What a knockout!
The First Tomato
(Goliath)
Sweet ‘n’ Neat
(Two little cherries)
An Impromptu Bouquet From My Honey
He sure knows how to make my day.
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Where can you find the best salsa in the world? Your kitchen. Make it your way. Salsa 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, washed Place half of everything in a food processor. Pulse until very chunky. Taste. Add remaining ingredients to your taste. Pulse again. Smooth or Chunky? It’s your choice. Serve with gold and blue corn chips. (We like Whole Foods lightly salted gold and blue chips.)
Our jalapeños weren’t very spicy. So, we had to keep adding more.
My version of smothered pork chops includes sun-dried tomatoes and about 10 cloves of garlic. We devoured these chops at light speed.
After a quick sear on the pork chops (maybe too quick?), a light caramelization of the onions and whipping up a quick sauce, this dish spends most of its time in the oven. Smothered Pork Chops 4 pork chops, at least 1/2 inch thick 2 huge Vidalia onions, sliced Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sear pork chops in just enough olive oil and butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Place pork chops in baking dish. Add onions and another tablespoon of butter, if desired. Sauté onions until light gold on the edges. Add garlic. Sauté for another minute or two. Add celery and sun-dried tomatoes. Deglaze pan with white wine. Allow most of the wine to reduce down to a thick glaze. Then, add flour. Stir to combine. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Once the sauce simmers, continue to simmer for 5-15 minutes. Allow the sauce to thicken to your desired consistency. Pour sauce over pork chops. Be sure to mound onions over each chop. Braise in the oven for 25-40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chops. The pork chops should be cooked through, but, tender. Serve pork chops on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. Top with onions and a light drizzle of sauce. Serve excess sauce on the side. Bon Appétit, y’all!
Have you ever accidentally purchased “white bark” at the grocery store? It looks like white chocolate. It vaguely smells of white chocolate. But, the taste is pure oil and artifical flavor chemicals. The synthetic chemical taste is absolutely and utterly disgusting. You must use white chocolate in this “recipe”. Do two ingredients constitute a recipe? Cashew Butter Bark 12 ounces white chocolate (It must be one good enough to eat on its own.) In a microwave safe glass bowl, combine chocolate and cashew butter. Heat in 30 second increments. Stir after each increment. Continue heating until 75 % of the chocolate is melted. From that point, stir to distribute the residual heat. With a spatula, spread in a flat sheet over one sheet of parchment paper. Smooth flat to reach your desired thickness. Chill to set. Then, break into bit sized chunks or shards.
Be sure to safe a little bit to schemer on a piece of toast. Divine.
Or, deliberately be messy. It’s the perfect excuse to lick the last bits off a spoon while its still warm. It’s beyond decadent.
Every squirrel in the neighborhood eats at least one green peach a day. Will any survive?
Black Mission Fig Trees Each tree grows at its own rate. This is the healthiest tree with over 16 inches of new growth this year.
Test Garden May 2012
A Work In Progress
12″ Deep Raised Wooden Bed
Cement Block Bed Surprisingly, the cost was almost the same for each bed. At just over $70 each in building materials, the two deciding factors will be growth and durability. Garden 2012 Raised Bedding Materials: $150 Tomatoes 3 Black Krim Herbs 2 basil Fruit 1 Brown Turkey Fig (8+ years) 1 blueberry (2 years) my 1 year babies: 1 White Princess Peach
This is one of those dishes that really needs to be served immediately. Don’t you hate over-wilted greens? Orecchiette Con Ceci 1 lb orecchiette (or conchiglie or cavatappi), cooked al dente
1/2 – 1 lb pancetta (cubed)
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb escarole, dandelion greens, arugula or spinach, carefully washed
1 1/2 – 2 cups ceci beans, cooked til tender
1 – 1/2 cups cream 1/2 cup Parmigiano, grated
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper red pepper flakes, to taste fine sea salt, to taste
Parmigiano, slivers to garnish
In a dutch oven, sauté pancetta until crispy at the edges. Drain off excess fat. Add onion and garlic. Stir and continue to sauté for another minute or two. Garlic and onion should be fragrant. Add beans, pasta, cream, Parmigiano, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Stir gently and taste. Add salt to taste. Add escarole. Gently stir in the escarole. Stir only enough to combine and plate immediately. Top with Parmigiano Reggiano slivers.
What are you waiting for…. Mangia, mangia!
Did you have a cocktail on Cinco de Mayo? Smoky Mezcal Margarita 4 ounces good quality tequila In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all ingredients except Mezcal. Stir. Strain and divide between two rocks glasses filled with fresh ice. Top each glass with 1/2 an ounce of your favorite Mezcal. Cheers!
This is not the proper way to make focaccia. But, guess what? It’s still divine.
You’ll want to try this one. You won’t be sorry. Quickie Whole Wheat Focaccia 2 teaspoons yeast Proof in a glass bowl for 15-20 minutes. 1 1/2 cups bread flour fresh rosemary, finely minced Pour proofed yeast into 575 watt Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. (Use smaller Kitchen Aid or lower wattage mixers at your own risk.) Add bread flour, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, sea salt, sugar and olive oil. Knead on setting two to combine. Add additional whole wheat flour, if needed. Continue kneading for approximately 5 minutes or until a sticky ball forms. Oil 9×13 inch baking dish with your (clean) fingers. Place dough in baking dish and begin to press flat. Let rest for 10 minutes, then continue pressing dough to fill the baking dish. Very lightly drizzle with olive oil. Using your fingers, spread over the surface of the dough. Use just enough olive oil to coat the dough. Let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dimple dough with your fingers. Sprinkle top with minced rosemary, mint, and pretzel salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Set aside until oven preheats to 400 degrees F. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
For a quick and delicious meal, top a warm square with a fried egg.
Shrimp Boil 2 bottles amber ale Bring it all to a boil. Then, add: 1lb shrimp Bring it back to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for up to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked thoroughly, but, not overcooked. If the shrimp have contracted into tight little balls, they’re overcooked. Serve with crusty, fire-grilled bread (or, garlic bread) and a salad of baby greens.
Japanese Privet or Ligustrum Japonicum The powerfully sweet fragrance of this evergreen reminds me of the unapologetically rich florals with soapy undertones that my grandmother used to wear. We miss you, Gram.
Nostalgia hits you in funny places, sometimes. |
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