cup of coffee. We also bought a bag of beans to bring home.

The motel where we stay is not one I would recommend. It's a little run down, but the price is right and they offer a microwave and refrigerator in the rooms. Basically, we just need a place to sleep at night and don't spend a whole lot of time in the room. So I won't plug them here, but would gladly recommend the Frog's Way Bed and Breakfast in the the EcoVillage. You have to share the kitchenette and bathroom with whoever is staying in the second room, but the owners are super nice, the simple breakfast is fresh and energizing, and it is fascinating to spend some time in this intentional community. There are a million lovely bed and breakfasts as well as cottages, inns and hotels. For information, go to www.visitithaca.com. Of course, the state forests also offer beautiful camping opportunities.

Because it was so late when we checked in, we didn't get a chance to go to dinner on Saturday night. Instead, we went straight to the movie theater. Missing dinner was okay though. Cinemapolis has the best movie theater popcorn, popped in peanut oil and topped with real butter. They also have really cool spice toppings. I tried the "Eastern Spice Mix." Really, how can I ever go back to microwave popcorn?

Later this week, the Dali Lama is visiting Ithaca and Cinemapolis was offering a special preview of "How to Cook Your Life," a light documentary film inspired by Zen Master Dogen's "Instructions to the Cook", which uses the preparation of food as a metaphor for the cultivation of our spirituality. It was really interesting and the main person in the film, Zen Master Edward Espe Brown, presents himself as very human - not necessarily what I would imagine a Buddhist monk to be like. One of the most meaningful parts of the film to me is when they talk about the way that food cultivates your three minds: "Big Mind, Joyful Mind, and Kind Mind." If you are really into food as a connection to life, I would highly recommend this film.

Following the film was a panel discussion with Julie Jordon, who operated the Cabbagetown Café for 18 years and authored several vegetarian cookbooks; and Gary Redmond, operator of Regional Access, a food wholesaler and supplier of organic, local and regional products. It was fun to participate with like minded people and hear their thoughts about Ithaca's progress in supporting local farmers and creating hydroponic methods of agriculture.

On the way to the motel, we stopped at the Green Star Co-op for a late night snack. I took some membership material to review (more about that later).

Sunday - Day 2 in Ithaca

We slept in on Sunday and I took a short drive to Smart Monkey Cafe (which has a drive through window) and bought our morning fair trade organic coffee. We hung out drinking coffee and watched CBS Sunday Morning before heading out to church. After parking the car, we had a couple of minutes to enjoy Cascadilla Gorge. St. Paul's United Methodist Church is my childhood church and the church I chose when my family first started worshiping. I love the music, the domed choir area with angels looking down, the beautiful stained glass window with Christ pictured at the door holding a lantern. Most of all, St. Paul's draws people from diverse backgrounds and ages who are warmly welcoming. It is a community of active disciples and I always feel at home. My childhood pastor and his wife have retired back to this church and it was a delight to see them.

Following church, it was off to the Ithaca Farmer's Market. The market is in a permanent wooden structure on the lake. In addition to produce, there are flowers, cheese, yogurt, meat and eggs for sale as well as cider, hard cider and local wine. Local artisans sell jewelry, cutting boards, pottery, soap and other high quality crafts. There are musicians scattered throughout providing folk music and it's not unusual to see children dancing. The farmer's market is a wondrous place! There are also numerous (mostly ethnic) vendors selling fresh cooked food.

For lunch, we had a Jolly Burger, made with quinoa and sweet potato. It was served on a whole grain roll with sprouts, pickles, sauteed onion, lettuce and tomato. I bought four to bring home for lunch this week. The people who worked there were so friendly and happy. In our afternoon at the farmer's market, we also sampled a spinach and cheese empanada and peppermint tea.

I stocked up on winter squash. They make great autumn decorations until I can get around to eating them. I also bought beautiful red chard and a bag of Liberty apples as well as caraway seed cheese and to make an apple chard quiche and cumin seed cheese that I will perhaps use in pumpkin quiche. I couldn't resist the basket of purple potatoes just 'cause I remember my beautiful birthday mashed potatoes. Would it be too weird to each purple potato soup? The farmers are so friendly and I enjoy learning about their farms and the food.

On the way back to the motel to change into our hiking clothes, we stopped at the Ithaca Beer Company for a tasting. They had a number of brews as well as Root Beer. It was the best root beer I’ve tasted and is made with cane sugar. We bought 2 growlers (64oz) of Ithaca Double IPA a specialty brew using all NY grown hops. We look forward to bringing our growlers back for a refill and in the meantime will bring one growler to Katie and Dave's Oktoberfest and will invite Bruce and Gina for dinner to share the other growler.

After changing into hiking clothes, our next stop was Taughannock Falls. There are two trails: the Gorge Trail is a flat path through the gorge to the base of the falls. It is less than a mile. We chose the rim trail with a steep incline and then a flat trail around the top of the gorge with spectacular views. There is a perfect look out spot to see the falls from the top of the gorge. The rim trail took us about an hour and a half all the way around. It is truly an awesomely beautiful example of God's creation.

After the hike (goodness, time flies!), we shower and rest for a bit (and I snacked on some Ithaca "art" Dark Chocolate). It was a little after 7:00 and I was starving. We figured the Moosewood on a Sunday night would be reasonable. We quickly discovered there was a 45 minute wait to be seated. Because I was starving and starting to get a bit irritable, we decided to have our Moosewood meal as Monday's lunch. There is no shortage of good food options in Ithaca and we walked over to Taste of Thai on the Commons. It seemed crowded but we felt good about only having to wait for 15 minutes to be seated. Unfortunately, I was really starving at this point and we had to wait almost an hour more to be served our food. We noticed that absolutely nobody had their food. . . it turned out the computers were down (were the computers cooking the food? I wondered). The manager was gracious (smart?) enough to give us a 10% discount. My spring rolls were crispy and tasty and the Panang tofu was really flavorful. I am happy I ordered a hot level of "one" (of 7) because it was extremely spicy. Once I got over the crabbiness of my hunger, I enjoyed the meal.

While we planned to go to the movies, we were kind of sleepy by 9:30 and ended up crashing around 10.

Pampered Chef

Among Cassie's many endeavors is her new role as Pampered Chef consultant. To kick off her sales career, we hosted a Pampered Chef party at our house. Since it was her first demonstration, it was helpful that she knew most of the guests. People who own any of the products, love them and we were all promoting our favorite tools. I'm still working out my final order. There are a lot items I would love to upgrade in my kitchen.

This was the first time in months that we have had company since we have been unsure of our moving situation, but we decided to just go forward with our out life and we love entertaining so this was a great opportunity to put our home back in order. It was a lovely mix of guests and it was great that we could have some time to socialize while supporting Cassie (and ordering some new kitchen items too!)

I provided a light harvest meal that was almost entirely local from the Hoboken Farmers Market (what am I going to do for produce when they close at the end of the month?). I reconfigured some other recipes that I've made before and was happy with the results. This menu served a dozen guests:

Butternut Squash Soup:
Saute:
1 Medium peeled and chopped butternut squash
3 Carrots chopped
1 Apple peeled and chopped
1 T minced fresh Ginger Root (I used a microplane)

Cover (just barely) with Vegetable Stock and add Salt and Pepper
Bring to a boil and then simmer until squash is very tender (about a half hour)
Puree with immersion blender, food processor or blender

Potato Leek Soup:
Saute in Butter:
6 peeled chopped Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 sliced Leek (choose a fat leek or use 3 skinny ones)
1 sliced Fennel Bulb and/or Leaves (optional)
1 T Crushed Fennel Seed
Add 6 Cups Vegetable Stock
Salt and Pepper
Bring to a boil and then simmer until potatoes are tender. Puree with immersion blender, food processor or blender just until smooth (over processing will make it gummy)

Salad with Maple Dressing
The Maple Dressing recipe is in the Thanksgiving blog entry. It is made with Maple Syrup, Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil, Mustard

The Salad was Mixed Greens topped with:
Organic Feta
Thinly sliced Red Onion
Thinly sliced Red Apple
Sliced Heirloom Yellow Plum Tomatoes
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper


Pears Baked with Cardamom Syrup
Place peeled cored halved Pears cut side down on Buttered baking sheet
Sprinkle over pears:
Brown Sugar
Crushed Cardamom Seed
1/2- 1 Cup of Water
Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes turning twice and adding water if needed
Serve warm or at room temp

Cassie Turned 20!

I no longer have a teen-ager! Cassie is now 20 years old. In one sense, it’s hard for me to believe, but really, it’s hard to remember a time when she wasn’t in my life. Being a young mom also means that in many ways, I grew up with my daughter.

For the first time ever, I didn’t host a birthday party in our home. Cassie invited me to a cook-out she was having at school. Unfortunately we had a surprise rainy day and she wasn’t able to have an outdoor party. So for the first time in I don’t know how many years, I went to a dorm party (on Hoyt 4th no less).

The gathering was actually quite lovely. The room is so much more spacious than last year and we had room to spread out. We arrived around 5:00. My mom, Katie, Chris and I were welcomed sweetly by Cassie and her friends. We had pizza from Romanelli’s and cake from Cold Stone Creamery. Around 9:00 we headed home after a very pleasant evening.

Since originally it was going to be a cook-out, I had prepared some salads:

Mexican Pasta Salad:
Cooked and chilled Penne Pasta tossed with:
Grated cheddar
Cherry Tomatoes
Diced Jalapeño
Black Beans
Olive Oil, Lime Juice, Chili Spice Mix
Served with salsa (I chose Newman’s Own tequila lime salsa)



Spinach Strawberry Salad (slightly out of season, but this was at Cassie’s request)
Baby Spinach
Quartered Strawberries

Sliced Almonds

Sliced Red Onion

Dill, Mango Chili Vinegar (from Trader Joe’s), Canola Oil, Maple Syrup

Is food still considered local if you have to drive 200 miles to bring it home?

We had a great weekend in Ithaca and did a significant amount of food shopping at the Farmer’s Market and the GreenStar co-op. Much of tonight’s dinner was made with ingredients local to Ithaca. Did you know the Ithaca Farmers Market is a "Zero Waste Zone?" Everything is compostable. Some of the other ingredients tonight were from the Hoboken Farmer’s Market (basil, eggplant, sweet potato).

Southwestern Corn and Potato Chowder (adapted from the Moosewood LF cookbook)
Sauté Onion and Garlic
Add crushed cumin
Diced Jalepeno (I remove the seeds)
Diced Purple Pepper
After about 10 minutes, stir in chopped sweet potato
Add Vegetable Broth (I threw the veggie trimmings including potato peel into the pressure cooker to make broth)
Cook for 10 minutes until veggies are tender
Add fresh Corn (if it’s really tender, cook for only a minute or two more)
Puree half the soup
Add Cilantro and serve

Tomato Galette – I found the most beautiful and delicious organic sunset colored heirloom tomato at the farmer’s market. It was perfect for this dish. Is it weird to be passionate about tomatoes? This is the first summer I really appreciated them.
Thaw a sheet of puff pastry (available at Shoprite)
Spread ricotta cheese in circular area of the pastry (I used the homemade ricotta that I had made before)
Lay out Basil leaves to cover the cheese
Arrange tomato slices to cover the basil
Fold excess pastry over to cover edges of tomato slices
Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper
Bake for about 35 minutes

Green Salad
Beautiful tender lettuce
Lovely heirloom cherry tomatoes - different shapes, sizes and colors
Shaved raw sheep’s milk cheese
Adapted Moosewood house dressing: local small farm organic milk curdled with lemon juice, canola oil, basil, salt, pepper, local maple syrup, garlic

Eggplant (Chris made this)
Pan fry the eggplant in olive oil
Put it in the baking pan with garlic, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, dried oregano.
Top it with homemade ricotta and sliced mozzarella (from the bodega)
Bake for 45 minutes

I had a bottle of Ithaca brewed beer with my meal.

Some of the other local foods I bought in Ithaca were: maple sugar, molasses, yogurt, tofu, swiss chard, plums and apples.

Farmer's Market Dinner

From June-October, my everyday meals are so much better than in the winter, thanks to the Hoboken Farmer's Market. I went yesterday, and dropped $21 in less than 5 minutes (I was parked illegally and had to rush through the first two booths and get back to my car). This is what I made for tonight's dinner:

Corn on the Cob (steamed just enough to be hot but not "cooked")

Cherry Tomatoes - halved and marinated with a dressing of farmer's market basil and (nonF.M.) garlic, evoo, and lemon juice).

Yukon Gold Potato, Leek and Fennel soup (I made the stock from the trimmings off the veggies, garlic, fennel seed, peppercorn and salt). This was super easy. . . . saute sliced leeks and fennel, add sliced potatoes and vegetable broth. Cook until tender and puree in blender (I love my immersion blender for this)

Ricotta Cheese Bread okay, this was not from the farmer's market (except for the basil) but it was homemade from scratch and so yummy. I made the ricotta myself for the first time which I am quite excited about. I made the bread in the bread machine with flour, yeast, salt, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and fresh homemade ricotta.

My plan is to make another tomato galette with the ricotta, remaining basil and nj field tomatoes in puff pastry.

I also got peppers and eggplant (perhaps ratatouille (sp) or rolatini (sp?)) and a sweet potato (Moosewood LF sweet potato and black bean burrito)

Thank you, Hoboken Farmer's Market!

Labor Day Weekend BBQ

My siblings and I were invited to my dad's place in the Poconos for a cook-out this weekend. His home has become a wonderful place of retreat and relaxation for Chris and me. We've been up there a number of times this summer. Even though the cook-out was planned for Sunday, Chris, Cassie, Margee Liz and I went out on Saturday. I quickly discovered (was reminded) that there is no rest or relaxation when you are responsible for a three-year-old. That being said, we still did have a lovely time.

On Saturday, we took Margee Liz to a little farm/petting zoo. She got to feed the pigs with a baby bottle and she loved seeing the monkeys and goats. It is always sad to me to see animals confined in what is so obviously not their natural environment. They seemed to be treated well, however, and their cages were clean. One of the monkeys actually seemed to turn the tables as he would jump up when you weren't expecting it just so he could see you jump.

We had dinner at Top of the World, a restaurant on top of a mountain in my dad's community. There were not a lot of vegetarian options and since I'm trying not to eat fish out very much, I got the pasta primavera. Then, because I couldn't resist, I ordered it with cream sauce. It was a wise choice.

My sister came up late Saturday night and on Sunday morning, we all met my dad's friend, Sharon at the Garlic Festival. It was nowhere near as creative as the festival we attended in Saugerties a few years ago, but we enjoyed the different vendors and the samples that they offered. We watched an hour long cooking demonstration, and my sister was sold on a set of high quality (ie very expensive) cookware. She has since decided she needs to do some more research on the product and is trying to cancel her order. Margee Liz loved getting her face painted and there was a fun play area for her to use up her seemingly endless energy.

We went back to my dad's and got ready for the cook-out. Margee Liz took a three hour nap. I had some wonderful (From Thursday's farmers market) yellow cherry tomatoes, an orange bell pepper, a purple bell pepper and fresh basil that I tossed in a bowl with white beans, olive oil and lemon juice. I also made a tomato galette (sp?) using puff pastry spread with fresh ricotta and basil, topped with beautiful red field tomatoes. TJ didn't want to eat the tomatoes but we convinced her they were no ordinary supermarket tomatoes. Sharon made a salad with cherry tomatoes and olives and my favorite bottled dressing, Trader Joe's cilantro garlic. My dad bought some grass fed beef from a (somewhat local) farm called Hendricks. I tasted it and it was truly delicious.

Ben and Brenda had brought some dates stuffed with blue cheese, sliced fresh figs, asiago cheese and this really awesome spinach dip. I love having family who work at Whole Foods Market. They also brought a cake for dessert. Our wine was from Oregon . . .my dad had brought it back from his visit in Eugene with his brother. So really, almost our entire meal was bought locally.

It was nice to be all together and spend some time with the new twins. I also really like Sharon and it was fun to have her involved in our crazy family. More than anything, I am happy to see my dad experiencing joy. He's had a hard few years and it's great to see him enjoying his retirement.

Light Dinner and Fruit Desserts

Cassie's friend Kailaigh (sp) spent the day with us at the shore today. It was nice to meet her especially since they will be roommates next year. The girls ate dinner at Popeye's (!!!) and my dinner tonight was a butternut squash and green pepper grilled kabob. I boiled the squash for 10 minutes before skewering it with the pepper and putting it on the grill. It was really simple with just a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Dinner was followed by two fruit desserts. Cassie had requested peach cobbler which I ended up making with peaches and blueberries. The dough was made from a mix that I picked up at Delicious Orchards earlier today. It was just simpler since we are at the beach without access to flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, etc needed to make a biscuit from scratch. There was no cinnamon in the house so I used a sprinkle of nutmeg. Syrup was the only sweetener in the fruit. The topping was a light whipped cream.

The second dessert was strawberry shortcake. I’m on a blueberry kick though (since they are local) so I mixed the strawberries and blueberries with a little sugar. I did keep a dish of strawberries separate since I know Bruce is a purist and would prefer it to the mixed berries. The dough was the same as for the dumplings and again, I used the light whipped cream to layer the fruit and the biscuits.

Awesome Birthday!!!!

What a fabulous way to spend my 36th Birthday! Chris and I spent the day relaxing, walking through Ocean Grove and hanging out at the beach. I made the fruit salad and it came out beautifully. I decided not to mix in the yogurt but will probably parfait it as a dessert or breakfast.

Later, we went to Target. I picked up a pair of sports sandals. I didn’t see any in the women’s department, so I bought a size 8 men’s. http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1183030264/ref=sr_1_1/601-8389595-3923343?ie=UTF8&asin=B000JNORBG
Tasha & Ed and Cassie each gave me money toward Chacos or Keens for my birthday so I’ll be doing more shoe shopping on Zappos later today.

Cassie got here in time for dinner. We prepared a yummy lobster dinner. We bought the lobster fresh from Jodi’s. I had bought some PURPLE potatoes at Delicious Orchards and guess what . . . they are purple inside! They made fun and tasty mashed potatoes. We also had corn on the cob and a mixed baby green salad with baby arugula, goat cheese, halved red grapes and a drizzle of cider vinegar and olive oil topped with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Chris made a lemon sauce with garlic infused butter and olive oil that complimented everything.

After dinner, we went to Days for ice cream and since ice cream has become a rare treat AND it was my birthday, I got two scoops on a cone: Pralines & Cream and Mocha Chocolate Chip. Cassie got “It’s a Goody” hot fudge sundae and Chris got Pralines & Cream and Belgian Chocolate in a cup with malt topping. Really, they have the best ice cream I’ve ever had. By the time we walked up to the beach, my hands and face were covered in sticky cream. It was fun.

After washing up, we played a little miniature golf at Bradley Beach. There was a heat storm or something with lots of lightening far out in the distance and the sky was really red. We got home just before the biggest thunderstorm downpour I’ve ever experienced. It was intense with almost constant rumbling thunder and flashes of lightening.

It was so wonderful spending hours with Cassie and Chris and just having fun together. Definitely one of my best birthdays so far!

VACATION

Our very generous friends, Bruce and Gina, graciously let us stay in their beach house every year so that we can have a vacation. It’s a great way for us to start the summer and we gener
ally spend one or both weekends with them and have the house to ourselves during the week. One of the best things to me is that I have the time to just experiment with my cooking and make things exactly the way I want. Plus the most wonderful fresh and local produce is available. It's a great season to be vegetarian.

Today, we finally got to go to Delicious Orchards and we had a great time. The produce was beautiful and much of it was local and/or organic. It was so exciting to have such a bounty to choose from. When we got home, we spent the afternoon at the beach and then 3 hours making dinner. After dinner, we went for an hour long walk on the boardwalk before returning to the house for Cio Bella Sorbet (I had the Blackberry Cabernet and Chris had the Lemon). What a great day!

Most of these recipes are adapted from Vegetarian Times.

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

Grill

2 ears of corn wrapped in foil
Half a red onion in 2 thick slices
1 Green Pepper halved

Meanwhile combine

Sliced avocado
Cilantro
1 Can Black Beans
Grape Tomatoes halved
Add in cooled grilled veggies and stir in
Juice of half a lemon
Cumin

Mix together and serve

Quinoa with Pistachios and Mint
Toast 1/2C Pistachios, chop coarsely and place in bowl
Grill small Vidalia onion and chop
Toast 1C Quinoa in pot
Add 2C Water
Bring to boil then simmer covered 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool
Stir together,

onion, pistachios, and quinoa with
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Salt
Mint

Grilled Vegetable Salad (this will make a great veggie sandwich with hummus or stirred into an omelet. Also any extra marinade can be used as salad dressing)
Whisk together

Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Basil
Chopped Garlic
Pour Marinade Over
1 lb Asparagus
Sliced Portabellas (I actually used a mixture of wild mushrooms)
Sliced Zucchini
Sliced Red Onion

After marinating for 15-30 minutes, grill on low heat for 5-10 minutes
Reduce extra marinade on the stove over high heat. Throw a bunch of spinach into the reduction and steam until lightly wilted.
Stir together grilled veggies, marinade and spinach

Green Salad

Mesculin
Baby arugula
Sliced sheep’s milk cheese
Sliced dried pear
Drizzle of cider vinegar and olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

Tomorrow, I’ll be making a fruit salad with

Pineapple
Peach
Apricot
Grapes

Strawberries

Blueberries
Banana

I’ll toss the bite sized fruit with stonyfield farm fat free blackberry yogurt and vanilla yogurt

Christmas Brunch

How much do I just love Christmas?! This year was especially wonderful because we were all here together. Chris goes to his parents every other year and this was his year with us. Also, Margee Liz was in Puerto Rico last Christmas but was here this year. Christmas is always more festive with a baby in the house. Mom, Dad, Cassie, Ben, Brenda, TJ & Hee Ann were all here. It was a beautiful couple of days.

The Christmas Eve service was lovely. The music and dance really set the tone to move into the evening and Christmas day with a true spirit of the holiday.

I tend to prefer a Christmas brunch and we finish the day in mid-afternoon without a big dinner. This year's brunch came from Scandinavian menu in the January 2004 issue of Vegetarian Times. It was different enough to be special, but didn't fall into the realm of "one of Melissa's weird vegetarian meals" LOL

Scandinavian Christmas Brunch (with links to recipes)

Glogg (we replaced the alcohol with a cider/iced tea concoction and served it over ice)

Finnish Marmalade Muffins (SO GOOD)

Danish Egg Cake

Norwegian Winter Fuit Salad


Swedish Pancakes

Red Fruit Pudding with Cream

Deck The Halls

We had our annual Christmas tree trimming party. After playing around with the timing the past few years, I think settling on a Sunday afternoon was the right move. Of course, at this time of year, it is difficult to fit into everyone's schedule (unfortunately Cassie and TJ had to work), but because it's more informal, people can just drop by or stay all afternoon. They can bring their kids and/or come after (or before) church. I found it to be a flexible time for a holiday party.


There was a really nice mix of some of our favorite people from church, work, family and long time friends. I got so busy, that I forgot to take pictures of everyone. So I decided to post photos of some of the lovely ornaments people brought to put on my tree.


I thought it was really sweet of people to help trim the tree with decorations they brought. The first Christmas tree that I bought for my own place, was in 1995. I only had a few ornaments (every year, my mom would buy me one when I was growing up so that I would have a collection as an adult). Because the tree was so huge though, I still didn't have nearly enough ornaments. When I had the first tree trimming party, I asked everyone to bring an ornament.


In the 11 years since then, I have collected more ornaments than I can even use in a year. So each year I have a theme (the past 2 years are red and white). I'll use all kinds of ornaments, but I try to give it an overall look with a certain color scheme. I also then have a lot of ornaments that can be used throughout the whole house.


Because it was an afternoon party, we didn't have a ton of food, but we seemed to have just the right amount. Glen brought some crackers and cheese and wonderful pumpkin bread that helped round out the buffet. Chris and I made chili. I made vegetarian chili and Chris made turkey sausage chili. Earlier in the week, I made a much too big batch of chipotle black bean soup, (Soak beans overnight and drain. Saute oil, chopped onion, chopped peppers, minced garlic. Stir in oregano, cumin, chipotle sauce. Add Water, Bay Leaf, Black Beans. Simmer uncovered 2 hours (or till tender - could pressure cook). Stir in cocoa, oj, cilantro, scallions, salt. Simmer 5 minutes and serve) so I used it as the base for my vegetable chili and added sauted onion and peppers along with my chili powder spice mix and kidney beans. I almost forgot how to make it since it has been a really long time. It cooked down most of the day, and by the end of the day, was really thick with a really intense smokey flavor. We served it with sour cream, cheese and yellow rice: (from Moosewood Simple Suppers) Saute oil and brown rice and generous pinch of saffron. Add Water and Salt. Cover, boil, lower heat, and simmer 40 minutes.

We also served tortilla chips and apples with a velveeta and beer fondue (just put cut up velveeta with 1/2 cup of beer in a fondue pot and melt over low heat).

Of course since it's Christmas, I made a few batches of cookies. I got the recipes from Martha Stewart for peppermint merangues, chocolate espresso cookies and pumpkin cookies. I also made the Eagle Magic Cookie Bars (these are my favorite):
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan.
Pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.
Notes: Recipe Variations: Substitute chocolate chips or nuts with: candy coated pieces, dried cranberries, raisins, mini marshmallows or butterscotch chips.