Beans!

Hi there,

Sorry I missed you all last night.  I did make beans; I just didn't feel like writing about them when they were done.

So these were black beans from scratch.  I soaked them overnight, drained off the soaking water, and added about 8 c. of water to a pot with 2 c. of the soaked beans.  Then I put in a ham hock, brought it to a boil, and turned it down to a simmer for about 2 hours, setting the pot lid slightly ajar. If you can get it, adding a couple tablespoons of epazote spice greatly reduces some of the...er...bean side effects later.

At the end of Hour 1, I opened the pot to discover the ham hock had turned an alarming shade of blue, as if I had immersed a Smurf in the pot by accident.  At the 90- minute mark, I threw in some salt, black pepper and two bay leaves.  I hold off salt until near the end because adding it too early makes the beans tough, in some people's opinion.  By 2 hours, the ham hock was just plain black, which was a great improvement, to my way of thinking.

When the ham hock is fork-tender, the beans will be done -- but you shouldn't take my word for it -- check and make sure they're cooked through.  The bigger the beans, the longer they take.  When the hock's done, take it out.  You now have two choices.  You can shred the meat and toss it back in (which I do on the grounds I hate to waste anything).  It's up to you if you want to chop up the rind and include it as well.  But if you taste it, you'll find it's given off most of its flavor to the pot of beans, as was intended, and you can decide to throw it away.  You can serve the beans with or without the cooking liquid, too.  It's nice to sop up the broth with some garlic bread.

I hope you'll take some time to make beans from scratch.  Canned ones are fine, but it's nice to be able to control how much sodium is in there and what other flavors you want to add.  It's also much less expensive.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Potato Salad 2 ways!

OK,

So here are two potato salad recipes you can modify to fit your needs.  For both, cut the potatoes into about 3/4" - 1" cubes and boil them until they are fork-tender and put into the oven at 450 degrees or on the grill for about 10-15 minutes, or until they develop some light brown spots, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn - especially if you have them on the grill.  Then, do this:

Asian Sweet Potato Salad:
I used a cup of diced raw sweet potatoes.

1 T. rice wine vinegar
3 T.  sesame oil
2 t. soy sauce
1/8 t. of Chinese 5-spice and freshly-grated ginger
1 t. sesame seeds.

You can also add in some cilantro or chopped granny smith apples.
Toss the sweet taters in the dressing.  It's best at room temperature.

Potato Salad Puttanesca.

This is  a g-rated website, so all I'll say is Puttanesca was first created by ladies, who, um, worked....late at night...helping men feel better about themselves....

Ahem.  This dish is usually done as a pasta with a tomato-based sauce and a couple of anchovies, but I wanted it to be meatless so you wouldn't have to worry about it going bad at your picnic.

3 c. cooked and roasted, fork-tender potatoes (I used baby white ones from the market, but red or yellow-skinned would work too.)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
3 cloves roasted garlic
2 t. capers
red pepper flakes to taste
and you might want to add in:  some kalamata olives, some italian parsley, some arugula or asparagus...or even some chopped scallions.  

I hope you have a blessed Memorial Day.  Tomorrow I'll make some black beans as a warm side dish. Until then, I'll see you at the market!!!

Memorial Day Sides

As promised, here are the first two in a series of recipes for Memorial Day side dishes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  Because of the number of ingredients, I've formatted them as traditional recipes - don't let that scare you, though - you can make these!

No-cook Carrot Salad

This has a Middle-Eastern inspiration and takes only 30 minutes start to finish.  Since there's no mayonnaise in the dressing, you don't have to worry about leaving it out on the picnic table -- although chilling is always a good thing.  If you make it ahead, add the almonds and parsley right before serving.

1/2 lb. carrots, grated on the box grater - the side with the big holes.  (About 2 c.)
If you can get the beautiful multi-colored carrots (dark red to pale yellow) available in our farmers' markets right now, they make the salad really pretty!
1/2 c. finely chopped parsley
1/4 c. slivered almonds (toasted or raw - your choice)
1/3 c. golden raisins - or Sunmaid has a 3-color raisin blend that is beautiful in this dish.

Toss these together in a bowl.  Now make the dressing:

1/3 c. lemon juice (1 good-sized lemon)
2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil (time to pull out the good stuff - see "ingredients" tab)
2 t. honey
3/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. paprika

Whisk together in a bowl.  I added about 1/3 c. plus 1 T. into the salad and put the rest aside for another use.  Serve immediately.  That's it.  No, really...that's it.  The recipe's over now.

Macaroni Salad
This is one of my favorite things in the world to eat. 

2 c. macaroni, cooked according to package directions.  Check them at the shorter end of the time range given; you don't want them too soft or mushy.  Rinse them with cold water and drain
1/3 c. finely chopped celery (about 1/8" pieces)
1/3 c. finely chopped onion (I used red - it looks pretty - use what you like, about 1/8" pieces)
1 hard-boiled egg, diced (about 1/8" pieces)

Now make the dressing; whisk together in a bowl:
1/2 c. mayonnaise (I use a vegan product; use what you like)
1/4 c. lowfat Greek yogurt
pinch of dried mustard powder
1/2 t. dry or 1 t. chopped fresh tarragon

Gently mix the dressing into the salad with a rubber spatula (the kind you use to scrape out a bowl).  Taste; add some salt and pepper to taste.  Chill immediately and serve cold. 

Please enjoy these dishes!  Tomorrow I'll have a roasted potato salad for you with some other goodies.  Oh, and if you've been trying to post responses and having no luck, try again - I changed some of the settings last night and you should be able to post now.

'Til tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

'Twas the night before Market....

And there's nothing left in the fridge except a bunch of onions and condiments. 

Tomorrow, though, I'm off to the Oldtown Salinas Farmers' Market.  When I get back, it'll be time to make some great sides and salads to go with your Memorial Day cookout.  I'll be making some beans, some homemade macaroni salad (never met a carb I didn't love!), and whatever the market leads me to -- that's the fun of doing this blog for me.  It's like "Iron Chef" in slow motion!  I find the fresh, beautiful Secret Ingredients, and then get all day to come up with something great for you.

That's it for tonight.  'Til tomorrow - I'll see you at the market!

Memorial Day Weekend

Hi there!

While the rest of you will be breaking out your grills this weekend, I am strictly an indoor chef - there's remodeling going on outside and I can't quite get to the grill, let alone fire it up.  Never fear, however, I promise to have some fun salads and sides ready for that barbecue you're planning.

In the meantime, however, I'd like to take a moment to remind us that Monday is not just "the official start of summer" or an excuse for a sale on beach balls.  It's a holiday started after the Civil War, to honor the memories of those who died on both sides.  It was originally called "Decoration Day", after the custom of decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers.

To read more, please visit http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html.  This holiday is different from Veterans' Day, which honors all veterans.  Memorial Day is specifically set aside to honor those men and women who gave their all for their country.

Whatever your political beliefs, I hope (speaking now as a daughter of a veteran and a veteran myself) you'll set aside a few minutes on Monday to remember those folks.  They wanted you to be free and to have a great time; they wanted you to have a safe place to celebrate all the joy that each passing season brings.  My little town of Pine Grove put it all in order when I was a kid by first having a parade and a ceremony on the cemetery, and then a big community chicken barbecue.  So take a moment out, okay? Thanks for listening.

Out to Lunch

Hi there!

Today I had to use up some broccolini.  I worked until 7 p.m., so waiting for dinner wasn't an option. Fortunately, we have a full kitchen at work, so I packed up the broccolini, some shiitake mushrooms, some dry Japanese udon noodles (they cook in less than half the time of Italian pasta), soy sauce, sesame oil and miso.

I always have to laugh when I make broccolini.  It reminds me of the time we were all dining out and my mom ordered it as a side.  She'd never had it and sent it back at least 3 times because it was too hard to chew.  The chef (who had the tallest toque I've ever seen outside of Japan's Kitchen Stadium) finally chopped it up and brought it out himself.  She never ordered it again.

But back to lunch:  I sliced the mushrooms, drizzled them with a little sesame oil and soy sauce, and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them and let them absorb the flavors.  I added 2 tablespoons of miso to about 3 cups of water and brought it to a boil, then cooked the noodles.  Just when the noodles were almost finished, I added the chopped broccolini.  As soon as it turned emerald green, I spooned the soup into a bowl and stirred in the shiitakes. It took less than 10 minutes and was much better than that salty ramen noodle stuff you get in a styrofoam cup!  (Btw, the styrofoam stuff is $1.00 each in our vending machine.  My bowl of soup cost just a few cents more than that to create.)

I hope this inspires you to do some creative brown-bagging.  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

While I was out...

Hi!

Sorry I missed you last night.  Sometimes it's nice to have dinner without all of you peering over my shoulder!  But mostly it's really nice having you here.

I ended up having the artichokes with a little lemon juice as a side to the leftover salmon, and the leftover fennel risotto from Friday night - still delicious!  Upon reheating the risotto, I decided if I make it from the Lundberg mix again, I'll only use half of the seasoning packet.  It was a little salty.

Tonight I'm making a small NY strip steak with caramelized onions, a big baked potato, and a side of fresh asparagus.  I'm going to steam the asparagus and then dress it with a little tamari and miso mixed together.  By "a little", I mean about a teaspoon of each, with a drop or two of honey to balance out the saltiness; I'll also add a few drops of sesame oil and rice wine vingar to the mix.  My favorite trick for dressing a baked potato is to mix together some yogurt (low-fat is fine) and horseradish to taste.  It adds a lot of flavor without all the fat.

I know a lot of my cooking ideas are really simple - but as I've said, the secret to good cooking is to start with great ingredients and try not to mess them up too much!  And until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Artichoke Fest!

Hi there,

So my plan for tonight was to make a roasted artichoke and garlic bruschetta.  But what happened instead was that the food took over.  It does that sometimes; don't be scared.  I went for a brisk 10k walk this a.m. in 1 hr. 40 min. (very proud of that) and made my friend/coach Denise a salmon lunch with salad wth miso/tamari/sesame dressing. 

Also, we stopped off at Gold Leaf Spice and Teas -  and we got to taste a whole host of balsamic vinegars and olive oils.  Yum!!!  Get in there soon and get a taste of the future - and get a say in it, too. Please convince Terri that truffle oil's a Good Thing!!!

I put 6 (halved and trimmed of rough outer leaves) baby artichokes in acidulated (that means there's lemon juice in it) water and cooked the water and artichokes together on low on the stovetop for 30 minutes.  Then I chucked it in the oven with an olive-oil drizzle for another 20 minutes, thinking, "Oh, that'll be plentyof time."  I'd already cut the top off a head of garlic, drizzled it with olive oil and wrapped it in foil, putting it into a 425 degree oven, 20 minutes ahead of the artichokes.  So the garlic was in 40 minutes, all together.

After the second 20 minutes in the oven, the garlic was done.  The artichokes, not so much.  I covered the pan with foil and put it back in for another 20 minutes.  So now the baby 'chokes were done, but they wanted to be eaten in stages...leaves, then hearts (which I wanted for the bruschetta).

I stood at the counter and ate as many leaves as I could get down...about 3 'chokes worth -- and put the rest in the fridge with the roasted garlic.  I'll get back to you on how I use all that tomorrow.  In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!!

Fun with Fennel

I would fail as an Iron Chef tonight.  I did not come up with a way to make fennel the star of the show - but it makes a great second banana!   Okay, more like a great second licorice.

I used some Lundberg box-mix risotto (gluten-free).  I can make my own risotto from scratch, with arborio rice, but I find it tedious to mind it while it's cooking.  Nothing but a risotto mix or arborio rice will make this recipe turn out right. Anything else will give you rice with fennel, for no apparent reason.

Whether you're going homemade or boxed, start with 1/2 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a pan, over medium heat.  Take out a head of fennel (not seeds or the ground stuff).  Cut it vertically through the center and remove the tough core (it will be obvious to you where the core is; it's solid and often brighter green than the rest of the fennel).  Also, remove any tough outside stems or stalks.  It should taste and feel in your mouth like a lightly-licorice-flavored celery.  Try a bite of it raw as a taste.  It's lovely raw in salads with parmesan cheese.

Slice the fennel very thinly (like an onion).  Put it into the hot fat and toss it around for 3-5 minutes, or until transluscent and/or slightly browned.  Add and cook the risotto according to either package directions or according to your recipe.  This is a brilliant side for chicken, or fish.  Please, enjoy.  Tomorrow, in honor of Castroville's annual artichoke festival (see also Marilyn Monroe), I'll be making some artichoke dishes I hope you'll love!

Oh, and I'm walking a 10k in the morning...just before I'll see you at the market!!!

I Saw What You Froze Last Summer!

Hey all,

As a way to have foods out of season, I cooked/prepped and froze a bunch of them at the end of last summer.  For the next few weeks, I'll be thawing them out and waiting for fresh summer fruits and veggies, and tell you how they came out.

I defrosted 2 things:  A container of caponata (eggplant relish) and a roasted bell pepper/tomato sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised by the caponata (circa September, 2010) - I thought the eggplant would become mushy, but it held its texture very well.  The flavor was not the same as "fresh" - but in some ways it was better.  The flavors had, as the cookbook types say, "married". 

We think nothing happens after we freeze things, but as my dad used to say:  "Freezing doesn't stop the march of time, it just slows it wayyyyyy down."  The caponata tasted more finished - things had melded together.  I cooked up some whole wheat pasta and used the caponata as a sauce.  I just brought it to room temperature - it's not as good hot - then I added the cooked pasta.  It was delightful!

As far as the pepper/tomato sauce, it's not completely thawed yet, so we'll have to wait until Thursday or Friday to see how it is.  Tomorrow night (Thursday) I have a volunteer commitment, so I may not make it here, but I'll DEFINITELY see you Friday for Fun with Fennel. 

In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!

Coming Tomorrow: I Saw What You Froze Last Summer

Hi all!

Tomorrow evening I'll be using the contents of last September's Freezer Mania (program note:  you're supposed to hear a booming, echoing voice when you read that). I froze peppers, tomatoes, eggplant. . .  We'll see how it held up and cooks up.  True confession:  I have a cold tonight and all I want is a can of over-processed, badly-farmed chicken soup.  Instead, I'm having a hot rum toddy.  Okay, not exactly what the doctor ordered, but no chickens were harmed in the making of this cure!

Until tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

Fish In Foil

Hi there!

Tonight I'm going to give you my "go to" fish prep.  This is guaranteed to work with everything from salmon to red snapper.  If you have parchment paper, you've probably already made "fish in paper" or en papillote.  If you don't happen to have any parchment handy, tear off a piece of aluminum foil about 6-8" long.  Put a little olive oil and/or butter onto the middle of the right side of the foil.  Put the fish on top, add a little more olive oil/butter, and if you like, a spoonful of capers, or some fresh herbs like thyme, tarragon, or dill.  Seal the pouch around the fish and place it in a baking dish (better safe than sorry).  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes for a 1/3 pound piece of fish.

Don't add lemon or acid of any kind until the fish is cooked - it will react with the aluminum in the pouch.  In fact, if you find you like this preparation, it's worth investing in a roll of parchment paper so that you're not cooking in aluminum all the time.  To use the parchment paper, you cut a heart shape big enough to allow a few inches around the fish.  You put the fish on the right side of the heart and fold the left side over it, then start crimping the paper at the point at the bottom, around into the "V" at the top.  From there, the procedure's the same.

I got the fish at the farmer's market, at the California Star Seafood stand (better known as the big white tent with the blue-and-white coolers).  If you're not fortunate enough to have fresh fish readily available, feel free to use the frozen.  Follow the thawing directions on the package and look for fish that are sustainably raised or harvested.  Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx) is a great resource for wading through those complicated waters (pun entirely intended).

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Shameless Plugs

Later tonight I'm making some fish, black beans and all sorts of yummy things.

But for now, I want to mention a few of the vendors I got to see yesterday at the market and update you on some related news.

First, the Sunday market at Whole Paycheck - I mean, Whole Foods, is back.  You have to get there before noon, but it's worth the stop -- great bread, eggs, and all kinds of wonderful produce at great prices. 

Second, the Morris Ranch meat folks are leaving the Salinas market.  I'm very sad about that, but you can still visit them at the Alvarado Street market on Tuesday nights in Monterey.  Starting May 25, they will have a full line of beef and pork products ready for you.  And in the meantime, the picnic ham they were selling yesterday looked wonderful! 

Mari Lynn Pemberton, who is visiting with family in Salinas for awhile, has a great booth with homemade jams, jellies, and pickled vegetables, including pickled eggs.  If you've never had a pickled egg, it's high time you try one!  She let me taste her jalapeno jam, and it was out of this world - just a little kick and lots of sweetness and good flavor.  She'll be at the Alvarado Street market on Tuesday, too.

Finally, I want to thank Carolyn's Cookie Company for the sugar boost on Saturday morning.  She says she's been making cookies for 28 years - and though she doesn't look the part, I believe her - the cookies are wonderful.  My friends who know I try to avoid white flour and refined sugar will be shocked - shocked, I tell you - to discover I indulged.  But one of the best things about Carolyn's cookies is that they're normal-sized.  Not some cookiezilla bigger than your face, just a nice few bites of chocolate-chip heaven.

I hope you'll stop by a local farmers' market sometime soon.  Maybe we'll say "hello."  Because I can't wait to see you, you-know-where.

Aha....Ahi

So today at the farmers' market, I got some lemongrass-flavored basil, some radicchio, and some awesome ahi  tuna from the fish guy.   I made  sushi rice according to the package directions, adding some green tea leaves to the water (I had too few tea leaves to make tea, and they added a really nice flavor to the rice).  I put a small ball of rice into each radicchio leaf, and topped with the tuna, which was seared for 2 minutes/side and sliced about 1/2" thick.  I spooned on some sauce made from 1 T. soy, 1 T. honey, and 2/3 T sesame oil, although you could easily use a ready-made teriyaki sauce, as well.  For a little added crunch, I sprinkled on some toasted sesame seeds and added some of the finely-chopped basil.  It was delicious!

I'm full.  I'll see you tomorrow, or until then...see you at the market!!

Beans - not just for breakfast. . . oh, wait. . .

This morning I had a little extra time to make breakfast and decided some huevos-rancheros inspired beans and eggs would be good. "Inspired" is what people say when they know they're not making authentic ethnic food.  This recipe highlights the usefulness of a good pantry when it comes to making a quick, but nutritious and and filling meal.

Anyway, I opened a can of black beans and drained them, and put half of them away in the fridge.  Then I put some onions (about 2 T. after chopping) into some hot canola oil and stirred for 2 minutes.  I added 2 t. turmeric, 1 t. cumin, and a liberal teaspoon of chipotle powder and stirred for another 30 seconds.  I added the beans and some canned chopped tomatoes (drained) and stirred for a minute or so, then I turned the heat down and let them simmer for about 5 minutes.  In another pan, I fried an egg over medium.  To finish, I spooned the beans onto a plate and put some chopped fresh cilantro on top, followed by a squeeze of lime, and then the egg.

Yum!  And it held me for hours until lunchtime called.  I hope next time you have a little extra time in the morning you'll make a breakfast that's something different, too.  Until then, I'll see you at the market!

A Tale of Two Farms

I took today off to decompress some, and decided to visit The Farm on the outskirts of Salinas (on 68, fewer than 3 miles from the intersection of Blanco and Main, off the Spreckels exit).  I got there shortly after opening - they're open 10-6, Mon-Sat -- and the sun was pouring into the open, welcoming space.  In addition to seasonal organic produce (artichokes, asparagus, broccolini), they have a fairly large array of merchandise including books, cookbooks, children's items, soaps and lotions.  The space is very well-organized and, I have to say, downright peaceful.  It's probably less so on Tuesdays at 10:30, when they have a story and song time for children.  Kids seem to be very welcome; however, they'd appreciate if you didn't bring your pets.  You can also order one of their delicious pies (I think I put on 5 pounds when they were at the farmers market last fall) for Friday or Saturday pickup.  I tasted some of their delicious red butter lettuce - and it was like eating out of my dad's garden when I was a kid.  Delicious!

Later this summer, they're going to offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for pickup.  For my readers who are unfamiliar with the term, it means you pay a fixed amount a week, like a subscription - but instead of getting the newspaper, you get a box of fresh vegetables every week.  If, like me, you're often cooking for only one or two people, you may want to share the box and cost with a friend.  It's a good way to commit yourself to eating more fresh, seasonal, and sustainable fruits and vegetables, however.

I then went out to Carmel Valley to visit the Earthbound Farm stand.  On the way, I stopped in at Bernardus and Talbott wineries - and guess what?  Talbott's River Road tasting room is finally open!  It'll be open Fridays-Sundays from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.  It's right by their Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, which is a beautiful spot.

On to Earthbound Farm.  They've been criticized by some of us sustainable foodie types for caving in and selling to the big chains.  For my part, I felt a bit like Meg Ryan's character at the end of "You've Got Mail," when she's cruising through the big, bad chain store (think Borders on steroids).  As she wanders the aisles, she's happy to see that people are still buying and reading books - that indeed, good things are going on in a place she's sure she should hate.  I'm still conflicted - organically farmed food is finally getting to the masses and proving it doesn't have to be overpriced or inaccessible.  Earthbound was full of people with their kids, picking up organic lunches to go.  But I think back to the uncomplicated peacefulness of The Farm. . .and I just don't know.  Maybe the two realities are meant to co-exist.  If you have a thought, please don't hesitate to share it.  Civilized dialogue is, after all, how we learn.  And until next time, I'll see you at the market!

You Never Sausage a Meal!!!

Yeah, I’m going for it in the bad pun department. But I shouldn’t, because I don’t want anything to take away from the Cowboy Sausage Company’s G-Spot Sausage. You read that right. It’s made with Ventana Winery’s Grenache and a little bit of chocolate. The chocolate’s not sweet at all – it’s just kind of there, in the background, making everything better.

So to give us the illusion that this is a healthy dinner, I’m making broccoli greens with it. Normally I would grill the sausage; tonight I want to make it in the pan so I have some drippings. . .but wait, Butch makes very lean sausage, so I know I’m going to end up adding olive oil anyway.

Broccoli greens are something I got at one of the Asian stands at the farmers market yesterday. To be quite honest, I have no idea if they’re really the greens of young broccoli, or just greens that taste broccoli-esque – but they’re really tasty and a great complement to the richness of the sausage.

Those of you familiar with the blog already know what happens next. I’ll chop off any thick, woody stems, rinse the greens, shake off most of the excess water, and wilt them in the olive oil in the hot pan where I cooked the sausage. But wait! In a twist that works really well with the sausage, I’m going to add some chopped up kalamata olives. Tip – don’t believe the “pitted” moniker. I’ve chipped more than one tooth on a “pitted” olive.

And because I rarely meet a carb I dislike, we’re having oven sweet potato fries. Peel the sweet potato (1/person) and cut it into French fry shapes. Mine are about 1/4” square by 5” long – but it all depends on the size of the sweet potato. And technically, it’s not a sweet potato, it’s a garnet yam. . .but we’ll go there another day. And no, you can’t use the canned ones. Soak them in cold water for 20 minutes to draw out some of the starch, while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain the potatoes, pat dry, and add some olive oil (about 2 T. is sufficient) and some (a) cumin, (b) chipotle chili powder, or (c) salt and pepper (or any combination of the above). Toss in the bowl until the fries are evenly coated. Spread them on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until a bit of outside “skin” develops. Turn them over and turn the pan around, and let them go for another 12-15 minutes. Fresh cilantro or parsley makes a great garnish chopped on top.

Now, while you’re eating and before I go…2 long overdue shout-outs – one to my sister, Kathy, who named this blog and made me believe I could do it, and one to my friend, Denise, who encourages me every day and who LOVES sweet potato fries – I hope these do the trick!!
Well, that meal should hold you for awhile! Until you get hungry again, I’ll see you at the market!!

Some Sage Advice about Simple Pleasures

I thought that some of you may be brand-new to this whole cooking thing and might appreciate something very simple to get you started.  It involves fresh sage, olive oil and/or butter, and some young potatoes - the smallish, ping-pong-ball size or smaller ones you find at the farmers market or at the grocery store.

Cut them in half and put them in a pot of water on the stove.  Add a tablespoon or so of salt.  If you don't own a tablespoon measure, the teaspoon in your drawer will work just fine.Turn the heat on and boil the potatoes until a fork pierces them fairly easily.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan over low heat.  Either melt about 2 tablespoons of butter or add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan - or one of each.  Rinse the sage leaves and pat dry.  You don't even have to cut them up.  Place them in the oil or butter and heat them gently - no high heat - for about 5-10 minutes.  You'll have to keep an eye on them and stir them around in the pan every few minutes.  You don't want to fry them (although you can crisp them up and they taste good that way, too) - just infuse the oil or butter with their flavor. 

When the potatoes are done, drain them and place them back in the (now-dry) pot over the heat.  Toss them around for a minute or two to get rid of the remaining water.  When the steam stops coming off them, place them into your frying pan and stir around in the oil.  Depending on how much you like sage, you can serve it with or without the whole leaves.  I find them a little bitter.  You could also add a little goat cheese, some freshly-grated parmesan, or a little grated cheddar.  Some freshly-ground black pepper and salt are always a good finish.

This is a simple and delicious side dish that proves you don't have to be an Iron Chef to make great food.  Just start with great ingredients, and try not to mess them up -- that sums up my whole approach to cooking.  I'm having some technical difficulties with my home network, but I promise I'll be back here soon - and til then, I'll see you at the market!

I Love a Parade! With Confetti [Salad]!

Well, okay, it's a lame lead-in.  But the salad is yummy.  It seems to have limitless variations and an uncertain history, but the common denominator is that it looks like a party on a plate.  For my version, start by roasting 1/2 head of garlic, top cut off but otherwise intact, doused in olive oil, at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until you can squeeze the cloves and a nutty, lovely garlic paste comes out.  Do not include any burnt or brown parts.  They're bitter.

Take 1/4 c. sundried tomatoes and rehydrate with 3/4 c. very hot water and 2 T. sweet vermouth.  If you don't want the alcohol, dissolve 2 T. honey in very hot water, then pour over the tomatoes.  You can also use jarred sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers, but you need to drain and rinse them first.

Cook 1 cup of Israeli couscous (or rice would be fine). Follow either package directions or the directions that are usually posted on the bulk bin. 

While the couscous is cooking, steam or simmer 10 spears of asparagus (woody or tough ends chopped off) until bright green and just slightly tender when you bite into them.  How do you know?  Bite into a spear!!  Plunge under cold water to stop the cooking and chop into (more or less) 1/8 inch rounds.

Sautee 1/4 c. sliced mushrooms in olive oil.  When they're golden brown on both sides, turn the pan off.  Take about 1/4 t. each of dried tarragon and marjoram and crush between your fingers into the pan.  Why?  Because crushing releases their oils and you don't want to burn the herbs.  Residual heat will warm them through just enough to release the flavor into the oil and mushrooms.

Finally, chop up 4 scallions, white and light green parts only, into very small pieces.  Throw everything together in the bowl with the couscous.  Now make the dressing:  3/8 c. olive oil goes into a bowl with the garlic pulp, and crush and stir with a fork until the garlic is evenly distributed, then whisk in 1/8 c. red vinegar. (Hint:  1/8 c. = 2 Tablespoons) Stir as much as you like into the salad.  Start with half of it and taste . . . if it tastes under-dressed to you, add some more and taste again.  I used about 3/4 of the dressing and put the rest aside for another use.  Salt and pepper to taste and set aside for at least one hour.  It's even better the next day.

Other possible add-ins include:  chick peas, toasted pine nuts, and/or kalamata olives.  Enjoy! And until tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

Quick Breakfast Tip w/Asparagus

If you like your breakfast eggs with runny yolks (or "dippy", as we used to say), read on.  If not, this is not for you.  I have quite a bit of asparagus at home and tomorrow I'll be using some to make an updated version of confetti salad.  However, this morning, I was inspired to cook an egg over-medium (you could also poach the egg, but I find frying easier when I'm in a hurry) and break the yolk over some asparagus simmered until it was just tender.  Add a piece of toast, and it's almost an asparagus eggs benedict!

See you tomorrow - and until then, I'll see you at the market!

Sunday Driver!

I got up this morning to bright sunshine streaming through the windows of the condo and decided to go for a Sunday drive.  It got a little out of control.

I put 4 gallons in the tank and then sat down to recover from the shock. Thank heaven for my little tiny Toyota! I headed over to Highway 1 and went north to the outskirts of Watsonville. At the first exit for Watsonville (going north) exit and turn left, toward the Chevron station - right next door is Redman House Farm Stand. My intention was to provide some info on the stand for my readers who have trouble making it to the farmers markets. The link is to the right. It's beautiful organic food; cash only. They are open Wednesday-Sunday, 10-6. I got there at 9 a.m. Since there isn't much else to do around there, I decided to turn around and head back.  I decided to try the stands along Highway 1, because I've been driving by them for years and never checked them out.

I stopped at the Moss Landing stand which has the advantage of being co-located with Surf City Coffee.  There were a few items labeled "local" - all conventional - and they also had a jewelry stand, a lot of local nuts (the kind that grow on trees, not the "colorful character" kind), and a wide assortment of very inexpensively priced fruits and vegetables (5 lb. of oranges for $1.00).  The highlight was some delicious home made hummus, salsa and guacamole from $3.99-$5.99/container.  I bought some baby eggplant to put on the grill later.  I'm pretty sure they were not local.

Then I stopped at the Thistle Hut. (Watch out for the potholes in the driveway! Yikes!)  I suspect the artichokes were local, but nothing was labeled, so I couldn't tell.  Everything there was also conventional.  I turned off on Nashua-Molera Road to visit Pezzini Farms ("As seen on Food Network").  I was surprised to see BMW's and Mercedes parked in the lot.  When I got inside, I saw why - very upscale, gourmet local food.  They had a comprehensive collection of locavore goodies - Lula's chocolate, Pacific Cookie Company, Gil's Gourmet - attractively arranged for browsing.  The woman who greeted me was busily stocking strawberries.  She informed me that they were Albion strawberries grown in Moss Landing and very, very sweet.  I should have asked to try one, but I have a whole pint from Hector's Organic I just bought yesterday, so their sweetness will remain a mystery for now.

I ended my sojourn at the Marina Farmers' Market, where I visited with the fine people at Palermo Bakery's stand, and sampled every hummus at Mr. Falafel.  I wasn't greedy - it's just that the young guy who operates the stand opens one hummus after another (I think I tried 10 in all) and says, "try this."  I bought some mahummara, a red-pepper based, slightly spicy spread from the Middle East.  Mr. Falafel makes all the hummus from scratch, including not using canned beans.  Delicious!  The falafel is really good, too.

I hope you find some of the information about all those stands around here useful.  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!