Before today’s delightful baking adventure plus a pasta salad like no other make an appearance, I must ask. As we wrap up Week #19 of you-know-what, How Are We? Personally I’m uncertainty-averse but about 5 weeks ago I re-booted from When? to Who Knows? to Not Anytime Soon.
While Joy sits quietly on my shelf, I’ve settled on This is a one-day-at-a-time, stay in your own lane and make good choices rollercoaster because the only way out is through. I still wake up grateful, go to bed thankful and make the most of each day. It helps.
SINCE LAST WE MET …..
Some great free advice, don’t ever rent a storage unit. Whatever your living space won’t allow, can’t be stowed in your garage, left outside or stashed in your car trunk, needs to go. Sure, a credit card can rent you space ‘to be dealt with later.’ And yes, it’s a great place to pitch snow tires, lawn equipment, luggage and sports paraphernalia. But that’s real baggage when later becomes now.
Needing a short-term place for overflow, I rented a large storage space in nearby Carbondale when I returned to Aspen in 2013. That was 8 years (ninety-six months) and you don’t want to know how much rent ago. My mild-mannered accountant of 30 years does know. “You getting that storage rental emptied, Mary?” he often asks.
Each summer I’d make the empty storage unit effort but summer activities always won over drudgery. However since my quarantine did allow driving privileges, emptying that unit has become my day job since April. The good news, with primarily Christmas decorations and photographs left, my storage nightmare should be over by September.
There’ve been road blocks, of course. Those 20 dusty, haggard-looking boxes were stuffed with objects precious to me, not so much to others. I offered, cajoled and begged friends, family and people from off the street (that’s an exaggeration) to take my priceless objects. Quite honestly, dear Readers, my friends and my own family aren’t even particularly gentle any more about saying, “No.”
I have stacked up some Wins. I took several large bins of arts and crafts materials to a friend who dispersed them to teachers, artists and grandma’s entertaining grandchildren this summer. Here at The Gant a young man with culinary training who cooks for most of the front office crew appreciates my extra kitchen equipment. Of our many employees here, someone always needs dishes/household equipment. My catering friend put my large silver trays to use. A young Aspen Institute friend who’s building his library takes my books. And as charity thrift shops re-opened up and down our valley, I added to their inventory.
An empty storage unit. Check. No more whining. Check. The End
COOK the BOOK FRIDAYS COBBLER
What’s not to adore about Cobblers, Crisps and Crumbles? Each involves bubbly, cooked fresh fruit with a tasty topping. The primary difference is Crumbles and Crisps have streusel-like toppings. Cobblers have a dropped biscuit topping which when baked, gives it an appearance of a cobbled road, thus the name.
What’s so magical about this simply-made cobbler is, well, everything. Pull out a deep dish pie plate, one medium-sized bowl and a 2-3 cup measuring cup. No more equipment needed. Even better, don’t peel the peaches. Not necessary. Even, even better, no butter. This biscuit is butter-free.
Not in the mood for peaches and blueberries? Try these combos: Any berry/ripe mango; strawberry/rhubarb and plums/peaches or nectarines; Any fruit can stand alone, especially apricots.
A simply made, delicious and elegant dessert.
DROP-BISCUIT PEACH/BLUEBERRY COBBLER by Dorie Greenspan, Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook
Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
Fruit Mixture:
3 Pounds of Peaches ( 5-8, depending on size)
1/4 Cup sugar, or to taste (NOTE: I reduced to 1/8 Cup)
11/2 to 2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice)
1 Cup Blueberries
1-2 Teaspoons Cornstarch, for thickening (optional)
Biscuit Topping:
11/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
1/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Cup Cold Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Cold Buttermilk (Shake Well Before Measuring)
(NOTE: Are you out of Buttermilk? No problem. Pour 1 Cup of whole or 2% Milk into a Liquid Measuring Cup. Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Stir. The acid will curdle the milk. Voilà.)
Ice Cream or Whipped Cream, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or container of choice and place on the baking sheet.
- Cut your unpeeled peaches into bite-sized chucks or slices and toss into buttered pie plate. (Yes, you don’t have to peel the peaches.) Taste before adding sugar (Remember: I used only 1/8 Cup.) Add 11/2-2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice. Add the Blueberries and 1-2 Teaspoons of Cornstarch.
- . Stir together gently and set aside.
BISCUIT TOPPING:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients in a liquid measuring cup or another bowl and whisk together. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients. Using table fork, stir until the dry mixture is evenly dampened, producing a moist batter.
- Using a medium scoop (11/2 TBS capacity) or a Tablespoon , Dollop the topping over the fruit mixture, leaving a small space between each pouf of batter. (Note: If using a scoop, I usually spray it with a minute amount of Pam.)
- Bake the cobbler for 45-55 minutes or until the juices are boiling under and maybe a bit over the browned biscuits.
- Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving plain, or with ice cream or whipped cream.
LEMONY PESTO PASTA SALAD with AVOCADO and ARUGULA by Lidey Heuck, lideylikes Blog
Shortly after the July 4th weekend I was surfing the Net for something to fix for dinner. Although I enjoyed my share of holiday fare, I needed a change. Lidey Heuck, a food blogger, posted a recipe that intrigued me.
I’ve found that Lidey’s recipes work. Although I needed to sub two cups of fresh parsley for basil leaves, I had the ingredients on hand. What I loved most about this salad is its greenness. That it was so delicious in its greenness made it even better. Cannot wait to share this special dish with others at summer parties (Wishful thinking font).
Here’s a link to the recipe and Lidey’s blog. Don’t bypass her post about this salad.
This post follows my progress cooking recipes from
Dorie Greenspan’s “Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook” along with those participating in the online group www.CookTheBookFridays.Wordpress.com
We encourage all our followers to add this book to your cooking library.
I always enjoy reading your blogs! This one reminded me I need to clean out my storage unit in Silt that I have had for eight years at $50/month and I can’t even remember what’s in it. This pandemic would be a good time to attack that project, like you did yours! Thanks for the suggestion!
I am still looking for the perfect cobbler recipe and I may have found it with this one. Bears can be very scary, we had one trying to get into our garbage last night.
My basement is to me what your storage shed was to you! It looks better, but I need to be ruthless with my purging. Brava on your progress! Yikes on the bear and hooray for the gorgeous cobbler!! Have a great weekend, Mary! xo
Love your updates Mary (and that cobbler? Oh my! Can’t wait to make that!). Stay well and safe xo
So I am not clear… is your storage unit cleared or Is It still in process until Sept? I am so inspired by your work In your storage unit.
Scary about he bear. On a good note you did not take a pix of the front of the bear. Usually these pix are evidence found in the camera of the Darwin Award winners.
D – As I was backing up to get away from the bear and hoping he was too old to have a Mama nearby, your experience with Mr. Moose came to mind. No Darwin award for me this time! Storage unit still a work in process as I clear up odds and ends and badger my family to take my Christmas decorations.
KUDOS to you for emptying your storage unit. BIG accomplishment, Mary! I can so relate. Working on the garage now that we have monsoon rains an storms here. No walking, gardening, etc. Great post with yummy recipes — anxious to try the pasta and pesto one with my fresh produce. Thanks. Be well!
With the blueberries in season, I have been making cobbler over and over and enjoying them. I chuckle when you talk about your storage space. For me, the struggle is cleaning out my closet, although at a smaller scale. But the drudgery and resistance are the same. For me, I don’t even see an end date. About the bear encounter, I’d be frozen stiff not knowing which way to go. What a fun post to read. Stay safe!
That is one smart bear……
can sniff out a good chef!
My sarvice berries are plumping and ripening,
Must get my share for jam before
the bears take all!
Finished my garage file Cabinet
Cleansing Today. 4 days Of sorting , tossing, and reminiscing . Eager to try cobbler and salad!
I literally got scared just looking at your pics of that bear. I guess I am a city girl more than a country girl lol. And knowing I don’t have the street smarts to mess with a bear. So glad you are safe. And safe from COVID even though it has become a strange blurred life in someways. Your attitude as usual shines through. Stay grateful and forge ahead. We have been trying to do the “rainy day” type projects here too. I am always finding some adventure to run out on so this appears to be my year (hopeful for 2021 as you can see…) for accomplishing a lot of projects, which is frankly- a gift. And love your comments about the storage unit in addition to your perseverance in getting through it. One of my close friends gently but firmly told me after mom passed that I was to NOT GET A STORAGE UNIT to place any of her items in. She had first hand experience with a friend that went that route and finally went back after like 10 years with several friends on far too many weekends to clear it all out. Nothing is easy. Hugs.
Oh Mary!
The cobbler recipe got me thinking about summers in Aspen …..most especially Colorado peaches!
Biking (ok, in my case, driving!) to the Buttermilk parking lot to buy fresh, warmed by the sun, peaches. Eating them then and there! Their juices running sticky, down your chin and arms!
Is that stand still there?
Last week I bought peaches in NYC.
So excited, I bit into one to find a mealy excuse for my one time favorite fruit!
Summer in Aspen!
Missing it so.
Stay safe and healthy!
Yes, Holli, the Buttermilk stand is still in operation. I buy most of my fruits and veggies there because I don’t go to the Farmer’s Market at all this year. I really hate to tell you but our peaches are fabulous now. I will never stop missing you and Ed. Every time I drive by your house, I think of you. And, every time I drive up that ‘killer hill’ near your house, I think of Ed. His so-called friends, the jocks in our group, nearly did that man in with that bike ride. I can’t remember, did we go pick him up or did we just watch as he pathetically pedaled into your drive way? Always sending love and missing those special years. M.
i don’t have a separate storage unit because i have a junk room in the house– every time i do clear out a bit of it, it feels like a huge relief. i should get down to focused business in there. your cobbler looks delicious, and it was a perfect swap recipe for right now.
6 hours and a skin graft does not sound fun. I hope you heal quickly:) I am glad that you were able to make something. The bear encounter would have scared me.
Wow! I saw the picture of the bear and then read you actually took the picture. Would have scared me to death. So glad you are doing well and were able to make something to join us this month! Kudos on cleaning out the storage unit…I think getting rid of items that are emotionally charged are the most difficult whether in a closet or storage unit so yay for you!!!