MAPLE SYRUP and MUSTARD BRUSSELS SPROUTS by DORIE GREENSPAN, EVERYDAY DORIE
Everyone has a brussels sprouts story. This is mine.
When we moved to Aspen from Des Moines in 1988, we bought a house that wasn’t grand but situated on lovely property abutting Red Butte Mountain and surrounded by 40-some evergreen trees. Along with moving too many belongings, we also packed up our shovels, pitchforks and Iowa gardening skills.
BAY LEAF POUND CAKE with COINTREAU GLAZE by DAVID LEBOVITZ, MY PARIS KITCHEN, PERFECT TREAT for VOLUNTEER WORKERS on ELECTION DAY.
Understatement: Mother Nature looks askance at cocky Iowa farmers who tilled their luscious black soil at 955’ and believe that still works with a 4-month growing season at 9000’ altitude. We immediately planted Burpee’s Big Boy tomatoes, harvesting only one which was rock hard and barely red. Michael, a bit frugal, calculated that Big Boy cost $37.35.
ON ELECTION DAY I COULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO MY FRIEND, DONNA GRAUER, an EAGLE COUNTY PRECINCT COMMITTEE PERSON, by BEING the CHIEF COOK and BOTTLE WASHER as SHE COORDINATED HER DAY’S ACTIVITIES. (No one left hungry.) THE VEGETARIAN SQUASH LENTIL CHILI from the KITCHN WAS DELICIOUS. A LINK TO THE RECIPE IS BELOW.
Eventually we struck a bargain with Colorado’s High Country climate and grew leafy greens and nightshade vegetables. A friend shared her hardy rhubarb roots which yielded a never-ending supply of tangy stalks. My son-in-law loved strawberry/rhubarb pie. Every year I tried to curry favor by hand-delivering one to him in California. However, we were most successful with starchy, tuberous New Potatoes, hosting tater parties every fall.
THIS PAST WEEKEND I MADE A RACK of LAMB, A PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO DORIE’S BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
We rejoiced in our Hits and lamented Misses. One year I spotted brussels sprouts plantings at the local nursery and purchased six. The plants, neither pretty nor luscious, are statuesque. Throughout the summer I lost five but daily monitored the one stalk standing. Its edible buds, mini-cabbages, grew from nubs to walnut-sized nuggets. One evening I decided it was “time,” and excitedly announced to my husband that ‘5 brussels sprouts would be on the menu for tomorrow’s dinner.’
Brussels Sprouts Plant, Cedar Circle Farms
The next morning I walked outside to reap the harvest. The stalk was still standing minus the edible nubs. I cannot over-emphasize my total shock and dismay, taking a double- and triple-take. Apparently a wily deer had been stalking my stalk. He quietly crept into our yard and nibbled the motherlode to extinction!
ON ELECTION DAY WHEN I WAS WORKING IN THE KITCHEN AT DONNA’S, A HERD OF MULE DEER STOPPED BY.
It was spaghetti night at Little Annie’s restaurant. That’s where I licked my wounds, along with a super-sized margarita. I never again planted brussels sprouts.
A LAST SUPPER with FRIENDS BEFORE I CLOSED DOWN MY KITCHEN FOR THE WINTER. THEIR HAIR ORNAMENTS ARE MY NAPKIN RINGS!
Next week I’m very, very excited about traveling to Grand Rapids. You heard right, Grand Rapids. Michigan.
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY WRAP-UP
EVERY TIME I VISIT A PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY I GET MY PASSPORT BOOKLET STAMPED.
In 1962, the summer I graduated from high school, Herbert Hoover’s Presidential Library opened in nearby West Branch, Iowa. Enjoying an ongoing love affair with history I visited the library before heading to college at Florida State. During that visit I vowed to visit every single Presidential Library administered by the National Archives (there were four).
PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, HYDE PARK, NEW YORK.
Next Friday, 56 years later, I will realize that goal by visiting President Ford’s (there are now 13). Five years ago I decided ‘if not now, when.’It has been a fantastic journey of learning, made even richer by the friends who encouraged, supported and traveled with me.
Leaving Aspen for the Winter. Next stop: Grand Rapids.
COULD THIS BE A DESCENDANT OF MY BRUSSELS SPROUTS NOSHING- MULE DEER?
Since the mid-1990s, with a time out for Michael-care, I’ve been a volunteer wilderness ranger in the Colorado Rockies. During those 25-some years my life has changed dramatically but the one constant has always been my ranger gig.
UDON NOODLES, ARUGULA & RED PEPPER SALAD
Hitching myself to Smokey Bear’s wagon was a bit of a stretch. Never considered a rough-and-tumble outdoorsy girl, our 1988 move to Aspen was a reach beyond my bubble. What I soon developed, however, was an affaire de coeur with these mountains that’s never waned.
Today’s post is an abridged answer to the question I’m most often asked, “What do you really do?”
In early June we combine patrols with field trips to reacquaint ourselves with the floral and fauna. (Our memories are not what they used to be!) L to R: Deb and Phil Overeynder, Jane Battaglia who also works in Arizona’s Santa Catalina National Forest and me at the East Maroon Trail portal.
BUT FIRST, IS ANYONE HUNGRY?
The East Maroon Trail always has wonderful springtime/early summer flowers. Discovered in 1820 on Pike’s Peak by mountain climber Edwin James, the Rocky Mountain columbine (Columbine Aquilegia caerulea) is Colorado’s state flower. Do you know your state flower?
This week’s recipes, UDON NOODLES, ARUGULA & RED PEPPER SALAD and RASPBERRY ICE CREAM with TOASTED WALNUTS, could be your summer menu’s superstars.
I’m planning to share this Udon noodle salad at two upcoming summer potlucks. What works with this recipe is anything. Most veggies on hand will play well in this salad. Don’t forget to change up your noodles. Soba noodles (buckwheat) and Udon noodles (wheat) offer two distinct taste experiences. The constant here is the citrus Ponzu sauce used in the dressing.
Serving homemade ice cream to your family/guests speaks volumes: “You are special.” Today’s ice cream maker is not your grandparents’ cranky relic. Ice cream is easily pulled together. Even recipes for sorbets and granitas are simple to follow. Don’t let summer fly away without dusting off your ice cream machine. (Both recipes are below.)
GET YOUR SMOKEY ON
To score a moose sighting is a thrill that few people experience.
BUT these are depressing times for the Colorado mule deer who takes an eye candy back seat to moose, bears and elk.
Let’s start at my story’s finale. Last year, through the efforts of 40-50 dedicated volunteer rangers, our Forest Conservancy contributed 10,685 service hours which translated to an in-kind donation value of more than $278,000. We interacted with more than 60,000 trail users and 320,500 visitors to the Maroon Bells Scenic Area. That’s our job. That’s what we do.
These kids we met on the East Maroon trail are having such a good time. “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir
To keep updating our skills, every summer the Conservancy, a non-profit partner to the USFS, brings in experts from our Colorado universities/government agencies/NPOs to teach courses on flora and fauna, geology, life zones, and the like. When I’m not hiking, I’m often in the classroom or field attending these sessions. We all maintain First Aid/CPR certification but every year, like many other volunteers, I take a refresher course.
Last week the Conservancy sponsored a birding field trip. Everyone pictured here is a volunteer ranger. Birding at Aspen Music Festival’s new Bucksbaum Campus is a special treat for us. (Hey, Kay, this photo is for you.)
By mid-June, however, it’s time to get online and begin scheduling patrols to cover the 102 official trails located in our Ranger District. We communicate throughout this busy 4-month period via our website which is our lifeline to all ranger-related information, updates, bulletins and trail reports.
My office. (Liz Berg, For you and your sisters.)
Hiking with Phil, a utilities engineer who has overseen the city’s water, electric and streets departments throughout his career, is always a treat. Ask him a question, he pulls out his map and we find the answer together.
Although I patrol alone on nearby trails, we pair up for wilderness hikes. Our main responsibility is to maintain a safe, friendly environment for visitors and our wildlife residents. Of course everyone hopes to spot a moose or bear. In an odd twist, it’s often most difficult to protect the wildlife from the tourists.
I was hiking an East Aspen trail last week and was startled by this Mama and Baby Moose who were enjoying a mid-morning snack. I quietly backed down the trail and all was well. There are signs throughout Aspen’s East End cautioning residents about moose sighting and to keep dogs on leashes.
If there are illegal fire rings, we dismantle them. Signs or trees down? We report it. Trash? We carry it out. With full-on fire restrictions already in place, we’ll be on the lookout. Our backpacks are always loaded with equipment and materials to cover all possibilities. (We have a must-carry checklist.) In fact, we’re trained to do everything but law enforcement. It’s a responsibility. I’m always wary.
Author and bird expert, Rebecca Weiss, R, who is a naturalist at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies led the Conservancy’s birding field trip.
When the day is done, we file a comprehensive online report which not only goes to Marcia Johnson, our executive director, but also to the USFS and our colleagues. Then it’s homeward bound to my next major activity: Good Night!
Why do I get up at 5am to go birding? Because this little guy, a Green-tailed Towhee, is waiting to welcome me. That stunning rufous cap just makes me laugh.
UDON NOODLES, ARUGULA & PEPPER SALAD adapted from Jessica Merchant, How Sweet Eats
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
If you haven’t tried Ponzu sauce (and, I hadn’t), look for it at your local grocery store. It’s ‘an intense soy-like sauce that is simultaneously sweet, tart, bitter, and salty.’
Dressing:
1/3 cup Ponzu sauce
1/4 cup sunflower oil or vegetable oil of your choice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
Salad:
8oz. Udon noodles (options: Soba or rice noodles)
2 cups sugar snap peas, cut into thirds
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
3 green onions chopped, both white & green parts
3 cups arugula
1 heaping cup chopped cilantro
1. Mix dressing ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. Dressing can be refrigerated overnight.
2. Cook the udon noodles according to the package. Add noodles to an ice bath to chill. Then drain.
3. Toss the red pepper slices and green onions in the bowl of dressing. Add the noodles, sugar snap peas, almonds, sesame seeds, arugula and cilantro. Toss until well combined.
4. Serve cold (refrigerate for at least 30 minutes) or at room temperature with additional toasted sesame seeds and slivered almonds and freshly cut limes and avocados.
Tip: 1. For more heat, mince a small Fresno pepper into very small pieces and add to the salad ingredients.
RASPBERRY ICE CREAM with TOASTED WALNUTS, by David Lebovitz,The Perfect Scoop
Makes 1 Quart
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups strained raspberry puree (directions below)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Raspberry purée: Purée 6 cups of fresh raspberries or 6 cups of defrosted frozen raspberries in a food processor. Press them through a mesh strainer with a flexible rubber spatula, or use a food mill. Set aside.
2. Pour the cream into a large bowl, set a mesh strainer over the top and set aside.
3. Warm the half-and-half and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.
4. Whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm half and half/sugar mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then, scrape the warmed egg yolks mixture back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
6. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the raspberry puree and lemon juice, then stir until cool over an ice bath.
7. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
8. Pour it into your ice cream freezer and make it according to the manufacturers directions.
9. After making the ice cream, mix the roasted nuts into the raspberry mixture before placing it into your freezer to harden.
When Emma, now 17, was born I found and framed this vintage Smokey Bear poster. Although it was replaced by singer Taylor Swift followed by her own photography, she still is quite the nature girl.
When I was in second grade my teacher had us raise our hand if we wanted to be a nurse, fireman or fill-in-the-blank, when we grew up. She never asked if anyone wanted to be a juggler. Yet most of our lives have probably been a juggling act. How well do you juggle? These days I’ll admit to dropping a ball or two every so often. Is it just me or are the balls coming at us more rapidly?
Each year, returning to Aspen after a 5 month winter absence, I put together a summer schedule. Long ago the school of trial and error taught me having it all is a myth. Balance. To my mind that’s what gets us into ‘summertime, and the livin’ is easy’ territory.
Step 1. Mise en Place
Realizing my planning/prioritizing is simpler now because it’s just all about me, there still are tricks I find useful to remain sane. Most importantly, if you want to stay off the Meds, learn to manage that FOMO gene. (Do not get discouraged. It took me 30 years to mellow my fear-of-missing-out.) ‘You can’t ride every wave that comes along without eventually going under.’
Roast those vegetables.
Now that I have your attention, try this. Put together a summer calendar and dilute it down to monthly, weekly and daily elements. Don’t pass go until you block out your constant Non-Negotiables. (For me, that’s 1. My blog post; 2. USFS volunteer ranger work; 3. AM Yoga; and 4. Colorado Mountain College music class.)
There are so many ways to utilize cooked, softened, sweet onions.
Then it’s up to us, realizing when we can’t do it all. Here’s a thought. You are not responsible for others’ happiness or saving the world. Sure, do your part, step up to the plate, love your family and be devoted to your friends. But stick to your calendar and prioritize your competing interests. Be willing to step back and say no.
For example, I know the greatest gift of love I can offer my family is to stay healthy, engaged and happy. When my daughter Melissa doesn’t worry about her mother, our whole family wins. My four Non-Negotiables push all those buttons.
After the pre-cooked tart is loaded with vegetables and filling, it’s ready to be baked.
The brutal honesty of aging enforces new energy boundaries. I’m accepting those borders while kicking and screaming all the way. Ironically, that sometimes is a good thing. Last year, feeling a bit sorry for myself, I complained to my doctor at the end of our appointment that I couldn’t keep up with my hiking buddies. My doctor, having just read my excellent health chart, wasn’t having it. No sympathy whatsoever. “Try harder,” she said, as she left the room.
Very Full Tart by Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty cookbook
While you try harder on your 90-day summer calendar, I’ll prattle on about Yotam Ottolenghi, his imaginative cookbooks and delicious recipes. The best way to cook Ottolenghi is to read his recipe carefully, break it into parts and decide what can be done easier. For example, in this recipe I bought roasted peppers (Mezzetta Roasted Bell Peppers, Multicolor) and used pre-made pie dough (Pillsbury). Since I made an unexpected quick trip to Phoenix to help a friend, I needed to shorten the process.
Mise en Place, assembling and prepping all your ingredients, is key. Ottolenghi introduced me to unfamiliar spices I didn’t own but easily found to purchase. After prepping the ingredients, you’ll find his directions clear and easily followed. The result is a Wow. Check his cookbooks out at your local library.
VERY FULL TART by Yotam Ottolenghi, PLENTY
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
6 TBS olive oil
1 medium eggplant cut into 2-inch dice
1 small sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 zuchinni diced into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
8 thyme sprigs, picked
Your favorite savory tart or pie crust dough recipe
1/3 cup ricotta
41/2 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Remove the pepper stalks and seeds, place the peppers in an oven tray, drizzle with oil and roast.
3. Mix the eggplant with four tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread into an baking tray and roast on the shelf below the peppers.
4. After 12 minutes add the sweet potato, stir and roast for 12 minutes more.
5. Add the zucchini, stir and roast for another 12 minutes.
6. Once the peppers are brown and the vegetables cooked remove them all from the oven and turn the heat down to 325 degrees.
7. Cover the peppers with foil and leave to cool, once cool, peel off the skin and tear the peppers into strips.
8. Meanwhile heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Cook the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes stirring occasionally until brown, soft and sweet. Discard the bay leaves and set aside. (I needed to add another TBS of olive oil.)
9. Grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll the pastry to a 1/8 thick circle large enough to line the pan with some overhang. Press it into the edges and line with baking paper and fill with baking weights or rice. Bake blind for 20 minutes, carefully lift out the weights or rice and bake the tart for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove the tart from the oven and spread the onions over the bottom. Spread the roasted vegetables on top. Scatter half the thyme, dot with chunks of both cheeses and then the tomatoes, cut side up.
11. Whisk the eggs and cream with some salt and pepper and carefully pour into the tart. The top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme on top.
12. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until the filling sets and turns golden.
13. Rest for 10 minutes, release the tart and serve.
TIP: Just add a leafy green salad and this is lunch or supper.
Thanks to the Forbes Magazine’s communication council for some organization suggestions
It’s been 5 weeks since I arrived in Paris with 2 small suitcases, keys to an Airbnb rental (first time ever) and a blank slate. Albeit unnerving, the onus on me, there’s freedom in that. If my friends and family questioned the sanity of this adventure, I didn’t know it. That was truly a gift. When I asked them, a time or two or three, “Have I lost my mind?” No one said, “Yes.”
I arrived with the wind of their optimistic wishes at my back. This trip has been truly magical. Although I’ll wring every ounce of joy possible out of these last few days in Paris, going home is definitely on my radar.
Japanese Cherry Tree, (Cerisier du japon)
Meanwhile, here’s a look at Paris Week #5, best yet.
Mary & Dorie, the French Fridays girls
FRENCH THURSDAY with DORIE
We had dinner at Bistrot Paul Bert with the man himself, Bertrand Auboyneau.
As many of you know, my blog began eight years ago with French Fridays with Dorie, an international group which connected virtually to cook the book, Around my French Table. The cookbook, newly published by the James Beard award-winning author Dorie Greenspan, contained 300 recipes.
Over the next 5 years, with Dorie’s friendship, encouragement and mentoring, we made them all. And we now look forward to cooking fromEveryday Dorie, The Way I Cook, which hits the stands October 23.
The fish is Sole and was delicious but note the cauliflower.
Dorie and her husband, Michael, who have an apartment in Paris, arrived unexpectedly a week ago and asked me to join them for dinner. (My social calendar, of course, was blank.) Before dinner Michael took me out on their balcony where, starting with the Tour Eiffel and moving left, I could see every major Parisian landmark. I’ve archived that unforgettable moment.
You can see in two photos that Dorie ordered scallops for an entrée. Here are what Coquille Saint Jacques look like in the markets.
ANGELINA, MS. BELLE ÉPOQUE
Several weeks ago I enjoyed a memorable dinner at Susanna and Philippe Saint-Loubert’s home. Susanna called last week with two questions: 1) Did I like chocolate? (Yes), and 2) Had I been to Angelina’s Tea House? (No).
“I know it’s touristy, Mary,” she admitted, “but you must go once and have their hot chocolate.”
I was game so Saturday we met at the famous Angelina’s on Rue de Rivoli. Established in 1903 by Antoine Rumpelmayer and named for his granddaughter, Angelina’s is a Parisian institution. It was designed by French architect Édouard-Jean Niermans in the Belle Époque style and retains that gorgeous interior to this day. Its fame derives from its almost pudding-like hot chocolate. We happily piled on the Chantilly cream and enjoyed.
When I was walking home from Angelina’s, I stopped to watch about 100 kids breakdancing in the middle open square at the Louvre. Two young men (not shown) were the leaders.
FAMILIAR FACES
This is the week that my home away from home included Aspenites. So thrilled to see them.
I couldn’t stop smiling. (L to R) Karen Kribs, Me, Fred Venrick, Pat Hutchinson, Nancy Alciatore and Cathy O’Connell.
And, joined by Jim Hutchinson at the head of the table. Fred and Cathy just arrived from attending the London Book Fair where she promoted her new book to be published in September. We were celebrating.
Mille Feuille Minute a la Vanille Bourbon We ate at Le MaZenay in the 3rd Arrondisement.
My longtime friend and Ranger colleague, Judy Schramm, arrived yesterday with her granddaughter, Thea. I remember when Thea was born. And, no, I did not say that. She is darling and so excited to be in Paris.
On Sunday Cathy volunteered to take Karen and me on a sightseeing stroll. Karen and I envisioned a 2-3 hour walk especially since Cathy had hip replacement surgery 10 weeks ago. What began at 11:30am didn’t end until 5:30pm, 7 miles later. Karen and I staged a sweet sit-in and were rewarded.
As you’re reading this post, I’m throwing last-minute essentials into my suitcase before leaving for a week in London and Edinburgh. Thanks to the low-fare transatlantic carrier Norwegian Air International now with more direct flights to London than any US airline and a British travel agency, I found a vacation package unable to ignore.
Braised Mediterranean Lentils with Roasted Spaghetti Squash
TWO MANTRAS FOR LIVING
Our Emma was chosen by her classmates to be the Junior Princess at her high school’s homecoming in Bishop, California. Escorted by her family onto the field, she was crowned by sister, Clara, now a freshman, during the game’s half-time show. A happy moment for our family.
For the past five years I’ve tried to follow these two wise mantras: 1)What’s not life-threatening is manageable with minimal stress; and, 2)If Not Now, When?
Just before dawn, these healthy, gorgeous bears, Mama and Baby, often arrive to drink at the stream near my condo building. When I need to get in my car, to leave the parking lot, Mama Bear and I are wary and cautious but always good neighbors.
Look carefully and you will see Baby Bear climbing down the tree. I walked out to get into my car and Mama called the baby to come down and be near her.
This Fall two hit-and-run accidents put a large dent into my #1 mantra. Imagine being an innocent 2008 Lexus, already a little worn with mileage fatigue, parked in your owner’s condo space only to be walloped not once but twice on separate occasions. Both culprits drove off leaving no notes. Readers, who does that? Little goes on at The Gant that others don’t see so one fender-bender was reported to our front office. The unpleasantness that followed taxed my ability with that manage with minimal stress thing.
To add more protein to the Lentils and Squash dish, simply add sausage or the meat of your choice.
This year Mantra #2 has been changed up to If Not Now, Now and that’s precisely why I went out on a Norwegian Air wing, sorta last-minute, and booked this trip. Remember when you were a child and did something without asking permission? That’s what making these plans feels like to me.
Renown Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen team have served more than 1 million hot meals to the needy and Responders in Puerto Rico.
Since late September our French Fridays with Dorie and Cook the Book Fridays blogging groups have been donating to Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen network to support their efforts in PR.
London is not unfamiliar to me, Mind the Gap and when curbside, look left, then right, then left, again, but I’ve never been to the British Museum. Being my birthday week, spending three luxurious days visiting a vast collection dedicated to human history, art and culture is a perfect gift. I also picked up theatre tickets for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two” which, incidentally, begin previews in New York in mid-March. As for Edinburgh, I’m lucky to have good friends who kindly offered to take me under their wing during my visit.
Adriana Angelet, a health administrator in PR and our food blogging groups’ colleague and friend the past 8 years, ran with her team in the Chicago Marathon last week. Adriana blogs at http://greatfood360.com/.
Donating to Chef Andres was a way to honor Adriana, (holding flag, far left). Despite many obstacles her running club managed to get to Chicago for this long-planned event.In her own words, “Flag across chest. Ears attuned to every “Puerto Rico” cry in the crowd. Each “dale Boricua!” placed the heart closer to the finish line. The legs followed it. Most of the time running, sometimes even dancing. Walking too, but never in defeat. There will never be another race like the 2017 Chicago Marathon and that’s alright.”
JUST TRY THIS…..
The chocolate cake mixture is ready for the oven.
While trying to always look forward, I still hug each memory of this gorgeous season in the mountains and joyful days for a grandma with teenage grand daughters. My cup runneth over. Plus, this month’s Cook-the-Book-Fridays recipe, Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche & Fleur de Sel, is a stunner. Take a look at Half Baked Harvest, Recipes from my Barn in the Mountains , a new cookbook by Colorado’s own Tieghan Gerard. I made her Braised Mediterranean Lentils with Roasted Spaghetti Squash.
Spaghetti squash is magic. Here’s the squash, cut in half, S/P and ready for roasting.
The magic of turning squash into spaghetti …
Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche and Fleur de Sel is basically a molten-center (liquid) chocolate cake. David Lebovitz’s version from his My Paris Kitchen cookbook takes this to a supreme level by adding dulce de leche (a Spanish caramel sauce) and flaky sea salt. He uses 4-ounce ramekins. I added a larger souffle dish, baking it 5-10 more minutes. Rich, for sure but a perfect sweet to complete a meal. Serve small portions, please, with vanilla bean ice cream or crème fraîche. Link to the recipe here.
Half Baked HARVEST Cookbook, Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains by Tieghan Gerard
Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains by Teghan Gerard is my one cookbook purchase this Fall. I subscribe to Gerard’s HalfBakedHarvest blog and look forward to cooking through this book. Braised Mediterranean Lentils with Roasted Spaghetti Squash is my first effort. Very tasty. Unique flavoring. Here’s the recipe link.
Don’t miss seeing the compelling documentary “Wasted! The Story of Food Waste” produced by chef Anthony Bourdain. Voted Best Documentary at Aspen’s Film Festival this month, it was my favorite of all the films. Since in this country we waste 1/3 of all our produced food, 133 billion pounds, it’s a must see for everyone and is now in the theaters nationwide and on video-on-demand. Creatively-made, irreverent and important.
If you wish to DONATE to Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen network, here
Drool-worthy. Potato, Feta and Basil Tortilla by David Lebovitz, Cook-the-Book-Fridays
Did I ever mention my appointment with a Des Moines, Iowa psychologist. In my mid-thirties, I was needing counseling and advice. After talking to me for 30 minutes he remarked that ‘I would hit my head incessantly against the wall to get something done.’
Heck, I smiled broadly, got all puffed up, considering that a compliment. NOT. What he meant, he patiently explained, was that I didn’t know when to ‘give it up.’
Fifty dollars for what I already knew. That fact was not a revelation. For better or worse, flaw or strength, it’s packed into my genotype. I proudly own it. ( Memo to female readers: I also recognize that trait in many of you. Send $50, please.) And at this moment in time, when catastrophe, chaos and disappointment reign, I’m determined, as best one can, to trade in “Normal Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” for “Hello Happy”. Head. Wall. Hit. There’s all kinds of Happy in this week’s post but also Life is Pain.
Make My Day – I met two snowy white Rocky Mountain goats on Crater Lake Trail.
JOY and DISTRESS
JOY – Although our season’s not over with Leaf Peepers soon arriving, we Rangers gathered at the East Maroon Portal for our annual potluck. Since we work various trails, we don’t often see each other. It’s also a once-a-year opportunity to dig into deep-fat fried chicken! Being part of the Forest Conservancy and these mountains we cherish have healed my heart. I love these people.
Our 2017 Forest Conservancy corp can hike and cook. Following our fried chicken potluck , we gathered for a group photo.
Old-timers. Judy Schramm told me we were the veterans, having become Rangers in the 1990s. In 2001, led by Judy’s efforts, the Forest Conservancy was established. Our group has grown and the USFS is quick to say they couldn’t do their job here without us.
DISTRESS – Late last Monday I texted my Atlanta friend, Meredith, to check in. Although Hurricane Irma was reduced to a Tropical Storm, losing her powerful punch, she still visited Georgia with a withering left jab. “House intact. No power. Downed trees,” my friend reported. “Oh, wait, just heard a loud noise. Gotta go.” The loud noise, she later texted was ‘a huge tree which landed 30’ from her house.’ To everyone affected by Irma, sadness.
JOY – Our Farmers Markets are in full glory with Colorado’s bounty coming from nearby North Fork Valley.
Dot MacArthur, also a friend and Forest Ranger, worked last Sunday at the Basalt Farmers Market “Register to Vote” booth. As always when we’re together, we had fun.
DISTRESS – Here in Aspen, my friend Luky woke up yesterday to spot a bear sitting in the cage trap located in her driveway. Luky’s neighborhood is Bear Central this year as these beautiful, wild creatures search for food before hibernating. Luky’s bear had come calling before, on her property and in her house.
Last night I grabbed a pizza and stopped by my friend Ann’s house to break bread (well, pizza and wine). Guess who (thought) he was coming to dinner?
JOY – Every semester I enroll in a course at Colorado Mountain College, a network of eleven college campuses in the state’s High Country. This past summer, Music Appreciation, now this fall, Greek Mythology. Many of us enjoy mixing it up with these smart, young students pursuing 4-year degrees. Our professor and Renaissance man, Dr. Thomas Buesch, is a phenomenal scholar. We kicked off the semester after class with a soup supper Chez Moi.
Following our first CMC Greek Mythology class, we kicked off the semester with supper.
To celebrate the publication of Alice Water’s memoir, “Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook,” I served Minestrone Soup from her “The Art of Simple Food” cookbook.
DISTRESS – In Rockport, Texas, ground zero for Harvey, my birder buddy Susan Foster and her husband were finally allowed to return home. Their house is intact but their property, totally destroyed, wiped clean, leaving only debris and dirt. “After being cocooned in a house with no damage,” she said, “it’s like a gut punch every time we go out into the city. I just came back from a morning walk and can’t even imagine how long it’s going to take to get back to normal.”
Mise en Place, gathering all your ingredients together, makes assembling a recipe easier.
JOY – It’s COOK-the-BOOK-FRIDAYS and David Lebovitz’s Tortilla de Pommes de Terre a La Feta et au Basilic is JOY, itself. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack or dinner. Work with it.
POTATO, FETA and BASIL TORTILLA by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I used Idaho)
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
6 scallions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced
9 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
4 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup very coarsely crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. (Make sure the pan has an over-proof handle.)
2. Add the potato cubes and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are tender and cooked through, 15-18 minutes.
3. A few minutes before the potatoes are done, add the scallions and cook until they’re wilted.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees or, if using a nonstick skillet, the highest temperature recommended for your particular pan, which is usually 375 degrees.
5. Mix the eggs in a bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt and your spice of choice (I used smoked paprika). Stir the basil into the eggs and pour the mixture over the potatoes in the skillet.
6. Crumble the feta, not too finely over the potatoes and press the pieces down gently with a spoon. Cook the tortilla until the bottom is golden brown and well set, rotating the pan from time to time (like you do an omelette) as it cooks. Don’t check it too soon or you will break the crust.
7. When the crust is browned, slide the skillet into the oven and let it cook until the eggs are set, about 5 – 8 minutes.
When it’s cooked on top of the stove enough to form a fragile brown crust around its edges, slide into the oven for the final bake off.
8. Remove the skillet from the oven. Set a baking sheet or serving plate on top of the skillet then flip both the baking sheet and the skillet simultaneously, releasing the tortilla from the skillet.
9. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with greens and a glass of wine.
10. You can store your tortilla in the fridge for up to 2 days.
[OPTIONAL] For a more hearty tortilla, add 1 cup cubed Spanish chorizo or another cooked spiced sausage.
