Issues → January/February 2007 → Feature Stories →

Coming in from the Cold: Comfort Food and Family in Vermont

Recipes for gourmet hot chocolate, pot pies, apple pie

by Annie B. Copps

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Tags: family, photographer, recipes, winter

Places: dorset,vt

Heath Robbins makes his living as a photographer. He is the man we turn to (as do many national magazines) when we need to capture people and food in natural settings. So when we asked him to turn his camera on his own family and the meals they prepare, he headed straight to his parents' Vermont home for a winter feast.

"Geez, I remember they had us up in trees, up and down all day, on this and that hill," laughs Heath, remembering when his parents, Ken and Judie, surveyed their 23 acres in Dorset to find the spot with the best view on which to build their home. "And it was worth all that hiking and climbing." Windwood, the house they designed and built, faces south with an unobstructed view of the Vermont Valley. On a clear day, the family can see all the way to Williamstown, Massachusetts. But the view, not to mention the impeccable design and furnishings of this home, is not what draws Heath, brothers Tom and Chris, and their wives and children to Dorset. It's about together time, the outdoors, laughter, and food. A lot of food.

"This house makes it easy for us to be outside all day, then in the kitchen, then at the big table, and then to relax and hang out afterward," says Heath. A winter day starts early with a big breakfast. Then, it's a well-orchestrated symphony as he and his wife, Lisa, bundle up their kids -- Spencer, 6; Isabella, 4; and Trinity, 3 -- in various layers of snow pants, parkas, mittens, and hats. Tom and Chris, with three children each, know the routine all too well.

"Sometimes it's a project, like splitting wood, and that's something Tom, Chris, and I do while the kids are building a snowman," says Heath. "Other times, it's teaching the kids to ski using the Windwood ‘chairlift.' That's when the kids strap on their skis and schuss down the hill, then we, the dads, toss them over our shoulders and walk back up the hill." The kids also ice-skate, sled, and invent their own winter games. "They've made many a snow angel in freshly fallen snow -- it's very cute."

The time spent outdoors leads to good appetites. "All day long, we talk about what the evening meal will be," Heath says. And by the time the grandparents, parents, and nine grandchildren are back inside the warmth of the living room, which boasts a 15-by-15-foot stone fireplace, food is not far off.

"We'll make hot chocolate for the kids; the women make good use of Dad's wine cellar, and I crave a martini," says Heath. "I love that muffled shake, shake, shake sound." He and his father are gin men. Tom prefers vodka, while Chris often opts for a warming glass of bourbon.

Dinner is rarely a fancy, multicourse effort but rather a group activity, with everyone pitching in. Dishes are made with seasonal ingredients -- without a lot of pomp and circumstance. "We like the kids to be in the kitchen, too. It gives them a chance to understand how to cook and to be part of the process, but more importantly, we want them around us -- not separated from the adults.

"We eat healthy," says Heath, who currently is working on a cookbook incorporating favorite recipes from family and friends. "In the summer it's much lighter, but with all that outside activity in the winter, we want food that will satisfy us and that everyone will eat. There is always a salad and, if we're lucky, one of Mom's pies. Mom is definitely in charge, but everyone can have a role if they want."

And with so many mouths to feed, there is indeed a job for everyone big and small.

The Kids Stay in the Picture: Photographing Children and Food

When it comes to photographing children and food, Heath suggests:

• Let your spouse take the shots. "Lisa takes much better photos of our children. She has more patience and she spends more time with them on most days. She'll follow them around all day and snap, snap, snap until she gets what she wants -- rather than trying to get them to do something. That never works. That's when you get the cheesy, dramatic smiles. If you have a digital camera, take as many shots as your memory card will hold, then delete what you don't want. It's a great way to spend time with your children."
• Again referring to the advantages of digital photography, Heath points out that you can look at what you just shot in seconds, giving you time to adjust the light or angle.
• Food has so much detail and texture, so get close: "You gotta get right in there." If you are serious about food photography, invest in a lens that allows for more up-close detail.
• Use natural light whenever possible. If you are not outside, move the plate or bowl next to an open window.
• "Be ready and work quickly. If the food you're shooting is hot, it will start to wilt and sauces will separate. If the food is frozen, it will start to melt. And things change color -- lamb often turns gray. In the studio or on location, we set up a shot with a stand-in plate -- then, when we have our lighting right, we swap it with the real plate and snap as fast as possible. But there's no reason for that at home or if you are in a restaurant."
• Take as many shots as you can -- one usually comes out.

Rich Gourmet Hot Chocolate

Beverages Recipes

Yield: 4 servings

• 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate (pick one that's at least 70 percent cacao), chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 2-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Garnish: marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream

In a double boiler over low heat, combine chocolate and water. Raise heat to medium and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Add sugar and whisk to dissolve.

In a microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, warm cream. Slowly whisk cream into chocolate mixture, continuing to whisk until smooth. Pour hot chocolate into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired.

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Robbins Family Salad

Salads Recipes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Which greens you use and what you add or omit are optional and can change from day to day, season to season -- it's the dressing that makes this salad so good.

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
• 6 cups mixed greens
• Dried cranberries (optional)
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Combine oil, vinegar, syrup, mustard, and garlic, if desired, in a mason jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously until ingredients are well combined. Place remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat (but not soak). Serve immediately.

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Individual Chicken Potpies

Poultry Recipes

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 90 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

This recipe is very flexible. You can eyeball the amounts and variety of vegetables, double the recipe for a larger group, prepare everything in advance and freeze, or make one large casserole-sized pie. We like individual servings because the kids each get their own special potpie (and it's more photogenic this way). You can tie the herbs together with kitchen string or cheesecloth for easier retrieval, but we just pick them out with tongs.

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)
• 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup diced carrots (about 3 carrots)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 to 8 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 egg white plus 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Heat oven to 400°. Roll out puff pastry and cut to fit tops (adding a 1/2-inch allowance around each for anchoring) of six 8-ounce ramekins or other ovenproof serving pieces. Lay dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large saucepot over medium-high heat, melt butter with oil and sauté celery, shallot, and carrots 7 to 8 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and chicken. Lower heat and simmer until chicken is fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Raise heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Roughly chop or shred chicken and return to pan. Add cream and boil 8 to 10 minutes, then remove bay leaves and thyme and parsley sprigs. Add green beans, peas, and chopped parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Divide mixture into ramekins and top with prepared dough. Poke a few holes through the dough so air can escape. If desired, whisk together egg white and water in a small bowl and brush pastry tops. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Judie's Apple Pie

Pies and Pastries Recipes

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 100 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Lisa is a big fan of her mother-in-law's pie and recommends serving it with Wilcox Original Vanilla ice cream, made in New England (802-362-1223). “It tastes like heaven,” Lisa says. When Judie Robbins makes this pie, she uses half the amount of dough (for both the top and bottom crusts), but rolls it out very thinly -- it is ethereal, but the amounts below will yield better results for us mortals.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Pinch of kosher or sea salt
• 1-1/3 cups vegetable shortening
• 8 apples (your favorite type)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Heat oven to 425°. Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Remove 1/3 cup flour and combine with water to form a paste. Add salt to remaining dry flour and combine. Add shortening and combine with a pastry cutter (or two table knives) until shortening is broken into pea-sized pieces. Add paste and combine with hands just until dough comes together (grab and squeeze pieces together to help combine). Divide into two disks, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Peel, core, and slice apples into 3/4-inch-thick pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, both sugars, 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice, and spices.

Roll out one dough disk to fit bottom of 8-inch pie pan. Add apples, then dot with butter. Roll out second disk and carefully lay it on top of apples; crimp layers of dough together along the rim to seal edge. In a small bowl, whisk egg white until slightly frothy, then brush all over top crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut four or five holes in top layer of dough to allow air to escape. Bake 25 minutes, then lower heat to 3257deg; and bake 30 minutes more. If crust along edge is browning too quickly, cover edge with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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Pommes Anna

Potatoes Recipes

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 90 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/2 pounds baking potatoes
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 425°. Brush bottom and sides of a 9-inch heavy-bottomed ovenproof sauté pan with about 1 tablespoon melted butter. Peel potatoes. Using a mandoline, food processor, or a sharp knife, slice potatoes into very thin disks, then quickly arrange slices in overlapping circular layers in pan, brushing each layer with butter and seasoning with salt and pepper. Gently push down potatoes with a plate for a snug fit. Cover with foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and golden. Place a small cutting board or serving plate over top of pan. With oven mitts on, invert potato cake onto board or plate. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

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