After several months of ignoring invitations, I finally gave in and registered on FaceBook. I really did not want to add more stuff on my to-do list or another password to remember. I was pleasantly surprised. It is easy to use and so much fun catching up with old friends and even relatives that I don’t talk to very much.  I posted a few pictures and like the “wall” feature. The image comments are great too but it is not going to replace my blog or our other website. I am looking forward to growing my network of friends.

For my birthday, Marcel took me to dinner at Simpatica Dining Hall. Chef Scott Ketterman started the dinner by talking about the Dining Hall and the prix fixe menu for the night. He described how he was inspired by the produce our local farmers are harvesting right now. The food was excellent and we enjoyed the beer and wine selection as well, one of which was the Domaine Seigneurie Saumur-Champigny. Yes, that was really the name of the wine and we just had to try a glass. It reminded us of Italy where the first course is usually pasta (!), followed by meat, salad, then dessert. Actually prix fixe menu is very common all over Europe, as well as commual seating. Overall, it was a great experience but it sure is not the same as satisfying a craving when ordering what you feel like eating at that moment or getting to try your dinner companions’ plates.

Saturday, October 17th

These pictures were taken using a Blackberry phone so they don’t have the best lighting.

Wood-Smoked Quail with Quince, Apple and Chestnut Stuffing over Frisee

Braised Pork Shoulder with Six-Hour Creamy Polenta, Young Carrots and Gremolata

Rustic Bartlett Pear Tart with Mascarpone Gelato

My co-workers had a cake for me but sadly could not find me when it was time to cut it. They celebrated without me and 15 minutes later, I showed up when everybody was leaving They also gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Red, White, and Green

Birthday Cake

My friend Sokbun also treated me to a wonderful seafood lunch at Fong Huong Palace. No picture but the image of that sizzling seafood plate is ingrained in my brain

Thank you ALL for the greetings, cards, e-mails, gifts, cash (!), and the wonderful food.

The weather here has been very nice lately that sometimes I forget that it is now fall season. Today, between our CSA share and harvest from our garden, our “fruit” basket clearly said “autumn”. Yes, we are still picking tomatoes and peppers but this time with pumpkins!

This is what our basket looks like today

My first attempt at making pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin

Marcel came back from a trip to NC and claimed to have bought me a custom-made cup

Freshly Churned

I’ve always wanted to make ice cream at home but could not get myself to buy an ice cream machine. I was afraid I would make too much of it and suffer sugar overload. Besides, I also have a mild lactose intolerance.  That was until I discovered the Italian gelato. During the time we spent in Italy, a day did not pass without us visiting the local gelateria. The Italian version of ice cream is lighter but have intense flavors. Just the way I like it. My local favorite Alotto Gelato has a good description of the difference, as well as David Lebovitz. Whenever we find ourselves in NW Portland, we stop for a cup (or two). They also have a stand at the Beaverton Farmers Market most Saturdays in the summer.

While pistachio is my all-time favorite, I miss the tropical flavors I grew up with, such as avocado, mango, ube, halo-halo, sweet corn, and coconut among others. I have waited long enough so I went down to BBB and selected the 1.5Q Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for its reasonable price and great reviews on Amazon.com. With my 20% off coupon, I only paid $39.99. The first recipe I made was Mango Gelato. I could not find a recipe for it so I referred to the recipes from “The Perfect Scoop”. I used Manila mangoes for this recipe which I froze while they were in season in May.

Ready To Eat

Here’s the recipe I used:

1 cup mango puree (fruit pulp pureed in a blender)

2 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1. Heat milk  just until it is about to boil then turn the heat off. Add sugar, stirring until all the sugar has melted.

2. Whisk two egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour hot milk mixture, a little at a time to temper the eggs. Whisk continuously to keep the eggs from cooking.

3. Heat the egg-milk mixture until it starts steaming and coats the spoon. Again, while mixing continuously to maintain the texture. 6-8 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, add mango puree.

5. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight then churn in an ice cream maker.

September was another good month. The tomatoes keep coming, as well as the peppers. The herbs are drying up a bit while pumpkins have started maturing. With the weather as it is, I estimate we would have 3-4 weeks more of harvest. It’s been a great long summer!

Although our garden continues to produce tasty treats, this will be the last update for 2009. October will be dedicated to cleaning up the garden for next season. I hope you enjoyed the summer’s bounty!