Of all of the different lilacs we’ve accumulated over the years, my favorite remains the blush bloom on the right, known as the Beauty of Moscow. June fourth and the lilacs still aren’t fully in bloom….how crazy is that. Still, they’re open enough so that you can smell them as…
In the Garden
Rhubarb (Pie)
The rhubarb’s finally ready for cutting and the first bit went into a pair of tarts. It appears that I was a bit heavy-handed with the powdered sugar (which isn’t all bad as it gives me an excuse to make another).
In the Woods
Elderflowers
We have no shortage of wild Elder growing on the property, and even if you couldn’t see the lovely cream-colored blooms, you’d smell them as you walked the edge of the lawn. Two days of steeping in the fridge and then we’ll strain the syrup. Don’t worry – we left…
In the Woods
Fiddleheads
One or two nice sunny days can make all the difference, at least in terms of catching the fiddleheads. There wasn’t a sign of them this past Sunday, and by next Sunday they’ll have spread their fronds. Now the next big question: Eat this batch simply steamed with a pat…
In the Yard | Gardening and Landscaping
Compost, Black Gold
It doesn’t make for very elegant photos unless you love organic gardening. And then you refer to it as “black gold”. One of our favorite spring rituals involves scooping loads of compost from the heap behind the barn and then adding it to the vegetable garden. It’s always a little…
DIY
Kitchen Island
One of the things we like best about the “new” kitchen is the cherry work surface on the central island. We considered a variety of surface materials but opted for this based on its appearance and feel (and there is a significant amount of data that suggests that wood is…
In the Yard | Gardening and Landscaping
Pruning the Grapevines
It feels like we’ve got a nice start on pruning the grapevines – thanks to early snowmelt and a couple of nice days. While Stacy extricated one of our Reliance red seedless grapevines from a lilac at the corner of the house, I got the vines on top of the…
In the Kitchen
Blood Orange and Polenta Cake
Blood Orange and Polenta Cake Set-Up Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) Coat a 10-inch (25 cm) diameter springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper (coat both sides of the parchment with cooking spray). Place on a foil-lined sheet pan. Directions Start by peeling the blood…
In the Kitchen
Agnolotti del Plin
Finally got a chance to make a batch of Agnolotti del Plin, which I had for the first time in October (mounded with shaved truffles in Castiglione Falletto). While there weren’t any white truffles to be found, they still made for a pretty decent dinner, especially with a bottle of…