Two years later...

It's like a movie segue. I guess I'm just bad about consistently keeping this blog rolling. If anyone out there still checks this, a new recipe for you. It's nothing fancy, just a quick meal that I put together last night (and again tonight). I wanted an omelet, but I didn't want a heavy one. So, I sauteed some vegetables (yellow bell pepper, shallots, and artichoke hearts) and decided I would see how pesto and avocado do as a substitute for cheese. I really enjoy this omelet, especially since it's out of the ordinary.

Omelet with Artichoke, Pesto, and Avocado

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, peeled and sliced
1/4 of a yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 tsp butter
3 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp pesto
1/4 of an avocado, peeled and sliced

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallot, pepper, and artichoke hearts. Saute, stirring frequently, until pepper and shallots start to soften. Turn off the heat.

In a large frying pan, heat the butter over medium to medium low heat. Beat the 3 eggs with the salt in a bowl. Swirl the butter around in the pan to coat the bottom, then pour in the eggs. Once they are firm enough, use your spatula to loosen it from the bottom of the pan and flip. Spread the pesto onto half of the egg. Layer the avocado over that, and then add the sauteed vegetables over that. Fold the egg in half to cover the fillings and transfer to a plate.

I've been eating this with a side salad of green leaf lettuce and cherry tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It's a nice little, fast meal.

I'm Sure This Has a Fancy Name; I Just Call It Delicious

Wanting to use up the small, tender zucchini I received in last week's share, I decided to experiment. Shredded zucchini, finely chopped kale, ricotta, and eggs and I found myself enjoying something between a frittata and that spinach and artichoke dip every restaurant now makes (from a can, I suspect). I ate it with some whole grain bread, but it stands up pretty well once slightly cool. I'm thinking I'm going to try it again and use it in a sandwich, maybe with some fresh tomatoes and basil. (I just ate lunch and am hungry just thinking of this).

Zucchini and Kale "Frittata"

3 small zucchini, shredded
salt
1 tbsp bacon grease (or olive oil)
6 c finely chopped kale
2 eggs
1 c ricotta
1/4 c green onion, sliced
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
large pinch each of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss shredded zucchini with a sprinkle of salt and let stand in a sieve.
Melt bacon grease in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Add kale and cook until wilted and not watery; remove from heat.
In a bowl, beat eggs well, then mix in ricotta, green onion, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.
Squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini, then mix into the egg and cheese mixture.
Add kale to bowl, mix, then pour ingredients back into the skillet and spread evenly across the bottom.
Place skillet in oven and let bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until set and starting to just brown on the edges.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

Where My Ego Takes Over

This past weekend was practically perfect. I went to a friend's camp on Thursday night and we had some wine, enjoyed the weather, and built a fire. Friday started off warm, but overcast, so we read for a while on the dock. Once the sun came out, it was hot and lovely; perfect for sunning and swimming! In the afternoon, a storm rolled in and we went inside to watch the pouring rain. On Saturday, I biked to the beach with another friend. Even though we didn't do much swimming (the water was thick with tiny red seaweed), we laid in the sun. It was very hot, but the wind kept us from getting overheated. Sunday I went back to camp for more sun (slightly less humid and definitely more windy) and swimming. I am now more than relaxed; it's almost like I was on vacation.

I also picked up my farm share on Friday. This week I received:

1 gallon tatsoi
1 quart green beans
1 very full gallon of lettuce
3 small zucchini
1 gallon kale
1 gallon chard
1/2 gallon carrots
fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, marjoram, thyme, oregano, parsley, chives)
fresh cut flowers

The farm also raises sheep, pigs, and chickens; so I picked up some lamb steaks, bacon and eggs. I made some bacon on Saturday morning. It's interesting, not quite as salty and smokey as bacon usually is, but still really good. This was my breakfast on Saturday:

Herbed Scrambled Eggs, Greens and Bacon

3 strips bacon
2 cups mixed greens (spinach, tatsoi, and kale)
1 tsp butter
2 eggs, beaten
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil, cut into thin strips
toast
strawberries

In a heavy skillet, place the bacon strips and turn to medium-high heat.
Once bacon starts cooking, turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking, turning frequently.
While bacon is cooking, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Beat eggs well, then beat in salt, pepper and basil.
Once butter is melted, pour eggs into skillet. Allow to cook for a while, then stir gently, allowing uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan. Continue this method until eggs are cooked but not dry. Remove to a plate.
Once bacon is done to your liking, remove to a cooling rack (put paper towel under the cooling rack to catch any drippings).
Drain most of the grease from the pan (put in a heat-safe pyrex dish to save for later use).
Add greens to the pan and cook until wilted, then transfer to plate.
Serve bacon, eggs, and greens with toast and fresh fruit.

Besides my wonderful breakfast, I also experimented with carrot soup. I really like cooked carrots and raw carrot sticks are a great snack, but with all the carrots I got this week, I knew I was going to have to try something new. I decided to try making a ginger-carrot soup, but since it's so hot, I wanted to chill it. I ended up with a fresh tasting, simple soup that is perfect for a hot summer day. Served with a plain green salad and bread with butter, it was another mark of happiness in a wonderful weekend.*

Chilled Ginger Carrot Soup

1 tbsp bacon grease (or olive oil)
2 to 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 c red onion, grated
2 c carrot, grated
3 c water
1 tsp chicken Better than Bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp cilantro, rinsed and chopped

In a soup pan, melt bacon grease over medium heat.
Add ginger and onion and cook until onion is translucent.
Add carrot and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
Add water, bouillon, salt and pepper and turn heat up to high.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Pour soup into a blender and blend on high until smooth.
Pour soup into a serving bowl, stir in cilantro, then place in the refrigerator until chilled.
Serve with green salad and bread.

*As noted, I forgot the ego bit. I meant to say how I couldn't believe the amazing deliciousness of the soup. It was just so perfect! And I made it without starting from another recipe. It's all me and all wonderful. (There, ego boost).

Bonus Day

I have tomorrow off, so I thought I would post two things today (ooo). Last night I had breakfast for dinner, but without any syrup requiring breads (I don't have any syrup at the moment, bummer). Instead I made an omelet and a potato-kale scramble. Do you call it a scramble if it doesn't include eggs? Hmm... Anyways, it was delicious and accomplished 2 goals: finish the last of the spinach from the share the week before last and knock down one bag of kale from last week's share. I didn't have any bread for toast (should probably go shopping), but I found a large boiled Yukon Gold potato in my refrigerator. Ah leftovers, how you save the day more often than not.

Spinach and Cheddar Omelet with Potato-Kale Scramble

2 tsp butter, divided
3 eggs
3 tbsp green onion, sliced thin
1/2 c spinach, washed and chopped
1 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 c cubed cooked potato (cold)
3 c kale, washed and torn into pieces
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter.
In a bowl, beat eggs well.
Mix green onion and a pinch each of salt and pepper into the eggs.
Spread butter in pan evenly, then pour in eggs.
Once the eggs are well set, but still slightly wet on the top, use a spatula to flip.
Sprinkle spinach and cheese on one half of the omelet, then turn other half over to cover. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Place 1 tsp butter in the same pan and add garlic.
Once garlic is fragrant, add potato and kale.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir while cooking (using spatula to scrape any browned potato from the bottom of the pan).
Once potato is hot and kale is wilted, transfer to plate and eat while warm.

I think I also mentioned that I was going to make some coleslaw with all the cabbage I had left from two weeks ago. I researched a variety of recipes in my old cookbooks. I find, when you're looking for something classic, the old cookbooks are always the best. Too many cookbooks today try to make things less fat (eat less) or time (I enjoy cooking, so I don't necessarily need all my meals done in 10 minutes) or are trying to reinvent recipes (which I have no problem with, I do that a lot, but again, looking for classic). Also, if I'm looking to experiment myself, I like to know how people typically make something and to think of variations all on my lonesome.

After digging around, I found that a "boiled dressing" was a classic for coleslaw. It's not actually boiled, but it is cooked in a pan and then allowed to cool before dressing the vegetables. I took ideas from a few different recipes and settled upon adding mustard seeds and celery seeds to the dressing. For the vegetables, I added shredded zucchini, kohlrabi, and carrots. I also met someone once who salted the vegetables and allowed them to weep before adding the dressing, so I also did that. After a few days, it's gotten a bit watery, but the first couple days it was delicious. Eaten with some cold cooked chicken, it was a nice summery meal.

Classic Coleslaw

6 c finely shredded cabbage (mixture of green and napa cabbages)
2 zucchini, shredded with a grater
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and then shredded with a grater
1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
3/4 c half and half
1/4 c vinegar
1 c onion, sliced paper thin
2 c carrot, shredded with a grater

Place cabbage, zucchini, a kohlrabi in a salad spinner and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and toss.
While vegetables are sitting, place other 1/2 tsp salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar and flour in a sauce pan and whisk together.
Add egg yolks to seasonings and mix well with a whisk.
Slowly add half and half, whisking smooth.
Add butter and vinegar, then turn on heat to medium-low.
Stirring constantly, cook dressing until it starts to thicken.
Remove from heat, then pour into a Pyrex measuring cup and put in the refrigerator to cool.
When dressing is cool, rinse the vegetables with water and spin dry.
In a large mixing bowl, combine these vegetables with the onion and carrots. Stir well.
Pour dressing over the vegetables and mix well.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

Caution: Hot

It's been hot and humid here in Maine, which is unusual. For example, for a good portion of June I still needed to wear a jacket and leggings on my bike ride to work. I'm enjoying the heat and hope it lasts long enough for me to want it to go away. I have to say, this summer has been absolutely beautiful. While it may not have been hot in June, it didn't rain all month like last year. I'm not sure if a lack of rain (well, it's rained, but not constantly, day after day) is affecting the farm. They mentioned in the last newsletter that it's been dry enough for them to dry and bale hay. And the vegetables are still coming. They think next week they will also have flowers in the pick-your-own section, which is cool.

So, where am I with my vegetables from last week? Mostly gone, though I still have some napa cabbage, a small cabbage, some lettuce, and the zucchini left. Perhaps I'll make some coleslaw inspired salad this weekend. Most of the remaining vegetables went into my dinner last night, a hot and sour soup inspired stew. The hot and sour soup recipe I use is from Ken Hom's Fool Proof Chinese Cooking. If you've never made Hot and Sour soup, you really should pick up a copy of this book and try his out. I've never been a fan of the glutinous vibrant red variety in most Chinese restaurants in the US. Hom's recipe, however, is a proper soup and the only vibrant red comes from the hot pepper oil. It's absolutely delicious.

I was already considering using his marinade for some ground pork I had and as I got going I decided to make a stew that I could put over rice. His recipe has tofu, egg, pork, woodears and shitake mushrooms. I used the egg, pork, and shitake mushrooms and added broccoli, baby bok choy leaves, napa cabbage and some spicy red peppers. It's important, when making his soup, to make a chicken stock. I didn't have any, so I used bouillon and simmered it with slices of ginger, crushed garlic, and onion to make the base. After making that, the rest of the soup went together rather quickly. And despite the heat, it was a perfect meal.

Vegetable Hot and Sour Stew

6 c water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
4 inches of ginger, sliced
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/2 c sliced red onion
12 shitake mushrooms, stems and tops separated; slice tops
1/2 lb pork
4 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
12 napa cabbage leaves, washed and sliced into 1 inch strips
8 to 10 baby bok choy, leaves separated from stems
3 c broccoli pieces*
2 hot peppers, sliced into rounds
2 eggs
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
8 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp chili oil
1/4 c cilantro
2 tsp sesame oil
cooked rice

In a stock pot, combine water, bouillon, ginger, garlic, onion, and stems from the shitake mushrooms.
Bring to a boil, turn down a tad and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the base is boiling, mix the 4 tsp soy sauce, 4 tsp rice wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp sugar and pork.
Use a wire strainer to remove the ginger, garlic, onion, and shitake stems from the base.
Turn down heat so base is simmering, then slowly add the pork, breaking it into small pieces. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Once pork is no longer visibly pink, add the cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, shitake caps, and red pepper. Allow to cook until broccoli is bright green and cabbage and bok choy are wilted.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the 1 tbsp sesame oil.
Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan, clearing a space where there is mostly broth in the center. Slowly pour the egg into this space, stirring with a fork to break it up, then stir.
Add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and serve in a bowl over cooked rice.

*I typically cut the long stemmed florets off the sides, until I reach the heart of the top. Then I cut this from the stem and break into pieces. I then cut off the bottom of the stem, peel the skin off the main stem at the bottom, and then quarter lengthwise and cut into 2 inch lengths.

Breakfast Sandwiches

I assume that most everyone has had either one of those chain breakfast sandwiches or something similar. Well, my sister-in-law made her own version the other morning. When I saw her choice of meat I wondered... hard salami on a breakfast sandwich? But it was tasty. This morning, looking for a quick breakfast and seeing the fresh French bread sitting on the counter, I made a goat cheese and egg version. Breakfast sandwiches are fun and easy to be creative with, so get out your eggs, find your favorite bread, and start creating!

Jen's Egg Sandwich

1 egg
1 tsp butter or butter substitute
salt and pepper to taste
1 slice hard salami
1 English muffin
butter for muffin

Heat the teaspoon of butter in a pan.
Add egg, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover pan and fry until the egg is cooked to your desired firmness.
Toast English muffin while egg is frying.
Butter muffin.
Once egg is cooked, place on the muffin.
Place the slice of hard salami in the hot pan and fry quickly on both sides.
Place salami on the egg, top with other half of muffin and serve hot.

Goat Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

5 inches of French bread, sliced in half
1 tsp butter or butter substitute
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp goat cheese

Heat butter in a frying pan.
Add eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
When eggs are mostly cooked, flip over and cook until yolk is your desired firmness.
While eggs are cooking, spread goat cheese on the bottom half of the French bread.
When eggs are done, cut in half and place length wise on the bottom half of the bread.
Replace top half of the bread and serve hot.

You could easily add fresh basil and thinly sliced tomatoes to this sandwich. Or maybe mix some dill weed into the goat cheese before spreading on the bread. Or if you'd like to add meat, what about pan frying some prosciutto a little? Eggs go well with mustard, so you could put a thin layer of mustard on your bread, under the goat cheese. The best way to approach your kitchen is to keep an open mind. When you have an ingredient you want to use, look through your refrigerator and cupboard for the things that might go well with it. Don't be afraid to break with tradition and you'll have the culinary variety needed to expand your cooking repertoire and to keep cooking fun.

Colorful Breakfast

I had a wonderful breakfast this morning that also happened to be very colorful. Two of our dyed eggs, strawberries (more than just three. I thought three would look nice in the picture), and a piece of homemade bread with butter and honey. That is no ordinary honey. It's pumpkin honey. We got it last fall when we went to pick out pumpkins for our Jack O' Lanterns. It has a delicate flavor and you can definitely taste flowers. While I love clover honey, this is far superior. It's so good, I've refused to use it in my tea. I spread the pumpkin honey on bread and biscuits only.

Experimenting with Cranberries

Breakfast is a fun thing to experiment with. This morning we decided to have french toast, and I decided to make a cranberry syrup to go with it. I've done some experimenting with cranberry syrups before, but this time I added cinnamon and maple flavoring. Before I was just making a fruit syrup (sugar, water, fruit, maybe some vanilla extract or vanilla bean). We also made scrambled eggs.

French Toast
11 slices of homemade bread
6 eggs
1/4 c milk
2 tbsp cinnamon and sugar mix
butter for the pan

Beat eggs in a shallow dish.
Add milk and beat.
Add cinnamon and sugar mix and beat.
Heat a skillet (we use cast iron) over medium-high heat.
Once hot, reduce heat to medium to medium-low.
Put butter on pan and spread around.
Dip each side of two slices of bread in the egg mixture and place on the skillet.
Brown the first side, turn, and brown second side.
Too keep warm while making the rest of the toast, place on a plate in an oven set to about 200 degrees.

Cranberry Syrup
1/2 bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp mapeleine (maple flavoring)
1 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Allow to cool a bit before serving.

Scrambled Eggs

8 eggs
1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp butter

Beat eggs well.
Add pepper and salt and beat until blended.
Melt butter in a steel skillet over medium to medium-low heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the eggs.
Allow a layer to cook and scrape up.
Repeat until the eggs are cooked, but still glistening.
Do NOT overcook, unless you like rubber for breakfast.