Lights! Carrots! Action! It was Colin’s Carrot-Palooza at Estia’s Little Kitchen last week, as splashy a media event as you can expect for a Wednesday . . . in November . . . for a vegetable. There were local rock star chefs and their Daucus carotas, served raw, steamed, and in various dishes. The carrots, that is.

Colin Ambrose conceived of the event, a yearly root tasting, last summer. He asked a number of chefs and their favorite farmers or gardeners to grow a control seed (Scarlet Nantes) and another of their choice. There were hybrids and open-pollinated types, many with names that sounded more like medical marijuana varieties: Purple Haze, Atomic Red, White Satin, and Bolero.

Colin modestly pointed out the difference between himself and the other growers. “I’m a gardener, these people are farmers. This is educational for me, how they do it, what I can learn from them. Farmers have to blow the socks off of people who go to the farmers markets and taste their carrots.”

As people nibbled the raw and steamed samples, each chef and farmer was asked about his or her 65-day growing odyssey. Marilee Foster of Foster Farm, who was paired with Jason Weiner of Almond, emphasized the importance of preparing the soil the year before growth, making sure it’s not too acidic. Scott Chaskey of Quail Hill Farm, partnered with Chris Polidoro, a private chef, pointed out that once seeds are set, germination takes a long time, and weeding, weeding, weeding is important. Giggles all around from those in the know, except the press people whose mouths were stuffed with free food and wine.

Jeff Negron, who helps with the garden at Nick and Toni’s and Topping Rose House and has a number of private clients, said the sandy soil is good but needs plenty of nutrients. He also lamented the fact that carrots are slow growers and that his private clients expected carrots to be ready on time for all appropriate holidays. More giggles.

Dennis MacNeil, the chef at Provisions in Sag Harbor, said he had tried purple carrots in a chicken soup and they turned the soup purple. Cassandra Shupp, the pastry chef from Topping Rose House, said she uses carrots in a lot of desserts.

In their raw and lightly steamed state, the Atomic Reds had a somewhat strong flavor, the Purple Haze had a green taste, the White Satins were a bit soft and mild, the Dale’s fresh mix very vegetal. Yeah, I know those are vague descriptions.

And then, out came the dishes. From Topping Rose House there were some dainty and delicious carrot cake squares. From Bay Burger was a carrot panna cotta, light and silky. Todd Jacobs of Fresh Hamptons brought carrot fritters for dipping in a marvelous zesty mayo, yuzu, and jalapeno sauce. Bryan Futerman and Joe Realmuto of Nick and Toni’s provided beautiful and tasty harissa carrots. For sure one of the best was Colin’s Mr. McGregor’s Shepherd’s Pie, made with a layer of carrots between the mashed potatoes and (sniff, sniff, snuffle) Peter Rabbit stew filling. If there had been a Mrs. Tiggy Winkle pie I would have just about fainted then and there. Mr. Polidoro’s perfectly balanced carrot gyoza with a garlicky soy dipping sauce was my favorite.

We ate, we learned, we laughed, we jockeyed for position to take pictures. Stay tuned for next year’s event, where we again follow the seed to the plate at . . . BEETle Mania!

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Holidays at Harbor Grill

The Harbor Grill in East Hampton is once again offering a deal for those who purchase restaurant gift cards for the holidays. For every $50 gift card, the purchaser will receive an additional card worth $10; for every $200 gift card, a $50 gift card will be issued as well. The offer will be good until Jan. 1.

Book on Sweets

Susan Pear Meisel, the author of “New York Sweets: A Sugarhound’s Guide to the Best Bakeries, Ice Cream Parlors, Candy Shops, and Other Emporia of Delicious Delights,” will sign books and offer samples of sweets at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill tomorrow at 2 p.m. Admission is free for members, children, and students, and $10 for others. A payment of $29.95 will include museum admission and a copy of the book.

Wine and Cheese Class

Michael Cohen, the wine director and restaurant manager at the 1770 House in East Hampton, will discuss pairing wines with cheese during a 5-to-6 p.m. session in the inn’s downstairs tavern on Dec. 6. The cost is $40 per person, and reservations are a must.

At Sammy’s

In Montauk, Sammy’s will be open through the holidays for lunch and dinner on Fridays through Tuesdays, although private parties may be booked for any night of the week. A weekly specials lineup is as follows: nachos, tacos, and burritos for $15.95 on Mondays; burgers, wings, or riblets with endless fries for $15.95 on Tuesdays; fish night on Fridays, with all-you-can-eat fried fish or popcorn shrimp for $19.95, and stuffed flounder, stuffed shrimp, or stuffed chicken for $21.95 on Saturdays. Sunday is shrimp night, with stir-fried Thai sweet chili shrimp, green curry coconut shrimp, and shrimp mac and cheese on the menu. Sammy’s is also offering catering.

Food Fair

The Amagansett Food Institute will have a holiday gift market featuring local food items at Chancellors Hall on the Stony Brook Southampton campus on Friday, December 5 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., and on Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the student center. More than 15 vendors will sell locally produced food items suitable for holiday gifts. Among them are Amber Waves Farm, the Backyard Brine Pickle Company, Gula Gula Empanadas, Old School Favorites, the North Fork Chocolate Co., and Wyse Organics.

The Friday market will be in conjunction with a holiday windmill lighting on the campus, and there will be cocoa and other treats, crafts and entertainment for children, and a guided tour of the windmill. On Saturday during the market, South Fork Kitchens, the food institute’s cafe at the campus, will sell snacks and coffee.

Slow Food Dinner

The North Fork Table and Inn in Southold will be the site of a three-course dinner sponsored by Slow Food East End next Thursday night at 7. The cost is $95 for Slow Food members, or $105 for nonmembers, which includes tax and gratuity and covers the family-style meal along with a glass of wine with each course. Advance reservations are required and may be made through the Slow Food chapter.

The menu will begin with a roasted mushroom and sweet onion croquette with goat cheese, followed by an entree of paella with chorizo, clams, and chicken, and an apple crostata for dessert.

The Slow Food chapter will present its first Snail of Approval award at the event to the restaurant. The award recognizes restaurants that embody the core Slow Food values of “good, clean, and fair food.”

Smokin’ Wolf BBQ  Specials

Smokin’ Wolf BBQ in East Hampton offers $7.75 lunch specials, which will be emailed to those who join the list at smokinwolfbbq.com. The casual eat-in or take-out restaurant is also taking catering orders for holiday parties.

There are three new cookbooks out right now with local connections. Ina Garten, a k a the Barefoot Contessa, has come out with her ninth book, called “Make It Ahead.” The folks of Edible School Gardens have published the “Delicious Nutritious FoodBook,” compiled and written by Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz. And the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living have come out with “One Pot.”

Let us first explore the Ina-verse of “Make It Ahead” (Clarkson Potter, $35). Basically, this woman can do no wrong. I have yet to try a Barefoot Contessa recipe that didn’t work. Same goes for any of my friends, whether they are experienced cooks or not.

The recipes are foolproof, fairly simple, and you can find the ingredients just as easily in Hamtramck, Mich., as you can in New York City. The concept and promise of “making it ahead” is a good one. Whether you just want to simplify a weeknight meal or prepare a grander feast for company without being at the stove when they arrive, this book covers all the bases, from prepping to cooking to baking ahead.

The recipes are presented as if you were going to serve them immediately but then offer steps for simplifying the meal in advance, such as chopping slaw ingredients a day ahead, preparing the dressing, and tossing it together just before serving. There are a number of recipes I have earmarked to try that sound delicious, such as leek and artichoke bread pudding, pear and parsnip gratin, twice-baked sweet potatoes, garlic and herb roasted shrimp, and the salty oatmeal and chocolate chunk cookies.

I couldn’t resist trying two of the recipes this past weekend, the Spanish tapas peppers and roasted cauliflower snowflakes. Both were excellent and easy to prepare. However, I must say about the cauliflower, if I had a restaurant, this would be on my menu as a side dish all year round.

Another aspect of the Barefoot Contessa books that is very appealing is the warmth and enthusiasm of Ina herself. She talks about life, surprises, discoveries, travel, her friends, and her husband, Jeffrey, with humor and graciousness. She gives credit for recipes where due, whether they are inspired by a person or place or restaurant. One of the more touching additions is the two pages dedicated to the late Lee Bailey, the author of several cozy cookbooks.

To sum up, how can you resist a book that begins with a recipe for whole-wheat peanut butter dog biscuits and ends with a picture of chocolate cake with mocha frosting?

“FoodBook”

The “Delicious Nutritious FoodBook” (Edible School Gardens, $13.99) is a wonderful educational primer for parents and children to encourage better eating habits from the beginning. The book itself looks like an issue of Edible East End, which makes sense because many of the editors helped with it. It is well designed and beautifully laid out. There are recipes from many local chefs, like Joe Realmuto, Bryan Futerman, Jason Weiner, and Noah Schwartz. There are also recipes from the children of local schools and their parents.

It is peppered with quotes and maxims and helpful tidbits from Michael Pollan to Dr. Seuss to A.A. Milne. The contents go from breakfast through greens, grains, rainbow colors, beans, meat, fish, and fruit. Most of the recipes are basic and encourage ways to involve children in the making of a meal, from the straightforward (smoothies) to learning how to chop vegetables and cook grains, meat, and fish.

Learning how to grow vegetables, how to shop, and how to plan meals takes up a good portion of the book, but it is all explained in an accessible way, with beautiful photography to illustrate. I love the anecdotes sprinkled throughout, like the story of Hannah, a fifth grader from Greenport who won a salad dressing recipe contest and now sells her dressings at farmers markets on the North Fork. There are also a lot of Mark Bittman recipes and tips, such as “101 things to do with such and such ingredients.”

From the simple mango chicken skewers from Sen restaurant in Sag Harbor to the more involved duck cassoulet from Orient Inn, this book has something for kids to do themselves and for parents to introduce to their children in the way of more elaborate international dishes. My only criticisms are: I wish there were a recipe index at the back, and there is a measurement error on the Liquid/Dry Measurements page — a gallon is 16 cups, not 15.

As Julia Child said many years ago, “You learn to cook so that you don’t have to be a slave to recipes. You get what’s in season and you know what to do with it.” This book should be available in every school, at every farm stand, and in every household with wee ones. It is a template for teaching good eating habits to our children from the beginning, when it matters most.

“One Pot”

Martha Stewart Living’s “One Pot” cookbook (Clarkson Potter, $26) is a great concept. Each chapter deals with a specific cooking vessel and what you can make in it. This covers everything from Dutch ovens, skillets, slow cookers, roasting pans, and pressure cookers to stockpots and saucepans, with each container getting its own chapter. Sadly, this automatically subtracted two out of six chapters for me, as I do not own a pressure cooker or slow cooker. If you have a better-equipped kitchen than I, then this book could be useful.

The inclusion at the beginning of each recipe of what is called “active time” and “total time” was a bit confusing for me. What this means isn’t explained, so I assumed active time is the time it takes to prep ingredients, in which case it is misleading. As experienced as I am, there is no way I can peel and mince onions, wash, peel, and chop carrots, dice 1 1/4 pounds chicken, slice green beans and herbs, and assemble dumpling dough in 20 minutes. So I think we should assume the active time refers to the beginning stages of cooking, not the mise-en-place beforehand.

Some of the recipes look delicious, and some are offered four ways, such as macaroni and cheese and pork stew. The macaroni and cheese variations include bacon and Gouda or mushrooms and fontina; both sound worth trying. Roasted tilefish on top of potatoes with capers also sounds easy and quick. The lentil soup with cauliflower and cheese looks tempting for a cold winter afternoon.

Since the premise of this book is based on the various types of cooking equipment and how they can be used to make a one-pot meal, it is important to discuss quality of cooking equipment. When it comes to cast-iron skillets, you can find Lodge skillets anywhere, and they are cheap. The key is to season them and keep them seasoned. You also shouldn’t cook anything acidic in them as this creates an off flavor from a chemical reaction between acid and iron. While this is discussed in the book, there is also a picture of chicken braised with lemons in a cast-iron skillet. Don’t do this!

When using a cookie sheet for roasting, it is very important that you have a heavy, sturdy one that won’t buckle or warp in the oven. As I said before, I don’t have a slow cooker or pressure cooker, so I can offer no advice on these. I would simply recommend buying the best quality you can afford.

Every household should have a Dutch oven; these are cast-iron enameled pots with lids. Le Creuset and Staub are the best brands and are frightfully expensive but worth it. I am still using my grandmother’s!

Which brings us to some interesting information, and I suggest you fasten your seat belt, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. Throughout the “One Pot” cookbook, the cookware used is the Martha Stewart Collection for Macy’s. It looks attractive, so I researched it online. The first article to come up was a recall by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on close to a million enameled cookware items made for the Martha Stewart Collection for Macy’s between 2007 and 2011. They were made in China and have chipped, causing burns and cuts.

Please invest in reliable, sturdy, reputable cooking equipment, especially when you are cooking with and for your children.

Highway Diner and Bar

290 Montauk Highway

East Hampton

527-5372

Dinner Wednesday through Sunday

Lunch Saturday and Sunday

The restaurant at 290 Montauk Highway has changed hands so many times, I believe I have reviewed something at that location more than any other. I have already forgotten what was there before Rugosa, which served sophisticated and delicious food but didn’t last. The previous Highway Diner and Bar also served darned good food but didn’t really operate on diner-type hours or have diner-ish prices, but its owners did do a nice renovation of the interior, which remains in this new incarnation of the Highway Diner and Bar. Shuko, a frightfully expensive Japanese pop-up, came and went before I had a chance to review it, and now, Highway Diner and Bar is back, but completely different. I’m telling you all of this because I approached this establishment with a grumbly attitude the other night, a kind of “Oh, well, here we go again, I hope this place sticks around for a while, better be worth it, wah, wah, wah. . . .”

Not a lot has changed inside. There is still a nifty-looking soda fountain with stools to the right of the entrance. Straight ahead is a bar area with a large wooden wall dividing it from the main dining room. There are long blue banquettes along two walls and pretty orchids and Moroccan candles scattered around, giving the large, ungainly space some degree of charm.

I’m not sure why the new owners kept the name Highway Diner and Bar because this is so not a diner anymore. The only diner-like accoutrements that remain are the French’s mustard and Heinz ketchup squeeze bottles on each table, which are completely incongruous with the food now being served. We noticed that behind the soda fountain is a big pasta-making machine, a promising sign.

The menu is short and fairly simple. We began our meal with a Caesar salad, crab cake, and the soup of the day, which was carrot ginger. All three were simply delicious. The Caesar salad was large, with lots of shaved Parmesan cheese and homemade croutons. The dressing was assertive with garlic and lemon, as it should be. The croutons were so good you could even taste the quality of the olive oil they had been roasted with.

The crab cake appetizer was one big crab cake served on a bed of arugula with a dish of dilly tartar sauce and some homemade pickles that tasted more of soy and balsamic than regular pickles. The crab cake was moist, full of lump crabmeat and flecks of sweet red pepper and lots of herbs. It had a hint of lemongrass to it. The carrot ginger soup was not a smooth and dainty version; it was more rustic, with small bits of carrots and other vegetables in it. We all agreed it was excellent, especially with the warm slices of baguette served alongside.

For entrees we ordered the eggplant Parmigiana, ribeye steak, chicken potpie, and side orders of Brussels sprouts and French fries. The eggplant Parmigiana was one of the best I have ever had and was surprisingly light. The layers of eggplant were thin and delicate. It wasn’t loaded with gooey cheese or oil at all. It had a super fresh tomato sauce and was topped with a crunchy mixture of breadcrumbs and fresh herbs. We ordered the ribeye steak because we were intrigued by the very reasonable option of getting a 10-ounce portion for $27. Two sauces were offered with it: peppercorn or bearnaise. We went for the peppercorn, which was served in a tiny pitcher on the side. Cute, they found a use for diner creamers!

The steak was very good and cooked to order. It was served with a bundle of watercress, one of my favorite forgotten greens. The peppercorn sauce was smooth with very concentrated meaty flavor. The chicken potpie came out piping hot in its own fluted ramekin and was just as delicious as everything else so far. It was full of white meat chicken, carrots, herbs, and celery. This, too, had a little pitcher of extra gravy which was a bit bland and unnecessary. The Brussels sprouts were very good, roasted just right with a few stray crisped leaves. The French fries were skin-on, hand cut, excellent.

The service on the night of our visit was pretty good. The restaurant has only been open a few weeks, and it was quite busy on the night of our visit. Our waiter was serving tables on both sides of the wooden divider, so we’ll cut him some slack. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food and the generous portions. Appetizers and salads are $9 to $13, pastas $13 to $23, entrees $16 to $37, sides $7, and desserts $7 to $10. The wine list is short and reasonable. My only criticism about the entire experience is that this place needs a plastic entry door or a big velvet curtain between the front door and dining room. Every time someone entered, and they’d frequently stand there holding the door open for the rest of their group, an arctic blast would blow through the dining room.

We only ordered two desserts, but one of the charming managers (owners?), a woman wearing the coolest long leather coat, insisted we try the homemade pear sorbet as well. All of the desserts were as wonderful as the rest of our meal. We had pineapple upside down cake and the Highway toffee sundae. The pineapple upside down cake was just as it should be: sweet caramelized pineapple bits on a tender vanilla cake.

Sticky toffee date cake has become the ubiquitous dessert out here (you’re welcome), but this was a creative twist. The cake had been crumbled up into a sundae with layers of homemade vanilla ice cream and topped with crushed candied almonds and cashews. Naughty and divine. The pear sorbet was also excellent, it was light, tart, and sweet, a good ending on a cold fall evening.

I approached the evening with a bad attitude and rather low expectations, but all of us were delighted with our food, every single dish. I highly recommend the Highway Diner and Bar, just remember to wear your fisherman’s knit sweater and a cozy shawl.

A fall menu at 75 Main in Southampton is centered on local produce and includes dishes such as truffle-crumb stuffed breast of chicken served with polenta, garlic, and broccoli rabe; marinated skirt steak, and blue crab-crusted halibut.

On Mondays at 75 Main, pasta entrees, served with a soup or salad to start, are $16, and on Sundays there are steak specials: a burger, flatiron steak, marinated skirt steak, or hanger steak served with soup or salad for $18.  In addition, the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe Tuesdays through Fridays for $29.95.

Fall at Pierre’s

The seasonal changes at Pierre’s in Bridgehampton include the addition of onion soup, escargot flambé, and beef pot au feu to the menu, and a $30 prix fixe served all night on weeknights and on weekends until 6:30 p.m. Entrées include beef bourguignon with spaetzle, roasted organic chicken with ratatouille and potato puree, and pan-seared salmon with cauliflower gratin.

On Wednesdays

Also in Bridgehampton, Fresh Hamptons has added another nightly promotion. This one, on Wednesdays, will bring half-price discounts on bottles of wine originally priced at or under $100.

The mid-week draw at little/red in Southampton is a burger night on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The restaurant’s bistro burger platter, with a burger and fries, lettuce, tomato, Vidalia onion, and pickles, is offered for $10, plus tax and gratuity. Cheese and other add-ons are available at an extra cost.

Winter Farm Shares

Single and family shares at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett are available for the coming season, with vegetables offered for pickup every two weeks from Nov. 21 through February. Fall produce that will be offered includes carrots, beets, potatoes, cabbage, squash, wheatberries, and more. Those interested may call Robin Harris at the Peconic Land Trust office in Southampton.

At Wolffer Winery

An apple-tasting, led by John Halsey of the Halsey apple orchard and the Milk Pail farm stand in Water Mill, will take place on Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Wolffer Estate Winery in Sagaponack. The cost is $10.

Every Tuesday, the winery has wine-tasting events for $15. On the coming Tuesday, Andrew Harris of Montauk, who owns the Stonecrop Wines vineyard in New Zealand, will discuss his experiences and present the Stonecrop sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.

Living Room Specials

Those looking to unwind after work will find happy hour specials at the Living Room restaurant’s bar at c/o the Maidstone inn in East Hampton. From 5 to 9 p.m., cocktails and food from the bar menu are half price, selected beers are $5, and house wines are $9. On Friday nights, Alfredo Merat performs with friends, and the popular Swedish meatball dish made by Mathias Brogie, the chef, with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and creamy gravy, is $20.

Happy in Sag

Happy hour gets started at 4 p.m. from Sunday through Friday at Page, at 63 Main Street in Sag Harbor. It runs till 6:30 and features food specials, including mussels meuniere for $10 and grilled vegetable and hummus flatbread for $7, as well as drinks at discounted prices — beer for $5, house wine for $7, and specialty cocktails for $8. Varieties of the restaurant’s “Back Page” brick-oven pizza are $12.

I do not like (insert little organ that controls our emotions here) New York. As a matter of fact, I very much dislike New York. Not the state, the city. It is dirty, noisy, nearly impossible to negotiate, expensive, nerve-wracking, just all around dreadful. I’ve never lived there and I never will.

I have tried to appreciate New York from a food perspective: You can get any ingredient, sample cuisines from every culture, and get food delivered to the doorstep of your $6,000-per-month lightless little hovel. The variety and moderate cost of food delivery options are enticing. But I must remind you, all restaurant food is loaded with salt, fat, and frequently MSG. Remember MSG? It is a flavor enhancer and was the gluten of the 1970s, as in everyone thought they were allergic to it, but science proved that only 1 percent of the population in fact was.

Suppose you want to cook at home? Most of my city friends, including those who are rather well-to-do, have miniscule kitchenettes. Nothing wrong with that. I cooked many meals for many years in a kitchen the size of a ship’s galley with a lame electric stove and no dishwasher. Difference is, my kitchen had ventilation and windows. If you want to fry up some fish in most New York City kitchens, your co-op board members will be snubbing you in the elevator for weeks. These friends who cook in the city tend to disable their smoke alarms, or just give up and go out, or get that delicious, salty, fatty takeout from Grand Szechuan.

What I do envy about my city mice pals is the availability of almost any ingredient. You can’t find galangal or kaffir lime leaves or extra-long basmati rice or green papayas out here on the East End.

So I do find my monthly visits to N.Y.C. an exercise in “how many cool foodstuffs can I find and carry back on the Jitney without breaking my back? Will this French feta cheese from Kalustyan’s survive without refrigeration for a few hours? Will this shrimp in chili oil stink up the bus and alienate my fellow passengers on the rolling box of hate? Heaven forbid!

I have amassed a pretty good stockpile of ethnic ingredients, and I am grateful that I have enough pantry space to store all of it, unlike my dear city slicker friends who stash their shoes in the unused oven a la “Sex and the City.” I am also grateful to the many restaurants from which I can get inspiration for dishes, then skedaddle home to Sag Harbor to attempt to duplicate them. One of my favorites is Hangawi, a sweet, tiny Korean restaurant that I didn’t even notice was vegetarian until I’d visited a few times. It’s that good. It has a house salad I like to replicate when I can find Asian pears. Hangawi’s salad has a garnish of fried, julienned strips of beet, taro, and yucca root. I discovered that some crumbled Terra Chips work just fine.

Up until a few years ago, you had to venture to Little Italy for decent fresh mozzarella. Now I don’t even have to leave Suffolk County because Pasquale at Red Horse Market in East Hampton is making the best mozzarella around. Hint: Do not refrigerate it. It will keep fresh for two days out on your kitchen counter. If it lasts past two days (doubtful, you’ll eat it first), then it’s time to refrigerate it.

If you are fond of Asian and Middle Eastern foods you probably already know about Kalustyan’s, probably one of the coolest markets in New York and just a brisk walk from the last Jitney stop at 40th and Lex. Here you can find preserved lemons for Moroccan tagines, pistachios in bulk, honeys from around the world, flat breads slathered with sumac, every kind of rice and lentil imaginable, tamarind pastes, cilantro chutneys, and Indian hot mix, a fun snack food.

I will never attempt Peking duck or steamed pork buns or monkfish liver sushi at home. These will forever be the treats made by the pros at the restaurants of New York. But for everyday or slightly exotic dishes, I prefer to stay home and make them myself . . . after I begrudgingly foray into that Big, wormy Apple to get the ingredients.

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East End Food Hub Grant

The Amagansett Food Institute has received a $25,000 grant through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Promotion Program. The grant will be used to study the feasibility of a food hub on the East End, where locally produced food could be collected, marketed, and distributed to institutional and wholesale buyers.

A consultant will be engaged to determine whether a food hub could help members of the food institute expand their businesses.

Wainscott Main Wine and Spirits

The weekly Wednesday series of tastings and discussions at Wainscott Main, the carefully curated wine and liquor store, continues on Wednesday with “Making the Dessert Course Count: Dessert Wines and Fortified,” with Michael Cohen, wine director at the 1770 House restaurant and inn in East Hampton.

The session begins at 5:30 p.m. and costs $10. Those interested can register by emailing [email protected] or calling the store to sign up.

Dinner With Winemakers

At Noah’s restaurant in Greenport, a series of dinners with local winemakers will continue on Sunday at 6 p.m. with a visit from Michael Kontokosta of Kontokosta Winery. A five-course tasting menu will be paired with his wines, and he will discuss the various pairings.

The cost is $95 per person plus tax and gratuity. The meal will include roasted Peconic Gold oysters, endive radicchio salad, pan-roasted local sea bass, slow-roasted Crescent Farm duck, and a dessert featuring Catapano Farms goat cheese, local apples, honey, and homemade raisin-walnut bread.

Blue Canoe

104 Third Street

Greenport

477-6888

Daily, noon-9 p.m.,

Friday and Saturday, noon-10 p.m.

Blue Canoe in Greenport is just plain fun. It’s on the water, has an expansive outdoor dining area, an eclectic menu with an Asian slant, great oysters in several guises, and a friendly staff. It is casual, but the food is pretty spiffy.

On a recent visit, we had to opt for indoor dining as the wind was just too blustery outside, even with the heaters. The interior is just as cozy as the outside is pretty. It is small with plain, white walls, a canoe hanging upside down from the ceiling, basil plants on the windowsills, a diminutive bar area, and minimal decor.

One of the more appealing aspects of the menu is the number of small offerings. Even what it calls “smaller plates” can be halved, so you can sample a good variety.

We began our meal with a cucumber avocado roll, shishito peppers, firecracker shrimp, and the onion ring boat. The cucumber avocado roll was fine, not much can go wrong there. We did note that there was a generous helping of pickled ginger, which we liked.

The shishitos were great. These are long, little, green peppers that are the Russian roulette of the capsicum annuum world. You can blithely gobble 8 or 9 or 10 but then you’ll get a super hot one. These shishitos were grilled on wooden skewers, then sprinkled with shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice mixture, and served with a yuzu ranch dip that was absolutely delicious — citrusy and slightly salty. The firecracker shrimp are excellent, one of my favorite dishes here.

The shrimp are halved, fried, then sauced in a chili lime glaze and topped with sesame seeds and slivered scallions. They are crunchy, a bit chewy, the sauce spicy and sweet. The onion ring boat is presented in a humorous way. The rings are stacked on the mast of a metal boat basket and served with canoe sauce, another somewhat Asian-style tangy sauce. The onion rings may be a frozen brand, but they are tasty with a supercrunchy cornmeal coating.

For entrees we tried the Thai steak and noodle salad (sans beef for my vegetarian guest), barbecue ribs, vegan pasta Bolognese, and . . . french fries.

Sadly, the noodle salad was a dud, the rice noodles perhaps having spent too much time under refrigeration and tasting like it. The barbecue ribs were good, very tender with a good sauce and served with great pickles and a light coleslaw. I just prefer more smoky flavor permeating the meat, and this the ribs lacked.

The vegan Bolognese was excellent, a mixture of ground crimini mushrooms and other vegetables. You have the option to “make it creamy” with the addition of cream and Parmesan cheese, which we did and it was delicious. I was unaware until this visit that the folks who own Vine Street Cafe on Shelter Island also own Blue Canoe. Vine Street Cafe is renowned for its Bolognese sauce, so it’s no surprise this vegan version was so good. The french fries were also very good, thin and crisp, served in a paper cone.

The service was very good. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. The staff did notice that the Thai rice noodle salad had been set aside barely touched and they took it off our bill, which was the right thing to do and much appreciated. Prices at Blue Canoe are moderate. Oyster prices vary; the oyster preparations are $12 to $18. Sushi is $9 to $16, smaller dishes (single to double orders) are $5 to $29, entrees are $14 to $44, sides are $3 to $9, desserts $7 to $9. The wine and beer list is short and reasonable.

There are no desserts made in-house but there are three quirky sweets offered at the end of the meal — grown-up chocolate bars, Bubbie’s mochi balls, and Kickshaw’s caramel corn in several flavors, pumpkin or gingerbread spice. We tried the mochi balls, three to an order. They were mango, blueberry, and lychee. Mochi is a chewy, glutinous rice cake molded around ice cream or red bean paste, a popular Japanese dessert or snack. The mango and lychee were delicious, but it was hard to detect blueberry flavor in the third mochi ball. The Kickshaw’s caramel corn (we tried the gingerbread spice) was insanely good, big fluffy kernels with a well-balanced spicy caramel coating and a teeny bit of white chocolate.

There are plenty of other dishes we wish we could have tried at Blue Canoe. I’ve had the oyster po’ boy before and it was equal to a New Orleans version. It also has nightly specials that sound fun, from a Japanese noodle night to chicken and waffles to sushi night and more. Blue Canoe is fun and young, original and casual, an alluring combination that makes for a wonderful experience, whether you dine inside or out.

Long Island Restaurant Week

As the weather cools, restaurants offer bargains to lure diners from the warmth of hearth and home. Long Island Restaurant Week will begin Sunday and continue through Nov. 9, with more than 165 restaurants offering prix fixe, three-course menus for $27.95.

Participating South Fork eateries are 1770 House and the Living Room at c/o the Maidstone in East Hampton, Almond and Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, and the Cuddy and Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor.

A bit farther afield, special menus will be offered at Cowfish and Rumba in Hampton Bays, the Patio in Westhampton Beach, Tweeds and Joe’s Garage and Grill in Riverhead, Petulant Wino in Aquebogue, the Jamesport Manor Inn and Jedediah Hawkins in Jamesport, Cooperage Inn in Baiting Hollow, a Mano in Mattituck, A Lure and Caci North Fork Restaurant in Southold, Legends in New Suffolk, Touch of Venice in Cutchogue, and Blue Canoe Oyster Bar and Grill and Noah’s in Greenport.

Every restaurant will offer at least three choices for each course at the set price, which does not include gratuities or beverages.

Local Breads and Brews

This evening at 6:30, the Amagansett Free Library will present the second program of “A Place on Your Table,” its new culinary series, with a discussion about and tasting of offerings from Carissa’s Breads of Amagansett and the Montauk Brewing Company. Reservations, which have been strongly recommended, can be made by calling 267-3810.

Wines at Wainscott Main

The weekly series of informative wine tastings at Wainscott Main Wines and Spirits will continue Wednesday with “What’s in the Bottle? Decoding Austria and Germany,” a talk by Christian Troy, a partner in Indie Wineries, a distributor of artisanal wines from around the world.

The session begins at 5:30 p.m. and costs $10. Those wishing to attend can register by emailing wainscottmain@ gmail.com or by calling the store.

I am a huge fan of fall vegetables, almost all of them. They are durable, adaptable, and malleable. Many can be eaten raw, or cooked a number of ways — roasted, steamed, fried, pureed, stir-fried. And they play nicely together, such as celery root cooked with potatoes for a mash, or butternut squash cubes roasted with carrots, sweet potatoes, and shallots.

One of the beauties of fall vegetables is how long they can last with the proper storage. You can’t let a dozen ears of corn fester in the refrigerator until you decide what to do with them. Same goes for delicate butter lettuce or spinach. But vegetables like cabbage and kale, cauliflower and broccoli, they’re perfectly content sitting in your produce bin until you’re inspired.

Some of the vegetables that are plentiful now and grown locally are pumpkins (okay, that’s technically a berry), all manner of squash, cabbage, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, potatoes, kohlrabi, parsnips, kale, chard, beets, celery root, broccoli, and cauliflower.

When it comes to pumpkins and winter squash, there are so many varieties that I get overwhelmed and confused and tend to stick with what I know. Cheese pumpkins are for pie, but I swear, once you go through all the work of cooking and pureeing and seasoning, you might as well used canned for a pie.

Regarding squash, my personal favorite is butternut. It is sturdier, sweeter, and less watery than acorn or delicata. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to peel, so make sure you have good knives and mad skills. I’ve shared it before, but my favorite go-to recipe for butternut squash is cubes drizzled with olive oil, a bit of maple syrup, grated ginger, and rosemary, roasted for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. You’re welcome.

The beauty of cabbage is it is delicious raw in slaw, (which also keeps well so you can have it for several meals in a week), or used in stir-fries, stuffed, added to soups, and so on. Napa, the ruffled leaf with white ribs variety is good for stirfries. Savoy, the loosely packed, wrinkly kind is good for cabbage rolls.

Carrots, available year round, are especially good in early summer and late fall. Like many of the other vegetables, they benefit from a few cold snaps. I don’t peel them, just give them a good scrubby-dub with a vegetable brush or coarse side of a sponge. My current favorite recipe is roasting large slivers with a bit of olive oil, a few tablespoons of water, and salt and pepper until they are fully cooked and starting to caramelize. Finish with a few drizzles of very good balsamic vinegar. One thing to beware of, they do shrink considerably, so you will definitely need one whole bunch for two people.

Brussels sprouts have experienced such a resurgence in popularity that they can often be found on restaurant menus as a side dish year round, usually offered crispy with bacon. If you want to leave out the bacon, smoked salt or smoked paprika can give the sprouts some added depth of flavor without the porcine fat.

Turnips are one of my favorites, but only when they are small. Try slicing them and sautéing in butter with plenty of salt and pepper. Finish with snipped chives, very French!

Potatoes deserve, and have received, their own column before, so I’ll just say that you want to use waxy potatoes for salads, soups, and roasting; floury ones for baking and/or mashing. You can use the all purpose potatoes interchangeably. Use waxy potatoes within a week of purchase; floury ones such as russet will last in a cool pantry environment (away from light and with good air circulation) for a month or so.

I am skipping kohlrabi and parsnips because I don’t like them. Sorry.

Kale and chard are divine. Maybe you’re sick of seeing kale Caesar salad on every menu, but when properly prepared, it is delicious. The key is to shred or break up the leaves into manageable bites, then massage them. I do this with olive oil and lemon juice. From there you can add toasted pine nuts, garlic, a bit of Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries or currants, toasted breadcrumbs, and so on. I am not a fan of the baby kale leaves sold bagged at the supermarket. While easier to prepare (you don’t have to stem the leaves), they have less flavor and wilt too quickly once dressed. Chard is delicious in gratins and soups. It is mild like spinach. The French, who are not wont to waste, cook the stems separately, then combine with the leaves, which require less cooking.

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of roasting them whole over boiling them. The sugars and some of the color are lost in boiling but are concentrated when roasted. Give them a good scrub, leave an inch of the stem on, wrap in foil and bake for approximately an hour at 400 degrees. The sizes in one bunch vary wildly, so test with a sharp knife. When cooled they are easy to peel. From there, try tossing them in a mustardy vinaigrette with shallots and put on top of hearts of escarole salad. Toasted walnuts, walnut oil, and blue cheese are also classic additions to this salad. And don’t forget borscht, hot or cold, one of the greatest soups, but seldom seen anymore!

Celery root is wonderful raw, julienned, and made into celery remoulade. Toss with mustardy creme fraiche and lots of black pepper. It is also great in gratins, mashed with potatoes, or in soups.

Broccoli and cauliflower are year-round staples, but you haven’t lived until you’ve had a fresh Long Island cauliflower, sweetened by a bit of frost. Besides the usual methods of cooking, lately I have seen recipes for whole roasted cauliflower coated with herb butter, whole deep-fried cauliflower cut into steaks, and even a mock risotto made with shaved cauliflower.

All you have to do is look at fall vegetables and realize they are full of vitamins, the vibrant oranges and yellows and deep greens just scream vitamin C. Broccoli has lots of vitamins, C, K, and A, plus folate and fiber. Cabbage has vitamin C, fiber, and isothiocyanates, chemicals that help our body’s natural detoxification systems. Chard and kale have phytochemicals, vitamins K, D, A, and C, magnesium, and potassium. Potatoes have complex carbohydrates and a bit of vitamin C. Winter squashes have vitamins A, C, B6, and K, potassium, and folate.

In experimenting with many of these vegetables I did notice that most have a mild, earthy flavor and a degree of sweetness. These characteristics can be played up by adding cream and cheese, but I found that a sharp acidic note really brought out their flavors. So you can go in any direction with them, rich and comforting or light and sprightly. Summer may be over, but the wonderful array of vegetables available and their preparation possibilities has just begun.

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