September harvest

Tomatoes!

Although our own tomatoes did not grow in such abundance, thankfully the Munson Family Farms did!

On Saturday I bought 45 lbs of seconds to sauce. Every year since 1994 we have made a sauce from Marcella Hazan which feeds us nearly every week from September - June.

The sauce is simple. Just dice up as many tomatoes as you have available and cook down. Add an onion cut in half and 2-4 tablespoons butter. Let simmer for 45 minutes. Run sauce through food mill. Freeze in 3 cup servings in quart freezer bags. When you are ready to use, thaw and let sauce simmer to thicken. We eat it just like that over pasta with some fresh Parmesan. It's our ultimate comfort food. I had to shoo Stella away several times as she kept sneaking spoonfuls out of my pot. It's just that good.

Last night Doug wanted to make a "fancy meal". Stella had seen "Julia and Julie" this summer and wanted to make Beef Bourguignon. So, on a steamy Labor Day, Doug and Stella set about to make this classic dish. I made a zuchini/spinach gratin to accompany. We got out our china, dressed up and had an absolutely delicious meal. We would've opened up a nice bottle of something, but Doug had to leave this morning at 4am for Thermopolis, Wyoming where is he writing a story about cattle which are bred by Native Americans without any predatory control.

Hope all is well in PA!

Miss you a ton....
Love,
A

School is starting....

Hey,
Loved hearing about Sambucus. Do you think it made the difference? We've been into Umcka this year and that has seemed to help -- especially at the first sign of a cold. Maybe if we double up w/ Sambucus and Umcka!?

We have been eating out of the garden constantly. On Thursday night and then again on Saturday night I made my absolute favorite meal of the season. I'm sure you make it, too but just in case...

Summer Pasta

Olive oil
Sea salt
4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped.
4 tomatoes or a pint of cherry tomatoes
a hearty handful of fresh basil cut into ribbons
spoonful of water from your pasta pot
Parmesan cheese

Warm olive oil on low. Add garlic and sea salt. At the same time, start your water for the pasta. While it comes to a boil, let the garlic just braise. After you add the pasta to your boiling water, add tomatoes to your braising garlic. Cook the tomatoes as long as it takes your pasta to cook. Drain pasta, but reserve a cup of water. Add cooked pasta and pasta water to your tomatoes and garlic. Stir and add basil. When pasta and sauce is heated through, serve. Pass Parmesan to top.

I honestly could eat this pasta 3x a week in the summer. And, if I don't, I make up for it by eating fresh sliced tomato, sharp cheddar cheese and fresh basil sandwiches (don't forget the sea salt and freshly ground pepper)....

Doug and the girls arrive home tomorrow. Ruby with a fractured wrist (unfortunately her left) that will need a cast, and Stella with a heavy heart leaving behind her best friend... But, we're already making plans to go back the last week of April. So, mark it on your calendar!

Miss you so, so much! Big love....
A

Why I haven't blogged in a while ....

<---That is Sambucus (elder or elderberry)

Hi Annie,
Sorry I've been out of the loop. Been feeling crappy, cranky, kind of sick. Finally gave in and went to our doctor. His approach is let your body work through things until it's seriously serious. He's not afraid of antibiotics but I do really like the fact that he won't just dose me so I feel better, which seemed to be the case with nearly all my previous doctors. (when i look back and think about the amount of times i took antibiotics for bronchitis....ah nevermind....preaching to the choir)

Anyway, he said I had a low-level flu virus and gave me Sambucus. (Must admit I also love this doctor because his pharmaceutical solutions all come in cute little, glass, brown bottles and he hand writes [legibly] what the dosage is. Eg, 20 drops in mouth every 4 hours.)

Turns out this "Sambucus" is elderberry. Check this out:

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, Elderberry was shown to be effective for treating Influenza B. People using the Elderberry extract recovered much faster than those only on a placebo. This is partially due to the fact that Elderberry inhibits neuraminidase, the enzyme used by the virus to spread infection to host cells. (Kelly, Greg and D'Adamo, Peter. "Blood Groups and Influenza" (2000-2009).)

Now I will say, I've felt pretty shitty for well over a week but I have turned a corner. Also got to thinking had I popped a Z-Pack this feeling would have been long gone. But at what cost? Well, we know the answer to that one.

So keep in mind the next time you feel all fluish...get thee to the elderberry plant STAT.

To your health. Much love,
Marianne

More Pavlova!

The final product as being modeled by Diane (our fabulous graphic designer)! It tasted A LOT better than it looked! I need to make more whipped cream and have it tumble down the sides. But, nevertheless, everyone loved it! And, I made minis too that we topped just with fresh berries.
YUM!
Here's the link to the recipe: Pavlova!
Now, I have to pit 5 pounds of cherries (pics to come) because I want to dehydrate them. I dehydrated a lot of tomatoes and zucchini last year and loved being able to use them in soups and lasagna all fall and winter.
Today Doug and I hired a babysitter and went out for an 8 mile trail run from 11-2. It was blazing hot, but it felt great to be in the mountains. At one point we stumbled upon a wildflower meadow that was so gorgeous we felt like we were in the Alps.
Wishing you were here!
Love,
A

Pavlova, part 2

MA,
Wow! I've always wondered about those seltzer makers. So VERY cool! I, too, am so over lugging the "fizzy" water bottles from the store. And, how so un-green is it to be buying cans or even liter bottles of the stuff. This, of course, is the same logic that got our friends Jean and Joe to purchase a permanent KEG of beer in their house...

Ok, so first, the pavlova was yummy! But, I totally forgot to take a pic of the finished product. However, above you will see pics of the process...

However, tomorrow we're going over to our friends' Diane and Doug's house and I'm going to make it again. Promise pics! I think I'm going to just do two layers and then I'm going to make a few smaller ones b/c Diane can't eat dairy. Not "doesn't eat dairy", but actually truly can't eat it or she breaks out in hives. I've seen 'em and they are not pretty. You know me, I'm so skeptical about the "gluten-free" thang that is the "new black" here in Boulder... But, that's probably b/c I think a life without bread (or cheese) would be very sad indeed.

I'm also going to bring over a black bean salsa. The corn is just coming in here and I made a pot of black beans yesterday. My neighbor is gone and has told me I could raid her garden, so I'm thinking I'll have enough stuff to throw in it w/o a trip to the store.

I promise no more passing "fizzy water" off as dessert!

Today I hiked 6 miles of the Mesa Trail and thought so much of our hikes late last summer. Sure wish you could just come over and we could go for a ride and a hike...

Love,
A

Basil Water

Hi Annie,
Can't remember if I told you about the seltzer maker I got for Andre's birthday. Assuming I didn't...my friend Michaela and CB turned me onto it: Sodastream

Little bit of an investment but not outrageous. So great that I don't have to lug all the seltzer bottles from the grocery store and in our ongoing effort to eat more from our backyard and the farm, not having to run out to the store to get seltzer keeps me honest.

The company gives you some flavored samples with your first purchase but as you can imagine...fake, sweet, junky flavors. The basil is in beautiful bloom right now so I threw some in my bottle and turned regular tap into effervescent basil water in a second. I let it steep just an hour and poured with dinner. The aroma gets you at first. And then the subtle taste.

You and DJ will love it!

But, please, don't try and fool the girls into thinking this fizzy water is dessert. It is delicious, no doubt, but homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream? Now, THAT is dessert.

Love, love, love,
MA

Pavlova!

Ok, so I haven't made this YET, but I'm going to make it for Doug's 44th on Friday night. I'm just so excited about it that I had to share the pic. I'll take a pic of mine and we'll see how it turns out!
Glad the 4th was good and yummy! That Kitchen Aid attachment looks VERY cool! We have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that does a great job. We made vanilla bean ice cream and served it with nectarine and raspberry crumble. Deelish! One word of advice if you get the ice cream canister - wrap or double-wrap in a plastic bag when you store it in your freezer. We learned this the hard way after taking ours out one year after it sat next to a stack of green chile for 6 months!
We have replaced our family popular culture obsession of American Idol with Master Chefs. So, tonight I bought a rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods and the rest we're just eating whatever we find out of the fridge, just so we can watch Master Chefs. I know, I know....
Ok, gotta go get Doug from the bus station!
Love,
A