The Up-Side of Cold, Grey Days

It was literally 70 degrees here yesterday, and sunny.  Today it's somewhere around 35 and dropping, uniformly grey and there's a dusting of snow that's falling but not sticking.  There are some very acceptable ways of dealing with the "Ithaca grays", and they'll last a person for just about, almost, not-quite-barely the whole winter.  That little extra left hanging out is what Mexico, Savannah and Miami are for.
For me, a wood stove is crucial.  Firstly, wood, as they say, warms thrice: the cutting, the stacking and the burning.  Secondly, I am good with layering up and sweaters, but I need a place to go in my house where I can get really hot.  Don't move cuz your jeans will burn your shins hot.  And it's so cozy, lending itself to occasional "i live in Finland, we watch the northern lights while enjoying ice cold after-sauna vodkas" fantasies.

And then there's the other source of heat, the oven.  I recently told GJ, (who attends to our appliances when the details are out of our league), that we use our oven daily, so hang the expense, let's fix everything that's on it's way out!  And it turns out, I was telling the truth (I wasn't quite sure if I was exaggerating at the time).  It warms up the kitchen,and makes everything smell good.  No shame in that game.

There are other things, like down comforters, ice skating, Friday Night Lights, and, you know, other stuff.  I plug ice skating because I've noticed that it's impossible not to start smiling and feeling cheery while doing it, and it can be done regardless of whether it snows.

Winter food is glorious for nearly the whole winter (again, what the sunny south is good for, a ripe tomato or two in February).  The wonderful construction crew I make lunch for weekly is a perfect crowd of sitting ducks on which to practice recipes.  Today's lunch was warm and wonderful to make, and watching them eat it was a pretty good time too.

Le Menu:
- Roasted Turnip Galette
- Hard-Cider Braised Hot Dogs from The Piggery
- Winter Greens w. Roasted Mushrooms and Fennel and Roasted Garlic vinaigrette

Roasted Turnip Galette

The galette was made using the Tartine galettle dough recipe and an adaptation of a turnip pie recipe from a website called Medieval Cookery.  The turnips were cut into thick slices, covered and baked until soft.  When cool, I sliced them thin, and tossed them with plenty of black pepper, salt and cinnamon, and a little maple syrup.  Galette dough is not as difficult to make as it makes itself out to be, and it's bakes into such a buttery, golden thing.  So satisfying.

I went to The Piggery this morning with sausages on my mind, but they weren't out for the day yet.  Instead I bought their hot dogs, put them in a baking pan with some hard cider, covered them and baked for awhile.  They are smoked, so really only need heating.  Delicious, required no attention, better to eat than boiled dogs, and no smoke from frying.  Win-win.

Hard-Cider Braised Pig Dogs

For the salad I used a bag of The Good Life Farm's winter greens, tossed in a roasted garlic vinaigrette.  Their greens mix has baby bok choy, tat soi, mizuna, spinach and mustards.  Over the top I put  roasted mushrooms and fennel, hot from the oven. Winter greens can take a little wilting, and I like asking them to do it.

Winter Greens w. roasted mushrooms and fennel and roasted garlic vinaigrette

Followed by an amazing espresso drink from The Shop, all was well with the cold and grey of Ithaca, N.Y., thanks to the producers and farmers, and coffee shop owners/roasters we are blessed to live near.  Oh, and I like my friends too.  They're fun.  Thanks guys.

Photo from The Shops facebook page.  (I drank mine ).