One Thing You Can Predict About Mother Nature is...

...that you CAN'T predict Mother Nature.

Last week I woke, sniffed the air, and said, "Autumn is here." "You think so," Jeff asked. "Yes," I answered, "the signs are everywhere. Look at Old Ivory Tail the squirrel; she is fat from eating that hailstorm of acorns that fell last night. All she can do is lounge. Apples are plunking onto the ground, the goldfinches are rallying, calling to their young that it is time to move on. The tidepools in front of the cottage are full of migrating shorebirds. And in the middle of the night, I can hear the distant piping of the warblers and thrushes wending their way through the night skies."

So I decided to clean all my old aqua bottles that I use for bouquets and store them in the cupboard.

Then, I hung our comforters and quilts outdoors to air. Changed the beds to flannel sheets, built a cozy fire (see the glowing eyes in the owl andirons?), and decided to have the last tea of the season on our porch. Late August ALWAYS turns to autumn here.

That was the prediction, but I was WRONG. I did have a tea party on the porch, but on that day, the weather turned from autumn to HOT, HOT, HOT. We're sweltering here and that is why I haven't
written.

The table is set with antique sherbet dishes that were a gift from my friend Linda Blitzer and green luncheon dishes, given to me by my dear friend Ginny Holihan.

Gourmet Magazine's Stone Fruit Tea Cake

Mise en place, I at least TRY to be organized when I cook.

Here it is in use-my Carrara marble mortar and pestle with crushed demarara sugar for the topping.

Stone fruits, blueberries, and cranberries.

Ready to go. This is my beloved pie plate carried home from Apt, France.

Gorgeous! Well, I walked away at the end and left it in about 3 minutes too long, but it was great (if I do say so myself).

Our tea party was to honor my friend Anne Ramsey, who is still, at the young age of 90 plus, a force. She is a conservationist, gardener, and lover of life. We all appreciate her youthful mind and joie.

Enjoy my tea party and DO try my recipe. I tweaked it a bit from one I first saw in our loved but lost GOURMET MAGAZINE. It turned out perfectly, and I'm baking it again tomorrow for a group of friends.

Rustic Stone Fruit Tea Cake

1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temp

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (Gourmet called for 1 tsp)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temp

3 eggs at room temp

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups coarsely chopped stone fruit

3/4 cup blueberries (I used fresh, but frozen works fine)

1/4 cup of dried cranberries reconstituted in 1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon of turbinado or demarara sugar 

Preheat your oven to 375 and 

butter your pie plate.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cream the sugar and butter for 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed (until fluffy). Add eggs one at a time while mixer is on low, scrape sides of bowl as adding eggs, add vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir till smooth. Separate the dough into two equal pieces. Put dough on plastic wrap, and pat it into two 1 inch thick circles, which will fit your pie plate.  Chill in freezer for half an hour. Pat half the dough into the buttered pie plate. Mound the fruit over the dough in the pie plate. Top the fruit with small (50 cent size) pieces of dough. Sprinkle the demarara sugar over the pieces and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes-till golden.

Good Luck! Don't walk away and forget it as I did.

Still putting the finishing touches on Comfort Found, still working on a new book, still enjoying every second of this hot life, but NOT sleeping on flannel sheets.

Oh, and wish us well. We're monitoring the approach of hurricane Earl. Maybe we'll be boarding our windows and moving the old porch rockers indoors.

All joys,

Sharon