A tomato (and maybe some basil) a day...

30 Minute Meals. Psssh...try 10.

2012-02-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

I must confess. I cheated. I had dinner at Panera tonight. I wasn't going to, really. But then my friend got a salad, and it was fresh--not previously frozen--green things. And, well, I caved. Who knew lettuce could be so wonderful.

BUT!

This must count for something. Larry was home waiting for dinner, so when I got home, I made the from-the-pantry meal I had been planning. I just didn't eat it with him. Though, dear reader, I did contemplate--briefly--lying and saying I hadn't eaten, so I could boast about my eating-at-home streak. But summer will come, and I won't want to wear a parka in July, so I didn't. Also, because there are limits to even my insanity.

Dinner was Pasta with White Beans, Kale, Artichokes and Tomato Sauce. And because it was mostly from the freezer, it was ready in about ten minutes. Not too shabby. The nice thing about tomato sauce is that if you add things like fresh garlic and onions, it doesn't taste like it came from a freezer or pantry. This was a little briny from the artichoke hearts, chewy from the kale and pasta, and creamy from the beans and tomatoes. And these ingredients, especially the beans, tomatoes, and kale, are made for each other. Add a sprinkling of Pecorino-Romano cheese, and it's a filling dinner for a cool winter night.

White Bean, Kale, Artichoke Tomato Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chopped kale (mine was previously frozen and defrosted; if you're using fresh, this is probably half of a bunch)
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups crushed (or whatever--diced, sauce, etc.) tomatoes
1 can (or defrosted equivalent) of cannellini or other white beans
3 artichoke hearts, from a 15 oz can, drained and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper flakes, and stir, about two minutes, until onion begins to soften. Add garlic, stir, one minute.
2. Add kale to skillet, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about three minutes (if previously frozen; if fresh, make it about six-seven).
3. Add tomato paste and stir through. Add tomato sauce, beans, and artichoke hearts. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and cook until sauce is thickened to your liking, 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

Oh, how I wish you could smell these...

2012-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

What the day has wrought

2012-02-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

Today, unless I was cooking, I was parked on the couch. Some days we just need that. I'll just have to remember to flip the cushion that I spent so much time on...I'd hate for my lack of activity to be so immediately obvious!

I was able to get ahead on the week in between couch visits by roasting turnips, butternut squash, celeriac, potatoes, and carrots, and boiling beets. (Roasting is good couch-potato cooking.) I used some in tonight's brisket, (Ditto the brisket.) but the rest will be quick sides or ingredients for dinners.

The brisket, a Tyler Florence recipe, was wonderful. Perfect gray-day food. And it's hard not to love something that fills the kitchen with the smell of rosemary and garlic. Here's the link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/beef-brisket-recipe/index.html

Those fancy-schmancy steak houses can keep their filets and t-bones. Give me meat that's falling apart anytime! Sometimes slow-cooking a tougher cut of meat can leave the meat dry, even though it's braising in a liquid, but this brisket was moist and crazy-tender. There are two cups of red wine in the recipe, and two cups of tomatoes, but everything simmers for so long that the flavors are round, beefy, and juicy.

I served it with a Maple-Pecan Oat Muffin from one of my favorite cookbooks, Maple Syrup Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner by Ken Haedrich. (I actually made them for breakfast tomorrow, but they smelled so good...and there ~~are~~ were twelve of them, so we still have some for breakfast.) I highly recommend this cookbook, particularly if you like maple syrup as much as Larry and I do, but even if you only like it a little, these recipes are brilliant.

We ate the muffins warm, and they were densely fluffy, if that makes any sense. I suspect that cold they'd be a little less appealing, but that's why the universe contains toaster ovens. The maple syrup is a background note, though the muffins smell really maple-y. I tried doing what I sometimes do with wine--taking a bite and breathing in the aroma at the same time--but, well, let's just say that's not a great idea with things that crumble...come to think of it, it doesn't always turn out so well with the wine either...

Aren't you sorry you don't have me around for when there's nothing on television?

The original muffins called for walnuts, but I LOVE pecans and maple together, so I swapped. They come together in no time flat (as long as you have all the stuff...and we've already discussed the state of my pantry...)

Maple-Walnut (or Pecan) Oat Muffins
recipe by Ken Haedrich

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (I went a little shy on this)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (it doesn't specify, but I used grade B)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.

2. Process the oats in a food processor or blender until they are reduced to a coarse powder; it's okay if some larger flakes remain. Measure exactly one cup of this oat flour and combine it in a large bowl with the other flours, baking powder and soda, and salt. Whisk together.

3. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, and add in buttermilk, maple syrup, and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir just until combined. Fold in nuts. Divide among muffin cups.

4. Bake for 20 minutes (mine took 16), or until golden. Serve hot or warm.

More pantry cooking

2012-02-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

Pretty purple gazing ball not-withstanding, today is kind of gray. It has been snowing since we woke up, but it's too warm for any to really stick as of yet. Days like this call for a warming breakfast. I poked around in pantry and fridge, and voila!

This morning's coup? Chorizo, Zucchini, Cheddar, and Onion Waffles. It's almost four hours after breakfast, and the house still smells amazing. This is a waffle recipe I use over and over, from Rachael Ray. The original is a Grilled Cheese and Chicken Sausage Waffle, but I hate crossing the same territory twice when experimentation is possible, so the variations have been endless: Canadian bacon, regular bacon, different cheeses, sometimes corn and jalapenos, sometimes chives...you get the picture. As long as you stick to the measurements called for in the original recipe you should be in good shape. And your house will smell heavenly regardless of the version you attempt. Here's the link if you're interested:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/budget-recipes/grilled-cheese-and-chicken-sausage-waffles

The On-Hand Challenge

2012-02-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

If television producers were to come look in my pantry and freezer, I feel fairly certain that I would qualify for "Hoarders". I'm not sure where the fear of running out of things comes from, but if I get down to two cans of salmon, I feel like I have to stock up. This could make a lot of sense.

If I actually ate canned salmon more than once every month or so.

It's not that I don't like canned salmon. I love it, or else why panic that I'll run out, right? The problem is that canned salmon is not the only thing I'm stocked up on, and so it only winds up in the rotation occasionally. And when fresh vegetables are in season, the canned salmon is not as appealing. Sorry, Mr. Fish. You'll lose to a fresh tomato and basil sauce any day.

But the other day, when I was sliding out one of the pantry doors to check on pasta levels, the sliding drawer collapsed out of its track. I believe it might have been trying to send me a message. Since the subtlety of the cans falling over and barely fitting wasn't working, perhaps?

This week, I set myself the challenge of not having to shop for any ingredients except maybe dairy. (It doesn't freeze or keep as well, so I cut myself some slack there.) So far, so good. Monday we were on the road, so we ate out. Tuesday, we had a fruited quinoa salad stuffed into acorn squash halves; Wednesday we had tacos made with ground beef, frozen spinach, and one of the dwindling supply of butternut squash; Thursday we had the eggplant, etc. panini, and tonight we had the bulgur and chickpea salad you see above. The only thing I bought was goat cheese to go in the quinoa salad.

It worked so well (and my pantry drawers are still so full) I'm going to try again for next week. On deck: beef brisket, pasta putanesca, pasta with beans and tomatoes, and, yup, salmon cakes. The brisket is just under three pounds, so it will serve us twice for dinner and twice for lunch, with some probably left over to add to a soup.

The benefit to a stocked pantry and freezer? Dinner comes together really easily. As long as you're not reconstructing the pantry shelves every time you pull them out.

Bulgur, Chickpea, and Shrimp Salad
(inspired by something I've read, I'm sure, but mostly by what was on hand)
serves two, with leftover salad (but not shrimp)

1/2 c bulgur wheat
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1/3 c sliced sun-dried tomatoes (if not packed in oil, rehydrate for ten minutes in boiling water--I used dry-packed because I love how they stay so chewy)
1- 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz. can of artichoke hearts (use as many as you like; I used three), hearts cut into eighths
1 small shallot, very thinly sliced and separated into rings
grated rind of one lemon 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
fresh herbs, chopped--I had a tiny bit of parsley left, so I used that, but mint and/or basil would be great
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/3-1/2 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of dried oregano
8- 16/20 size shrimp, shells on but deveined (mine were frozen and defrosted overnight in the fridge, but if you're not having your own personal pantry challenge, feel free to use fresh!)
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.
1. Bring the 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, place bulgur in a glass bowl, pour boiling water over. Cover with a towel and let sit while you get everything else ready, at least 20 minutes. Do the same with the sun-dried tomatoes if they're not oil-packed.
2. Toss together the chickpeas, artichoke hearts, shallot, and lemon rind in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl or glass jar with a lid, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, and olive oil. Mix until emulsified.
4. Toss the shrimp with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Lay flat on a baking sheet, and roast for about 15 minutes, or until done to your liking. Start checking at 10 minutes. Cool slightly, and peel.
5. If the bulgur hasn't absorbed all the water, drain well. Add to the chickpea mixture, along with the lemon dressing and any fresh herbs. Toss well. Add the feta, and toss gently. Taste for salt and pepper.
6. Serve the salad with four shrimp on each plate.

What do you mean, I've got too much time on my hands?

2012-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Eggplant and roasted red peppers. It isn't summer, but at dinner I might be able to close my eyes and pretend. These are being turned into panini, with thin slices of leftover meatballs and some mozzarella cheese. I love my freezer.

Snow? Who cares?

2012-01-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

We got about three or four inches of snow here today, but since it's the weekend I don't really mind. It's lovely to sit around in my pajamas all day and watch the white stuff fall. We have a fireplace insert that works like a wood stove would, and it's been 74* in our living room all day, without the heat kicking on. Almost balmy.

I made brownies mid-day because I've been jonesing for something really chocolatey. I have to say, Martha Stewart came up spades. I spiked the recipe with about 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and added chopped walnuts, and these may be my new go-to brownies. They're really easy to make and it seems to me they'd be endlessly adaptable. If you'd like to give them a whirl, here's the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/335652/double-chocolate-brownies .

Though my husband would probably disagree, one cannot live on brownies alone (even when they're this good). We had some locally made mushroom and cheese stuffed ravioli, so I decided to see what kind of "pantry sauce" I could make. I was hoping I had fresh mushrooms, but nope. I do have dried porcinis, though, so I started there. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome; the only tweak I'll try next time is a small shot of fresh lemon juice at the end to brighten the flavors.

Dried Porcini and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce for Pasta
by Me

1/4-1/2 cup dried porcinis, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water (save the water)and roughly chopped
3 halves sundried tomatoes, reconstituted in 1/4 cup boiling water (save the water) and chopped small, but not fine
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4-1/3 of a cup)
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, or 1 tsp fresh, chopped fine
2 tbsp vermouth or dry white wine
1/4-1/3 reduced fat cream cheese (could use mascarpone, but taste will be a little different)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
squeeze of lemon juice (optional--haven't tried it but think it would be good--if you try it, let me know what you think)

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic, a small pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the alliums are softened. Add the rosemary, and cook, stirring, one minute. Add the chopped porcinis and tomatoes, and cook, stirring, about two minutes.

2. Add vermouth to skillet, cook until almost completely evaporated. Add the sundried tomato water and the porcini water (careful not to pour to the end, since there will be grit in the bottom of the bowl). Increase heat to medium high and bring to a bubble. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

3. Stir in cream cheese until melted and smooth. If using, add lemon juice. Add chopped parsley, taste for seasoning, and if the sauce seems a little tight, add some pasta water, a small splash at a time, until the sauce is the consistency you want. Serve over pasta. Or chicken, or pork chops.

Chicken Extravaganza

2012-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have been reading Cooking Light magazine since 1997, when a friend bought me a subscription for my birthday. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that between reading the magazine and watching Rachael Ray, I learned how to cook. I mean, I knew how to feed myself before then, but as far as making things that were interesting and learning how to riff on an ingredient, the magazine and the show are primarily responsible. It's kind of funny, really, since Rachael Ray's recipes would often not make it into Cooking Light.

This month's issue (Jan/Feb) is all about "the bird." I don't love chicken breasts, mainly because I'm so good at drying them out, but I do like cooking with the whole chicken and I like the dark meat. I dog-earred a ton of recipes in the issue, and made my first one today (with the dark meat from the whole chicken that I took the breasts off of for yesterday's dinner, and the chicken broth I made with the carcass--this is why I love cooking with a whole chicken. One bird, umpteen dinners.).

My husband often teases me for being unable to cook for less than four. Well, I outdid myself today! I doubled the recipe, because I had enough of everything to do so, and hate having a half a cabbage lolling around in the fridge. Seriously, when it's doubled, this soup will probably feed twelve people. It made a great lunch today, and will be lunch and dinner again this week...and I froze four portions (the texture won't be the same, but on a night that I want to come home and get in my pajamas immediately, I won't care too much). The soup that kept on giving!

Here's the link:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-soup-cabbage-apple-50400000118587/

Citrus and Sunshine

2012-01-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

It's a bit hard to believe, but today is January 7th, and it reached 60 degrees. The sun was brilliant, and it was wonderful to be outside. We even hung towels on the line to do most of their drying. (We finish them in the dryer, since they can get cardboard-y if they dry only in the sun. And I'll tell you what, for me, fluffy towels are one of life's simple luxuries.)

I also picked parsley from the garden today. As you can imagine, during most winters, by now the parsley is a pile of green sludge. Strange things are afoot, indeed. Like I said in an earlier post, though, you won't hear me complaining!

Tonight's dinner, Sauteed Chicken over Wilted Spinach with Kumquat Sauce, is one that I don't make often. It relies on kumquats, which aren't too common here in New England. Strangely, I got two pints of them within a week of each other, one as a joke from one of my husband's co-workers, and one from my sister, in my annual Christmas citrus gift box (oh, how that box makes me so happy!). I knew immediately that this recipe was on the docket. The nice thing about kumquats, like most citrus, is that they keep for a long time if properly stored (I keep mine in the apple storage drawer of the refrigerator, and they're good for up to two months...if they last that long, of course.)

The other nice thing about kumquats, if you're not familiar with them, is their mouth-puckering taste. I think they seem to have a little bit of all citrus flavors in them; while the first hit is a bitter/sour thing, if you don't immediately spit it out (which I did the first time I ever had them) you get notes of lime, orange, lemon, meyer lemon, and grapefruit...all in one tiny fruit no bigger than a walnut. They're seedy little devils, so while you can eat them whole (and I do, especially since the ones we've gotten are organic--but rinse them well) you may want to chew carefully, kind of like with seeded grapes. This recipe calls for slicing them thinly, which means you need to stop frequently to pull the seeds out--some of the ones I used tonight had eight seeds in them!

My dad found the recipe for the chicken dish in the much mourned, late, great Gourmet magazine. He raved about it, so naturally I had to give it a shot. And, oh...just yum! I usually serve it with a side of mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread to mop up the sauce that's left. Barring that, I'd be willing to lick the plate clean.

Sauteed Chicken over Wilted Spinach with Kumquat Sauce
from Gourmet magazine
(I followed the recipe to the letter, except I doubled the kumquats. Go with the original three if you're afraid it will be too tart.)

6 kumquats, thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings (about 1 cup)
2 bonless chicken breast halves, skin on; patted dry
1 tbsp butter (I used 1/2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tbsp olive oil...so okay, I didn't follow it to the letter)
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 cups packed spinach leaves, washed and dried (about one bunch)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat; melt butter and olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper and saute, skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until just cooked through, another 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat if it seems the bottom is browning too fast.

2. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

3. Add shallot to fat remaining in skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute. Sprinkle sugar over shallot and cook, undisturbed, until sugar is melted and golden. Immediately stir in kumquats, water, vinegar, and red pepper flakes and simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.

4. Stir in parsley, and salt to taste. If sauce is too liquid, simmer until thickened to desired consistency, between 1 and five minutes.

5. Transfer two-thirds of sauce to a small bowl. To remainder of sauce in skillet, add spinach and salt to taste, turning with tongs til just wilted.

6. Divide spinach between two plates, top with chicken. Spoon reserved sauce over top.

Steaming Bowlfuls

2012-01-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

We're settling into winter's groove around here. It hasn't been so bad; most of our days have been in the 40's, and we've actually had some 60 degree days in December. While native New Englanders are a little disconcerted, you won't hear me complaining. I can't garden, but walking the dogs isn't painful, and for that matter, neither is breathing outside. Not a fan of the deep-breath-turning-moisture-in-my-lungs-to-icicles phenomenon...

I am, however, a fan of the long, slow cooking this season entails. Earlier this week, on a visit with my brother's family, two of my nieces and I made turkey soup from their Christmas leftovers. It was so lovely, I decided to make it again yesterday for me and Larry. There's something about a steaming bowlful of broth and vegetables, with a little meat, that makes me happy.

Today's steaming bowlful is a version of Hoppin' John, in honor of the New Year. I didn't have all of the ingredients to make the traditional version, but I cobbled together a respectable substitute. I think that might be the best thing about soups and stews, really. Don't have or like one ingredient? Leave it out. Have less of something the recipe calls for? Add it with something complimentary.

The "recipes" below are approximations of the soup and the black-eyed peas I made--I didn't keep accurate measurements. Feel free to make them your own!

Turkey Soup
serves 4

4-6 cups of turkey and/or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 cups chopped carrots, a little more than a 1/4 inch thick
1 cup chopped celery, or diced, peeled celeriac (about one small)
1-1 1/2 cups chopped parsnips, same size as the carrots
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped, leftover cooked turkey
2 cups cooked short-cut noodles, optional

1. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the vegetables and herbs, and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Stir in turkey, salt and pepper to taste, and heat through, about 5 minutes.
3. If using noodles, portion in to bowls and ladle soup over top.

Hoppin' John
serves 4-6

3 slices bacon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup small diced carrot
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1-2 cups black-eyed peas, rinsed
4-6 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice or cornbread, for serving (optional)

1. Cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove, leaving fat in pan.
2. Add all vegetables and herbs to bacon fat, and cook until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
3. Add black-eyed peas and 4 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook until beans are tender. This will vary widely depending on how old the beans are; mine took about an hour or so. Add additional water if the beans start to dry out; you want them to be a little soupy (better sauce for the rice!).
4. When beans are almost tender to your liking, add salt and pepper to taste. When done to your liking, ladle over rice, if using. Cornbread is brilliant, too.

Turkey 1,000 Ways

2011-11-26T14:40:00.001-08:00

(I used Elise's Mom's idea, from Simply Recipes, and cooked the bird breast-side down for most of it's cooking time. The breast meat stayed really moist. Unfortunately, flipping it over to brown the top skin, I split it. Fortunately, that had absolutely nothing to do with the taste!)

Okay, it's only three ways so far: herb roasted, in a pasta dish, and in a Mexican-inspired recipe. But so far I'm having fun with this. I'll keep going until my husband says he's had enough. (On deck: turkey soup, turkey croquettes, and turkey stromboli. Why not?)

We had a 16.34 pound turkey for Thanksgiving...for the two of us. We had asked the farm for a 12-14 lb (preferably in the lower range) bird, and we didn't realize they'd given us the wrong one until it was two days too late to do anything about it. One whole breast is frozen and awaiting future dinners, as is about three cups of shredded meat. The rest, I've been playing with to see if I could avoid rapid turkey overload.

All of the recipes have been inspired by internet searches, many from Rachael Ray's leftover ideas. But they're all originals, and so far, so good!

Turkey-Pancetta Pasta
by Me (serves about 6)

12 oz. whole wheat rotini pasta, or other short cut, cooked til barely al dente, drained
2 oz pancetta, cubed, small
1 medium shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp+ 1 tsp olive oil, divided (depending on how much fat the pancetta renders)
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup turkey or chicken broth , divided
1 1/2 cups chopped turkey
1 1/2 cups chopped green beans (ours were leftover; blanch if fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
zest of one lemon
1/3 c parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350.
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil and the pancetta, and cook until almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the shallot, garlic, and sage, and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is softened, about 4 minutes. If the pan doesn't have at least a tablespoon of oil, add olive oil. Sprinkle over flour and stir, cooking for about 1 minute.

2. Spoon in a 1/2 cup of broth; stir until it forms a very loose "paste." Add another 1/2 cup of the broth, stir, and bring to a bubble. Cook about 2 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Add the chopped turkey and the green beans, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

3. Stir the ricotta cheese and lemon zest into the turkey mixture, then stir in the pasta. Stir well to combine. If it seems a bit dry, mix in some of the remaining broth. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese. Bake 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dish is hot through, but the cheese is not browned. You don't want it to dry out.

Turkey Mexican Lasagna
by Me (serves about 6)

1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tbsp butter (you could use all canola...I had this around waiting to be used up)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed, and chopped small
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
heaped tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth
juice of half a lime
1 1/2 cups chopped turkey
1 15 oz can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
6 6-inch flour tortillas, cut into sixths
2 1/2 tbsp chopped green onions
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup tomatillo salsa,divided

Preheat oven to 350. Oil an 11 x 7 baking dish.
1. Heat canola oil (and butter, if using) in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onion and saute until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, chili powder, and oregano; cook one minute.

2. Stir in flour, cook one minute. Add 1/2 cup turkey broth and stir until flour is incorporated into the broth, then add rest of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, 1/4 cup salsa, turkey, beans.

3. Coat the bottom of the baking dish with about 1/4 cup tomatillo salsa. Layer the tortilla wedges so they cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Spoon over half of the turkey mixture, sprinkle over 1 tbsp green onions, and 3/4 cup of cheese. Repeat tortilla, turkey, onion, and cheese layer. Add a final layer of tortillas to the top; spread the remaining salsa over them, and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove from oven, top with green onions. Let sit about 10 minutes before cutting.

Remind me to tell you about this one, too. It's not turkey, but it could be! This one is a butternut squash, red onion, walnut and bleu cheese crostata. I am a little bit in love with it.

Hello, Beautiful!

2011-11-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

Alas, I don't have a picture of this one. It was impromptu, and wasn't actually made to be eaten immediately. It was made to keep me awake and on my feet during a migraine that I refused to let win. It worked. And, oh, what a good way to beat a migraine. The smells...just lovely. Had it for lunch today. Trust me, this one is greater than the simple sum of its parts.

Autumn Minestrone
by Me

2 tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2 tsp chopped garlic
hefty pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 c chopped celery
2 cups cubed, peeled rutabaga
1-2 cups chopped carrot (I went with more)
6 thyme sprigs
1-2 tsp chopped sage (some people find this one too strong, so maybe err on the side of caution)
bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vermouth
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
rind of a piece of parmigiano (you could leave this out...but don't)
4-5 cups thinly sliced kale or other sturdy green
1 peeled, diced delicata squash, about 3 cups (could use butternut)

1. Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion through bay leaf. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until vegetables start to get tender. (For a deeper flavor, turn the heat up to medium-high and let the vegetables brown a little bit before step two.)

2. Add the vermouth; cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the pan. When it is almost evaporated/absorbed, add the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the kale and parmigiano. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the squash, simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender but not mushy. Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaf, and serve.

Summer's End

2011-11-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

Surprise! You missed us when you grabbed the others!

Pizza with homemade dough and sauce and garden grown arugula. Yum!

Tomatillo and Pepper Salsa

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread


Beer Braised Pork with Polenta and Spicy Cabbage Apple Slaw

I've been doing a little cooking lately...

It's that time of year again, when being outside in the garden is no longer an option, especially now that I've cleaned it out, composted it, and put it to bed for the season as of today. It wasn't a bad haul for a garden that hadn't really been tended for a while. I got about a pound of tomatillos, four cups of arugula in varying leaf sizes, a few stray tomatoes, and some potatoes that I didn't find when I harvested their brethren. There were also some raspberries (and some still to ripen, if they beat the race with the weather) and some sorrel leaves. The Lacinato and Curly Kale will be around for a month or so...if I don't devour it sooner.

There are some greens under row covers, and the peas are doing their best to mature in time. The slugs have had a field day with them. Alas, for the slugs anyway, there's no where left to hide now that the garden's cleaned up. (Cue evil laugh track here.)

There will be herbs like parsley, dill, sage, thyme, and rosemary for a few weeks yet, and then one by one they'll drop off. I'll be able to harvest sparingly from the woodier ones all winter, but I tend to go easy on them since I want them to come back in the spring.

We ate well today in the midst of all of the raking, shoveling, and ripping out of plants. Lunch was the pizza, with a dough recipe from Giada De Laurentiis that I found on Epicurious and a roasted tomato sauce that I got from my friend Winter. It was lovely. So lovely, we might have eaten the whole thing...but I'm not telling for sure so you can think what you want.

Dinner was Black Bean-Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa. I wanted to make chicken stock, so I simmered a whole chicken until done, skinned it, shredded the meat (most went in the freezer) and added the bones back to do some more simmering. I mixed the chicken with black beans, rolled the mix in corn tortillas, and smothered it with tomatillo salsa (recipe to follow) and cheese. Baked at 350 for about 1/2 hour, it was a nice way to end the day (though my husband would think it nicer if the Patriots had actually won). We definitely did eat all of those, hence no pictures. (Cue oink here.)

Tomatillo Salsa
by Me

1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 green onions
1 poblano pepper
2 Anaheim chiles
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp canola
salt, to taste
lime juice, optional

1. Preheat grill to high. Place all peppers and the green onions directly on the grill. Use a vegetable grill plate or make a foil packet for the tomatillos; place on grill.
2. Once onions are somewhat charred, move them on top of the tomatillos. Let the skin of the peppers get blackened and blistered. Remove to a container, cover, and let steam until cool enough to handle. Cook the tomatillos until very soft and some are starting to burst.
3. Chop the green onions and put in food processor. Skin and seed the peppers, add to food processor. Scrape in tomatillos and any juice. Add oil and salt, and blend to desired consistency. Stir in lime juice, if desired.

That winter thing

2011-11-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

It's definitely going to do the winter thing here this year. Not that I really thought it wouldn't...but the warmer temps we've had until recently made me irrationally hopeful. The crazy storm that dumped a foot of snow in Western Massachusetts and other places, along with mornings in the low to mid-30's, have brought me back to reality. That reality means soup.

Tonight's soup was a variation on one I've made often. It's an escarole and bean concoction that I remember my mom making occasionally. I LOVE escarole. There's something wonderful about it's rather squeaky texture and earthy, herby bitterness that makes me happy. And unlike most lettuces, which it is similar to in raw texture, escarole is great raw and cooked. I can't say I've ever enjoyed cooked lettuce. It tastes rotten to me. Anyway, back to dinner.

I decided to combine some flavors I've been reading about in Melissa Clark's new book, Cook This Now. (Love her writing. I'm most happy about having discovered her and Nigel Slater this year.) The resulting soup was great; warming, hearty but not heavy, and perfect for dipping bread into the broth.

Escarole and Bean Soup with Pancetta
By Me

3 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup pancetta, diced small
4-6 anchovies
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped into small-ish pieces
Scant tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Scant tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups beans (I used cranberry beans I had in the freezer, but any white and/or creamy mild bean will work, like canelinni...which I suddenly can't remember how to spell...)
1 large head escarole, chopped
Parmigiano cheese for topping

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon; reserve.
2. Add the anchovies to the oil on the pot and stir until they "melt" into the oil, about 1 minute. Add the garlic through parsley, a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about five minutes.
3. Add the wine or vermouth and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about two minutes.
4. Add 6 cups of the broth and the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer about five minutes. Taste the broth and adjust gently for seasoning. Add the escarole and stir until just wilted, (add more broth now if you think you need it) taste again for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as necessary. Add the pancetta back to the soup.
5. Ladle into bowls, and top with cheese, if desired.

Salt Lick

2011-10-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

The weather here this weekend turned downright wintry, so soup was on the menu. I've been thinking about lentils lately (because, really, what else would I be thinking about?) and so I knew I wanted to do something with them. I did some surfing, and cobbled together a basic lentil soup with a fancier, more Mediterranean-spiced version, and then decided to throw in some chicken. It turned out great, and I predict it will be on the menu often this winter.

One note of caution: make sure the lid of your 16 oz. Whole Foods Sea Salt container is firmly affixed to the base.

Lentil-Chicken-Vegetable Soup
By Me

For the chicken:
1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large bay leaf
Pinch of saffron
Sprig of lemon thyme (regular thyme would be fine)
Water to cover chicken

1. In a large, high-sided skillet, put all of the ingredients. Bring to a low boil.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook til chicken is done, about 10 minutes. It's okay if it's not quite cooked, because it will cook more in the soup. Leave in the water until ready to chop.

For the soup:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 chopped onion
4 chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks, with leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped hot red chili, to taste
4-5 sprigs lemon thyme (regular thyme is fine)
Pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp fennel seed
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cups shredded savoy cabbage (other mild cabbages would be good, too)
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1tbsp sherry vinegar
1 cup brown lentils
2 cups chicken broth
Water, as necessary
3 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and roasted til soft (optional)
1 lb sea salt (optional, not recommended)

1. In a large dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion through a pinch of salt and pepper, and sweat the ingredients until they begin to soften, about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the cabbage and potatoes, and cook, stirring until cabbage starts to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, stir.
3. Add lentils, stir.
4. Remove chicken from poaching liquid, place on cutting board. Carefully pour poaching liquid into pot with lentils. Add chicken broth and water (at least one cup of water; as the lentils cook, you might want to add more depending on whether you want it soupy or stewy).
5. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
6. While soup simmers, chop the chicken and tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Once lentils are tender, add both to soup. Simmer ten minutes.
7. Taste soup to adjust seasonings. If necessary, turn sea salt container over pot, let lid fall off, and dump 15oz salt into pot. Swear loudly and spin in a few circles while trying to figure out what to do, while spouse fights urge to laugh. (okay, I'd probably skip this step next time.) but do taste for seasoning...

I'd tasted the soup enough to know that the broth was wonderful. Sadly, i had to quickly rinse and recreate a broth...but next time I'll know better than to hold the whole salt container over the pot, now won't I? :/

Enjoy!

Temptation

2011-08-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

I have been cooking. A lot. I just...ahem...haven't been blogging. Here's a series of photos. Just leave a comment if you'd like a recipe for any of the dishes, or if you have any questions!

Zucchini and Mint Frittata, Sauteed Zucchini and Mint, Cranberry Beans in Garlic Oil with Sage

Fresh Peach Crostata

Blueberry-Peach Crisp

Cucumber-Avocado Soup, Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing

Freshly Shelled Cranberry Beans

Pita Bread

Travel the world's cuisines

2011-08-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year. Peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants, oh my! It feels like it takes forever for this harvest to arrive, but man, when it does... I love playing around with new recipes to use these ingredients, and revisiting old recipes that we can't get enough of (tomato-mozzarella tart, anyone?). One of the (many) things I love about these ingredients is that depending upon what you mix them with, you can travel the world's cuisines.

Last night, we had jalapeno-corn "pancakes" with a huge salad of lettuces, radishes, tomatoes, and a buttermilk-chive dressing. I might, ahem, have let the pancakes dry out a little while warming in the oven. Oops. But it turns out that they're really good with the dressing, so all's well that ends well! (The pancakes are also really, really, REALLY good with maple syrup. We have them for breakfast frequently during corn season.)

Tonight, we had an Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern style dinner. Our local farmer's market had a vendor with lamb, so I bought two lamb shoulder steaks and threw those on the grill. I rubbed them with raw garlic as soon as they came off the grill, and sprinkled on freshly chopped marjoram. Paired with a tomato, eggplant, and zucchini bake that I (think) I first saw on Eggs on Sunday (eggsonsunday.wordpress.com), they made a heavenly dinner. Add a little fresh ricotta to the top of the vegetables, and you might even convert non-eggplant lovers. The best thing? Well, other than how good it tasted?

While the lamb was grilling, I grilled up extra balsamic marinated eggplant and zucchini to freeze for sandwiches during the winter, and I charred poblano peppers to make stuffed poblanos with later this week. Multiple meals for the price of one grill firing.

We had the vegetable bake with lamb, but serve it up with crusty bread and a salad of some sort, and you have a wonderful vegetarian dinner. Since we had it as a side, we had leftovers; they'll probably go in a sandwich with some of that ricotta for breakfast or lunch one day.

I LOVE August harvest time!

Tomato, Eggplant, and Zucchini Bake
originally seen on Eggs on Sunday (?)

1 medium, firm eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 medium to large zucchini, cut on a bias into 1/4 inch ovals
2 medium to large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 cup of olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
fresh and dried herbs of your choosing (I used dried oregano in the baking, and sprinkled on fresh chopped marjoram when it came out of the oven. Thyme is really good with this, too.)
2 tbsp ricotta per person (optional...but not really)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggplant, zucchini, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, and any dried herbs. Toss to coat.

2. In a large, shallow baking dish, layer the vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, tomato, repeat. Do this until the pan is snugly full of vegetables. (I always have some left over.) Drizzle over remaining olive oil, and add a little more salt and pepper, if desired. (The photo at the header of my blog is actually this dish from a year or so ago--if you're wondering about the layers, just take a peek.)

3. Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 25-35 minutes, depending on how caramelized you'd like your vegetables. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with any fresh herbs you're using. Dollop individual servings with ricotta cheese, if using.

The sun peeks through

2011-08-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am frequently amazed at my absolute intolerance for humidity. You'd never guess that I spent most of my life in Florida from the way I react to the sticky, sodden, heavy air. Depending on the day, it leaves me cranky and listless, or cranky and full-steam ahead. Yesterday was the former, at least after I finished getting some plants in the ground, and today is the latter. It might have something to do with the sun peeking through the clouds today. It was absent yesterday. First order of business: waffles!

I love waffles. Not those overly-sweet Belgian things that you make at hotels (although those are occasionally nice, too), but savory and out-of-the-ordinary waffles. There are the chocolate waffles I posted about a few months ago, and then there are cheddar-jalapeno, chicken and cheese, bacon and chive, sausage-cheddar-corn...you get the picture.

Today's are the sausage-cheddar-corn. They're inspired by a recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray, which is where I first got the idea to play around with ingredients. I've tweaked the recipe to make it slightly healthier...but not too much.

Sausage, Cheddar, and Corn Waffles
adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray
makes 10-12 waffles*

1 cup a.p. flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (can use all a.p.)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs
scant 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup, 1/4-inch diced, fully cooked sausage of your choice (I used a smoke maple sausage from Dakin Farm...because we'd live at that store if we could)
1/2 cup corn (I used fresh, but you could use frozen--thaw and drain well)

1. Preheat a nonstick waffle iron, following appliance directions. (I add cooking spray for insurance, since there's cheese in these.) Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and place a large, rimmed baking sheet inside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. In a medium bowl, beat the buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir to form a slightly stiff batter. Stir in the cheese, sausage, and corn.

3. Spoon some batter onto the preheated waffle iron, and follow appliance directions for cooking time. Cook until golden-brown and crisp. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping prepared waffles warm in the oven.

*This made 11 waffles for me on the size of waffle iron I used. Each waffle used slightly less than 1/2 cup of batter.

Ready for a little bit of normal

2011-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Some things don't always go as planned, do they? Take, for example, vacations. We spent the last week up at the farm in New York. The weather was beautiful, which meant that all of the hard work we had planned was a little harder to get started because we wanted to be outside. But duty called, so we went to work ripping out the kitchen and upstairs bathroom. My stepfather worked on the bathroom while Larry worked on the kitchen, and my mom and I shuttled back and forth where we were needed.

Everything should have been done by Thursday night, and Friday through Sunday would be our play-days. (Well, the kitchen wouldn't be done, but would be ready for the new cabinets to be installed.) Unfortunately, on Thursday there were two separate accidents with a table saw, and work came to a screeching, bloody halt. The good news: everyone is going to be fine. Well, mostly. Larry's thumb won't ever be the same, but like we keep saying, at least he still has it.

As you might imagine, cooking and blogging haven't been at the top of the list. But I'm ready for things to get back to a little bit of normal. Some food favorites:

-Stonewall Kitchen's Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. Give me a YUM! We had this slathered all over grilled chicken legs and thighs on Wednesday when my Aunt Cathy and my cousins, Molly, Kelly, and Kelly's family came down.

-parboiling chicken before grilling. I don't know about you, but sometimes I steer away from grilling chicken because of the fear of charred outside but raw inside. I don't know why I never thought of parboiling--that's what Moms are for, right! To teach us simple tricks. Pop the chicken in a Dutch oven, fill the bottom of the pan with water, (come about 1/4 way up the chicken) clap a lid on it, bring the water to a simmer, and "steam" until the chicken begins to look just cooked on the outside. Grill with your favorite sauces and seasonings.

-grilled green beans. You'll need a grilling grate-thingy to do this, obviously, but it's so worth it. Prep the beans as usual, spread them out evenly on the grilling pan, put them on a medium hot grill, and let'em rip, tossing occasionally so they don't get too charred on one side. I tossed mine with a little olive oil before grilling, and then at the very end of the grill time added chopped tarragon, salt, and sliced almonds.

-not following recipes to the letter, but using them for inspiration. I found a recipe on Epicurious for a Lemon-Rosemary-Pancetta Potato Salad, and turned it into a different version of itself. My version below.

-refrigerator clean-outs that turn into great meals (that might not be particularly photo-worthy, but taste great!). Last night's was a saute of chopped kale, green onions, eggplant, a tiny bit of leftover tomato, Italian seasoning, a little leftover zucchini, garlic, a half a jalapeno, slivered basil, white wine, salt and pepper, about a cup of rotisserie chicken, and cooked quinoa. It looked like a hot mess, but was delicious!

-fresh, burstingly ripe tomatoes on the vine, waiting for me when I got home yesterday. Oh, happy day!

Lemon, Rosemary, and Pancetta Potato Salad
adapted from Bon Appetit

2-3 pounds baby potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes
3 oz chopped (1/4 inch) pancetta, (you'll reserve about a tbsp of fat)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
zest of a lemon, juice from at least half (more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Cover the potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook until done. The baby potatoes took about 15 minutes; the Yukon Golds will take longer because they're larger. When finished, drain and put back in hot pot. If using Yukons, cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. In a small skillet, cook the pancetta until almost crisp. Spoon off all but about 1 tbsp oil. About a minute before done, add the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice, whisking to semi-emulsify. Scrape the pancetta mixture over the potatoes, add the zest, and toss all together. Taste, and add extra salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste. Add parsley, toss again. Let cool to room temperature, and serve.

Share. Or not.

2011-07-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Summer means cherries. And raspberries, blueberries, nectarines, peaches... There is nothing like the fruits of summer. Maybe this is because the only way I'll eat them after summer is over is if I pull them frozen from my freezer, but when summer fruit season rolls around, I am the true definition of a glutton. I have all of the above in my kitchen right now, and it takes all of my will-power not to hunker down on a stool and eat my way through them.

Tonight, I'm not resisting.

Mixed Summer Fruit Salad

1/2-1 cup blueberries
1 nectarine, pitted and chopped
1 cup cherries, pitted and quartered
1/2-1 cup raspberries
1 tbsp mint, slivered (or sliced into a chiffonade)
up to 1 tbsp honey
lime zest (optional)
1 cup Greek yogurt

1. Mix the first seven ingredients together very gently in a medium bowl.
2. Spoon 1/4 c yogurt into each of 4 small bowls. Evenly divide the fruit salad on top of the yogurt. Share. (Or not...)

Of weeds, flowers, and zucchini

2011-07-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I am the world's worst grower of zucchini. It's ironic, really, that everyone talks about the glut of summer squash produced by every home gardener...and I'm lucky if I get a single baby zucchini from three plants. Oh well. Fortunately, others grow zucchini really well so I can still cook with it.

Tonight I used a medium zucchini in a chicken and corn chili. Earlier this week, I used one shaved into ribbons and tossed with spaghetti and a light tomato sauce. I love how versatile it is in the kitchen. One of my favorite recipes last year was an Orange Zucchini Bread from Cooking Light. I'm pretty sure we still have a loaf of it in the freezer...maybe I'll pull that out before I start this year's batch...

I've been cooking sporadically the last few weeks. It's happening, but none of it is worth writing home about, or posting here, for that matter. Tonight's chili got rave reviews from a guest (okay, full disclosure, it was my dad) so I figured, why not?

Mostly what I've been doing, though, is gardening. I'm ripping out a weed patch in a semi-circular area in front of our farmhouse in upstate New York, and trying to turn it into a both edible and ornamental garden. So far the beetles find it veeeery edible. Grumble. But I do have some beautiful lilies blooming, and the herbs I've planted seem happy. It's hard gardening at a place that you can't tend to every day; I worry that it will suffer from the neglect necessitated by distance.

I am not, however, worried about some of the weeds that are there. I realize that sounds odd, but I've decided that some of the "weeds" are really just lovely wildflowers, and I'm letting them stay. There are the usual suspects, like Black-Eyed Susans and Queen Anne's Lace, but then there is also one called Bouncing Bet, or Soapwort. It smells almost sugary sweet, and it's little blooms are so pretty. It has a mostly tidy habit, and when it starts a colony, it's lush and full. It has very conveniently sited itself in corners and crannies that suit it perfectly (or suit my aesthetic taste perfectly, I suppose).

Another wildflower, Purple Vetch, I couldn't eradicate if I tried. It's often grown as a cover crop to fix nitrogen in the soil, but ours is popping up wildly around the barn and garage buildings. It reminds me of Jacob's Ladder, which I love. Again, another "weed" that I can live with. It's all in how we look at things, isn't it?

Chicken, Corn and Zucchini Chili
by Me (serves 4)

1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix, cut into bite-sized pieces
up to 1 tsp of salt, sprinkled on in stages
4 garlic scapes, chopped, or two cloves garlic, minced
1 c of chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped scallions
1 to 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, with about 1 tsp of sauce, chopped (depends on your heat tolerance--I used about 1 1/2)
up to 1 tbsp of chili powder; I used a mix of a Cocoa Chili Blend (Mccormicks) and regular chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 medium zucchini, chopped/cubed
2 cups of frozen or fresh corn, defrosted if frozen
2 cups black beans, only partly drained
1 cup chicken broth, or 3/4 c broth and 1/4 c beer (I used Newcastle...it's what I was drinking)
1 1/2 tsp honey
juice of half a lime (necessary), and lime wedges for garnish (optional)
chopped scallions and grated cheddar to garnish (optional)

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When shimmering, add the chicken. Let it brown on all sides, then sprinkle with salt and add the garlic through the coriander. Let this cook for about 2 minutes, so the onions start to soften and the spices start to get toasty.

2. Add the zucchini, corn, beans, a little more salt, and beer (if using). Stir together, scraping bottom of the pan with the spoon to get up the brown bits. When the beer is cooked down, add the broth. (If only using broth, add all at once and commence with scraping!). Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, add a little more salt and add the honey. (Taste to see if you might want more-honey and/or salt.) Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the chili starts to thicken. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice. Top with scallions and cheddar, if using, and serve with a lime wedge to squeeze over at the table.

A Day Outdoors

2011-06-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

Whew. There's a lot to do in the garden right now. With the rain and sun we've had, conditions have been great for plant growth. Every shrub in our yard is (was) overgrown, and the grass was tall enough to lose a dog in, in some spots. While mowing, edging, and sweeping are not my favorite garden tasks, they're necessary, so I did them today. Strangely, I like pruning. Half of the shrubs are now done, and the other half are for later. I save my favorite things for last.

The tomatoes have had an attack of early blight and septoria leaf spot; fortunately, organic practices allow for the use of copper fungicides, so all is not lost. I sprayed them yesterday, and though it's probably my imagination, they look better today. These two diseases can be nasty, because they can defoliate the plant if left untreated. But the worst is late blight, which wiped out tomato crops in the Northeast a few years ago. It spreads unbelievably quickly, so I'm keeping a vigilant eye out. I'm fairly sure my heart would break if I lost all the tomato plants.

The peppers are threatening to actually do something this year! I am a notoriously poor pepper grower, but this year I vowed to be better. I planted them out under row covers, and kept them there for quite some time so they'd be warm and cozy. The Jimmy Nardello and Carmen peppers are already fruiting, which is the earliest I've ever seen them go. The one lone bell pepper...well, it's still only the end of June.

I picked our peas today; they didn't do well in the raised bed I had them in, so we only got about a cup and a half when shelled. But they were tasty mixed into our salad tonight, so I definitely don't count them a loss. I'll plant them again toward the end of August, so we can (hopefully) have a fall crop. The bed they're in is going to be overhauled when I pull them out, but I'm not sure what's going in there next. Beets and turnips, maybe? The anticipation is half of the fun.

At the end of the day, there was sadly no one around to cook for us, so I decided to grill some pizzas. I'd defrosted some pizza dough overnight, which made the process really easy. I had about a pound of dough, so I quartered it, rolled it out, and threw it on the grill with some braised leeks (another Smitten Kitchen-by-way-of-Orangette recipe), prosciutto, parmigiano, and arugula. A drizzle of olive oil over the top, and we had dinner (and lunch tomorrow!).

If you're interested in grilling pizza, just take your favorite dough, cut it into individual-serving blobs, roll out to the desired thickness (I usually do thin crust--it cooks quicker!), and let sit, covered, while you get the grill ready. The grill should be at its highest heat, and the grates should be really, really clean. Just before throwing the dough on, swipe the grates with a high-heat oil like canola. Place the individual pizzas, no toppings, on the grates, close the lid, and grill for about 3 minutes. Don't walk away from the grill, though, and keep an eye on them. They go from done to charcoal pretty quickly. Pull them off the grill, flip them uncooked side down on a platter, and put on your toppings. Use a light hand, though, because toppings slide down between the grill grates pretty easily. Ahem. Put the pizzas back on the grill and close the lid. Cook for another 3 or so minutes, and dinner is done!

We were going to grill pizzas a few weeks ago when we had company, but ~~we ran out of propane~~ it was so hot out (how embarrassing when company is over!) we decided to do them in the oven, instead. Or it was decided for us, as it were. Equally tasty, so no complaints.

Happy growing and eating!

Strawberry Everything

2011-06-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

While I often fail miserably at eating seasonally with vegetables (there are only so many root vegetables one can eat during the course of six months, even when one loves them) I'm pretty good about it with fruit. (Except for bananas--I buy those all year.) More dramatically than any other foods, for me anyway, fruits taste exponentially better when they're in season. Living in New England, I have the opportunity to go and pick most of the fruits that I eat, which adds a whole other dimension of fun for me.

Two Sundays ago, we picked strawberries at Russell Orchards in Ipswich. Heading to Russell anytime is a full-day affair: we pick whatever is in season, and then tool around the antique shops or take a road we haven't taken before. And since a tip from a friend, no visit is complete without a stop at Farnham's for lobster and fried clams. Ooo! And let's not forget Down River Ice Cream. I can't talk about them, or I'll have to stop blogging and get in the car.

As you might imagine, I don't pick anything in moderation. If it turns out we've picked too much...who am I kidding, it never turns out we've picked too much. That's what the freezer, jams, and sauces are for! So we picked four quarts of strawberries. We've eaten a few out of hand, but I've also made two kinds of muffins, made scones twice, froze a quart, and made this obscenely wonderful Strawberry Summer Cake from Smitten Kitchen. (Trust me, make this right now. )
http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/strawberry-summer-cake/

The first batch of muffins I made tasted really good, but ~~had a textural issue~~ were like hockey pucks. Lately, I like a little bit of a challenge when it comes to baking (this must mean I'm learning!) so I decided to tinker with the recipe. One word: yum.

Make'em all, and call it a Strawberry Fiesta! Thrown in a little Limoncello muddled with strawberries, and you've got yourself a fine summer party.

Strawberry Lemon Muffins
(adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/blueberry-peach-muffins/detail.aspx And now you have the peach-blueberry recipe I use, too!)

1 1/2 c. each all-purpose and whole wheat flour
1/2 c. each granulated and slightly packed brown sugar, plus 1 heaped tsp.
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2-1 tsp of ground ginger (if you wanted to spike this, you could add some finely chopped crystalized ginger)
2 cups sliced strawberries
zest of one lemon
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 12 or 16 muffin tins--your call. The 12 will just barely rise and bake into each other, but not so badly that they're a challenge to separate. The 16 will be very nicely behaved, normal sized muffins.

1. Toss the sliced strawberries with the heaped teaspoon of sugar and the lemon zest. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and combine almost completely--leave some streaks so that the muffins don't become over-mixed when you add the strawberries.
5. Add the strawberries to the batter (including any juices) and mix until just barely combined--it's okay if there are some small streaks of flour.
6. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes for the 16 muffins, or 20-25 minutes for the 12 muffins. Cool on wire rack.

Strawberry Scones
(I can't find the source of this recipe. I apologize for that--if it's your recipe, please leave a comment so I can properly cite you! It's original incarnation is Peach-Pecan Scones.)

1 large egg
1/3 c milk
2 tsp honey
1/3 c finely chopped strawberries (heaped) or you can use peeled peaches
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 c finely chopped, toasted pecans
turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large sheet pan with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper.
1. Whisk together the egg, milk, and honey in a small bowl. Add strawberries. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or two knives, or rub in with your fingers) until pea-sized clumps form.
3. Stir in pecans and milk mixture just until dough begins to come together (I usually start with a spoon, and then get in there and mix gently with my hands).
4. Place dough on a well-floured surface and form a ball. Pat into a round about 1/2 inch thick. Slice into 8 equal wedges. Transfer to baking sheet, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if using. Bake 20-25 minutes or til golden brown around edges. Cool on wire rack.

...and last but not least, Strawberry Summer Cake Trifle!
Believe it or not, we didn't take down all of the summer cake (link above) when I made it. We were having company, so I thought a quick version of a trifle might be a ~~nice~~ ~~pretty~~ delicious excuse for eating lots of whipped cream along with this cake. The beauty of it? You can make as much or as little as you want, since it all depends on how much of the cake you use.

Strawberry Summer Cake, crumbled into chunks and bits
Whipped Cream, barely sweetened (not Cool Whip--too over-powering for this)
sliced strawberries, tossed with a little sugar
(I used most of the cake, 4 cups of whipped cream, and 2 cups of sliced strawberries tossed with 2 tsp of sugar)
In a trifle dish or other high-sided bowl, layer half of the cake, half of the strawberries and the juice that formed, and half of the whipped cream. Repeat, ending with whipped cream. Chill for about an hour, so the strawberry juice can seep into the cake.

Spring-into-summer green

2011-06-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when the greens you so carefully nurtured on your sunny windowsill in February are bolting and heading to seed. Tomatoes are little green nubbins on their plants, and the Art Deco-looking garlic scapes are pleading with you to use them in stir-fries and egg dishes. In our yard, it's the utter definition of "Eating Green" since everything ready to eat right now comes in shades of that color. Except for the two Thai Dragon peppers that came from the over-wintered plant; those are miniscule pops of red on the cutting board.

The greens in the bag above are from the mustard plants I started in the house this year. I don't know yet what I'll do with them, but whatever it is I'm already looking forward to it! Tonight's dinner comes from our yard, the Braintree Farmer's Market, and our CSA share. It will be a stir-fry of radishes, snow peas, English peas, garlic scapes, scallions, those Thai Dragon peppers, and a mix of small "braising" greens like bok choy, mizuna, and red kale. I don't know if I'll add some chopped rotisserie chicken or not; we might not need it.

Throw in some ginger, soy sauce, lemon verbena and sesame oil to taste, and some cilantro and Thai basil if you have it. Served over Basmati rice, I think this is the epitome of fresh, spring eating.

Well, until I get some fresh asparagus tomorrow, anyway.

2011-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

We have seven and a half days of school left. That is my excuse for not posting in a very long time. It's a lame one, but the only one I have, so please pretend it explains everything!

We're still eating some from the garden. We had a simple arugula salad with a red wine vinegar dressing one day last week, used some basil in a pasta dish, and some cilantro on taco night. The beans, greens, shallots, garlic, tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and squash are all planted and I'm shifting into tending versus planting mode. I love this part of the season, as sprouts shoot up and plants seem to grow many inches over night. This is the first year I've planted potatoes; they went in sometime in April (May? Ugh, this is why I'm supposed to be better at keeping up with my garden journal.) and are beginning to flower. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the spuds continue to do well. I occasionally have nightmares about Colorado Potato Beetles, and am hoping that because this is our first year together, the bugs won't find us.

Tonight, I knew dinner was going to use the rest of the spinach from our Spring Treat Share (over, but our full-season share starts tomorrow!) along with some tomatoes (I told you--eventually I cave) and pasta for dinner. Beyond that...well, I wasn't finding any inspiration. I flipped to the index in my Cooking Light 2009 recipes book, and lo and behold, there was a recipe for Spinach and Tomato Macaroni and Cheese. It called for ziti, spinach, tomatoes, half and half, garlic, and blue cheese. I had no ziti or blue cheese, and quickly learned, after a sniff, that I didn't have any half-and-half anymore, either.

Crud.

But! I did have skim milk, mascarpone, and fontina. And I had a twisty pasta called strozzapreti. So a new recipe was born. I have to admit, it's a little more fattening than the Cooking Light version. But oh, so tasty! And I quadrupled the spinach, so that balances it out some, right?

Creamy Spinach and Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
adapted from Cooking Light serves 4

10 oz short-cut pasta, such as ziti or penne, cooked al dente
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated if you have it
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c mascarpone cheese
4 oz fontina cheese, shredded (pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easier)
2 tbsp milk
4-6 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1. While the pasta water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and the garlic, and cook, stirring, about one minute. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the mascarpone, fontina, milk, and nutmeg and stir, melting the cheeses into the tomatoes and garlic. Add the spinach and the rest of the salt and stir until the spinach is wilted. Mix in the pasta, and serve.

Sauce that would make shoe leather taste good

2011-05-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

But we had it with pork chops. We picked up two of those at the farmers' market on Sunday, too, along with some asparagus (that stuff just makes me happy) and those were dinner tonight. I wasn't sure what to do with the chops tonight, but I wanted to do more than just grill them. I surfed through some of the Rachael Ray cookbooks I have (she does yummy things with pork chops) and found this sauce. I goofed, and didn't read the recipe all the way through, so I added butter to the sauce. The butter was for the other part of the recipe, but, um...yeah. I'd make this sauce the exact same way next time.

Orange-Rosemary Sauce
from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats

zest and juice of a naval orange
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 rosemary sprigs, stripped and chopped; about 1 tablespoon (I went a little lighter)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used 1/4)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter (You could leave this out. But I wouldn't.)

1. Add all ingredients except butter to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced by half.
2. Stir in butter, and reduce for another 2-3 minutes. Use to baste pork chops or chicken (or shoe leather).

It could definitely be worse.

2011-05-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Before we talk food, let's talk weather. More exactly, let's talk what we can do when we feel helpless in the face of tornadoes and floods and earthquakes and tsunamis and...well, you get it.

Donate to a disaster relief charity. JustGive.org makes this easy, and you can donate anonymously.
Host a fund-raising activity: a walk or run, a field day, a "pay what you'd donate" dinner at someone's home, a bake sale. Then see #1.
Donate time at a food bank or animal shelter. It may not directly affect the disaster areas, but it still helps people in need.
If you can, fly to the area in need and pitch in. I'm guessing you could contact the American Red Cross and ask about volunteer options.
Find out about the soup kitchens, food banks, and animal shelters in the affected areas, and send a shipment of food, blankets, chew toys, etc.

Get creative. Any little thing can help in big ways.

As you might imagine, after this morning's news about Joplin, MO, I don't really have the heart to whine about how it's grey and cool here for the fourth week in a row. It does stink, but really, I'd have to be rating high on the suckitude meter to go there right now. So instead, I cook.

The chopping, the smells, the sizzles all help with the blues. We had friends over for dinner this weekend, and I spatchcocked a chicken (which, I'm serious, is maybe the coolest cooking term EVER) for the first time, rubbed it up with garlic and lemon a la Nigel Slater (am currently addicted to his cookbooks and writing), and grilled the bird until the skin was crispy and the meat was tender. I did not, of course, eat all of the skin myself. Ahem. Or at least not every little bit of it.

I served it up with a Jerusalem Artichoke and Farro Risotto from Janet Fletcher's book Eating Local, and we were very happy indeed. The bottle of Pinot Grigio helped with that, of course...

Tonight, I'm back to playing with lentils. I love legumes (wouldn't that make a great t-shirt?) and use them often, but get stuck in the black bean-cannellini rotation. Not that there's anything wrong with that, per se, but there are so many other options out there that it seems a shame not to explore every so often. Also this weekend, we went to one of our local farmers' markets and picked up a package of stew lamb; my head went straight to a lamb and lentil stew. At first I was thinking Italian overtones (because that's pretty much what I always think of first) and then I decided to do some searching and see what else was out there. I read quite a few Indian-inspired recipes, and from those cobbled together this one. The pound of stew lamb will feed six, but you can also up the veggies and lentils and leave the lamb out entirely without the dish suffering.

Indian-Spiced Lamb and Lentil Stew
serves 6
1 lb lamb stew meat, cut into small chunks (can omit, just up the lentils and veg)
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced (I used 2 small leeks, since we had some in the fridge)
2 med. to large carrots, peeled and diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 in. knob of ginger, peeled and minced or grated
1 tbsp curry powder (or more to taste)
1/2 tbsp garam masala (or more to taste)
1- 3" cinnamon stick
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
15 oz. can diced, no salt tomatoes (if yours aren't no salt, just wait to add all of the salt you think you might want)
1 cup of lentils
6 cups of liquid (I used a mix of water and chicken broth)
10 oz frozen, chopped spinach (no need to thaw)
1/4 cup golden raisins
basmati rice to serve, optional

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add lamb. Cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove lamb from pot.

2. Add 2 tbsp oil, and minced garlic through cayenne pepper (remember to go easy on the salt at this point). Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Return lamb to pan, and stir in lentils and tomatoes. Add 6 cups of liquid and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with your spoon to get up the bits that have stuck. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until lamb and lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach and raisins; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 more minutes. Serve hot over rice, if desired.

Friendly ideas

2011-05-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

I was talking books with a fellow foodie from work today, and she inserted a sidebar about what she made for dinner last night. Imagine how excited I was when 1. It sounded delicious, and 2. I realized I had everything I needed to make it. As soon as I got home I pulled the ingredients out of their respective homes and got to work. The kitchen smelled amazing immediately, and dinner was ready in less than an hour. Thanks, Amy!

I did take pictures. I will post them (I'm on the iPAD and don't have a compatible USB) but I should warn you that they absolutely don't do the meal justice. Just trust me and go out and make this.

I'll include vegetarian options, too.

Lentils with Italian Sausages and Potatoes
Serves 5

1/4 c olive oil
5 Italian sausages (pork, chicken, or turkey are fine, or omit)
1/2 to whole yellow onion*, quartered, peeled, and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 lb. Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced (optional-I didn't use b/c I wanted dinner quickly)
2 stalks celery, diced (optional-see carrots)
3/4 - 1 1/2 c lentils (I used the smaller French green, but it doesn't really matter)
15 oz can diced no-salt tomatoes (or whatever size the can has shrunk to these days)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 c dry red wine (optional, could add a shot of balsamic at the end instead)
3 c chicken or vegetable broth, or water (up this to 4 - 5 if using more lentils)
3-5 c shredded greens (I used raddichio, but kale, mustard,chard, broccoli Rabe, etc would be good here)
Grated pecorino romano cheese

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. If using, brown sausages on all sides, about
5 minutes. Add in onion through celery and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add lentils through liquid and stir. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes. (I let ours go for about 35 minutes because we walked the dogs. The sauce reduced nicely, but your call.)
3. Stir in the greens and let cook through. The more tender greens like raddichio and chard will take less than five minutes; the others probably closer to ten.
4. Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and serve hot. You might want bread to mop up the juices...
* The larger veggie portions are for if you're making this vegetarian (or if you need to serve more than five people; you can cut the sausages up)

Eating from the Garden: Spring

2011-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Remember that chard that was going to need its own zip code soon? We ate it. It made me kind of sad to pull it up since the colors were so vibrant, but it was living where the tomatoes have been rotated this year and it was time to plant the tomatoes. I chopped it up with about a 1/4 cup of chives from the garden, sauteed it in olive oil with garlic, salt, and pepper, and once it was wilted, added about 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth to "braise" it in until the accompanying polenta was ready. After a productive-but-exhausting day in the garden, it was a warm bowl of goodness.

I've been doing all kinds of cooking lately, but for some reason have photographed none of it. Of course, when I look at the photographs on the blogs I enjoy I realize that my missing photos are no great loss. Still working on that light-and-positioning thing for food... I hope that since the food tastes good, though, it doesn't really matter if the photos are magazine-worthy or not; as long as the combo of ingredients is enough to make people want to experiment, that's (mostly) good enough for me.

We've been on a rhubarb kick around here lately, since the garden is being generous on that front. I first planted rhubarb because I thought it was pretty, and had ideas of making strawberry-rhubarb pies with it. Strangely, I've made nary a one...but I have made Oatmeal-Rhubarb Breakfast Porridge and Peach-Rhubarb Crisp. I've also made a garden salad with roasted rhubarb, and today made Rhubarb Snacking Cake with Walnut Streusel. The first three recipes are from this month's Eating Well magazine, and they were big hits. The snack cake is from Cooking Light, and is a pan-full of moist, sweet goodness...but it has almost two cups of sugar, so I wouldn't boast that it's "light" even if it did come from that magazine. (I'll post links to the recipes below.)

You can just barely see it, but the bits of rhubarb add a spring-green color to the cake (the rhubarb I'm currently growing is primarily green; I've got a red plant on order, though, because let's be honest--it's gorgeous). Not ordinarily a color I'd want with my cake...but a long, gray winter makes me more flexible about uses of color.

The above egg picture is from a recipe I made weeks ago, and never posted. I also have sorrel in my garden, and it is one of the earliest things to start rearing its lovely, verdant head in spring. As the first green I can eat out of my own garden, I have to say I'm pretty fond of it. I grew it on a lark; read about it in a catalog and thought, "Why not? If it's good enough for the French, it's good enough for me!" Then it came up, and I thought, "Okay, what the hell do I do with this?" A search led me to this baked egg dish.

It's easy and delicious, and it makes a great presentation if you're having company. You might have to grow your own sorrel, though, because I've never seen it in markets anywhere. I'm thinking you could substitute spinach.

Baked Eggs with Sorrel
serves 2 (but is easily multiplied)

1 tbsp butter, for ramekins
2 cups chopped sorrel
2 large eggs
2 tsp heavy cream (but I've also used skim milk, and even cream cheese, in a pinch)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp chopped chives

1. Preheat oven to 350. Rub the insides of two ramekins with the butter, and divide the sorrel between them. Bake in the oven until the sorrel is completely wilted, about 5-8 minutes. (It will be a camouflage green and almost look like something has gone horribly awry. Not to worry.)
2. Crack an egg into each ramekin, and add a teaspoon of cream to each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the eggs are set to your taste; for firm whites but still moderately runny yolks (how I like them) bake about 10 minutes (start checking at 8, though, because it's a different dish once the yolks set--not bad, but different).
3. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chives, and enjoy.

Rhubarb-Sour Cream Cake with Walnut Streusel
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rhubarb-sour-cream-snack-cake-with-walnut-streusel-10000001734282/

Eating Well rhubarb recipes
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/roasted_rhubarb_salad.html
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/oatmeal_rhubarb_porridge.html
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/peach_rhubarb_crisp.html

Where have you been all my life?

2011-05-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

May 1 was all I could have possibly hoped it would be. Sunny, but not too hot, with time for gardening, cooking, and ice cream. The cooking included some of my own greens, which is always exciting. The seedlings I planted back in February are doing great under their row cover, I've got potatoes and shallots coming up, and the chard that over-wintered will need its own zip code soon.

Photo from about a week ago; they're double now!

I love summer, but I think this might be my favorite time of year. After waiting through the long winter (and they're always long, even when the weather isn't brutal) there are flowers everywhere. Getting back into the garden is still a novelty (as opposed to August, when it's disgustingly hot and less of a novelty...except for the tomatoes, of course) and I gladly spend the entire day kneeling in the dirt, even if it's just for mundane clean-up tasks.

Today, I planted four new (to my garden) kinds of lilies: Sorbonne, Royal Sunset, Richmond, and Cherbourg. Lilies are a new obsession of mine; during the winter I was ogling the multitude of gardening catalogs I get each year and the lilies just kept catching my eye. We have eight different kinds here at the house now; I hope they'll put on a lovely display!

Those who know me well know that the Cherbourg lilies were a given once I knew they existed. Cherbourg was one of the stops of the Titanic, and I'm a bit of a Titanic nerd. (Titanic, gardening, cooking, and reading: could my husband have a nerdier nerd for a wife? Oh well, his yard looks good and he eats well!)

In the midst of all that digging, I occasionally ran into the house, scrubbed my hands, and made breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lunch was grilled hot dogs, but not just any grilled hot dogs. I signed us up for Pine Street Market's Meat of the Month Club, and this month we received plain hot dogs, poblano hot dogs, and Italian sausage. The plain hot dogs were incredible (we haven't opened the others yet)! Even if you don't do the M.O.M. club, do yourself a favor and order some of these dogs for a special cook-out this summer.

For dinner, we had Jamie Oliver's slow roasted bone-in pork shoulder, with carrots and potatoes. (You can find it here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/bone-in-shoulder-roast .) The recipe calls for the skin to be left on, so that you can make crackling. Oh. My. God. Where has crackling been all my life? I don't think I've ever had it before, and heaven knows I shouldn't have it again anytime soon, but I'm in love. I served it up with a mix of swiss chard and sorrel from my garden, and spinach from our CSA. (I skipped the gravy for the meat, and I threw the potatoes in to roast when I added the other veg.)

And now, I'm going to sleep.

Mixed Greens with Warm Bacon* and Onions
Serves 4

10 cups chopped mixed greens with water still clinging to them, such as swiss chard, spinach, sorrel, or others that cook quickly (this is probably about 1 1/2 pounds of greens)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 onion, sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced into 1/4 inch pieces lengthwise (or whatever, really)
--I used the onion that was in the pan with the pork roast, sliced it up, and added it once the bacon was
cooked
1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add olive oil, onion and bacon. Cook until bacon is almost crispy. Spoon off all but 1-2 tbsp fat, and add the vinegar to the pan. Stir to kind of emulsify the oil and vinegar, and add the greens and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cook, tossing the greens with the "dressing" until the greens are just wilted. Serve immediately.

*As always, you could omit the bacon, up the olive oil, and use mushrooms instead. It would be equally good, and I'm thinking it would be divine with trumpet mushrooms.

2011-04-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Remember that bread ~~that didn't quite work the way the recipe said it would~~ I made that I used the wrong flour for...? It turned out great. Fortunately, I've made bread before so I knew the texture I wanted for kneading--it was just a matter of adding more flour. And then some more. And then...you get the picture. We had it with berry preserves for a snack mid-morning today, and used it in grilled cheese for lunch. Phew.

The Farro and Roasted Root Vegetable dish from David Lebovitz was great, too. (www.davidlebovitz.com) Thank heavens I'd done the prep work for it (read: roasted the vegetables and cooked the farro, and then refrigerated them separately) because after digging over 40 holes in the stoniest soil I've ever seen, and making sure that 40 plants were firmly secured in their new homes in the earth, and then hoisting all the mini-boulders and rock-wall-sized boulders over to the property's rock walls, there wasn't going to be much cooking going on around here! I sauteed up a chicken breast (one for the two of us...that bird was on steroids or something) and tossed the veggies and farro together, and called it dinner. At 9 p.m.

Guess what we're doing again tomorrow? Yep, planting more trees. Hey, it's Earth Day-and-Easter weekend--what better way to celebrate the two?

Other than with maple smoked ham and stuffed artichokes, of course.

If you've never had a whole artichoke, they can seem daunting. I grew up eating these (Italian side of the family) and they're one of my favorite spring foods. I took the recipe out of The North End Italian Cookbook by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane, and it consistently comes out just like I remember the ones my great aunts made. I think I may even be converting Larry, who was hesitant about them at first.

Please try them--if you like artichoke hearts, you'll love this!

Stuffed Artichokes
(from The North End Cookbook, adapted by Me)
serves 2-4

2 whole artichokes, cleaned (see below)
1 lemon half
1/4 c olive oil, divided
3 small cloves of garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup of moderately fine breadcrumbs (I've used homemade and the ones from a paper can--I like'em both)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded parmigiano (or Grana Padano)

1. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning in a medium skillet over moderate to low heat. When the garlic just starts to sizzle and give off its aroma, add the breadcrumbs. Toss and toast for about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let cool a few minutes. Toss with the cheese.
2. Holding the artichoke steady, with the same hand, gently spread out two to three of the bottom layer of leaves. Sprinkle in a small amount of the breadcrumb mixture, about a teaspoon. Repeat until the bottom layer is "stuffed" (you don't want a ton of breadcrumbs in each layer; just enough to fill the bottom where the leaf joins the rest of the choke). Move into the next layer, and so on, until you get to the fine leaves at the center. Open gently but don't worry about separating every leaf, and pack in a final bit of breadcrumbs. Repeat with the next artichoke. Drizzle the tops with the remaining tbsp olive oil.
3. In a saucepan large enough to hold the two artichokes side by side, add 1 cup of water. Thrown in the peeled artichoke stems and the squeezed lemon; nestle the artichokes in. Bring the water to a boil, put the lid on and reduce the heat. Keep the water at a simmer for 40-60 minutes. Start testing at 40 by tugging on a leaf near the center of the choke. If it slips out easily, the artichokes are done. Remove from the pan and let cool (along with the stems).
4. How to eat: pull the leaves out one at a time, and grasping the base of the leaf firmly between your teeth, but with some give, "strip" the breading and the fleshy part from the artichoke--don't eat the whole leaf--it's tough. Repeat until you get to the tender center leaves--some of these you can eat whole. When you've stripped the choke down to the almost-center, you'll be faced with the fuzzy actual "choke." DO NOT EAT THIS. Prickly central... Using a spoon, scrape all of the fuzzy, small, prickly leaves out. Once cleaned out, you're left with the artichoke bottom. DO EAT THIS!!!!!!

How to clean an artichoke:
1. Cut the stem off of the artichoke where it joins the globe. Peel the stem and rub with the cut side of the lemon. Rub the cut side of the lemon on the base of the globe, too.
2. Cut the top of the globe off, about 1 inch of it. I usually rinse with cold water, shake dry, and then rub the top with the lemon.
3. Turn the globe stem-side up, and bang the top of it (leaf-side down) firmly against the counter (kind of like you would with iceberg lettuce to get the core out). This will loosen the leaves, making it easier for stuffing. Dribble lemon juice all over the top. Proceed with recipe.

Moderation? What for?

2011-04-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

The past week was another one of those weeks when just getting to Friday was a big deal. But we made it, and now we're on vacation. Larry took the week off, and I'm on Spring Break, so we spent the first few days getting things done around home, and then took off for the house in upstate New York. I'm trying to pretend that I don't see snow flurries out of the window right now, but really there's nothing to worry about. It's been flurrying all day, but not a thing is sticking...maybe because it's about 48 degrees. The sun even occasionally peeks its head out, and will apparently be spending the day with us tomorrow. Which is good, because we have something like over 40 plants to pick up at the local plant sale and get into the ground. Moderation? What for?

I did actually cook one day last week (more than one, but reheating doesn't really count, does it?). Friday, I think. It was a quick and easy pasta dish that was great reheated for lunch today. Up here at the NY house, we don't have a microwave. I have to say that I think the reheated pasta was even better because I had to do it on the stove top with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to keep anything from sticking.

This morning I started the day by baking bread. Normally a relaxing endeavor, this time it was more of a frantic, "OhmygodthishastoworkI'vealreadyputinfourcupsofflourwhyisitstillsosticky?" thing. Surprisingly (okay, not surprisingly) it was a baker's error and not the recipe (dammit). I was so focused on the "whole wheat" part of the flour label that I somehow missed the "bread flour" part of the label. Sadly, whole wheat and whole wheat bread flour are not the same beast.

But have I mentioned my almost pathological inability to waste food? There was no way I was chucking that shaggy, sticky pile of goo. I just kept adding small bits of flour and kneading, and hoped for the best. We haven't tasted it yet, but it rose correctly, smelled great while baking, and sounds appropriately hollow. Keep your fingers crossed for me. (If not, I'll make a loooot of croutons...)

I also roasted the vegetables for a farro and vegetable salad that I found on David Lebovitz's site; we're having that for dinner. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Whole Wheat Penne with Italian Sausage*, Sundried Tomatoes, and Spinach
by Me      serves 4

8 oz. whole wheat penne or other short cut pasta
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for finishing
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, reconstituted with boiling water and then sliced thinly; save some of the
                                         water, about 1/2 cup
3 grilled Italian sausages*, sliced thinly (I used pork, but chicken or turkey would be good;
                      you could also omit it and sub in mushrooms--brown them before adding the garlic and onions)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed
parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

1. Bring water for pasta to a boil; salt if desired. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente, following package directions for guidance.
2. While pasta water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes (do mushrooms first, if using) and saute until softening, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until pan is almost dry again; add sausages and tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Add a splash of the tomato water to make things glisten.
3. Scoop the pasta straight from the water into the skillet; it's okay if water clings. Add the spinach and start tossing; add a little pasta water to keep things loose. Continue tossing until spinach wilts and pasta is al dente, about 4-5 minutes. Grate on some cheese, drizzle a little olive oil over, and serve.

Cheating and Compost: The Perfect Saturday

2011-04-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

To start today's post, I'm going to teach you how to cheat. It won't win you any money (at least, I don't think it will) but it will make your mouth happy. The world's easiest Blueberry-Lemon Curd Tartlets:

1 jar of lemon curd (I used Stonewall Kitchen's.)
1 jar of blueberry jam, preserves, or whatever the stuff is called when the blueberries retain much of their
shape, or 1 pint fresh blueberries, if they're in season
1 pie crust (I use Martha Stewart's recipe, which makes two; freeze the other one if you're not using it right away...you'll be glad you did!)
4 removable bottom tartlet pans
1. Divide the dough into four pieces, roll out to about 1/8 inch. Fit into tartlet pans. (Tuck excess dough into the rim of the tart pans; a nice, thick outer crust on these is great. Or, really, do what you want...!) Dock the whole bottom of the dough, and line the inside with foil or parchment and pie weights (to keep the sides from slumping). Bake completely at 425, for 15-25 minutes (check at 15). Cool completely.
2. Spread the bottom of the tart with 1/4-1/2 cup of lemon curd.
3. Top with a few tablespoons of the blueberries. Refrigerate at least one hour.
4. Try not to eat all four of them by yourself.

Next up, remember those gorgeous fresh eggs from the last post? We had some of them in breakfast sandwiches this morning. Again, not really a recipe, but so good I wanted to share.

Serves two.

4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
4 large basil leaves, torn
4 slices of cooked bacon, halved
1 cup mixed greens
butter, for two of the toast slices
salt and pepper, for the eggs
2 eggs, cooked to your liking (I used small ones, because they were too cute to resist)

Obviously, this is your standard egg sandwich, but the thing I wanted to mention was the basil. Mixing it with the bacon and the eggs was a good idea, though I wasn't sure it would be when I started out. It's not a combination I've had before. Count me a fan! You'll notice I skipped the cheese here, which is close to blasphemy in this house. The sandwich didn't need it, but if you'd like to omit the bacon and make this vegetarian, you could put some parmigiano or other salty, nutty cheese like gruyere on, and it would be brilliant. It was the contrast of flavors that made this so enjoyable, and I think the cheeses would give you that.

After breakfast, I broke into one of our composters. We've been "making compost" for three years now. We have two of the compost tumblers that you see in the picture, and last fall we stopped adding new stuff to this one. This is the first time that I've actually harvested the stuff in large quantities, and I have to admit, it was way more exciting than compost probably should be. I wasn't 100% convinced it was going to work, especially since these suckers advertise that the compost will be ready in a few months and you'll note that I said we've been doing this for three years now.

I have to own that one of the reasons it probably took so long is that we kept adding new materials, but even if we hadn't it would have taken awhile to get to this stage. But now that we have...I'm hooked. It looks like the darkest chocolate cake crumbs, and feels all crumbly and fun when you run your fingers through it. There's no odor at all, which is good, because when the stuff is first brewing, it's pretty stinky.

I'm using a "compost sifter" to sort the stuff that's ready from the larger chunks that go back in. Seriously, this was a lot more fun than you'd think it might be. Then again, my husband's endearment for me isn't "sweetie" or "honey," it's "garden geek." That might explain the look of joy on my face as I sift dirt...

Hoping you're having a day of doing whatever makes you happy!

To Wrap or To Layer, That is the Question...

2011-04-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

I know I posted a picture of the eggs from our first Spring Treat share two weeks ago, but I had to post these. Look at that adorable little blue egg! The farm has Araucana chickens, and their eggs are a grayish blue color--so pretty.

Though it's rainy and cold here today, spring is shaping up nicely. I have two kinds of kale, escarole, raddichio, endive, mustard greens, and one ~~pathetic~~ ~~lonely~~ lovely spinach plant out in the garden under row covers. The chard that was under a row cover all winter (and feet of snow) is coming back beautifully, so we'll be eating that next week. The first daffodil bloomed this past Monday, and the lilac buds are noticeably bigger each day. Down the street, one of the magnolia trees is in full blossom; the dogs know that on our walks, we stop under the tree so Mama can just breathe. It's funny that no matter how amazing perfumes are, they can never get those flower smells quite right...they're just too ethereal, I guess.

Believe it or not, I have been cooking lately. There just haven't been that many things that seemed interesting enough to post. This one wins, though, because a. I actually kept track of what went into it, and b. it fits the quick, easy, and adaptable bill. Here's the little ~~torpedo~~ burrito packed up for lunch.

Last Sunday, I cooked up some dried black beans that we had left over from last summer's CSA. I used the traditional method of an overnight (or in this case all day) soak, and then bring-to-a-boil-drop-to-a-simmer until they're tender method. How long you have to simmer them depends on how tender you like your beans, and how old the dried beans are. (I hate to admit that I didn't actually keep track of how long I simmered them. My apologies.) I only added some peppercorns. I prefer to season my black beans as I use them, whether I'm cooking them from dried or from the can.

We had some tomatillo salsa and corn in the freezer, also from last summer, and dried chorizo in the fridge. (Am I the only one who adores that stuff? If I could figure out how to put it in dessert, I might. Heck, if bacon can go in chocolate, there has to be room for chorizo somewhere!) Along with a few other ingredients, this recipe was born. If it looks similar to the Mexican Lasagna recipe, that's because I was originally going to make another Mexican Lasagna. I decided to mix it up with the smothered burritos, though. I'll include possible variations in the recipe.

Black Bean, Corn, and Chorizo* Burritos

by Me

*optional

2 tsp. canola or other mild flavored oil (might want to add a little more if not using chorizo)

1/2-3/4 cup of chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno

1/3-2/3 cup dried chorizo (optional) I was probably somewhere in the middle of the two measurements.

1/2 tsp chili powder (up this to 1 to 1 1/2 tsp if not using chorizo)

1/2 tsp cumin (up this to 1 to 1 1/2 tsp if not using chorizo; also, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)

2 cups black beans (if using your own cooked from dry, include the liquid, up to 1/2 cup; if using canned,

rinse and drain and add up to 1/2 cup water or veggie or chicken broth)

1-2 cups corn kernels (don't need to defrost if frozen; I used two cups, because I love corn)

6 six or eight ounce whole wheat flour tortillas (or really, whatever you have)

salt to taste (I used 1/4 tsp, but if you don't use the chorizo, I'd up that, maybe to 1 tsp?)

6-8 oz. shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar, but Monterrey Jack, Queso Fresco, or Pepper Jack

would be great here)

1/2 c salsa (I used tomatillo)

chopped pickled jalapeno, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and chorizo in the oil until the onions start to soften. Stir in the spices and cook about one minute.

2. Stir in the black beans with their liquid, corn, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes or until there is barely any liquid in the pan. Turn off the heat. Oil an 8x8 baking dish.

3. Warm tortillas, either wrapped in a kitchen towel in the microwave (20-25 seconds) or wrapped in foil and put in the oven for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cheese down the center of each tortilla, and spoon in about 1/2 cup of the bean mixture. Wrap and roll, tucking in the sides to enclose all of the filling (if you're using a small tortilla like I did, the ends might not stay shut; just make sure you grease the baking dish so the filling doesn't stick). Place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat with rest of tortillas; you may have some filling left over.* Spoon the salsa over top of the burritos, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

4. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Top with remaining chopped pickled jalapenos, if desired.

You could just as easily layer this: a little salsa on the bottom, a layer of tortillas, a layer of bean mix and cheese, a layer of tortillas, etc. End with a layer of tortillas and spread a thin film of salsa, sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 20-30 minutes, or until cheese at all layers is melted.

*This would be a great filling for an omelet!

Moderate decadence

2011-04-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Robert Frost had it right when he said, "Nature's first green is gold... ." The forsythia in the yard are positively glowing as their buds wait to burst into bloom. Daffodils are opening their funny little faces. And in our Spring Treat share, we got golden-hued savoy cabbage that had been over-wintered at the farm, and we got fresh spinach and arugula.

Uh, Christine, have you had your eyes checked lately?

Yes, the spinach and arugula are green...don't worry, I can still see! But they're as precious as gold when you've been trying to eat locally and are kind of tired of root vegetables being the only "fresh" things. Obviously, from previous posts you can see we're not subsisting on them...but even their appearance at the grocery store is kind of tiresome these days.

(I know. I know. Stop whining and be glad you have enough to eat. I am. But remember that everything is relative!)

Today is a kind of raw spring day, with the sun peeking through occasionally, but mostly rain. I'm not particularly imaginative about these things sometimes, so soup it was! Our share had the above-mentioned cabbage, and some carrots and potatoes, so I stole (and adapted) a page from Rachael Ray and made cabbage and potato soup. We're having it for lunch tomorrow, because...

I wasn't done there! I've been craving some kind of moderately decadent creamy pasta dish, so I decided to make a creamy spinach fettucine for dinner, with an arugula salad. I didn't particularly feel like busting out any recipes, so I went on the fly. I would loosen the sauce a little more next time, but otherwise...yum.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, I think, ~~so I might not be~~ ~~as appreciative of a warming bowl of soup~~
but I'm always appreciative of a warming bowl of soup. It reheats better than creamy pasta. Tonight's dinner: pasta. Tomorrow's lunch: soup.

And to all a good night.

Cabbage and Potato Soup
adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray
serves 3-5, depending on accompaniment

1 tbsp olive or other oil
1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped small
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 tsp of salt total)
1 small head of cabbage, cored and thinly shredded; rinse and leave some water clinging
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 large red potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1/2 to 1 tsp dried dill
4 cups of liquid (I used 1/2 water, 1/2 vegetable broth)
2 slices Candadian bacon, chopped (optional)

1. Heat a dutch oven over medium. Add oil, onion, and carrots. Very lightly salt, to help them soften more quickly. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage and a little more salt. Stir occasionally, until beginning to wilt.
2. Add red wine vinegar. Cook, stirring, about two minutes. Add potatoes and dill, and a little more salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add liquid, bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in Canadian bacon, if using, and cook for about another 5 minutes.

Creamy Spinach Fettucine
by Me
serves 3 (or should, anyway...)

6 oz. fettucini (reserve 1 c pasta water)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter, divided
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, unless you live here)
3/4 to 1 cup of thinly sliced onion
small shot of dry white wine, about 2 tbsp.
2 scant tbsp flour
1 cup of half-and-half (I'd probably use 3/4 c with 1/4 c skim milk next time)
2 heaping cups of chopped, fresh spinach
1/2 c parmigiano cheese, divided
fresh grated nutmeg to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water for pasta to a boil. Cook fettucine until al dente--try to time this so you're pulling the pasta out of the water just as it finishes, and dumping it into the sauce. If you start the pasta water a few minutes before you start the sauce, you should be good.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a small sprinkling of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened but not colored. Add white wine, and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated.
3. Push the onions over to one side of the pan. Add rest of butter and flour on empty side; stir so that they combine and form a smooth paste/slurry. Cook, stirring, about one minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half, pulling onion mixture into the cream sauce as you whisk. Lower the heat to medium-low.
4. Stir in most of the cheese, leaving some to sprinkle on top of servings. (Add a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick.) Add spinach, stirring to combine. Add a little (more) pasta water, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5. Add pasta to sauce, stirring to combine. Add pasta water until the sauce coats the pasta the way you like it. Sprinkle individual servings with the reserved cheese, and serve immediately.

Spring Shares and Sunshine

2011-03-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

There's been a little bit more cooking around here lately. This is good for our waistlines and our spirits (though the repeated runs to Frozen Freddie's are less good for our waistlines). It helps that the sun is shining a little more warmly these last few days, and that we've just gotten our first share from our "Spring Treat" CSA. My favorite treat: 9 lovely, fresh eggs. I can't wait to make something with them!

Tonight's dinner was made before Larry got home with our treats, though, so it was back to the freezers for supplies. Digging around earlier this week I found corn that was blanched and frozen last September, ground beef from a farm near our CSA in Amherst, roasted tomatillo salsa that was made from the picked-right-before-a-frost tomatillos and jalapenos in the back yard, and roasted tomato sauce. What great pickings! All this preserved local bounty...what New England-y thing would I make?

So, um, tomatillos aren't particularly New England-y. I made Mexican Lasagna.

I would have happily eaten the whole thing by myself. There's something about meat, cheese, and layers of bread or noodles that just makes me positively gleeful.

This recipe changes frequently, depending on what I have on hand, and what whim I'm feeding. Want (or have) corn tortillas? No problem. Have no jalapenos, but have black olives? Sub away. Heck, want it meatless? Cook up a ton of onions and peppers and beans. We're all about flexibility in this kitchen.

Mexican Lasagna, version 3,212
(serves 4-6...in our house...4)
7- 6 inch flour tortillas, cut into sixths
1 tbsp canola or other light oil
3/4 to 1 lb. ground beef (or turkey, or chicken)
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp to 1 tbsp minced garlic (I go heavy...love garlic)
8-10 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
1 tsp chili powder (I used 3/4 tsp of regular, and 1/4 tsp of chipotle chili powder)
scant tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups corn kernels, if frozen, thawed and drained
scant two cups roasted tomato sauce (if you don't have your own, Muir Glen are good)
1 to 1 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa; I used tomatillo
5 oz fat free Greek Yogurt or low fat sour cream (really, use whatever fat content you want)
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese (or Monterrey Jack, or Cotija, or Queso Fresco...)
6-8 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
1/2 c chopped tomatoes (fresh)

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic until just beginning to soften. Add 8-10 chopped jalapenos, stir to combine. Add ground beef, breaking it up with spoon. Cook until ground beef has very little pink left. Add spices, chili powder through salt (I used a very scant teaspoon) and pepper. Mix well.
2. Add corn and tomatoes to beef mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and cook five minutes.
3. Spray an 8-inch square (or equivalent) baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salsa into the bottom. Place a single layer of tortillas in the bottom of the dish. Spoon over 1/3 to 1/2* of the beef mixture. Put a second layer of tortillas on top of the beef. Spoon over 1/3 to 1/2 of beef mixture, and on that, smooth over the yogurt or sour cream. Sprinkle over 1/3 of the cheese.
4. Add a final layer of tortillas; press down gently. If you didn't use all of the beef mixture, spread about 1/2 cup on top of the tortillas, then spread the remaining salsa. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil, and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
5. When cheese is hot and bubbly, remove foil, add chopped jalapenos and tomatoes, and return to oven, uncovered. Bake until the cheese begins to brown in places, about 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

*I used just over 2/3 of the meat mixture. Honestly, it's because I overestimated how many layers I'd be making. But it's okay, because I'll be using the rest of the "chili" in either eggs or roll-ups this weekend. All's well that ends well, as they say.

Mmm...soup

2011-03-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding like a whiner, I've had it with winter. I know, it's only March and I need to get a grip. Just because humans have decided that March 20 was Spring doesn't mean Mother Nature is on board. But ugh, enough already!

One of my favorite signs of Spring each year actually has nothing to do with nature, though. Here in the Boston area, most locally owned ice cream places close for the winter; ours is no exception. Near the beginning of March, Larry and I start driving by the shop and looking for the sign, "Spring is almost here! Re-opening on ___________." This year, it was today! So even though it was 40 degrees out, and even though it doesn't quite make the healthy list, we had ice cream for dinner.

On the off-chance that we got hungry after ice cream, I decided to use the last butternut squash we had from our CSA and make a creamy soup. I had a few sprigs of basil left, and remembering how much I liked the basil in the butternut risotto, I decided to incorporate it. This is another easy recipe, and the portions/times are kind of flexible.

We didn't actually get hungry again but I gave the soup a taste, and I'm looking forward to having it for lunch tomorrow!

Butternut Squash Soup with Basil
by Me

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes; about 7-8 cups
2 small or one large shallot, peeled and root end trimmed but not completely removed
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth, or water
water, to adjust thickness to taste
5 large basil leaves, or equivalent

Preheat oven to 425. On a large sheet pan, toss the squash and shallots with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, until squash is softened; about 25 minutes total depending on the size of your cubes. During the last five to ten minutes of roasting, pour in 1/2-1 cup of the vegetable broth.

Let squash cool for about 15-20 minutes. Add to blender with 1 cup of broth and half of basil, and blend; if necessary, add more liquid to get blades going. Mine used all of the broth, plus about a cup of water to make it our desired consistency.

Pour into a saucepan and gently reheat over medium-low. Before serving, chop the rest of the basil and add to the soup. Voila--a creamy soup with out anything resembling cream!

3/27/2011: Had it for lunch yesterday; it was great! The basil was a great addition. This one's a keeper!

Sad, but true

2011-03-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lately, dinner has been more about surviving our jobs than anything else. We're eating lots of stuff put by in the freezer for just these kinds of days, and we're eating out more than is particularly healthy. I'd beat myself up for it, but the job does it for me so why add work to my list?!

BUT! This weekend I made raspberry jam, and with a lot of it, I made a raspberry jam crostata (which is a free-form pie/tart thing...no, not the technical description...). It's remarkable how good it made me feel to put the jam and the crostata together. Like I am more than just my job.

I didn't have a camera handy, so the picture you're looking at is of reheated, 2-day old crostata. It's just as good!

If you've ever watched Giada on Food Network, she makes crostatas from all kinds of things. Don't feel like you have to use raspberry jam, or even jam for that matter. You could spend an enjoyable hour or so searching the creations on the net...I highly recommend it! We had raspberries in our freezer from our awesome neighbors' (they of the bumper zucchini crop) raspberry patch, so that's how the decision was made. (The neighbors are awesome, and so are their raspberries.)

Even better? It's really easy. We like our raspberry jam a little on the tart side, so you can adjust the sugar to your tastes. See the note below.

Raspberry Jam

3 to 4 cups of frozen raspberries
1/2-1 1/2 cups of sugar (I used a mix of brown and granulated)*
a squirt of lemon juice (I probably used 2 tsp)
a teeny, tiny pinch of salt...1/8 tsp maybe?
a shot of cinnamon (optional)

Place the raspberries, sugar, juice, and salt in a saucepan, covered. Heat over medium until mixture starts to bubble, and raspberries start to break down. Remove cover, reduce heat to a bare simmer, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until jam begins to thicken. You'll know it's ready when it coats the back of spoon thickly, without sliding off. This will depend on how much moisture is in the berries; mine took about an hour and a half to two hours of slow cooking. (And whooee did the house smell good!)

If desired, pour jam into a sieve, and using the back of a ladle or large spoon, press the jam through into a bowl. Larry and I prefer seedless raspberry jam, so I did this. Taste, and add sugar if desired; can be put back on low heat for a few minutes to make sure sugar completely dissolves. Stir in cinnamon to taste, if desired, and refrigerate until completely cool. Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of jam.

Crostata
For the crostata, roll out your choice of pie dough (I used a half recipe of Martha Stewart's pate brisee) to about a 14" circle. Preheat oven to 425. Put the dough on a large sheet pan. Spoon 2 cups of jam into the center, leaving a 3 to 4" border of dough around the edges. Starting on one side, fold (without pressing down on the jam) a side of the dough in toward the center. Overlap the second fold over the first, and repeat until the filling is covered around all sides, but open in the middle. (See the picture) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden and flaky. The jam will puff up in the oven, but subside as soon as it starts to cool. Resist the urge to eat it right away, since the jam is so hot it will seal itself to your skin...

*Sugar: I started my jam with about 1/2 cup of brown sugar, because I wasn't sure how sweet the raspberries would be. About halfway through the cooking process, I tasted a bit of it and added about 1/4 cup. At the end, I tasted again and put in about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Why did I use both sugars? I'm not quite sure-I know that I like the depth that brown sugar brings to things, so that's probably what I was thinking. This was kind of a dump-it-in-and-let's-see-what-happens kind of jam. But it worked, so I'm passing it on. You could probably use all of one or the other for equally fabulous results. You can keep adding sugar until it tastes the way you want it to, but I don't think I'd go much beyond 2 cups; you'd lose a lot of the raspberry taste.

Water Safety?

2011-03-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I now have a new meaning for water safety after being almost run down by a Belmont Springs water delivery truck the other day. He couldn't wait to make his left, and decided to do it while I was making my right. Fortunately, I saw him and braked hard and quickly enough that I still have the front end of my car. Imagine my horror as he then proceeded to speed through a neighborhood and a school zone (active with people), make an illegal turn, and then cut off another vehicle while pulling into a parking lot. If you get water delivered, you might not want it from this company...their drivers might take out your mailbox, or worse.

But this blog is about food, not water or erratic drivers! Tonight's dinner: hamburger meat with freezer sauce! Larry has been teasing me about this all week, since he saw it on the board where I write down our possible meals for the week. What exactly is freezer sauce? Well...it depends. In this case, it was the leftover sauce from a Milanese Braised Beef recipe that I got from Cooking Light. There was almost two cups of the tomato-y, beefy goodness left after we ate the original dinner and I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away (no, my parents did not grow up during the Depression). I thought that if I froze it, it might make a quick Hamburger Helper-style meal one night, and indeed it did.

I sauteed some onion and carrot to up our veggie quotient, browned the ground beef, dumped in the sauce and brought it to a boil. Dumped in a cup of frozen peas and some cooked egg noodles, grated over some parmigiano, and we had dinner. I have to admit that I do feel faintly ridiculous posting this...but dinner was fast, cheap, and easy. (Just like...insert appropriate joke here.) My main advice is to make sure you skim most of the fat off of the sauce before you freeze it, or dump it into your ground beef, so your final dish isn't too greasy. I thought to do this at the last second before pouring it in, and was relieved that I did.

I think "freezer sauce" would work with a lot of different kinds of sauces from braised dishes, and might be just the time-saver you need on a Friday when you just want to go to sleep early!

Baby, It's Cold Inside!

2011-03-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

I think I've already mentioned my predilection for freezing things. It's how I preserve summer and my favorite flavors on into winter, when I'm less inclined to buy fruits and vegetables out of their New England season. I dole these things out and try to make them last until the end of winter, when I can start buying things like local asparagus and lettuce. Don't get me wrong, this is no Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (which I not-so-secretly aspire to accomplishing...a girl can dream...). I have a looooong way to go before I'm putting by enough vegetables and fruits to get us through winter. But it's like opening precious jewels when I take out a quart of tomato sauce or make blueberry pancakes with the fruits from last summer.

This past summer, I had great luck with green beans and Romano beans, and we're just now finishing up the few packages I put by. I socked away about 2 pounds of roasted red peppers, and 2 quarts of blueberries. I also freeze greens like kale, chard, and collards, and I freeze as much tomato sauce in varying forms as I can possibly cram into the freezers we have.

Another way that I like to freeze things is baked into muffins, scones, quick breads and things like lasagnas. I found a zucchini-orange bread recipe last summer that I LOVE, and I put by about 10 loaves of the stuff. We're down to our last few of those, as well as our last batch of peach-blueberry muffins.

My least successful frozen "treat" would be the zucchini. I followed the guidelines from one of last summer's "Eating Well" issues, but I have to say, the zucchini was a little...er...limp in tonight's dinner. That's okay, though, because the green beans were fabulous, and the stew over all was delicious. Herbes de Provence is a new blend for me to play around with--I'm typically an Italian Seasoning kind of girl--but I enjoyed it and will look for new ways to use it.

French-Style Chicken and Vegetable "Stoup"
by Me (inspired by Rachael Ray)
Serves 4-5
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion (I used red) chopped
1/2-3/4 c chopped carrot
1/2-3/4 c chopped celery
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 medium fennel bulb, cored and sliced about 1/4" thick (I'd increase this to a whole bulb next time, I think)
1 heaping tsp Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 tsp total salt and 3/4 tsp total pepper)
1 small fresh zucchini, chopped*
1/4 c dry white wine
1- 14.5 oz can low-sodium diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 to 1 1/2 cups water (could leave out if you want it more like a stew)
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1/2 pound, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped green beans
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for grating over top

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion through Herbes de Provence. Sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high.

2. Add white wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add bay leaf, tomatoes, broth and water, if using. Bring to a bubble, add chicken, and reduce heat to medium. Add more salt, and some pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. Add green and white beans and heat through, about 3 minutes. Serve with grated cheese on top, if desired.

*I used frozen zucchini from last summer's bumper crop (okay, it was the neighbor's bumper crop...). I can't say I'd recommend it, because I like my zucchini to have a bite to it, but if you've got it, add it when you add the beans, and bump up the cooking time by a few minutes to make sure all the frozen things are heated through. From now on, I'll just freeze the zucchini inside my baked goods. :)

Stay with me...

2011-03-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

Many of you may have more adventurous palates than I do, but hopefully you won't think badly of me that it took me until my late 30's to give sardines a chance. I first had them in Palermo, Sicily on a trip with my family. They were served in a fennel and tomato sauce: heavy fennel and sardines, light tomato. I loved the dish: Pasta con le sarde e finocchio (not to be confused with Pinnochio, which I don't think I'd enjoy as much). Obviously, if you've never tried sardines, I'd recommend a trip to Sicily post-haste...what better way to eat them for the first time?!

But for those of us who won't be venturing to Sicily anytime soon (sob) may I recommend another version? In Sicily, the dish is primarily made with the wild mountain fennel that is ubiquitous to the island...and kind of hard to get here. I just use regular bulb fennel, with the understanding that it's technically a different dish but equally tasty.

I'm proud to say that since our trip, and since my adventurous dive into previously untasted foods, I've been a wild child. I had wood-grilled fresh sardines at a local seafood restaurant (lovely!), I had sweetbreads at a local French-inspired restaurant, and while in San Antonio, I had Tex-Mex versions of pancreas, sweetbreads, and other kinds of offal. None of them were anywhere near as unpleasant as I thought they might be, and some were actually things I'd happily eat again. Watch out world!

Pasta con le sarde e finocchio
(Pasta with Sardines and Fennel)
by Me (my version, anyway)
serves 2-4*

4-8 oz linguine or fettucine, reserve water*
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large fennel bulb, stalks cut off and fronds reserved, bulb halved and sliced no more than 1/4 inch thick
1/2 large onion, sliced into thin half moons, no thicker than the fennel
salt (I used about 3 tsp total between pasta water and sauce)
1/4 c dry white wine
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, preferably low sodium
pepper to taste
1 (or more) tin(s) of skinless, boneless sardines in water**

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; when at a rolling boil add salt (I used about 2 tsp). Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

2. While water comes to a boil, heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is warm, add onions and fennel, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are almost translucent and fennel is softened, about 5 minutes. Add white wine; cook until evaporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and pepper and heat through. Add sardines, stir into sauce, breaking them up into desired sizes (I leave a few grape sized chunks in ours).

3. Drain pasta and toss with sauce, adding cooking water until sauce is desired consistency. Mix in 3/4 of the reserved fennel fronds, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 on top.

*I made the full amount of sauce tonight, but only 4 oz of pasta. We ate a heavy sauce, light pasta dinner. The sauce would easily mix with 8 oz of pasta, and would lightly-but-nicely coat 12 oz. It might be pushing it with a full pound, though.

**I'm still not sure how much Larry loves sardines, so I only used one 4.3 oz tin for our sauce tonight. I have his permission to add another tin next time I make it, and we'll see how it goes. I've tried a few different brands, but my hands' down favorite is the Crown Prince Natural Wild Caught. They're more ecologically friendly than some that are available, and the sardines are meaty and not overly fishy (though being sardines, they are fishy).

What?! No Bread?!

2011-03-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

I am a dunker. A mopper and a dipper. If there's sauce or dip and something to dunk, I'm a happy lady. Imagine my consternation when I realized that we had no suitable bread for dipping into tonight's sauce. And then imagine my surprise when I realized that, really, dinner was just fine without the bread. I may have to take to my bed at this shift in my universe.

But before I do, let me tell you about dinner.

(Thank heavens you're probably not here for the photography. On the camera display, I couldn't tell that the center mushrooms so resembled slugs crawling across the chicken...)

I had grand plans of a chicken and mushrooms dish, with mustard greens and mashed potatoes on the side. Sadly, with the headache that ate Manhattan, I had to scale my plans back some. The mashed potatoes: out.
The greens: in with the chicken and mushrooms. It actually turned out pretty good, so I wanted to pass it on.

I'm a bit new to mustard greens, but I love them. They are this curious mix of peppery and bitter and sweet, and I think they smell amazing, both raw and cooked. While you could absolutely substitute your favorite greens here, I hope you'll give the mustard a go. As you can see, I hope to have plenty of them in the garden this spring! (You can probably also see that nothing has sprouted yet! But it's only been four days, so I'm being patient. Kind of.)

Chicken with Mushrooms and Greens
by Me

3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts halved horizontally; pound to an even thickness
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp butter
1 lb mixed mushrooms (or whatever you want, really), halved
a few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed, chopped roughly into bite sized pieces

1. Preheat oven to its lowest setting (mine is 175). Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook chicken until browned on one side, about three minutes. Flip and repeat. Place chicken on a sheet pan and place in oven to keep warm. (If using thin cutlets, keep a close eye on them so that they're just browned, otherwise they'll dry out in the oven.)

2. Add remaining oil and butter to pan; add mushrooms and cook until browned all over, about 4-5 minutes. You might want to do this in two batches if your pan isn't large enough to hold the mushrooms loosely. You don't want them to steam. Add thyme through lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to soften.

3. Add chicken broth and greens; bring to a bubble. Reduce heat, return chicken to pan, nestling into sauce. Cook until greens are wilted and chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

(I still say that bread to mop up the little bit of sauce on the plate would have been brilliant...but this was good just as it was, too.)

Nostalgia

2011-02-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. During the first 5-10 years I taught, my breakfast consisted of one of the following: chocolate Pop-Tarts, these Red Baron frozen breakfast pizza things, or the drive-thru at Krystal's. (Sorry, Mom!) I've never been much for cereal, and as I lived in Florida at the time, the brilliance of oatmeal and its options had not dawned on me yet. These things were fast, cheap, and tasty. "Good for me" wasn't at the top of the list when I was still learning how to survive in a classroom without being buried under the avalanche of grading and planning. I can't quite say what was the catalyst that led me away from my slightly less than healthy breakfasts, but eventually I stopped eating all of them.

Frozen and waiting to bake
Now for my second confession: I secretly miss the Pop-Tarts. Imagine how psyched I was to see a recipe for a home-made version! I was surfing on Epicurious when it popped (HA! sorry...) up. Their version calls for strawberry jam, but really, you can put whatever you want in the middle. After all, Pop-Tarts are a less perishable version of hand-pies, and pie is only limited by your imagination and taste-buds. I had Wild Blueberry Jam on hand, so that's what went in ours. Next up: Nutella!

Just out of the oven

I opted not to use the Epicurious dough recipe, but only because I had some of Martha Stewart's pate brise already made. They're almost identical, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference; use whatever pie crust recipe you're most comfortable making. I've included links to both recipes.

This would be one of the smaller versions...
Possibly the best thing? You can take each through the freezing stage, wrap them up, and bake them off when you'd like a fresh hand pie for dessert. And just so you know, there wasn't a ton of measuring going on as I rolled out the dough, so I wound up with widely varying sized pastries. Strangely, they all tasted fine. (Er, I didn't eat them all myself. The others who ate them said they were good. You can ask my husband.)

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/best-basic-pie-dough
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Strawberry-Pop-Tarts-358235

What's That I Smell?

2011-02-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

We're having insulation sprayed into our attic today, to see if we can cut down on the ridiculous amount of money we spend on heating oil each winter. It's kind of stinky, and though it dissipates quickly, as long as it's being sprayed in...it's kind of stinky. I needed something to compete with the smell, and voila! A ragu.

We had about half a pound of bulk Italian Sausage (from Maple Grove Farm in Putnam Station, NY--highly recommend their products!) left over from breakfast sandwiches this weekend, and I have a fair amount of tomatoes frozen from last summer, so this was born. It's pretty standard; no surprises, just tasty.

I really love that 1/2-3/4 of a pound of sausage is going to give us four meals: two lunches and two dinners. I'll use half of the sauce on pasta one night, and the other half mixed with ricotta cheese in calzones one night. Mmm...already dreaming of the leftovers.

Sausage Ragu
by Me
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2-3/4 lb bulk Italian sausage
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 large onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil, or 1 tbsp chopped fresh
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (can also use fresh, but it's strong so maybe start with 1 tsp and go from there?)
1 small hot red chili, minced (can sub in 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or omit)
2 cups tomato puree/crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, cook, using spoon to break up into small pieces. When almost cooked through, scoot it over in the pan and add carrots through chili. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened.

2. Add tomatoes, stir through, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until desired thickness. I cooked mine down for about 30-45 minutes. Add parsley.

3. Taste, and add salt to your preference. Cook about five more minutes.

Kneading some quiet time

2011-02-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that for years, I was initmidated by yeast breads. I conjured up catastrophes in my mind's eye, and just avoided them. While I still don't make them that often, when I do, I'm reminded again why I love the process. There's something so other-worldly about watching a few simple ingredients grow into a bread dough, and the smell...that's reason enough to make yeast breads. And yeast-cinnamon rolls...? Drool-worthy and worth every second. But that's not what we're here for. Focus, Christine!

I've also discovered that kneading is one of the best activities on Earth. The slow, steady push-twist-pull; the feel of a ragged, sticky mess turning into an elastic, smooth ball...it's meditative. And did I mention the smell?

We had company over for dinner last night, and while I could have just picked up some amazing french bread at the Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams (that place rocks) I thought it would be nice to make a flatbread recipe that I've made once before. It's from Cooking Light's Jan/Feb 2002 issue, and I just made it for the first time last Christmas.

The recipe is Flatbread with Oven-dried Tomatoes, Rosemary, and Fontina, and the first time I made it I stuck pretty closely to the recipe. Unfortunately, I didn't oven-dry my own tomatoes; I just used some sun-dried tomatoes that I had in the pantry. They turned into bitter tomato crackers on top of the flatbread. Blech. Fortunately, we just picked them off and the bread was fine. But it was a good reminder to think through to the end result when I'm cooking.

It was also a good reminder that when it's not tomato season, I can sub in something else. I could have gone to the store and bought Roma tomatoes...but I don't really want tomatoes that were grown 1500 miles from here and trucked in just so I can have tomatoes in February. I don't care how oven-roasted they are, nothing beats a home-grown tomato in season. (Though, in the interest of full disclosure, I usually do buy trucked in tomatoes by the end of winter. My intentions are good, but my will-power is not always up to the task when it comes to wanting a tomato, even a mediocre one, between October and June. Because seriously, that's eight months...!) But I couldn't leave the bread naked, either. I mean, this is a PG rated program, after all.

I decided to caramelize a red onion with some garlic and rosemary, and put that on top. And while I was at it, I took C.L.'s advice to try subbing provolone for the fontina. Bellissimo!

Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Rosemary, and Provolone
adapted, barely, from Cooking Light

2 tbsp olive oil
4 rosemary sprigs (I used 2, because I only had 4 total)
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour (I subbed in about 1 c of whole wheat)
1 pacakge dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp very warm water (120-130 degrees)
2 tsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt, divided
olive oil, to grease the bowl and brush a little over the dough
1/4-1/3 c caramelized onions (see below)
1 c provolone cheese, shredded

1. Place oil and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan; heat over low until you smell the rosemary. Turn heat off and let stand 15 minutes. Gently squeeze oil from rosemary and discard sprigs.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 c flour and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add 1/2 c warm water; let stand 20 minutes. Add rosemary oil, 2 cups flour, 1/2 c plus 2 tbsp warm water, chopped rosemary, and 3/4 tsp salt; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tsp at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with olive oil, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, one hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains,dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; form into a ball. Place directly on baking sheet. Let rest five minutes. (While dough rises, make caramelized onions.)

4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

5. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush surface with olive oil. Arrange onions on top, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle with cheese; press lightly to help toppings adhere. Bake at 500 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Caramelized Onions

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium to large red onion, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch half-moons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt (from 1 tsp in bread recipe)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and salt; coat with the oil, and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and barely caramelizing, about 15 minutes. Lower heat if they seem to be cooking too fast. Stir in pepper. Set aside until ready to top flatbread.

A Bacon-y Love Story

2011-02-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Around this house, love is spelled B-R-E-A-K-F-A-S-T. True love is spelled B-A-C-O-N. So while I'm cooking with a little less meat, celebrating Valentine's Day without bacon might cause my husband to think that I don't love him anymore. We can't have that, now can we?

Valentine's dinner was breakfast, with bacon and a healthy spin. I was surprised at first by the pairing of eggs and lentils, but the yolk flowing over the lentil "stew" was one brilliant combination of earthy and silky. The vinegar gave it a bare hint of tang, and I like tomatoes in anything. I'd serve it again for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Parmesan Popovers I served with dinner are a Cooking Light recipe from 2010.

Here's the link to the recipe I used. It was easily halved for the two of us. (I have to say that cooking has vastly improved some of my math skills. I'm still not hopeful about geometry, though.)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sunny-Side-Up-Lentil-Salad-363770

Not a Weeknight Dish

2011-02-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

...but oh, so good if you've got the time and inclination on a weekend. And it will feed you a few times during the week, which makes it even better.

I've been thinking more and more about trying to use less and less meat in our meals. During the summer, this is easy. During the winter, though, I make a ton of stews and braises. The oven helps warm the house (we don't have active heat in our kitchen...) and makes it smell amazing. But I do want to fit out the door once winter is over, so less meat it needs to be (because let's be frank: you know I'm not really exercising much right now).

If I'm going to make meals with less or no meat, though, I still want them to be warming and hearty. It's a balmy 35 degrees today, and caprese salad ain't gonna cut it. So I went through the root vegetables we still have from our CSA share, and built a vegetarian shepherd's pie. If you omit the butter and use olive oil and leave off the sprinkling of cheese, it's vegan.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
by Me

For "interior" of pie:
Roasted veggies:
1 buttercup or acorn or 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" shapes (I don't cube carrots, because...
they're round; why waste the edges just so they're cubes?)
1 large turnip, peeled and cut into 1" shapes
1 large onion, peeled, root left intact but cleaned, and cut into 8ths--each piece should
have a piece of root so it stays together
1 medium celeriac, peeled and cut into 1" shapes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" shapes
1 tsp dried thyme (could add more to taste)
1 tsp fresh chopped marjoram (could use rosemary instead)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Sauteed veggies and gravy:
1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
1 leek, halved and then sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

For topper:
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1" shapes
1 apple, peeled and quartered
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c vegetable broth
1/2 c grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all of the roasted veggie ingredients in a large bowl, and toss until well combined (be careful not to break apart the onions). Turn out onto two large baking sheets and roast, one on top rack, one on bottom rack, for 15 minutes. Stir, switch racks, and roast another 15 minutes. Vegetables should be just tender. Put back into large bowl; set aside.

Cover potatoes and rutabaga with water, bring to a boil, and cook until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the apple, cook until everything is tender; about another 5 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add 1/2 c vegetable broth, butter, salt and pepper and mash until desired consistency. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until browned all over. Reduce heat to medium and add leeks; cook, stirring often, until leeks begin to soften. Add cabbage, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook until cabbage releases liquid and pan is almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with roasted vegetables, mix to combine.

In same skillet, melt butter, sprinkle in flour, and whisk til smooth, about one minute. Whisk in 1 1/2 c broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Lower heat, stir in parsley and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Assembly: Oil a 13 x 9 baking dish and pour in mixed vegetables. Pour gravy over. Smooth mashed vegetables on top, sprinkle with cheese. Bake on top rack of oven for 30-40 minutes until some of gravy bubbles up around the topping. You might want to put a sheet pan under the baking dish to catch spills. Just saying.

A Spaetzle a Day

2011-02-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you're just like me. You are often faced with the question of what to do with all of that leftover spaetzle.

Okay, me neither.

I've made spaetzle twice, but not because I don't like it. My sister-in-law and my brother got me hooked on the stuff during the "German food nights" we've had while visiting. (Ask me sometime why Missie has a spaetzle maker.) Spaetzle, for the uninitiated, are like a cross between pasta and a dumpling. They're ridiculously easy to make, even if you don't have a spaetzle maker*, and they're versatile. The recipe I use is from the box the spaetzle maker came in, but I've included a link to an easy one below.

The problem, if you'd like to call it that, is that the recipe I use makes enough for 6-8 people. I can cut it down easily...but I'd have to actually remember to do that. And besides, leftover spaetzle is pretty fabulous.
The recipe I use calls for simply boiling the little ~~darlings~~ dumplings for 2-3 minutes and then serving. The recipe below has you drain them and then saute them in butter. I did kind of a combination of the two.

We ate the first batch (no sauteing) with a sweet-and-sour red cabbage recipe, and I stowed the rest in the fridge. Tonight, I pulled it out and tossed it in a pan over medium-high heat (1/2 tbsp canola oil, 1 1/2 tbsp butter). I let it sit for about 3 minutes before stirring, and did that for a total of about 8 minutes. The result: crispy but tender spaetzle.

We had it with this cabbage recipe. (Whew. Thank heavens for the ham, crispy spaetzle bits and carrots. This would be one white looking picture!)

Ham and Cabbage Saute
by Me

1/2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 pound ham steak, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (you could also use bacon or Canadian bacon; if using bacon, drain off most of the fat once it's cooked to your liking)
1 tsp salt, divided (you might use less, depending on the saltiness of your ham; I used about 3/4 tsp this time)
1/2 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4" slices (about 1-1 1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled, quartered and diced thinly
1/2 medium head of green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly (about 6-8 cups)
1/2-1 tsp of dried thyme (I used about 3/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp of caraway seeds (more or less, or omit, to your taste)
1 scant tbsp cider vinegar
3/4 c of water, plus more if necessary
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the ham and cook without stirring for about 2 minutes; stir and repeat. Add the onion and carrot, and a small pinch of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until onion and carrot begin to soften.

2. Add cabbage to onion, carrot and ham mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until cabbage begins to wilt. Add thyme and caraway seeds, stir through.

3. Make a well in the center of the cabbage, and add the vinegar. Cook, stirring, until vinegar is evaporated. Add water, stir, and cook, covered, for about 8-10 minutes, or until cabbage is well-wilted but still slightly crisp to the bite. Add more water to keep from drying out while cooking, if necessary.

4. Uncover and let most of the water cook off. Stir in nutmeg and pepper, taste, and adjust salt to your preference.

Serves 4.

I served this over the spaetzle, but it would also be grand with mashed potatoes or simple buttered egg noodles. I've also been known to eat this by itself because I like it so much.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/german-spaetzle-dumplings/Detail.aspx

*If you don't have a spaetzle maker, you can press the spaetzle dough through the holes of a colander using the back of a ladle.

If You're a Chili Purist...

2011-02-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

you might want to skip this post.

I have to admit that I'm not much interested in the debates about chili, and barbecue sauce, and pulled pork, and... As long as it all tastes good, who cares? Why narrow your options!?

Therefore, the chile recipe in this house is based more on what I have on hand than on any set-in-stone ideas. Sometimes it has meat, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes, it even has *gasp* "fake meat." You know, that soy-based stuff. Which I like. Two major admissions in one post. I've probably just lost half of the two readers I have. But I am compelled to tell the truth about food.

Anyway, tonight's chili was served with the Maple Cornbread recipe found in the 2009 Cooking Light Annual Recipes. The cornbread was fast--maybe 30 minutes total-- and only slightly sweet. A perfect match for the chili.

(You don't have a smudge on your screen. That's the steam from the chili.)

Beef and Roasted Red Pepper Chili
by Me

2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
1 heaping tsp chopped jalapeno (adjust to your spiciness tolerance)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 c chopped sweet onion
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder (McCormick)*
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (start with lower, add rest at end if desired)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp of cocoa chile blend (McCormick)*
1 tsp cumin, I went heaping, but it depends on your taste
1 tsp kosher salt
15 oz can tomatoes (I used no-salt added diced)
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
15 oz water, beer, or beef broth (I used water)
1 c frozen corn, no need to defrost
lime juice (I squeezed in a 1/4 wedge)

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium. Add jalapeno, onion, garlic, and a tiny pinch of salt. Sweat until onions are almost translucent. Add ground beef, breaking up as you put it into the pan. Raise heat to medium high, and cook until beef is browned. Add all of the seasonings, Chipotle Chile powder through salt; stir well.

2. Add tomatoes, black beans, peppers, and liquid of choice. Bring to a boil, add the corn, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the thicker it gets; mine probably went about 40 minutes tonight because I decided last-minute to make the cornbread.

3. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice.

*Spices can be expensive, but I like to play around with different flavors. These two by McCormick are fun, and versatile. The Chipotle Chile Powder adds a sweet-smoky heat, and the Cocoa Chile Powder adds a richness, or roundness, to the taste. Both are great on pork and chicken, too. You'll find excuses to use them.

By the way...

2011-01-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

a few things I keep meaning to say:
--I reply to most comments in the comment section of the posts, so please check back!
--I make a lot of assumptions about a person's cooking abilities when I write out recipes, so if I ever write a direction that leaves you scratching your head, please leave me a comment and I'll try to clear it up!

More snow, and a prime rib sandwich

2011-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to have chili for dinner tonight, but I got home late and I also decided that if I'm going to be home for our fifth "We're getting another foot of snow" snow day again this ~~Wednesday~~ Tuesday and Wednesday (as it turns out), that's when I want chili. And a pitcher of margaritas.

But that's another post.

Tonight we had simple prime rib sandwiches. I've only made prime rib once, for Christmas dinner with my brother's family. It's awesome, but not exactly quick eating. This prime rib was left over from my dinner on Friday. It started life as a 16 oz piece of meat and fat, which is obscene, but I knew I'd be bringing much of it home. Once the fat was carved away (I know people eat that stuff, but...ewww) and I ate my fill, we still had about 10 oz left. I sliced it thinly, and added it to a mix of onions that I had sauteed and then "braised" in a small amount of beef broth. Piled on a crusty hunk of bread with some cheddar cheese, and partnered with an arugula, fennel, and cucumber salad, I was almost able to forget that I'm going to spend another two hours shoveling snow this Tuesday and Wednesday.

Almost.

Risotto!

2011-01-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

I love weekends. I can cook AND post twice in one day.

I was doing our weekly "meal plan," which is a rough idea of what we'll be eating each night and is usually sabotaged by exhaustion and/or crankiness one night so we eat out, and I thought, "I really need to do something with the butternut squash we have from our share...which ended in November." While they look just as lovely as ever on the outside, and they keep for a long time, the passing months are doing no favors to the squash.

The problem is that a medium-sized butternut squash is too much for one meal (with leftovers) for Larry and I. I did some online surfing, and found two recipes that looked appealing: Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Basil; and Pasta with Butternut Squash, Ground Lamb, and Kasseri Cheese. From the title of the post, you can guess what we had for dinner.

I've made butternut squash risotto before, and it's one of those homey, warming meals. But I have to say, it can be kind of...boring. I'd never thought to pair basil with it, so this recipe caught my attention. And let me tell you, the basil makes this SING. It took a basic risotto and made it hit high notes on my taste buds.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Basil
from Bon Appetit (adding the wine was my addition)
(I cut the recipe in half, and Larry and I had enough for dinner and tomorrow's lunch. Served it for dinner with an arugula salad.)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 c. 1/2 in. cubes peeled butternut squash (I used all called for, but halved everything else)
3 c 1/2 inch wide slices leeks
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 c arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine (I actually used a cider wine that I had open); or can omit and add 1/2 c of vegetable broth
54 oz. low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1 c chopped basil
3/4 c freshly grated parmigiano cheese, plus more for serving

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Saute squash until it begins to soften and brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, reserve.

2. Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer.

3. Reduce heat to medium on the skillet the squash was cooked in, add remaining olive oil, leeks, and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until tender but not brown, about five minutes. Add rice and stir until coated with oil and edges barely appear translucent, about 1-2 minutes. If using wine, add, stirring until most of liquid is absorbed. If not, simply begin ladling in warm broth, 1/2 to 1 cup at a time. Stir the risotto frequently, adding another ladle of broth as the rice absorbs most of the previous addition.

4. Taste after about half of the broth has been absorbed. When the rice is approaching tenderness but still has a little too much bite, add the squash to the pan. Keep adding broth until the rice is al dente (just barely firm, but not sticking to your teeth when you chew). You may not need all of the broth.

5. Remove risotto from the heat and stir in the cheese. Taste, and add salt as desired. (I only added about 1/4 tsp of salt to ours, because the broth I used was a little salty to begin with.) Grind in some fresh black pepper. Just before serving, stir in the chopped basil. Serve with a sprinkling of parmigiano on top, if desired. (Around here, it is definitely desired.)

Leftovers

2011-01-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

I am one of those people who like leftovers. But I don't like most leftovers more than once, so even though Larry jokes that I can't cook for less than twelve people, I usually make enough for the two of us to have dinner and then lunch. That works out well, because my only other lunch option is the school cafeteria, and that's not really an option in my opinion. I could order out, but most of the places that deliver aren't worth the money or calories.

Occasionally, our leftovers wind up as dinner again, or as in the case of this morning, a new breakfast idea. Every time I opened the fridge yesterday, the polenta stared accusingly at me. "I'm going to go bad and you're going to waste food if you don't do something with me soon." I can't stand wasting food--it makes me crazy. The polenta apparently knew this.

Sitting next to the polenta was the braised Swiss Chard I'd made for dinner last night. My dad had just called and told me about the Eggs Benedict he'd made for dinner, so Candadian Bacon, layering and eggs were on my mind...and you know in this house we had Canadian Bacon. Hello. Pork product.

Thus Polenta, Chard, and Egg Stacks were ~~born~~ hatched. This would be a lovely brunch offering; even making it all from scratch wouldn't be too complicated. You'd just need to make the polenta the day before, so it could set up and you could cut it into rounds (or slabs...I was just feeling fancy).

Polenta, Chard, and Egg Stacks
by Me (serves 2-6, depending on what you serve it with and how hungry everyone is...it's flexible)
Warning: this is an apron-wearing recipe

olive oil
2 1/2 cups cooked, cold polenta, spread in pan while still warm, about 1-1 1/2 in. thick*
2 cups braised chard (recipe to follow)
eggs, the number depending on how many you're serving (one for each polenta round)
Candadian bacon slices, the number depending on how many you're serving (one for each polenta round)
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to its lowest setting/warm. Have a sheet pan pre-heating. Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, until you can smell the oil but it's not smoking. Cut the polenta into rounds, (I used 2") one or two per person. Gently place the polenta rounds in the oil; stand back because it will ~~probably~~ splatter. Fry until the polenta are golden, about 2-3 minutes, and then flip and repeat. As the rounds are ready, put them in the oven on the sheet pan.

2. Lightly brown the Canadian bacon on each side, one slice for each polenta round. Place them on the polenta in the oven. Top with 1/4 cup of chard--the oven will warm it if it's cold. Return to oven.

3. Wipe out the skillet, coat with cooking spray, and fry the eggs to your desired stage, lightly salt-and-peppering each egg. Top each polenta stack with an egg.

Braised Chard

olive oil
1 bunch washed Swiss Chard, stems cut off and sliced 1/2 inch thick, leaves chopped--stems and leaves separated (any color is fine; mine was red, hence the ruby-colored puddle in the picture)
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
salt and pepper
squeeze of orange or lemon juice, or shot of balsamic vinegar

1. Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. When you can smell the oil, add the onion and chard stems. Saute about 3 minutes, or until onions start to soften. Add garlic, saute about 2 more minutes. Add chard leaves and salt and pepper, and toss gently to coat.

2. As chard leaves begin to wilt, add liquid of your choice, stir through, reduce heat to medium-low and cover skillet (aluminum foil works if your skillet doesn't have a lid). Cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is meltingly tender, about 15-20 minutes. If the pan seems dry, add water in 1/4 cup increments to keep it from drying out.

*Leave a comment if you're not sure what I'm talking about here, and I'll be happy to get back to you.

Citrus for Christmas, & Why We Can't Put Anything Else in the Fridge

2011-01-29T17:34:00.000-08:00

I lived in Florida for almost 30 years, so it makes sense that anything citrus makes me happy. From zest to juice to pulp to blossom, everything about this fabulous fruit sings. Each Christmas, I ask for citrus from Florida, where much of my family still lives. But I am a person of little faith.

What if the citrus gets lost in the mail? What if they decide to buy me something different this year?

It starts with a small purchase at our local grocery store. Then I have some shipped from an organic grove in Florida. You know, just in case... And then the gift 'o citrus gets here.

Our fridge is usually pretty full, but around December it's ridiculous. My husband, Larry, is very patient with this, since he knows how a salad of orange and grapefruit segments can banish my winter crankiness (at least for a few minutes) and he knows I'll look for new recipes to use up the, er, surplus. Tonight's recipe was searched for with that in mind, and it is a keeper!

Fennel, Quinoa, Orange, Walnut and Basil Salad
from Big Oven http://www.bigoven.com/
(I halved most of the ingredients, and there was still plenty to serve four as a side dish.)
3 c cooked quinoa
1 c chopped fennel bulb
2 tb minced shallot
1 tsp grated lemon rind (used all called for)
1 tsp grated orange rind (used all called for)
1/4 c chopped fresh basil* (used all called for)

2/3 c fresh orange juice
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil (used all called for, and then drizzled on a little more)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 c orange sections
1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted (used all called for)

1. Mix first six ingredients in a large bowl (quinoa through basil).
2.  Whisk juices, oil, salt, pepper in a small bowl.
3. Pour dressing over quinoa mix, stir to coat. Add orange sections and walnuts, stir gently to combine.

*If you're not going to serve right away, wait until just before serving to chop and mix in basil, so it doesn't blacken. The dressing slows it down, but doesn't prevent it.

Serve the quinoa salad with braised Swiss Chard and chicken "rollatini" with a quick lemon pan sauce(chicken breast pounded thin and rolled up around roasted red pepper, basil leaves, and goat cheese). Or just serve it with a fork. You might not miss the other stuff.

The Summery Taste of Peppers, or Why I have two freezers

2011-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

I would like to say that I grow copious amounts of bell peppers every summer, but people who actually know me might call me out for lying. I do seem successful with jalapenos, but bell peppers not so much. Fortunately, our CSA grows plenty, and starry-eyed, I'm happy to help relieve them of their surplus each summer. We eat a ton of them, and then I roast the rest, using one of two methods I read in the Fine Cooking June/July 2008 issue. They freeze brilliantly.

In that same Fine Cooking issue, there was a recipe for Fire-Roasted Pepper and Shrimp Fettucine with Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs. It's wonderful, but I didn't have any shrimp today. What I did have was pancetta. So I made this. I think we like it better, which will not surprise most of my friends, who know that this is a pork fat house all the way. Not a bad meal to have after shoveling out from under our fourth snow storm this month...

We followed it up with these, because, well, if you can't eat dessert after shoveling then why get out of bed in the morning?

I have to say that Black and White Cookies have never been my thing, but Black and White "Puffed Rice Cereal" Treats make a nice substitute.
Roasted Pepper and Pancetta Linguine with Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs
(adapted from Fine Cooking, June/July '08)

1/4 to 1/3 pound of pancetta, cut into lardons
4 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic, divided
1 shallot, finely diced, divided
Finely grated zest of a lemon
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper (go easy on the salt because of the pancetta; you can always add more...salt or pancetta, for that matter!)
2 or 3 large red or orange bell peppers (see link below for roasting instructions; I'm sure it's blasphemy, but you could also just use jarred...), sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (or the ones in the fancy blue cardboard container...)
1/2 lb linguine (you'll be reserving 1/2 cup pasta water)
3-4 cups loosely packed chopped arugula
2 large sprigs basil, coarsely chopped (do this at the last second so it doesn't blacken before you get it to the table)

1. Heat 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring, until slightly softened. Add breadcrumbs, toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes (but watch carefully). Scrape into a bowl, sprinkle with lemon zest, salt and pepper, toss and reserve. Wipe out the skillet and return to heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook linguine until al dente. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.

2. Add pancetta to skillet and cook until crispy and golden, about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, move pancetta to a bowl and reserve. Pour off all but about 1 tsp. of fat from pan, and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Add remaining garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add pepper strips and toss to mix; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt, since the pancetta is salty. Add 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water; lower heat to low. Add linguine and arugula, and toss to wilt/coat. Add remaining pasta water, toss to incorporate. Chop basil, reserving some to sprinkle on top, and toss with pasta. Add half of breadcrumb mixture; toss.

3. Portion pasta into bowls or onto plates, sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs, pancetta, and basil. Yum.

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to-roast-bell-peppers.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp
(You'll have to join their Cook's Club online to view.)

Beets again?

2011-01-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

Who knew five pounds of beets would feed us for a week? We have a ruby red soup in the fridge that is brilliant hot or cold, we had the Pepto Bismol colored Beets au Gratin, and now we've had Beet Salad with Citrus, Fennel, and Feta.

Which has to be the ugliest looking mess to ever come out of a kitchen, but tasted so zingy, I had to forgive it. Even if we hadn't eaten it all, there would have been no photos. So far nothing has been as photogenic as chocolate waffles. Which actually might have more to do with the photographer than anything else...

This salad is good when first mixed, but we had it with our lunch again today, and it was twice as good. The fennel was still crunchy, and the citrus had had time to work its juicy magic with the beets...yum.

I'm starting to think of beets as the apple of the root veggie world. Apples pair so well with so many things, and can go from hot to warm to cold; beets are the same. Things I love paired with beets:

*anything salty, like feta cheese
*toasted nuts, especially walnuts
*oranges and other slightly sweet citrus
*crunchy things, like walnuts above, and fennel
*a shot of vinegar
*other root veggies (duh), especially carrots and onions
*mint
*risotto, which I haven't made in a long time but is awesome

Don't get me wrong, beets will never replace tomatoes in my heart, but since most tomatoes right now greatly resemble anemic, red-colored plastic, beets it is! (Until I buy more chard. I love me some chard.)

Beet Salad with Citrus, Fennel, and Feta
(barely) adapted from Bon Appetit

2 large beets, any color                                            2.5 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 large oranges, skin and pith peeled away and segmented over a large bowl to catch the juice for the dressing
1/2 small fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced (don't kill yourself about the thinly)
1/4 cup chopped mint                                            1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (the recipe called for hazelnuts, but I only like those in Nutella)
salt and pepper                                                      3/4 cup feta
finely chopped shallot, or chopped chives (I used chives; had some getting ready to go)

If roasting the beets (which I recommend, but boiled would be just fine) preheat the oven to 400. Place the beets on a double layer of foil drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap tightly and roast for about 1 hour. Uncover, cool slightly, and peel. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In the bowl with the orange juice, whisk in vinegar and remaining olive oil. Add all other ingredients and toss. If you want the feta to stay white, sprinkle it on right before serving. This is even better if the ingredients have time to meld.

Add a little color to your day...

2011-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

Until I was about 28 or 29, I labored under the delusion that I didn't like beets. I can be forgiven for this mistake, since I thought they only came in cans; I don't think I saw a real beet until around then. In defense of my mom, most other kids my age probably never did, either. I'm not sure why I tried them again, but hooboy, I'm glad I did.

The greens are brilliant chopped up, sauteed with garlic, onions, olive oil, pine nuts, raisins, and orange zest; either as a side dish or tossed with whole wheat pasta (and maybe a little crispy pancetta, if you live in this house) as a meal. And those brilliant round, reddish purple globes...well. I used to think roasted was just fine thank you.

Silly girl.

Searching for something to do with our ton of remaining beets from our CSA, I came across this recipe from Bon Appetit. It's one of those "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" things. And really, any dish that looks like it's bathed in Pepto Bismol has got to be fun to eat, right? (Don't let the color turn you off. This recipe is brilliant.) I'd post a photo, but, well...we ate them all.

Beet Gratin from Bon Appetit

3 2 1/2-3 in diameter beets, trimmed and scrubbed salt and pepper to taste
3/4 c heavy cream 2 fresh mint sprigs, plus 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint reserved
1 smashed, peeled garlic clove (I used large pieces of chives instead, about 2 tbsp)
1/2 c crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small baking dish. Add enough water to reach 1/4 inch. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil, bake til tender, about 50 minutes. (Alternatively, you can boil them for about an hour. I had roasted AND boiled in mine...not much of a difference.) Uncover carefully and let cool til you can handle; peel. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Adjust oven to 425. Bring cream, mint sprigs, garlic (or chives) to a boil. (Watch carefully, since volcanic cream is not a good thing.) Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

Grease a 1.5 quart gratin or casserole dish. Arrange sliced beets in single layers, sprinkling salt and pepper to taste on each layer. Strain the cream mixture over the beets. Sprinkle with feta. Bake until the cream is bubbling and feta is browned in spots, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped mint, let stand 5 minutes.

Winter, revisited

2011-01-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

Is it cheating to start my new blogging by copying and pasting something I posted in a note on Facebook?

Oh well. Here it is:

Clearly, I'm going about this winter business all wrong. Gazing out the sliding glass door to the backyard this morning, staring at the sparkling white (two feet of remaining) snow and the brilliant blue sky, it occurred to me that my focus should be on the positives of winter, not the negatives. Yes, adding school days into June makes me deeply sad; anything that cuts into my time to hang out in the garden and dig in the dirt is at least a little problematic. But, there are things we can do in winter that we wouldn't even dream of doing in summer.

Like eat chocolate waffles for breakfast.

During the summer, who wants to stand in front of a steaming waffle iron for an hour making breakfast? (Well, unless they're jalapeno-corn-cheddar waffles, but that's a different note...) And dessert for breakfast is slightly less tempting when you can't hide behind ski pants and a parka. But on a winter morning when it's 10 degrees outside, I'm all about chocolate waffles. This recipe is from The Maple Syrup Cookbook by Ken Haedrich. The only two changes I made to it: doubled the amount of whole wheat flour and reduced the all-purpose flour by an equal amount, and used 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate and 1 oz bittersweet chocolate. You'll notice there isn't actually any maple syrup in the recipe, but, um...who cares?!

Chocolate Waffles

1 1/3 cup a.p. flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) butter
3 oz semisweet chocolate, chips or bar; if bar, chopped
2 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 c milk
2 eggs, beaten until frothy and then poured into milk

1. Preheat a waffle iron and grease it lightly. Combine the flours, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Set aside.

2. Combine the butter, chocolate, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over very low heat. Whisk to smooth, remove from heat, and whisk in milk mixture.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the chocolate mixture, and blend just until everything comes together; watch out for floury lumps. Let the batter stand for a few minutes; it will thicken.

4. Cook the batter in the prepared waffle iron until crisp and golden; about two-three minutes. Keep warm in a low oven. (I used a heaping 1/4 cup of batter for each fourth of the waffle iron, but each waffle iron is different so play with the amount you add.)

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

There is still a lot of snow on the ground from the storm last weekend. We got about a foot and some. I don't know how much will be left by tomorrow, because it is raining. I can't remember if I have had a "White Christmas" since I moved here or not. Actually, since three of them were spent elsewhere, I don't think I have. It would be nice, but it is also nice to have a sunny Christmas, so we can walk the dogs.
It has been an interesting year. For the first time in my adult life, "THE ECONOMY" has been something tangible and worrisome, and for the first time in a long time, I don't have to say to people, "I didn't vote for him!" Because I DID vote for him, and Obama's taking office somehow makes me feel like, even though things will be tough, there is hope ahead. When we travel overseas this February, I won't be embarrassed to admit I'm an American, and feel like I have to defend myself.
My biggest goal for the next few days: attract as many birds as I can to our yard. We have a cardinal pair visiting again, and I'm hoping that when it's time they'll nest with us.
Here's to getting back to what's important.

Time Lapse

2008-11-18T17:22:00.000-08:00

Time becomes more fluid when school starts. I lose track of how much I have left in class, how much has passed since I started to make dinner, how close it is to my bedtime. And so it is almost Thanksgiving...
This year is good. Challenging and busy, but good. I have students who work without complaining, which is a nice change from last year. But the most amazing thing I witnessed came Monday night at our parent report card conferences. I host portfolio conferences; the student comes in with his or her parent and leads them through the work in their portfolio. I have done these 10 times in the last five years, and they are usually successful. The parents love the close look at what their kids are doing, and the kids love the extra credit.
But this Monday, for the first time, I witnessed the majority of parents and children enjoying their time together. This was not a chore, or JUST an extra credit opportunity. This was a real conversation, with laughter, and explaining, and questions. And that was the norm, versus the exception.
What an amazing thing to see.

Shopping...

2008-09-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

is fun again. It has been raining here since Friday morning, and Saturday afternoon I needed to get out of the house. I wanted to walk, and we needed to replace some kitchen equipment, so we went to the mall. I had recently gotten the Land's End catalogue, and there were some cute winter things I wanted to look for; we headed into Sears. Discovery: I don't fit in the "plus" sized clothes anymore!!!!! I bought some "misses" shirts from Land's End, and a pair of jeans, the first in about three years, and some cute "palazzo style" pants at J.Jill--and I didn't have to get size XL! I'm not melting or anything, but it sure is nice to know that I'm gradually shrinking down to a healthier size. Hopefully this realization will get me through the "It's Fall and I need to eat and pack on fat for winter" phase I go through every year at this time...

Teaching is kicking my tail...

2008-09-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Whew. It's been an intense four weeks. I have five classes with three preps this year, which is a first for me. It's fine, but I REALLY have to be organized. The good news is, I feel like I'm "on my game" this year, and I love my kids. And I'm still in love with our new 8th grade administrator.

I've been cooking up a storm to relax, recharge and focus. Lots of putting by for winter: roasted peppers, more tomato sauces, baked goods, and defrostable meals are packed into the freezers. I'm hoping they'll help save me on those winter days that all I want to do is crawl into bed as soon as I get home from work. I highly recommend finding a recipe for peach-pecan scones. I found it online and it is just amazing.

Sadly, as summer turns to autumn, my body is kicking into,"EAT, EAT, EAT," mode. It's like some ancient DNA is telling me to pack on the fat for the winter months. I never noticed this when I lived in Florida (though I suppose if it really is some kind of instinctive thing, it wouldn't kick in in the sub-tropics). I find myself fighting the urge...and frequently losing. If I ate any more carbs today I'd turn into a noodle.

Marge Piercy has a great poem on the topic in her book Mars and Her Children (can't remember the title--read the whole thing, it's great!). She really is one of my favorite poets ever.

MMM...veggies

2008-08-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

I'm always a little sad as summer starts to fade. But it's softened by the beautiful change in light and the bumper harvest of things I wasn't sure would make it a month ago. Though my tomatoes look AWFUL, they're still producing, and I've frozen lots of sauce. The zucchini and melon have caught powdery mildew, but they're still growing. The green beans offer up new pods every other day, and the bell peppers are finally doing something other than dropping their flowers. (I hesitate to say they're producing peppers...I don't want to jinx them.)

I made a roasted root vegetable side dish tonight that outshone the grilled steak we had by a mile. (And the steak was good...) I highly recommend the recipe (from The Roasted Vegetable by Chesman).

3-4 pounds of root vegetables (I used 4 medium carrots, 3 large beets, 1 kohlrabi, 2 medium parsnips); peeled and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered, root end left intact to hold layers together
head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (could also use rosemary or sage; can substitute dried but cut down to 2 tsp.)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 c chopped walnuts (optional, but I highly recommend)
chopped parsley to add at end

Spread 1 tbsp olive oil in baking dish (I used a 13 x 9 glass dish). Preheat oven to 400. Add all ingredients except walnuts and parsley to dish; drizzle with rest of oil. Mix to coat evenly, spread veggies into as flat a layer as possible. Roast 20 minutes, stir. Roast 20 minutes, stir. If veggies seem close to done, roast 15 minutes and add walnuts, stir. (If veggies don't seem close to done, start stirring at 10 minute intervals.) Roast 5-10 minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley, serve. You don't really need anything else, but it's a nice accompaniment to grilled steak or pork tenderloin. :)

Whew!

2008-08-27T17:41:00.001-07:00

First day of school: done.

I don't know if it's the same for other teachers, but the first day of school is such an adrenaline rush while the kids are there (Is my dress tucked in my underwear? Is there food in my teeth? Have I rubbed my make-up all over my face? Have I just said something stupid? Who are these children?) that when they leave, I'm DONE. It's like someone sticks a pin in me and I deflate almost instantly.

Strangely, it's not a bad thing. It just is. And obviously it lessens as the days pass.

It's early to say, but I'm going to put out there that I LOVE my new 8th grade administrator. She's a teacher and learner. What else needs to be said? :)

Excitement All Around

2008-08-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well.

So much for not having enough to do during the summer. I'm making up for it this week.

Larry says one day last week, "I'm looking at Jeeps online." This is good, because I've wanted a Jeep Wrangler since I was 12, and I told him that if we got a boat I wanted a Wrangler to pull it. He was listening! (We don't have the boat yet. We're doing this in stages.)

On our fourth test drive, we found a used Wrangler with hard and soft tops and acceptable mileage. The dealer met our price, and voila! We own a Jeep.

Today we took said vehicle (we take turns driving but both would happily drive all the time) into Boston. Larry found a Boston Harbor Lighthouse tour, and we both love the harbor and islands so we jumped at the chance. The day was BEAUTIFUL--92 by the afternoon, but when we went it was about 75 and crept up to about 85.

The tour meets at Moakley Courthouse, which is a very cool building; the wall that faces the harbor is all glass. It sets some kind of record, but I can't remember what. Anyway, we boarded and left at 10 a.m. and it took about 45 minutes to get out to Little Brewster Island, which is where the Boston Harbor Light is; it's the only keepered light left in the U.S. (Keepered instead of manned because the keeper is a woman. She's the first appointed female keeper--at least of this light. She may be of all of them; there were other women who took over after husbands died, but the park ranger said he thought she was the first ever appointed to the job.)

We had about 1 1/4 hours on the island, so Larry and I walked around and spoke to some of the rangers on duty. The other two lights, Minot and Graves, are both visible from Little Brewster; they're automated. We can hear their fog beacons at home.

We were able to climb to the top and see the light itself. It was made in the 1850's, and I'm not 100% remembering, but I think it's called a Frenel (Franel?) light. It was amazing. The day was clear so we could see approximately 25 miles out to sea--we could see further if it weren't for the curvature of the earth. All around us were the other islands, and in the distance we could see Boston. She looked like a toy city hovering on the water. If you're ever in Boston, I highly recommend the trip. As soon as I figure out how to make the files small enough, I'll post some pictures.

Sure, why not?

2008-08-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

I signed up for Facebook. I'm not convinced of the value of these things, other than as ways to reconnect with people I used to know. That's a good thing. I'm not so sure about the option to play games, etc. Although I don't have to add them, so that works out just fine.

Interestingly, my husband's Facebook account doesn't seem to show him as married. Hmm... :)

Back to work in a week and a day. I hauled supplies and materials from my office to the car today, and it's remarkable how great my office looks. It has been a running battle to keep the room from turning into a first floor storage closet (since so many older New England homes don't have closets, ours included, this seems to always be an issue...or maybe I'm just a slob). Once I get the second window in here painted, I can set up the bookshelf again and it will be even better. It only took three years to make it workable!

Montana has just joined me. He's growing so much. At the vet's a week ago he was 40 pounds! He's still just as rotten; his newest thing is pooping on the brick walkway up to our house. What, our grass isn't good enough? Luckily for him, he's still darned cute and has a great personality. We'll keep him.

2008-08-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

The sun is back! It has shone on our little yellow house for two days in a row, and it is remarkable how much better I feel. The dogs and I took a nice long walk today, and I did some potting up of coleus cuttings. (Okay, how cool are those plants? Rip a piece off, stick it in water, and soon you have roots. Put in a pot with soil, repeat.) This is a photo of the house from the day we decided to buy it--there's a garden and fence out front these days. And no Christmas decorations, but only because Larry makes me take them down. I'll have to take a picture to post.

I never thought I'd admit this, and I know I won't get sympathy from my non-teacher friends or friends that work through the summer...but I'm ready to go back to work. It seems I'm not very good at keeping myself busy enough to keep from getting tired of myself. It would be better if there were people to "play with" but most of my friends actually have lives and did things this summer. Granted, I cooked and baked up a storm and did gardening when the weather permitted, but mostly I read or invented reasons to leave the house. I knew I was in trouble the day I was excited about going to the grocery store.

So I don't sound like a total whiner, there were some great things this summer: learning more about guided reading in the class I took with Kelli, day trips to farms and museums and quaint towns with Larry (UNBELIEVABLY cool toy store in Newburyport called Eureka), a few weeks where I read two books a day, the time with Beth and Rebecca, and with Mom at the beginning of summer. And I did finally go to Walden Pond, which was lovely and a little bit spiritual. And I drove in the city twice without directions without getting lost! Okay, the summer wasn't a total waste.

I'm just used to being busy and on the go. So I know what to do differently next summer (in fact, if I don't work I'll definitely find a place to volunteer). And there's still a week left of this one and I have plans, so it will go out on a high note.

A Good Weekend

2008-08-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

I got a gift this weekend: two days with my husband, no baseball. (Not the Red Sox, but the team he plays on.) He skipped yesterday's game so we could go pick peaches, and today's was cancelled because the other team forfeited. While I don't mind him playing, this was nice.

We pick peaches at a place in NH called Applecrest Orchard. It's still early, so all they had were white peaches; they're good, but not as sweet and "peachy" as I like my eating peaches. That's okay though, because I turned a few pounds into freezer jam, and a few pounds will be turned into smoothies, and a few pounds will be turned into cobbler and barbecue sauce and... :) I'll just cook with these and we'll pick yellow peaches later. Those I eat over the sink, dripping them everywhere and smiling. Definitely my favorite fruit.

Today we went to the South End Open Market; it's a combination farmer's market and craft/stuff market. We got yummy bread and some vegetables (if I can't grow my own darned tomatoes this summer to make sauce, I'll buy them...), and picked up a gift for my sister-in-law. Then we walked to Flour, a bakery with the most amazing sticky buns I've ever had in my life.

After breakfast we wandered around the South End, which is quite a thriving community. It's an interesting mix of wealthy, middle class, and poor. For a long time, the area was primarily home to projects, but people started moving in and rennovating old buildings and it has yuppified in the last decade. The projects are still there, right in the middle. Every time we head into that area of the city, I wonder how the "people who were there first" feel about what has happened. Is it a case of being glad that the area is well-kept and bustling, or is it a case of "white people moving in and making things unaffordable." I suppose it's a mix. The only thing I know for sure is that Larry and I really like walking around the area.

A Warning

2008-08-07T08:10:00.001-07:00

I don't know how useful this post will be, since I don't know if anyone other than four of my friends reads it, but it might make me feel better...

Last spring Larry and I contracted with Boston Green Building to replace nine of our windows. They said it would take a day, and quoted a price (plus time and materials for trim). The estimate had a "10-15% contingency overage clause" which allowed that there might be things out of the contractor's control and costs could go up that much. We chose the company because they're "green" and we want to support that, and the price seemed reasonable.

The actual work took five days, and the final cost was almost 50% over what the original estimate stated. The company's stance is that they informed us that things were taking longer than they thought. Well, duh. The guy was here five days instead of one, so we might have noticed that. What they DIDN'T inform us of was that costs had spiraled so high. Naively, we thought that the work was still within the contingency clause. We thought that BGB would be honest enough to say that they'd hit the estimate ceiling, and they'd hit the clause ceiling, and that costs were going to be considerably over both.

Nada.

Stay away from this company. We now suspect them of under-representing the time/money it would take so they could get the job. We also suspect them of using our house as a way to up their income: it was never clearly shown to either of us why the job took five days instead of one. All they'd say was, "The house is old and old houses have quirks." Sorry, but this old house and its owners aren't okay with "quirks" that cost us almost 50% more than we were quoted. I'm going to spread the word any way I know how.

Out of the ashes...

2008-08-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well, okay, maybe it's not that extreme.

After discovering yesterday that pressure canning was not in my future, I began looking for recipes for the overload of beets I had (prematurely) ordered from our CSA. I found a recipe for "Harvard Beets for the Freezer," and used 8 of the beets to make that today. The recipe was very easy and fit nicely in a 3 cup container, which I slid into the freezer. I have to say, though, that it took a lot of willpower not to eat them immediately. They were fabulous, even without the butter that is added when reheated. And that color...wow! (If you're interested, the website is http://www.recipezaar.com/119540 ) I'm thinking that even if you don't like beets, you might like these!!

I also found the perfect stainless steel crockpot to use for a boiling water bath on my stovetop, so I'm still in business for high-acid canning. And, I got 20% off of the pot!!

I've also lost another pound! (I know, that doesn't sound like much unless you've been "plateaued" for awhile.)

LeeAnn, it was a pink stone day!

(Not my photo: http://outofthegarden.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/beets1.JPG)

The Best Made Plans

2008-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

My canner arrived today. It was heavy and solid...and on the side of the box it said, "Not for use on flat or glass topped stoves."
Huh.
Funny, Amazon said nothing about that in its product review. Back in the box, back to Amazon. Back to the drawing board.
It turns out, you can't use any pot on a glass-top stove unless the pot has a flat bottom. This rules out most pressure canners (Presto makes one, but I can't find anywhere locally that will test the gauge, and I'm not willing to risk that) and boiling-water bath canners. I am now in search of a large, flat-bottomed, heavy-duty stock pot. I may not be able to pressure can, but at least I'll be able to put by tomatoes and other high-acid things, like chutneys.
Anyone have a lot of great recipes for beets? I bought a few pounds to pressure can...

New Experiences Had and To Come

2008-07-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Being from Florida, Larry and I haven't spent a lot of time contemplating firewood, particularly since the first attempts to use the fireplace here in our house were fiascos. But like many people around the country, the desire to save on oil/fuel has driven us to look into alternatives. We know that burning firewood has its own negative consequences, but right now it is the lesser of two evils. We put a fireplace insert into the fireplace so that the previous billowing-smoke-in-the-living-room problem could be alleviated, and because friends of ours said that their's works wonders for heating. Next step: firewood.

We bought a half-cord of firewood this week, figuring that it's possible the cost will only go up once the weather cools down, and the company dumped it in our driveway. I spent Monday stacking most of it. I say "Monday" because the pile collapsed twice before I figured out how to arrange it properly. I must say, for my first woodpile it looks pretty good! :) Now if we could keep Montana from chewing on it...

The new experience to come: pressure canning. I put by a fair amount of tomatoes in the freezer last year, but I'm hoping to put even more by this year, and we don't have enough freezer space. Particularly because I want to put by blanched greens and squashes, and whatever else I can get in there. So, I spent Tuesday night agonizing over the purchase of a pressure canner. I have to say, it's a little anxiety inducing.

The reading I've been doing seems to spend a lot of time warning of impending botulistic doom if things are not PRECISELY right in the canning. This doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the newbie. Then, online reviews of the less expensive canners I looked at all seemed to have at least one reviewer saying, "First use, the thing exploded." Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like a nightmare. So I doubled the purchase price and bought one that had absolutely no reviews about explosions. In fact, the only negative review said this canner takes too long to cool down and is heavy. I can live with that.

Now if the tomatoes would only ripen...

Yum!

2008-07-28T11:38:00.001-07:00

A 5 Minute Recipe for After You've Spent the Morning Stacking a Half-Cord of Firewood:

1 can tuna, packed in water, drained
1 can cannelini or other white bean, drained and rinsed
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 can of artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup of tomatoes, chopped, whatever kind you have
a few leaves of raddichio, sliced thinly
a handful of basil, sliced thinly
salt and pepper to taste
a glug of balsamic vinegar (to taste)
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil

Mix gently and eat. It's even better after its flavors have had time to blend.

Blight

2008-07-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it has finally happened. After three years of fairly healthy, disease and pest free plants the garden is being invaded. I've been picking and killing cucumber beetles today, and watching one of my San Marzano tomatoes be affected by early blight. The good news...I'm hoping...is that the copper fungicide I have may help the plant get through at least a partial harvest. I've been scouring the 'net looking for help, and what I've come up with is to pick off the dead foliage (when it's dry--early blight is spread by fungus spores that thrive in damp, cooler weather) and spray with the copper.

In everything I read, the importance of rotating crops every year is stressed. What I HAVEN'T found yet is how to rotate crops in a garden that's 10x14 feet. If there is a limited amount of good tomato space, do I just not grow tomatoes for a year or two? I have to say, in my opinion that solution is for the birds. I suppose I could always grow fewer plants in pots for a few years. That isn't a solution I'm thrilled with either, but it's better than constantly fighting diseases or not having tomatoes at all.

I've also read that enriching the soil with compost is helpful, and I do that each year. I'll up the amount I've been using to "promote beneficial micro- and macroorganisms." Sigh. Ya wait six months to be able to grow tomatoes, and then things start attacking them. Who needs this anxiety! :)

In more cheerful news, Larry and I went blueberry picking yesterday, and picked six pints! On top of the three I had bought at the farmer's market, we're rolling in the beautiful blue jewels. I've made a blueberry tart (Eating Well magazine), frozen a few pints, and made "Farmgirl's Blueberry Breakfast Bars." Farmgirl (Farmergirl?) is a blogger whose posts I read for awhile last summer. The recipe is awesome, and it freezes well. That way, in December or January when I'm bummed about the lack of fresh fruit I can defrost the bars and pretend it's summer again. Tomorrow I'm baking cinnamon burst blueberry muffins (Cooking Light) for the same reason. Eat a few, freeze a few, Christine is a happy girl!

We also bought Ball jars for canning. I know it's probably bizarre, but I'm very excited about putting as much food by for the winter as I can. I'll do tomatoes (keeping my fingers crossed) and pickled beets, make green tomato chutney (if that plant doesn't make it, I'll at least be able to take its green ones and do something with them), and see what else I can learn to do. I've already started freezing cucumbers. It's an almost sweet pickle recipe, and the cucumbers come out with a little bite left when they're defrosted. I found and made the recipe last year and loved it. The more I can put by, the less Whole Foods can hold me hostage for organic foods this winter!

2008-07-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

A small ice cream at lunch.
Half a round of brie with crackers.
A small ice cream after dinner.
Is it possible to be addicted to dairy?

I was reminded today, as I sat through the first day of a weeklong course on guided reading, how important it is for teachers to walk their talk. It is not okay to espouse a workshop model, or constructivist theory, and then subject students to 8 hours in their seats with narrow topics allowed for conversation. Allowing students to talk only around the topics you've prechosen is neither workshop nor constructivism.

On the positive side, learning about useful criteria for leveling books so that I can help put kids with the "just right" text is helpful. Though the process is labor and time intensive, having the information in the back of my mind as I approach the books/readers will assist me in narrowing down the occasional misses as I try to pair kids with books for independent reading. It was also a relief to hear the instructors repeat what the textbook said: leveling books is for the teacher's purpose. It is not so that we can label books with levels and train kids to only read books on their level, a la Accelerated Reader. Gradients and leveling are teacher tools for helping students find books with just the right supports and challenges.

We have a baby!

2008-07-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

No, not Larry and I, but the cardinal pair that nested in our wisteria this spring. We're not sure when it hatched, but it is slowly making its way around our yard, guarded by its chirping parents. We aren't letting the dogs anywhere near the backyard, since that seems to be the venue the family has chosen for the baby's initial flights. We keep coming across it in different places. The parents have let me get close enough twice to take photographs, though they flit around nervously in the area. I feel strangely honored that this family has chosen our yard for its current home.

Advantage, Computer

2008-07-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

My friend LeeAnn lives in Florida. My friend Jill lives in New Jersey. I live in Massachusetts.
And I can "sit across from them and talk face-to-face" almost like we're in Barnes and Noble having coffee, just like we used to on a regular basis.

It's definitely a love/hate relationship, but THIS aspect of technology is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Technology

2008-07-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it: I'm not the world's biggest fan of technology. I am not of the ever-growing opinion that people should be able to get in touch with me 24/7.

But.

I do like a fast computer. Or even a computer that will open Word in less than three minutes, which my last computer...departed this morning...was incapable of doing. It was an older laptop and I was just asking it to do too much. You know, like work when I wanted to use it.

Larry helped me find a new laptop, and he's happy because it has 4 GB of RAM. I'm happy because we saved money by buying the open box store model. Oh, and because with 4 GB of RAM, it all but anticipates the site I want to go to and *POOF* I'm there. I must say, that's a lovely feature. It also has a webcam, which means that I can Skype with my friends (as soon as I download Skype and figure out how to use the webcam...). I opted for the 17" screen, because let's be honest, my eyes aren't getting any younger. So technology curmudgeon that I am, I'm excited about the new computer. There, I said it.

I have been reading like a FIEND lately. I'm posting reviews on Shelfari--you can just click the link on this page if you want to read them--but here is a list of my favorites:
The Wednesday Wars by Schmidt
Hate Mail from Cheerleaders by Reilly
Charmed Life by Wynne Jones
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Sonnenblick
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by Lockhart
Lock and Key by Dessen
Life As We Knew It by Pfeffer
Thirteen Reasons Why by Asher
Peeled by Bauer
The Probable Future by Hoffman

I'm reading Bryson's Notes from a Small Island right now. I laughed all the way through A Walk in the Woods, so I picked up two more by him (can't remember the title of the other one). This one wasn't as funny to begin, but as I've read it's gotten funnier. He is irreverent, but very, very honest. At least, honest about how he sees things.

Beautiful weather this week; very sunny and breezy. We could use some rain (well, my garden could). Which just goes to show that no one is ever happy with the weather, doesn't it! I picked the first few cherry tomatoes this week--YUM!

Whew, it's hot!

2008-07-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

I know, it could be worse. I could be in Florida for July. But it definitely has FELT like Florida the last two days. The temperatures have been up in the 90's and the humidity has been above 50%. Oh well, the tomatoes are eating up the sun.

We've had a good few days here on the homefront. I've gotten lots of reading done (I'm finally posting things on my Shelfari site). I highly recommend Rick Reilly's Hatemail from Cheerleaders. I'll pull a lot from it to use with the students next year. Ugh. For some reason this stupid site is again not letting me insert paragraphs. I guess they'll just have to run into each other. On Sunday, we went to the Coventry (CT) Farmer's Market. It's something else. Lots of fresh from the ground (usually just that morning) produce, fresh baked breads and other yummies...a girl could lose her head. There are also artisans and demonstrations, so the day can be a pretty full one if you want it to. The market is on the site of the Hale House (Nathan Hale is CT's state hero). It's beautiful. Today, I met my friends Kelli and Ellen in the city, and we went and saw an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. It was all Spanish artists during the late 1400 to mid-1600 period. El Greco, Velasquez, and their schools were the focus; I love Spanish art from that period, so it was great to see the exhibit. Afterward we went to lunch and sat and chatted; it was a good time.

America, Land of the Free, the Brave, and the Clueless

2008-07-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ah. The Fourth of July. The celebration of our nation's birth in the face of overwhelming odds. Here in Massachusetts, especially so close to Boston, the celebrations begin about June 20th. Firecrackers go off randomly and frequently every night, and houses are tarted up with enough American flags to dress an army. In our little neck of the state, the neighborhood celebrates July 3 with a huge block party and bonfire. The bonfire was about three stories high when I passed it the other day while walking the dogs. It always leaves some lovely charred debris all over the beach.

I think my favorite thing about July 3 is the roaming bands of teenagers. Larry and I are fortunate enough to live near two gathering spots: the front of the Congregational Church, and the parking lot of the elementary school. The teens descended last night around 10:30, just as Larry was trying to go to sleep. (He works on July 4th this year. And Thanksgiving. And Christmas. F*$%ing corporate America.) Anyway, about 20 of them parked themselves in front of our house, screaming and laughing.

After about half an hour, I had had enough so I went out front and told them to move on down the street. The darlings refused to move, so I threatened with the police. They moved about 20 feet down from the house. I get that there isn't anywhere for them to go. I'm not that far removed from those years that I don't remember being chased from one hangout to another by the Delray police. But when they can't keep it down to a dull roar and then start screaming like banshees (is there anything like the sound of a shrieking teenaged girl?) and beating the shit out of each other it's time to call the police. Which I finally did. The crowd dispersed, and I just sat and rocked on the front porch for a while. It was nice out.

The evening was capped only by the two having sex outside my office window, in the shadows provided by the church.

Dilemmas

2008-07-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

It's always hard to know how to help the ones we love. I never know what to say or how to respond when my sister's heart is broken again by the louts she seems to choose as boyfriends. I can't come right out and say, "Stop choosing assholes," and have to dance around the issue so I don't offend her. I think I make all the right comments and balance my advice with sympathy, but I'm never really sure. The last boyfriend, whose nicknames we gave him are not fit to print here, had everything we kept telling her to find: a solid job, a car, a home of his own, an education, some drive.

But we didn't think we had to tell her he should also have some kindness, some acceptance, and support for her dreams, not just his. We wanted desperately to like him, but he talked non-stop, was condescending to her (the part I couldn't forgive...I could always buy earplugs), and thought he had to be a know-it-all about everything so he could impress. He was also moody and insecure. A barrel of laughs, that boy. But, and this is an important but, she thought she loved him and would marry him. And so even though we're relieved that she broke up with him, we're sad that she's so sad again. How do we help? How is it possible to help her understand that there is no rush to be married, and that being single is not the worst thing in the world?

I know, easy for me to say because I'm married. But I didn't get married until a month before my 32nd birthday. And while I lamented being single the 9 years that I was, I also made peace with it. I started to view myself that way--the single aunt who takes her nieces to Europe sometimes during the summers--instead of as a "spinster," which seemed to be how society viewed me. I dreamed up all kinds of glamorous options for the single me. And then Larry came along and it didn't matter... But if he hadn't, I would have been just fine. More than fine--happy. How do I help my sister find that?

Dilemma #2: My husband LOATHES his job. He hates it so much it's upsetting his stomach, keeping him awake, and giving him hang-dog face. Last night he talked about the three things he sees as critical in relation to work: time, money, and enjoyment. Of the two, he said the only thing he gets from his current job is money. And sadly, he said that he's not willing to give that up even though the other two are lacking. Larry used to like his job, trading currencies for an investment firm, but he finally was able to explain why it's not fun anymore: no satisfaction from having done something for someone. He talked about the joy I get when a kid who comes to me a non-reader leaves with a changed attitude at the end of the school year, and said he can't find anything to parallel that in his job.

I suggested finding something that would give him that joy: volunteering to play baseball with kids, doing some kind of service for others, or even taking something like a wood-working class so that when he was done with a project he could say, "I made that, and it's awesome!" He didn't love the baseball idea (said he didn't like kids, which I think is hooey--he's great with my nieces and my students) but he was less critical of the wood-working idea. So maybe I should look into that for him. And maybe I should look into a job counselor. There must be something else he can do to make himself a little happier. (That's the key though, isn't it? We have to be responsible for our own happiness, and find it wherever we are.)

Enough deep thoughts.

Have you tried Terra Chips Sweet Potato Cinnamon chips? Good God, they're like amazing crunchy candies. They've hit on a winner with those suckers! (And they're high in fiber and vitamin A, so they're almost healthy. Lower fat, too.)

I've been playing around with salad dressings--with so much lettuce coming in from the farm, we're eating it every night. Last night I made a salad with mixed lettuces, chopped apples, sliced zucchini, and halved grapes. I was making my favorite vinaigrette--white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, olive oil--when I thought, "Hmm. Grapes, apples. Cinnamon." I sprinkled in a pinch of cinnamon, whisked it all up and poured it on the salad. After I did it, I thought, "Wait, cinnamon?" But it was good! It didn't clash with anything, and it enhanced the grapes and apples. Who'da thunk it?

I planted a climbing rose yesterday, near the front porch steps. It's fragrant, and my hope is that as it grows up and vines around the railing it will be strong enough to blow in the front windows during breezes. My mock orange, planted outside the kitchen window, was finally tall enough for that this spring, and it made me very happy to have the kitchen filled with the scent of orange blossoms when the breeze blew.

I've been photographing flowers and plants this spring and summer, and I think I'm going to make a "scrapbook journal" of my garden. I need to get on to printing some of the photos currently warehoused in the camera. Digital cameras are great, but it sure is easy to let the pictures languish in them. :)

Endings and Beginnings

2008-06-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

School ended June 16; I'm using the end of the year as my excuse for not blogging since May...

The garden went in as planned. There have been some moderate successes: we've eaten radishes, lettuce, swiss chard, sugar snap peas, spinach, herbs, and broccoli rabe from the backyard. The only things growing happily are the chard, lettuce, and herbs. We got 14 whole sugar snap peas...with some carrots, they made a nice little side dish. I'm hoping for more success when I plant out at the end of the summer.

We're still awaiting tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Keep your fingers crossed for us! Of course, we're not in any danger of starving. Our CSA shares have begun, and we're eating amazing vegetables each week from a farm in Amherst.

Some highlights from the spring/early summer:

-the cardinal pair that have nested in the wisteria outside the kitchen window;

-the new climbing rose out front;

-the three new rugosa roses from North Creek Farm in Maine (they're doing spectacularly). I've included a picture of the Polareis shrub;

-not having to transplant a shrub I thought I would have to...meaning I got to buy another plant for the place I thought I was going to put the shrub. :)

Mom came to visit the week school let out. She's always wonderful to be around, and we had a great time walking, talking, gardening, cleaning, and eating together. Mom's really good at gently goading me into getting projects done, so my front porch looks great. She also helped me plant a new bed out front, which seems to be doing well. (Liatris and lamb's ears are the current stars, but they'll be joined by others next season as I see how they fill in.) On the Wednesday that she was here, Larry had the day off and we went to Concord for the afternoon. Mom wanted to see Orchard House, home of the Alcotts, so we toured that and also the downstairs of the Concord Museum. We picnicked in Minuteman National Park, and it was a beautiful day.

Saturday we took her to Gloucester and Rockport, and she was just thrilled with both of them. They are quintessential New England sea towns, and their quaintness factors were very high. It was fun to hear her keep exclaiming over things. Mom and I stuck our feet in the water in Rockport. Cold like ice, but not too bad as we stood there awhile.

This past Wednesday Beth and Rebecca came up from Orlando. One of the first things I said to them as we made plans Wednesday night was, "I don't drive in Boston." Famous last words...

On Thursday, we drove to Walden Pond, had lunch in Concord and visited two bookstores. Rebecca said she'd like to see Cambridge, and feeling brave I decided to attempt it. I knew Mass Ave. went from Lexington to Cambride (heck, almost to the house) so I thought I 'd just hop on and keep my fingers crossed. While I didn't actually manage to stay on Mass Ave., I did manage to get us to Harvard Square, where I parked so we could walk around the grounds of the university. I never get tired of Harvard Yard. We went in another bookstore, and had coffee. Then I managed to find our way to Jake's Seafood for dinner, and then on home.

As if my derring do on Thursday wasn't enough, on Friday I drove into the city, parked under the Commons, and then at the end of the day drove them (and Susan, their principal) to Wellesley where they're attending a conference. For some reason, having them in the car didn't make me nervous about attempting the driving. Normally, I'm terrified of getting lost or screwing up in the city, and it's exacerbated by company. I felt pretty darned proud of myself!

We had a great visit. It was nice to be with friends that are the comfortable kind, because we've known each other so long. (Well, I haven't known Rebecca that long, but she's been part of Beth's circle for so long it seems like it.) The conversations were easy and flowing, and silence wasn't a problem. Not that I don't have friends like that here in Massachusetts, but Beth and I go back to the summer of '97 and the Central Florida Writing Project, so it's different. It's like family.

Today has been chilly; never above 68 and cloudy. Tonight the fog has rolled in off the water, and it brought with it the smell of the ocean. Salty, with decaying seaweed. I will forever associate that smell with Hough's Neck. I love it.

Just finished reading The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman. It is set in Massachusetts, which is nice. Every so often there was the familiarity of places or events that I know firsthand. It was a good story about family and redemption for the many ways that families hurt each other while loving each other. There was a bit of the magical about it, in the special "gift" that each Sparrow girl received when she turned 13, but also in Hoffman's descriptions of places. Her use of the flora and fauna of the New England woods and marshes made the setting very vivid for me.

I'm hoping for some sun tomorrow. The lawn needs mowing, weeding needs doing, and so does some transplanting. A gardener's work is never done. Yay! :)

Testing...testing...

2008-05-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are MCAS'ing today. As much as I loathe these tests on so many levels, they are good times for reflection, reading and thinking. During our three hours today, I thought about how I'd like to rearrange the classroom, how I could have been a better teacher to these kids, how I'm looking forward to summer and tomatoes...lots to ponder. I'm also reading When Kids Can't Read by Kylene Beers. It's phenomenal. I can't say enough about the practical information contained in this book. I don't know why I waited so long--it has been on my shelf for about five years, I think. Combined with what I've read in Reading Don't Fix No Chevy's, Boy Writers, and Inside Words, I have a lot of reworking I want to do with my curriculum next year so that I can better help our struggling kids. I've let our school's curriculum dictate what's happening in my room for too long now. Next year the kids are first, not the curriculum. Period.

During the test I was glancing around at the kids to make sure everyone was doing what they should, and I caught Vincent with his book open in his lap, totally ignoring his Math MCAS. Now, I'd like to say that I was distressed. Honestly, I was DELIGHTED. Vincent didn't read much at the beginning of the year; he had trouble knowing what he liked and finding books that weren't too hard (or too boring). He's completely engrossed in the Cirque du Freak series right now, and he loved David Lubar. Of course, I told him to put the book away and keep working on his test...but he knew that I was secretly pleased. I LIVE for moments like this! :)

Tomorrow Larry and I are driving down to Lichtfield, Connecticut to visit White Flower Farm. The story behind the owners and the farm start-up is charming, and I love that they continue with the "Amos Pettingill" deception. (The farm was actually started by two wealthy New York City escapees--you can read about it in...oh, heck. I'll have to look up the title.) Anyway, the catalog and website are delightful. I'm hoping to score some liatris and some great shade plants. I've already ordered my bulbs from them, to be delivered in September. I'm not quite sure what I'll do with 150 tulip and daffodil bulbs...but it's my kind of dilemma!

We also ordered beef from them. White Flower has just started their own all natural livestock raising and sales and we thought we'd give it a shot. We'll pick that up, too... since shipping would have been over $50! I understand, but whew. Besides, I wanted an excuse to visit the farm.

Grief

2008-05-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

"What are friends for, my mother asks.
a duty undone, visit missed,
casserole unbaked for sick Jane.
Someone has just made her bitter.

Nothing. They are for nothing, friends,
I think. All they do in the end--
they touch you. They fill you like music."
--Rosellen Brown

We were in Kansas, or Missouri maybe. Or maybe it was Florida; the trips begin to run together. It was hot--July--so hot the pool almost wasn't refreshing. The hotel rooms were cool, with their air conditioners and polyester floral print bedspreads. Katie was there with Stephanie, just a little girl. We cooed and oohed and aahed and talked babies and books and teaching. Sara was absolutely in love, besotted, with this grandbaby, and she was unselfish and generous in her willingness to share her family's joy with all of us.

The flip side is that today we share her grief. Stephanie is gone, aged 7 (just barely). And I cannot stop thinking of that day in the hotel room, with that beautiful blonde baby girl who was making her mother and grandmother so happy. Who always made her mother and grandmother so happy. I do not know what to say, or do.

But I do know that Sara and her family have touched us--me--and filled us with music. And though there are no words, I hope that they know that I am full up with and for them, and I am so very sorry.

2008-04-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

At what point do we as teachers say, "Enough is enough. There was a deadline and I do you no favors by constantly allowing you to turn things in late." I know that the point is the learning: what did the student learn that is documented in this assignment. But what are they learning if they never meet deadlines, or constantly lose and ask to do over assignments, and we always let them? For how long during the school year can we say, "Yes, it's okay that your printer ran out of ink," before kids think, "Hey! I don't have to meet deadlines or be responsible. I can just say I had no ink!" I am at the end of my patience with this, particularly since it is fourth term and these kids are going to high school next year. Our high school is no-nonsense, and so many of these students are just going to sink--or else rapidly mature this summer. I think it's good that spring break is next week. I need to be away from them. They're like little soul-suckers right now.

My Burpee order came today. I have twelve seedlings, five bare root raspberry plants, and three dormant lilies waiting for the time to be right (which will be as soon as they're acclimated to being outside in the sun). Today was another beautiful day; the kind that lulls you into thinking, "I could put my tomatoes out under row covers it's so nice!" But I didn't. I'm saved from that temptation by making sure I ordered my warmer veggies to come in after May 1. I know myself too well...

I did plant rhubarb, though...

With Spring come thoughts of Shakespeare...and Sugar Snap Peas

2008-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

My students have turned in their poetry books, and it's on through the curriculum hike into Shakespeare. We "bridged" today with sonnets, which went better than I expected. The typical bugaboos: it's hard, he's not speaking English (?!), I don't get iambic pentameter. Beautifully, we avoided most of them. I started with a quick activation of background knowledge, and then I took the first line of sonnet 130 (My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun) and put one syllable on ten sheets of paper. The unstressed syllables were written normally, the stressed were in bubble letters. I got ten volunteers (one for each syllable page) to come to the front of the room, and we practiced saying the line in sing-song quiet BOLD voices. When were were done, I had the volunteers pair up into their "iambs" and we defined iambic pentameter. Every kid seemed to get it. Then we read sonnets and talked about them, and the kids defined the form and worked on tackling their own. All in all, a good beginning to the unit.

To add to my good day at work, when I got home the sun was still shining and it was in the 50's, so I planted some seeds! I worked in about 180 pounds of compost (wow--when I write that it sounds like a lot more than it felt like while I was doing it...) and planted radicchio, fennel, arugula, sugar snap peas, kale, radishes, swiss chard, huazontle (Aztec/Mexican spinach) and spinach. I was so overly excited my husband has taken to calling me Garden Geek.

After a yummy dinner (Rachael Ray's Artichoke and Spinach Pasta--like the appetizer, only with pasta) we took the pups for a long walk. There was a huge freighter being maneuvered through Quincy Bay into the Fore River, so we watched it and its three tugboats for awhile. I love ships; they're so massive and airy and squat and graceful all at the same time. This one was riding pretty low in the water, so we figure it had some freight to deliver. She was called Sylvia's Express--not an especially glamorous name, but a very imposing sight none the less.

Our walks are especially wonderful right now. "Nature's first green is gold," and it's showing up all over the neighborhood. Their are daffodils and hyacinths everywhere, and the forsythia are beginning their golden showers of bloom. The neighborhood has a few large magnolias, and their creamy pinkish white blooms are filling the air with their scent. Plants are leafing out all over, and I find myself walking around saying things like, "Hello, Mr. Catmint! It's so great to see you back!" Garden Geek, indeed. It is a label I wear happily, though.

Hopeful Folly

2008-03-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

I planted a Highbush Blueberry today.

I know. It's not even April yet. I couldn't help it.

My semi-delusional train of thought:
"Ooh! Blueberries! Yum!"
"Well, we can still get some crazy weather..."
"Yes, but look, it already has buds. I bet the ones that are planted in the ground all over New England already have buds. It must be okay for them to be out in this weather."
"Um. But they're already established."
"Okay. But technically this one is established. I mean, it didn't grow in this pot all winter did it? It probably grew in the ground somewhere, and they dug it up and potted it for sale. So it's used to this weather..."

You can see the problem. An excuse for every common sense thought. I planted it in the backyard, up against the white fence, where the soil was already workable down three feet. That seems like a good sign to me. Of course, probably because I WANT it to seem like a good sign.

I also planted two pansies in my front porch urns. Montana promptly ate the flowers off of the yellow one while my back was turned for about 30 seconds. I almost killed him. He's now under house arrest--no outside unless strictly supervised. I'm a bit at my wit's end with his plant-eating. I've never seen a dog like this before. Why couldn't he be like Blue, and just eat my million dollar bra and panty sets from Victoria's Secret? Oh, right. Because I don't shop there anymore. Seriously, though, I'd rather he ate...well, I'm just not going to put that into the cosmos. With my luck he'd keep eating plants AND eat whatever I was just going to mention.

It got up to 50 degrees today, and was brilliantly sunny. AND!!! AND!!! Our favorite ice cream shop is open again!!!

This was definitely a "pink stone day," to steal one of LeeAnn's sayings.

Next week: enlarge the vegetable garden again.

Early Mornings

2008-03-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

Most people who know me know that I'm not much of a morning person. I love to sleep in and be lazy any chance I get. Isn't it funny that getting a puppy has completely changed that...? Every morning the dogs are up a few minutes (or hours, as in the case of today) before our alarms go off, and when they're up, I'm up. I used to have this uncanny ability to fall back to sleep even after wandering the house for awhile, but that seems to have fled. Sadly.

The funny thing is, as irritated as I would have been even a few months ago by this behavior, I don't seem to mind it too much. I mean, last Wednesday when I stayed home sick and the dogs woke me up at 4:30 a.m. I minded...but most of the time I don't. On Saturday, Tundra woke me up at 6:30--waaay too early for a Saturday. But as I stood in the kitchen while the dogs ate, I watched a beautiful sunrise from our kitchen window. And then I got to do that again on Sunday. Soooo...I guess morning isn't all that bad.

Though if the dogs wanted to sleep until seven, that would be okay too.

I'm excited about the fact that I'm trying to start a new book club at school. I've extended the invitation to all of the English teachers at the middle and high school, and added the Spanish and French teachers at the middle school, as well. It's become clearer to me that hooking kids for literacy is difficult across ALL languages, and the "foreign language" teachers might have an interest in those kinds of book discussions. (I don't know why it took so many years of teaching to realize that, but hopefully it's a case of better late than never...) We're starting with Reading Don't Fix No Chevy's by Wilhelm and Smith, since boys and literacy is a hot topic at our school right now. I have two definite takers so far, and hopefully a few more will join too. It would be so great to have a professional community to be part of!

Puppy pee and garden planning

2008-03-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

The downside to having a puppy: having to move the stove to get at the place where his pee has run.
The upside to having a puppy: everything else. :)
Montana and Tundra just get more and more fun to hang out with. I may eventually never leave home again! (Okay, that might be hyperbole.)

The weather is not pretty today. The temperature is bearable--40 degrees, but it's raining and has been since last night. The good news is I'm seeing the upward trend in temperature, which I didn't expect to see for another few weeks. I know that an early spring is not necessarily a good thing, but I must say it makes me happy (if that is indeed what's happening). Of course, tomorrow night is supposed to be back down to 16 degrees...hopefully it won't do too much damage to the plants that are starting to wake up.

I've started planning this year's garden (well, on paper--I already did the buying!). It's a good way to keep occupied while I wait.

Signs of Spring

2008-03-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

I was poking around listlessly in the backyard yesterday when I saw a distinct flash of deep, bright, spring green poking its little head out of the ground. It seems that one of my hyacinths from last year may have survived the squirrel raid! A few feet away, chives were pushing their thin blades up through the icy surface, and over in the shade garden, the hellebores were sending up the shoots that will be their flowers. The unearthly pale green mixed with the faintest blush of rose makes the shoots look fragile, though their thickness looks sturdy. I'm hoping the hellebores will bloom in March, like all of the books say they should. (Obviously, the above picture is not what my plants look like right now...but they will!!)

Other signs appeared once I looked a little more closely. The forsythia buds have started to swell and the tarragon and bleeding hearts are sending up shoots. My neighbor's tulips are starting to make their appearance above-ground, as well. I figured it might be time, so I went ahead and took down the pine garland that was on our fence out front... :)

I think my husband was a little mortified that it was still there, but I needed the green! I'm of the opinion that in the frozen north, we should leave Christmas decorations up until Spring is providing its color. Needless to say, I am not in the majority.

Tundra and Montana have started an interesting habit. Unfortunately, Larry and I are amused by it. I'm guessing guests won't be, but we won't have discouraged it enough to stop it. (Well, maybe when Montana is no longer a puppy, it won't be as much fun and they'll stop it on their own.) As soon as Larry and I sit down to dinner in the dining room, the dogs take it as play time. They chase each other around the table, and then lie under it at our feet and wrestle. We have a glass-topped table, so we can watch them as we eat. Dinner theater!

It's the Little Things

2008-02-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

...and today's little thing is that Montana didn't leave a mess on the floor for me to clean up this afternoon! Yay!! That's twice this week. I'd like to say that he's getting the hang of this don't-pee-in-the-house thing, but it may also be that Mommy's getting the hang of the make-sure-he-does-all-his-business-outside-in-the-morning thing, versus him just playing in the yard. Right now he's wrestling with Tundra. Two outcomes are possible: he'll irritate her into submission, or she'll overpower him into submission. Either way, there will be a yelp and a necessity for separate corners for ten minutes. I may not have birthed them, but I definitely mother them!

I am seeing some positive things at work, which is heartening. I was approached by my department head in regards to a reading "program" that I worked on--and think is a valuable component in an English classroom--because the school is considering it for the sixth grade. She also brought me a professional development opportunity, which is a first for me since coming to the town. Usually I have to seek all of these out myself, so it's good to have the other pair of eyes helping. And to crown it all, we had an amazingly productive 8th grade curriculum meeting on Tuesday. That hasn't happened in at least two years--imagine two years of frustrating, bi-weekly meetings that make you want to pull your hair out... . So, I am hopeful.

We've started our poetry unit. A number of the kids opted to read poetry during silent reading today. Big smile!

Glorious sunshine

2008-02-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

Today was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It got all the way up to the low 40's, and we had sunshine for about 9 1/2 hours. The snow isn't too gray and gross yet, so it sparkles. Walking the dogs was lovely. Montana is doing his best to romp along with Tundra. We have to keep reminding him that he has to walk on both back legs, rather than hop on them. He has to build his muscles back up from the surgery. He's a trooper, though!

Yesterday was a good day, too. My friend Kelli came for lunch (grazing...mmm...) and then we talked about dogs (she has two gorgeous greyhounds--the musculature on those dogs is amazing), gardening, school, books, etc. A quiet but happy afternoon. She took some stunning pictures of the dogs; her photoblog is at blipfoto.com/kjh. Don't miss it!

Last night Jen and Ian came to dinner. It's always good to see them. They're totally down to earth and good stuff. A full, enjoyable day.

I believe that this weekend was a "my cup is full" kind of thing. Aside from minor inconveniences (a doctor's appointment, the grocery store on Saturday--*shiver*) it was a reminder of how lucky Larry and I are. The snow fell all day on Friday, and because it was light and powdery, shoveling was more like an interesting break in the exercise routine versus a total pain in the neck. We played with the two best dogs in the world, we ate yummy food (I keep forgetting how much I like Havarti cheese, for some reason), and we hung out with great friends. I got to sleep in on Sunday, Larry on Saturday, and I got to leisurely read whatever I wanted to focus on at that moment. (The March "Cooking Light" has some AWESOME looking Maple recipes. Larry and I will be making the Bacon Maple Waffles. Mmm...bacon...)

And to top it all off, today was a reminder that yes, spring will actually come eventually. The day was beautiful and the daffodils that Kelli brought me began opening their ruffled yellow and white faces. Note to self: plant more bulbs in the fall. The random tulips and single crocus--though lovely--could use some friends. I think I'll leave the existing tulips where they are, contrary to conventional wisdom though it be. There's something very amusing about the ones that pop up in the middle of the yard (transplanted by squirrels, I'm sure).

Mmm...gardening...

Snowy day with puppies

2008-02-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing since about 8 a.m. today. Funny how not having to work means that this snowfall is lovely... So far it has been a soft powder, and has accumulated about three inches. Watching the pups play in it is fun. Montana romps through it, Tundra does a stately walk, and both of them come in with snow dusting their noses after sniffing through it and licking it. A few times I've looked out the window and they were chasing each other, kicking up little puffs in their wake. Tundra lets Montana win most of the time, but occasionally shows him who is boss and knocks him (gently) on his butt. She's a good big sister. I keep having this ridiculous trouble typing in this blog. Please excuse the paragraphing; everytime I hit return the cursor bounces into the ether. Not sure what's going on. This afternoon the pups and I had some fun. Tundra is a little whiny because she had her teeth cleaned yesterday. She wanted to go out, but had just come inside so I wasn't letting her. She was whining and talking, and so I whined and talked back. Little Montana perked up his ears, listening first to one of us and then the other. Then he joined in! It was great--we had our own little living room chatfest. They're both able to reach a much higher pitch than I am.

Puppy Pictures

2008-02-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

This is our new little cutie.

Keep your fingers crossed for the rug... :)

So far, Tundra is a pretty good big sister.

Oh Happy Day!

2008-02-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

Guess who came home with us!? We picked Montana up from the shelter today around 3:30. So far he's chomped on a plant, romped around the yard with Tundra, and peed on the kitchen floor. We have a puppy!!

Montana's back legs are shaky from the surgery, of course, but he's moving around like a champ. We learned today that he has no hip bone because of the accident. The ball of his ball and socket joint is where the fracture was, and there is no way to fix that. The doctors removed it, and now he'll have to strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons to compensate. He may also grow new bone, since he is so young. I've already spent at least an hour just mooning at him (that would be the "gazing" mooning...) and I just caught Larry doing so. Montana just stares back with these placid, icy blue eyes. Holy cow he's cute!

On a completely different subject, I just finished reading Michael Pollan's latest book, In Defense of Food. The subtitle, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants." sums it up well. The book goes over some of the same ground as Omnivore's Dilemma, but there's new research and information here. I particularly enjoyed learning about what has been termed "nutritionism," which like every other "ism" has its pitfalls. Though the links are circumstantial, I have to agree with him that "nutritionism" combined with our government's policies toward food have helped to create the obesity epidemic we're seeing in America.

The advice he gives (mainly fleshing out the subtitle so it's less cheeky and more helpful) makes sound sense. Avoid foods with ingredients that you can't pronounce/that look like the stuff of chemistry lab ingredients. Shop the outside of the grocery store, or better yet the farm or farmer's market. Pay for organic when you can afford it. (He discusses the average amount of money Americans pay for food versus what people in healthier societies pay--we pay way less, and have waaay more health problems. We also eat waaay less well. Microwave meals instead of a three course Italian meal enjoyed with family and friends, anyone?) Focus on leaves, versus seeds and meats. By leaves he means plants, of course. By seeds, he means soybeans, corn, rice, wheat, etc. Though they can be healthier than an all meat diet, seeds are higher in fats and proteins which causes us to gain more weight than if we ate from the leaves side of the animal kingdom. And the chapters dealing with the high fat/low fat debate are really enlightening. In fact, reading this has freed me up some around that issue. Too long to explain here, though. Anyway, it was a good book.

I think I'm going to read Fast Food Nation next. Might as well; it's not like I can be any more convinced that eating fresh and organic, and local when possible, is the way to go!

Did I mention there's a really cute puppy (and a beautiful older puppy) in the house? :)