A Wonderful Day Of Bluegrass Music, Food, Family and Friends

I had the opportunity to attend a bluegrass jam with my nieces, sister and brother in law at the waterfront cabin of friends on Queens Lake up in northern Massachusetts. The cabin was built back in the 1930's by Fred's grandfather and it is absolutely lovely. The architecture, the fireplace and setup is exactly what you would expect and more!!!!! It was a wonderful day and night of good music, good friends and family and the food was beyond words...lots of good cooks...a fantastic day. The weather was a New England classic...cool, crisp, sunny with just a slight breeze. The day went into night and the clear skies over the water was all one could hope for. WHAT A DAY!!!!!

Fred and Richard all "dolled up" with their chef's jackets...looked like they belonged at the Ritz, only the food was a lot better than the Ritz! Look at that smoke emanating from that grill...what was under that hood was the closest to perfection I have ever had...

Musical instruments were played and displayed.

A duet off to the side...isn't this scene wonderful.

The musicians just kept coming in...

Meet a new friend...Bill...quite a fellow...

Ladies setting up for the feast!

Fred is known far and wide for his tomatoes...he raises more heirloom varieties then the biggest commercial growers in the country form what I can tell...this compote of tomatoes with a secret elixir is absolutely delicious...it is served in a huge stemmed pedestal bowl...gorgeous eye appeal!

Homemade baked beans, soup, relishes, sauces, salads are just a few of the bounty offered that day.

The table overflows...

Are you drooling yet? Look at these pork butts...these were under the hood...honestly they are drop dead beautiful - to look at, smell and taste...

Fred slicing and explaining the smoke ring...a true sign of a perfect pork roast...

The line was long for this treat...

When the sun set and the night air got chilly, we moved inside by the huge stone fireplace and the music and conversation flowed...

Wibbie uncovers a jigsaw puzzle she works on...every once in awhile she will stand to sing and it is just lovely to hear her sweet voice...

Lefty and Fred...

A fiddler in the background...
Great photo of Fred...

Looks like this fellow is happy to making music...

So it was a great day...I am so pleased I was invited and was able to spend time with these wonderful folks...

I hummed all the way home. Of course that was when I wasn't licking my chops...man that roast was good...

Elizabeth

Use Those Tomatoes in a Simple Summer Marinara

The tomatoes continue to roll in...though the vines look pretty tired. No complaining just explaining! Love having tomatoes to use in salads, add to an omelet, eat out of hand and when you just have got to have some pasta...having a few tomatoes in the house makes it so easy to whip up a simple marinara sauce.

Really all you need is the tomatoes, some olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, garlic and basil...this time of the year with my garden devoted to this kind of cooking the only thing I have to buy is the oil.
Taking my own garlic that has now cured since digging was completed in mid July...it is pressed over the ingredients and put on the heat.

The beginning....

The end....quickly reduced to a thick, tasty sauce.

Healthy, flavorful, and satisfaction in a bowl...a few ingredients, a few minutes and a multitude of ways to use this homemade sauce.

Gotta go - the pasta just reached the al dente stage!

Elizabeth

Blueberry Cake with Lots of Memories

This is a wonderful blueberry cake for anytime of the year and any occasion. I was given this recipe many many years ago by a friend. Elaine stopped by the house with this cake wrapped beautifully wrapped with an envelope attached with the recipe. What a wonderful gift. We loved the cake but sharing the recipe was something I will always cherish. I have made it for family gatherings, sent it with my husband to his club meetings, given it as gifts, always made it for an annual steak fry we have attended and I have even been asked to make it as a birthday cake by a friend for her husband. This fellow is now suffering from a memory loss illness. I decided to make it recently and stopped by their home as a surprise with it. When I went into their home he really did not recognize me but when I said had his favorite blueberry cake he lit up like a Christmas tree and talked about this cake for some time. I later received a wonderful thank you note letting me know as soon as I left, a pot of coffee was made and he ate three pieces of cake! Boy am I glad I made that cake and delivered it that day...

This is the original hand written recipe and envelope that was with the cake Elaine dropped off back in the 1980's...it has yellowed over time is totally covered with butter fat and sugar. I love to touch it and think about all the times I have made it. I also always think about how generous Elaine was to share it with me.

I like to gather all my ingredients before starting as there are a few steps but once organized things go quickly and smoothly. To start sugar, butter, lemon zest and vanilla are creamed together till light and fluffy. This insures a light batter.

Next sour cream and eggs are added. This adds more fat for flavor and tenderness. This is no time to use low or no fat. If you are going to invest the time and funds to make a cake use ingredients that insure the best flavor and texture.

Dry ingredients follow...flour and the leavening products - baking soda and baking powder.

This is a dense batter so do not be surprised by the weight. Grease and flour a tube pan and add 1/3 of the batter...ingredients are layers to insure flavors are in every bite!

Next a layer of blueberries that were tossed with sugar and walnuts. Now another 1/3 of the batter is spread to make another layer.

Then the other half of the blueberry filling and them the last third of batter is spread.

Top the cake with a sugar cinnamon mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven.

Viola!!!!! A wonderful blueberry cake. This cake freezes well. I always freeze loads of blueberries in the summer when they are plentiful...this insures me I have the most important part of this cake available to me in the deep of winter.

Okay I must admit...I never just make one cake. I always make two...one has proven over the years to never be enough...

Time to put the coffee on and toast Elaine as "her" cake is sliced!

Elizabeth

Portuguese Caldine (Kale Soup)

Every once in awhile you just have to have a hearty bowl of soup...this Portuguese Kale soup certainly fits the bill and it is nutritious as well. Kale is full of minerals and vitamins that just make this soup an all around winner. This recipe is an Emeril Lagasse recipe. Emeril is a native of Fall River Massachusetts where there is a large Portuguese American population. This makes it a treat for us living nearby...the sweetbread is delightful, the chop suey sandwiches are a must and this soup is a gem. We are fortunate to have the authentic Portuguese chourico available to us and this is what I used in this soup...if you can not find this sausage you can use the Spanish chorizo that is more widely available in most parts of the country.

This is the authentic Portuguese sausage I used in the soup.

Heat olive oil in the large stock pot and then sauté the chopped onion and sliced chourico for a couple of minutes.


Next sauté the red beans and white navy beans that were soaked overnight to soften. Also add the chopped parsley and minced garlic.

To this add the chicken stock, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Let this simmer for about 1-1/2 hours.

Beautiful herbs from the garden.

Peel the potatoes and cut into bite size pieces.

Pull the kale from the stiff stems and tear into bite size pieces.

Isn't this kale gorgeous!!!!!

All torn and into for the stockpot.



A wonderful hearty bowl of soup as a starter to a meal or this can be a stand alone as a meal...be sure to have a loaf of crusty bread as a side to dip into the broth. This is simply soup at it's best...I am willing to bet you won't stop at one bowl.

Elizabeth

Simple, Easy, Delicious Red Onion Pickles

Saw this simple recipe in the weekly food section of our newspaper. Decided to give it a try...what a pleasant surprise...so so so delicious...sweet, crunchy, a little heat and extremely tasty. This recipe can be made in under 15 minutes...prep is quick, cook time is just minutes and the results are well worth the tears that may run down your cheeks as you slice the onions!

Into a saucepan combine 5 garlic cloves that you have halved, 1-1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for minutes.

Peel the onions, cut them in half, and then slice each into 1/2 inch rings.

Add the onions and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat,or until the onions soften. Transfer the onions and liquid to a storage container and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and serve chilled. Makes 1 quart.

These are just gorgeous to look at but it is the crunch and flavor that will win you over. Good on a sandwich, on a salad, or just as a side. You won't be disappointed if you make these!!!!!

Elizabeth