More than likely you’ve heard of the Washington Crossing Inn, which adjoins the spot where General George Washington and his troops assembled before the historic crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776. And whether you have, or have not dined at this historical establishment, now’s a good time to revisit. Before the season ends, enjoy drinks, tapas, lunch and/or dinner on their welcoming outdoor patio. Over Labor Day Weekend, we did just that—twice! Read more under the Neighborhood Joints tab…

While I am saddened that the unofficial summer has come to an end, boy did we luck out with the weather for the Labor Day Weekend! And to celebrate the season’s bounty, our menu for the holiday bash highlighted just-picked sugar-and-butter corn, a variety of ripe tomatoes, and lots of fresh herbs for a backyard barbecue with guests Paula and Mike Graham, and Karen and Ed Mortka. Let the party begin!

As dusk settled, Karen, Ed, Russ, Paula and Mike enjoyed a glass of wine.

For starters we prepared a Tomato and Mozzarella Tart. Our secrets for a great tomato tart? See recipe at end of blog…

The Tomato Mozzarella Tart fresh from the oven.

Just as the tart was being pulled from the oven, a wonderful aroma wafted through the downstairs as all four guests arrived simultaneously—perfect timing! The Grahams brought a tasty appetizer of almond encrusted Blue Cheese Balls—which they both marveled at the fact that they arrived intact—while the Mortkas supplied a mouth-watering homemade Dutch Apple Pie.

The Grahams almond-encrusted blue cheese balls. 

Tossed salad with a punch of color and flavor from the farm stand pear tomatoes.

Sides of tossed salad, corn sauté and tomato vinaigrette.

Two flank steaks marinating in olive oil and herbs.

Karen and Russ making sure not to overcook the steaks.

The steak recipe calls for the meat to be marinated for 20 minutes, and while last time we marinated it for one hour, this time we increased the time to almost 8 hours—making a big difference in flavor, all to the good, because everyone oohed and ahhed! For the chopped fresh aromatic herbs we used a mix of thyme, rosemary and marjoram—the sage had already been harvested for dehydrating a few days prior.

Ed and Karen getting cozy.

Mike and Paula content to enjoy the perfect evening.

Yours Truly looking like a human candle with the flame directly above my head!

Karen Mortka cutting into her homemade apple pie.

Men will be boys… when you give them the leeway…

…And women always show class 😉

Ed waves goodbye as only he can… until next time my friends!

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Here are the recipes for the corn sauté and tomato tart:

Corn Sauté with Black Beans and Red Pepper

To create this corn side dish with rich, toasted flavor, strip the corn from the cobs when they are raw and then cook the kernels in a nearly smoking skillet. It is important not to stir the corn for a few minutes to give it a chance to brown. Once the corn is cooked, mix in plenty of salty, savory ingredients to balance the sweetness. Finally, an acidic component rounds out the dish. Even though the recipe states it serves 4 to 6, we doubled the ingredient amounts for our party of six.

Summer is winding down and so is some of our fresh herbs and vegetables. One crop at it’s tail end is our pole beans. We’ve become so accustomed to quick-cooking green beans just until crisp and bright, that we hadn’t thought of tender slow-cooked beans. Find this fabulous recipe under the Bits N Pieces tab…

As has been our practice every summer, we made an annual trek to the Baum Shelter—the home of good friends Merry Sue and Fred Baum—who live in Nazareth, PA. Their expansive backyard view is truly impressive, incorporating breathtaking vistas that go on for miles. Adding to that ambience this year, we were treated to a huge full moon while dining al fresco later that night.

Panoramic views from their back deck.

Weather-wise, the weekend was a “10,” so for most of the afternoon we lolled around—or in—the pool while catching up on news of family and friends. Late in the day, we munched on a smorgasbord of picking food such as my guacamole and chips, cheeses and crackers, ham salad on lettuce and tomato, and deviled eggs. Interestingly, we found out that Merry Sue (who was born on Christmas day in the PA town of Bethlehem—kid you not!) grinds up leftover ham and freezes it for future use. In this case, she thawed some and added mayo and a few other ingredients to create a tasty ham salad. Guess who’s stealing that idea? Not that we eat much ham, but when we do, it’s a good idea for using up the leftovers…

The pleasant afternoon morphed into a lovely evening, so we brought the party up to the deck for cocktail hour and continued conversation. Trying to capture images of that full moon, Fred set up his camera on a large tripod taking multiple shots, with disappointing results—however they were much better than my iPhone attempts. Dinner this night was on “Spanish time,” meaning we ate after 9:00—luckily, no one was in any particular hurry.

Merry Sue and Lynn having fun boiling the corn on the cob.

Russ, Fred and Merry Sue. 

Now you have to understand that Fred is a die-hard motorhead to really appreciate his grill and accessories. A few years ago for a milestone birthday, Merry Sue and her two grown children all pitched in to buy him his dream grill—made from a motor! And you gotta love the mitts, goggles, tool kit flatware case and spark plug corn holders!! It somehow made the quick and easy dinner menu, consisting of pasta salad, fresh corn on the cob, grilled burgers and bratwurst—that much more innovative.

Freddie in his grilling regalia.

A close up of the motor grill.

The tool kit flatware set.

The very effective spark plug corn holders.

Brats and burgers grilling away.

Enjoying the moonlit night.

We woke up on Sunday to another stellar day, starting out with coffee and tea on the deck. For years, we have always enjoyed doing the New York Times crossword puzzles together, so Fred printed out several copies which the three of us got started on while Merry Sue whipped up a tasty breakfast of eggs, bacon, home fries and bagels with several cream cheese options. That crossword puzzle was a bear and took a while to slog through, but once Russ cracked the gimmick code, we had an easier time of it. Granted we had to cheat and ask Google a couple of the answers (who knew President Obama’s stepdad’s first name?!? Turns out it’s Lolo!)

Another lazy afternoon was spent at the pool with intentions of playing Scrabble—on a magnetic board none-the-less. We never did get around to starting that game, partly due to the Baum’s son, Brian, and his precocious 6-year-old daughter Ali, dropping by for a visit. She is truly a hoot! Oh, and I would be remiss if I neglected to mention Fred’s 4-year old Weimaraner, Lucy—who Russ used to call “Lucifer” in her early years as she was quite the devil incarnate. However, thankfully the years have mellowed her and she’s a beauty—albeit a bit rambunctious when you first arrive.

Granddaughter Ali emulating her Grandpa Fred.

Son Brian Baum holding his daughter Ali at a car show.

How can you not love this face?

Monday being a work day for most, we all said our goodbyes in the early evening with hopes of reconnecting over the Fall or Winter months. If not, there’s always next summer…

Very low in calories and fat, this delicious broth hit all of the right flavor notes! For this “Meatless Monday” dinner, we exchanged fresh cod for the expensive halibut, swapped out Sriracha sauce in place of Tabasco, and used fish broth instead of chicken, making it truly vegetarian. The vibrant greens of the scallions and cilantro add an attractive visual pop.

Because we were cooking for only two of us, we reduced the amount of fish from 2 pounds to 1 pound, but kept the stock ingredients the same. Hot steaming rice went into our bowls first, with the fish fillets next, then ladled with broth and topped with the greens. You almost feel instantly healthier after eating this meal!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 4 halibut fillets, 1/2 lb. each (about 1-inch thick)
• 1 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 Tbs. tomato paste
• 2-1/2 Tbs. cider vinegar
• 12 quarter-size slices fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions (greens included)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fish fillets simmering in broth.

Our side dish of fresh steamed green beans topped with broth.

Directions

1. Drizzle the soy sauce over both sides of the halibut fillets. Cover and refrigerate.
2. In a 12-inch sauté pan, combine the chicken broth, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, ginger, and Tabasco. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook gently for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming foam as necessary.
3. Add the fillets, cover, and poach gently at a bare simmer over medium-low heat until the flllets are slightly firm to the touch and the centers are almost opaque (make a small slit with a knife to check), 6 to 8 minutes; the fish should be slightly undercooked at this point. Turn off the heat and let sit covered for another 2 minutes.
4. Divide the halibut and broth evenly among four shallow bowls. Sprinkle generously with the scallions and cilantro and serve with a spoon for the broth.
5. Set a mound of white or brown rice into the broth with the fish.

-by Arlene Jacobs from Fine Cooking-

Our ideal grill-roasted chicken has a deeply smoky flavor, crisp mahogany skin, and tender, juicy meat. And to that end, we brined the chicken and coated it with a flavorful spice rub. We then cooked the chicken in the middle of the grill, where it wouldn’t burn but would receive ample heat.

If you choose not to brine, skip that part of step 1 and season the bird generously with salt inside and out before rubbing with spices. Or, better yet, use a kosher chicken (which is salted during processing). For added accuracy, place a grill thermometer in the lid vents as the chicken cooks. Wood chunks are not suitable for gas grills, and wood chips, which don’t add much smoky flavor, are more trouble than they’re worth. Instead, rely on the spice rub alone; it will supply ample aroma and flavor. While grill-roasting, adjust the lit burner as necessary to maintain a temperature of 325 to 350 degrees inside the grill.

The recipe called for a smaller chicken than the 5-pounder that we bought (we wanted leftovers), so we had to adjust the grilling time (it only added about 10 more minutes.) Taken from Cooks Illustrated, there were two rub recipes to choose from, one dry, one wet—our choice this time. When cooked, this baby was unbelievably juicy, tender and immensely flavorful!

And a favorite grilled side dish is a marinated vegetable medley. Chop any combination of vegetables to a uniform size and place in a large ziploc bag. Sweet bell peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant are all good choices. Toss in a dozen or so garlic cloves, halved; add your favorite minced fresh herbs; anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup of a good olive oil (we used Herbs de Provence), and season generously with salt and pepper. If marinating for an hour or less, you can leave at room temperature, otherwise refrigerate until ready to use.

One noticeable faux pas in our thinking this time was the fact that the grill lid would have to be open so that Russ could toss the veggies often in the grill basket to prevent burning, resulting in an uneven temperature to finish cooking the chicken. Dilemma solved by spreading the vegetables on a large baking sheet and popping in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Finally, place the cooked vegetables into the basket and grill over a flame for another 10 minutes to get a nice char.

CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

Even though she left her position as graphic designer at the college almost two years ago—and only worked with me for three years—Edyta Kuciapa, affectionately known as E-Diddy, has continued to be a great friend and source of inspiration. Along with her sister Aneta, they hosted a lovely dinner party for me, Wendy Humphrey and Rosanne Zarrilli, at their charming new home. Read more under the “Reconnecting with Friends” tab.

Here’s one of those meals that just screams Summer! Flank steak is a lean, somewhat tough but flavorful cut of beef that benefits from the tenderizing effects of a marinade. It is best cooked medium rare and thinly sliced at an angle, against the grain, to maximize tenderness. Prepared this way, marinated, grilled quickly at high heat, thinly sliced, flank steak practically melts in your mouth.

This recipe calls for grilling the steak, but if you don’t have a grill, you can prepare the steak on a large cast iron frying pan as well. The steak gets a wet rub before grilling; the oil helps the other flavors spread.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh aromatic herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram, or a mix)
• 1 Tbs. kosher salt
• 1 Tbs. ground black pepper
• 1-1/2- to 2-lb. flank steak, trimmed of any excess fat and membrane

Directions:

1. Mix the oil, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the steak and let sit for about 20 min. at room temperature. (Ours marinated at room temp for an hour.)
2. Meanwhile, heat a gas grill to medium-high (you should be able to hold your hand 2 inches above the grate for 3 to 4 seconds) or prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire. If your grill has a hot spot, position the thicker end of the flank steak nearer the hottest part of the fire.
3. Grill until medium rare, 12 to 15 min., turning the steak every 3 to 4 min. to ensure even cooking. The thickest part of the steak will register 135°F to 140°F on an instant-read thermometer.
4. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 3 to 5 min. Slice across the grain, portion onto dinner plates, spoon on the vinaigrette, and serve.

Chunky Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

This is more of a relish topping than a salad dressing.

• 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. fresh ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (2 cups) I used a combination of plum and homegrown heirloom tomatoes
• 1 large or 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup lightly packed chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients together in a medium bowl, taking care not to rough up the tomatoes too much. You’ll need to use a fair amount of salt to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes. The vinaigrette should have a slightly peppery bite. Set aside at room temperature until serving time.

In total, our meal consisted of just-harvested butter and sugar corn with miso butter, newly-picked steamed green beans from our garden with fresh thyme and a light drizzle of cobrancosa olive oil, the steak, and a relish with straight-from-the-garden tomatoes and basil.
Can’t get much more Summer than that!

I had my doubts when this recipe claimed “This could be the easiest—and juiciest—chicken you grill all summer.” By explanation, pounding boneless chicken breasts into paillards minimizes cooking time so the chicken doesn’t stay on the grill very long, and thus doesn’t have time to dry out.  So I had to see for myself… and by jove, they were quite moist and tender!

When making paillards, keep the seasonings simple: salt, pepper or hot chile flakes, garlic, herbs, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and most important, olive oil, which adds flavor and moistness and keeps the chicken from sticking to the grill.

And you know me, I have to up the spice quotient in most recipes, so even though the ingredient list doesn’t specify the amount of crushed red pepper flakes, I sprinkled on a “healthy” dose! And the leftovers were fabulous for sandwiches and salads.

Ingredients

I’m surprised that I never heard of this tip before given the fact that we eat outside and host outdoor dinner parties all the time. But just recently, in one of my nonfood magazines I ran across this tip, and then verified it in a google search.

Cut a lemon (or orange) in half and stud it with cloves. Set out on your food table about 1/2 hour prior to laying out the vittles, and no pesky flies to deal with! Not only does it work, but it looks attractive and smells good too! Who knew? Sometimes it’s the simple little things in life that make a big difference…

Just a few days ago I put this tip to a test at our most recent backyard bash, and danged if it didn’t work beautifully! I situated one in a little ceramic heart dish on the dining table and another on a starfish plate on the sideboard with the food.

Go ahead, try it at your next outdoor event!

Not that we ate dessert first at the most recent outdoor dinner party—it’s that it was my FIRST attempt at making ice cream—and not just your simple run-of-the-mill chocolate or vanilla either. Oh no, I had to up the ante and make Carmel Fudge Ripple Ice Cream! But I’m getting ahead of myself here…

One of Russ’s previous coworkers from Jefferson Health, Lorraine Winsey, mentioned to us her son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Kelly Menapace, lived in Newtown (the next town over) so we told her next time she’s in for a visit with them to let us know and we’ll have them over for dinner. — BTW, Jeff’ is an author and his novel BAD GAMES was a #1 Kindle bestseller in March of 2014, and is now being optioned as a feature film. How exciting!

Lorraine, Kelly and Jeff enjoying cocktail hour.

Backing up even further, weeks beforehand we decided the menu would be Russ’s infamous Baby Back Ribs, fresh corn on the cob with roasted garlic aioli, and an Asian slaw; and of course the aforementioned ice cream with Honey-Roasted Peanut Blondies for dessert (recipes follow.)

Because it is a two-day process, we made the ice cream on Thursday and Friday. Then Friday night Russ’s friend Earl Harris was in for a visit from Colorado so we engaged his services to make the Asian Slaw on Saturday morning while Russ and I attended to other culinary duties, including the Melon Balls with Spanish Serrano Ham topped with sprigs of fresh rosemary for an appetizer.

Earl slicing veggies for the slaw, while behind him Russ makes the brownie batter.

Chopped and diced veggies for the Asian Slaw.

Melon ball appetizer on the “wave” plate gifted from Rosanne.

A few blogs ago I wrote about a dinner invitation to Diane and Dave’s in Radnor township. Knowing Dave would already have driven down to their new house in South Carolina, and that Diane was house sitting in the Northeast (of Philly that is) until her retirement at the end of August, we invited Diane to join us for the dinner party. And coincidentally, seems Lorraine and Diane had met previously through a work connection.

Diane arrived first (after some troubles in finding our place) with a couple bottles of wine and her cheery demeanor. Shortly thereafter Lorraine and crew made it—after they also had a few issues locating our home… it’s a common theme on a first visit… They brought a gorgeous cheese, olive and nut platter along with a “little gift with a German tradition behind it. Salt so that your food always taste good, a candle to light your way, wine so that you always have something to drink… and bread so that you always have something to eat, but (Lorraine) didn’t make it to Wegman’s in time!” … for the bread, that is…

The traditional German house warming gift that included Pink Himalania Rock Salt and a baby grater.

Beautiful and tasty appetizer platter.

The infamous grilled baby backs.

Resting before dessert is served, clockwise from left, Kelly, Jeff, Lorraine and Diane.

Close-ups of the brownies and ice cream.

After dinner ended, let’s just say no one went home on an empty stomach!

Honey-Roasted Peanut Blondies with Caramel Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter? This pairing of chewy, not-too-sweet oatmeal peanut blondies and rich, fudgy caramel ice cream is a sophisticated dessert for the kid in all of us.

For the blondies

• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, softened; more for the pan
• 3-1/2 oz. (3/4 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pan
• 3 oz. (3/4 cup) honey-roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not steel-cut or quick-cooking)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup smooth salted peanut butter, preferably natural
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Make the blondies

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Grind the peanuts and granulated sugar in a food processor to the consistency of moist sand. In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the peanut butter until smooth, and then beat in the egg. Add the maple syrup and vanilla; beat until light, smooth, and fluffy.
4. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture. Add the ground peanut mixture and using a wooden spatula, stir until combined. Spread into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until puffed and browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife along the edge, turn out of the pan, invert onto the rack, and continue cooling until barely warm, about 1 hour.

Serve

Soften the remaining fudge if necessary and drizzle over the whole blondie. Cut into 8 pieces. Top each with scoops of the ice cream, running the scoop along the length of the ice cream (rather than digging down in it) to create fudge ripples in the scoops.

Make Ahead Tips

The blondies may be baked up to 2 days ahead. Wrap well and store at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

In order for the ice cream to readily melt and mingle with the blondies, either the blondies should be a bit warm from the oven or the ice cream should be slightly soft. If you’ve made both elements ahead and the ice cream is very hard, let it sit briefly at room temperature.

Carmel Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

This ice cream is a perfect pairing for the Honey-Roasted Peanut Blondies. In fact, you’ll have a bit of leftover fudge sauce after you ripple it through the ice cream; save it for drizzling over the blondies.

Ingredients

If you’ve never grilled peaches before, you’ve got to try it soon. Next time you fire up the grill to make burgers, steaks or chicken, stick some halved peaches over to the side and watch the magic happen. Read more under the Bits ‘N Pieces tab…

~Finishing my birthday dinner at The Terrace at Charlotte Inn.~

In my last blog, we just finished celebrating my birthday at The Terrace at Charlotte Inn in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. With five more days of vacation ahead of us, we decided to take a break from going out to restaurants, and instead, grill on the deck of our rented cottage. Earlier that Wednesday morning, we bought a couple of rib-eyes from Katama Organic Farms where they raise organic grass-fed cattle and sheep and several types of produce.

Our beach plans for the day took us to Menemsha Bay (photo above) on the island’s West coast. In so doing, we passed the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market just as they were closing at noon. So we quickly hopped out of the car, found a vendor selling fresh-picked corn on the cob and purple scallions, threw them in our iced cooler and continued on our merry way.

Menemsha Bay is in Chilmark, which in 2005 was confirmed to have the highest average property value of any city or town in Massachusetts. The public beach is quite small and pebbly, but shallow so a great place for young kids. The parking is a bit of a nightmare due to several seafood restaurants and take-out facilities with people always coming and going. Before we departed, Russ stopped in at Larsen’s Seafood (which was beyond packed) and bought some just-caught clams and shrimp for our evening BBQ.

Sitting on the deck under a canopy of bright stars we enjoyed a fabulous grilled dinner of organic and local ingredients.

The green beans were picked from our own organic garden the morning we started vacay.

Thursday rolled around and our evening plans included a return to Chilmark to visit Barb Berté, Russ’s secretary from his previous job at Main Line Health. Barb often visits her sister Ann Marie, who’s family has owned a large vacation home in Chilmark since 1991. Having arrived the previous evening, the sisters made arrangements for our visit at the house to enjoy wine and cheese before our dinner reservations at Home Port.

Since 1930, The Home Port Restaurant has been serving traditional seafood fare in the 300-year-old fishing port. Known for its world famous sunsets, lobster dinners and famed clam chowder, this waterfront restaurant is truly an iconic landmark. Singing it’s praises, Ann Marie and Barb eat here often when on the island. Our cottage owner, Rita, had recommended that we stop at their “Back Door” for some of that clam chowder when we beached it the day before—although given the parking predicament, we never got around to doing so.

Therefore, Russ had every intention of beginning his meal with that famous New England Clam Chowder, while the sisters enjoyed oysters and littleneck and cherrystone clams. I refrained from a starter this time around.

Sisters Barb, on the left, and Ann Marie.

Here’s a shocker! I ordered the Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon on a bed of purple sticky rice, baby bok choy, and glazed with a coconut-ginger sauce. Tonite’s “Just Caught” Grilled Fish was Sea Bass—both the sister’s choice—and was accompanied by quinoa salad, heirloom tomatoes and a balsamic reduction. Mr. Russ zeroed in on the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with a cauliflower puree, sweet corn succotash and balsamic reduction. This was the only restaurant we patronized that was a BYOB, luckily we knew ahead of time to tote a bottle of wine with us.

The South Beach where we spent a few hours the past couple of days was so windy on Thursday that Russ was shivering under his umbrella—and to think temps were near 100 back home! Rita informed us that the prevailing winds are usually from the Southwest which would account for the strong winds at this location. Based on that fact, we decided to try the John Sylvia State Beach, approximately two miles long, between the towns of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs along the Nantucket Sound shoreline and Sengekontacket Pond. It’s a very popular beach for families because there is a gradual slope into deeper water and the waves are usually small (which they were on Friday, but not so much on Saturday.) On a hot summer day, parking places along the paved parking lane adjacent to the road are mostly full by 10 am, but we managed to score a spot both days around the noontime hour.

In our drives around town, we often passed a local hang out called Sharkey’s Cantina, where “portion sizes are big and the Mexican eats are excellent and prepared to order by pleasant staffers.” It was also a departure from the more serene establishments we were patronizing. If you like noise, TVs and large portions, this could be right up your alley—and while not necessarily our “cup of tea,” it was our destination on Friday night.

It’s no surprise I gravitated to the spicy Mango Habanero Chicken Wings (boneless in this case.) We split a dozen of them and they were lip-smacking delicious! However, it didn’t leave me much room for the Chicken Jalapeño Quesadilla that I ordered, which mostly came home with me for another time.

Mango Habanero boneless chicken wings.

The super-sized chicken quesadilla.

Russ made a good dent in his Super Tacos Plato, but alas, was also unable to finish his meal. Time to go back to the cottage and do some star gazing on the deck…

Our final meal of the vacation was on Saturday night at the Seafood Shanty overlooking the water in Edgartown, one of the best waterfront views on the entire island, where they “got it all,” from shanty-style mussels, peel-and-eat shrimp, to the island’s best and biggest Lobster Roll–which we both had! It’s a best seller—tender chunks of delicious hard shell lobster meat mixed with mayo and just a bit of celery—served with a tossed salad.

We both just scooped the lobster out of the roll and eliminated the bread.

Departure Sunday morning (made easier by the cool and rainy weather) was on the 11:00 Governor Ferry out of Vineyard Haven. The oldest of the MV ferries, the Governor’s life began in 1954, running from San Diego to Coronado; carries up to 256 persons (including passengers and crew) and accommodates up to 42 vehicles—faster than our trip over on the Martha’s Vineyard with triple decks carrying 1,024 persons and accommodating 54 vehicles.

Passing the “Martha’s Vineyard Ferry” on our departure back to Woods Hole.

The car trip home was about 7 hours both coming and going. If we could just eliminate the traffic nightmares in the entire state of Connecticut, it wouldn’t be a bad ride at all!

PS—Oh, I forgot to mention in Blog 1 that on the car ride up listening to Sirius XM radio, it was serrendipitous that many of the tunes were by Carly Simon and James Taylor, both of whom spent many years on Martha’s Vineyard. Carly still owns the 5,000-square-foot home in Tisbury.

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of Martha’s Vineyard with its abundant beaches, gorgeous gardens and artsy vibe, yet in all my years—and we’re talking a LOT of them—I had never been there. Well now I can say I have. For my birthday this past July, Russ treated me to eight days on MV, an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony with award-winning restaurants.

Since our cottage rental was from Sunday-to-Sunday, our original plan was to drive up to the Worcester, Mass area on Saturday and visit overnight with Russ’ son Dan. But as luck would have it, we found out about a month prior that Dan was going to be on his vacation in the Philly area at that same exact time. Plan B—find a hotel for one night near Woods Hole, where you catch the ferry to MV. As feared, every place within 150 miles of Woods Hole was booked! So with reluctance, we took the last room at the Falmouth Inn (rated two stars on TripAdvisor) in Falmouth, itself a great little coastal town just a few short miles from Woods Hole.

I won’t go into details about the facility, but let’s just say it was clean, and we figured we could handle it for one night. But what to do about dinner? Having no reservations, we went online on our trusty iPad and googled nearby restaurants. One popular establishment within walking distance was the Añejo Mexican Bistro and Tequila Bar. Seems everyone else in Falmouth had the same idea! By the time we got in line, there was at least a two-hour wait and they weren’t even taking anymore names on the list for at least 15 minutes. No way José!!

We next stumbled upon La Cucina Sul Mare, which means the Kitchen by the Sea; and with a much smaller wait list, we added our names, ordered two glasses of red and went out back to sip some wine. Directly situated near our bench was a pastel yellow Vespa for which patrons could buy chances to win the Italian motorbike. Couldn’t help but take a pic of Russie near the Vespa (but couldn’t coax him to straddle it.)

It wasn’t long before they called us to a corner table by a picture window overlooking the hungry queue on Main Street. Admiring the warmly decorated interior with richly painted murals and tin ceilings, and without too much trouble, we skipped appetizers and selected entrees. My order: Almond Encrusted Salmon ~Pan seared served over sautéed spinach, topped with baby shrimp, finished with a lemon and white wine caper sauce, and I had to eat it all because there was no accommodations for an overnight doggie bag — OK, force me…

Russ chose the Braised Short Rib Cacciatore ~ 16oz Beef short rib with onions, peppers and mushrooms over risotto Milanese. Yes, he ate all of his too! So if you ever find yourself in Falmouth, this restaurant is a good bet.

Fast forward to the following morning. Our ferry didn’t leave until noon, so we had breakfast at Friendly’s across the street (when was the last time you were in a Friendly’s??), checked out of the no-frills motel and drove to Wood’s Hole. After a bit of confusion on where to park the car, we had about an hour to kill, so we ambled over to the ever-popular Pie in the Sky restaurant for some coffee and tea, just a one-minute walk from the Martha’s Vineyard ferry terminal. Boy what a gold mine that place is! Located in historic Woods Hole, at the end of the Shining Sea Bike Path, it serves breakfast and lunch all day. It took some doing for Russ to finally jostle his way through the crowds and get our beverages.

Awaiting to drive our vehicle into the ferry.

At the Steamship Authority, when directed we drove our car into the bowel of the Martha Vineyard vessel, which would be about a 45-minute ferry ride to Oak Bluffs. The day was partly cloudy and very misty so we didn’t see much on the way over. Authority workers very efficiently pack the vehicles in with just inches to spare, and just as efficiently order the disembarkation process, impressive! We heard the ferry “chowdah” is excellent, but still full from breakfast, we abstained.

Oak Bluffs was hopping as we drove out of the terminal and onto the streets. But we were on a mission to visit the Stop and Shop for groceries before getting to our cottage just outside of Edgartown. Once laden with vittles and beverages, with the help of directions from the rental owner, Rita, and our trusty Acura GPS “Betty,” we arrived at our destination an hour early. No problemo! We unpacked and hightailed it to South Beach, a mere 2 miles away. Remember I said it was misty on the ferry ride over? Well it was just as misty at the beach and our hair became wet with saltwater mist, not necessarily a good look on either of us…

With time to kill at the No-tell Motel the night before, we took the opportunity to make reservations at some restaurants for the first few nights on the island. Sunday night: Lucky Hanks Restaurant & Cafe a cute little house festooned in white lights, which opened in Fall 2012. Lucky us, we were seated in the back screened-in porch area with a view of their organic gardens and Trader Joe’s grocery bags containing geraniums at the top and tomato vines projecting from the bottom that hung from the eaves! As far as the name, Lucky Hank himself doesn’t actually exist, at least not in the real world. We overheard a waitress tell the folks dining next to us that the restaurant was named after the owner’s dog, when in fact the name belongs to a character in the Richard Russo novel Straight Man. 

Trader Joe’s grocery bags filled with geraniums and tomato vines coming out of the bottom.

Russ couldn’t wait to chow down on some New England Clam Chowder with fresh herbs, and was not disappointed! The Seared Sea Scallops with lobster puree and warm root vegetable salad was calling my name and I’m glad it did because not only was the plate visually stunning, the food was fabulous as well. Russ opted for the Atlantic Salmon with lentil salad, fresh arugula, lemon caper vinaigrette, and was just as delicious.

Because saltwater mist does not-my-hair-like, thus the hat.

Monday dawned beautiful and sunny, so after a 4-mile walk and quick breakfast at the homestead, we hit the beach for a few hours. Dinner that evening was scheduled at The Grill on Main, an upscale, year-round restaurant that offers outstanding New England-American Cuisine. Born and raised in the industry and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, chef Antonio Saccoccia has years of experience working in Rhode Island and New York restaurants.

Because it was such a lovely evening, we asked to be seated on their outdoor patio and started with a bottle of Italian red wine.

We split appetizers of Lobster Turnover with a Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce and Atlantic Crab and Sweet Corn Cakes with a Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise, and oh-so-good!

Wanting a different spin from my usual takes on seafood, I chose the Baked Codfish with a Citrus Beurre Blanc; while Russ got a special of the night Veal Chop with Caramelized Shallots nestled in a potato gratin and a vegetable medley.

Not to think all we did was lay on the beach and eat, we actually fast-walked for 60-90 minutes each morning before we had breakfast and came across some amazing sights. For example, one trip, less than a mile and a half from our cottage was the 2015 HGTV Dream Home. Another walk took us directly into the Katama Organic Farm Institute where (later) we bought some organic grass-fed beef, just-picked potatoes and green onions. And the 2-mile stroll to South Beach took us by the Katama Air Park with grass field landings, bi-plane rides and the infamous Right Fork Diner (which we never did get to.)

Now, the reason we came to the island—my 60th birthday. As a change of venue, we drove to Vineyard Havens to enjoy breakfast at the renowned Art Cliff Diner, highly recommended by cottage owner Rita.

No trip to the Vineyard is complete without a visit to this cute, perennial Vineyard Haven diner where the adventurous breakfast and lunch menu makes use of fresh island ingredients; yes, its popularity may result in “eternal waits” unless you get there at the crack of dawn, but it’s all quite a lot of fun!

Every review warned of a long wait and that parking would be difficult at best. But it seemed like the gods were smiling upon us because Russ got a parking spot right out front, and even though there were numerous parties on the porch waiting to be seated, I walked in to put our name on the list and was shown to a table for two immediately! Yes, it was going to be a good day… or so we thought.

It took some time to determine our order from the extensive menu, but we asked for coffee and green tea right away—then again ten minutes later, and again, and again before one of the many ditzy waitstaff finally followed through. After some agonizing, I settled on the Farmers Market Frittatta – 3 eggs scrambled with herbs, tomato, spinach, mushroom, Chervil cheese over layered yukon gold potatoes and whole grain toast, of which I could barely finish half. All morning Russ had been dreaming about their famous Corn Beef Hash, so despite many other tempting selections, that’s what he ordered. And then we waited, and waited, and waited. Mine finally arrived, so I let Russ eat some toast before his overdone hash finally presented itself. Fearing that if he returned it for a properly cooked order, I’d be long done before he ever got the replacement. Apparently the gods quit smiling after we sat down 😦

The Farmers Market Frittata

The overcooked Corn Beef Hash 

After breakfast we spent a couple of hours shopping in the quaint stores that dotted Main Street, then drove back down the island to our cottage and finally the beach… yes I know, Life’s a Beach sometimes…

The one reservation we made months in advance was for my birthday celebration dinner on the outdoor patio at The Terrace at The Charlotte Inn which highlights classic American cuisine with French and Italian accents, spotlighting the best ingredients, exquisitely prepared. Located in the heart of Edgartown village, The Terrace restaurant offers exceptional fine dining in an elegant, old-world atmosphere. Seated in a small courtyard with a lovely fountain and fragrant blossoms, Russ ordered a bottle of Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva while we perused the menu.

The evening was lovely, and the atmosphere romantic so we were in no hurry to rush through our meal. After listening to specials, our appetizer selections were The Terrace Spinach Salad, with sliced apples, crispy house-cured pancetta, bleu cheese, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and warm vinaigrette for me; while Russ ordered an absolutely exquisite Lobster & Avocado Salad on grilled brioche with fresh basil. OMG, we thought we died and went to heaven! We have got to get that recipe (the photo does not do it justice at all.)

The out-of-this-world Lobster and Avocado Salad.

Two wonderful entrees came next. For me: Grilled NE Family Farms Lamb Chops (perfectly cooked to a medium-rare), twice baked potato, crispy kale and homemade mint jelly. With some chops left over, I was able to save them as an hors d’oeuvre later in the week. Russ also chose a meat entree ordering the Pepper-Crusted NE Family Farms Filet Mignon, with au gratin potatoes, baby carrots, and a veal demi-glace… no leftovers for him! In fact, he selected a dessert of Lemon Pot de Crème consisting of homemade red wine granita and fresh berries.

One final touch—our waitress delivered two small plates of homemade chocolate confections as a birthday treat.

Just writing this blog has me reminiscing about all of the wonderful meals and interesting places that we enjoyed while vacationing on MV. Next time, we hope to stay two weeks… Part II blog to come soon…

If you’ve been with me the last few weeks, you may recall that we visited with Dave and Diane for a pasta-making event at their house in Radnor Township. Russ and I were tasked with making dessert and our contribution was a Blueberry Crostada with Homemade Lemon Ice Cream. I did not include the recipe with that blog, but promised to do so in the near future. So in keeping with that promise, here it is…

For the crostata

• 3 cups (15 oz.) fresh blueberries
• 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs. yellow cornmeal
• 4-1/2 oz. (9 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 Tbs. ice water; more as needed
• 1 large egg white beaten with 2 Tbs. water until foamy
• 1 Tbs. turbinado or other “raw” sugar

Step-by-Step Visual tutorial:

Instructions

1. Mix the blueberries, 3 Tbs. of the flour, and the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
3. Combine the remaining 1-1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, and cornmeal in a food processor and process until the consistency of fine sand. Add the butter and pulse until there are no visible pieces of butter. Add the egg yolk and water and pulse to form a soft dough, adding more water 1 tsp. at a time as necessary. Gather the dough into a ball and divide into 2 even pieces.
4. On a well-floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into an 11-inch circle and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Divide the blueberry filling between the circles, mounding the berries and leaving a 1-1/2-inch edge around each circle. Sprinkle any remaining sugar-flour mixture around the berry mounds. Try to get an even amount of blueberries and dry ingredients in each crostata. Fold the edges up over the filling, pleating as you go, to partially cover the filling. Brush the exposed dough with the egg white wash and sprinkle with the raw sugar.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. Rotate the sheets top to bottom and back to front. (If there is any white flour mixture showing, carefully spoon a little of the blueberry juices over to cover.) Continue baking until the crusts have browned and the filling is bubbling, about 25 minutes more. Cool on the baking sheets on a rack for at least 15 minutes or to room temperature.
6. Slice each crostada into quarters and serve with scoops of the ice cream o top.

Make Ahead Tips

The crostatas can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored on their baking sheets at room temperature, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Just before serving, warm the crostatas on their baking sheets in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

In order for the ice cream to readily melt and mingle with the crostata, either the crostata should be a bit warm from the oven or the ice cream should be slightly soft. If you’ve made both elements ahead and the ice cream is very hard, let it sit briefly at room temperature.

Both recipes by Bruce Weinstein, Mark Scarbrough from Fine Cooking

This simple Lemon Ice Cream recipe is a pure expression of lemon, perfect for pairing with Blueberry Crostata

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• 1/8 tsp. table salt
• 1-3/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. In a stainless-steel bowl that fits over the saucepan without touching the water, combine the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolk, butter, lemon extract, and salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding, 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the cream and milk. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, covering with plastic wrap once cool.

Stir the lemon mixture and churn it in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it’s the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Serve or pack into a container, seal, and store in the freezer for up to 1 week.

**********In the same vein (and taken from the same article) our plan for an upcoming dinner party is to make the Honey-Roasted Peanut Blondies with Fudge Ripple Caramel Ice Cream… stay tuned….