Pat C's quilt, Taughannock Falls, Museum of the Earth, farm to table dinner

The 2 things of note for Monday (9/28) were: Pat came by to pick up her quilt:  

It is a Hawaiian themed quilt and I did a plumeria design that I thought was particularly appropriate and that Pat seemed to like.  She now has to appliqué 40 Hawaiian shirts on all of the blocks!  And in the evening, we had martini club.  There were only 6 of us, and it was just wonderful.  The food was great, but the best part was we all sat around the dining room table, talking and talking and talking….I didn’t get home until after 11 !!!

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Now, back to vacation:

Kate had a doctor’s appointment on Monday (9/21), so Marc, Michael and I did some touristy things.  Marc took us to Taughannock Falls in Ithaca….

 which are actually slightly higher than Niagara Falls.  Then it was off to the Museum of the Earth.   

honest to goodness, this thing was creepy...I kept waiting for it to move...

 What a fabulous place….a paleontological exhibition, with rooms devoted to each period of the earth’s history…including one very personal one:   

 

The kids grilled out for dinner on Monday and included the corn we brought….OMgosh!!!  It was heaven!

On Tuesday (9/22), Marc & Michael headed out to golf, and Kate had to work.  So I spent the day browsing through a lovely quilt store, and then sitting along the shore of Cayuga Lake, swinging on a porch type swing and knitting…it was heaven.  In the evening we went to something totally fun….a 10 course farm to table (with wine parings) vegetarian feast.   

Marc & Kate

out table scape...including a huge head of garlic from the farmer

I stupidly didn’t get a picture of the first 3 courses:

1-a shooter of gazpacho with bell pepper sorbet

2-cherry tomatoes with burrata, olive oil & herbed bread crumbs

3-ravioli with ricotta, tomato sauce and chiffonaded basil

But they were incredibly yummy!

4-squash croquettes with escalivada (this was my number 2 favorite)

5 – grilled summer squash with romesco & piperade

6-farro risotto with pesto & zucchini

 7-squash flatbread with a confit of leeks & chevre (this was my absolute favorite and I’m going to try to re-create it!)

 8-gnocchi with brown butter, butternut puree & hazelnuts (I think this was Michael’s #1 favorite)

 9-squash panna cotta with bruleed marchmallow (this was my #3…so smooth, so creamy, so yummy!)

 10-cherry tomato & zucchini upside down cake with pumpkin pie frosting & tomato ice cream

 Oh my goodness…thank goodness the portions were small…but we were still stuffed by the time it was done.  We even got a picture with the farmer:

what a hunk....right?

 After that we went home and talked for a bit, then Michael & I headed to the airport hotel for our early morning flight home.  It was a wonderful visit.