Outer Island

My grad class spent today on Outer Island, which is one of the Thimble Islands.  We did a whole bunch of data collection, but I also had a chance to take lots of pictures.

Here’s the tide pool that my group monitored throughout the day.  It reminded me of an infinity pool.

The tide was coming in while we were there.

The Thimble Islands are granite, and are therefore more stable than many other islands in Long Island Sound.  This pink rock is known as Stony Creek Granite.

Outer Island is about 5 acres, and is the only Thimble Island used for research by Connecticut State Universities and Yale.

I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of this boat sailing by us.

Here’s our tide pool again, from a different angle. 

Although it was a busy day, we still had some time to relax and take in the scenery.  I love this class!

Three Horse Hitch

Bob, Bill, and Vinny

I took this picture 10 years ago when I was a senior in high school.  I was in a photography class, and we could only print black and white photos in our darkroom at school.  Now, I love that this photo is in black and white.

Bob and Duke were our first team, and you can read about when we got them in “Our First Team”.  Bob was heartbroken after his brother Duke died of a split intestine when I was a sophomore in high school.  We got Bill and Vinny, a new team, and my dad turned the wagon into a three horse hitch, so Bob could stroll along with them.  By this time, Bob was older, so he didn’t actually pull the wagon, but he was hitched to the other boys and got to feel like he was pulling.  Now that Bob’s gone, too, we’re back to a team of two.

But someday, when baby Isabelle is big enough, we plan to bring back the three horse hitch.

Fresh Fried Fish

I’m fortunate to be married to a man who loves to fish, so we have a lot of fresh fish to eat.  Ed’s favorite way to eat fish is fried, and while that may not be the healthiest recipe, nothing compares to fresh fried fish.  It’s easy to make, but can be intimidating for people who have never made it (I know, I was one of them until Ed’s mom showed me how).

You will need:

• fish filets (how many will depend on how many fish you catch!)
• about a cup of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2-3 beaten eggs
• a bottle of canola oil

You really need to get fresh fish, which translates to local fish, since that will spend the least time traveling from the ocean (or stream) to your plate.  Ed and his brother clean the fish, cutting it into filets and removing the skin.

Today we have blackfish and fluke.  I cut the filets in half to make them easier to handle during cooking.

Coat the filets in a thin layer of flour.  I find that a pie pan works well, but you could also use a shallow bowl.

Next, dip the fish in the beaten eggs.  Again, I like to use a pie pan for this task.  Coat the fish in egg on all sides.  I like to use tongs so I don’t end up with thick layers of flour and egg on my fingers, but you could certainly use your hands.

Return the fish to the flour mixture and coat again.  This will provide the crunchy coating on the fried fish.  I’ll often mix equal parts panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs and flour for the second coating, but I didn’t have any today so I just used flour alone.

Next, fill a pan with canola oil to about an inch depth.  I usually use my dutch oven, since the high sides help to keep the oil from splattering my kitchen.  However, today my dutch oven was full of leftover macaroni and cheese, so I used a cast iron skillet instead.  Heat the oil over high heat until it begins to shimmer, meaning it is hot.  You can test it by dipping the edge of a piece of fish in the oil.  If it simmers, it’s ready; if not, it needs to heat up more.

Add some of the fish to the pan, giving it plenty of space.  I turn on the fan in the hood now, to prevent my house from smelling like fish for days.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness, until you see the edges start to brown.

Flip the fish carefully.  I use tongs but you could use a spatula.  Allow the fish to cook another 2-3 minutes, or flip it a few more times until you get the level of browning you like.  If the coating begins to burn, you may need to turn down the heat.

Remove the fish to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Cook the remaining fish in batches following the same procedure.  You can keep the cooked fish hot on a sheet pan in a low oven if you’re cooking a lot of fish at once; if you only have two batches, it can rest on the paper towel.

Serve with lemon and tartar sauce.  Leftovers make excellent sandwiches the next day!  See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

Pie Crust Twists

This is the perfect way to use up leftover pie dough.  It’s not really the kind of recipe I measure…  You will need:

• leftover pie dough, rolled out and cut into strips
• about 1 tsp melted butter
• a mixture of about 1 tsp sugar, a dash of cinnamon and a sprinkle of cardamom (in my mind, a dash is bigger than a sprinkle)

Twist each dough strip and lay them out on a sheet pan.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar/spice mixture.  Bake at 375°(or whatever temperature you are baking the pie) for 8-12 minutes, until golden.

Strolling with Isabelle

Follow along with Isabelle the Shire as she strolls today…

I woke up this morning in the barn after a long night’s sleep.  We had a busy day yesterday visiting with people.

After breakfast, we had a quick bath.  Here’s my mom Annabelle getting washed.

Now it’s my turn.  I don’t really like to stand still during a bath, I’d rather go run!

When we finally got to the pasture, I ran and ran and ran! I love to run around the big open field! I’m so fast!!!  Sometimes I go too fast and fall down…

But I jump right back up and keep running!

I got hungry, so I stopped running for a little while and then I took a nap.

See you later!

To see who else is strolling today, visit the Quiet Country House.

Blueberry Pie

• dough for 2-crusted pie
• 3 pints blueberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• dash cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• juice from half a lemon
• 4 heaping Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp butter
• pinch sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Roll out one crust and arrange it in the pie pan.  Combine blueberries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, salt and cornstarch in a bowl, then pour into the bottom crust and dot with butter.  Roll out remaining crust and use a star (or other shape) cookie cutter to make about 8 stars.  Refrigerate remaining crust for another use.  Lay the stars on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar, then bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Bake pie for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake for another 50-60 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is browned.  Arrange stars on the top of the pie and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.