When prairie fires strike, we turn to polenta for salvation.
The Ucross annual July 3rd fireworks extravaganza was sadly (but safely) cancelled due to the extreme volume of nearby wildfire.
So we took it upon ourselves to create a joyous festival.
This post marks the "You Deserve It" debut of Andrew Lane Palmer. Since I (Liza) have been writing a lot of biographies at work, I feel especially well-suited to introduce him here. Here goes:
Andrew is a former Ucross resident who has now "Ucrossed" that line, ascending into the realm of "a great companion." His devotion to enjoyable eating is exemplified by his willingness to eat dairy despite a "bit of" lactose intolerance. (As is obvious in the picture above, he and Molly formed an immediate strong bond over their willingness to wage war against a cheese-laden polenta dish.) Andrew likes spinach, but he loves kale. He likes peanuts, but he loves cashews. Andrew lives nowhere, but look for him again on this blog, perhaps coming live from Bozeman, MT, where he is for now.
During Andrew's stay, he and Liza created a number of impressive meals (including a Welcome to Wyoming "Big Salad" for my (Molly's) arrival). But here we'll focus on one dinner in particular, as it was a collaborative effort for the three of us.
Pictured below is our meal: Mushroom and herb polenta (from Plenty), accompanied by chard and garlic scapes picked from the farm where Liza volunteers!
Additionally, please note the "centerpiece": styrofoam cup of Frozen Margarita from the slushy machine at Buffalo, WY's own Crazy Woman Liquors, garnished with tarragon stem.
Detail of mushroom-herb topping (button & shiitake), tarragon, thyme, garlic atop a parmesan-filled polenta.
As implied in the above image, we consumed the entire polenta among the three of us. Liza and Andrew were so overcome with the magic of the meal, they choreographed a dance routine inspired by their cheesy bliss (Lactaid pills were distributed to those in need).
The next morning was July 4th. We were still full. We took a walk up to some giant pieces of petrified wood, where Liza and I had a true moment of Connection.
Then we just grasped one another and stared into the wind, hoping to see Hannah galloping forth from the hills.
In the end, we had another few days to wait. But it was a great moment of friendship all the same.
Later this same day, Liza and I consumed Mint Juleps far larger than we had realized. Just celebrating our Independence, duh.
