This week’s French Fridays with Dorie choice is Scallop and Onion Tartes Fines. Like its brethren we’ve already made, Tomato-Cheese Tartlets andFresh Tuna, Mozzarella, and Basil Pizza, here’s another recipe where our intentions are not honorable. What Dufour and Pepperidge Farm have devoted years to perfecting, we take five minutes to flatten.
Start with a thawed sheet of puff pastry. After flouring your work area and rolling the pastry to a 13-inch square, take a 6-inch wide plate and, using a sharp knife, cut out four circles. Lay these on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick with a fork. Lay more parchment on top and then plop another baking sheet over them. Sorta has a crushing affect on the unsuspecting pastry.
For the next fifteen minutes, while the pastry is baking and not puffing at 400 degrees, you mix together the caramel onion-bacon layer (my favorite part of this recipe). Divide this mixture among the four crusts and arrange scallops, sliced into thirds, over it. Drizzle olive oil over the top before seasoning with salt and pepper.
Dorie recommends baking these tarts at 400 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes. Being cautious, I baked mine longer which resulted in my pastry base becoming a tad too brown. In hindsight, I would have seared my scallops first. Still, tasty and unique as an appetizer or lunch (with a salad).
You might note that I suggested no wine choice for this menu. Last weekend I attended Vintage Paso: Zinfandeland Other Wild Wines, a 3-day touring blitz of our wine area. Readers, you know I’m a trooper, but after devoting one full day to this festival, I was done. That’s why you’re on your own for this week’s beverage.
The festival was educational, tasty and hilarious. My friends, John and Susan Lester, who live in southern Cali and blog at Create Amazing Meals joined me for the weekend. We’d known each other virtually for two years and met inreality last year. John is especially knowledgeable about wines, they visit this wine country frequently and were perfect companions and guests.Pictures and just a few words, tell our story best.
We’ve had our coffee. Susan and I, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, are ready to roll. Last week we plotted our zinful itinerary and plan to visit five wineries today.
Our first stop was Peachy Canyon Winery. This was supposed to be our fifth stop but, unfortunately, John missed a turn. Which meant that Susan and I both grabbed maps, assisted with directions all day and drove John, well, to drink!
Memo to my Colorado brother who is casually concerned about my wine adventures this winter: a Lester purchase.
Winery #2, Tablas Creek. With our tastings we enjoyed small bites, shrimp on sweet corn polenta cake and a beef slider on a sourdough crostini.
Winery #3, Halter Ranch, my favorite, where we had our wine and paella in the ranch’s original barn. Susan and I are at the tasting-less-and-eating-more stage.
Winery #4, Adelaida Cellars. It’s 82 degrees, I’ve had it. Susan and I sit at a picnic table while John happily disappears.
Winery #5, Opolo Vineyards. Whoopee. We head to the barbecue tent for roasted lamb, carne asada tacos, beans and all the fixings. We girls rally. Friends forever.
We assemble the wine on the dining room table and take the pledge, “What happens in Cambria, stays in Cambria.”
After dinner at my neighborhood Sea Chest restaurant, we settled in for an evening of Gin Rummy and a Port tutorial. Since I had never tasted Port, John bought me a bottle at Adelaida Cellars. A very smooth evening.
Notice anything? Lights onBright went in for routine maintenance and emerged with a total makeover.
This week New York City’s Salome Chamber Ensemble performed at Guyomar Wine Cellars during their 2014 California Tour. Photo by Gail Gresham
#1 Happening
Here’s how it happened. Last Christmas Eve I joined our SilverKing Drive neighbors who annually gather at the O’Leary’s home for dinner. This marked my first December in Aspen in a decade. To join those who knew the Hirschs through happier times seemed comfortable to me.
My dinner partners that night were two whiz-kids from Denver I did not know. Ten years. A neighborhood changes. The short version is: Zoe; Kenneth; Partners of Peak Solutions Marketing; Lightbulb Moment for Mary. Since I was already planning a blog redesign, I thought they might know some tech designers. “Why, Mary,” Zoe quickly interrupted as I was asking that question, “that’s what we do.”
Duringthe next few weeks Zoe and I talked. Well, to be truthful, Zoe talked, I listened. That young lady was relentless in promoting her company and sharing ideas. (I loved that.) We signed a contract. They went to work. I left to spend the winter on the central California coast, drinking great wine, eating fresh food and meeting the farmers who grow the goods.
Guyomar Wine Cellars in Templeton, California Photo by Guyomar
Ishka Stanislaus of Guyomar poured his 2010 blends at the 2014 Paso Robles Rhone Rangers Experience.
#2 Happening
Since arriving in Cambria, that’s been my focus. However, nothing prepared me for the celebratory evening I enjoyed this week that will arguably be the highlight of my winter’s work here.
Here’s how it happened. In mid-February I joined 600 others and 50 local Rhone wine producers for a day-long seminar at Broken Earth Winery. One of those pouring during the Grand Tasting was Ishka Stanislaus who owns Guyomar Wine Cellars. At my luncheon table that day was winemaker Matt Ortman of Villa San Juliette Winery. After lunch, Matt said to me, “My friend, Ishka, is making some very interesting wine. Would you like to meet him?”
Matt introduced us. I tasted Ishka’s 2010 Monsignor, a Petite Syrah-based blend and was impressed. Surprisingly, a few weeks later I received an invitation to an Evening Musical Soirée and Sri Lankan feast hosted by Ishka and his wife, Mareeni, a local Ob/Gyn. The affair was in their home at the Guyomar winery. I hesitated. From Cambria it was a 30-minute drive to TempletonGap to their vineyard. I knew no “and, guest” to accompany me. The other attendees, I suspected, would be locals, all acquainted.
Because Guyomar’s has no tasting room yet, this would be my only opportunity to visit the winery. I decided to go. Good decision, Mary. Words cannot effectively describe the evening. When I arrived, I was greeted by both Stanislaus at the entrance door (pictured above). I was about to reintroduce myself when Ishka said, “Mary, thank you for coming. I’m glad to see you again. Meet Mareeni.” (Readers, that guy had done his homework.)
Yes, the group, about 65-strong, was local but I didn’t lack for dinner partners. As I’ve said before, folks in this area are kind to strays. The Manhattan-based Salome String Chamber Ensemble presented a 45-minute concert. They are talented, accomplished and create a gorgeous sound. The Sri Lankan dinner, prepared by Ishka, reminded me what turmeric, ginger, cumin, saffron and garam masala, can bring to a dish.
#3 Happening
The Mise En Place for Sausage-stuffed Cornish Hens, our French Fridays with Dorie recipe this week.
As for French Fridays,here’s how it happened. This week’s recipe is Sausage-Stuffed Cornish Hens. When was the last time you roasted one of those tiny darlings? For me, it’s been twenty years. The two-pound hefties I bought at my local market are not the Cornish Hens of my memory.
The sausage stuffing is ready for the birds.
Look at those thighs. I’ve never before met a Cornish Hen who looked like that.
The first step was making the sausage stuffing which is easily mixed together after browning the sausage, shallot and garlic. I then buttered and brushed each hen with olive oil before stuffing them and tying their legs together. Using the side-side-back,15-15-10, roasting method, I gently placed them in my cast iron skillet and put into my 425 degrees oven. They baked for 40 minutes. The birds rested for 5 minutes while I drained the fat, replacing it with butter and wine to create pan jus. The result was tasty although in a blind test I might guess it was chicken. That’s why I probably will not return to this recipe again. I blame Mr. Tyson.
Almost ready to eat – I covered the wings with tinfoil and flipped the hens on their backs for 10 more minutes of roasting.
My husband, Michael, passed away today. As Nancy Reagan said, it has been a long good-bye. While I am relieved that he is in a better place, and, he is, it is difficult and so sad to close this door. We were married more than 26 years. My friend and neighbor, Michelle Morgando, who will soon be writing her own food blog, will share her culinary stories with you the next two weeks. My daughter, Melissa, who is here with me, will take over my Tuesday and Friday duties – —– just to show that she can.
“Resilience and fortitude are required to preach hard choices to a profligate nation. But Governor Richard Lamm has been the dean of the school of hard choices for at least two decades.”
—Gary Hart, Former Senator and Presidential Candidate
former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm (photo speakers.com)
Shortly after arriving last Wednesday in Aspen, I received a telephone call from longtime friend, Karen Kribs. “Mary, Dick Lamm is speaking at the Thunder River Theatre on Friday night. I think we should go.”
What was surprising about this suggestion was the person making it. Karen, an astute business woman and local building contractor, is as Far Right politically as I am Left. Lamm, the former three-term Democratic Governor of Colorado. (1975-1987) is Co-Director of the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver and, to my mind, very liberal. Like most of my female friends, Kribs is no shrinking violet, so if she wanted to hear Lamm’s views on immigration and health issues, I was game.
She bought the tickets. I bought dinner.
On Friday evening, Governor Lamm, the author of such provocative books as “Immigration Time Bomb: 2” (1985), “The Brave New World of Health Care” (2003), and ”Condition Critical: A New Moral Vision for Health Care” (2007), reminded a standing room-only audience that “articulation” and “the art of conversation” can still occur. He spoke of sustainability, immigration policy, end-of-life issues, and the many topics contained in his “I have a plan to destroy America” speech.
He talked and answered questions about unpleasant topics, hot button issues and critical problems. He made me uncomfortable. I squirmed in my seat. Cleared my throat. Wished I had ordered that glass of wine at dinner. He started to move a concerned and attentive audience, primarily boomer-aged, politically left/right, to middle-ground. When is the last time that has happened? He even answered one question with, “I really don’t know very much about that.” A politician that doesn’t know everything? Whoa.
When we were driving home, I asked Karen, “What about his entire presentation did you not agree with?”
Her answer, “Nothing.”
My answer, “Nothing.”
Please understand, the pathway to hot issue solutions is fraught with IEDs but middle ground is the starting point. So, here’s the SNAP, which, this week, is for every elected official. Can you just stop annihilating and defaming each other and concentrate on the current events that require innovative ideas to invigorate and replenish this country? I don’t care if Barack Obama is white, black or purple. I don’t care if Mitt Romney is Muslim or Morman. If John Boehner wants to suntan and smoke, fine. If Hillary Clinton has gained weight, sprouted wrinkles and let her hair turn gray, she’s earned the right. Heck, it no longer even bothers me whether Bill Clinton’s zipper is up or down. I just want our elected officials to think and care as much about the American people as they think and care about themselves.
I caught a glimpse of that last Friday evening. Thanks, Governor Lamm.
Ten years ago, my friend, Karen Kribs shared this Eleanor Roosevelt quote with me. (Etsy.com)
After hanging out in America for more than 60 years, living in 6 different States, there are many things I value about this Country. The List of Gems and Treasures noted below are what presently enhance the quality of life of my entire family, ease and lessen our challenges and are possible because we live in the USA. Honoring the fact that I have two daughters and, my brother, Buck, and I have seven granddaughters, the First must be:
Women’s Rights – Friends, near & dear, far & wide – Clean Water – U.S. Postal System – Weight Watchers English Toffee Crunch Bars – iTunes – Right -to-Vote – Pandora – FDIC – Garbage Collectors – Oprah – Honeybees – Statue of Liberty – National Audubon Society – Free Speech – Interstate Highway System – Our Medical Community & American Hospitals – The New York Times – Trader Joe’s – Neighborhoods – The University System – Libraries – Religious Freedom – Trucks – The Chicago Cubs – Jeans – The Atlantic Monthly – Home Depot – Dentists – Golden Retrievers – The New Yorker – Apple Products, MacBook Pro’s to iPad’s – The Iowa State Fair – Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – Porches – Colorado Blue Spruces – Google – U.S. Park Service – The Rocky Mountains – HDTV – Aspen – Hillary Clinton – Six for Supper – Pixar Animation Studios – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Yosemite National Park – NPR – Uncle Sam – Washington D.C. – Cell Phones – Walgreens – Heating & Air Conditioning – Hotshot Crews – Social Security – Skype – The Constitution – the Internet – Owls – National Audubon Society – Alice Waters – Sierra Club – Pinterest – Aspen Institute – United Airlines – Target – Las Vegas, yeah, really! – Metropolitan Museum of Art – Maps – Taylor Swift & Justin Bieber – AutoPay – Old Glory – Molto Vegas Farmer’s Market owned by Mario Batali – Jigsaw Puzzles – Band-Aids – The Colorado Rockies – Medicare – Margaritas – Dishwashers – Garage Door Openers – Volunteers – Facebook – Elizabeth Warren – VISA – Digital Cameras – Refrigerators & Freezers – U.S. Forest Service – Sierra Nevada Mountain Range – Passports – The Bill of Rights – Herb Gardens – American Wines & Cheeses – E-Mail – Joshua Trees – Hybrid Cars – Fat Tire Beer – Rhubarb Pie – Oxo Kitchen Utensils – Gail Collins – Multi-vitamins – San Diego Zoo – Jeopardy! – VISA – Our Armed Forces – BananaGrams – Peet’s Major Dickinson’s Coffee – Public Television – HBO Documentaries – Birthday Celebrations – Congressman John Lewis – Liberals, Green Geeks and Tree Huggers – PlannedParenthood – Bureau of Land Management – College Kids – Jane, Always Being Jane – Popcorn – Taxes, I don’t mind paying ‘Em – Firemen & Cops – the Barefoot Contessa – Anna Quindlen – Women Drivers – National Park System – The Lion King– Saguaro Cactus – Colorado River – Death Valley – Best Western Hotels – Rachel Maddow – Ibuprofen – The Declaration of Independence – Iowa.
On this Special Week-end of Celebration, take a Time-Out to think about what You love and value about this Country.
