The Last Gasp Of Summer

On Monday James and I were supposed to go to a Red Sox night game. A nice way to wrap up summer, right? Well, turns out that it was actually a day game but James didn't realize this until the last minute. I couldn't go because I had to work and he didn't feel much like driving for two hours to sit in the hot sun by himself. So, to cheer him up, I suggested we head down to the shore and enjoy the beautiful weather. It would give us something to remember fondly in five months when we're trapped inside because it's too damn cold to go anywhere.

I wanted a shore dinner and I wanted to sit outside, so we made our way to Bill's Seafood in Westbrook. It may not have been Fenway, but it sure was cheaper. Plus, some scavenging seagulls provided surprisingly compelling dinner time entertainment.

James waiting no so patiently for his fish and chips--or being mad that I took his picture. Whatever.

You know what makes fried calamari even better? Jalapenos.

The hot lobster roll is a traditional Connecticut thing, and kind of goes with our whole upper crust snobby WASP vibe. Mayonaisse is simply too gauche, darling. Bill's wasn't as good as Abbott's, another CT institution, but lobster is still lobster.

After stuffing our faces, I suggested we take a walk on the beach to aid in digestion. We parked at the nearby Clinton town beach. Sometimes I forget how beautiful Connecticut can be.

....It's still boring though.

Learning To Love Pears

As I mentioned in my last post, James' parents gave us a bunch of pears from their pear tree. Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of pears. It's a texture thing. An overripe pear is completely disgusting and has no redeeming qualities. It also seems nearly impossible to catch a pear at perfect ripeness, though I'm told they're quite good if you do. Despite these culinary drawbacks, James was insistent that I make pear pie. (Even just typing that out made me gag a little). However, all I could imagine was pear mush encased in a pie crust. After doing some research I came across pear tart tatin, an alternative to the traditional apple tarte tatin. 

I can still remember the first time I had a tarte tatin. My mother and I had gone apple picking and then went back to her friend's house and made this incredible dish. The whole thing just tastes of fall. Ok, now I was on board.

I used this recipe from Williams-Sonoma. It doesn't involve making a thick caramel sauce on the stovetop that more traditional  tarte tatin recipes call for, so the result is more of a syrup, but it's certainly much easier and still tasty.

Pear tart tatin, before the all important flip.

I neglected to place the pears core side up, but besides that minor snafu I'm pleased to report that not only did I eat pear tarte tatin, but I also enjoyed it. The pears didn't get mushy, perhaps due to the carmelization of the sugar and butter, so the natural flavor of pear is on display. I still think apple tarte tatin is the best, but that will have to wait for apple-picking season. Also, I should note that the crust was amaaaaazing. So. Good. 

I guess I'm now obligated to attempt a pear pie...

A Gardener's Bounty

That's the tricky thing about gardening, sometimes you end up with a ton of ripe zucchinis or tomatoes that need to be eaten within the week. Then it's a challenge to figure out how to use everything in tasty and creative ways. I mean, I like zucchini bread as much as the next person, but after a couple of loaves enough is enough. I thought about canning the tomatoes, but that seemed like a waste. A ripe, in season tomato should be enjoyed in the moment, like nature intended.

When I need new food ideas I usually check out Bon Appetit.com. This recipe for stewed zucchini may not be photogenic, but it is really simple and easy to pair with anything. It also involves mint, which I've just realized is my favorite herb.

Since my mint is still in the baby stages, James' mom was kind enough to give me a bunch from her garden. Thus, I've been able to spend the week eating home-grown tomato sandwiches topped with fresh basil, mint, and this nice cheese from Beaver Brook Farm called pleasant cow. It may not be the most imaginative tomato dish ever, but since I refuse to eat tomato sandwiches the rest of the year I figure I should get my kicks in now before the season ends.

Next up: I decide what to do with the six pears James' dad gave me.

Sunday (Farmers) Marketing

As long time readers of this blog (all three of you) know, I love farmers markets. When I lived in Boston, it was a weekly ritual of mine, but since moving back to CT last year I confess I haven't gone marketing as often as I should, despite there being a number held in the state. The biggest one in the state is the Coventry Farmers Market, held on Sundays at the Nathan Hale homestead. It's a bit of a drive for me, but the variety of vendors and other activities made it well worth the trip. Plus, my friend Alicia drove.

Nathan Hale, Revolutionary War hero and local food enthusiast.

 Since there's only like, five cool things to do in Connecticut the place was packed. I really wanted some crepes from Le Petite France's truck but the line was too long. I settled for a delicious apple cider doughnut instead. First of the season!

In addition to the normal farmer's market activities, Kelly Farms was hosting a free pickling workshop. Alicia has been dying to learn how to pickle, so we checked it out.  

Some things I learned: 
This guy is obsessed with pickles.
Any part of a dill plant can be used for flavoring.
Apple cider vinegar is the best to use for pickling.
Shove as much as you can into the jar.
That's it.

There was also an old-fashioned fife and drum muster going on, which, from what I can tell, involves lots of marching in costumes and camping in one of these:

Rather cozy, if a bit rustic. 

  
Though I'm not sure this haircut is historically accurate...

All in all it was a lovely afternoon. We'll definitely be back for the Brews and Blues event on Sept 2nd. Until then I'll be checking out some other Sunday markets. This week: The Hill-Stead Museum's Farmers Market.