ROASTED ACORN SQUASH with GARLIC BUTTER and BURRATA
Last summer when we finished cooking through Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, I seriously considered signing off. The major reasons I began LightsonBright. as I’ve often said, were not only to bring structure to a chaotic time but also to chronicle the journey of rebuilding a life. Besides completing the cookbook, I also felt I’d accomplished my task and brought order, stability and balance to myself. I was unsure if I had anything left to say.
RADICCHIO with PINE NUTS, CURRANTS and AGED BALSAMIC
Okay, hold on. I already know that with that last sentence many of my dear friends who loyally read my post every week just fell on the floor laughing. Now get up, compose yourselves and let’s be serious.
The conclusion I finally reached is that this lifestyle I’ve structured will never again be as orderly or constant as it was for most of our 25-year marriage. It will invariably need tweaking. Compromises will be required and trade-offs made. Michael was the guy who kept my playing field level, always steady-eddy, unruffled and calm. I’ve had to jump into those voids plus all others now to keep the Hirsch household humming.
MISE en PLACE ( the necessary ingredients) for ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH GARLIC BUTTER and BURRATA
So, surprising as it may be, perhaps I have more to say! It’s also true that I eat well because of this blog. Why mess with that? Since February 2011, I’ve tried a new recipe every week. Hits and Misses. The two recipes for this week, Radicchio with Pine Nuts, Currants, and Aged Balsamic and Roasted Acorn Squash with Garlic Butter and Burrata are definite HITS.
MISE en PLACE (the necessary ingredients) for RADICCHIO WITH PINE NUTS, CURRANTS AND AGED BALSAMIC
What I know for sure is if I wasn’t writing this blog, that wouldn’t happen. I love to cook but who really enjoys the alone part of mealtime? For me, cooking has become purposeful. That’s why it works. This whole blog thing brings me Joy. My web host provider who sends me weekly e-mail updates on site visits reported last week’s post climbed to a 4-year high for Hits. Clunk my head with the Joy Bar.
Never in a million years… Wiggling in is easier than negotiating yourself out of a wetsuit. Necessary in the Galapagos for not only warmth while snorkeling but my friends also insist it will provide buoyancy.
About those tweaks. My December Galapagos trip is still a GO although I’ve hit a snag with the swimming/snorkeling challenge. I’ve nailed the snorkeling (thanks Carol Kurt) but learning to swim may be more difficult. Last Monday the local newspaper reported that our INDOOR community pool is closed for renovation. Say what? I was all set to move indoors and learn to stay afloat. Not happening: Snorkeling, check; Wetsuit, check; Floaty, available onboard the Integrity; Swimming, progress halted. Whether I succeed or not, I think I am brave to try.
Last December was snowy, cold and icy in Aspen. Perfect for this skiing resort community but I found myself wary of driving or falling. A broken hip and my life changes forever. While accidents can happen anywhere, I am gaming Mother Nature by leaving Aspen earlier, at Thanksgiving and returning later, in May. It’s Plan A and I’ll be telling you all about my upcoming adventures. As my daughter, Melissa, my wingwoman for the past 12 eventful years, always reminds me, “If Plan A doesn’t work, Mom, we’ll go to Plan B or C.” (Love that Lady.)
THE ACORN SQUASH, SEASONED WITH GARLIC BUTTER and S/P, IS READY FOR A ROAST.
This week’s recipes are too simple, require too few ingredients and are too delicious. Radicchio with Pine Nuts, Currants and Aged Balsamic is another favorite from Jody Williams’ Buvette cookbook. Radicchio, which is a leaf chicory, has a bitter and spicy taste but mellows in the oven. That’s what happens here. We braise it in olive oil and water, making it soft and supple. After then adding roasted pine nuts, currants and balsamic, it’s good to go.
AFTER DRIZZLING EACH RADICCHIO QUARTER WITH OLIVE OIL AND POURING IN WATER, IT’S READY FOR THE OVEN.
It’s squash season. Tell me something better than Roasted Acorn Squash with Garlic Butter and Burrata by Food & Wine magazine’s Chef Dave Beran. According to The Kitchn blog, ‘Burrata cheese takes the mozzarella one step further — it’s mozzarella that’s formed into a pouch and then filled with soft, stringy curd and cream.’
While Chef Beran insists it is ‘fantastic with a lush Chardonnay’, I found it quite tasty with an Octoberfest beer.
ROASTED ACORN SQUASH with GARLIC BUTTER and BURRATA, adapted from Chef Dave Beran, Food & Wine magazine
YIELD: Serves Four
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt
Pepper
Two 1 1/2-pound acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeds discarded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
4 cups baby greens (2 ounces)
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed under cold water
One 1/2-pound ball of burrata
Cracked black pepper, for garnish
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a bowl, combine the butter, shallot, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Season the squash halves with salt and pepper also and set on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the garlic butter and roast for about 30 minutes, until the squash is golden and tender.
2. While the squash is roasting,in a bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the baby greens and red onion and toss to coat.
3. Cut the burrata into 4 pieces.
4. After the squash has roasted 30 minutes, place each burrata piece on the squash half as pictured. Slide carefully under a broiler for between 1-2 minutes to soften and toast it. Watch this process carefully.
5. Top each squash half with salad, as pictured and moving the slightly-melted cheese a bit if necessary. Garnish with cracked pepper and sea salt, serve warm and pass extra salad greens.
RADICCHIO with PINE NUTS, CURRANTS, and AGED BALSAMIC, by Jody Williams, Buvette, The Pleasure of Good Food
YIELD: Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 small heads radicchio
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons currants
1 tablespoon good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar Glaze (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Quarter each radicchio lengthwise. Be sure to leave the cores intact so that you end up with wedges that are held together at the base.
3. Place the radicchio wedges in a roasting dish or a skillet, anything that will hold them in an even layer and that can go into the oven. Drizzle with the olive oil and pour in the water. Tightly cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and roast in the oven until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes.
4. While the radicchio is braising, put the currants in the 1 tablespoon (or, slightly more) of balsamic vinegar to plump.
5. Toast the pine nuts.
6. (Optional) When the radicchio is cooked, I also put it under the broiler for 2 minutes for an ever-so-slightly charred effect.
7. Transfer the radicchio to a serving dish and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt. Scatter the pine nuts and balsamic vinegar/currants mix over the radicchio, and drizzle with a tiny amount of glaze if you wish.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I WENT ON MY LAST ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES BIRD CLUB HIKE THIS WEEK. ALTHOUGH MANY BIRDS HAVE ‘FLOWN THE CHILLY COOP’, THIS FEMALE KINGFISHER IS STILL HANGING AROUND.
We’ve had intermittent snowfalls this week which translate to a wide community grin. Bring it on, El Niño. It’s cold enough – 28 degrees is the magic number – to crank up the snow makers. At night I can hear the guns shooting their white dust onto nearby Aspen Mountain. We host the women’s FIS Ski World Cup on Thanksgiving week-end. The ladies need snow.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAD SOUP
’Tis the season for comfort food. For me, hearty, homemade soups spell satisfaction for those upcoming chilly November evenings. This week’s Panade de Butternut from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook is not French despite its fancy name. This butternut squash bread soup (sounds better in French) has become one of my top five favorite dishes.
BE BEAR-AWARE
Before we cook, however, let’s have a bear chat:
The Scene: Late last Sunday, Very Dark NIght, The Gant, Aspen
The Scene #2: Off-season. No paying customers here. The front office is closed. The D-Building, except for me, is empty.
The Villain: A bear-proof trash container stuffed with take-out food containers and champagne bottles in violation of No Trash after 8pm Sign.
WHAT IS NOT TOTALLY CLEAR ABOUT THIS SIGN WHICH IS POSTED ON TOP OF THE TRASH LID? A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR.
The Actors: A Black Bear and Me
The Plot: My Best Wildlife Moment
WHOOPS! THE BEAR REALIZES SOME CRAZY LADY IS UP THERE TAKING PICTURES WITH HER CAMERA.
Late Sunday night I heard the unmistakable sound, crash and banging of my trash can tipping over. There isn’t a bear in Pitkin County who can’t claw into Aspen’s bear-proof containers if they smell goodies. Since I’m on the second floor, I ran outside to see a delighted bear dumpster diving. I grabbed my camera and, with the first click, notified the bear I was upstairs.
You don’t yell at bears but I did scold and plead with him but, silly me, he wasn’t leaving until he’d devoured the mother lode. After all, for the 5-6 months he’s in hibernation there will be no pizza deliveries. At one point he lumbered into the parking lot and sat on his haunches before returning to finish his meal, ignoring me completely.
I AM OBVIOUSLY BUGGING THE BEAR. HE WALKS OUT TO THE PARKING LOT, SITS FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RETURNS. AS FAR AS THE BEAR IS CONCERNED, I DON’T EXIST.
After 20 minutes or so, he departed, leaving a huge mess which I was not brave enough to go down and clean up. The next morning, at 7am, one of our bellman did just that. (Thanks, Nic.) I did not call the police who would have bean-bagged the bear and fined The Gant. What was an exciting encounter for me was unfortunate for this bear who was just being, well, a bear.
MY BEAR, RETURNING TO FINISH UP HIS MEAL. HE IS NOT AT ALL INTIMIDATED BY ME. AFTER ALL, HE’S BIGGER.
For the rest of the off-season or until the bears go into hibernation, I’ve appointed myself the evening trash-monitor here. No more nibbles available on my watch.
PANADE de BUTTERNUT
MISE en PLACE, THE INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THE PANADE
“This panade is one of the few dishes I’ve eaten in my life that I’ve never forgotten,” Lebovitz writes.
Because I suffer with squash addiction every Fall, David’s endorsement piqued my interest. This is not a complicated recipe but I’ve been more thorough than usual with details, photos and directions. It’s a unique ‘baked casserole that’s served like soup but is hearty enough to be a full meal.’
For baking, a 4-quart baking dish is preferred, because the greater the width, the more crusty cheese topping you’ll have when the panade is finished. Whatever size you use, it should have sides that are at least 3 inches high. I used a 2-quart dish and halved the recipe for this post but will use my 4-quart rustic terra cotta dish next time.
ALTHOUGH I HALVED THE RECIPE, USING A 2-QUART DISH, THIS IS THE 4-QUART DISH WITH A 3-INCH LIP THAT I WOULD NORMALLY USE. IT’S PERFECT.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAD SOUP (PANADE DE BUTTERNUT)
by Seen Lippert to David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen Cookbook
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 onions, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 thinly sliced, and 2 whole
2 Tbsp mixed chopped fresh thyme and sage
2-pound loaf firm-textured, dense sourdough bread, sliced into 1/4-1/2”
1/2 cup white wine
2-pound butternut squash or similar winter squash (such as Kabocha), peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Comté, Gruyère, Jarlsberg, or fontina cheese (I used Gruyère)
2 quarts warm chicken stock, plus additional stock for serving
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, the 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the herbs. Cook for about 25- 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely wilted and beginning to brown on the bottom and edges.
AFTER MELTING BUTTER WITH OLIVE OIL IN THIS PAN, I ADDED ONIONS, GARLIC AND HERBS TO COOK FOR 25-35 MINUTES.
2. While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 375 F. Put the slices of bread on baking sheets in a single layer and toast in the oven, turning the slices over midway, until both sides are dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, rub both sides of the slices with the whole garlic cloves.
3. When the onions are done, pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen up any of the flavorful brown bits. Cook for a minute or two, so the wine is absorbed. Add 2 cups of the stock to the onions and cook until the stock is mostly absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes, and then add the rest of the stock and heat until the stock is hot. Remove from the heat.
THE ONIONS ARE COOKING WITH THE WINE AND THE STOCK WHICH I AM SLOWLY ADDING.
4. To assemble the panade, cover the bottom of a 3- to 4-quart baking dish with a layer of bread, breaking any pieces so they fit in a single layer, but keeping them as large as possible. Ladle about half of the onions and some of the stock over the bread, and then cover with half of the squash slices. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and half of the herbs. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese.
THE SQUASH, THINLY SLICED
LAYER NUMBER ONE
5. Add a second layer of bread and ladle the rest of the onions and more stock over the bread. Cover with the remaining squash slices. Season the squash with salt and pepper, and then add the remaining herbs. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of grated cheese over the squash layer. Cover the squash with a final layer of bread and then ladle the rest of the stock over the bread and press down on the ingredients to encourage them to meld together. Top with the remaining 1 cup of grated cheese, and the Parmesan.
THE BEGINNING OF THE TOP LAYER, NUMBER THREE
6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and tighten it around the edges, but don’t press it down on the surface or some of the cheese may stick to it during baking. Set the baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any spills. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover the panade, and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the panade is very well browned and crisp on top.
JUST GOING INTO THE OVEN-I COVERED WITH TINFOIL FIRST
JUST COMING OUT OF THE OVEN
7. Let cool for about 15 minutes and then spoon portions of the panade into soup bowls, making sure everyone gets a highly prized layer of the crusty topping. As you serve, ladle additional warm broth over each bowl if you wish and put extra on the table.
TIP: I sprayed the tinfoil with Pam so it would not stick to the top cheese crust.
Although I try to complete a jigsaw puzzle every month, why not try one yourself this winter? On a chilly winter evening what’s not to love about a leafy green salad, Panade de Butternut, a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon followed by putting together a puzzle. Delightful.
OCTOBERS JIGSAW PUZZLE: THE TREE OF LIFE BY CHARLEY HARPER (GUYLA, This is headed your way.)
Betsy looked at me oddly. After a long pause, she said, “Mary I wasn’t even two years old yet. I don’t remember it.”
Whoops!
TOMATO, BASIL & MOZZARELLA TART
I did the math. She was born in 1961. I was born in 1944. Holy Moly, I thought, she’s right! My first life-altering moment wasn’t even on her radar screen. “Mine was the Challenger explosion [1986 ],” she later added.
Our 17-year age difference became an additional thought-provoking layer during our week-long libraries journey. Many things that I remembered, she’d only learned in school. There were other situations we both recollected but recalled through our different generational lenses.
CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEA CURRY
Every generation has its shared moments, life-altering events when we still remember where we were when something happened. This week I asked both friends/family to recall their first public experience that helped shape the adult they’ve become.
TO CARAMELIZE AND SOFTEN THE TOMATOES, THEY BAKE ALONE FOR 15 MINUTES AT 375 DEGREES BEFORE BEING JOINED BY CHEESE.
For 24-year-old Kacey Mahler, The Gant’s Customer Service Manager, it was 9/11. That was the consensus among the front office staff. But Bellman Chris Malone, 28, said, “Mrs. Hirsch, you may not like this but for me it was watching OJ Simpson being chased in his white Bronco by the police.” Malone, who was 7 at the time, explained, “That’s when I first realized heroes could be criminals.”
IMAGE BY ideasevolved.com
The responses were as varied as generational:
Hurricane Andrew. (a home lost); Princess Diana’s Death; Governor Orval Faubus closing all high schools in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958; Apollo Eleven’s Moon Landing;
Team USA upsetting the Soviet Union, 4-3, The Miracle on Ice, at the Winter Olympics in February 1980;
DUST WITH POWDERED SUGAR, IF YOU WISH.
For my daughter, Melissa, it was about Jimmy Carter and her initial disillusionment with politics. “I remember listening to his energy crisis address when he was president,” she says. “It flipped everyone out – the idea to conserve energy – but I remember as a kid thinking it was a good idea. The result was President Carter got crushed in the re-election.”
I DOUBLED DOWN ON MOZZARELLA BUT IT’S YOUR CHOICE.
My Norwegian son-in-law’s first life-altering moment? ( “Yup, Mom,” Melissa e-mailed, “Swear to God, this is Stephen’s answer.”)
“The 1975 non-call of offensive pass interference against Dallas Cowboys/Minnesota Vikings game that allowed the Cowboys to win and go on to the Superbowl.”
Realizing this man is the love of my daughter’s life and father of my two granddaughters, I have no comment except, Go Vikings!
While you’re pondering how you would answer this question, here’s what I cooked up this week. My showstopper is undoubtedly Yvette Van Boven’s Sticky Chocolate Cake in Your Coffee Mug in 3 Minutes. There aren’t words to describe its fudgy appeal. Skeptical? Try it. A perfect dessert for one or two sweet tooths.
I ALSO POURED DULCE de LECHE, A CREAMY, SMOOTH, MILK-CARAMEL SPREAD OVER THE CAKE.
I made two recipes for this month’s Cottage Cooking Club from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg cookbook. The first, Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Tart is a keeper, something I’ll stick in my back pocket to bring out to impress guests. You may use a traditional round tart pan, an oblong pan which makes finger-friendly portions for appetizers or a regular baking sheet. Try other flavorful combinations such as Tomato, Thyme and Goat Cheese; Tomato, Rosemary and Pecorino or Tomato, Blue Cheese and Chives. Pretty and Tasty.
MY PUFF PASTRY RULE HAS BECOME THAT IF I CAN’T FIND DUFOURS, I DON”T MAKE A RECIPE WITH PUFF PASTRY. IT IS THE BEST, IN MY OPINION, AND, BETTER YET, ALWAYS WORKS.
Honestly, I am seldom disappointed with Hugh’s recipes but Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry didn’t work for me. Cauliflower, yum. And, I love curry. Still, this is a healthy recipe that, with its ingredients, should be packed with flavor. Although I’ve posted pictures of my effort, I need to return to the kitchen and try again. Back to you in a few weeks. Or, not.
PHOTO BY katrin.coaching-in-bulgaria.com
STICKY CHOCOLATE CAKE IN YOUR COFFEE MUG IN 3 MINUTES
Adapted from Yvette Van Boven, Home Made Winter cookbook
If you wish, sprinkle with confectionary sugar or add any syrup, liquor, ice cream or whipped cream.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix the dry ingredients in the coffee mug. Add the egg and whisk together with a fork. Add the milk and oil and whisk some more.
2. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Place the mug in the microwave and “bake” the batter for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise above the rim of the mug. Use a saucer under the mug as it “bakes” to catch any drips. Let it cool for a bit.
4. Add any desired topping.
Thanks to Betty Pollack-Benjamin for introducing me to Yvette Van Boven.
TOMATO, BASIL and MOZZARELLA TART
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall by River Cottage Veg
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
Canola or Sunflower Oil
13 ounces all-butter ready-made puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten, for brushing
12 ounces tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive
3 1/2 ounces Mozzarella cheese
2 TBSP shredded basil, added after the tart is baked
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly oil a baking sheet or tart pan.
2. Roll out the pasty fairly thinly and trim to a rectangle measuring your pan. Put it on the baking sheet or tart pan. Cut a 1/2-inch strip from each edge. Brush these strips with a little beaten egg. Stick them onto the edges of the rectangle to form a slightly raised border. Brush the edges with a little more egg. Even if you are using a lipped tart pan, reinforce your edges.
3. Thinly slice the tomatoes crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Discard the stalky top and skinny bottom slices. Scatter the garlic over the pastry. Then, arrange the tomato slices on top, overlapping them only slightly. Season with salt and pepper and trickle with a little olive oil.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and lightly browned.
5. Take the tart out of the oven, scatter over the cheese. Add another twist of pepper and a trickle of oil. Return to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is melty and bubbly and the pastry golden brown.
6. You can serve the tart hot. Whittingstall recommends serving it half an hour or so after it comes out of the oven, with a green salad.
Cottage Cooking Club is a virtual group cooking its way through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’sRiver Cottage Veg cookbook. It is skillfully managed and inspired by our leader Andrea from The Kitchen Lioness.
TUNA & HUMMUS SANDWICH, THANKS TO INA GARTEN, THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA
This is my prediction. After reading this post you’ll open your cupboard doors or walk into your pantry, put your hands on your hips and take a mental inventory. Whether you’re into cooking or would rather not, it’s smart, if only for safety’s sake, to stock your pantry well. The question? Can you feed the two-legged/four-legged mouths in your home, for one week, from your pantry?
MY PANTRY, HOMEMADE INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SIMPLE MEALS YOUR OWN by Alice Waters
Alice Waters, an American culinary icon and author of 12 books about food, recently published her 13th entitled “My Pantry, Homemade Ingredients That Make Simple Meals Your Own”. Being a Waters’ devotee, I ordered the book. When it arrived, I thumbed through the 135 pages but it was her Introduction that reminded me why I honor this woman.
MY PANTRY WAS UP TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING “COMING HOME PASTA” WHEN I RETURNED TO ASPEN AFTER AN 8-DAY TRIP.
“A familiar pantry,” she writes, “is like being surrounded by friends who won’t let you down. No matter how tired I am, at least I’ll be able to dream up something to cook — something delicious! — and right away, too.”
IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO COME HOME AND THIS PASTA IS COMFORT FOOD AT ITS BEST.
It was her opening sentence, however, that threw down the gauntlet for this week’s post. “When I come back from a trip, one of the first things I need to do is walk into my kitchen and look around. A pantry is not just a shortcut to cooking something special in a hurry, it also encourages the best kind of impromptu cooking.”
BETSY’S AND MY FIRST STOP IN BOSTON WAS AT JFK’S PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY.
THIS IS A REPLICA OF THE CBS STUDIO WITH WALTER CRONKITE’S DESK AT WHICH HE ANNOUNCED THE VICTORY OF JFK AGAINST RICHARD NIXON IN THE 1960 ELECTION. THE RCA PROJECTION CAMERA IS TO THE LEFT.
Since I was leaving for an 8-day journey, I challenged myself to let my pantry create the meals for at least two days upon my return. So, while catching up on sleep (my usual 8:30pm lights-out routine would be severely interrupted), unpacking, returning calls and wading through a week’s mail, I’d survive on what was already in-house.
FDR’S PRESIDENTIA;L LIBRARY. OF THE 11 LIBRARIES I’VE VISITED THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, THE MOST WELL DONE AND MY FAVORITE.
SPRINGWOOD, THE LIFELONG HOME OF FDR. DIANE, ANOTHER FFWD COLLEAGUE, JOINED US FOR SATURDAY.
Fast forward to last Tuesday. Trip over. Early in the morning, my friend, Betsy, drove me to the Boston airport to catch my 4-hour flight to Denver. After arriving in the Mile-High city and retrieving my bags, I waved down a shuttle which dropped me by my parked car. I was Aspen-bound. Four hours later, cruising by Whole Foods and City Market in El Jebel, I wished I hadn’t read that damn book! By the time I reached Aspen and drove by the Hickory House (best ribs in town), I was silently cursing Alice Waters.
THIS IS THE BACKYARD OF VAL-KILL, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S LAST HOME WHERE THE HOT DOG SUMMIT OF 1939 BETWEEN FDR AND KING GEORGE V! OF ENGLAND TOOK PLACE. THOSE HOTDOGS WERE ROASTED ON THIS GRILL.
OCTOBER 11th WAS ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S 131ST BIRTHDAY. WE PARTICIPATED IN A GRAVESIDE MEMORIAL CEREMONY AND THEN JOINED EVERYONE FOR A CELEBRATION AND BIRTHDAY CAKE.
Tired and hungry I decided to mimic Water’s menu. Coming Home Pasta: spaghetti tossed with a heap of sautéed garlic, dried chile flakes, a salted anchovy and handful of chopped parsley, ‘is what I always make for myself when returning from a trip,’ she writes.
SIX OF THE FRENCH FRIDAYS WITH DORIE GROUP DINING AT THE BOCUSE RESTAURANT AT THE CIA. Patty Stormer photo.
If this sounds familiar, Ina Garten’s version is called Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. I meshed the two recipes. It couldn’t have been easier, faster or more delicious. Most ingredients were in my pantry. I cut/refreshed parsley, in its last gasp but still growing on my balcony, grated an end chunk of Parmesan cheese and pulled half a whole-wheat baguette from the freezer. (Okay, the freezer thing, that was cheating.)
WE ALL WERE INVITED INTO THE KITCHEN FOR A TOUR (No, we didn’t ask!). THIS IS THE PROFESSOR CHEF AND OUR STUDENT WAITER.
My two-day challenge ends when I share this post with you. I didn’t starve. It was fun. I win. Oatmeal topped with dried dates or apricots. A hard-boiled egg. Popcorn, my fave snack. And, Ina’s Tuna & Hummus Sandwich. The leftover tuna mix was also fantastic with cheese, a grilled tuna melt.
BETSY AND I RETURNED ON THE NEXT DAY TO TOUR THE VERY BEAUTIFUL CIA CAMPUS.
While I may not make all Water’s suggested recipes myself, her book, packed with spice mixtures, sweet and savory preserves, grains, legumes and condiments, is loaded with ideas. Her All-Purpose Pickling Brine has my head spinning. (Stay tuned.) The Panforte recipe is doable. And, when I go shopping tomorrow to replenish my pantry, I’ll do it more skillfully.
BETSY TOOK ME TO AUTHORS RIDGE IN SLEEPY HOLLOW CEMETERY IN CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS TO SEE THE GRAVESITES OF EMERSON, THOREAU, ALCOTT AND HAWTHORNE. I AM NOT EMBARRASSED TO SAY I WAS THRILLED. THIS IS EMERSON’S TOMBSTONE.
My recent journey to Boston and Hyde Park exceeded my expectations, thanks in part to the generosity of Betsy Pollack-Benjamin. Although Betsy and I had met only once, she’s been my virtual friend for years, having shared administrative duties on French Fridays with Dorie. When we finished cooking through Greenspan’s Around My French Table, our responsibilities ended but our friendship did not.
LOUISA M. ALCOTT GRAVESITE
THOREAU’S TOMBSTONE.
These photos are a brief glimpse of our trip’s highlights. The premier memory was our dinner at The Bocuse Restaurant in Hyde Park’s prestigious Culinary Institute of America. We were joined by other FFWD colleagues who lived nearby in New York and Pennsylvania. “Nearby” translates to Cher & Joe (4-hours RT); Diane (2-hours RT) and Tricia & Ro, who stayed overnight, (6-hours RT). This evening, six months in the planning, was second to none, without equal.
COMING HOME PASTA/SPAGHETTI AGLIO e OLIO adapted from Waters & Garten
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt
1/2 pound dried spaghetti, such as DeCecco
1/2 cup good olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 salted anchovy, chopped roughly
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 – 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
DIRECTIONS
.
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges. Don’t overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and chopped sardine and cook for 30 seconds more.
3.Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic/oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.
4. Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side, if desired.
TUNA & HUMMUS SANDWICHES, minimally adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?
INGREDIENTS
Makes 2 Sandwiches
5 ounces canned tuna packed in olive oil
1/4 cup minced celery
1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon minced cornichons
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons good mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Rustic artisan bread or baguette, sliced 1/2 inch thick
Hummus, store-bought or homemade
DIRECTIONS:
1.Drain the oil from the tuna.. Place the tuna in a mixing bowl and flake it with a fork.
2. Add the celery, onion, cornichons, lemon juice, mayonnaise, the mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.
3. When ready to serve, toast the bread and spread each slice with a layer of hummus. Spread the tuna mixture on each piece of bread and garnish with minded parsley.
4. Serve immediately.
TIP: Although I had an unopened container of Classic Hummus in the fridge, you can also make your own. Garten includes a tasty hummus recipe in her cookbook and Waters has a Hummus with Preserved Lemons recipe in hers.
This summer, if it was Saturday, most likely I was patrolling Crater Lake Trail, the 1.8 mile rocky pathway to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. This route is also a round-trip magnet for visitors to catch a breathtaking 360-degree view of the Rockies. On this popular trail alone, challenging for flat-landers, I encountered at least 2,000 hikers. Americans, for sure, but an amazing number of international visitors stopped by. My role? Keep them safe, answer questions and enhance their experience. In return, I expected them to enrich mine. To my mind, we all delivered.
The view while hiking up to Crater Lake on Crater Lake Trail. The Maroon Bells, September, 2015.
Aside from the billion-dollar view, the greatest thing about this trail…..no cell phone coverage. Thank you, Mother Nature. Mobiles are for photos (I snapped hundreds) and not yakking. Most impressive were 3-generational families with grandchildren coaxing along grandparents who could barely catch their breath but not wanting to disappoint. “Just slow and steady,” I’d whisper to my generation. “You can do it.” And, most often, they did.
CAPONATA, A SWEET-SOUR EGGPLANT MIXTURE AND A CLASSIC SICILIAN RECIPE. A KEEPER, FOR SURE.
My favorite visual was an adorable 3-year-old wearing a tiara and hiking, very slowly, hand-in-hand with her Daddy. I realized the Mom was hiking ahead with two older kids. Although he wore a child-carrier backpack he looked at me, laughing, “She wants to hike like her brother and sister!”
The scariest moment was encountering a 36-37-week mama-to-be. My last plea to her as she scampered up the trail, “Please, please don’t have that baby on my watch.”
Soon after, an older gentleman hiking behind caught up to me and said, “You know I’m an orthopedist and I haven’t delivered a baby since med school. But, if I had to, I could.”
A HOT SQUASH FOLDOVER IS A MEAL IN ONE AND A ONE-HANDED MEAL. DELICIOUS AND FILLING. LUNCH OR DINNER.
Summer 2015 is over. Birds are migrating, bears are hibernating and leaves are falling. My USFS uniforms are being dry cleaned, soon to go into their own hibernation. As you read this I am flying to Boston and then, Hyde Park, to visit two more presidential libraries. If you recall, in 2013 I re-ignited a research/writing project that went into mothballs when Michael was sick. I consider the 13 PL’s, managed by the National Archives and Records Administration and financed privately, the uncrowned jewels of American history.
I RE-HEATED THE CAPONATA TO ADD AS A TOPPING FOR GNOCCHI AND SERVED AS A SIDEDISH WITH INA’S LEMON CHICKEN. THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL.
During this journey I will see my 10th and 11th library, those of JFK and FDR. What makes this trip special, the most anticipated, is the Kennedy visit. Although I’ve seen many of these presidents and heard them speak, my more personal connection to President Kennedy left a AHA lifelong impression on a young teenager. What’s left? Two of my favorite men, Presidents Ford and Carter, are still due a visit.
Sarah Goen Barret, President Kenndy with me. The very faded insciption says, To Mary Hutchison with ever good wish. Frankly, his signature is a scribble. Washington D.C. 1960
A bonus is to connect with former French Fridays with Dorie colleagues/spouses living nearby. Bostonians Betsy and Howard Pollack, http://aplatefulofhappiness.com/, will be my hosts for 3 days before Betsy and I drive to Hyde Park. We’ll spend the week-end with the Roosevelts as well as Cher, http://crazyworldofcher.blogspot.com/, Diane, www.simplelivingeating.com, Ro and Tricia, http://triciaandnanacookingwithdorie.blogspot.com/. Diane even nabbed a reservation at the Bocuse Restaurant at Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America.
All puffed up and nowhere to fly. Aspen is chilly. Winter is knocking at our door. Our Song Sparrows are trying to stay warm.
Before I left I knocked a classic Sicilian recipe out of the ballpark on three separate occasions. Granted, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is English, but his Caponata recipe in River Cottage Veg is full-flavored. Sweet. Sour. Crunchy. Softly textured. The mysterious ingredient is dark chocolate. Caponata is an sweet/sour eggplant mixture served cold or at the preferred, room temperature. It’s blasphemy but, heated up, with pasta or gnocchi, yum.
Need protein for breakfast. Plop some on scrambled eggs or an omelet. Put a dollop on toast. It’s way better than grape jelly. For lunch, spread on sandwiches or spoon over mozzarella. It’s an appetizer or side dish with fish and chicken. I served it with Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken. With pasta, it’s dinner. It’s a make-ahead and will keep in the fridge for at least a week. A warning, you only need to try this recipe once to be hooked.
Huge log pyramids, piled up at The Gant, signify that Old Man Winter is moving in. All this wood will be stacked by hand on the 143 balconies in this complex.
Need a quick lunch or, for me, dinner. Try a Hot Squash Foldover. It’s unique, different, filling and quite delectable.
LEFTOVERS. DINNER.
CAPONATA by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
INGREDIENTS
2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 inner celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
Can of plum tomatoes (14 oz.), chopped, or use fresh.
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated dark chocolate
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 ounces pitted green olives, sliced
A good handful of flat-leaf parsley or mint, chopped, to finish
DIRECTIONS
1. Put the eggplant cubes into a large colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt. Toss together and let them sit for about half an hour.
2. While the eggplant is salting, heat just 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over fairly low heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and fry for about 10 minutes until tender and golden. Add the tomatoes with their juice and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Now add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, chocolate, golden raisins; capers and olives to the pan. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, then turn off the heat.
4. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. When hot, fry the eggplant cubes for about 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender. Tip them into the tomato mixture.
5. Return to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and leave until completely cooled. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. You can serve the caponata right away or leave it in the fridge or a very cool place for a day or two to allow the flavors to deepen even further. Bring it to room temperature before serving. Sprinkle with plenty of chopped parsley or mint just before serving.
HOT SQUASH FOLDOVERS by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
INGREDIENTS
1 pound or 16 oz. pkg. of squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into
bite-sized chunks
3 garlic cloves, bashed
1 tablespoon thyme
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
4 soft flatbreads
A handful of arugula or other salad greens
1 small red onion, finely chopped (optional)
2 oz. hard goat cheese or cheddar, grated
Extra virgin olive oil, to trickle
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. If fresh, put the squash in a roasting tray with the garlic, thyme, oil and plenty of salt and pepper.Toss together well and roast for 50–60 minutes, stirring once, until soft and caramelized. (If you use packaged squash, add the seasonings and cook according to the directions.
3. Lay one flatbread on a board. Place a few greens in the center, then spoon on one quarter of the hot squash. Sprinkle over a quarter each of the onion and cheese. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a trickle of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Fold or roll the flatbread tightly, enclosing the filling. Repeat with all the flatbreads. Leave the foldovers for a minute or two before eating, so the cheese starts to melt.
TIP: You can do the same thing with all sorts of other roasted veg, including roast potatoes or eggplant. A hot roasted beet foldover, with some sour cream is also quite delicious.
Cottage Cooking Club, is an on-line group cooking through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg and managed skillfully by our inspiring leader Andrea from The Kitchen Lioness.
