tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64134226046185373872024-03-21T19:46:21.952-07:00RepastJulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-7286111055553164802012-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:002012-01-15T07:23:57.356-08:00I've moved!Hello friends and food lovers! I've decided to move/rename my blog to more accurately reflect my personality and purpose of my site! You can now find me at <a href="http://www.familyrepast.com/">www.familyrepast.com</a><br />
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I hope you will all continue to follow my food adventures there!<br />
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Julie<br />
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<br />JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-74956266202600903392012-01-10T07:09:00.000-08:002012-01-10T07:17:53.979-08:00And She's Back!Yes, it's been a while, and quite a lot has happened since my homage to Pat and Martha. A few triathlons, a half marathon, and going back to work full time to name a few. But I've missed this little blog, and have often thought about picking it back up. It seems that there are just too many other time-sucks out there... Facebook (littered with my foodie pictures), Twitter (I tried gamely to participate, but just couldn't love it), and Pinterest (God love the genius who invented that!).
Despite all the change around here, one thing has definitely stayed the same and should come as no surprise to anyone that knows me: I still LOVE food. I love to think about it, I love to cook it, and I definitely love to eat it! As the name of my blog implies, I still try and keep the food as local (and organic) as possible.<br />
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As it's winter, there's not a ton of locally available produce (that my kids - all 3 of them - willingly eat) at the moment, but I still source all my eggs, poultry, pork, and beef through local farms. It's easier than you think to get the majority of your food locally, and not only is good for you, it's great for your local economy. Now that's change we can ALL believe in! I believe checking out of the industrial food chain is the healthiest choice you can make for you and your family. In the past few years, we've had very little sickness around here - and haven't made a single sick visit to the pediatrician in over a year. (knock wood...).<br />
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Ok, stepping off my soapbox... back to the food.
I want my kids to love and appreciate good food as much as I do. I cook virtually every night and we'll sit down to a family meal most nights, depending on the kids activities. My son, as evidenced by previous posts in this blog, is a pretty adventurous eater. My daughter, not so much. In an effort to try and get them both (but mostly Erin) more excited about food, I've taken to global travel on a nightly basis. If I'm a bit forward thinking, I'll ask early in the day what country the kids want to visit. If I'm a bit behind the eight-ball, I just tell them what country we're in, or let them guess once the plate hits the table. So, over the course of many, many meals we've visited quite a few interesting places: China, India, Jamaica, France, Mexico, and the good old USA. I've pulled in a few photos to document our dinner table travels.<br />
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Stir-fried noodles from China - this is one of Erin's favorites! Loaded with bean sprouts, carrots, and cucumbers and just a hint of ground pork. Other visits to China include Fried Rice, and Stir Fried chicken with celery (WAY better than it sounds), and the always popular, if slightly more labor-intensive, Hainan Chicken (pictured 2nd). You can find the recipes I use here: <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Everyday-Fried-Noodles-Tian-Tian-Chao-Mian">Stir Fried noodles</a>, <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Stir-Fried-Chicken-with-Celery-Jirou-Chao-Qincai" target="_blank">Stir fried chicken with celery, </a> <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hainan-chicken-with-rice-and-two-sauces" target="_blank">Hainan Chicken</a><br />
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We took a visit to Greece through this Grilled Halibut with Fennel Tsatsiki (ok, it's only the Tsatsiki that makes it Greek...) I served with some white rice and grilled vegetables. <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Halibut-Steaks-101878" target="_blank">Grilled Halibut with Fennel Tsatsiki</a></div>
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India is a favorite of Josh's. Our most recent visit had us eating Butter Chicken. I'm more fond of the Chicken Tikka Masala that I've made, but I can't find the picture! However, this is one of the quickest, easiest, and tastiest ways to eat Indian! <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/butter-chickenindian-chicken-in-tomato-cream-sauce-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Indian Butter Chicken</a></div>
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Normally when we visit Mexico, it's on Taco Friday, Josh's favorite day of the week! But on occasion I'll branch out from Tacos (no, I don't use the McCormick seasoning packet), and try something else, like these Enchiladas. I think I used a recipe from Cooks Illustrated, but can't recall. Besides, you have to pay to get most recipes off of their website. Boo. Hiss.<br />
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One of my favorite dishes from France, and a perfect winter meal... Daube de Boeuf aux Carottes. </div>
That's beef stew with carrots. And a whole lot of red wine! Your best bet when making this dish is to get a whole chuck roast, about 3-4lbs and cut it down yourself rather than using pre-cut stew meat. I like to serve it over mashed potatoes with a side of roasted broccoli. <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/beef-stew-red-wine-carrots.aspx?nterms=50134,50040,50240&ac=fp" target="_blank">Beef stew with carrots and red wine</a><br />
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And finally, every once and again I keep it 'local' and cook something fundamentally American. One of the kids' favorites is Chicken and Dumplings. Recently, and for the very first time, I fried chicken. I took a whole (locally raised) chicken and cut it into it's various parts and fried it up. My house smelled like Kentucky Fried Chicken, but it was darn good. I also kept a fire extinguisher handy...</div>
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I don't think I need to post a recipe. Take chicken parts, soak in buttermilk, coat with flour, fry. </div>
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One of my goals for 2012 is to try and keep this blog going. Not because I think so many people are just dying to hear about what I'm cooking and eating, but more so as an outlet for pretty much the only creative pursuits I can credit myself with: Cooking and writing. And perhaps I'll manage to think about something other than food and write about some other topics on this blog. But in the meantime, if anyone has some suggestions for other countries I can visit with my family at the dinner table, please suggest away!</div>JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-55737252586387621722010-08-03T11:18:00.001-07:002010-08-03T11:18:41.086-07:00Pat Conroy, Meet Martha Stewart<p>I love to read, and I love to cook. My love of reading led me to Pat Conroy. I’ve read ALL of his books. Multiple times. There’s nothing he writes that I would not read. And then there’s the queen of cooking, Martha Stewart. I’ve subscribed to her magazine for as long as I can remember! I remember one of the first recipes of hers I tried to make was a triple layer chocolate cake with lemon curd filling. It took the whole day to make, but it was worth it! Well, worth it to me. My husband walked away in disgust when I mentioned the lemon curd filling. He’s opposed to anything that even suggests lemons. No worries, I’m pretty sure I ate the whole thing myself! </p> <p>Last week I had a bounty of fresh produce, notably a dozen corn and piles of delicious heirloom tomatoes! I knew immediately what I was going to do with the tomatoes. About 10 years or so ago I came across a recipe in Martha Stewart Magazine for a mixed tomato cobbler with a Gruyere crust.</p> <p>If these tomatoes aren’t ‘mixed’ I don’t know any that are!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdY8lI4cI/AAAAAAAAAyg/kuDqdnLcQRY/s1600-h/IMG_5673%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5673" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_5673" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdZRXoo3I/AAAAAAAAAyk/CsIuplihbp0/IMG_5673_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdZxgy-qI/AAAAAAAAAyo/mPRY3lJHxZs/s1600-h/IMG_5666%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5666" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="192" alt="IMG_5666" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdaEWy-XI/AAAAAAAAAys/Qdw6DQ9UuS8/IMG_5666_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Martha’s recipe for the tomato cobbler is one of the simplest recipes around, and when you have such beautiful tomatoes, there’s no better way to showcase them! The crust comes together quickly, and one of the best things about it is it makes enough for two cobblers. Pop one crust in the freezer for the late summer bumper crop of tomatoes! Here’s the recipe:</p> <h4>Ingredients</h4> <p>Serves 8</p> <ul> <li>2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour </li> <li>2 1/2 teaspoons salt </li> <li>2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar </li> <li>1 1/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese </li> <li>1 cup (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces </li> <li>1 large onion, diced </li> <li>3 cloves garlic, minced </li> <li>2 pounds assorted cherry tomatoes </li> <li>1/2 cup chopped basil </li> <li>Freshly ground black pepper </li> <li>1 large egg</li> </ul> <h4>Directions</h4> <ol> <li>In the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1 cup Gruyere cheese. Add 1 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.</li> <li>With machine running, pour ice water (about 1/4 cup) little by little through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without becoming wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.</li> <li>Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Transfer to refrigerator; chill 1 hour.</li> <li>Melt remaining tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.</li> <li>Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, and basil and pepper. When onion mixture is cooled, add to tomato mixture, and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a deep 9 1/2- or 10-inch pie dish. Set aside.</li> <li>Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out half the dough into a circle 1 inch larger than pie dish. Remaining dough may be frozen up to 1 month. Transfer rolled dough to top of dish; tuck in edges to seal. Make three to four small slits in crust; form a decorative edge if desired. In small bowl, mix egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush egg glaze over crust; sprinkle crust with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Place pie dish on a baking sheet to catch drips; bake until crust is golden and insides are bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let cobbler cool before serving.</li> </ol> <p>Here it is in pictures….</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhda6DBSHI/AAAAAAAAAyw/FG15dQwX8FI/s1600-h/IMG_5677%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5677" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_5677" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdbQyO3xI/AAAAAAAAAy0/Zr76CCmFtQc/IMG_5677_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdcAGTqGI/AAAAAAAAAy4/c2cbifgKX-s/s1600-h/IMG_5685%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5685" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_5685" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdcNKQC-I/AAAAAAAAAy8/8wzy0clhU7w/IMG_5685_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdc2e_M-I/AAAAAAAAAzA/1VRCmOHOc_Y/s1600-h/IMG_5693%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5693" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="179" alt="IMG_5693" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhddLpkXVI/AAAAAAAAAzE/HnCX2Qe3SdQ/IMG_5693_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>   </p> <p>I really should have followed Martha’s instructions and let it cool fully before digging in. But it just smells so heavenly, it’s hard to resist. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdd-_P7ZI/AAAAAAAAAzI/AdmMY3qKrvs/s1600-h/IMG_5700%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5700" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="175" alt="IMG_5700" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdeANDdtI/AAAAAAAAAzM/YLN58YuNBbo/IMG_5700_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>As I mentioned earlier, I have read everything Pat Conroy has ever written, and more than once. In the case of <u>Beach Music</u>, maybe eight times!! So given my love of all things Pat Conroy and all things related to food, it’s no surprise that I was reading <u>The</u> <u>Pat Conroy Cookbook</u> (for the second time). I decided that Pat Conroy’s recipe for summer corn chowder with seared scallops would be a great way to use up some of that corn.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdevS3LoI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/bLe6Dzfo0Cw/s1600-h/IMG_5688%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5688" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="152" alt="IMG_5688" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdeycVhOI/AAAAAAAAAzU/HgpCxENEJvs/IMG_5688_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>One of these days I’ll transcribe the recipe. But it’s basically a few cups of milk. Six or so ears of corn. After I take the corn of of the cob, I steep the cobs with the milk for a really rich corn flavor. Oh, and of course, there’s bacon. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdfrNixqI/AAAAAAAAAzY/in_kvGtkAuw/s1600-h/IMG_5695%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5695" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="169" alt="IMG_5695" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TFhdgNOxbNI/AAAAAAAAAzc/KGxww1msjbA/IMG_5695_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>As we sat down to dinner that night, I imaged that Pat and Martha would have been proud of my efforts, and I smiled as I tried to envision them both at the table. The rather uptight, northern girl Martha and the thoroughly southern boy Pat; probably not a match made in heaven. If their food is any indication, I think they would have got on quite well!</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-50612104751177354282010-07-26T12:54:00.001-07:002010-07-26T12:56:56.850-07:00I Think I’m Going to Need a Bigger Dish<p>What to do with an excess of perfectly ripe peaches? Marinate them in an Amaretto-infused brown sugar syrup and layer between slices of cake and whipped cream, of course!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TE3oBNiIx9I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/37CIlxsst7U/s1600-h/IMG_5705%5B11%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5705" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="179" alt="IMG_5705" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TE3oB7g8Q2I/AAAAAAAAAyU/qgLGtsRXqJ0/IMG_5705_thumb%5B9%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" align="left" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-73426960635871452322010-07-24T04:53:00.001-07:002010-07-24T04:53:11.047-07:00The Humble Hamburger<p>Summer vacation has taken its toll. We bought a new car at the end of April, and it already has 6,000 miles on it. I’ve driven from Charlotte to Hilton Head to Asheville and back again. And then made a quick side trip down to South Florida. Needless to say I’m tired of driving. And I’m even more tired of eating on the road. So, now that I’m finally back home and have picked up my first box (really, boxes) of beautiful produce from the Farmer’s Fresh Market, you can imagine my excitement at being able to finally start cooking again. Only, it turns out my husband wants hamburgers for dinner. What’s a girl to do? My poor dear husband has actually been worse off than I have been in the food department: He’s had to cook for himself. So hamburgers it is… but it’s hamburgers MY way!</p> <p>One of the best food discoveries I’ve made recently was during a visit to my in-laws. My mother-in-law mentioned she had tasted a delicious dip at one of their neighborhood dinner parties. She showed me the recipe, and I was a bit incredulous. Could it really taste as good as she made it sound?? It could, and it did. Here’s the recipe:</p> <p><strong>Vidalia Onion Relish</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>5 to 6 medium onions, finely chopped </strong></li> <li><strong>- Use the food processor if you like a finer relish, chop by hand if you like it a bit chunkier</strong></li> <li><strong>½ cup apple cider vinegar</strong></li> <li><strong>1 cup sugar</strong></li> <li><strong>2 cups water</strong></li> <li><strong>½ cup mayonnaise</strong></li> <li><strong>1 tsp celery salt</strong></li> </ul> <p><strong>Soak onions in water/vinegar/sugar for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Drain well for 45 minutes in a colander. Pat dry. Mix onions with mayonnaise and celery salt.</strong> </p> <p>As I shoveled this dip into my mouth (using any available vessel… club crackers, cucumbers, a spoon) I marveled at how such simple ingredients could yield something so marvelously delicious. I figured this could elevate anything you put it on (or in)! I enjoyed this dip so much, I took a copy of the recipe and a bag of Vidalia onions with me to the mountains for my annual girls weekend trip. </p> <p>On that long drive from Hilton Head to Asheville I was listening to the Martha Stewart Radio show “Everyday Food”. Would you believe the episode I was listening to was about CONDIMENTS! The host asked for people to call in to share their favorite condiment. And that’s exactly what I did. Julie from Charlotte was live on Martha Stewart radio sharing the recipe for Vidalia Onion Relish!</p> <p>Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming… My favorite girls were a little doubtful that onions and mayonnaise would be something worth eating… but the indulged me yet again! And all weekend long, every time I turned around I saw someone shoveling onion dip into their mouth!! On hamburger night, we brought out what was left of the relish and put it on top of our burgers. Now THAT was delicious!</p> <p>Fast forward to last night. I had half a bag of Vidalia onions left over from that trip, so I make the Vidalia onion relish. I knew it was good ON a hamburger, so if figured it would also be good IN the hamburger. I took my ground beef (grass fed, locally raised) and mixed in about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, about 1/2 cup of the onion relish and some salt and pepper. </p> <p>I added some cheese, another dollop of the relish and a slice of the juiciest tomato around! The Hamburger was humble no more. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TErUJNx7kvI/AAAAAAAAAyA/iV_k9VWUNRM/s1600-h/IMG_5663%5B7%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_5663" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_5663" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/TErUJfirE3I/AAAAAAAAAyE/eJi7DoTYN9s/IMG_5663_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-44232863290977880412010-04-22T05:53:00.001-07:002010-04-22T05:54:28.270-07:00In Defense of Lard<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S9BGuNA0mLI/AAAAAAAAAxY/TiYMgSRk4Lg/s1600-h/IMG_3853%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_3853" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="164" alt="IMG_3853" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S9BGuaMTQfI/AAAAAAAAAxc/_HqZ3WFUdpM/IMG_3853_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Notice how I put the picture first. That’s right, there’s lard in those biscuits. And I tell you, I have never tasted such a light, fluffy and absolutely delicious biscuit. It’s amazing how far a little lard can go! </p> <p>I recently bought the Lee Brothers’ Cookbook, which is chock-full of delicious Southern recipes. What I love about this book is its focus on creating traditional Southern recipes using the finest local and seasonal ingredients. The Lee brothers have a small section in the book where they extol the virtues of lard, and well, it didn’t take much to convince me. I had already done some research on it, because while much maligned, it actually isn’t as bad for you as some would have you think. In fact, in moderation, it’s actually GOOD for you. You can read more about lard <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2219314/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p> <img src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/13730000/13738928.JPG" /> </p> <p>So, with my sights firmly set on creating the ultimate buttermilk biscuit, I went in search of some lard. The good news is, I didn’t have to search for long, as I knew the exact person who could set me up: My friend Kirk at the Farmer’s Fresh Market! He very kindly sent me a pound of lard with my order of other Fresh Market goodies (stay tuned for more on that). </p> <p>So last Sunday, I whipped up a batch of the Lee Brothers’ Bird-head buttermilk biscuits. I’ve been making buttermilk biscuits for quite some time,  and Scott (my husband, and official taste tester) has said on more than one occasion that my biscuits are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen. But I tell you, these biscuits set the bar even higher. They just melt in your mouth and are absolutely lard-o-licious. I also took the Lee brothers’ advice and whipped up a little batch of sorghum (molasses) butter, using up some of the sorghum I had leftover (also procured through the Farmer’s Fresh Market). Talk about a revelation. Josh tries to spread that sorghum butter on just about everything now. The rest of breakfast was almost an afterthought… well, almost. Soft-scrambled eggs with goat cheese and tarragon: The tarragon from my garden and the goat cheese from <a href="http://www.ashevillecheese.com/" target="_blank">Looking Glass Creamery,</a> also procured through… well, you know where. Delicious!</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-33346077629544944492010-03-26T12:42:00.001-07:002010-03-26T13:18:37.930-07:00Firing up the Grill!<p>Spring is in the air, and right around the corner, the long, lazy days of summer. Ever since the end of the Urban Produce Box deliveries, I’ve been counting down the days until summer is back in full tilt and I can once again cook with the finest produce around! Until then, I have to make do with what I can find at the Harris Teeter. </p> <p>I was recently inspired by a recipe for Middle Eastern Chicken Sandwiches on Epicurious: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Middle-Eastern-Grilled-Chicken-Pita-Sandwiches-with-Yogurt-Mint-Sauce-12158">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Middle-Eastern-Grilled-Chicken-Pita-Sandwiches-with-Yogurt-Mint-Sauce-12158</a></p> <p>My kids tend to make a mess with any sandwich bigger than a grilled cheese, so I decided to ‘deconstruct’ the elements and serve it the way my mom used to when I was growing up.</p> <p>I marinated the chicken as described for most of the day. I also went ahead and whipped up some dough so I could grill my own flatbread, way cheaper (and tastier) than buying a pack of pita bread. I made a cucumber and tomato salad, and the yogurt sauce as written in the recipe. I liked the idea of carmelized onions, but didn’t want to add the tomato, as I already used some in my salad. So I made a pot of Basmati rice and then topped that with my carmelized onions. </p> <p>The whole thing came together beautifully. As usual, Josh had two helpings and Erin ate her rice. I will definitely be making this again in the summer when the tomatoes are actually in season. I think next time I’ll marinate a whole, butterflied chicken and grill that. The rice and onion combination was definitely a winner!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S60OCTlvxPI/AAAAAAAAAxI/IXw8FFxirpg/s1600-h/IMG_2359%5B8%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2359" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_2359" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S60ODMCLY6I/AAAAAAAAAxM/CXnh-9b9AGc/IMG_2359_thumb%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-1371885369880640782010-02-25T18:28:00.001-08:002010-02-25T18:31:33.950-08:00If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding!!<p>I was lucky enough to have been given a sample of locally grown short-grain sticky rice not too long ago. Rice grown by a community of Hmong people out in Hickory, NC. Incongruous, I know. Nonetheless, I had this bag of local sticky rice that I knew I had to find a purpose for. As you may recall, I had checked out the big Gourmet cookbook from the library not too long ago. In that monstrous book was a recipe for rice-studded meatballs. Rice. Meat. Yum. </p> <p>I knew I had to make those meatballs. I also wanted to make the famous Vietnamese sandwich, Bahn Mi. I had some pork belly that I planned on using for that. So, Asian night at the Mall house was coming together nicely.</p> <p>I have a freezer full of pork. It seems outrageous to go to the store to buy the ground pork necessary for my rice studded meatballs. So, despite the fact that I gave up shopping for Lent, I picked up the meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer at Target a couple of days ago. In my defense, it was on sale AND I had a coupon. I defrosted some pork shoulder, and whipped out my brand new meat grinder, and set about grinding me up some pork. Maybe now the Pink Floyd reference in the title is making sense. If it’s not, let me gently remind you. (it’s 3:30 and 4:15 in)</p> <div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:143ba9f2-b133-4851-837a-e599c6ba47cf" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><div id="0c5635bc-61ff-4d9c-acb1-9ec6f4806c7f" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_bvT-DGcWw" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxoKdr5lI/AAAAAAAAAv0/Wm02fGYCHKk/video454a56f150c6%5B9%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('0c5635bc-61ff-4d9c-acb1-9ec6f4806c7f'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/M_bvT-DGcWw&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/M_bvT-DGcWw&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>It might be a while before I grind anymore meat. </p> <p>Anyway, I recovered from that rather traumatic experience, and had quite a bit more ground beef than I originally planned. So, I’m saving the pork belly to make the famous Momofuku Pork Buns and used my extra ground pork to make little Bahn Mi pork meatballs, a la this epicurious recipe: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Pork-Meatball-Banh-Mi-356790">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Pork-Meatball-Banh-Mi-356790</a></p> <p>The rice studded meatballs were good, better when dipped in a little ponzu sauce. (also an epicurious recipe): <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Studded-Meatballs-109195">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Studded-Meatballs-109195</a></p> <p>Josh loved both forms of meatball. But I knew a big Bahn Mi sandwich on French bread would be a little hard for the kids to eat. That’s when I remembered I had an extra dough ball left in the fridge. I rolled that puppy out and put it on the grill pan. That’s when I realized what I really had on my hands… PITA BREAD! I was able to split the bread and fill it with Josh’s little Bahn Mi. It’s really fantastic (the bread. and the sandwich. but really, this is about the bread) and would be even better on a real grill. </p> <p>Here’s the kid’s version of the Bahn Mi. Okay, it’s really only Josh’s version. Erin’s (HOMEMADE!!!!) pita was stuffed with ham and cheese. I know my audience.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxo_IKxnI/AAAAAAAAAuw/lGY_NFFW2hM/s1600-h/IMG_1900%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1900" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1900" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxpqQTvKI/AAAAAAAAAu0/dLXe-r1RMHc/IMG_1900_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxqMMUaiI/AAAAAAAAAu4/O_15mf1_HMY/s1600-h/IMG_1902%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1902" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="174" alt="IMG_1902" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxqYyi46I/AAAAAAAAAu8/nrd4r1h4xzE/IMG_1902_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxq-Gl7sI/AAAAAAAAAvA/xwVjEMdoPMc/s1600-h/IMG_1903%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1903" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1903" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxreXygDI/AAAAAAAAAvE/Xvml5iPb0H4/IMG_1903_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p>This is the ‘There’s no way I’m eating that!’ look.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxrzuf00I/AAAAAAAAAvI/utLNE_GvtBs/s1600-h/IMG_1901%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1901" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="174" alt="IMG_1901" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxsDiALrI/AAAAAAAAAvM/ZNdY6AI38Hs/IMG_1901_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p>The rice/meat balls before they went into the steamer.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxs6PzPJI/AAAAAAAAAv8/SRCqeB9_BHo/s1600-h/IMG_1887%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1887" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1887" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxtTa1e1I/AAAAAAAAAwE/VsBJ0TmDiFM/IMG_1887_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Ready to eat!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxuNpY_TI/AAAAAAAAAwI/tAXelQ3X8DE/s1600-h/IMG_1890%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1890" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1890" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxuW10QJI/AAAAAAAAAwM/WXwnzpWOY1U/IMG_1890_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>The meatballs for the Bahn Mi cooking away in the oven!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxvNYZ7PI/AAAAAAAAAwY/qSdLUYkr-z8/s1600-h/IMG_1898%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1898" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="169" alt="IMG_1898" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxvRFL3_I/AAAAAAAAAwc/s2fQ1ZYdj4E/IMG_1898_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>How good does that look? Trust me, it tasted even better! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxwIlMykI/AAAAAAAAAwk/vce0mcZoDRo/s1600-h/IMG_1906%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1906" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1906" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cxwlCZGhI/AAAAAAAAAws/9mF5Chts4Vs/IMG_1906_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-13754021836716663812010-02-25T17:34:00.001-08:002010-02-25T17:34:48.355-08:00This One is for the Kids!<p>Because I think sometimes they get a little tired of all my ‘experiments’ in the kitchen! So this night was all about catering to the kids, who love cheeseburgers and pizza.</p> <p>So I made cheeseburger pizza. I have made this recipe before, quite some time ago – but I remember the kids liked it. The best thing about this recipe is the pizza dough. The recipe is from Cuisine at Home and is so simple. </p> <ul> <li>1 cup warm water</li> <li>1 Tbsp sugar</li> <li>1 pkg active dry yeast</li> <li>2 1/4 cups all purpose flour</li> <li>1 cup cake flour</li> <li>1 Tbsp kosher salt</li> <li>2 Tbsp olive oil</li> </ul> <p>Proof the yeast with the sugar and warm water. Put in a stand mixer with a dough hook and add the olive oil. Add in the flours and salt and mix for 10 minutes. Pop into a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours until doubled in size. Divide dough into 4 equal balls and let rise for another hour.</p> <p>Here’s one of my dough balls!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4clLURq-mI/AAAAAAAAAuU/4Z-ZWWAyoZg/s1600-h/IMG_1879%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1879" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="179" alt="IMG_1879" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4clLzKg8NI/AAAAAAAAAuY/6qjxPa_qavI/IMG_1879_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>To make the pizzas, mix together 1/2 cup of ketchup and 1/4 cup yellow mustard. Brown some ground beef. Grate some Velveeta. (I know, Velveeta. This might be only the 2nd time I’ve used it in as many years). </p> <p>Instead of just rolling out the dough and throwing it on the pizza stone, I decided to grill mine – as the dough recipe really was meant to be used for grilled pizzas. Since it was freezing AND raining outside, I used a grill pan on my stove. I grilled one side, flipped it over and then spread some of the ketchup mixture, topped with ground beef and the blasted Velveeta. I put the whole pan in a 500 degree oven for about 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and dough is fully cooked. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4clMirsMXI/AAAAAAAAAuc/0esAWDcseus/s1600-h/IMG_1878%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1878" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1878" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4clM7T6d1I/AAAAAAAAAug/chsBi_Zy00c/IMG_1878_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>As toppings, toss together some shredded lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes and chopped dill pickles (which I toss all together). You can mix some mayo with pickle juice and drizzle over the whole thing to really take it over the top.</p> <p>Josh ate a whole pizza by himself. Here’s his third ‘piece’. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4clNQsN0NI/AAAAAAAAAuk/dt6mdJ86hN8/s1600-h/IMG_1874%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1874" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1874" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4clN9br7BI/AAAAAAAAAuo/YYBQaJ570uI/IMG_1874_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>It’s easy, tasty, and the kids love it. AND, my one leftover dough ball made a star appearance later in the week. Stay tuned for that!</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-7947597536029891382010-02-25T17:09:00.001-08:002010-03-01T10:00:50.337-08:00Lady Apple, Where Art Thou?<p>It seems like every time I go to the grocery store, I see a little bin of cute Lady Apples. Every time I see them, I think of this absolutely fabulous meal I had in New York at the beginning of the year. Lady Apples baked with some sort of Italian Sausage that there’s no chance of me finding down here. The restaurant is Gottino, in NY’s West Village: <a href="http://www.ilovegottino.com/">http://www.ilovegottino.com/</a></p> <p>Here’s a picture of those lovely apples that I think of every time I’m in the Teeter: </p> <p><img height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMZHRRffCafzeFklA2asb_Bwd6s2rsBi6883ianjf1KeHIeR_duf91DOFyS-K_kyDSbHRXI2r7_DxrJRE9nHekVpzxZQEO5hPS32HtZECT5UycQr8ctB_83itwSR4amrEMhIqRabc6vCf/s1600/NYTimes+The+Moment+1.jpg" width="240" /> </p> <p>So, a few days ago I came across a recipe that called for a few simple ingredients: chicken thighs, bacon, and you guessed it, lady apples. I thought to myself, '”GREAT! Finally, I can pick up some of those cute little apples that have been taunting me every time I’m grocery shopping!”. </p> <p>So, I drop Erin off at school, and head to the best Teeter in town, excited to finally get my hands on those cute little orbs. I push my cart with purpose through the produce section to the spot I know they occupy. Only, they’re not there. I push my cart not quite so purposefully up and down the produce section. I stop and ask the friendly produce man, “Where are my lady apples??”. He informs me that they are out, and they might, MIGHT have some more later in the week. </p> <p>Well, I wasn’t about to abandon my dinner plans for the evening -  mostly because I just couldn’t get the idea of chicken, bacon, and apples out of my head. So  I went with plan B: I used some of the beautiful (albeit full size) Pink Lady Apples I had from the Farmer’s Fresh Market. I have the say, the results were still quite tasty, and rather pretty too!</p> <p>The recipe is from epicurious.com and very straightforward. Cook your bacon until it just starts to brown, but is still pliable. Wrap around your lady apples, should you be lucky enough to have them. I wrapped my bacon around cored Pink Lady apple halves. Sear off your seasoned chicken thighs (bone in, skin on). Arrange in your baking dish in put in the oven. Using the same pan you seared your breasts in (ouch!) add apple cider and apple cider vinegar to deglaze and then a dollop of butter. Pour over your chicken and apples and continue to roast until the chicken is done. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cfMaZX_cI/AAAAAAAAAuE/Wnew6yo5fp0/s1600-h/IMG_1871%5B7%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1871" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="169" alt="IMG_1871" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S4cfNDYFS_I/AAAAAAAAAuM/MMfKvBvoM3Y/IMG_1871_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" align="left" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-14944932855900593102010-02-19T13:22:00.001-08:002010-02-19T13:22:28.882-08:00The Meatless Meal<p>‘Tis the season. Lent that is. This Wednesday kicked off the Lenten season and had me thinking about how to put together tasty, healthy meals that were meatless. Usually, if I try and serve a meal without some sort of meat, my husband will look at me like I have 3 heads. But even he can’t argue with a meatless meal during Lent! And while I always look forward to trying new recipes, my imagination gets stretched pretty thin towards the end of Lent. By the 5th or 6th Friday, I’m probably serving up some scrambled eggs or pancakes for dinner. Certainly not the most healthy option, and definitely not creative. </p> <p>Ash Wednesday was here before I knew it. I found myself in the Teeter to pick up some heavy cream, because I planned on using the leeks and goat cheese I had in the fridge to make a quiche. I planned on serving it with a simple side salad. Since I was shopping without the kids – oh what a treat – I picked up an issue of Cooks Illustrated and (warning: never shop hungry) decided that I would expand on the leeky theme and make the leek and potato soup from that issue. Oh, and the chewy chocolate brownies.</p> <p>The quiche is super simple! For the crust:</p> <ul> <li>1 1/2 cups flour</li> <li>8tbps butter</li> <li>5-6 tbps ice water</li> <li>pinch sea salt</li> </ul> <p>I use the food processor – pulse diced cold butter with flour/salt until it looks a bit like coarse cornmeal. Then slowly add water. I’ve learned the hard way that if your dough starts to come together in a ball during this stage, you’ve added too much water and your crust will be tough and brittle. It should still look coarse, but you should be able to pinch it and it will hold together. Pre-bake it @ 425 degrees for about 15 minutes… don’t forget those pie weights! </p> <p>Here’s the prepared crust, topped with the goat cheese and sauteed leeks. <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BBh3bkzI/AAAAAAAAAtY/X4YJExoqhx8/s1600-h/IMG_1791%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1791" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1791" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BBzsIwcI/AAAAAAAAAtc/l0S7vu3qfn4/IMG_1791_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>For the filling:</p> <ul> <li>6 eggs</li> <li>1 cup whole milk</li> <li>2/3 cup heavy cream</li> <li>salt to taste</li> </ul> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BCmzrJwI/AAAAAAAAAtg/83xBoBv5cC0/s1600-h/IMG_1793%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1793" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1793" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BDMYyLEI/AAAAAAAAAtk/H1RMhfSEeS0/IMG_1793_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Bake in the 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the middle is set. Here it is fresh from the oven.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BD7rAjQI/AAAAAAAAAto/_FnGIC13J3k/s1600-h/IMG_1798%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1798" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1798" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BEMoT63I/AAAAAAAAAts/xZxXxPbgQMs/IMG_1798_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>And our first meatless meal of the Lenten season. I took a picture of Josh’s plate… I ate a WHOLE lot more than that! And I found the soup recipe to be very delicious – and so easy too! It’s in this month’s issue of Cook’s Illustrated.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BE7xy0hI/AAAAAAAAAtw/Wr8orGJIhlo/s1600-h/IMG_1799%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1799" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="178" alt="IMG_1799" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S38BFBu2WVI/AAAAAAAAAt0/FQ5j9J07NfA/IMG_1799_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>    </p> <p>Oh, and the brownies were good too. Josh loved them, which is odd because he typically does not like chocolatey desserts. I didn’t take a picture though, because although they tasted very good, they were a gooey mess. The recipe calls for a baking time of 30-35 minutes – I baked mine for close to 40 and they were still a little undercooked. </p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-55617759306110060012010-02-14T11:33:00.001-08:002010-02-14T11:41:50.149-08:00And for Breakfast….<p>Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day (my others being lunch and dinner), however I rarely go to the effort of making it. It’s usually something quick like a scrambled egg or a bagel and some fruit. But, with guests in the house, breakfast is very much worth the effort. I recently purchased 1/2 a pig from the <a href="http://farmersfreshmarket.org/" target="_blank">Farmer’s Fresh Market</a>, so I had a copious amount of fresh sausage in my freezer. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hR-7v5gMI/AAAAAAAAAsg/NjPG65B24ME/s1600-h/freezer%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="freezer" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="260" alt="freezer" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hR_G_cLwI/AAAAAAAAAsk/4qnySNZni_k/freezer_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="200" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Also on hand were about 4 dozen eggs, some frozen blueberries and a small bag of dried cherries I’d picked up from Trader Joe’s. Those few ingredients turned out a rather delicious array of breakfast goodies, if I do say so myself!</p> <p>Cowboy breakfast casserole, courtesy of <a href="http://www.epicious.com">www.epicious.com</a>. Garlic-butter spread on slices of Italian bread, topped with browned sausage, green onions, cheddar cheese, and my two dozen farm-fresh eggs! </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hP_sz0JcI/AAAAAAAAAr4/Qu32DTPrcXI/s1600-h/IMG_1665%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1665" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="179" alt="IMG_1665" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hQAA9xRWI/AAAAAAAAAr8/9pokv7aJ3EY/IMG_1665_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>The world’s best blueberry muffin, recipe from Cooks Illustrated. The clincher in this recipe is taking a cup of the frozen (best quality you can find) blueberries and bringing them to a simmer with a teaspoon of sugar, mashing up the blueberries as they cook. When reduced to about a 1/4 cup, let cool and then drop a teaspoon full on top of each muffin, swirling into the batter. Top all of that with a little lemon sugar (lemon zest tossed with sugar). I had a Meyer lemon on hand, which made the lemon sugar topping all the more delicious! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hQA-DBR4I/AAAAAAAAAsA/IBAbs26xgZU/s1600-h/IMG_1680%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1680" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1680" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hQBb186iI/AAAAAAAAAsE/ZuWzKG45TD0/IMG_1680_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>And finally, cherry-vanilla scones, recipe from <a href="http://www.finecooking.com">www.finecooking.com</a>. These are nothing like the hockey-puck type scones you find in stores or at Starbucks, these are the real deal! And so easy to throw together!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hQB5l8lXI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/kkpUPPzdmn8/s1600-h/IMG_1772%5B9%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1772" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1772" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hQCCtIqrI/AAAAAAAAAsU/pzIjhBZ1BgQ/IMG_1772_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-5453494508654788862010-02-14T11:16:00.001-08:002010-02-14T11:21:13.973-08:00Dinner with Friends<p>Our good friends the Rawlins came for a visit this weekend. We had a great time! The kids were excited to have friends over and they had the rather unexpected treat of almost 4 inches of snow on Saturday! </p> <p>The best part of having friends over is being able to share a great meal with people you love. I checked out this book from the local library, and in it found a great recipe for traditional lasagna, using a Mario Batali ragu recipe at its base, bechamel, and fresh spinach lasagna noodles. I made the ragu and bechamel as written, but bought the fresh noodles from <a href="http://www.pastaandprovisions.com/" target="_blank">Pasta and Provisions</a>, because really, why go through the laborious process of rolling out your own noodles, when they can be found right up the road!</p> <p><img height="240" src="http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/41310000/41312961.JPG" width="191" /> </p> <p>The result was rich and glorious!</p> <p>In process….</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMBpij-KI/AAAAAAAAArY/8FQpAmy7OU4/s1600-h/IMG_1642%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1642" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="168" alt="IMG_1642" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMCl-XTtI/AAAAAAAAArc/1j9xZErN1Hg/IMG_1642_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p>Ready for the oven…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMD7JqwOI/AAAAAAAAArg/hdx15dbvw98/s1600-h/IMG_1647%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1647" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="220" alt="IMG_1647" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMETNBspI/AAAAAAAAArk/Q0QU8wn3gBk/IMG_1647_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>The final product!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMFJ2d9CI/AAAAAAAAAro/EBCvuEvVJKg/s1600-h/IMG_1648%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1648" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1648" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMGJIUYKI/AAAAAAAAArs/yoluMmVZQrU/IMG_1648_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p>And for dessert, homemade tiramisu! Instead of using the traditional lady fingers, I made a coffee-infused sponge cake. The result, in my opinion, is a much lighter version of the original tiramisu. The eggs used in the sponge cake and mascarpone cream filling are from local farmers via the <a href="http://farmersfreshmarket.org/" target="_blank">Farmers Fresh Market.</a>  The recipe is from <a href="http://www.finecooking.com">www.finecooking.com</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMGw7-iSI/AAAAAAAAArw/60FrFwgcJI8/s1600-h/IMG_1662%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1662" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1662" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hMHi_iRnI/AAAAAAAAAr0/M3QXfUhxtLg/IMG_1662_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-64274556761439782812010-02-14T10:54:00.001-08:002010-02-14T10:55:59.034-08:00World’s Best Snack<p>We had some good friends visiting this weekend, so in the rush to get everything cleaned/prepped on Friday before they arrived, I neglected to eat lunch. Or breakfast. So by the time the afternoon rolled around and I could stop and catch my breath, I found myself starving, but not wanting to make a meal – because I had a rather big meal planned for that evening. I had picked up a couple of loaves of French Bread from <a href="http://www.pastaandprovisions.com/" target="_blank">Pasta and Provisions</a>, makers of the best French bread I’ve ever had, earlier in the day. In my purse, I found the small sample of local honey that my friend Kirk from the <a href="http://www.farmersfreshmarket.org/" target="_blank">Farmer’s Fresh Market</a> had given me. And in the fridge, a tub of local, fresh Chevre, also procured from the Farmer’s Fresh Market. </p> <p>Those three simple ingredients turned into one of the most delicious and addictive snacks I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hGyxvvC0I/AAAAAAAAAq4/qFbjqm9T93Y/s1600-h/IMG_1641%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1641" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_1641" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hGzRuRrBI/AAAAAAAAAq8/tNDavdn_gmE/IMG_1641_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hGz5JhgoI/AAAAAAAAArE/iB4EXv7KSio/s1600-h/IMG_1635%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1635" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="157" alt="IMG_1635" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S3hG0uHnGqI/AAAAAAAAArM/kA7pwjtaEcw/IMG_1635_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-40383840535510591972010-01-18T07:28:00.001-08:002010-01-18T07:28:27.393-08:00That’s Some Pig<p>The season for the Urban produce box has slowly wound down, leaving us all excited for what’s coming in the spring/summer of 2010. In the meantime though, many of us continue to purchase individual items from the Farmer’s Fresh Market. I recently bought a whole pork shoulder, which came from ‘Glen-Finished’ pigs from the Searcy farm. Glen-finished means that not only have these special pigs been pasture-raised, but they have also been allowed to forage in the woods – something all pigs naturally love to do! The diet of these pigs has consisted of vegetables, grass, roots and berries, acorns, sweet potatoes and grain, which results in some of the most flavorful, tender pork you could imagine. </p> <p>The shoulder roast from one of these pigs played the starring role in last night’s supper. I slow roasted the meat at 300 degrees for about 5 1/2 hours. Halfway through I added mushrooms, some onion, and a little chicken stock to begin work on the mushroom gravy. The meat was amazing, tender and so full of flavor. Nothing like the mushy, flavorless meat you see from a Smithfield pig. On the side we had buttermilk mashed potatoes (using my all time favorite spud, the Kennebec). And buttered peas with carmelized shallots. I also made some buttermilk rolls using a recipe I found in this month’s Saveur Magazine. It was the perfect Sunday supper.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R-Fefh2qI/AAAAAAAAAqY/lseMf-_geb0/s1600-h/IMG_09803.jpg"><img title="IMG_0980" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_0980" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R-F8wfJsI/AAAAAAAAAqc/FLVDJqiCGp8/IMG_0980_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R-GX5N8AI/AAAAAAAAAqg/-M5uzqtjY9M/s1600-h/IMG_09833.jpg"><img title="IMG_0983" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="IMG_0983" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R-GutEcGI/AAAAAAAAAqk/-SdulUTzTTc/IMG_0983_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-6748838223248047802010-01-18T07:27:00.001-08:002010-01-18T07:47:47.023-08:00Still Cooking<p>Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve last posted. The holidays brought a whirlwind of activity that only now seems to be settling down. Even though I haven’t posted, it doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking. I’ve been lucky enough to get some amazing produce from the Farmer’s Fresh Market, which elevates just about every meal I make into something special. Or so I’d like to believe!</p> <p>Okay, so these cookies don’t feature any produce… unless you consider Extra Virgin Olive Oil produce! I am a lover of a moist and chewy chocolate chip cookie. Can’t stand the thin crispy kind that seem to be the result using an all-butter recipe. So I came across a recipe for olive oil chocolate chip cookies, and the end result was my ideal cookie. Moist and chewy and all about the chocolate chip! And I didn’t feel so guilty about eating the whole batch because I used heart-healthy olive oil!</p> <p><a title="http://crepesofwrath.net/2009/11/16/olive-oil-chocolate-chip-cookies/" href="http://crepesofwrath.net/2009/11/16/olive-oil-chocolate-chip-cookies/">http://crepesofwrath.net/2009/11/16/olive-oil-chocolate-chip-cookies/</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R9z9d9EjI/AAAAAAAAApQ/jfokKwFqsNE/s1600-h/DSC08289%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08289" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="196" alt="DSC08289" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R90JqqD-I/AAAAAAAAApU/NI_hGFJ7lTU/DSC08289_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>This was an amazing sandwich. I used some left over rib-eye, made an egg salad from my farm-fresh eggs, and topped it all with some fresh arugula. DELISH!</p> <p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R901kNauI/AAAAAAAAApY/zV3j965fBsU/s1600-h/DSC08271%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08271" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08271" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R91ZcXoFI/AAAAAAAAApc/RMl4tFrVIuY/DSC08271_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Braised baby turnips and apples with bacon. Created a few turnip lovers in this house. Well, really just me and Josh!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R92EautKI/AAAAAAAAApg/dVLBLTXjYzE/s1600-h/DSC08272%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08272" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08272" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R92by0DsI/AAAAAAAAApk/WphePPpB65k/DSC08272_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Served the turnips with a roasted pork loin studded with garlic cloves.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R93KESi0I/AAAAAAAAApo/dvO9f_mRKXw/s1600-h/DSC08274%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08274" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08274" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R93t0j6rI/AAAAAAAAAps/bWiAxwyYlnc/DSC08274_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>And some mashed (local) sweet potatoes! This was a great meal!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R94NeV3WI/AAAAAAAAApw/lcBFkexSjh0/s1600-h/DSC08276%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08276" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08276" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R94dn8rVI/AAAAAAAAAp0/FkTiDAIydgc/DSC08276_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>I had some left over mashed potatoes one evening, and found a recipe for ham and cheese stuffed potato croquette. That sounded just completely delicious, so I decided to give it a try.</p> <p><a title="http://italianfoodies.ie/2009/02/09/potato-croquettes-with-ham-cheese/" href="http://italianfoodies.ie/2009/02/09/potato-croquettes-with-ham-cheese/">http://italianfoodies.ie/2009/02/09/potato-croquettes-with-ham-cheese/</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R95AG6WqI/AAAAAAAAAp4/utiwFFWu6T4/s1600-h/DSC08280%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08280" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08280" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R95ROAUoI/AAAAAAAAAp8/dH2qXCE4-EI/DSC08280_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R96AHLkbI/AAAAAAAAAqA/uF0ZUKdV9Js/s1600-h/DSC08281%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08281" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08281" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R96e_7IHI/AAAAAAAAAqE/umLjUi8yynk/DSC08281_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R97E4KMcI/AAAAAAAAAqI/FxNAyM9rDyw/s1600-h/DSC08284%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08284" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08284" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R97ug9KPI/AAAAAAAAAqM/XHTbSumXzV0/DSC08284_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>I served the croquettes with a salad using some greens and left over veggies from one of our produce boxes. You can tell the kids are enjoying their meal!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R98XHZlaI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/nJoF4lVWk8M/s1600-h/DSC08286%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08286" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08286" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/S1R98mHlc2I/AAAAAAAAAqU/je7fTMxJ1Rs/DSC08286_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-23193884904088221362009-11-17T13:51:00.001-08:002009-11-17T16:56:06.398-08:00It Doesn’t Get Any Fresher!<p>Sometimes I forget just how lucky I am to be connected to the Farmer’s Fresh Market. Not many (although the numbers are growing) people get their produce the day after it’s picked. Think about it… the produce sitting on the shelves of your local grocery store probably traveled better than 1000 miles to get there. It was picked long before its peak. It languished in a distribution center somewhere. It rode on gas guzzling trucks for who knows how many miles! </p> <p>Every day I am thankful that I sat down one Wednesday morning with the local paper and read the article on the Farmer’s Fresh Market. I am glad I drove from one side of town to the other to check out the produce that came in the Urban Box. I remember cooking up the contents of the first box… corn and leeks that tasted like the epitome of summer. A tomato sandwich that made me weak in the knees. It’s the highlighted picture on my blog… I still dream about that sandwich!</p> <p>There’s something really special about having a connection to the land where your food comes from and to the farmers whose lives are dedicated to growing and tending it. </p> <p>Today, I only shop the produce aisle at the Harris Teeter for those few things I need to fill the snack bag, grapes and bananas usually. And I even feel guilty for that! I’ve come to depend upon what’s local AND in season to nourish my family, and we are all the better for it!</p> <p>To learn more about the Farmer’s Fresh Market, please (PLEASE) watch the video below!</p> <div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:034d490d-ec6c-41ea-a295-4fec6647ad62" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><div id="90b9e996-e3c2-432d-b316-0b10b1943459" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6bndh_qA64" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwMa1A2G-hI/AAAAAAAAAow/WqYUlwvOixA/videoffcbe3ea6c44%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('90b9e996-e3c2-432d-b316-0b10b1943459'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/y6bndh_qA64&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/y6bndh_qA64&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div>JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-71833911124800663242009-11-15T05:55:00.001-08:002009-11-17T12:12:00.674-08:00Highlight Reel<p>Roasted tomatoes</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIB0KTVtI/AAAAAAAAAnM/XO8iVCjbZQo/s1600-h/DSC08148%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08148" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="199" alt="DSC08148" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAICXSOqrI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/LO8WNHP-ILQ/DSC08148_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p>Ricotta meatballs – thanks Dena for pointing me in the direction of this recipe… they came out awesome! <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/experimental-ricotta-meatballs-prove-to.html" target="_blank">You can find the recipe here!</a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIDBhIYcI/AAAAAAAAAnU/5ffeuhjkZCI/s1600-h/DSC08217%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08217" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08217" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIDRHVJuI/AAAAAAAAAnY/sdjEXVmrPU0/DSC08217_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Here they are getting nice and brown… notice the change in pan. I need to remember to make meatballs in the non-stick skillet. While I love my le cruset… meatballs get stuck there a little too much!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIEWdj-1I/AAAAAAAAAnc/63Id9spfPts/s1600-h/DSC08221%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08221" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08221" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIEt27n8I/AAAAAAAAAng/ePQyjR8w1-8/DSC08221_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Simmering away in the sauce. I came across a great way to make marinara that is so quick and easy, but tastes like' it’s been cooking forever. Smash about 6 garlic cloves and put them in the pot with about 1/4 cup of olive oil. When they start to get nice and toasty brown (but NOT burned!) add two cans of crushed tomatoes and a 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Let simmer for a bit then add a few basil leaves to the pot and taste for salt and pepper.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIFdQtM1I/AAAAAAAAAnk/4fhUVDltZSs/s1600-h/DSC08230%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08230" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08230" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIFvYaXRI/AAAAAAAAAno/XIJsGFmSIj4/DSC08230_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>My lovely Daikon radishes. Sliced into matchsticks along with some carrot to make a quick salad to go with the Vietnamese sticky chicken below.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIGQ7QP1I/AAAAAAAAAns/bYFv9oYJn6Y/s1600-h/DSC08231%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08231" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="183" alt="DSC08231" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIGsboCUI/AAAAAAAAAnw/7bDfxV7Yqn4/DSC08231_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Fried rice as a side, one of Josh’s favorite meals!</p> <p><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/fried-rice-recipe2/index.html" target="_blank">This is the recipe I've used for years!</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIHdTfO7I/AAAAAAAAAn0/5DTClQj0_0g/s1600-h/DSC08235%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08235" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="189" alt="DSC08235" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIHlDoBWI/AAAAAAAAAn4/L5ogYU9wIB4/DSC08235_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Sticky chicken getting sticky!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIIjcEAwI/AAAAAAAAAn8/xAHRfRK1MiE/s1600-h/DSC08236%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08236" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08236" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIJIE5sJI/AAAAAAAAAoA/rtQ0qJ21xuA/DSC08236_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Served lettuce-wrap style with a little Siracha to make it spicy!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIJklumLI/AAAAAAAAAoE/y8TgqjQxZvo/s1600-h/DSC08240%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08240" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08240" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIKeC_USI/AAAAAAAAAoI/iLu81yAC7ns/DSC08240_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p><a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chocolate-guinness-cupcakes/" target="_blank">Chocolate-Guinness cupcakes</a> with vanilla butter cream frosting! My sister in law Kim gets props for the beautiful frosting effort. I can’t frost a cupcake to save my life!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIKwSVzXI/AAAAAAAAAoM/ty55XHA7HNs/s1600-h/DSC08252%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08252" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="208" alt="DSC08252" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAILIo6J6I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/tsteF3lWrgs/DSC08252_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Ebie gets the left over frosting!</p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAILqs5e3I/AAAAAAAAAoU/mrsGr3tICco/s1600-h/DSC08251%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08251" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08251" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIL7Y7bCI/AAAAAAAAAoY/obwOiEL0IVc/DSC08251_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p>One of my favorite potato dishes. 3 ingredients: potatoes (I used the awesome Kennebec potatoes from my produce box), butter, salt. Slice potatoes about 1/4 inch thick – using a mandoline makes this SUPER fast. Then melt some butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet and start layering your potatoes/butter/salt. Get a good sizzle going and then pop it in a 450* oven and cook for about 45 minutes. It comes out golden brown like this. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIM7V87oI/AAAAAAAAAoc/xFgHjvw0NeY/s1600-h/DSC08265%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08265" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08265" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIOTZP1ZI/AAAAAAAAAog/Ch27w4MupUA/DSC08265_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Then flip it out onto a dish and you have these beautiful golden/crunchy potatoes on the top, and soft, buttery potatoes on the inside. I served it with a ribeye steak and some creamed spinach. TO DIE FOR.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIPCyHCwI/AAAAAAAAAok/wBuMZJ4RNnA/s1600-h/DSC08268%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08268" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="194" alt="DSC08268" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SwAIPjFVm6I/AAAAAAAAAoo/o5i-G2x4j_w/DSC08268_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-73655128876682991142009-11-12T10:43:00.001-08:002009-11-12T14:20:57.894-08:00Overwhelmed!<p>I have a LOT of produce. My refrigerator is overflowing with fresh vegetables. For some reason, I just have not cooked my way through the goodies as quickly as I have in the past. So, as I was taking inventory of my refrigerators (yes, there are 2) I realized I needed to do some menu planning. And I am REALLY excited about using some of these goodies… especially the radishes. </p> <p>So, here’s what’s on tap for the next few days… I’ll post pictures and other ideas as I start cooking.</p> <p>First of all – I have a ton of eggs and I’ve been dying to using those broccoli sprouts from a couple of weeks ago. I saw a lovely picture of an egg salad sandwich with some sprouts on it a few days ago, so I think that will be our lunch tomorrow and maybe Saturday.</p> <p>And back to those radishes, first I have a bag full of daikon radishes, which I’ve never used before. I scoured and scoured the internet for some ideas, and have decided to give this one a try – seems pretty straightforward, and we all love Asian food so it should hopefully be a success!</p> <h5>Vietnamese Sticky Chicken with Daikon and Carrot Pickle</h5> <p><a title="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Sticky-Chicken-with-Daikon-and-Carrot-Pickle-231644" href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Sticky-Chicken-with-Daikon-and-Carrot-Pickle-231644">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Sticky-Chicken-with-Daikon-and-Carrot-Pickle-231644</a></p> <p>I’ll post a picture upon successful completion!</p> <p>And those beautiful turnips. I’ve never cooked turnips before, and am excited to give them a try. So I plan on doing a cider-glazed pork roast for Sunday dinner, and serving this on the side (from FineCooking.com):</p> <h5>Cider Glazed Turnips with Apples and Bacon</h5> <p><img src="http://www.finecooking.com/CMS/uploadedImages/Images/Cooking/Articles/Issues_61-70/fc67ka046-02.jpg" /> </p> <p>And for that beautiful bunch of mixed radishes that came in the box yesterday – I cannot wait to put those to use. I found a most unusual sounding recipe and I can’t wait to try it (we’ll see what the family thinks). It will also help to use up some zucchini and put my basil (that’s still thriving in the garden) to good use.</p> <h5>Radish Sandwiches on Zucchini Basil Muffins</h5> <p><a title="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Radish-Sandwiches-on-Zucchini-Basil-Muffins-10550" href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Radish-Sandwiches-on-Zucchini-Basil-Muffins-10550">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Radish-Sandwiches-on-Zucchini-Basil-Muffins-10550</a></p> <p>And on a non-vegetable note, I found a recipe for chocolate Guinness cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting. YUM!</p> <p>This is also looks really good… can’t wait for some kale to arrive in my box!</p> <p><a title="http://www.phoo-d.com/2009/11/braised-kale-with-white-beans-and.html" href="http://www.phoo-d.com/2009/11/braised-kale-with-white-beans-and.html">http://www.phoo-d.com/2009/11/braised-kale-with-white-beans-and.html</a></p> <p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2782/4094053771_3693900a35.jpg" /></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-64415611910758864392009-11-06T04:32:00.001-08:002009-11-06T04:32:39.223-08:00Arugula, Tomatoes, and Chicken… OH MY!<p>What to do with a bowl full of tomatoes, fresh arugula, and a pasture raised chicken? I found a pasta dish on epicurious.com that I thought sounded really tasty, but improvised just a little bit.</p> <p><a title="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Penne-with-Chicken-Arugula-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Feta-107865" href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Penne-with-Chicken-Arugula-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Feta-107865">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Penne-with-Chicken-Arugula-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Feta-107865</a></p> <p>I cored and halved the tomatoes, tossed them with some sea salt, a bit of sugar, and some olive oil, and roasted them at 500* for about 40 minutes. Then after they cooled, I peeled and chopped them (but left them in all their yummy juiciness). I broke down my little chicken into 4 piece and sprinkled those with some sea salt, pepper, and olive oil and roasted those at 375* for about 40 minutes (leaving the skin on/bone in results in really  juicy chicken!).</p> <p>To make the sauce I sauteed few cloves of chopped garlic with some red pepper flakes in a bit of olive oil, then added the chopped tomatoes and their juice. Added all the chopped up chicken, a splash of chicken stock, and ended up with a delicious (and light) sauce. In a big bowl I tossed the arugula, chicken/tomato sauce, feta and pasta together. What a delicious dinner! Even the kids loved it (minus the arugula… but I’m working on that!) Sorry, no picture, I need to charge my camera!</p> <p>And because I still have a big bowl of tomatoes left, I’m going to roast some more today, and use as a base for this recipe… which I plan on serving as tacos, instead of an appetizer.</p> <p><a title="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shredded-Pork-with-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Chipotle-Chiles-353000" href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shredded-Pork-with-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Chipotle-Chiles-353000">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shredded-Pork-with-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Chipotle-Chiles-353000</a></p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-21706597316058651832009-11-04T13:25:00.001-08:002009-11-04T13:25:28.723-08:00One Pot Wonder<p>After the day I had today, the last thing I wanted to do was stand in the kitchen cooking and cleaning all evening. I knew I had some delicious potatoes and apples on hand… and that reminded me of a great recipe I’ve made before. It’s quick. It’s tasty. And it comes together in one pan. Perfect for a day like today! Here’s the recipe:</p> <p><img src="http://www.finecooking.com/CMS/uploadedImages/Images/Cooking/Articles/Issues_61-70/fc67qd003-02.jpg" /> </p> <h3>Sausage, Potato & Apple Sauté</h3> <p>2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil <br />1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice (about 2 cups) <br />1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (bulk sausage or links with casings removed) <br />1-1/2 lb. russet potatoes <br />1 large apple <br />Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper <br />2 Tbs. tomato ketchup <br />1 Tbs. Dijon mustard <br />1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves <br />2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley</p> <hr /> <p>Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat in an 11- to 12-inch nonstick skillet. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with the side of a wooden spoon, until the sausage is golden brown and broken into small (1/2-inch) pieces, 8 to 10  minutes. While the sausage and onion cook, peel and cut the potatoes and apple into 1/2-inch dice. Scrape the cooked sausage and onions into a colander to drain briefly before transferring to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and then the potatoes and apple to the skillet; season with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes and apple are golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the ketchup, mustard, thyme, parsley, and 2 Tbs. water in a small bowl. Return the sausage and onions to the skillet and stir in the ketchup mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the hash has browned nicely, about another 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper before serving.</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-60436184672465185892009-11-01T16:21:00.001-08:002009-11-02T15:04:22.499-08:00The Most Beautiful Place on Earth<p>Is practically right in my own backyard! This past Friday, I loaded up the kids and my mom for a road trip to Rutherfordton County, NC to pick up my Thanksgiving Turkey. You know this turkey must be special to warrant an hour and a half drive with the kids in tow! </p> <p>Through my friend Kirk @ the Farmers Fresh Market, I was introduced to Genna, his neighbor, who had a few turkeys available. These special turkeys were pasture raised, and were probably some of the happiest birds around… until they had their ONE bad day! But you know, that saying stuck with me as I spent the day at Genna and Kirk’s farms. Chickens out pecking around in the yard, turkeys and chicken having access to green grass, fresh air and clean water. Not quite the same as chickens raised for Perdue or Tyson, that’s for sure! </p> <p>The kids had a ball, as you can imagine. They picked fresh eggs from the chicken house, met some donkeys and cows and saw some real live turkeys (unlike the dead ones I brought home!)</p> <p>Now for the pictures!!</p> <p>Josh and Erin gathering eggs with Genna.</p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l5QWeZ6I/AAAAAAAAAlY/Evi4mZdiZNU/s1600-h/DSC08016%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08016" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08016" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l5sqg9UI/AAAAAAAAAlc/olIfFajpXvg/DSC08016_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Feeding the mule and donkeys!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l6ZWhcCI/AAAAAAAAAlg/9750QpzaSWs/s1600-h/DSC08034%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08034" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="191" alt="DSC08034" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l6t88_eI/AAAAAAAAAlk/DLxhhajZxeI/DSC08034_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Sweet little donkeys!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l7RsqOrI/AAAAAAAAAlo/uquQJwqA2hU/s1600-h/DSC08036%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08036" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="187" alt="DSC08036" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l7p5oJ-I/AAAAAAAAAls/RvP8TVCcTX0/DSC08036_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Erin checking out the cows!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l8K_0XFI/AAAAAAAAAlw/-rqJ-VBmAoU/s1600-h/DSC08043%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08043" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08043" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l8qRFtDI/AAAAAAAAAl0/oqM4O8dM8bc/DSC08043_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Josh and Erin checking out the chicken houses. These contraptions are really cool – they are moved each day (with the chickens or turkeys inside) to fresh grass each day. And when you look where that chicken house has been you see only the most lush, green grass imaginable. Sustainable farming at it's best!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l9bLJtFI/AAAAAAAAAl4/8LMtpv_jEhk/s1600-h/DSC08045%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08045" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08045" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l96PD6wI/AAAAAAAAAl8/hXiGaR9LtzU/DSC08045_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Erin checking out the pokeberry damage with Kirk!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l-cVP15I/AAAAAAAAAmA/ClE648ub7wY/s1600-h/DSC08051%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08051" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08051" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4l-is3PbI/AAAAAAAAAmI/l4VAvQMHOfo/DSC08051_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Kirk showing her how to clean it off!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mAONHOTI/AAAAAAAAAmM/0HQ-XkDyM8o/s1600-h/DSC08052%5B9%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08052" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08052" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mAr9oVjI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/aBQ_yTFkotk/DSC08052_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>She was proud of her pink hands!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mBK0DD2I/AAAAAAAAAmU/hZS7_tvSfS0/s1600-h/DSC08054%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08054" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08054" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mBfVMWLI/AAAAAAAAAmY/YQFTjUVyW38/DSC08054_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Josh gathering more eggs. Between Genna and Kirk, we game home with close to two dozen eggs. Which sadly, we’ve already gone through!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mCJVheWI/AAAAAAAAAmc/Lro70xd8K-E/s1600-h/DSC08056%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08056" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08056" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mCnR22uI/AAAAAAAAAmg/dV-vQiHtde8/DSC08056_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p>The title for this post is really in homage to Kirk’s farm. It’s set on the most beautiful piece of property I’ve ever seen, especially this time of the year! Beautiful rolling hills, mountains off in the distance, the trees blazing with color. It’s hard to see in the picture, but in the distance one of Kirk’s Golden Retriever’s is frolicking in the hill, chasing some kind of varmint I’m sure. It just made for such a beautiful picture – happy kids, happy dogs, beautiful setting! Can’t wait to go back!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mDsnJ6xI/AAAAAAAAAmk/9vq627wkGXs/s1600-h/DSC08064%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08064" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08064" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mD9bOlaI/AAAAAAAAAmo/MOFufN_wGp4/DSC08064_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>After gathering eggs, the kids checked out the garden. Those palm tree-looking plants you see are Kale plants. I offered a dollar to which ever kid would eat a piece raw. Josh, of course, gobbled it down. Erin tried… but spit it out! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mE4PoyLI/AAAAAAAAAms/JWyODJslMSY/s1600-h/DSC08068%5B9%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08068" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08068" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mFW24G6I/AAAAAAAAAmw/v1tofjo9ZVc/DSC08068_thumb%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Kirk also put Josh to work, feeding the new chickens.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mGEPR79I/AAAAAAAAAm0/pYDv6UfENFo/s1600-h/DSC08074%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08074" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="192" alt="DSC08074" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mGWDRCOI/AAAAAAAAAm4/yZfKux5tthE/DSC08074_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>These two will be someone’s Thanksgiving dinner!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mG1uk1CI/AAAAAAAAAm8/79Cu2CsmVaI/s1600-h/DSC08086%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08086" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08086" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mHI_IY2I/AAAAAAAAAnA/LkPAu_iM9wQ/DSC08086_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Josh’s very favorite part of the day… holding the baby chicken!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mH11891I/AAAAAAAAAnE/HqnNahCkDLU/s1600-h/DSC08093%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC08093" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC08093" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Su4mIOgmb8I/AAAAAAAAAnI/bUhtUVkbTYc/DSC08093_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>All told I came home with two turkeys, three chickens, four gallons of apple cider, a bag of fresh picked baby lettuces, a bag of sweet potatoes, some kale, and about a dozen and a half eggs. And as if the day weren’t perfect enough, we stopped for lunch at Cafe at the Mall in Rutherfordton (<a href="http://www.cafeatthemall.com/">http://www.cafeatthemall.com/</a>) and had some of the most delicious sandwiches ever – rivals anything I’ve had here in Charlotte. If you are ever in that part of North Carolina, you should definitely pick up some lunch… and some of the special baked goods available as well. I came home with a loaf of cinnamon raison brioche that was delicious as French toast (and regular toast too!) Liz Rose, owner and chef is also the genius behind the delicious breads we’ve been receiving in our weekly veggie box!</p> <p>I think we all had an amazing day getting to know where our food comes from! And as you can imagine, I put all that delicious food to good use! I made an apple cider pound cake with some of those fresh eggs and apple cider, a quiche (more eggs!), and at Josh’s request, chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight, with the best damn chicken you’ll ever eat!</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-72055966868609060652009-10-25T16:07:00.001-07:002009-10-25T16:10:52.436-07:00Good Enough to Eat!<p>And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing this past week! Last week’s box was special indeed:</p> <ul> <li>1- 12 Oz. Fig Walnut Rye Bread</li> <li>3 Lbs- Mountain Fresh Tomatoes</li> <li>1 Pt- Yellow Pear Heirloom Tomatoes</li> <li>1-  8 Oz. Arugula</li> <li>3 Lbs- Sweet Potato Medley</li> <li>5 Lbs- Apple Medley</li> <li>3 Lbs- Butternut Squash</li> <li>1 Doz.- Farm Fresh Eggs</li> </ul> <p>Everything has been delicious, and we’ve just about eaten our way through everything already! On Wednesday, the eggs made their debut in ‘breakfast for dinner’ night. Scrambled with a touch of sour cream and some fresh tarragon from the garden… absolutely delicious. Years and years ago, I stayed at a bed and breakfast and was introduced to the scrambled egg and tarragon combination, and it is a good one indeed. If you  haven’t tried it, you really must. Absolutely delicious!</p> <p>Tonight, I used up the arugula in one of my favorite recipes: Rice Salad with Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Olives. The arugula was magnificent. It smelled so wonderful coming out of the bag, I just stood there and enjoyed the wonderful aroma!</p> <p>Here’s a link to the recipe and some pictures from tonight’s dinner! Served the rice salad with grilled chicken and some green beans sauteed with garlic (also farm fresh!) and lemon.</p> <p><a title="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Salad-with-Arugula-Pine-Nuts-and-Olives-2198" href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Salad-with-Arugula-Pine-Nuts-and-Olives-2198">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Salad-with-Arugula-Pine-Nuts-and-Olives-2198</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SuTaQgh7pDI/AAAAAAAAAk4/3kyeN-CUKR8/s1600-h/DSC07956%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC07956" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="236" alt="DSC07956" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SuTaRape6YI/AAAAAAAAAk8/rBgNC2iip6A/DSC07956_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>And for dessert, well, that was special! Who would have thought that butternut squash could elevate dessert to such dizzying heights? This cake was even better than I expected. I was a little wary at first about adding that much butternut squash… but the cake is just amazing!</p> <p>Here’s a picture and the recipe (from FineCooking.com)!</p> <h3>Buttermilk Cake with Spiced Vanilla Icing</h3> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SuTaR24FBSI/AAAAAAAAAlE/r8TFhMtn4oY/s1600-h/DSC07954%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC07954" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="200" alt="DSC07954" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/SuTaSjjJpuI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/nUBRbrkr4Wg/DSC07954_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>The secret to this moist, tender cake is grated butternut squash, which is folded into the batter just before baking. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the squash.Serves 10 to 12.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>For the cake:</strong> <br />4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan <br />13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pan <br />1-1/2 cups granulated sugar <br />1/2 cup canola oil <br />2 large eggs <br />1 Tbs. distilled white vinegar <br />2 tsp. pure vanilla extract <br />1 tsp. baking soda <br />1 tsp. table salt <br />1/2 tsp. ground ginger <br />1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg <br />3/4 cup buttermilk <br />2-1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 oz.)</p> <p><strong>For the icing and garnish:</strong> <br />9 oz. (2-1/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar <br />3 Tbs. buttermilk; more as needed <br />1 tsp. pure vanilla extract <br />1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg <br />1/4 tsp. table salt <br />1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger</p> <hr /> <p><strong>Make the cake</strong></p> <p>Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan; tap out excess flour. <br />In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the oil and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed. Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined. Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. <br />Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. When the cake is completely cool, transfer it to a serving plate.</p> <p><strong>Make the icing</strong></p> <p>In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Add more buttermilk, a few drops at a time, as needed, until the icing is pourable but still quite thick. Pour the icing back and forth in thick ribbons over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the ginger on top. Let the icing set at room <br />temperature, about 45 minutes, before serving.</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-69291998738998837222009-10-18T16:30:00.001-07:002009-10-18T17:03:09.129-07:00Sunday Dinner<p>I am married to a man who believes that certain foods should only be served on certain days. It’s taken me better than 12 years of marriage to figure out this system of what we can eat and when. For example, sloppy joes = Friday dinner.  Anything fancier does not qualify for a “Friday dinner”. Spaghetti and Meatballs??? Definitely a Sunday Dinner. Steak and Potatoes? Saturday? Yep! Tuesday? No way. You get the idea. So, I’m always trying to figure out the best thing to cook on any given day. </p> <p>Recently, I was watching Giada DeLaurentis’ show on the Food Network when I saw her make braised short ribs with penne pasta. I immediately thought to myself, “Yes!! This is a Sunday Dinner”. So, once I had my vegetables for this week, I made my way up to What’s Your Beef in Waxhaw to pick up my meat! 4 lbs of (amazing) short ribs later, I had put together a Sunday dinner worthy of Scott’s discriminating palate… minus the zucchini served on the side. He managed to eat a few of those, mixed in with two helpings of his pasta! </p> <p>The recipe calls for 1 cup of red wine, such as a cabernet sauvignon. I’m a firm believer in only cooking with what you’d drink, so I picked up some of this wine at the Teeter, and I would highly recommend. It went wonderfully with dinner!</p> <p><img src="http://winelibrary.com/images/41669.jpg" /> </p> <p>Here’s Giada’s recipe, followed by pictures of the final product! <a title="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-braised-short-ribs-recipe/index.html" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-braised-short-ribs-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-braised-short-ribs-recipe/index.html</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Stuk-drBgMI/AAAAAAAAAkI/mQAzyzEkWOc/s1600-h/DSC07916%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC07916" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="184" alt="DSC07916" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/Stuk-gRPMVI/AAAAAAAAAkM/iayyRTLFAS4/DSC07916_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a></p> <p>The zucchini I just trimmed by halving, slicing lengthwise and trimming some of the seeds. The best way to ensure you do not end up with mush zucchini is to salt them about 10 minutes before you cook them up. I sauteed them quickly over high heat and finished them of with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Both of the kids loved them, as did I! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/StulS64VP6I/AAAAAAAAAkg/4wAvnhz0l8g/s1600-h/DSC07910%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC07910" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="183" alt="DSC07910" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/StulTCbJLrI/AAAAAAAAAkk/9XnC5eJC0Z4/DSC07910_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/StulA9J8vdI/AAAAAAAAAkY/ueQC7oOPn2s/s1600-h/DSC07915%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="DSC07915" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="184" alt="DSC07915" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hhlEV6JOiyU/StulBa951LI/AAAAAAAAAkc/v8hwMYM1n4E/DSC07915_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>So I managed to use up a all the tomatoes and a good bit of the zucchini from last week’s box. Next up, the collards!</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413422604618537387.post-11596077338250213812009-10-17T14:12:00.001-07:002009-10-17T14:12:34.115-07:00Not for the Faint of Heart<p>Last night was date-night… at home. I picked up an awesome rib-eye steak from What’s Your Beef in Waxhaw. Spent some time pondering what to make for side dishes. I had a fridge full of corn and those awesome Kennebec potatoes. I went ALL OUT. Talk about a heart attack on a plate! I made the most decadent potato gratin I’ve ever had, and it was worth every cream-laden bite! I also used up the last of the corn in the Barefoot Contessa’s corn pudding. Yes, you saw the recipe correctly… it started with a stick of butter. </p> <p>Barefoot Contessa’s Sagaponack Corn Pudding</p> <p><a title="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sagaponack-corn-pudding-recipe/index.html" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sagaponack-corn-pudding-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sagaponack-corn-pudding-recipe/index.html</a></p> <p>Fine Cooking: Classic Potato Gratin</p> <p><img src="http://www.finecooking.com/CMS/uploadedImages/Images/Cooking/articles/issues_31-40/fc36ho036-03.jpg" /> </p> <p><a title="http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic_potato_gratin.aspx" href="http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic_potato_gratin.aspx">http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic_potato_gratin.aspx</a></p> <p>To make up for all that richness, we’re having Sushi tonight…. and no, I’m not making it!</p> JulieMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02819147074641176287noreply@blogger.com0