Before I joined the Doristas, the pastry dough, Pâte à Choux, translated deliciously to éclairs, slender oblong pastries filled with tasty pastry cream and finished with delicious glaze. Then my neighbor, Michelle, an extraordinary chef, expanded my repertoire by helping me make gougères (FFWD, p. 4, 10-01-10), the classic French cheese puff made with the same dough.
Goat-cheese Mini Puffs – These puffs are good slightly warm, at room temperature or even slightly chilled. I served them with Sancerre, a food-friendly, delicate French wine.
This week I was delighted to make another savory cream puff, Goat-Cheese Mini Puffs, which would be a perfect addition for cocktail time. I often have supper with my friends, Cathy and Fred, who live just two blocks and three hungry bears from my Condo. (Yep, our resident bears, who appear after dark, are still trolling for food.) Since I would be leaving Aspen soon, Cathy invited me to break bread with them, giving me a perfect opportunity to share this week’s recipe choice. (Disclaimer: This week’s recipe was supposed to be Top-Secret Chocolate Mousse but I mistakenly made next week’s choice. Perhaps it was a Freudian slip since I will be out of the high-altitude by next week. Can’t imagine making a souffle at 8200′.)
Pâte à Choux dough, a cooked mixture of milk, butter and flour to which eggs are added. Then, once put into puffs, it’s baking time.
I arrived in Colorado five weeks ago not only to celebrate my husband’s life but also to bring closure to the past 26 years. Now, it’s all about the memories. What I didn’t realize was there would have to be decisions made, sooner rather than later, about the path ahead. To be truthful, no one is pushing or prodding me to do anything, it’s me.
The little puffs are oven-ready and will be baked at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. I needed the full 15 minutes to get them golden, firm, and puffy.
I always need to have A Plan. Organization is my middle name. Just love Lists. I thrive in a structured environment, with borders and roadmaps. For better or for worse, this is the skill set packed into my DNA toolbox. In fact, I once had a male friend who remarked, “I think I was put on this earth to make you spontaneous.”
Magic Puffs
Not too surprising, that friendship couldn’t last long! There probably is not one spontaneous bone in my body. My recent huffing and puffing about my “Make No Big Decisions for 12 Months” edict, is not going to happen. I knew I wanted to simplify my life. The first question was: What is that? And, the second question: How can I do it? Then, along came Atticus, a five-pound miniature schnauzer.
The filling, a mixture of herbed goat cheese, cream cheese and heavy cream is absolutely scrumptious. (tasty on Triscuits, too)
When I first got to Aspen, my friend, Jane, stopped by with a book, “Following Atticus, 48 high peaks, one little dog, and an entraordinary friendship.” “When you have time,” she said, “read this.”
Last week-end I finally did just that. “Following Atticus” is ultimately a story of transformation. It’s written by Tom Ryan, who, ironically, is a journalist also. By the time I finished it, my questions had been answered. I had a blueprint for the future. And, somehow, I would find the energy to bring it to fruition.
Next week I leave Aspen to return to Nevada for the winter………..with A Plan.
“The good of going into the mountains is that Life is reconsidered.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
To see how my colleagues who made the right recipe this week fared, go to our FFWD site.
This week it was really all about Sandy. Again, those of us who belong to this French Friday with Dorie gang were reminded of our being about much more than cooking. Soon after this hurricane had rock-and-rolled its malice and destruction up North America’s eastern coast, those of us left unscathed were checking on our colleagues.
News from them started to dribble in late Tuesday via Twitter, E-mail and Cell Phone. We all posted those updates on our FFWD Facebook page until we knew everyone was safe and accounted for albeit without power, conveniences and gasoline. Mother Nature’s power is humbling and I know we all hold the victims of this disaster in our hearts.
Mushroom and Shallot Quiche
This weeks FFWD recipe is a Mushroom and Shallot Quiche. Not too much different or unique about this quiche but it’s no-fail and absolutely delicious. “Mushrooms and shallots are a classic combination and the base of the traditional finely chopped filling called duxelles,” Dorie reminds us. “The result is a deep, earthy flavor.”
Spread 1 TBS of fresh minced thyme on the half-baked tart shell before adding the filling.
To that I would add a bold, even strong, taste. Besides salt and pepper, fresh thyme is the only herb used in this dish. Thyme bows to no one, edging out both the shallots and scallions to bring an edge to this quiche.
The classic combination of mushrooms and shallots, finely chopped, which is the basis of the filling called duxelles.
Dorie provides the recipe to this excellent quiche here. It’s fast, easy (serve warm or at room temperature) and goes well with soup, salad or on its own.
Oven-ready
This was not a sharing week at the Hirsch household, shameful as that may sound. This quiche was so tasty, I decided to eat the entire dish by myself………….yep, you got it, real women do eat quiche. To see if other Doristas were better at sharing this week, go here.
Gone. No sharing this week.
I also want to echo Diane Balch’s column this week about Voting in the upcoming American election. A democracy only works if every citizen is engaged, participating in the process. In the 2008 presidential election a disappointing 43.2% of eligible Americans did not vote.
The past few weeks I have been working for my candidates. Both parties are all about Getting-out-the-Vote. To that end, I commited to helping my Party’s choices by standing at Aspen’s HIghway 82 S-Curve at 7:30 a.m., waving signs promoting early voting and candidates while a constant ribbon of cars and trucks come into town. We’re talkin’ hundreds. Might I mention that it’s Colorado cold here – 40 degrees? God bless America.
Getting Out the Vote, 7:30am, Aspen, Colorado, 40 degrees
To be honest, it’s been crazy fun. One of my first thoughts was “Here I go, embarrassing my children again.” But, when the Thursday edition of the Aspen Times carried a picture of us in our early-morning “Get-Out-The-Vote Poster Wave”, Melissa plastered it on her Facebook Page. “That’s my mom in the middle! I don’t care what side you are on, this is a GREAT country!
This morning at 7:30A.M., the last day of Early Voting, there were eight of us, bundled up and ready to wave. We’ve always received honks, thumbs up, thumbs down, and the #$@%#@!% shout-outs. This morning, our last, and, it being Friday after all, we decided to throw in a little choreography. Yes, sign-routines. The car, truck, and bus crowd loved it, parties be hanged.
Why do I do this? America has a population of 157 million women. Only 46.2% of females 18 and older voted in our last national election (2010). As far as I’m concerned that’s just not good enough. If I lived in Brunei or Saudi Arabia, for example, I wouldn’t even be able to vote. If I had lived in the United States before 1920, I couldn’t have voted either. My standing on a Colorado street corner in freezing temperatures urging people to vote pales in comparison to the efforts of our Sisters who won the vote for us:
“The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving the right to vote to women (1920) took 72 years:
and, required 56 referendum campaigns, 47 campaigns to get state constitutional conventions to write women’s suffrage into state constitutions, 480 drives to get state legislatures to hold those referendums (5 referendum campaigns in South Dakota alone), 277 campaigns to get state party conventions to include women’s suffrage planks, 30 campaigns to get presidential party campaigns to include women’s suffrage planks in their platforms and, 19 campaigns with 19 successive Congresses.” ***
If Laughter is the best medicine and an apple a day keeps the doctor away, I’m looking at healthy. This has been a week carbo-loaded with Life’s joys and nature’s wonder. It’s also been days of peeling Granny Smith apples, tossing them in the crockpot and producing enough hunky applesauce to feed the populace of Colorado.
It’s because of joy, wonder, and, yes, even applesauce, that I am tardy in posting this week’s French Friday with Dorie recipe, a scrumptious Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes ( I used Dates).
It’s Friday. We’re scrambling to get Dorie’s Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Dates plated. Probably not going to make the FFWD deadline. Donna, the Forest Conservancy treasurer and Fred, a volunteer Forest Ambassador, are not sympathetic to my small kitchen and lack of equipment. Fred’s wife, Cathy, was visiting her sister who lives in Portland and missed the meal.
Let me explain. First, the applesauce. My philosophy, which I have finally come to regret, is that if more is better, more, more, more is best. Granny Smith apples were on sale this week and, not wanting to miss out on a great price, I overbought. Peeling apples gulps up chunks of time.
Last Monday I celebrated my birthday. My enterprising friend, Jane, always, always, always scouts out the greatest gifts. This year she outdid herself by finding a vintage felt Ranger hat, with the label, Campaign, authenticated with “sweat” marks on its headband. I will wear it when I’m a volunteer Wilderness Ranger next Summer.
As for Mother Nature’s wonder, she dumped it here last week. It’s called snow and Coloradans are ecstatic. As they should be. This state cries for moisture and its ski resorts beg for the white stuff. Having evaded such nonsense for the past eight years while living in Nevada, I found myself ill-prepared. No boots. No mittens. No car snow scraper. You name it, I didn’t have it. I declared myself a snow emergency and took a time-out to regroup.
Two days later, Mother Nature blew into town, leaving a snowy message and erasing any hopes of more Indian Summer days.
The joys have been in bringing closure to the journey of a good man and a life well-lived. For the past three months my family and I have been discussing how best to honor Michael with a memorial of some type. Although we wanted it to be meaningful and significant, we are not a family of great wealth, charitable trusts nor much discretionary income.
As our friend, Lloyd, said in his eulogy to Michael, “He never confused his self-worth with his net-worth. Getting rich was not his goal in life. His life’s goal was taking care of his patients and he did that very well.”
While hiking in the Rockies in late August, we encountered freshman college students exploring our trail system during orientation week. They all wanted ( and, received ) Smokey the Bear stickers for their backpacks from volunteer Wilderness Rangers, Sandy (l) and Ruth.
There are all kinds of tiny, hand-to-mouth organizations in every community and Aspen is no exception. But it was a no-brainer to choose the ForestConservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the White River National Forest and serving the community (that’s all of you) who enjoys it.
The FC was established in 2001 by four Aspenites concerned about the lack of government-paid personnel (Rangers) available to protect and monitor the 2.3 million acres of the WRNF. What began with four, quickly grew to fourteen (when I joined), and now is well over one-hundred volunteers who serve as Wilderness Rangers, Forest Ambassadors and certified Master Naturalists.
Hiking with volunteer Wilderness Rangers Annie (L) and Donna (R). Donna amazes me with her knowledge of Rocky Mountain flowers and vegetation. I love to hike with her. As you can see, I cannot be issued my uniform again until I pass my certification and jump through some hoops. I’m not taking this personally, the Forest Conservancy means business.
The FC collaborates with the USDA Forest Service and thirteen other partners to hike and monitor our trails. Today, more than a decade later, the FC is an indispensable arm of the Forest Service and BLM and…………always strapped for cash.
What better way to recognize a man who not only skiied these mountains for fifty straight years but also grumbled his way through three to five-mile hikes every summer with his wife. Once decided, my brother and sister-in-law made a very, very generous contribution to the FC in Michael’s name which I will match. Happily, we’re in business. A win-win for everyone.
Sometimes we even chat-up the guys we meet on the trail because they are good-lookin’ !!!
Last Friday night, three FC friends, all FC volunteers, joined me for dinner to celebrate, thus having the opportunity to sample Dorie’s FFWD recipe choice. Once again, this week’s recipe, Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes, was fabulous. Luckily, you can find the recipe here. I served this one-dish meal with Yotam Ottolenghi’s Beet, Orange and Black Olive Salad (recipe here) saffron risotto and crusty bread. Needing a light dessert, we enjoyed daughter Melissa’s crockpot applesauce (warm) over Dulce de Leche ice cream.
Mise en Place for the Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes. Notice I substituted Dates for Prunes.
Donna, who coincidentally, is the FC treasurer, loved this tagine’s spices – saffron, cinnamon, cayenne, star anise and bay leaves. “There are no sharp edges to this dish,” she remarked, “it’s just round and mellow.”
Her husband, Bernie, who is a Forest Ambassador at our beloved Maroon Bells, brought bottles of well-regarded Chateau De Paraza red wine from the Minervois AOC region of the Lanquedoc. It was fruitier than a Bordeaux with an earthy, rustic taste that complimented the tagine.
At last, dinner is served. The verdict? Tasty. Delicious. Very good.
My only tagine suggestions which I offer are:
1. For fuller flavoring, steep the saffon threads in the 1/2 cup of warmed water needed in the tagine.
2. Because it is topped with toasted chopped walnuts, I substituted walnut oil for the plain olive oil.
3. I chose Dates over Prunes.
To see what the Doristas, my colleagues who did meet the Friday deadline cooked up, go here.
AT LAST!!! Dan, who works at the front desk at The Gant, called to tell Clara, (L) and Emma (R) that Mrs. Berg’s cookies had arrived. They ran to pick up the bigggggg box.
Although Dorie calls this week’s recipe, Spur-of-the-Moment Vegetable Soup, she admits it’s really Stone Soup. She’s referring, of course, to that glorious ancient folk tale which, in 1947, writer Marcia Brown used as the basis of her children’s book entitled Stone Soup. And for writing it, Brown won a prestigious Caldecott Medal that year.
Before we get to the soup, let’s move on to dessert, Oatmeal-M & M’s Cookies baked by Liz Berg of That Skinny Chick Can Bake. In July, Liz participated in an on-line baking auction to raise money for victims of our devastating Colorado fires. After a fierce bidding war, I successfully won her cookies. We decided that she would wait to bake and send the cookies until mid-October when my entire family, including two little girls who love cookies, would be in Aspen.
Emma is older so she gets to open the box.
This past Tuesday we celebrated Michael’s Life with family and friends at a wonderful and joyful service. Our two little cookie monsters stood at the altar, in a church full of strangers, and sang like angels. Is it sacreligious to say they nailed “Amazing Grace”? It goes without saying that when the anticipated cookies arrived, even their Mother (that’s Melissa), let them each have a bag, no sharing. Thanks, Liz, you baked a great reward!
“It’s a big box, Grandma.” (Clara)
The Mother Lode.
“One bag of cookies for each of us. Thank you, Mrs. Berg.”
The vegetable soup, which was our main course for dinner tonight, was a wonderfully simple and nutritious entrée. After cooking sliced carrots, onions, celery, and seasonings in olive oil, I added chicken broth, diced potatoes and brought everything to a boil. After taking it down to a simmer for 20-30 minutes and adjusting the seasoning, I did choose to puree it. And to that pureed soup I added cooked quinoa for extra nutrition, texture and flavoring. I served the hearty soup with yellow/red beets and crusty bread for a delicious meal.
I put together a mixture of sliced carrots, onions, celery, garlic and Provençal seasonings and tossed them together with olive oil into a Dutch oven .
After adding chicken broth and diced potatoes to the mixture, I brought it to a boil and then let it simmer, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes.
To see what stones my colleagues threw in their soup this week, go here.
After adjusting the seasonings and pureeing the soup, I added cooked quinoa to make a heartier soup.
Lacey (l) and Molly are just two of the many young people at The Gant in Aspen, where I live, who keep my life on-track. All of them are eager and willing food-testers. Both the girls liked the addition of mint to the apple jelly glaze. ” And Kiley (another Gant employee) doesn’t even like mint at all, Mrs Hirsch,” Molly told me. “She honestly cannot stand it, but she liked the minty flavor of the topping and thought it was really, really good.”
Yep, today’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice is a tart. To my thinking, however, there is nothing about this tasty dessert that looks tarty. As Dorie explained, “It’s so thin and crackly, you get to eat it out of hand.”
Have you ever met a tart that is “thin and crackly” ? What makes it so are multiple sheets of filo dough, each sheet carefully slathered with butter, piled in layers. This was my first experience with fragile, easily torn, uncooperative filo dough. Surprisingly, it was no problem.
Hold that thought……
As I was walking through the Cooper Street Mall in Aspen this afternoon, I spotted a one-to-two year old black bear, napping in a tree. This cub, in all probability, has been abandoned by his Mother who is more concerned right now about packing on 30 to 40 pounds of body fat to survive hibernation and give birth to the next generation of bears. This cub, who obviously cannot find enough food to eat, will probably not last through the winter.
Let’s talk Bear Business. Last week I returned to my home in Aspen to stay until Thanksgiving. This is a particularly lovely time of year because the fall color extravaganza is ending and there’s no snow in sight. Translation: no tourists. Although we love, adore, need and want tourists – we are a resort community, after all – every so often it’s nice to grab our town back.
This fall, more than ever, we are sharing our town with black bears. According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, there are about 16,000 blackies in Colorado. Aspen is probably the epicenter of bear-human interaction in the state. This year, as the bears prepare for hibernation, needing 30 to 40 pounds of extra body fat for winter survival, they are more desperate than ever for food.
Colorado has been scorched by a summer of fires, the drought has destroyed the bears’ food supply and more homes are infringing into bear habitats. Serviceberry and chokecherry bushes as well as other natural food sources are being bulldozed under for development. Unable to find natural food sources, at night, these savvy and hungry bears wander into town, dismembering our crab apple trees and dumpster-diving into the ones that are unsecured. Although it’s against the law to leave dumpsters and garbage cans unsecured, every night five or six bears charge into downtown to scrounge for their daily rations. By day they sometimes hang in a tree, napping, in the heart of downtown Aspen.
An adult Colorado black bear can weigh anywhere from 150 pounds (a sow) to over 350-400 pounds (a male).
These guys even have their own Facebook page, Aspen Bears.
The little bear I saw this afternoon, dozing in a tree on the Cooper Street Mall, is probably an abandoned cub. It’s “survival of the fittest”, the mother’s harsh reality. She’s gone off to take care of herself.
Those of us who live here try to protect our bears. There are laws, strictly enforced, to make our county “bear-proof”. Once a bear, considered a nuisance, is tagged, the next naughty-bear report means euthanasia. As local writer Barry Petersen wrote, “ Most people in Aspen stay cool about it all, perhaps remembering that the houses and cars and streetlights are all late arrivals — that, in truth, it was the bears who for centuries have thought of this area as their home.”
The tart with its eight layers of buttered filo dough, almond cream and then, apples, ready to bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Thanks for allowing me a timeout for our wild animals. Now, let’s get back to the tart.
Luckily, this recipe for the Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart is here and I suspect if you try it, you’ll love it. I made the almond cream 2 days ahead and then brought it to room temperature before spreading it on the delicate filo dough. If you haven’t baked with filo before, it will not be difficult if you carefully follow the directions on the filo box and in Dorie’s recipe. I chose Braeburn apples to peel, slice and fan onto the tart base.
The tart, baked and glazed
Since I could not find apple jelly for the glaze, I used mint apple jelly and really enjoyed the additional slight minty tang. Although we ate this immediately, the tart can also be served at room temperature. Next time I might even dump a scoop of ice cream on top!
