Getting Jittery About the Coming Coffee Shortage

I am as freaked out as everyone else in this town that Java Nation has lost its lease and will be vacating its current space in the Shopping Cove at the end of the month. When I moved to Sag Harbor 16 years ago, just after the Bedinis opened for business, it was a beacon and a sign of good things to come. Before there was Cavaniola's, before the farmer's market, before Tim's Prime Meats and the Sag Harbor Baking Company and Joe and Liza's Ice Cream, before there was any kind of artisanal, organic, and/or local food product for sale in town, there was best-quality locally roasted coffee.

Every day that I wake up in Sag Harbor I brew coffee with Java Nation beans. I'm confident that they'll find another space, but can I survive if there is a gap of days or weeks between the closing of one shop and the opening of another? That would be difficult. Usually I wait until I'm out to run to Java Nation for a fresh bag, but in the last week or two I've been buying coffee to stockpile in the freezer.

A while ago, I started seeing recipes for cookies incorporating coffee grounds, and today I thought I might try that with my Java Nation grounds. But when I ground the beans and they smelled so great, I decided to use freshly ground coffee in my chocolate chip cookies instead. If you have coffee to spare, here is the recipe:

Java Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly ground coffee
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup whole almonds, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Add the ground coffee and mix for 30 seconds. Add the chocolate chips and almonds if using and mix to combine.
3. Let dough stand 10 minutes to firm up, and then drop it by tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookies. Bake until golden around the edges but still soft on top, 9 to 10 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then remove with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

Java Nation Flyer of the Week

When I saw this flyer at Java Nation today, I felt like calling the number and saying, "Forget babysitting and go into advertising!" What a cute and seasonal drawing! It made me rush over to Bette and Dale's (1726 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike) for a half-dozen fresh organic eggs. In no time, I had made some egg salad with fennel and pancetta, which I enjoyed on a toasted ciabatta roll from the IGA. Here is the recipe:

Egg Salad Sandwiches with Fennel and Pancetta
Serves 4

4 pieces panceta, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teapsoon Dijon mustard
Salt
Ground black pepper
8 large eggs, hard-boiled, cooled, peeled, and chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed, tough outer layers removed, finely chopped
4 ciabatta rolls, split and lightly toasted

1. Cook the pancetta in a small skillet until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 2 teaspoons fat from the pan, add garlic, and cook until just fragrant.
2. Scrape the garlic into a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth.
3. Add the eggs, fennel, and pancetta and gently stir, adjust seasonings, and serve immediately on toasted ciabatta rolls or refrigerate for up to 6 hours before serving.

EcoWalk Fundraiser a Huge Success

Not only did Thursday's fundraiser collect $14,000 for the Elementary School's proposed EcoWalk, but it gave me the chance to bid on and win this Pavoni burr grinder plus a pound of coffee beans a month for the next year from Java Nation!

Sag Harbor Souvenirs Continue to Show Promise

I am so happy about the recent general upgrading of Sag Harbor souvenirs as high season approaches. First there were the nautical tote bags at the Variety Store. Then today, as I was climbing the steps to Java Nation to pick up my espresso beans, I saw this elegant t-shirt hanging from a hook outside a new shop, Pailletts (78 Main Street; 899-4070). It will be the perfect thing to wear as I tour Buckingham Palace during my house swap later in the summer.

IGA Item of the Week

A while ago a friend e-mailed to tell me about the triple creme goat brie, well-wrapped and packed in a box to preserve its freshness, that she had discovered in the dairy aisle at the IGA. I told her that although the larger part of my food budget goes right to Schiavoni's, I save the cheese money for Cavaniola's (89 Division Street; 725-0095). What if someone saw me buying cheese at the IGA? It would be like getting caught with a Golden Pear cup (No disrespect to the nice people at the Golden Pear! I wouldn't go anywhere else for muffins!) outside of Java Nation. But I filed away the information, in case of a cheese emergency, guessing that if the day ever came, it would be a Tuesday, the cheese shop's day off. So today, confronted with the "closed" sign near the door at Cavaniola's and in need of a triple creme cheese for a story with a fast-approaching deadline, I didn't panic or drive Citarella's. I walked to Main Street and bought this pretty little brie.

Something Beautiful

My friend Barb urged me to go and see the beautiful wreath, provided by Sag Harbor Florist (3 Bay Street, 725-1400), that's decorating the windmill now. So this morning before I went to the post office and the IGA and Java Nation I walked over to Long Wharf to check it out. Before I could take any photos, I just stood there, happily surprised by all of the little things that made the scene memorable: The starfish on the wreath, the historic windmill, our beautiful bay in the background, and the fragrant pines (for sale to benefit the Lions' Club) perfuming the air. My photos on their own don't begin to convey the little thrill I got just from stopping at this spot.

Sag Harbor Food Pantry Benefit

Although I read the New York Times every morning at home, I get the most important local news off the wall at Java Nation (78 Main Street, 631-725-7500). I saw this flyer while having coffee today. I'd pay double to see inside SIX LOCAL KITCHENS IN ONE AFTERNOON! Who wants to come with me? For more information on the event, go to sagharborfoodpantry.org.