Deb on the Web

Summer took its sweet time

But it has finally arrived!  And the Farmer's Market was full of variety this morning.  I got a mix of different berries, cucumbers, eggs, cauliflower, green beans, bread, broccoli, carrots, onions and chicken.  I pretty much have meals for the next 4 days.  Now that we have all the herbs I require in life planted I can make many a meal pop!
My work schedule has changed a bit as of this week so I am now doing prep on Fridays and Saturdays.  Mainly I am coming in and creating the specials for the night.  Today I was so veggie focused.  I made a vegetable stew to go over fried polenta with Morel mushrooms.  Yesterday I covered a pork loin roast with herbs and salt which is getting roasted with fingerling potatoes for tonight.  For an appetizer I took a bunch of leftovers and created a potato tart with layers of herbed ricotta, asparagus pesto and spinach.  There is also a grilled Swordfish with cabbage slaw and white beans.
I love cooking these specials and using the great produce brought in by our farmers.  But I do have to say on this beautiful weekend it was mighty hard driving away from my garden and animals!
There will be spinning after the sun goes down.  And a bit of knitting too.

Doodling about on Etsy

Etsy gets even more creative!  What would you request?

What's a new needle felter to do?

What could you do with this pattern?  Think of the yarn possibilities!

Purty!

All this looking about is helping my brain get resituated.  We had a wonderful Father's Day/Birthday dinner for 16 relatives yesterday.  Today I am going to clean, organize and get things back to normal.  I don't anticipate much more excitement for Summer (knock on wood).  I've had my fill over the last couple of years.  I would love to have a boring (creative) Summer.  Since it is looking like I will be back at work full-time in the Fall I am going to enjoy what I have up here while I can!

I have some old bananas on hand so I'm off to find a banana bread recipe.  I love the stuff, but haven't made one in years!  The Tiramisu yesterday--to die for!  No brandy up here so I had to borrow a little cognac from my FIL.  Wow!  That and using really good eggs had everyone asking for seconds.

Remember to donate for my CCFA walk!  I will be posting more prizes this week, but you can look at previous posts to see what there is so far:)

In the mail, on the needles and food stuffs

I've been participating in Marisol's Kitchen Swap for the last couple of months.  We were supposed to send our pal two recipes, a kitchen gadget and yarn with a pattern for a kitchen related project.  I was thrilled to have Marisol as my partner.  Even though we already knew each other we've been learning more about each other's kitchen and cooking lives (quite different from our knitting lives).  My package is still in flight on its way to Marisol, but I received hers yesterday!  As I was hoping--recipes from Nicaragua!
Plus a great recipe organizer (I've never had one!).  Aren't those mug cozies great?  There is tea and chocolate covered espresso beans--be still my beating heart (no really;) ).  There is also Rowan soft 4ply and a pattern to knit a french press cozy.  That will be a fun little project.  Right between the mugs there is a great little kitchen gadget--a garlic roller.  Many a person has suggested these to me, but this is my first.  In the restaurant we just peel too much to keep one around.  I love cooking at home again:)  Thank you, thank you Marisol.  These are all such great gifts!  I can't wait to try some recipes:)

In the startitis category--I cast on for the Mystic Meadows mystery stole today.  This is the signature yarn from Brooklyn Handspun in Budding.  I mentioned that I'd be starting this mystery project for Summer a few days ago.  But I did start to have second thoughts as I have a few other projects calling to me.  But now that I started it I realize I have been missing a lace project.  I love playing with yarn overs and great merino yarns (using Addy lace needles too). 
In the frustrated knitting area--I am almost half way finished with the Slip stitch baby blanket.  I thought I should double check with the dad about colors...doh  Usually best to ask color schemes before going yarn shopping.  Yep, green and yellow are not part of the undersea adventure being painted in the baby room.  I didn't say anything--there are plenty of other babies being born that can receive that blankie.  But I gotta get a move on with a new idea!

On the kitchen counter today--I have taken a final leap into hippiness at the mountains sprouts for your sandwich?  How about some homemade yogurt? I haven't gone out and bought an birkenstokes if that's what your thinking, but I am planning on adding cheese making to this crowd of projects as soon as I finish reading Ricki Carroll's book.

Off to close the chicken coop, check on the rabbits and say good night to the pheasants...

Chickens on board!

These are my kind of babies:)
We ordered 25 chicks from Sand Hill Preservation Center this morning.  They will be hatching in a couple of weeks and then sent off to us.
Golden Campine
Americauna bantam
Black Australorp
We chose birds that were good layers of brown or colored eggs (our preference) and that were good foragers (they will be living in the orchard).  These varieties all have mild temperments and are good mothers.

In the food department the husband made a terrific salsa this weekend.  We bought a couple of every hot and mild pepper at the store and he roasted them all.  Adding to them some chopped tomato, red onion, shallot, cilantro and grapefruit juice (delivered by bil from his Palm Springs garden).

Did I mention that I have Summer house guests.  uh yea

In the gardening department--I really wish it would stop raining! 

Which leads to the spinning department--current project is merino from a Spunky Club  offering (February I think) named "Mud".  It was just too appropriated not to work on right now.

In knitting--I am just about finished with the Noro vest.  I hope to be wearing it tomorrow.  Baby blanket will be cast on soon after.

What are you eating these days?

I was ready to sit down and share a nice Spring recipe with you.  But as I checked my emails before visiting here I was led to an article a friend of mine wrote this week for Culinate.  This article raises food buying issues (and huge eating issues) that I really strongly agree with.  and have been thinking about lately.  Kelly and I used to have great conversations about these issues when I was at Nostrana (she is one of the Chef du cuisine there).  So go read the article and please leave me your opinions (even if you don't agree).  I do have to warn any vegetarians--this is a lamb centered article.

On to other food.  I put my cooler in the back of my car Saturday so that I could stop at the farmer's market on the way to my knitting class.  Our Saturday market really has a great variety right now and I especially wanted eggs from Square Peg Farm.  I was tight on time so I flew around the market- stopping now and then for a quick hello to friends.  I came away with asparagus, spring onions, eggs, lettuce, baby beet greens, cheese, strawberries, morel mushrooms and nettles (all in 15 minutes!).
We oven roasted the onions and asparagus and ate this along with the wonderful morels (sauteed with butter and fresh herbs) tossed with pasta.  For dessert that night we put out the cheese (a soft cow's milk from Ancient Heritage Dairy) with the strawberries that we drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar we brought back from Italy (you need just a touch).
Yesterday I wanted to use the nettles while they were fresh.  Some of you may be shocked to find out that this is my favorite Spring "tonic" herb.  Some (ahem Gina) will be happy I am not forcing them upon you daily.
I truly believe our bodies crave seasonal foods.  Nettles are one of those greens that pop up in lightly wooded areas in the Spring.  You do need to wear gloves when picking them and preparing them for cooking These are the Stinging nettles.  A slight brush will give you quite a lingering burning sensation.  However, just a 30 second drip in boiling water or freeze drying will take the sting away.
Nettles are high in vitamins A and C, rich in nutrients (which makes for a good overall strengthening tonic for the body), opens the cells in the bronchial tubes so it is great for people that suffer from allergies or asthma (me) and helpful to people with anemia.  I am not prescribing this green plant as different plants, herbs and medicines work differently on each body.  But this is a plant that works (in a mild way) terrifically for me and it tastes good to boot.  This Spring nettle soup started with a sautee of onions, garlic, jerusalem artichoke and potato.  After adding broth ( homemade chicken broth for me) and some chopped kale I let that simmer until the potato was just cooked.  I then turned off the heat and through in slivered marjoram, parsley and nettles.  These herbs cooked in the still very hot soup, but kept their bright green colors.  With the soup we had a fresh spinach salad that was topped with bacon, blue cheese, toasted walnuts and minced chives   Having had such a filling lunch (we all had 2 bowls of soup and there was homemade bread for dipping) dinner was light.  There was enough soup left for a bowl each (DH and I) with fried egg sandwiches (those beauties from the market).  After a morning frittata today of herbs and nettles we really have done a good job of using what is local and in the fridge at the moment (I have been the queen of the last minute run to the market for many years now).
I am headed to a smaller local market today.  We'll see what foods end up on the table over the next few days.  I would like to add that all of these dishes were decided upon based on the ingredients in house not buying for a recipe.  I love my cookbooks, but as the market and garden season begins I really feel using what is fresh now is the way to go!

Hey look we finally got a website

We've had Gino's Restaurant for 12 years.  During that time we have never really done business cards and definitely no website.  Well we're slowly getting into this century--GinosSellwood.com

I swear this isn't turning into a cooking blog

But last night's dinner was pretty yummy and fast.
I was in Portland all day helping mom move.  So returning at dinner time with all the ingredients (and idea responsibility) had me running to the rice cooker to get started.  While the basmati steamed I chopped up different little piles to go with my sole and clams.  Manilla clams steamed with olive oil, butter, green onions (green ends only), chive buds, ginger and parsley.  I went to add a splash of white wine and found the only white in the house was Champagne.  I can work with that--and drink a little while cooking;) So as each clam opened they were pulled out (leaving their juice behind).  baby greens, the sole filets and slivered lemon peel were also added to the pan.  I steamed this until just cooked.  As the rice finished I stirred in butter and minced herbs with a touch of ginger.  This all took as long as the rice took to cook.  It was a tasty meal!  Light and healthy too.

Pasta Primavera

Last night was a clean out the fridge kind of meal.  We had all kinds of little bits--half a small cauliflower, a handful of snap peas, a bunch of sprouting greens, half a small can of San Marzano tomato, half a grilled fennel bulb and grilled asparagus.  We chopped this all up (in varying sizes), added some garlic, butter and olive oil and heated it all through.  Just before we tossed in some pasta we added a little "gremolata" (our mixture had lemon zest, garlic, oregano, marjoram and parsley).  It was sooooo good.  Now I have to admit that we did not go completely vegetarian.  We added a frozen cube of homemade chicken broth to the vegetable mixture to simmer before the pasta (but this is fantastic without it).  If you go veggie don't drain all your pasta water.  Just keep about a quarter cup in the pot with the hot pasta and toss all of it in the sauce.  The water will finish steaming any uncooked vegetables and not rinsing off the starch from the pasta will bind the dish together.  We use Chitarra pasta with this dish.  This is a spaghetti that has rough edges so the sauce really sticks to it.
We put a wedge of parmesan and grater on the table so each person could add the amount of cheese they wanted.  This and a nice bottle of white wine--it was a perfect Spring dinner.

edited to add:  If you have leftovers in the morning whisk up some eggs, pour them over the top, fry it up and eat eat eat.

All soup all the time

Not such a catchy book title but it warms my stomach.
I love soup!  Really at any time of the year.  But of course when it's cold I do tend to eat more of it.
Last week we headed to our neighborhood pho place for some chicken pho.  The next day we were at a nearby Japanese restaurant for ramen noodle soup.  So much better than those packaged varieties we all grew up with!  But still we didn't get our fill of soup for the week.  This weekend I made a batch of ribolitta.  No photos here--we ate it all!  This is not a soup with which you can jump up and say let's have it for lunch today.  This is actually changing one soup into another.  You start with your favorite minestrone recipe.  After you make this let it sit over night (well, definitely have a bowl first).  The next day you take the crust off a good loaf of bread (ciabatta is best), cut thick slices and toast it (plain) in the oven.  You then drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of a pot, add some soup, lay slices of the bread on top, drizzle liberally with extra virgin olive oil and repeat.  Put on a lid or cover with foil and put in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30-40 min.  Serve with oil drizzled on top and a good crack of pepper.  We have a great herb infused salt we like to sprinkle on as well.
The minestrone that was our base this weekend had white beans (soaked ahead), onion, garlic, carrot, savoy cabbage and whole tomatoes (without their juice).  Since we finished it with the the herb salt I didn't add any oregano or rosemary.  I liked the nearly white soup. 
Ribolitta works great with any kind of minestrone of course.
Lolly has a great soup that I'll be trying this next weekend. 
hmm what will sound good for lunch today?

Food and Books

A dear friend of mine started a cooking school last year here in Portland.  It isn't the large class size in an industrial kitchen type however.  The Chef's Studio usually has about 10 students enrolled.  They learn basic technique and a great appreciation for the beauty of fresh products.  Over the years I have taken many classes and attended many dinners prepared by Robert.  He is a great chef!
Robert Reynolds is also an amazing writer.  He is able to put you in the place he is writing about.  I was led to his students' blog and from there realized that his site also is a blog. 

As promised a Michael Pollan review.  Basically, if you ever have a chance to hear him talk don't miss it!  He was knowledgeable and humorous.  A perfect combo:)  He talked about this new book--In Defense of Food, An Eater's Manifesto for a short while and then took questions for the rest of the time.  I loved that!  This was a room of fans.  Very few people didn't already own his books or believe in what he stood for.  It made it very personal.  The main premise of this book is to stop eating to the scientists' specifications and start eating more culturally.  He pointed out how "Nutritionalism" has not worked in this country.  His book goes through the history of government getting involved in the 70's and how the progress of these programs (and the marketers abuse of these programs) has led to the obesity and diabetic issues so prevalent in our children today.  The book gives back ground and specific studies about these issues.  It also gives hope and funny anecdotes (which Michael also encourages us to share on his website) about how our moms and grandmothers were really the people to be listening to all along.  My favorite piece of advice about how to choose what to eat was if it doesn't decay don't eat it!  Fast food?  If you can make it then you can eat it.  In other words-you probably aren't going to peel and chop those potatoes, fry them, figure out what to do with the old oil and clean up more than once a month (about how often you should be eating those fries).  This is a really good one-the whiter the bread the sooner you're dead-I want that T-shirt!!
When it was time for questions a six year old got up there and asked if she could eat candy.  After we were done laughing we looked at him.  Would he really say no?  He said yes.  He also told her that she should be treating it as a treat for special occasions.  It wasn't good for either her or the candy to be eaten so regularly:)