Road Trip Through the Chathams

My little adventure this Sunday, technically began in mid-October. I went to the Rhinebeck Antique’s Fair and I discovered Sandy Klempner and her amazing selection of antiques. She was very friendly and offered to provide me with more places to shop if I ever wanted to visit the part of the Hudson Valley that bordered the Berkshire Mountains. I have always wanted to go and thought Sandy Klempner Antiques would be a fantastic place to start my trail through this region, but as it turned out, it was the perfect end to the perfect day.

My day started in Beacon, of course. I was grabbing a cup of tea at Bank Square and was about to hit the road when my photographer friend, Tom Moore, contacted me and wanted in on gettin’out. He needed a change of pace and decided to join me.

He wanted to know where we were going and I said, “I have one place in Canaan, NY I am aiming for and the rest is up to fate.” Fate began when we landed in East Chatam, to respond to nature’s call. We used the bathroom inside the most quaint and perfectly merchandised shop, called Classic Country (pictured below). And classic country, it was. I had kinda wished I wasn’t done with my holiday shopping already. They had the cutest hand-blown glass chickens, a huge selection of bath products, home décor, chocolate and jarred gumbo. If you’re in the area, I’m sure you could shop for almost everyone you know here. Classic Country is located at: 2948 County Route 9, East Chatham - (518) 392-2211

Tom asked the owner which direction to head in and she mentioned the Old Chatham Country Store. She said it was run by two Culinary grads and described a ham sandwich like it was her boyfriend. She was obviously in love with the place and it was the perfect lead as it was time to eat some lunch.

Tom and I had just about the same meal. We both got a soup/sandwich combo. He got the split pea and it was veggie chili for me. We each ordered the Thanksgiving Day Sandwich. Yum! Complete with stuffing and cranberry mayonnaise. (shhh! I secretly love mayo, Helmann’s, but I use veggie mayo at home to be good).We also had an apple tart that was really good (above).

When we were done, we were off to Chatham, Chatham…no old, east, north, etc. On our way we discovered the many sheep who help make Old Chatham cheese and yogurt at the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company. We thought we were trespassing when we entered the property, but there was a sign on one of the buildings that said “Cheese Store.” Two refrigerators and a money slot. That was it! This is probably the only place open within 20 miles for midnight munchies.

Just up the road, I saw herds of alpacas at Spruce Ridge Farm. Tom had no idea what he was looking at. So we turned in. They also, had a little store. This one was operated by humans. They sold products made of Alpaca fiber. I bought a finger puppet for my friend’s daughter and was considering a hat for another friend. For those unfamiliar, the fiber is akin to wool and is much softer.

Havisham for the Holidays

I thought recognizing a completely crazy female literary character would be the perfect way to launch this website. The concept for Burlock as a company is based on all the eccentric women in my family-starting with my grandmother and includes my mother, my aunt, and even myself.

Miss Havisham was jilted by her fiancé many years prior and spends her time in a faded wedding dress with a decaying feast on her dining room table. But if she were to clear the nuptial debris and host a holiday meal she might serve a roast goose with apples and prunes or perhaps a haunch of Mutton. In an effort to find a fabulous recipe from Regency England I came across a traditional English dish that is fabulous in a different way-Toad in the Hole.

While it’s definitely not suited for Miss Havisham’s Holiday meal, it is well suited for your belly in about 20 minutes! It’s easy and well-suited for the shorter days of the year. And let’s face it, this is perfect for holiday time if you become as crazed as the average person.

This is definitely needs onion gravy and goes well with roasted root veggies. Or steamed carrots and peas and mashed potatoes.

Toad in the Hole
6 medium sized sausagelinks
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
4 tbsp. oil
Cook your sausages in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
Blend flour, salt, eggs, milk together until very smooth, scraping bowl occasionally (a blender also works well for this).
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Measure oil into 8 x 8 x 2 inch square Pyrex pan. Heat for 2 minutes.
Add sausages to oil in bottom of pan (be careful-- the oil may spit)
Pour batter into pan and bake for 20-30 minutes. Do not open door. Serve immediately, with gravy if desired.

For a slightly more involved version that includes fresh herbs see Jamie Oliver’s recipe, here. He also has a quick onion gravy on this page.

Hudson River Bindery

In grad-school I took an art class. It was such a nice way to escape the monotonous discipline of architecture. I’ve taken figure drawing and sculpture, but this was more free-form, involved digital media and got me into making art-books. I learned how to sew signatures together and a few different bookbinding techniques. (Here's a really great book to learn all of this stuff from).I was fascinated. Of course I haven’t done anything with it since then, but I was delighted when I discovered that there’s a book bindery right here in Beacon. They do embossing, stamping, gold edging and “For-Edge” painting (pictured below). They also make specialty boxes. So if you’re looking for a service like this, give them a call. They do editions of up to a hundred. 845.401.8269 or check out their website.