Good day for tea and stroopwafels

Another snow storm is stirring outside. Inside, its tea and cookies for me.

Now you would think that with all the homemade cookies available that I would have a stockpile of them. Unfortunately, any I find, I eat right away. So today I unwrapped a package of Caramel Cookie Waffles from Dutch Brothers Bakery Goods in Billings.

I know many people who go gaga over chocolate. And its fine stuff, I admit, but Im a caramel person myself. Chocolate and caramel is swell, but I really, really enjoy caramel by itself, and these cookies make me very happy. They taste like caramel wrapped in crispy caramel. You can go to the Dutch Brothers Web site to see how they are made. There you will also learn that although in Montana they are called "Caramel Cookie Waffles," the Dutch word is stroopwafels.

Somewhere I read that these cookies are meant to be put on top of the tea or coffee cup, to be warmed to an enticing melty goodness. Try it, youll like it, too!

The people who bake these exclusive cookies (apparently the recipe is known by a select few) are enthusiastic about their product. You can bet they put a lot of love into their job.

The tea I am drinking today to accompany these caramel delights is Natures Peace Melody of Mint, which I bought at the farmers market in Eureka.

Its difficult to get a good photo of the label, but the serene picture of mountains and water in the Tobacco Valley in Northwest Montana is painted by Montana artist Randy McIntyre.

So although the temperature is expected to drop down to 10 degrees tonight, I am cozy inside with plenty of tea. Sadly, I ate all my stroopwafels. But Ill go get more when they clear the road.

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Blustery day in Big Timber

The rain fell is big squirts this morning but that didnt stop vendors and customers from enjoying the farmers market.

There were lots of treats, beginning with background music by Hannah. She told me shes been playing for "three or four years." I havent heard a piano at any other market, so this is a good reason to come here to listen for yourself.

Another rare sighting at farmers markets was of maple bars. When I got home, I hurriedly bit into one. I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of these delectable doughnuts, and these were . . . superb! In fact, best Ive eaten simply because they are homemade: chewy, doughy, and not overly sweet. Oh, yes, and there were other baked goods as well.

Ninety-year-old Tom was at the market, too, with a nice selection of his produce grown in the community garden. Toms section of the garden seems to expand over the course of the season; he cant stop hoeing and watering! Any leftovers of his market produce go to the local food bank, where it is welcomed with open arms.

The First Congregational Church decided to come to the market this year with organic free trade coffee and tea. They sell these items as a fund-raiser all year. Christy Mosness, who manned, or rather, womanned, the booth today explained that anything organic just seemed to belong at the farmers market. Next week she said they will try selling hot cups of coffee as samples and provide chairs so people can sit down and enjoy all the baked goods as well right on the spot.

You can see a lot of smiles in the photos I took today. It was a very happy atmosphere. Vendors told me they attributed that to Austin Alexander, who is managing the market for the first time this year as part of an internship for a college course. She isnt sure shell be able to return for the 2011 season, but the vendors I talked to hope she does. Its a small market, with an average of 10 vendors, but the role of the manager is huge.

In the photo, Austin is on the left, holding a loaf of Abbys (on right) popular zucchini bread. Abby has been bringing homegrown produce and her familys lamb meat to the market since she was 13. Shes off to college this year, so who knows what the future will bring, but eager customers -- while wishing her all success in life -- hope she will return to market with her fine products.

Big Timber Farmers Market

Grand Hotel parking lot, at Anderson and Second

July 10 - September 11

Saturday, 9 am - noon

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Cold day warm tea

No matter what kind of heating you have inside, when its 2 degrees outside, you feel cold!

In addition to being very very cold, I have been barely hanging in emotionally with all the work Ive had to do since mid-September. I thought I was finished Nov. 18, but then I had one more "little" job. This little job is driving me crazy with its needless complexity and new tools to learn, with too little time to do the job properly.

Needless to say, I welcome a soothing cup of tea.

I dont need anything strong, so I reach for a pretty herbal blend of rooibos, peppermint, and chamomile, called Petticoat Peppermint. Tumblewood Teas is the brand, and a darn good one it is, with creator Riza Gilpin making sure the teas are fresh, flavorful, and, yes, fun. Riza names each tea so it, er, blends in with its Montana surroundings: Restful Rancher, Comman-Chai, and Pony Express.

Unfortunately, drinking tea doesnt make the pile of work go away, but it does make me feel better about slugging through it all.

Do you want some lovely Tumblewood Tea, too? Contact Riza at tumblewoodteas @ gmail.com.

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Putting words in your mouth

Now that Ive confessed I cant cook, I have to go on to say I really cant cook pancakes.

When in the mood, Ive used a recipe handed down from my Polish grandmother -- who possibly couldnt cook pancakes either -- that calls for 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, and 1 egg. Its a heavy-duty pancake that tastes great hot or cold, and you cant go wrong making it.

But fluffy, restaurant-style pancakes? My attempts have been disastrous. Last time I tried, I ended up crying.

But try again . . .

I was thumbing through the Eat Our Words cookbook, a compilation of recipes submitted by Montana writers, and I saw "hotcakes." I also saw a possible blog entry no matter how they turned out, so I gathered the ingredients together.

All of my baking begins with Wheat Montana flour.

The recipe says to mix 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar together, then add enough sour milk (I used regular) to make a "smooth and rather stiff" batter. Put 1 teaspoon baking soda in a cup and then add about 1/4 cup hot water (I measured by guessing) and stir this into the batter. Then add more milk "until it will pour from spoon or pitcher or whatever you mix it in."

This is such a forgiving recipe that Im not surprised these were the first fluffy pancakes that made me smile while I was cooking them. Here I go . . .

pour batter onto hot pan

look for bubbles to form, then turn over to cook other side

top with butter and local honey

eat

. . . perfect!

I got so excited that I even poured batter to shape alphabet letters -- and it worked!

This recipe -- using the 1 cup of flour -- makes about 6 5-inch pancakes plus a handful of letters.

I highly recommend this cookbook not only for the pancake recipe but also for simply reading. There are excerpts from books written by the Montana authors, and even the recipes themselves are charming. The pancake recipe was recorded word-for-word from what the grandfather of the author (Maile Meloy) received from his mother after he had settled in Missoula and needed easy-to-cook meals.

The recipe for Montana Winter Casserole (submitted by Lauri Olsen) includes a description of a typical trip to town for supplies during the cold season here. Youre likely to spend quite a while in each grocery store aisle chatting with folks you know. This happens to me in any season.

Then the instructions say: "Bake for 2 hours in a 350-degree oven while youre playing gin rummy at the kitchen table with Uncle Ned, Aunt Hazel, and Carl, your neighbor who stopped in to borrow jumper cables." I think Ill make this casserole next, while its still snowing out.

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Memorial Day food

Most holidays revolve around food, and Memorial Day is no exception. The most important, aspect, however, is remembering those who have given their lives to allow us the freedom to live our lives as we wish and to have all that great food to eat.

Today was the annual opening of the Crazy Mountain Museum in Big Timber.

There is always a barbecue.

And wherever food is sold in Big Timber, the Sons of Norway (seemingly solely represented by the daughters of Norway) are selling homemade lefse and delectable Norwegian cookies. Note the lovely hand-painted sign.

The museum has a wonderful garden of flowers that Lewis and Clark noted on their journey through the area. Its definitely spring at the museum.

Inside, my favorite display is the miniature diorama of Big Timber in its early years. Its interesting how so much of todays town can be seen; so many buildings are the same. To give you an idea of the size of these mini buildings, all done to scale, I could put a house in the palm of my hand.

A silent auction also took place. I am always intrigued by the seemingly infinite number of flavors of jelly. This hibiscus one was new to me.

But I really came to see the Kill Kare Klub display honoring its 100th anniversary. This club was formed in 1910 as a way for area women -- many of whom were isolated on ranches -- to enjoy a few relaxing hours with each other. Its still going strong, with get-togethers including quilting bees and eating homecooked food. In 2007, the group published a cookbook that also tells stories of the hardworking women who have belonged to the club.

I got permission to include here a tasty recipe from the cookbook, submitted by Julie Sanders, who is known throughout Sweet Grass County and beyond for her cooking, especially her breads. At local bake sales, all you have to do is tell a prospective customer that "Julie made the bread" and its a sure sale. Her meat loaf is terrific, too. In fact, all the recipes Ive tried in the cookbook are nice.

There are still a few copies of the cookbook for sale at the museum (telephone: 406-932-5126). [Note: If youre Norwegian, you really need this book, with its section on Norwegian dishes -- among them, Lutefisk Pudding -- and all the words to "Lutefisk, O Lutefisk" (sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum").]

Best Meat Loaf

4 pounds ground beef

4 eggs, beaten

2 x 10-1/2 ounce cans of onion soup

8-ounce package cornbread-flavored stuffing mix

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup catsup

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine ground beef, eggs, onion soup, stuffing mix, and salt. Divide into thirds; form each into a loaf. Place loaves into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until well browned. In a medium bowl, mix together remaining ingredients; set aside. Drain juice off meat loaves and top with brown sugar mixture. Bake an additional 30 minutes.

Makes 16 servings. Also makes great sandwiches the next day.

[Note: Julie has a big family, who all work hard on the ranch. You might want to quarter the recipe, or freeze the leftovers.]

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Happy Valentines Day!

If nobody gives you anything special today, treat yourself. You deserve it!

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Have a sweet day!

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Heres to abundance in the new year!

Happy New Year!

Here is another year to give us all a new beginning.

I am grateful to live in a beautiful state, where despite long cold winters and short hot summers we still manage to get enough for all of us to eat. Well, yes, even if that means trucking in some of it from other states.

I have long thought that eating locally meant eating only foods produced within a reasonable distance from home. But after receiving an unexpected bounty of oranges and lemons from California, I have revised my thinking. These precious citrus gifts were grown locally where my friends picked them and found their way to me with a minimum of effort.

A Los Angeles friend enclosed lemons from the tree by her back door with a Christmas gift, and a Montana friend, who had driven to San Diego to visit relatives, brought back oranges and lemons from the relatives yard.

So technically, this is not local food, but I eat it with joy and gratitude, thinking of the generous people who share their bounty.

To make the transition to the new year a bit brighter, I also sipped some Grand Marnier I bought to use in making fortune cookies. The cookies were somewhat of a flop, but I learned that they are not difficult to make even if you are doing it late at night in a kitchen with bad lighting and iffy equipment. (Parchment paper is adequate -- it wrinkles when you reuse it, creating wavy cookies -- but a silicone baking mat would be perfect.) And it was fun to search for and even create fortunes to stuff them with. So I will try again.

Here is a toast to a joyous new year filled with all good things . . . whether they look perfect or not!

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Absarokee one day farmers market wonder

One day a year the Absarokee farmers market blooms.

About 40 vendors gather on the lawn of the Cobblestone School at the south end of town to participate in a fund-raiser for the preservation of the unusual building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can learn more about this at the Cobblestone School website.

Today was stormy and when I arrived I was told that a strong wind had blown down enough awnings that many of the vendors left early. By mid-morning the 10 or so who remained were doing a brisk business.

Inside the historic schoolhouse a quilt show offered refuge to those who wanted to avoid occasional rain sprinkles. Downstairs breakfast was being served, and around noon, an outdoor barbecue would be grilling hot dogs and hamburgers.

Outside, there was a festive atmosphere despite the looming storm clouds. Strolling musicians livened up the day considerably. Somehow that bass made its way around the market along with the fiddle, mandolin, and guitars.

This farmers market excelled at offering the best of area produce.

Maureen from down the road in Fishtail had late-season rhubarb and a mouthwatering selection of canned relishes and sauces.

Next to her were a young couple who raise vegetables in their small garden just down the street. This was their first farmers market ever, and they were enjoying their success. A wheelbarrow of freshly picked corn sold out quickly, and the carrots and herbs were going pretty fast, too.

Everything looked so bright and tasty, you really didnt need to wonder where the baked goods were at this market. A sweet purple carrot would do nicely.

The Absarokee farmers market is always the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, 8 am to 1 pm, so you can mark your 2015 calendar now.

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A treat MSU Bozeman Food Day

These eyeball treats grossed me out big time. But they were all part of the fun at the third annual Montana State University Food Day.

The public is welcome to stroll through the exhibits, but the event aims to provide a venue for nutrition students to share their knowledge and to allow students in general to explore healthy food options -- and get some university credits for attending.

The tables were set up in a kind of circuit course, beginning with general "what do you know?" questions, piloting participants through a variety of activities and good things to eat, and ending with an opportunity to write on a paper plate why they have decided to eat real food.

There were LOTS of healthy treats at every table!

Many students took advantage of its being Halloween and dressed as their favorite vegetables.

Miss Pineapple, above, introduced herself to me with "Hi, Im a local food." A lively discussion followed as to whether pineapples could grow in Montana, and the conclusion was that it would take a hot greenhouse and be very expensive. But, oh well. The goal is to eat local and to eat fruit, so Montana residents must compromise here and there for good health.

The fellow sitting next to her is Patrick, who explained to me about the campus group Sustainable Foods and Bioenergy Systems Collaborative, formerly known as Friends of Local Foods, which is the name still on the website. (They could use some help updating the site; if you can, theyd like to hear from you!) They decided to update the name to reflect the real purpose of the group, which I guess makes sense to people who are sticklers about details.

Whatever they call themselves, they are a serious group dedicated to "making a difference in the Bozeman food system." Everyone is welcome to join them when they meet on Wednesdays at 6 pm in the SUB lounge on campus.

Speaking of the Bozeman food system, I was delighted to meet Aubree, who updated me on Gallatin Valley Farm to School and the National Farm to School Network. On October 24, National Food Day, 4200 students in Bozeman crunched into delicious Montana-grown apples at exactly 2 pm. Many other districts around the state did the same thing, which explains the loud munching I heard that day. (Just kidding.)

Gallatin Valley Farm to School raises funds by selling lovely red-and-beige tea towels for $15. You cant buy them online right now, but feel free to contact the group, and someone will help you get one.

Even closer to home was a table set up by the Montana State University Food Services (UFS) team. They have created the Montana Made Program to focus on using made-in-Montana products wherever possible. In 2012, they "spent $1.1 million on products that were grown and/or processed, manufactured, and distributed throughout the state of Montana," according to their website. Because UFS feeds 3600 students on campus each day (1200 each mealtime), the impact of their purchases is significant.

But as program coordinator Stephanie Hanson explained to me, the definition of "Montana made" is necessarily broad. Local farmers just cant supply everything, and companies like Pepsi, which hires Montana workers in its local plant, are included. UFS does its best to ensure its buying dollars find their way into the local economy.

I must say the sample granola bars made by the Fat Cat Bakery that caters UFS baked goods were outstanding. Lucky students! Last night the bars had been studded with crickets as a Halloween treat (and supplying extra protein, as Stephanie pointed out). The ones today had only oats, honey, and dried fruit. Whew.

What Montana food event would be complete without Tumblewood Teas? Riza and Laurie poured samples, giving everyone a sophisticated taste of the West. With snow flying outside, tea was the perfect pick-me-up.

On that cozy note, I leave you with the recipe for a gruesome albeit healthy treat (pictured at top of blog).

Edible Eyeballs

1. Slice carrots into 1-inch chunks.
2. Top each carrot chunk with a blob of cream cheese and one half of a pitted black olive.

Nutrition values:

• Carrots: Vitamin A
• Low-fat cream cheese: Calcium
• Black olives: Iron, Vitamin E, and Copper

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Ouch

In some ways, Tuesday was not such a good day for stroopwafels after all.

Lest you think eating in Montana is all joy and endless delight, I must insert a warning here that you should also take care of your teeth.

While biting into a chewy Caramel Cookie Waffle, I lost an inlay. Luckily, it was not a filling, which leaves a big hole in your tooth and must be taken care of immediately or you are in endless pain. An inlay leaves a big gap, but the tooth itself is covered with something that protects it and there is no pain at all, although there is the danger of infection.

A snow storm raged while I contemplated what to do about getting to a dentist. Im still not comfortable driving icy roads, so the thought of having an emergency was daunting. It turns out, however, that I was able to make an appointment for today when the roads had cleared pretty much, and the intervening 3 days were endured with minimal unhappiness. (Though the sadness at giving up caramels will linger.)

My dentist in Columbus did a nice job replacing the inlay. All is well. But I wont be eating caramels again any time soon.

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