May 2011 Archives

yesterday i had a great bolton experience....one that reminds me why i am so glad i moved here. everyone with an interest in community gardening was invited to meet at the conservation club beginning at 9:30, at which time people volunteered to work on the garden plots or the nature trail part way around the pond. there was also planting going on on the patio in pots and planters. i signed up for clean up in the kitchen but at the beginning of the day, there was nothing to clean up! bodie, my goldendoodle, ventured into the swampy, mucky, very stinky water and instantly became a two-toned dog, with black being the predominant color. (he is a goldish, whiteish color!) i visited while my dog got dirtier than i have even seen him. there were 4 or 5 other dogs, all having the best swampy time.

meanwhile, sean craine and his friends were roasting a 250 pound pig in the biggest roasting set-up i have ever seen. they started the process at 4:00 in the afternoon on the previous day. however, at about noon, the pig was done. pot luck food came together on 2 long tables inside the club. the pulled pork was brought in...an incredible amount of pork!....and people began to eat. delicious offerings and lilac bouquets on each table. so very nice. then my clean-up job began. and who would believe the helping hands! everyone lending a hand made the work so quick and easy.

then back to the jobs outside. amazing how quickly 40 plus people working together can create gardens and a walking path and a beautiful patio. at 2:00, bodie and i left and went straight to norowal marina where joan did the honor of tossing my dog off the dock. after he swam around and chased a stick, which i kept throwing into the water, we went home. i had brought some pork home on a paper plate and when i went to the back of my jeep to get it, the plate was licked clean. he moves fast. i left him at home to dry and rest and went back to the club to visit and get the leash i left there. there were new people to visit with and we decided to walk on the new path. a great experience. home again at 4:00 ish. such nice people and such a great day. and, i am now a gardener with my own 8x4 plot. think i'll grow herbs and perennials....maybe zucchini.

this is the time of year that different groups and individuals order tea sandwiches. frankly, i think they are a total waste of time and energy and they definitely are both! i believe that we are the only caterer that does "teas". years ago, the first presbyterian church held a may tea every spring and there was a committee that made literally hundreds of tea sandwiches. there were specific recipes for each kind of sandwich. i often volunteered for this committee and have to admit we had a lot of fun making the little suckers, er..i mean sandwiches. the recipe i have included in this blog is an unusual egg salad tramezzini that i found in the nantucket newspaper.

tramezzini are uniquely delicious italian tea sandwiches featuring a few great ingredients sandwiched between slices of moist, fresh white bread. the word tramezzini translates to "a little something in the middle" and came into use in the italian language when mussolini banned the use of all english words, making the word sandwich illegal. the very eggy homemade lemon mayonnaise is key to giving the sandwich the rich taste of a true italian tramezzini.

lemon mayonnaise

5 large eggy yolks
11/2 tablespoons water
juice of i lemon
2 teaspoons salt
13/4 cups olive oil

egg salad

4 medium asparagus stalks, woody stems trimmed
5 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
8 slices very fresh white sandwich bread

1. to make the mayonnaise: in a blender set to slow speed, combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice and salt. partially cover the open blender with a towel to cut down on splatter and increase speed to high. begin adding the olive oil in a very slow, steady stream, over a period of a few minutes. as the mayonnaise begins to thicken, the towel will no longer be necessary. store the mayonnaise in the refrigerator in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap.
2. to make the egg salad: griddle the asparagus on a preheated grill until warm, but still crisp. transfer to a cutting board and slice on the bias into 1/4 inch thick slices.
3. remove the yolks from the hard-boiled eggs and place in a mixing bowl. mash the yolks gently with a fork until they resemble cornmeal in texture. add the sliced asparagus. roughly chop the egg whites into small uneven pieces and add to the yolk mixture. gently fold in the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
4. place half of the white bread slices on a clean work surface. spread about 1/4 cup egg salad over each and top with remaining bread slices. use a serrated knife to remove crusts and then cut each sandwich into triangles.

after the tea at the presbyterian church was over, there were many sandwiches left.. you could buy a box of 2 dozen for a small price. i always bought at least one box and usually, two. i would leave the church, go and sit in my car and eat the WHOLE BOX or two. see what i mean about the waste of time and energy!

this past saturday, the outside farmers' market started at the south street pavillion in glens falls. michele from samantha's took lots of goodies to sell. one of our new items is chocolate croissants as well as a raspberry mascapone filled puff pastry "square". there were about 6 new venders which includes the battenkill creamery and ice cream! our foods completely sold out. michele said she could have sold more thai salad and that she should have taken another salad. i stopped by at about 9:30 and could not believe how many customers there were. we sold all of the macaroni and cheese and squash apple bisque. even though there is a sign saying, 'no dogs allowed', many take their friends with fur to be fawned over. me, too. my goldendoodle knows just how to strut his stuff. we had a fun time with many more saturdays to come.

finally here in bolton landing it is looking a bit like spring. i have picked a couple daffodils and thrown a stick into the ice-free lake for my goldendoodle to get. he loves the water and i am lucky that i live two lots away from a very popular public marina. but the little guy is so hair-heavy that i am sure he will be damp all summer. but he will be cool! we have walked to the sagamore hotel a few times and to both beaches. we listen to the different birds and watch the fog rolling in and then out. 'fog creeps in on little cat's feet'. bodie, my "doodle" loves to run and we have been fortunate to find a few open spaces. at the new conservation club, there is an actual walking path where people walk and dogs run and sniff. on sunday, we drove to lake placid to walk with bonnie, bodie's breeder, part way around the lake. beautiful homes and a beautiful day. my dog pulled on his leash to try to keep up with bonnie's four dogs. there was not enough room on the sidewalk for another dog and person. my back is sore today from trying to hold bodie back. i think we need more lessons in heeling!
anyway, i put the cushions on my porch furniture hoping for more sun and porch-sitting neighbors. ah, spring.

for years we have been making a cheese nut ring as an appetizer for many functions. i'll admit that i found the recipe in a paper back recipe collection put together by a church in delmar in 1972. the author was said to be rosalyn carter of president jimmy fame. we have had rave reviews. last week i got the nantucket newspaper and omg, there was the recipe titled, the now famous cheese ring.

1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup pecans (we use walnuts), chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 medium onion, grated
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon tabasco
1 cup strawberry preserves

1. combine all the ingredients except the strawberry preserves and mix well. pack the mixture into a ring mold and chill for several hours.
2. unmold the ring onto a serving platter and fill the center with the strawberry preserves. ( i use a small pretty dish). serve with crackers.

serves 12 or more.

i can guarantee that this will be a "hit" at your party. famous is the word!