No Pleasure Too Small

Sometimes, it's a good thing to live in a rugged state like Colorado and not have one of those monstrous SUVs. Our little ten-year-old Honda CRV has AWD and does reasonably well on the mountain roads but when a dirt road suddenly dissolves into a stream with a sandy bed?

Road, stream or both?

Well, there is usually only one thing to do: back up, park on the side of the road in a designated spot and hike the rest of the way to the trailhead on a trail lined with surprises.

Abandoned in Hesse Townsite

Sometimes, it's a good thing to have a husband who is a waterholic. It means going off-trail before the hike, during the hike and after the hike. I've learned to go with the flow - not literally, of course - because it leads to discoveries of bullet-ridden metal, twisted and rusting.

Is there a story here?

Sometimes, it's a good thing to have an out-of-state visitor. We are out of the house by 7:30am on a Saturday morning, on our way to Indian Peaks Wilderness to show off one of the most beautiful areas in our region. It usually translates into a moderately easy hike; Lost Lake, 4 miles round trip from the side-of-the-road parking spot, 10% grade, incredible views of the Continental Divide.

Lost Lake

Sometimes, it's a good thing to document everything that you come across on your hike...

monkshood

Parry's Primrose Fireweed (thanks, Jen!)

lost

If you are wondering about that last one like our visitor did, I'm pretty sure that the hiker didn't hobble along the trail, not noticing that he had lost a shoe. It was probably an extra sandal that dropped off his backpack as he made his way back to his car after camping in the backcountry around Lost Lake. Whatever the reason, it was enough cause for a good giggle before heading further up the trail.

The hike was steep in parts and meandered in other parts, but mostly rocky all the way through. That took its toll on my ankles and back, rendering me almost useless on Sunday. It was a treat therefore to dig into my refrigerator and find a small pot of homestyle palak paneer. Simple pleasure personified.

Palak paneer reminds me of a recent encounter with a rather indignant local restaurateur. We had gathered with Francie's family in the last week of July to eat at her favorite Indian restaurant in Boulder when her mother asked for palak paneer. "Palak," he explained, "is spinach. Our entrée is called saag paneer as it contains broccoli greens as well as spinach. Saag is the word for greens in our language. Calling it palak would be incorrect!" Needless to say, he was from The Punjab, brought up in The Canada, now settled in The Colorado. I giggled as my thoughts immediately wandered to a Delhi resident who speaks equally indignantly about this saagsaga. He did have a point! He also had a lot of cream in his saag paneer which, as some of you might already know, does not find its way into the every day homestyle palak paneer. Additionally, the spinach in the restaurant-style saag paneer in the US is chopped fine and not puréed, coarse or fine.

Most cooks like to blanch their spinach and then squeeze out the excess water. Not me; I don't blanch my spinach nor do I lose any precious nutrients by squeezing the leaves dry. Instead, I use baby spinach and walk the easier route.

Palak paneer

• 1/2 lb baby spinach, washed
• 1/2 block store-bought paneer
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 3-4 hot green chillies, sliced once down their length
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Beautifully green

1. Heat oil in a kadhai.
2. Add grated ginger and green chillies and stir-fry for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
3. Add baby spinach and allow it to just wilt, stirring every so often. Take the kadhai off the stove.
4. While this is cooling, dice the paneer into small bite-size pieces. Spray with cooking oil and toss so that every piece is reasonably coated.
5. Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with foil and place diced paneer on it. Broil for 2-3 minutes on high, toss, broil for another couple of minutes until most of the pieces are golden and slightly crisp.
6. Purée the spinach mixture in your blender, adding water only if needed.
7. Pour this back into the kadhai and bring it back to a simmer.
8. Add salt and lemon juice and stir to mix well.
9. Add the paneer pieces, reserving some for garnish if you like.
10. Heat through and serve immediately with rotis or steamed rice.

Notes:

• Palak paneer is best without too many spices and herbs. I like mine very simple: no onions, no tomatoes, no garlic. The flavor rides on spinach, green chillies and ginger.
• Don't worry if you end up with a slightly runny sauce. Any extra liquid in the spinach purée will absorbed by the paneer as it sits in it.
• Do not overcook the spinach beyond the wilting stage as this helps it hold its beautiful green color and preserves the taste.
• Use fewer green chillies to make it less hot.
• I've read innumerable complaints about store-bought paneer. I buy the Nanak brand and have not had any issues with it.

My weekend was filled with simple pleasures that ranged from the pristine beauty of the Indian Peaks Wilderness to an easy-to-please visitor to flavorful palak paneer. With a touch of madness. This:

Large bodies of water seem to have this effect