Lately all this Farm to Fork marketing hubbub seems to be steadily driving up the pricing at my homebase farmers' market (the Sunday one at W and 8th). $5 for a small handful of blueberries? $6 for a basket of figs? Are you kidding me?! Your killin' me Smalls! In fact, a friend just told me this week that she can't afford to shop at the Oak Park farmers' market anymore- it's gotten too rich for her pocketbook! So to keep my wallet from feeling the sting but to still eat healthy, I've been driving out to the farmers' market on Thursday mornings on Florin Road were I can still get the reasonable prices on my fresh, local produce that I've grown accustom to over the years. Many of the vendors at Florin are the same ones that are there on Sunday at W Street with the same stock, just lower prices.

On a recent visit, I was intrigued by these spiky grenade-looking veggies with a rat tail. The vendor described them as being a cucumber and gave me a taste. He used a knife to carve off the outer skin of the "grenade" and told me the flesh was edible- seeds and all. He was right, the taste had some similarity to a cucumber, maybe a little less watery and it had a very slight citrus undertone. I bought a dozen for $1. I figured if I couldn't find a recipe to use it in, the kidlets could use them as weapons, Battle Royale-style.

When I got home, I researched my purchase and it turned out, my new spiny veggie buddy is actually called a maxixe. Maxixes originated in Africa and were brought to Brazil during the slave trade.  These days, they're quite popular in Northeastern Brazil and in the Caribbean. (In the Caribbean they're called the Burr Gherkin.) Most of my research turned up that the maxixe was best enjoyed cooked- mainly in stews or sautéed. Neither sounded very appetizing to me. So I decided to use it in making some Japanese style cucumber salad. It came out pretty good. Kind of a pain in the butt to peel but quite tasty and refreshing.

Maxixe Salad

Ingredients

8-9 maxixes washed, peeled and sliced paper thin

Last night, Mr.S. and I introduced Kidlet #1 to the iconic 80's flick, "The Breakfast Club." Although some scenes and references needed explaining (the movie was made in 1985 after all), Kidlet #1 seemed to really enjoy it. That's one of the things I just adore about that kid. He's so open to new ideas, activities and people. I wish more adults were like that. Another amazing thing about him is that he's open to trying new foods. He's always a joy to take out or cook for. Sure, he likes the teen staples of burgers, tacos and pizza but he's just as willing to delve into some sushi, Thai or Greek food.

Recently I brought over a few Pink Pearl apples for the kidlets to try. Kidlet #2 looked at the fruit with the utmost suspicion whereas Kidlet #1 snaked a taste as soon as I sliced it up. If you've never seen a Pink Pearl apple before, pop by the Co-op and pick one up. They currently have a huge display of the heirloom apples from Rider and Sons out of Watsonville. The peel is smooth and cream colored, oftentimes with a blush but the wow factor is that the flesh is a striking rose-pink. The only drawback with these beauties? The season is short, usually just a few weeks.

*An interesting tidbit- Pink Pearl apples were developed right here in Northern California in 1944, by a gentleman named Albert Etter, from a variety called Surprise.

To showcase these pomaceous lovelies, I decided to keep the recipe uncomplicated. I offered them up on a bed of simple mixed greens, sprinkled with honey almond slices and a few drizzles of homemade apple cider vinaigrette. The salad was a hit, Kidlet #2 had two HUGE servings.



Fresh Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 teaspoons honey

1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard

a good sized pinch of Kosher salt

a good sized pinch of fresh ground back pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid


Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to your jar, close the lid.

2. Shake well. You want the oil to incorporate and the mixture to emulsify.

3. Slowly pour on salad.

*vinaigrette will keep for a day or two, refrigerated. Just bring to room temperature to use.

I'm not much of a mayo girl. Usually if a recipe calls for a hefty dose of mayo, I'll sub in Greek yogurt. I never, ever go the Miracle Whip route- that stuff tastes vile. Anyhow, once in awhile I'll get a hankering for seafood salad- you know the goopy, white stuff with chunks of veggies, shrimp and crab? When I do, I opt to make it with Kewpie. Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese mayo that's been around since the mid 1920's. It comes in this weird squishy bottle (that kind of reminds me of a colostomy bag) with a creepy, open-armed, naked baby as its logo. Despite the odd packaging, I've been eating the stuff for years. My mom used to make Japanese potato salad with it when I was a kid (in fact I nowadays I still prefer my potato salad with Kewpie over the standard mayo). To me Kewpie has a much smoother, creamier texture than Best Foods or Kraft and tastes less eggy (they use twice the amount of egg yolks). Also it's made from rice vinegar as opposed to distilled vinegar, so it imparts a slightly sweeter taste. Kewpie also has a bit of umami to it, making it great for incorporating it into a variety of dishes. I've used it in deviled eggs, in oyster motoyaki and drizzled on okonomiyaki.   If you like mayo with your artichoke, asparagus or French fries, try switching it out for Kewpie. You won't go back. Additionally, if you mix it with sriracha, it makes a fantastic spicy dipping sauce.



Creamy Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of cooked, medium-sized shrimp

5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (optional. I skip this sometimes as Mr. S. is not a raw tomato fan)

1 firm but ripe avocado, chopped into small cubes

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup Kewpie mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon of shio-koji (or sub in a pinch of salt)

fresh ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Slice cooked shrimp into small bite-sized pieces. Place in a medium-sized bowl. Combine with cherry tomatoes, avocado and red onion.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together Kewpie, lime juice, sriracha, garlic, shio-koji and pepper.

3. Pour dressing over shrimp mixture. Gently toss together.

4. Give the flavors a chance to meld together (I throw it in the fridge for a half hour).

5. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Makes 2 servings

* If you're in Sacramento, Oto's sells Kewpie.

Tilden Park website: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden.htm#about

Have you ever gotten sidetracked from a destination and ended up in an even better situation? That happened to us a few weeks ago. During a particularly hot weekend, we decided to take the kidlets to the ocean for the day. We left the house on time but from there the day went askew. We got stuck in traffic (it took us over an hour just to get from Sacramento to past Davis), the kidlets were bickering non-stop in the backseat and Mr.S. was in Defcon 1 grumpy mode. At some point just outside of Berkeley, Mr.S. flipped his lid and threatened to just turn the car around and go home. Everyone was pissy, hungry and sick of being in the car. Not wanting to sit in the car for another hour, I poked some information into the search engine on my phone and pointed out to Mr.S. that we were about ten minutes from a lake in Berkeley. So we went searching for Lake Anza. Honestly, none of us knew what to expect but our derailment turned out to be a nice surprise. After meandering through a billion residential streets and going up a hill, we reached a small lake in what appeared to be a giant park. We later learned that Lake Anza is situated in the heart of Tilden Park, a regional park that that houses an 18 hole championship golf course, a merry-go-round, a miniature steam passenger railway, a tiny farm animal zoo and a gorgeous botanical garden. There's also tons of hiking trails, a picnic area and a campground. All in Berkeley, who knew?! We decided to park our butts down by the lake, eat our lunch and soak up some sunshine. As we ate our sandwiches, we watched a few brave souls jump into the lake (swimming is allowed and there are lifeguards on duty), a team of ducks paddling about and several happy dogs playing fetch (most areas of the park are dog friendly).



Afterwards, we ambled over to the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. We were pretty impressed with how well kept it was and that it was so incredibly peaceful. Even the kidlets quit quarreling and enjoyed the serenity of the nature surrounding them.








I'm thinking, Mr.S. and I might have to make a trip back out to this urban oasis soon, just the two of us for a day trip date. Next time, I'll pack a real picnic lunch- some crusty homemade bread, creamy cheese, fresh fruit preserves and a simple, refreshing melon salad like this one:

Honey-Mint Melon Salad

Ingredients

Melon
Raspberries
Mint (torn into small pieces)
Lime juice
Honey

Instructions

1. Cut up your favorite melon into bite sized chunks.
I used this fantastic melon I purchased at Vierra Farms in West Sac. I think it's called a hami melon? Anyhow, it's an oval, yellow-skinned cantaloupe with green speckles and white veins. The melon itself is crisp and tastes sweet like a honeydew



2. Place the melon pieces in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add in fresh raspberries and mint. I used some apple mint.



3. Give it a squirt or two of lime juice. (If you want to get fancy, you can sprinkle in some finger lime pearls instead.)

4. Drizzle with honey. Toss. Serve. Voilà! Simple as that.

Spicy Forbidden Rice Salad

Ingredients

1 cup Forbidden Rice

1/4 cup scallions, green & white parts thinly sliced

1/2 cup Sweet Twister pepper, diced

1/2 cup English cucumber, diced

1 cup roasted/unsalted cashews, chopped

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek

1/2 teaspoon honey

salt and ground pepper, to taste

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds


Instructions

I hadn't planned on doing a post for the Hawaiian Mac Salad that I made on Sunday, but after I posted about the Kalua pig, I got about a dozen emails requesting the recipe for the macaroni salad I made to go with it.

Note, for those who haven't had it before-  Hawaiian Mac Salad is not your normal macaroni salad from the deli counter. It's tangier and sweeter, the mayo is thinned out by milk and its only extra ingredients are grated carrot, sliced scallions and small bits of celery. Also, you have to use real mayo to make this, not the lowfat stuff or Miracle Whip (gack!).

The recipe I use is from Cook's Country Magazine, from a printing that I clipped from a Bay Area paper a few years ago. It most closely replicates the Hawaiian macaroni salads I ate while on vacation in Hawaii.

Give it a go...Hawaiian Mac Salad is the perfect accompaniment for a plate lunch of Kalua pig, Huli Huli chicken or your favorite BBQ dish.



2 cups whole milk, divided
2 cups mayonnaise, divided (I like to use Best Foods Real Mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 pound macaroni elbows
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, chopped fine

Instructions

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain pasta and return to pot. (You want the pasta to be fat and soft, not al dente)

3. Add vinegar and toss until absorbed. Transfer to a bowl. Cool pasta, then stir in dressing until well-coated. Cool completely. (Don't worry, the macaroni will absorb the dressing)

4. To assemble salad, add scallions, carrot, celery, remaining milk and remaining mayonnaise to pasta mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste. Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Serves 8 people.

Don't you just love three day weekends? I do, especially when they're full of fun activities like this one. Friday night, Mr.S. and I took the kidlets to the cinema to see Fast and Furious 6...I'm not sure who was more excited, me or the kidlets. It's funny because I'm not a Vin Diesel fan at all but I've loved every F&F movie that's come out and have watched them all repeatedly. It's a (not so) secret guilty pleasure, all that super fast car racing is exciting! On Saturday night, I had Supper Club with my girlfriends and Sunday I got to indulge in a marathon session of Arrested Development over at my friend Michelle's. Has anyone else watched the made-for-Netflix Season 4 yet? I liked it but I thought it was nowhere as hilarious as the original three seasons. Where was the chicken dance, the Final Countdown and the banana stand? Maybe it would have been funnier if I had had unlimited juice while I was watching it?

Monday was my only real "quiet" day, I did a few things around my cottage including creating a new salad to take to Mr.S.'s for dinner. We had plans for a BBQ but the weather was so gloomy and wet, that we ended up just grilling some chicken and eating indoors. The salad I made though came out wonderfully and I think it'll be in permanent rotation in our dinner plan. Also I used farro again in this recipe...Mr.S. and Kidlet #1 seem to love it and can't get enough of it. Which is fine by me as farro is rich in antioxidants, cyanogenic glucosides, high in fiber and a good source of iron and protein. I also tossed in some dried figs, which added a nice chewy texture to the salad and are high in iron, potassium and folic acid.

Figs and Farro Salad with Mandarin Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 cup semi-pearled farro

1/2 cup chopped dried Calimyrna figs (to make the figs easier to slice, place them in the freezer for a bit beforehand)

1/2 cup candied walnuts (Trader Joe's has these at a reasonable price)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

4 oz. crumbled goat cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons of your favorite citrus balsamic vinegar (I used a mandarin balsamic vinegar by Lucero)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. Rinse the farro. Next, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro, cover and return to a boil. Then bring the heat down to medium-low and allow the farro to cook for 30-35 minutes. When it's done most of the water should be absorbed. If you have a little bit of water left, go ahead and drain it off.

2. Put the cooked farro in a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, place the chopped dried figs, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, red onion, parsley and goat cheese.

4. In a separated smaller bowl, mix together your: mandarin balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk well.

5. Add your chopped ingredients to the chilled farro. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Toss together thoroughly. Serve.

My poor blog has been a bit neglected lately and I apologize. Things have been pretty busy here around my cottage and at Mr. S.'s casa. We now have the kidlets full-time so a lot of our time is spent hanging out with them. Lately they've been into bike riding, racing radio controlled (nitro and electric/lipo) cars as well as watching The Office and the X-Games. The full-time thing has been a bit of an adjustment  and definitely exhausting but it was nice when for Mother's Day I received this gorgeous lily plant from Mr.S., the kidlets and Pepper pup.

 

Now this past weekend was a bit insane and I felt like I didn't get much sleep...but it was insane in a good way. My weekend started with an early wake-up, as Saturday morning I was volunteering at the the Mid-Century Modern Home Tour. I was stationed from 10am to 1pm in the game room (aka "The Big Lebowski Room") of my friend Gretchen's phenomenal Eichler home in South Land Park. I had such a fantastic time chatting with the folks that came through and learned all kinds of interesting bits of historical information about the area architecture and furnishings. One sweet gentleman even swapped me one of the Atomic Fireballs in my candy dish for a recipe on how to make a drink that tastes just like an Atomic Fireball (Fireball Whiskey, lemon juice and maple syrup).  The entire morning went by in a flash. After my volunteer shift, my friend Amanda and I went to check out a few of the other homes on the tour. I instantly fell in love with the backyard garden at the Skelly Duplex on Gilgunn Way. Such a great use of space! With it's lush greenery, bubbling water fountain and outdoor firepit, it's the perfect hideaway to curl up in and read a book during the week and soak in some tranquility. Then on weekends, you could switch it up and throw a fun, outdoor dinner party with friends under the stars. *Sigh* Now if only I could convince Mr. S. to build me a gazebo, a little garden studio getaway and an outdoor shower in his backyard like the ones I saw!



Hands down though, my favorite home on the tour is still Gretchen's Eichler. The vintage Ray-Gun collection, whimsical retro lunchbox display and sparkly Sputnik light- all  intermingled with the bright colors, clean lines and big windows- it just makes it such a fun house to be in; it's no surprise that it's been featured in Atomic Ranch magazine. Here's a few random pics I snapped of things that caught my eye:





Now if all that hub-bub wasn't enough to wear me out, I had plans to go to Napa with my friend Michelle to see Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew at the Uptown Theatre that night. It turned out to be quite hilarious... even the fart jokes (ok, maybe I have been hanging out with the kidlets a leeee-tle too much).



Anyhow, amid all this running around, I found the time to make a new recipe...and it's oooh so good! It's made with fresh juicy strawberries, creamy goat cheese and some wonderfully nutty-tasting farro. I also threw in a handful of toasted slivered almonds for crunch and drizzled on some homemade vinaigrette to give it a nice subtle lemon-kissed taste.  You'll love it! It's the perfect quintessential summer recipe. Pack it to take on a romantic weekend picnic, whip up a batch to take to a BBQ with friends or you can even make some to have as part of your weeknight family dinner. (Which is what we did. I served it alongside some seared scallops mixed with morels and topped with a brown butter sauce. Ohhhh yeaaah!) By the way, if you haven't tried farro (pronounced FAHR-oh), it's good stuff! It's a grain that looks a lot like brown rice but has a lighter, chewier texture and a nutty taste. It's also rich in fiber and low in gluten. Farro's also quite easy to cook. You can use it as a replacement for rice in salads, risottos and soups.




Summertime Strawberry and Farro Salad

Ingredients

3 oz. slivered almonds

1 cup semi-pearled or pearled farro

1 basket (pint) of whole strawberries

3 green onions (white and lighter green portion)

1 cup baby spinach leaves

3.5 oz. crumbled goat cheese


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Take a baking sheet and spread the slivered almonds out in a single layer. Place in oven for 5-8 minutes. Flip and stir them about every 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they can go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Remove them from the oven before they brown (remember they'll continue to cook somewhat once they're removed from the oven.)  Allow to cool. Set aside.

3. Rinse the farro. Next, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the farro, cover and return to a boil. Then bring the heat down to medium-low and allow the farro to cook for 30-35 minutes. When it's done most of the water should be absorbed. If you have a little bit of water left, go ahead and drain it off.

4. Place the cooked farro in a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool.

5. While your farro cools- hull and quarter your strawberries, roughly chop your baby spinach leaves, and finely slice the green onion. (If the strawberries are on the smaller side, just cut them in half instead of quarters.)

6. Mix up your vinaigrette (see recipe below).

7. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the farro, strawberries, spinach, green onions and goat cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and mix well.
8. Serve cold.


Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together thoroughly.

2. Chill in refrigerator.

Lately all the talk shows, magazines and public relations companies are all atwitter about local foods this and farm-to-table that, repeating those buzzwords over and over and over, until you just want to say, "Enough!". Especially for most of us Sacramentans who have been eating seasonal, local foods for ages...way before the bandwagon rolled up. It's nothing new. I know most of my friends have been hitting the farmers' markets in town way before it became cool to do so. Regardless whether you became a locavore years ago or are just now coming around to it, it's still exciting when you're presented with beautiful veggies and sweet just-picked fruits. Recently during one of my shopping trips, I picked up some Chioggia beets. I love, love, love Chioggia beets! Not only are these heirloom veggies tasty but they're gorgeous and a bit milder then their purple counterparts.  Their vibrant, fuschia, candy-cane striped interiors are absolutely adorable; which makes it hard for me to just roast them up like I normally do with my regular ol' beets. (Note: Roasting Chioggias diminishes their lovely color and stunning concentric pattern.)  Yes, I'm quite smitten with them! So this time around, I decided to make a refreshing raw beet salad. I julienned my beets but you could also use a mandolin to create thinly sliced rounds with swirling bulls-eyes, if you wish. Quite hypnotizing and trés cute in my opinion!


Now let me warn you- raw beets are not for everyone. They have a crisp texture and sweet, earthy taste that you either love or hate. Now I'm in the love camp but I know lots of people who place raw beets in the "ick, yuck, phooey" category even though they like roasted beets.

By the way, beets are super nutritious. They have lots of potassium, fiber and iron and this salad is a great way to showcase beets in all their raw glory. Pairing the beets with Fuji apples gives the salad a bit of ying and yang  (earthy and sweet) and the Greek yogurt dressing rounds out the flavor profile by gives the dish a kick of tang. The salad is easy to prepare ahead of time (in fact I like to let it sit for awhile in the fridge, so that the flavors have a chance to meld together before I eat it).

Tip: When shopping for beets look for firm-skinned ones that are relatively blemish-free and on the smaller side with perky greens. Smaller tends to be sweeter in the beet world.

Crisp Chioggia Beet and Fuji Apple Salad

Ingredients

2 medium sized Chioggia beets (or 3 small)

2 medium sized Fuji apples

1/3 cup Greek yogurt (plain flavored)

3 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1.5 teaspoons honey


Instructions


1. Wash beets thoroughly. I have a little scrub brush I use to get all the tiny bits of dirt off. Remove the tops and tails. Dry thoroughly.

2. Peel the beets and julienne. Do the same with the apples. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, orange juice, zest and honey. Whisk it up.

4. Pour the yogurt dressing over the beets and apples. Toss until well coated. Place in refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour so the flavors have a chance to intermingle. Serve cold.

Optional: Garnish with fresh microgreens or chopped flat-leaf parsley right before serving.

Several years ago, I dated a guy that had gone to cooking school. He constantly raved about how great of a cook he was especially when it came to Southern cooking. He went on and on (and on...) about how his red beans and rice was soooooo wonderful that I finally had to ask to taste it. Ugh, it tasted a lot like a cross between refried beans from a can and what I imagine Alpo to taste like. I ended up dumping it down the garbage disposal and just went on with life thinking I wasn't a fan of red beans and rice. That is until I had it at Taylor's Kitchen one night...I LOVED their red beans and rice and couldn't get enough of it! Since then I've had red beans and rice on numerous occasions- sometimes where it's been fantastic, sometimes when it's been mediocre but never as bad as that batch my date made for me. The lesson I learned from the "Red Beans Fiasco of 2008" is to always give food another chance before condemning it. It could be that you came across a bad batch, a bad recipe or just a bad cook. So in the spirit of my "Give It Another Chance" mantra I decided to give bean salad another whirl as well. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant. My experiences with bean salad were mostly of the supermarket deli variety- a strong vinegar smell, overcooked mushy beans and lack of anything resembling flavor. Yuck! So imagine my surprise when I prepared a batch of this Mexican Bean Salad from Allrecipes.com for a party and I really liked it. It's colorful, flavorful and it works great as a salad or as a dip. I made a few adjustments in the ingredients' list to cater to my personal taste preferences but it was still simple to make. I liked how the corn kernels gave it some crunch, the hot sauce and chili powder added a bit of a spicy kick and the lemon juice offered up some fresh zing to balance the dish out. This salad can be thrown together pretty quickly after work, making it a great choice to bring to a potluck. You can make it even easier to put together by doing all your chopping the night before.


Mexican Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 (10oz.) package frozen corn*

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon sea salt

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1.2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1-2 dashes hot pepper sauce (I used Crystal)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder


Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the beans, peppers, corn and red onion together.

2. In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Whisk dressing thoroughly.

3. Pour dressing over the vegetables. Mix together well.

4. Place in refrigerator to chill, giving the flavors some time to meld.


* Stick with using frozen corn which stays crisp when it thaws,  the canned stuff is a bit on the mushy side.

The Olympics are over, the State Fair has come and gone and now the kidlets are getting ready to go back to school (I'm excited about that, them not so much). Doesn't it seem like summer just flew by? Well, if you'd rather squeeze in one more trip to Osaka-ya for snowcones or sip on some Moscow Mules while watching Shark Week on cable then engage in some heavy-duty cooking, here's an easy recipe you can throw together in a flash. Remember that pesto we made awhile back? Pull it out of the freezer because you're going to need it.



Orzo Salad with Pesto and Feta
makes about 3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup orzo

3/4 cup homemade pesto

3 tablespoons sun dried tomato slices (or fresh, chopped tomatoes)

3-4 tablespoons sliced black olives (or halved Kalamata olives)

4 tablespoons feta


Instructions

1. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain.

2. Mix in pesto. Place orzo in the fridge to cool.

3. Once cool- add in tomatoes, olives and feta. Mix well.

4. Serve.

5. See, how easy was that? Now go grab that snowcone, Shark Week's starting to get GOOD!

Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles are a staple in the cupboards at my cottage. They're so versatile. During the summertime, I use them to make zaru soba and in the winter, I usually toss them in some hot tsuyu with a few veggies and some tempura. For potlucks though, I like to make a soba salad. It's quick to make, easy to double and super refreshing on a hot day.

Japanese Soba Salad

Ingredients

6 oz. Japanese soba (buckwheat noodles)
4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, chopped thinly
1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
6-8 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup shelled, cooked edamame

1/2 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add noodles, cook for 4-5 minutes on high heat. Empty into a colander, rinse several times with cold water then drain well. Set aside.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine: soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and Sriracha. Mix together well.

3. In a large bowl, combine: noodles, shiitakes, green onions, bell pepper, tomatoes and edamame. Mix together.

4. Pour dressing over the noodle mixture. Toss gently. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 20-30 minutes.

5. Toss again before serving. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy cold.

Yay for mid-week day trips! Yesterday, I went with my friend Michelle to the Giants-Dodgers game in SF. The weather was absolutely perfect and we had a great time. We kept it simple by taking BART in and bringing a lunch with us. No fuss, no muss. Sometimes that's the best way to go. Same goes for cooking.


So if you're feeling lazy this weekend, try this watermelon salad recipe- it only requires 3 ingredients and a knife. If you want to get a little more elaborate, you can use a fancy cutter or a melon baller but it's not required. Minimal effort, maximum taste- the tartness of the lime juice really complements the sweetness of the watermelon and the coolness of the mint. See for yourself!

Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

1 seedless, chilled fresh watermelon: cubed/balled/or cut into shapes (your choice)
roughly 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
fresh lime juice

Instructions

- Cut watermelon into bite-sized chunks, balls or shapes.

- Add in chopped fresh mint (to taste)

- Squeeze some lime juice over the melon and mint. Toss gently. Let the ingredients mingle for a few minutes.

- Enjoy!

Whoa, it's Monday already? Feels like Saturday and Sunday flew by. Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Ours was buuuuuu-sy! Mr.S. and I started the weekend out by having some friends over for a dinner party-BBQ on Saturday. Since the weather was so nice we made pulled pork sliders, some Korean chicken, several salads and various finger foods. Festivities had to be moved indoors halfway through the night though because it got a bit chilly in the backyard. Maybe one of these days we'll get around to buying a firepit.

We closed out our wonderful weekend by listening to The Avett Brothers play under the stars at the Woodlake Hotel (which by the way is one of the crappiest concert venues I've ever been to. I loved being outside but who was the genius who thought to plant TREES throughout the sightline?)  Anyhow, The Avett Brothers were amazing and seem to have picked up more fans since I saw them at the Crest last year. I've never seen so many plaid shirts in one place. :)


In keeping with the country stylings of The Avett Brothers, I'm posting a corn, avocado and tomato salad I made this weekend. It's sweet with a hint of tangy. The perfect summer BBQ side dish.

Sweet Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad
Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

4 ears of fresh sweet corn
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Instructions

1. Peel the husks from the corn. Place the ears in boiling water, cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from water. Set aside to cool.

2. TIP: An easy way to strip the kernels is to balance the ear of corn vertically on the center of a sturdy bundt pan (with the wider part of the ear on the bottom). Hold the top of the ear with one hand and shear off the kernels in a downward motion with a sharp kitchen knife. Turn the ear as you go. The kernels collect in the bundt pan. When all the kernels are off, just run the back of the knife down the ear to get the corn juices to run down.
Voila! Messy kernels flying about the kitchen---> averted.



3. Place cut corn kernels, halved tomatoes and diced red onion in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chopped basil, lime zest and juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk thoroughly.

5. Pour dressing over the corn mixture. Mix well.

6. Refrigerate.

7. Right before serving, add cubed avocado. Gently toss.

Roasted Beet Salad with Feta

Ingredients

4 medium beets, trimmed & washed

4 oz. feta cheese (I like to use Trader Joe's Feta Cheese with Mediterranean herbs)

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Trim and wash beets. Place beets in aluminum foil. Fold the foil over and crimp the sides closed. Place wrapped beets in a baking pan.

3. Bake for about an hour. Beets should be tender when done.

4. Set aside and allow to cool.

5. Remove from foil. When beets are cool enough. Slip skins off (you may want to wear latex gloves or do this under cold water as the beet juice will stain your hands).

6. Slice or cube the beets, depending on which you prefer. Lightly drizzle with olive oil (just enough to coat). Season with salt and pepper (optional). Toss. Top with crumbled feta.

Last Saturday night, Mr. S. and I threw a small dinner party for about eleven people. I love entertaining but choosing what to serve is always a giant PIA. We had decided on the main course but I was in a bit of a quandary on what side dishes to make. Luckily, I ended up finding a true crowd pleaser with this wild rice salad. I wanted to mix it up on the texture so I threw in some golden raisins, dried cranberries and candied pecans. I also cut the sharpness of the vinaigrette with some honey and it turned out great. It was tangy, hearty and best of all I was able to make it the night before. This tasty salad will definitely be added into our household recipe rotation. Mr.S. loved it so much he ate all the leftovers and both of HIS buddies actually took the time to send us emails thanking us for a great meal. Hmmm, straight men taking the time to sit down and write a thank you email for a meal?...It must have been good. I feel pretty honored.

Winter Wild Rice Salad 
Servings: 4-6 as side dish

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup wild rice (depending on the kind of wild rice you buy the rice color may range from light brown to a black in color)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped toasted candied pecans

1/3 cup chopped toasted unsalted cashews

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion tops

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Dressing

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp salt

honey, to taste

*Helpful Tip: Many of these ingredients can be readily (and cheaply) found at Trader Joe's- like the dried cranberries (they carry regular & organic), unsalted cashews, & candied pecans.


Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the wild rice. Bring it back up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender (about 50 minutes to 1 hour). Drain and cool.

2. Transfer the rice to a large bowl. Mix in the raisins, cranberries, candied pecans, cashews, green onion tops, and red onion.

3. Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and sugar in a separate bowl. Add in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the rice mixture and toss. Add in a few quick drizzles of honey to cut the tartness. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again.

It's Tuesday night, Girls' Night and I'm hosting at the cottage. I need something easy to make and also vegan and gluten-free. If it was summer, it'd be no problem to meet my guests' dietary restrictions...I could throw together a simple salad, but being as it's late fall I need to make something hearty, heavy and substantial...or do I? Why not make an autumn salad? Maybe something with pears and candied pecans? Sprinkled with a few plump golden raisins? We can save our calories for dessert. ;)

Autumn Quinoa Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
(adapted from a recipe by the Gluten-free Goddess)

Ingredients for Salad

1 cup organic quinoa

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves- washed, drained

1 large ripe Bosc pear- washed, stemmed, cored & cut into pieces

1/2 cup chilled chickpeas, rinsed & drained

2 T chopped fresh parsley

sea salt & pepper, to taste

1 handful golden raisins

1 handful candied pecans


Ingredients for Maple Vinaigrette

4 T extra virgin olive oil

3 T white balsamic vinegar

2 T pure maple syrup


Instructions

- Place the quinoa in a saucepan. Add 2 cups fresh water or vegetable broth. Cover and cook on a low simmer until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender- roughly 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

- Move quinoa into a salad bowl.

- Whisk together the vinaigrette, pour it over the quinoa salad and toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

- Add the baby spinach, pear, chickpeas, chopped parsley, raisins and candied pecans to the quinoa and fluff/mix.

-Serve.

I'll be honest I'm not big on leftovers. They don't excite me. I like to eat a meal when it's fresh, then maybe I can eat it one more time the next day for lunch...after that you've usually lost me and it'll sit in the back of my fridge slowly turning into green sludge, growing a white furry coat, or fermenting (which is why I love cooking for others, no leftovers). But there was no back fridge chemistry going on with this recipe, I made it as a side dish last night and I also ate it for lunch and dinner today (it was that delish!). I ate it until I ran out of it. Additionally, Mr. S. took some to work for lunch today. It's from one of my fav cookbooks, a quirky read called, "In the Small Kitchen" by Eisenpress and Lapine. The peanut sauce is probably one of the best ones I've ever had. I think next time I might make a double batch and set some aside for satays.

Helpful hint: The sauce, in my opinion, tastes better at room temp so when you pull your leftovers out of the fridge let them sit a bit and "warm up" a smidge, the flavors will come out more.

"I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing" Noodles in Peanut Sauce Salad (from In the Small Kitchen)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon diced peeled fresh ginger

1 clove, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon chili paste

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

3/4 lb. spaghetti noodles or fresh udon noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 bunch scallions (green parts only), chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded & julienned

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted


Instructions

- Pulse the ginger, garlic and sugar in a food processor or blender until the mixture resembles a paste.

- Add the chili paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Process until smooth.

- Add 1/3 cup of water, and pulse to combine.

- Taste, and add the salt if needed. Set the sauce aside for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.

- Bring a large part of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles, following the package directions. Then drain, rinse with cold water until chilled and toss with the vegetable oil.

- In a large mixing bowl, toss the noodles with the peanut sauce. Serve in individual portions, topped with scallion, cucumber and toasted sesame seeds.

Lately I've been wearing my black cotton dress with the cross-over front a lot and that's not necessarily a good thing. Now don't get me wrong, it's a super cute frock and I get complimented on it often but I know when it becomes my "go to outfit" that usually means I've put on a pound or two (or three) around the midsection. The dress in question is comfy, loose and black---and hides a multide of sins (and bulges). So what to do? Try and go healthy, I suppose. In an attempt to exercise good nutrition and lose the bulge, I usually try and up the salad and veggie intake which is pretty easy given the accessibility to the farmers' markets this time of year; but sometimes I just really want some (gasp!) carbs on my salad...just a little. something to give it that satisfying crunch...but something just slightly different then your average ol' boring crouton. That's where polenta croutons come in. They're like croutons...only better. Still not sure? Ok...close your eyes---now, picture a crouton, then picture a crouton with a superhero cape...and now you know what a polenta crouton  looks like. ;)

Parmesan-Garlic Polenta Croutons (recipe from You're Gonna Bake It, After All)

Ingredients:

Instant polenta (1 cup)

Grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)

Herbs to taste (I used fresh rosemary)

Olive oil for drizzling

Garlic powder & salt, to taste


Directions:

1. Prepare instant polenta according to package directions, using a whisk.

2. Add in herbs and grated Parmesan cheese.

3. Coat a baking sheet or pyrex/ceramic dish with cooking spray. Spread the polenta mixture into the pan quickly, and spread evenly with a spatula. Place pan in refrigerator to cool and set for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F.

4. Cut the polenta into squares or triangles.

5. Drizzle both sides of polenta pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder/salt (if using). Bake at 400F for about 45 minutes, or until crispy. Turn them half-way through to make sure they get crispy on both sides. Cool on a rack when done.

6. Best if used the same day, but you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat them until crisp the next day.