First up: Eggplant Soup. Yes. Eggplant. Soup. If you thought squash soup was weird, you’re going to think eggplant soup is bonkers. But you’ll be wrong.  It is delicious.  I first tried it at Destino in Chatham, and then Mexican Radio in Hudson had a version of it, and then it was a special at Destino again.  And though it was different at the two Mexican restaurants, it was delicious at both.  It is silky and yummy and very, very easy to make at home.  Grill or roast a few eggplants, caramelize some onions, add some broth, puree and add creme fraiche, crema or heavy cream to your taste and garnish with a little salsa fresca and a squirt of lime.  Yum!

Next: Sifting. We’ve been doing a lot of this.  First I had to sift the compost pile.  Twice.  And then there was the tomato garden, which we’ve been sifting for weeks now. But it’s almost done, to the point where I was able to make some beds and plant some tomatoes (though I’m not sure they’re going to make it, they were all kind of weenie, and it has been hot Upstate this week). And then there was flour.  I made pancakes from scratch for the first time ever a few weekends ago, after an aerobic spate of dirt sifting.  I don’t know if I was just very hungry ofrif these really are the best pancakes ever, but I’m going with the latter.  Sadly, I left the recipe Upstate (it’s, naturally, from Amy Bess Miller’s The Best of Shaker Cooking) so if anyone has a copy laying around, email me the recipe for Apple Pancakes and I’ll post it here. *

In the Middle: Chicken. Kinderhook Farm has quickly become our favorite meat purveyor upstate.  Their steaks are the best, hands down.  I recently got an email from Georgia announcing that they were taking reservations for their pasture-raised Label Rouge Freedom Ranger chickens, ready sometime June. I jumped at the chance. I’ve never seen happier chickens or had more beautiful eggs than from Kinderhook Farms, so I’ve got to figure their chicken will be amazing, too. And what will I be doing with it?  Roasting it Thomas Keller style. If you haven’t tried this technique, you must. And if you can catch the “Technique” episode of No Reservations, TK offers a great tip that isn’t in any of the online recipes. He demonstrates how to remove the bird’s wishbone before roasting so that you can serve two complete halves of chicken.  Truly, this is a not-to-be-missed recipe, and Kinderhook is a not-to-be-missed farm. I’m predicting the intersection will be magic!  P.S. Lee tells us they’ll have pasture-raised lamb around the first of August.

Lastly: Dan’s Diner.  Northern Columbia County-ites!  You know that super-cool little diner that sits alongside Route 203 on the way between Chatham and Spencertown?  It’s open and it’s beautiful.  The food is pretty good, but trust me, that’s not what you’re going there for. You’re going to Dan’s Diner to experience a trip back in time.  Hours are short, I think only until 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays and breakfast only until 11am, but just gogogo. It’s really neat.

Phew! That felt good. I’ve been meaning to tell you about all those things for ages now, but along with being very busy and quite worried about some “developments” at work, I’ve had a nasty sinus infection for a week now.  So on top of being busy and stressed, I’m also spacey and tired.  Hopefully a three-day weekend is just what the doctor ordered.  We’ll be attending the Columbia Land Conservancy‘s annual Barbecue at Old Chatham Sheepherding on Sunday.  Last year was awesome.  Anyone else going?

P.S. The photos in this post are from an after-work walk Isaac and I took. Please excuse the light-trails that are evidence of my jumpy hand, but between you and me, I kind of like them.

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* Here’s the recipe!

Buttermilk Pancakes (adapted from a recipe for Apple Pancakes from the Hancock Shaker Village)

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter + a bit more

Sift flour and other dry ingredients into a bowl.  Whisk together sugar, buttermilk and eggs.  Add to dry ingredients. Stir until smooth and set aside.  Melt butter in a skillet or nonstick frying pan.  Just before making the pancakes, add the melted butter to the batter and beat to incorporate

From the original recipe: “Grease a hot griddle for the first batch. Generally greasing is not necessary after that if a recipe contains 2 tablespoons or more of fat.  Griddle is at proper heat if when tested with drops of water, they do a lively dance. Serve with Mystery Syrup. Yields 10-12 cakes.”

If anyone has any idea what Mystery Syrup is, please let me know!

I didn’t even know this was possible.  But there I was, standing in the kitchen staring at a giant fireball in our oven which was emitting noises I have only ever heard in a sci-fi film.

I was preheating the oven so I could roast the half-dozen free oysters my fishmonger had given me (free oysters!) and then I was going to make clam chowder.  I quickly shut it off and watched the coil cool from white to blue to yellow to orange to red and then back to black.  It was obvious to me that we would not be using that stove to make dinner.  I looked around at all the perishable seafood sitting on the counter: Oysters, clams, scallops and a brick of frozen flounder.  I called to Isaac and we came to one conclusion; we still had to cook. So Isaac started a fire in the wood-burning stove and I pulled out my gorgeous, fire-engine red Emile Henry dutch oven.

With a small hesitation I set the pot down on the stove and added a few shards of bacon.  And then we waited.  Ever so faintly we heard a soft, sibilant sizzle, and then it turned into a roar.  It was working!  The bacon cooked!  Then I added leeks and garlic and potatoes and carrots and herbs, and it cooked, too! And then the clams opened and the stock came up to a boil! And then I added the frozen flounder and, well, yeah, things ground to a halt.

The flounder had been bought months ago on a weekend when we stayed in the city.  We meant to cook it, but it never happened, so into the freezer it went.  It eventually thawed in the soup, but the texture was horrid–tough, spongy, approximating a bike tire.  So I pulled it out, but oh boy did that flounder give it’s all.  The broth was delicious and fishy in just the right way.  It was a beautiful medley of oyster¹ and clam liqueur and flounder and herbs.  It was a chowder I will never be able to recreate, right down to using scalded milk made thick and luxurious with a dollop of leftover marscapone.  We will never have this chowder again.

On Saturday we went range shopping.  I think we found one, a Kenmore with two ovens and five(!) burners.  But, we still had the fire hazard at home, and so once again, we cooked with wood.  This time faux Pot au Feu² and mustardy sauerkraut over dumplings.

I know that some people would use a broken stove as an excuse to eat out, but I’m resisting. I’m actually enjoying this, it’s the most fun I’ve had cooking in months.  The rhythm and pace are slow and leisurely and it connects me to the past.  At one time, cooking with fire was the only option for getting dinner on the table.  It gives me lots of time to listen to baseball games on the radio, to warm my toes, to read, to knit.

But don’t get me wrong, I am happy that at some point soon we’ll be back to cooking with electricity³.  But, I think that at least once this winter, on an especially snowy day when the world becomes slow and quiet, I’ll reach for my clay pots and cast iron skillets again and bend over the fire to stir and taste.

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¹ I did in fact end up roasting the oysters on top of the wood-burning stove. I tucked them in tight to a cast-iron skillet and then wrapped it in two layers of tin foil. I let them cook on top of the stove until I heard the hiss of liquid hitting hot iron.  Then I carefully cut open the foil, let them cool slightly and then we ate them in great greedy gulps.  It turns out that roasted oysters are awesome, and we saved the liqueur for adding to the chowder.

One note, if I were to do this again (and I really want to do this again!) I would recommend using an enameled cast-iron skillet.  The oyster liqueur that ended up on the bottom of the pan reacted a little strangely with the metal.

2 Faux Pot au Feu. Cook a few handfuls of flagolet beans that have been soaked for six hours in their soaking liquid. Add more water as needed until the beans are done. I read in The Country Cooking of France that to test flagolets for doneness, blow on them,  If their skins delicately burst, they’re done.

Brown two beef leg cuts in canola oil in a clay bean pot, marmite or dutch oven and remove.  Add a sliced onion and lots of garlic.  Add 12 quartered mushrooms, 1 bay leaf, a sprig of rosemary, a teaspoon of beef demi glace and a tablespoon of tomato paste.  Cook until brown and sticky.  Deglaze with vermouth.  Add a few small, peeled turnips, pale beets (chiogga or yellow) and two handfuls of peeled baby carrots.  Add the beef back in and cover with water.  Cover the pot and cook until tender, between one hour and two (depends on your beef).  Reduce the broth, season and add the beans.

Serve over gnocchi or spaetzle, barley or rice with sauerkraut braised in juniper berry and mustard-scented vermouth.  Pass very strong mustard and sour cream at the table.

³ You would think that as a “foodie” I would use the dead oven as an opportunity to switch to gas, but, honestly, I really like our current electric range. It’s so consistent and easy to clean.

P.S. If you’re a fan of Twitter and for some reason feel compelled to know more about what I eat for lunch or shop for at the Greenmarket, you can now follow me at http://twitter.com/theheadhen.

The weather has been dreadful and the hours at work long and exhausting, and that has meant that finding the time to keep the Granny Cart up to date has been nearly impossible.  I begin a post and then it sits for a week, sometimes two, until I find the time to complete it.  And then, when the post is finally done, it’s nowhere near as good as I had hoped it would be.

So, in an attempt to not dwell on the negative, allow me to paraphrase Juliet:

Swear not about the rain, the near constant rain, that daily changes good dirt to mud, lest my prose prove likewise dour.

In a move that may surprise those that know me in real life, I’d like to stop complaining for a minute, and focus on the good things, because in the rare moments when the rain has stopped, it’s actually been quite an awesome summer.

So, in no particular order, Things I’m Loving, Summer 2009.

The Red Barn‘s Tiny ‘Tinis. 2 oz Martinis. Perfect in both concept and execution.

Another Fork in the Road Diner. Seasonal, local food done oh so very very right.  Anyone that reads this blog for the food should be sure to stop at this new diner for breakfast or lunch the next time they find themselves on the Taconic State Parkway (be sure to note their hours though, no dinner).

Pasta with Peas and Greens. We’ve tried every combination, Peas and Lettuce, Radicchio and Peas, Kale and Peas, Lacinato Kale and Peas, Turnip Greens and Peas, Arugula and Peas, and every one of them has been delicious.  Make sure to change up the seasoning based on the flavor profile of the greens though. Radicchio needs taming, so use long-cooked garlic and some anchovies and lots of ricotta.  Peas need nothing more than a hint of garlic and lemon juice.  Kale can stand up to lots of garlic and chile flakes and Parmigano-Reggiano.  Wilt the greens, add the peas and toss with pasta.  Couldn’t be simpler, couldn’t be tastier.  Makes an excellent lunch to take to work too.

This tart. I made mine with some pate brise I had stored in the freezer, and if I made it this way again, I wouldn’t use the egg wash. It made the crust too chewy.  But do make this tart. It is so easy and beautiful and will impress the hell out of house guests, or if you’re the guest, your host.  Serve with delicious, loosely whipped cream.

Seeds and Plants from Christina, My garden is bursting at the seams, and though I’d like to chalk it all up to my superior gardening skills, I’m smart enough to know that it helps to start with good product.  The beautiful Blue Coco beans and various greens and herbs good blog friend Christina sent me as a house warming present are growing their little brains out.  It’s so fun to muse on the flexibility of nature.  The seeds she sent me were grown in such a different location from where they’re growing now.

Monticello, And then there’s the mutability of time that seeds provide.  The seeds that I bought from Monticello are descended from stock first grown in the United States by one of our country’s great men, Thomas Jefferson.  Without meaning to sound like too much of a teenager, I mean, that is like, so cool!

and Silver Heights. And finally there’s the variety of nature, evident in the varying sizes and shapes and foliage of the tomatoes and peppers and eggplants and squash that I picked up from Silver Heights after weeks of agonizing over who to choose.  Not every plant is turning out to be ideal for my garden, but it’s a fascinating experiment.

Grazin’ Angus Beef. Beautiful steaks and “interesting bits” from cows I can see from the road and pat on the nose if I ask nicely.  The steaks aren’t cheap, but you know what? They shouldn’t be.  Most people eat too much meat as it is. I mean, this weekend I was in a Price Chopper and they were selling 18 chicken legs for $3.  How is that right?  I’d rather they sold 18 eggplants for $3.

Ocean State Job Lots. From pricey to crazy cheap, I love this weird store.  It’s like an old fashioned Woolworth’s rolled in with a Trader Joe’s and Century 21.  Some things are well priced, others are loss-leaders and some are just outright plays for money, but it’s worth the trip for the cheap terracotta pots and excellent cracker selection.

Flickr. My deep appreciation for this photo-sharing website grows on a weekly basis.  I love being able to keep track of my friends’ lives in a visual way. I love being able to leave little notes for people and to hear feedback on my photos.  If you’re on flickr too, I’d love to be a contact.  My username is martine266.

Equine Advocates. I just started doing volunteer work at this equine sanctuary, and ye gods! it’s good for the soul.  If like me, you need a horse fix, but don’t have the time/money/physical strength/balls to ride anymore, volunteer here.  A few hours once a week, or more if you have the time, is good for you and great for the horses.

Borage in my Cocktails. Pour a large shot of Lillet into a high ball glass.  Add two shredded leaves of borage, a dash of Peychaud’s bitters, a dash of lemon juice and three ice cubes.  Swizzle and then top with seltzer.  Swizzle again.  The cucumber flavor the borage imparts is refreshing and surprising.

So that’s it!  Well, of course that’s not actually it, there are many other things keeping me happy on a daily basis, too.  There’s Isaac, of course, and my family with whom we’ll soon be spending our annual week up in the mountains, and my friends and the birds up at the house and here in the city (the chipmunk that insists on tearing up the pots of herbs on the patio is, however, not making me happy) and iced coffee and sunsets and runs in the park and so, so, so many more things.

So I ask you: What’s making you happy this summer?  Please feel free to share in the comments.

Unfortunately, not in a culinary sense.  There was a frost warning Sunday and Monday nights, so my mom told me to put up-turned terra cotta pots over the two tomatoes I had planted.

But what turned out to be even worse than the frost was the two days of 90°+ heat on Wednesday and Thursday.  My poor helpless tomatoes fried in their own little pizza ovens.  By the time we woke up on Saturday morning they were shriveled and dead, dead, dead.

And then there were the beans.  Also dead (not sure if the frost or the heat got them), except for the ones that survived and are infested with aphids.  Where are all those ladybugs that lived in our house with us all winter long when I need them?

It’s kind of a relief though.  I knew something had to go wrong in the garden eventually, so I guess I’m hoping that this will be the extent of it.  For all my cranky, curmudgeonly complaints, I’m still a wide eyed optimist.

And how could I help but feeling optimistic when all the seeds I planted way back in the frosty, grey days of March are thriving?  We’re eating some beautiful lettuces and the peas are about to flower and the China rose winter radishes are nearly full size (with huge greens for steaming).  All planted in mid-March on a whim.  Zany.

Which leads me to a bit of a denouement.  I think the garden grunt-work is done, or very nearly.  We went to the Troy farmer’s market on Saturday to buy some plants, and I picked up a final order Wednesday at the greenmarket and then ordered a few extra arugula and broccoli raab seeds because my first experiences with both were so successful.

But all the beds are now dug, and the fences are up and the plant decisions are made.  From here on out, it’s just maintenance (not that I’m anticipating the maintenance to be easy by any means, but it just has to be easier than hours and hours of back-breaking labor, right?).

I’m sure I’ll find some way to occupy my time.  Maybe I’ll actually cook again… . Or maybe we’ll just go to more parties, like the one we went to on Sunday night that featured a demonstration of duck herding.  Yep, you heard that right.  Duck herding, which might just possibly be the best way on the face of the earth to spend a half an hour while sitting in the grass and sipping really tasty, locally-brewed beer.

Another good way to spend a half an hour is to have a supper of perfectly grilled steak, asparagus, mushrooms, salt potatoes (all accompanied by a wedge of really good blue cheese) and a salad of parsley and radishes plucked straight from the garden, like we did on Saturday night.

Or, you could thinly sliced some asparagus and the first slender stalks of broccoli raab from your garden and toss them with a garlic and pepper flake-laced oil, whole wheat linguini and sharp slivers of Parmigano Reggiano, like we did on Monday night.

Or, you could sit on your back porch with a glass of sun tea, or a beer, or a fizzy vermouth cocktail and watch the sun move across the grass and listen to the bees buzzing in the blackberries and maybe, just maybe catch a glimpse of a hummingbird enjoying your much loved lantanas.

The front garden is simply vibrating with the pastel-hued, frilly-edged universe of daffodils.  There are peachy ones, and sulphuric ones, and burnished silk colored ones and ones that look like fireworks and ones that look like they have faces and ones that are so frilly and perfectly white that they look like they should be in a bride’s bouquet.

I wish I could take credit for their exuberant beauty, but alas, the ones I planted all came up stunted.  Still pretty, but nowhere near the majestic, naturalized beauties that some other hand lovingly dug into the earth.  I’m hoping I have better luck with the vegetables.

Because, for sure, Isaac and I are expending a lot of blood, sweat, and not-yet-but-almost tears on the vegetable garden.  And it’s starting to pay off.  There are tiny, nascent peas and lettuces and radishes and kales and chards.  It’s all very exciting.

Also exciting was dinner last Saturday, cooked on my birthday present from Isaac; my very first grown-up grill! A 22 inch charcoal Weber in black and silver, complete with hooks for hanging cooking tools and its own, snug little cover. Our first dinner on the grill (much like our first dinner at the house) was beef and salad.  But not burgers this time. Nope, this time we sprung for steaks.  Nothing fancy, just simple, interesting cuts.

And Isaac cooked them while I relaxed on the porch basking in the unseasonably warm late-day sun, beer in hand, at our brand-new outdoor table, doing more planning and scheming for the garden.  It feels more natural, for me, to let Isaac do the cooking when it’s on the back porch than when he’s in the kitchen chopping and stirring.  It’s a gift of relaxation as much as it is food.

So, short post this week.  I have lots of errands to run this morning, and then, after work, it’s back into the car to drive upstate to do more hard work and to celebrate another year with my family.  Sadly though, there will be no grilling this weekend.  No big deal.  It just gives me all the more time to plot what’s for dinner next weekend.