out and about: table on ten.

Last night, Faye’s snoring reached near comic levels. There were great blustering intakes of breath followed by high pitched whistles that sounded like a sound effect borrowed from a Disney cartoon and not something that would actually emerge from a human baby. She’s feverish this week for the first time in her little life and I’m finding myself somewhere between knowing that everything will be fine enough in a day or two and panicked, envisioning a full-on reenactment of Minnie-Mae and the great croup fiasco of Anne of Avonlea. 

There’s something bittersweet about nursing a sick baby in the midst of what was otherwise supposed to be a quiet week. The advantage is two parents home to do the nursing and plenty of undivided time for walking the apartment in circles willing her to take a blessed nap. The downside, of course, is a sickly baby and a whole list of ambitious, if quiet, goals that have been tucked into bed along with the feverish babe.

It’ll be an even quieter end to 2015 than we anticipated, but I’m grateful we squeezed in a tiny getaway before fever struck. Here, a few photos from our stay at Table on Ten in New York’s rural Delaware County. We’ve never taken advantage of the days between Christmas and New Years for a getaway of the true vacation variety, and even though our stay was short, the little respite between the excitement of the holidays and the lull before the new year felt just right. A new tradition, perhaps.

We stayed in one of the three rooms that Table on Ten lets through Airbnb. The entire place is an example of the triumph of simplicity and kindness. More gracious hosts could not be found and the understated rooms provided the exact backdrop of calm that we craved after Christmas. We gobbled wood-fired pizza and drank fresh coffee and drooled over brilliant eggs that we’ve already tried to recreate, twice. When we left, we took with us a hand-drawn map from owner, Inez, directing us to other local treasures. The only downside was the brevity of our stay.
Linen sheets, simple fixtures, and a queen bed for snuggling in on a rainy day. 

Coffee and mixed-berry handpies for breakfast in addition to the most delicious eggs in a skillet I’ve ever eaten. 
No-frills curtains and a view of the neighbors.

My guys.

Tables and chairs waiting for hungry patrons.

Winter Citrus and Root Vegetable Salad      

Because I wasn’t quite ready to leave it all, behind, here’s a little bit I took home with me. This is an approximation of a salad we loved at Table on Ten; an imperfect recreation of a truly perfect salad. It’s the right kind of salad for welcoming a New Year. A mixture of sweet and savory, bright and earthy, wholesome and indulgent. The original was made lovelier with the addition of very beautiful chioggia beets and yellow ones, too. I used what we had on hand and you should too—a combination of bright winter citrus, thinly sliced root vegetables, a smattering of endives and kale, and warm toasted nuts. 

Serves two.

1 large endive, sliced
3 leaves lacinato kale, massaged in cold water and chopped into small pieces
1/2 grapefruit, cut into supremes (aka, segments without skin or pith or any bitter bits)
1 clementine, cut into supremes
1 beet, uncooked and sliced as thinly as possible (carrots or parnsips or turnips or any combination of the above very much welcomed)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
a handful of lightly roasted nuts (I used almonds and cashews because we had them. The original included hazelnuts which were lovely)

For the dressing:

1/3 parts champagne vinegar
2/3 parts olive oil
a squeeze of grapefruit juice
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of sugar

Combine vegetables and nuts in a large bowl, toss with dressing and nuts and enjoy. Happy New Year!