Saturday, October 3, 2009

New York ....

.... pictures from Day 1, Sunday August 20 2009.
The old and the new, the financial district, the bit where the Dutch landed, or near it anyway.
My first squirrel spotting, which almost made up for the horribly hot weather.

And then we found this turkey, at least I think it was a turkey, just sitting there, in Battery Park, watching the gawping tourists (like me).
Down town, from the Staten Island Ferry, a free ride mostly used by tourists, at least off peak.
We found the Richmond Bank Ball Park.
We could find nothing to identify this building, just across from the ferry terminal on Richmond Terrace, anybody?
It had a lovely, shady park right next door.
With this statue, dedicated to a public man.
And then we found Trinity Church, on Wall Street.
Where they have apparently kept the choir and have music at services.
It may seem strange to some, that an atheist can like churches so much. I don't think it strange to enjoy beauty and history, it would be strange not to.
I loved that someone, or ones, keep up gardens in the boneyard, which is a joyful, beautiful thing. Nothing like those soulless, ugly lawn cemeteries that abound today. I've no interest at all in visiting any such place.
Adam & Eve and their pet snake, Boris.
That these are allowed to weather away can only be a good thing.
Just over the road, real, busy, noisy life. But you didn't notice it when your back was turned.
A printer's grave.
And just next door, another beautiful building, the Trinity Building.
It can be a struggle to read the gravestones, but really, the weathered beauty is what I found most interesting. The history of individuals being so very fleeting.
Saints or somesuch.
I'd have loved to be allowed underground for a look.
Did someone not die, or decide to be buried with someone else?
The Trinity Building, a window this time, from the graveyard not the street.
Still to come, Day 2 & beyond!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Red Capsicum, Tomato & Goat Cheese Gratin

From the March 2009 edition of Delicious Magazine.
4 large red capsicums, blackened and peeled then sliced into strips
1/3 cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
2 tbs baby capers
2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
3 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
190g goat cheese (fetta)
5 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1cm thick
2 cups (140g) cores fresh breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 180c and lightly oil a 20cm gratin dish (I used my pretty yellow one)
Heat 1/2 oil over low heat and cook the onion & garlic until it is pale golden brown. Place in the gratin dish with1/2 the capsicum, 1/2 the herbs and 1/2 the capers and season with salt and pepper.
Crumble over the goat cheese. top with the tomato, overlapping the slices, cover with the remaining capsicum.
Mix the breadcrumbs (I added some grated Parmesan) with remaining capers and herbs and oil. Scatter the crumb mixture over the top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.