Boulevard Raspail Corn on the Cob is this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice.
Last week, on an intensely sunny Aspen day, I was hiking down a rocky, steep mountain trail and encountered a woman catching the shade of a spindly oak tree. She was in her late sixties, noticeably wobbly and alone. (Not good.) Like a flash, my Ranger-Self sprang into action, asking if she needed help. She responded that no, she had just stopped to rest for five minutes. “I’ve been having altitude sickness,” she said, “and, I was getting dizzy again.” (High noon + 9,000’ high + altitude sickness = bad idea)
“Do you have any water?” I inquired.
She didn’t but said her husband had water at the top. That’s when I realized the three hikers I passed earlier were with her, so to speak. (At this point, dear Readers, I am not feeling any love for her husband.) I offered her my water and suggested I hike up the last 1/3 of the trail with her. She declined both offers. We went our separate ways. Her, up. Me, down. When I passed two more hikers, I asked if they’d continue hiking behind her, keeping her in sight until she was reunited with her hiking partners and they agreed.
This is a partial response, more later, to the question I am most asked these days, “What do you DO as a volunteer Forest Ranger?”
A delicious dinner: Boulevard Raspail Corn on the Cob, Dorie’s Broth-Braised Potatoes and a Salmon Patty.
However, a question I often ask myself is “What do volunteer Forest Rangers eat?” I need a healthy, fulfilling picnic lunch every day I’m on the trail as well as an easy-to-prepare dinner when I arrive home, tired and famished. Surprisingly, our French Fridays with Dorie recipes this summer have answered my menu needs.
For example, when you’re sitting on a decaying tree log surrounded by wildflowers, Quinoa and Tuna Salad or a Swordfish Sandwich or Duck Breast Wrap, all FFWD recipe-leftovers, take on 5-Star Michelin quality fare. Whole-cherry Clafoutis eases neatly into a metal camping container and a few fudgy Raw Brownies are kept cool nestled next to my icy camelback water pouch.
Ruth Frey, Chairwoman of the Volunteer Committee, is responsible for keeping all 100 volunteer Rangers on the same page. No wonder she’s taking a well-deserved Time-Out on the popular Conundrum Creek Trail.
This week’s recipe choice, Boulevard Raspail Corn on theCob, is another treat that will keep me well-fed for several days. Dorie’s corny idea is to place unhusked corn in a 400-degree F. oven, roast 40 minutes, turning once, shuck and enjoy. Simple and delicious. I’ll cut the kernels off the uneaten corn and toss in this salad and this pizza from The Cafe Sucré Farine. With the corn, I chose Dorie’s Broth-braised Potatoes, a Make-up Recipe from FFWD, January, 2012. Add a salmon patty from Whole Foods – a quick dinner.
Now that I’m fed, let’s get back to this Ranger business.
After handing out Smokey Bear stickers and pins, Steve Chase gets ready to send these little hikers on their way. Can you tell he has a granddaughter of his own?
The White River National Forest is our country’s most heavily visited Forest. In the past 3 years, it’s funding has dropped 55%. That’s why the USFS is more than grateful to have the Forest Conservancy’s “100 pair of boots on the ground” to lend support. And, we in the FC, primarily retired professionals, executives, educators, and relocated community leaders, willingly rise to the challenge.
Some stories….. Recently three unprepared hikers, wet, cold and bedraggled, came running down the two-miles from Crater Lake into the Maroon Bells Visitor Center to escape an afternoon hailstorm. While eating lunch inside the Center, the youngest in the group ran outside and began spitting/vomiting into the nearby flower berm (which was a bit unsettling to Donna Grauer, the on-duty Ranger). He had a serious peanut allergy, had eaten the no-no and was not carrying his Epipen. (Seriously?) Luckily, following protocol, Donna could offer him spray-on Benedryl and allergy pills from her Med kit which he took before heading back to Aspen and our nearby hospital.
Team Sky and Tour de France Champ Chris Froome meet Aspen FC Rangers during a conditioning ride before the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. My colleague, Judy Schramm, (R) co-founded the Forest Conservancy in 2001.
Also, that day, an unthinking father left his wife and two boys during that same hailstorm at Crater Lake to run down to the Visitors Center to request a Mountain Rescue evacuation for them. Finding this was not possible, they were not injured, he rode the bus 13 miles down to the parking area to retrieve his car and return to the Bells. By the time he returned, his family had safely hiked down with others from Crater Lake, had ridden the bus back to the parking area, missing his car arrival back to the Bells by 15 minutes. Ya think Dad was in the doghouse?
On another day two men approached my colleague Ruth Frey and me to ask if we had seen “a very pissed-off woman in a purple shirt?” We had not.
An hour or so later we did see this woman, hiking alone. “Are you the very-pissed off woman in the purple shirt?” I asked.
She was furious. Readers, we’re talking very, very angry. I asked, “Is this a divorce?”
“No,” she replied. “I’m going to kill him.”
Although we weren’t on official duty, the six of us, all Rangers, stopped to help this injured black lab. Francine is not only a wildflower expert but also a veterinarian.
When six of us, all Rangers, were on a wildflower hike several miles from a trailhead last June, we met a young woman with an injured black lab dog. He had torn off his right foot pad on a sharp rock and could not walk. She was trying, unsuccessfully, to carry him. Not only did we have all kinds of bandages and salves in our backpacks, we also had a veterinarian in our midst. Francine Liebel treated/wrapped the dog’s foot so he could walk and we hiked with them the three miles down to her car.
This is what we do every day – it’s all about kindness. We’re the good guys who hope everyone has a safe and wonderful experience in our mountains. We help keep our trails pristine, dismantle fire rings and douse still-smoldering ashes. We give Smokey stickers and buttons to the kids and filter water for hikers and campers who run short. Last year our Forest Conservancy Rangers clocked almost 7,000 service hours translating to $150,000 in-kind service and untold goodwill. Admittedly, this is not a high-paying job with any career advancement opportunities. We work for free. But we’ve got one hell of an office and you can’t beat our view.
Usually the Yellow-bellied Marmots, who love to lie on the boulders to catch the rays, are the star wildlife summer attraction. This year, however, they’ve been trumped by two pair of Mama and Baby Moose who are eye-candy for the soul.
This week, for me, has been one of those lucky-to-be-alive times to grab and hold tightly. In our family we accept Life as it comes, with its peaks —quite often, with its valleys. That’s why I’ve made a pact to not waste a moment of “peakness”. This week has been a whoop-de-doo, hoop and hollering cause for celebration. Nothing’s more delicious than Happy.
My week is best told in pictures.
While unpacking, what could taste better than Goat Cheese & Strawberry Tartines
First, please try this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Goat Cheese and Strawberry Tartine. Although this little bit of yummy is best served at cocktail time with a chilled glass of Chenin Blanc, I made this for a simple, quick and tasty lunch.
After dripping balsamic glaze on the strawberries,let them rest for 5 minutes so the glaze can seep into the fruit.
Slice a baguette. Spread with goat cheese. (I used goat cheese with honey.) Place sliced strawberries on top and sprinkle with coarsely ground pepper. Finish with balsamic vinegar, if you wish. I chose to drip a balsamic vinegar glaze over the strawberries. The glaze disappeared quickly, seeping into the berries and, when eaten, creating a sensational burst of flavor in the mouth. After you slice your bread, leave it fresh or toast it. I did both. Which is better? It’s a draw.
Second, the construction and cleanup chores on my condo were finally completed so I could begin to move boxes from my storage unit to D-203. By the time you read this, I will have my kitchen in order. Unpacking old friends to hang on walls or put on tables and in cupboards turns a condominium into a home. I’m surrounded by the familiar and it’s a wonderful feeling.
Lastly, after an absence of nine years, I am now back in uniform. It’s official as of this week. Being a volunteer US Forest Ranger carries with it the responsibility of knowing and interacting safely not only with tourists but also with the natural world – the plants, birds and critters. To that end, this week I’ve participated in wildflower and birding field trips, a botany class and an evening river float. It’s tough duty but somebody’s got to do it. All part of Life back in the mountains.
Early morning birding at the Maroon Creek Wetlands in Aspen
An early evening float east of Aspen to see nesting Great Blue Herons. This colony of Blues, at 8,000 feet in elevation, is the highest one in N.A. and is the only one occurring in blue spruce trees.
I love Herons but this was my first Float e-v-e-r. I don’t swim. I didn’t wear the right equipment. My paddle got stuck in willows several times. The water was cold. AND, as you can see, it was stormy!!!
A full-day wildflower and birding field trip. After a 5am wakeup call for a 7am meet-up at the trailhead, we finally stopped for lunch at 12:30pm. I was thinking about my ham and cheese sandwich by 11am.
If Laughter is the best medicine and an apple a day keeps the doctor away, I’m looking at healthy. This has been a week carbo-loaded with Life’s joys and nature’s wonder. It’s also been days of peeling Granny Smith apples, tossing them in the crockpot and producing enough hunky applesauce to feed the populace of Colorado.
It’s because of joy, wonder, and, yes, even applesauce, that I am tardy in posting this week’s French Friday with Dorie recipe, a scrumptious Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes ( I used Dates).
It’s Friday. We’re scrambling to get Dorie’s Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Dates plated. Probably not going to make the FFWD deadline. Donna, the Forest Conservancy treasurer and Fred, a volunteer Forest Ambassador, are not sympathetic to my small kitchen and lack of equipment. Fred’s wife, Cathy, was visiting her sister who lives in Portland and missed the meal.
Let me explain. First, the applesauce. My philosophy, which I have finally come to regret, is that if more is better, more, more, more is best. Granny Smith apples were on sale this week and, not wanting to miss out on a great price, I overbought. Peeling apples gulps up chunks of time.
Last Monday I celebrated my birthday. My enterprising friend, Jane, always, always, always scouts out the greatest gifts. This year she outdid herself by finding a vintage felt Ranger hat, with the label, Campaign, authenticated with “sweat” marks on its headband. I will wear it when I’m a volunteer Wilderness Ranger next Summer.
As for Mother Nature’s wonder, she dumped it here last week. It’s called snow and Coloradans are ecstatic. As they should be. This state cries for moisture and its ski resorts beg for the white stuff. Having evaded such nonsense for the past eight years while living in Nevada, I found myself ill-prepared. No boots. No mittens. No car snow scraper. You name it, I didn’t have it. I declared myself a snow emergency and took a time-out to regroup.
Two days later, Mother Nature blew into town, leaving a snowy message and erasing any hopes of more Indian Summer days.
The joys have been in bringing closure to the journey of a good man and a life well-lived. For the past three months my family and I have been discussing how best to honor Michael with a memorial of some type. Although we wanted it to be meaningful and significant, we are not a family of great wealth, charitable trusts nor much discretionary income.
As our friend, Lloyd, said in his eulogy to Michael, “He never confused his self-worth with his net-worth. Getting rich was not his goal in life. His life’s goal was taking care of his patients and he did that very well.”
While hiking in the Rockies in late August, we encountered freshman college students exploring our trail system during orientation week. They all wanted ( and, received ) Smokey the Bear stickers for their backpacks from volunteer Wilderness Rangers, Sandy (l) and Ruth.
There are all kinds of tiny, hand-to-mouth organizations in every community and Aspen is no exception. But it was a no-brainer to choose the ForestConservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the White River National Forest and serving the community (that’s all of you) who enjoys it.
The FC was established in 2001 by four Aspenites concerned about the lack of government-paid personnel (Rangers) available to protect and monitor the 2.3 million acres of the WRNF. What began with four, quickly grew to fourteen (when I joined), and now is well over one-hundred volunteers who serve as Wilderness Rangers, Forest Ambassadors and certified Master Naturalists.
Hiking with volunteer Wilderness Rangers Annie (L) and Donna (R). Donna amazes me with her knowledge of Rocky Mountain flowers and vegetation. I love to hike with her. As you can see, I cannot be issued my uniform again until I pass my certification and jump through some hoops. I’m not taking this personally, the Forest Conservancy means business.
The FC collaborates with the USDA Forest Service and thirteen other partners to hike and monitor our trails. Today, more than a decade later, the FC is an indispensable arm of the Forest Service and BLM and…………always strapped for cash.
What better way to recognize a man who not only skiied these mountains for fifty straight years but also grumbled his way through three to five-mile hikes every summer with his wife. Once decided, my brother and sister-in-law made a very, very generous contribution to the FC in Michael’s name which I will match. Happily, we’re in business. A win-win for everyone.
Sometimes we even chat-up the guys we meet on the trail because they are good-lookin’ !!!
Last Friday night, three FC friends, all FC volunteers, joined me for dinner to celebrate, thus having the opportunity to sample Dorie’s FFWD recipe choice. Once again, this week’s recipe, Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes, was fabulous. Luckily, you can find the recipe here. I served this one-dish meal with Yotam Ottolenghi’s Beet, Orange and Black Olive Salad (recipe here) saffron risotto and crusty bread. Needing a light dessert, we enjoyed daughter Melissa’s crockpot applesauce (warm) over Dulce de Leche ice cream.
Mise en Place for the Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes. Notice I substituted Dates for Prunes.
Donna, who coincidentally, is the FC treasurer, loved this tagine’s spices – saffron, cinnamon, cayenne, star anise and bay leaves. “There are no sharp edges to this dish,” she remarked, “it’s just round and mellow.”
Her husband, Bernie, who is a Forest Ambassador at our beloved Maroon Bells, brought bottles of well-regarded Chateau De Paraza red wine from the Minervois AOC region of the Lanquedoc. It was fruitier than a Bordeaux with an earthy, rustic taste that complimented the tagine.
At last, dinner is served. The verdict? Tasty. Delicious. Very good.
My only tagine suggestions which I offer are:
1. For fuller flavoring, steep the saffon threads in the 1/2 cup of warmed water needed in the tagine.
2. Because it is topped with toasted chopped walnuts, I substituted walnut oil for the plain olive oil.
3. I chose Dates over Prunes.
To see what the Doristas, my colleagues who did meet the Friday deadline cooked up, go here.
