When Mama doesn’t blog, Mama doesn’t eat well. Without Friday deadlines and recipes to tackle, I’ve lost my way. The fridge looks forlorn. The pantry? Forgettaboutit. My solitary banana is brown and there are no overs to left. Eight weeks. Enough. Time to take the foot off the brake. Plus, I’ve missed you.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CRUMBLE
As you’re reading this post, I’m flying back to Colorado after a week in Washington D.C. I had the opportunity to spend 3 days at the newly-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture and stretched my trip to include other museums. My carefully scripted itinerary did not include being questioned by the Secret Service. That happened and was unnerving.
TACKED TO MANY D.C. POLES. DESPITE THE SPELLING ERROR, IT MADE ME LAUGH.
THANKSGIVING FARE
First, however, let’s add some sparkle to your holiday menus. The staff at The Gant worried I’d hit a bad patch and were quite relieved to see this Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Icing walk through their door. Although Gourmet Magazine ceased publication in 2009, this spectacular Fall creation from a 2005 issue is mine forever.
Why not let David Lebovitz’s Cook the Book Friday’s recipe, Butternut Squash Crumble, be a part of your Thanksgiving this year. What first sounds like a dessert tilts toward savory. Roasted squash is infused with chicken stock and seasoned with thyme and shallots. The topping is a mixture of bread crumbs, Parmesan and sage, glued together by butter and eggs. Ditch your classic green bean casserole for this tasty dish with a sweet punch.
Look for the recipes and my tips at the end of this post.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
A CAPITOL VISIT
COLORADO PIONEER AND FORMER SLAVE CLARA BROWN, ON DISPLAY NEXT TO A PRESERVED SLAVE CABIN. BORN ENSLAVED IN VIRGINIA, SHE MARRIED AT 18 AND HAD 4 CHILDREN BUT HER FAMILY WAS SOLD AND SEPARATED. WHEN SHE GAINED HER FREEDOM, SHE MOVED TO COLORADO AND WORKED AS A COOK, MIDWIFE AND LAUNDRESS. SHE WISELY INVESTED HER MONEY IN LAND AND MINES AND, LIKE MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS, SHE ALSO SEARCHED FOR HER FAMILY. AFTER MANY YEARS, SHE FOUND ONE DAUGHTER.
In 1913 on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, black civil war veterans lobbied for a museum to honor the African American journey. That dream gathered dust for decades until Congressmen John Lewis and Mickey Leland resurrected the idea in the 1980s. Winning approval from Congress was a prolonged and bruising battle. In 2003 an ebullient George W. Bush signed a bill creating the 19th Smithsonian museum. It opened in late September 2016 and cost $540 million with half of that coming from private donors.
Designed by Tanzanian-born British architect, David Adjaye, the dazzling 400,000 square-foot bronze-colored building sits on a 5-acre site located directly across from the Washington Monument. (Adjaye also designed Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art).
SOUTHERN RAILROAD CAR #1200 “for Coloreds.” BECAUSE OF JIM CROW LAWS, RAILCARS WERE SEGREGATED IN MANY STATES UNTIL THE EARLY 1960S.
Because no Smithsonian museum had ever been conceived without having its own permanent collection, Director Lonnie Bunch and his team collected the artifacts themselves. Using the “Antiques Roadshow” format to generate publicity in 15 American cities the museum now possesses 37,000 objects. Every Smithsonian museum is spectacular and the NMAAHC, the last to be built on the Mall, stands proudly with the others.
THE TERRIFYING KU KLUX KLAN ORIGINATED IN THE SOUTH IN 1865 IT IS STILL AN ACTIVE ORGANIZATION TODAY AND HAS INSERTED ITSELF INTO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. DAVID DUKE OF LOUISIANA, A FORMER IMPERIAL WIZARD OF THE KKK, IS CURRENTLY RUNNING FOR THE US SENATE.
I also spent several hours at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which Michael and I first visited after it opened in 1993. Although not a member of the Smithsonian group, it is located nearby and recently was renovated. Walking through those doors is a sobering experience and, 23 years later, still not easy.
THE SECRET SERVICE
It was on my way to the Holocaust Museum that I crossed paths with the Secret Service. Charged with protecting the President, Vice President and Treasury, ubiquitous is the watchword. On bikes. In cars. With German Shepherds. Manning security booths. Guarding entrances. I spotted an agent on her bike with a dog chatting with another agent guarding an entrance. A perfect photo, I thought.
As you can see by my picture the minute I focused the camera, Man Agent turned and began walking towards me. I consciously decided NOT to say I was a blogger and just snapping a photo for an upcoming post. So when he asked me why I was taking pictures (I took only 1), that’s exactly what I blurted out! He lectured me on freedom, that it had costs! I replied that I was also on Team Freedom, would show him all my photos if he wished and I was not the enemy (which he already knew, of course). Still, it was unsettling, that gun and all. I remember thinking, “Well, if this goes south, I look good, am wearing a nice outfit and my pearls are real!”
And, Readers, don’t forget to VOTE.
WHEN LEAVING THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM, VISITORS ARE GIVEN SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CRUMBLE by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
SQUASH FILLING
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
4 pounds. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into ¾-inch cubes
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup peeled and thinly sliced shallots
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
TOPPING
¾ cup fresh or dried bread crumbs
½ cup coarse-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs minced fresh sage leaves
1 tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
4 Tbs unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 large egg, room temperature
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Set aside.
2. To make the squash filling, heat 1 Tbs butter and 1 Tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the squash and half the thyme. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the squash pieces begin to brown on several sides.
3. Add half the shallots and cook another few minutes, until they’re softened. Add ½ cup stock and cook about 30 seconds, stirring, to reduce the stock a bit and heat everything through. Scrape the squash mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4. Wipe the pan clean and heat the remaining 1 tbs butter and olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Cook the rest of the squash and thyme the same way, seasoning it with salt and pepper and adding the remaining shallots and ½ cup stock, stirring.
5. Scrape the cooked squash mixture into the baking dish, stir in the parsley, then press the mixture into a relatively even layer. Cover the dish snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the squash is pretty soft, but not mushy when you poke it with a sharp paring knife.
THE ROASTED SQUASH IS WAITING FOR ITS TOPPING MIXTURE.
6. While the squash bakes, make the topping. Combine the bread crumbs, cornmeal, Parmesan, sage, sugar, salt and black pepper in your food processor. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is completely incorporated. Add the egg and pulse a few more times until the mixture just starts clumping together in bits.
AFTER REMOVING THE TINFOIL (SEE PHOTO ABOVE), SPREAD THE CRUMBLED MIXTURE ON TOP. IT’S READ FOR THE OVEN AGAIN TO BROWN THE CRUMBLE TOPPING.
7. Remove the squash from the oven, remove the aluminum foil, and cover evenly with the bread crumb topping. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 F and return the dish to the oven. Bake about 20 minutes, until the topping is golden brown, then serve.
PUMPKIN SPICE BUNDT CAKE with BUTTERMILK ICING
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, 2005
Serves 12
Special equipment: a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan (3 quart)
CAKE
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened,
2 additional Tbs butter for greasing bundt pan*
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
2 additional Tbs flour for dusting pan*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin PUREE from a 15-ounce can (not pie filling)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter bundt pan generously, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.
3. Whisk together flour (2 1/4 cups), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl.
4. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.
5. Beat butter (1 1/2 sticks) and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
6. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and re-invert cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.
ICING DIRECTIONS:
1. While cake is cooling, whisk together buttermilk and confectioners sugar until smooth. Drizzle icing over warm cake, then cool cake completely. Icing will harden slightly.
TIPS:
Cake can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
2. I use Pam with Flour spray instead of a butter/flour combination for a no-stick remedy. My cakes have always dropped from the pan beautifully.
3. Fill your bundt pan to 3/4 full. I used the 10-cup bundt pan suggested but if you use a smaller bundt pan, just make muffins with the extra mixture.
LUNCH at the OCCIDENTAL GRILL & SEAFOOD – YELLOWFIN TUNA with BENNE SEED CRUST.
Today’s post will be my last one for the foreseeable future. Since I am turning off the lights for a time, this Iowa girl needs to talk corn and tomatoes.
Every year it happens. September barges in before I’m ready for summer’s farewell. Autumn has the upper hand and is clearly broadcasting its presence. Nights are cooler. Aspen leaves quake yellow. And, snow appears on our highest peaks. I get it.
September is still farmer’s market heaven. Snap up those luscious tomatoes. Savor every ear of corn you can grab. My Corn Soup (Two Ways) is magical. Corn cobs make the broth. Who knew? Doesn’t everyone have a favorite Gazpacho recipe? This week’s CooktheBookFridays group is stirring up David Lebovitz’s recipe. His secret ingredient is vodka.
September is also the month we volunteer USFS rangers step aside for hunters and Old Man Winter. It’s been an especially great year. Our visitors constantly remind us we have a dream job and a gorgeous office. (We know that.) There is not a day I don’t wake up thanking God and Michael Hirsch that I can live amidst these splendid mountains.
Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night. Hal Borland
As I said earlier, I am dimming my Lights and look forward to returning in a few months.
David Lebovitz’s GAZPACHO from My Paris Kitchen
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 slice firm, white country style bread, crusts removed
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 red, green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt (more, if needed)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chile powder
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vodka
DIRECTIONS: (The gazpacho can be made 3 days in advance and refrigerated.)
1. Fill a large pot half full of water and bring it to a boil. Remove the cores of the tomatoes and cut an X in the bottom of each.
2. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water (work in batches if your pot won’t hold them all) and let the tomatoes blanch for 30 seconds or until the skins loosen. Transfer them to a strainer and rinse with cold water. Peel the tomatoes, discarding the skins.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half HORIZONTALLY. Remove as many seeds as possible. Set a coarse-mesh strainer over a bowl and squeeze the liquid and seeds out of the tomatoes; press the pulp through the strainer. Save the tomatoes and the tomato liquid. A few remaining seeds in the pulp will not matter.
4. In a small bowl, soak the bread in cold water for 1 minute, drain and squeeze the excess water out of the bread.
Working in batches, pulse the tomatoes and tomato liquid in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the bread, until they’re almost liquified, yet still have bits of tomato visible.
5. Mix the nearly pureed tomatoes in a large bowl with the cucumber, onion, pepper and garlic. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and spice. Season with pepper and add the vodka. Taste. Add additional salt if necessary.
5. Chill thoroughly before serving.
CORN SOUP (Two Ways), recipe by Faith from the KITCHN
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium fresh ears of corn, husks removed
7 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
For Toppings:
Truffle Salt and Chives
OR
Smoked paprika, dash of Cayenne, fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped, and lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and set aside. Place the cobs in a stockpot or Dutch oven and add the water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels, a couple of big pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3. Remove the corn cobs from the stockpot and add the corn mixture to the broth. Bring to a boil, then cover again and simmer 25 minutes.
4. Purée the soup, working in batches if necessary, in a blender until completely smooth (alternatively, blend directly in the pot with an immersion blender). Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. (TIP: I used an immersion blender.)
5. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer in a clean pot or large bowl, pressing on the solids to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to serve cold. Garnish each bowl with the topping of your choice.
TIP: Leftover keeps well, without the toppings added, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Rewarm or serve cold and garnish just before serving.
COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS is an international food group cooking its way virtually through My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. To see what my colleagues have stirred up this week or to join our group, go here.
The closest I’ve ever gotten to a food truck is watching the comedy-drama film, Chef, at our local theatre in 2014. Having just googled the “Top Ten Food Trucks near Aspen,” none of them are. Near Aspen, I mean.
SPICY MEATBALL WRAP SMOTHERED in SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE
Street foods, whether from a truck or cart, predominantly reflect local culture and flavor. Trucks namedThe Confluence Cowgirl Kitchen, Mi Lindo Nayarit and Slo Groovin’ Bar-b-Que based in Carbondale, Marble, even Glenwood Springs echo our diversity. But, in Aspen, if it’s street food I desire, only my kitchen can answer the call.
THIS MEATBALL PACKS a WALLOP AND IS JUST AS DELICIOUS SERVED INDIVIDUALLY DURING A COCKTAIL PARTY. (toothpick, please.)
Boulettes de Merguez à la Sauce Sriracha, a recipe from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen pays homage to the Maghreb* influence in Parisian cuisine. Americanized, these are flavor-packed Spiced Meatballs with Sriracha Sauce. I chose to wrap them in a grilled Naan smothered in sauce and wrapped in parchment paper. Heavily seasoned, this is street food to the max. Grabbing a beer, I walked out to my balcony and polished off this glorious sandwich in a flash.
I made my meatballs and then put them in a cast iron skillet to roast in the oven. Every 5 minutes (15 minutes cooking time), just give the pan a shake.
A colleague recently made this recipe, 20 meatballs, leaving them on the counter to cool for a later cocktail party. She ran to her gym. Returning home, she found only 4. A certain male partner was nowhere in sight. They’re that fantastic. See the recipe and more tips below.
WELCOMING MADISON
When is the last time you basked in a friend’s joy? Their happiness becomes yours. Last week I caught that feel-good bug when a dear friend became a first-time grandmother. She and her husband had raised three terrific young men. Still, at her house for the past 20-plus years, the score was always, 4-1.
When beautiful Madison arrived, her grandparents were over-the-moon.( I don’t think they’ve landed yet.) My challenge was how to welcome this precious baby. Realizing she is already an indulged child, not for want, here’s the gift I just mailed to Madison’s grandparents.
I asked my granddaughters as well as the 4-year old daughter of blogging colleague Katie, to send me their Top 10 list of favorite baby books. This request turned into a family affair with Melissa and Stephen revisiting their memory library with Emma and Clara. Katie and Marcel, Alaia’s parents, also took the familial recall stroll.
ALAIA, 4, with HER DADDY, MARCEL, WHILE VISITING ME IN CAMBRIA.
CLARA, 13, (L) and EMMA, 15, DURING the SUMMER.
Following their quick replies and meshing the lists together, I bought the books and mailed them to Florida, requesting that they always remain at the grandparents’ house in anticipation of baby Madison-visits.
“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” –Marcel Proust
THE LIST. (per Emma, Clara and Alaia.)
THE TOP 10 LIST: 1) Good Night Moon; 2) Good Night, Gorilla; 3) Good Dog, Carl; 4) Little Lady Bug: Finger Puppet Book; 5) But Not the Hippopotamus; 6) I Love You, Stinky Face; 7) Mama Mama, Papa Papa; 8) Time for Bed; 9) King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub; 10) The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
SPICED MEATBALLS with SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Makes 20 walnut-sized Meatballs (Tip: I made mine a bit larger.)
MERGUEZ MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons harissa, Sriracha, or Asian chile paste (Tip: I used Sriracha, a staple in my kitchen.)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Tip: I used 1/2 teaspoon, maybe 3/4 teaspoon to soften the flavors of the tangy spices.)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac (optional) (Tip: Please don’t skip the sumac.)
1 pound ground beef or lamb (not lean), or a mix of the two (Tip: I used lamb, a more traditional taste.)
SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE
1. 3/4 cup mayonnaise, homemade or store bought
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce or harissa (Be careful. This is hot.)
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a hot skillet, toast the fennel, coriander, and cumin seeds for a minute or so, until they smell fragrant.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool.Grind to a powder in a spice mill or mortar and pestle, or crush in a sturdy plastic bag with a hammer.
3. Combine the crushed spices in a bowl with the cilantro, garlic, paprika, harissa, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and sumac. Add the ground beef/lamb and mix well. The meatball mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before rolling and using. (Tip: I wore disposable latex gloves and mixed together with my hands.)
4. Pinch off pieces of the sausage mixture and roll them into meatballs the size of unshelled walnuts or to your preferred size. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan to cook them evenly. If you have a grill, they can be cooked over a fire. Or, they can be roasted on a greased baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. (Tip: To save calories, I roasted in the oven using a cast iron pan.)
LOVE THE SRIRACHA MAYO.
5. To make the Sriracha mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise and the Sriracha in a small bowel. (This can also be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated).
6. Serve the meatballs warm with the Sriracha mayo.
* The Maghreb is the region of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.
CooktheBookFridays is an international virtual group of food bloggers cooking its way through My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. To see what my colleagues cooked this week or to join our group, go here.
As I walked to The Gant’s front office recently, I was followed by a young man and his son headed in the same direction. During that 3-4 minute walk, the little guy, probably 6, never stopped asking questions, one after another. Honestly, not one breath. How is that possible? At some point I glanced back, smiling. The Daddy caught my eye and said wearily, “All the time.”
Last month CNN named The Gant among twenty of America’s most beautiful hotels. That honor, I decided, transformed me into the legitimate adult version of Eloise who lived at The Plaza Hotel. Of all lifestyle possibilities, my residing in a 144-condo resort hotel in Aspen was never a consideration nor was flying to the moon or summiting Everest. Be careful what you don’t wish for.
ROASTED TOMATO & FRESH MOZZARELLA PASTA by Chris Scheuer
I never considered this a long-term solution. But after three years I’m parked, having quickly surmised to either embrace the nature of this hustle-bustle complex or move on. “Your brain doesn’t know how old it is,” observed Paul Nussbaum, president of Pittsburgh’s Brain Health Center. “What it wants to do is learn.”
Nearby The Gant, the Aspen Mountain gondola runs all summer.
Maybe wrapping my head around such a wacky lifestyle idea was asking too much learning from my brain. Every week I have new neighbors. There are weddings and conferences and events. The Gant is a big house full of happy people on vacation. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, it is not. For someone who values privacy and likes to be anchored, this is a stretch.
While I haven’t set aside longtime personal perceptions, I have rearranged their possibilities. For example, last week a family of five, 3 boys with bikes, moved in next door. They were good kids but one night the racket was over-the-top. Not good, I thought, until I listened. “USA, USA, USA,” they hollered. More whoops. Michael Phelps & Co. were gold-digging in Rio. Their excitement knew no bounds. I flashed back to earlier noisy Olympic moments with my girls and poured a glass of wine.
David’s tomatoes, ready and raring to be roasted
I came home in mid-July to find a humongous bear trap in my building’s parking lot. Since a bear had gotten too familiar with a paying guest, it needed to be captured and moved. (I still cheered for the bear.) I already knew it was collared, meaning it had been caught in the trap before. Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me.The bear, not a fool, was a no-show.
Thinking that our lovable bear lives in nearby Aspen Grove Cemetery, founded in 1889 and the resting place for Aspen’s pioneers and war veterans.
Everyday I look for a Happy: The Grandpa who was paying his two pre-teen granddaughters each $100 to climb Aspen Mountain with him! ( Memo to Emma & Clara: No.); Entrepreneurs Peter (4) and Lily (3), pitching their lemonade stand at a prime Gant pathway yesterday, Mom shadowing the operation. Business was brisk. The money, Peter told me, is going to St. Jude’s ‘so kids can have operations.’ Love that Mom; And, Vice-President Biden and his family spent a week-end here this summer, a thrill for the staff and paying guests.
THIS IS A QUICK-and-EASY SUPPER. FEW INGREDIENTS AND QUICKLY MADE.
Eloise ends her story with,“Ooooooooooooooooooo I absolutely love The Plaza.”
Silly it may be, but “Ooooooooooooooooooo I absolutely love The Gant.”
Carved of Colorado Yule Marble by Sculptor Gregory Tonozzi, this statute sits in Aspen Grove Cemetery. This marble was also used for Lincoln’s Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington DC. One of the finest white marbles in the world, it is still being shipped from nearby Marble to Europe and Asia.
Life is about expectations and our CooktheBookFridays choice, CHERRY TOMATO CROSTINI with HERBED GOAT CHEESE, is a keeper. David’s roasted tomatoes are the prize this week. I made one batch for the crostini and another for Chris Scheuer’s ROASTED TOMATO AND FRESH MOZZARELLA PASTA. While fresh cherry or grape tomatoes are plentiful, Chris suggests always keeping some in the fridge for pizzas, salads, sandwiches, the possibilities are endless.
CHERRY TOMATO CROSTINI with HERBED GOAT CHEESE
MY PARIS KITCHEN by David Lebovitz
Serving Size: 4
INGREDIENTS:
(Note: I purchased herbed goat cheese.)
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:
AFTER BEING ROASTED
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
handful of whole, unchopped fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary or thyme sprigs, bay leaf and basil or sage leaves)
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasts:
4 thick slices bread, such as ciabatta, a country bread or a sourdough that is not too dense
olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
a few leaves of fresh basil, sage or flat leaf parsley to garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Roasted Tomatoes:
1.Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2.Combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, sliced garlic and herbs in a baking dish or pan that will hold them all in a snug single layer.
3. Season with salt and pepper, mix well and spread them out in a single layer.
4. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for about 45 minutes, stirring once or perhaps twice during baking, until they’re wilted and their juices are starting to concentrate — and perhaps brown a bit — in the bottom of the baking dish or pan. (The baking time will depend on the material of the baking dish and type of cherry tomatoes used.) Ideally, you want the tomatoes to juice, and for the juices to thicken and concentrate.
5. Scrape the tomatoes and any juices into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
6. They can sit up to 8 hours, and improve the longer they sit. When ready to serve, make the toasts.
Toasts:
1. Evenly brush the bread with olive oil.
2. Place them on a baking sheet in a preheated 350ºF oven and toast for about 5 minutes, until light golden brown.
3. Remove from the oven and when just cool enough to handle, rub the slices generously with the garlic clove.
4. Let cool to room temperature.
SERVE:
1. Thickly smear each piece of bread with the fresh herbed cheese.
Set each one on a plate.
2. Pluck out the herbs and spoon the tomatoes and their juices onto the slices of bread.
3. Coarsely chop the herbs for the garnish, and scatter them over the top of each portion.
1 pound tofette or ditalini pasta or your choice
4 ears fresh corn (in a pinch, use 15.25 oz. canned corn, drained)
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 recipe Garlic and Herb Roasted Tomatoes (Link to Chris’ version here)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Bring a medium large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Allow water to return to a boil, then cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
2. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain well. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and stir to coat pasta with oil. (This will keep it from drying out until you’re ready to combine it with the other ingredients.) Set aside.
3. While pasta is cooking, cook the corn ears. When cool enough, cut kernels from cobs. Cover and set aside.
4. If you prefer the cheese not to melt quickly, allow pasta to cool for 10 minutes. Otherwise, immediately combine the hot pasta with about ⅔ of the tomatoes (reserve the rest) in a medium-large bowl (be sure to scrape out all the good oil and herbs from the roasting pan). Add corn, fresh mozzarella cubes, remaining olive oil, salt, pepper. Stir gently to combine. If the pasta is too thick, add 1/4-1/2 cup of pasta water to loosen it bit, if needed. (I added no pasta water.) Add ½ of the basil and stir gently one more time. Top with the remaining tomatoes and basil.
5. Serve hot or at room temperature.
TIP: Using 1 1/2- 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes in Lebovitz’s recipe is sufficient for this pasta dish. Chris’ recipe yields approximately 4 cups of the mixture depending on size.
COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS is an international virtual cooking group making their way through David Lebovitz’s outstanding newest cookbook, My Paris Kitchen. To see what my colleagues baked this week, go here.
Tarte Crumble aux Cerises, this week’s CooktheBookFridays recipe.
“Is this a sharable story?” I’ve been asking myself. “Can I blog about this to inspire or bring a smile?”
If something really nice happens, I wondered, can I flip it into a Pay It Forward challenge for you readers as it was for me ?
Coin flip. Heads, yes. Tails, yes. (It was Heads.)
There’s dessert, also. For CooktheBookFridays, this week’s recipe is Tarte Crumble aux Cerises. Cherry Tart in English. Tarta de la Cereza in Spanish. Fabulous in any language.
Gorgeous butterflies visit Colorado’s High Country. Hunter Creek Valley, Aspen
Before counting calories, let’s talk. Cheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s CEO and author of Lean In, lost her 47-year old husband last year. She’s tough but grief is grief. It can be masked but, to my thinking, hunkers down like a boulder in your heart. Cheryl’s now writing her second book, about resilience, calling it Option B. “I have learned,” she once wrote, “that resilience can be learned.”
Long before Cheryl lost her husband, I was living the 8-year process of losing mine. As strong and tenacious as I consider myself now, during those years I was not. “If Plan A doesn’t work, Mom,” my daughter, Melissa, would counsel during a crisis, “we’ll go to Plan B or even C.”
Most Saturdays I can be found at the Maroon Bells, monitoring the trail up to Crater Lake. This is my week-end office. It’s tough duty.
After Michael died and I returned to Aspen, my challenge was not only to heal but be content and useful. Realizing this was a high bar, I considered it a deserved goal. This blog, as you know, revolves around my doing that.
About twenty years ago I joined a ragtag group of ten Aspen locals who were helping the “real” and understaffed USFS Rangers monitor our trails. We raided their warehouse for cast-off uniforms, buckled on backpacks and lived the outdoor dream.
During my eight year absence, this dream job morphed into the Forest Conservancy, a razor-sharp, volunteer organization of officially-sanctioned USForest Service ranger representatives. When I returned to Aspen in 2013, the FC, now 100-plus strong, became my Safe Haven. After jumping through a few hoops, taking classes and actually memorizing a rule book, I received not one but two spanking new uniforms. Welcome home, Mary.
Remember the Cooper’s Hawk babies?
They grew up to be big boys. One of three.
At that time many FC colleagues had undertaken the rigorous journey to become Master Naturalists, the FC’s educational arm. I balked at joining their ranks. Too much responsibility. Too much commitment. And, honestly, I didn’t have the wisdom.
Being supportive, however, I always join them on Maroon Bells’ Discovery Day Saturdays when, loaded with exhibits, they man individual booths, talking with tourists about flowers, trees, moose, bears, geology and more. I’d hike the trails, interacting with 400 to 600 visitors each DD. But, being a Master Naturalist, No is No.
7:30AM, Maroon Bells – I came upon this young man, a carefully set blanket with champagne on ice nearby, on his knee proposing to his girlfriend. A few early visitors stood quietly, watching. “What if she says No,” one whispered. (She didn’t.) It was an officially-sanctioned proposal, the happy couple decided.
Two weeks ago, our Mama Bear who oversees the MN program, called a short meeting after DD’s end. I abhor meetings, they tend to ramble, but at days end I joined my other hot, weary colleagues at the Bell’s tiny amphitheater.You know where this is going, don’t you? There was food, drink and chocolate cake. Uh-oh. Before I could execute a quick exit, I became a MN.
Surprisingly, I found myself unbelievably pleased (see poem below). It’s not the distinction, (so much more to learn), but their planning and effort. It’s friendship and a forgotten word in today’s world, NICE. Playing nice is a cheap Pay it Forward option whatever the alphabet letter. I’m calling it my Option N.
“For twenty years Mary Hirsch has been a volunteer ranger,
Hiking the trails, helping folks out of danger.
She has a sparkling personality and sure gift of gab
And in her uniform, she looks simply fab.
Since she has done the time and taken the classes,
We hope she joins the rest of us who work off our asses.
The birders have told us you’d be a great Master Naturalist
So we hope you will join us, in fact we iNSIST!
As the great Teddy said, “It is done, I do declare it.”
Here is your pin and now you MUST wear it.”
To celebrate my joy I adapted this sweet cherry tart from David Lebovitz’s Tarte Crumble aux Apricots because I could not find Colorado apricots yet. Whatever the fresh fruit, use between 1 3/4-2 pounds. The lip-smacker in this recipe is the Crumble Topping which can be used with other baked fruit pastries. I used a 9-inch springform pan but will move up to 10-inches next time.
Use a springform pan for this tart.
TARTE CRUMBLE aux CERISES (Sweet Cherry Crumble Tart) Adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz.
Serves 8-10
DOUGH
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85g)
unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, room-temperature
11/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
CRUMBLE TOPPING
3/4 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Being heavy-handed with my spices, I used 1 TBS.)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
FILLING
2 pounds ripe, fresh apricots, pitted and quartered (or, sweet cherries)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used 1/2tsp.)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve
DIRECTIONS:
1. TO MAKE THE DOUGH, remove butter from the refrigerator 10 minutes before using it and to let it soften slightly in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed just until no visible lumps of butter remain. Add the egg yolks, flour and salt. Mix until the dough comes together. (You can also make the dough in a bowl using a spatula and a little moxie.)
2. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9- to 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Use the heel of your hand to press the dough over the bottom of the pan, and a little less than halfway up the sides. Try to get the bottom as even as possible, not because anyone will see it, but so it bakes evenly. Put the pan in freezer for 30 minutes.
The crumble topping should look like this before you pop it in the fridge to chill.
3. MAKE THE CUMBLE TOPPING by pulsing the almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until the almonds are broken up into very small pieces. Add the butter and pulse the food processor. After a few moments, the mixture will look sandy. As you continue to pulse, pieces will just start clumping together. Stop pulsing at that point and chill the crumble topping. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the crumble topping by chopping the almonds finely and mixing the topping with a pastry blender or by hand.)
4. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
5. Line the springform pan with aluminum foil and a single layer of pie weights (or dried beans). Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the tart shell is browned.
6. After the tart shell comes out of the oven, make the filling. In a bowl, mix the fruit with the sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Do not make the filling too far in advance because the fruit may become too juicy.
Transfer the fruit to the tart shell and even them out. Strew the crumble topping evenly over the fruit.
7. Bake the tart for 50 minutes, until the crumble topping is nicely browned. (I baked my tart exactly 50 minutes.)
8. Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then run a knife around the outside of the tart to separate it from pan, in case any juices ran over. Let rest for 30 minutes, then remove the sides of the springform and let the tart cool. The edges may look rather dark, but should taste fine, not burnt.
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.
COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS is an international virtual cooking group making their way through David Lebovitz’s outstanding newest cookbook, My Paris Kitchen. To see what my colleagues baked this week, go here.
Bourbon & Roasted Walnut Vanilla Ice Cream, before the roasted walnuts are added.
Can you spare five minutes to be silly? In these somber times we still need to step outside our life box of concerns and shake it up. You have lots of happy breaths stored beside those worried and stressful ones. Just dig deeper and gulp.
Raw Vegetable Slaw with Creamy Garlic Dressing
It’s CooktheBookFriday, time to share the exceptionally-talented David Leibovitz’s recipes with you. From his My Paris Kitchen cookbook, Raw Vegetable Slaw with Creamy Garlic Dressing and Galettes Complètes (Buckwheat Crêpes with Ham, Cheese and Egg). Because it’s homemade ice cream time, I pulled out his popular The Perfect Scoop cookbook and made vanilla bean ice cream embellished with booze. Why not? Bourbon and Roasted Walnut Ice Cream is so adult.
Galettes Complètes (in process)
Before the yummy food, let’s do silly. Recently, while on my 7,500-mile junket, I was Ms. Michelin, spending considerable time planning and researching my itinerary. Remember Michelin’s three-star system for recommending sights:Worth a trip; Worth a detour; and Interesting? Doing that certainly enhanced my experiences this past winter and challenged my limits.
Three baby Great Blue Herons are searching for Mom who is supposed to be bringing them food. Northstar Preserve 2016
This summer it occurred to me I should check out my own back yard. Although I’ve lived in Aspen since 1988, were there activities I’d missed or sites unseen? If not now, when? While most of you do not live in my Valley, these suggestions might trigger local adventures of your own. Wiggle out of your comfort zone. It’s healthy.
Mule Deer in Velvet Northstar Preserve, 2016
Here are five To-Dos-This-Summer from my List:
1. Music Appreciation, MUS-120. Dr. Thomas Buesch, Colorado Mountain College – Since moving to Aspen I’ve taken liberal arts courses from Dr. Buesch, the best of college professors. His summer 10-week music course, given in conjunction with the Aspen Music Festival, is always oversubscribed. This year I jumped in early, committed to the task and I’m all ’bout that bass. (IN PROCESS)
2. The contemporary Powers Art Center, designed by architect Hiroshi Nanamori of Japan in 2014, is located in a cow pasture in nearby Carbondale. The art center showcases Jasper Johns’ works on paper and is a memorial to the life of art collector John G. Powers, a longtime Valley resident. Worth a visit. (TO DO)
Marci Krivonen photo
3. Independence, Colorado. In the late 19th century about 300 people lived in this ghost town. Located 12 miles from Aspen, at 10,900’, Aspen Historical Society guides give engaging daily tours at this National Register Historic Site. (TO DO)
4. PokémonGo, an outdoor, free smart-phone game. Load it. Play it. (IN PROCESS)
5. First Aid/CPR Class. Whether you’re almost 15-years old (I’m talking to you, Ms. Emma) or a Baby Boomer, take an American Red Cross-sanctioned First Aid/CPR/AED day-long class. I took a course, sponsored by the USFS, in June and was surprised to learn new methods and utilize life-saving equipment. It’s a responsible thing to do for yourself and others. (DONE)
Before you start making your own summer list, here’s the lowdown on this week’s recipes.
RAW VEGETABLE SLAW with CREAMY GARLIC DRESSING by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Why this works: Slice or chop up a 6 cup combo of veggies you already have in the fridge. Cabbage, endive, kohlrabi and fennel are a nice touch. I use the leftover dressing for dip.
Two main course servings/4 side salads
INGREDIENTS:
DRESSING:
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
SLAW INGREDIENTS:
6 cups sliced, chopped or shredded raw vegetables, any mix of:
cabbage, red or green
radicchio or Belgium endive
carrots
beets
apples
broccoli or cauliflower florets
radishes
fennel
kohlrabi
avocados
hard-cooked eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoon chopped chives, plus more for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the dressing mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic, mustard and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Cover and chill. May be made 2 days ahead.
2. In a large salad bowl, mix together the raw vegetables. Add the parsley and chives. Toss with the dressing and mix well. Garnish with parsley and chives.
3. Serve immediately.
This adult Cooper’s Hawk, maybe Dad, maybe Mom (cannot tell) is waiting for me to leave. Not happy I am near the babies, I only stayed 5 minutes.
BOURBON & ROASTED WALNUT VANILLA ICE CREAM adapted from The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz
Why this works: Leibovitz’s vanilla ice cream recipe is my choice…always. To add this grown-up touch is fun.
About 1 quart
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 TBS Bourbon (or, Licor 43 or, your choice)
2 cups of walnuts, roasted and chopped coarsely
1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Using a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warmed milk. Then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for 30 minutes.
2. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the heavy cream into the bowl.
3. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice.
4.. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Gradually pour some of the infused warmed milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks and milk back into the same saucepan.
5. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
6. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Add the vanilla extract and stir over the ice until cool.
7. Stir in the bourbon. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.
8. Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
9. After the ice cream is churned, stir in the roasted, chopped walnuts. If not serving immediately, put back in the freezer to harden more.
Making buckwheat galettes
GALETTES COMPLÈTES (Buckwheat Crêpes with Ham, Cheese, and Egg) by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Why this works: There are some gems I want to leave to the Pros and that’s how I feel about crêpes. Still, making this recipe, Galettes Complètes (Buckwheat crêpes with ham, cheese, and egg) was a worthwhile cooking experience. Try experimenting with buckwheat flour using this recipe or Dorie Greenspan’s Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche or from the multitude of buckwheat flour recipes on Pinterest. To be correct, a crêpe is made with white flour and a galette with buckwheat flour.
The galette, made with prosciutto, grated cheese, and an egg, is quite rich in taste.
CooktheBookFridays is a virtual international group making its way through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook.To see what others have mixed up this week or to join, go here.
