Pumpkin Goodness

I love butter. And eggs. And sugar. And cream. In other words, I love any dessert comprised of these sweet ingredients. But lately I am slowly branching out, exploring alternative recipes because some of my colleagues are vegan, lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, etc, etc... I want to bake something they can have a taste, too. Although I will not convert all my recipes, I am finding some good ones that are not compromising my taste buds.

This pumpkin bread is one of those happy recipes. It is dairy-free, so light, moist and delicious as is. But with cream cheese-y frosting (made with Tofutti, vegan friendly!) it really sings! I'm so glad to add it to my roster.

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Autumn Baking

I think I mentioned this before, but this apple coffee cake is the hands-down my favorite. I must have found this one while looking for a basic pound cake batter recipe, and somewhere along the line stumbled onto it. It well could be a newspaper clipping. Or maybe from Penzy's catalogue? (This catalogue is a treasure trove of quintessential 'home made' recipes....) Original recipe calls for a cinnamon streausel topping. I omitted that, and with a whim, mixed in a bunch of chopped apples. And the result was... oh it was so good, I instantly fell in love. Since then I am using this batter recipe for various flavors and mix-ins. Really, it's that versatile. So far I've made: blueberry, strawberry, apricot, pear, Earl Grey, Green Tea, rum & raisin... the possibilities are endless!

This time I baked it in a sheet for the masses. Apples and cranberries are baked in the batter, and thinly sliced apples and pears adorn the top, adding the caramelized crunch. I had to secure my own piece before the whole thing is devoured.

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Peaches!

This year, all the stone fruits taste particularly wonderful, surely due to a hot & relatively dry weather during August. Apricots, plums, nectarines and yes, peaches... every one of them are plump, juicy and fill the mouth with deep sweet-tangy flavor.

My favorite sweets to bake in the summer is this Peach Crostata. Its crust can be prepared in 5 minutes. The best part is you can just press it against the baking dish and pop right into the oven. No need for resting and kneading and more resting like a regular pie dough. I clipped the recipe from the Daily News may many years ago (by Arthur Schwartz) and ever since it became almost a ritual to bake this dish, at least once, in summer.

So I grabbed the window of opportunity last week when the heat cooled a bit. It's fantastic as is, but adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the height of decadence. (And I should stop doing that... soon!)

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More Bounties from Yard

I had this blueberry plant for 15 years that never produced a fruit. So this spring I transplanted it to another spot where it can get a little more sun. Boy that made such a difference! The new branches started shooting up, and yes, finally I was able to collect a handful of blueberries. It wasn't even a bowl full; but enough to adorn the morning cereal. So precious!


These brown heirloom tomatoes are called Cherokee Purple, about a size of palm full. I kept making the simple sandwich of toasted English muffin, schmear of cream cheese, basil and thick slices of these sweet tomatoes for the morning. Lettuce leaves, also picked from the yard, accompany many sandwiches during the summer.




Each year my landlord (we share the yard) plant three things: tomatoes, hot peppers and cucumbers. And this summer they are particularly bountiful; perhaps benefiting from the hot weather. So, yeah, something good does come out of the sweltering climate...

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Foraging the Yard

There are a lot of weeds growing in the yard. Most of them are systematically pulled before they get out of hands. However, there are few weeds that I intentionally leave alone because they are edible.

On the right: Dandelions, hated by many homeowners with meticulous front lawn. On the left: Purslane, unfamiliar and indifferent until I learned they are edible and good source of Omega-3.

The salad of purslane and tomatoes is very simple. All you have to do is make a dressing (a clove of garlic & small chili pepper minced, olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper), chop the parslane and tomatoes, and mix them in the bowl. It was delicious, albeit pungent! I waited until most of the co-workers have left the building to start the meal.

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Gratuitous Kitten Pix

The Backyard Kitten is growing up fast! Somewhat feeling responsible, I am putting out the food twice a day. I think they know they hit the jackpot! For the feral cats not have to worry about food and shelter must relieve a huge percentage of their daily struggle.



Protective mother still approaches with hissing and caution. The baby is imitating the cute hiss, but then comes running toward the food bowl. So much for the lesson in caution...

So I'm calling the mother Nom Nom and the kitten Jumpy, for now. I don't think they know nor don't really care, though.

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Hot Weather, Cold Noodles

Oh my, it's too hot to even stand in the kitchen!

Every morning I prepare all the food for the day. For breakfast I pack either cereal or oatmeal, for lunch I make a sandwich with whatever the protein I have in the fridge, and cook a supper. Well, in 100+ degrees temperature, no one wants to turn on the gas. And if you absolutely must use the stove, let's minimize it.

So I turn to this cold noodle dish "hiyashi-chuka", the dish that personifies Summer. It's basically a cold noodle salad. You cook the noodle and just add any toppings you like. Drizzle the tangy sesame oil dressing and voila! I like it because I can use just one pot to make the whole thing.

Yes, a true life saver when the heat is on.

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Yard Update: June 2010

So...a month later, the yard looks much more lush in green. Thanks to cleome (pink & white flowers) and orange mint, the garbage can is now invisible beneath the thick green curtain. The hostas are about to flower (foreground). Lettuce plants in the green planter (mid-right) are providing enough young leaves for a sandwich everyday.


Some of the early tomato plants are getting bigger! Next to the tomato pot, sunflowers are totally loving this spot where strong sunshine is abundant.






Closer look at the cleome flowers: in between you can see the deep purple cluster of lavender flowers as well. Orange mint is really going strong - almost too strong - so I cut back quite often. Then I let the bruised leaves infuse the water, mix in some lime juice and bit of sugar. Very refreshing.

So far, so good. It's easier to control the weeds this year because the allotted area is significantly small. Yeah, that was a good plan.

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To The Dad...

Mother's Day gets all the attention...

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Rooftop Farm!

A few Sundays ago I participated in the free composting seminar held at the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm. I heard about this place a while ago, and ever since I have been very curious. So it was a great reason to finally check out this operation.




I used to get invited to watch the rooftop viewing of glorious July 4th Fireworks up close when this building was an AIR. Now it is a converted shooting studio and full-fledged, albeit small scale, farm overlooking the East River on top. Somehow it feels fitting; to see the rows of growing vegetables against the Manhattan skyline evokes comfort and strange satisfaction.



Yes, chickens live there, too!

Plenty of practical information was given at this seminar. Now I'm ready to fill my compost bin in the yard! Sounds like I can put almost anything from the kitchen and the yard: fruits & vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds & filters (great!!!), seaweed (wha...???), and food-soiled paper towels & napkins (good news because these cannot be put out to recycling in NYC), dead leaves, pine needles, etc. Technically grains, cereals, breads are OK to compost too, but probably wise not to because these foods attract unwanted attention from certain small creatures. Well then I can feed them to the sparrows, blue jays and cardinals instead.

Now, let the compost begin!

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