A Walk at Wentworth Farm

Wentworth Farm, Amherst, Massachusetts

Columbus Day was a perfect fall day...

The brilliant fall colors are starting to quiet down.

Wow. A GF Pie Crust That's Really Good!

When November rolls around I want to bake pies. I'd like to bring a really good one for Thanksgiving dessert, but I confess my pie-making has really gone downhill in the last few years. When you're eating gluten free, pie crust is a challenge. It's not easy to find a decent recipe. All the same, I was seeing the glass half-full this week, so I got it in mind to make a rustic, free-form, French-style tart. I used this crust recipe developed by Helene over at Tartelette. She is a French ex-pat pastry chef, living in the US, and she's an amazing baker. Sadly for her, she had to go gluten free. No need to tell you that her loss is my (and many others') gain! She has come up with some beautiful gluten free pastry recipes. You can read all about them, and drool over her food styling and photography on her blog.

Because I can't get enough of cooked apples, I chose this recipe from Epicurious for the filling. It uses what I think are traditional French elements: the apples are tossed not with cinnamon, but with lemon zest and a little sugar. The crust is spread with a thin layer of apricot jam beneath the apples. I used Bonne Maman preserves - a little pricey, but delicious and not too sweet. This combination of flavors is new to me, and really good!
Still, I must face facts. This crust is tasty, but not fabulous enough to warrant all that extra folded up around the edges. Next time I'll make this in a tart pan, and keep the crust really thin. I think that will be just right.

Weather Magic

This afternoon some weather rolled in - magical autumn weather - the kind of weather that stirs thoughts of something much bigger than our puny selves. I was at my desk, on the third floor of the office building where I spend my days. My cube-mates and I were in awe of the drama taking place outside the glass.

Leaving work, walking to my car, across a little wooden bridge over a wetland, the slanting rays were hitting bittersweet berries with a light that made me see them for the first time.

A half hour later, when I exited Whole Foods, this greeted me. It lasted for the longest time, and grew in size and brilliance until it was a full rainbow, spanning the sky from horizon to horizon. I watched people come and go in the parking lot. Some were oblivious, others stopped for a moment to appreciate it. I spied a very tall young man standing in the next row of parked cars. He stood almost motionless, sometimes in the falling rain, from the moment he noticed the rainbow, until it faded away. When it was over, I watched him walk toward the store, with the sweetest smile on his face.

Through a Prayer Flag, Lightly

Putting the Best of Summer By

I took the summer off from blogging. My camera is old, and the Memory Stick I was using went bad. Sony no longer manufactures the cards, and I struggled to find some. I finally found two -- in my desk drawer!! While I was fretting over my camera and its memory, this lovely pile of basil grew in my teeny-tiny garden.

Last night, a dry evening between bouts of rain and wind brought on by a tropical storm, I cut the plants off at the base, brought them inside, and stripped off their leaves. It took about 90 minutes to complete this part of the project. Those bowls you see up there? They're very big! And full of fragrant, lovely basil leaves.

I stuffed as many as would fit into the food processor, poured in a little olive oil, and churned away.

The mixture filled these three zip-lock bags, which I carefully flattened, spreading the basil mush in an even layer, and filling each bag to the corners to keep air out. Also, the thinner the layer, the easier it is to use later.

After a night of laying flat in the freezer, they're ready for use. Any time I need basil, I'll just break off a piece and reseal the bag. In cooked dishes, it's a thousand times better than dried leaves!

Wantastiquet Walk II

THERE'S THE MIGHTY CONNECTICUT RIVER - LOOKING RATHER TAME FROM THIS VIEW. I LOVE THE WAY THIS RIVERSIDE FOREST LOOKS - THERE'S NO UNDERGROWTH. IS IT BECAUSE THE RIVER FLOODS THERE IN SPRING?

A TORRENT RUSHING TO THE RIVER . . .


THE SWIRLING POOL WHERE THE WATERS SLOW A BIT, BEFORE HEADING FURTHER DOWN THE EMBANKMENT AND OFF TOWARD THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

Walk Along the River at Wantastiquet

EVERYTHING WAS WET FROM SATURDAY'S RAIN - THE MUTED AUTUMN COLORS WERE POPPING! THE PATH FOLLOWS THE BANK OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, BUT IT IS HIGH UP ON AN EMBANKMENT. THE STREAMS WERE TORRENTS, FLOWING DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE, THROUGH CULVERTS UNDERNEATH OUR PATH, AND ON TO THE GREAT CONNECTICUT RIVER.

Variations on a Theme

OK, THIS IS MY SECOND CHICKEN & POTATOES POST IN RECENT HISTORY. I CAN'T HELP IT - IT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO ME IN THE FALL! :-) BUT THIS VARIATION ON THE THEME WAS PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL, MEANING DELICIOUS. I MODIFIED A RECIPE THAT CAME FROM MY FRIEND D.'S GRANDMA FOR PORK LOIN ROASTED WITH PRUNES & BOURBON. I MADE IT WITH CHICKEN BREASTS, PRUNES & TEQUILA INSTEAD - TO VERY GOOD EFFECT. THE POTATOES ARE YUKON GOLDS, MASHED ROUGHLY WITH OLIVE OIL, FRESH PARSLEY AND SALT & PEPPER. IF YOU'D LIKE THE RECIPE FOR THE CHICKEN, JUST LET ME KNOW. (I put the recipe in the comments section. Click on 'comments' below.)

Recent Walk II

ALSO TAKEN A FEW WEEKS AGO: THE ASTERS AND OAKS ARE A FEW OF THE LAST HOLDOUTS TO SHOW THEIR AUTUMN MAGIC.

Recent Walk I

MOST OF THE LEAVES HAVE FALLEN NOW. THESE IMAGES ARE FROM A WALK S. & I TOOK A FEW WEEKS AGO. IN NEW ENGLAND THE LANDSCAPE CHANGES ARE SO DRAMATIC IN LATE FALL.

Migration

I THINK THEY'RE STARLINGS . . . ON THEIR WAY TO WARMER CLIMES.

The Color of Cranberries

I ADDED SOME GINGER AND ORANGE ZEST TO THE BASIC CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE. IT'S QUITE ZIPPY!
ISN'T THAT COLOR SOMETHING?

Tree Altars

CAT LOVERS CLICK HERE FOR FUN!

What Will I Find?

WALKING ON THIS FUNKY BOARD WALK OVER THE SWAMP I HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO KEEP MY BALANCE. THE BOARDS ARE WONKY IN PLACES. ONE FALSE STEP AND . . . I DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT!

OOOOH. OOOOH. OOOOOH.

CLICK HERE TO SEE AN AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL POST (10,000 LANTERNS = 10,000 WISHES) FROM JAMIE SINZ, FOUND VIA PRÊT À VOYAGER.

The Path

THIS IS THE WALKING PATH THAT I RIDE MY BIKE ON TO GET TO THE BIKE PATH. AREN'T THE LITTLE BIRCH TREES SWEET?

IT'S A LITTLE SAD TO SEE THE ALL THE LEAVES ON THE GROUND, BUT THE VIEW HAS OPENED UP. THERE'S MORE SKY, AND OFTEN MORE SUN - SO WELCOME AS THE AIR COOLS.

THIS IS THE BIKE PATH - THE NOROWOTTUCK RAIL TRAIL. IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT ATTRACTIONS IN THE PIONEER VALLEY.

CHECK OUT THE FLICKR PAGE OF AKIHIRO FURUTA. HIS FAMILY HAS A LITTLE SHIBA INU THAT THEY PHOTOGRAPH A LOT! SO SWEET & FUNNY. FOUND VIA CAMILLA ENGMAN.

Crazy Spots

WHAT ARE THEY?

Look . . . look closer!

I NOTICED THE WAY THE RAIN PUSHED THE PINE NEEDLES INTO AN INTERESTING SHAPE . . .

. . . BUT WHAT'S THAT LITTLE THING IN THE MIDDLE?

HMMM . . . A FUZZY TRAVELER, MAKING HIS WAY IN CAMOUFLAGE.

Another Watery Walk

THE WATER WAS SO STILL TODAY, SO PEACEFUL.

Someone Really Likes Pumpkin

THIS LITTLE GUY REALLY APPRECIATED THE PUMPKINS ON MY DECK!

Bright Sunday Walk