Mt. Washington, NH
Autumn Trip
Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we put 4 questions up each week for you to ponder and answer. Then we hope you visit all the other participants too. so we can get to know one another better.
Let's plan a lovely vacation through New England to see the Autumn leaves.. Money is no object and we have all the time we would like.
1. How many days and nights would you like to be away?
Oh, at least a week. I would love to go again during the first week of October, which corresponds to our grandson's birthday and also the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine. That is when we used to always travel up there. It is the most beautiful time of the year for New England. I've written about that before HERE.
2. What kind of car would you like to take on this trip? Maybe you would enjoy the train? Would you sail up the coast in a yacht?
Well, first I would need to fly up there from Florida so more time can be devoted to the actual fall tour. Then we would need to rent a car to get around to places. I would love a scenic train trip through the White Mountains again. HERE is a link to The Conway Scenic Railroad, which we have done before many years ago. And also traveling up to Mt. Washington via the Cog Railroad is quite the adventure. That is well worth the time, but not for the faint of heart or person afraid of heights. And no, I am not interested in sailing anywhere. I am a land lubber.
3. Would side trips be on your agenda? Perhaps to Mystic, Connecticut, Salem, Massachusetts, Plimouth, (yes, they spelled it with an "i" ) Massachusetts, Walden Pond, Lizzie Borden's home or maybe the home of Emily Dickenson, etc.
3. Would side trips be on your agenda? Perhaps to Mystic, Connecticut, Salem, Massachusetts, Plimouth, (yes, they spelled it with an "i" ) Massachusetts, Walden Pond, Lizzie Borden's home or maybe the home of Emily Dickenson, etc.
I guess I'm not really into a lot of scenic tourist places. Just the natural beauty of Maine and New Hampshire and the White Mountains and Mt. Washington Valley is good enough for me. If you've ever been there, you'd understand why. I used to work at a place called Nordic Village Resort many many years ago, in the heart of the White Mountains. If I could go back and stay there for a few days, I'd be happy.
4. Lobster roll, chowders, boiled dinners, brown bread, baked beans, pancakes with real maple syrup, blueberry muffins, Parker House Rolls (well loved by Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Kennedy clan.), Toll House Cookies, Red Flannel Hash, Tourtiere pork pie, — what native foods catch your attention?
4. Lobster roll, chowders, boiled dinners, brown bread, baked beans, pancakes with real maple syrup, blueberry muffins, Parker House Rolls (well loved by Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Kennedy clan.), Toll House Cookies, Red Flannel Hash, Tourtiere pork pie, — what native foods catch your attention?
Well, when in Maine you have to have some real seafood "chowdah". No one makes it like they do. And then of course the real brown bread came from New England...I love it. You can buy brown bread in a can if you can find it. I love it. Especially good with Boston Baked Beans. 
Our hostess Annie posted this recipe for Red Flannel Hash, which is a New England specialty. I have had it and it is very good, so I will include the recipe here. I've never made it, however:
"Here is a recipe for the hash that I found a while back that might interest you."
Red Flannel Hash
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) sliced beets, drained and chopped
2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
2-1/2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add all remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir until lightly browned and heated through, 20 minutes.
And yes, I love blueberry muffins made with fresh Maine blueberries. Of course, here in Florida we just make them with whatever kind of blueberries we can find, but there's something special about going out and picking your own blueberries in the woods, which is what we did in NH and Maine. And of course, there's no better maple syrup than that which comes directly from the maple trees in New England (after it is boiled down to syrup, that is). Did you know that it takes 40 gallons of sap from the sugar maple tree to get just one gallon of syrup? No wonder it is so expensive!
"Here is a recipe for the hash that I found a while back that might interest you."
Red Flannel Hash
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) sliced beets, drained and chopped
2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
2-1/2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add all remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir until lightly browned and heated through, 20 minutes.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip to New England with me. Please click on the different links above to get the full tour. Thank you, Annie, for coming up with these questions each week.
