Blue Cheese and Butternut Squash Polenta Pie

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 1/4 cups coarse ground polenta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups peeled and diced butternut or other orange squash
1/2 cup bleu or feta cheese
10 roasted tomatoes
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
Chopped walnuts

Directions:
1.  Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and whisk in polenta, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic and lemon zest.  Nice to add in grated Parmesan cheese if you like at this stage as well.  Stir for five minutes over medium-low heat before pouring into a 9-by-18-inch baking sheet brushed with olive oil.  Cool for an hour in the fridge.

2.  Cube and bake a butternut or other sweet and orange squash for 20+ minutes at 375 degrees, until soft but still firm.

3.  To roast tomatoes: Put fresh, whole tomatoes on a cookie sheet, and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Let roast in the oven for 20 minutes on 400 degrees F. or until golden brown and starting to carmelize.  Remove, keeping juices for the lasagna.

4. Remove cooled polenta from the fridge and brush with olive oil.  Evenly spread squash, roasted tomatoes with juices, 1/2 cup bleu cheese and shredded mozzarella over the polenta. 

5.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Finish by removing foil and baking until top is golden brown (10 to 15 minutes).

Garnish with chopped walnuts.  Although we serve this dish without a top like an open face polenta pie, you can also reserve 1/2 of the polenta to cover the pie and now call it a lasagna! 


**inspired from ultra runner Geoff Roes in Outside Magazine

Winter Squash Gratin

For 4 servings:

Ingredients:
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 sage leaves, chiffonade
2 medium large onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 pounds winter squash, butternut
4 slices whole wheat or white bread, crusts removed and torn or chopped into small pieces
3 ounces (1 cup) gruyere cheese
1 1/2 cups warm milk

Directions:
Bring several quarts of water to a boil.  Peel the squash, slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Dice the squash into about 1 1/2" pieces.  Add salt to the water when it has boiled, and then add the squash.  Let the water return to a bowl, simmer for a few minutes and then drain.

Lightly butter an 8x10" gratin dish.  Warm the oil in a sauté pan with the bay leaf and sage, then add the onions.  Cook gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper and spread them over the bottom of the gratin dish.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  To form the gratin, lay the squash over the onions and season with salt and pepper.  Spread the grated cheese over the squash and work into the crevices with your fingers.  Pour in the warm milk and then distribute the bread over the top.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour then remove the foil and bake until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork and all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes more.  Let the gratin settle for a few minutes before service.

Inspired by Cameron Green

Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions

For 4 servings:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well in a fine sieve
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin or to taste
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1/2 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 bunch scallions, including the greens, thinly sliced
3 cups finely sliced spinach
1/4 pound feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

Directions:
Put the quinoa and 2 quarts water in a pot, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes.  While it's cooking, dice the vegetables and cheese.  Drain, saving the liquid.  Measure the liquid and add water to make 6 cups if needed.

Heal the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile. Cook for about 30 seconds, giving it a quick stir. Add the cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and the potatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Don’t let the garlic brown. Add the quinoa water and half the scallions and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the quinoa, spinach, and remaining scallions and simmer for 3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and stir in the feta and cilantro. Season the soup with pepper and garnish with the chopped egg.

(from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison)

Steller Jay Communication and Research

You may have seen me lurking in your neighbors yard or driving up and down Hwy 20 in a Jeep with Montana plates. I'm not lost. I am a visiting PhD student from the University of Montana and I am here to study the Steller's jays of the Methow Valley. 

My research is focused on how animals communicate about danger and predators and a part of this is trying to figure out how Steller's jays combine two alarm calls and mimicry to encode information about predators.

I use a variety of playbacks to elicit different calls and behaviors at different bird feeders throughout the valley. The research is going well, although because of the mild winter the birds are less dependent on feeders and therefore a little more difficult to work with. However, the people, views and copious amounts of bakeries have eased that frustration. If you see me out and about, feel free to stop me and ask questions and I hope to see most of you at the talk summing up my research here on January 23rd.

Thanks for all of your help and support! 

Community Soup and Presentation:  
January 23, 2014.  Steller's Jay Communication by Alexis Billings, University of Montana PhD student - presentation at the North Cascades Basecamp in Mazama. 5:30pm soup dinner, 6:00pm presentation.  8$/person (bring a friend- $10 for 2). 

A New Coat for Winter

It's been a busy couple of weeks at Basecamp getting ready for winter.  The lodge and cabin were in need of some fresh color around the interior, so the winter team - Kim, Steve, Jaclyn, Brianna and I -  got to painting.  As with all painting projects there were spills, the need for multiple coats, paint on objects that should not have paint, and general unpredicted yet predictable happenings that increased the length and amusement of the project.  In the end, we painted nearly every room in the lodge as well as the main room in the cabin, adding such colors as earthquake, telluride tan, terra-cotta tile, and clay pot.

The painting, along with general winter preparedness work including wood chopping, shoveling, cover building, and all around cleaning, has been my main activity since arriving in Mazama at the beginning of December.  It was great to get back out to the Cascades after spending the autumn back home in New England.  The night I arrived there were 6-8 inches of fresh, heavy snow on Lost River Road, which I took to be a sign of good things to come.  It was, however not in the snow department. Since then, there have only been small flurries of an inch or two, making it a decidedly mediocre start to the winter.  Don't despair though, six inches of snow was plenty for an East-coaster like me to get out on the Methow Valley Ski Trail Association trails.  Nearly every day I've been able to head right out my door and explore the myriad trails snaking around the valley.  Since I arrived here I think I have already doubled the amount of nordic skiing I've done in my life.  And I love it more every day; the motion of skate skiing is somewhat addictive.

I'm enjoying settling in to life here at Basecamp, getting to know Kim, Steve, Emmitt and Amelia better every day and building on the already-strong bond Mica and I have formed during our brave, late-night hardwood floor crossings (significantly more challenging for some of our four-legged friends).  I look forward to the rest of winter here with the other staff, - Jaclyn and Dierdre along with the Bondi family - meeting our guests, and maybe, possibly, more than a couple inches of snow this year!

A couple pictures from skating on Davis Lake (where we found a bat frozen in the ice!):

Double Chocolate Chip Cranberry Sea Salt Cookies

We just served these this afternoon to our guests (and our employees) and they sound like a go for the season.   These cookies were discussed in great lengths at lunch time about how they are not too sweet, perfect consistency, and their sweet/salt combination hits the mark.  Funny, I didn't get one from this batch!

Ingredients
     1 cup salted butter, softened
     1/2 cup sugar
     1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
     2 eggs
     2 tsp vanilla extract
     2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
     3/4 tsp course sea salt
     1 tsp baking soda
     1 1/2 tsp baking powder
     2 1/4 semi sweet chocolate chip cookies
     1/2 -3/4 cup cocoa powder
     3/4 cup cranberries
     course sea salt to sprinkle on top

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degr F.  Cream butter and sugars until fluffly (approx 3 min on med-high speed).  /add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Add baking soda, powder, salt, cocoa and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated.  Finally add chocolate chips and cranberries until well distributed.  Cookie batter will be thick.

Form dough into disks using a medium cookie scoop or hands.  Dip into course sea salt and spread onto your baking sheet.  Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are golden brown.  Allow to cool and enjoy!









Printed from North Cascades Basecamp recipe blog
www.northcascadesbasecamp.com
December 2013
Inspired from Nicole Scheirlburg (thanks nicole!)

Basecamp's Emmer Waffles

These waffles are light and fluffy, and not nearly as filling as they look.  The best way to make them is to use Bluebird Grain Farms Emmer Flour- or any local flour source that is freshly milled.  Served with fresh berries during the summer (or frozen during the winter season), yogurt, and pure maple syrup makes a great meal before heading to the great outdoors.

Serves 6 adults

Ingredients:
     2 eggs
     1 3/4 cup milk
     3/4 cup melted butter
     3 cups flour (1/2 Bluebird Grain Farms Emmer flour & 1/2 all purpose flour)
     1 tsp vanilla
     4 tsp baking powder
     1 T sugar
     1/2 salt

Instructions:

Melt butter and beat with eggs and all other ingredients.  Substitute 1/2 of the milk with yogurt if you like a fluffier texture.  Cook on a preheated waffle griddle.  Serve hot with your favorite toppings.



Printed from North Cascades Basecamp recipe blog
www.northcascadesbasecamp.com
December 2013
Adapted from Sue Roberts waffle recipe and Cory Diamond's Special Waffle for Sunday Guests recipe. Thanks for the inspiration to both of you!