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Monthly Archives: December 2016

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Count birds at your feeder this winter like this male and female cardinal. Stock photo

By Ellen Barcel

There are two bird counts in which gardeners frequently like to take part. One is the current one, the Christmas bird count, and the other is the backyard bird count in February (Feb. 17 to 20). Let’s take a look at the Christmas one, and then later in February I’ll go over the backyard bird count.

A catbird enjoys a snack of mealworms at a backyard feeder. Stock photo

The Audubon Society’s 117th Christmas bird count is currently underway. Billed as “the nation’s longest running citizen science bird project,” it goes from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5th. Yes, this is a good thing to do to help science, conservation and the environment, but it’s also a fun way of entertaining the youngsters during their holiday break from school. If you’re unsure of some bird identification, beginners are definitely welcome and are paired with an experienced birder.

All counts take place on one day, but each counter can take part in a number of counts on different days in different areas if they wish. If your home is in one of the areas that the CBC is being done, you can actually do it from your own backyard. While a donation to the Audubon Society would be nice, participation in the CBC is free.

As for the history of the bird count, back before conservation efforts began, many people took part in what was known as the Christmas Side Hunt, where people would go out and shoot as many birds as possible. “Whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furry) quarry won.” Yes, now we’re appalled at the thought.

In 1900, Frank M. Chapman, an early Audubon Society member and officer, started a new holiday tradition to replace the Side Hunt. It was called the Christmas Bird Census. Instead of destroying wildlife, the society would count them. The data helps scientists keep track of bird populations and health in general, which of course reflects on the environment in which we all must live.

The Audubon Society’s website is easy to use, to get further information, to sign up and to enter the data you collected. There’s even an extensive bibliography for those who want to read more about the various birds of North America. Go to www.audubon.org. Note, for the birder on your holiday list, consider a membership in the society or a donation in the form of a symbolic bird adoption. It’s a nice present and a nice way to support the society. Remember, in your future garden planning, to include plants that draw birds to your back yard. You’ll be rewarded many times over.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.

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Visitors to the new exhibit, Forest to Forest, can meet a box turtle up close and personal. Photo courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center

By Erika Riley

A tropical rainforest comes to life on the second floor of the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, and that magic will only expand with the addition of a new interactive experience coming later this month. The new exhibit, titled Forest to Forest, speaks to the touch, smell, visuals and sounds of the local Long Island woodlands and will officially open on Dec. 26.

The new room, which is located off of the rainforest exhibit on the second floor, aims to be as interactive as possible, allowing visitors the opportunity to use four senses (as taste is excluded) to experience the natural world, but all indoors and warm from the winter chill.

The project was led by Program Director Eric Young. “We wanted to build something to give them things they couldn’t necessarily see in the outdoors, but also times of year like this where they can’t experience the outdoors,” Young said.

One of the most exciting features is the addition of the crawl space underneath the box turtle exhibit. Children, as well as adults, can crawl through the underground world beneath the forest floor, look through a small window to view the forest floor above and peak at the center’s resident box turtles in their enclosure. There are already little dioramas installed into the walls of the crawl space showcasing different kinds of wildlife.

According to Young, visitors can also sniff containers with forest smells and explore a touch table that features different textures of objects found in the forest. “While they are doing all of this, they can take in the amazing artistry of the room as they play I Spy to explore the forest and field murals around the room,” he said. There will also be interactive computer programs set up in the room, such as one that plays an audiofile of a bird call, and visitors must click on the picture of the bird that they think makes that call. Once they click correctly, they can read information about that bird.

Young is planning on bringing in trees and plants from the area to utilize for the touch and smell parts of the interactive exhibit. All of the wildlife featured in the room will represent local plants and animals that are found in the surrounding woodlands. Any plants that are brought into the room will be directly from Sweetbriar’s woods on the property.

One of the main goals of the new room is to increase children’s excitement and appreciation of nature. According to Young, the involvement with the natural world is a three-step process. One: Help them appreciate the natural world. Two: Help them understand the natural world. Three: They want to get involved with the natural world. “If you don’t care about something, you don’t want to take care of it,” Young said.

Young enlisted the help of artist and head curator at Sweetbriar Jenine Bendicksen and carpenter John Scorola on this project. While Young credits himself as coming up with the idea, he gives them the credit for making it come to life. “It takes a village,” he said.

The exhibit is made possible by a grant from the New York State Council for the Arts Decentralization program. The money was eventually allocated by the Huntington Arts Council to Sweetbriar, and they used it to finally do something with the room previously and affectionately known as Turtle Town. Once the exhibit opens, Young hopes to keep expanding it and making it even better throughout the years.

Sweetbriar Nature Center is located at 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown and is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends. For more information, please call 631-979-6344 or visit www.sweetbriarnc.org. Admission to the self-guided exhibit is $2 per person, which includes the rainforest room. Proceeds will go toward the upkeep of the exhibit.

About the author: Stony Brook resident Erika Riley is a sophomore at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. She is interning at TBR during her winter break and hopes to advance in the world of journalism and publishing after graduation.

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‘Brooklyn Walls’ by Anahi DeCanio won Best in Show. Photo from HAC

Creating without limits

The Huntington Arts Council held an opening reception for its latest exhibition, The Versatility of Street Art, at its Main Street Gallery, 213 Main St., Huntington on Friday, Dec. 9. Twenty-six artists including Virginia Bushart, Anahi DeCanio, Jonathan Duci, Terry Finch, Jim Finlayson, Nicole Franz, Tim Gowan, Bill Grabowski, Geraldine Hoffman, Stefanie Kane, Jade “MUMBOT” Kuei, Jennifer Lau, Theo Lau, Jude Lobasso, Sharon Lobo, Jared Long, Celeste Mauro, Kasmira Mohanty, Stephen Palladino, Reme 821, Rodney Rodriguez, David Rogers, Jennie Sjostrom, Jeff Slack, Christina Stow and Stephen Wyler were accepted into the show, which was judged by Phetus, Long Island’s very own graffiti/street artist.

‘Fish’ by Jared Long received an Honorable Mention. Photo from HAC

“Phetus” began his rebellious legacy in 1988 by scrawling his infamous “Phat Phace” logo across the peninsula and beyond. From an original scribe on the wall, Phetus has built an eclectic portfolio of creativity spanning over 2 decades. Starting with a simple tag on the wall to creating an iphone app which was downloaded by over 15 million users, Phetus proves that there are no creative boundaries. Phetus is one of the artists who created the beautiful, expressive street art mural on the back of our building. This highly recognized mural has become a popular backdrop for members of the community, of all ages, to come and take photos.

‘Jackson Heights Queens’ by Sharon Lobo received an Honorable Mention. Photo from HAC

“Being raised in such a diverse community as Huntington, Long Island, It only made sense to showcase the versatility within the current trend of “Street Art”. As an artist rooted in the graffiti art community for the past 30 yrs, I have experienced and witnessed the evolution of a rebellious illegal art form, transform into an accepted form of expression amongst todays popular culture. It is a privilege and honor to have had the opportunity from the Huntington Arts Council to observe and review the many outstanding submissions from all of the artists that participated. “The Versatility Of Street Art” showcase couldn’t be a more perfect reflection of the world we live in today, as for each person has their own identity to express in their own skillful way. Anything goes. . .the streets are watching,” stated Juror Phetus.

Anahi DeCanio won Best in Show for her abstract painting titled “Brooklyn Walls.” Honorable mentions were awarded to Sharon Lobo for “Jackson Heights Queens,” “Fish” by Jared Long and “Paparazzi” by Stephen Palladino.

‘Paparazzi’ by Stephen Palladino (top image) received an Honorable Mention

“The “Versatility of Street Art Show” is a great example of how we continue to work toward providing opportunities for all types of artists; both from a demographic and creative standpoint. The call to artists resulted in submissions from a diverse list of artists with one submitting from as far away as Sweden. The entries reflect a broad interpretation of the genre and will present an exciting vibrant exhibition,”  said Executive Director Marc Courtade.

The exhibit runs through Jan. 7. For gallery hours, please call 631-271-8423.

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Meters in Port Jefferson. File photo by Elana Glowatz

The holidays have come early for anyone who has experienced the frustration of circling Main Street, to Arden Place, to East Main Street, to East Broadway and back to Main Street countless times in search of Port Jefferson’s most sought-after natural resource — a free parking space.

In keeping with annual tradition, Mayor Margot Garant announced the suspension of metered parking in village lots effective Dec. 5 through March 15, 2017, in a video posted on Port Jeff’s website, which had more than 27,000 views at the time of publication. Parking in a village-metered lot ordinarily costs 25 cents per half hour and is enforced from 10 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Parking on village streets is free, though there are varying time restrictions in most areas. Port Jeff Village residents always park for free in metered lots with special stickers on their cars, and for the time being, non-residents are afforded the same luxury.

Garant said, at a board meeting earlier in December, the idea behind suspending metered parking is to encourage visitors in the winter months to shop at and patronize Port Jeff businesses in the traditionally warm-weather destination. She added that in previous years the suspension of metered parking has extended into April if the weather in the area is particularly damaging for businesses in a given winter season.

Port Jefferson Village Mayor Margot Garant announces the suspension of metered parking through March 15 in village lots. Photo from Port Jeff Village website

In the video, Garant watches kids ice skate at The Rinx located outside the Village Center. She then slides a blue cover over the meter in the parking lot adjacent to the ice rink.

“During the holiday season and during the winter months, come on down to the Village of Port Jefferson, come visit us, park for free, visit our restaurants and please support our local merchants,” Garant says in the video.

Revenue raised from metered parking is reinvested into various village projects, according to Garant. Deputy Mayor Larry LaPointe, who is also the board’s liaison to the parking committee, estimated the fund from parking meters has about $900,000 in it currently.

If it were unclear how big an issue parking is in Port Jefferson, on the village’s Port Jefferson Facebook page, the pinned post featuring the video had 480 shares and more than three times as many likes as any other post on the page in December. Comments on the post indicate most visitors to the village wish parking were free year-round, and others are more likely to visit because of the suspension.

“Love being down Port in the off season,” Yvette Ortiz-Baugh said.

One commenter suggested the difficult parking deters her from visiting the area.

“Parking has become a big nuisance and we go less often to shop there now,” Sue Korpus Ditkowsky said.

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A young girl picks out Christmas gifts at Target in Commack Dec. 14. Photo from Mallory Kerley

By Victoria Espinoza

For a few families struggling to make ends meet this Christmas, local organizations got together to ensure there would be presents under the tree.

United Way of Long Island, a nonprofit based in Deer Park, and Make it Count Foundation, a nonprofit based in West Islip, worked together to donate funds so that children and their families were able to search through Target in Commack and choose any gifts they wanted for Christmas this year. They were also given holiday treats as they shopped. Kids ran through the aisles of Target Dec. 14, browsing the Barbie dolls, Nerf guns, and other toys they could take home to make the holiday special.

“Helping children in need is priceless,” Jon Reese, president of the Make It Count Foundation said in an email. “I feel it is not only our responsibility, it is an honor. Especially this time of year, when we celebrate life and hope.”

Reese said Make It Count has worked with United Way of Long Island in the past on home renovations, health and community programs, and backpacks filled with school supplies.

A young boy picks out Christmas gifts at Target in Commack Dec. 14. Photo from Mallory Kerley

“We feel that when the Make It Count Foundation and the United Way of Long Island partner, we are able to leverage each other’s resources and make a greater impact,” he said.

According to Theresa Regnante, president and CEO of United Way of Long Island, this is the second year the two nonprofits have joined together to organize the event.

“We wanted these kids to be able to celebrate the holidays, and have the joy of opening gifts that they wanted,” she said in an email. “Jon Reese has been a fantastic partner in other areas of our mission, and coming together to help kids during the holiday season was a perfect fit. We have the connections to the partner agencies who work with families across Long Island, and they had the funds to donate to help them afford the gifts. It was an easy to decision to make to put this event together.”

Families had to be nominated to partake in the event, and Regnante said other local nonprofits helped in the selection process.

“We connected with Long Island Head Start, United Veterans Beacon House, and Family Service League, who are all partner agencies of ours, and asked them to nominate families who could use some extra holiday cheer to take part in the shopping spree, as well as families who are part of our VetsBuild and YouthBuild programs,” she said. “Target generously let us utilize their break room space and provided treats to the children before giving them a tour of the toy department. It was a fabulous effort all around.”

Regnante shared what makes the event special to her.

A young girl picks out Christmas gifts at Target in Commack Dec. 14. Photo from Mallory Kerley

“The best part of an event like this is seeing the smiles on the children’s faces as they pick up that toy they’ve been asking for for months, and knowing that they can take it home that night,” she said. “You have to remember, most of these children have only the basic necessities and rarely do they have the opportunity to get things that bring them true joy. Their families are working hard to give them the best life possible, and this event allows those parents and guardians to brighten the holiday season just a bit more. The holiday season is supposed to be filled with happiness, but it isn’t that way for those who are struggling.”

She said she watched a mother and her son go through the check-out line, and as they were walking out the door, he yelled out, “I feel like Christmas is here early!” as if he couldn’t believe he was actually allowed to leave the store with his new toys.

“Watching this little boy literally skip out the door warmed my heart,” she said.

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The Kings Park cheerleading team leaps into the air during the Small School Division I competition. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Kings Park’s cheerleading squad has been battling since opening day, when seven of the team members dropped out. And now the girls are struggling to stay healthy.

The team took to the mat, competing for the top spot in Small School Division I against 10 other teams Dec. 18 at Comsewogue High School, and even with two members sidelined, the girls were able to stay solid through the two-and-a-half-minute performance in front of a near-capacity crowd.

The Kings Park cheerleading team performs different stunts while getting the crowd involved in the cheering during the Small School Division I competition. Photo by Bill Landon

What has made matters more difficult is getting used to the differences between the Long Island Cheerleading Association and Section XI rule book and scoring sheet, since cheerleading has been recognized as a sport.

“We had to change our routines and it’s a drastic change,” said Kings Park head coach Jennifer Ford. “Section XI caused us to fundamentally change how we do it.”

Kings Park senior Alyssa Ambrosia, a two-year varsity starter, said she’s only known the new scoring system, so for her, that’s an advantage.

“We’ve had to overcome a lot this season,” she said. “We were strong in stunting, but I think we can all improve on our tumbling.”

The Kingsmen finished outside the Top 5, but four-year veteran Jamie Barbarino sees nothing but prospect.

“I know that every single person on our team has potential,” she said. “We can be really, really good out there on the mat, but we need to get better with our [end of the routine] pyramid.”

Senior Olivia Nicoletti has been cheering since ninth grade, and has seen the difference between the two scoring methods.

“You have to do certain types of jumps, certain tumbling, and you do stunts differently,” Nicoletti said. “All the points are awarded differently in individual sections, so it’s much harder. We had some challenges today, [another] one of our girls got hurt, so we had to [animate] one stunt.”

Kings Park looks to put on a better performance once they’re at full strength on Jan. 15 at Mount Sinai High School at 9:15 a.m.

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From left, Managing Director Vivian Koutrakos, 2016 Volunteer of the Year Megan Bush, Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel and Group Sales and Director of Development Douglas Quattrock. Photo by Heidi Sutton

By Heidi Sutton

Port Jefferson: Theatre Three’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year was announced at the end of last Saturday night’s performance of “A Christmas Carol.” According to Executive Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel, the award is given out every year to someone who has made a contribution without asking for anything in return.

This year’s recipient is 17-year-old Megan Bush, who has been with the theater since age 7. A senior at Ward Melville High School, Megan began her relationship with the theater as an acting student playing the role of Want in “A Christmas Carol.”

“For the past 10 years we have watched Megan grow up,” said Sanzel. “She has been a teaching assistant, she has been a teacher in our Dramatic Academy, she has been a stage manager — one of the youngest in the history of the theater — she has been my personal assistant on various productions as an assistant director, she has worked with the young people in all the casts of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and the one word in her vocabulary that does not exist is the word ‘no.’ Nobody deserves this award more than she does,” he said.

Megan, whose mother Dana and sister Sarah were past recipients of the same award, was visibly surprised at the announcement. “What makes tonight so special is that we are continuing a tradition,” said Sanzel.

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Felicity Jones leads the cast of the newest edition to the ‘Star Wars’ saga. Photo courtesy of Disney

THE EXPERIENCE

By Michael Tessler

Ever wish you could celebrate Christmas each and every day? That’s how I can best describe my childhood dream of receiving a new “Star Wars” film each and every year. What seemed like an impossibility back then has suddenly become an astonishing reality. Thanks to Disney’s acquisition of every creative thought mustered by George Lucas, fans can now enjoy an annual installment of the most successful film franchise in cinema history.

At AMC Loews 17 in Stony Brook on Friday, Nick Acampora and his daughters Elizabeth and Melanie sat together in anticipation for the premiere of Gareth Edwards’ “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” “We’ve got a family connection with the Force,” joked Acampora, a Port Jefferson resident and community historian. Though all smiles, his daughters were bitterly divided between which was their favorite “Star Wars” film (of course, we all know it should be “The Empire Strikes Back”). Despite some debate, all could agree that “Star Wars” is the perfect escape from reality.

Just a few rows away were two grown men named Mike, a father/son duo, both wearing expressions of childlike wonder in anticipation for the new film. The elder Mike had enjoyed the original “Star Wars” film (later titled “A New Hope”) back in 1977 when he first saw it in theaters. The “Jedi master” and his “padawan” have been to every “Star Wars” premiere together since “Attack of the Clones,” released in 2002. They take enormous pride in having a better relationship than their “Star Wars” counterparts Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Sitting next to me was my childhood best friend Matthew and, in spirit, my late best friend Brandon. For us, “Star Wars” was more than just a film series, it was the basis for our friendship. Countless days in the backyard were spent dueling with plastic toy light sabers, building the LEGO Millennium Falcon brick by brick, and arguing for hours over fan theories and proper pronunciations of Jedi names. As Darth Vader appeared on screen for the first time in over a decade in “Rogue One,” Matthew and I paused for a moment, looking at one another. For that brief second we saw each other not as adults but as the little boys we once knew a long time ago … in a galaxy far, far away.

THE (SPOILERIFIC) REVIEW

By Kevin Redding

“Rogue One,” the first in what promises to be a series of Star Wars-related anthology films, is a risky experiment in that its plot — based on the first two paragraphs of the original’s opening crawl — requires it to forever change the way we watch “A New Hope.”

In telling the story of how the plans needed to destroy the Death Star wound up in the hands of Princess Leia and eventually kick-start the adventures of a blonde farm kid named Luke, “Rogue One” is of course a prequel, which is a dirty word among many “Star Wars” fans.

But Disney, for the most part, knows what the diehards want to see — practical sets and creatures, Tie fighters and X-wings, and the (ridiculously satisfying, vicious and get-on-your-feet-and-growl-like-a-wookie-worthy) return of the biggest, baddest villain in the galaxy, among other familiar faces. The last half of “Rogue One” sets up the start of “A New Hope” masterfully, so much so that if the closing credits of the former and opening crawl of the latter were eliminated, it would work seamlessly as one long adventure.

But I definitely thought it took a while for “Rogue One” to reach its great moments. As we spend time with a ragtag team of new characters, I couldn’t help but want to see what the old standbys were up to instead. This “Star Wars Story” centers on Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a slightly dull heroine whose father unwillingly engineered the planet-destroying weaponry on the Death Star while under the diabolic eye of the Empire’s Imperial Commander Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn).

As Erso later finds out, her father intentionally compromised the Death Star so it could easily be destroyed (by Luke in “A New Hope”), thus cleverly correcting one of the biggest plot holes in the original film: Why would the Empire build this elaborate, clearly-expensive space station that can be blown to smithereens so easily?!

Erso finds herself the resilient leader of a group of Rebels who band together to get the job done. Alongside her is Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), who’s sort of the no-fun straight man throughout, K-2SO (perfectly voiced by Alan Tudyk), a reprogrammed Imperial droid that doesn’t know any better than to say exactly what’s on its mind (or in its circuits) to marvelous and hilarious effect, Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), a Force-sensitive blind warrior who takes down a lot of stormtroopers with little to no effort and is by far the best new addition to the “Star Wars” universe of the human bunch, Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), Chirrut’s loyal partner, and Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), a former Imperial pilot gone rogue.

It’s great to see the inclusion of Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits, reprising his role from the prequel trilogy) and some of the Rebel pilots from the original that were implemented into the spectacular battle scenes on display here. Where the film really shines, however, is in the villain department. Personally, I was blown away at how Edwards and company resurrected the late-great Peter Cushing through a stunning display of CGI and motion capture to give Grand Moff Tarkin, the ruthless Imperial leader in “A New Hope,” a substantial role.

But what brought me to the theater in the first place was knowing that I’d be seeing Darth Vader be Darth Vader on the big screen again, in all his James Earl Jones-voiced glory. It’s really incredible and overwhelming to see. His two scenes, while extremely short, are worth the price of admission, especially the one in the final moments of the film, which will forever change how we see him in the rest of the saga. If nothing else, “Rogue One” reclaims Vader as the powerful and dangerous threat we were always told he was, and then some.

THE VERDICT

“Rogue One’s” greatest attribute is that it somehow manages to make “A New Hope” an even greater film. Admittedly, the first thing I did when I got home was rewatch the 1977 classic. This connective tissue provides compelling emotional subtext to the famed original opening crawl. While a bit clunky in its pacing and struggle to give us new characters to really feel for, “Rogue One” has proven “Star Wars” can survive outside the saga, delivering to fans compelling stories that only further embellish the brilliance of Lucas’ original vision. And if you don’t like this one so much, just wait until next year … and the year after that…and the year after that.

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File photo

Suffolk County Police arrested a Centereach woman for driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle crash that critically injured her passenger Dec. 18.

Paige Reddy was driving a 2011 Toyota Prius northbound on Mark Tree Road in Centereach when her vehicle struck a tree just north of School Street at 3:28 a.m.

Reddy’s passenger, Matthew Borkowski, 21, of Centereach, was critically injured and admitted to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Reddy, 21, was transported to Stony Brook hospital where she was admitted for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Reddy was charged with driving while intoxicated and will be arraigned at a later date.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

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Spinach-Stuffed Tomatoes

By Barbara Beltrami

Have you noticed that at holiday time everything becomes special? Think about it. It seems you’re always getting dressed up and going to some party or other. Out come the good dishes, the platters and bowls that you need a ladder, if not a GPS to get to. You’re starting to rev up for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner. Everything is special … the roast you’ve ordered, those fancy hors d’oeuvres the seafood, the pasta …all the traditional ethnic dishes.

Except for the vegetables … that same old, same old broccoli, those soggy, bland green beans, those boring peas and carrots. Time to change all that and take away the bad rap veggies are always getting. They too can be special. Time to give them their moment to put on their holiday best at the dinner table and to be dressed up in their beautiful red and green (what else?) finery. Imagine tomatoes stuffed with creamed spinach and delicious roasted Brussels sprouts with chopped red pepper.

Spinach-Stuffed Tomatoes

YIELD: Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds fresh spinach

½ stick unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon

6 tablespoons flour

1 medium onion , minced

6 large tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 F. Thoroughly rinse spinach. Place on a steamer rack over 2 inches water. Cover and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Place in colander or large strainer with a bowl underneath and press out as much liquid as possible. Reserve drained liquid. While the spinach is cooking, sauté the onion in the one tablespoon butter until it is opaque. Remove from heat and set aside.

Slice one inch off tops of tomatoes, then scrape out pulp; reserve and refrigerate for another use. In a small sauce pan make a roux by melting the half stick of butter; then stirring in the flour until you have a thick paste. Whisk in 1½ cups of the reserved spinach liquid (if you don’t have enough, supplement it with water from steamer. (If mixture seems too thin, add more flour but beware of lumps!)

Combine spinach, sauce and onions and mix thoroughly until the spinach is well coated but still holds its shape when scooped. Add seasonings. If any sauce is left over, reserve and refrigerate for another use. Set tomatoes in a greased nonreactive baking dish; sprinkle insides with salt and pepper. Fill with spinach mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until tomatoes are tender but not collapsed.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Pepper Confetti

roasted-brussel-sprouts-with-red-pepper-confettiYIELD: Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and stems removed

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Half a large fresh red bell pepper, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 F. Place Brussels sprouts in baking pan; douse with oil and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast, turning with spatula, every 10 minutes, until outsides turn golden brown and insides are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven; cover and set aside. In a medium skillet, melt butter; add peppers and sauté over medium-low heat, for one minute, just enough to soften and heat through. Season, if desired. Remove cover from sprouts, place in serving bowl and top with peppers and any remaining sauté liquid. Serve hot or warm.

Arugula Salad with Sliced Avocado and Pomegranates

YIELD: Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice

1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly smashed

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 cups arugula, washed, drained and dried

1 cup pomegranate seeds

3 avocados, peeled and sliced

Juice of half a lemon

DIRECTIONS: Make the dressing: Combine the first 7 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously. Set aside. Toss the arugula and pomegranate seeds together. Arrange on six salad plates. Brush avocado slices with the juice from half a lemon to keep them from turning brown; arrange them on top of arugula and pomegranates. Shake jar of dressing vigorously again to mix thoroughly; remove garlic clove; drizzle over salad. Serve immediately.

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