About skibootsinthekitchen

I love to cook, eat, travel, & drink wine. I enjoy mountain activities of all kind. Come have a bite with me! www.skibootsinthekitchen.com

Bourbon-Poached Peaches

Posted on October 13, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Wow, what a weekend to be a New England sports fan! My throat hurts from yelling with excitement! After a beautiful Friday and Saturday in the mountains, Sunday was raining and gray and perfect for sitting inside to watch two amazing games. The Patriots and The Red Sox both coming back with two big wins in the last seconds of the game. To celebrate- we ate some delicious drunk fruit! I used some really nice bourbon for this recipe thanks to High West, the whiskey distillery in town. These Bourbon poached peaches are a great way to preserve summer fruit and it is easy to can them and store them for up to a year! The recipe also works well with pears too if you prefer! If you’re looking for a quick dessert option to satisfy your sweet tooth, throw these over some ice cream, frozen yogurt or greek yogurt for an easy treat! Enjoy!

Bourbon Poached Peaches:

4 pounds peaches (about 12)
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped, pods reserved
1 cup bourbon

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Cut a small X into the bottom of each peach. Boil peaches for 1 minute.
Transfer to ice-water bath. Let cool slightly. Peel and pit peaches, and cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges.
Bring 4 cups water, the sugar, and vanilla seeds and pods to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add peaches and bourbon. Simmer until peaches are tender but still hold their shape, 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer peaches to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Cook syrup over medium heat until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Pour over peaches. Let cool completely.
Divide peaches among five 12-ounce sterilized jars using a slotted spoon. (Jars can be sterilized by boiling in water, submerged, for 10 minutes.) Pour syrup over tops. Add vanilla pods to jars if desired. Seal jars, and refrigerate until ready to use or can and process in a hot water bath for long term shelf storage. Recipe from Martha Stewart Living, August 2011.

Chicken Enchiladas with Spicy Pumpkin ‘Mole’

Posted on October 8, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

I wasn’t a huge fan of Mexican food before I moved west. New England isn’t exactly known for its authentic Mexican cuisine (unless you think Taco Bell is authentic) But here in Park City we’ve got more Mexican restaurants in a 10 mile radius than you can count on two hands. I’ve become a huge fan of mole- there is a restaurant in Salt Lake called the Red Iguana that has some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had and is known for their 8 different kinds of Mole. To make homemade classic mole you’ll need at least 3 different types of dried and fresh chilies that are only found at specialty food stores and a list of spices longer than a football field. Other than chilies and spices mole is usually made with either chocolate, peanuts or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) giving the sauce a rich base. Needless to say making real mole is labor intensive! So when I’m looking for some homemade mole that’s quick and easy I use this recipe which calls for pureed pumpkin as the base giving it an authentic feel with out all the fuss. Oh yeah, the creamy chicken enchiladas aren’t bad either! Top them with some spicy pepper jack cheese and pumpkin mole- this is a super delicious week night or weekend dish! Last weekend I made these enchiladas for some friends after going to a beautiful fall festival at High Star Ranch in Kamas! There was live music and local vendors selling a variety of goods like hand thrown ceramic mugs, peppered jellies, and apple pies!!! There was even livestock roaming around, this adorable mule enjoyed nibbling at our hair and jackets when we went over to see it. These enchiladas can be made with or without the pumpkin mole, top them with classic enchilada sauce (store bought from a can) or just sprinkle with cheese, bake and enjoy! Chicken Enchiladas:

1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 2-3 cups of chicken)
1 block of cream cheese
½ cup of fresh salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 package of shredded pepper jack cheese or sharp cheddar
1 package of flour tortillas (or corn if you want it to be gluten free!)

For the pumpkin mole:

2 cups or 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup tomato sauce (pureed tomato sauce from the can)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
Cut up cream cheese and melt in sauce pan over medium to low heat.
Add shredded chicken to the cream cheese, stirring to combine chicken and cheese completely.
Add salsa, black beans, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from stove.
While the chicken is cooking start the pumpkin sauce.
Combine pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, sour cream, chilli powder, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Spread enough of the pumpkin mole on the bottom of the baking dish so the enchiladas don’t stick to the bottom (1-1 1/2 cups)
Put chicken mixture into tortillas, roll up and put seam side down in baking dish.
Cover tortillas with remaining pumpkin sauce and top with shredded cheese
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.
Serve with salsa, guacamole, beans and rice or your favorite side! Enjoy!

Corn Chowder and Bacon, Cheese & Chive Biscuits

Posted on October 7, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It has been perfect soup weather lately. It snowed 3 days last week- enough that I needed a scraper to get the snow off my car one morning (too bad I couldn’t find one because when do you ever need an ice scraper in October? I ended up using a plastic spoon…not so helpful it turns out). The fall foliage is at its peak right now and the fresh snow against the bright leaves has been gorgeous! There is nothing more satisfying then a bowl of hot soup on a cold day. Normally when you think of chowder, you think of a rich soup thickened with heavy cream. What is particularly wonderful about this corn chowder is its creamy base is created by pureeing vegetables, giving the soup a chowder like consistency with out all the fat. This recipe can easily be made vegan or vegetarian by substituting olive oil for butter and vegetable broth for the chicken stock. The fresh corn, carrots, peppers and dill give this chowder amazing flavor and makes for an easy week night dinner! It also makes enough for leftovers which are perfect for lunch the next day or you can pop it in the freezer for a quick meal later! The bacon, cheese and chive biscuits pair perfectly with the flavors of the chowder and are great for moping up the leftovers at the bottom of the bowl. Corn, bacon, cheese… what more could you want on a cold fall day? Enjoy!

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (use olive oil to make it vegan)
3 medium yellow onions, chopped
5 carrots cut into 1/4 inch slices
5 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 inch slices
6 cups fresh uncooked corn kernels (8-10 ears depending on their size)
3 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth to make it vegan/vegetarian)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 large bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot. When the butter is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook just until tender, stirring frequently (10-12 minutes). Add the corn and cook 2-5 minutes more
Remove 4 cups of the vegetables and transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree the mixture until fairly smooth and return it to the soup pot
Add the chicken or veggie broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils add the red peppers and simmer for 2 minutes
Add the dill, and taste for salt and pepper
Serve hot, garnish with more dill. Serves 8

This biscuit recipe was originally from Bon Appetit. I tweaked the recipe a bit- The original recipe calls for sharp cheddar however to liven up these biscuits sub out cheddar for pepper jack for a spicy kick! I also added more bacon as I felt there was not enough bacon in each biscuit.

Bacon, Cheese and Chive Biscuits

Ingredients:

7-8 thick-cut bacon slices
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk

Directions:

Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds (this can be done by hand by cutting the butter into flour mixture with two knives or by grating chilled butter into flour mixture with a box grater).
Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).
Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.
Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter.
Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired. Makes 12 biscuits.

(Biscuit recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, chowder recipe from Blanchar’s Kitchen)

Pumpkin Maple Protein Smoothie

Posted on October 2, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It’s fall, so obviously everyone is into anything pumpkin related. I thought people were going to die of excitement when Starbucks finally released their PSL (pumpkin spice latte… who knew it was being abbreviated these days?) on September 3!! Three days past August is NOT considered fall people. So now that its October and it actually IS fall, I’m jumping on the pumpkin wagon! I love getting my fix of pumpkin treats but if you’re not careful that casual PSL in the morning can run you close to 400 calories! I don’t know about you but that is way more than I’m willing to waist on a cup-o-joe! This protein smoothie is a great way to satisfy your pumpkin craving without killing your waistline (which is always an added bonus going into the holiday season!) I use Teras Whey protein powder that I purchase from Whole Foods but any kind of vanilla protein powder will do. Also be sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling (there is a difference!)Pumpkin Maple Protein Smoothie by Ski Boots in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

8 oz vanilla almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (make your own if you don’t have it)
hand full of ice cubes

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Apple & Cranberry Harvest Pie

Posted on October 1, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy October! The mornings are getting cooler, the nights are getting dark to quickly… fall is really here and I have no idea what happened to September. Since September slipped away without me noticing, I have a feeling October might go equally as fast and then… Its my favorite holiday… Thanksgiving! Which is why I’ve decided to dedicate the month of October to “Thanksgiving Menu Prep.” It’s time to pull out my collection of old Bon Appetit Thanksgiving issues, family recipes and classic Thanksgiving traditions, to find the best recipes for your Thanksgiving table. This year don’t showing up at your Thanksgiving feast with plain mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. It’s time to jazz up your menu with some fun, different and most importantly DELICIOUS dishes! This recipe for Harvest Pie from Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard is one of my mother’s favorite holiday desserts. The flavors and spices of the pie are the definition of fall and the holiday season. The tartness of the cranberries balances the sweetness of the apples and raisins making for a truly awesome but not too sweet dessert. If you’re ready to mix up the dessert table from the plain (and over done) apple and pumpkin pies, this is your recipe! Top this pie with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or serve it a la mode. The original recipe calls for a streusel topping however, I prefer the recipe with a lattice pie crust which doesn’t overpower the fresh fruit with too much ‘stuff’. To make this pie super easy you can use Pillsbury pie dough from the dairy section of your grocery store (when in a hurry I cheat and use this… no one will ever know!), or if you’re feeling ambitious make your own dough. Streusel topping, classic crust or lattice top this pie will become your new favorite holiday dessert too! Enjoy!

Harvest Pie (Click for printer friendly version)

Prep Time	Cooking Time	Serves
30 Minutes	40-55 minutes	8-10

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh apples, diced
1 Cup fresh cranberries
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 ½ Tbsp. orange zest
1 ½ Tbsp. butter, melted
1/8 Cup orange juice
1/8 Cup flour
½ cup sugar
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare piecrust or streusel topping (below).
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Pour into prepared piecrust. Top with streusel topping or lattice piecrust.
Place pie in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until the apples are tender and the crumb or crust is golden brown.

Pastry Dough (Makes two 9-inch piecrusts) This pastry dough freezes well and will work with any pie!

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup cold vegetable shortening
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small chunks
6 Tbsp. ice water

Directions:

Sift flour. Cut shortening and butter into flour with pastry blender or fingers until mixture has the consistency of small peas.
Add ice water and blend just until dough holds together.
Divide the dough into two pieces; if you are doing the streusel topping store one for later use. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a 10-inch circle.
Place dough in pie plate and crimp as desired.

Streusel Topping:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups white sugar
2 cups all- purpose flour
1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients, then fold in melted butter, stirring until it clumps. Sprinkle evenly on top of pie.

Original recipes from Morning Glory Farm

Healthy Banana “Ice Cream”

Posted on September 25, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Last weekend was the autumnal equinox which means bye, bye summer, welcome autumn, fall, bright colored leaves, pumpkins and… snow? Yup that’s right it was snowing in the mountains today! Big fluffy flakes, which we are all hoping means its going to be a great ski year. I am still trying to hold on to a few last pieces of summer and nothing says summer like ice cream. Unfortunately, I have a slight intolerance to classic ice cream, which is a HUGE bummer, because its so unbelievably delicious. Then I found out you can make “ice cream” from frozen bananas and my whole life changed. I wish that I was brilliant enough to come up with this idea because it actually is brilliant. It’s creamy, thick, and tastes like real ice cream, you’d never know it was just frozen whipped bananas. Yup that’s it- ONE ingredient. Which means its vegan, dairy free, sugar free, low calorie but it tastes like the full fat, total guilty pleasure stuff… I promise! This recipe falls into my favorite category of should I eat it for “breakfast or dessert?” It’s so healthy you could eat if for breakfast sprinkled with your favorite granola or put a scoop on pie, peach crumble or chocolate cake for an unbelievable topping. Add your favorite ingredients to make it your own: peanut butter, chocolate chips, Nutella, maple syrup, almond butter, even a few strawberries and you’ve got a totally different treat! All those ripe bananas you’ve been saving for banana bread but haven’t gotten around to it- this recipe requires less time, effort and is more delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 frozen bananas

Optional:

3-4 Tablespoons peanut butter, almond butter or Nutella
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons Maple syrup or honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Cup frozen strawberries

Directions:

Slice bananas (like you would for cereal- pictured above) and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight, on a flat cookie sheet, baking dish or Tupperware.
Place bananas in a food processor with desired ingredients (peanut butter, syrup, strawberries etc). I did peanut butter chocolate chip! Add bananas and 3-4 Tablespoons peanut butter (depending on how much you love peanut butter add more or less) and pulse until fully combined, use a spoon or spatula to break up large chunks of frozen banana.
Once mixed, stir in chocolate chips at the last minute with a spoon (otherwise the food processor will chop them up.)
Scoop into bowls and top with chocolate sauce, sprinkles, pretzels or your favorite ice cream sunday toppings or put a scoop on pie, cake or another delicious dessert and enjoy!
If your bananas don’t seem to be mixing as easily as you’d like, add 2-3 tablespoons of almond milk or soy milk which will speed up the mixing process.
Looking for more ideas to mix with your banana ice cream? Dark chocolate chunks and sea salt, strawberry banana, peanut butter and honey, Nutella banana, 2 teaspoons mint extract and dark chocolate chunks… mint chip! the options are endless… get creative!

In a Pickle: Classic Dill or Spicy Garlic?

Posted on September 15, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It has been an unusual couple of weeks here in Utah- It has rained almost everyday consistently for more than a week. Rainy weather = movie days and new kitchen experiments. I have a bizarre love for pickles. Mostly dill pickles, but I’m also not picky when it comes to pickles, I love them all. I also love weird combinations of pickles- If you’ve never tried a pickle and peanut butter sandwich, you’re seriously missing out (I know your intrigued now…so just try it.) Fall is harvest time for the mini pickling cucumbers, so I decided to attempt my first ever pickling adventure. It’s easy to find the mini cucumbers at the farmers markets or local market… but the hardest part? Figuring out which kind of delicious pickle to make! So I decided to test out two different recipes- the Classic Dill and the Spicy Garlic Dill. Both turned out amazing! If you love the classics go for the Dill but if your looking to spicy things up, the spicy garlic packs a punch- or go my route and make both! Fresh pickles all winter long- what could be better? Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

8-12 small pickling cucumbers (kirby) (approximately 3 pounds)
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons pickling salt (or Kosher Sea Salt)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 teaspoons dill seed
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
4 half pint mason jars

Directions:

Wash mason jars with hot soapy water or disinfect by putting them through the dishwasher or boiling water bath prior to canning for shelf storage. (you don’t need to do this if you plan on keeping the in the refrigerator.
Wash and dry cucumbers. Cut off ends and depending on your preference, cut into chips, spears or leave whole. I used my mandolin with the ruffle edge blade to cut my cumbers into ruffled chips!
Combine vinegar, water and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. (If you don’t have pickling salt be sure to use Kosher sea salt- table salt does not work for pickling).
Combine dill seeds, pepper corns and chili flakes together in a bowl. Divide mixture and garlic equally among the 4 mason jars. Pack cut cumbers as tightly as you can into the jars without crushing them.
Pour brine into the jars leaving 1/4″ of room at the top of the jar. Remove any air bubbles by tapping the side of the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and apply lids and bands.
If processing jars for shelf stability, lower jars into your processing pot. When water returns to a boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canning pot and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, check seals.
If you choose not to process your jars, let them cool before putting them into the refrigerator. Do note that your jars may seal during the cooling process. However, without the boiling water bath process, that doesn’t mean they’re shelf stable. Still refrigerate.
Allow pickles to marinate for at least one week in the fridge before eating. Enjoy! Classic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

8-12 small pickling cucumbers (kirby) (about 3pounds)
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
4 heads fresh dill or 4 teaspoons dill seeds
4 small cloves garlic
4 half pint mason jars

Directions:

Use the same processes as above to clean mason jars. Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan, bringing to a boil. Divide dill, garlic and pickles equally between the 4 jars. Follow steps 5-8 above.
Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Tomato Jam

Posted on September 9, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It has been a very busy end of the summer with lots of travel to see friends and family for weddings and vacations! I just returned from 4 beautiful days on the Vineyard and I’m only home for a week before I’m off traveling again! I realized I haven’t been in my kitchen much at all this month. I tested out this recipe in Utah over Labor Day weekend and it was so fantastic when I arrived home last weekend I robbed my mother of all her tomatoes from her CSA to make a batch for her to keep! Fresh, plump tomatoes are one of the sweetest rewards of Fall. Heirlooms, beefsteak or cherry- you can’t go wrong – they are all so delicious and in season! With the Farmers market bursting at the seams with fresh tomatoes I’ve been looking for new and different recipes to enjoy them! The classic Caprese salad is always a delicious treat however, I usually max out after eating it three nights in a row. This tomato jam is the perfect balance of sweet and savory- I love spreading it on a French baguette with some goat cheese or a delicious creamy cheese like St. Andrea or Brie. It also pairs perfectly with pork tenderloin, beef and is great for jazzing up fish or chicken. There is nothing better than preserving fresh produce and pulling it out of the cupboard in the dead of winter when you’re craving a little taste of summer! It also makes a really great house warming or birthday gift… but this recipe only makes 1 1/2 pints of jam so it better be a very special (and lucky) someone because once you try it you’ll have a very hard time giving it away! Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Tomato Jam (Original recipe from Food52) Makes 1 1/2 pints

3 1/2 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped (red or yellow or mixture of both)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until thickened to a jam-like consistency, about 3 hours.
Transfer to 3 sterilized 1/2 pint glass jars and store in refrigerator or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage. (See here for canning 101 basics).

Here are a few other delicious and inspiring tomato recipes I am dying to try!

Almond Crisped Peaches

Posted on September 2, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Holy smokes- its September. I actually have no idea where my summer went. But September means a lot of great things: kids are back in school, fall foliage, peach season and most importantly…Football season! The peaches are in full swing in Utah and they are so delicious! This recipe is a fun and healthy spin on the classic peach crumble or crisp. The individual peach halves make a beautiful presentation if you are entertaining. The crunchy almond crisp topping is light enough that it allows the sweetness of the fresh peaches to shine through – so you’re actually enjoying the peach instead of a lot of sugar. Crunchy sweet perfection. Originally, I topped the dessert with ice cream- turns out, it doesn’t need it, they are amazing au natural! And… They are gluten free! Come to think of it a dollop of plain yogurt on these peaches would make a delicious breakfast…drool.This recipe calls for such basic and simple ingredients you’re bound to have some variation on hand at all times- which makes this a perfect last minute sweet treat! Sub peaches for plums, nectarines, apples or pears. Switch up the almonds for your favorite nut- the options are endless! I’ve eaten (and made) many different kinds of peach deserts but this one might be my new favorite and definitely the easiest! Enjoy!

Almond-Crisped Peaches (Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
1/3 cup whole almonds (roasted or raw)
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
pinch of sea salt (optional)
3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place peaches cut side up in a baking dish.
In a food processor, combine almonds and sugar until coarsely ground (till only a few pebbles remain).
Add oats, cinnamon and salt if adding them, and butter, pulsing until they are blended.
Scoop almond mixture into the center of each peach and press flat to coat the whole top of the peach.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (baking time will depend on peach size) till the top is brown and the fruit is soft enough to cut with fork or spoon.
Serve warm with fresh whipped cream, ice cream or with a drizzle of fresh maple syrup. Enjoy!

If you don’t have a food processor, use finely chopped almonds and combine them with other dry ingredients. Melt the butter and mix with dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Scoop mixture into peaches as directed above.

Napa Wine Wednesday

Posted on August 22, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Last weekend Jake and I enjoyed our first trip to NAPA! It was wonderful in so many ways- we had beautiful weather, drank great wine and ate delicious food. Overall it was a relaxing and glutinous weekend! If you’ve been to Napa, or just looked at a map of all the wineries… you can see it’s a bit overwhelming- there are so many vineyards to choose from. It can also get pricey! Most wineries now charge a tasting fee to sample their wines and while you can try between 3-5 different varieties at each tasting, multiply that by 10 vineyards and you can spend a lot (and get really drunk)! So I wanted to share my favorite wineries, a few ways to save on tastings and my overall review of the Napa Valley in this addition of Ski Boots in Wine Country! Cheers!Tip #1: Download the free app Winery Finder on your smart phone- its amazing. The app list all the vineyards in Napa Valley offering 2-for-1 tastings, special deals on tours and discounts on wine purchased at the vineyard. It also maps out how far each vineyard is from your current location so you can easily hit up the closest tasting without bouncing all over town! Also check out this website Napa Valley on a Budget I found it to be a helpful resource. Grgich Hills Estates– Is one of the more well known vineyards in Napa thanks much in part to the ‘Paris Tasting of 1976‘ (aka their Chardonnay won Best Wine in the World in a blind taste test against some of the best French wines- this blind taste test also included other vineyards in Napa which put California wines on the map.) We tasted 5 of their newly released wines (all of which were delicious!) in the main cellar/tasting room. Grgich is a classic to visit, the grounds are beautiful, the wine is fantastic and they offer a 2-for-1 tasting deal!

Tip #2: Start Early! Ok, I know you might not be interested in drinking wine for breakfast (I am!) but its your best option if you want to beat the crowds- especially during peak season. Before 12pm you can walk in almost anywhere- after that both the wineries and the St. Helena Hwy get busy. Frog’s Leap– One of my favorite vineyards we visited! We tasted 4 wines only sold and released at the vineyard. We had a beautiful table on their porch and our wine flights were accompanied with a cheese plate to share. Unlike many of the other vineyards we went to, Frog’s Leap has tasting glasses for each wine (most only give one glass) which allows you to sip and compare each wine at your own pace. I would have loved to do a tour at this vineyard if we had the time- definitely an A+ must visit! Make sure to go in the morning or make a reservation if you’d like to go in the afternoon- they are very busy! Duckhorn Vineyards– Tied for first place for favorite vineyard visited, Duckhorn was a wonderful experience! We chose to do their tour and tasting. We tasted 5 wines all paired with different cheeses after touring the grounds and cellars. They had just pulled in their first harvest of the season and we got to see the pallets of grapes come in. They have a beautiful deck so request to be seated outside and they offer a 2-for-1 deal on tastings! Mumm Napa– Who doesn’t love ‘Champagne’ sparkling wine? Mumm is just down the road from Frog’s Leap with a beautiful patio and inside porch. They have 4 different tasting menu’s each with 3 different sparkling wines. We each tried a different menu allowing us to try 6 different wines- definitely the way to go! They offer 2-for-1 tastings, tours and a free tour at 10am with the winery app! A definite must! Tip #3: Make dinner reservations ahead of time… WAY ahead of time. For popular restaurants 5pm and 9pm are the only available times you’ll find within 4 weeks of your visit- otherwise go for lunch or sit at the bar- many restaurants offer similar menus for lunch and are far less busy at that time. Ad Hoc– For all the Thomas Keller fans out there, Ad Hoc is amazing. I thought for sure this was a restaurant that would rest on his famous name and serve mediocre food- I was so wrong. This was easily one of the best meals I have had in years- and for a pretty reasonable price (well compared to the $225pp prefix menu at French Laundry…its a steal. I’ll continue to dream about the French Laundry dining experience, forever.) But seriously, amazing food- don’t miss out! Gott’s Roadside– For a truly delicious and affordable Napa experience check out Gott’s Roadside. Classic diner style food and decor jazzed up by a great wine and beer selection (and milkshakes too!) I’m going to fly back just for their shoestring sweat potato fries! Gott’s go burgers like you’ve never tasted, so work up an appetite. There is usually a line (that’s how you know its good!) but its totally worth the wait!

It’s impossible to capture all the goodness Napa has to offer in one post- this only scratches the surface of what we did and the wines we tasted. There is so much to see and do and try its hard to have a bad experience. St. Helena was my favorite town and where we spent most of our time- it’s very picturesque. Check out Model Bakery on Main St. in St Helena for great coffee and breakfast. We actually only drove through the actual town of Napa on our way to and from the airport. St. Helena, Rutherford and Yountville are where its at in the Napa valley! Cheers and happy travels!