Food for the journey

I probably won't be blogging much for the rest of this week.  That's because tomorrow morning I'm leaving on Amtrak out of Central Station in Montreal to head down to my brother and sister-in-law's house in Patterson, NY for Thanksgiving.  The train goes straight to Poughkeepsie, and then someone will have to pick me up from there for the half-hour drive to my brother's place.

I love train travel.  And this voyage is exceptionally beautiful.  For most of the way, we hug the shore of Lake Champlain.  On two occasions, while taking this train, I have seen bald eagles soaring above the lake.

The one thing I dislike about train travel (well, travel on Amtrak, at any rate) is the food.  It's not very good.  My solution, of course, is to bring my own!  So this evening I've been preparing my breakfast and lunch for the train.  I'm not one for getting up any earlier than I have to, so I will just make a big thermos of coffee tomorrow morning, and have it after the train leaves the station, along with my Craisin® Scones.  Then, in the afternoon, after we're across the border, I'll have my rice and beans and cauliflower salad.  Here is the recipe for the scones.

Craisin® Scones

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup shortening or butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup Craisins® (dried cranberries)
grated rind of one orange
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.  Cut in the shortening until it has the consistency of coarse cornmeal.  Add the walnuts, Craisins®, and orange zest, and make sure they are well distributed.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg and milk.  Add to the dry ingredients, and mix.  Turn out onto a floured board and knead a few times.  Shape the dough into a rough rectangular shape, and cut into triangular pieces.  (You could also cut them into rounds using a juice glass.)

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes.  Delicious hot or cold, and even better if spread with butter and jam.