Show time: Liberty Local

This Saturday is the second annual Liberty Local Handmade Craft Fair at the Ann Arbor Art Center and I will be vending along with a slew of talented crafty types.  I took part in the show last year and my favorite thing was the number of vendors who I had never met or seen before, making for a really great mix of goodies to browse. We'll be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. — plenty of opportunity to stop in!

And, for a bit of extra fun, I'll be on the AM airwaves Friday morning with Lucy Ann Lance having a chat about the show. Tune in to 1290AM around 8:30 a.m. to have a listen.

Spicy Carrot Sandwiches

Before we return to our regularly scheduled feature of Book Business Tuesdays, I wanted to jump right in with a recipe because I know you guys kinda like it when I do. I had this for lunch yesterday and was itching to write it up immediately. It is an open-faced sandwich with a beautiful balance of flavors -- not to mention pretty and colorful on the plate!  It combines carrots with caraway, something I would never have thought of but works tremendously well. I played around with the Food & Wine version substituting a white bean spread where they called for hummus becaue that's what I had the fixins for and really liked the results. I also garnished with a little fresh oregano instead of cilantro because I thought it would play better with the rosemary in the bean spread. Do what you will ... it's bound to be good!

Spicy Carrot Sandwiches

Adapted from Food & Wine

Serves 4.

2 large carrots, coarsely grated

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt
Crushed red pepper
4 slices of multigrain bread or two 8-inch whole wheat baguettes, split lengthwise and grilled
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons white bean dip (recipe below) or hummus
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
Cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper

In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the carrots, garlic and caraway, season with salt and crushed red pepper and cook until the carrots are just wilted, about 4 minutes. Let cool.

Spread the white bean spread on the bread. Sprinkle with the carrot mixture and dollop on the yogurt. Top with cilantro, season with black pepper and serve.

White Bean Dip

1 (15-ounce) can white beans such as cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 Tb olive oil
2 Tb fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in a small food processor. Puree until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. 

East Coast trip: Part Two

On to the rest of my road trip … after part one, I launched into a weekend of World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows. I was a vendor in the Bust Magazine Craftacular section of the show and had a wonderful time. I had extremely kind and talented neighbors and met some really great new customers. And did I mention there was a flaming unicorn? Amazing … 

I headed east on the Monday after the show and met up with a wonderfully dear friend on the North Fork. It was a perfect and sparkling fall day and we had a delicious lunch—and visit—here. The farm fields were looking lush and green and the wine grapes were heavy on the vines. All of which I have not a photo to share. So sad, but it is vivid in my mind. 

And then, after a recuperative stay with my aunt and uncle, I headed north across the Long Island Sound via the ferry on my way to Boston. I love me a ferry ride—especially with views of red tugboats!

I quickly veered off the highway at the first sight of a sign announcing the Pez visitors center. What?!? I have driven this section of I-95 MANY times and had never seen this before. Apparently there has been a Pez factory in Orange, CT for many, many years but just opened this visitors center open to the public last year. More details on this stop later this week! 

I made a little detour to take a quick walk through the campus of my alma mater. And more importantly, had an incredibe lunch at First and Last Bakery and Cafe in Hartford: prosciutto, fig and asiago panini. mmmmm. 

Several days spent in Boston with more dear friends whom I hadn't seen in WAY too long. We went to the aquarium where we became pals with the sea lions, had a decadent lunch at the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum and more. Again … no photos. I kept forgetting my camera. This trip is making me realize I am terrible about taking photos of people, or even when I am with people. Hmmm. I'll have to work on that. Although it is probably, too, that I enjoy the time with those people and forget about "documenting" which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Thoughts, anyone?

My trip continued north up the coast of Massachusetts to scenic Cape Ann and specifically Rockport. The sun returned and I spent several days wandering the quaint streets, soaking up the salty sea air and catching up with friends. Including not a few of these … 

Last but not least, I made an all-too-brief stop in rural Vermont. I had forgotten how mountainous, colorful and breathtaking Vermont can be. After a "wild and cozy" evening with my friend in her temporary farmhouse home, I set out for a somewhat grueling 12-hour drive home. It was SO worth it!!

And now I am back in the saddle again and will have tasty treats for you this week here on the blog. Promise!