an update

Chickina is the daughter of Feathers and Little Putt; I think.  


They are who she looks like.  We hatched a clutch of eggs four years ago with one rooster and three hens contributing their eggs to the effort.  Feathers (The Roo) Little Putt, Henny Penny and Lady Hen.  Sadly, Feathers and the latter two hens are no longer with us.  They now keep company with our former dogs, cats and canary.


Like any pet, caring for chickens does involve dealing with a fair share of health concerns.  The tricky thing is finding a vet who will help navigate these issues.  Sadly, most veterinarians are not taught to think of a chicken as an individual.  They are considered a unit of the flock.


To me, this is preposterous.  Each one of our chickens has a distinct personality, displaying an amazing range of expression.


As our current Roo watches over Little Putt, Mrs. Kravitz and Johanna in the coop, Chickina rests in her temporary abode in the house.  She's a quiet girl and appreciates being talked to and cared for.  Her eye seems worse, with a film of white covering the cornea.  But we have been told that that is part of the healing process of eyes.  She is due to see the vet tomorrow for a re-check.  We are so fortunate to have this professional guidance.  


In answer to the query, rather than share a picture of Chickina now, I would like to do so when she is reunited with the flock...hopefully very soon.

a good hair day

Well,  I have ventured back to New York City after the Holidays.  I am happy to report that, after a 'day of beauty,' (yes, that's what it takes these days) I was able to come home and take a decent self portrait to publish to this blog!  Not perfect or professional.  More representational.  Please note, I reserve the right to change it whenever a better photo comes along!

for an adventurous pantry

Kalustyan's is my go-to source for nearly any special ingredient I may need.  Its a playful shop for adventurous cooks, located in New York City on Lexington between 28th and 29th.  Step through the door and a circus of ingredients await, all eager to leap into your basket.


Vast assortments of spices, herbs, dried fruits, nuts, beans, rice, flours, couscous,  sugars, syrups, salts, oils, vinegars, chutneys, preserves, international sauces and condiments, pickles...the first visit is truly overwhelming!


Going back time after time allows the logic of the store to sink in.  Can't visit soon but need an unusual ingredient?  They have a website and ship.


Favorite finds?  Rose petal preserves, pomegranate molasses, chestnut honey, pistachio oil, walnut oil, verjus, sugar cane vinegar... sometimes, just the touch of a special ingredient added to the freshest foods creates magical dishes.

there's a chicken in the house

It is inevitable that, come wintertime, a chicken or two opt to come into our house.  Perhaps opt is not the right word.  They are brought into the house only if there is an issue that threatens an individual or the entire flock. 


The first few winters we had chickens, I would fret about their unheated digs and sigh relief when the rooster would crow, sometimes as early at 4:30 am.  I didn't mind.  They were still alive. 


Last winter, when temps were predicted to go below 10 degrees F, I couldn't stand the thought of opening the coop in the morning to find a flock of frozen chickens stuck to the walls of their nest boxes.  We piled straw onto the solarium floor 6" thick and brought them in.  Ofcourse, we removed all furniture and plants, except the tall bamboo and a gigantic fern.  Not toxic, the plants could offer something for the chickens to hide under.   


Come spring, they were rehoused into their proper coop.  Come summer, I had the coop retrofitted with a heat pump. 


Most recently, Chickina presented me with an eye, slammed shut.  She still had interest in food and kept up with the flock, but I have learned that the wait and see attitude that I use with myself, as well as my dogs, cats and husband, doesn't work with birds.  It usually goes from bad to worse very quickly.


Fortunately we have a Veterinarian close by who will see an individual chicken.  Chickina was sent home with a course of eye drops and an oral antibiotic, to be administered twice a day for 11 days.  She needs to be kept separate from the flock until she gets better, so she is in the house.  


She's in an extra large dog crate on a table out of the sun, full of fluffy straw and her favorite foods.  She's good about the medicine and I think enjoys the extra attention.  Stay tuned!  

a blog-worthy chowder

Last weekend, while shopping for some fish to grill, my husband Michael and I spotted some Finnan Haddie at our local market.  It is a salted and cold-smoked haddock which needs to be cooked, but not much, before eating. For dinner, we chose a nice piece of swordfish, but we brought home a piece of the Finnan Haddie too.


The next afternoon, I opened the packet of smoked fish and was astonished by its aroma.  A pleasant, smokey, baconesque perfume wafted up to me.  I considered various recipes that I could try with my new find.  A simple chowder seemed appropriate to let the complex flavor of the fish take center stage.


The soup came together in just 30 minutes.  It smelled divine. Alongside a simple green salad, I offered Michael a warm bowlful.  In a soft and reverential murmur, he said "Oooo, this is good!"  And it was.


The flavors of Sunday's chowder haunted my thoughts all week, so yesterday I decided to make another batch.  I needed to make sure this soup was not just some happy accident!


My colleagues, Sophie, Rose and John were nearby, so I had the opportunity to share once again.  As before, the soup came together in 30 minutes.  Seated around the kitchen table, bowls full and steamy, spoons and crackers ready, we all tucked in.  A hush came over what is usually a very chatty bunch and again reverential murmurs bubbled up from the bowls..."Oooo, this is good!"  


"Is it blog-worthy?" I asked?
All heads nodded.

So here is the recipe...quick, simple, healthy, warm and delicious!


Finnan Haddie Chowder
Serves 6


2 tablespoons butter, a little more if the pan seems dry
3 large white or yellow onions, peeled, sliced and cut into 1/2 inch chunky pieces
filtered water
5 large yukon gold or yellow potatoes, washed, diced in 1/2" cubes (I leave the peel on)
1 lb Finnan Haddie
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons fines herbes
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
fresh cracked black pepper
water crackers


In a stock pot, sautee the onions in butter on low heat.  In another pan,  add the cubed potatoes and pour in enough water to cover.  Bring the potatoes to a boil and then reduce them to a simmer.  Stir the onions from time to time.


While the veggies are cooking, cut the smoked fish into 2" pieces.  The fish will flake apart a little during the cooking.  


When the onions are transluscent and the potatoes almost fork tender, drain the potatoes and add them to the onions.  Add the Finnan Haddie to the onions and potatoes and pour in the chicken stock.  The stock should just cover everything.  


Between your fingers, crumble and sprinkle the dried herbs onto the soup.  Stir to combine.  Bring the soup to a simmer and let it gurgle for 10 minutes or so.  When the potatoes are fork tender and the fish easy to flake apart, turn off the heat and add the half and half and parsley.  Stir again.  Add more half and half if you feel the need.  No need for salt!  The fish brings this element to the dish.  Add a little black pepper to each portion if desired.  Have the crackers standing by.


FYI, the chowder is even better the next day; time allowing the potatoes to drink in some of the smokey essence of the fish.

gardening by mind and mail

In the depths of winter I enjoy a different kind of gardening.  First by mind and then by mail.

Since the last bulb was placed in the ground, the beds tidied, the tools cleaned and tucked away, I have had some time to rest my garden-mind and think of other things. 

So now, throughout January and February, I will make time to envision the ‘garden to be’.  

A stack of catalogs has been growing beside a comfy chair on the plant porch. Oooo, I love contemplating plants and seeds!  Volumes of inspiration and resources, I look forward to studying their stunning pictures and relishing the promises of fragrance, colors and perfection.  

I am nearly ready to dive in, but before I gaze upon a single page, I want to assess my current winterscape, as well as review photos of this past year's display.  


I like to think of the garden as a series of events.  Like fireworks in slow motion, as one area of the garden flourishes, another area fades.  This succession goes on and on, through all seasons, even in winter.  


I plant winter vignettes close to the house so that I can gaze upon them from within several rooms.  Plummy pink hellebores, spiky mahonia bealei, purple flushed leucothoe scarletta, chartreuse mounds of chamaecyparis; all elbow to elbow, partially peaking through the snow.  Beautiful.


In reading the present landscape and reviewing the photos, I am searching for gaps in the succession of each season's display and solutions to creating more depth in the garden; are my evergreens planted in a pleasing rhythm throughout the garden?  Are there areas where I need bolder foliage to offset abundantly airy textures?  Specifically, what plants might be worked into next April's planting scheme?  


If I postpone this exercise until spring, I fear that opportunities to further embellish the garden, particularly in autumn and winter, may be overshadowed by the overwhelming spring and summer offerings.

So, before I consider any new plants or seeds, I will dig a little deeper, as it were, to contemplate.  Those ‘amazings’ and ‘never-befores’ are too distracting!  

Each year, my near-term goal is to artfully enhance the garden.  My life-long goal?  To create a garden that leaves one breathless in all seasons.

eggs and ricotta

Marrying fresh eggs to fresh ricotta can result in some simply wonderful dishes.  The ricotta adds an airy-ness to the eggs, affording a soft, etherial texture.


To create an omelette, add 2 generous tablespoons of ricotta to two eggs and whisk well to combine.  Fold in 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs, if on hand.  Gently heat a dab of butter or a tablespoon of olive oil in your skillet.  Keeping the heat on medium low, pour in the egg mixture to cook through.  


Your 'pillow of eggs' could be filled in any number of ways.  A scattering of stilton or gorgonzola cheese would be lovely. Prepping some fresh mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in a little butter with a pinch of truffle salt, is another thought.  A few fist-fulls of baby spinach, pre-wilted with a splash of orange juice, could be a yummy, healthier alternative!  Whatever you choose, spread 1/4 cup of your chosen filling on one half of the omelette and fold the other half over to enclose. 


I have to admit, there are times when I can't help myself. Having grown up in The Land of Ketchup, I often have a bottle standing nearby...sigh.

Not just for breakfast, I like to offer something eggy as an hors d'oeuvre, from time to time.  These scrambled egg spoons cook so quickly, they could be prepared on demand for your guests at your cooktop.  Offer them warm, just out of the pan.


Gently scramble the same egg and ricotta mixture as mentioned above on medium low heat.  When cooked, mound 1 tablespoon of the fluffy eggs onto each spoon.  I like Asian soup spoons, which lay flat making them easy to offer.


For a touch of sweetness, finish each spoon with just a hint of truffle honey and a bitty-bit of fresh ground pepper.  For a savory bite, tuck in a sliver of prosciutto di parma, sprinkle a bit of grated parmesan cheese on top and garnish with fresh chopped chives...think 'mini omelette' turned inside out!  

tending to the chickens

It is a still and chilly afternoon, here in Rhode Island. The sky is gray and the chickens refuse to come out of the coop. There is a blanket of snow covering where they usually range. In better weather, they'd be scratching throughout the garden, in search of insects and tasty little bits of leaves.

I keep chickens (4 hens and 1 rooster) because I am keen on cooking with the freshest of eggs. I have a passion for growing our own fruits and veggies, so the chickens are a great fit. Lifting a few warm eggs from a nest box in the morning is a wonderful start to the day!

Over the years, the chickens have proven to be a great asset to me as a gardener as well. They are bantam hybrids; miniature chickens. Their feet are small and gentle to the plants. They fluff the mulch, aerate the soil and rid the garden of some of the nastiest of pests; japanese beetles, for one.

They are comical companions in the garden too. Whenever a new hole is dug, they are never too far away. They insist on inspecting each hole, no matter how large, for bugs before any plant goes in!

During winter, I supplement their grains with fresh fruits, veggies, shredded mozzarella cheese and cooked fish. Sardines are a staple, but they relish the leftover salmon and swordfish whenever it is available. They need extra protein during the lean months as the worms slumber underground.

For now, well fed, they'd rather fluff their feathers and settle into a fresh bit of straw for a snooze.