Slow return to normal

Prior to the wedding we had a great last dinner upstairs, it seemed only fitting to return to normal with an exceptional meal. Inspired by a several recipes in last month's Bon Appetite, last night we had:



Shitake mushroom, asparagus, and leek tartlets
Saute in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil,
2 thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only (rinse very thoroughly to remove any sand and grit)
10 - 12 ounces of shitake mushrooms thinly sliced until wilted and lightly browned

Remove from heat and place in a medium sized bowl with,
1 pound of asparagus, bottoms snapped and diagonally cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 cup of creme fraiche
2 oz of grated gruyere cheese
Zest and juice of lemon
1 tablespoon of thyme
Stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Cut 2 sheets (1 package) frozen puff pastry into 8 squares, place on 2 ungreased cookie sheets. Distribute mushroom, asparagus and leek mixture evenly, mounding slightly to leave 1/2 inch border on tartlet.

Bake for 10 - 11 minutes, turn and flip sheet position in oven. Bake an additional 8 - 10 minutes, remove from oven. Run edge of spatula under each tartlet to loosen, allow to sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.



Lightly minted, fresh and bright pea soup
Over medium heat, saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil 6 shallots - roughly chopped

Add 1 1/2 lbs of frozen petite peas, stir to combine with shallots.

Add 4 cups (1 box) of low sodium vegetable stock, stir to combine. Raise heat, and allow to come to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 8 - 10 minutes. Add:
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
Juice of 2 lemons

In batches puree peas and broth until silky smooth. Return to stove heat over low. Salt and pepper to taste

Accompanied by
Pan fried Mangalista chops, from our swine supply in the freezer

Serendipitously digging in the dirt

Today I serendipitously ran into my friend Leslie. I woke up with a head-ache (an all too common event) and was unable to go to class. After trying to sleep it off, I got up and decided to just start checking things off my daily "To Do" list. After a cheese roll at Cheeseboard, I went to Monterrey Market and while I was mentally making sure I had picked up everything for dinner, there she was in front of the chard. She was on her way to Berkeley Horticulture (maybe the best nursery ever) for the very first time. She tagged along for my grocery shopping, I tagged along to the nursery. After a stop at the butcher we had a lovely fresco lunch before parting ways. Both happy for coincidentally being able to be together.

Before now I have never lived in a place long off to know enough people to "just run into someone" anywhere. Today in addition to Leslie, I saw a friend-of a-friend and an old BMC buddy while having lunch. It feels lovely and familiar. I'll miss it next year where-ever we are.

So, because of this serendipitous meeting I started my garden plot for 2008.

Before:


And after:


I bought and planted:
- English peas
- Snow peas
- Artichoke
- Poppies that look like peonies (to attract pollinators)

Still to come:
- Herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil, oregano)
- Rainbow chard
- Spinach

First full day of Spring

I love this website, School of the Seasons.

In my heart of hearts, I like traditions. Events, rituals, what-not: Things that are repeated year after year.

Quietly, I have been working on my own set of traditions. In January to mark Martin Luther Kind Day we attended a gospel concert in his honor; In February for Valentine's Day: 2 Desserts and No Dinner and now the first full day of Spring....

For spring:
- Last night, while chatting with an old friend. I straightened up, in order to greet the "new year" with a "clean" house. I'll finish up tonight.
- I bought daffodils to brighten my apartment.
- I went to the Thursday Farmer's Market. Something, I wish was a weekly tradition.
- Tonight for dinner we-ll be having S - almon (keeping with a neo-Persian tradition).
- If Andy can find the last egg dying kit in East Bay, I'll dye eggs and than have deviled eggs a few days later.
- Moving or not, I want to plant something this weekend.
- On Sunday, it may be the first annual "ham holiday" and sweet potatoes because everyone knows you can't have ham without sweet potatoes

What are your traditions??

Prosciutto and Leeks + Pasta

Although I am inconsistent at best with posting on my own blog, I never fail to read other people's. Primarily, I am looking for inspiration for that age-old question, "what's for dinner??"

Last weekend I tried out this recipe from Gluten-free Girl (with my own twists of course):

Prosciutto and Leeks + Pasta
Trim, leaving just the white and light green part4-6 leeks

Under cool running water, very thoroughly rinse. Cut in 1/2 length-wise and rinse again. Leeks are notorious for being grainy, you want to avoid that effect in your meal. When in doubt rinse again.

Cut into 1/8" wide half-moons.

In in wide sauce pan (that you have a lid for), over medium heat saute leek moons in:
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

After ten minutes of occasionally stirring. Cover leeks with:
4-6 slices of prosciutto
And cover the pan, set to very-low.

Let leeks and prosciutto cook and caramelize together for at least thirty minutes.

Boil:
1/2 pound of wide pasta noodles, according to direction on label.
(Will vary a lot, depending on whether you are using fresh or dried noodles). Drain.

Uncover your leeks and prosciutto pan. Remove prosciutto from pan and slice into very thin strips. Return and stir to combine.In a large bowl, toss pasta, prosciutto and leeks with:

Mozzarella cheese, to taste
(We used about 1/3 cup of shredded mozzarella because that is what we had around) Fresh mozzarella would be even tastier and a healthy drizzle of:
Balsamic vinegar

Serves: 2-3
Time: 45 minutes

Ps. Yeah, I know its more fun with pictures. I'll get on it!

Really-good Chinese Chicken Salad

Over the weekend, I roasted 2 chickens (I rarely roast just one chicken. 2 takes just a few minutes longer and the cooked meat is called for in so many recipes). I made chicken pot pie on Sunday for nine, this fantastic salad on Monday and nachos with remaining meat last night.


About 1 1/2 cups of veggie oil
10 wonton wrappers, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips

Pour the veggie oil into a 3 to 4-quart pan (the oil should be about 1/2 inch deep), heat over medium-high heat. Do not allow the oil to smoke, remove from heat if it does. Add the wonton strips in a single-layer and fry, flipping very quickly, until golden brown on both sides, less than a minute total. Lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel to drain.

1/4 of a small cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl toss the cabbage, romaine and cilantro.
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 orange, peeled, sectioned and most of the pith removed
2 green onions (including tops), chopped
3-4 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal2-3 cups of cooked chicken, shredded

In a 2 to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1-quart of water to boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, not more than 3-minutes. Drain, then plunge asparagus into ice water to halt cooking. Drain and set aside. Add cooked asparagus, orange, green onions and chicken to salad. Toss.

Spicy soy-ginger dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
2 Tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 shake of Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of veggie, grapeseed or olive oil (or combo of all three).

Dress salad 30 minutes before serving and refrigerate. Garnish with wonton strips.