Lamb in Fig Port Wine Sauce

Herb Lamb in Fig Port Wine Sauce.     

Serves: 4

1 1/2 Pound Rack of Lamb - 8 pieces 

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and freshly cracked Pepper

Fresh Rosemary and Thyme Sprigs

1 cup Port Wine

6 Fresh Figs - quarter

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp Butter

Preheat oven to 450 F

1  Rub lamb with half of the olive oil and season with salt and Pepper. Lay the rosemary and thyme sprigs on top and let it rest for a few minutes. Get it to room temperature.

2  Heat the remainder of the olive oil in an ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Gently place the lamb fat side down into the saute pan and sear until brown for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for about 2 minutes. 

3  Gently pour around the lamb 1/2 cup of port and place the pan into the preheated oven.

4  Roast in the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes.  

5  Remove from pan and transfer to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil and with a kitchen towel.

6  Add sliced figs, balsamic vinegar and honey, chicken stock and the remaining 1/2 cup Port to the saute pan and simmer vigorously over medium-high heat for about 5-8 min or until sauce thickens. 

    Stir in the butter and season with salt & pepper.

To serve slice the lamb at each rib into 8 slices. Spoon some mashed potatoes, rice or polenta middle of each serving plate and place to pieces of lamb on top and spoon the fig port wine sauce around it. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Asparagus Wrapped in Crisp Prosciutto

Rated: Submitted By: THAIDER Photo By: IMVINTAGE Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 16

"Extremely easy and elegant appetizer. Asparagus spears are wrapped in a sheath of prosciutto, then baked until crispy. A great dish to make ahead, and bake just before serving."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil 16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed

16 slices prosciutto

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil.
2.	Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet.
3.	Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.

Caprese Salad with Caper Viaigrette

The same combination that makes pizza so irresistible — mozzarella and tomatoes — also makes a mean salad.
And just like a classically delicious pizza, you don't need much beyond those two star ingredients to assemble a stunning salad, known in Italy as a caprese salad.

In this case, I simply stacked slabs of tomato and fresh mozzarella, then drizzled them with a lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled them with fresh basil and lemon zest.

To add a punch of tang to the salad, I added capers to the vinaigrette, as well as a sprinkle of them over the salad just before serving. Capers are the pickled unopened flower buds of a bush that grows in the Mediterranean. The flavor is pleasantly briny and herby.

Caprese salad with avocado

Of course, like pizza, feel free pile on whatever else seems tasty. —

Caprese salad with caper vinaigrette
2 (8-ounce) balls fresh mozzarella
2 large slicing tomatoes
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon capers, divided
Handful fresh basil leaves


Use a serrated knife, slice each ball of mozzarella into 4 slices. Repeat with the tomatoes, cutting each into 4 slices.

Stack 2 slices of tomato and 2 slices of mozzarella, alternating as you stack, on each of 4 serving plates. As you stack, season each tomato slice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and half of the capers. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of the dressing over each mozzarella-tomato stack. Scatter several basil leaves, a few of the remaining capers and a bit of the lemon zest over each stack.

Especially good poolside in Sonoma County

Servings • 4
Source: The Associated Press

Fig Gorgonzola Bites

Gorgonzola fig bites

I have never been able to find fresh figs in Salt Lake City so use dried figs from Trader Joe's.  Either fig they carry works great.  I found this recipe on Marguerite Henderson's blog.
Ingredients:

12 whole black mission figs (or whatever kind of figs you can find)
1/4 pound Gorgonzola dolce (a soft, sweeter blue cheese) or use Cambozola cheese
24 hazelnuts (you can buy them roasted without skins at Trader Joe's)
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut the figs in half lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet. Top each with about 1/2 teaspoon cheese and one hazelnut. Bake in 400o oven for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and the figs have warmed through.
Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle very lightly with vinegar and grind with black pepper. Serve at once.
Makes 24 figs bites.

DRIED PLUM & PROSCIUTTO APPETIZER

DRIED PLUM (Prune) & PROSCIUTTO APPETIZER - from my friend Elaine Case

This is about as easy as it gets to make a really, really, tasty appetizer.

1. Place a single Thai Basil (or regular sweet basil) leaf on each dried plum. Place a small piece of Aged White Cheddar Cheese (or other sharp cheese) on top of the basil leaf.
   
2. Cut Prosciutto slices into strips about 3/4" wide x 3" long.
   
3. Wrap prosciutto strips around each dried plum, keeping the basil & cheese in place.  Arrange artfully on a platter, seam-side down (a white platter really shows off the colors of the food!)
   
4. Lightly drizzle Honey and /or Balsamic Vinegar over the wrapped plums.
   
5. Lightly sprinkle with minced fresh Rosemary (optional)
   
6. Add a few sprigs of fresh Basil or Rosemary to garnish the platter (optional)

Curried French Lentils

This hearty dish is pretty easy to make and very filling.  With a green salad and whole grain bread, you have a meal. From Straight Up Foods.

Ingredients
6 cups water
1 cup French Green lentils (see chart below)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 small yam or sweet potato, diced (about two cups)
2 cups small cauliflower florets
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 can (14.5-oz.) diced, salt-free tomatoes
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons dried green herbs (like a French or Italian blend)
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
4 cups greens cut into bite-size pieces (like kale, chard, spinach, collards, beet greens)

Directions
1. In a soup pot on high, bring the water and lentils to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes (a low boil).

2. Add the onion, yam/sweet potato, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes (including juice), and the four herbs and spices. Cook for 10 minutes at the same heat. Add greens, and cook for 5-10 more minutes (spinach, chard and beet greens won’t take as long to cook as kale or collard greens), until potatoes and greens are tender. Serve as is or over cooked brown rice.

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 (makes about 8 cups or 4 bowls)

Pomegranate Arugula Salad

I enjoy this colorful salad in the winter months when pomegranates are readily available.  Sometimes I toss in a handful of unsalted pistachios instead of walnuts or some avocado.  I found the recipe somewhere on the web...

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of pomegranate molasses (I get this at Whole Foods)
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups lightly packed arugula
1 pomegranate
1/4 cup Parmigiano-reggiano shavings
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1 shallot, sliced

Directions:

Combine molasses, lemon juice, honey and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisk to emulsify.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss salad ingredients together and dress with vinaigrette.

Ricotta Tart

This is one of my favorite desserts and comes from Tuscany the Beautiful cookbook.  It is light and not too sweet. Serves 6.

Ricotta Tart with fresh berries

Ricotta Tart

Pastry
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of granulate sugar
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup of butter, softened--very important it is softened
1 egg

Filling
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) ricotta
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together with wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together in a ball. (I do this in a food processor instead of by hand.) if the dough is too dry, add milk, 1 tsp. at a time until a ball forms. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, to prepare the filling: combine ricotta, egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl and blend well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, moist peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and grease the bottom with butter.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round, about 10 1/2 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer it to the prepared tart pan and press gently against the bottom and sides. Trim the dough even within the tart pan.  Spoon the filling into the pastry shell and smooth the surface.  Bake the tart until golden, about 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven.)

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve at room temperature. Top with fresh berries, if you like.

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Thyme

We never liked Brussels sprouts when we were kids because when mom boiled them, the house smelled like, well, farts, and smell has a lot to do with whether you want to eat something or not when you're a kid.  With the recent craze over Brussels sprouts and Food and Wine's myriad of ways to make them, how can you not find a recipe to your liking? This one is pretty easy as long as you have a food processor and they are delicious! I made half the dressing and stirred it in the pan after they were done cooking--perfect--according to my taste.

Contributed by Nuno Mendes

• TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN
• SERVINGS: 4

Chef Nuno Mendes separates brussels sprout leaves by hand before sautéing them, an extremely time-consuming task. Thinly slicing the sprouts vertically—by hand or with a food processor fitted with a slicing blade—gets similar results in a fraction of the time.

    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
    1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    1 teaspoon thyme leaves
    1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    Salt and freshly ground pepper
    1 pound brussels sprouts, thinly sliced lengthwise

    In a small bowl, whisk the mustard with the vinegar. Gradually whisk in the 1/4 cup of oil until emulsified. Add the thyme and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

    In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, until shimmering. Add the brussels sprouts and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the dressing. Transfer to a bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature, passing the extra dressing at the table.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:    15 min
Cook Time:    28 min
Serves:    4 servings

Ingredients

    1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced
    Good olive oil
    1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    3 tablespoons dried cranberries or dried cherries
    3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
    2 tablespoons cider vinegar
    2 tablespoons minced shallots
    2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
    1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
    3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Vegetable Tarte Tatin
Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine
Prep Time:40 min
Cook Time:1 hr 10 min
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

·    2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
·    2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
·    1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
·    4 cloves garlic, halved
·    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
·    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
·    3/4 cup sugar
·    1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
·    1 tablespoon small fresh sage leaves
·    1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
·    6 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 cup)
·    1 8.5-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
·    All-purpose flour, for dusting

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss both kinds of potatoes, the parsnips, onion, garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet; bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons water and the sugar in a skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until amber, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and 1/4teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour the caramel into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish and spread with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the sage and oregano on top.

Arrange the roasted potatoes and parsnips in a single snug layer on top of the caramel. Scatter the onion and garlic over the roasted vegetables; sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle. Pierce the pastry all over with a fork, then lay it on top of the mozzarella, folding the edges under to fit, if necessary. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until the dough is cooked through, 15 to 20 more minutes.

Let the tart cool 10 minutes in the baking dish, then carefully invert it onto a cutting board. Replace any vegetables that stick to the dish, if necessary.

Cape Cod Chopped Salad

A few weeks ago, I got together with several friends to review the book "The China Study".  The book is about an observed correlation between diet and heart disease as well as host of other illnesses.  This isn't exactly new information but the author presents it in a way to suggest that a lot of information is being "withheld" from the public.  It was an interesting discussion with a retired scientist pointing out that content in the book does not follow scientific study protocol so she dismissed the book after the first 50 pages.

Our hostess made a smoky butternut squash soup and a Cape Cod chopped salad.  Both were a big hit with the group and we all wanted the recipes. We remarked how refreshing and delicious the dressing on the salad was, so I'm adding the recipe.

8 ounces of baby arugula or mixed green
1 large granny smith,  peeled and diced
1/2 toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled

Optional: 8 ounces of thick bacon

 Dressing:

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 tsp. Dijon  mustard
2 Tbps. maple syrup or Agave
sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Serves 4

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue chesse.
For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Chop the bacon in large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately. from The Barefoot Contessa

Gold Beets

I work from home some of the time and when I do, I head to the kitchen when it's time for lunch.  Wondering what would be good for lunch today, I took a look in the frig to see what my options were.  I had some gold beets that I had oven roasted a couple of days previously, some fennel, carrots and left over steamed broccoli. (It's time to go shopping...) I opted for the beets.  Here's what I did with them.

2 medium-sized roast gold beets
1 TBSP of well-aged balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Peel and slice the beets, arrange on a plate; add salt and pepper.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add toasted hazelnuts.  Serves 1-2, depending on whether it's a side dish or lunch.

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

I was talking with Susanne before spin class this evening about a recipe from Sprouted Kitchen and she told me about this soup from My New Roots - another great resource for wholesome foods. This soup with the fancy name looks delicious and appears to be fairly simple to make.  I'm ready to give it a try and am adding the ingredients to my shopping list.  The recipe comes from Design Love Fest.

This soup gets its velvety texture from beans instead of dairy. This is a great technique when making blended soups because beans add so much creaminess without the high fat content, plus you get an extra hit of filling fiber.

Topped off with crispy, roasted, Ginger-Kissed Pumpkin Seeds, this Sweet Potato Vichyssoise is the updated autumn classic that will warm your belly and your heart. Here’s the recipe, we hope you enjoy it!

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
Serves 4-6
• 3 leeks
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup cooked white beans (cannellini, navy, butter…)
• knob of coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter), or butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. turmeric (optional)
• cayenne to taste

Photo from Design Love Fest

what to do:

• Prepare leeks by removing the very tip of the root, and the tough, dark green parts at the very top. Chop leeks, then swirl them around in a large bowl of water to remove any dirt (due to how they grow, leeks can have a little grit between their layers).

• In a large stock pot, heat a knob of coconut oil or butter, add turmeric, cayenne and leeks with a teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to coat and let cook on medium heat for five minutes or so, until leeks have softened. Mince garlic and add to the pot.

• Scrub the sweet potatoes, and chop them into rough cubes (leave the skin on!). Add them to the pot, stir and cook for a few minutes. Add broth and beans. Bring a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until sweet potatoes are soft, about 15 – 20 minutes.

• Using a regular blender or stick blender puree the soup until totally creamy. Add olive oil and lemon juice, plus salt to taste if necessary, blend once more and serve with Ginger-Kissed Pumpkin Seeds.
Ginger-Kissed Pumpkin Seeds
Makes ½ cup
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. ginger powder
• pinch sea salt
what to do:
• Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C.
• Toss pumpkin seeds with other ingredients. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until toasty and fragrant. Remove and let cool. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

A SIMPLE TOMATO + BURRATA SALAD

It's mid-November and I still have quite a few heirloom tomatoes that continue to ripen in the basement.  While wondering about some new salads to make with heirlooms, I came across this one from the Sprouted Kitchen.  I did not use the bread or the cheese as neither were in the house when I wanted to make the salad so I did the improvise thing..  I also sauteed the shallots in a little sake I had in the frig and  sprinkled a very small amount of gorgonzola cheese on the salad.

Give it a try with your own twist or make it verbatim--either way, I think you will enjoy it.

A SIMPLE TOMATO + BURRATA SALAD // Serves 4-6
Inspired by Big Sur Bakery Cookbook
Take note of the size of your burrata balls, you may need two. I assume about 4 oz. per person. This salad is very free form, don't pay too close attention to measurements. It's a summertime salad, it's meant to be easy going.

1 cup torn bread (preferably from a baguette or fresh loaf)
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sea salt
fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs/ 4-ish heirloom tomatoes
sea salt + fresh ground pepper
2 cups soft lettuce of choice (arugula, spring greens, butter lettuce)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 oz. burrata cheese, room temperature
good quality extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Photos are from Sprouted Kitchen

Preheat the oven (ideally toaster oven) to 400'. Spread the torn bread on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are crisp and brown. Set aside.
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4'' slices and arrange them on your serving tray in concentric circles. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and the chopped shallots. Chop the soft greens and basil together, toss them gently with 1 tsp. each olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then mound it in the center of the tomatoes. Distribute the croutons on top and then place the burrata in the center of the lettuce pile, breaking open the creamy center if you'd like.
Drizzle the burrata with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste and finish with a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Apple Tart

From Food & Wine - serves 10

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer whole wheat pastry flour 

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
About 1/2 cup ice water 1 teaspoon finely grated

lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
4 Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 large egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the butter and mix at low speed until it is the size of small peas, 30 seconds. With the machine on, gradually add 1/4 cup of the ice water. Add as much of the remaining ice water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is just evenly moistened (it shouldn't mass on the paddle). Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 17-inch round, then trim it to a neat 16-inch round. Transfer the dough to the cookie sheet.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Add the apples and lemon juice and toss well. Arrange the apples on the dough in 2 concentric circles, leaving a 3-inch border all around. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the apples, overlapping the dough on itself as needed. Brush the rim with the egg white and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
   
   
4. Bake the pie in the center of the oven until the crust is golden and firm and the apples are tender, about 55 minutes.* Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool. Slide the pie onto a plate, cut into wedges and serve.
   
   * My tart was done after 43 minutes--you may need to adjust your cooking time.

Make Ahead The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. The tart can be baked earlier in the day and rewarmed before serving.

October in Colorado Wine Country

The first weekend in October, Alex and I took a three-day road trip to Colorado Wine Country. The trip was initiated as a result of reading an article several years earlier in the New York Times about Cycling in Colorado Wine Country . I thought it would be a fun thing to do sometime since it's not too far to drive for an extended weekend. We visited Palisade and Paonia, did some bicycling in both places and enjoyed some beautiful fall weather.

We cycled around Palisade for about an hour and our first stop was Canyon Wind Winery. We liked the Rose best and decided to have a glass and sit outside in the shaded courtyard.

The east mesa is where most of the wineries are located and it's best to drive to the top, park and bike from there. We really enjoyed going to High Country Orchards, meeting Theresa High and her husband, tasting their three wines and learning about their fabulous peaches that Michelle Obama and her daughters came to pick.  They gave us the story of how they ended up in Palisade, why they named their winery Colterris and how they named the vineyards after each of their adult children. We ran out of time to visit other wineries that afternoon but concluded it's worth a return trip to check them out.

View from Stone Cottage Winery in Paonia.

Stone Cottage wine cellar - Paonia.













Pinot grapes we helped pick in Paonia.

View from the art gallery tasting room at Azure winery in Paonia.

















Beautiful day and nice way to spend the morning.  After a few hours, we went to the property owner's house where his wife served us a lunch of venison chili and zucchini soup, accompanied with freshly made corn bread and Pinot Noir from last year's harvest.

Some of the art in the gallery at Azure.

The patio at Azure with my daughter.

Another view from the patio.

Wines we brought home.

French Onion Soup

Simmering French onion soup

Get together with friends this evening to plan for a trip next summer to hike around Mont Blanc. Since the hike involves going through France and Switzerland, we're having French onion soup and Swiss fondue.  I'm using Julia Child's recipe for French onion soup.  Delicious!

-6 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
6 cups beef stock (preferably homemade)
1 cup wine (dry red or white)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
salt and pepper
12 ounces swiss cheese, grated
4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 raw yellow onion
2 -3 tablespoons cognac
8 slices French bread (about 1 inch thick)
4 tablespoons olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

Place heavy bottom stock pot or dutch over over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbs cooking oil, 2Tbs butter to pot. Add sliced onions and stir until they are evenly coated with the oil. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until they are very tender and translucent.

To brown or caramelize the onions turn heat under pot to medium or medium high heat.
Add 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently until the onions have browned and reduced significantly. Once caramelized, reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 Tbs flour to the onions. Brown the flour for about 2-3 minutes trying not to scorch it. (If the flour does not form a thick paste, you can add a bit more butter here). Stir in about 1 cup of warm stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all of the cooked-on bits. Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf to the soup. Simmer for 30 minutes. 

To make the "croutes" (toasted bread), heat oven to 325 degrees F.
Drizzle each side of the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and place on baking sheet.
Cook the croutes for 15 minutes in oven on each side (30 minutes total). 

Check the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
Remove the bay leaf (if you can find it).
Transfer to a casserole dish. 

At this point you can add the 2-3 Tbs cognac and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup.
Add a few ounces of the swiss cheese directly into the soup and stir. 

Place the toasted bread in a single layer on top of the soup. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese in a thick layer on top of the bread making sure to cover the edges of the toast to prevent burning.  Drizzle with a little oil or melted butter.
Place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
Turn on broiler and brown cheese well.
Let cool for a few minutes.
Bon Apetit!

Chocolate Sorbet

I discovered this recipe from David Lebovitz's web site when I was looking for his recipe for a pear tart.  I was unable to find it but David was kind enough to send it to me and I will share that with you later.  So David Lebovitz has lived in Paris now since 2004.  He was THE pastry chef in the Bay Area and was with Chez Panisse in Berkeley for thirteen years.  This guy knows chocolate--big time--and now he has had several published books on the subject, gives small group tours to special places in France and surrounding areas (I would SO love to go...) Just looking at the deserts on his web site adds inches to my figure.

Despite having no dairy or eggs, this sorbet is deliciously creamy.  It also is perfectly scoopable without going hard or icy in the slightest, even after several days in the freezer.  Lebovitz credits this remarkable consistency to the high proportion of bittersweet chocolate.

Makes about 1 quart.

2 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (Make sure you use Dutch Cocoa - I found it at Harmon's in Salt Lake City.)
pinch of salt
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used chocolate chips)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it is melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup of water.  Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds.  Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin in out.

Pear Season

I seem to have a lot of pears this season and yes, I do need to prune the tree.  In the meantime, I'll be sharing them with my neighbors and making things to eat with pears.  This evening I am having an arugula salad with thinly sliced pears, avocado slices, walnuts with olive oil and basalmic vinegar.  I found a nice sauvignon blanc wine -- Avalon from California. Time to eat!