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.
Today’s French Fridays recipe is Guacamole with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers. Is there any avid home cook who does not have a favorite guac recipe? Mine was created by Josefina Howard for her Rosa Mexicano restaurants in New York City. However, my loyalty to Dorie Greenspan is unwavering. Tucking skepticism in my back pocket, I forged ahead.
At the Food & Wine Classic, my friend, Michelle Morris, and I hop into Hendrick’s hot air balloon. Michelle, who is a chef, teacher and author just won a Colorado Book Award for her first cookbook, Tasting Colorado: Recipes from the Centennial State.
After pulling out my mortar and pestle, I made a mixture of lime zest, cilantro leaves, red onion, jalapeño and salt, lightly pounding it into a mush. To that I added chucks of avocados, pepper, grape tomatoes, lime juice and red bell pepper, gently stirring until I achieved a chunky texture.
Would its flavor rise to Rosa’s standards? Absolutely. With chips and a glass of rosé, Dorie’s guacamole was almost a meal. (Eaten in moderation, this mixture has nutritional value. Okay, okay, the chips and rosé, not so much.) I also used it as a delectable garnish for Potato, Asparagus, Broccoli and Goat Cheese Frittata to be featured in an upcoming post.
The weather Gods were kind for the 2014 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
Sticking with the green theme, Sunday I debuted on the Green Team at Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic. During the daily two Grand Tastings, the Greens are the trash team. In 2013 F&W recycled a phenomenal 92% of its Grand Tastings trash/garbage. This year more than 1,000 people filled out volunteer applications for 620 coveted spots on various committees. As a newbie, I was surprised to be chosen and placed with the Greens. Obviously they realized I knew a thing or two about trash.
When I reported for duty at the Green Team station Sunday, I was assigned, as my partner, a handsome gentleman, about my age, I’d say. His name was Bob and he was none too happy to be separated from his wife, also a volunteer. Apparently she was okay with it. “Good luck with him,” she laughed, walking off with her assigned partner.
Although we’d already passed an on-line training session, we received additional instruction before being sent to our stations inside the huge Grand Tasting tents. Our job was to be sure trash ended up in one of three holes. And, it better be the right hole. Our Team Leader, Doug, escorted us to our three-holer, located at the tent’s north end.
This is the Grand Tasting tent where Bob and I worked for a day. Food & Wine vendors are lined up in three long rows. It’s a big tent. Think Denver International Airport.
Bob and I pulled on our plastic gloves, glancing at each other warily. We had 15 minutes before hundreds of people would be pouring into the tent for the 90-minute Grand Tasting session. I decided to utilize those 15 minutes wisely. Within ten minutes I knew snippets of Bob’s story. We discovered friends in common. Even more surprising, he and his wife live next to The Gant where I now live. By the time the tent flaps opened, Bob and I were practically family.
Readers, Green Teaming for 90 minutes, no bathroom break, is challenging. If a straw is paper, it’s compost. If it’s not, trash. If various vessels are numbered from 1-7, compost. All Hagen-Daz packaging, trash. (Shame on you, H-D.) If a plastic glass is easy to break, recycle. If it’s bendy, compost. On and on and on. Admittedly, Bob was better than I. He often had to reach down to remove something I tossed and put it elsewhere. We laughed. A lot. When friends stopped by, we talked trash. After an hour, we noticed the attendees became happier, friendlier and very appreciative of our labor.
My favorite cooking demonstration was given by Chef Marcus Samuelsson
When the gong rang to end the last Tasting, they cranked up the music so the vendors could celebrate. We did a modified-jig with the Kitchen Aid gals whose booth was next door. But, we’re committed. Next year, it’s the Green Team, Bob and me, partners-in-trash.
The gong rang signalling the end of the 2014 F&W Classic. They cranked the music up and the vendors celebrated.
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 fared this week, go here.
This week’s FFWD recipe choice, Skate with Capers, Cornichons, and Brown Butter Sauce, was another Are you kidding me? moment in my French Fridays career. First, I was not that familiar with skate. Okay, to be truthful, I probably didn’t even remember it was a fish and member of the stingray family. Skate is another French favorite. In America, not so much.
In the late 90’s, skate wings, the edible part of this fish, flew over the pond, landing on plates in Manhattan’s fancier restaurants. Although still not a popular entrée throughout this country, you will find it on menus in tonier restaurants. If I ever see it on the menu, I will order it.
Sauteed spinach and tomatoes made a perfect pillow for my fish.
But for now, let’s turn to wild Alaskan Pacific cod, the mild-tasting whitefish I substituted in this week’s recipe. Unlike it’s maligned, overfished Atlantic cousin, this cod is an ocean-friendly seafood choice. According to Fishwatch, “Alaska fisheries for Pacific cod account for more than two-thirds of the world’s Pacific cod supply, and are considered among the best managed fisheries in the world.”
The result was cod-licious, thanks to the killer sauce Dorie suggested for this dish. After dredging four 6-ounce cod filets in flour, salt and pepper, drop them in a heavy skillet coated with 2 ounces of melted butter. I cooked the cod four minutes on each side until it was lightly browned and flaked easily. After transferring the fish to a heatproof platter and tenting with foil, I put it in the oven to remain warm while I made the (killer) sauce (recipe below).
Wild Alaskan Pacific cod on a bed of Sauteed Spinach and tomatoes……totally, totally.
Although Dorie suggests serving this entrée on a pillow of mashed potatoes or Celery Root Purée, I detoured down the veggie highway and mixed together Sautéed Spinach with Cherry Tomatoes. Since this (killer) sauce has so much going on – grainy mustard, brown butter, cornichons and capers -, I didn’t want “my pillow” to muscle into the spotlight.
Not only was this a satisfying dinner but also a lovely breakfast and afternoon snack. The following morning I flaked a fillet, added it to the vegetables and made a frittata. Pretty darn delicious.
Cod, Spinach, Cheese & Tomato Frittata (a great use of leftovers)
The 2014 Food & Wine Classic begins in Aspen today, continuing through Sunday, June 22nd. It’s the 32nd year for this festival, bringing together celebrity chefs, corporates (food purveyors, wine professionals and spirit reps) and folks who like to eat and drink and can cough up $1250 for the weekend pass. There will be nearly 100 official events including cooking demonstrations, food, wine and cheese seminars, tastings, conversations and book signings.
Tents like these two have been put up all over Aspen for activities for the 5,000 participants in the 2014 Food & Wine Classic.
Our local community has a long history of volunteering in exchange for a Pass to the Classic. In the past I helped set up tables and chairs and poured wine during seminar tastings. For more years than probably necessary, I sliced baguettes, filling hundreds of bread baskets for the two daily Grand Tastings. Obviously that’s where my talent lies but this year I joined the Green Team. My job, as I understand it, is to help the attendees remember the meaning of recyclable, compostable and trash.
I’m hoping to see Marcus Samuelsson’s demo in the Cooking Tent and Laura Werlin’s seminar, “Mountain Wines, MountainCheeses” and more. Giada DeLaurentiis is here as well as José Andrés, Michael Chiarello and Tyler Florence, to name a few. I promise to share more about the F&W Classic next week. 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 skated through this week’s recipe choice, go here.
Technique:
Put 6 tablespoons of butter into a skillet on medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling the pan, until it starts to turn a light brown. Add the vinegar and swirl again. Stir in the mustard, sliced cornichons and capers. Mix together.
You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run.
Kenny Rogers
I once was required to take a psychological test as part of an employment application. Maybe I was in my late thirties. While discussing the results with me, the male evaluator mentioned that I would keep hitting my head against the wall to get something done. “You just won’t give up,” he said, shaking his head.
I beamed with pride. “Got the job,” I thought to myself.
“That’s not a compliment,” he quickly added.
“What a jerk,” I thought to myself.
End of the Story: I got the job and succeeded. Head. Wall. Banging.
Crab-Avocado “Ravioli”
Admittedly, despite my success, he wasn’t all wrong. I understand the need to sometimes give up or give in. I’ve just never learned to do that well. This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice, Crab-Avocado Ravioli, put me to the supreme test. I glanced at the recipe and then heard that my colleague, Diane, had already drawn blood. I folded. Readers, it was the fastest “fold” of my lifetime.
Amy Butler’s 2013 Galaxie Rosé
Crab-Avocado Ravioli is a deliciously divine crab salad mixed with lime zest/juice, minced shallots, cilantro and olive oil. I used Pasolivo’s California Blend olive oil and also added Penzey’s Sunny Paris seasoning. The avocado-part of the recipe is when it gets “twicky”. Dorie suggests slicing avocados on a mandoline without peeling or pitting them first.
(Memo to Ms. Greenspan: Now, Dorie, you know me well enough to realize this could just not happen in my kitchen.)
During our birding field trip this week, we watched a very noisy House Wren and a determined Tree Swallow duke it out over a excavated tree cavity nest originally chiseled out by a woodpecker!
Despite going rogue on this recipe, I enjoyed a lovely lunch of Crab Salad embellished with avocado and washed down with Amy Butler’s Ranchero Cellars 2013 Galaxie Rosé. The next day I turned the remaining salad into a mouth-watering Crab Roll, my picnic lunch during an all-day Audubon field trip. My blogging companions, Susan and John, can always turn leftovers into spectacular main entrées. See their magic, Crab Risotto with Artichoke Hearts, here.
Tomorrow, June 14th, is National Flag Day, a celebratory nod to our Stars and Stripes. The first official flag – the blue canton contained 13 stars – was approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. For the past 237 years it has stood (and, fallen) as a symbol of hope and glory and gratefulness throughout the world. Bravo to the Red, White and Blue and may we sometimes just remember and honor all that is right and good about this country.
French Fridays with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table. You can grab this week’s recipe from Liz, another Dorista. To see which flags my FFWD colleagues from around the world fly, go to our link here.
Salmon Rillettes, a delectable summertime spread with toasted baguette slices
Yesterday Mother Nature smiled upon the Rocky Mountains, gifting us with a glorious June day. Because I was joining a colleague for my inaugural hike of the season, her sunshine was a joyful omen. As most of you recall – but, it bears repeating – I am a volunteer USFS Ranger. At a period in my Life when I can ‘ask not what my country can do for me but what I can do for my country,’ I’ve chosen to answer Smokey Bear’s call to service. It’s my career. I have a uniform!
This salmon mixture also is a delicious sandwich filling.
Do you also recall that Lights on Bright No Brakes has become another career? I write about food and wine and Life. Admittedly, dual careers are a bit of a huff. A crazy juggling act. Hey, I’m into the “If not now,when” period of life. About that stack of books I intend to read during retirement? “Intend to” has become “NOW”. I’ve traded “Have to” for “Want to”. My past six decades of Goals, Bucket- and Must-do’s Lists have been replaced by “Do It” or “Forget It.” Because, damn it, my energy is no longer an endless commodity, I’ve learned to say, “No.”
Turn this rainbow of peppers into a lovely relish or special topping.
When my husband died two years ago, my life, in many ways, became a blank slate. My task was to paint the canvas smiley-face or morose? Admittedly, the odds were not good. I was done. (Before we get too maudlin, please know this story ends well.) But after two years of trade-offs and compromises and detours and fails and disappointments and try-again’s, guess what’s happened? I’ve won. I’ve won big. When I look in the mirror, I see Joie de Vivre staring back.
Almost Pipérade
Factored into this joy equation, of course, is food and French Fridays with Dorie. This week’s recipe choice is Salmon Rillettes, a delectable combo of smoked and fresh wild salmon. Serve it as a savory spread or, as I did, a very classy sandwich mixture. After assembling the additional ingredients – spices, lemon, onions and butter – poach the fresh salmon and mix everything together. It takes 15 minutes to make and a two-hour fridge visit. With an apple and carrots it made a healthy lunch for my premiere hike.
Dorie’s Pipérade
Now I may be the happiest food blogger on the Internet but admittedly, not the most talented. When I joined FFWD, I’d been on kitchen-hiatus for years. Rusty says it best. Having nothing to lose but my pride, I jumped into this French Fridays/blogging business, full on and feet first. That’s where these trade-offs, compromises, detours, fails and try-again’s played out.
Dorie’s Classic Banana Bundt Cake, Susanized
This is what I learned. I cannot create recipes like Liz or Chris or Trevor or Andrea or Susan. I’ll never make biscotti like Kathy or pastry like Mardi and Cher. (I’ll go to my grave blaming the altitude for that.) My FFWD administrative partner, Betsy, is my trusty wiz kid of the keys. Honestly, I will never have the artistry and talent with food that most of my friends here and in Las Vegas possess. What I can do well is read a recipe and follow the rules. I’ve nailed Copycat. As you can see from this week’s photos, I glean tips and advice and ideas from my blogging colleagues. Thankfully and graciously, my friends and family have enthusiastically embraced this passion of mine if only to make me happy. Good Sports is an understatement.
If you lack oven space, try scalloped potatoes in a crockpot. Just before serving, I transferred them to a container, stuck them under the broiler for a wonderful crust on top.
While the nugget from this week’s Post is Never Give Up, you’ll find the recipe for the amazing Pipérade, last week’s FFWD choice, here. I served it both as a topping for Sea Bass and stand-alone relish. Here’s the recipe for Smitten Kitchen’s bundt. Try Dorie’s classic Banana Bundt, Susanized. Here and Here. Interested in scalloped potatoes in a crockpot? Here. Finally, to see what other Doristas created this week, try this link.
Deb who blogs at Smitten Kitchen bakes a wonderful Triple Berry Bundt.
For today’s purposes, we are the Revolutionaries. Dominick (l), Mary, Cavanaugh(r). Selfie by Dom
“Cooking is, without a doubt, one of the most important skills a person can ever learn. Once someone has that knowledge, that’s it – they’re set for life”. Chef Jamie Oliver
Although Dom is draining moisture from the cucumbers, Cav decided we needed more cubed cukes.
This week we Doristas pulled out our chopping blocks, sharpened our knifes and picked up our whisks. It’s Jamie Oliver’s third annual Food Revolution Day and, once again, French Fridays with Dorie is here to do battle. Last year’s theme, with teachers and foodies in 74 countries participating, was Cook It & Share It. This year we were asked to “cook with kids and get them excited about food.”
Dom is drying the cucumbers by twisting them in a dish cloth and squeezing. He found this very strange.
I asked my neighbor, Cavanaugh, a 17-year-old junior at Aspen High School, to cook with me. Although Cav is now into football, college interviews and getting fit in his tux for this month’s prom, I’ve known him since he was a little boy fixated on StarWars.
Yes, Cav is going to be unhappy with his mother for sharing this picture with me but he was such a cute little boy.
Last Christmas I was at City Market when Cav and his pal, Dominick, were grocery shopping. Their cart was piled to overflowing with snacks. Chips, crackers, dips and spreads, cookies, Coca Cola, candy – nothing nutritious. “Hi, Cav,” I said, “ what’s all this?”
Adding all the Tzatziki ingredients to the Greek yogurt mixture
“Oh, hello, Mrs. Hirsch,” he replied. “We’re just stocking up for the rest of the holidays.”
We put the finished Tzatziki in the fridge so the flavors could blend together well.
When I returned home from the store, still amused, I did what any respectable pseudo-Grandmother would do, I called his Mother. “Blanca, I just saw Cav and his friends at the grocery store,” I reported. “They were loading up for the rest of the school break and absolutely nothing was nutritious.”
Dom separates the yolk from the egg whites for the chocolate mousse.
After hanging up, Blanca went flying down the stairs to the rec room where the boys were unloading their groceries into the snack cupboards and fridge. “Mrs. Hirsch just called and says you didn’t buy anything nutritious.”
Now Cav separates the yolk from the egg whites. (I will admit to a little gentle trash talk going on here.)
I soon received a text from the boys. “Yes, we did, Mrs. Hirsch. We bought bacon!”
Melting chocolate is always a dicey technique for me. Not too much but just enough. Dom programmed the microwave (15 second intervals) while Cav stirred the 4 ounces of chocolate each time to finally get the proper consistency. It was perfect.
That’s the reason why my young friends, Cav and Dom, celebrated Food Revolution 2014 with me in my kitchen last Wednesday afternoon.
It’s boring to wait for egg whites to form peaks and get shiny. They actually taught me the physics involved in this technique. (Who knew?)
We first made Tzatziki, a Greek yogurt-based blend of seedless cucumbers, fresh herbs, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Since it is distinctively tasty and creamy, it’s a great dip for crudités and chips. Although neither Cav nor Dom had tasted Tzatziki before, they recognized and liked the dill flavoring. As a substitute for mayo, maybe? “This would be great on a hamburger,” Cav suggested.
After “lightening” the chocolate with meringue, Dom carefully folds the remaining meringue into the bowl. Cav offers additional instruction.
Because I wanted a show-stopper to rival store-bought cakes, cookies and candy bars, we also made Dorie’s totally decadent Top-Secret Dark Chocolate Mousse. Rich, creamy, and delicious, this mousse is something the boys could make for their parents and eventually their own friends and families. A bit more complicated than Tzatziki, this dark chocolate concoction was awesome (their word, not mine).
After pouring the mousse into brandy snifters,they each added whipped cream. We used the best product available from a can which worked fine.
I hope you readers enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed cooking and spending time with these very handsome young men. Jamie Oliver wants this day to be a celebration with kids and “day of global action to raise awareness of the joys of cooking good food and it’s impact on our health and happiness.”
Although they didn’t have time to let the mousse sit in the fridge for an hour before decorating, they still produced a pretty dessert.
It wasn’t easy to juggle busy schedules, practices and classes to make this afternoon happen. And, even I admit that cooking with Mrs. Hirsch was probably not at the top of their Want-to-do List. But, at the end of the day, we’d laughed, weathered a yolks/egg whites separation disaster, handled constant incoming texts from girlfriends and created two rather tasty dishes. I’d call that a pretty perfect revolution, wouldn’t you?
Ready to roll with a boxful of Tzatziki with crudités and chips and a batch of Dark Chocolate Mousse. Good job, Guys.
French Fridays with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table. Although both the recipes in this post are already linked, you can again grab the recipes here and here. If you wish to see the revolutionary efforts of my colleagues, go to our FFWD site.
