This Might Be My Favorite Food

Supper, Saturday February 11: chicken and pastry (chicken, chicken stock, carrots, onions, celery, black pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, rolled pasta dough cut into rectangles); greens.

Some people calls it chicken -n- dumplins mm-hmm, I calls it chicken -n- pastry. I'm not kidding. This really is one of my favorite things. I like this also with the fluffy-biscuity dumplings, but when I was a child it was always a special treat to have it this way. 

I Bought A Ravioli Press

Supper, Friday February 10: ravioli (ground lamb, feta, marinara); garden broccoli with onions and mushrooms.

I have wanted a ravioli press for some time. Apparently just not quite enough to purchase one. I stumbled across one on the interwebs on sale and tried my first batch. They were good, not great, but I know how to make them better. I will document that in the near future

Lamb Gyro Or Lamburger On A Pita

Supper, Tuesday February 7: lamb gyro (ground lamb, harissa, tomato, lettuce, greek pita); onion strings; fried squash.

I Don't Usually Buy Tomatoes

Breakfast, Thursday February 9: poached eggs; 9 grain bread; sausage; tomato and fruit.

It is really hard to beat the combo of warm egg yolk and toast. 

Time For A Veggie Day

Supper, Monday February 6: fried green tomato; boiled turnip; beet greens with onion and feta; chili beans.

Sometimes we will get on a meat kick. We occasionally reset by having some meals that are just Veg or even vegan. Nix the butter and the feta and this one is vegan.

The tomatoes are ours from last summer, breaded and frozen. It changes the texture but they are still tasty. The turnips and greens are fresh picked.

Oh, and finishing the sauteed beet greens with a little lemon juice makes the flavors pop.

Meat And Two

Supper, Sunday February 5: seared, peppered lamb steak; mashed potatoes; sauteed broccoli, carrots, and peas.

I was gonna grill that steak but it was too damned cold. Slicing the carrots super thin makes this side. I used the thin plate on my mandolin. The resulting thickness and cooked texture matches the pea pods. A touch of soy and a little mirin finish it up.

Frankenbrito!

Supper, Friday February 3: carnitas burrito ( retasked carnitas filling, spinach ); fried squash; guacamole.

When you bring home the half of the ENORMOUS burrito from your favorite local Mexi-Cali spot by the time you eat it for lunch or dinner a day or two later the tortilla has turned into a gooey mass of library paste. DON'T EAT THAT. Open that sucker up, scrape out the filling. Use it in tacos or make a new burrito. 

We Eat Eggs For Breakfast, Why Not Egg Salad

Breakfast, Friday February 3: egg salad and rice crackers; oatmeal with apples and blueberries.

It's just eggs done a different way. Really it is my inability to toss out anything. This has served me well though, a lot of my ideas come from how to utilize what is at hand.

For my feelings on oatmeal look here.

Seriously, I Have A Lot Of Pumpkin

Lunch, Wednesday February 1: pumpkin, bean, and kale soup; grilled cheese; pickled green tomato.

Pick a good pumpkin soup recipe, add some beans and finely chopped kale. I used cranberry beans here. Cannellinis would be really good I suspect.

Awww, Pumpkin Again?

Breakfast, Wednesday February 1: blueberry pumpkin pancakes with strawberry compote; veggie scramble with feta and cilantro.

Tastes Better Than It Looks

Supper: Monday January 30: spinach and cheese tortellini with pesto; chard; 9-grain bread.

This really is a bland looking plate but it was really good. I did not make the tortellini, though I just bought a book on artisan pasta and a ravioli press. . . 

Bluuuuuuuuueberries

Breakfast, Monday January 30: pumpkin walnut oatmeal; peanut butter toast.

Alexis like peanut butter on toast. I'm indifferent. When we have toast I might have some or I might stick to one of our jams. As for oatmeal, "old fashioned" rolled oats, period. Not quick. Not instant. just old fashioned rolled oats. It really doesn't take that long. I gather together lunch while the oatmeal simmers. The texture is the most noticeable difference. The old fashioned has little chewy bits that go well with the walnuts. These are nestled in a creamy matrix of oat starch. The quick and the instant are just blobs of paste.

Oh, yeah, the title comes from this video.

Soup Is For Using Up Stuff.

Supper, Sunday January 29: french onion soup, tossed salad with avocado.

I am an almost pathological "user" of leftover food. We throw almost nothing away and what we do throw away goes in the compost. It comes from a combination of experiences during my childhood and the time that I spent in the restaurant business. I do mean almost. I know what a hoarder is and I am not that. 

The leftover in this case was bratwurst "stock." At least once, sometimes more often, I do a tailgate at my alma mater, a small liberal arts college. I like to bring a lot of brats and share them. Now, put eighty or so brats in a pot with caramelized onions, beer, and water, simmer for several hours, then what you've got is a lot of yummy brats to crisp up on the grill, AND a pot full of bratwurst stock. Add more onions, reduce a bit, a little black pepper, a little bit of thyme. Voila! Soup! 

I pressure can it in quarts for later. 

A Shoulder Of A Different Sort

 The rubdown.

 On the grill.

 The end result.

Supper, Saturday January 28: smoked lamb ala eastern NC; mashed roots (potato, rutabaga, roasted garlic, butter, milk); more different roots (carrot, turnip, tarragon, vegetable bullion for simmering); sauted broccoli and cashews.

I've smoked a lot of pork shoulders over the years, This is my first smoked lamb shoulder.

Where's The Beef?

Supper, Friday January 27: lamb steak; mashed roots (potato, rutabaga, roasted garlic, butter, milk); more different roots (carrot, turnip, tarragon, vegetable bullion for simmering).

I like the winter garden. We like all the brassicas. Turnips are a great plant. The grow fast. They can be grown when most of the garden is not used. You eat practically the whole plant. They're awesome.

Fruity! Fruity!

 Breakfast, Friday January 27: blueberry pumpkin pancakes with strawberries; poached egg; bacon.

I do love a poached egg. Poaching leaves you with just the flavors of the egg. sometimes simple is better.

The Mediterranean Platter Or I Couldn't Decide Which Picture. . .

Supper, Thursday January 26:Tabbouleh; Hummus; roasted garlic bread; avocado; olives; assorted cheese.

This is the kind of plate that you could feel good about stuffing yourself with, jus' sayin'

It's Just A Matter Of Having A Well Stocked Pantry

Lunch, Thursday January 23: Thai thingy (tofu, snow peas, black fungus, kelp, sesame seed, sesame oil scallion, water chestnut, rice noodles).

Got home from errands and whipped this together in a few minutes. It was just a matter of chopping the veggies and boiling the pasta. By the time one task is finished the other is ready to go. I have had friends comment on the dishes I make at home, specifically about the ingredients and the hassle of getting this or that. I tell them that a great part of what I do in making meals is the management of the pantry. (I mean that in a metaphoric sense. I don't have a walk in larder.) You have to be willing to stock ingredients, rotate them, plan meals around items that need to be eaten or else they go to waste. Example: You will see a lot of fried squash, green tomatoes, eggplant and okra. moving forward. I made a lot of those, breaded and frozen at the end of the growing season last year. We need to eat that up before the next harvest. I have a tremendous amount of food in the kitchen and basement. Our friends joke about coming to our house for the zombie apocalypse. Despite this I waste almost nothing. I doesn't hurt that Alexis will eat just about whatever I put in front of her. I often ask her what she might want or like and her reply is along the lines of "I don't care" or "how about something with feta." I have a lot of leeway

Most People Wouldn't Eat Beets At Any Meal

Breakfast, Thursday January 26: fried egg, avocado, pickled beets, yogurt and fruit, roasted garlic bread.

The bread is not mine. We do occasionally buy bread. It's just that what I do at home is a little healthier and I like baking, but if I'm not in the mood we'll purchase a loaf of gourmet bread. I also buy reduced for quick sale french loaves for breadcrumbs.

OK, So It's Not So Pretty But. . .

Breakfast, Wednesday January 25: veggie scramble (egg, mushroom, scallion, cheddar, parsley); fried pattypan squash; wild caught sardines. 

Not pretty, but that was tasty.

We Like To Call It Bug On A Bun

Lunch, Saturday January 21: softshell crab sandwich

Not me. One of Alexis' favorite things in the world. Restaurant that we like.

At The Beach Shrimp Goes With Everything.

Breakfast, Saturday January 21: roasted garlic toast; dippy egg; sausage; hashed browns; fruit; wild Georgia shrimp.

We have a modest beach condo. We try to get there as often as we can. In winter the beach itself is not so appealing but we got the property not just for the surf and sand. The food was an important consideration. We can purchase shrimp, for instance, that were caught that day, even within the hour. Heaven.

Keep It Simple Stupid

Supper, Friday January 13: no description necessary.

I have a good friend who lives in another town about five hours drive away. He's a serious meatitarian and his palate is a little simpler than ours. He came for a visit a nd stayed in our guest room for a few days. Since I can't drive, he took me to the grocer and we decided on some very nice looking thick cut pork loin chops. Add a little broccoli from the garden (yes I picked it in January) and some mashed potato and rutabaga, voila, a perfect meat and two. He was very happy

Pizza Eggs!

Breakfast, Friday January 13: pizza eggs ( onion, mild chili, mushroom, egg, home canned marinara, shredded parm ); everything bagel; carambola. 

Pizza eggs is one of those things I make that Alexis never gets tired of. I could probably make it every day and she wouldn't say a word. Plus it's a good way to sneak a serving or two of vegetables in the meal.

Taco Thursday Doesn't Sound As Good As Taco Tuesday

Supper, Thursday January 12: chicken tacos (shredded  chicken, salsa, chili powder, shredded cojack, plain yogurt, avocado, cilantro); fried yucca; refritos.

I make chicken stock periodically. I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that I sometimes have a substantial amount of chicken meat. I usually spread it out in the jars. Now later when I use the stock I can strain the meat out if I don't want it in the recipe I am working on. This time I held back the meat combined it with some salsa and chili powder.

Noodles Or Rice?

Supper Tuesday January 10: beef stew (onion, carrot, celery, barley, mushroom, thyme, bay, garlic, black pepper, medium brown roux, oh yeah and beef)

I have always liked noodles with stew. In particular, medium curly egg noodles.