Plum trees and crunchy leaves

After a much welcomed Indian summer, fall seems to have arrived. The air is pleasantly crisp, and the newly fallen leaves crunch under my bicycle's tires. The plum tree outside of our door is full of perfectly ripe fruit, which of course calls for some fall baking. I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten's Book "Barefoot in Paris". Yes, I know she has a show on the idiot box and although she has yet to come out with her own set of kitchen pans and utensils, I quite like her style. Her recipes have a strong French influence, yet are simple and delicious. Since I've been cooking for 2, I used 6 small souffle dishes instead of a tart pan, freezing the extras for a winter evening treat. We topped ours with some Montana made Wilcoxson's ice cream, and the indulgence was complete.

Plum Raspberry Crumble
2 lbs. plums, cut if half, pitted, and cut into 1-inch wedges
1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided (the recipe calls for 2/3 cup sugar)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 t. salt
8 T. cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 quick cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds

In large bowl, combine fruits, half of the sugar, 1/4 cup of the flour, and the orange juice and toss lightly. Pour into bottom of tart pan or souffle dishes.

For the topping, combine the remaining flour, sugar, brown sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add oats, and get in their with your hands until it's in large crumbles, adding the almonds at the end. Top on fruit and bake 350 for 40 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly. Top with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy.

Recently

Ah. A day off. A moment to breath, and finally catch up on a much needed blog post. Although I've been busy, I'm always finding moments to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I've included a couple of recipes of things I've been cooking lately, and as fall is approaching (ya right... high of 85 tomorrow October 2nd BBBBOOOOYA) I will certainly have more to share soon.

This was my breakfast I threw together this morning.. a 100% local breakfast burrito. The tortilla was made in nearby Billings, and are as good as any I've had in Central America. The eggs were purchased at a local cowboy bar, called the Pony Bar, where we saw a sign for farm fresh eggs at $3 a dozen. The spinach, bought at our local Co-Op is from Springhill Gardens. And finally, the cheese of course. This creamy goat cheese is produced by the Amaltheia Organic Dairy. Simple, delish, and devoured quickly.

Our basil reached its peak last week, so I took an afternoon and made 3 different types of pesto. My favorite combination also included some mint, and I've included my recipe below. When making large batches, I exclude the cheese and freeze it in ice cube trays in order to enjoy garden pesto all winter long.

Lizz's Lemony Pesto
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 large clove of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon, 1 T zest
1 cup (more or less) of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients (minus oil) in food processor or blender. Stream in oil until a paste is formed. Stir in cheese and enjoy!

A good friend of mine recently returned from a 2 week trip to India. She sent me a wonderful array of spices that are heavenly in scent and flavor. Cucumbers from our garden helped me prepare a wonderful Raita to serve with a spicy rice and soup.

Cucumber Raita (serves 4 to 6)
2 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1 large cucumber, peeled and shredded
1 fresh hot green Chile, seeded and chopped
1/2 ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 salt to taste

Whisk yogurt until smooth and creamy. Combine all ingredients well and chill. Add salt before serving.

A couple of weeks ago, my parents DROVE to Bozeman from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It was great to show them my new home and also for them to bring all of the things I've been collecting over the years. The vintage plates, French espresso cups, Guatemalan bowls, and my Grandmother's dishes are all quite happy here. I feel like a real grown up! The large strawberry cookie jar was found at an antique store near Bozeman. I think it's some of the best antiquing I've ever seen!

My parents and I also had a lovely tour of Yellowstone National Park. You may have read about the recent fires taking place. Here is a photo we captured on our way out. The bright afternoon sun filtered through the clouds creating a beautiful orange light that draped through the valley.

Well, currently there is a Butternut Squash roasting in the oven and another project waiting to be sanded down. I am off on my first river float down the Madison this weekend. I'm truly on my way to becoming a mountain woman, sort of.