FOOD ON THE FOOD

Wintersweet Book Launch Recap

Photo by J. Alberich

Wow, what a great night last Friday! Thanks to everyone who came to my book release party and made it so fun. Alex Green, the owner of Back Pages Books, and his staff Robin and Sean were amazing hosts. I was delighted to have so many friends and family there, and it was great to meet a couple of blog readers I'd never met before, reunite with some old friends, and meet some new ones. There should be wine and dessert parties at bookstores every night!

I'm happy to report that my bowels behaved themselves that evening. The speaking part was over quickly because I decided halfway through my talk to skip the rest of it since I already knew practically everyone there. Then I did a reading from my blog. I realize that authors normally read from their new book, not their blog, but we're talking about a cookbook here. Ingredient lists aren't very compelling when read aloud, unless you're James Earl Jones and I can't afford him (cue Husband's uncanny impression of the more affordable Gilbert Gottfried: "Grams? Who uses grams?"). But, anyway, reading from my blog meant the book's apple cliffhangers and pear plot twists remain intact. No squash spoilers on my watch!

Then we ate. I made a ridiculous amount of food. Five different local cheeses paired with homemade jams (Concord grape, quince paste, and apple butter), four different kinds of cookies, four kinds of cake, two pies, and a big bowl of maple caramel corn. There was coffee and apple cider and wine. Lots of wine. My mom arrived early to help me set up all the desserts on trays and that's when I realized that I'd made way, WAY too much food. I'm well on my way to becoming an Italian grandmother. (I learned from the best!)

There was a piano in the back corner of the store, so I signed books while my mom played in the background. It was lovely. One unforeseeable consequence of having so many people from different aspects of my life all in one room was that I kept forgetting people's names. People I know pretty well. But there I'd be with a book to sign, pen poised over paper, my mind suddenly a complete blank. Concentrate, Tammy . . . CONCENTRATE!!! Is it Tom? Jerry? Blanche? Gilligan? Rather than ask, I just made up a name and hoped for the best. Next time, I'll be smart and tactfully ask the person to remind me how to "spell" their name. There will be far fewer apologies that way. Unless the answer happens to be D-A-D. Then I'll have some 'splainin' to do.

At some point, the neighborhood kids arrived in costume from our school's Halloween party. One little boy, a first grader, was hugging a copy of my book to his chest. His mom, a friend of mine, explained that if he gave me the book, I'd sign it and give it right back. I assured him that this was true. He refused. "Nooooo," he said, clutching the book even tighter. "I just want to hold it!"

He just wanted to hold it!!

As it turns out, most of the food got eaten somehow and the rest went to the artists in the lofts upstairs. No starving artists on my watch!

You only get one first book launch (if you even get that many), so thanks to everyone for making it truly memorable. There are still eight or nine autographed books at Back Pages if anyone wants them. Also, preorders have been signed and are shipping out shortly if they haven't already. My next appearance will be at Waltham Fields Community Farm on Thursday, November 7. Details to come.

Can-Do Attitude

Guess who just made 32 jars of local fall fruit preserves?

Looks like someone's got a little nervous energy to burn off. If only I could harness that kind of intensity at the gym!

Just a reminder that my book release party is happening at Back Pages Books next Friday 10/25 at 7 p.m., rain or shine, Red Sox game or no Red Sox game. Refreshments will be served, including wine, cheese, and various cool-weather confections. Don't worry, I've been doing my kegels all week so I don't soil myself during the public speaking portion of the event. I'll have multiple pairs of astronaut diapers on just in case. It'll be our little secret.

Fresh Fig Crostini

Here's an easy fall appetizer on the sweeter side:

Toast some slices of baguette brushed with olive oil. Spread each slice with goat cheese and season with black pepper. Select a pint of fresh, ripe figs. Cut each fig in half and then into thirds or quarters. Arrange the fig wedges on top of the goat cheese, three or four to a slice. Drizzle with local honey and sprinkle with fancy sea salt. I also dusted them with fennel pollen, which I realize is a totally random thing to have in your spice collection, but sometimes I get a little out of control at Formaggio Kitchen. You could also use crushed fennel seeds in small amounts or a pinch of lavender buds or nothing at all. Serve immediately.

Keep in mind that fresh figs are very perishable. Don't buy them more than a day ahead of time or they risk moldifying. Soft ones are best—gently squeeze them to assess their firmness. Wilson Farm in Lexington and Russo's in Watertown have had some nice-looking figs lately, just FYI. Dried figs won't have the same delicate flavor, so save those for something else.

Hickory Dickering

I just tasted a hickory nut for the first time. I don't mean to be dramatic, but I may never eat another nut EVER AGAIN!

Since I've been banned from the woods, I've been forced to limit my attention to the stuff growing in my own suburban neighborhood. That is to say, downhill from the poison ivy forest in my backyard. On my walk back from the bus stop last week, I saw what I recognized to be a hickory nut in its husk lying in the street. Perhaps it was abandoned by a squirrel under duress? I pocketed the nut, brought it home, and pulled off the green, multi-lobed husk. Then the little nut sat on my counter for a week while I waited for the hammer to turn up.

When it finally did, I brought the nut outside and cracked it open on the sidewalk without any finesse whatsoever. The shell and nut shards went flying all over the place. But I retrieved them all, and let me tell you—hickory nuts are amazing. They remind me of maple candy the same way pecans remind me of pralines. They're buttery and sweet. I declare them to be the best nuts ever. I mean, I haven't tried butternuts, yet, so maybe I should reserve final judgment. But then the butternut tree in my backyard has canker and doesn't bear nuts, so I may never know what those taste like. Better just to go on record to say that if you are a nut-lover, you better make it your business to find a shagbark hickory tree and harvest some nuts. (Come to find out, there are three—count 'em, three—shagbark hickory trees on the next street over!)

Here's how to distinguish a shagbark hickory tree from other types of hickories that might not taste as good: The bark is gray and looks shaggy like it's peeling off in rough vertical strips. The leaves of hickory trees look like this (shagbarks have two sets of compound leaflets and a large terminal leaflet). The leaves turn color early. In fact, they're yellow right now just as the sugar maples are turning their most brilliant orange-red. You can read more about hickories here.

Banned From the Woods

About a week and a half ago, I went on a mushroom walk and got hideously lost. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it because the area wasn't that big and it was surrounded by relatively well-traveled roads. How lost could I possibly get?

Very lost it turns out. I could not get myself back to the main path to save my life. I had wandered deep into the forest looking at cool mushrooms like that chicken mushroom shown above. I had already consumed all of my snacks and most of my water. School was letting out in an hour. The kids have been told over and over again what they're supposed to do should they find I'm not at the bus stop at the appointed time, but previous dry runs have shown little to no retention of the information. Suffice it to say the confused and noisy gesticulations observed from a short distance come at the expense of any actionable plan. I really didn't want to miss the bus.

Luckily, I had my newfangled smart phone with me. I tend to use it more for its navigational capabilities than its intended communication purposes. I'd walk a few steps, check my phone, walk a few more steps, check my phone again, and then proceed onward assuming the path would keep going straight, which it never did. Round and around I'd go in ever-widening circles, never in the direction I planned. By now, I was getting hopelessly thirsty knowing that the only source of water was a stagnant pond teeming with parasites real and imagined. I tried to remember how Survivorman created his own personal urine still from a piece of plastic wrap while trapped in the desert. I saved my snack baggie just in case.

I was thrashing from one side of the path to the next, praying for deliverance, when I came across this mushroom.

I know that coral mushroom! I saw it hours ago on the way into the forest! Following the various fungal markers like bread crumbs, I staggered my way toward the sunlight.

Long story short, I made it back just in time for the school bus. BUT...

I got poison ivy all over my face again. I shit you not. Nowhere else, just my face! This time, though, I sought medical attention earlier rather than later, and the damage wasn't nearly as bad as the first time around. Still, I've been banned from the woods until further notice. At least until my book appearances are over. Turns out nobody feels hungry for dessert once they've gazed upon my festering, urushiol-ravaged face. Losers!

 

Cambodian Beef and Celery Stir-Fry

File this under "Dishes I Make All the Time But Never Write About." It's a great quick dinner to make when I find a surprise bunch of celery in our farmshare, not to mention all the great tomatoes this time of year.

Beef and celery complement each other very well, but what makes this stir-fry awesome is the fish sauce. That's the Cambodian influence. Fish sauce (often written as nam pla or nuoc mam on the bottle) is a southeast Asian condiment made from pressed fermented anchovies and used like you would soy sauce. Brands include Three Crabs, Golden Boy, and Squid (though no squid, crabs, or little boys are contained therein—that we know of).

A word to the wise: do not smell the fish sauce. If you do, there's little chance you'll willingly pour it all over your food. It smells awful. But somehow its pungent brininess adds amazing depth of flavor to meat and vegetables, and the resulting garlicky tomato broth is fantastic soaked into rice. Leftovers are even better the next day. If you do smell the fish sauce—and don't say I didn't warn you—you can always change your mind and sub in soy sauce instead (omit the sugar listed in the recipe in that case).

That's the beauty of stir-fries. Just use what you like. Don't care for celery? Sub in bok choy or broccoli instead. You're getting at least one of those in your farmshare, I just know it!




Beef and Celery Stir-Fry    

Don't throw away those celery leaves—they wilt down deliciously! Farm celery stalks are often skinnier than supermarket celery, which means you should cut the pieces larger than indicated to keep the cooking time the same.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
1 lb. boneless sirloin, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips about 2 x 1.5-inches in size
3/4 lb. celery stalks, leaves included, sliced on the diagonal about 1/2-inch thick
3-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound tomatoes, cored, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir-fry the garlic cloves for 10 to 20 seconds until starting to brown. Add the beef and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the celery, and cook for about 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Stir in the fish sauce, sugar, and salt, and then fold in the tomatoes. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the beef is cooked through and the celery is crisp-tender. Season with black pepper to taste, and serve with rice.

Source: Adapted from the Elephant Walk Cookbook by Longteine de Monteiro and Katherine Neustadt

Local Ingredients:
Beef: Chestnut Farms, Hardwick, MA
Celery, tomatoes: Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham, MA
Garlic: Our school garden, Waltham, MA

Scenes From the School Garden

I just realized I haven't shown you any pictures of our school garden this year.

Bet you thought I killed it.

I did not! It is alive and well!

 

Volunteers built three new raised beds over the summer, and a few artistic students painted some signs and stakes for labeling things. There's a pizza garden with cherry tomatoes and herbs, a lush bed full of leafy greens like lettuce and chard and kale, and another bed full of pole beans, the radishes along the perimeter having long been harvested. The rabbit population in the area has exploded, so fencing is a new requirement. They really seem to love gnawing the strawberry and cucumber plants down to the ground, as well as the beautiful sweet potato vines I planted myself from slips. Curse those adorable cotton-tailed creatures!

There's a brand new butterfly garden this year with bee balm, milkweed, and butterfly bushes to encourage pollinators, as well as some gorgeous sunflowers planted by little hands.


I was watering the garden today when I came across this guy climbing up the building's foundation?


A giant praying mantis. He was about as long as my hand, wrist to fingertip. I didn't have my good camera with me, but the sun was so bright that it etched out some of the details in shadow. You don't see this kind of visitor every day, so I got him onto a stick and brought him over to the cafeteria window, which overlooks the garden. It was just about noon, so I knew the place would be packed with kids. I nudged the mantis onto the window screen and let it climb around for a little while in plain view of the children sitting on the other side of the glass. This caused a minor riot in the lunchroom as dozens of kids came running over to see. A scant 30 seconds of smiling observation passed before one of the lunch monitors attempted to draw the curtains and, when that didn't work, put her hand over the window in front of the insect to block anyone's view except mine. I already know what a praying mantis looks like, Lady! A part of my soul died a little, but then I tried reaching back into my substitute teaching days, which weren't so long ago, to remember what it's like to wrangle a room full of kids when you're totally outnumbered. Distractions—even educational ones—are not always appreciated. I took that as my cue to remove the regal insect and return him to his comfort zone in the weeds growing wild by the leaky hose. This put me on better terms with the mantis as well!

Next up for the garden: I'd like to see some cross-pollinating apple trees back there. Maybe even some pear trees. Also, we need more cherry tomato plants. More! I gave a garden tour to my son's second grade class last week, and all of the tomatoes were stripped in two minutes flat. One little girl had never tried one before. She loved it. Nature's candy!