Whew, that title is a bit of a mouthful!  Almost as big a bite as you’ll want to take of the lamb and risotto cakes once they’re in front of you on the plate.  I knew I wanted to create something really special to nosh on during our “glamping” trip since all the apple-wood we could ever use would be provided for our campfire pleasure and food cooked over apple-wood is a rare treat.  I figured a muskier meat would take on the smoked flavor of the wood, so lamb was the natural choice given that my brother-in-law Paris hasn’t yet sent over any venison from his bow-hunting spoils this season.   

I wanted to create something that would be elegant in a rustic setting, yet relatively simple to pull together without the arsenal of my kitchen at hand, so lamb on risotto cakes fit the bill.  As it turns out, supplies for “glamping” turned out to be much the same as supplies for regular old camping, so I wanted a one-stop-shop where I could pick up everything from toilet paper to parchment paper.  Normally in anticipation of a big feast I head down to the market, but because I needed such a variety, Seattle’s best grocery store fit the bill better. Read more

I like to take the chill off the late afternoons in our Indian summer by baking a couple loaves of bread.  I sort of cheat and keep the oven on so the air is nice and hot for my loaves to rise, so I figured I’d toss in the acorn squash my gracious neighbors gave us from their harvest last week to soften it up.  One thing led to another and I started to think about just how the squash might best accompany my bread. Hmmm, smeared all over it a la fingerpaint-style the way my one year old Bentley would surely prefer it given his penchant for all things messy? Yeah, probably not.  “I have it!” I thought to myself, some sort of squashy dipping sauce for my little chewy french bread nuggets- what do they usually call that? Oh yeah, soup. Well, in my house we like to whir it all up into a tizzy with the immersion blender and call it bisque, so what the hell, why not make squash soup- sounds fabulous!

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In Seattle, we accomplish the “sun-dried” effect in the oven.  Just halve them, throw them in the oven on racks, turn the temperature to 200° with convection on, and wait 3-6 hours depending on the size of your pomodori. 

Great way not to waste your amassed stockpile, and think of the uses all winter long!