resurrection by aesop + buvette

My winter hands are dry + chapped

no longer.

My new fave thing is this

good smelling hand balm by Aesop.

this big one by the bed

this one in purse + car

I first discovered the 

hand soap + balm in the loo

at the coziest, most delicious

BUVETTE.

Two treats to get me through this winter...

sublime hand cream and a friendly, delicious + small NYC eatery.

alice waters' ratatouille

I adore Alice Waters.

I love ratatouille.

I always wing ratatouille when I make it.

It's always delish but for a change

I tried Alice Waters' recipe

from her

The Art of Simple Food

cookbook.

I hit the jackpot when my friend Leslie

kindly gave me her CSA from

The Stone Barns at Blue Hill 

last week.

In the box:

little eggplants

zucchini

patapan squash

red onions

scallions

cucumbers

corn

basil

sage

escarole

I quickly thought ratatouille.

From our own garden I used:

basil 

tomatoes

The only thing that was from Trader Joes:

sweet peppers

Oh and fresh garlic that Everett harvested at Ambler Farm camp.

 sauteed eggplant and the other Stone Barns goodness

 our own garden toms

 The golden ticket here was the brilliant

basil bouquet tied with kitchen string.

In the end you remove the bouquet and squeeze 

the basil juices back in pot. 

Loads of basil flavor sans the soggy leaves.

 raw

 

done + still colorful

couldn't wait to put ratatouille

on ciabatta bread with pesto 

+

a slice of fresh mozzarella

This time for Sunday lunch on ciabatta with

peppered goat cheese 

+

sliced grilled sweet italian sausage.

 Tastes even better a day or two later.

Love A.W's ratatouille.

Blows mine away!

  Storm King

"Widely celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center has welcomed visitors from across the globe for fifty years. It is located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley, where its pristine 500-acre landscape of fields, hills, and woodlands provides the setting for a collection of more than 100 carefully sited sculptures created by some of the most acclaimed artists of our time."

We spent last Sunday here.

Pack a picnic,

hop in your car,

drive 1.5 hour

+

enjoy!

prune

 I spent last weekend in NYC with

my good old friend, Joelle.
(check out her blog)

We had such an amazing time together as always.

I was so happy when we stumbled upon

PRUNE

in the East Village.

Blood, Bones & Butter was written by 

Gabrielle Hamilton, the owner.

 So small, so perfect.

The hostess + bartender could not have been nicer .

We cozied up to the bar and had

the most delicious appetizers:

 crabbiest crabcake...the best I've ever had.

 Shrimp, head + all...YUM.

Celery salad with a piece of toast with the
creamiest slice of blue cheese.

Oh the wine...I had the Rosé...crisp + dry just the way I love it.

The book is a must read.

Get to PRUNE if you can!

fab

This is where I'd like to be.

hudson nude

In Hudson, New York staying here
near my dearest friend, Gretchen
who paints amazing nudes:

 

 

see more here.

brooklyn grange rooftop farm dinner

We went to our Outstanding in the Field dinner last eve

at the Brooklyn Grange, a one acre rooftop farm in Queens, NY.

Unbelievable.

 jim denevan, the founder with the staff from ABC Kitchen.

jim is also an accomplished artist.

 andrew loves it!

 glazed donut + peach + blueberry crostada = dessert

 ben flanner, the founder + farmer sat next to me.

lucky me...I asked him a zillion questions...so interesting.

 katie + jim giving a little history about 

outstanding....this was their first rooftop dinner.

 

brooklyn grange heirloom tomatoes with chilis + basil = DEElish

 view of manhattan skyline + farm

 see the table in the background?

usually there is one long table...but last eve there were 3.

 menu
everything was perfect.

a part of the staff from ABC Kitchen.

Last eve was a very high light of my summer!
Thank goodness Irene did not hinder our plan
+
Hallelujah! Our power went back on yesterday!

tivoli mercantile

On our way back from our farm/camping trip,

(Most scenic non-highway drive thru Catskills)

we stopped in Red Hook, NY to visit

Jill of Tivoli Mercantile.

Jill has been following 

Paper Oranges and we have chatted a bit via facebook.

It was a very, very special treat to see her shop.

I met her husband, Arno who invented HUDSON PAINT, 

a chalkboard paint that comes in an array of my favorite colors.

(He is now doing paint for walls + floors)

I met their daughter, Stella who is Everett's age (5)

+

teens Josh (son) and Lola (daughter).

WHAT a shop!

I LOVED EVERYTHING!!!!

(no joke)

Amazing books for children + adults, 

simple perfect jewelry, toys, key chains, purses,

t-shirts, baby tees, soaps, aprons.....

I found the most special things + gifts...

You must make the trip to 

TIVOLI MERCANTILE

5 E Market Street

Red Hook, NY 12571

Tell Jill I sent you!

(click here to follow Tivoli Mercantile on Facebook)

Jill:  I know I went on + on!  I had to!!!

 the shop

(photo from rural intelligence)

 arno + his paint

(photo from rural intelligence)

another shop shot

(photo from rural intelligence)

 everett shopping

arno + jill

 see jill in her gorgeous dress 

+ 

navy

saltwater sandals?

(I have the same ones ;)

there is the red sign on the right!

percy thomson meadows farm

We were lucky enough to get a wooden crate

full of the most beautiful veggies from
Dana+Ken's

Percy Thompson Meadows farm
in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
In the box:
yellow+green string beans, purple peppers,
yellow+red cherry tomatoes,
big tomatoes, turnips, purple little potatoes,
yellow squash+patty pan squash
a head of cauliflower, turnips+6 ears of corn.
What did I make?
I made
Ina Garten's garlic roasted cauliflower
+
a chopped salad
with everything else
+ cucumbers from our garden.
I grilled chicken
+
made garlic bread
+
couscous
+
watermelon for dessert.
Perfect August fare!
Thank you Dana+Ken!