Yes, it’s Christmas Eve., and no I haven’t posted anything since December 1st, but in my defense the entire month has been consumed with prepping, baking, decorating, and cleaning for Christmas (and sister’s impending nuptials).  I took several pictures, but between mixing, kneading, pinching and icing, my attention has been diverted otherwise.

However…what I am about to post is probably my proudest concoction of the whole month, and profoundly one of the most special to me.  My boyfriend and I watch A LOT of Dr. Who. We’re dorks, and just a little obsessed… It’s just sooooo good (though I still stand by that the David Tennant Dr. is better than the Matt Smith Dr…well, maybe not better, but its kinda like having two brothers you really dig, but ya miss one when the other’s gone…but I digress).

Sooooo….as a surprise, and as a supplement to the Dr. Who flask I had custom engraved for him, I got it into my head to make Dr. Who character Gingerbread Cookies.  Here’s the recipe I used, originally from Cook’s Illustrated.  It’s absolutely amazing, though I recommend when you get to the point of cutting that you keep the dough as cool as you can. It just cuts better. Also…I’m mostly delighted with how they came out. Next time I’ll have to work on the icing consistency.

Enjoy the pictures!

Today is the 1st of December 2012.  This year has gone by entirely too fast, and with my sister’s wedding fast approaching on the 29th, I feel like I’ll have to savor each moment of this month before it passes, and I’m jolted abruptly into 2013. (That is of course as long as the world doesn’t end before then)  Which is why I feel no shame in enjoying my bed this morning, and taking my sweet old time getting up.  Plans for today include A LOT of Polish baking – in preparation for Christmas.  Babka, and hopefully the chrusciki will get done today.

December’s Barn of the Month I found on The Girl by the Sea blog, and was apparently found in Iowa.  I think its a fitting image.  We had a light dusting of snow here, and the chill and sort of lonesome feeling this picture evokes reminds me of today.

But let me also share some pictures I collected last month of a local barn I love, but hadn’t had time to post.  It’s on Hurley Avenue, in Hurley, NY. It was one of the last warm-ish days a couple weeks ago, and I’d gotten home from work with enough daylight left to take some shots.  So I jumped in my sneakers, went for a run, and snapped some shots.  I don’t actually know who owns it, but I would love to get inside there and explore.  I have this little fantasy where I knock on the door and ask to look and they graciously let me in, and tell me they don’t really use it, but “why yes, you could run a theatre company out of here (for a nominal fee)…”

My boyfriend loves pancakes. He also loves waffles, biscuits, muffins, pastries, and anything bread related.  Breakfast is one of my favorite meals to make for him, and with him, and there is always a healthy serving of protein accompanying the carb load.  Breakfast doesn’t necessarily have to be relegated to “breakfast time” of course too. If it were up to him, I think he would eat breakfast for dinner, in fact we have on several occasions…

We’ve made a few different types of pancakes over the past two and a half years that we’ve known each other, from regular old Bisquick pancakes, to traditional buttermilk, to peanut butter, banana walnut, and sweet potato.

Recently, I found an article for Zucchini Pancakes, something of the more savory variety, and thought it could be a good way to use up some of the massive amounts of zucchini from the Victory Garden (see previous post, The Zucchini Song). I used another skinnytaste.com recipe, though modified it slightly to accommodate for my lack of certain ingredients.  Didn’t have shallots or chives, so I substituted a little onion and fresh chopped basil, and also opted out of using the parsley.  I thought they were pretty good. Jordan liked them, but suggested that frying them like fritters next time to get them crispy and crunchy would make them even better.  Mom and Pop enjoyed them too, and they were a good accompaniment to our Friday night lemon pepper salmon dinner. Check out the shots…

OK, but then we were at Target, and he found Pumpkin Eggo Waffles.  Admittedly, they were enticing, but I said, “Dude. I can make that.” We decided Pumpkin Waffles for Sunday breakfast. Pop preferred pancakes. No problem.  A can of Libby’s Pumpkin Puree, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and brown sugar from this delicious Pumpkin Pancake recipe and we were in business.  They were thick and fluffy and sweet and flavorful and damn near perfect.  I wish you could smell them through the pictures. Aww man…

October is my favorite month of the year, not only because it’s my birthday month, but because I think it is truly one of the most brilliantly colored and beautiful.  April/May is pretty nice too with their light greens, yellows, pinks and purples.  But October’s golden hues, orange undertones and rustic reds, deep and mature like a fine wine, bring with them the conviction to reflect on my own soul’s maturity - where I’ve come from and to where I am going. Perhaps that’s something I do at any point in the year, but particularly around the anniversary of my birth, I find it apropos to give pause, watch the trees change before my eyes, shed their leaves, and contemplate the majesty that is the change of life.  For change is the only constant…

For this month’s barn, I wanted to find something that evoked this very sense of autumn for me. I particularly wanted to find a barn in NY.  The picture of the barn I found was taken by Matthew Jarnich.  It is located in the Catskills, my own mountains, on Horton Brook Road, and is not too far away from Kingston, maybe 90 minutes, on the edge of the Cherry Ridge Wild Forest in Roscoe, NY.  I’m planning to take a little drive this weekend to see it in the flesh.

This is the time of the harvest, and we reap what we’ve sown. It should be a celebration and cause for thanksgiving! I pray that this season of autumn brings you all the joy and grace of knowing that the labors of the past year will be bountiful if we have cultivated them with love and peace…a continual barn raising.

Travel Back in Time to an Era When…
 
…The iconic E.T. The Extraterrestrial fell to earth to become a blockbuster hit, and leg warmers, parachute pants and shoulder pads were all the rage…
 
…To the year The Clash released their hits: “Rock the Casbah” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go Now”,
 
…And Ms. Pac-Man debuted as the unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man…
 
…To 1982…when two of the most pivotal events of the year occured: Michelle & Rachel were born…
 
______________________________________________
 
So yes, we’re 30 years old this year…and there is A LOT to celebrate!  We have life, and love and family and friends we want to share it with. 
 
We hope you’ll join us for a special 80s themed Birthday Party and Benefit for The Queen’s Galley, a local non-profit food service charity.
 
We’ll have 80s games, music and movies playing all night long. 
 
Soda, food and some beer will be served (feel free to bring some brews to share, or hard liquor if you prefer).
 
All are welcome! Significant others and children included! 
 
In lieu of gifts, we simply ask for you to consider a donation of at least $10 for The Queen’s Galley (designate: Michelle & Rachel’s 80s Benefit).
 
We can’t wait to see you there…
 
When: Saturday October. 27th, 2012
Time: 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Where: The Knight’s Hall | 389 Broadway | Kingston, NY 12401
RSVP: Sunday, October 21st, 2012

P.S. Oh! If you’re a musician and want to bring your instrument, there’s always room for a jam session

Last Saturday, Sept. 15th a good ole fashioned barn raising took place on Kingston’s Rondout Landing for the winter home port of the Sloop Clearwater, America’s Environmental Flagship initiated in 1969 by legendary folk singer Pete Seeger.  The day was replete with a pot luck, music, cheer and lots of hammers swinging.  Pete himself showed up and sang his iconic song, If I Had a Hammer, with all the volunteers and spectators gathered.

I could not miss this event, so I grabbed my camera and scurried downtown. Rachel and Addie made it for a bit too!

Yes, this is another post about zucchini. There are a lot of them in the Victory Garden. And they remind me of The Zucchini Song from a 1981 Tim Curry SNL skit…

The chorus:

Ooooh! What a beauty, I’ve never seen one as big as that before,
Oh Oh! What a beauty, it must be two foot long or even more.
And it’s such a lovely color, so big, and round, and fat,
I’ve never seen a zucchini grow quite as big as that,
Oh Oh! What a beauty, I’ve never seen one as big as that before.
—————

But this post is really about food, so let’s take a look at what we’ve come up with…

First up, Zucchini Lasagna a la skinnytaste.com.  Now, my mother insists this is actually Zucchini Parmesan, but I keep telling her it’s not.  You’ll see actual Zucchini Parmesan later in this post.  I only have one picture, pre-cooked. It turned out OK, but not amazing.  Too liquidy.  I have to figure out a way to avoid that.  I should have followed the instructions like the recipe said, but Mom kept insisting I only had to microwave the zucchini for a few minutes to cook the water out.  I should have grilled it like the recipe says, but I was lazy.

Next up, a Cajun Zucchini and Squash Mash Up.  I don’t remember where I got the recipe from, but it consisted of fresh zucchini, yellow squash, pepper, tomato, onion and mushrooms.  Also, fresh basil, Lea & Perrins and Cajun seasoning.  Perhaps a touch too spicy for some tastes, but good for clearing the sinuses.  Here are some pictures:

These Baked Zucchini Chips from Vittles and Bits might have actually worked if I had given them more attention. I was really excited to try them, but had to leave the house before they were finished, and then they got stuck in the fridge where they ended up ruined.

Now, on to the Zucchini Parmesan. I wanted something relatively simple, that didn’t include a TON of cheese and layers upon layers of sauce and mozz. I found this recipe at Food.com, and gave it a shot. Pop was pleased, and had seconds, and I believe thirds, which generally means he really liked it.  Enjoy!

In the next post we’ll visit my obsession with pancakes……….

Here are the remaining barn shots from my barn crawl this past Labor Day:

Heading further down Philllies Bridge Farm Road I found this lovely horse farm, with its big, red, gambrel roofed barn. These pictures do not do it justice. I need 1. a sunnier day and 2. a better camera.  But just picture the Shawangunk Mountains a little more in focus in the background. Heaven.

I finally circled back up the road heading to the original destination of my excursion, and turned into the driveway of the Phillies Bridge Farm Project, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, that promotes local agriculture through educational programs, farm-to-table events, and distribution of food to those in need.  While their barns were not as eye-catching as the rest I encountered, the farm itself was enough to write home about.  With over 150 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers, plus chickens, goats, and sheep, this working farm provides food for over 200 families, offers hands on training for adults and children alike, and supplies food for several regional restaurants.  Phillies Bridge Farm Project is an adventure for all who step on to their grounds.

Ahhh…Labor Day…Thank you for the freedom to work on my own work and not someone else’s. Hence, the chance for me to discover — er — indulge in the wonder of Ulster County’s beautiful barns and farms.  Some were rather dilapidated, some old, rustic, and classic, and some still in fabulous working condition.  Here they are:

Starting from Rt. 44/55 outside of Clintondale, this one isn’t actually a barn, but a repurposed church building with weathered white clapboard siding and stained glass windows:

Next up, on Rt. 208 heading out of Gardiner, I found this severely dilapidated barn, with some equally defunct farm machinery:

Turning onto Phillies Bridge Rd., my initial destination was Phillies Bridge Farm Project, but little did I know that I’d find the following gem as well.  Meadow View Farmstand, owned and operated by Bard Colucci, was the absolute highlight of my adventure, and worthy of a little regaling.  I pulled into the Meadow View Farmstand, after missing the turn to Phillies Bridge Farm, and was immediately taken by the three rustic red barns right off the side of the road.  As I parked, a little old man, with a white shock of hair, and crisp yellow polo shirt pulled up from the farmhouse in a little green motor cart.  I stepped out and asked if I could take a few pictures of the barns, to which he replied, “Yes, but…why?” I explained that I was doing some research on barns and farms, gathering inspiration for a little project of my own, and he was delighted, if somewhat befuddled. He went on to explain that another young lady recently asked and has since started using one of his barns for events and weddings.  He said he just didn’t understand why the “kids these days” were so interested in barns and farms.  I responded that it is probably because we’re all just aching to get back to our roots, back to nature and the simpler life.  That was good enough for him, and he eagerly urged me to walk around the grounds, take my time, and take as many pictures as I wanted.  Which I promptly did, and then left with a bag full of produce from the farmstand Oh! and did I mention these barns were built in 1840?!

———
I have a few more pictures to share from the remaining barns I visited, but this little farmer needs to hit the hay.  More tomorrow…