Apology+Blog=Apololog

Dear Readers,
I know you must think I have flippantly decided that no longer is the blogosphere for me; I must say you are wrong in that assumption. The truth is I have been cooking AND eating AND taking pictures of said deliciousness AND writing down the names and ingredients and directions for each recipe AND gathering information to post, but I. just. haven't done. it. I know, friends, I know; I suck it. Big time.

 The last several months have been rough around the edges and have flown by, creating an interesting jumble of events stretched over a couple of months. I spent some time in the unemployment hole, but fortunately that pothole remained a pothole and did not turn into a black hole, sucking away at my soul forever. (Dramatic, arent I?)  I am 100% employed again, with a great organization doing really exciting work, and while I'm sill at that brand-new-and-a-wee-overwhelmed stage, it's okay. That will resolve itself once I get a better grasp of the acronyms and their corresponding words.

My Librarian and I spent the two weeks over the holidays in Southern California. I got to eat citrus and avocado and enjoy the lush, vibrant colors that attacked my vision at the farmers market since it was all seasonal and local! It was incredible - I never thought late December would find me meandering down a palm tree lined street in a hoodie and jeans surrounded by meyer lemons, avocado, grapefruit, organes, satsuma tangerines, persimmons, tomatillos, and much, much more? If there is one thing I will not miss on the East Coast if ever we move it will be the availability of fresh, ripe grapefruit and oranges.

Last week we celebrated our 4th Anniversary with dinner at the brew pub that, although wasn't technically a date, was our first date, even if it was a non-date.It was sweet and quiet, and I think that our actual anniversary falling on a weeknight made it what it was. No wait for our table, no frazzled and fried waitstaff, and while we did go to a restaurant with a brew pub in it, you'd never have known. Our waitress was such a doll; she brought us a free dessert to top our evening off.

So...all that food I cooked and ate over the last few months, all that fresh produce we gorged on in Southern California and more will be coming (this time I PROMISE!) very soon. Spring is almost here (on the East Coast) which means a whole new crop of meals with COLOR! (the root vegetable time of the year always gets me down...). It also means it's time to start anew on our garden with new containers (the two year old plastic storage bins kicked it after being battered by the elements), bulbs, seeds,and more. Stick around; the mouthwatering morsels will make you cry. If you miss it, you'll cry even harder.

The Collected Bounty of the Fall (is occupying my freezer)

October and November were  busy months for us, in terms of reaping the rewards of vegetables and fruit not only thriving during the season, but also in gathering the end of summer fruits and veggies that seemed to maintain a little bit of longevity with our warm and mild September and October.


The kitchen has been hopping with zuchinni, apples, and all variets of squash - summer, butternut, and delicata - eggplant, kale, chard, broccoli and cauliflower.

What could be was grated, diced, cooked, baked, and/or frozen to enjoy as we supplement our winter stock of local roots -

beets, golden turnips, parsnips, jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, scallions, onions, garlic,  and even quince.

 Stay tuned for soups, stews, cakes, cookies, loaves of bread, even a jam (right?!) 

and more of the local deliciousness me and My Librarian have been producing.

Salmon with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce, Red Pepper Basmati Rice, Summer Squash and Zucchini

We recently subscribed to Cooking Light magazine and when I came across a variation of this dish, I decided to try it out. Am I ever glad I did - it is simple, light, and mouthwatering. The original recipe called for Arctic Char and coconut jasmine rice, but since I'm a real rebel, I used salmon, made some basmati rice and sauteed summer vegetables. 

For the cilantro-yogurt sauce, combine 1/2 cup of 2% Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup of finely chopped and peeled cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of one lime, and a bit of salt. Chill.

 Bring 1 cup of basmati rice, a dash of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red peppers to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Dice one red bell pepper and set aside; once the rice has finished cooking, mix this pepper into the rice and stir before plating.

While the rice cooks, heat a smidge of olive oil in a medium sized frying pan. Add garlic, salt and pepper in a  and toss 1 sliced summer squash and 1 sliced zucchini, stirring  frequently. Heat a large frying pan and add the salmon fillets, seasoned with salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 lime each. I squeezed the remainder of the limes into my vegetables just for fun.

After dishing the fish, vegetables, and rice with diced bell pepper, spoon the cilantro-yogurt sauce on the fish and rice. Serve and devour.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival: Donuts!

 So clearly it's not all about donuts, but I found they are by far the tastiest part of the whole festival. Starting today and running through the 14th, The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival takes center court at the Reading Terminal Market with handmade quilts, woodwork, and other goods right alongside the food. Oh and the food: Delicious fresh sausage grilled alongside fresh peppers, homemade ice cream, brittle and fudge and what seems to be the main attraction - the donuts. How can you resist these freshly made baked goods? At 85 cents a pop, you simply can't. At least I couldn't and upon arriving this am, I snagged a tasty powdery treat to accompany my coffee.

Fond Summer Memories: Peaches on the Beach

One of my fondest summer memories involve fresh Jersey peaches and the beach. My grandmother had a house in Ocean City, NJ and during the summer, my father would often spend his weekend visits with my brother and I 'down the shore.'

New Jersey is ripe with farms that offer mouth-watering goods in the warmer months - driving south on the Garden State Parkway you couldn't go more than 1 mile marker without passing homemade signs advertising fresh Jersey corn, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, alongside other varieties of locally grown fruit and vegetables. We would stop at any one (at least one - more often than not we would stop at multiple) of these stands and purchase enough fruit and vegetables to feed a tiny army. My favorite were the peaches. Soft and juicy treasures, warmed by the sun, these gems made my mouth water.  The best way to savor these is on the beach, fresh from a cool dip in the Atlantic.

We'd arrive in Ocean City and bustle into my grandmother's, a whirlwind of hugs, kisses, bags, and groceries. In a few hours time we'd be off the beach a few blocks away, a cooler always alongside the towels and chairs. The peaches would have been sitting in a brown paper bag, warmed by the sun and ripened in the farmer's orchard. Reaching in, you'd pull one of these deliciously plump fruits out of the bag. The warm sweet juice would mix with the salt on your face from the ocean and it would be pure heaven.

About a week ago, I took a day trip to the beach and packed along a few peaches from Kauffman's, a farmer we patronize fairly often. The sun was hot, the water was cold, and when I bit into that peach I smiled.

So dear readers pray tell, what are your fondest summer food memories?

Trout Amandine

Instead of fillets of fish I asked my fish poacher for two trout, gutted, de-boned, and beheaded. Laying each fish flat, skin side down on the pan, I seasoned each with salt, pepper, and a bit of fresh lemon zest before I set them in the oven at about 350 degrees.

Turning my attention to the almonds, I chopped about 1/4 cup and added them to an already heated frying pan. You'll want to stir them frequently so they toast rather than cook and burn, for approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate.

Wipe out the frying pan and add 4 tablespoons of butter, the juice from one lemon, and about a quarter cup of minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley. Stir in the almonds and season with a bit of salt and pepper.

At this point the fish should be thoroughly cooked, tender, and moist. Once the fish have been plated, spoon the sauce over. I served it alongside fresh orzo that boiled with a bit of butter and lemon in the water and fresh brussel sprouts.

Pan Seared Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms with Mashed Potatoes

Autumn truly is my favorite season. I find that the endings and beginnings of two seasons can be wonderful occassions to combine the resources of in-between seasonal produce into a meal. I knew I wanted something that was earthy and warm, but not too heavy. After reviewing some of the items I had picked up the previous day I got a few ideas, rolled up my sleeves and dove in.

Before searing or cooking anything in a large pan, I let the oil heat on low in the pan with the herbs and spices, allowing them to absorb the heat and bring out more of their natural flavors. In addition to some fresh minced garlic, I added crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, chopped basil, black pepper and rock salt. For good measure, I tossed in a pinch of The Spice Corner's Olive Dipping Mix for good measure.

Turning up the heat, I pan seared the chicken first, and in the same pan, I brought the heat down just a bit and added the shiitake mushrooms from Oley Valley Mushrooms, left whole but for the stems which I removed. Sauteing both the chicken and mushrooms, I started to mash my potatoes, which had come to a boil.

Served with a salad of wild spicy arugula tossed with parmesan cheese from this post, the end result was a relatively simple, healthy dish which had the earthy tones of Autumn I was seeking.

A is for Arugula

Arugula is an annual green, a member of the Brassicaceae family. It's great for salads and actually fairly easy to grow from seed. I got two bags of Baby Arugula last Saturday at the Fair Food Farm Stand and we munched on it all week in simple side salads.

This bunch from Paradise Organics in Lancaster, PA was wild, which gave it a slight spicy kick, which I love. The wild arugula paired with a simple vinaigrette (extra virgin olive oil and juice of fresh lemons) was a great side to some of our dinners this past week. As a standalone, I added some dried cranberries and some leftover chicken breast to be heartier and tossed it all together with some fresh parmesan.

Arugula is a great source of Vitamins A and C, rich in potassium, and even considered be an aphrodisiac (!). Though its origins trace way back to the Roman Empire, it was all but adopted as the USofA's official salad green in the mid 1990's. Generally used as a salad green, it has limitless possibilities - cooked, added to pasta sauces and meats, pizza, and even made into pesto...

For Arugula Pesto, take a bunch of arugula and remove the stems. Pan brown three or four large garlic cloves in olive oil. Finely chop the arugula and add the garlic cloves, a 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan and chopped arugula to a blender or food processor, and on a low setting, blend while adding 1/2 a cup of olive oil. Remember to taste the sauce frequently as you add more of one ingredient or another.