scenes from a vermont weekend

You certainly eat well in Vermont, & perhaps because of the long & dormant winter months, it seems most explicitly so in the springtime. Shoots & leaves spring out & cover the landscape in a tide of green, & produce from local farms begins appearing in droves in the roadside farm stands, markets & shops. One of the things that attracted us to this corner of the world was the close relationship one has with the natural world, & with the cultivation of the very stuff of life, our food.

The first Farmers' Market of the season certainly drove this point home. After picking up a flat of organic herb starts & freshly harvested salad greens, we sat down to a humongous breakfast of local chef Shital's palak paneer & aloo gobi, with piquant garlic pickle & fragrant coriander chutney. Oh how I missed this food over the long winter months! As if that weren't enough, we each got a beautiful & delicious pastry from Patricia, whose artistry, as someone interested in the chocolate arts, I hold in very high esteem. My tender & feather-light meringue cookies had creamy hazelnut & dark chocolate ganaches sandwiched between, & were absolutely swoon-worthy. A cup of Neil's expertly blended hot chai was the perfect compliment. Heaven.

Seeing the Market's newly landscaped common area dotted with picnic tables brought back memories of last year's devastating floods, & was testimonial to this area's commitment to coming together as a community & helping each other in times of need. We sat not far from a spot where J & other volunteers helped shovel fill onto the scarred terrain & rebuild the soil that was swept away.

I love living in a place where we know the people who grow our food, & know the land from whence it came. Our own little garden plot is now populated with herbs & greens that started their lives just a few miles away.

We topped off the weekend with a hike on some of our favorite trails, a place with a colorful history & miles of hilly & rocky terrain. Although we visit this particular forest during each season, I must admit that I like springtime the best; the mosquitos & biting flies have yet to come out, & the riot of green & birdsong is invigorating. Our hike was punctuated every several feet by the alarm chirps of territorial chipmunks, & the astringent smell of pine needles flooded our sinuses & made me feel dizzy.

I certainly slept well last night.

sure signs

Our local Farmer's Market opened for the season last week on a mild & sunny day with music, a maypole & delicious food. Produce is still just coming out, but vegetable & herb starts were to be found in abundance. We ate our traditional alu gobi & palak paneer breakfast from Shital with Chai Wallah chai & heavenly pastries from Wild Flour for dessert, & gathered some greens from Linda Akaogi, cracked pepper & parmesan bread from Orchard Hill & fiddleheads from Guerilla Grown Produce.

Just a hint of the bounty to come...

rustic goodness

Our apple CSA arrives weekly, meaning we have been eating a lot of apples out of hand, & coming up with new ways to cook & enjoy them. So far we have savored Sansas, Honey Crisps & Galas, & look forward to this week's Pinovas.

I don't know about you, but when I hear the word "rustic" attached to a recipe, my ears perk up & I imagine a hearty, stick-to-the-ribs dish that isn't fussy, but big on flavor & personality. I made this apple tart with some of the Galas we had left from last week, the succulent locally grown ginger we picked up at the farmer's market over the weekend, & some dates I had left over from a cheese plate, & decided it deserved the "rustic" moniker. Happy Autumn!

rustic gingered apple, date & nut tart

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 Tbsp chilled sweet cream butter

1/4 cup toasted walnuts & toasted almonds, ground finely

1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

8 large apples, peeled, cored & sliced thinly

2 Tbsp freshly ground ginger (I suggest young ginger, which is juicier & has a more fruity taste)

dash fresh lemon juice

4 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup raw sugar

2 Tbsp raw honey

1/4 cup dried dates, pitted & cut into strips

dash cinnamon

prepare the crust

cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the ground nuts & cinnamon. Add the eggs, & mix until a dough is formed. Gather the dough into a ball, & place in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you have a circle 1/8" thick, then use it to line an 8" tart tin. Prick the pastry, line it with parchment paper & baking beans, & bake at 400ºF for about 10 minutes.

prepare the filling

toss the apples with the sugar, ground ginger & lemon juice. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat, then add the honey. Stir the butter & honey mixture into the apple mixture, being sure to coat all of the apples well.

assemble the tart

line the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell with the dates, then layer the apple mixture on top. Arrange the top layer of the apples, if it pleases you. Sprinkle with cinnamon & bake at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, until apples are soft & the crust edges are browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream, or fresh whipped cream.

farm to market

Fall came like someone flipped a switch this year, the leaves turning & falling almost simultaneously, the hot & humid weather swapped for brisk days & even cooler nights. Everything was a little early this year; pumpkins have already made an appearance, & the market stalls overflowed with autumn bounty. The hot summer weather that crisped our grass made for some incredibly delicious peppers, & we've been stocking up on many different varieties including Hungarian hot wax, poblano, chili, nardellos (fabulous grilled simply with olive oil & salt & pepper) & marconis, & enjoying them throughout the ensuing weeks. We even found some tender & flavorful locally grown young ginger, which is fantastic grated on just about anything.

Autumn is my favorite time of the year, but I can't help but feel a little wistful that it's already here, signaling that the farmer's market will soon close up shop & we will have to wait until next year for fresh, local produce. We are so very lucky to have an abundance of farmers & food artisans in our area, & people who appreciate & support good, local food, from those who grow it to those who prepare it.

We make a habit of freezing freshly picked berries & home grown pesto, & I have made jams & conserves in years past, but I am eager to try my hand at canning next year. Until then, I feel as though we are living like gluttonous bears, happily gorging ourselves in preparation for the long, barren winter.