use real butter

Recipe: peach upside down cake

It would seem that everyone on the flats got word of the leaves turning and came in droves to the mountains over the weekend. Either that or they were looking for their final summer jaunt before the autumnal equinox arrives this Saturday. Bluebird skies and gold stands mark the start of my favorite season. We lose our daylight hours fastest this time of year.

cottonwoods gone yellow

sunsets don’t linger as long

We drove in the opposite direction from most of the traffic and joined my parents for dinner at our favorite sushi bar in Boulder. Fall is when they leave Colorado, because they aren’t big fans of winter. I think they had a nice summer here though, with all of the happy hours, exploring, dinners, lunches, visits, bottles of wine consumed, and Kaweah-time.

hamachili special

And the farmers market was abuzz with activity. People were looking to get their summer loving on, but it started to look like the season was winding down. At the northern end of the market, there was a sign where I normally bought my peaches, “Sold out! See you next year!” That was like a little knife in my gut.

greens, peppers, eggplants, onions…

and still some tomatoes

I promised if you came back today, I’d have something other than tomatoes. I did manage a few pounds of late season peaches from Colorado’s western slope. Sweet, juicy, almost buttery. Panic sets in when you realize these sunshiny orbs are on their way out for the year and a sudden urge to make yet another batch of jam overrides all reason. I did just that and still had a few pounds left over. It’s been a while since I’ve baked a cake…

peaches, butter, sugars, flour, milk, vanilla, eggs, baking soda, salt

There is an ever-growing list of recipes I want to make. I should say lists, because they reside on sticky notes – both virtual and physical, scraps of paper, notes on my iPhone, emails to myself. Fruity upside down cakes surfaced recently. They have great appeal because I’m more of a fruit girl than a cake girl and then there is that whole business of caramelized goodness. Why not use some of the last peaches?

melt the butter and brown sugar

cook until it bubbles

Something I learned about the peaches this summer was that different varieties marched through the markets. When I first got my grubby little hands on peaches for jamming in July, they were clingstone peaches. Good thing I was jamming them because it was like a peach murder scene trying to get those buggers off the pits. Thankfully, this late season batch was of the freestone variety – which easily releases from the pit and makes for pretty slices.

wonderful

arrange in the pan

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: jennie’s tomato jam

Autumn arrived in the mountains this weekend despite the hot temperatures down on the flats. I am absolutely fine with this. There are so many pluses to this time of year! There are signs that the leaves have begun to turn. Actually, the leaves are about a week early which seems to be the schedule for all plants this season (some fruits were up to a month early). It’s just a few rogue branches as more than 99% of the aspens around here are still green, but this is how it all starts.

and there it is (iphone)

Kaweah is digging the cool down too, because it means we don’t have to walk her before sunrise or after sunset anymore (summer is just too hot for this old dog). She enjoys leisurely strolls at all times of the day now and it shows in her springy step.

on the move! (iphone)

The other day, Jeremy and I dropped by Salto Coffee Works (in our little mountain town of Nederland) to find the outdoor fireplace in use with many a happy local gathered around it. We were there to grab a quick bite and to say hi to our friends from Pica’s in Boulder, who were running a pop-up at Salto, serving tacos on the patio while a bluegrass band performed inside.

trent prepares our pork belly tacos

a lovely evening with pica’s taqueria and salto coffee works

keeping warm at the fireplace

little paloma digs on the chips and guac!

Knowing Trent was going to be there, I brought some goodies from my kitchen to share with him and Zoey, including some tomato jam I had just made. Having heard so many raves about Jennie’s sweet and savory tomato jam from mutual friends over the years, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on several pounds of tomato seconds and find the time to try it! This is the magical time when vegetable harvests are in full swing down on the flats, but it’s chilly enough up at my house that spending hours cooking jam and canning it feels cozy rather than oppressively hot. Zoey later wrote to say she loved the jam, but couldn’t find the recipe on the blog. Well, that’s because I hadn’t blogged it yet – but here it is for Zoey and for the rest of you! This is a heavenly, delightful jam that you will want to both covet for yourself and share with your friends and family and probably even strangers.

glorious tomatoes

onions, green apples, sugar, brown sugar, cider vinegar, tomatoes, lemon, spices, salt

As I mentioned when I first started jamming/canning earlier this summer, I am I big fan of seconds. I swung by Cure Organic Farm in Boulder last week to see what tomatoes I could get from their farm stand. I walked away with 15 pounds of tomato seconds – some bruised, most imperfect, all of them fantastically sweet, ripe, and wonderful. $1.75 a pound for luscious, organic tomatoes? Did I mention that I went back to purchase another 77 pounds? Yep, I did that.

dice

all chopped up

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: hibiscus tea lemonade

The US Pro Cycling Challenge has been touring Colorado this week and on Saturday, they came to Boulder and more specifically (for me), they climbed up to and through my town of Nederland (Ned) in the mountains, for a truly exciting day of racing. Tens of thousands lined the streets of Boulder and the finish up on the flanks of Flagstaff Mountain. Jeremy tracked the race progress online as they entered Boulder Canyon on their way up to Ned. It is a commute we both know well enough to drive in our sleep, and we were astounded at how quickly they passed each landmark (the tunnel, Sugarloaf, Boulder Falls, The Narrows). By the time Jeremy announced the peloton was at The Narrows, I packed my camera and we set off, out the front door.

neighbors waiting with great anticipation for the riders

We walked a quick five minutes to the race route and as I found a place to set up, Jeremy said the break had reached the dam. The road wasn’t packed with people, but there were a lot more than I have ever seen on that stretch of road before. Everyone was smiling, happy, excited. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. We knew the break was arriving in town as we heard a roar of cheering and cowbells rise from down the valley. Before we knew it, police vehicles were rounding the bend and then we caught sight of the first group as they climbed steadily up the hill.

the break (14 riders)

the chase (2 riders)

and the peloton

bmc riders

the rest of the pack

and away they go

How cool is that? Very freaking cool. But it was actually kinda hot (by my definition, which is anything above 70°F) and I thought about a nice cool glass of something or other as we walked back home with our neighbor. As far as I am concerned, anytime is a great time for lemonade – but really, it is quintessential summer, is it not? My beverage of choice is the Arnold Palmer: half iced tea and half lemonade. Lately, I’ve been digging on what I refer to as the hibi Palmer, but it is basically hibiscus tea lemonade.

dried hibiscus flowers from savory spice shop

all you need: sugar, dried hibiscus flowers, lemons

Never having been a fan of plain hibiscus tea, I was dubious when someone at Salto Coffee Works told me their hibiscus tea lemonade was very popular. But then I took a taste and yes, it’s amazingly refreshing, tart, and smooth. More fruity than an Arnold Palmer.

making sugar water

steep the dried hibiscus flowers in the hot sugar water

meanwhile, squeeze some lemon juice

**Jump for more butter**