Burrata Caprese with Peaches, Apricots Tomato, & Basil
Hey Summer 2017, just slow down. Memorial Day. Check. June, those 30 days. Whoosh. Independence Day. Over. School doors open in late August. Labor Day’s in sight. Only 169 days until Christmas.
The Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival 2017
Here’s a thought. Despite the 24-hour news cycle, try to own your last 8 weeks of summer. Jot down what you most want to do. Make priorities. That’s what I promised myself this summer. Grateful to be healthy, able and surrounded by friends who laugh, every day needs to count.
This beautifully designed (and, battered) wasp nest is being recycled as nesting materials for this year’s migrating birds.
How can I do that? Knowing that my Life rolls better with 8-9 hours of sleep each night, it takes more No’s than Yes. It works to block out time to cook, write and actually do the assignments for the music class I enrolled in recently. Twicky but doable. Busy, but so far, so good. Here’s a glimpse at the past two weeks. How is your summer going?
The Aspen Institute’s campus and venue for IDEAS 2017
THE ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL 2017, June 22-July 1
Blanca O’LEARY & I attended our 13th Aspen Ideas Festival at the Aspen Institute together. This is an NPR Podcast Live Taping “In the Thick” with Maria Hinojosa, the award-winning anchor and executive producer of NPR’s Latino USA.
In the words of the Aspen Institute folks, The Aspen Ideas Festival is ‘the nation’s premier, public gathering place for leaders from around the globe and across many disciplines to engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of the ideas and issues that shape our lives and challenge our times.’
Every passholder received this bag that is made of repurposed military surplus material and made in USA plants partially staffed by Vets with 10% of profits going to Vet organizations. In the bag was a copy of the Constitution which thrilled Gold Star father, Khizr Khan, who I heard speak on Culture & Civil Liberties.
Created in 2005 by well-known author, president and CEO of the AI, Walter Isaacson, and brilliantly managed by vice president Kitty Boone, the Ideas Festival has been the highpoint of my summers for the past 13 years. This year was no exception.
Walter Isaacson is leaving the Institute at the end of the year, returning to his home town of New Orleans to continue writing and also teaching at Tulane University. The Preservation Hall Band interrupted a conversation with Andrea Mitchell and Samantha Powers (on stage) to lead him out of the tent to a farewell party.
At IDEALS there were recognizable all-stars such as Thomas Friedman, Andrea Mitchell, Fareed Zakaria, musician Jon Batiste as well as governors and cabinet members. I was more interested, however, in the many lesser known names such as the very impressive Rebecca Onie, a MacArthur Genius and public health entrepreneur. I won’t forget my new best friend, Dr. David Rapoport, the Director of Research in Integrative Sleep Medicine at Mount Sinai who stressed the importance of sleep. He suggested we all need at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Yesssss. A Win for Mary. I tried to hear presidential historian and author Jon Meecham at every opportunity. And, no, I didn’t tell him I’d visited all the presidential libraries but Ford’s. Restraint is my middle name.
Headed to the Party. Kathy & Walter Isaacson are just behind the band.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, BE CREATIVE
Last week I received an emergency e-mail from a young executive here at The Gant. (Her name will remain anonymous.) Her husband’s birthday was in a week. To celebrate at a Bar-B-Que, a friend was making limoncello ice cream. She was baking the birthday cake, wanted it to be lemon, and asked for suggestions.
I e-mailed her two suggestions with recipes and photos. She chose Maida Heatter’s classic East 62nd Street Lemon Cake, which, according to many bakers, is the best lemon cake ever. She is a good cook but admitted to not being a baker. At high altitude, baking successfully is difficult. I gave her my bundt pan, a spray can of Pam’s happy Baker’s and some tips. Then, I prayed.
The beautiful end result of the birthday cake. “When life gives you lemon cake,” she says, “you disguise it with amaretto cookies.”
Whoops!
Like many first-time attempts, the cake didn’t behave. (I once made three coffee cakes, all failures, before I cried.) But, her fix was ingenious. (BTW, she is also ingenious at her very challenging job.) “It was actually quite funny,” she said, “and it was one of those days where absolutely nothing went right. But in the end the cake was delicious and I’ll definitely try to make it again.”
Yes, we will.
ASPEN’S 4th OF JULY
For the past 41 years, a cannon located at Smuggler Mine has blasted off at 6am to usher in the start of Aspen’s July 4th activities. Our Golden Retriever, Belle, when hearing the roar every year, would leap onto our bed (forbidden territory) and shake for the next hour or so. Aspen Daily News, Rising Sun Photography
I knew this day would come…We have known Cavanaugh O’Leary since he moved to our Aspen neighborhood with his parents when he was 4. We often helped him celebrate his 4th of July birthday. He just finished his 2nd year at Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo so I’ve been nearby in the winter in Cambria. Now 21, it’s obvious I’ve been replaced by Gabrielle Scapa, also a Cal Poly student.
BURRATA CAPRESE with PEACHES, APRICOTS, TOMATO and BASIL
Our farmer’s market is always late out of the gate because of cooler temperatures. The stalls are now loaded so Wendy Weaver, the earliest customer at the market every Saturday, picked up peaches and apricots so I could make this gorgeous Burrata Caprese with Peaches, Tomatoes, Apricots and Basil. It’s another delicious recipe from Melissa Clark’s Dinner, Changing the Game cookbook.
BURRATA with PEACHES, APRICOTS, TOMATO & BASIL,Dinner, Changing the Game by Melissa Clark
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 whole Burrata cheese (usually about 6 ounces) OR, mozzarella di bufala
2 large peaches and 4 apricots (or nectarines or plums)
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved and left whole, combo
Flaky sea salt (I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes)
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small skillet over medium heat toast the pine nuts, shaking the skillet occasionally until they are golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
2.In a blender or food processor, combine the chopped basil, lemon juice, fine sea salt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Puree until a chunky dressing forms. You do not want a smooth dressing.
3. Place the Burrata in the center of a large platter and arrange the fruit and tomatoes around it. Spoon the dressing over the cheese, leaving some for the fruits. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Top with the toasted pine nuts and a sprinkling of flaky sea salts.
TIPS:
1. I served it with French or rustic country bread as my dinner. Clark suggests that paper-thin prosciutto, sliced salami or smoked salmon alongside is a nice salty contrast.
2. You may also serve this to guests by slicing wedges of burrata and spooning fruit onto a small salad plate. Or they can serve themselves if you divide the burrata into wedges.
Can We Prevent a North Korea Crisis? with (LtoR) Evan Osnos, The New Yorker; Elizabeth Economy, Council of Foreign Relations; Thomas Friedman, New York Times and Fareed Zakaria, CNN.
Ladies Luncheon – my nature study group, all volunteer rangers, celebrated birthdays and being together before hitting the trails as summertime in the Rockies gears up. LtoR: Donna, Francine, Mary, Carol, Donna.
WONDER WOMAN – A WIN for XX CHROMOSOMES
Last week’s e-mail to my friend, Sara: “I’m going to the Wonder Woman movie tomorrow afternoon. You interested?”
Her prompt reply, “Meet you at 4:30pm at the Isis.”
(Disclosure: ISIS, the ancient Egyptian goddess of women, health, and wisdom, played many roles in history and mythology. Aspen’s ISIS theatre opened its doors in 1915. No name change anticipated.)
Farro Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Smoked Mozzarella and Mint. If you’ve never cooked with farro, this is the recipe which will guarantee your success.
Although Wonder Woman, created by Harvard psychologist William Moulton Marston, materialized as a fictional feminist icon in 1941, I have no memory of her until actress Lynda Carter starred in the WW television series from 1975-79. By then I was married, had children, a job and zero interest in magic belts or golden lassos.
June is a great time to bird in Colorado. Overnight Birding Trip to Rabbit Valley with Roaring Fork Audubon
Now, in 2017, and what seems like a Lifetime later, I’m as intrigued by her creator, W. M. Marston, as the fictional heroine herself. You see Marston, who invented the first functional lie detector polygraph, was a male feminist and believed ‘the future of humankind lay in the hands of women.’
French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese & Walnuts from My Paris Kitchen. This week’s Cook-the-Book-Fridays choice is healthy and truly delicious. Easy to make.
A man ahead of his time,WW was his response to the comic hero Superman. Actress Carter herself referred to WW as a woman’s woman, saying that either you “wanted to be her, or be her best friend.”
My table is ready for the Valley Vixens. Nature theme, of course.
During it’s debut week WW lassoed worldwide box office earnings of $223 million. Sara and I purchased 2 of those tickets. We both loved it and went home to “text” our five granddaughters about it. My Emma and Clara went with their Mom the following night. Melissa called to say she “loved, loved, loved it. I would not have left Themyscira,” she sighed. (Themyscira is the fictional island home of the Amazons where WW grew up).
“I sorta see myself in Robin Wright’s role as General Antiope” I told Melissa.
“Mom,” she said, “I was saving that role for myself but I’ll give it up for you.”
Go. See. This. Film. If Wonder Woman ever runs for office, she has my Vote.
A MENU TO PLEASE AMAZON WARRIOR WOMEN
Monday I hosted a luncheon for the Valley Vixens, my nature study group. For the past 4 years we’ve been trying to improve our knowledge of the outdoors. For example, in the past year we studied, among other subjects, our very endangered bees and bats. At our July meeting we’re discussing “The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World” by Peter Wohlleben. We’ll take our summer field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park for a Birding the Life Zones class.
French Yogurt Cake is similar to a lemon pound cake. The birthday gals are Francine (L) and Carol (R).
This party was our first chance in several months to be together and celebrate two important birthdays. Channeling Wonder Woman, I planned a tasty menu (semi-paleo) that would even please the palates of the Amazons, the mythical warrior women who raised WW. Besides Donna Grauer’s oft-requested Gazpacho, I made Farro Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Smoked Mozzarella & Mint, French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese & Walnuts, our Cook-the-Book Fridays choice, and Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches. I baked a French Yogurt Cake for the birthday gals.
As proof that this menu not only pleases the Amazon in all of us, my friends took the leftovers home to their husbands.
Mary Harris (front) is president of the Roaring Fork Audubon Society and expert birder. She led 5 of us, all volunteer forest rangers, to the top of the world during an all-day birding class.
RECIPES
FRENCH LENTIL SALAD with GOAT CHEESE and WALNUTS from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
LENTILS:
1 1/2 cups French green lentils (preferably from Le Puy)
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs thyme
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
DRESSING:
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil or walnut oil
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup crumbled fresh or slightly aged goat cheese or feta cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the lentils and put them in a saucepan with plenty of lightly salted water, the bay leaf, and the thyme. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the finely diced vegetables and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Be careful not to overcook them.
2. While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. Mix the vinegar, salt, mustard, oil, and shallot in a large bowl.
3. Drain the lentils well and mix them into the dressing while still warm, stirring to coat the lentils. Remove the bay leaf and thyme and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
4. Add a few grinds of black pepper and mix in the parsley, chopped nuts, and goat cheese. Taste, and add additional salt, if desired.
TIPS:
1. Serve this salad at room temperature or warm. If served warm, omit the goat cheese or crumble it on top at the last minute, so it doesn’t melt—but instead, slightly softens.
2. The salad can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before serving. It may need to be re-seasoned once refrigerated.
3. Lentils adapt so use what’s on hand. Mix-and-match different herbs, nuts, and cheese
FARRO SALAD with CHERRY TOMATOES, SMOKED MOZZARELLA and MINT
from Dinner, Changing the Game by Melissa Clark
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
2 cups farro
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar or cider vinegar, plus more to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
6 ounces smoked mozzarella, cubed
½ cup torn fresh mint leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add the farro. Simmer until tender, usually 15 to 35 minutes, though some varieties can take up to an hour (replenish the water if the level runs low).
2. Drain the farro, and while it is still warm, stir in the vinegar and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Let the farro cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. (Or cook the farro up to 8 hours ahead and keep it at room temperature.)
3. Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes with the remaining ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and then stir them into the farro along with the mozzarella, mint, and olive oil. Season heavily with black pepper. Taste, and add more salt and/or vinegar if needed, and a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
TIPS:
1. Generously salt the cooking water so the farro can thoroughly absorb the seasonings as it softens and swells.
2. Allow for the salad to be mixed together up to four hours ahead. Just drizzle with a little more good olive oil right before serving.
3. I made the farro and refrigerated it overnight, after letting it cool as specified in Direction #2. The next morning I added the other ingredients per #3, and let it get to room temperature.
The Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches are from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. The recipe for Bon Appetit’s French Yogurt Cake is here.
Cook-the-Book Fridays is an international group cooking its way virtually through My Paris Kitchen, a cookbook by David Lebovitz. Interested in CtBF, go here.
David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen Houmous (French) and My Hummus (English). It’s Cook the Book Fridays recipe choice this week.
When I was first married and my husband a graduate student at Florida State University, my cooking skills were, to be generous, limited. I worked with a rotating schedule of five dishes: tuna noodle casserole; spare ribs; goulash; pork chops and hamburgers. To get to seven, I relied on goulash and tuna for leftovers.
Naan Wraps with homemade Cucumber Raita
Somewhat embarrassed by that, I eventually honed my skills to become a better cook. The past few months, however, I’ve felt my culinary efforts to be unimaginative and stale. Perhaps it’s the price paid for five months on-the-road. Whatever the reason, home is where the heart is so let’s stop with the stale.
Pico de Gallo (For those of us linguistically challenged, it’s PEEK-o-day-GUY-o)
A writer sometimes jumpstarts creativity with prompts, inspirational cues. These Foodie prompts helped me: 1) Shopping is not always a sprint. On your next visit, stroll through your local market. Be surprised. Grab something new. 2) Spot a strange fruit or veggie? Buy it. Deploy Goggle. 3) Spice it up. For ideas, order a Penzey’s catalog (free) at 1-800-741-7787. 4) Cook with a friend or on-line food group. 5) Glean ideas from today’s cookbooks which are worth reading cover to cover. I suggest Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game, Yotam Ottlenghi’s Jerusalem or Diana Henry’s Simple, Effortless Food, Big Flavors.
Summertime in the Rockies
The following three familiar recipes can enhance your summer menus in head-spinning ways. Considered staples in many international cuisines, they have endured for centuries. It’s not for nothing they’re called classics. Use traditionally or, even better, in one of countless flavorful spin-offs.
RAITA
Raita, a yogurt-based condiment from the Indian subcontinent, is often used to accompany traditional Indian fare. Raita can be sweet, savory, mixed together with raw or cooked vegetables or fruit, and sprinkled with various herbs and spices. Use it as a dip, topping or garnish for burgers and sandwiches, salad dressing, sauce for chicken or fish or a side dish.
This interesting naan wrap is a mix of cumin-spiced ground meat, shredded Iceberg lettuce and sliced red onions all doused with cucumber raita. The naanwich not only offers respect to beleaguered Iceberg lettuce but also combines its crunchy texture with sweetness, spice and a tarty raita. Yum.
HUMMUS – COOK the BOOK FRIDAYS with David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
I know, you’re thinking what I originally thought. Ho. Hum. Hummus. Just buy Sabra. Fantastic varieties.Why bother?
My answer is simple, because you can. In this case, homemade always beats store-bought. Hummus is a centuries old Arab dish of chickpeas, tahini paste (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, garlic, salt and spice. Just to be clear, you may add sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, red pepper or whatever to a basic chickpea hummus and still call it hummus. BUT, if you make a mixture from lima beans, beets, butternut squash, black beans or pumpkin, for example, with no chickpeas added, it’s not hummus. It’s dip. Again, it’s dip.
Tahini is a sesame seed paste and a staple in many cuisines, especially in the Mediterranean and Middle East. David uses 9 TBS of tahini in his recipe. A link to his recipe is given below.
Click this link for 18 Ways to Eat Hummus All Day Long. Or, check in with The Kitchen Lioness who shares Yotam Ottolenghi’s Hummus recipe from Jerusalem. David Lebovitz’s Houmous (hummus) recipe is here. (If you’d rather use canned chickpeas in David’s recipe, use 2 cups, drained with liquid reserved)
PICO de GALLO (salsa fresa)
We all have tasted this seriously important salsa that originated with our North American neighbors to the south.
Traditionally a dip, Minnesota author Meredith Deeds keeps this relish handy for other uses. “To make a quick guacamole,” she says, “I just mash up a couple of avocados, stir in a little pico de gallo and voila! Want Black Bean and Corn Salad? Open a can of black beans, add some frozen corn and toss together with the fresh salsa. You’re done. Or, combine all three in a flour tortilla and you have a Black Bean, Corn and Guacamole Wrap.”
I used the celebrated Diana Kennedy’s Pico de Gallo recipe from “The Art of Mexican Cooking.” With apologies to Ms. Kennedy, I made one adaption to her recipe by exchanging 2 TBS of ice water for 2 TBS of artisanal ketchup. This was a tip from Eat Boutiques’ Maggie Battista who says the ‘vinegar, sweetness and spice’ in the ketchup provides an added kick.
Hairy Woodpecker – 1 vrs. Squashed Bug – 0
NAAN WRAP with HOMEMADE CUCUMBER RAITA adapted from Sarah E. Crowder,@ KITCHN
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1 pound ground beef, buffalo, lamb or chicken or fish
4 pieces naan bread
1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup diced, seeded cucumber (about 1/2 cucumber)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint or cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 medium head Iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
DIRECTIONS:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200°F.
The MEAT
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the yellow onion, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the meat and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Break the meat up into smaller pieces and sauté until cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes. If using leftovers, warm the cooked chicken or fish pieces. Cook chicken or fish, if necessary.
The NAAN
3. Stack the naan in a pile and completely wrap in aluminum foil. Heat in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.
The RAITA
4. Place the yogurt, cucumber, mint or cilantro, coriander, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
The NAANWICH
5. When the meat is ready, remove from the heat. Place the warmed naan in a single layer on a work surface. Place a handful of iceberg lettuce on the center of each naan. Divide the meat over the lettuce, top each with a couple tablespoons of raita, and divide the red onion over the raita. Serve warm.
Storage: The leftover meat mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Don’t even try to get between Mom and Dad and their brood.
COOKtheBookFridays is an international on-line group cooking virtually from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen Cookbook. Visit our site here.
A Mama Bear and her youngster. Steve Chase Photo. 2017
An elusive moose, male. Cindy Burke Photo. 2017
EARTH, WIND, (SNOW) AND FIRE
First, this isn’t the Post I planned to write.
Secondly, the story ends well.
The Gant
Off-season in Aspen is low-key and quiet, a lull before the summer storm. Last night, Wednesday evening, that “lull” went south. As usual The Gant has been closed for a month, giving homeowners and contractors a 30-day window for construction projects. At night we have a watchman who monitors the 5-acre premises. I’ve put myself in charge of overseeing the vacant D-Building where I live. It’s an unpaid position.
The Ladder, rising 3 stories, in action. Two firemen are holding the hose to spray the water.
About 10-ish, in bed, reading the New York Times, there was a ruckus (now known to be a fire) and commotion. I spotted serious flames on the far side of the tennis court and suffered a “There goes the neighborhood.” moment before pulling it together and calling 911. The very calm operator assured me help was already on the way and to evacuate. (I evacuated to my balcony.)
Two fire trucks, police cars, emergency vehicles and some front office staff were arriving before I hung up the phone. Our 87-acre Fire District is protected by 43 men and women, primarily volunteers. We have 4 stations, the main one just 5 blocks away, with 10 vehicles including 4 structure engines, 2 wildfire engines, 2 rescue trucks, 1 water tender and a 104′ ladder truck. Those vehicles are the crown jewels of our 4th of July parade.
It just kept snowing.
The fire was in a dumpster, loaded with construction materials, parked near the K Building. The firemen quickly got to work. When the mega-ladder truck drove in and parked right below my balcony, I knew we were in business. Within a few hours, the fire was out and what could have been worse, wasn’t. The Fire Marshall visited today. The Gant already has so many safety measures in place and last night, with the help of community volunteers and the taxpayers who generously support and equip these departments, it all came together and worked. That’s worth bragging about.
THE ROCKIES COME ALIVE
As I said , during the fire it was snowing! Despite the flurries, it’s Springtime in the Rockies. Last Saturday evening, the day before Mother’s Day, I sat down to a delightful dinner party for eight. The occasion? An invitation to celebrate one birthday and honor four Mothers. I fit into that motherhood category.
Yellow-rumped Warbler. Aspen Grove Cemetery.2017
Anywhere you can hang your hat is home.
Initially, as is common with most table talk, we toggled between one giant conversation to many smaller ones. As dinner was served, we quieted down, concentrating on the Lobster Bisque and launched into the evening’s heavy-duty conversation. Who? What? Where? And, When? Six of us are volunteer USFS Rangers so, inevitably, this is how it went…..
How’s this for a haircut. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 2017
This Ruby-crowned Kinglet is looking for a mate.
Are the bears out? Yes, with babies. Moose sightings? Yes, male near T-Lazy 7 and a female near Difficult Campground. A Pine Marten, healthy-looking, crossing the road up to the Maroon Bells. Elk are heading for the hills. Deer in abundance. No owls nesting near library this year. Male Cooper’s Hawk at usual cemetery nest, waiting for female. Spring flowers popping up, birds building nests but May snowstorms playing havoc with trails. The photos in this week’s post tell the story.
We think this male Cooper’s Hawk is patiently waiting for his mate to appear. They return to this nest each year.
Busted! He didn’t like my company last year and, apparently, he hasn’t changed his mind.
NEXT WEEK’S BLOG POST, the NAANWICH
There’s no space to share this week’s recipe, a delicious Naanwich of cumin-spiced lamb (or ground beef or buffalo burger, chicken or fish), shredded iceberg lettuce, thinly-sliced red onions and homemade cucumber raita. It’s time to ditch the mustard, ketchup and mayo as your spreads of choice and get creative with that sandwich and 5 others.
SALADE LYONNAISE (Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Garlic Toasts)
Count on it. The day I drive back to Aspen, after a winter absence, it is always snowing. My last Thursday’s arrival didn’t disappoint, a real blizzard. But after picking up my keys at The Gant’s office and corralling Dan, who drew the short straw, we got my car unloaded. Home, very sweet Home.
JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM, ATLANTA
My friend, Ardyth Sohn, and I spent a week in Atlanta seeing this library and other historic sites before my returning to Colorado. It was a 2-mile walk from our hotel to the library so Ardyth and I spent some time relaxing in a beautifully landscaped area of the 35-acre park.
This past week of unpacking and resettling gave me pause to kick around my gypsy-esque lifestyle. Let’s just admit it. Are there many women, enjoying their seventh decade, who load six-months of Life into a car and hit the road each year? Seriously? Even I am realistic enough to realize this is not a long-term lifestyle. But while I can, I will. I do not yet have a Plan B.
We walked The Freedom Trail to The Martin Luther King Historic Site which included a museum, his home, Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Kings’ resting place with an eternal flame.
This exhibit commemorated the 5-day, 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery.
Ever find yourself thinking, “When I have time, I want to read this or go here or do so-and-so.” Those musings usually wander to the back burner and are sometimes never realized. Although BucketList is not my favorite term, since Jack Nicholson’s and Morgan Freeman’s 2007 film with that title, many of us seem to have one. Bravo for us.
My favorite museum was Atlanta’s new Center for Civil & Human Rights which opened in 2014. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is among those honored on the “DEFENDERS” WALL. Opposite this wall is the “OFFENDERS” WALL filled with tyrants and oppressors. This Center very accurately shows the challenges we face today.
On display at the Center, this bus shows all the Freedom Riders arrested in 1961.
“Those ‘back burner’ thoughts, the ones the brain isn’t quite sure about yet, may cook the slowest yet they often manage to be the tastiest when they come out.” Criss Jami
Since I like to eat, Ardyth made reservations at some wonderful restaurants. In Columbus, where her daughter, Cody and son-in-law, Trent. live, we had inside info and our two dinners were memorable. Here, I am having Cuisses de Grenouille while another frog, legs intact, looks on.
Today’s post is about realizing three of my back burners that have percolated to reality:
BB #1 – READING with EMMA
Last Christmas I discussed with Emma, a high school sophomore, my reading along with her the literature she was assigned in her second-semester English class. I’ve been wanting to re-visit some classics. She was game and that’s why this winter I re-read Hawthorne’sThe Scarlet Letter, Night by Elie Wiesel and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Seeing these three books through the lens of a 15-year old teenager is an exquisite gift. Reading her essays, especially her thoughts about Night, entitled “Silence” will always remain with me and is another bond to be continued despite our 900-mile separation.
Andersonville National Historic Site: The largest and most famous of 150 military prisons of the Civil War, Camp Sumter, commonly known as Andersonville, was the deadliest landscape of the Civil War. Of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned there, nearly 13,000 died. At its most crowded, it held more than 32,000 men.
BB #2 – PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY Project
In the early Sixties, while attending summer school at the University of Iowa, I went to nearby West Branch to see the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, one of four managed by the National Archives & Records Administration. I remember being so enamored I promised myself I would visit all four. Although the number of libraries has grown to thirteen, in 2013 I decided, if not now, when. Many of you readers have shared this adventure with me. Just before returning to Aspen, I flew to Atlanta with my Colorado friend, Ardyth Sohn, to visit Jimmy Carter’s library, my 12th. I’m sharing our week-long adventure through photos in this post. Last stop, Grand Rapids, TBD.
The Prisoner of War Museum at Andersonville is a brutal reminder of how cruel war is.
BB #3 – COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS: SALADE LYONNAISE
Ten years ago I flew to Lyon, France, for a week-long seminar on La Résistance. Lyon was a major centre of the French resistance during WW II. Besides this extraordinary learning experience, I also was shocked to realize Lyon, home to renown chefs Paul Bocuse and Daniel Boulud, is underrated as a gastronomical paradise. Quite often Parisians will even grudgingly admit it’s #2 to their #1. Famous for their bouchons, “gut-busting restaurants where food is brought to the tables in big earthenware bowls and rustic terrines,” says David Lebovitz, my favorite meal was Salade Lyonnaise. I promised myself I would return home and re-create this delicious frisée salad with bacon, egg, and garlic toasts. Now, ten years later and merci mille fois to Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook, I am doing just that.
During our return to the Atlanta airport, Ardyth decided I should see Montgomery’s historical sites and the Rosa Parks museum. A detour, to be sure.
We also toured CNN’s Center’s national headquarters in Atlanta, found our way to Margaret Mitchell’s house where she wrote Gone With the Wind and spent a day in Warm Springs at FDR’s Little White House. A busy week.
SALADE LYONNAISE (Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Garlic Toasts) by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
(Serves 4 to 6)
INGREDIENTS:
Salad-Ingredients for Garlic Croutons:
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
1 clove garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
1 1/2 cups cubes or torn pieces of bread, about 3/4 inch in size
Sea salt and kosher salt
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons water
2 teaspoon peeled and minced garlic
Salad Ingredients:
8 to 12 new potatoes
sea salt and kosher salt
2 cups diced, thick-cut bacon, smoked or unsmoked
8 cups loosely packed frisée or escarole leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper
4 poached eggs or 4 hard-cooked eggs (the French prefer a softer yolk than most Americans do), peeled and quartered
DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the croutons, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook until it’s deeply golden brown. Be careful not to burn it. Remove the garlic. Add the bread, stirring the cubes in the oil, turning them frequently. Add a sprinkle of salt and a dribble more oil if necessary, until the bread is brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve. (NOTE: May be made 1-2 days ahead and kept in tin container.)
2. To make the salad, put the potatoes in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Add some salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to a low boil and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. (NOTE: If done in advance, cook them slightly less, and let them rest in the warm water for up to 45 minutes.)
3. While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until just starting to crisp. Drain the pieces on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, 1/4 tsp of salt, the oil, water and garlic. (NOTE: This can be made 1-2 days ahead and kept, refrigerated, in a glass jar.)
5. To assemble the salad, slice the potatoes and add them to the bowl along with the bacon and toss gently. Add the frisée, parsley, and some black pepper. Add the croutons and hard-cooked eggs (if using) and toss very well. Divide among four salad bowls. If using poached eggs, slide one on top of each salad and serve.
VARIATION:
Although it’s not traditional, I sometimes add 2 cups of crumbled blue cheese to the salad at the last minute, omitting the eggs.
TIP: If you’d rather not make the salad, still try the croutons or the salad dressing sometime. Both are wonderful.
CooktheBookFridays is an international food group cooking its way virtually through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook. If you’d like to join or see what my colleagues are making, go here.
Not for one moment do I begrudge water-deprived California a drop of moisture. After suffering through five years of drought, losing 102 million trees in its stricken forests, this state needed a miracle. Obviously Mother Nature heard the plea, tweeted Mt.Olympus and Zeus, the Greek god of clouds, rain, thunder and lightning answered the call. That’s my story. Sticking to it. As we know, however, sometimes Zeus, who rules the skies, goes overboard.
Salted Olive Crisps
Okay, okay, enough with the silliness. For me, 2017 will be remembered as the Winter of Rain. With apologies to the late Debbie Reynolds, may she rest in peace, I’ve gotten very weary of singing and dancing in it. To be clear, however, everyone living here is thrilled to see rain gauges rising. As am I.
The payoff is those winter showers brought April flowers, They’re spectacular. Unprecedented is the word used by wildflower experts. After 5 years of drought, the trees, however, cannot bounce back.
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” (Thanks, Dolly.)
Our feathered friends are happy – so much to eat and sing about. House Finch
Despite the inclement weather I chalked up another glorious winter. Wary of wasting a moment, that clock’s always ticking, and despite too much indoorness, I buddied up with Solitude. Christopher Knight, the now-outed hermit who lived for 27 years in the Maine wilderness, opined to his biographer, Michael Finkel, “There isn’t nearly enough nothing in the world anymore.”
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel Penguin Random House photo
Whatever he meant by that, I decided to treat nothing as a luxury, building each day on that idea. It definitely worked for me. To my mind, I thrived. Honestly, that I could pull off four months of my definition ofnothing so happily was eye-opening to me. But, twenty-seven years of it, kill me now! I am very ready to return home.
Last Saturday my food blogging colleague, Katie, and her husband, Marcel, and daughter Alaia, came for lunch, a 3-year tradition. I made a Herbed Parmesan Dutch Baby from Melissa Clark’s newest cookbook, Dinner, Changing the Game. More about Clark’s cookbook next time.
Before my signing off from Cali, last Saturday Katie Baillargeon, her husband, Marcel and almost-five Alaia, joined me for lunch. I first met Katie, a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, in 2012 when I joined French Fridays with Dorie. She also organized and is now our Cook the Book Friday’s administrator. This is the third winter we’ve broken bread together, a record-breaking 5 hour lunch despite my setting off the smoke alarm while making it. I was mortified. Surprisingly, the meal was salvaged and the haze lessened (in about 30 minutes), There is much to admire about this young family.
Alaia played on the beach, climbed trees and ate a grilled cheese sandwich.
This is my last post from Cambria. I’m in Death Valley for Easter and then will fly from Las Vegas to Atlanta to visit the Carter Presidential Library. It’s the 12th of the 13 presidential libraries I have seen. I regard these under recognized libraries as the uncrowned jewels of our historic heritage. Then, Colorado-bound.
According to the Locals, the most delicious strawberries are grown in Santa Margarita and are now available at our Cambria Farmer’s Market.
This week’s CooktheBookFridays recipe is Salted Olive Crisps, usually served with apéritifs before dinner. I’ve shared the recipe and my personal tips below. One of my most delicious meals this winter was Iron Skillet Roasted Mussels. So simple. So easy. If you own a cast iron skillet, be open to the possibilities.
Carizzo Plain National Monument is a region of 250,000 acres and is the largest native grassland remaining in California. The San Andreas fault cuts straight through it. The unique Soda Lake, pictured here, is shallow, white, and alkaline, with no external drainage.
IRON SKILLET ROASTED MUSSELS by Sharon Kramis & Julie Kramis Hearne, The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 leek (white part only), rinsed well and chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded (discard any that won’t close)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION:
1. Combine the wine, butter, leek, and red pepper in a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet or 5-quart Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the mussels, and cover either with a lid or heavy tinfoil. Cook until the shells open and the mussels are plump, about 8 minutes. Discard any that won’t open.
3. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Serve right from the skillet or Dutch oven with a leafy green salad and sliced baguette or rustic country bread.
Meal is Over.
SALTED OLIVE CRISPS by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
1. Rather than the 30 minutes David suggested for baking the loaf mixture, I baked it for 45 minutes.
2. Because I wanted a bit more crisp, I put the finished slices under the broiler for 1 to 11/2 minutes.
3. These Salted Olive Crisps are better eaten immediately. Although they can be stored up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature, I needed to ‘crisp them again” at 325 degree heat for 3-5 minutes.
4. Like baking mandelbrot or biscotti, this is a labor intensive recipe that requires an olive that is not too damp and a very sharp bread knife. While I enjoyed making this once, it’s probably a recipe I won’t bake again.
CooktheBookFridays is an international group virtually cooking through David Lebovitz’s, My Paris Kitchen. To see what my colleagues baked this week, go here.
Beautiful coastal Tinytips, an annual wildflower, and our dead California coastal oaks. A heartbreaking site prevalent throughout the state.
Serves 4
