Going into my seventh year living in NYC I’ve noticed a funny “ism” you could call it about New Yorkers. As soon as the temperature in the fall drops below 75F people begin wearing jackets, scarves, long sleeves, boots, etc. In the spring, maybe March or April depending on the year when it rises to about 55F women especially break out mini skirts, tank tops, and sandals. So it actually doesn’t matter what the temp is outside, it’s about what season it feels like in fashion. On my way to Trader Joe’s on the train I noticed this girl wearing a long sleeve shirt, scarf, wool jacket, jeans and boots- very appropriate if it was 50! Today’s high was 78F. By the time I left Union Square it was about 72F. I wondered what that girl did for the rest of the day - I was glad I had my tshirt, sunglasses and flip flops still on - people from the South tend to never admit a season change and hold on to summer as long as possible, New Yorkers jump the gun. I also found this season-identity crisis at the farmer’s market. I still picked up great looking tomatoes, heirloom and beefsteak, and I still saw sweet corn! This was in addition to pumpkins, squashes, cauliflower - the usual fall harvest as well. I was still glad to pick up some tomatoes, and might as well take advantage. Again this week I was able to avoid Whole Foods all together, although Trader Joe’s didn’t have corn starch, I didn’t need it that bad. By making a couple meals this week vague - a big salad and pizza, I was able to be inspired by what was at the farmer’s market and picked up eggplants, parsnips (which I LOVE), kale, various greens, and fresh oregano, which I haven’t seen every week in the past. In this week’s total, I’m going to include the meats I bought last week and froze. Here are the totals:

Farmer’s Market

Carrots, Yukon Potatoes, 2 heads lettuce, parsley - $10.75

Fresh Organic Bread - $4

Kale, tomatoes, eggplant, parsnips - $9

8 Apples, 2 pears - $5.50

Duck legs - $7

Pork Ribs - $13

Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme - $4.50

Grand Total: $99.28/10 meals/2ppl = $4.96/person/meal

This week I was inspired by some pretty shiny magazines. I just got this month’s Food&Wine, and I also got the first issue of Food Network Magazine from the Wine & Food Festival. I also wanted to use the local duck and pork ribs I bought at the farmer’s market last week and wasn’t able to use. Luckily, Food&Wine had a special article/recipe section about butchers and I found a great duck recipe from the chef of our favorite San Francisco restaurant, Nopa. I’m also going to make the pork ribs for the first time without a super sticky BBQ sauce. Johnathan is skeptical of this method, but the butchers said if you’re getting really good, fresh local pork don’t drench it, make it simple. I was also craving some Italian, hence Giada’s Bolognese sauce. I also want to make some big fall salads, so I’ll figure out those dishes when I get to the farmer’s market tomorrow. Here’s how the week will look:

Monday - Cassoulet with Duck

Tuesday - Pork Ribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday - Fall Salad w/ Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Thursday - Homemade Pasta with Simple Bolognese

Friday - Fall Veg Pizza/Salad Pizza

I was thwarted by my tactic to go early for a pleasant shopping experience. In NYC, I can’t seem to get a break, and enjoy strolling down aisles, picking things up, reading labels - not going to happen. I was at TJ’s by 9:15 am. You would think people would be at work on a Monday morning - of course not! The familiar line around the store, blocking the dairy and vitamin aisle was in full force. I lose this one. But, I got a lot of great food, and I managed to keep my spending to a minimum, even picking up some extras like cereal, milk, and fun colored beans from the farmer’s market. All in all, not a bad shopping day, and I didn’t even go to Whole Foods! That’s truly the prize this week. I did go on Sunday night to pick up a few things for a party my friends’ having, and picked up asparagus that was on sale ($2.72) and organic onions ($2.99). That was it! Next step, buy everything from the farmer’s market…. that’s the next level right there… I also managed to buy fish from the farmer’s market, turkey for a meatloaf, and bacon for the week. I bought more herbs this week but here’s a note: right when you get home, wet paper towels, wrap your herb stems with the wet towel, then store in a large ziploc in the fridge. My parsley from LAST week still looks new - now I have way too much. All my other herbs lasted well after the week was over, so it’s a great way to stretch your money, but still having fresh fresh flavors for your dishes. I also stocked up on the last of the tomatoes, so there will be a couple extra special dishes this week. Note, I break up the farmer’s market totals by the stalls I buy at, so each dollar amount is from a different farm. OK, here are the totals for this week

Whole Foods:

Asparagus - $2.72

Onions, 5lb bag, organic - $2.99

Farmer’s Market

2 white fish fillets - $7.20

Organic potatoes, garlic, sage - $5

2lb butternut squash, Rosemary, Chives, Parsley, pint cherry tomatoes, 2 beefsteak tomatoes - $12

Multicolored beans (new for fall)  - $2

Basil - $2

Grand Total: $77.53/10 meals/2ppl = $3.88/person/meal!!!

I was so inspired by my pasta class last weekend, I couldn’t let a week go by without testing out my new handmade pasta knowledge. One of my favorite pastas we made was with semolina flour ( I had always used all purpose) and translated into English, is badly cut pasta, or irregular pasta. It’s chunky, hearty, organic, and has a great hand touch feel and look. If I were making pasta for a party I wouldn’t send it through the perfect pasta press, I’d hand cut it, it’s like making each person their own dish of pasta by hand. I also tried my hand at Swiss Chard, which I’d never used before. I bought the pretty multicolored bunch, and it was a bit limp when I bought it, but I blanched it, then cooked it in a sauce for a bit, and it was fine. I wouldn’t buy this every week this season, but it was a nice colorful change. When cooking chard, cut the stalks from the leaves, as they cook for different times. Here’s my recipe for a hearty homemade fall dinner:

Pasta:

1 egg to 1 cup semolina flour ( I use the Jamie Oliver rule of 1 egg/person - so I made 2 servings)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Then make a well in the center to drop the eggs in.

2. Break egg(s) into the bowl and begin mixing with a fork. Keep working in the eggs, and if you need, add some water if the dough is not coming together or is too mealy. Once its doughy, turn it onto a floured surface and continue kneading until the dough is soft and has elasticity. The more you knead, the more gluten is released and the stronger your pasta is, and can withstand boiling and tossing.

3. Roll the dough into a sheet with a rolling pin (I like my old school wooden rolling pin - and it doesn’t stick). Make sure you keep the dough floured (with semolina) so it doesn’t stick to the work surface. Roll it out until it’s even, about 2 quarters thick. Cut length ways into 1/4 -1/2 inch noodles, or however you like. Set aside, and sprinkle with plenty of flour so they don’t stick together.

4. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta for about 4-5 minutes, but make sure it’s al dente. Reserve a mug of pasta water. Drain and return to pot. Add a little pasta water so they don’t stick while you’re making the sauce.

Swiss Chard:

1. Cut stalks from leaves, removing any browned stems or leaves. Soak both in a cold water bath to remove any dirt or grit.

2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil, and drop in stalks first for about 3 minutes, then cook with leaves for an additional minute. Drain.

Sauce:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 clove of garlic minced

1 glass white wine (I used a sweet German Riesling)

olive oil

1. In same saucepan as the chard, heat oil and butter, then add garlic over medium low heat. Let the garlic sauté for a couple minutes, but don’t brown it.

2. Add chard and sauté for a couple minutes. Add wine and let simmer and the alcohol cook off for a few minutes. It’s going to smell great.

3. Season with salt and pepper, and add sauce with chard to pasta pot. Toss and add more reserved pasta water if desired (I felt there was plenty of sauce with the wine added)

Serve with grated parm on top. Buon Appetito!

Wow! This recipe is just a lot of fun. I’m a sucker for using foods in alternative ways, i.e. using the pumpkin as the bowl to bake everything. I bought 2 smaller pumpkins, thinking Johnathan and I would each eat one. We only got to one, and we were stuffed. I’m going to put the rest of the other pumpkin innards in a baking dish and reheat for lunch tomorrow. I made sure I bought pumpkin pie pumpkins from the Farmer’s Market, and the settle flavor that baked into the soup was amazing. The recipe calls for chicken stock, but you could also use beef or veg broth - I like using a meat broth, it’s heartier. I also scooped out all the pumpkin seeds, and toasted them to make a yummy snack for us during the week - just wash, dry, lay out on a baking sheet, bake for a couple hours at 250F, then season with salt and pepper - I used a little nutmeg too. This is a great way to get a lot out of your food. I got this recipe from the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Cookbook. It’s a great guide to seasonal produce, how to buy, store, and cook with what you buy. Here’s the recipe:

1 or 2 pumpkins - about 8-10 pounds for single, or divide for smaller pumpkins

1/4 lb unsalted butter room temp

3 leeks, white part and 2 inches of green, cut into 1 inch thick rounds

6 slices country bread, each 1 inch thick, torn into bite sized pieces and toasted (I toasted the bread as the oven was preheating)

1/2 teaspoon ground sage ( I used fresh, because I had it - adds more flavor)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups shredded guryére cheese

About 5 cups chicken stock (or veg or beef)

2 bay leaves

1. Preaheat oven to 350F - Toast the bread as the oven is heating, checking often to make sure you don’t burn it.

2. Using a large, sharp knife (we used a serated), cut off the top of the pumpkin, creating a lid about 4 inches in diameter. Set the lid aside. Using a large metal spoon, scoop out any seeds and strings. Rub the cut side of the lid and the inside of the pumpkin with the 1 tablespoon room temp butter. Season the lid and the inside of the pumpkin with salt and place the pumpkin, cut side up, in a good deep baking dish or pan.

3. In a skillet, melt the remaining 7 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the toasted croutons and sprinkle them with the sage, nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper. Stir well and remove from heat.

4. Spoon a layer of the seasoned croutons into the pumpkin. Sprinkle a layer of the cheese on top of them. Repeat the layers until you have used up all the croutons and cheese. Pour in stock to within 1 inch of the rim. Lay the bay leaves on top, and then fit the lid onto the pumpkin.

5. Bake until the pumpkin begins to soften and brown on the outside and the stock bubbles on the inside, about 1.5 - 2 hours. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. With a long-handled spoon or ladle, gently scrape the flesh from the bottom and sides of the pumpkin into the soup, being careful not to puncture the walls. Ladle soup, including tender chunks of pumpkin flesh, into warmed bowls and serve.