a chronicle of 2013 autumn

A chronicle of autumn colors:

September 27, 2013

September 28, 2013

September 29, 2013

September 30, 2013

October 2, 2013

October 4, 2013

October 5, 2013

October 6, 2013

October 9, 2013

October 10, 2013

October 11, 2013

bread baking class @ Le Pain Quotidien

This past Sunday, Peter and I took a bread baking class at Le Pain Quotidien Bleecker Street location. The class was held in a beautiful kitchen with huge panes of glasses to allow sunlight to fill in and passersby to look in. There were 6 students and 2 instructors. The small sized class allowed me to ask tons of questions with the patient and knowledgeable instructors - Dan & Daichi. As the class was just three hours long, the doughs have already been prepared when we walked into the class. During the class, we have learned to work on dough with different hydration and made with whole grains. The easiest to handle by far was the whole wheat dough as it was dry enough to handle easily and had good elasticity to shape it. Focaccia and ciabatta were challenging as they were wet and sticky. We also learned to score the dough and got to operate the oven with the conveyor. I love the steaming capability of the professional bread oven! I wonder if I can ever get a steaming oven for home kitchen. If you want to enhance your bread baking skills, I highly recommend the classes offered by Le Pain Quotidien. At the end of class, you will also get to bring your breads home to enjoy!

rye and whole wheat breads

ciabatta and focaccia

laundry: line dried

Do you line dry your laundry? I didn't until last November after a trip to Germany. During the trip, we have stayed with some German friends and had observed their way of life. We were inspired by our friends to treasure the valuable natural resources. One of the thing was to line dry your laundry instead of using a dryer. Yes, it does take longer to hang the clothes than just throwing them into a dryer. However, I also get the benefit of adding more movements into our sedentary lifestyle. In the summer, the clothes will smell so wonderfully fresh under the sun. In the winter, the damp clothes will provide some moisture to the living space.By drying clothes naturally, we also reduce the energy consumption.  Isn't that wonderful?

beautiful Hudson Valley

Amenia bike trail

This summer we have been making one-day trips in exploring Hudson Valley. There are so many beautiful and quaint villages all within an hour drive from our home. New York Times had an article on how to spend 36 hours in the Hudson Valley. Personally, I don't think that 36 hours are sufficient. So if you have more time available, you may want to spend a few days.

a day at Hudson, NY

a small chapel in Hughsonville (New Hamburg)

Beacon Falls

Garrison with a view of West Point

Saugerties

farmer's market at Hudson

Beacon

apple season

Apple season has arrived! We stopped by Meadowbrook Farm last Saturday to pick some apples. Per the farmers at Meadowbrook Farm, the apple season has just started. Right now, there are cortland and mcintosh varieties available. These apples were higher on the trees so we needed to borrow an apple picking tool. These apples are a bit tangy for Peter's taste but perfect for me. Next weekend, there will be more varieties available. So check out your local apple orchard if you love apples.

Obercreek Farm

This year we have signed up for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with Obercreek Farm. As we have a family of just two plus one little dog, we chose the half-share option which allowed us to pick up vegetables from the farm every other week. The vegetables were wonderful and fresh. I especially loved the "pick your own" part where we got to harvest tomatoes, sunflowers, beans, and herbs directly from the field. It was fun to talk to the farmers that grew them and learned techniques to make my vegetables grow. Have you tried husk tomatoes (a.k.a. ground cherries)? They were amazingly sweet and had texture similar to cherries.  I am going to try to grow this next year in my own garden.

husk tomatoes

Last night there was a pig roast party at Obercreek Farm with live music and fresh vegetables from the farm. We have seen our wonderful farmers there - Sam, Tim, and Rebecca. The setting was so idyllic and beautiful! The event was gathered by farm supporters, some local politicians and some little dogs as well. I have also met my fermentation classmates - Matt and Emily and we had a great conversation about their new chickens that have just arrived. I hope that one day I will be able to raise chicken in Hopewell Junction.