first snow

We play hooky. Responsible hooky. We are in the process of getting the restaurant ready to reopen which requires several days of cleaning, prepping, inventory. We prepare a day in advance of our usual schedule; we go in on Sunday to wax the restaurant floors, the job we had assigned to Monday. Sunday night, at home, we fill water bottles and buckets and set aside candles in case the electricity goes out. On Monday, we are snowed in for the first snow day of the season. We are without guilt.

The snow starts late at night, or early in the morning depending on how you look at it. It falls steadily and heavily so that when we wake up there are already six inches of snow on the ground, the outside world white. It is one of those idyllic snow days in front of the fire reading, or watching movies, or playing cards. Six inches becomes eight becomes ten. We take a walk bundled up in snow boots and hats and go against the wind, the air and flakes sharp on our faces, then with the wind which buffets us back home. The air is full of sparkle and woodsmoke.

At dusk, we go to check on the neighbors' chickens. They are away for the week and we reap the benefits of fresh eggs. The hens and two roosters are huddled together in the coop under their warming light, leaving the eggs for the taking. We feed and water them, and one of the roosters pecks at Caleb's boot incessantly, following him around the cozy coop. I think this would be a good place to bed down for the night if I was a traveler on snowy night in another century. When we leave, the roosters crow good-bye.

For dinner, we make a potato pancake with red onion and Greek-style yogurt served alongside fried pancetta and an omelet made with our fresh harvest.

Fresh Omelet For One
2 eggs
2 pinches salt and pepper
butter
fresh goat cheese

Use your best skillet with a good fitting lid. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Pre-heat the skillet over medium heat. Melt enough butter to season the whole pan well. Pour in the egg mixture. Start teasing up the edges of the egg with a rubber spatula as it cooks, so that the raw egg can run underneath. Make sure the skillet does not keep getting hotter and hotter, but stays at an even medium temperature. As soon as there is not enough raw egg to run under the omelet, sprinkle crushed fresh goat cheese under half of the omelet and gently fold over the half with cheese. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook until the omelet is done to your liking. (Caleb likes his a little runny.) Slide out onto a warm plate.