Adore this Poem...Makes me think of my Father

The Island, by A.A. Milne

If I had a ship,
I'd sail my ship
I'd sail my ship
Through Eastern seas;
Down to a beach where the slow waves thunder -
The green curls over and the white falls under -
Boom! Boom! Boom!
On the sun-bright sand.
Then I'd leave my ship and I'd land,
And climb the steep white sand,
And climb to the trees
The six dark trees,
The coco-nut trees on the cliff's green crown -
Hands and knees
To the coco-nut trees,
Face to the cliff as the stones patter down,
Up, up, up, staggering, stumbling,
Round the corner where the rock is crumbling,
Round this shoulder,
Over this boulder,
Up to the top where the six trees stand....

And there I would rest, and lie,
My chin in my hands, and gaze
At the dazzle of the sand below,
And the green waves curling slow
And the grey-blue distant haze
Where the sea goes up to the sky....

And I'd say to myself as I looked so lazily down at the sea:
"There's nobody else in the world, and the world was made for me."

Swordfish for Supper

Went into Wickford, passed go did not stop went directly to Gardner's Wharf for the best fish in the Ocean State! A wonderful selection and fish so fresh you are almost sure you saw a gill move and a fish in the case wink at you...then to top off the shellfish section is brimming with briny treats and then even more Pete the owner is a wealth of knowledge and willing to share and answer any question you have. Joanne who works there as well is a delight to talk with as she selects the best piece of fish out of the case and skillfully cuts it and wraps it for safe passage home. I decided on swordfish and it was gorgeous and fresh. An easy steak to cook and a fast prep to the grill.

Look at this steak...it is perfect!!!! Firm, fabulous color, no odor...the definition of fresh fish.

All I do is give it a light olive oil wash, salt and fresh ground pepper and then - off to the hot grill.

I decided on a simple ginger lime sauce...simple the operative word. A melted compound butter, in a sense....

First peel the fresh ginger with the bowl of a spoon or use your paring knife...which ever you prefer.

You could use a micro plane rasp to grate the ginger but I prefer a ceramic ginger grater....guess because I have one that is the only reason why...they both do the job...with the ceramic grater there is a bowl to capture the juice so be sure to save the juice when using the rasp. Do not want to lose any of that flavor!

Into a small sauce pot...grated ginger, lime juice, lime zest, butter and some salt. I add salt because I almost always use unsalted butter...salt enhances the flavor so just add enough for taste. Melt and done...simple simple simple.

While the sauce is being made...place the swordfish steak on a hot prepared grill. Clean the grate while cold and rub with a bar cloth or paper towel drenched in oil..this removes any old residue and makes for a non stick surface on the grate...do this when cold. Once prepped, turn on the grill or light your fire...preheat and then place your fish on the grill. Rule of thumb...10 minutes per inch of fish...so this fish was about one and half inches thick...cook time 12-13 minutes total...turn half way through cooking time. Be sure to use a clean plate to bring cooked fish in to prevent cross contamination. Sometimes I line the first plate with plastic wrap and place the prepped fish on that...once on the grill I simply remove the plastic wrap and my clean plate is available to bring the fish in. Just saves a step.

Fast, easy and nutritious meal...grilled swordfish steak topped with a ginger lime butter, warm quartered beets and steamed beet greens from the farmer's market. YUM!!!!!

Elizabeth

"A Mess" of Fresh Green Beans New England Style

My pole beans are producing fabulously. I have always planted bush beans but this year decided to go with pole beans...wanted to try something new but also wanted to add an additional focal point to the garden beds. The tripods I built from really long stakes at least six feet long stakes I bought. They are green plastic coated stakes which I like because their color blends with the bean stalks so there is not interruption of eye appeal. Tied them at the top with biodegradable green garden hemp and voila...sturdy tepees for the beans to crawl up and boy did they. The tendrils just reached put and would have made "Jack" proud...bean stalks to be in awe of. They produced wonderful beans...tender and delicious.

Now what to do...steam them, saute with garlic and olive oil, roast, grill, add to a ratatouille, I mean the worlds the limit...BUT....no New Englander would ever pass up at least one good mess of beans with potatoes and salt pork. From the time I can remember every summer at least one meal a week while green beans were in season we had a meal that was a nice hunk of crusty bread and a big steaming hot bowl of a mess of string beans. Why they are called a mess is something no one explained to me...quite frankly I do not care..that is part of the tradition and charm...so just let it be. An easy meal to prepare and one full of nutrition and memories.

Start with fresh green beans from the farm stand or your own garden. Tradition dictates that both ends are snapped off and beans are snapped into thirds or fourths. Never whole and never the tip end left on...never! It does not matter that it is now trendy to have the pointed tip left on...do not leave it on when preparing a mess of beans...never...got it!

Add to a pot big enough to hold all the components covered with water.

Add quartered potatoes..skin on skin off this is choice...and also a few lardons of salt pork. Salt pork adds a bit of fat for additional flavor....and is mandated if sticking to tradition. I mean really is that little bit of fat going to put you on the coronary care unit?

Cover with water, top with the lid and bring to a boil...reduce the heat and simmer till potatoes are tender. This is always best the next day...but if you can not help yourself...grab a bowl and fill with potatoes and green beans...you do not have to eat the salt pork it was used for flavor but you may see someone pop a piece in...this is where I draw the line. Now mash the potatoes down and put a bit of butter on them...if dry I add a bit of the bean broth from cooking pot to make them moist. The green beans are to be sprinkled with apple cider vinegar. Break a piece of crusty bread from a baguette...grab the bowl with a fork, find a comfortable spot and dig in. Delightfulness in a bowl.

This is such a wonderful easy meal to make in the summertime...New England nostalgia in a bowl.

Excuse me while I get seconds.

Elizabeth

Genovese Basil Pesto

My nephew Seth and I attended the early buyers Trade Secret show this past May in Sharon CT. It was wonderful to see all the unusual and rare plant stock as well as see the wonderful garden antiques. This show is attended by many folks looking for something different...gardeners wanting to add something unusual to their landscape and this is the place to find it. What makes it even more fun is that celebrities also attend...Bunny Williams world renowned interior decorator who actually was the founder of the show, Kevin Sharkey head of design for MSLO, and of course Martha Stewart herself! Seth actually had his picture taken with Martha once she did some shopping on her own...what is amazing she actually drove herself to the show in a huge black SUV...

Well enough of the elbow rubbing....the prize for me was I found Genovese basil....this is the basil pesto MUST be made from. No substitutes will do. It is flavorful, tender and a beautiful green. By rights the youngest leaves should be used but my basil grew a little faster than I had a chance to pick...but the pesto is divine. I hope to get a few more batches before fall...basil is a tender annual here in the northeast so once the cold sets in basil can not handle the frost.

I picked armloads of basil this morning...you can also see a few tomatoes and an eggplant peeking out of the basket as well.

Ingredients gathered to make the pesto....only thing missing in this photo is the garlic. All else accounted for - olive oil, pine nuts, walnuts, salt, parmigiano reggiano and of course basil.

The cheese is wonderful...I prefer parmesano instead of pecorino romano which is really called for...I am not found of many sheep's milk cheeses so I stick with Parmigiano a cow's milk cheese and truthfully how can anyone pass up this delightful top shelf cheese!
All cubed and ready to whirl around the food processor.

Processed to perfection. The best way to buy cheese is in a wedge and grate or process as needed. Henry at Chef A Roni a wonderful food expert and teacher explained that the least surfaces exposed to the air the moister the cheese remains...so if you grate it long before using you have exposed a multitude of surfaced to the air and set up a perfect environment for dried out cheese...really is common sense when you think about it...

Save the rinds and freeze to use in a sauce or soup at a later date...

Wonderful garlic...
Basil and salt to bowl after the nuts and garlic have been processed.

Slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil in to make the pesto paste...how delightful is this green oil!

Last but not least add the cheese for one last whirl...

Pesto in containers for gifts...I put pesto in covered containers that can be given away as a hostess gift when the occasion rises...for me I like my pesto in zip lock bags in the freezer.

Containers labeled with content and dated.

Stored in freezer...
Bags stack well...oh I spot a bag of frozen shrimp that needs to be addressed so why not!

Add the peeled, deveined shrimp to a pot of water with a lemon, bay leaf and peppercorns. Start with cold water...and bring to a boil - meanwhile...

Make a cocktail sauce...so simple...ketchup, juice of half a lemon, prepared horseradish, and a few drops of Tabasco and voila!

By the time the sauce is made...the shrimp is done...do not over cook when the shrimp is pink it is done! REALLY!

So there you have it...a nice shrimp cocktail and of course an authentic basil pesto...

Summer is here for sure...

Elizabeth

First Easter with no Beloved Yellow Peeps

William Feather once said - Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why, when I am in special need of help, the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim. Thank you Jesseca for my Easter phone call message...

Hit The Brakes...That's A What Pulling A Cart In Jamestown

My father and I have breakfast out together every Sunday for almost 20 years now. After a good meal we take a ride and have seen many places, people and things tooling around southern Rhode Island. We especially like Beavertail on Jamestown as you never know how the Atlantic will be from week to week. From as calm as a mill pond to a raging, churning ocean each week we are visitors to a view well worth returning to...

We leave the mainland via the Jamestown Bridge and take the quiet roads to the lighthouse past the windmill, past Dutra and Windmist Farms on the left and Watson and Hodgkiss Farms on the right, whiz by the bait shop on the flats where the owner sits sipping a mug of coffee and proceed to the village. After stopping at the four way stop we pass The Secret Garden and several more shops to the corner and bear right to the causeway at Mackerel Cove....then past Fort Getty and onto Beavertail.

This week as we passed the garden shop...we saw a beautiful wooden two wheeled garden style cart with a young lady sitting atop this pony drawn cart....hit the brakes that was not a pony we passed by but a COW....a cow pulling a wagon...did we devour too many eggs...had that single slice of bacon clogged our cerebral arteries...were our optic nerves pinched....NO that cart was being pulled by a cow!!!!!

As we drove along Beavertail Road all we could talk about was what we just viewed....unbelievable...couldn't be...never saw this before...who would think a cow would do such a thing...why was this cow "trotting" down a public road pulling a wagon masquerading as a pony?

We did our usual sightseeing at the point and proceeded back over the same route. As we approached Fort Getty...there was that cow again pulling that young lady up Fort Getty Road to the farm.

I had my camera and Dad and I had a very strong desire to get up close and personal to this sight. Left blinker on and we proceeded just by the cart as it rolled along...put the van in park and out I jumped...sure enough this was a cow.

I was greeted by the most charming girl I have met in a very long time. I asked if I could take a picture and she not only agreed but stopped her cow and posed. She was so personable and chatty. Any question I asked she answered and was very patient in explaining. I asked her her cow's name and she told me Daisy..which made me smile but then said "So, I'm driving Miss Daisy"...now I laughed...I like this kid! I asked where she was returning from and she had been to breakfast in town at of course a little restaurant called "A Slice of Heaven". I explained to her that my niece Emily belongs to 4-H and has a cow she shows at fairs. She told me she does not show cows but raises dairy cows for milking. She wanted me to tell Emily, that cows are very easy to train but most important - "Anything a horse can do...a cow can do better"

So there you have it....when you think you have seen it all...a charming young lady and her cow show up to prove you wrong!!!!!

Driving Miss Daisy on a beautiful August Sunday morning....

Learning about this amazing pair...





Daisy in all her glory....

Off they go....

I'm so glad I can still be amazed...

Elizabeth

Independence Day 2010 - Annual Family Celebration

What a grand day we had this year at the annual July 4th celebration on the pond...We counted over 55 family and friends in attendance...WOW!!!!! Everyone pitched with the work and cooking making this party a snap...there were tasty appetizers, salads and desserts to compliment the grilled hamburgers and hot dogs...

It was a hot day so lots of folks hit the water...many just kept a low profile and exchanged stories as some family members we only see at this time of year. My brother-in-law lead us in saying grace before the meal begins, Ray and Randy led us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and Loretta sang the song she wrote titled "America". Patriotic music filled the air during the day and was really cranked up when the fireworks started...during the fireworks Donna signed all the words to each song...she did a wonderful job...her signing was lyrical and beautiful as the music played. Simply said - A Perfect Day!!!!!


The annual group photo at the flag pole...

Patriotic decorations hang from the canopy...in the background Ed and Lisa off to hit the water...

Kayla brought a couple of friends...what a super photos...love Kayla's tee...

Emi and Nattie ready to jump in...both girls took off their life jackets this year and started swimming under water...another generation of family waterbugs hits the pond!!!!!

Husband pointing something out in a photo to Bill...a deep conversation which lead to me losing a bet....

Three generations of women...Loretta (mother and grandmother), Melanie (daughter and mother) and Kayla (daughter and granddaughter)...

Brittney and Nattie...love this photo

This year's grill masters...the husband and wife team of Layne and Whitney...thanks for manning the grill guys!!!!!

This picture of cousins...Randy, Brittney and Seth needs no explanation...

New family members...love their curly hair...absolutely adorable

Talk, talk, talk...

Aunt Whitney and Nattie...

Brittney leaving the day cabin to pass out the annual shortcake treats...Brit and Seth made many trips with boxes loaded and returned with empties...the ladies worked an assembly line inside putting the shortcakes together with homemade cakes, blueberries and strawberries topped with whipped cream...these patriotic desserts are always a hit!

Caleb and Jesseca (niece) were here this year...so good to have them here...Jess spent many a summer day here when she was just a kid...she would fish all day and I couldn't get her to take a 5 minute break to eat...she not only caught fish...she would name them and keep them in buckets...at some point she could "tell" by their eyes they needed to go back in the water at which time she would throw them back in...she learned to take them off the hook because I refused to and told her to wait for her father when he picked her up in the evening...no way would she wait that long so she learned all by herself...good for her good for me....

More talk, talk, talk...

Randy crowned "Pond King" with a pond weed tiara!!!!!

This outfit on Olivia leaves me at a loss for words....a fashion statement for sure just don't know what it says...for her Mom (my niece Sandie) I am sure it said safety...but everyone else who saw it stopped in their tracks...they took a long long look, then looked around to see what someone was thinking...an exchange of OMG via eyes was made, followed by a good hearted laugh and a "she is going to flip when she sees this picture when she is older and say what was my mother thinking?!"

Nephew Herbie and brother-in-law Mark chit chatting...Herbie trying to cool off by pressing a cold soda can to his cheek...

Fire in the hole....

No couch potatoes here...but there are plenty of float potatoes especially on this hot, hot day...

The bonfire kept low early in the evening for the kids to toast marshmallows to eat plain or to make a s'more...I love this time of night...watching the kids toasting and taking orders from the grownups...someone always remembers to burn one for me...love that marshmallow char!!!!!

Enjoying shortcakes....

Olivia checking out the boom booms...

My hubby Robert and his sister Loretta found a good spot to view the fireworks....the Pond Association had a great show this year...

A beautiful aerial display....

"Bombs bursting in air"

The campfire cranks up....

Getting ready for the final, earth shaking blast...a great way to sign off from another wonderful, fabulous, fun filled, heart warming celebration of our country's Independence Day...

Elizabeth