Years ago, I was a chef at a health spa, where the focus was on reducing calories and fats, and increasing vegetables and whole grains. It was a sensible plan back then, and remains so today. Thirty years later, I continue to center my meals around vegetables, use locally-sourced meats, and steer away from processed foods. But, unlike the strict diet that I cooked at the spa, I do indulge. I’m not the sort to buy a bag of powdered mini-donuts; I bring home puff pastry and mascarpone cheese. I adore mascarpone cheese, which is a creamy, soured, soft product. It’s similar to creme fraiche, which is a rich sour cream-like product. Either work here. This recipe is topped with eggs from my hens. This is an indulgence worth eating!

Bell Pepper Tarts with Eggs

1 sheet (8 ounces) puff pastry, defrosted
1 or 2 sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (or creme fraiche)
2 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for dusting
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Sauté the bell peppers and shallots in the olive oil until soft, golden and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Use the best quality puff pastry that you can find. Trader Joe’s carries it, but only during the winter holidays.

Look for these ingredients – it shouldn’t have any fat other than butter!

Puff pastry looks fancy and intimidating, but it’s the easiest product to work with! Depending on the brand, you might have to roll it out a bit, but it starts out in the right shape, it just requires flattening a bit. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a knife, score a margin 1-inch in, and halfway through the pastry.

4. In small bowl, combine the mascarpone

mascarpone cheese

and Parmesan. Heat this over boiling water until is softens (or do in the microwave, but take care that the cheese doesn’t cook.)

5. Spread half of the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry, keeping it inside of the scored lines. Arrange the sautéed peppers over the cheese.

6. Spoon the remaining cheese over the pastry. Crack two eggs, nestling them opposite each other. Dust with about a tablespoon of Parmesan.

7. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes until puffed, brown and the egg yolks are just cooked through.

8. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Cut into 8 pieces for an appetizer, or it satisfies two people for dinner.

The goaties were stuck in their stall during the blizzard. It was cramped and boring, but it was worse outside. By the time the snow stopped falling their paddock looked like this.

Two feet of snow and deeper where it had drifted.

The only way to let the goats out was to climb out their Dutch door. I’m sorry that I don’t have a photo of Steve clambering out. Caper would have joined him. If only he could. Steve tells him to have some patience.

Soon enough, the boys had their freedom.

Such as it was. Even though they were still boxed in by walls of snow, there was some head-butting rejoicing.

Steve kept shoveling. The boys helped. They were quite encouraging, while overseeing the details.

Pip wasn’t interested, but Caper enthusiastically tasted the snow.

Delicious!

Steve had the brilliant idea of setting up a camera and doing a time-lapse of the Great Blizzard of 2013. We truly lucked out, as the snow came down soft, light and dry. We didn’t lose power. The animals were safe and snug in their barns. We do, however, have a lot of shoveling to do!

Look carefully at the beginning and you’ll see the hens going inside just as the snow starts to fall.

Please share if you enjoy this! (Easy to click on buttons at the bottom of the post.)

The video starts at 3am Friday February 8, and ends 11am Saturday February 9. Images were taken at 2 minute intervals and play back at 30 frames per second.

The snow continues to fall. There’s already two feet on the ground, with drifts upwards of three feet. Last night, Scooter asked to go out to do his business and the wind was blowing so hard that he couldn’t, tucked his tail between his legs, and ran back indoors.

Early this morning, Steve went out to shovel a path for the dogs. Lily took one look around, didn’t even step off of the porch, and asked to come in. Scooter remained on the couch, with eyes squeezed shut, willing the storm away.

Steve kept shoveling.

Thank goodness for weather reports. Imagine being a farmer in 1920. No radio. No way of telling that the light snow in the morning would turn into a blizzard by nightfall. People complain about television weathermen who hype the smallest storm. But, I’m grateful for the science behind the forecasts and time to prepare.

A blizzard is not simply a heavy snowfall. Yes there’s a lot of snow, but it doesn’t fall in light, pretty flakes. It comes down heavy and hard. There will be no way to shovel and keep up with it. The snow will blow sideways with wind gusts that will reach 50 mph. There will be whiteout conditions, which means that I won’t be able to see my way from the back door to the barn.

This storm is going to be one for the record books. Up to three feet of snow! What I’m worried about is what comes after – they’re predicting warm weather and rain for later in the week. The snow layer will be so thick that it will absorb that added moisture. At night it will freeze solid. Instead of two feet of snow on the ground, there will be a foot of solid ice. Dangerous. Long lasting.

We’re as prepared as we can be. Yesterday I cleaned out the barns and put down fresh shavings, so all is dry and sweet-smelling. I also scooped out and filled the inside dust baths as no one will be going out for awhile.

I tidied up the barns. The goats love it when I do this, as they get sweepings from the hay storage area.

While mucking out, I let the Gems out for a free-range session. This is the last they’ll see of grass and ground for awhile.

Buffy had a peaceful sunbath.

I topped off the feeders and waterers, and Steve filled the water storage bucket in the Big Barn.

I cleaned up the goats’ paddock. I give them pine saplings to eat and play with. I won’t be able to shovel with these strewn about, so they got tossed into the woods.

I went grocery shopping, and a guy in the produce department kindly gave me a box of greens.

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While the hens are stuck indoors, I’ll be doling the greens out like this. Having to work for their treats will keep them busy and the vegetables will keep the girls healthy.

I’ve brought the boots indoors from where they usually sit on the back steps. Nothing worse than having to wear cold, snow-filled boots!

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I’m sure that the power will go out. I’m doing doing loads of laundry while I still have electricity. We’ve done all of the other regular storm preparations: filling containers with water, charging lanterns, having food on hand, etc. Unlike Hurricane Sandy, when we lost power but the outdoor temperature was moderate, this time it will be very cold, in the single digits. We can always leave, but my animals can’t, and so my focus has been on the barn. I think all will be snug and cozy.

There will soon be a pile of snow in front of the HenCam and you won’t be able to see much. But Steve has added wind speed to the info on the cams, so you’ll be able to get a sense of what is going on.

If you’re in the path of the storm, stay safe!