Late Alpine Summer
September - A Poem by Grace Paley
Then the flowers became very wild
because it was early September
and they had nothing to lose
they tossed their colors every
which way over the garden wall
splattering the lawn shoving their
wild orange red rain-disheveled faces
into my window without shame
This labor day we journeyed to 9,600 feet of elevation to enjoy the fading summer sun in the shadow of Breckenridge Mountain. If I could bottle the feeling of sitting at high altitude in the warm months, the shimmering light dancing on my face, the aspen leaves flickering in the crisp fresh breeze, the chance of an afternoon thunderstorm - I would call it Late Alpine Summer. The gentle softness in the air at this time of year is imprinted on my memory, unlike the whipping winter wind that no doubt imprints on my cheeks. As I sat outside, indulging in the peaceful beauty with a glass of Txakolina in hand, I was inspired to cook. Ambiance that creates this feeling of inspiration encourages me to rise and meet the occasion in order to fully immerse myself in the surroundings. I am also terrible at sitting still so that’s part of it too. It took me a long time to consider the creativity behind cooking as an art. I think stepping back from the professional kitchen helped create that space. The better rested version of myself is capable of understanding that a hobby that can be inspired by a feeling, so entirely unrelated to that hobby, is in fact artistic. A breeze inspiring a meal? Far-fetched yet totally relatable.
There is something so special about the high alpine climate. It’s so fleeting. You wake up to a warm sunny forecast and fall asleep to a blizzard. It takes months for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw enough for growth, yet the second the soil is soft there are wild flowers blooming and meadows filled with grass. Even in the summer the early mornings remain crisp until the sun is high enough in the sky to reach over the mountain tops and bake the landscape. 9,600 feet is quite a bit closer to the sun than sea level so even with a chill, the sun is powerful. By late summer the foliage has gone wild, knowing it only has weeks left until it’s blanketed in deep snow for the better part of the year. The race to grow and flourish makes September at high altitude, lush. The foliage is lavash and the greenest green I’ve ever seen. The water, being crystal clear, allows you to watch trout swimming just below the surface. Wild berries and crab apples grow everywhere. The entire scene is as dramatic as it sounds. It’s like an image from a Disney movie. You just have to pause and look around to realize how perfect it is. The way my mind and body react to natural scenarios that are all encompassing, reminds me that humans are also animals. We’ve just removed ourselves from nature to the point that we barely know how to interact with it anymore. Given the space to just pause and soak it in, brought me right back and I was thinking about food, like the animal that I am.
As ridiculous as it sounds, I stared at a trout just below the surface and thought - “mmm smoked trout dip and rosemary flatbread sounds amazing”. It is amazing, so we’re making it but with a twist. If you have a grill, you can smoke trout. If you don’t have a grill there is some pretty stellar smoked trout at the market. The cultures of high alpine towns around the world change dramatically from peak to valley. The terrain is so treacherous that long ago most people didn’t venture far from the small settlement they lived in. This created variation on local culinary traditions that were just miles apart from each other and utilized similar foraged ingredients. These days ingredients are much easier to come by but who needs a $4 lemon from a thousand miles away when you can add wild sorrel for a surprisingly citrus-like flavor? It’s a bountiful time of year but also vital for preserving food for the coming winter, hence the smoked fish. The menu to join this mailer focuses on the wonders of the high alpine climate with a few tricks to keep it quick and simple for a dinner any time of the week. Put down the skis, take off your jacket and explore the mountains while the sun is hot and the wild flowers have their faces to the sky. It’s the most magical peaceful place and may just inspire something artistic in you as well.
Music to Eat or Cook to - Late Summer Vibes
The Menu - Pickled Mustard Seeds are an anchor for this menu. You could make them while washing dishes, they are that easy. Here’s what you do :
Pickled Mustard Seeds
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt - heat these in a mug in the microwave for a minute and 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp of Whole Dried Mustard Seeds to the liquid and stir. Let it sit for 15 minutes.