il

ADIRO]\DACKSBY SUSANI H. SWE,I,\TAM

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MA l'HIAS OPPF] RS DORF'I.'

. How shall I describe t,t.t a sense of lreedom ,,!:,*o:""t

oJ tife in rhe.fbrest? . . . There( un,s und (.ompli, orinrr'lrJ'e'thnes.'.s

in every ho,rr. 11r" wretcheda n d

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A_flock of Adirondackchairs patienily linesBIue Mountain Luke.Ins:1: A bentwood rockerat I he Adirondack Museum

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Above: The BarkEater InnLeft: A riverruns through itBelow: Ontopof Mount JoOpposite: Cros.sing

Ausable Chasm

the turn of the century, one might go to the

Adirondacks to spend the day playing rou-

lette in a rustic private "casino, " then dress

in an evening gown and diamonds for din-ner in a soaring Great Camp hall furnishedwith intricately handworked pieces. If one

was a young angler or hunter, "retreat"could mean weeks away from all but a few

other human beings, one's clothes scented

with woodsmoke from chill morningsaround the campfire. If one was middle-class, it might mean traveling with one's

Continued on page 8l

GOURMET HOLIDAYS'could be

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family on a series of steamboats to a grandlakeside hotel.

As a Westerner, I used to assume that theera of true retreat in the Adirondacks hadpassed. Although I,d heard plenty about theNe,w..York State Legislature.s .,foreuerwno covenant of 1994. which prorectsstate-owned land within the Adi;ondackForest Preserve, and though I,d read lots ofrhapsodizing about the mountain wilder_ness, I was concerned about the effect ofthe park's checkerboard ofpublic and pri_vate_holdings. After all, how can un ur"u b.really wild if it includes three dozen golfcourses, outlet shopping and traffic jams intowns both large and small, several iprawl-rng resorts, and hundreds of cottages andmom-and-pop motels?

Then I went to the Adirondacks in thepark's centennial summer of 1992. I found,muqh to my delight, that if one is willingtowork a little at it-staying away from themajor population centers and getting off themain roads and trails_the park stiil offersthe,head-clearing escape that Vane de_scnbes.

Continuedfrom page 4g

brunch there. highlighred by a cheese s/raraDt.anca. cnspy on top, melting in the mid_ote. tastrng of rosemary. and paired with aprle o1'grilled marinared leeks. A lriend haJtold me thar although the Adirondacks arew years ago was a sleak_and_burgers kindof place. rhe cooking t,uO U..n"g.tiinemore invenrive and sophisticateO"Uv ttrlmoment. These two meals, and subsequentones around the park, confirmed thislmpresslon.

Peace[ul and pretty though Friends Lakels. I was bound north and west on this trip.where the scenery is more dramatic_a tei_timony to my western sensibility. So in the

T91n,:C I headed on up the Nort-hway ro rh;

Hrgh Peaks region. a tangle of mountains

.!-ounAef ro the e€sr by rhe keene Valley. ro

the north by rhe Lake placid area. and to thesouth by the Hudson River.

covered until 1g72. Today, however, theregion is crisscrossed with trails. ,;;;.;;hike, I arrived in the town of f..n. fuffr]in the late

_morning, bought guideboo-k;and scanned them at a sunny table over a de_licious lunch at the NooNMARK DTNER. Thediner makes its own sanOwicfr breaO,soups. milkshakes in a daunting arrav(when I asked what kinds were ."?ilrifJ,my

-waiter replied, .,What

kinO Oo fouIf"Z"l, and at least a dozen differentpies,The blackberry, I can testify, *ur uff tiuilpie should be.

, Fortified by my rarher enormous intake,I clrove on to the Adirondak Loj. Eightmiles south of Lake placid and d by il;Adirondack Mountain Club, the f"Ogi

"i_fers very rustic accommodation and r"e.uesas a starting point for local hikes. t.p.niul:: ,"rl: ctambering up the roor_strewn,rocKy path to the top of Mount Jo and walk_rng atong several oflhe nature trails. enjoy_ing_nearby Heart Lake and the distant vi;s:l^Y"y^, Irjarcy rar 5.344 teer rh";*1,;liqn,":,

peak) and rhe jumbled ridgei of irsnelghbors. Apart from the scenery. the bestpart of the afternoon was the .unj, of ott

".hikers I saw on the trail (and the fact thui

or a long time the HishPeaks area was. bI-cause of its rugged ter_rain, one of the wildest

parts of the Adirondacks. The highestsource of the Hudson River, Lake TJar ofthe Clouds, on Mount Marcy, was not dis-

started out in Albany aftera three-hour weather de_lay in Boston and a terri_

;-/ fying flighr rhrough cresr_tng thunderheads. But once I goi on rhe

l1'"i9".u f...lhyul (r_87), ti'e .u.ninghad a clean, behind-the_storm feeling. Bithe time I left the expressway, the nigtr-t fraOtu^rned cool and clear, and the last fei milesof my trip were on quiet two_lane roads run_ning between looming dark walls of fra_grant pines. That night my destinarion wast rrends Lake. near Chestertown in thepark's southeast corner. I stayed at TupBalsalr House, a rambling,"g.".n unJwhite Victorian inn with u Olg .iapa.ounJfront porch. After a wondeiful dinner. Iwent 10 sleep looking through my windowat a sky full of stars, already experiencingthe peace thar I had rhought I wouiOn.t tinOl

- .,n f1.! as my morning survey suggested,

l.nends Lake would be a perlect piu.. tounwind: a private lake (no jet siis) setamong rolling hills, where kids in baggybathing suits play on the shore unO uOiit.canoe, fish for bass, or read happily underthe trees. Besides The Balsam iour", tfr.lakeshore holds another comfortable placeto stay, FnreNos Laru INN, which offersviews of the water from its screened porchand most of the rooms. Like its n"igf,Uor,Friends Lake Inn has an award_winningwine list and a good kitchen. On a warm]breezy Sunday morning I had a Oefigf,tfui

GOURMET / AUGUST 1993

PAUL SMITHS fi *l \\ HtrllFACt.\Al\l RtLitsa, " MO|Nrarn,)cr\r Rtclsa. - MOUNTATN^ifl'\4oLNtAtN saRnNAC a {. _

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NEW YORK ALBANYO

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there were not as many as I had feared):Groups of healthy young people with brightdaypacks and Gore-Tex parkas werejoinedby families with children and, my favor-ites, an elderly couple holding hands asthey strolled along the lakeshore.

Tur Bam Earpn INu made a handy baseof operations for exploring this part of theAdirondacks. ("Bark eater," the Englishtranslation of Adirondack, is thought to be aderisive name coined by the Iroquois fortheir enemies the Algonquins-it refers tothe latter tribe's reputed winter diet.) On aback road a mile or so outside the village ofKeene, the inn is a down-home kind ofplace that dates from the early nineteenthcentury. It has nineteen comfortable roomsand simple cooking served family style(bring your own wine). Riding is the maindraw here: The Bark Eater has a stable ofabout forty-five horses and an extensivetrail system. In summer one can even playpolo (beginners are welcome, which mustbe quite a sight) on a rich, grassy field.Even though I don't ride, I loved sitting onthe screened front porch with my morningcoffee, watching the horses travel frompasture to barn, a gentle parade of gray,chestnut, bay, and black against the nearbyblue-green hills.

The northeastern part of the park alsoholds spectacular river scenery, perhapsmost notably the Ausable River, with itstwo scenic wonders, High Falls Gorge andAusable Chasm. After my hikes I was in themood for a lazier day, so I drove over to seeboth. Though neither is exactly a wilder-ness experience (both gorge and chasm areprivately owned, charge admission, anddraw large crowds), I found watching thefoaming water pound over granite ledgesand riding a boat through the narrow sand-stone chasm an ideal hiatus.

gional association and representing morethan 130 artisans, just some of the manyhundreds who have made their own retreatto the north woods. Although throughoutthe Adirondacks I found beautiful hand_made balsam pillows, birch bark wastebas_kets, twig furniture, wicker baskets, andpottery for sale, the ANCA store serves as ahandy central clearinghouse, and the levelof workmanship is high. I coveted a yellowbirch rocker, graceful maple-branch lamps,and a substantial twig-style library tablemade by Dennis Smith, of nearby Malone,using only hand tools.

That night I stayed at the comfortableSrececoecH INN, just south of town-aplace distinguished both for its history (ithas served travelers since 1833) and for itsarchitecture (the yellow birch staircase is aknockout).

hen I continued west,and I found my favoritepart of the Adirondacks:the thinly populared

western sweep of the park, with its largeroadless areas and complex knots of lakesand streams. The Saint Regis wilderness,where loons dive and mountains rise over_head, is a canoers' haven in a region full ofcanoeing opportunities. I met a couple,owners of eight canoes and just returningfrom a five-day backcountry trip in theSaint Regis, who called it "paradise, a min-iature Boundary Waters." Farther south,past Upper Saranac Lake, tiny towns con_nected by ribbons of two-lane highwaysstring together chains of lakes fringed withdark woods.

Once a person gets off the main north_south roads here, real solitude is possible.One afternoon (a Saturday, even), I drovefor nearly an hour without seeing anothercar. With the windows down I could hearbirdsong, and I stopped now and then,when a gap in the trees allowed a view of aquiet lake or a distant hillside, to take deepbreaths of air sweet with the scent of warmpine.

The Visitor Interpretive Center near thetown called Paul Smiths in the far north_western part ofthe park is a good place tolearn more about local natural history. Ispent a happy two hours there, wanderingthrough the exhibits, looking at a living col_lection of labeled park plants (wintergreen,wood sorrel, witch hobble), watching aslide show with lovely images of the park,sseasons, and strolling on the Heron MarshTrail, one of several gentle walkways thatmeander through the woods behind the cen_ter. Another, smaller, visitor center, inNewcomb, is the place for butterfly enthu-siasts-its lovely garden, filled with ca-

GOURMET/AUGUST1993

lendulas, asters, pinks, and cosmos, isdesigned to attract butterflies, about whichexhibits and special programs are offered.

The western section of the park is alsorich in human history, for in the nineteenthcentury it held concentrations both ofhotelsthat drew travelers to the remote northwoods and of Great Camps-those luxuri_ous compounds built for the wealthv infinely crafted "rustic" style. About 120camps were constructed in the late nine_teenth and early twentieth centuries; theywere often self-contained villages withdozens of year-round servants, itthoughthe owners sometimes visited only a fewweeks a year. The camps are of significantarchitectural interest, incorporating nativelogs and stone and featuring elaboraie twig_style decorative work and painstakingiyhandmade furniture.

_ A fine place to investigate the story oftheGreat Camps (and of the Adirondacks ingeneral) is Tus AoTnoNDACK MusEUM inBlue Mountain Lake. A campus of sometwenty buildings, the museum contains ex_hibits that explore the park's history and de_velop6s11, including railroads, mining,and logging. My favorite exhibit chroni_cled the history of Adirondack boats. Dis_played side by side, successive generationsof shining wooden Adirondack guideboatsand canoes look more like art objects thanlike practical craft.

aybe the only waytruly to understandthe Great Camps isto experience one.

ake Placid, the largest townin this vicinity, tends tobe congested, but, ready forcity life, I stopped there

anyway. I found two interesting shops thatadded, in very different ways, to my appre-ciation of the Adirondacks. WrrH prpe aNoBoor, a cozy place scented with tobacco.offers a large selection of new and usedbooks and prints, many on Adirondack sub-jects-browsing there is a real delight. Trn_ny Roaanos, WtNBs & Sprnrrs, Lrt.,owned by the former wine columnist forThe New YorkTimes, provided both antici-patory and actual pleasure, for I bought acache of bottles for picnics in the park's farreaches.

Lake Placid also boasrs ANCA (Adiron-dack North Country Association) CnerrsCs^rrln Srone, operated by a nonprofit re_

82

Most are still in private hands, but two takein visitors. I had a luxurious three davs atthe grander ofthese, TuE porNr, on un iro-lated peninsula on Upper Saranac Lake inthe midst of a forest of balsam and pine.

Completed in 1933 for William AvervRockefeller, The point has only elevenguest rooms, each with a fireplace anddecorated with museum-quality rustic Adi_rondack furniture. My room, Trappers,contained a headboard flanked by twowhite birch branches, a snowshoe roik"., usweet old kneehole desk, and various bent_wood pieces. Guests may spend their daystouring the lake in a new mahogany andgreen-leather Hacker Craft, built to theoriginal 1929 specifications; water-skiing;canoeing; reading by the fire in the mainlodge or in their rooms; taking a walk led bvmanager Claudia McNamee: or pursuing anumber of other civilized pleasures, cio_quet and billiards among them.

Unless one wishes otherwise (the staff isvery accommodating), dinners are servedat two elegant candlelit tables in the high_ceilinged Great Hall, surrounded bv animal

-

cosmos, isabout whichue offered.park is alsoe nineteenthoth ofhotelsmote northhose luxuri-wealthy inAbout 120: late nine-turies; theylages withi, althoughonly a fewsignificantting nativeorate twig-nstakingly

,tory of therndacks inlusruu ins of some

'ntains ex-ry and de-, mining,it chroni-cats. Dis-nerationsuideboats

iects than

nly wayderstand)amps istce one.two take: days atn hn iso-Lake inpine.

t Averyeleven

rce andtic Adi-appers,by tworcker, ars bent-:ir daysny andto theskiing;: mainled byiuing aI, cro-

;taff islervedhigh-

nimal

PpT": The food is quite extraordinary:The Point is connected through it,

"x"cu_tive chef Bill McNamee with Albert Rouxand his starred London restaurant. Le Gav_roche. One dinner began with lobster andwild mushroom ravioli in a sweet corn_truffle butter and a lake trout gravlaks salad(both accompanied by a Geoiges DuboeufBeaujolais Blanc ,g9),

and then came anopulent main course: assiette du boucher.This plate consisted of three lovelv meats_a steak, a lamb chop, and a pair of sweeGbreads, each with its own sauce_servedwith a Chdteau Martinet Saint_Emilion ,g5

,tiq y: followed by a roasted peach crispwith flaky. butrery pastry layers. Other cu_Irnary highlights included (ar dinner) a flanof Maryland crab and (at lunch on the [er_race) a lovely swordfish topped with a lightherb sauce.

. One of the nicest things about The point

Today, Sagamore comprises more thant_wenty buildings (with twenty_six stonefireplaces) on green sloping tawns ,n0".tall pines. Delightful tours are conductedtwice a day in summer and early fall; guidesare knowledleable and devoted io thecamp. Sagamore also hosts a variety oftwo- or five-day educational p.og.urn,throughout the year: One can learn tJmakean Adirondack basket, attend an Elderhos_tel session, or spend a few days studying theGreat Camps themselves. Locut

"raftsieo_ple and storytellers demonstrate their work.Sagamore is an evocative place, in an

after-the-deluge way. It felt a little odd be_mg ttler: among_sensibly dressed, ordinarypeople in L. L. Bean jackets, wool sweat_

profit coalition of educators acquired andsaved the property.

ers, and bluejeans, with the ghosts ofele_gantly dressed, anything_but_ordinarvpeople all around us-we s"em"d to bLcamping, temporarily, on ground thatwasn't really ours.

mong those living inthe Adirondacks todayare hundreds of crafts_

MEET THE STARS OFGASTRONOMY AT THE

CIPRIANI IN VENICEThe Holel Cipriani in Venice announcesils Fall Culinary.lrogram f"uturing uturc

of the world of gash<_,nomy:

_ Iulia Child (Oct 3_8)Marchesa Anna Tasca D,Almerita

and Mary Taylor Simeti (Oct tO_tl)George Germon & Johanne Killeen

(Oct rZ-22\Marcella & Victor Hazan (Oct 25_29)

Barbara Tropp (Oct 31_Nov 5)

Based at the legendary Holel Cipriani,

...the programs. coordinated by iaithWillinger, incJude cooking l"rronr, *in.

tastings, market visits. eycursronsin lhe Venehan lagoon and lree time to

explore Venice.

For information caII:Orient-Express Hotels, (SOO) ZSZ LZSO

ot clwfedh{Hotelsoftfwofld,

usA (soo) 223_6800

ffi onrrNr-rxenrsi Horrs

is the service-unobtrusive and completelyprofessional, despite the youth ofthe stafi.I'd mentioned while registering that I hadno diet restrictions. having grown up on(and, indeed, loving) food aiong the lines ofscrapple-a baked loaf of humble porkscraps and cornmeal. My last morning atThe Point, I ordered breakfast in my.oi-;when it arrived, I discovered that ihe cheihad made for me melting little polenta trian_gles dotted with sweet pieces of pork loinand flecked with parsley: .,scrapple,,

asthey must eat it in heaven. Of couise. thislevel of luxury doesn't come cheap. Roomrates, including meals, unlimited liquor,and use of all The point,s facilities, runfrom $675 to $825 for two per night. ButI'll never forget my three nights as JRocke_feller in the Adirondacks.

people, and many seemto share my taste for the peaceful western

Secauone, on Shedd Lake, near Ra-quette Lake, offers a more modest GreatCamp experience. Originally built as a,*ull .flTiJl camp by a local developernamed William West Durant in 1g97_1899, Sagamore was sold to AlfredGwynne Vanderbilt, great_grandson ofCornelius Vanderbilt, in 1901. Over thenext three decades, the Vanderbilt familyadded such buildings as a casino (contain_lng, among other things, a roulette wheeland an oak-surfaced ping_pong table); aschool for staffchildren; and, peihaps mostextravagant ofall, a roofed open_air bowl_ing alley. After Vanderbilt,s d-eath in l9 t 5,his widow continued to entertain grandly atSagamore for many years but ir.ntuuttydonated the property to Syracuse Universi_ty, which in turn sold it to New york State.Sagamore was faced with destruction (the"forever wild" clause threatens historicstmctures that come into state hands). For_tunately for those who are interested in thehuman history of the Adirondacks. a non_

part of the area. I visited men and women

,wh9 mlke furniture, pottery, jewelry, or

baskets in their isolated homes anO who settonly what they themselves have produced.Several boatbuilders live here, and I con_fess that I spent a good deal of time wonder_ing, futilely, how to get a sixteen_footspruce and pine Adirondack guideboat ontoan airplane. East of Newcomb, though, Idiscovered useful art that I could iai<ehome: the thick. soft yarn dyed with birchbark, grass. and flowers unJ rprn by JudyBlanchette of Upppn HuosoN Wobr_"nvfrom her flock of thirty sheep.

All too soon my time in thi Adirondackswas nearly over. I wound my way back to-w^ard the Northway. exploring the interiorof the park as I went. I lound many places towhich I'd like to return: Elk L*" Llage, ona remote lake in a private High peaks iorestpreserve; Garnet Hill Lodge, near the townof North River and recently named one ofthe six top cross-country ski destinations inNorth Americaby Snow Country maga_zine; and HrcswNos INN, also on Cu.i"tHill in North River, where I staved.

Highwinds, somewhat disctncertinglylocated in the midst ola garnet mining cJm_plex. is a wonderful big white frameiuild_ing. Though its four attractive rooms offersweeping views of the Siamese ponds Wil_d.erness Area, they aren,t north_woodsy atall. The inn's gardens supply lettuce. rasp_berries. herbs. and edible flowers to the

kitchen; the food is imaginative dnd oftenwhimsical. The night that I was there it in_cluded. tuna-tail soup, sauerkraut bread,and crdme de menthe chocolate_chip icecream made with lresh mint.

Then it was back to my real life. I left theAdirondacks relaxed but a little sad_I,dscarcely scratched the surface ofthis lovelyregion. I wanted to visit a crafts shop in Olm_stedville and a combination hardware storeand book shop in Old Forge, both of whichhad been recommended. Ilonged to staf andwet a line, to spend a weekend at Sagamore.Conservationist paul Schaefe. on.." rroa,"A lifetime will not be long enough to com_plete the Adirondack rivers adventure.,,How many lifetimes would one need toexplore the whole park?

Still, I like to think thar I had a morningduring my trip that caught the essence of thE

GOURMET/AUGUST1993

NANTUCKET.ffifr1^*."*r.* cnnai w xc* F,at"

rr _FnEEROCstrRBI{G82J_633O

rnformation about hiking.rraits and wit- H35,:'*ii*'woolervderness programs in the Adirondacks can ^.*...r0be obtained from:

place: The day had dawned with soft rain-drops, but I had faith, and, by the time Istarted up Saint Regis Mountain, near paulSmiths, the woods were dappled with sun-light. I climbed through forests that smelledof damp pine and sweet earth on this perlect60-degree morning with not a thought in myhead, grinning at the tiny toads that scram-bled out of my way. On top, I sat on a flatslab of rock in complete privacy-the pay-offfor early-rising hikers. Ridge after ridgeringed the 360-degree view-Marcy andthe High Peaks, Whiteface and Amper-sand-and what looked like a hundredlakes spread out, interlocking, mysterious-ly glittering. A pair of eagles (I'm not mak-ing this up, truly) played in the thermals,crying for their lunch. The afternoon andevening to come promised to be full of de_lights: my trip to the Visitor InterpretiveCenter and my last dinner at The point. But,watching the cloud shadows turn the treeson the hills from bright olive to a nearly-black green, I was content to linger for afew minutes, changed by the wonder of myAdirondack retreat into, for a moment atleast, a person absolutely at peace.

Adirondack Mountain ClubP.O. Box 867Lake Placid, NY 12946To reserve accommodalions atAdirondack Loj, telephone (5lB) 523-3441

Inns and Restaurants

The Balsam HouseFriends LakeChestertown, NY 12817Tel. (518) 494-2828 or(800) 441-6856

The Bark Eater InnAlsread Mill RoadKeene, NY 12942Tel. (518) 576-2221Fax. (518) 576-2071

Friends Lake InnFriends Lake RoadChestertown, NY 12817Tel. (518) 494-475r

Highwinds InnP.O. Box 370Barton Mines RoadNorth River, NY 12856Tel. (5 I 8) 251-37 60 or (8OO) 241 -1923

Noonmark DinerRoute 73Keene Valley, NY 12943Tel. (518) s76-4499

a4

The PointSaranac Lake, NY 12983Tel. (518) 891-5674 or(800) 255-3530Fax. (518) 891-l 152

Stagecoach Inn370 Old Military RoadLake Placid, NY 12946Tel. (518) 523-9474

Shops and Sights

The Adirondack MuseumRoutes 28N and 30Blue Mountain Lake

ANCA Crafts Center Store93 Saranac AvenueLake Placid

SagamoreP.O. Box 146Raquette Lake, NY 13436Tel. (315) 354-4303

Terry Robards'Wine & Spirits, Ltd.243 Main StreetLake Placid

With Pipe and Book9l Main StreetLake Placid

Although the image of the Adirondacksmay be rustic, the cuisine in its inns is any_thing but, as the following recipes demon-strate.

STRATA BIANCAFRIENDS LAKE INN

(Savory Cheese and RosemaryBread Pudding)

I large onion, chopped2 tablespoons unsalted buttera lz-pound baguette,

cut into l-inch-thick slicesand toasted lightly

1 pound Monterey Jack, grated% cup fresh rosemary leaves,

minced3 cups heavy cream10 large eggsI teaspoon salt74 teaspoon Tabasco

marinated grilled leeks (recipelollowst as an accompaniment

In a skillet cook the onion in the butterover moderate heat, stirring occasionally,until it is golden and remove the skillet frothe heat. Arrange halfthe toasts in one laveron the bottom of a buttered 13- bv 9_inchglass baking dish and sprinkle thlm withhalf the Monterey Jack, half the onion, andhalf the rosemary. Arrange the remainingtoasts on top and sprinkle them with the re_

maining Monterey Jack, onion, and rose_mary. In a bowl whisk together well thecream, the eggs, the salt, and the Tabascoand pour the custard slowly over the toastmixture. Chill the strata, covered, for atleast 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375. F. Bake the srra-/a, uncovered, in the middle of the oven for40 minutes, or until it is golden brown andbubbling. Serve the slrara with the marinat_ed grilled leeks. Serves 6 to g.

MARINATED GRILLED LEEKSFRIENDS LAKE INN

1 freshjalapefio chili, seeded andchopped (wear rubber gloves)

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegarI tablespoon Dijon-style mustard2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon salt% teaspoon Tabasco% cup olive oilI tablespoon caraway seeds,

toasted lightly2 teaspoons freshly grated

lime zest3 leeks, trimmed to about

7 inches, split lengthwise, theroots trimmed, the tough outerleaves discarded, and the leekswashed well

In a blender blend together the jalapeno,the vinegar, the mustard, the sugar, the salt,and the Tabasco, with the motor runningadd the oil in a stream, and blend the dress_ing until it is smooth. Transfer the dressingto a large shallow dish and stir in the cara_way seeds and the zest.

In a kettle of salted boiling water simmerthe leeks for 7 to l0 minutes, or until theyarejust tender, and with tongs transferthemto paper towels to drain. Brush the cut sidesof the leeks lightly with some of the dress-ing and grill the leeks, cut sides down, on arack set about 6 inches over glowing coalsfor I to 2 minutes, or until they are goldenbrown. Transfer the leeks to the dish ofdressing, turning them to coat them well,and let them marinate, covered and chilled,overnight. Serve the leeks at room tempera-ture. Serves 6 to 8.

GOURMET / AUGUST 1993

reclperaniment

)n in the butterI occasionally,the skillet fromLsts in one layerl3- by 9-inch

kle them withthe onion, andthe remainingm with the re-on, and rose_:ther well theI the Tabasco)ver the toastvered, for at

lakethe stra-Ithe oven forn brown andthe marinat-

TEEKSN

d andves)

legar;tard

SWORDFISH BOIS BOURDRANTHE POINT G+

(Sautded Swordfishwith Fines Herbes)

l% pounds f-inch-thick swordfish,cut into 6 equal pieces

% cup vegetable oil3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar% cup ketchupI % teaspoons Worcestershire sauce5 drops ofTabasco4 small shallots, chopped fine2Yz tablespoons minced fresh

tarragon leaves1% tablespoons minced

fresh chives1% tablespoons minced

fresh chervil1 % tablespoons olive oillettuce, tomatoes, sliced hard_

boiled eggs, boiled potatoes,and sliced cucumbers asaccompaniments

In a dish just large enough to hold theswordfish in one layer whisk together wellthe vegetable oil, the vinegar, the ketchup,the Worcestershire sauce, and the Tabascoand whisk in the shallots, the herbs, and saltand pepper to taste. In a large skillet heatthe olive oil over moderately high heat untilit is hot but not smoking and in it saut6 theswordfish for 3 minutes on each side, or un_til it is just cooked through. Transfer theswordfish with a slotted spatula to the dishof sauce, spooning some of the sauce ontop, and let it marinate, covered, at roomtemperature for 45 minutes. Serve theswordfish with the sauce, the lettuce, thetomatoes, the eggs, the potatoes, and thecucumbers. Serves 6 as a lunch entr6e.

CRAB FLANS THE POINT8 mushrooms, chopped fine3 shallots, chopped finethe white and pale green parts

of 2 small leeks, washed welland chopped fine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter% pound sea scallops,

chopped fineI cup heavy cream2 large egg yolksI large whole egg% teaspoon salt% teaspoon cayenne% pound lump crab meat,

picked over/+ teaspoon crumbled

saffron threadsI tomato, peeled, seeded,

and chopped2 teaspoons finely chopped

fresh coriander

Preheat the oven to 250. F. In an oven_proof skillet cook the mushrooms, theshallots, and the leeks in the butter overmoderately low heat, stirring, until the veg_etables are softened, add the scallops andlpinch of salt, and cook the mixtuie. stir-ring. for 3 mirtutes. Stir in the cream. bringthe mixture to a simmer, and cover the skiilet tightly with foil. Transfer the skillet tothe oven and bake the mixture for 45 min_utes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieveinto a bowl, pressing lightly on and thendiscarding the solids, and let the scallopcream cool. (There will be about lVz cupscream.)

Increase the oven temperature to 350. F.In another bowl whisk together the eggyolks, the whole egg, I cup of the scall6fcream, the salt, and the cayenne. In a kitch_en towel blot the crab meat dry, season itwith salt and pepper. and divide it among 4buttered %-cup ramekins. Divide the cJs_tard among the ramekins, rap the ramekinslightly on a hard surface to expel any airbubbles, and transfer th.- to u buking pun.Add enough hot water to the pan to reachhalfway up the sides of the ramekins andbake the flans in the middle of the oven for30 minutes, or until they are set.

necessary to form a smooth and elasticdough. Transler the dough to a lightly oiledbowl, turning il to coat it. andlet it rise,covered with plastic wrap, in a warm placelbr I hour. or unril it is double in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 350. F. Turn thedough out onto a floured surface, pat it intoa large rectangle, and spread the sauerkrautevenly over it. Roll up the doughjelly_rollfashion, cut rhe roll into : equat ,..iionr,and knead each section lightly to distributethe sauerkraut. Form each iection into around loaf, arrange the loaves on a bakingsheet dusted with the cornmeal, and bak!them in the middle of rhe oven for 35 to 40minutes, or until they are golden brown.Let the bread cool completely before serv-ing. Makes three 6-inch round loaves.

CREME DE MENTHECHOCOLATE_CHIP ICE CREAM

HIGHWINDS INN3 cups heavy creamI cup milk% cup sugar2 cups loosely packed mint sprigs,

rinsed and spun dry6 large egg yolksI cup semisweet chocolate chips,

chopped fine (preferably in ifood processor)

'/+ cup crdme de menthe, chilledwell in the freezer

In a saucepan combine the cream. themilk. the sugar. and the mint and heat rhemixture to just below the boiling point. Re_move the pan from the heat and let the mix-ture stand at room temperature for 2 hours.Strain the mixture through a fine sieve intoa bowl, pressing hard on the mint. returnlhe liquid ro the pan. and scald it. In thebowl whisk together the egg yolks, add thehot cream mixture in a stream, whisking,and transfer the custard to the pan. Cook tiecustard over moderately low heat, whisk_ing constanrly. until ii is thickened andregisters 170'F. on a candy thermometer.transler it to another bowl, and chill it. cov_ered. until it is cold. Stir in the chocolarechips and freeze the mixture in an ice_creamfreezer according to the manufacturer,s in_structions. Spread the ice cream in a shal_low pan (such as a 13- by 9_inch bakingpan) and freeze it until it is firm but not soIid. Dizzle the ice cream with the crdme dementhe, scoop it in a rolling fashion, pack_ing it into an airtight container, and freeze ituntil it is frozen. Makes about l % quarts.l

Susan H. Swetnam rrr;;;;*, "fIdaho's Portneuf Range but loves to visit

o,the.r mo!?tains as often as her teachingduties at ldaho State University permit.

85

heLter

:ks

ialapeno,

, the salt,'runninghe dress-dressinglhe cara-

'simmer

ntil theylerthem:ut sidese dress-yn, on arg coalsgoldenCish ofn well,:hilled,npera-

In a small saucepan bring the remainingscallop cream to a simmer with the saffronlstrain the sauce through the fine sieve into asmall bowl, and stir in the tomato, the cori_ander, and salt and pepper to taste. Run athin knife around the edge ofeach flan. in-vert the flans onto plates, and spoon someof the sauce around them. Serves 4 as a firstcourse-

SAUERKRAUT BREADHIGHWINDS INN

1 package (about 2Vz teaspoons)active dry yeast

I cup lukewarm water% cup honey% cup vegetable oilI % teaspoons onion powder% cup whole-wheat flour2% to 3 cups all-purpose flour1 cup sauerkraut,

squeezed drycornmeal for dusting the

baking sheet

In a bowl proof the yeast in the waterwith I tablespoon of the honey for 5 min_utes, or until the mixture is foamy, andwhisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons hon-ey, the oil, and the onion powder. Add thewhole-wheat flour and 2vz cups of the all_purpose flour and stir the mixture until itforms a dough. Knead the dough on afloured surface for 5 minutes, kneiding inas much of the remaining Vz cup flour ai is

H

GOUHMET/AUGUST1993