Dunes

The dunes were simply breathtaking.  Miles of sea grass hand planted into the hills and mountains of sand, blowing in the breeze as the sun was setting.  I’ve never seen anything quite like it before, and hadn’t expected to experience such a foreign landscape last weekend.  Happily, my expectations were left in the dust.

In the concluding episode of our vacation, Brian and I took a long weekend to Provincetown, Massachusetts (lovingly known as Ptown).  It’s where the Pilgrims first landed in America before moving on several weeks later and settling in Plymouth.  The place is extraordinary to me, not only for it's place in history, but for its architecture.  Hey, I love a good pilgrim as much as the next guy, but it's the houses that make this place so special to me.

Provincetown is located on the tip of the spiraling landmass known as Cape Cod, on the Atlantic Ocean.  Coming into town you can sense the history if you are willing to look past a main street full of shops and eateries (which I also love).  There is one street in particular I like to stroll along:  Commercial St.  When you get out to the West End area of town walking along Commercial parallel to the water, homes and gardens that have been thriving for many generations line the brick walkway, and to me are photographs waiting to be taken every step of the way.

I’ve been in love with “Cape Cod” style homes for years.  The cedar shingle, large colorful shutters and details, well built wood construction that has stood the test of time; it makes me feel safe.  Today, few houses in America are built the way these beauties were crafted.  This whole town was built to last and is happily waiting there for me whenever I get to visit.

This is my third time to Provincetown, and we happily went with several of our usual vacation companions:  Randy, Nick and David.  While the three of them stayed in Nick’s lovely home, Brian and I spent our mornings and evenings at a quaint little guesthouse called the Brass Key.  The people were friendly, the room was lovely and it was just moments away from all the shopping and eating we set out to do.

I must confess now to numerous trips to the Fudge Factory.  Batches of freshly made fudge line the shelves along the wall, and the people working there were very generous with samples.  My favorite had to be the cappuccino fudge (I’m quite a lover of coffee) and I think this is something I’m going to have to re-create in my own kitchen.  I was also forced on occasion to eat a hot fudge sundae and a wicked slice of peanut butter mousse pie at a great old restaurant called the Red Inn.  It was heaven on a plate.

The highlight of our trip had to be our own pilgrimage into the dunes outside of town.  Apparently about 80% of the land around Ptown has been set aside as a national park and nature preserve containing the most unexpected landscape I’ve seen in some time.  We took a guided tour with a friendly gentleman named Rob who drove us up and down through the wild mountains of sand while telling us stories about the grasses, wildlife and some amazing shacks that are still standing and inhabited way out in the middle of nowhere.  Since we were conveniently driving through “nowhere” we got a glimpse of some of the structures. 

Over the years various artists, writers and other creative types have come out to these shacks for solace and a place to work on their craft.  Though the government now owns a majority of the properties, few of the buildings still house persons willing to live off the grid and be left the heck alone.  I know I mentioned Walden recently in one of my postings, but here it was all over again, the structures in the flesh and a place I could empathize with wanting to never leave.

It’s hard for me to describe the alien landscape.  I guess if you have ever been to the desert, it must be something like that, but with tall grasses and scrub pine.  We drove through as the sun was setting and made our way out to the beach for a clambak .  Our guide prepared the food and spread out blankets while we wandered around in awe at the beauty and emptiness of the space.  We were the only people on a deserted beach and it seemed like we had traveled to Mars.  The water was a deep blue turning black as the orange fiery ball of the sun collapsed into its depths.  The sky turned grey and then midnight with Venus appearing out over the horizon.  Rob lit a bonfire and we gathered around after finishing our lobster and clams, chilled by the night ocean breeze and very aware of how spectacular and moving our surroundings were.  Occasionally you know when you are having a magical moment. 

I think the only thing that could have made this experience better would have been dessert!  I’m sure I could continue to write about the stunning scenery, but I really need to focus on the Lemon Tassies.  With all the heavy confections, ice cream and other naughty treats I was eating what I really needed was a palette cleanser.  What accompanies seafood on the beach better than a hint of lemon?

I realize I have made lemon desserts two weeks in a row, and I debated making fudge, but I really needed something a little brighter and lighter.  I had received my daily cookie/pastry email containing the lemon tassies some weeks back and had filed it away to break out at a later date.  The time has come.

The two most important things about this dessert is that people will gobble them up like there is no tomorrow because they are that good, and that it took about 20 minutes to make.  It is comprised of two parts, the crust and the filling.  They are very similar to a pie, but without all the fuss.  All you need to have is a mini-muffin pan and a food processor is very helpful. 

Place the butter, flour, sugar, vanilla extract (or paste), egg yolk, lemon zest and salt in the processor.  Turn it on and pulse until smooth.  Normally with a crust you would pulse just a few times keeping your butter in pea sized pieces, but here you can grind away and make the consistency more like bread crumbs.  Butter your muffin pan, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and divide the dough into quarters.  Take each quarter and divide it into 6 parts.  Roll the small pieces of dough into balls and press into the muffin pan.  Use your thumb to make an indention that will be the bottom of your mini crusts.  I do recommend using your thumb to press the remaining crust up the sides of the muffin tin (this will give you a larger cup to pour your wet batter into).  Bake the crust for about fifteen minutes and let it cool.

Meanwhile you can make the filling.  Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, lemon zest and sugar together.  Fill your mini crusts and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, and voila!  The taste is like a cross between a light lemon cheesecake and shortbread (two of my favorite things) and they certainly seemed a big hit at work.  The lemon flavor is strong from all the zest, packing a punch but without being overwhelming.  My palette was surely cleansed and I was ready to hack into another lobster.

It’s sad that vacation is over and I have to return to reality, though my reality is certainly nothing to complain about.  Taking time away reminded me of the things I miss about my routine (if that’s possible).  I like watching my usual television shows, making dinner, poking around in the garden and even my reading time on the morning commute.  Vacations and travel is the best way to open your eyes, heart and mind to the world around you and then bring a tiny piece home to cherish, especially on those more challenging days life offers up.  Without sounding too cliché I must utter the beloved phrase, “There is no place like home”.  It’s just who I am.