Fall Zen

I guess whining in the past blog was premature. It was a beautiful fall weekend the past couple days. Two highlights and a recipe is worth sharing with you.

1. NJ is the most underrated wine in the world. We make some of the richest reds...tasting the earth and all her goodness. If you're interested in tasting some of these wines, visit:

http://newjerseywines.com/

The wine pictured above is from Cream Ridge...GOOOOOOD stuff!

2. Is Chester, NJ the unofficial 'Fall Town' of the Tri-State area???? I've spent many a fall there, but all of a sudden there's traffic EVERYWHERE and all the local farms are mobbed with yuppie families and out of towners. WHY...would you drive to Chester to pick a pumpkin if you live in upstate NY??? I was bummed that my favorite place for apples and cider was so mobbed that I had to wait in line for an hour just to enter the store. I guess the secret's out, and I'll have to hit them up BEFORE peak season and freeze the cider. And I don't NEED to pick a pumpkin from a field...Shop Rite will do it better for me!

I also made one of the easiest fall recipes last night... White Bean Escarole Soup. Most of the credit goes to my sister, but I tweaked it a bit. Not only is it a cheap recipe, but a quick, yummy one as well.

White Bean and Escarole Soup

2 quarts chicken stock (I made my own stock from a beer can chicken I grilled a month ago. So the stock had a nice smokey flavor in it)

2 heads escarole, chopped

2 cans of white beans, rinsed

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and squeezed

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions
In a dutch oven or large pot, saute onion and escarole until leaves are wilted, but bright green still (about 10 minutes). Add stock, garlic, beans, crushed red pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. Spoon into a bowl and serve.

Often I grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the soup. Some people add Parmesan rinds into the soup while it's cooking for extra flavor.

Whatever you did this weekend...fall is HERE! Live in all the moment it has to offer you! Life is good...enjoy!

Waiting For Fall Still...

I don't know about anyone else in the NYC Metro Area, but I'm rather annoyed by these exceptionally warm days. We were teased a week ago by cool weather, but this past week has been so warm that we can't enjoy many of the things we enjoy in cooler weather. I got one bonfire in...but that's only because I traveled out of state to be part of it.

For example:

HOT APPLE CIDER and DONUTS!!!!! I have a half gallon waiting for me in the fridge.

Red Wine outside on a Friday night with a bulky hoodie...

A nice meatloaf and mashed potato dinner...

What are some things you enjoy only in cool weather?

Pumpkin Bars!

One of my MUST HAVES of fall would have to be my mom's pumpkin bars. The recipe is below, but my mom made them at the beginning of every autumn growing up. Ironically, the best way to eat them is frozen! That's right...bake them, ice them and then pop 'em in the freezer! I let them thaw a couple minutes, but the colder the better. And since this makes about 24 bars, it's a good way to keep them fresh too.

PUMPKIN BARS

1- 15oz. can of pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups flour

2tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground clove

1/2 allspice

1/2 ginger

1. Mix all dry in ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Combine all wet ingredients in a mixer on medium until mixed together

3. Slowly add flour and spices until combined.

4. Pour into a greased, 9x12 baking pan.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick runs clean.

6. Set aside to cool.

ICING

1 bar of cream cheese

3/4 stick of butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups (one box) powdered sugar

splash of milk

1. Combine cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

2. Add vanilla

3. Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time.

4. Add a splash of milk if mixture is dry

5. Ice cake, cut and enjoy!