Another Day in Paradise

Blue sky, mild breeze off the ocean, bright sunshine, mild temperature. Same old same old here in San Diego. Can a climate be more perfect? It makes me laugh when people I pass on the street comment on the lovely weather. It’s like mentioning that the sidewalk is cement or the grass green. Of course it’s a lovely day. Yesterday was too. And the day before. At some point this constant state of perfection might get tiresome, but so far so good.

It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for over a month. Nick returned from his deployment on the 15th of August and we’ve been getting settled into our new place. Since we live in paradise, we figured all the friends and family would want to visit, so we rented a two bedroom place. Sherpa Nick and I lugged a queen sized bed from a garage sale a few blocks away into our newly outfitted guest suite. We’re past our third round of house guests already, and it’s barely begun to rain in Seattle.

Melding our very dissimilar lifestyles into one harmonious existence has been a fairly smooth progression. A rough bout of homesickness, a mild case of food poisoning, and one very tense afternoon of dinner party preparation were small hurdles easily overcome. Mr. “I hate yard work” carefully dribbles water onto each of the little basil plants in our garden, finds sticks to prop up the lemon verbena, and rolls our round patio table over to the newly planted rainbow chard to make some dappled shade for them on sunny afternoons. He picks figs in the morning, prunes grapes in the evening, and notices how each plant is progressing, flowering, wilting, or thriving. I can’t say I’ve done as much to embrace the culture of the military as Nick has done to appreciate my little hobbies, but I am beginning to understand the sacrifices and commitment that go along with military life. And I can say I appreciate the two dollar kayak rentals at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot and the tax free liquor store on base.

But the best part of our new living arrangement is having someone to share meals with every day. I miss Gretchen’s impromptu weeknight dinners, and dining out with the Brown Trout after weekend ultimate games. But right now, I’m savoring sitting down to meals at home with Nick. And after 6 months of mess hall chow, Nick seems to be appreciating them as well.

This is one of my favorite weekend breakfasts- a Dutch Baby pancake filled with sautéed fruit. Traditionally they are topped with a sprinkling of lemon juice and powdered sugar, but they are especially good with fruit and a dollop of yogurt. This one has pears and apples, but you could substitute peaches, plums, or berries.

Dutch Baby with Sautéed Pears and Apples

½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter + more for brushing skillet

Place a 10-inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees. Sift the flour and salt into a small bowl. In a blender, put the eggs and milk and blend at low speed. Turn off the blender and add the flour mixture. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides at least once. It should take about 30 seconds of mixing. Blend in the melted butter. Brush the hot skillet with the additional butter (a silicone pastry brush works great for this) and pour in the batter. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes without opening the oven door. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 15 or so minutes or until the pancake is puffy and beginning to pull away from the sides of the skillet. Prepare the filling while the pancake bakes.

Pear and Apple Filling

3 small Bartlett pears
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple
1 Tablespoon butter
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons (or to taste) brown sugar
Lemon juice to taste

Powdered sugar for topping

Pare, core, and slice the apples and pears. In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter over high heat. Add the fruit, cinnamon, and brown sugar and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the fruit is beginning to soften. Sprinkle with a dash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

To finish

When the Dutch Baby comes out of the oven, dust it with powdered sugar and fill the center with the fruit mixture. Serve immediately.

Serves 3 to 4.

Comments

[Leroy Radford]

Kat!

Congratulations on your new life. Glad to see a new post from you!

Got together with michael in his future vineyard and he is excited about that.

Classes have started at SSCC and I am in full winemaking mode this quarter. 3 classes.

I bottled my pinot noir last saturday and it rocks! I'm a little shocked a thow good it is...

I look forward to meeting Nick one of these days and sharing some wine and god food with you both.

Meanwhile, I'll check back for fall comfort foods and think of you in paradise.

Be well,
Leroy

[Angie]

Oh Kat, I do miss you! I read your blog often and it always makes my mouth water and miss our dinners together. The pear and apple dish looks divine. Lots of love!