Winter

The essence of winter lies in the mountains. It’s a time of year with a very definite character.  Life moves indoors, family and friends gather around the fireside. Food takes an important role; eating and drinking are not random, but tied to culture and place.

My winters are spent in the mountains of Utah and my culinary life for the past 12 seasons has included Fireside in the Empire Lodge.  By day, the Empire Lodge is a relaxed lunch spot serving simple but excellent food, just what you need for an afternoon on the slopes.  By night it transforms into Fireside dining, serving the food of the Alps.  The atmosphere is warm and inviting.  Guests gather at fireplaces to sample this Alpine Cuisine. Raclette cheese is melted by the heat from the fire served with an array of accompaniments.  Hot cast iron cauldrons of rich meat dishes along with rösti potatoes, pastas, and risottos fill another hearth.  String turned leg of lamb is slow roasting to a tender juiciness – fireside.  The Dessert Fondue makes for a perfect finish.

This lodge in the mountains and possibly an evening sleigh ride feels perfectly right for a mountain girl like me.

Spring

Spring has arrived on a wave of green. The garden plot beckons the gardener. With my Seed Savers seedlings in hand I consider planting everywhere…soon there will be no lawn.  

The Heirloom seedlings are irresistible. They stand for real stories shared over generations. Their result is dramatic; the tangiest or sweetest tomato, the most fragrant melon, and that eggplant without a trace of bitterness.

Though, on this brisk April day we are in the emerald season of kale and lettuces. The tender leaves and shoots of spring lend themselves to tonight’s dinner, so fresh and lively.

Seed Savers' mission is to conserve and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.