2014 May « Cracked Pepper

Easter is obviously over, but carrots are always in style. The carrot has become a symbol of Spring due to its affiliation with Easter, but the best time to harvest carrots is actually in the Fall. Despite the fact that it’s not currently the ideal season, I’ve been making a mean baby carrots and shallot side lately that is so delicious and versatile, I must share. I don’t mean the kind of baby carrots that come shaped by a machine and packaged in a plastic bag (although those do make great snacks), but the kind that look like they’ve been yanked right out of the ground.

Carrots remind me of something playful, like a bouquet of daisies or tulips.

This side is beyond simple to prepare, yet looks elegant. For some reason there is something about baby carrots (and shallots) for that matter that make people think a lot of time and effort went into preparing, but in reality they are pretty low maintenance. One tip to keep in mind, the stems are a bit longer above (to make my photos look pretty!), but the reality I found was that the stems come out tough and chewy when roasted. I’d recommend trimming the green stem down to no longer than an inch (as seen in the finished product).

I also like leaving the tail end of the shallot in place, which holds the bulb together.

Toss everything cleaned up with a vinaigrette and into the roasting dish they go to cook for about an hour or until you can pierce easily with a fork.

I adore this dish with a pork tenderloin or chicken, but steak and a number of other meats and poultry would work as well. Enjoy!

Taking another blog break from cooking to reminisce about our departure from Jackson Hole. It has been a few weeks since we left behind our magical winter, limitless ski days, and new friends. When planning our winter out West, Chris and I were so focused on the luxury of being able to ski everyday, that we hadn’t thought about what the people would be like. We showed up not really knowing anyone and quickly realized that we basically just had each other. Luckily Jackson Hole is overflowing with awesomeness and the people that flock to this small community are some of the friendliest and best out there – not to mention the most physically active humans on earth. We first met up with Chris’s family friend, Kristin, and her boyfriend Andrew who have lived in Jackson for years and were the most amazing hosts to us all winter. Chris and I joked that at first our social life consisted of us waiting by the phone for Kristin and Andrew to call and if they didn’t then we stayed at home – ha! I am so grateful to them for allowing us to piggy-back on their lives this winter and for their thoughtfulness and generosity. I miss them terribly!

The Swanson’s also might have been one of the most successful friend “set-ups” of all time. My friend from college made sure we were introduced (thank you Tommy!) and Matt and Alie quickly became some of our best ski buddies. Matt and Chris are both equally relentless in their pursuit to “shred” so the friendship worked out well.

Jax and Lance lived in the apartment next to us with their adorable pooch Loki. So very lucky to have them as neighbors. They are both inspiring and dedicated athletes and probably two of the most known people in town for their weekly blog posts on the Jackson Hole website: http://bit.ly/QY13Ag

Maybe it’s all of that fresh air or perhaps the fact that the mountain received over 500 inches this winter that put everyone in an especially good mood, but I’m pretty sure there’s just something about Jackson Hole that draws an exceptional crowd. I am thankful and ridiculously lucky to have spent the winter getting to know this special place and the people that inhabit it. Our final days at Jackson did not make it easy to leave with more snow, amazing dinners, one final pair of fantastic visitors (Tom and Erin!), and something called Rendezvous weekend which consisted of outdoor concerts and a big party in the parking lot beneath the mountain.