BSK’s sister Noel and husband Yossi came to dinner last night. It was a pre-birhday dinner for Yossi and a farewell feast for SJ and Adorable Teru who voyaged back to steamy Brooklyn this morning. Robust eating. BSK made a savory, smoky fish stew of haddock, mussels and clams. HG made a rouille of mayonnaise and sriracha. Spoonfuls added heat and lushness to the stew. SJ cut some pork tenderloins into slices for schnitzel. Then pounded them thin between sheets of waxed paper. Dipped them first in flour, then in egg, rolled them in bread crumbs and fried them to crisp deliciousness. This was accompanied by a “risotto” of cauliflower. SJ steamed a head of cauliflower until soft, mashed it into to a steaming saute of anchovies, garlic and herbs. Sublime. Green salad of produce from N and Y’s Ocean Mist Farm. The chic couple (both sported becoming haircuts) also brought fresh garlic, garlic scapes, horse radish and organic PEI oats for oatmeal on chilly mornings.Handsome Haru provided dessert: Pina Coladas a la Haru. Lovely finale.
Off to Noel (BSK’s sister) and husband Yossi’s Ocean Mist Farm in Gasperaux (southeast side of Prince Edward Island). N and Y have created a green wonderland on their acreage. Big vegetable garden. Potatoes and garlic scapes are standouts. Rainier cherry tree. Apple trees. Strawberry plants. Currants. Grapes. And, more. Much more. In addition, there is livestock: Lambs, calves and four adorable piglets. Plus Sophie, a happy, friendly dog. Toby, The Wonder Dog, was beguiled by the piglets and quickly made friends with the little oinkers. Much for Haru and Teru to taste and experience. An Israeli-influenced lunch in N and Y’s big (Noel is expert at knocking down walls in farmhouses to create lofty areas) sunny dining room. On the table was Noel’s signature hummus. Sliced tomatoes. Olives. Cheese. Sausage. Icy beer and cider. Delightfully nourished, the group was off to the calm waters and the clam filled shore of St. Mary’s Bay. Teru had a happy time floating on her life preserver in the warm sea. Noel, Haru (and later, Yossi and BSK) were off on their paddle boards where they stood up and paddled with the tides. Haru, a beginner, proved remarkably adept. Not surprising. Handsome Haru, on a New Mexico visit, proved equally precocious on skis. The 10-year-old is gifted with a good sense of balance. When not in the water, the group raked for clams (garnered some four dozen). HG, once a champion clammer with gifted feet, has lost the ability. Contributed only two clams. But, had a joyous time swimming and floating. Back home for a lusty dinner of fried hake (an HG culinary specialty), local string beans and Yossi’s incomparable little spuds. HG preceded dinner with a large Myriad View gin and tonic. The United States (and much of the world) seems to be going crazy, fixated on violent death and racism, Prince Edward Island remains a civilized haven of gentle manners, lively music, warm seas, broad beaches, green farms and great seafood. HG and BSK are glad they have created a family retreat here.
