Eating Local: Double Decker BLTs

My fav local meal is a BLT sandwich. This year we upped the flavor with amazing rosemary lavender bread from Great Harvest, via my CSA. We made these double decker BLTs with TLV Tree Farm bacon, lettuce from the CSA, tomatoes from my garden, and that amazing rosemary lavender bread. We knew it was a winner when my 4 year old asked for seconds!

I got a little help making this meal too. Love when my helpers make their way into the kitchen. The lettuce was thouroughly spun.

What local goodies have you found this summer?

Salsa 101

Even if you don't have a food processor or a fancy schmancy machine, you can make your own salsa. Nothing tastes like summer quite like sweet tomatoes, bright cilantro & zippy jalapeños. I'm so in love with the stuff that I can at least a dozen jars of salsa to use during the winter months. My spicy salsa soup is just what I need to remember the summer sun during frigid February.

Ingredients: - 2-3 pounds of tomatoes, halved then seeds into a bowl in (or more if you're making enough for the week!) - 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed - 1 large sweet onion, diced - 1 large bunch of cilantro, wash thoroughly then chop leaves and stems (omit if you're a cilantro-hater) - 2-3 jalapeños, diced (depending on your desired spice level) - salt

Method: - if you're using a machine, blitz in this sequence: (keeping each prior ingredient in the food processor) salt & garlic, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, tomatoes, salt again and add in desired amount of tomato juices if needed. - if you're doing this by hand, just dice it all up and put it in a bowl. - serve with your fav chips, over steak, or use as a base for your chili.

I love love salsa. Don't forget things like mangos, peaches, and other chilis are great in salsa. Experiment and enjoy!

Summer Salad

On the days I work from home, I'm a crazy woman. I get up early to run & get the laundry done. Then during the AM & afternoon, I jam on my regular work duties. But by lunchtime I'm ravenous. Just one thing will do - a gigantic salad. This time I happened to have some ripe tomatoes on the vine, fresh crisp cucumbers, and lots of kale & mixed lettuce from the CSA. Combined with some freshly pickled banana peppers & a radish tartine, lunch was served!

Ingredients: (don't be specific on the quantity, just use up what's in your fridge!) - kale & mixed lettuce (washed, stems removed from kale & chopped) - 1 large or 2 small tomatoes, diced - 1/2 an English cucumber, diced - a sprinkling of red onion slices - some feta - canned tuna in olive oil, drained then mixed with banana peppers - radish slices - your fav vinaigrette - butter - soft bread like challa

Method: - in a large bowl, combine your greens & veg, toss until combined - add salt & pepper and drizzle on your fav salad dressing. I like a lemon vinaigrette - to make the tartine, just slice up the radish, slather a bit of butter on the bread & lay the radish slices on the butter. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt.

The lunch was quite divine. And if you're not a radish fan...try this. The butter and salt dissolve the bite of the radish, it is delicious. Because I like the kik of radish, I made sure to slice some up in the salad too!

What are you doing with your summer harvest? Salads and soups make quick work of the veg when my fridge is full!

Pesto w/ Thai Basil & Cilantro

This year I'm growing 6 different basil varieties: Marseilles, Purple Ruffles, Sweet Genovese, Thai, Lemon, & Spicy Bush Basil. Five out of the six work deliciously in my traditional Italian pesto (you know the one with olive oil, pinenuts, garlic & parm.) But the Thai Basil is a different bird. The intense bail flavor is deep and licoricey and I don't like it with olive oil and parm, I love it with cilantro and sesame oil!

Ingredients: - as much Thai basil as you have, I had 2 freezer bags full, leaves removed from stems - as much cilantro as you can find, I had 1 freezer bag full, I use the stems & leaves - 4-5 cloves of garlic, depending on your love of garlic and amount of herbs - 2-3 jalapeños depending on how spicy you are - sesame oil (half a cup or so) - sesame seeds - salt, just a pinch for the garlic

Method: - clean & prep your basil & cilantro. A deep sink & a salad spinner come in quite handy - put your garlic, pinch of salt and jalapeños into a food processor. Pulse until they're chopped up. - add herbs a handful at a time into your food processor. Pulsing a few times, drizzling in some sesame oil - add sesame seeds and blend until they're incorporated. - put the paste into ice cube trays & allow to set over night. When solid, pop the cubes into a freezer bag. - Don't forget to mark it Thai Basil Pesto!

These cubes are great on rice noodles, pho, and mixed into stir fry. Just remember, like all herbs, don't over cook & add them in at the end of your cooking process.

Which kind of basil are you growing this summer?

Eating Local: Grilled Santa Maria Chicken & Bratwurst w/ Summer Succotash

We've been cooped up all weekend with rain storms. So when the clouds broke and the sun peeked out, we fired up the grill and made the most delicious chicken & brats from TLV Tree Farm. I didn't have to think long about what would go with these delectable meats, summer succotash full of sweet corn, summer squash, sweet onions, and yellow peppers. All the veg is from the farmers' market, Gorman Farm & my CSA at Breezy Willow Farm.

Ingredients: - whole spatchcocked chicken - 1 bratwurst - 6 ears of corn, kernels removed - 4 summer squash (I had a mix of green, yellow & pattypan), diced - 2 sweet onions, diced - 4 cloves of garlic, smashed & chopped - 2 yellow peppers, diced - 1 bag of frozen lima beans, (not local but organic) - 2-3 tbsp butter - Olive oil - salt & pepper - Susie Q Santa Maria Seasoning

Method: - fire up your grill & season the chicken w/ olive oil and liberal amounts of SusieQ. If you don't have SusieQ, season with olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper. Cook until the chicken's juiced run clear and internal temp is around 170. The brats will cook up in 15-20 mins. - in a large cast iron pan, heat up your butter and olive oil. Add all of your veg, and limas & season with salt & pepper. Stir occasionally, and taste for seasoning and doneness as you go. It took about 25 minutes over medium-high heat for my succotash to cook through. - serve it up with some pickled banana peppers and some mustard. It was easy, delicious, and a great way to use up the zillions of zucchini in my fridge!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

My pequillo & bell peppers are starting to ripen. When they ripen to a glossy red, I roast them and make my roasted red pepper hummus. Since my peppers arent quite ready, I used canned roasted red peppers. Here's how I did it in 4 cinchy steps:

Ingredients: - 1 jar of roasted red peppers (they usually have 2-4 peppers), drained & peppers patted dry - 2 cans of garbonzo beans (chickpeas), drained & rinsed - 1-2 cloves of garlic - 2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste), you can omit this - extra virgin olive oil - salt

Method: - blitz the garlic in a food processor with a pinch of kosher salt - slowly add the garbonzos to the food processor, pulsing as you go - add the tahini (I love this stuff) and peppers - continue pulsing the food processor and slowly add olive oil. Take a break and taste for salt & consistency. If you want it salier, add a pinch or 2 more of kosher salt. If you want the hummus creamier add more olive oil and let the processor run for 20-30 seconds straight.

Dig in with your fav veg, pita chips or pretzel chips. We eat a lot of hummus in my house, so I'm making this at least 2-3 times a month. I've also been known to whip up a spicy hummus with pimenton, cumin, coriander & some of my homemade chili powder!

Grinding Your Own: Beef

If you have a mixer or a food processor, you can grind your own beef. A few years ago I read a Mark Bittman article in the NY Times. He detailed some of the reasons to grind your own beef, predominantly for taste & flavor. But these days we also grind our own to avoid serious food-born illnesses like E. coli, as Michael Moss detailed in his 2009 NY Times article. I'm not writing to inform you of the dangers of the meat & agriculture industry, Michael Pollan, Marion Nestlé & Mark Bittman have that covered. I'm writing about just how easy and afforable it is.

First - what machinery do you have? I have a KitchenAid mixer & a food processor. I prefer to use the mixer because I have a meat grinding attachment. Some companies make electric meat grinders but since I have the KitchenAid motor, I went with the grinder attachment that's efficient and dishwasher safe!

Alternatively, you can do this in a food processor too. It just takes a bit of extra work. Check out Bittman's article for the food processor steps, basically you have to cut your meat smaller and put it in the freezer it for 30-40 minutes before processing it. You're also limited in the amount of meat you can do per batch.

Second - which cut of beef to buy? We buy and mix brisket, tri-tip, short ribs and sometimes ribeye. You're looking for textured meat with lots of fat marbled throughout. Now. - if your cut of meat is particularly fatty, cut the fat away and grind it on its own a few times before the rest of the meat.

Third - where do I buy it? I get my cuts from local vendors like TLV Tree Farm, Treuth's, and Roseda. Visit your farmers markets to find out where your local meat vendors are and buy 5 pounds of their delicious beef. If you're going through the trouble to grind your own, source the meat too!

Fourth - how do I grind it? - read the instructions for your meat grinder & follow them! - set up your station. You need a few stainless steel bowls, paper towels, a good knife, cutting board, and a place for the final product, I use parchment paper and freezer bags. - get the mixer & grinder attachment in place, as well as the bowl at the grinder exit - this might be a bit messy, so cover stuff with paper towels, or move it out of the way - cut your meat into pieces that I'll fit into your grinder, 2 inches or so - process the meat, we do it a second time to ensure there's no gristle-texture - make into patties, seperate each one with a sheet of parchment, then into a freezer bag - I also save a pound or so for meat-sauce, spaghetti and meat-sauce is my 4 year old's passion - your meat will keep for a few months, we try to grind every 2-3 months so things don't get lost in the freezer.

And this is the end result of my recent grinding adventure. This burger transports me to In & Out the second I dig in. Now that's what a hamburger is all about!

Eating Local: Plum Granita

This week the SSFC is focused on fruit. Though I don't grow any, my CSA supplied me with loads of berries & stone fruit. Last night I dug into the fridge and found 3 pounds of plums, yellow and purple. The hot July temps have us craving icy treats, so I made a plum granita!

The hardest part of making a fruit granita is finding a dish that is fairly long & shallow, and fits into your freezer. The rest was a snap!

Ingredients: - 3 pounds of plums - 1 lime zested & juiced - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste - 1/2 cup of sugar - 3/4 cup of water

Method: - fill a stock pot with water, and the plums. Bring it up to a simmer & look to see if the skin of fruit is peeling back. Remove the fruit from the water and cool in a collender. - while you wait for the fruit to cool, simmer the water, sugar, lime zest & lime juice together until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla. - when cool enough, peel the skin from the plums and drop the flesh into a food processor. Make sure the skin & stone go into the compost, not the food processor. - blitz the plums & pour in the lime simple syrup.

- find a dish that is shallow & long. And make sure it fits into your freezer. - using a mesh sieve, pour the fruit into the dish. I returned the pulp to the food processor and blitzed it again & repeated the straining technique. Compost ormosh on whatever gets stuck in the sieve. You want the granita to be clear. - put the dish in the freezer and with a fork, stir and scrape every 25/30 minutes until its mostly crystallized. Depending on your freezer & the depth of the dish this could take up to 120 minutes.

Voila! Plum granita! This zesty treat was exactly what I needed after a weekend of hard work in the garden. I don't know what the deal with crabgrass is, but it's running rampant in my garden. If you're interested in a creamy composition, mix it with some vanilla ice cream - dreamy! You can use almost any fruit to make a granita. Just remember to have the right dish & a sieve on hand.

Lovely Eggplant

Eggplants are growing well this year, in my garden and at Breezy Willow (my CSA). Over the past few years I've learned a few tricks for growing eggplants in containers (heavy feeders & drinkers!) but this year I'm trying some in the ground as well. I'm growing two varieties this year, little fingers & listada de gandia. So far only the listada is producing fruit, but the little fingers just started to set flowers.

It's been a wonky start to the gardening season so far. But lucky me, no stinkbugs, yet! Here are a few of my favorite eggplant recipes:

Caponata Ratatouille Grilled Pizza

How are you cooking up eggplant this summer?

Kale & Beef Stew

When my garden & CSA are heavy on the kale, I make a simple soup that lasts all week long. Kale paired with beef is a delicious combo that keeps the carnivores in my family happy. To please the carb-lovers I'll add a bit of pasta. But for me, I like it straight up. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: - kale by the barrel full, stripped from the stalk & chopped - 1 tri-tip roast, seared on both sides & roasted at 425 for 30 mins - 1 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons - 3 garlic cloves, smashed - 8 cups of chicken stock - olive oil - salt & pepper

Method: - sear & roast the tri-tip the night before & let it cool a bit before you put it in the fridge. I seasoned mine with olive oil & SusieQ Santa Maria seasoning. It's the best! - in a large soup pot or dutch oven, add olive oil, garlic and onions. Cook until just translucent & add salt and kale. Cook kale down and add more if you want. I probably used 1-2 pounds. - as your stirring ans seasoning, thinly slice the roast. - add the stock and bring to a simmer. Slide in the beef and simmer on a low flame for 15 mins. Cover & remove from the heat. - serve right away, or wait a day

The stew is slightly reminiscent of pho. Clear broth and clean flavors.

What are you cooking tonight? Do you cook soups in the summer, or is it too darn hot?!

Eating Local: Garden Ratatouille

Last week was a bit rough at The Soffritto. We, like many other mid-atlantic state inhabitants, lost power for many days & lost my fridge/freezer contents as well. The power came back quite serendipitously as I went to pick up my CSA goodies. On the verge of tears I contemplated what I was going to do with all of the veg & eggs. At that moment I received a text message from my neighbor: "the power is back!" I was (and still am) full of joy & relief. That day I filled the fridge with kale, eggs, cucumbers, squash, green beans, peas, and eggplant. After a few days restoring order to the house I'm ready to start cooking and blogging again - how about some ratatouille?!

Ingredients: -2 summer squash, sliced into discs, with a knife or mandolin -2 bell peppers julienned -3 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, large ones halved -2 cloves of garlic, smashed -3 Japanese eggplant, or one large - though I recommend the smaller varieties, sliced into discs - 2 shallots or one small sweet onion, diced - 1 tbsp fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme) - a few sprigs of basil (I used Marseilles) - olive oil - salt & pepper

Method: - preheat oven to 375, move the rack to the center position - place paper towels on a sheet pan & lay out eggplant discs. Salt them & let them weep while you work on the rest of the dish, 10-20 mins. I like to flip them and salt the other side too. - in a large Dutch oven or sauce pan, add olive oil, shallots & garlic. Cook for a few minutes then salt & add tomatoes - cook until the tomatoes pop, 5-10 mins on low heat, then stir in the thyme -pour the sauce into an oven-safe dish then begin layering the eggplant, squash & peppers. I tucked in a bit of basil as well - season the veg with salt, pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil - cover with parchment paper and bake for 50-55 mins, check at the 30 minute mark - serve with buttered French bread & finish with fresh basil and another drizzle of olive oil

The final product is a bright & satisfying dish that fills the belly of the most discerning 4 year old, as well as me & the husband. We love it over buttered french bread...makes a good lunch too. If you are a Pixar fan, you may remember this style of ratatouille from the movie Ratatouille. This most certainly plays into my sneaky Mama plans of getting my little dude to take 10 minutes to eat. If you're going for a more rustic take, cook it all on the stove-top and save yourself 30 minutes. I think it's worth the time...and I will be making this a few more times this summer, my eggplant is growing like gangbusters!

Eating Local: Ribeyes w/ Mixed Veg

This weekend was kind of a blur, so I reached for a comfort classic to refuel our bodies and minds. I picked up some ribeyes from Roseda at Roots Market, and the medly of vegetables & herbs came from my garden & the Breezy Willow CSA.

Ingredients: - 4 ribeyes, boneless - 4 kohlrabi bulbs, chopped (my garden) - 2 cloves of garlic, chopped (my garden) - 1 pint of peas, shelled (CSA) - 1 pint of of snow peas (CSA by way of the farmers market) - 10-12 leaves of Thai basil (my garden) - 1 small bunch of cilantro, (my garden) - sesame oil & seeds

Method: - while the grill heats up, chop the kohlrabi, mushroom & garlic. - bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it and put the peas & snow peas in. Cook until bright green then shock in a cold water bath. - pat your steaks dry and season with salt & pepper, get them on the grill as soon as its super hot - in a large pan warm up your oil & start cooking the kohlrabi, mushrooms & garlic. When they're cooked through, add the peas, snow peas and sesame seeds. Season with salt or soy sauce. Then turn off the heat and stir in the Thai basil & cilantro - garnish with some slices of jalapeño....this has me craving tacos... - dig in!

The steaks and veg were scrumptious! But the secret ingredient was my garlic. I'm so in love with having garlic in my garden. It grew so effortlessly, and had a big reward. Actually a few big rewards including garlic scapes!

What's at your local farmers market, or garden? Lots of great things are growing in my SSFC partners' gardens. Check out what they're growing and cooking this week!

Tuna Niçoise Salad

A few days ago I talked about how I was drowning in eggs, now I'm drowning in lettuce! Between my garden & Breezy Willow's CSA, it's a lettuce-splosion. It must be time to break out the salads. How about a Niçoise salad?!

I love Niçoise salad - and this is the best time of year to make it. The green beans are fresh off of the vine. The potatoes are fresh out of the earth. And the lettuce is fresh cut from the farm.

Since it's warming up outside, lettuce is getting bitter. So - I took my time with this meal. I filled my sink with cold water and let the lettuce soak for a half hour or so while I made the hard boiled eggs. I'm notoriously bad at making hard boiled eggs. I scoured the web and my Nana's cookbooks for ideas. I settled on a mix and here's what I did:

Hard Boiled Eggs: - as many large eggs as you can fit in the bottom of pasta pot. Do not layer the eggs. - fill the water up to 1 inch over the eggs - bring the water and eggs up to a rapid boil - cover the pot - turn off heat - scoot the pot off of the hot burner - set the timer for 17 mins - while the eggs set, get a large bowl full of ice and cold water - when the 17 mins are up, scoop the eggs into the ice water bath - set the timer for 10 mins - when the timer is up, scoop out the eggs & remove the shell. I'm not good at removing the shell, so if you have any ideas let me know! - put the eggs in the fridge until you're ready to serve

Here's how I pulled the rest of the salad together:

Ingredients: - 4-5 red potatoes - 4 tuna steaks - large bunch of mixed lettuce - olives: my little eater isn't ready for punchy Niçoise olives so we went with salty/sweet California black olives. Pick your favorite - 1 pound of green beans, trimmed - 4-5 hard boiled eggs - sesame seeds - dressing: mix a tbsp Dijon mustard, tbsp honey, a splash of sherry or champagne vinegar, 4-5 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch or two of salt. Whisk & adjust ingredients deepending on your taste.

Method: - in a large salad-capable bowl, make your salad dressing - quarter potatoes & boil them until cooked through, allow to cool while you work on the rest of the meal - in another pan steam the green beans in batches & shock them in cold water to stop the cooking process. - add the washed & dried lettuce to the dressing bowl (don't toss it yet.) - pat the tuna steaks dry and coat both sides with salt & sesame seeds - in a large skillit, sear the living daylights out of those beautiful tuna steaks. I prefer mine on the rare side, but my 4 year old needs them to be cooked a bit more. So just keep a close eye on them. - toss the lettuce, olives, cooled potatoes & green beans in the salad dressing. - top with the seared tuna & hard boiled eggs

Isn't that pan enormous? It was a much needed addition to the collection. It made quick work of the tuna steaks and makes a ton of bacon in the morning! So back to the salad. If you're making this for 2, cut the ingredients in half. OR - keep the ingredients separate and toss each bowl together individually. This makes for awesome leftovers.

What salads are you tossing up this summer?

Chard & Gruyere Strata

I'm drowning in eggs. Each week my CSA share includes a dozen eggs, and I'm getting behind. I gave a dozen to my sister-in-law last week, and last night used up 10 in a delicious strata! In addition to having lots of eggs to use, I had a gigantic bunch of chard, a loaf of challah & large brick of gruyere. Sounds like dinner to me.

Ingredients: 10 eggs, whisked 1/2 cup of half&half 1 cup of shredded gruyere 1 bunch of chard; washed, stems removed & chopped 4 cups of cubed challah bread Salt & Pepper to taste Butter to grease the baking pan Olive oil

Method: Preheat oven to 350 Grease an 8x8 oven safe pan w/ butter. Be generous. In a large skillit, add a few tbsp of oil and sauté the chard. Allow to cool. Whisk eggs, half&half, salt & pepper Toss bread cubes into the greased pan & pour over egg mixture and slowly stir in the cheese and chard Bake for 30-40 mins until the bread is browned and the strata is set...no jiggling

The strata was served along with some of the leftovers from La Cucina night. But I'm looking forward to noshing on it for breakfast too! Sadly, this is not approved by my 4 year old, but on the bright side - more for me!

Local Leftovers: Tandoori Lamb meet Greek Salad

A few days ago we grilled a delicious Tandoori Lamb - though we each ate more than our fill - the leftovers were plentiful. Speaking of plentiful, my Breezy Willow CSA & backyard greens are too! So why not use the leftover lamb in a big salad?!

In the backyard I found; arugula flowers, red romaine & red leaf lettuce. My CSA provided lots of cucumbers, and I had one last super-ripe tomato from the farm-stand. To make the dressing I used Cava tzatziki. Cava is a local company that makes dips galore. My fridge cannot be without a container of Cava harissa. All of their stuff is amazing, look for it at Roots Market. Cava Mezze also has restaurants in the DC-area. I will be visiting soon!

Making the salad was a breeze. I gently warmed the sliced lamb in homemade chicken stock, low for 10-15 mins. While the lamb warmed I picked, washed, and chopped the veg. Oh - the feta. Well that was not local. My darling husband, forgot to chek out the CSA Hesse selection, and I missed all of the farmers markets, so Trader Joes to the rescue. I bought the Greek feta in water, it's tangy, creamy, and delicious.

Drain the meat & let it cool for a couple of minutes. Then toss it all, and dig in. I love being able to toss things into a salad midweek. You know, this might be great wrapped up in a flatbread for lunch too!

Tandoori Lamb w/ a little help from Trader Joes

Can't you just smell that? Spices, meat, smoke....yum. One of our favorite proteins on the grill is lamb. Mixed with some Greek yogurt, Indian spices, and expertly grilled by my husband - this stuff is heavenly. When I was pulling together the ingredients for this meal I knew I would have to be flexible, finding paneer (Indian cheese) can be tricky. But I've seen it at trader joes a thousand times, they'd have it this time, right?

Wrong. Hmmm...after circling the cheese section I decided to take the easy way out, the freezer section. Within 30 seconds I had paneer masala and channa masala in hand. Dinner would come together a bit easier that night.

Ingredients: feeds 3 hungry adults and a kid w/ 1 serving of leftovers - 1 boneless leg of lamb - 16oz container of greek yogurt, I like 2% - spice mix: 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 5 cardamom pods (cracked and seeds removed, discard shells) - 1 lemon, juiced - 1 lime, juiced - 1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil - salt & pepper to taste - 3 packages of frozen channa masala (this is the most delicious way to eat garbonzo beans) - 3 packages of paneer tikka masala w/ spinach basmati rice - 2 packages of frozen brown rice - naan bread - butter - mango chutney (if this isn't already a kitchen staple, make it one.)

Method: - prep your grill & make the sauce combining all of the individual ingredients listed above (yogurt through salt) in a large bowl - prep your lamb, remove from package, pat it down with paper towels, then submerge in the sauce. Marinate for 60-120 minutes. - when you get the lamb on the grill, preheat your oven and cook the masalas according to the directions. There is a microwave alternative, but I prefer the oven...I'm taking enough shortcuts as it is! - when the lamb is done, grill up the naan. It is delicious with a bit of butter and some mango chutney. - plate everything up and enjoy.

This meal is a crowd pleaser. There's definitely a kick to the channa masala, but it is easily mellowed with some sweet mango chutney. This is such an easy and fun way to embark on new cuisines with the family. And I am in the thick of it with my 4 year old....thankfully he's abiding by the try it once rule and liking what's on his plate! As you can see in the pictures below, there were many noses twitching at the aroma of grilled tandoori lamb - we almost lost the dinner (twice) to Miss Long Legs!

Refrigerator Stir-fry

It's that time of year when I clean out the fridge and freezer. It's a mixed bag of emotions: disgust, thrill, exhaustion, and triumph. This year I found a few bags of trader joes fried rice, a pork tenderloin, and some carrots on their last leg. Time to stir-fry!

Ingredients: - 2-3 bags of frozen stir fry rice mix from Trader Joes - 1 grilled pork tenderloin, cubed - 10 baby carrots, chopped - 2 shallots, diced - 2 cloves of garlic, diced - sesame oil - olive oil - 2-3 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds - fresh cilantro & Thai basil, chopped - 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen peas - garlic chili paste/sriracha

Method: - in a large skillit, heat a couple of tbsp of olive oil and sesame oil. - when it's hot, add your garlic, shallots, carrots, and pork - cook for 10-15 mins over high heat, stirring frequently. Try to get the pork nice and crispy, it adds a great element to the dish. - when the carrots are soft, deglaze the pan with a tbsp of water, then add the rice. Cook together for 10-15 mins then add the sesame seeds, peas, basil & cilantro. Cover for 2-3 mins and then serve it up! - I really love this with a dollop of garlic chili sauce, tuong ot toi works quite nicely.

That's one of the many refrigerator stir-fry dishes we make, weekly. It's really easy to incorporate fresh veg and herbs from the garden to make this meal a knockout.

Eating Local - Strawberry Milkshakes

This week of the SSFC SOLE food challenge comes with a theme - cooking raw and/or vegetarian. Other than making salsa and gazpacho, I have no expereince "cooking" raw. Since many of those (tomaoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc) ingredients aren't quite in season in my neck of the woods, I decided to take the easy road and make strawberry milkshakes. Last week my CSA pick up included some ridiculously delicious strawberries. Mixed up with local milk, ice cream, whipping cream, and some stevia leaves, the strawberries were everything I wanted in a raw food meal! Here's how my sister and I pulled it together:

Ingredients: - 1 quart of cored strawberries - 1/2 cup of trickling springs whole milk - 5-10 stevia leaves - 1-2 cups of tricking springs vanilla ice cream

Method: - in a blender, pulse the strawberries, stevia leaves, and whole milk - a scoop at a time, add the ice cream, pulsing until smooth - pour it in a glas and enjoy summer decadence in a glass - if you're dow with a few more calories, make some whipped cream: 1/2 cup of trickling springs cream whisked with/without chopped stevia leaves

What have you been doing to keep cool this summer? A milkshake pretty much does it for me!

Pasta Primavera w/ Crab

Have leftover crab? Have I got the recipe for you! Just toss the picked crab meat with grilled veg & some pasta and you're set for the night!

The inspiration for the meal came from some beautiful Maryland Blue Crabs that we just couldn't finish, along with a little snow crab meat. The local fresh produce, lemon zest, and some basil pulled it all together. I was nervous that it wouldn't be enough, crazy - I know. So I dug into the fridge and found some artichokes begging to be steamed & dipped into lemony mayo. Here's how it came together:

Ingredients: - meat from 6-7 steamed large blue crabs, quadruple check for shells - 6 slices of bacon - various zucchini & squash, large dice - garlic scapes - 4 artichokes, trimmed & soaked in lemon water - Mushrooms, sliced - scallions, sliced - 20-30 basil leaves - 1 lemon, seated & juiced - olive oil - salt & pepper - red pepper flakes - 1 garlic clove, whole - 3/4 cup of mayo - parm to finish

Method: - heat up the grill & get a pot of water boiling - cook your noodles, penne or spaghetti work well, in the boiling salted water according to the package instructions - grill/roast the squash, scapes, onions & mushrooms - pick all of the crab meat, get a pickin buddy - it goes faster - in a large Dutch oven, heat up some olive oil & toss in the grilled veg. When the noodles are al dente, toss those in too, but save the water! Squeeze in some lemon, and gently add the crab. - in the pot you cooked the noodles, insert a steamer basket or just toss in the prepped artichokes. Cook for 15-18 mins depending on the size. The baby artichokes are the most tender, but sometimes they aren't available. - while the pasta mellows, and the chokes cook, make the lemony aioli. Mix mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, a grated garlic clove, salt, pepper & a drizzle of olive oil. Keep cool until its time to eat. - plate it all up & don't forget your basil, cheese & red pepper flakes!

It was a little more work than I usually like to do on a week night, but my SIL just got her first job as an RN and my sister is back on the East Coast & had a great interview. We love to celebrate through food around here!

Grilled Tri-Tip w/ herbed patty-pan squash

For my first SOLE Challenge post, I'm taking advantage of herbs from the garden, delectable local produce & a beautiful tri-tip. The produce hails from two local farm-stands. The beef came from Treuth's in Oella, MD. Love that place!

Since the oven is on the fritz, to the grill we go!

Since everything is headed to the grill, I saved the tomatoes & peas for another meal. The focus is on the beef, patty pan squash & gigantic scallions. I used rosemary, oregano and purple ruffles basil from the garden to add an herby note to the scallion/squash combo. There was little leftover. Here's what I did:

Ingredients: - 1 tri-tip beef roast, patted dry - 1-2 pounds of patty pan squash, halved - 1 bunch of scallions, whole - various herbs, I used basil, thyme rosemary & oregano, chopped - olive oil - salt & pepper

Method: - fire up the grill - season the tri-tip with salt, pepper & olive oil - toss the veg in olive oil - grill everything! The meat will be on longer, 30-45 minutes. Check the squash & onions every 10 minutes for a tender, not mushy, consistency. - dice the squash & toss them in the chopped herbs, season with salt & pepper - when the meat is done, allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing

Like I said, not much leftover! The squash was sweet and the purple ruffles basil was vibrant. Everyone had a second helping of tri-tip. It just sings with a sprig of rosemary. This was a quick & easy meal, we will definitely see it on a week night in the future!