"Springtime" on Cape Cod

  No.  No, lady in the fancy SUV checking on the builder's progress of her new summer house overlooking the water in the much fancier part of my neighborhood.  No, it is not summer, yet.  She yelled out her window to me as she drove by while I was enjoying a brief spot of sunshine while on a short walk after work.
"Summer has come!" she bellowed.
I found her enthusiasm and her ignorance to be totally annoying.  I know that it can be exciting to see the sun after approximately thirty strait days of rain in April and that this afternoon the temperature has finally hit 65 degrees and it is an incredibly gorgeous day but this is only the second week in May... on Cape Cod.  Don't get too excited.
  The summer solstice marking the first day of summer is more than a month away.  And, as I just said, we are on Cape Cod. Anyone who has lived here for at least one or two spring seasons knows absolutely for sure that "there is no spring on the Cape."
  My father coined the phrase while working most of his adult life outside in all types of weather, repairing poles and electrical wires, dealing with wind, rain, snow and hot sunny days with barely a breeze.  A bitter cold day in February never seemed to bother him that much but rainy, raw days in late March, April and even late into May sends a chill into his bones. Still now, when he goes shell fishing, a most enjoyable pursuit in his retirement, he only selects the best days to go, often abandoning many of the miserable springtime days to working on a project under the cover and warmth in his workshop.
  Every parent of a baseball or lacrosse player knows of  the bone chilling temperatures, the wet dampness, the mist that seems like nothing at first, then ends up drenching all spectators and players by the end of the game.  They know of never really getting warm again after the sun dips behind the trees and the game is finally called.  They all rush to their cars to blast the heater on frozen hands and feet.  This is why I keep my winter coat in my car along with multiple heavy blankets, umbrellas, hats and gloves. Pity the poor mother who just got a pedicure in the early afternoon while the sun felt so warm and decided to wear flip-flops to the game, her feet now frozen and blue.  This is why heavy socks and big ugly rain boots is my main fashion statement during baseball season.
  I watch impatiently for seedlings to grow in my tiny garden and cross my fingers that there will be no late frosts once I decide to go for it and plant my herbs outside.  At his moment of the fancy lady's pronouncement,  the daffodils have barely gone by and the lilacs are still tight buds, they have yet to fully open and scent the air.  So, no, lady with the ridiculously large new house that will block everyone else's view of the ocean, I disagree with your blissfully silly remark but I understand your exuberance.  Yes, this afternoon of glorious sunshine is to be celebrated but don't pack your winter clothes away.  Make sure your umbrella, hat and gloves are at the ready and for heaven's sake don't wear sandals after 4:00 pm if you plan to attend any early evening outdoor sports event.  This is "springtime" on the Cape and I am sure Mother Nature is not done kicking our asses-just yet.

  Rhubarb is one of the only native fresh produce that grows in early springtime on Cape Cod.  It's bright, tart taste mixed with sugar makes a sweet and sour dessert that is delightful when topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Crisp

(serves 6)

6 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg


1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon salt

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  Mix together rhubarb, granulated sugar, ginger and nutmeg.  Mix the cornstarch and orange juice to make a slurry and pour over the rhubarb.  Mix to combine.  Pour rhubarb mixture into an 8"x 8" baking dish or an 8" cast iron pan.
 Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, rolled oats and salt.  Cut butter into mixture using 2 knives or break off butter pieces with your hands until mixture is in crumbles.  Spread over fruit.  Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes until top begins to brown and fruit juices are bubbling along the edges.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.  Can be served hot or at room temperature with ice cream, whipped cream or straight out of the pan by the spoonful.

Vacation Eating

 Alone for dinner tonight.  Alone all day, really.  Without any pressing things to do- nothing that needed to be attended to immediately which is not exactly the norm for me.  This means that I can easily be sucked into watching The Real Housewives of Wherever argue about something ridiculous but I somehow managed to tear myself away to spread some mulch around the edges of the driveway and flip the channel to a cooking show, an old style "dump and mix"show where the host actually demonstrates how to make a recipe rather than a competition with weird ingredients and lackluster results that one would never dream of making for dinner.  I was looking for some sort of inspiration and motivation to cure my binge watching tendencies.  And there was Rachael Ray working her 30 Minute magic with dried chiles, making a chilaquile sauce.  I have a big bag of the exact type of chiles that I purchased for some crazy reason I cannot remember.  Every time I come across them in my pantry, I question what I can possibly do with all of these chiles but always end up passing over them for lack of ingenuity or inspiration. 
  The sauce that Rachael made is a little bit like a smoky salsa.  She tossed tortillas in it and topped them with cheese, melted it all in the oven and garnished the whole thing with all the typical toppings: avocado, cilantro, etc and over easy eggs.  I don't really like that combination, with the eggs on top of all that but I do love nachos.  So, I made my own version of this one pan dish, an individual, perfect for one person portion with ingredients that I had in my refrigerator.  Of course, this could be stretched to feed a crowd (the sauce recipe makes quite a large batch) but, as I mentioned at the beginning, I am alone for dinner tonight, left to my own devices to create a mini meal.
  While my chilaquile sauced nachos where beginning to bubble in the oven, I rummaged around in the downstairs fridge for the perfect beverage accompaniment: an ice cold beer.  But not the fancy, newly popular micro brew type that Rob usually has stashed in there. What I really wanted was something like a Miller High Life in an ice cold bottle, light and refreshing, old school and just right to go with my nacho meal for one.  Sadly, among the bottles of Sam Adams in various flavors, and tall cans of Guinness, a few Mayflower Porters and a single Harpoon IPA, there was nothing to offer for what I was craving.  Back to the beverage drawing board.  Tequila.  Only a few ounces left in the bottle.  I wonder who has been drinking a lot of Margaritas?  I managed to find a lime that needed to be used today or end up in the compost bucket tomorrow morning along with a small can of pineapple juice on hand for last minute marinades and occasions like this one. 
  This type of relaxing, improvisational meal making is my favorite type of cooking.  Vacation style cooking, when hungry mouths are not crashing through the door with heavy backpacks full of books yelling, "I'm so hungry!  What can I eat???"  When I don't have to hurry up and get it all on the table before ballet class and baseball practice.  When I can make whatever I am craving regardless of children's tastes and aversions.  I don't have to hear, "Do I like that?  I don't think I like that!!"  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy making meals that others, especially my children, enjoy.  And I love the madness of the wild energy coursing through the walls of this house, the challenge of meeting everyone's needs, helping them to thrive.  But sometimes it's really nice to prepare and eat whatever I really want, without question or concern for anyone else's opinion or palate. While my nachos are hot and garnished to perfection, my cocktail is ice cold and many more bad television shows beckon. I can relax with my feet up for a few more hours of bliss before the hungry mouths return. This is truly a vacation.

Chilaquile Sauce

(Adapted from Chilaquiles by Rachael Ray)

Makes about 2 cups sauce

6 to 7 New Mexican dried chiles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 cup chicken stock

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

  Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles.  Place in a large skillet or pot and toast over medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Remove chiles and set aside.  Add oil to pan as well as onion and jalapeno.  Cook, stirring often until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the paprika, oregano and garlic.  Stir mixture and add water.  Allow the water to absorb then add chiles, chicken stock, tomatoes, honey and cocoa powder.  Stir to combine.  Simmer for about 10 minutes until chiles soften.  Remove mixture from heat.

  Puree mixture in batches in a blender or food processor.  Save about 3/4 cup of the sauce for nachos.  Refrigerate the rest in an airtight container.

Nachos for One 

(Can be adapted and expanded to feed more hungry people)

2 large handfuls tortilla chips

3/4 chilaquile sauce (see recipe above)

3 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 avocado, chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

hot sauce such as Cholula

any other nacho toppings you like: pickled jalapenos, chopped raw onion, etc.

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place one large handful of tortilla chips in a small skillet, pie plate, etc (anything that can go from oven to table) and top with half the chilaquile sauce.  Sprinkle half the cheese on top.  Top with remaining chips, sauce and cheese to create two layers.  Place in oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.

  Remove from oven and top with sour cream, avocado, cilantro and a drizzle of hot sauce.  Add other toppings, if desired.  Serve warm with a fork.

Sweet 'n' Sour Margarita

(Serves one)

ice

1 1/2 oz. tequila

1 1/2 oz.  pineapple juice

1 oz. lime juice (juice from 1 lime)

  Fill a martini glass with ice and water.  Set aside.  Fill a shaker with ice.  Pour tequila, pineapple juice and lime juice over ice in shaker.  Cover tightly and shake for a count of 10 until ice cold and your fingers begin to stick to the outside of the shaker.  Pour out the ice water in the martini glass.  Pour the contents of the shaker along with the ice into the chilled martini glass.  For a frothy cocktail, do not strain.  Enjoy.