A few weeks back, Big Daddy E and I decided to take in the Remsen Barn Festival of the Arts (also known as the Barn FOTA on the streets). We’ve lived here in the North Country for six years now, and have never been, so we really didn’t know what to expect. Our friends and neighbors the Kleps and Finkle and Bathke families never, ever miss a year, and since they are the sophisticated/jaded/worldly types, I figured I had better expect to be impressed. Boy, were we ever.

The day was brisk and blowsy but sunny—my favorite kind of weather. We drove to the Remsen school, where we parked the truck amongst what seemed like thousands of cars to take the shuttle school bus down to the festival (which we now know was kinda silly—the festival is located a mere two blocks down the hill from the school—a nice little walk, and there was all sorts of parking on the side streets). Well, that darned Barn FOTA is so much bigger than we expected. Over 250 crafters and vendors line Remsen’s Main Street, and the crowds were really something for a Sunday afternoon. We saw lots of Old Forgians/Thendarians milling about, and we purchased quite a few darling and locally made tchotkes. One can’t have too many tchotkes, in my book (sadly, my husband doesn’t agree—he just calls what I find “more crap to dust”). And since no visit to this kind of event would be complete without indulging in some fair-type junk food, we just had to get ourselves a few orders of deep fried apple fritters. Dusted with powdered sugar. Wow—so good. I’m still working those calories off, two weeks later.

Since we were so thoroughly enjoying the fabulousness of the perfect day, a Sunday drive through the countryside surrounding Remsen was in order. The scenery down there is just so bucolic—fields of corn, rolling pastures with cows and horses and every other kind of farm critter, big fluffy white clouds against a blue, blue sky, and, of course, pumpkin patches. As a woman who loves herself a good pumpkin patch (I even had my own once, in our Omaha backyard—just so you know, they’re a great way to kill a lawn.), I was very excited by the family run patch we found outside of little Gravesville. Because this pumpkin patch didn’t just have the run of the mill grocery store pumpkins, no Sireee; they had FUNKY pumpkins in every shape, size and color. We picked up two of the absolute funkiest we could find—check out the photo. One is actually grey in color, and the other is the hottest red with little pimple like bumps all over it. I fell in love, and hard.

SPEAKING of pumpkins (and really, aren’t I always?), I have three new awesome pumpkin recipes for you this week. My mom’s Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies—she makes these every year, without fail. Also her pumpkin soup—you may remember a curried pumpkin soup from last year’s recipes. This one doesn’t have the curry, but it does have an awesome splash of sherry—so elegant. Wonderful for an autumn lunch, served up in hollowed out and roasted pumpkins. I’m also thinking her soup would be an amazing first course for Thanksgiving dinner. And last, our new favorite pancake, Pumpkin Pancakes. This recipe makes an amazingly perfect pancake batter, and I think everyone in your family will just love them. You can even add a sprinkling of chocolate chips to them—why not? Live a little. Enjoy.

GRANDMA’S PUMPKIN OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup shortening

1 egg, beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix in shortening; stir until mixture is crumbly. Stir in egg, pumpkin, oats and raisins. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, or until done.

CAROL’S ELEGANT PUMPKIN SOUP

Serves 4

2 tblsp. butter or margarine

4 tblsp. white onion

2 tblsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 tsp. brown sugar

Salt and pepper

1 cup half and half

4 tblsp. sherry (or more.)

Minced fresh parsley

Saute onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour; remove from heat. Add chicken broth, pumpkin, sugar and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add half and half and continue to heat. Do not boil. Just before serving, stir in sherry and garnish with parsley. Taste for seasoning.

Note: my mom says do NOT skip the sherry—it’s what makes the soup fantastic.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Serves 4-5

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tblsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

2 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 tblsp. vegetable oil

Combine first six (dry) ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer until soft peaks form; gently fold into pancake batter. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles start to form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

Happy eating.

Please send all recipes or comments to PO Box 111, Old Forge, NY 13420, or e-mail them to lnwillard@hotmail.com">lnwillard@hotmail.com.