Thyme Out

Last spring I took the Basic Cooking Techniques class taught by Chef Michael Montgomery at the Culinary School of the Rockies. This five day class covers every thing from sourcing food ingredients and basic knife skills, to basic cooking skills including blanching, braising, grilling, roasting, and deglazing. Chef Michael, shares his passion for good food and people through entertaining stories of french culinary school and restaurant life. He begins each day slowly with a cup of coffee and a review of the days menu, techniques covered, and timing of the preparation of specific recipes.  The pace builds throughout the day to a hectic frenzy as all the students coordinate the timing of each tasty dish.  The day culminates with a lovely sit down dinner.  Wine is poured, the pace slows and everyone relaxes and tastes, critiques, and enjoys the creations of the day.  The conversation bubbles with enthusiasm, stories emerge and strangers become friends.  I learned alot about cooking in this class, but I think the most important lesson was to slow down, and relax and savor that which you have created.

Potatoes Dauphinois, was one of my favorite side dishes from the course.  It is exceptionally good for entertaining, since it can be made ahead of time and reheated before serving, simplifying the chaos of orchestrating a perfectly timed meal.

If you are concerned about fat consumption, cut the cream with chicken stock.  The resulting recipe isn’t as rich as the original recipe, but still very tasty.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs potatoes, sliced crosswise in 1/8 inch slices
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the back of a knife
• 1 Tablespoon organic black peppercorns
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried organic thyme
• 1 dried organic bay leaf
• 2 Tablespoons fine sea salt
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups Parmesean cheese
• 3 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• Panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Generously butter a 2 1/2 – 3 quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.
3. Make a bouquet garni by wrapping thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a square of cheese cloth and securing with string.
4. In a heavy 6 quart saucepan, combine potatoes, bouquet garni, salt, garlic, cloves, and cream. Set over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes can be pierced with a fork (about 10 minutes).  Using slotted spoon, remove bouquet garni and garlic and discard.
5. Spread potato mixture in buttered dish and sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs.  Bake until top is brown and potatoes are tender (about 30 to 40 minutes). Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

To be honest, I’m not a veggie person. I have to try real hard to work them into my diet. If I had my way, there would be two food groups. Meat and bread. But, recently I’ve found a veggie that I can’t live without. How on earth did I get through the first four decades of my life without discovering kale? I used to think of this as a slimy bitter green.  I’d pass over it on menus, skip by it in the salad bar. And never consider it in the produce section.  But then I tried kale salad. Now, kale is on the top of my grocery list. I buy  two and three bunches at a time, and consume it all myself.

So, when my friend Linda called and said that she and her husband Chris had baked Kale chips at Terra Bistro, I just had to give it a try. These are better than potato chips! Nutty, salty, crispy, and nutritious. Easy to make. I baked four leaves to try and figure out how to make them, and then ate them all standing right in the kitchen. If I had any more kale, I’d make another batch. What a find.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale
• olive oil
• coarse sea salt
• organic caraway seeds
• black sesame seeds

Directions

1. preheat oven to 350°
2. cut the stem from each kale leaf
3. toss the kale with olive oil
4. place on lightly oiled cookie sheet
5. sprinkle with sea salt, caraway seeds, and sesame seeds (or get creative and find use something else in your spice cabinet)
6. bake for 10 minutes
7. plate and eat

This is another recipe from Chef Michael Montgomery, who teaches at the Culinary School of the Rockies. I took the Basic Cooking Techniques class last spring and absolutely loved it.  It is as informative as it is entertaining and a great way to spend a vacation and meat new friends who share a passion for food. If you are interested in learning more about the class, read my post on Potatoes Dauphinois.

I am a big brussels sprout fan. Usually prepare them with garlic and salt, but this recipe is a nice change.  The sweet acid of the cider complements the nutty flavor in the Brussels sprouts.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
• 4 cups apple cider
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 organic bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon organic dried thyme
• fine sea salt and organic fresh ground black pepper to taste
• toasted pine nuts

Directions

1. Place Brussels sprouts in one layer in a baking dish. Fill dish with cider until the liquid reaches about 2/3 of the way up the Brussels sprouts. Add butter salt and pepper and herbs.
2. Set baking dish over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with parchment and foil and braise at a simmer in a 325° oven for one hour, or until Brussels sprouts are tender. Don’t cover completely, so that some of the liquid can evaporate. Do not boil. Note: Brussels sprouts may be held at this point until serving time.
3. Prior to serving, reheat for 20 minutes in a 325° oven. Swirl in additional butter for a thicker sauce, sprinkle with minced parsley or other herbs and toasted pine nuts.

This refreshing, citrusy dressing complements Tex-Mex or BBQ.

Zest and juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon organic ground cumin
Organic ground black pepper to taste
½ cup sour cream
Small bunch of cilantro, chopped

Blend in food processor or blender and toss with fresh greens.

Every farmers’ market, people ask about turmeric.  They don’t know what it tastes like, but the want to buy it.  Is there is a gorrilla marketing campaign touting the health benefits of Turmeric?  Yes, yes, I know it’s good for you.  But I like it cause it tastes good.  Our curry powder contains turmeric, and I often throw it in eggs to change things up a bit.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 oz extra sharp cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon organic curry powder

Directions

1. Saute onion, tomato, and mushrooms in oil over medium heat.
2. beat eggs with curry powder and a splash of water.
3. Add eggs to pan.
4. Sprinkle cilantro and cheese over eggs.
5. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I usually make this in the fall and winter, but the past few days have been so cold, I broke out the soup pot and made a double batch of Curried Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup. The roasted sweet potato slightly sweetens the bite of the curry and the two flavors meld together to create a complex and tasty soup.

6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons organic curry powder
• 2 cups red lentils
• 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 roasted sweet potato

Directions

1. roast sweet potato in a 425° oven for 30 minutes. Do this while you make the rest of the soup.
2. saute onion, in olive oil and butter over medium heat for 4 minutes
3. add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes
4. add curry powder and lentils and cook for a few more minutes
5. add water and chicken stock and bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
6. remove skin from sweet potato, then add the potato to the soup
7. puree everything together
8. return to pan and season with salt and pepper
9. ladle into bowls and garnish with a light dusting of paprika

Owner and acclaimed chef Craig Stoll shared this with San Francisco Chronicle readers. There isn’t much that you can make at home that recaptures the magic of Delfina Restaurant, but this comes close.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 head radicchio
• 1/2 head frisee, tender light green leaves only
• 2 ounces baby arugula
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
• 4 thick slices pancetta
• parmesan wedges

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I love the smell and taste of ground fennel but can’t find too many recipes that use it. Replacing the traditional celery salt with fennel in cole slaw gives it a fresh new lift.

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This was fun to make and serve on Halloween night, but it would also make for a festive fall or holiday appetizer. The oozing cheese and cream make for a very rich dish, so a crisp green salad complements it perfectly. I served it with Insalada del Campo, a perennial favorite at Delfina Restaurant in San Francisco. Delfina’s owner and chef Craig Stoll generously shared it in the San Francisco Chronicle. The pumpkin recipe is from my most recent issue of Gourmet. Here it is.

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I have to pay homage to those guys who are out there running around in January trying to catch a rock hard ball in 20° weather, in winds, and snow… while I’m warm and toasty with a fire blazing (in the fireplace), a chicken chili on the stove, a glass of wine and a few yummy apps to round out our football Sunday.

Chips and Southwestern Salsa (aka Cowboy Caviar)

Baked Brie with Honey, Spiced Nuts and Apricots

Penny Saver’s Chicken Chili

(adapted from Pierre Franey’s recipe in Cooking with the 60-Minute Gourmet)

Note: Jean taught me this trick: add a dollop of sour cream or cream cheese to spinach and you won’t get that gritty feeling in your teeth. I tacked that trick onto this recipe and upped the cumin.

Ingredients:

Bag of pre-washed baby spinach
Olive oil
Butter
1 teaspoon organic ground cumin
Dollop of sour cream or cream cheese
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

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“Happy Donut.” The name doesn’t exactly market that fact that they also sell the most delicious sandwiches known to man. Toasty warm on the outside and thickly layered with crunchy marinated carrots, bright green cilantro and cold refreshing cucumber – all necessary to cool down the fiery chili-encrusted pork at the core – these Vietnamese sandwiches are dangerously addicting. If you don’t have immediate access to a Happy Donut or its equivalent, here’s an (I’m sure non-authentic, but satisfies the craving) equivalent. I started the preparation for lunch the night before, but we were so excited about it that we had them for breakfast, with Vietnamese style ice-coffee. Thus the name.

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Simple and satisfying.

2 large avocados
Juice of 2 limes
½ teaspoon organic ground cumin
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Small bunch of cilantro, chopped
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)

Mash roughly with potato masher, top with pomegranate seeds and serve with chips.

The simple step of infusing the olive oil with dried thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes before drizzling it on the mozzarella adds verve to this lovely, aesthetically pleasing classic from the island of Capri.

Ingredients:

• Fresh mozzarella, 1 pound
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried organic thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried organic oregano
• fine sea salt (to taste)
• Organic ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon organic red pepper flakes
• Fresh basil, bunch, cut in thin strips
• Tomatoes, 4-5 of the best quality you can find
• 1 and 1/2 tablespons balsamic vinegar (preferably white but red is fine)
• baguette, thinly sliced (more…)

The only thing I hate more than throwing out leftovers is eating leftover salad… with the exception of this kale salad. It gets better everyday. Which makes kale my new vegetable of choice. Make it on Monday and its still crisp and flavorful on Friday. What more can a working girl want?

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale, rinsed and chopped
• juice for one freshly squeezed lemon
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan or crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Combine lemon juice with olive oil and salt.
2. Toss with nuts, fruit and chopped kale.
3. Chill for 15-20 minutes before serving.
4. Leftovers keep for up to a week!

We spent Labor Day Weekend with my in-laws in Anderson, California. It’s real country up there, with goats and chickens and llamas roaming in yards and fields. My mother-in-law Cleo buys her vegetables from neighbors, and sends us back to San Francisco with the best bounty of the season. This time we returned with those little purple Japanese eggplants, tomatoes and fragrant basil from her own garden. During the visit, in between making root beer floats and chocolate haystack cookies for our demanding children, she somehow managed to whip up this delicious/nutritious eggplant casserole. It’s reminiscent of eggplant parmesan but without all the oil and frying and mess. I made it as soon as I returned, with my nice vegetables from the friendly farmers. I won’t pretend that I measured anything, but these are the ingredients. (more…)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lb ham, bacon, or sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons organic granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried organic thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried organic parsley

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It’s a challenge to get in the recommended amount of vegetables each day. So if you can knock one off at breakfast, you’re on your way! My older kids made this in Chris Passi’s first grade, and it has been a popular item with kids and adults ever since.

Quote from Pepper, age 6, to Kysen, age 4: “Wait until you get in Mr. Passi’s class. He will never yell at you. And when you look up, you will see his smiling face.”

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Love having this on ccccold Sunday afternoons,
as we watch the Pats… win!

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinned chicken breasts
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 1/4 cup organic chili powder
• 3 Tablespoons  organic ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon organic dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons organic ground coriander
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15 1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 1 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 2 15 1/2-oz cans kidney beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 15 1/2-oz can black beans, rinsed, drained
• grated cheddar cheese (we like hot habanero cheddar)
• loaf of crusty rustic bread (or sour dough)

Directions

1. Place chicken in large skillet. Add enough water to cover chicken, and bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until cooked (about 10-15 minutes). Drain chicken; cool slightly. Coarsely shred meat. (Can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated.)
2. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, green pepper, red pepper, and jalapeño. Saute 1 minute. Mix in chili powder, cumin, oregano and coriander. Add tomatoes and broth. Bring to simmer, breaking tomatoes with wooden spoon. Simmer over medium/low heat for about 1 hour to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.
3. Add beans and shredded chicken to chili. Simmer uncovered until chili thickens, stirring occasionally, (about 30 minutes).
4. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with shredded cheese. Serve with thickly sliced bread (and/or carrots and celery).

Here comes the sun … so welcome in the dreary month of February.  This colorful montage bursts with antioxidants and bright citrus flavors and is the perfect complement to the Pomegranate Pork recipe.

4-6 servings

Ingredients

Salad

• 6 cups washed and dried field greens
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds
• 2 blood oranges or clementines, peeled and sectioned
• 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Dressing

• 1/2 cup pomegranate balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup blood orange olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

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Vivid green and red make this a colorful side dish for holiday dinner.  The confluence of smoky bacon, velvety feta and sweet currants play perfectly against the bitter greens.

Ingredients:

• 4 strips thick-cut smoked bacon, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons organic ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon organic ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Organic ground black pepper to taste
• Red Swiss Chard, 2 bunches, washed well and chopped
• 1 small can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup French feta cheese, diced or crumbled into small pieces
• 3 Tablespoons currants

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Earthy rosemary and sweet garlic couple together to make these crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside morsels irresistible. In the Middle Ages, rosemary was associated with wedding ceremonies.  It’s well known that garlic is associated with virility. Make this as a symbol of your love.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 Tablespoons Smith and Truslow Organic Rosemary·Garlic Rub (more…)

I recently began subscribing to an organic delivery service—Planet Organics—that transports produce from local farmers straight to your door. Lately the field greens have been gorgeous, particularly the red lettuces and arugula. Challenge: when my family walks in out of the rain or fog, a cold salad is a hard sell. Solution: make it a warm salad, adorned with crispy pancetta, toasty nuts and velvety  cheese. Dry cherries counterbalance the the tartness of the apple cider vinegar and add to the complexity of flavors and textures.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 ounces seasonal salad greens/arugula/baby spinach, washed and torn
• small log of goat cheese, herbed if available
• 1 Gala or Fuji apple, sliced very thinly in strips
• 4 ounces of pancetta, diced
• 2 large shallots, peeled and minced
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried organic thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon organic freeze dried chives
• 1/2 teaspoon organic minced garlic
• 6 Tablespoons high quality extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup dried cherries (can substitute cranberries)

Instructions:

1. Place greens in large bowl and top with crumbled cheese.
2. Saute pancetta in your largest skillet until fat is rendered.
3. Add shallots and continue cooking over low heat until almost translucent.
4. Sprinkle garlic, thyme and chives on shallots and stir for a few minutes until herbs are fragrant.
5. Add walnuts, stirring constantly, until toasty. Careful not to burn nuts—do not walk away from stove! (from the voice of experience).
6. Pour in apple cider and heat until slightly reduced.
7. Whisk in olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Stir in cherries and continue stirring on low heat for a few minutes.
9. Pour warm dressing over greens and toss.

I was looking for nopales at Whole Foods and didn’t find them, but was seduced by about seven other expensive items. While I’m waiting in the checkout line, a man perhaps a little older than myself heads towards me with just a take-out container.

• Me: You can go ahead if that’s all you have.
• One-Item Shopper: Oh, thanks. Do you mind if I also grab a bottle of water?
• Me: No problem. I’ll hold your place.
• Two-Item Shopper:: (returned to line) Do you know what I’m doing right now? I’m listening to myself on the radio. (more…)

Simple and refreshing, fennel’s licoricey kick reminds you that this is no garden-variety plain green salad.

DIRECTIONS

Use a mandolin to shave fennel in desired quantity. Add dressing of:

Lemon juice
Good-quality olive oil
Fine Sea Salt
Organic Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon preserved lemon, minced fine (See Note below)
Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Note: Make your own preserved lemon about a week in advance. Wash and quarter lemons and toss with enough kosher salt for a good, thin coating. Pack in a glass jar with enough lemon juice to cover. Set jar out on the counter for about a week, turning occasionally. After about a week, pour a little olive oil on top and store in the refrigerator. To use, discard pulp and finely mince rind. Also super in aoili, dressings, dips and on pasta.

A little chunkier and more substantial than the usual salsa, with a Southwestern accent. Yee-ha!

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 11-oz can of whole baby corn, drained, and cut to dice size
1 15-oz can black-eyed peas, rinsed
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon organic ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon organic ground black pepper
splash lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Serve with tortilla chips.

(Plan to make within a couple hours of serving. Really only good for one day.)

My husband skips breakfast and goes right to an early lunch. He finds typical breakfast fare to be bland, boring, lacking in vegetables or other nutritious elements and simply not worth the effort. He makes an exception for this easy version of Eggs Florentine. The heat from the cayenne and the acidity from the lemon kick starts your day, and you walk off to work feeling like Popeye.

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This is adapted from a Gourmet recipe published in January 2002. Sweet potatoes are not big in my house, so I replaced the sweet potatoes in the original recipe with good old spuds … and this is now a favorite. It goes equally well with an omelet or hamburgers.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon organic ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon organic ground fennel
• 1/2 teaspoon dried organic oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon organic red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons peanut oil

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I love the fall.  In Colorado, the days are still warm, but the nights and mornings are crisp and cool.  You have to dress in layers.  Sweatshirts in the morning, t-shirts and in the afternoon, and down vests in the evening.  It’s manic and I love it.

Along with the cold weather comes the harvesting of tomatoes.  I had dinner with my friend Laurie last night, she sent me home with a big bag of tomatoes from her garden.  More than John and I can eat in salads, so I decided to make tomato soup.  I love this recipe, the cream cheese softens the acidity of the tomatoes and the spices and red pepper give it a good kick.

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Sweet and spicy toasted walnuts team up with creamy gorgonzola cheese for a picturesque holiday side. Champagne vinegar adds the celebratory note.

Ingredients:

• bowlful of baby spinach or romaine lettuce
• 1 ripe pear, sliced
• 1 roasted beet, diced or if you prefer, 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds adds festive color
• 2 ounces Gorgonzola
• spiced toasted walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• organic fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place greens in bowl and top with sliced pears, walnuts and crumbled Gorgonzola.
2. Sprinkle with beets or pomegranate seeds.
3. Shake up remaining ingredients in glass jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Toss greens with dressing and grind pepper over bowl.

We don’t get many rainy days in Colorado, so I really look forward to them.  Today we were treated to a rare rainy day.  I made split pea soup and took Einstein on a walk along the Platte River while the flavors in the soup melded together.  This soup is filled with flavor and makes enough for four.  It freezes well, so I usually make a double batch, freeze half and save it for when the snow falls as an apres ski treat.

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Endive Been Thinking . . . besides spooning them directly out of the crock pot into my mouth, what else can I do with this this nutritious, delicious and oh so economical pot of refried (not) beans, otherwise known as “The Economy Sucks but my Creamy Pinto Beans Rock” Frijoles. All of the below configurations have received rave reviews in my family; in other words, they eat it without complaint.

• Classic Rice and Beans: Spoon over rice and top with shredded mozzerella, jack or queso fresco. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. (more…)

By 6:00am last Saturday we were en route to the Edwards’ Farmers Market, where we sell our freshly ground organic  spices from a booth.  I much prefer driving in Saturday’s spectacular morning light to fighting the Friday evening traffic. As we left the foothills, a thunderstorm loomed to the north.  The sky above Boulder was black, as if the day had not yet begun there. To the south, the sun was brilliant, casting a golden glow on the rock peaks as we ascended into the Rockies.

We have had more rain this year than any other year I’ve lived in Colorado. The traditional grays and browns of the mountains have been replaced with lush green mosses and purple and yellow wildflowers. The wide open Colorado blue sky is now blanketed in clouds. The morning sun highlights the moisture in the air, and creates colors and shadows that amaze and astound me. Last week, we saw a sunrise rainbow,  … a first for me, no rain present, just big fat moist clouds.

The road to Edwards crosses the continental divide at Loveland Pass and then continues on over Vail Pass. Sunlight dances upon the water spilling from the rocks high above the road. We stopped in Georgetown for coffee. The air was crisp, a hint of fall, with the feeling that winter is not too far away.  I pulled my heavy fleece from the trunk, excited by this omen of seasonal change. As we cross Vail Pass, the temperature dropped to 38°.

When we arrived in Edwards, the mayhem was underway. As usual, Clarks Orchards was already set up.  “Fresh corn, picked yesterday.”  “Peaches, $8 for a large bag.” He is an early bird, and always gets his worm.  It was 8:30.  The market doesn’t open till 9:30.  Still, a line had formed at his trailer. The rest of the vendors were setting up;  popping tents and hauling their produce and fresh baked goods across the parking lot. They come from all over Colorado, some from the Western slope, others, like us, from Denver.

On Saturday, my tent was between a new honey vendor, and a chef demonstration tent. The Chef (Kelly) and owner of my favorite restaurant in Vail, Kelly Liken’s, prepared the following tantalizing salad. I had a taste of it at mid day, and craved more for the rest of the market. It was so good, I marched right down to the Morales Farms booth and bought snap peas so that I could make the salad when I got home.

I tried to julienne the peas in the food processor with a julienne blade. All it did was create a mess. Do it the old fashioned way, with a sharp knife.  Though it seams like a daunting task, it only took a few minutes.  (It took me longer to clean the food processor). The sweetness of the peas, the saltiness of the parmesan, and the earthiness of the truffle oil join together to create a symphony of flavors in your mouth. The julienne cut highlights the crisp texture of the peas almost creating  the sensation of eating an apple. I wish snow peas were is season all year round because I just love this salad!

Ingredients

• 1 lb snow peas, julienned (sliced lengthwise)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 7 Tablespoons extra virgen 0live 0il
• 1 teaspoon truffle oil

Directions

1. Combine mustard, shallots and vinegar in a mixing bowl with a whisk
2. Drizzle in olive and truffle oils while whisking
3. In a second bowl, combine cheese, parsley and peas.
4. Toss the peas lightly with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Healthy, fast, economical, tasty and adaptable to individual preferences – this satisfies every criterion for a weekday family dinner. Set out the turkey mixture, salad, chips, guacamole, corn muffins, sour cream, and bottles of hot sauce and let everyone craft their own combinations. By using mild salsa for the mixture and providing hot sauces for the more adventurous, everyone’s taste buds can be accommodated. Credit to my sister Karen in Rumson, New Jersey for the original idea. She makes it for guests so they can help themselves while she chases after her kids.

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Zuni Restaurant in San Francisco is renowned for many things, including its hamburgers. The fact that they hand-grind their own meat certainly contributes to the caliber of the hamburger,  but I am convinced that the key lies in the condiments—for one, the lovely chartreuse-colored zucchini pickles. You can make these at home and always have a jar handy in your frig for an easy upgrade to your own burgers. (Recipe adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini
• 1 small onion
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons organic ground yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons organic crushed yellow mustard seeds and/or  organic brown mustard seeds
• Scant 1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric

Instructions:

1. Wash and trim zucchini, then slice 1/16th inch thick on mandolin. Slice onion thinly.
2. Place zucchini and onion in large shallow bowl, add salt and toss.
3. Add a few ice cubes and cold water to cover, then stir to dissolve the salt. Leave for one hour.
4. Drain and dry between towels or spin in a salad spinner. (excess water thins flavor and spoils the pickle)
5. Combine vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric in a saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes.  Set aside until just warm to the touch. (If brine is too hot, it will cook the vegetables andmake the pickle soft instead of crisp).
6. Replace zucchini in bowl and add brine. Stir.

Transfter pickes to jars and cover. Refrigerate a day before serving. They keep indefinitely.