Detox - it's not for the feint of heart. For reals.

So it turns out I'm an addict.  My vices include but are not limited to: coffee, sugar, gluten, dairy.  So basically everything except fruit, vegetables and lean proteins - why can't my body crave those things?  I was going to throw wine onto the list but I didn't want to mock what is obviously a serious disease.  I have started a detox and I haven't been perfect (Um, I ate a taco tonight complete with cheese and tortilla because I just couldn't will myself to eat a taco in a lettuce "tortilla" with no cheese.  That's just rude.).  I have successfully kicked sugar and coffee (for three whole days, which feels like 300 days) but failed at kicking dairy - I've had cheese every single day, I've not had any wine, but I've had one tortilla.  I've learned to love smoothies with hemp protein powder, avocado and kale along with chia seed pudding.  Seriously.  I get excited to eat breakfast.  But I'm left a little cranky and foggy because my body has survived for so long supported by caffeine instead of nutrient dense food.  I honestly just want to eat eight cupcakes and wash them down with some bubbly.

Anyfood, I've decided to accept I'm going to cheat a little bit but make better choices.  Like this delightful Tuscan Kale Salad - it has cheese and gluten, but in moderation.  And for the record, I hate kale. Or I used to hate kale.  Maybe the silver lining of this whole experience is learning that I like kale prepared certain ways.

Tuscan Kale Salad
~ Adapted from www.drweil.com~

{Ingredients}

4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (AKA "dinosaur" kale which I found at our farmer's market - it is smooth and looks like what I imagine dinosaur skin would look like.) midribs removed juice of 1 lemon 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, mashed salt & pepper, to taste hot red pepper flakes, to taste 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (this instruction seems fancy - I just used my Costco sized parm.) 1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread (or, how about some Trader Joe's bread crumbs? Let's not reinvent the wheel here.)

{Instructions}

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese. Happy Healthy Eating! Owen was stoked to stand by the pirate while Elliott couldn't handle the fact that he got the puppy - he was so stinking excited. And now for some family time.  We took they boys to mini golf and it was hilarious.  And hot.  Owen went after the ball like he was a baseball player - he hit that thing so stinking hard.  Elliott has a little work to do - I wish I had taken video.  He would squat, hold the club backwards and pretty much lost interest after the first whole.  The pictures will speak for themselves. A little lesson from daddy. So serious.  Too bad he has fully swung and the ball hasn't moved... I mean, he's got the follow through.  Now he just needs to make contact. He's like a little cave man. Whatever man.  He made contact and that is 9/10ths of the battle.

Eating in the Rain

Elliott has become very helpful at rearranging my cabinets.  Super helpful.

We have had a very wet and hot summer.  If it isn't pouring rain, then it is blazing hot.  Under both circumstances we don't go outside.  Poor little boys stuck with a mama from California who only likes it outside when the weather is perfect.  So we make up inside games, like pull all the dishes out of the cabinet!  Whoo hoo!

But today was different.  It was a little humid, not too hot and we finished the day with a light rain.  Light enough that we ate dinner on the deck under our umbrella.  It was delightful!  But don't let the above picture fool you, Elliott was a bit impatient and squawked with indignation if we didn't get food onto his tray quick enough.  This smile was a rarity at dinner tonight.  Clearly we are starving him.

Tonight we dined on Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and Bacon Salad.  Double the Pig, Double the Fun!  I got this little gem from Cooking Light - I generally don't like their recipes simply because there are a million steps to cutting out the fat and making the food taste good.  But this recipe was delish and we all loved it!  I tweaked it a bit based on what we had in our fridge so I'll give both variations.

Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines

~ serves 4 ~

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3 1/2 teaspoons EVOO, divided

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 (6 oz) bone-in-center-cut pork chops (about 1/2" thick) (I bought boneless because they looked better and I could get more for my money and feed the masses.  Elliott was only interested in Annie's Mac N' Cheese but Owen was all in.  Yay for my good eater!)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray (I never used it, just EVOO)

2 ripe nectarines (I used white peaches from the farmers market)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 teaspoons mascarpone cheese (Trader Joe's didn't have it and I am only willing to make one shopping stop with my two little monsters)

Instructions

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2.  Combine thyme, 1 tablespoon oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  Rub oil mixture evenly over pork chops; sprinkle with salt and black pepper (Owen helped me with this step and I just have to say I love cooking with my soon to be big 3 year old).  Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Let stand 10 minutes.

3.  While pork stands, cut nectarines in half; discard pits.  Combine sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, cumin, and red pepper in a small bowl.  Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over cut sides of nectarines.  Place nectarines on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until tender.  Cut nectarines into wedges; top evenly with mascarpone cheese (I bet this would take it over the top - we'll try it next time!).  Serve with pork. 

Bacon Herb Salad

2 center cut bacon strips

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (6 oz) package herb salad mix (I used spinach and arugula because I am not a fan of the dill in herb salad mix.  Not sure what it is but it is extremely off-putting to me.)

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan; crumble.  Pour drippings (I didn't use all of the drippings because this seamed excessively bacony) into a medium bowl.  Add vinegar, mustard, honey, pepper and salt into bowl; stir with a whisk (NOTE: if you let it sit for a bit, the bacon drippings will begin to harden.  Just throw it in the microwave for a few seconds and voila!).  Add herb salad mix; toss to coat.  Sprinkle with bacon.

Bon Apetit!

My sweet boy.  Can't believe he'll be three in a few weeks!

Philly Foody Fun!

Footie jammie picture!

 We met some seriously amazing people when we were living in Arlington.  We are so blessed to be able to maintain those friendships - especially now that we are on the East Coast and are able to visit in person!  Four kids and five moves later, we finally were able to get together with our dear friends the Andersons.  Liz and Walter led our small group for two years and were such a blessing as leaders and friends.  I miss our weekly get-togethers!

This was the summer we met the Andersons and the rest of our wonderful small group.  Here's to a reunion this summer!  (Not pictured: the Andrews!)

Sometimes I wish we could all just move to the same cul-de-sac (maybe the one the Andersons live on?) and pick up where we left off.  Sigh.  Maybe in heaven??

Elliott and the Polar Bear at the Philadelphia Zoo in sub-zero weather.  Just kidding, it was 32*.

The Andersons took us the Lancaster Farmers Market where we had a very traditional lunch of hotdog pretzel rolls - AMAZING.  Seriously, delish and I kind of want one right now.  And we bought the goods to make Philly Cheese Steaks for dinner!  Philly Food is so up my alley!  But before we got to make the cheese steaks, we had quite the adventure at the Philadelphia Zoo in rather frigid weather!

Owen taking in the Polar Bear exhibit with is bear mittens.

 All-in-all, amazing weekend and I can't wait for our next visit - hopefully in this Summer!

Now for the cheese steaks!  Liz said she has only seen this particular meat:

i.e.: super thinly sliced, in Philadelphia area meat markets...I have yet to look for it here in Cville, but my next trip to the butcher shop I will take a look.

So, what you need is one green bell pepper and one white onion thinly sliced.  Start sauteing those bad boys in a big pan with a little EVOO until they are just tender.

Then you will just start adding the very thinly sliced meat to the pan on top of the peppers and onions. 

Give the meat a stir until it is browned.  Add a little salt and pepper to season the meat at this point.

Then start layering the provolone on top - yum.  Seriously, yum.

Then give it a good stir so the meat/onion/pepper mixture is good and provolone cheesy.  Then pour the mixture onto a cutting surface and chop it up a bit as it will be easier to load up the sandos.

Toast some delish deli rolls (apparently the rolls make all the difference and you want to get "good" rolls...) and stack them full of the cheese steak mixture.  DELISH!!

While Liz was cooking and I was taking some very poorly balanced pictures, Elliott thoroughly enjoyed the show in his bouncer.  This bouncer, I might add, I got from the "pass it along table" at my MOPS group.  Yay for free things!

Thank you Liz and Walter for teaching us the finer points of Philly Fine Dining!  Can't wait to do it again!

Brought to you by City Market

I have a few minutes to myself this morning as J took Mr. Man on an adventure, AKA: errands!  I thought I would, for once, follow through on posting when I say I will!  And I have a feeling that once B2 makes his or her debut, there will be v. little cooking, let alone blogging!

Like I said, we went to the C'ville Farmers Market, locally referred to as the City Market - bestill my heart, it runs through December!  We bought some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes for a steal ($3.60 a pound, I paid upwards of $6/lb in Seattle!) and a heaping bouquet of basil so I decided to make these yummy Pesto Chicken Burgers!

Pesto Chicken Burgers

Adapted from Everyday Food, July/August 2012 ~ serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh spinach (I love that this is pseudo healthy pesto!)
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup walnuts
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for grilling
Coarse salt and pepper
1 pound ground white-meat Chicken (surprisingly hard to come by - I had to go to two stores to find it.  I did find ground turkey with "natural flavorings."  Huh?  If you are flavoring the turkey, I suspect it isn't all that natural...)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (tip: pop the mozzarella in the freezer about 30 minutes before you slice it, makes it much easier!)
4 buns (the recipe calls for focaccia and it was a huge flop for us - we tried this recipe once before and the the focaccia fully fell apart and was a huge disappointment)

Instructions

1.  In a food processor, puree basil, spinach, garlic, walnuts, oil, and 1 tablespoon water.  Season pesto with salt and pepper.  (We made this pesto last week and still have a ton and it keeps nicely!)

2.  Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.  Combine 1 tablespoon pesto, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I eyeballed the salt and pep) and chicken and form into 4 patties.  Clean and lightly oil hot grill.  (Okay, the recipe also said to brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper and grill with the patties - I do not like grilled tomatoes so we skipped this step.)  Grill patties, covered, 4 minutes.  Flip patties and top with cheese.  (At this point you add the tomatoes, flipping once until they are lightly charred.)  Grill burgers for 4 more minutes or until they are opaque throughout.

3.  Assemble burgers by spreading pesto on each side of the bun, add toms and lettuce.  I added a bit of mayo because I hate a dry burger!

Bon Appetit!

I Heart Farmers Markets

First of all, this baby is coming sooner than I thought.  We rolled right over the one month mark yesterday and I might have thrown up in my mouth a little bit.  Is that gross to say on a food blog?  Sorry for those of you who are feint of heart.  Seriously, who moves at 32 weeks pregnant with a toddler??  This unpacking thing is for the birds.  Hopefully B2 is nice and cozy in the womb and gives us at least another three weeks so we can feather the nest!

Second, we took a break from unpacking and checked out the C'ville Farmers Market - AMAZING.  And it is not just because I am used to the v. sad Little Apple Farmers Market.  This market rivals what we used to see in the DC Metro area - it was huge!  There were a plethora of vendors and a fabulous selection of fruits and veggies!  My one complaint is that there isn't a single organic stone fruit farmer.  As peaches and nectarines are on the "dirty dozen" list, I try to buy organic.  Alas, I resorted to organic California stone fruit from Whole Foods...not my first choice, obvi.

Anyfood, I made this YUMMY corn salad tonight from corn and basil we bought at the market.  I used my new "Food Network" app for the iPad - so fun!  And of course it is an Ina gem :)

Fresh Corn Salad

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook ~ serves 4-6

Instructions
5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (one small onion)
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp good olive oil (do you think my Kirkland Brand EVOO qualifies as "good?")
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil (I didn't use such a large amount and it was still delish)

Directions

In a large pot of biling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone.  Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color (I'm not too concerned about setting the color - but apparently Ina is...).  When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cop, cutting close to the cob.  (The best way I've found to cut corn off the cob is to stand it on the stem end in a bowl and cut down - avoids a serious mess.)

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just before serving, toss int eh fresh basil.  Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temp.

Tomorrow I will share the recipe for these yummy chicken burgers!  Owen even liked them :)

Summertime!

Someone is FINALLY interested in a) standing on his own, and b) assisted walking! Yay! Up until now, anytime we held him up by the fingers he would bend his legs or fall to the floor. Alas, do I really want him walking already?!?! (Isn't this a great pic? I took it on my brother-in-law's camera with a fancy lens that blurs the background. I want one!!)

So, since it is finally summertime, complete with 99* weather in the Little Apple, I've been hitting up the local farmer's market. For the last couple of weeks there has been a TON of rhubarb. I've never, ever, cooked with rhubarb and I think I've only tasted it once in a pie. I would STRONGLY recommend NOT tasting it unless it has been cooked. It is SUPER tart!

Our small group does dessert every other Sunday before our study. Since I randomly bought rhubarb without a plan, I decided to make Ina's Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp - oh my heaven, DELISH! I don't know if I like the strawberry/rhubarb mixture or the topping the best. However, I am leaning heavily towards the topping, it was divine!! This was a fairly simple recipe and easy to whip up right before our small group!


Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Serves 6 (I don't know where she comes up with these numbers - it served 11 adults with two servings left over)

Ingredients
4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1 inch diced (4-5 stalks)
4 cups fresh strawberries, bulled and halved, if large
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 table spoon cornstarch (Ina's note: The amount of cornstarch you add depends on the juiciness of the berries and the ripeness of the rhubarb. Green rhubarb has more pectin, so the juices will set better. This is delicious any way it comes out!)
1/2 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
1 cup all purpose four
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal
12 tablespoons (YES!) cold unsalted butter, diced (1 1/2 sticks)
Vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*.

For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and the orange zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 11 baking dish and place it ion a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

For the topping, int eh bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is gold brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Bon Appetit!

Farmer's Market Envy

Hmm...me thinks I will not be seeing artichokes at my local farmer's market come April 24. On my recent trip to Cali, my sister took us to her farmer's market in Huntington Beach and we saw glorious fruit (fresh strawberries, tangerines, blood oranges, grapefruit, avocados) and delectable veggies (artichokes, beets, brussel sprouts, onions, cucumbers) and I had definite farmer's market envy. Not only does my farmer's market not begin until the end of April, I'm positive I won't be seeing any chokes, strawberries, avos or citrus fruit. Boo. But I will have copious amounts of corn. Eat your heart out Huntington Beach.

Owen got a little tired of hanging in the stroller, so Grandpa Bill gave him a lift and he was as happy as a clam! And please note that he was representing The D with his little beanie :)


Okay, so the best part of the market was the pork and cheese papusas! I ate mine so fast I forgot to take a picture. I bought dinner for my mom, sister and me for a total of $9 - sweet! Delish and budget friendly :) Um, my brother-in-law and dad had sausages, and one of them was wrapped in bacon - neat!

I wish I could have captured the sunset and Catalina Island in the background but I'm not too savy on my fancy camera. The sky was gorgeous and it was so clear you could see Catalina (for those of you not familiar with So Cal smog, a Catalina sighting is not as frequent as it should be!).

Anyhow, it is recipe time. My parents celebrated their 36th anniversary so my sister and I made them a celebratory dinner. We decided to pick up veggies at the farmer's market. The red and gold beets were beautiful so we decided on a beet salad. There is just something so earthy about fresh beets that you either love or hate. My dad LOVES beets, so this was an easy choice! My mom has this wonderful cookbook put out by the Placer County Farmer's Market that organizes recipes by what is available in the market on that date. And what do you know? For March 30: Roasted Beet Salad! So here it is an adaptation:

Ingredients

2 bunches of beets, roasted (there are many ways to roast beets, we tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 350 for an hour - they were way greasy. Another way is to place them in about 1/4" water at 350 for an hour - the water leaches out some of the vitamins, but they aren't nearly as greasy. Wait for them to cool, then peel and chop)
4 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
4 cups greens
1 avocado (not in the original, we added because we had a ton!)

Dressing:
This dressing comes from my Bride and Groom cookbook and it is a fave in our house - we use it all the time!

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher slat
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar, kosher slat and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking to incorporate. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a jar, cover tightly and shake until thoroughly blended. Adjust the seasoning to taste. the vinaigrette will keep, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Toss it all together but don't use all the dressing!

Dairy Bar and Turkey Burgers

As you all know, the J man and I have recently relocated to the dead center of America and now reside in the heartland. We are fortunate enough to live in a college town, and not just any college - an agricultural college. Now I hail from UC Davis, also an agricultural college complete with a dairy farm on campus. My roommate couldn't major in business, she had to major in agricultural economics. Go Ags! But we did not have a Dairy Bar...maybe it was for the best as I would have gained a freshman 50 instead of the freshman 15. But I would like to point out we had a wine cellar on campus and I learned to wine taste in my Intro to Viticulture and Enology class. Anyhow, Kansas State has this amazing little shop called the "Dairy Bar." We found it with the Astors a few weeks ago, and I took my parents back to get more ice cream.

We left with the above cornucopia of dairy related products: two pints of the most delectable ice cream I have EVER, I mean EVER eaten; two types of cheese (Colby and White Sharp Cheddar); a gall on of fresh milk; and 2 1/2 dozen eggs (for $2, what a steal!) But let's get back to the ice cream. For serious. If you ever decide to visit us in the middle of America (I'd recommend NOT the summer as it is 90* at 8 PM - and ridiculously humid), I will treat you to the BEST ICE CREAM EVER. My current faves are the toffee crunch and the cookie dough. And its the type of cookie dough like my mom used to make at work (she worked in a test kitchen) and bring home to make cookies. Unfortunately, she'd get home so late that she'd pop it in the freezer. Fortunately for my sister and I, that frozen cookie dough was the BEST little treat ever - esp'lly in the summer. We always ended up eating it before my mom could bake it :) Anyhow, the giant chunks of cookie dough in this ice cream remind me of my mom's cookie dough.

While my parents were in town, not only did they help us settle into our nest, but they got us a grill as an early birthday/Christmas present! Thank you mom and dad! My parents and I (while the J man was cooling his heals at work) spent three full hours putting this sucker together. It was stinking hot - but totally worth it! Our first meal was burgers! (Please note that the pic is a little blurry due to the humidity causing the lens to fog up!)

This is the "advisor" - my dad. He advised the J man on when the burgers were done, but focused mainly on staying cool (nearly impossible) and enjoying a cold one!

It was a joint effort getting these turkey burgers made - my mom used the most amazing recipe that a friend of hers developed.

The finished product, complete with pepper jack cheese on top from, you guessed it, the Dairy Bar! I know Turkey Burgers are not the most popular burger on the menu, but you HAVE to try these!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs turkey (I prefer the 93% fat, otherwise the turkey is way too dry)

1 egg

1/3 c seasoned bread crumbs

1 6 oz package of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Cheddar cheese (I'd recommend pepper jack from the Dairy Bar...)

Instructions

Mix it all together, save the cheese. Unless, of course, you want to put the cheese in the middle of the burgers, yummy. And then grill until desired doneness. J man cooked his 5 and 5 (he thinks).

Thanks mom and dad for a great visit! Can't wait for you to come back and meet your second grand baby in about one month's time!!

All Dressed Up

Isn't summer wonderful?!  I am simply addicted to anything I can get my hands on at our local Farmer's Market or our farm co-op!  This yummy Salad Nicoise was made with potatoes and tomatoes from our local farmer's market, and amazing, I mean simply delish, green beans from our farm co-0p.  This salad is so satisfying, we had it again today for lunch, sans salmon.  Yummy!  

The dressing we used was from the Silver Palate - I've only made a few things out of this little gem and, oh my heavens, it has all be great!  I used chives and parsley straight from our balcony herb garden :)

Our Favorie Vinaigrette

Makes 1 Cup ~ The Silver Palate

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh parsley and/or snipped fresh chives to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

1.  Measure the mustard into a bowl.  Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs.

2.  Continue to whisk the mixture while slowly dribbling in the olive oil until the mixture thickens.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.  Cover until ready to use.  (Vinaigrette is best if made just before it is to be used.)  If necessary, whisk again before serving.

**For our tasty Nicoise we had red potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, eggs, salmon, olives, a little lemon (for the salmon).  But you can add whatev you want!  For lunch today we added cucumbers, green onions, and yellow bell peppers - all locally grown :)

Get Grilling

We have been getting amazing, I mean absolutely amazing, fruit and veggies from our farm co-op.  This past week we have gotten more peaches than we know what to do with!  I was flipping through the July 2009 Real Simple and came across a treasure trove of 20 minute summer meals - so far we've tried two and both have been fantastic!  And, oh by the way, the J Man made this delectable dish of grilled chicken, grilled peaches, and grilled onions!  YUM.  And no, we are not violating Arlington County's restriction on BBQ's, we used are fabulous All Clad grill pan...I love me some All Clad.  Fo shizzle.

Chicken with Grilled Peaches and Arugula

Serves 4 - Real Simple, July 2009

Ingredients

4 6-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (I always put them in between some plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet so they cook a little more evenly...)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds (not an exact science...I used one large onion and sliced the rings in halfster)

3 peaches, cut into wedges (if they are on the small side, like my organic ones are [and man are they delish!!] just throw one more in there)

1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed (about 4 cups) (and again, didn't really follow this one...we used mixed baby romaine)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 oz blue cheese, broken into pieces

Instructions

> Heat grill to medium-high (or if you are going for the grill pan option, medium-high on the burners).  Brush the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  In a bowl, toss the onions, peaches, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

>Grill the chicken and onions until the chicken is cooked through and the onion are tender, 5-6 minutes per side.  Grill the peaches until charred, 2 minutes per side.

>Toss the arugula (or baby romaine) with the onions, peaches, vinegar, and remaining oil.  Top with the cheese; serve with the chicken.

Roots

So probably not the prettiest specimen, but delish nonetheless!  We got collard greens in our farm basket and I had to school myself in the fine art of Southern cooking.  The J-man's Michigander roots were actually planted in Central Tennessee and grew their way up to Motown - thus collard greens were up his ally.  As my roots are firmly planted in So Cali, I was at an absolute loss as to what to do with these "assertive greens" as the fine folks of America's Test Kitchen call them.  Don't you just marvel at the term "assertive greens?"  I guess greens such as Swiss chard, spinach, or beet greens are "passive greens?!  Anyfood, I went to my cooking bible, The New Best Recipe cookbook, and came up with this tasty side dish...absolutely amazing.  When I described the recipe to my sweet MIL, she declared it was a real "hillbilly recipe" - love it.  So ya'll get yourself some "assertive greens" and get cookin' Paula Dean style!  

Assertive Greens with Bacon and Onion

Serves 4 ~ The New Best Recipe Cookbook

Blanched Assertive Greens

Makes about 2 cups

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 lbs assertive greens, such as kale or collard, mustard, or turnip greens, stemmed, washed in 2-3 changes of cold water, and chopped coarse.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven or large, deep saute pan.  Add the salt and greens and stir until wilted.  Cover and cook until the greens are just tender, about 7 minutes.  Drain into a colander.  Rinse the Dutch oven or pan with cold water to cool, then refill with cold water.  Pour the greens into cold water to stop the cooking process.  (This all seemed to be a giant waste of time so I just drained them in a colander and ran cool water over them...)  Gather a handful of the greens, lift out of the water, and squeeze dry.  Repeat with the remaining greens.  Roughly cut each bunch of greens and proceed with the following recipe...

Assertive Greens withe BACON and Onion

Serves 4

 2 ounces bacon (about 2 slices - but really, who are they kidding?  I at least doubled this one...) cut crosswise into thin strips

Vegetable oil (not entirely necessary if you increase the tasty bacon)

1/2 medium onion, chopped fine

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 recipe Blanched Assertive Greens

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tsps cider vinegar (I don't have cider vinegar on hand, I substituted red wine vinegar)

Salt

1.  Fry the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the bacon to a place lined with paper towels.  Refrain from sampling.

2.  If necessary, add oil to the bacon drippings in the pan to make 2 tablespoons (but if you follow my suggestion above and just use more bacon, this step is wholly unnecessary.)  Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the greens and stir to coat them with the fat.  Add the broth, cover, and cook until the greens are heated through, about 2 minutes.  If any excess liquid remains, remove the lid and continue to simmer until the liquid has thickened slightly, about 1 minute longer.  Sprinkle the greens with the vinegar and bacon bits and season with salt to taste.  Serve immediately.

Bon Appetit!

The Princess and the Pea

I have been rather lackadaisical this summer in terms of posting yummy foodie finds on the blog.  This is partly due to a very very busy summer and partly due to me dividing my crafty attention between cooking, knitting, sewing, and gardening.  Now, I know what you are thinking, gardening?  Yes, on my little tiny balcony I have planted a world of succulents that my dear Grammy and my Auntie Wink gave me from their gardens.  There is just something about "passing along" a garden - I love that all of my succulents are from my Gram's and Auntie's plants.  Next post I will have pictures to share.  I've also planted a bell pepper plant that is flourishing and some fresh herbs (pronounced like Martha with a hard "h").    

Anywho, a while back I posted a little ditty about our camping trip to the Eastern Shore.  On the drive back I begged the J Man to stop at a roadside Farmer's Market to check it out.  We got melon, tomatoes, and some peas in the pod - I've never in my life had to shell peas, have you?  It took me a good hour to shell these puppies but it was TOTALLY worth it.

Aren't they pretty??  So I was trying to figure out what to make, and I decided to try the Pesto Pea Salad that Coxina posted earlier - A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!  We practically inhaled it!  I wish I could have fresh peas every day!!  They were so plump and crisp and totally different than frozen jobbies you get from the super market.  It's going to be hard going back, but alas, this salad is totally worth it!

I thought I'd repost that delectable little treat as it is totally worth it!  I decided to make a meal of it, rather than just as a side dish, so I added some tasty rotisserie chicken - yummo!!

Pesto Pea Salad

Serves 4 to 6 ~ adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients

1/4 pound baby spinach leaves

1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted (if you can get fresh peas in the pod - DO IT!!!)

1/2 cup prepared pesto (is anyone else a little surprised that Ina is recommending prepared pesto instead of making your own??)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (pignolis)

1 rotisserie chicken (optional - I just cut of chunks of the breast meat until I thought we had enough to keep us full :)

Instructions

Wash the spinach leaves and spin them dry.  Place the spinach and the peas in a large bowl.  Add the pesto and Parmesan, then sprinkle with salt.  Toss well, sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.