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Recipe: roasted cherry tomatoes with mint

Okay, April just sort of whizzed past me over here. I feel as if I’ve been slogging through the month with my head down to meet all manner of deadlines. This weekend was when I could finally (sort of) look up and around and wonder at the month that was. We got outside to enjoy some untracked snow in the backcountry despite the crazy warm temperatures (50°F) and the unrelenting sun. Whew! There is always that one day in spring that takes some getting used to – the transition from winter to summer.

jeremy admires the view of the high peaks in the distance

breaking trail

skiing out as the sun begins to set

And it looks as if April is not leaving without a fight. There is snow forecasted for the last day of the month. I can’t help but worry after the delicate spring blooms and birds that have been trying to make an appearance each week only to get the snowy smackdown from Mother Nature. I imagine anything that has learned to survive in the mountains these many years is half expecting this dance between fire and ice.

our neighborhood fox keeps it on the down low no matter the weather

We had a warm weekend, which was perfect for throwing open the windows and the deck door. Kaweah loves when the deck door is open. She stands just inside the door, just outside the door, and then eventually right across the threshold because that is the best thing ever (in her mind). Our neighbors came over for dinner Sunday evening. It turns out that all four of their birthdays are in April, so I made some celebratory cupcakes.

flourless chocolate hazelnut cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting

little cakes on a little stand

and a plate of coconut macaroons drizzled in dark chocolate

For dinner, something on the grill seemed appropriate. We served barbecue chicken and a bunch of vegetable sides. One of those sides involves roasted cherry tomatoes with mint, which I had to make last week for a client shoot with Modmarket. Modmarket’s fare is fresh, simply prepared, wholesome, and incredibly good – so I enjoy working with them. They had given me a small container of these minted roast tomatoes, but I made more just in case I needed extras.

all you need: cherry tomatoes, salt, mint, olive oil, pepper

rinse and pat dry

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Recipe: strawberry vanilla jam

Some people can become really bent out of shape when winter gets all up in their spring. I’m not one of those people. I’m used to straddling two seasons at any given time because I live at the boundary of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. In the mountains, we are usually dawdling behind the flats come springtime with our snows and cold temperatures in contrast to their colorful spring blooms and flowering trees. Then we plunge headfirst into autumn and first snowstorms as their mosquito-bitten legs still strut around in shorts, flip flops, and summer. The great thing is to be able to leave one season and enter another in the span of 30 minutes and the canyon that separates the mountains from the flats.

the morning the storm cleared out

so colorado

A recent storm plastered the whole area with snow. Winter here. Winter there. I haven’t skied it yet as there has been a lot going on lately like routine mammograms and ultrasounds (which came back clear – booyah!), work, friends visiting from out of town, and heaps of paperwork. It’s all good. All good.

working with helliemae’s this week

met up with dear aran for a nice walk and talk around chautauqua park in boulder

It was only two weeks ago that I was complaining about those little liar strawberries in the store – organic, dark red that turned out to be flavorless with the texture of styrofoam. I should have known better, but I am an ever hopeful individual. I bought another quart this week and they were juicy, sweet, perfumey. Local strawberries still have a few months to go in Colorado, but I’m already looking forward to making more jam come June. Strawberries are one of my favorite things to come with the warmer months. Last year I canned several batches of this strawberry vanilla jam to give as gifts since Jeremy and I rarely consume jam. If only I had known.

sugar, vanilla beans, strawberries, lemons, pectin

hull and cut the strawberries

Turns out that Jeremy is a fiend for this jam. This one in particular. I would sometimes have one or two jars that didn’t seal properly during the canning process, so they would go into the refrigerator to serve at breakfast when we had house guests. And I noticed that the peach jams remained untouched (remember, the boy doesn’t eat stone fruits) and the strawberry vanilla jams would empty in no time.

split and gut the vanilla bean

macerate the strawberries in vanilla bean and sugar

stir it all together and let refrigerate overnight

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Recipe: mango lassi

Volatile. We go from dark, brooding skies to clear and sunny ones to snow squalls to gentle breezes and run that cycle fifty times over. Spring is volatile around here. The clouds are practically roiling over the Continental Divide in a battle between moisture, thermal expansion, and pressure gradients. The tips of aspen branches have turned fuzzy and glow brilliantly in the sun. They will be a fresh green in a matter of months. I love my snow, but I doubt there are many who don’t feel a little giddy at the approach of spring. We are certainly enjoying it.

snow hangs like bunting on the bridge (iphone)

metal flowers at peak 8 in breckenridge (iphone)

looking out on imperial chair – the highest ski lift in north america (iphone)

aprés ski – start with tempura

…and hamachi sashimi

brushing the dog (kaweah doesn’t enjoy this one bit)

April is a stone’s throw away. We finished our taxes. It feels great to get that out the way. I’m fighting the urge to go into full spring cleaning mode because I basically blow up the house and spend a few days sorting it all out. I think that stresses the hell out of Jeremy, so I’ll try to do that on the sly when he isn’t around to witness the mayhem. Oh, and the other day I saw deep red organic strawberries at the market and bought a pint. Guess what? They’re not ready. I knew better, but late winter/early spring can play tricks on your mind. Sour, cottony, hard strawberries – blegh! The person at Whole Foods who wrote the “juicy and sweet!” sign ought to be kicked in the shins. But the point is that I am ready for fruit other than apples, pears, and citrus (which have done a swell job these many months).

my favorite: the champagne (or ataulfo) mango

The delightful little mango that I love most is the Ataulfo and it is in season now. The flesh is smooth and silky compared to the stringy meat of the more common Tommy Atkins variety (large, greenish-red skin, mild flavor). Ataulfo mangoes are sweeter too. Jeremy doesn’t like mangoes (nor any stone fruit), so I happily buy them all for my own consumption. Most of the time I just peel the skin off with a knife and eat it like an apple. It makes a glorious mess. I also love a mango lassi, but cringe at the price in restaurants because I know how easy it is to make at home. I shot this recipe two years ago, but I still use it and I still love it.

dice them up

into the blender to purée

add yogurt (and water, sugar, and cardamom)

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