Carbondale

© 2012 Edward C Kern, Jr.

Situated in the lower part of the Roaring Fork Valley at the confluence of the Crystal River, Carbondale, Colorado is defined in part by Mount Sopris (photo at left - also in distance, third photo down ) which towers to the South.  When gold and silver were discovered at the head of the valley in 1879 potato farms and then sheep and cattle ranches sprung up in Carbondale to feed the miners in Aspen.  The Victorian town center dates from this era. Though the rampant development of the 1990s and early 2000s took some of the farmland, many ranches remain (pasture of one in photo at left).  While Ed and I love Carbondale, we have yet to really take advantage of all it has offer. Mostly there in the winter, we enjoy walks along the Roaring Fork River, x-country skiing at Spring Gulch and dinners at two of our favorite restaurants.

Six89* is a delightful restaurant located in a renovated Victorian house at 689 Main Street.  Its menu purports to serve "seasonally based artisinal comfort food locally sourced whenever possible" Among other things we have enjoyed pomegranate Braised Colorado Lamb Shank as well as Crisp Gnocchi Salad | Roasted Wild Mushrooms & Butternut Squash with truffled oregano vin. (See Mushroom - Arugula Salad).

The owner-chef of Six89 also owns Phat Thai located a few blocks down Main Street at number 343. The Asian inspired menu incorporates "organic and sustainable ingredients sourced locally whenever possible and prudent" as well the chef's own sauces. While Six89 may get more critical acclaim and recognition, I really like Phat Thai.  The Fresh Spring Rolls with Tofu, mint & cellophane noodles, herbs | sweet chili sauce are exceptional  as is the Kaeng Kiew Wan - spicy green curry of chicken japanese eggplant, thai basil | coconut, basil. That said, we've yet to order anything we didn't like.

For shopping we like Crystal River Meats on North 4th Street. We often get the flat iron steak, a cut not readily available to us in the East, and pork tenderloin, also excellent though not always available.   The Milangro Ranch, also in Carbondale, supplies all of the beef for ten Aspen Ski Company mountain restaurants. This year as last Ed and I enjoyed the great hamburgers at Ullerhof.

© 2011 Edward C Kern, Jr.

And to work off all the calories from this tasty food?  We go to Spring Gulch and enjoy approxiamately 21 kilometers of very well groomed, both for traditional and skate skiing, cross country trails.  The trails climbs about 175 meters (574 feet) from the parking area to  Finlandia Trail and Paul's Point, some in the open, some (the higher trails) through aspen groves, many with great views of Mount Sopris and other mountains and ranges. Some of the trails are flat or gradual grade others much steeper. Circles, squares and diamonds indicate their relative difficulty.

© 2012 Edward C Kern, Jr.

While we drive about half an hour to Buttermilk-Tiehack or a little longer to Snowmass and Aspen Mountain for downhill skiing, when it comes to ambiance, shopping and restaurants, we stay in Carbondale.

*March 2013: Sadly Six89 closed in October.  This trip, we often stopped at Tortilleria La Roca to pick up awesome, still warm corn or flour tortillas.  The former we used for soft Tacos (photo right), the later for Fajitas.

September2017:  No update for a long time.  Crystal River Meats storefront has long closed but their meat is available at the Whole Foods Market (new addition) in Basalt.  Phat Thai is still thriving as is Tortilleria La Roca.  The owners of Phat Thai opened Town several years ago which serves a variety of small and large plates for dinner, many reminiscent of the offerings at Six89,  and is also open for lunch and a bakery breakfast.  Chris found  The Goat on Yelp several years ago. We had an excellent lunch then (Chris and I had Brooklyn Falafel, Ed, Lamb Gyros) and have since enjoyed many more.. This year we tried Senor Taco Show the food was excellent though in the winter it is a hole in the wall, the main attraction of which is talking with the chef across the counter.  The atmosphere changes in the warm weather when the terrce is open.

Reviewed 8/20/2017

Green Chopsticks Potstickers

Fast food! Starting from scratch is seldom the easiest method and, for me at least, sometimes not the best.  A few months ago Costco had a promotion with samples of Green Chopsticks Potstickers and dumplings.  I liked both the chicken and pork  but decided to buy  2 bags of the chicken potstickers as they were much lower in fat* than the pork ones.  I choose the potstickers over the dumplings as I preferred their filling to dough ratio.

I have made potstickers and dumplings in the past but from a traditional recipe.  The ingredients in the filling of the Green Chopsticks potstickers are an imaginative combination of chicken breast, tofu, onion, sweet potato noodle, green cabbage, green onion, leek, shitake mushroom, oyster sauce, evaporated cane juice, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Nom! The potstickers contain no msg or preservatives and the chicken is noted to be hormone and antibiotic free. The dough is thin and delicate, unlike the heavier, tougher dough found in varying degrees in most other packaged potstickers or for that matter restaurant potstickers.

The package gives three cooking options: boiling, frying or microwaving.  I use a combination of two, first microwaving on high for 2 minutes per 6 -7 potstickers and then frying the potstickers in peanut oil. I use a flat bottom frying pan large enough to hold all of the potstickers, flat in one layer and heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. As the oil is heating I sometimes add scallions (see below for preparation) and then when the oil is hot add the potstickers.   Perhaps because the dough is thin and less sticky these are not pot stickers; in fact just gently shaking the pan will cause the potstickers to slide back and forth.  When the potstickers are lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes), remove them from the pan and use a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Serve with dipping sauce.

[UPDATE:  Right after I posted this, I called one of the larger Whole Foods in Massachusetts to check on availability as my supply is running low, and I could not find them in our local Whole Foods or Costco. When I found they were not available there either, I called  Green Chopsticks, which is located in California. I was told their products are "in the process of being introduced on the East Coast"  :-(    So references to availability at Costco and Whole Foods in the last paragraph in the above link do not currently apply in many regions.  Hopefully soon.  Stay tuned.]

DIPPING SAUCE
Although this too can be purchased ready made (bottle of one of my favorite dipping sauces at far left in photo), I usually make my own version.

Mix:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar (I buy the Marukan sodium free, sugar free)
1/2 - 1 t red pepper flakes, to taste
1 t sugar
1/4 c scallions, thinly sliced
1 t ginger, grated

Sometimes, especially if I am going to save some of the sauce, I combine the first 4 ingredients and then add the grated ginger and scallions to the individual dipping dishes.

PREPARING THE SCALLIONS
Wash and remove the roots of the scallions (~2 scallions per person).  Thinly slice some of the green end and reserve for the dipping sauce. If the scallions are small, slice greens in rings; if larger cut in strips then slice.  Cut the rest of the scallion in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise close enough to the white end so that the pieces in each half remained joined. Dry the scallions before frying.  Even dried, the scallions contain enough moisture to cause a great deal of spattering of the hot oil.  I think they are tasty enough to warrant the mess.

* 1.5 g/100g or 4 potstickers - no saturated or trans fat

Reviewed 5/15/17

Pasta Puttanesca

"It is not known whether the Italian ladies of the night (the puttane) who gave their name to this racy pasta sauce did so because they were short of time or cash or both.  In any case, puttanesca is quick and cheap and we hope it offends no one's memory to say so."* The version of this recipe (sorry, can't find the source), which I first made several years ago described the puttane leaving a crock with fresh tomatoes and other ingredients on a sunny window sill for several hours to let the flavors blend, and to make the sauce readily available. Since I first made this sauce based on this technique (sun verses stove simmer) I've always thought of Pasta Puttanesca as a sauce to make in the heat of summer when tomatoes are ripe on the vine. Earlier this winter when having dinner out I ordered, "Fettuccine 'alla Puttanesca' with Black Olives, Capers and Artichokes". While the execution was not that good, it made me think that this hearty dish would work equally well in the winter.

A DIGRESSION ON MEASUREMENT

By habit, except for baked items (cakes, cookies, breads, etc.),  I usually cook by eye and taste. This blog has forced me to quantify amounts, which on many occasions I have found to be difficult and in many cases arbitrary as I tend to like food spicier than most.  Quantifying ingredients and quantities for Pasta Puttanesca is particularly difficult. The basic recipe  consists of garlic, diced onion, and anchovies first sauteed in olive oil and then mixed and simmered with chopped red chili, olives, capers, diced tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.  The variations in both ingredients and quantities are many.  Even the recipe (main dish) in the  The Silver Palate Cookbook  differs in both in ingredients and substantially in quantities from the recipe (appetizer) in The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Needless to say other recipes vary even more.  The recipe that follows is a suggestion for a quick dinner; adjust quantities and ingredients to individual taste and ingredient availability.

RECIPE - WINTER VERSION
Serves 2 as main course; scale accordingly

Boil in salted water according to package instructions :

8 oz pasta**

While pasta is cooking, in a medium skillet, saute until garlic is soft and slightly browned:

~1 T olive oil (heat first)
~2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
~1/2 c Kalamata olives, sliced
~1 T capers

Then add:

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I like the Muir Glen fire roasted)

Simmer until the tomatoes are heated through.

Serve over the hot pasta, garnished with:

Freshly grated Parmesean cheese



VARIATION - WINTER VERSION

Add to the sautee mixture any/all to taste: dried red pepper flakes, finely chopped onion, anchovies

Add to the simmer mixture any/all to taste: chopped parsley, fresh or dried oregano

RECIPE - SUMMER VERSION

Mix together in a medium size bowl with cover:

~1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped

Follow the instruction above for the simmer mixture, adding:

~4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped

Add the sauteed mixture to the tomatoes, stir well, cover and let sit in the warm sun for several hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve at room temperature over hot pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese

VARIATION - SUMMER VERSION

To the tomato mixture add either/both: ~1/4c parsley, finely chopped, 1 T fresh oregano leaves

* Page 72, The Silver Palate Cookbook (original version) preface to the recipe for Pasta Puttanesca.

February 2013: Quick after-ski version:  Use diced tomatoes plus 1/4 c (chunky) black olive tapenade.  Garlic optional.


**  May 2017: I find I am using less pasta and more sauce these days. 6 oz of pasta would be plenty for Ed and me. For more guidance see HOW MUCH PASTA TO COOK (bottom of post)




Reviewed 5/30/2017

MARCH?

When I chose last month to combine  FEBRUARY - MARCH,  concluding "March 21st is the turning point, the days will then be longer than the nights, and first spinach and daffodils won't be far behind",  I was not anticipating the March we are currently experiencing.  I should have more been careful making wishes.  This March begs the question: "Is March the new April?"

Ed and I just returned from Colorado where the weather was unseasonably warm to record breaking warm weather in Boston.   As I write midday the outside temperature  is 72 degrees F and the daffodils are already beginning to bloom. Daffodils on the 19th of March.  Most years I am delighted if a daffodil or two bloom by the first of April.  At this rate, they will have bloomed and gone by then.  Very scary.

Reviewed 9/19/2017

Demi-Glace/Demi-Glace with Olive Oil Roux

Introducing some new items that have just found their way into my kitchen. My brother, Jason, has long used More Than Gourmet products, particularly their Demi-Glace Gold.  He gave Chris a 16 oz container of this for Christmas and me several containers of the Red Wine Sauce and White Wine Sauce. I have used some of the White Wine Sauce to make Chicken and Wild Mushrooms Supreme . In making this recipe I used 1 t fresh thyme instead of dried thyme, substituted lemon juice for cream and served over Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta instead of in pastry shells. For my taste the recipe is a bit heavy on sauce (I used 1/3 container for 10 oz of chicken) but that's what More Than Gourmet is selling.

© 2012 Chris Kern

Chris immediately used some of his Christmas present to make a mushroom-onion demi-glace which he served over a dry aged sirloin strip.  He posted photos (inculding the ones at left) on Google+ (and gave me permission to use them here). The ratio of demi-glace to hot water is 1:4 as noted on the container. Chris made the roux from flour and butter, using equal parts by weight, but it seemed too thick to him so he added more butter. Jason, the demi-glace pro's advice is, "Do it by feel".   Alexandra saw Chris's post and photos and convinced Chris to make this when we were together last week.

© 2012 Chris Kern

Prior to Chris's arrival,  I ordered the Demi-Glace Gold from Amazon Prime (didn't spring for the overpriced 1.5 ounce packages at Whole Foods and elsewhere).  When it arrived I was amazed to discover that the label lists only 0.5 g of fat per 2 t (before water is added) serving; the cholesterol comes from the butter in the roux. Chris made a demi-glace like he had made in New York and it was awesome.  I used some of the leftover demi-glace on some mashed potatoes and cod (see below) a few nights later.  It too was very tasty, and I began to ponder how I might make a healthier version of this.

© 2012 Chris Kern

For a long time I have used Stonewall Kitchen's Mushroom Sage Steak Sauce (this sauce is no longer available) with additional sauteed mushrooms to accompany steaks and with caramelized onions and mushrooms over cod. The Demi-Glace Gold would be a tasty, less expensive alternative and if I used an olive-oil roux, it also would contain no cholesterol.

Demi-Glace made with Olive Oil Roux
Serves ~2-3; scale accordingly

Whisk together, then simmer, about 6 minutes, until well mixed:

2 T Demi-Glace Gold

1/2 c hot water

In a small skillet brown

1 T flour (I used 2 T in photo above and it made way too much roux)

Stir constantly until it is slightly golden then whisk in

1 T olive oil

Whisk constantly until flour and oil are well blended, adjust quantity "to feel." Then whisk enough roux in with the demi-glace to achieve the desired thickened, smooth consistency.  Add mushrooms and/or onions if desired (see below).

© 2012 Chris Kern

Mushroom Demi-Glace

Chris sometimes complains I serve mushrooms with sauce over steak rather than mushroom sauce and admonishes, "Don't put in too many mushrooms."

When Chris made Mushroom Demi-Glace last week he used a big cup each (actually about 1 1/4 c each) of finely chopped mushrooms and onions and 1/3 c Demi-Glace Gold.  For the recipe above that would translate to

~ 1/3 c mushrooms, (I use crimini and/or shitake), chopped
~ 1/3 c onion, finely chopped

Sautee mushrooms and onions in

1 t olive oil until they are soft and onions are golden

Mix into demi-glace.

Cod with Caramelized Onions and Mushroom Demi-Glace

Follow the recipe for Cod with Carmelized Onions and Mushrooms but instead of using Stonewall Kitchen's Mushroom Sage Steak Sauce use Demi-Glace made with Olive Oil Roux (photos left and below).

Note: When using demi-glace on cod/other similar fish such as hake, I prefer to make basic demi-glace then follow instructions in cod recipe and leave onions and mushrooms in thin slices.














Reviewed  5/7/17

Carnival Squash Stuffed with Black Quinoa Pilaf

The squash that caught my eye at the farmstand eariler this week has been sitting on the counter for a few days daring me to do something.  So I tried the combination below and the results were very tasty.  The quinoa pilaf is enough to stuff 2 squash (4 halves).  I will use the leftovers as a side dish, but if leftovers are not desired, scale accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the quinoa.  Black quinoa is to white quinoa as wild rice is to white rice, crunchier with a stronger, nuttier flavor. When using black quinoa it is especially important to rinse properly to remove the saphonin dust.  Put

1 c black quinoa

into a fine strainer and run water through it, or stir it in a bowl of cold water and pour it through a clean kitchen towel. Repeat the process until the water runs clear and is no longer sudsy. The amount of rinsing necessary may vary greatly. 

Set the quinoa aside to drain.
Prepare the squash.  Cut in half

1 carnival squash/per 2 servings

Remove the seeds, I first used a spoon, then scraped with a grapefruit knife, and brush the inside and outside with


Olive oil

Place cut side down in an edged oven-proof dish filled with 1/4 inch water. Place in preheated oven and cook for 30 - 35 minutes (depending on size of squash) until flesh of the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

While the squash is cooking, in a small skillet, heat

1 T olive oil

and saute the quinoa until it is well coated with the oil.

Place the quinoa in a saucepan or, my preference, a rice cooker and add

1 1/2 c water
1/3 c dried cranberries or cherries

If using a rice cooker, follow instructions. If using a sauce pan bring water to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer until all the water has evaporated.

Wipe out the skillet, add a bit more olive oil and saute until wilted and tender:

2 scallions, sliced thinly
6-8 shitake or crimini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/3 c pecans, coarsely chopped
2 -3 t chopped fresh sage to taste

When squash and quinoa are cooked, combine the quinoa and mushroom/pecan mixture and stuff each half of squash, finishing with a slight mound of quinoa.  Return to oven for 5 minutes to warm through and crisp top.  Serve garnished with a sprig of sage.

This is really fun to eat!  I was told at the farmstand that the skin of this squash is thin and edible.  Thinking about the acorn squash I usually buy, I was not convinced. Wrong.  Using a sharp knife, the squash is easily sliced and tasty, skin included, when eaten.


Revieewed 7/11/2017

FEBRUARY - MARCH

Ummm.... Not much local this month except celaric, several kinds of potatoes and a green and pale yellow striped squash I've never noticed before.  It's amazing when the selection gets small enough and the same enough how something not previously noticed will jump out. I asked. It's called carnival squash and the tender skin is supposedly edible. Sounded different, maybe even good. Stay tuned.

This month's selection looks like last's but more limited, and here in the Northeast nothing locally grown (outside a green house) will be available in March that is not already available in February. In fact, some of February's dwindling stores will be depleted come March.   Given the sameness of selection and no holiday food to celebrate either month,  I'm doing what Barbara Kingsolver does in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life; she starts with April and ends by lumping February and March together.  In Chapter 19 HUNGRY MONTH: February - March, Kingsolver writes:

"As I grow older, more of my close friends are elderly people. I suppose I am auditioning, in some sense to join their club. My generation will no doubt persist in wearing our blue jeans right into the nursing homes.... But I do find myself softening to certain features of the elder landscape. Especially, I'm coming to understand that culture's special regard for winter. It's the season to come through. My eighty-four-year-old neighbor is an incredibly cheerful person by all other standards, but she will remark of a relative or friend, 'Well, she's still with us after the winter.'"*

Kingsolver goes on to describe the perils of winters past when bitter cold, limited diets, and lack of immunizations and antibiotics took a toll on young and old alike.  Then continues:

"Tying my family's nutritional fortunes to the seasons did not really involve any risk for us, of course. But it did acquaint us in new ways with what seasons mean, and how they matter.... I watched the rank-and-file jars in our pantry decline from army to platoon, and finally to lonely sentries staggered along the shelves. We weren't rationing yet, but I couldn't help counting the weeks until our first spring harvests and the happy reopening day of the farmer's market. I had a vision of our neighbors saying of us, 'Well, they're still with us after the winter.'" **

While I still like winter and look forward to cross-country and alpine skiing if there is sufficient snow and trail hiking if there is little snow, I am beginning to think about asparagus. Armed with my flu shot and car to drive to the nearest market, I am not living a Kingsolver experiment or a Little House on the Prairie existence, but I am looking forward to going to the local farm stand/farmers market and seeing more than root veggies.  We just pruned our Andromedia so we have plenty of greens for a centerpiece, but I'm looking forward to daffodills. March 21st is the turning point, the days will then be longer than the nights, and first spinach and daffodills won't be far behind. As Kingsolver describes planting seedlings under indoor lights, she writes of March, "If it's not the end of the winter, you can see it from here."***

* Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, page 315
**  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, page 316
***  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, page 323

Reviewed 9/19/2017