Early to the Market ~ let the good-times roll!

Boulder celebrates Memorial weekend in a big way with the Boulder Creek Festival and the Bolder Boulder 10K race. We decided to kick off our weekend with an early morning trip to the farmer's market before all of the crowds descended on the downtown area for the festivities.

Greeted with massive amounts of peonies of varying shades of pink, saturated magenta and the purest of whites, I was instantly charmed by this lively market.

Just picked this morning by Munson Farms, I snatched up an overflowing bag of salad greens with a bit of dill mixed in.

Gorgeous radishes of many varieties were tempting...

but first, feed Ric. For starters, Peruvian pupusas straight off the grill and topped off with a fried egg, a side of coleslaw and a scoop of guacamole...

and then a blackberry cream tart...or two...

and freshly baked breads from Udi's to take home with us.

We could have hung with these guys all day...

and eaten one or two of everything!

Ran into Mr. Laudisio who makes one heck of an Italian feast.

These beauties have me thinking strawberry shortcakes with whipped cream for our barbeque on Monday would make a delicious dessert choice.

Back to the flower stand to pick up an arm-load of peonies before we head home to begin preparing treats for our Sunday hike and romantic picnic for two.

What I really want...

What I wish for on Mother’s Day, I have, a happy and healthy son who is a beautiful human being.

I was blessed with a mother whom I shared an amazing and complete relationship with, I have a lovely step-mother, mother-in-law and a step-mother-in-law.

All that I could ever want in the mom department, I have, which is the peace, love and beautiful relationships that already exist in my life and I wish the same for all of the mothers in the world.

Happy Mother's Day! xx Eva

Pappardelle Pasta with Vegetable Bolognese Ragu

My son, nephew and I made our way through the winding cobblestone roads of the Tuscan hill town of Siena, Italy to the only hotel room we could find available for the evening, a single room high up in a medieval stone building with three twin beds in a row and a bathroom so small the you could take a shower, brush your teeth and sit on the toilet all at the same time. It made for an amusing evening and morning, but we were there to explore and we were all game to bunk up if it meant we could spend the night in this historic and stunning town.

As it turned out, we arrived the evening before the bareback horse race known as Il Palio where ten horses race around the town square ridden by jockeys dressed in jester-like costumes. Siena retains a ward-centric culture from medieval times. Each ward (contrada) is represented by an animal or mascot, and has its own boundary and distinct identity. Ward rivalries run rampant during the Palio as ten of the contradas are represented in the race.

As we walked through the streets looking for a restaurant for dinner, we saw that each street was lined with rows of long tables filled with townspeople dining and celebrating in anticipation of the big race. With family pride showing by way of brightly colored flags that hung from each home and scarves tied around clan member’s necks, it was impossible for us not to feel as if we had stumbled upon a true gem of an experience as spectators of this ancient ritual.

We made our way to the town square or Piazza del Campo, where couples lounged on the cobblestones, eating out of picnic hampers as children ran around and danced to the music of a small orchestra off to the side. We lay down on the ground, looking up at the stars, listening to the music and laughter.

When the music stopped, we made our way through the streets until we came upon a little restaurant where the interior looked like a cross between a cave and a wine cellar. There we had one of the freshest and most delicious meals that I had ever had. The veggies were harvested from the gardens only hours before, salads were dressed with a simple drizzle of fruity olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, and we were served freshly made pasta, handcrafted cheeses and rich red wine. The three of us oohed and aaahed our way through the meal and then meandered our way back to the hotel where we slept soundly side-by-side.

We woke to the bright sunshine and the sounds of the crowds already making their way to the town square for the races. After climbing back and forth over each other's beds as we got ourselves together, we were soon amongst the throngs of people walking through the streets along with parades of families proudly escorting their horses to the church where they would enter and be blessed before the race. Next the horses emerged from the church onto the track and soon after a gunshot was sounded the horses and jesters were making their way around the track with the crowds cheering them on. It was over in a matter of minutes but the festivities carried on.

I love the Italian lifestyle which is passionate, colorful and friendly. The culture takes time to enjoy the bounty of the earth, the food that they have taken care in preparing, the wine and the people in their lives. It's something us Americans could do more of, slow down, enjoy and appreciate all that we have.

Vegetable Bolognese Ragu

INGREDIENTS
1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cups hot water
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch rounds
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, washed and leaves pulled from stems
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, washed and chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces assorted mushrooms (shitaki, crimini or button), stemmed and chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cream (optional)
1 pound pasta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS
Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup very hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.

Place the carrots, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Place the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper and pepper flakes and then cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop the porcini mushrooms and add them along with the fresh mushrooms to the pot and give it a good stir.

Mix in the tomato paste, capers, reserved porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and let the mixture cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Stir in the butter, and cream if you’d like a richer rose sauce.

Basic Egg Pasta

INGREDIENTS
2 cups white flour, plus extra for working the dough
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Put all ingredients into the food processor in the order given and process quickly until a ball forms and it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the container - 30 seconds or so.

If it appears to be sticky, remove the top and sprinkle one tablespoon of flour. Process briefly until it pulls away from the sides. If you plan to use it right away, let it rest for 30 minutes covered with a kitchen towel. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator until needed.

If you have a pasta roller, you can use that as directed and do as Ric does, use a sharp knife or pizza knife to cut the 3/4 inch ribbons of pasta.

Or to roll out the dough by hand, place it on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling-pin. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Let dry about 10 minutes. To cut the pasta, dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices.

Unwrap the noodles; dust with flour or semolina and gently toss to separate and set aside until ready to cook or freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months.

To assemble dish, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (about 1-2 minutes), drain, toss with a bit of olive oil and then salt and pepper to taste. Place pasta in a bowl, top with the ragu and a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil.

Spring Berry Roulade

"I wish there was a cookbook for life, you know? Recipes telling us exactly what to do", says Catherine Zeta-Jones character Kate, in the movie No Reservations.

Ah, a little book to give us all of the answers and the directions, that if followed correctly, would lead to success and the perfectly executed life. That may sound nice but aren't the little surprises, twists and turns what makes it all so much fun? Okay, not always, but life would be boring if we knew the plan and ultimate destination, right? Serendipity is enchanting, unpredictability is amusing and self discovery...inspiring.

While spring is not quite here, I am already anticipating it. As I look out my kitchen window, I see the green buds on the tree branches just beginning to reveal themselves and the tips of crocus and daffodils pushing up through the soil. After the somewhat dull monotone palette of winter, the tease of warmth and the approaching colors of spring excite me and have me thinking of sweet juicy berries and fresh hues and flavors of the season of renewal.

Here is a beautiful springtime dessert that is perfect for brunch, served with tea, or as Ric and I ate it, sitting in front of the television watching a sweet foodie movie, No Reservations!

Pastry Cream

INGREDIENTS
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk or half and half, heated
1 tablespoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan with no heat on, whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes a lemon yellow color. Add the flour and whisk in until combined, then very slowly, add in the warmed milk or half and half while continually whisking.

Turn on the heat to medium and continue to stir with whisk as the pastry cream heats. As the mixture comes to a boil the cream may begin to lump; beat quickly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you go, and the cream will begin to smooth out. Cook until the mixture is thick and heavily coats the spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Cool the mixture and refrigerate until cold.

For the sponge cake:

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup sifted all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 large eggs, separated
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
Grease an 11x15 sheet pan and line with parchment paper that overhangs the edges of the pan by an inch. Butter and flour the parchment.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch and salt.

With and electric mixer, beat the eggs and yolks together with 1/2 cup of sugar for a total of 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and triples in volume. Add the vanilla to the egg mixture and beat a few more minutes. Very gently fold the flour mixture into the eggs until just combined.

In a medium size bowl, beat the egg whites on low until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until you have stiff shiny peaks.

Mix a few spoonfuls of the egg whites into the flour and egg mixture and then gently fold in the rest of the egg white until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread evenly. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes and then remove from oven.

Note: Because you are using such a hot oven, check the cake as it is baking to make sure it doesn’t overcook due to discrepancy in oven temperatures. The sponge should be a light golden brown.

Sprinkle a clean tea towel with powdered sugar and carefully invert the finished sponge onto it. Remove the baking parchment, and then loosely roll the sponge up lengthwise and let it cool.

For the filling:
6 ounce container of Driscoll's organic blueberries, washed
1 pound container of Driscoll's organic strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon sugar
Pastry cream

DIRECTIONS

Beat whipping cream with sugar and almond extract until stiff.
Fold the whipped cream and pastry cream together until well combined.

Gently unroll the sponge and spread with a layer of the cream mixture. Sprinkle the strawberries and blueberries evenly across the cream covered sponge cake. Roll up the cake again then place the roll on a serving platter seam side down. Cover with foil and chill for at least one hour.

Before serving, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with whole strawberries.

10-12 Servings

Trains, Love & Mexican Chocolate Soufflés

I’m sitting on the train with my husband making our way to New York. Ric hasn’t been on a train in ten years and is excited to travel this way. I love trains. When I was a teenager living in London, I would occasionally cut class and hop a train out of town with a couple of girlfriends. We would usually go off to locations like Canterbury or Bath for the day, visiting cathedrals and historical sites. Today when I look back on those days, it is clear to me that I gained more of an education on those little jaunts than I ever would have sitting in the classroom back in Knightsbridge.

Trains are romantic, even today. Their slowness and rolling gait lulls me into a state of complete relaxation. I look out the window where I see a young woman in a little rowboat tied to a piling fishing by herself and I wonder what her story is. Is she lonely or simply enjoying a morning of solitude in her bucolic surroundings? I hope it is the latter.

Romance and love are funny things, so simple and yet, so often elusive and complicated. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I have been thinking about what that day used to mean to me when I was single as opposed to how it feels to me now that I am married.

There are women who do a girls night out for Valentine’s day if they don’t have a significant other, celebrating themselves and the joy of sisterhood, but I usually opted for spending the evening alone or having a quiet dinner with a friend or two. Not being too big on supporting the Hallmark holidays, I always felt that Valentine’s Day was truly a day for lovers and so I mostly ignored it since I found it slightly irritating.

Now that I am married, I still choose to keep it simple and intimate. I am eternally grateful and conscious of how lucky I am to have found my soul mate and perhaps because it came later in life for me, I truly understand how precious my time with Ric is and honor our relationship above all else.

I have also spent much of my life in the presence of death, having lost a number of loved ones much too soon, so I’ll never forget the frail nature of life. I know what it’s like to wish so desperately for just a few more minutes with someone who no longer graces this earth, just to be able to tell them how deeply I loved them and how profound it was to be blessed by their love for me. So while I was never the Valentine’s Day Grinch, I have softened a bit to the idea of a special day to extend thoughts of friendship and love to everyone in our lives, romantic or otherwise. So today, on Valentine’s Day and everyday, go ahead and tell those cherished individuals who share your life how much they mean to you and use the LOVE word generously.

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d pass along this decadent chocolate soufflé recipe. Taking liberties with this divine French sweet, I've added a touch of Mexican flavor with a hint of cinnamon. I like to bake this dessert in little demitasse cups, which gives each person a shot of rich chocolate yumminess without going over the gluttony edge. Enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Soufflé

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting the cups
3 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 percent cacao), melted
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sour cream
Pinch of salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brush ramekins or cups generously with the butter; coat with granulated sugar. Beat eggs whites with an electric hand mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add cream of tartar and sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.Whisk milk into cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan and then bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chocolate (mixture will separate). Whisk in yolks and sour cream until smooth. Gently fold chocolate into egg whites.

Fill ramekins or cups approximately three-quarters of the way full with the batter. Bake on a baking sheet until soufflés rise but centers are still liquid, about 12 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately as they will begin to deflate very quickly once removed from the oven. Serve with heavy cream that can be poured into the center of the soufflé.

Make ahead tip: complete the recipe to the point of putting the batter into the baking vessels and then place into the fridge for up to two hours before baking.

Note: Heavy, double or Devon cream can be found in specialty stores or regular whipping cream from the grocery store will work just fine.

Makes 1 dozen demitasse, 6-7 regular tea cups (using 6 or 7 oz cups) or 4 traditional 7 ounce ramekins.

Warm Bucheron & Beet Salad

French Bucheron and Beet Salad

Serves 6

10 small beets of assorted colors

1 large head of butter lettuce, washed, dried and broken into bite-size pieces

2 rounds of Bucheron goat cheese

1/2 cup milk

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 cups croutons, homemade or store bought

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon mustard

2 pinches of herbs de Provence

Salt and pepper to taste

Additional olive oil for sautéing cheese

Wash unpeeled beets, dry, loosely wrap in foil and roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, open the foil and allow beets to cool enough to be handled. Once they are cool enough to pick up, run under water and pull off the outer layer of skin, dry and set beets aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, herbs de Provence and salt and pepper until emulsified and combined.

Set out 6 salad plates, placing a mound of lettuce on each plate. Quarter the beets and arrange on the plates and then toss a handful of croutons on each salad.

Cut the Bucheron cheese in wedges, six wedges per round. Dip each wedge into the milk and then into the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs into the cheese.

Heat additional olive oil in a small sauté pan until it is hot but not smoking. Arrange the cheese wedges in the pan and sauté, turning to brown on both sides, which should take only a few minutes. Place browned Bucheron wedges on top of salads, two per salad. Drizzle salads with the dressing and serve.