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Apricot Blueberry Pizza

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Michael McCollum5/5/15Apricot Blue Berry Pizza.

This may sound like an odd recipe, and it is. However, it tastes great. As a desert fruit pizza, I advise to consume it after making it, as it does not hold any ascetic values over time. This is a great breakfast pizza, or brunch, or late night snack. With all the apricots in the area ready to pick, what could be better than this on the Patterson Apricot Festival weekend?
This pizza goes well with a fine red wine, poor white wine, beer, or scotch, all depends what you have on hand.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough*

5-6 fresh sliced ripe apricots
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1tsp sugar

*Make your favorite pizza dough. Mine just happens to be the exact same recipe as the pre-made down at Trader Joe’s. So…..do I do ALL the work?
Again, I think not. Buy package and divide into two. You can make 2 skillet pizzas from one TJ package. If you want a scratch pizza dough recipe, my friend Maria sent me a great one. (Bottom of post)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread dough out in preheated 12 inch skillet. (heat skillet on top burner for one minute, wait a few more before spreading dough) Spread mozzarella cheese on dough. Add apricot slices, blueberries and sprinkle with sugar on top of cheese. Bake in oven for 16 minutes. Remove from oven,  Let rest 2-3 minutes until mozzarella sets. Enjoy!
Word to the wise.
That skillet gets real hot, have a care when handling it!
PIZZA DOUGH
•    2 cups flour
•    1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
•    1 cup warm water
•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    2 teaspoons white sugar
•    1 teaspoon salt
Blend yeast in water and add  the sugar and olive oil. Put 2 cups of flour in large glass or plastic bowl then add the wet ingredients and stir with a fork. , when the flour is wet then add your 1 tsp of salt.  (In Italy we say salt is added far away from the yeast)
When you have a ball you can put it out on your counter dusted with flour and begin to knead the dough until it is pliable and not sticky,  add flour if need be. (This should only take a few minutes) put back into bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in your oven with just the oven light on. Let rise until double the size.

Mono Lake Dip

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monosunrise-1When I was a young man I had the opportunity to visit a dear friend who lived in the countryside of Santa Cruz County. I had brought my new family, which included my two year old daughter Katie. As we were engaged in thoughtful conversation, I noticed the young one at the living room window sill, eating flies from a small spider web. A jaw dropping experience for my wife, our hosts did not flinch, as they had raised a small brood on the ranch. They had seen this before, and maybe worse. As my wife screamed in horror, I was drawn into deep contemplation on the subject. I recalled that the indigenous peoples of the Mono Lake basin, in the Eastern Sierras of California, had made a dish of this same ingredient. Well , maybe not whole dead flies, but alkali fly pupae from the lake’s shore.

The alkali fly was an important source of food for the Kutzadika’a tribe during the summer months in the norther Owens Valley. Somewhat related to the Northern Paiute peoples, the Kutzadika’a (pronounced Kootz-a’-di-ka-a’) lived part of the year in the Mono Basin hunting and gathering fly pupae, or anything else they could get their hands on.
The pupal stage of the alkali fly was collected in shallow water along the lake shore. Since the pupae are rich in fat and protein, they were an excellent source of food that were dried and used in stews, or just eaten on the spot.No catch and release here my friend!

The Kutzadika’a even traded this delicacy with neighboring peoples.
Kind of like Jack and the beanstalk to the neighboring peoples. Trade some venison or the family cow for a handful of maggots.
Kutzadika’a means “fly eater” in their native language. People have been called worse.
To acquire said delicacy, just travel to Mono Lake in summer and scoop the pupae from the shore. Be wary of State Rangers, as they frown on poaching, and do not like to share natures bounty. Just try hunting in Yosemite!

Mono Lake Dip

Ingredients:

Handful of Alkali fly pupae

Blend pupae in a inexpensive food processor or blender. Why inexpensive? If your spouse finds out what you are up to, she will throw blender or food processor out after only one batch! You could go “Old School”, and simply crush in a mortar.
Serve with your favorite chip or cracker. Enjoy!

So, when you host your next soiree or Superbowl party, a guest exclaims, “This dip is fantastic! Where can I get the recipe?”. You just look proud, and point to the window sill, “Why, it’s right over there”.

College Chili and Corn Bread

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College Chili and Corn Bread

My daughter Katie asked me the other day for a good recipe that can be made without any high highfalutin culinary equipment . Such as a can opener.
This is a recipe that can be made with the minimum of effort and skill, something that all college students and graduates can appreciate.
When you present this oven fresh dish from the oven, all your dinner guests will be in awe. Some in shock and awe.
You will need an oven and a frying pan.

dishes
Pick the cleanest all metal pan from your “science experiment gone wrong” sink. A cast iron skillet is the weapon of choice!
This will be the baking pan, and serving tray for this elegant meal. Make sure the pan has no plastic or rubber parts, as they will alter the flavor when they melt or ignite in the oven. Wipe off all preexisting debris from said pan.

Ingredients; Purchased with parents hard earned money

Two packages of instant Cornbread (one with add water only, god knows what happened to the milk in your fridge)
One can of Chili. (select one with a pop-top, why use a can opener?) Also, makes sure it’s a tin can, not some anodized can which may emit toxic fumes when heated.

Line skillet with foil. (less, if any clean up when your mom visits)
spray with canned oil.

Pre-heat oven to  400 degrees. Put skillet in oven to pre-heat it also for even baking temp.
In an adequate sized bowl, mix cornbread with required ingredients mentioned on the box.

At pre heat time, remove skillet, set can of chili in center, pour cornbread mix all around can, bake for 22 minutes or until your smoke alarm gives out.

Remove from oven, set on a towel on dining room table (unless you do not care about the table’s finish)

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Wa La! Dig in!
(use spoon used to mix cornbread, less to have your mom to wash, share with roommates)

Zion

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When I thought of Zion before this trip, images of biblical times or the subterranean city in the Matrix movie came to mind. I now have a more extensive visual library on the name.

Zion National Park is located in southern Utah. Our expedition included myself, my Travel Agent (wife Carrie) and trusted guard dog/emotional service animal “Mini,” featured on the masthead photo for this site. Besides, “Mini” is one of the family, and she needed to broaden her travel horizons beyond our backyard.

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Our trip would take us from hotel to hotel, Zion to Monument Valley, Arches, and Canyonlands to Bryce Canyon and back to Zion. The full loop visiting some of the most amazing Parks in the western United States. We did not know it, but this time of year (late May) the deserts and canyons were ablaze with color from flowering plants.

Michael McCollum 5/20/14 Close-up of bevertail cactus flowers.zion0005zion0002zion0003

Our first stay, and last stay, was at the Driftwood Lodge in Springdale, just west of the entrance to the park. Wonderful dog-friendly accommodations.

I would highly recommend this place. After a day of hiking/sightseeing or whatever, you rest on your own back porch with an unbelievable view. They are at http://www.driftwoodlodge.net

The photos on the website are what you see out your window. Just incredible.

 

Time for a hike!

After securing Mini at a pet babysitter  (“Krista’s Pet Care” 435-260-2040, and yes they have them for a reason, no dogs allowed in Zion National Park) we took the shuttle from our hotel in Springdale to “The Narrows” trail head. This is a favorite of non-strenuous hiking trails in the park. The shuttle was packed with foreigners speaking in their native tongue as loud as possible to drown out the bus guides super loudspeaker system describing the natural wonders around in his native tongue. Native tongue vs. native tongue. Busman won when the passengers disembarked.

 

We walked along an easy path for a mile or so, and then started walking in the Virgin River. I was glad there was no moss growing on the rounded boulders that made up the riverbed, as that would have been a deal breaker for the hike. After a while, the riverbed turned into sand, and the going was a lot easier. We did not make it all the way to what was said to be the best part of The Narrows, but we went far enough to enjoy some great scenery.

 

On the way down the trail from The Narrows, we encountered a pair of hikers approaching from the inbound direction. The young woman was wearing appropriate hiking gear from the waist down; her top was however more belonging to a renaissance fair costume. One wrong move and she was out!

I immediately averted by eyes from her to see her handsome male companion smiling at me with not a lot of teeth. He was also covered in tattoos and looking very fit. I surmised he could be a professional hockey player, as they also do not have a lot of front teeth. I came close to complementing him on his quantity and variety of tattoos with the expression “Hey, nice tats!” However, I instantly realized this could be mistaken for another expression, and instead said “Howdy, Nice Day!”

We passed without incident.zion0006

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Another point of interest on this trail was the fair amount of people armed with what appeared to be fighting sticks. Almost everyone had one. I speculated there might be a marshal arts festival we had overlooked in the park brochure scheduled for that day. As it turned out, some shop was renting them to river waders to keep their balance. I did see a few waders that are more frugal with small logs used for the same purpose. I approved of the cheaper method.