Bonne Rentrée !

Voilà, one of the few non-Frenchie posters freshly lining the walls of my new mobile home classroom–yes, here I’m stomping myself while reading Gymnastics for Jumpers; a shameless plug to encourage reading amongst my students. Our school is bursting at the seams. I am of the lucky few to get to move outside to my very own one room schoolhouse. Ahhhh: Fresh air. Coveted windows. Thermostat for tailored air control.

Yes, indeed, « Bonne Rentrée ! » (Happy Return to School!)

So if moving boxes, learning 200 teenagers’ names, tutoring a pair of medical missionaries in French, three days and two country concerts at the Iowa State Fair, lining up a new Pilates teaching schedule, catching up on seasons 1 and 2 of Downton Abbey, and therapy to attack sesamoiditis in my right foot wasn’t enough to keep me away for a while, well, I’ve been struck with a severe, I mean, severe craving for…PICKLES. Yes, there’s a baby in the house. I’m due early March, and I’m swamped but thrilled and thriving. Yet, I’m thinking, “Wherever did the summer go?”

I have scores of fond memories from our summertime out west. One culinary experience which I’ve not shared, but was dear to me, was the chance encounter with an “expert” tortilla maker. Frequenting the Raton library, I met quite the interesting souls. My tortilla friend, an unemployed 50-something, sat down to a neighboring computer one day and noticed my Garden of the God’s 10 mile race shirt. We struck up a conversation because he’d also run the race. We found we had so much in common that three hours later we were still chatting. Eventually we resolved to meet up at a mutual friend’s house where I would teach him to make marinara sauce and in exchange he’d share his tortilla ways.

My first customer:

I’ve not yet played with the recipe to deglutenize it. I plan to do so. For now, here’s the recipe for New Mexican flour tortillas:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 T double acting baking powder
• 2 T olive oil
• ½ t salt
• warm water

In a large bowl mix together the first four ingredients. I was instructed to do this with my hands. When crumbly, add a little warm water and continue squishing and folding with your hands. Continue to add enough water to make a soft but not sticky dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Then form baseball sized balls with the dough. Place them back in the bowl, again cover and allow to rest for another 15 minutes. Next, take one of the balls and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on an unfloured surface. You’d think it would take flour, but no. Roll them thinly, something like 1/8^th inch. If you have a cooktop stove, just cook them right on the stove on about medium. If not, then use a cast-iron skillet or similar pan. Less than one minute on each side. Serve warm and enjoy.

Bon appétit ! (Et Bonne Rentrée – to those of you headed back to school)