All posts by Laurie Graves

I write about nature, food, the environment, home, family, community, and people.
cooking

Beet Gratin at the End of a Gray Week

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IMG_7117Since Tuesday the skies have been gray. There has been sleet followed by rain—lots of it—now capped by a bit of snow. I’m not complaining, mind you, especially when I consider what we might have had—an ice storm that could have knocked out our power for days or more. Then I think of the deluge the West Coast is dealing with, the floods and the landslides, all just before the holidays.

But it would be nice to see blue sky and sun. It would be nice to not have another storm until after the New Year. It would be nice to have bare roads for the holidays. All right. Maybe I am complaining. Just a little.

On a more positive note…I made a beet gratin last night from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I’ve been wanting to make this gratin for a while, but I was afraid Clif wouldn’t like it, and we would be left high and dry for our supper. But Farmer Kev keeps bringing us beets, and it was time to do something with them.

Bittman suggesting cooking the beets whole in a covered roasting pan in a 350 degree oven, and that’s just what I did. It took a long time—almost an hour—for the beets to cook, but there was no fuss and little mess. (The beets were scrubbed but not peeled.)

When the beets were done, I let them cool and cut them into slices, which I then arrayed in the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish. I sprinkled salt, pepper, and dried thyme on the beets. Then I crumbled an eight-ounce log of goat cheese on top and covered the whole thing with fresh bread crumbs—I used three slices of homemade bread.

Bittman suggested broiling the gratin until the crumbs were brown and the cheese was melted. I followed his advice, but unfortunately the top became too brown before the beets were heated through.

However, the overall taste more than made up for the lukewarm dish. The tangy cheese was a perfect compliment to the sweet beets, and the overall effect could even be called elegant.

“Pretty darned good,” Clif said, going back for seconds.

I nodded, relieved we wouldn’t have to resort to scrambled eggs and toast.

“But you might want to bake it next time rather than just broil it,” Clif added. “If need be, you can broil it a little at the end.”

I agreed, and next time I make beet gratin, I will bake it so that everything is piping hot.

Still, I was pretty pleased with the way the dish turned out, especially after such a long, gray week.

 

 

 

 

News

The Ice Storm Didn’t Cometh—At Least Not Yet

A Christmas ornament from Ireland
A Christmas ornament from Ireland

This time, luck was with us in central Maine. Instead of two days of freezing rain and almost certain power outages, it was warm enough so that we got plain old rain that did not coat the trees and roads with ice. While the rain makes an awful drizzly mess, at least it isn’t an ice storm. How I hate ice storms.

I am hoping we can make it to the New Year without any major storms and power outages. We have lots of holiday plans, and much of it involves cooking and baking and visiting with family and friends. Once again our daughter Dee will be traveling from New York to Maine, and it would be great if wasn’t a nail-biter of a trip.

Winter, of course, will do what it wants, and all we can do is be prepared for terrible weather. The soup and beans remain in the pantry; the water is at the ready in covered buckets. The cookies? Well, I have to confess that Clif and I broke into the Pepperidge Farm cookies last night, and they are unlikely to make it to the next ice storm, unless—heaven forbid—we have one in the next few days.

In yesterday’s gray and gloom, I received a package from Shari Burke—all the way from Ireland—and in it was one of the sweetest Christmas tree ornaments I have ever seen. A little book dangles at the end of it, and this ornament was the first to go on the tree last night. Shari also sent us a coaster, which is under a candle in the living room, and a bookmark with blue embroidered Christmas trees. The bookmark is in the current book I’m reading.  All the gifts were homemade, and what a treat to receive them.

So for the moment,  all is calm, snug, and warm at the little house in the big woods. I am hoping it will stop raining this afternoon, and I can take Liam for a walk in the woods.

This might be hoping for too much, but you know what they say about hope.

News

More Winter Bite

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IMG_7111Another storm is blowing up the East Coast, and the prediction for central Maine is sleet and freezing rain for the next two days. Oh, joy!

It wouldn’t surprise me if we lost our power again, and I am prepared. I’ve stocked up on canned soup, canned beans, bread, and, most important, cookies—Pepperidge Farm shortbread. We have lamp oil, propane tanks for our camp stove, and water in buckets in the basement.

But what a winter we’ve had so far, and it’s not even officially winter yet. Lord! When I was growing up in central Maine, I don’t remember the power going out at the farmhouse in North Vassalboro. I suppose we must have lost power from time to time, but it was not a regular occurrence the way it is now each winter. I think it’s because the nature of winter storms has changed in Maine. When I was young, we got lots of snow, but it was mostly light and fluffy and easy to manage. Now, all too often we get freezing rain or very heavy snow, just perfect for knocking down trees and big branches and power lines.

Onward! And thank goodness for the wood furnace and plenty of wood under cover.

The dog and I went for a walk before the weather got too bad.
The dog and I went for a walk today before the weather got too bad.
cooking

Chocolate chip Cookie in a frying pan

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All right. Here is how it went. First, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, a standard recipe from the back of a bag of chocolate chips.IMG_7082

Then I pressed the dough into our trusty cast iron frying pan (greased).

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While the cookie was baking—375 degrees for 25 minutes or so—I set the table.

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When the dough was golden brown, I removed the pan from the oven.

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Our friends Judy and Paul were waiting at the dining room table. Clif brought over the hot pan, set it on the board, and scooped vanilla ice cream on top of the cookie.

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Upon which we all scooped into what was indeed a glorious, gooey,  chocolatey mess.

“It’s like a hot fudge sundae,” Judy said, spooning a glob of cookie dough with molten chocolate and ice cream onto her plate.

“Rich,” said Paul, digging in.

“Very chocolatey,” I added as I helped myself to seconds.

Clif didn’t say much. He just ate.

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I hope I am not embarrassing anyone by noting that when we were done, there wasn’t much left in the pan, and I had used a whole batch of chocolate  chip cookie dough.

Good as this dessert was, I have to admit it was a tad too chocolatey for my taste. (I never, ever thought I would write such a sentence.) It seemed to me that the melted chocolate overwhelmed the dough.

The next time I make it—oh yes, there will be a next time—I am going to use half the amount of chocolate chips—one cup instead of two—and see if I like the ratio of chocolate to cookie dough better.

And Mary Jane, you are right. This dessert is way more fun than fondue.

 

Community, cooking

Early December: Winter is here

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IMG_7078-1Despite what the calendar might say, winter has settled over central Maine. The ground is covered with snow, which doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave anytime soon. The air is sharp and cold, and by 5:00 p.m., it’s nearly as dark as midnight. The nights are very long indeed.

Clif, Liam, and I do our best to adapt to the short days, but we all suffer from a restlessness that comes from spending too much time inside. Liam actually doesn’t mind the cold weather, and he could be out from dawn until dusk. His humans, not so much. We dutifully bundle up and take the dog for a walk a couple of times a day. But it’s not enough for him, and in truth, it’s not enough for us either.

A few days ago, Liam and I went into the woods to gather pine for an arrangement in an outside deck box. Yesterday, I arranged the pine  along with branches of berries I had collected earlier. I did this outside, where the mess could fall on the ground and where I could throw the ball for Liam while I worked on the deck box. It made me laugh to watch the dog and the ball skittle across the hard snow.

Although my arrangements would never win any prizes, I really do enjoy making them. They might be plain and simple, but they are mine, from beginning to end.

This Sunday, weather permitting, our friends Judy and Paul are coming for an afternoon visit. On Food 52 I came across the decadent idea of baking chocolate chip cookie dough in an oven-proof pan, setting the pan in the middle of the table right after the dough has baked, dropping scoops of ice cream on top, and letting everyone spoon directly iinto the warm, glorious mess. I had thought about making muffins, but this cookie concoction sounds way more fun—more fun than fondue, as my friend Mary Jane has said. So I’ve changed my plans. Pictures will be taken, and if this dessert turns out to be as delicious as it sounds, then this might very well become a winter tradition.

Despite the cold, despite the dark, winter does have its pleasures.

 

cooking

Thanksgiving is over—onward to Christmas

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IMG_7065Thanksgiving is over, and thanks to the snowstorm, how hectic it was. No power for twelve hours and a foot of heavy snow to shovel and throw on Thanksgiving morning. As I mentioned in a previous post, thank goodness Shannon was hosting this year.  After clean up, Clif and I were ready for a nap. We, of course, resisted the impulse and headed to South Portland in a timely manner.

But, our two travelers—our daughter Dee and Mike’s sister, Liz—made it safely to Maine. The table was lovely, the food was tasty, and the three dogs were good. (Shannon wisely bought the dogs big crunchy bones, which they got just before dinner. Those bones pretty much kept the dogs occupied for the entire meal.)

Now on to Christmas. My shopping is almost done, which is the way I like it. I hate running around at the last minute, trying to think of gifts for my family. Much better to plan ahead of time. The season is more enjoyable, and it is also better for the budget.

That leaves decorating and menu planning. Although I have a collection of Santas that I always display, I like to decorate primarily with greens and other natural items. Yesterday, in the woods by our house, I collected winter berries and bittersweet for the outside pots. Today, the dog and I will head into the woods to collect pine branches. The weather isn’t supposed to be good tomorrow, but the branches will be stored in our little shed, and they, along with the bittersweet and winter berries, will keep until the weather allows me to use them. (I like arranging the pots outside.)

For inside, pine branches and cranberries in vases are simple and pretty. I’ll have to make more than one trip into the woods for the branches, and this will please the dog.

As for cooking…I am not one who enjoys making lists, but I find I must do so for my Christmas cooking. There’s just too much for me to keep it straight without a list. This weekend, I’ll be making apple crisp for a dinner we’ve been invited to, and some kind of special muffin for friends who are coming over on Sunday. Next weekend, different friends are coming over for cheddar cheese soup, a holiday favorite in our house.

Add ice cream pies, gingersnaps, thumb print cookies, pie dough knots, peanut butter balls, and perhaps some toffee bars to the list. And yeast bread and pumpkin bread to freeze ahead.

No wonder I need a list.

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Snowy Thanks

IMG_7055On this day of gratitude, I am thankful that my daughter Dee made it safely to Maine; that thanks to the crew at CMP our power was only out for twelve hours; that we had Little Green to help clean-up; that I woke up to a sunny day with a deep blue sky; and finally, that I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year. Between losing the power and cleaning over a foot of snow, Clif and I were tired by 11:00 a.m.

However, I did find time to take pictures. The day was just so pretty I couldn’t resist.

Big green and little green
Big green and little green
The backyard
The backyard
Birds and snow
Birds and snow
Snow owl
Snow owl
cooking, People

Thanksgiving approaches and so does the storm

Early afternoon at the little house in the big woods.  It is snowing. The storm started, ever so slowly, when the dog and I were on our walk, and by the time we came home, Liam’s back was wet with snow.

As far as preparations go, everything is right on track. The green bean casserole, minus the butter-crumb topping, is ready. (The butter-crumb topping will be sprinkled on top just before the casserole goes in the oven.)

Green bean casserole, made with Farmer Kev's frozen beans
Green bean casserole, made with Farmer Kev’s frozen beans

The sweet potato casserole—complete with a brown sugar, butter, flour, and nut topping—is ready.

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And so is the gravy, cold and solid now from having been in the refrigerator. But it will heat up to a lovely consistency, and how nice to have this piece of Thanksgiving done ahead of time.

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To further add to Thanksgiving convenience, Shannon has borrowed an electric roaster, which she will use for the turkey, thus freeing the oven for the various casseroles and dishes that need to stay warm. I’m not sure it would be worthwhile to buy an electric roaster—most meals during the year don’t include so many different side dishes—but the roaster certainly makes life easier on Thanksgiving.

I have several more items on my to-do list: make homemade bread, vaccuum the house, and make peanut butter balls—Clif will help with these when he gets home. Have I planned too much? I usually do.

Finally, Dee was unable to change her travel plans. She anticipates no problems on the train from New York to Boston. The touchy part will be with the bus from Boston to Portland.  To hedge her bets, she’s booked a seat on the Downeaster, which for some crazy reason doesn’t offer any trains between 5:40 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. What’s up with that?

Now, if only Dee can make it safely to Maine.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and I hope those who are traveling reach their destinations safely.

 

News

Just in Time for Thanksgiving—a Winter Storm

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For now, all is calm at the little house in the big woods
For now, all is calm at the little house in the big woods

Ah, the holidays. Yesterday I was brooding about the sheared bottoms of my pumpkin bread. Today I am worrying about a winter storm forecasted for Wednesday, when our daughter Dee will be traveling from New York to Maine. Last night, the prediction for snow was three to five inches, enough to make the roads a little slippery, but not enough for Mainers to worry about. However, overnight the prediction changed, and I woke up to hear Lou McNally, on Maine Public Radio, warn that we might get a foot of snow. Just what a mother wants to hear when her daughter will be traveling up the East Coast.

Our family has gone over all sorts of contingency plans, from Dee leaving early on Wednesday, if her work allows, to having Thanksgiving later in the afternoon, which would be better for those of us who will have to clean our driveways and drive to Portland. What fun!

From now until late March, the weather in the Northeast will be unpredictable, and over the years this has remained constant, despite climate change. When I was young, there were plenty of storms and slippery roads between November and March. I should be used to this uncertainty, but I’m not. Somehow, I expect the weather to cooperate during the holidays. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. (Last year our holiday treat was a mini-ice storm that knocked out our power during Christmas.) The weather does what it will.

Right now, the weather is calm, and the backyard looks deceptively peaceful. In addition, it is so warm that I haven’t started a fire yet in our wood furnace, and I am perfectly comfortable without the heat.

But all that can change in a day, and the sky’s hazy look portends that something is brewing, that something is ready to blow up the East Coast.

Good luck to all travelers who will be out and about during this storm. I know I won’t rest easy until Dee is safe in Portland with her sister.