Fall 2013

 

 

These are some of my favorite days... the days that lead to winter.

The anticipation...the gorgeous changing of the guard.

 

 

 

 

 

Palisade Peach Jam...and Thought of Future Ski Days.

 

 

 

Just when the peaches come in from Palisade, on the western slope of Colorado, I start to think about making jam. The pluots are also in...along with the apriums, plums and figs. It is clearly jam time. In the mountains, there really is no harvest...just the golden glow of the aspen leaves and cooler days...a shift in the air that says fall is coming. It happens every year, right around Labor Day, the switch from summer into fall. There is a sense that this is your last chance to eat this amazing fruit...to taste it...to capture and save it in jam.

In other places fall means harvest and things notch up into high gear as the fruit is brought in. But, in the mountains things get quieter, there is a lull before the winter's bounty. I have time to make jam. It is also time for me to dream about the upcoming winter...the peaks covered in snow...the town blanketed in white...the rush I get when I put my ski boots on for the first time each new season...ride the lift...look around...make my first energetic turns down the mountain. It is the beginning of six months of winter happiness for me. It is why I live here...to come alive in the winter. It is my peaceful kingdom. There are days when I feel like a warrior on the mountain...days when no one is up there...the mountain is fresh with snow...the wind is howling, the snow is pelleting your face and you are rewarded with gliding, amazing turns that only you know you have made. Those, for sure, are some of my favorite days. I slice the beautiful colorful fruit, measure and pour in the sugar, squeeze the lemon, strain and add the juice, stir... and ponder my upcoming sessions in the snow.

 

 



 

 

The Essence of of Pie...

 

Enjoy what you have, enjoy what is around you.

 

 

 

 

My husband has always said that he grew up on pie.  He loves pie. His mother was a downhome cook (for lack of a more apt descriptor)...that is the only way I know how to define it.  He grew up in a small brick Cape Cod in Erie, Pennsylvania. Pretty much the same house as all of his neighbors...with slight personal modifications: an enclosed porch here, a garage there...shrubs, immaculately ( or not) kept lawns. Finite differences. It was, as they say, a modest neighborhood...and his mom still lives there. My husband was the seventh son...then his parents had two daughters. And his mother made pie.

 

My husband's mom had nine kids, I am a mom of one...and we share the love of making pie. I love the smiles it brings...the sweet home cooked fragrance filling the air...especially on a Sunday...when it is raining and you have read the paper, done your yoga and gotten all caught up. Sunday Pie Time. So I can see how my mother-in-law would want to do this several times a week...which according to my husband, she did.  It might be all legend...but I have seen her in action. She, like my own mom, likes to be in the kitchen. And...so do I.

 

In Maine, as a kid, I grew up around strawberries and apples and blueberries. But, I moved to Colorado after college...and here we are really into peaches. Palisade Peaches. The nectarines are insane too! My eyes have been opened to stone fruits: plums, pluots, nectarines, peaches. Yummmmmmmmm. Great pie fruits. My mother made a lot of pies...strawberry, rhubarb, blueberry, cherry, banana cream, chocolate cream...apple in the fall. Now, I am all about pie. The fruit. I think for many years here in Colorado...I ignored the local bounty. Maybe I have settled into living here (after 20 years) and what amazing native fruit is around me?  But more likely that not, it is because I have my own kid now...and my own childhood filled with pies...and memories of my own youth have come back.  I don't know. All I know is that I am all about the pie...with vanilla bean iceceam of course!  I wake up with flavors and ideas in my head...what I will bake from what is available at the market. And Palisade Peaches are in.

Palisade Peach Pie

 

 

 

 

I have always loved hearty baked goods...not your typical buttery crust...but something with oats...something with whole wheat flour...something with substance. I made this pie last night from a combo of recipes and ideas in my head. And as it turned out...this is my ultimate pie. And my husband, the ultimate connoisseur, was totally impressed. :)


For the Crust:

1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3 tablespoons canola oil

4 tablespoons ice water

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter, then sour cream and oil. Sprinkle water over the mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Knead the dough in the bowl a few times. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few more times, until the dough comes together. Shape into a 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Preheat the oven to 375*


Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Roll the dough on a liberally floured surface. Keep picking it up and turning it after every couple times your roll until it is a little bigger than your rounds glass pie pan.  Try to get it into a round shape. Tuck the overhanging crust under, forming a double-thick edge. Flute the edge with your fingers.


Filling:

Remove the peach skins:

Boil water in a big pasta sized pot. Drop in 5-8 full sized peaches. 2 Minutes later scoop the peaches out and drop them gently into an ice bath. Let them cool for 1--15 minutes.  Peel their skins off. They should some right off...but you may need to use a pairing knife.

Slice peaches.

Mix together in a big mixing bowl:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together.

Mix 1/2 of the mixture into the peaches.

Pour the second 1/2 of the mixture over the top.

3 Teaspoons butter... Break-up into small pieces and frolic over the top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla bean icecream.

 

Fig Frangipane...otherwise known as putting one foot infront of the other.

Black Mission Fig Frangipane...or Almond Torte

 

 

 



Rainy end of summer days. A tamed heart.  Times like these call for a faithful pair of jeans, some broken in boots, a few soulful songs on the playlist and the comfort of time by the oven.

 

 

 

 

 

I saw some figs at Whole Foods this week...and I couldn't resist.  They looked plump and soft, almost about to explode, when I touched them. Into my basket they went...along with some Palisade Peaches, Nectarines, Pluots & Lemons.  Some days I am better than others at resisting temptation...this was not one of those days. It was time to fill the basket...fill the void in my heart. No better way to brighten the day, I reasoned, than fresh, juicy, colorful fruit in season.

 

 

And nothing more comforting than the thought of these figs, in their prime, baked into a gorgeous almond frangipane...like a warm and sophisticated cookie with vanilla bean icecream melting into it. End to my dreary days and bring back the mojo!





 

 

Preheat Oven: 375*

 

Mix in a big bowl:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup ground raw almonds...fine to a coarse flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

 

Mix in...and blend together til smooth:

1 egg

1/2 cup lowfat butter milk

1/4 cup skim milk

1 teaspoon softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

 

Pour into a prepared fluted pie pan.

 

Slice 6-8 figs and place them decoratively on top...
sprinkle with granulated sugar & a frolic of pink sea salt.

 

Bake for 40-45 minutes

 

Serve warm with vanilla bean icecream.

 

 

 

 

 



Red Plum Frangipane

 

Red Plum Frangipane

 

 

Preheat oven to 375*

Combine:

½ cup all-purpose unbleached flour

1/3 cup white whole wheat flour

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup whole almonds (grind in coffee grinder or food processor…not as fine as flour but w/out big pieces)

Mix in until smooth & fully combined with a wooden spoon:

1 egg  ( or ¼ cup egg beaters…I like to bake with egg beaters)

¼ -1/2  cup lowfat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla
 

Prepare spring form pan with baking spray or butter & flour.  (I use a frittata/ tart pan with a removable ring…lends a decorative shape to the edge…bought it at Target for @ $15)

4-5 Red Plums, Black Plums or Pluots...or a combo. Pitted and sliced.

Pour batter into pan…press around the edges.  Then place sliced plums sideways in circular fashion…one ring around the edge and the one more for an inner ring.  Place the pieces in a design of your wish…but leave some space between each plum slice. Brush with apricot jam (gives the plum slices a shine).

Bake 35-40 minutes…until top is lightly browned. 

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! 

YUM!! J Send me pictures!!

How to Improve

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/books/sheryl-sandbergs-lean-in.html?ref=books&_r=0

 

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/112610/sheryl-sandberg-and-lean-folly-davos-feminism

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/opinion/sunday/is-there-life-after-work.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
 

 

I am always reading business articles... how to get ahead, who is leading the charge, who is at the top of their game...and what are they doing that makes them uber-successful. Successful women in business are particularly compelling to me and women in the wine industry inparticular. But I try to take in as many tips and ideas from entrepreneurs, men and women alike. The two women at the top of their game at Facebook and at Google have been in the news lately and while being injured I have had time to read a bit about them. I really liked the New York Times Book Review of Leaning In...It sounds like she has some great ideas for women in business and I should probably grab the book. I am always asking myself...how can I be better at what I do? What tips or ideas will help me to make my shops more successful? And as a wine sales rep...how can I be more competitive, how can I seal the deal, what can I do to help my customers be more profitable using my wines? "Showing up" is one that has been useful to me...but also being knowledgeable about my product and being intune with my customers needs while relaying a sense of urgency. The wine business is very dynamic...and you need to be on your toes. And...ultimately...how do I balance all of this with my family? Nonetheless, it rang very true to me that these two very compelling women (whom are getting a lot of press) are a small quotient of the real world and its issues ...and maybe not any happier than the rest of us! Still, I think we can learn from them.

Warrior on the t-bar



It was one of those days on the t-bar…crazy cold, hammering sideways snow pelleting your face, limited visibility, no one up there.  The kind of day the skiing is amazing, you have the mountain to yourself & you feel like a warrior.

People give me weird looks when I tell them how much I love to ski Breckenridge. “Brecken-fridge”  “Breckenwind” they say.  It was one of those days on the t-bar today…hammering snow, sideways wind & minimal visibility.  The kind of day when (even on a Saturday) you could ski right on the lift. The snow pelleted my face, I had to focus on my fingers and toes and keep wiggling them to keep them from becoming frostbitten and numb. I glided off at the top and skied past the patrol hut. Tho I could barely see the terrain, I knew it well. I knew where to turn to avoid the rocks that were hidden under the fresh snow and how to get in to the bowl through the maze of trees and inconsistent rolls and fall-line. Down Stampede and over to Queen. My ipod chirped ridiculously upbeat tunes and kept me company and kept me energized. I did not see a soul. My legs felt loose and in-tune with the terrain that was forgiving with the new 4-5 inches of powder. My turns felt effortless as my skis snaked down the steep pitch. Every run felt better….more electric, more confident. I skied down to town and walked down Main Street to my shop with my skis on my shoulder and my goggles still on. I was coated in snow. This morning was a perfect example of why I love to ski and why I love Breckenridge…my backyard for 20 some years.