In the spirit of full disclosure, this month’s Cottage Cooking Club post will make you weep. In fact, it’s a two-weeper. Since I’m not the sort to hold back, suffer in silence, I feel inclined to share the pain.
PANZANELLA, recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
Cottage Cooking Club is a group devoted to eating our vegetables. With able assistance from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg cookbook, we are discovering unique and more creative ways to put nutrition on our tables. Every month our leader, Andrea, an award-winning blogger atThe Kitchen Lioness, sends ten recipes for our consideration. We then make our choices.
Knowing July would be a busy month, I picked two classics: Panzanella (recipe here) and Eggplant Parmigiana (recipe here). Panzanella, a Tuscan bread salad, is considered an Italian national treasure. The late, Italian cooking legend Marcella Hazan described it best. “Throughout Central Italy, from Florence to Rome, the most satisfying of salads is based on that old standby of the ingenious poor, bread and water. Given the right bread – a gutsy, country bread such as that of Tuscany or Abruzzi -,” Hazan continued, “ there is no change that one can bring to the traditional version that can improve it.”
Unfortunately, like most classic dishes, every cook has a tweak or two. Link to the Pinterest site, type in Panzanella and, mamma mia, you’ll find 60 different bread salads. Gingerbread? Brussels Sprouts? Amaranth? Seriously? While Whittingstall’s version doesn’t venture too far off the rails, I was intrigued by his tomatoey dressing followed by his technique to moisten the bread. No water for this guy.
My friend, Donna Grauer, asked me to Theatre Aspen’s Little Women production (husband, Bernie, was a no-go for LW). Wouldn’t a light supper, a little wine, be a gracious before-the-theatre touch? The Grauers are card-carrying Italianophiles so Donna, unlike me, knew her Panzanellas. We found this bread salad flavorful and refreshingly light. If needing to satisfy bigger appetites, we agreed that protein, an entrée, is needed.
This is what a Before-the-Theatre soirée looks like in the mountains.
We all are familiar with Louisa Mae Alcott’s Little Women. Right? The theatre production, a musical, Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy, was wonderful. At Intermission, Donna handed me a wad of Kleenex, “Here, you’ll need this,” she said.
And, we did. I’ve read this novel many times. It’s a story. I know Beth dies. I’ve known that for more than 55 years. And, yet, when Beth died in the play, we could hear the sniffles, see the tears, throughout the theatre. My first weep.
EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA, coming out of the oven
If you return to Pinterest and do a Eggplant Parmigiana-search, you will again find 60 different recipes but very few variables. Eggplants. Tomatoes. Cheese. Quell è tutto. The techniques are similar. No one crawls too far out on that limb. Whittingstall’s recipe is easily put together and very, very good … I think.
This is where the second weep begins. I made this dish late Wednesday afternoon in anticipation of my daughter’s visit. It’s a 14-hour drive from California and Melissa would arrive Thursday evening, weary and hungry. My welcome-to-Aspen dinner would be the requested greens salad, Filet Mignon, (cooked John Lester-style) and fresh green beans. The Eggplant Parmigiana would be a Mom-addition to dazzle and impress.
That’s three small bites for me………
This is what went down. I pulled the EP out of the oven, took two or three bites, pleased with the result. After taking photos, I set the dish on the counter to cool and cleaned up the kitchen. The evening passed quickly with last-minute chores. Then, to bed. The next morning I discovered the EP sitting on the counter, cooling! Since I had already once poisoned my son-in-law with an unrefrigerated leftover corn dog, I decided against going 2-for-2. I’m still hearing “Do you remember when Gramma poisoned Dad?” at family gatherings. With a very heavy heart, I tossed it. Second weep.
Melissa and I walked through the breathtakingly beautiful John Denver Sanctuary. She will only know about the Eggplant Parmigiana if she reads this post. I do have my pride.
You can find this post’s recipes here and here. I suspect my colleagues chose to make other great recipes this month. Visit them at our CCC site.
Soupe au Pistou is as close to the south of France as one can be without actually sticking a big toe in the Mediterranean. Grab a big dose of imagination, polish up your bonjours and mercis and follow me through a recipe we Americans call Provençal Vegetable Soup. This week French Fridays with Dorie celebrates summer, that glorious few months when Farmers Markets strut their stuff and tout their wares.
Although this soup is jam-packed with vegetables, it’s broth is fragrantly light and airy. By itself, it’s a light lunch. With a green leafy salad and a warm baguette, it’s supper on the patio. If you’ve grown fond of Rosés, pull out your nicest bottle.
The veggies – carrots, potatoes, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes and corn, onions and garlic – grab the spotlight. Hovering nearby are an abundance of fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil and bay. Salt. Pepper. Depending on your audience, use vegetable, chicken broth or, water as your moisture base. Dorie’s version also includes 1/3 cup of tiny pasta and a can of cannellini beans.
To my mind, what makes this soup très spécial is its lah-de-dah finale. After ladling the liquid into individual bowls, add a healthy dab of basil pesto, drizzle a stream of olive oil over that (not much) and top everything with shredded basil leaves and grated Parmesan. Can’t you just visualize those bowls marching out of your kitchen in lockstep with the proud chef?
A Cast-iron Soup Kettle Packed with Fresh Vegetables and Herbs – Perfect for Summertime
The most challenging but important preparation in this recipe is adding the vegetables in proper order. Now is the time for Mise en Place – have all your ingredients prepped, lined up and ready to go. Tip One: when making this again, I will eliminate the 1/3 cup of pasta. The pasta becomes soft and mushy after a day or two. Tip Two: it’s perfectly acceptable, if you’re pressed for time, to buy your pesto in a jar.
Meet Rusty the Rufous Hummingbird. The word in the neighborhood is “Don’t Mess with Rusty.”
This summer I’ve been eating lunch and dinner on my tiny balcony. It’s fun, my mountain view is glorious and, it seemed to me, my Soupe au Pistou just tasted better en plein air. A little white-breasted nuthatch is often working his way down the nearby cottonwood tree and an amazing number of Anna’s and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds visit my two feeders everyday. These beautiful little creatures are fascinating to watch, making me laugh. Unfortunately this blissful scenario of joy ended abruptly recently. I’ve been kicked off my own balcony by a belligerent bully who is 3.75” long, weighs 3.4 grams, has a wingspan of 4.5” and doesn’t even speak English.
Last Sunday a male Rufous Hummingbird (now named Rusty) spotted my two nectar-filled feeders and decided to claim the territory. He quickly chased off the others and torpedoed any newcomers who ventured by for a sip. Rusty, who is often caught flashing his iridescent gorget (throat) while vigorously moving his head from side to side, is obviously looking for chicks. The more, the better. He is not a monogamous guy.
“WHOOPS, I’ve reached the end of the Line.” The white-breasted nuthatch has worked its way down this huge 100-year old cottonwood. Lots of tasty morsels to be had along the way.
Rusty sits in a nearby bush, guarding, what he now claims as his feeders, chasing off those who venture near. That includes Moi. Sometimes there are 5 or 6 hummers circling the feeders with a frenetic Rusty, darting to and fro. The chattering racket and loud wing-beating sounds have become annoying. The paying guests who are renting the condos surrounding mine are very good sports but we’re all pulling for Rusty to get lucky, eventually lose interest and move on. The sooner, the better, so peace can be restored at The Gant.
Rusty, caught cat-napping. When you’re on duty 24/7, it’s necessary to grab some shuteye when you can.
Whether you enjoy your Soupe au Pistou inside or outside, you will find the recipe here. To see what my colleagues cooked up this week, go to our French Fridays link. French Fridays with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table.
At the end of my post each week, I always add these words: “French Fridays with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table cookbook.”
Dorie Greenspan’s version of Coddled Eggs and Foie Gras. Notice that she likes her eggs less poached than I do. Photo/ Bon Appetit
Our cooking circle was born in October, 2010. The first recipe was Gougères, cheese puffs made with a dough called pâte à choux. Since then we’ve knocked off more than 260 recipes and plan to cross the goal line in April 2015. Until then, cooking-the-book means just that – we’re committed to trying every recipe. Although I may not like every French Fridays dish, I always learn something new from making it. Sometimes it’s an ingenuous technique of Dorie’s. Often it’s a tip or suggestion from a FFWD colleague. Sometimes I surprise myself with a lightbulb moment of my own.
One of my four Coddled Egg with Foie Gras ramekins which is ready for the steamer.
This week’s recipe is Coddled Eggs with Foie Gras. I associate egg coddling, a steaming method resulting in a gentle poach, with Caesar Salad. As “the Martha” reminds us, “A coddled egg is used to help emulsify the dressing and kill any bacteria.”
More simply stated, why run the risk of giving your dinner guests a Salmonella infection? Coddle, instead.
Our B&B in Santa Fe, Adobe Abode, is located one block from George O’Keeffe’s museum. Nelly Joy Irakoze, originally from Burundi in East Africa, is the proprietor and an amazing cook.
While I’ll not make this recipe again, it was a delightful, simple, and decadently delicious lunch yesterday. After buttering 4 ramekins and dropping 4 tiny slivers of Foie Gras in each mold, crack an egg into it. (If you break the yolk, start over.) Season with salt/pepper and spoon heavy cream over the mixture, letting the yolk peek out. Sprinkle with parsley and tarragon and settle the ramekins snugly into your steamer. Steam until comfortably poached (5 minutes for Dorie, 10 minutes for me) and serve immediately.
“The Journey’s End”, a sculpture by Reynaldo Rivera from Albuquerque, greets visitors to Museum Hill where the International Folk Art Museum is located and where the Market was held.
Luckily, this week’s recipe needed few ingredients and could be thrown together with little effort. I just returned from Santa Fe where I joined friends (and, 25,000 other tourists) for the 11th International Folk Art Market. IFAM is the world’s largest crafts exhibition and sale of works by master folk artists. In the past ten years 690 artists from over 80 countries have participated, generating more than $18 million in sales. Even better, 90% of that money is returned to the artist. Many of those artists represent developing countries where making $3 a day is the norm.
Use your imagination – 25,000 people – and, it’s hot. I must say that this huge event was organized, well-run and manned by a friendly, informative volunteer crew.
Attending this market was like making the Coddled Eggs with Foie Gras. I enjoyed it immensely but once is enough. IFAM is an Event and, hopefully, my photos tell and explain that story. Six days in Santa Fe (and, Taos, where we also visited), however, with their historical significance and museums and cuisine and cultural opportunities, are never enough.
Nelly-Joy helped her friend, Ceci, originally from Cameroon, at her food booth at the IFAM. I had lunch there. I don’t know what I ate but it was delicious.
Taureg artist, Haoua Albaka, from Niger
An artist from Equador
The Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in America, is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Water is carried from nearby Red Willow Creek. There is no electricity. Population: 1,135.
If you would like this week’s recipe, go here. If you wish to see how my colleagues coddled their eggs this week, go here. If you would like more information on Santa Fe or Taos, I will be happy to help you.
One-half pound of halved cherry tomatoes are headed for roasting.
It’s month two of our online cooking group, Cottage Cooking Club. Created by my friend, Andrea, The Kitchen Lioness, we are slicing, dicing and chopping our way through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s “River Cottage Veg“ cookbook. I’m slinking quietly onto this page today because I’m late and missed last month’s posting deadline. Can we all just pretend it’s still June? Please?
Stuff on Toast
Lateness. Being tardy. Running in, harried and breathless, is something I’ve always tried to avoid. It seems to me that being constantly late – in thought, word and deed – translates into thinking your time is more valuable than those who are left waiting. I’ve apologized to our leader, who is attempting to manage our unruly gang of bloggers. Luckily for me, Andrea, who is German, is distracted these days by her nation’s soccer team face-offs. (Her team is hanging tough. Today Germany meets Brazil in the semifinals.)
In June I made two “keepers” from this very user-friendly book: Honey-roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Frittata with Summer Veg and Goat Cheese.
Let’s first talk tomatoes. I cut 1/2 pound of the little darlin’s in half and laid them, face down, on a lightly oiled roasting pan. Then I crushed two garlic cloves, added a pinch of salt, and stirred this mixture into a bowl with one tablespoon of Manuka honey and three tablespoons of Pasolivo Olive Oil. After seasoning with freshly-ground pepper and Pensey’s Sunny Paris seasoning, I spooned the sticky goo over the tomatoes. Roast this in a 375-degree oven for thirty minutes or until the tomatoes are shriveled, juicy and bubbly.
Frittata with Summer Veg and Goat Cheese
Truth in Cooking: After rereading the recipe and before placing the pan into my oven, I realized the tiny tomatoes should be placed cut side up rather than face down. Logical, right? So, one by one, I flipped those babies, putting them to right. To be truthful, the picture of the face down tomatoes was so beautiful, I had to post it. Readers, look at it but don’t do it tomato-face down.
My Calphalon Fritatta pans
Serve these Honey-roasted Cherry Tomatoes over pasta, risotto or scrambled eggs. Like Tomatoes Provençal, they are a delicious side dish for meat, fish, or a compliment to other roasted or grilled vegetables. My favorite lunch idea is the bruschetta, served with whatever else is on hand.
A frittata mixture of new potatoes, asparagus, peas, broccoli and green onions.
For Christmas, one year, my neighbors, Dominick and Ray, gave me a frittata pan. From that day forward, I became a frittata freak. A June recipe choice – Frittata with Summer Veg and Goat Cheese – caught my eye. Bring it on…asparagus, broccoli, peas, green onions and potatoes. After bringing the potatoes to a boil, throw in the rest of the green veggies and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Sweat the green onions in olive oil until soft, about five minutes, and add to the drained veg mixture. Using fresh eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, gently make the frittata, your way, adding goat cheese for the last 5 minutes. I topped my frittata slices with my homemade guacamole.
Guacamole was a delicious topping for the sliced frittata servings.
For copyright reasons and because we encourage you to purchase River Cottage Veg, we do not publish the recipes. However, if you’d like to try my three recipes and need more instructions/ingredient specifications, just email me. The Kitchen Lioness, our amazing Andrea, made seven of our June recipe choices. To see her fabulous Post on June’s choices, go here. To see what my colleagues cooked in June, go here.
Glancing through cookbooks penned by some favorite chefs, Ina, Julia, Martha and Jacques, I found recipes for Tomatoes Provençal. While admittedly it’s a French classic, have you ever visited a 4th of July buffet table that didn’t include this tomato dish? Think of it as our appreciative tip of Uncle Sam’s hat to the Marquis de Lafayette and French support during the Revolutionary War.
Fifteen minutes to throw together and less than an hour in the oven. How good does that sound?
This week’s French Fridays recipe, an appropriate flag-waving choice, is Dorie Greenspan’s take on Tomatoes Provençal. In her own words, “Every French cook who makes oven-roasted herb-topped tomatoes has his or her own recipe, but the fact is it needs no recipe at all.
A weekend adventure to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Continental Divide.
There are a few givens,” Dorie explains. “The tomatoes, to be sure, olive oil to moisten them and make a little basting sauce; herbs to top them, and garlic to set your culinary compass to the South of France – but which herbs you use, how you cut your tomatoes, whether you roast them until they’re almost melted or leave them a little firmer are all up to you.”
DonnaC and Francine are unable to explain why an overnight trip with four women requires all this luggage.(So, they smiled instead.)
What’s intriguing about Dorie’s is what she doesn’t do. She doesn’t remove the seeds after halving the tomatoes. And, she doesn’t include breadcrumbs in her topping. It’s all about the tomatoes (juicy), herbs and garlic (fresh) and olive oil (top-quality). Think simple, rustic and toothsome. (If the juices run down your chin, grab a napkin or use your sleeve.)
Forget anything? DonnaC, our in-house dental professional, gifted us with a dental kit.
TP can stand alone or be an accompaniment to any dish, eggs, salads, fish or meats. It’s delicious hot, cold or presented at room temp. It was my lunch (with a salad), then, breakfast, with eggs, and, finally, dinner, with lamb chops.
DonnaG (r), is having a “geologic moment” to explain 300 million years of recent geologic history. (Well done, friend).
In the spirit of the 4th of July, to honor our country’s Independence, I am sharing through pictures one of America’s great treasures and strengths – our National Park system. As a kid growing up in Iowa, my parents took my brother and me on many vacations. Etched forever in my memory bank, however, are our trips to Yosemite and The Great Smokey Mountains National Parks. With my own family, I visited many more, also introducing my Iowa girls to skiing, hiking and the grandeur of the American West.
The well-earned 6p.m. cocktail hour after a full day in the Park.
After moving to the Colorado mountains in 1988, it’s no surprise that I morphed into a total tree-hugger, would rather be outside than in and since becoming a volunteer forest ranger, strut around in my uniform as if I’m John Muir incarnate! My Melissa married an outdoor-sorta-guy and is raising my two granddaughters in a small town in the Sierra Nevada’s. It’s a good life with weekends of hiking or skiing, camping and exploring. Our family Thanksgiving’s are always spent in Death Valley, my favorite Park.
The evening’s entertainment, Bird Bingo, complete with prizes. Light’s out at 9p.m. (We never claimed to be hell-raisers.)
These federally protected outdoor spaces have helped mold me, delight me, and sustain me. That’s why I joined my like-minded friends, all volunteer rangers and belonging to our nature study group, for last weekend’s trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Located 200 miles northeast of Aspen, RMNP is 265,873 acres of magnificence. We all registered for a one-day field seminar entitled “Wildflowers of the High Country: Tundra in Bloom”, an outdoor class taught above 11,000 feet. The question: Would our brains even work above 11,000 feet?
Our Sunday day-long Alpine Wildflower class, above 11,000′ complete with 30 MPH winds. Not kidding. Our instructor found a small hideaway where we could eat lunch and review our morning’s work.
To give ourselves every opportunity to succeed, we booked condos, planned a menu of home-cooked nutritious meals, chose appropriate brain-stimulating wines and put together our itinerary. Using each of our strengths: DonnaC and Francine, wildflowers; DonnaG, geology; and, me, birds, we parceled out our own teaching assignments. One day to see the park. One day of class. A perfect weekend of friendship, scholarship and beauty. More memories for my bank.
This is the highest we climbed. Think Base Camp at Mt. Everest. Long’s Peak, 14,259′ (4,346M) is in the background. We’re with our instructor who thinks this is fun!
Inspired to visit a park? To see where America’s 58 national parks are located, go here. To see today’s recipe, go here. Note that the only difference to Dorie’s original recipe is the cooking time. I baked mine 30 minutes and then another 20, as Dorie originally suggests.French Fridays with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table. To see how my colleagues enjoyed TP, go here.
Meet Mr. Yellow-bellied Marmot who enjoys the tundra more than I do.
This handsome bull elk likes his own space. We saw hundreds of elk – Moms, Dads and babies as well as two beautiful moose.
