Big baldy- Indian creek loop, Frank Church Wilderness

 I have been more than remiss! This summer (2015) I took an incredible week long trip into the wilderness and surprisingly came out in one piece! I had been reading tiny snippets about this loop all year and committed to it once I found detailed maps in the college library. Lots of the reports for this trail were outdated but I was informed that lots of work had been done recently. 

Here I want to state my first warning. The dirt road leading to the trailhead, near Snowshoe Summit, was the roughest I've ever driven in my car. I highly recommend at least all wheel drive and some clearance. It is a Jeep trail in places. 

I parked on the side of the track near the trailhead and searched for some time to find the trail while my dogs blitzed around the hillside. I finally found the trail by beginning at the trail marker and walking east near the road. 

Here's my second warning. Please have a good map and decent compass skills for this trip! Though I will say the entire first day I enjoyed a very clear trail. 

I only walked about 6 miles the first day, owing to the extended drive to the trailhead. The entire area burned about 16 years ago and much of the evidence remains. As a result, finding adequate campsites without widow makers (dead, standing trees) was difficult. The very first evening I set up camp on a saddle between Little Baldy and Pistol Lake. Beautiful, but blustery!

Both sunset and sunrise were stunning!

Day 2 was nearly the end of my trip! After passing the trail to Pistol Lake the main trail curves down a hillside to the east. Initially, I walked all the way to the dirt road at the bottom, perplexed that I hadn't found the continuation of my route. I spent about an hour perusing my map, having a snack, and browsing the hillside before deciding I would make one last effort to find my trail before spending the next few days at Pistol Lake. The trail is faint since it wends along the rocky hillside, but there it was! Leading me eventually into one of the sterilized areas from the old burn. Sometimes the fires can burn so hot that recruitment of new trees and plants takes an incredible amount of time. Seeds and spores can't survive the heat and even the soil composition is changed. 

This also means the trail is tough to pick out in places. Don't worry, it gets worse! Thankfully, the day was cool and relatively overcast so I didn't smell like a troll until later. The trail takes you along the rugged spine of the mountain until you reach Chilcoot Pass. The trail to the peak is still available and there used to be the remains of a fire lookout up there but I pressed on. 

Approaching the Pass, the Peak to the left. 

Chilcoot Pass signage. 

Coming down the pass was a little slick in places but I thought it was awesome to stumble upon a spring in the middle of the trail. It's a thin spring but the water was cool and delicious! And filtered, of course. The dogs and I sat here for lunch and enjoyed the green valley we were descending into. 

Today is the day I wish I had stopped earlier rather than later. There's a really lovely meadow I camped in on the way back and it would have been a great stopping place for today. It's to the left of the trail just before it joins up with a dirt road. I pressed on, wanting to make up the miles I hadn't done the first day. 

This is the trail as it leaves the dirt road heading to Pistol Rock. The trail is really bad here, with erosion washing out major portions. My dogs and I slid into one washout when we stepped onto the trail where it had been undercut. Be careful here!! The trail splits just after Pistol Rock and I took the split toward Big Baldy. The trail carried me across the spines of mountains and through stands of new Lodgepole Pines, but every flat tent spot had dead, burned-out trees looming over it. The day was hot and the trail was dry. My 2-liter camelbak sprung a leak and I lost all but half a liter. The dogs were exhausted and we took extended breaks as the day drug on, laying full out in the dirt to nap and rest our feet. We were all thirsty. The trail alternated between being visible but brutal, and nearly nonexistent but fair. Sometimes I had to backtrack to find the trail and often the only indicator of the trail was an old cut end of a log where trail crews in the past had cleared. I nearly turned around today. Buck Lake was close but as I drew near I made the mistake of focusing on a pond off the trail. I imagined that it had to be Buck Lake, ignoring the lack of trail. An easy thing to do when you're out of water. I rationalized that I knew where the trail was and I knew where I'd be down at the pond, so I descended about 800 feet and spent the night at a mosquito filled bowl with a muddy shored pond that gave me the water I needed to think straight. I had made a mistake going off trail. I got a little choked up and felt sick to my stomach. A voice inside told me to get it together and just fix it tomorrow. I did just that but only after a beautiful sunset and some much needed sleep. 

Day 3 broke and we were up early. The stress of the previous day, coupled with the thirst I had endured meant I hadn't eaten much. I was still concerned about getting back on trail and wasn't able to stomach more than a few bites from an energy bar. We climbed back to the trail and found it sheers off the spine to bend and twist steeply down a slide to the picturesque Buck Lake, where we rested for most of the morning. 

I smelled like I hadn't bathed in a month so I stripped down and stepped into the lake. I barely got above my ankles before the cold stopped me. I splashed about but drew the line at washing my hair. My scalp already felt tight enough to pop off my head. We rested in the morning sun for hours before slowly packing up and moving slowly towards Big Baldy, where I wanted to stay in the lookout. 

Let's take a closer look. 

Can you see the trail cutting through the green to the right of the slide? I'd hate to go up that trail. This section of the walk was quite beautiful. I walked through green mountains and out onto grassy hillsides which had once been covered in timber but was still recovering from the burn. I could see the lookout for nearly a mile as I came around a big bend in the trail. We were moving very slowly at this point, paws and feet sore and legs aching. Rounding Big Baldy was my favorite part of this trip. The surrounding mountains were exactly how I had pictured them to be: dark stands of trees broken by furry, grassy meadows. 

We were on a roll and continued trudging along the dusty trail. I kept looking up the length of Big Baldy, wondering if I'd be able to make it to the top, when I stopped dead in the trail. I heard water! Sure enough, a spring bubbled gaily down the mountainside just below me. We flopped down in the squashy moss and slept. This spot was tough to leave; I even contemplated setting up camp by this spring! I was finally able to eat a full meal, though a few bites were shared with my pups. 

When we finally stood up, it was clear none of us would be able to make an additional 1-mile, 1,000 foot climb to the lookout. We compromised by camping near another spring that delighted me by flowing through a miniature trough at waist height, so I didn't have to crouch to filter the next day! 

Signage for the lookout trail. 

Little did I know that I would have slept far better had I taken the trail to the lookout! But that's a story for the next blog. 

Russia

 This winter seems to be dragging on longer than it should so I thought I'd give a culinary shout out to folks who spend more time in winter than any other season. Russian cuisine is fairly simple and robust, though a tad single-noted as far as I've experienced. Today's dish is called Rassolnik and it is literally a dill pickle based beef soup. I love dill pickles-- so much, in fact, that I used to get them for Christmas! This was an easy, fairly quick soup to make but I'll probably just eat a pickle if I'm craving this much salt again. 

Technically, the meat in this soup is beef or pork kidneys, but I used beef soup bones since my town doesn't generally have organ meats available. It is also, apparently, a favorite hangover cure in its homeland. 

Take beef or pork kidneys (or bones) and simmer them in water for at least 1 hr. Add a handful of barley after the water begins to simmer and stir on occasion to prevent burning. Vary your bones to water ratio depending on how much soup you'd like. 

After an hour, remove the meat and dice it into bite sized chunks. Replace meat in broth. Add 1-2 Tbsp salt. 

Dice 1 full cup of dill pickles and sautée them briefly in oil (2-3 minutes) before adding them and 1 cup of pickle juice to the broth. Dice 1 medium potato and add it to the broth. 

Sweat 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped stalk celery, and 1/2 yellow onion (chopped) for 10 minutes. Add to soup. Add a bay leaf if you have one, it might help add some depth to the soup. Simmer an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Serve with a spoonful of sour cream and additional dill to garnish (which I didn't have). 

Butter chicken

Butter chicken is fairly ubiquitous across Indian restaurants and cafes worldwide. It's one of the dishes Indians were proud I had heard of, when I visited the country. The most basic butter chicken is yogurt and spice marinated and finished in a highly spiced, gingery tomato and butter sauce. The following recipe was adapted and translated from observations and conversations with several Indian women I met. 

Marinate 2 -3 lbs cubed raw chicken for up to 24 hours in:

1 1/2 cups full fat greek yogurt 

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2-4 Tbsp turmeric

2-3 Tbsp garam masala

When ready, melt up to 1/4 lb (but no less than 1/8 lb) over medium heat and cook:

1 med onion, chopped

4 cloves chopped garlic

3 Tbsp minced, peeled ginger

After 5 minutes add:

1 cinnamon stick (or 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon)

1 chopped tomato or 1 can diced tomato

2 red chilies (jalapeños if you don't have other options), diced or sliced

Pinch kosher salt

After 10 minutes add:

Marinated chicken and all spiced yogurt

Up to 1 c chicken broth

Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  

Stir in:

1 1/2 c cream

1 Tbsp tomato paste

Handful of slivered almonds

Additional salt, if needed

Bring to temperature and remove from heat. 

Serve over rice with chopped cilantro to garnish. I made papdi bread I found in a local Indian grocery, but you could serve it with naan as well. 

This recipe doesn't taste like the butter chicken I get at the restaurant but was so wonderfully well balanced and flavorful that it's staying in my rotation!

Braised goat with curry peanut satay

Goat meat, as of 2010, comprises 6% of the global red meat consumption. It is a staple food for many cultures and geographic regions, but is not commonly found in your average US grocery store. I recently found frozen packages of various cuts of goat in my regular grocery store and nabbed one for a new culinary experience. 

I'm not too familiar with this meat but after my research decided to treat it similarly to lamb. Following, you will find the cobbled together recipe for braised and quick roasted goat with curry peanut satay sauce. 

Combine the following ingredients to use as a braising liquid:

1/3 c soy sauce

1/4 c cooking sherry

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp honey

2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1- inch ginger, grated or minced

Braise the meat as appropriate for the cuts of meat you can obtain. My braise was 30 minutes because the cuts were rather thick, for a goat. You don't want to cook the meat to well done unless your cuts are fibrous. Mine turned out to be rather choice! After braising, sear/ roast the meats on a hot, oiled cast iron skillet or baking sheet (heat oven to 425). Again, time depends on your meat, but you want to get a nice color on the meat.  Remove the meat to rest. 

Satay sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

1 small yellow onion, chopped fine

2 Tbsp or more, to taste, peanut butter

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp chili paste, hot or sweet

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Up to 1/4 c water or braising liquid

1 tsp sugar

Sautée onion in butter for 3-4 minutes. Add curry powder and sautée 1-2 minutes before adding remaining ingredients. Bring to temperature and desired consistency. 

I scarfed a beautiful T-bone cut hot off the pan and smothered in satay but made this beautiful warm salad 3 days later. 

Goat tastes very similar to lamb but slightly different, almost a touch sweeter or lighter. The cuts I bought were tender and juicy at medium temperature and I will certainly buy goat meat again, should I find it!

Back to India

I recently was lucky enough to visit India for a friend's wedding and came back with a new appreciation of the cuisine. While mostly everything still had cumin in it, the amount was not offensive and I enjoyed nearly everything I ate. I'm going to spend a bit of time trying some recipes I picked up during the last few weeks. 

This week I decided to try my hand at paneer, naan, and palaak. Paneer was one of the easiest things I've ever made and was so tasty that I doubt I'll buy it in the package again. 

1/2 gal whole milk

Pinch of salt

1/4 c lemon juice

Cheesecloth

Bring the milk to a simmer and remove from heat. Add salt and lemon juice, stir very gently to not break up curds. Line a colander with cheesecloth and place into a large bowl. Pour curdled milk into colander. Set bowl of whey aside and rinse curds with water. Squeeze majority of water out with hands and then twist the cheesecloth and place it between two plated. Place a heavy weight on top and allow to drain for an hour or more. 

Naan:

Mix 1tsp active dry yeast in 1/4 c hot tap water and 1 Tbsp sugar. Allow to bubble for 10 minutes (longer if it is as cold as my house in the dead of winter). Add 1 c plain greek yoghurt, 3/4 c warm milk. 

In a large bowl, mix together 2 c each all purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Pour wet ingredients into the center of the dry ones and bring mostly together with a wooden spatula. Knead into a ball with hands but do not knead past this point! Allow to rise for an hour. Cut into about 8 equal portions and roll to an oval shape, 1/4 inch thick. Cook for 2-3 min each side in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet over medium heat. Garnish with olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, etc. 

Palaak

In a food processor, bring together 1 medium yellow onion, 1-2 jalapeño peppers ( seeded), 2 inches peeled fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp allspice until smooth. Sautée over medium low heat for 10 minutes in 1 tbsp butter or ghee. Add 2 10-oz packages thawed spinach, 1 tsp salt, reserve whey from paneer to keep everything saucy. Cook for 30 minutes, adding whey as needed. Add 1 c plain yoghurt, fresh sliced paneer, 2 tbsp whole milk or cream. Stir together. 

Serve over rice with hot naan and eat with your right hand. I could have been more heavy handed with my spices and you could certainly add garam masala or cumin, if you like. 

Join me again for egg curry, butter chicken, and paani puri!

Sichuan fare

Ma yi shang shu, known in English as ants in a tree, is a Sichuan dish I recently discovered. The history of the dish was tough to find but the name comes from the way the bits of ground pork stick to the clumps of glass noodles as you eat it. I've modified the recipe very slightly according to my flavor preference and will note where that has happened. 

Soak a package of glass noodle in cold water for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, mix the following together:

1 lb ground pork

2 Tbsp gochujang (my modification!)

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1Tbsp flour or corn starch

1Tbsp rice wine vinegar

You can use your choice of spicy chili paste in lieu of gochujang, I just really like the sweet and tangy flavor. 

Marinate this mixture at room temperature for up to an hour. 

In olive oil, briefly sautée:

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1-2 tsp minced ginger

Add the pork mixture and sautée until nearly cooked through, stirring to break the grind into pieces. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and bring to a simmer. At this point I like to drain the glass noodles and lay them on top to steam finish. 

When the meat is done and noodles are clear, serve alongside scallions, pickled carrots/onions, kimchee, sesame seeds, Napa cabbage, etc. 

I recently made scallion kimchee using my regular recipe (with some Korean chili powder) and you can see the delicious result garnishing my dinner. 

Thai red curry pumpkin soup

Fall is soup season, hooray!! I adore soups any time of year but the cool weather gives me an excuse to cook it several times a week. The base of this soup is a simple Thai red curry and chicken soup but after making it several times I began matching other flavors to it. We have the most beautiful squash coming into season right now and I decided to go for it. There's not a big history for this dish since it's about as ubiquitous as chicken soup and because I'm modifying it, so let's get down to it. 

Roast approximately 2 cups of chopped, oiled squash (sweet pumpkin, butternut, buttercup, acorn, etc) at 350 until soft and lightly golden on the bottom. 

When finished add squash to a blender with 1-2 inches of peeled ginger, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 2-3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste, and enough oil to help it blend smooth. 

Sautée for 2 minutes on medium high then add 1 can of high quality coconut milk and about 3 cups (2 cans) chicken broth (make it as thick or thin as you like; the squash really thickens things up). Salt to taste. It's ready when hot!

Serve with rice or glass noodles, and your choice of condiments: chicken, tofu, mushrooms, scallions, chilies, and fresh herbs. I used whole sage leaves during the broth heating stage and it was wonderful.