The question is….. should I kick off this post with The End? Or, do I stir things up and toss the lentilles du Puy in the pot. Better yet, chicken joke, anyone?
Q: What did the bad chicken lay?
A: A deviled egg
C’mon, follow me, let’s see where my words need to wander?
French Lentils, this week’s French Friday’s recipe choice. Dorie finally spills the beans on her delish adaptions.
I’m hooked on a Barbara Kingsolver quote from Animal Dreams: “The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.”
For two years, since Michael died, my hope has been to find that roof of contentment and mindfulness and hang out under it. I needed to enjoy being Me again, making every day an adventure. Thankfully, I’d already built a structure, a framework for my future. I only questioned if I could close the sale.
Celebrating Summer’s End at Betsy’s Last Night for Whites pre-Labor Day dinner party. Carl Schiller Photo
Joyfully, it’s been a wildly successful summer for me. The same cannot be said for our World. I’ve consciously decided this blog will not deal with the world’s injustices. Those problems cannot be solved here. I’ll continue to tell stories, make you laugh (admit it, my posts are smilers). I’ll try to inspire you with ideas, suggestions and hopes. Then, there’s the food. Almost 200 posts later, is my cooking improving?
Chicken, Peppers, Onions and Peas are tossed together in a spicy curry seasoning. Note the yellow coloring of the sliced chicken pieces. To my thinking, the spicier, the tastier.
Let’s first talk about Curried Chicken, Peppers, and Peas en Papillote. (Here’s the recipe.) Whether a newbie or pro, this is dinner party fare. En Papillote means in paper. That’s how you cook this spicy chicken and veggie medley, in a pouch of foil or parchment. This takes 10 minutes to assemble and 20 minutes to bake before being whisked to the table for its Voila! moment. Each guest opens his own poultry pouch. I suggest you crank up the spice by doubling the curry powder or adding Aleppo Pepper or Cayenne.
Four poultry pouches, ready for the oven.
Freed from its pouch of foil, this curried chicken with peppers, sliced onions and peas looks good enough to eat.
I served French Lentils, this week’s recipe choice, with the curried chicken. All lentils are not born alike. Brown lentils are soft, turn mushy and best for soups. Use the more colorful lentils in purees and Indian cooking. For this recipe you want dark green lentilles du Puy.
Be sure to buy the beautiful and special lentilles du Puy
These babies remain firm when cooked, are nutty in flavor, taste delicious as a side dish (serve warm) or salad (room temperature). Your local grocery store probably carries them. Don’t settle for less. Here’s the recipe. If serving lentils hot from the pot, drizzle olive, hazelnut or walnut oil and a splash of lemon juice on top. Or, if you have a favorite vinaigrette, use that instead. Always dress lentils while hot so they can absorb the seasoning.
Our end-of-summer hike last week-end to Lake Hope, an alpine lake in the San Juan Mountain Range near Telluride. Tag Liebel Photo
Last year an exasperated friend suggested to me that Life cannot be perfect. Although he’s right, of course, there’s nothing in my DNA that allows that thinking. This summer I finally managed to complete My Version of Perfect. (Long may it last!). I believe anyone can flourish in the landscape where they’re planted just by dovetailing their passions into the Life they’ve been dealt. That combo makes magic.
One of our majestic resident moose at the just-as-majestic Maroon Bells. USFS Photo
Although every day has been memorable, with adventures I’ve often shared in this blog, here are two more moments:
Most Bizarre Memory – When I’m not doing a Ranger patrol, I often hike up Smuggler Mountain, a short, in-town “bit of a huff” and good exercise. One morning I was hiking down, closely followed by a fifties-something couple. During those 30-minutes, oblivious to my presence, they had a serious (and, loud) conversation, discussing where to buy Weed (Pot) locally, the various choices available, price comparisons and preferences of friends. (I knew those friends.) Not good hiking form, that’s for sure, but very entertaining.
2) Funny & Heartwarming Memories – On a recent Saturday, I rangered the Crater Lake Trail at Maroon Bells. During my patrol I encountered 451 hikers (we carry counters), answering many questions. These were two:
“Ranger, hey, do you carry Nitroglycerin?” a hiker yells, as he approaches me.
Be still my heart.
Further up the mountain, I spot his friend, slumped on a rock, holding his head in his hands. I’m now thinking that even if that guy doesn’t have a heart attack, I might! In the end, after TLC and water, the hiker survived without needing the Nitroglycerin tablet that I did not have.
—————————————————————————————————-
Later, as I was hiking down from Crater Lake, I spotted two boys, with their Dad, hiking toward me. The first young man, about 10, totally stopped in the middle of the trail. I couldn’t pass him.
“You ever hike those?” he asked seriously, pointing with his thumb to the mountains behind me.
“What?” I asked.
“The Bells,” he replied.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. (Egads, the peaks of the Bells are over 14,000’.)
He thought about this for a few seconds. “Too dangerous, huh?”
I nodded in agreement. Too dangerous. He hiked on, followed closely by his brother. As his Dad walked by, I muttered, “Your son has made my day, just by thinking I could.”
He laughed.
A perfect ending to Summer 2014.
Mary you are an amazing cook and friend to so many people… we are all so much richer having you in our lives… now I only have to figure out how to have you around in the flesh? For now “Virtual Mary” will have to suffice. (Sounds like a superhero… “Virtual Mary to the rescue… with vim and virtue she saves the day again!”)
In all seriousness you shown me how much we can create a wonderful world around us by choosing to be a friend and by putting yourself out there to enjoy the adventure. You are an inspiration. Thank you.
Mary, your stories truly touch my heart and I feel inspired by your stories. The quote by Barbara Kingsolver is so poignant. The photos are beautiful. It seems that you have enjoyed a couple of lovely occasions with friends, and they look like lots of fun. Funny Ranger stories. Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely LOVE this post, Mary! It made me laugh and come to terms with the fact that I have been cooking lentils incorrectly, for years.
Here’s to the new road, turning your lights on bright and never putting on the brakes. 🙂
You can make fun where ever you go! I love the hiking stories, the gorgeous Bells, and seeing you so happy and content with your friends. Looks like you aced both of these recipes, too!! xo
Aw Mary, you continue to inspire us all each week XO
Wonderful post! Love your writing style and storyline. Beautiful beautiful part of our world you are living in! ps: the beans and curried chicken look divine. I only managed to get organic green beans – not a bit of French mentioned on the package!
I admit it, Mary, this post was a smiler:-) Sounds like you had a lovely summer and I’ve enjoyed reading about your many adventures.
Yes, like the other comments, I enjoyed all aspects of this post 🙂 A smiler indeed. You are a giver Mary and from the looks of your friends, parties and adventures….many smart and wonderful people have figured that out and are along for the ride. The no headlights, no brakes ride 🙂 And yes, the lentils were wonderful too. Have been saying this a lot lately about the Dorie recipes but seems like so many have me wondering why I am not making the ingredient or technique more often. Not a much better compliment to a recipe than that. By the way, I think you could totally handle The Bells….
ok- minor edit. Headlights ON, no brakes. A lot of spine no matter how you slice it 🙂
I agree with Tricia, she covered it all nicely. Your lentils look quite delicious,
and serving them with the curried chicken was perfect.
Oh Mary, So glad to read about the wonderful summer you’ve had! Also nice to know your life is full of good friends, joy and activities that you love so much. Both of your dishes look perfect! They were both winners for me too…and partly for Bill!
Great post and a fun read! Have a great weekend, my friend!
I love your positive outlook – I am so happy that you have had a great summer. Both of these dishes were great, and I reckon that after 200 posts, you are a professional now!
I LOVED this post. I’ve told you before, but it bears repeating. I feel so fortunate that blogging has brought you into my life. You are an inspiration and a role model.
I am writing that Barbara Kingsolver quote in my “quote book”. I don’t remember it, but she is one of my favorite authors. Animal Dreams is the first book of hers I read, recommended to me by the owner of the bookstore in Moab Utah (during our honeymoon). Love, love, love her.
And, what lucky dinner party guests to enjoy chicken papillote and French lentils. I’m coming over.
Have a wonderful weekend xoxox
Mary, what a wonderful post – funny, great pictures of nature and your dishes that you lovingly prepared – the lentils look wonderful with all that diced veg and the curried chicken en papilotte looks fabulous too – certainly a great technique to use when planning to cook a healthy and delicious meal – Gretchen really enjoyed that recipe and already asked for it again.
How wonderful that you get to spend such a fabulous and rewarding time while hiking/patrolling – I am a bit jealous (in the best way possible, of course) of that absolutely breathtaking scenery in your pictures! Goodness, the air must be so clear and fresh!
Sending you hugs and kisses and wishing you the most wonderful of weekends – taking the family to (yet another) little farmers´ market tomorrow to get some late summer veg for that September CCC post (I did get a bit of a headstart this month).
Liebe Gruesse,
Andrea
What a great post, so positive. Sounds like life is “good”.
Mary, what a wonderful post. I’ve mostly been thinking of you this week – along with your birds. That’s one of the joys of my weekends – watching innumerable birds flitting, flying and even buzzing about (we have hummingbirds too!). I think you’d enjoy our little yard with the myriad of different birds (admittedly, many I don’t know). Your hikes sound delightful, and it’s wonderful that you’ve really connected with your “new” life. Oh. And your lentils look great too! 🙂
Loved your heart warming stories. Glad you enjoyed these recipes, we did too. We are still living summer here in L.A. Heat wave all this week.
I love the way you are creating a full, meaningful life for yourself, full of friends and experiences. And you are pushing your boundaries each week in our cooking group. Here’s to more adventures, great friends, and wonderful food
Mary – you are a smiler both in written form and in real life and I bet you COULD hike those Bells if you really had the desire to 🙂
1) Yes, I wish I was there (no sarcasm on my end)
2) Have been watching the Roosevelts (at least parts of it) – that series is outstanding.
3) You really need to plan that Hyde Park trip. I will hop in a car and meet you there…