Peaches. I just love them. I wait for them all year until they are local, ripe, delicious, juicy, sweet, velvety, irresistible… I guess I should say I long for them all year and then eat as many as possible until they are out of season. Then I wait and wait and wait..
Well, it’s that time of year: peach season! PEACH SEASON! I am thrilled! I was consumed by the thought of peaches today after Nathan Miller, the esteemed chef/baker/chocolatier from The Tasterie Truck, asked some friends if they had any requests for desserts with local Colorado peaches. It had me thinking of peaches all day, and on a near-100 degree day, I had Bourbon Peach Sorbet on my mind when I came home from work.
It’s super easy if you have a Vitamix. You can make sorbet in less than one minute with fresh, seasonal fruits and add as little sugar as you’d like. I like that.
I added a peach (pit removed, of course), 1/4 cup Maker’s Mark, 1/2 tsp
homemade vanilla extract, 1 TB agave nectar, and 2 cups of ice to the Vitamix. Then, with the lid on and the tamper in place, steadily turn it up to 10, then high, tamping it along the way. It will form 4 golfball size domes when it is done. Turn it off, and serve.
This sorbet was an ice-cold velvety peach delight. And, there was just enough bourbon for the flavor to come out without overpowering it and making it taste like a whisky cocktail. It has inspired me to do more with peaches this weekend, and has me eager to taste Nathan’s creations for The Tasterie Truck. Visit their
Facebook page to find out where they are and what they’re serving. I’m known to be a fan of the whoopie pie.
As the owner of Local Table Tours in Boulder, I am often asked by my dining guests about places to eat in town. I usually run through all the best places downtown… SALT, The Kitchen, The Pinyon, Bácaro… But recently, my recommendations have expanded to the hill, that few square blocks of town up by CU. Where should you eat up there? Pickled Lemon.
Pickled Lemon is the latest culinary creation from the Bar-on family, more well-known as the founders of Udi’s bakery. The casual Israeli eatery is now on the top of my list of places to eat in town. Chef Robin Bar-on created a healthy, mostly vegetarian menu that honors traditional Israeli dishes while being interesting and quite pleasing to the American (and more importantly, Boulder) palate.
Sauces: All made in house.
Harissa (hot!), Dill Ranch, Roasted Garlic, Green Chili, Green Tahini, Amba Mango (Ketchup of Iraq)
Pickles: House made.
Pickled Lemons, Kimchee Kraut, Cauliflower, Sumac Onions, Jalapeños, Turnips, Cucumbers
The Chicken Shawarma features a 21-spice blend made exclusively for Pickled Lemon by
Savory Spice Shop. Pitas are baked from scratch every morning at Udi’s in Louisville, hummus is made daily, and green falafel, also made daily, is perfectly fluffy, crispy, and almost creamy on the inside.
The vegetable salads at Pickled Lemon are all fantastic, so you’re not going to leave this place without a few servings of veggies.
Robin served us some traditional Turkish coffee. This is apparently reserved for “special” occasions. But, I thought I’d tell you, in case you’re a Turkish coffee aficionado and are looking for a spot that serves it traditionally in town. It’s an amazing coffee… that’s all I’ll say. If you want to try it, you’ll have to ask Robin!
Pistachio Pudding is my new favorite dessert. This is a must-try.
Pickled Lemon also serves a few cocktails, such as Pickled Lemon Margaritas, Moscow Mules, Piña Coladas, and Pomegranate Mojitos. I tasted all four and would recommend all four, especially the marg.
So, head up to 1155 13th Street up on the hill. It will soon be one of your new favorite places in town.
Last summer I had a goal- I was going to learn how to can local produce so I could eat it throughout the year. I bought some books with great excitement. That’s about all I did. I never bought any special canning equipment, and I’m not likely to buy it this year either. Why? Not because I’m lazy. It’s because the first recipe I tried was for Olive Oil Pickles and they turned out so delicious that I olive-oil-pickled everything. Best decision ever.
Here’s my favorite olive oil pickle recipe from the book The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich.
- Approximately 1 pound small or medium-size pickling cucumbers
- 2 small onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tsp pickling salt
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
- 2 TB whole yellow mustard seeds
- Approximately 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
- olive oil
If the cucumbers are 2-3 inches long, leave them whole. If they’re larger, slice them thinly. In a large colander, toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt and let them sit a few hours at room temperature, draining out excess water.
Make sure you drain all of that cucumber water that is drawn out by the salt. Then start layering cucumbers, onions, mustard seeds, and pepper flakes in sterilized jars. Cover the cucumbers with vinegar and then pour some olive oil on top to coat the surface. The olive oil provides a floating barrier against spoilage, so this step is important. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap and then seal it tightly with a lid. Store in a cool, dark place.
Wait a while. The pickles will be ready in a few weeks, but let them sit a few months. I’ll open my first jar later in the fall.
Enjoy!
Some of my friends think I’m a little too obsessed with
SALT. I’m certainly not talking about the crystals of flavor we sprinkle on food. I’m talking about the bistro named after our oldest seasoning. Why would I be obsessed with a restaurant? That’s silly. Silly, yes, but there must be some truth to it because when a friend texted me that the restaurant we had planned to meet at was packed, I suggested SALT without hesitation.
Let’s go to SALT.
Go to SALT we did, and we enjoyed a plum and goat cheese flatbread. I’d never had a plum, goat cheese, and mint flatbread, and while plums are in season, you should go try one of these. The plums are sweet and moist, local goat cheese adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the plums, and a sprinkle of mint ties it all together. Good thinking, Mr. Executive Chef Kevin Kidd and staff.
I also enjoyed a unique cocktail-
Cool as a Cucumber– created by SALT’s up and coming Tyler Anderson. This vodka-based cocktail with cucumber and Serrano peppers is fantastic, especially on a hot summer day.
And I could go on and on… like how there are a number of cute men working there… but that has NOTHING to do with the quality of their food nor with why I enjoy SALT so much. It just continues to be one of the best places in Boulder for food and drink. Period.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m a good, loyal Boulderite. I love this town and I love the dining scene, but when it comes to late night food, there aren’t many options. I wish we had kitchens open til midnight or later, and that food trucks could park downtown at night. But no. One must venture down to Denver to have such benefits. So venture to Denver I did…
Row 14 is right downtown in The Spire building across from my favorite blue bear at the convention center. Big bonus right there. They also have a late night happy hour from 10pm-midnight, so walking in at 11:30 pm I sampled…
The Pickled Seasonal Vegetables. I order this dish now at every single restaurant I visit that has pickles on the menu. I’m a big seasonal pickler myself, so I am always interested in comparing professionally made pickles to my homemade pickles. The beets, turnips, and onions were great. Crisp, balanced, delicious.
Hummus and Grilled Flatbread. Yes, Please. This is an ideal late night dish for me because it’s filling and healthy (remember I’m a Boulderite, so, health starts here…), and Row 14 makes a perfectly creamy chickpea hummus.
Crispy Calamari… let’s just ignore the fact that I only had my handy iPhone with me, so we’re obviously not looking at the most amazing photo here. But, yum. I scarfed it all down, and washed it down with a unique libation made by up-and-coming mixologist Tyler French.
I told Tyler I like Rye and he crafted something for me that was spirit forward. I like it strong sometimes.
If Denver weren’t so far away from Boulder, and if I didn’t have to stop at a hotel over night to break up the drive, I’d go more often. But seriously. Boulder needs to step it up with the late night food offerings. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy what Denver has to offer.
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