We’ve had a lot of snow! Coming inside after shoveling for the 4th or 5th day in a row, invigorated by the cold, the idea popped in my head to make a batch of baked beans with my favorite barbeque sauce recipe, hailing back to the days of cooking demos at Happy Heart Farm CSA in Ft. Collins,…
Category: Cooking
A Bit of Winter Garden Magic plus Butternut Squash and Feta Stuffed Pasta Shells with “Under the Leaves” Herbs
With mud in view the garden called out to me like a siren this gray February day, snow clouds descending and Mount Lamborn no longer in view. Everything has been covered in white here for weeks, and coming home from a five day trip I smiled, seeing brown leaves and black earth, re-emerging through the melting snow. Once out…
Entering the Sometimes Turbulent Realm of Valentine’s Day with a Smile…and Sour Cherry Chocolate Brownies
You get it, right? The emotional weather report for the next weekend can forecast some fairly volatile storms, the possibility of patchy, disorienting veils of unfathomable fog ~~~ as well as heady, high altitude, sunny, picture-perfect atmospheric conditions. All because of St. Valentine, and the weighty burden we’ve laid on him. The ability to feel and express the…
Garbanzo Artichoke Sliders with Sundried Tomatoes, Lemon Basil Pesto and Sweet Potato “Buns”
Believe it or not – with the Slider Craze that’s sweeping the globe, these are my first ever, though a very tasty jumping off point – sliders. Of course they are untraditional, because that’s just how it generally works in Pachamama’s cocina. Some folks steeped in slider tradition may even not believe they ARE sliders, but…
Bee Heaven, Elderberry Syrup, and a Sunrise Smoothie
When I first visited this amazing Paonia, Colorado home in July of 2011, and was taken into the back yard, I fell in love. The grape bower made of old tree limbs, with a shady alcove to sit underneath -looking out at a rich garden plot beyond. And the towering bushes framing the garden, were loaded, LOADED with elderberries….
Pumpkin Cake Exotica with Dark Chocolate, Chili and Dried Plum Filling
Rain and snow were all mixed up in the weather report today, making my morning walk full of drips and slips. I was in a fine mood even so, running into a friend or two along my route. The melting snow revealed bits of green beneath, and my steps were light. Then I had the inspiration…
Don’t Frack the Fork! A Fierce and Tender Love, from Garden to Table
I live in the North Fork Valley of southwestern Colorado, in the small town of Paonia. The North Fork refers to the mighty Gunnison river, which ebbs and flows in varying degrees of tame and wild depending on the season. This community became my home nearly 6 years ago, and I have grown to adore it, land,…
Prayers, Pomegranates and Moroccan Fruit Salad
The allure of the pomegranate. I have been intrigued as long as I can remember. The abundance of hidden sweetness behind every papery membrane. Discovery. Stained fingers. The fruit of legends. The Stupa of Dharmakaya, Shambhala Mountain Center at Red Feather Lakes in Colorado is a setting where a beautiful depiction of the pomegranate fruit is displayed….
Lemon Curd and Other Love Stories
I walked into my bedroom after a busy day today and realized I hadn’t had time to make the bed this morning – a typical daily ritual before heading downstairs. It triggered the memory of the lines of a poem. I wrote it years ago, the day after the man I eventually married left my…
Chipotle Smoked Cheddar Mac and Cheese
When the temperatures dip below zero for over a week straight, the spice factor of dishes made in my kitchen spikes way up. And isn’t this as it should be? With a dish of chipotle smoked cheddar mac and cheese set on the table, everybody warms up and starts feeling lively again. This recipe, as you…
Beet Chips with Kosher Salt and Rosemary
The temperature was -4 early this morning, with a very thin, fine powder of new snow over all. The garden is buried, with my popcorn and cranberry garland from the holidays swinging forlornly from some branches out back. Sweet juncos, a chickadee or two, and flickers will soon be flitting about in spite of the frigid…
The Girls at Rain Crow Farm + Fresh (farm to table) Herbed Goat Cheese Au Poivre
I had a sweetly special experience today in the current deep freeze we are experiencing here in Paonia, Colorado. I mingled with goats. Friendly, furry and inquisitive – they were certainly happy to see me, the Girls of Rain Crow Farm. I had talked with Carrie, co-owner of the farm – http://www.raincrowfarm.com – this morning. I was…
Stuffed Cabbage with Smoked Cheddar Mashers, Tempeh Italian Sausage and Heirloom Tomato Sauce
My New Year’s wish for you: May you stay open hearted, full of compassion, grounded – and make the choice to eat good food! Keep Pachamama in mind with love as you walk through your days, and choose what you eat. And now for that good food. To me, this vegetarian recipe is an absolutely ideal winter dish. Your…
Two Lovely Shortbread Cookies: Glazed Lavender + Toasted Hazelnut Clementine
One holiday tradition I always look forward to is baking. Yesterday it was my recipe for the absolutely delectable, intriguing – and beguiling! – glazed lavender shortbread, first notably served at a winter solstice party (2007, the year the tradition began) to raves and immediate requests for the recipe. The shortbread is buttery and offers the mellow, unexpected…
Pachamama's Beautiful Food 