Phoebe's Kitchen

Disaster and Candlelight

Those of us who live in New England have always been so happy that all we have to put up was snow which could be shoveled and pushed around. We didn't have to worry about severe hurricanes and tornadoes.  That all ended on June 1, 29, 2011.  I had spent the day in Boston and as I was headed home, I received a call that told me the Commonwealth was under a tornado watch.  I got off the turnpike in Palmer and had planned to do some shopping, but one look at the sky made me change my mind. I called a friend and asked where the storms were, she checked the internet and indicated they were just crossing the New York state border.  I turned my car around and headed home.  I watched the area tv stations and they were all talking about a storm cell in the Northampton-Amherst area.  Nobody mentioned any other areas.  All of a sudden I noticed a green dot in the Westfield area that was growing quickly.  Within a few minutes, the weatherman said touchdown in Westfield (and he wasn't discussing football).  I watch the sky darken and all of a sudden I heard a sound like a wall of hail approaching.  I headed to the basement and by the time I got to the foot of the stairs, it was over.  I looked out my windows and everything looked normal, not a leaf out-of-place.  Pretty soon I noticed cars turning around and my neighbor flying into my driveway saying I had to come see what had happened to the lake we live one.  I could not believe my eyes - all the trees on both sides of the middle of the lake were gone.  I went back home and started walking down the street - about 200 feet away I could see the beginning of the devastation. Prior to the day, our street could have been certified as a canopy road, but not anymore.  Within minutes the police were going house-to-house to make sure nobody was injured.  Thankfully, there were none.  They then suggested we return to our houses as the warnings were still on.  I then spent an hour or so in my neighbor's basement.  We then decided it was time to eat.  Since there was no power and had no idea when we would get it back, we had to get some items out of the freezer. 

My neighbor's eldest son, Peter, is quite the cook and had already brined chicken to grill that night. So to the table we added lobster and a salad. A few Coleman lanterns were added for lighting and tea candles for ambience.

Lemon Grilled Chicken

5 lemons, halved

12 bay leaves

1 bunch (4-ounces) flat-leaf parsley

1 bunch (1-ounces) fresh thyme

1/2 cup clover honey

1 head garlic, halved

1/4 cup freshly ground black peppercorns

2 cups (10-ounces) kosher salt

2 gallons water

2 roasting chickens, cut-up

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for1 minute,  stirring to dissolve the salt.  Remove from the heat  and cool completely,  then chill before using.  The brine can be refrigerated for up to three days.

2.  Place cut-up chicken into brine and let sit for for 12 hours, stirring several times.  Remove chicken, rinse and dry.

3.  Heat grill. Rub chicken pieces with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Place chicken on grill and grill, turning once. Serve immediatley.

We enjoyed this delicious chicken with a wonderful salad and grilled kale that was seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller.                                                            

 

 

 

 

The Turnip Fields of Eastham

Below is a tale from my cookbook, the Taste and Tales of Cape Cod. 

Since the early 1800’s, the fields around Eastham have been known for their delicious white turnips.  It is said that it is the sandy soil that gives them their wonderful flavor.  These same fields also produced tasty asparagus that was known as “Eastham grass” and marketed as “Nauset” asparagus.  We might think that it was development that brought an end to these products, but no, it was the refrigerated car.  These refrigerators on wheels allowed Southern farmers to move their product to market faster.  Today, you can still buy turnips in the fall and many look forward to the “Turnip Festival” in November.

Unfortunately, I am not at the Cape when the turnip becomes available, but fortunately I met Vincent Ollivier of Dry Swamp Bog Farm in Orleans during a book signing at Snow's in Orleans.  Vince offered to send me some when it became available which was just before Thanksgiving.   He was kind enough to send it to me in Gloucester. 

Unlike other turnips, this one has a very thin skin.  For Thanksgiving dinner we peeled them, steamed and them mashed them with a milk, butter, salt, pepper and a touch of nutmeg. I wish I had thought to put either dried cranberries or chopped apples.

Turnip Pie

9-inch pie crust
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 cup heavy cream
15 ounces Eastham turnip, cooked and mashed

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a 9-inch pie plate with dough and set aside.
3. In a large bowl or blender, combine eggs, sugars, salt, and spices. Beat well. Blend in turnip. Add cream and mix well (it will look soupy).  Pour into piecrust.
4. Bake 10 minutes; then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 40 to 45 minutes. Pie is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve at room temperature or cold, topped with whipped cream.

Serves 8                  

Geoffrey Antoine, Eastham, MA (First Encounter with a Turnip)

Taste and Colors of Fall

I think we would all agree that this past year has been pretty strange weather wise.  Spring came weeks before it should and the trees and flowers were as confused as us.  So far fall has been predictable.  In New England we were figuring the colors would be dull due to the severe lack of rain.  However, in September we received a fair amount of rain and I believe that helped change the course.  I have a large Silver Maple Tree in my yard and prior to the 9 inches of rain we received in September was dropping leaves pretty consistently.  After the rain, the tree held it leaves and is still doing so.  All-in-all it has been a pretty terrific fall and for visitors the trees held forth their annual colorful extravaganza.  Also in my yard is a Gingko and right now it is an absolutely unbelievable color   of yellow gold.  Either tomorrow morning or the next one, I will get up and all the leaves will be off the tree.  The Ginkgo can live for nearly a millennium and it drops all its leaves at once.  So far it has only happened at night so I have never seen it happen.

 

Last weekend I went to Cooperstown to meet the lovely Miss Maggie – my friend's 8 month old baby.  Most of the leaves were past and many of the trees were bare, but the magnificent chrysanthemums trees at the Otesaga Hotel were sensational.  I had never seen anything like them before.  Matt is 6' 4"  (holding Maggie) and as you can see the trees were not that much taller.  There is always so much to see and do in Cooperstown.  As we only had a few hours, Matt’s wife Mary Margaret and I hit a few of the shops while Matt had bonding time with Maggie.

 The first shop visited was Savor NY on W. Main Street.  The emphasis of the store is products made in NY - both food products and specialty items such as children blocks.  The owner is the author of two Cooperstown cookbooks that are excellent.  We then went to one of my favorite places, Fly Creek Cider Mill.  The mill is a few miles outside of  Cooperstown and is a wonderful place to purchase great cheeses such as Palatine Bridge, delicious apples, and unique gifts.  

 

Within a few minutes of my home is a great market, Fresh Acres Market.    It has an open air produce section, outstanding meat department (all without hormones), take home food section and specialty items such as my friend’s cookies and cupcakes.  A few weeks ago they had a harvest food tasting event. Shoppers tasted delicious items such as stuffed scallops, crab cakes, a wonderful Turkey Vegetable Gumbo, and samples of the various entries into the apple cooking contests.  Their philosophy is to buy local as much as they can, corn  from Meadowbrook Farms, apple pies from Lyman Orchards and cookies from Sugar DLs (I highly recommend her Ginger Cookies).

This is the perfect time for soup, chowder. and stews. There is nothing quite like sitting down and having a nice hot bowl of Vegetable Beef Soup or my Belgian Beef Stew (see February 14th blog).  My mother and I made a pot of soup every week and it is one of the things I miss.  We would sit at the table and peel and cut our vegetables.  The ingredients changed based on what was in the house.  Last week I used rutabaga, parsnips, celery, onion, garlic and carrots.  There isn't a real recipe, but I will give you some guidelines.

Vegetable Beef Soup

 

1 center-cut beef shank                                                             

1 (14 ounce) beef stock

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ rutabaga, diced

4 parsnips, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

fresh thyme and oregano

 

1. Fill a stock pot with water and beef stock to within 2-inces of top.  Place beef shank in pot and bring to a boil on medium low.  Skim top of liquid before it gets to a full boil.  Once boiled, turn heat down to simmer.
2. Add vegetables and seasoning.  I use fresh thyme, lemon thyme and oregano all year round.
3. Let cook for 2-3 hours.  When beef is tender and falling off bone, remove and cut in pieces.  When vegetables are tender, serve with salad and hot bread.

 Serves 8

Cook’s Note:  I have a large pansy bowl filled with a variety of herbs.  In late October I bring them in and place them inside in an unheated porch.  I water them about every three weeks and once spring arrives, I put them back outside and simply repot them.  I have been doing this for several years and nothing has died including my rosemary.  I have tried to over winter rosemary inside, but it doesn’t like it, but it doesn’t seem to mind the porch.

 

 

 

 

 

Come To CLASH on Cape Cod this Weekend

 Come to the Cape this weekend and partake of the many events that are happening.  CLASH stands for the "Celebration of Land and Sea Harvest" and happens at the end of September.  For the past three years the weekend had been hampered by rain, but this weekend it is suppose to be beautiful. 

I have been invited to participate at a tasting event at the Riverway Lobster House in South Yarmouth on Route 28.  Our hosts will  be sampling Lobster & Crab Chowder along with some hot hors d'oeuvres.  I will be signing copies of "A taste of lobster and some tales too...".  The event takes place on Friday, September 24, 2010 from 2 - 4 p.m.   This event was organized by Marie McHugh, Manager of Books By the Sea in Osterville and South Yarmouth.  Rmember a portion of each book sold goes to breast cancer research.

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, I will be doing a booksigning at Where the Sidewalk Bookstore in Chatham at the end of Main  Street.  Met Joanie Goodrow whose delicious Divine Lobster Pie is on Page 74.  Stop in at Gustare Oils & Vinegars which is right
across the street from the bookstore and sample some of their marvelous extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars. 

Check out all the events happening during CLASH.  Other bookstores having booksignings include Titcomb's in E. Sandwich and Books By the Sea will be at the Osterville Historical Society on West Bay Road at the Osterville Farmers' Market.

Drew from  "Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse will join the fishermen on the Chatham Fish Pier on Saturday from noon until 6 p.m. with samplings of their smoked fish and pates.  After chatting with the retired fisherman and sampling some delicious bluefish pate stop in at the Chatham Pier Fish Market for some of their delicious chowder.

Take tours of some of the farms and get delicious produce and other products at their stands such as Crow Farm in E. Sandwich, Surrey Farm in Brewster, Tuckernuck Farm (Yarn) in Brewster, Coonamessett Farm in East Falmouth, or stand in at the Tihonet Market in Wareham and pick up some cranberries.

Hope to see you at either the Riverway Lobster House or Where the Sidewalk Ends!

 

 

Best Sandwich at SandwichFest 2010

On Saturday, July 10, 2010, the second annual “Sandwichfest” took place on Jarves Street in Sandwich, MA.  I had been invited by Mary’s Bookstore to sign copies of my latest cookbook, the Taste and Tales of Coastal New England, at her booth located in front of My Sisters Gallery.

For the second year in a row, the Aqua Grille took first place in the sandwich competition.  The People’s Choice for this year was called a Lobster Sliders.  These were lobster cakes with a cornflakes, almonds and coconut breading and then sautéed. It was served on a brioche with avocado mayonnaise and sprinkled with an ancho chili sauce.  

 

Beth’s Special Teas on Jarves Street took best vegetarian sandwich.  The Cape Cod Cranberry Wrap was made with a cranberry chutney spread, baby spinach, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, alfalfa sprouts and cucumbers on a spinach wrap.

 

The best non-vegetarian was won by the Daniel Webster Inn.  The sandwich was called a Breuben Sandwich and was made with braised bison, cabbage, caramelized onions, 1005 (not a typo) Island Dressing, Cabot Swiss cheese on grilled brioche bread.

 

For all the winners, check out http://www.sandwichchamber.com/index.html.  If you didn’t get a chance to taste the entries, they will be available on the menus of the restaurants.

 

 

 

  

Courtesy of Sandwich Chamber of Commerce

 

 

Below is a delicious recipe from the Skipper’s Dock Restaurant in Stonington, CT.

 

Grill Lobster Sandwich

 

6 to 8 ounces lobster meat, cooked and cut into ½-inch pieces

4 slices white or whole grain bread, buttered

4 slices American or Swiss cheese

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon sherry

sea salt and pepper

parsley sprigs

 

1. Place 2 slices of bread, buttered side down, in a skillet.  Top with cheese and other 2 bread slices, as with a grilled cheese sandwich.
2. In a small skillet, melt the butter with the sherry and warm gently for 1 minute. Add the lobster meat and toss.
3. Grill sandwiches on one side until nicely browned and turn.  Gently open sandwich and divide sherry lobster meat evenly.  Recover sandwich and cook until bottom is browned.  Remove to warm plates; cut in half diagonally and garnish with parsley sprigs.

 

Serves 2