FCM Bookclub: Wild

Our meeting to discuss the book Wild by Cheryl Stand was hosted by Jamie at her parents beautiful Syrup Creek home.  We were delighted to have Jamie's mother, Kris, join us for dinner and the discussion. To start the evening Abbie took us on a Wild-esque tour of the dirt roads of Elmore County! She said she knew where she was going! Well, she did not.  After dirt roads, spotty (at best) cellular service, some cows and a late arrival (45 minutes!!) we were ready for a stiff drink and had a better appreciation for Cheryl's journey (even though we were in a car, our feet did not hurt, and we had eaten plenty of food that day)! Ok, it was not really the same at all.

Kris served Champagne cocktails with raspberries from her own garden!

Sticking with a Fall theme rather than the awful food documented in the book Jamie served a pumpkin crème sauce over stuffed ravioli.  A fresh green salad with vinaigrette and hot rolls rounded out the meal.  A decadent cheesecake was for dessert…Thanks to Jamie’s hunk of a dad, Mike Taylor!

Poppy made a new friend!

Thank you ladies for the wonderful time! We missed Katie this meeting but don’t worry she is BACK for the next two! Go see the movie Wild staring Reese Witherspoon openeing December 5th. Next up is Abbie hosting a brunch for What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.

Cocktail Friday: A Fall Fig

Figs are in season and these are the perfect cocktail for fall! Figs can be found in specialty food stores throughout the fall. Their intense sweetness are perfect for a rich cocktail. These beauties made it, barely, over 20 miles of dirt road to cocktail Friday in Atlanta, Idaho.

Cocktail
2 oz Bourbon we went with Buffalo Trace
3/4 oz Brown sugar + fig simple syrup
1/4 Lemon juiced or more if desired
2 Dashes orange bitters

Spiced Fig Simple Syrup
4 Figs
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup water

Make the simple syrup a head of time, even a day or two. The longer the syrup sets the more flavorful it becomes. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan on medium heat. Stir and cook until all of the sugar has dissolved and the figs are mushy. Mash with a fork while it is cooking. Do not let the sugar boil or burn!

Once you have your simple syrup made and cooled, add all cocktail ingredients together in a shaker with a cup full of ice. Strain it into a glass over ice. Add more fresh lemon juice to taste.

Infused Simple Syrup

Try the Fall Fig! It is a perfect way to warm up this season!

A Fall Dinner Party in the Mountains

In the Kitchen



We found ourselves in Atlanta, Idaho this fall.  There was a chill in the air, the colors of autumn were all around, and we received an invitation to an impromptu dinner party at the Quartz Street Cookhouse.  The invite came from our good friends Frank Brooks and Jack Penix who were just off the dusty trail.



Potatoes on the Wood Fire Stove



On the menu: pork chops straight from the grill, freshly sautéed cinnamon apples, boiled potatoes, copious bottles of wine, good friends, and fresh out of the oven cookies!

 

The Chefs






Dishes

 

The Guests

A good meal, lively conversation, and a warm fire.  A very nice way to spend a fall evening!

Final Days of Fall

With the time change and the days getting shorter it is important to soak in the last moments of sunshine. There are few moments more enjoyable than looking at the changing of the leaves. Before the holiday season goes into full swing take a break, grab a drink, and make a fall snack…apples are in season right now and pair nicely with cheese. Relax!

                                      

Abandoned apple orchards and wild apple trees can be fun to find and pick heirloom apple varieties. They are much smaller than what you find in the grocery store and are often misshapen and oddly colored. Don't let that fool you though. These apples have some of the sweetest flavors and are perfectly crisp.  

                                      

These heirloom apples, that would have just gone to waste, paired perfectly with Spoon Tongue beer from a local brewery and truffle and salt cheese from Ballard Family Dairy.

All the Treats of Fall

Fall is in the air! The leaves are beginning to change and you can’t go to a store without seeing Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations. Fall is definitely one of the most enjoyable seasons for us. We love the light sweater weather, decorating for all the different holidays, pumpkin spiced everything from candles to lattes, and of course carving pumpkins!

This past weekend we decided to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and carve pumpkins outside while also sampling a variety of seasonal microbrews. While it is past Oktoberfest, we tried several different fall beers, from pumpkin ales to stouts, that we had never had before. To see the different beers that we tried click here.

Besides a great Halloween decoration, carving pumpkins gives you the opportunity to collect the seeds and make one of our favorite fall treats…Roasted pumpkin seeds. They are so easy to make. All you need to do is collect the seeds, wash them thoroughly, allow them to dry, and then melt 1Tbsp. of butter for every cup of seed.

Once you have melted the butter, stir it into the bowl of pumpkin seeds. Lay the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake at 300* until they are lightly browned. It takes about 40 minutes or so. Stir them around regularly so that they cook evenly. The seeds make such a tasty fall snack.