Gilfeather Turnip Festival

Fall is filled with many festivals. From foliage to pumpkin festivals, there aren't a shortage of New England towns to visit in  October. This past weekend was no exception as the 25th Annual New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival was held in Laconia on Saturday and the Mondadnock Pumpkin Festival was held at the Cheshire County Fairgrounds. Both were trying to replace the pumpkin fest, traditionally held in Keene, but not permitted by the City this year due to rioting that occurred during the 2014 event. Instead of celebrating the common pumpkin, I instead drove to Wardsboro Vermont to attend the 13th annual Gilfeather Turnip Festival. Since my first attempt at planting turnips this summer was so successful I wanted to gather ideas on how to make use of this tuber vegetable.

A very cool sign for the Baker Violin Shop

Although foliage was past its peak, and some trees were even bare, the trip through Keene and through south-central Vermont was gorgeous, which meant that I had to stop several times to take a few snapshots.

Dummerston Covered Bridge over the West River

Nothing says New England like a covered bridge and the long Dummerston Bridge in West Dummerston is am authentic example. There is a good sized parking area on the West Side of the bridge with steps leading down to the water.

Steps that take you underneath the Dummerston Bridge

One of the towns I drove through was Newfane. I challenge anyone who was not traveled this route before to drive past this town without stopping to admire this historic village. The village, settled in the middle of the 18th century, is the county seat for the county of Windham and is listed on the National Register of Historic places. The architecture of the buildings and its geographic setting surrounded by hills is designed for a storybook.

Just before making the turn onto Route 100 from Route 30 is the Townshend Dam and Flood Control project.  At the time, the entrance to the state recreation area was closed (open from Memorial Day to Labor Day), but it is still an interesting area to walk around.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Townshend Lake Flood Control Project

I finally turned on Maine Street in the Town of Wardsboro and was greeted by a traffic jam, and with parking on both sides, the now single lane road was a bit of a challenge to maneuver through in order to find a parking spot. The Gilfeather Turnip Festival has certainly come into its own. I saw cars from New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. I was the only car from New Hampshire.

The "Turnip Cafe" and Entertainment were held inside the Town Hall, and an outside farmer's market and craft fair was held in the tent next to the building. From what I gathered, this was the best turn-out the festival organizers have seen. Unfortunately, this was apparent when the soup had already sold out at the cafe. I was able to sample some turnip slaw though.

I also missed the turnip judging, but heard that the winner of the largest turnip was 40 pounds!

Gilfeather Turnips (aka rutabaga)

Truck Bed of Turnips

The Gilfeather turnip was originally grown by Wardsboro resident John Gilfeather, sometime around the turn of the 20th century, but it did not become trademarked until the early 1980s by MaryLou and Bill Schmidt. This year, a bill was presented to the state legislature to designate the Gilfeather Turnip as the state vegetable. The seeds, once a highly guarded commodity, can now be purchased locally and through heirloom seed catalogs. Although I missed out on the soup, I did buy some Gilfeather turnip bread and the official Gilfeather Turnip Cookbook so that I can experiment with my own turnip dishes.

E.O. Wilson Documentary Wins Conservation Hero Award

Earlier this month 1000 entries competed in the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. The selection of films is quite impressive. One of the winners E.O. Wilson-Of Ants and Men  is currently available for viewing on PBS Video by clicking on the photo below.

E.O. Wilson is a renowned biologist who founded the concept of "social biology" through his life-long study of ants and their societies. He is a Pulitzer prize winner and professor emeritus at Harvard. In 2005 the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity foundation was formed and named after his significant contributions to the importance of biodiversity on the planet. The film, through the words of Wilson, some breathtaking photography, and inspiring music brings the viewer into the fascinating world of life on earth from insects to humans. His optimism, even after observing so much destruction of the earth's biosphere, calls us all to action to do our part to ensure the survival of the diversity in nature. After watching the movie, it's easy to see why it won both the Best Writing and Conservation Hero Awards at Jackson Hole.

Specimens from Museum of Natural History, Berlin

In a related story this week, the New York Times reported on the massive effort being undertaken at the Berlin Museum of Natural History to digitize and publish on-line the museum's entire collection of insect specimens (about 15 million.) Having access to, and being able to study these older species, is critical to understanding how habitats have changed and speciies have evolved, and is imperative to planning for the future.  

The New Hampshire Northern Rail Trail

My favorite type of bike riding is on dedicated off-road paths. All across the country, former railroad beds are being converted to multi-use trails. One of these, the Northern Rail Trail in New Hampshire, has over 50 miles that has been converted to a finished gravel hard-packed trail. In the summer it is used by walkers and bikers, and in the winter it becomes a popular snow mobile route. The rail corridor itself is seventy miles long and extends from Concord, NH to White River Junction, VT. 1982 was the last year that a freight train traveled the entire distance of the railway. The trail was officially abandoned in 1992, and in 1999 the entire rail corridor became eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. By 2009, the Grafton County Friends of the Northern Rail Trail had transformed the first 23-mile section of the corridor from Lebanon to the Grafton County Line to a multi-use trail. By 2013 the trail had been completed almost to the Hannah Dustin parking area in Boscawen, making this the longest multi-use rail trail in New Hampshire.

On Columbus Day, we took advantage of the seventy-plus degree weather to go for a bike ride. We began the trip at the parking area next to the Gerrish Depot building in Boscawen. Plans are underway to renovate this historic building starting with bids taken this summer to re-shingle the roof. The Gerrish Depot and the depot at Potter Place in Andover are the only remaining train stations on the Northern Rail Trail.

Gerrish Depot in serious need of repairs, still retains its original character

We headed north, following Route 3 on our left and the Merrimack River and farm land on the right.

There aren't necessarily fantastic views along this portion of the ride, but just pleasant New Hampshire landscape that can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Even though there was beautiful weather, and it was a holiday, we passed only a few people on our ride.

Abandoned farm machinery

In addition to getting some exercise, we also learned a lot about the importance of the rail corridor and the Merrimack River to the economic growth of the area from the numerous historical markers along the way.

There is plenty of evidence of the original train track, like an old railroad turntable in Franklin and removed railroad ties, which make you feel like you are traveling through time.

Turntable used for turning the engines

Railroad tie remnants and retaining wall

At Hancock Falls it was a nice spot to see some trees changing color in the reflection of the pond.

Dam at Hancock Falls

By 4:00 O'clock it was time to head back to the parking area, but we will definitely be back to ride this and other sections of the trail.

For further information and maps:
northernrailtrail.org
Friends of the Northern Rail Trail

Apple Recipes

Mid-October is a time to get outside and enjoy all that fall has to offer. It's a time to clean up the yard and garden; get out and enjoy some fall foliage; and if possible, visit a local apple orchard or cider mill. Since we still have several bags of apples in the basement from our two backyard trees, I elected on Sunday to turn some into dinner, including the main course, dessert and a hot drink.

Baked Chicken, Apples and Butternut Squash  

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 butternut squash
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 apples
salt and pepper
Peel squash, remove seeds and cut into cubes. Place squash in a greased casserole dish. Pour 3 tablespoons melted butter over squash. Pound chicken breasts until thin and then cut into three pieces. Saute in remaining butter two minutes on each side. Place over the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Peel and slice the apples and place over the chicken. Cover and Bake at 350 degrees until the squash is done, about 1 hour.

Caramelized Apple Tart

Pastry
1 1/3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 Tablespoons chilled buter
1/4 teaspoon salt
about 1/4 cup cold water
Mix flour, sugar and salt then cut in butter with a pastry blender. Gradually add water just until you can form into a ball. Chill while you make filling


Filling
8 apples peeled and sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Melt butter over medium high heat. Add apples and cook until caramelized, stirring so the apples do not stick to the pan. Add sugar and spices. Place apples into a greased tart pan. Cover with pastry dough. Place dessert on a cookie sheet and back at 350 degrees until crust begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Chill before cutting.

Crock Pot Spiced Apple Cider

The best part of making homemade apple cider is the smell of it cooking. I think that pureeing some of the apples at the end would make for a thicker and richer drink. Nevertheless, it was a nice warm drink for a fall day.

10-12 apples, cored and quartered, not peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
dash nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 container frozen apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
Water
Add ingredients to medium crock pot, using enough water to fill. Cover and simmer all day. When ready, ladle and serve

 

Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves are so common that it's easy to not give them much notice. Although, if you do, you will actually find that they are fascinating birds.

I love the way that they seek high places, in a tree, on a utility wire or atop a roof. It is as if they are keeping watch over their territory.  This summer was the first time I had observed a couple fledglings. They were taking shelter in a forsythia bush and did not mind my close proximity. When young, they do not have the smooth iridescent feathers of the adult, probably so they can stay somewhat camouflaged. In more southerly locations, they can have up to six broods a year.

They will frequent bird feeders, eating the seeds that have fallen to the ground. I startled a pair this week when I went to fill the feeder as I think they may have been sleeping under a nearby bush. A few weeks ago, this dove provided a nice addition to our landscape and could have easily been mistaken for a statue.

I will miss these birds and their soulful "whooo whoo who" call, which is sometimes mistaken for an owl, as they will be gradually migrating south over the next couple of months. Although some may stay north if they have an adequate food supply, we typically do not see them at our feeders during the winter months.

Apple Walnut Squares

This is a very simple recipe, easy to whip up for breakfast or a mid-day snack. I found this recipe in an old magazine. It seemed like it was missing an ingredient since it read to "pour" into a greased pan. The batter was very stiff, almost like dough, and definitely would not pour, so I added about 1/3 cup of sour cream. This resulted in a moist cake-like dish. I might try it without the added ingredient next time, to see if they might be chewier and easier to eat by hand.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup diced apple
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar. An easy way to soften butter if you don't have time to let it sit at room temperature, is to microwave on med-low power for about 20 seconds. Add the egg and beat. Sift dry ingredients and gradually add to the butter mixture. Stir in the chopped apples, then nuts. Spread into a greased 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.