Squash Blossoms

While at the Farmers Market I picked up a bunch of squash blossoms. In all honesty I thought the season for blossoms was spent and we wouldn't see it again until next spring. Alas, I was wrong. There they were, deliciously calling to me. One of my favorite things to do with squash blossoms is to make a real quick & simple tempura batter and fry them fast. These work as an excellent side dish, or as an appetizer. You could make an asian dipping sauce for it - or any kind of dipping sauce you'd like, but I often just munch on them as they are.

Tempura batter
1 cup flour
1 Tbl. cornstarch
1 1/2 cup soda water
Salt (to taste)

Combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. You should end up with a lightly bubbly, thick liquid. Don't over-mix as you want some of the carbonation to stay in the batter - this helps fluff up the batter when cooked.

Squash Blossoms
1 bunch Squash Blossoms
Tempura Batter
Peanut Oil

Fill a cast iron skillet 1 1/2 inches with peanut oil. Heat up to relatively high heat (peanut oil can take it better than olive oil). Pluck the blossoms from their stems, rinse and spin dry or pat dry completely. Dredge the blossoms in the batter, covering completely, and place into the hot oil. Cook for 2 - 4 minutes until crispy (batter does NOT turn brown like other batters - it stays the same color for the most part). Turn over and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes until the batter is cooked through completely. Remove from oil and allow to sit for a few minutes on a paper towel.

Beaverton Farmer's Market

So we finally made it to the Beaverton Farmer's Market this past Saturday. And can I just say - impressive!! There are well over 100 vendors and they are local selling everything from produce, fresh meats, fresh seafood, honey and flowers to homemade jellies, chocolates, kettle corn and artwork. Quite a spread, and wonderfully exciting to walk through. And now that I have my bearings I'm more prepared for next week. I only bought a handful of things, but seriously could have gone wild. And they have a Folk Music Society so there is constantly live music. Lots of fun, and I can see us taking advantage of this market every weekend for as long as it continues this summer. Here are a few things I picked up on Saturday at the market:

Gorgeous & Juicy Donut Peaches

Kettle Corn for Keith

Lemon Cukes - just because I've never had them

Called Lemon Cukes because they look like lemons. They taste just like any other cucumber, maybe a little milder. And the skin is still bitter!

From the BBQ Pork stand - Pulled Pork Biscuits & Gravy - looks horrible, tasted amazing!

Sockeye Salmon with Crispy Shallot & Garlic Rice

While drooling over the Pacific Oysters at the market yesterday, I also couldn't keep my eyes off of the local & fresh Sockeye Salmon - gorgeous deep color! So I got a huge side (not HUGE, only about 2 lbs.) for dinner. I didn't do anything fancy - I often use dill & capers with salmon, but I wanted to taste the fish and just the fish. So I oiled & salted the skin side heavily, and threw it onto the grill. It cooke for about 8 - 10 minutes on the skin side. I added some oil, salt & pepper to the flesh side, and flipped the salmon over to cook for about 5 - 6 minutes on the flesh side. That's it. Easy and simple and delicious!

I wanted something also relatively simple for a side dish. I love my rice cooker, so that was an easy solution. I had some Jasmine rice, so in it went to the cooker. Takes about 1/2 hour. In the meantime, I heat up a generous amount of olive oil in a small pan, and threw in 1 chopped shallot and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves. I cooked them over medium heat, stirring often (with a little salt added), until they became golden brown and a little bit crispy. I poured them into a bowl to stop the cooking process, and set them aside. Once the rice was done I heaped into a bowl and added the oil, shallots & garlic. I also added about 2 Tbl. butter, another splash of olive oil, and some salt & pepper. I gave the whole thing a hearty mix, and piled it on the plate next to the salmon. Delicious!

Pacific Oysters

Yesterday at the market I saw these AMAZINGLY HUGE oysters - they were fresh and local, so I couldn't resist. I asked for 8, and the lovely woman behind the counter said "okay, but you'll have to give me a minute to get them." She had to go in the back to get them - they could only fit 4 at a time in the ice display, I kid you they were huge. She gave me to big bags, each had 4 oysters. Every one of them was at least the entire size of one of my hands - a couple were even bigger. I was in oyster heaven! As I was taking the bags the woman behind the counter said "these are great on the grill." I paused and thought "really?" But so as not to appear like she had some knowledge that I didn't, I simply said "yep! Can't wait!" On the grill?? Really?? I was intrigued!

I still wanted to open one up and eat it raw. Come on, it's freakin' huge. So I scrubbed them clean, and keith stood eagerly nearby while I shucked two - one for each of us. That slimy little fucker was massive. Not ideal for raw consumption, just too big. But we did it anyway. I threw on a little red wine vinegar and a couple of dashes of hot sauce and down it went. VERY briny and of the sea, almost a little too much. But still, great intensity of flavor. So the decision was made - the rest would be grilled. I looked up a few recipes and just decided to go simple. 8 - 10 minutes on a HOT grill, covered, until they start to pop open. Then shuck them as necessary (I still had to fight a couple of them), add a small pad of butter to each, and for me also a few dashes of hot sauce.

The grilling was awesome - not for the oysters, but for me. They were steaming/boiling in their own shells. Poor guys. Oh well, they tasted great! I'm higher on the food chain, so whatever. :) I ripped off the top shell of each and severed the muscle attaching each oyster to the shell. The shells stayed hot pretty long, so the butter melted easily. I also added just a dash of garlic salt to each because I felt the need. They were great - still very briny, but deliciously so. A great appetizer, if I do say so myself!

Dinner on the grill

Saturday night we had Kevin (a new Portland friend) over for dinner. He is diligently working to get us out and exploring Oregon in terms of camping, hiking & backpacking. But before all of that commences, I thought making him dinner would be a good place to start. A trip to the grocery store resulted in a multitude of things to eat - and things to grill!

I can't JUST make dinner...so we started with a selection from the antipasto bar that included big caper berries, hot & spicy bread & butter pickles, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomato-stuffed olives. This was complimented with a cheese plate (a smoked cows milk, a double poured cows milk separated by ash, and a triple cream cheese). I found some really nice baked sourdough crackers to use as vehicles for the cheese.

For dinner, I decided I needed some salmon. I am in the Pacific Northwest, after all - not to mention that my friend Lori in Wisconsin mentioned salmon immediately when I told her I was getting a grill. So it was already on my mind! I got a huge side of salmon and, after removing MOST of the pin bones (I tried), I cut it into small 'steaks.' The rest of the meal was vegetarian (in honor of Kevin - although he did eat the salmon!): thin slices of zucchini & squash, garlic shoots, assorted peppers, and portobello mushroom caps piled with goat cheese.

For dessert I sliced some white peaches and grilled them as well. Once the grill marks were perfect, and the peaches were warmed, I piled on some marscapone cheese and drizzled them with some clover honey, and then served them with a few fresh figs. Great evening on the grill!

Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps

Another interesting craving that turned into something delicious for dinner!  Here’s how my train of thought moved:  I have an indoor grill that works really well, but it’s HUGE and heavy so we’re getting rid of it – spring cleaning, you know.  So I started thinking of things I could use on the grill one last time – a good send-off.  So I thought of chicken satay skewers.  But then I completely altered my plan and decided on sautéing the chicken and a bunch of vegetables.  So the grill will have to wait for another day.

I did some random searches for chicken satay, and ended up combining a number of recipes (with additions and omissions as the palate in my head dictated).  One recipe called for wrapping the chicken and some vegetables in naan wraps, but I wanted an additional texture and flavor component and thought I’d wrap mine in lettuce leaves.  Into the store – thankfully I did not find any iceberg or bib lettuce (my original choices) because I “settled” on large romaine leaves and they were perfect!  They have just the right strength to carry the pile of food I subjected them to, and they have a fantastic crunch.  And to finish it off, I made a spicy peanut sauce to drizzle over top.

The colors of all the vegetables are great, and when you hit the hot pan with the minced ginger and garlic you get a fantastic and fragrant facial!  I served some jasmine thai rice with this dish which I infused with some minced garlic & ginger.

Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

3 Tbl. ginger, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbl. olive oil

3 Tbl. rice wine vinegar

3 Tbl. creamy peanut butter

1 Tbl. soy sauce

1 tsp. red chili flakes

3 Tbl. sesame oil

1 cup red onion, sliced thin

½ cup carrot, shredded

½ cup red bell pepper, sliced thin

½ cup bok choy, sliced thin

1 cup mung bean sprouts

1 Tbl. minced ginger (I grated mine)

1 garlic clove, minced (I grated mine)

4 – 6 large romaine leaves, cleaned & dried

Spicy peanut sauce (recipe below)

Combine the ginger (3 Tbl.), garlic (2 cloves), olive oil, vinegar, peanut butter,  soy sauce, and chili flakes in a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Place the chicken strips in a resealable plastic bag and pour in the contents from the food processor.  Mix thoroughly and put In the refrigerator for at least an hour.  (This would be a good time to make the spicy peanut sauce).

Heat up the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Using your fingers (or a paper towel), wipe off any excess marinade from the chicken strips and place them in the pan.  Cook the chicken for 3 – 5 minutes, turning a couple of times, until cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm.  Keep the heat on and into the same pan add the onion, carrot, pepper and bok choy.  Saute for 2 – 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.  Add the minced garlic & ginger and the bean sprouts and cook for 1 – 2 minutes to combine all the flavors.

Place your large romaine leaves on your plate.  Down the center of each leave, layer the strips of chicken.  You could drizzle the peanut sauce directly over the chicken (I didn’t, but I probably will the next time I make this).  Pile the vegetables on top of the chicken and enjoy.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recipe is adapted from Emeril Lagasse

10 garlic cloves, peeled

1 Tbl. ground coriander (original calls for 2/3 bunch of fresh coriander)

¾ cup creamy peanut butter (original calls for ½ cup)

¼ cup plus 1 Tbl. soy sauce (original calls for ½ cup – too salty)

¼ cup sesame oil

5 Tbl. sugar

Dash of rice wine vinegar

1 Tbl. red pepper flakes (original calls for 1 Tbl. hot chili oil)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Pour contents into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Saturday Morning Breakfast from the Farmer's Market

I rolled out of bed, put on a hat and made my way downstairs to the Farmer's Market.  Gotta love that convenience!  I filled my bag with beautiful apples, some fresh eggs from the guy who thinks I'm Leonardo DiCaprio, and some pastries for breakfast.  As usual, the pastries are reflective of the differences between myself and my husband.  Pumpkin Bread is both savory and sweet at the same time, so we each got 2 slices of the small loaf.  And then my additional pastry was a cheese covered bread stick, while keith's was a chocolate croissant (although there are times I can't resist chocolate croissants like this one - it reminds me of our trip to Venice...we ate one of these at a stall right outside our apartment just steps from San Marco Square).

Birthday Cupcake

I saw this at Whole Foods and knew it would be a welcome surprise for keith.  He could eat sweet things from sunup to sundown - so unlike me.  :)  But it was also a cute little start to his birthday weekend.

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is one of my favorite comfort dishes.  I've made many different versions of spaghetti carbonara over the years, but this one is certainly my favorite (not counting the Spaghetti Carbonara we had in Florence, Italy at a tiny little street cafe in an out of the way alley not far from the flat we rented - our first meal in Italy).  The dish completely came together for me after watching Mario Batali separate the eggs and serve the dish with the whole egg yolk on top. 

The dish is traditionally very creamy and cheesy, but I wanted to up the flavor impact.  So my version contains a good amount of garlic, and the addition of some red pepper flakes at the end.  And I generally use diced pancetta for this dish - but *gasp* there was none available at Whole Foods yesterday.  The bastards.  Luckily, there are tons of artisnal bacons out there, so I used a really nice smoked slab bacon that I've had before, and it worked out just fine.  And of course, I used duck eggs (which are surprisingly much harder to separate - I literally had to pinch off the whites from the yolks) - and I doubled them up.  I usually put just one yolk on top, but I wanted to use 4 egg whites in the mix, so each plate got 2 yolks.

My husband often doesn't clean his plate (that's what the dog is for!) - but when I make this, he usually licks the bowl clean.  :)  Just saying.

Ingredients
1 lb. spaghetti (prepared according to package minus 1-2 minutes cook time)
4-6 oz Pancetta, cubed (or 4 slab-cut slices of good bacon, cubed)
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pepper
1/2 cup cream
1/2 - 1 cup grated Pecorino cheese
4 eggs (duck or chicken, whatever you like)
Red pepper flakes

In a large pan, heat up a small bit of olive oil.  Add the pancetta, bacon & garlic all at the same time.  Add a pinch of salt.  Cook for about 10 minutes, until the pancetta renders most of its fat and the onions become translucent.  Add the cream and cook for a minute.  Add the just under-cooked pasta and toss everything together.  Remove from the heat and add cheese and pepper (I added about 2 1/2 Tbl.) and egg whites.  Stir through completely - the eggs will break beautifully throughout the dish.  Pile into pasta bowls, and top with egg yolks - sprinkle red pepper flakes over the top if you would like a touch of heat.  When ready to eat, simply break the yolk and let it melt through the dish.

Pork Chops, Green Beans & Mashed Potato & Cauliflower

I have an obsession with potatoes.  There, I admitted it.  I just love them.  Fried, baked, mashed, in a soup, steamed...that starchy goodness does me in every time.  So last night's meal started with the fact that I wanted mashed potatoes.  Funny, or sad?  Don't judge me.

YET - I remembered an experiment I did once that turned out fantastically: mashed potatoes and cauliflower.  Sounds a little odd, but the result is delicious.  You get the starchy potato-ness and some great flavor from the cauliflower.  If you like cauliflower, that is.  So from there it was easy to complete a meal - I wanted a green vegetable (green beans were everywhere) and some protein (pork chops called my name like Sirens on the sea).

Green Beans - I used about a pound (snipped off the ends).  I also got a small bunch of spring onions thinking I'd jazz up the green beans.  I sliced the entire bunch of spring onions along with two cloves of garlic (sliced).  I softened them up in some olive oil & salt, and then tossed in the green beans and a big handful of sliced almonds.  Great side dish!

The pork chops were really nice - and so simple.  First I pulled them out of the fridge and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, cumin (I call it the sweaty spice - come on, it smells a little like sweat), and paprika.  I heated up a touch of olive oil in a pan, and dropped in the chops.  They cooked for about 6-8 minutes each side until cooked through.  They were seared on the outside and moist in the middle - perfect.

And the mash - 2-3 potatoes (chopped) and 1 small head of cauliflower (chopped) into a pot of boiling water.  Cook until the potatoes are really tender.  Drain, and put back into the pot.  I added about 3 Tbl. butter, and maybe 1/3 cup milk - as well as a good amount of salt and some white pepper.  Mash the crap out of them and serve.

KIND Bars

I found a new favorite thing.  After swimming some laps at the Y during lunch, I was starving.  I wandered into Whole Foods and found the KIND Bars.  Freakin' fantastic!!  I had the Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio + Antioxidants bar and loved it.  I also picked up the Almond Cashew with Flax for breakfast tomorrow (along with a lovely Pink Lady Apple - don't you love the name?).  High Props to the KIND Snack company for these bars.

Chris' Gourmet Dogs & Baked Yam Slices

Last night I wanted something comforting, and relatively cheap.  I had $30 in my wallet and decided to make it work.  Unfortunately I failed - I had to buy a new jar of grated Horseradish which put me over by $3.00!!  Still - very close.  :)

Red Pepper & Cornichon Relish

I decided on some gourmet hot dogs.  Whole Foods carries some great all-beef, natural casing hot dogs, so I just started building from there.  One red pepper, one Vidalia onion, one mango - a package of potato buns (for hot dogs), some grated Horseradish, and two massive yams.  Actually, now that I think of it, I bought a couple of cans of dog food.  Since that doesn't count towards MY dinner, then I didn't actually go over my $30 budget.  Sweet.

Sweet Onion, Mango & Apple Relish

Once I had everything together, I opted for 2 different types of hot dogs.  The first had dijon mustard, ketchup, finely shredded cobly jack & cheddar cheese, and the sweet red pepper & cornichon relish I made.  The second was an open-face hot dog, with 2 dogs on the bun.  I put some dijon mustard on the bottom, and piled on sauteed sweet onions, mango & apple.  It was served with thick sliced baked yams, and a horseradish & paprika mayonnaise.  Quite comforting - and filling!!

Horseradish & Paprika Mayonnaise

Pepper & Cornichon Relish
1/2 Red Pepper, finely chopped
Small handful cornichon (or 1-2 pickles of your choice), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch sugar


Horseradish & Paprika Mayonnaise
2 Tbl. grated Horseradish
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbl. Paprika
1 tsp. pepper

Sweet Onion, Mango & Apple Relish
2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1/2 mango, cubed
1/2 apple, diced
Salt

Over medium heat, combine all the ingredients and cook slowly until they are all soft and well cooked through.  Do not caramelize the onions - the salt should help prevent that.  They should be sweated through and translucent.  Pile the relish on top of the hot dog and enjoy.

Hands-On Seafood Feast

After much internal debate, I decided on seafood for our anniversary dinner.  Last year I learned how to shuck oysters in a French Bistro cooking class, and ever since then I try to find any reason to shuck.  It's fun - nothing like working for your food!  As I perused the seafood section I found some boiled crawfish - I would have LOVED to find some fresh ones, but alas none were available.  That didn't stop me from grabbing a bag full of the pre-boiled ones (and then running home to find out online how to exactly tear them apart and eat them correctly - I'd only ever had the meat before, never shelled them).

In the frozen section I found some snails - they never have fresh snails either, something I've not yet cooked from start to finish.  But I've had these frozen escargot before, and they are delicious - filled with a wonderful herb butter.

And finally, to round out all the seafood, four massive king crab legs!

I got to work as soon as I got home.  First, I wanted something to spoon onto the raw oysters.  I made (basically) some pickled shallots.  Red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and a few dashes of Tobasco sauce combined with finely chopped shallots - I let it all sit for a few hours so that the shallots became "pickled."  This was perfect on the oysters, and had the tiniest touch of heat from the Tobasco, so you got the freshness of the oyster, the pickle from the vinegar, the spice from the pepper & shallot, the sweet from the sugar, saltiness, and a tiny heat aftertaste.  The perfect combination of flavors.

The oysters themselves didn't take me as long as expected to shuck.  I'm getting better!!  I put a few ice bags in the bottom of a big bowl, and shucked the oysters about an hour before we were going to eat.  Shucking is fun if you have the right tool.  Once opened, just remember to remove the oyster from it's connection to the shell (run your shucking tool across the muscle to cut it).  I arranged the oysters in the bowl, and put them in the fridge.

Next I got out some of that delicious roasted garlic I found the other day.  I chopped it up and placed it on a plate.  I sprinkled salt & pepper over it, and then poured on some olive oil.  This was the perfect dipping sauce to go with the great loaf of Sullivan Street Bakery bread I brought home.  The snails only needed to cook for about 10 minutes in a really hot oven - just enough to make the her butter bubbly and delicious.

And I pulled out my behemoth stock pot for the crab legs.  I never boil them, I always steam them.  I placed the steamer tray in the bottom of the stock pot and added some water - once it started boiling, in went the crab legs and I covered it with a baking sheet (I know - I don't have a lid for that big pot).  The legs were easily 1 1/2 feet long each, but fit nicely in the pot.  I made sure to put the large parts of the legs (either the joint where the leg was attached to the body, or in some cases the massive claw) at the bottom so they received the most heat.  They steamed for 12-15 minutes and were perfectly cooked.  We each had our shell crackers, and I always bring out the kitchen scissors when I cook these huge crab legs - sometimes it's just easier to cut!  A small bowl of melted butter each, and we were off.  Eating with your hands - especially something so rich and decadent as things like oysters and crab legs - can be a very sensual experience.  It was the perfect meal for our 7 year anniversary.

Roasted Garlic on Bread

Yesterday while shopping for dinner, I found these fantastic little bags filled with gorgeously roasted garlic.  Now roasting garlic at home is quite easy...but it's SO much easier to squeeze perfectly roasted garlic cloves out of a small bag!  I had some great bread left, so we had roasted garlic on bread as an appetizer.  I plopped a small handful of roasted cloves into the mortar & pestle, added a pinch of salt and some olive oil and mashed the hell out of them.  Then I liberally spread it over sliced of bread.  Lovely little snack.  Just make sure everyone in the house enjoys this at the same time.  :)

Sultry Lamb Stew

Yesterday I came home from work and the kitchen was sparkly clean.  I can't tell you what that does to my mood.  I once told keith that the kitchen is my sanctuary, and from that point on he's always made sure it's neat and tidy for me.  Ain't marriage grand?

We had amazing weather on Monday, and then it turned cool and rainy.  Perfect timing for a rich, savory stew.  As I walked into Whole Foods I knew a few things - the stew was going to be lamb and tomato based; I wanted some more fennel; and I needed some damn good bread to soak up some of the broth of the stew.  The rest just fell into place.  A lot of the technique for this dish really came from watching reruns of Molto Mario, but the fun of a recipe like this is that you don't have to follow a recipe at all.  Just make it up as you go along.

I emerged from the subway on my way home and made a beeline to PJ's Wine - despite being weighed down with groceries, I knew that I needed some wine.  And I recently discovered Bob's South African Wine - specifically their Chenin Blanc.  It's $9/bottle and is a fantastic table wine.  It's one of those wines that I should probably just buy a case of to have around.

I walked in to my sparkling clean kitchen and laid everything out for the meal (this is one of my favorite things to do - pulling out all of the ingredients...I'm so freakin' anal efficient sometimes).  My trusty sidekick was nearby ready to sample everything for freshness and flavor.  In truth, I don't think my dog Max actually ever tastes anything, he just wolfs it down.  But he's always there, and always willing.  As I was cooking I cut into the bread - there is something so comforting about the yeasty smell of really good bread.  Max liked it as well.  And I finished the stew with some grated Manchego cheese - I originally wanted some Pecorino, but for the life of me I couldn't find any.  YET - the Manchego was a perfect substitute!  And fair warning - this is a dish that needs a fork, a knife and a spoon.  My kind of meal!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. Lamb, cut into 2" chunks
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
1 bulb Fennel, cut into large pieces, frond reserved
1 white Onio, cut into large pieces
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 can whole, peeled tomatoes with the juice
1 bunch Kale, roughly torn apart into pieces
2 Tbl. fresh Marjoram, torn up by hand
2 dried peppers (your choice for heat)
1 cup dry white wine (I used Chenin Blanc)
3 carrots, cut into large pieces
2 Tbl. tomato paste
1 Tbl. capers
Red pepper flakes

Just a note: all of the main ingredients (vegetables & meat) should be chunky in size.  You want to have to really get into the stew - this isn't a dish where a small piece of everything should fit on a spoon.  In a dutch oven, heat up a 3-count pour of olive oil over relatively high heat.  Put some flour in a bowl, mix in salt & pepper by hand.  Coat each piece of lamb in the flour mixture, and place in the dutch oven.  Don't touch it for at least 3 minutes - until it gets really seared and brown.  Turn it over and do the same to the other side.  Likely you'll need to do this in 2 batches - don't overcrowd the pot.  Once browned, remove the lamb and set aside.

If necessary, add a little more oil and then throw in the carrots, fennel, onion and garlic.  Add some salt to encourage the vegetables to begin softening.  Cook for 8-10 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir through.  Let the paste heat up - it will begin to color everything a beautiful rich red hue.  If you can find the concentrated paste in a tube, it's the best.  Otherwise any canned paste will do as well.  Cook for 2 minutes, and then add the wine.  Make sure to use the liquid to get any remaining pieces of lamb up off the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes - crushing them by hand as you put them into the pot.  Pour in the liquid from the can of tomatoes as well.  Add the whole dried chiles (pick them out before serving), marjoram and capers.  Bring to a bubble, then add the meat to the mixture.  Stir it through and bring to a bubble again.  Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Uncover, add the kale and a few fennel fronds and stir them through.  As soon as they wilt all the way down and get incorporated into the stew, turn off the heat.  Ladle into big bowls - drizzle some olive oil over top, and grate some Manchego cheese over each bowl.  Top with a few fresh fennel fronds and add a pinch of red pepper flakes (if, like me, you want a little extra heat).  Serve with chunky, chewy, crusty bread.

Farmers Market

Every Saturday there is a fantastic Farmers Market on our street here in Inwood.  I'm amazed at how much it has grown in the 6 years we've been in the area.  There are all kinds of vendors:  wine, honey, duck, turkey, cheese, beef, and the list goes on (and it's year round - for the most part).  And nearly every Saturday I make a point to walk through the market.  So this morning the whole family headed for the market.  My husband was being pulled along by our yellow lab, Max, and I had the big shopping bag ready for the market.

I knew I wanted a bunch of apples (a favorite snack in this apartment!), and a small loaf of pumpkin bread for breakfast.  Alas, I came back with so much more.  I got 2 amazingly fresh duck breasts for dinner - as well as some homemade spinach ravioli.  I resisted the fresh cheese tent, but did buy a cheese danish and a cinnamon raisin loaf along with the pumpkin bread.  I also snagged a small bag of sunflower sprouts - I've never had them, but I thought they might make a really nice salad to go with the duck breasts tonight!

If you have a local farmers market, I would encourage you to check it out - and frequently.  It truly is amazing how good fresh and local produce and products are.  And there's something absolutely wonderful about buying a jar of wildflower honey knowing that it was made not far from where you live.

Porterhouse Steak

Whole Foods has a really nice butcher station.  They dry age their own meat, and sometimes I can't help but splurge.  Last night was one of those nights.  I knew I was getting steak - I was in the mood to celebrate the coming of the weekend with something rich and decadent.  I saw the massive dry-aged porterhouse steaks, and couldn't pass them up.  Despite the fact that they were about $30 each - come on, I'd easily pay that or more in a good steak house, and I KNOW I can cook a steak just as good (or better) than a steakhouse.  :)

I grabbed some baby bella mushrooms and Stilton bleu cheese to top off the steaks.  And for vegetables, the bag of baby carrots just called out to me - as did the artichokes.  So I was set to head home and...wait.  With keith's new job he usually doesn't get home until 7pm - that's not all that late, but in an effort to shape up I've curtailed my weekday eating habits so by 6pm I'm nearly drooling with desire for something of substance to put in my mouth.  So I simply make a habit of having some little tidbit to munch on.  I found this cute little box of vine-ripened tomatoes from a local greenhouse and they serve as the perfect snack.  And I have to tell you, when I pulled the first tomato off the vine and smelled the spot where it was attached to the vine, I was transported.  It's things like smelling a tomato off a vine that I completely miss here in NYC.  The smell is at once comforting and hopeful, earthy and uplifting.  Seriously, I think I stood in the kitchen deeply inhaling the fresh tomato smell and completely forgot that I wanted to eat the juicy vegetable.  :)

Oh right...I was telling you about the steak.  I have a pretty typical way of cooking steak (given the fact that I don't have a true grill, just a fantastic indoor one that doesn't do steak justice).  I heat up a large skillet - really, really hot - usually with a touch of oil (unless I use the cast iron).  At the same time, I heat the oven up to 450 degrees.  The steak gets seared like crazy on both sides in the pan, and then thrown in the oven.  And my secret - at the very end of cooking I drop a pad of butter over each and let it melt into the steak.

I made a raw artichoke salad that I placed overtop the steak.  It wasn't necessary - at least not on top of the steak.  I have a new appreciation for artichokes because of past episodes of Molto Mario - and I'm learning to be quicker as I break them down.  It's still pretty time consuming and challenging.  I also served it with some baby carrots that I boiled for about 4-5 minutes, drained, and then tossed in some brown butter, salt & pepper.  YUM!

There isn't much to this recipe, so I'll just give you some details.  The mushrooms I cooked in oil for probably 15 minutes, until they were soft and delicious.  For the steak, salt & pepper each side, then sear both sides in a hot, hot pan for maybe 4 minutes (until really browned and lovely).  Then into a 450 degree oven for no more than 6-8 minutes (I'm a mid-rare kind of guy).  At the very end, throw a piece of butter on top and let it melt.  Pull out the steaks and let them rest for 5 minutes.  Pile the mushrooms on top, and then crumble some Stilton over top.  No steak sauce - no nothing, don't you dare.  Especially with a cut of meat like this.  :)

Breakfast Sandwich for Dinner

I had some soft potato buns and really wanted to use them before they started to get firm.  I often make egg sandwiches for breakfast, but this time - since it was for dinner - I wanted something a little heartier.  Admittedly, these sandwiches were a touch on the "Dagwood" side (and I'm only 34...but "Blondie" was around for a lot of my youth, so if you don't get the reference...I hate you...haha).

I basically just decided to take everything that would be in a really nice omelet and make a sandwich out of it.  And for some reason right off the bat I knew that I wanted to make a chipotle mayonnaise for the sandwich.  Lo and behold, I found a jar of it at the grocery store and didn't have to do it myself.  And I'll tell you what, it's quite tasty!

So this was dinner one night this week.  Really quite easy - and delicious if served with tater tots!  :)  And while it's not the most photogenic sandwich I've ever made, it certainly was yummy!

Ingredients:
1 thick slice of ham (I found a packaged "ham steak" slice about 1/2 inch thick)
Potato buns
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbl. olive oil
6 eggs, scrambled (I generally scramble my eggs with a little cream, salt & pepper)
2 Tbl. butter
Salt
Pepper
White cheddar cheese, sliced (2 slices per sandwich)
Chipotle mayonnaise (feel free to make it yourself, I didn't!)

Heat up the olive oil in a pan, and throw in the peppers and onion.  Add some salt to make them start breaking down.  Saute these for about 4-5 minutes until they begin to get tender.  While that's cooking, in a bowl scramble the eggs and set aside.

Cut the ham into pieces the same size as the buns.  You can either heat the ham up on the stove in a pan (both sides) until heated through, or simply throw it in the microwave for a minute.

Add the butter to the peppers & onion, once melted add the eggs and cook over medium-high heat.  Do not continue scrambling them in the pan, instead you should try for a frittata-like consistency.  Move the eggs around to ensure even cooking on the bottom.  Once the bottom of the eggs is cooked, place the pan under the broiler to cook the top.  This shouldn't take more than 2 minutes.  Slice the frittata into pieces relatively the same size as the buns.  Add a smear of the chipotle mayonnaise to each side of the bun, place the cheddar cheese on first followed by the hot ham, and then the eggs.