Grilled Burgers, Roasted Pepper & Onions, Tomato Jam, Broccoli Rabe & Mozzarella Sausage, Red Cabbage Slaw, Olive Focaccia & Apple Tart

 Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...

76°F today...  a perfect opportunity to have our small group together outside for a meal.  Vanilla skies dominating the day... the sun playing hide and seek as the afternoon progressed.  Warmth remained throughout supper as we enjoyed one another’s company and delicious food.  As the evening wore on we donned light jackets and moved closer to the fire as the city cooled under a chilly fall breeze.  

We are all excruciatingly aware of the rise in covid stats in our great city...  apprehensive about the weeks ahead and the possibility of long dark winter months with FaceTime and WhatsApp as companions.  Tonite, however, we put aside our worries and enjoyed socializing and a fire on the deck.  

The slaw (red cabbage, carrots, onions... a dressing of mayo, Dijon mustard and lemon juice) fresh and a touch acidic...  complimented the juicy burgers...  served alongside roasted onions, peppers and tomato jam...  Andrea and Mark gifted us the beef for burgers and a delicious olive focaccia which we enjoyed with our appetizer of broccoli rabe and mozzarella sausage...  Danicha and Eduardo brought a delicious red wine, Lapostolle, smooth and supple... as well as an apple tart (fabulous crust) from one of our favorite local bakeries.  Wood for the fire compliments of our tree removed just three short weeks ago...  

The hubs spent the early part of the day cleaning and waterproofing the upper deck for the coming winter.  The annual ritual keeps the boards in top shape with least possible damage.  The plan is to move the greenhouse closer to the house for the colder months...  with many tomatoes still on the vines moving will have to wait a few more weeks to complete the harvest.  The remaining vegetables (turnips, arugula, carrots, acorn squash, radish, spinach, collards) are easily moved...  their grow bags sit upon benches which will accompany the greenhouse to its new location.  The prospect of using a cold greenhouse in the winter is exciting...  the last batches of spinach and radish seeds were planted yesterday...  an absorbing hobby will be vital this winter.

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Roasted Potatoes & Onions, Tomato Jam, Roasted Peppers and Grilled Spicy Chicken Breasts

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

It was cool today...  light jacket weather...  the crisp feel of autumn on the wind.  Folks hurrying along...  shoulders hunched against the chill...  scarves flapping as they walked to their cars after work.  The days getting shorter...  dark by 6:30pm here on the east coast...  wasn’t it just a short while ago that it was bright until 9:30pm?  ~sigh~ missing those long days of warmth and relaxation.   The greenhouse was a refuge today...  no chill winds inside...  just the quiet calm and warmth of the sun captured within its walls.  

Market day!  Our local market has been renovating...  new produce area...  new flooring...  new dairy reach in boxes...  looks terrific.   Today the produce manager wrapped up 5 lb bags each of...  potatoes, tomatoes, squash, onions, peppers, parsnips....  and more...  sold them for $1.99 per bag...  a kid in a candy store wouldn’t have had more fun...  came home with two bags of potatoes...  two bags of plum tomatoes... a bag of onions...  two bags of orange peppers... and a mixed bag of zucchini and parsnips...  veggie heaven!!  

Of course... supper had to be roasted tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and onions with our grilled spicy chicken breasts.  Tomorrow will be a busy cooking day to prep much of the vegetation for jarring and storage.  So excited!!  Couldn’t resist such fabulous buys! 

Covid dominates the news in the Big Apple...  protests in hot zones...  incredulous that folks forget the massive losses just six months ago...  

NYC lost 24,000 citizens in under four months...  mass graves...  refrigerated trucks filled with bodies...  ambulance sirens all day and night...  I never want to live through that horror again...   and yet...  some seem to have amnesia 😳😢

Please stay safe and healthy...  get a flu shot 💉...  follow protocols and VOTE!

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Leftover Beef Stew Empañadas and Cheese Empañadas

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

It’s debate night once again in America...  just spent the last 90 minutes chuckling while a fly sat on the Vice President’s head...  how can we be serious when a fly is taking up our attention???  Reminded me so much of the ad for the laundry detergent pen with the talking stain...  all I could hear was bzzzzzz...  

The weather in the Big Apple was reflective of tonites debate...  strong winds followed by mid afternoon dusk and rain...  I did see a fly sitting on the deck rail at one point...  a prelude of things to come...  he eventually was blown away.  

This past weekend (when we were in the no posting zone) beef stew was on the menu...  tender and moist with a fulsome gravy...   crisp tender carrots...  smooth baby Yukon gold potatoes...  buttery crimini mushrooms...  simmered low and slow on the cooktop while chores were done around the house.  The hubs mounted our exterior up/down lights (came out perfect) and seeded the empty spaces where our tree once proudly stood.  

Tonite that leftover beef stew became empañadas...  shredded the meat...  chopped the carrots and mushrooms...  squished the potatoes...  added cumin and marash red pepper flake for a little warmth and a poke of heat...  and wrapped them in their blankets for a bake in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes...  had a few blankies left, so cheese empañadas accompanied the beef to the supper table...  along with a crisp garden salad dressed lightly in balsamic vinaigrette...  supper was served...  and just in time too...  finished off with a bit of tiramisu and voilà... it was debate time.

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets, Candied Plantains, Turkey Meatballs with Parmesan & Tiramisu

 Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...

A mild fall day...  the sun dominated the skies with her brilliance allowing the trees a chance to once again bask in her warmth...   squirrels chased one another up and down the trunks chattering...  tails flicking...  Mr Sam, lying on his side enjoying the heat of the warm boards, watched in fascination as they raced across the far end of the deck...  to lazy to get up and give pursuit...  his eyes traced their movements.  

Puttering around the greenhouse...  picking a few ripe tomatoes here and there...  the last of the cucumbers ripening...  a mere six weeks left before the Persephone phase arrives when there will be less than ten hours of sunlight each day and plant growth virtually stops.  The last planting of  radishes and spinach will happen tomorrow to harvest before the darkness of winter arrives.

Covid has once again grasped the Big Apple...  schools across parts of the city closing...  hot spots being ground to a halt in an effort to stem the tide of infections...  trick or treat on hold...  it’s going to be a long dark winter.

If you have not yet taken your flu shot...  please do so...  in NYC flu shots are available free at all pharmacies for everyone including kids ❤️ I got mine...  you? 💉 

In between playing in the greenhouse... took time today to make tiramisu...  one of my most favorite desserts (special thanks to Elsa Lisciandro for the excellent recipe) chopped beets and butternut squash for roasting, baked candied plantains in orange marmalade and turkey meatballs with Parmesan...  supper was an interesting melange of flavors and colors...  

fall on a plate.

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Asparagus, Cheddar, Münster and Bacon Tart & Garden Salad

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

Welcome back folks!   Our delightful moderators had a well deserved weekend of rest and relaxation...  we are thrilled to be back cooking and sharing with all of you fabulous foodies!  

Today was a day of two seasons...  the morning was cold...  blustery...  by afternoon the sun made her presence known...  sliding out from behind her mask of clouds to grace the earth once again.   Between clients...   slipping into the greenhouse to enjoy the warmth and solitude...  masked children on their way home from school...  teachers looking worried... hustling toward parked cars...  few bikers swishing by...  leaves following in a burst of color.

NYers are nervous once more as covid stats deteriorate here in the Big Candied Apple...  some neighborhoods shuttered once again...  eyes behind masks dart from person to person...  wondering...  

The president returned to the White House under care for Covid-19...  Americans...  wondering...  

This virus has clearly defeated all attempts to eradicate it...  a vaccine in the future...  will it be safe...  wondering...

Too much uncertainty makes me uncomfortable...  into the kitchen to relieve tension and prepare supper...  Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart by Melissa Clark...  a delightful choice.  As I prep the ingredients I realize I have no goat cheese...  horrors 😳...  no trip to the store last minute these days...   subbing out cheddar and münster...  adding in bacon...  because, well...  IT’S BACON 🥓 ...  alongside a crisp green salad of romaine, radicchio, greenhouse fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, Kalamata olives and red onion with a light balsamic vinaigrette completed our repast.  Dare I say it was delicious...   wasn’t quite a meatless Monday...  but close! 

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Porterhouse, Roasted Potatoes, Peppers & Brussels Sprouts

 Friday...  the end of another week...  visited the market today...  excellent values...  winter squash...  baby carrots...  potatoes...  yams...  plantains...  a bonanza...  planning to cook up a storm through the week ahead. 

Today was chilly with a crisp fall feel...  fallen leaves skittered across the sidewalk crunching underfoot walking to the car...  the occasional crack of an acorn...  a snare drum to the soft percussion of the leaves.  The sun peeked in and out throughout the day...  teasing with warmth then retreating behind the clouds denying us its splendid face.   The greenhouse remained a warm refuge from the chill...   plants relaxing within its walls.

A fresh porterhouse steak liberally seasoned hissed against the searing grates of the grill...  cooked atop a sprig of fresh rosemary...  as the hubs grilled our supper.  Potatoes, peppers and brussels sprouts roasting in the oven lent a savory air to the kitchen...  the avocado salad received its finishing touches of basil and balsamic.  

A glass of wine toasted the end of the week as we sat down to eat...  grateful for our food and safe place to wait out the pandemic.  

The President has been taken to Walter Reed Medical Center as a result of his diagnosis of COVID-19...  regardless of our opinion of his abilities as Commander in Chief or as a human being, we wish him & the First Lady  recovery from this devestating disease...    

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Spinach, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Hot Sausage, Mini Shells and Parmesan Pasta Bake

 Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...

It was chore day here in the  Big Apple...  with less back discomfort beds got stripped...   laundry was done...   bills were paid...  Mr Sam spent some time out on the deck stretching in the afternoon sun while plants were tended to...  then suddenly...  LOOK...  SQUIRREL 🐿...  the greenhouse was warm and snug with a good amount of humidity and a breeze from the fan.  Lots of new tomatoes peeking out from between the forest of leaves and stems.  Today’s warmth...  mid 70’s...  will be our last for a while...  rain tonite and tomorrow morning with low to mid 60’s and a chill arriving from Canada in the afternoon.  

Tomorrow is market day...  covid numbers are climbing again here in NYC...  limited excursions are back on the menu...  teachers understandably nervous with students back in the classroom...   restaurants now permitted indoor dining at 25% capacity...  most folks preference...  eat outdoors...  the daily positivity rate in some parts of the city nearing 5%...  

Special thanks today to Elsa Lisciandro for the delicious pasta bake we enjoyed for supper tonite...  simple...  flavorful... a delight.  Small shells...  chopped spinach...  caramelized onions...  sun dried tomatoes...  spicy Italian sausage meat...  loads of Parmesan and sautéed bread crumbs...  

thanks so much...  it was yummy! 💞😷

Shout out to registered voters in PA, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and NY...  85,000 phony robocalls were made threatening folks that voting by mail would result in debt collections, being listed for forced vaccination by the CDC & police arrests...  all efforts attempting to intimidate voters...  ignore these calls...  VOTE! 

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?