Relish these words: A vanishing world of artisans and poets?

(CAPTION: A week's worth of food in Italy, from the photo essay Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)

The closest I have ever been to Italy was a brief layover at the airport in Zurich on my way to Denmark for a meeting of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. Slowly descending over Switzerland, I gazed down at small country villages, each with an ornate church at the center and fringed by small flocks of sheep in hilly green pastures, and thought it was possibly the most beautiful place I’d ever seen and vowed to go back someday.

I can’t help feeling a similar reverence for Italy, birthplace of Slow Food and the Slow Food manifesto, of outdoor cafes and jewel-like bakeries, routine meals as grand occasion, of poets, artisans and romantics. If you share similar inclinations, I’m delighted to pass along a must-read in last Sunday’s New York Times: Is Italy Too Italian? From Taxis to Textiles, a Nation Chooses Tradition Over Growth. It opens with a visit to an elegant businessman who ages fine wool and cashmere for six months before crafting it into his own hand-designed clothing.

Possibly your response — and clearly that of the article’s — is ah, how quaint... And how increasingly unrealistic.

It’s to the article’s credit that it doesn’t sentimentalize or gloss over the occasional irritations of living in a medieval world, suggesting that even crafters guilds are vulnerable to improprieties. However, the dilemma posed — quality (of life, of products) versus economic growth — is a familiar one to Americans as well.

"… Of course the worship of growth has its limitations. The American economy is vastly more robust, but instead of family-owned bakeries, which seem to dot very hectare of Italy, we’ve got Quiznos."

Italy is "clannish," self-possessed and distinctive, and (as the article reminds) has never brought upon itself a housing bubble or banking crisis. But the political situation there shares an important parallel with our own, namely, public policy battles over: 

• product (and food) labels revealing more transparency into where and how they are produced; 
• the interests of producers versus the interests of financiers and merchants;
• the value of preserving tradition, art, culture and "way of life" concerns while the world globalizes in the name of “growth” and “progress.”
  

As our Italian textile manufacturer says:

"… I am fighting with all my strength to make people understand that this country is destroying itself in order to advance the interests of just a few people who are unfortunately members of the most powerful caste of this country."

And, later:

"It is a hard world for poets."

Relish these words: Cheered by cherries

Just as the plump, wine-red cherries from the Western slope of Colorado ripened (Ranch Foods Direct gets them from the Glenn Austin family at Paonia) I came across a book at the library I’ve long wanted to read called Cherries in Winter: My Family’s Recipe for Hope in Hard Times. Author Suzan Colon, a New York magazine publishing exec, describes being laid off during the current recession but finding herself spending more time in the kitchen, cooking and sharing family stories with her mother, drawing inspiration from women of earlier generations who lived with more uncertainty and got by on far less.

She writes: “I’ve learned that there’s a difference between showing up for dinner at my parents’ house and making dinner with my mother: as the ingredients go into the food, the stories come out of the making.”

The stories teach her that being poor doesn’t mean living poor, if you remind yourself to splurge occasionally on something simple and fabulous like winter “bings,” fine French raisins juicy with “joie de vivre” or a new blue porcelain vase in a store window available for the price of eating only bread and applesauce for dinner.

Another timeless lesson: Change what you can, and make the best of the rest. Looking back over her family’s journey and reflecting on her own, she writes: “Sometimes what looked at first like more rotten luck turned out to be fate’s little crooked smile.”

Hers is a heart-warming book for dispelling the chill of somber economic times. As publisher Random House describes: “It makes you want to cook, it makes you want to know your own family’s stories, and, above all, it makes you feel rich no matter what.”

She includes a few old family recipes, including this simple treatment of a picnic staple that makes use of the earthy, robust potatoes now in season:

German Potato Salad

4 slices bacon

1 cup diluted vinegar (1/2 cup vinegar plus ½ cup water)

1/4 cup sugar

6 good-sized cooked potatoes, diced

3 onions, diced

Cut bacon into small pieces and brown in frying pan. Add vinegar and sugar and allow to cook together until heated and sugar is dissolved. Add to cooked diced potatoes and diced onions and allow to heat through.

Another round of Fiddles, Vittles and Vino

Perfect weather and an unbeatable backdrop drew hundreds for the annual Fiddles, Vittles and Vino fundraiser at the Rock Ledge Ranch historic site, nestled into the beauty of the surrounding Garden of the Gods Park.

The event is organized by local chefs to support the ranch and features restaurants and wine distributors handing out food and drink under tall trees and giant tents. Ranch Foods Direct grilled complimentary burgers. Many favorite local restauranteurs were also there, including the Margarita at Pine Creek (home to the Saturday Colorado Farm and Art Market) and relative newcomer Pizzeria Rustica (the charming wine and pizza place, "green certified," which provided slices of classic Margherita style pies adorned with thin ribbons of fresh basil and toasty hot from their real brick oven.)

Interrupting the energetic bluegrass musicians to give a warm welcome was Brent Beavers, the event's founder, still well-known and beloved for his Sencha restaurant of years past (sadly, long closed) and characterized by his devotion for all ingredients local and his natural artistry with food. As everyone in the Colorado Springs food world knows, Brent is overseeing a transformation at Giuseppe's Old Depot downtown, a local landmark now under new ownership. While the re-tooling is still underway, Brent is already purchasing all of his ground beef from Ranch Foods Direct with plans to introduce more local items to the menu soon.

Jake Topakas, who was handing out grilled chicken on skewers with a creamy Greek dipping sauce and his signature rice-stuffed grape leaves, reminded us that he now features a "Callicrate Burger" on the menu at Jake & Telly's. (Ask for it by name.) And Brian Fortinberry, owner of Front Range BBQ with two locations in the Springs, shared word that he is expecting another visit from his mom, Mary Boname, the wonderful Southern cook who came out last summer to help prepare a special menu of family favorites (including chicken tetrazini) and to unveil her cookbook, Top of the Range. (Some of the recipes were included last August in our Ranch Foods Direct newsletter, with a story recapping more about their project, pages 2-3.)

Brian assured us he still has cookbooks available for sale and also promised to deliver a few to the Ranch Foods Direct store. To tantalize you with just one more sample recipe from the collection, here's Amy Graham's Peaches and Cream Pie, obviously ideal for this time of year. (Amy is proprietor of Smiley's Cafe, 323 North Tejon Street, 719-328-9447) 

Peaches and Cream Pie

6 c. sliced ripe but firm peaches

(about 10 small)

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1 large egg

1 T. granulated sugar

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla

1 9-inch unbaked double crust

pastry

Preheat oven to 350. Place in large

bowl: 5 cups sliced peaches. Mix

together and then gently mix into

peaches: 2/3 c. sugar, 2 T. flour and

1/8 tsp. ginger. In another bowl, beat

together and set aside: 1 large egg, 1

T. sugar, 1/2 c. whipping cream, and

1/4 tsp. vanilla. Gently stir the peach

mixture and spoon into pastry-lined

plate. Pie crust will be full, but there

will be some settling as it cooks.

Pour cream mixture over the peaches.

Top with pie crust. Cut four slits

in top of crust. Fold the bottom edge

over the top edge of the crust and

seal. Flute edges. Sprinkle granulated

sugar over top of crust (just a

pinch.) Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes,

until crust is golden and filling

is bubbly.

Eat, Drink, Cook: Chicken fries and buttermilk pies

I still remember my first taste of buttermilk pie.

It happened last year at the Pikes Peak or Bust chuckwagon cook-off.

During competitions, chuckwagon cooks are all provided with a few common ingredients and allowed to improvise. Twice this month, Ranch Foods Direct provided competing teams with beef and let them work their rustic magic. Over Fourth of July weekend, prior to the Ride for the Brand Ranch Rodeo, the contestants cooked up melt-in-your-mouth tender chicken-fried steak and whisked up gravy in their cast iron cookery.

For the Pikes Peak or Bust competition, cooks had their choice of working with cube steaks or a chuck roll.

Teams tend to have their preferences and specialties.

Kit and Phil Haddock with the Heart Bar Wagon from over at Monument — who often cater events featuring Callicrate Beef — are masters at turning simple peaches into a perfectly cooked fruit-studded golden brown bread pudding.

One of the teams last year introduced me to a favorite of theirs, buttermilk pie, which at the time didn't sound particularly appealing (despite the fact that I consider buttermilk indispensable for baking), but, wow, it was dreamy good.

I still haven't gotten around to making it myself but when I do I will probably turn to one of the many great pie recipes contributed by Amy Graham (owner of Smiley's Cafe, 323 N. Tejon) to Top of the Range: A Recipe Collection, a stellar cookbook put together last year by award-winning and perennially popular Front Range Barbeque. Looks to be luscious, but with minimal effort. 

Lemon Buttermilk Pie

3 large eggs, room temp

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 9-inch partially baked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat 3 large eggs until creamy and lemon colored. Gradually add, while beating, 1 cup sugar and beat until thick. Blend in, in this order: 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. 

Turn beater to low speed and slowly add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Beat until well mixed. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon powdered sugar over the pie crust bottom. (This is to help prevent the crust from becoming soggy.)

Pour filling into partially baked shell. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate any leftovers. Garnish with whipped cream and lemon twists.

Eat, Drink, Cook: Tips for cultivating a seasonal kitchen

Michele Mukatis returns for another cooking class Saturday at Ranch Foods Direct. Classes start at 9:30 a.m. and cost $35 each. Consider treating yourself to a couple of hours spent in a small group setting mulling the intricacies of incorporating fresh, seasonal, affordable ingredients into your kitchen routine.

Last month, Michele brandished wild tendrils of garlic scapes and clusters of tender salad turnips while discussing the pleasures of cooking with seasonal vegetables and whisked up simple vinaigrettes with ideas on how to tweak the flavors to suit individual tastes.

Michele is a “certified holistic health and gardening counselor” and runs her own business, Cultivate Health.

Her common sense approach to cooking emphasizes two main points: experiment, based on your own preferences and what’s on hand; and eat in a way that works with your unique physiology and lifestyle.

Michele teaches a variety of cooking and gardening classes around town and also works at Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado, where one interesting new pilot program sponsors CSAs for low-income households. In the initial launch, six families are splitting three CSA shares during the growing season.

“In my business, I work with people who want to experience personal health, planetary health, edible landscaping, and education on growing, cooking and preserving your own food,” she says.

Michele also coordinates the Peak to Plains Alliance, a unique collaboration of farm and food related businesses that celebrate and promote the region’s agricultural heritage. “The group uses its combined strength to leverage marketing, but also fosters community around food resources and having fun in southeastern Colorado,” she says.

Call her at (719) 231-6265 to sign up for a class or to get more info. Additional cooking classes are scheduled in August, September and October.