The bounty of summer

Though there is the hint of fall in the air, summer still has some life left in her...and this was evident at the weekend farmers market...there is a bounty of fruits and veggies, overflowing with colors, textures,
tastes and smells...

Since the Southern Man and I were going to a BBQ on Labor Day, the market was ideal to pick up just about everything I needed to make salsa...vine ripe tomatoes, yellow peppers, sweet onions and cilantro...

It was easy to whip up a big bowl of salsa fresca...using a recipe of Mark Bittman's, I put everything in the food processor, gave it a short whirl, added lime juice, sea salt and a dash of ground pepper and it was done...

By the way...as opposed to the Southern Man's collection of over 300 cookbooks, I have just a few that I refer to now and again...How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman is one of them...He also has written a few others...and the recipe for Salsa Fresca came from The Best Recipes in the World.  Simple, uncomplicated recipes...for novice to experienced chef...I always find what I am looking for in one of his books...

The salsa was a hit at the BBQ...it was a wonderful evening to sit outside with friends and enjoy the remnants of summer sun...

Saturday breakfast...

Yesterday was one of those great Saturdays...
starting with breakfast at a friend's home, eating homemade pancakes...

made from a old family recipe and sprinkled with blueberries from last summer's garden...

These were the best pancakes I've ever had...will definitely be using this recipe the next time I make pancakes...
or maybe they tasted so good since someone else did the cooking...

Cold comfort

Now that January is here, I'm happy for the clean start to the year...but the weather turns unbearably gray and drizzly (well...actually that's been a little snowy lately...no, make that alot snowy...for us here in the Pacific NW!)   All I feel like doing is staying inside...working...or reading...or cooking...


I just finished reading Gabrielle Hamilton's autobiography, Blood, Bones and Butter.  It was a fascinating read...and not sugar-coated in the least.  In the same vein as Anthony Bourdain's books, you might sometimes think twice about your restaurant meal and what it went through before it arrived at your table...but Hamilton's book also inspired me to go into the kitchen and cook...preparing heart-warming and soul-stirring food...or at least, give it my best shot!










We had a ton of carrots leftover from our annual New Year's Day open house...and there's only so many carrots I can chomp on during the day...I thought I would roast them until they were sweet, soft, caramelized, melt in your mouth nuggets...

raw carrots with garlic cloves, sea salt and cracked pepper...

I added chopped red onion, parsley and green olives to the roasted carrots...tossed the carrots with olive oil, a handful of roasted sunflower seeds and a pinch of red pepper flakes along with some rotini pasta...

with a glass of rough red wine, it provided plenty of cold comfort on a chilly January night...

Try it, you'll like it!

While I was in Yakima last weekend, my sister and I shopped at the Farmers' Market on Sunday morning.  Since the weather is drier and warmer on the eastern side of the state (as opposed to where I am - cold and wet!), the selection of produce at this time of the year is far better than what I can get at my local farmers' market.

There was plenty I brought home for week night dinners...apricots, garlic, green beans, zucchini, kale...and arugula.  Now, I had never tasted arugula before - never really gave it much thought...but the owner of Punkin Center Farms was extolling its virtues to another customer so I munched on a leaf...I loved the peppery, fresh taste...I bought a bag and concocted my recipe...


My plan was to make a salad...
washed the arugula...

sliced up the apricots...

made a balsamic vinaigrette with the garlic and a little red onion...

as well as simple marinade for a couple of boneless chicken breasts...I like to add the marinade to the breasts in a plastic container with a tight lid and then shake it all up...the marinade is evenly distributed and flavors the chicken nicely.

Once the chicken was sauteed, it was time to put the salad together.  I lightly dressed the arugula, sliced up a chicken breast, added the sliced red onions and apricots and topped it off with a sprinkle of gorgonzola cheese.  With a side of homemade three seed bread, it was the perfect farmers' market meal.

Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special which is focusing on healthy meals...it all makes sense...if you're out looking for junk, you'd better be in good shape 'cause its not an easy task!

Eco-living

Today is St. Pat's Day - so let's celebrate the green...but a different type of green...
I've always been concerned about the environment - I remember the first Earth Day in 1970 - I studied ecology and environmental sciences in college - recycling/reusing has always been a way of life for me.   So here's three new eco-ideas that I wanted to share with you...

A blog-
Reading the current issue of Where Women Create, introduced me to Ronnie Citron-Fink and her blog, econesting.  I love that term...my home is my nest and I want to live responsibly in it.  Ronnie writes for several publications and her blog is a compilation of her articles as well as other day-to-day insights.

 A book -
I recently bought the cookbook Urban Pantry by Amy Pennington, published by Skipstone Press (the same publishers who published my book, The Salvage Studio.  Skipstone is a publishing off-shoot of The Mountaineers Books that focuses on environmental/sustainable living topics). 


Amy provides guidance (and a hefty serving of recipes) on what to stock in your pantry so you can easily cook up a tasty, wholesome meal in minutes.   With a nod to Meatless Monday, I made the Cumin Black Bean Pot with Cabbage - it was easy, nutritious and economical - a winner on all counts!  All I added was homemade cornbread and dinner was complete...Peanut Soba noodles are next on the list to try...















A package-
I've become more conscientious of product packaging - especially if it can't be recycled.  I had been packaging my greeting cards in clear cellophane sleeves - and even though the material is coded "5" for recycling, at least in my community, "5" goes in the garbage can.  I re-designed my packaging so that I use recycled materials (old book pages) that can be recycled again once the package of cards is opened.  To see my complete line of greeting cards for sale, click on my page of collage stationery.





















What eco-friendly ideas have you discovered lately...do tell!

Substitutions allowed

It was time for dinner...since we plan out a rough menu for the week, I knew that I'd be making Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe - a great recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis.  I love all the Giada cookbooks - simple recipes that are easy to make and taste fantastic!

As I gather up ingredients, I find I don't have everything the recipe calls for...no problem.
Instead of broccoli rabe, I had kale.
Instead of parmesan cheese, I had blue.

Instead of orecchiette, I had farfalle. 
I always have garlic in the house.

Calvin enjoys eating the kale stems - anything green & crunchy is a treat for him.

Dinner is served.  Instead of red wine, I have white.

Instead of stressing that I didn't have the right ingredients, I had substitutions.  Cooking/Art - sometimes with a little creativity and a change in plans, you can have a great outcome.

And if you haven't entered my anniversary giveaway, there's still time...all the details are HERE!

Cooking is a multi-media art form

As I have mentioned before, I think cooking closely aligns itself with collage...you take a selection of ingredients, mix them together in an interesting combination and produce an end result that is an amalgamation of your original elements... Paper or  potatoes - the process is the same!

Tonight its Black Bean Burritos.  First the filling...a can of drained & rinsed black beans.

an aside...the strides that have been made with canned beans in the last 30 years is astounding...I used to cook my beans from scratch all the time since canned beans were horrible (and black beans impossible to find in northern Wisconsin back then!)  Every imaginable bean is now canned and ready for its culinary preparation in an instant!

To the beans, I've added chopped onion and garlic, frozen white corn kernels and spices (cumin and mexican oregano).  There were leftover roasted potatoes in the fridge - I cut them up and threw them in...also a little shredded cheddar cheese.

Next is the sauce...a can of diced tomatoes with half a jar of peach/pineapple salsa - bring it to a simmer...add in a little more cumin and a spoonful of cocoa...playing off the sweetness of the peach/pineapple, it will suggest a molé flavor.

I spread a dab of whipped cream cheese on the tortillas before I rolled up the filling - adds a nice creaminess to the burritos.

Six burritos fit nicely in the Le Creuset oblong pan - make sure to ladle a good amount of the sauce in the bottom of the pan so the burritos are soft on the bottom and not tough.

another aside...I love my Le Creuset pans (and have Monty to thank for introducing them to me) ...granted they are expensive but they are worth it - they will last a lifetime.  I use the enameled cast iron french oven and the oblong roaster the most while the petite french oven and the two skillets wait their turns.

Cover with foil, bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes...a glass of red wine, maybe a green salad...excuse me, but its dinner...