Arugula Pesto

Nothing like the end of the year to remind you it's time to tie up some loose ends! It is hard to believe 2013 is ending in just a few days. I know I say it every year (and I'm sure you do, too!), but where did the year go? I definitely didn't spend the majority of my year blogging - oops. I am hoping to finish up posting the last of the recipes from the CSA so I can start 2014 fresh with some new posts!

What do you do with a giant bunch of arugula? What can you make that will last a while so you don't end up throwing it all out? PESTO! The recipe I used is the same one from the radish leaf pesto post from a while back, just substituting the radish leaf with the arugula.

Arugula pesto is a bit more bitter than traditional basil pesto, but it is still delicious! The bunch of arugula made so much pesto that there's still more than half of it sitting in the freezer! The plan is to use it up sometime this week: spaghetti with arugula pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Maybe it will be the first meal of 2014!

Stitch Fix Review!

A few months ago, my lovely friend Leah told me about this new personal stylist/online subscription company called Stitch Fix. The concept is pretty simple - you fill out an online survey with questions about your style and body type and then voila! A box arrives for you filled with 5 items personally chosen for you based on your style profile. The questions are pretty comprehensive: What colors/patterns/fabrics do you like/not like? What parts of your body do you like to flaunt/hide? Are you looking for dressy/work appropriate/casual clothes? They even have accessories, too! Most importantly, they ask how much you are willing to spend on each item. You can also leave comments about pieces you'd like or items you don't want in your next fix. You can either schedule your fix for one at a time or you can subscribe for monthly fixes.

My birthday was earlier this week, and as a present to myself, I scheduled my very first fix! The anticipation was killing me! I was really excited for my fix to arrive, especially since I scheduled it almost 2 months in advance. Since it was for my birthday, I asked for some more fun/different items than I normally would like to receive. Based on my style profile, I was a mix of classic/preppy/casual chic/romantic. I also said I didn't have any body parts I wanted to hide or any ones I necessarily wanted to flaunt, since I wanted the clothes that I received to be things I could both dress up for work or wear out with friends or the husband. So...here's my review:

Items Received: In my first fix, I received 2 shirts, 1 dress, 1 pair of pants, and 1 bag.

The bad:The pants were black denim leggings, which unfortunately were too small. However, I already own a pair of black leggings, so even if they fit perfectly, I would not have kept them. The dress was a fit and flare style dress - black with hints of gold in the thread. Very appropriate for a holiday party! Unfortunately, the dress was too big in the arms (it did that weird gaping thing where your bra shows and hung too loosely in the top where it's not supposed to) and in general, that style is not flattering on my figure. I also received a beautiful teal, lace, peplum tank top that fit very nicely. It was a little more than I'd normally spend on a shirt, but I already own a teal lace top, so it seemed silly and excessive to keep this item.

The good: A convertible clutch/cross-body bag! It's fairly large (which is a good thing!) and black with cut-outs that have gold underneath. It's not something I would have picked on my own, but it's definitely a great statement piece that will dress up an otherwise plain outfit. A flowy, burgundy, sleeveless top - this color is definitely one of my favorites and I loved the loose fit. It's a little too cold to wear it now, but I am looking forward to wearing it once it starts to warm up.

Ease of Use: Stitch Fix is so simple - just fill out the online survey, get your box, try on the items, and return the ones you don't want using the pre-paid mailer that comes with your fix.

Cost: When your fix ships, you are charged at $20 styling fee. This fee then goes toward your total purchase of items in the fix. The only bad thing is that the styling fee not refundable, so if you don't like your fix, you lose your $20. The items in my box were all less than $100, with most items around the $50-75 range. As an incentive to keep the entire fix, you get a 25% discount if you keep all 5 items. With the discount, my items totaled $260. 

Overall Review: My stylist definitely nailed my style, considering two of the items that were sent were pieces I already owned! I think my profile needs some tweaking, but this is definitely something I'd try again. I hope that my next fix has more colorful and unique items. On the Stitch Fix blog, you can see some of the items they have available, and there were some pieces I saw that I was hoping for (and others I was hoping to not get!!!). The brands that Stitch Fix sends are fairly new, up and coming brands. Some I had never heard of, while others, I already owned. Therefore, the items are not things that you'd see everyone else wearing, which is a good thing. Overall, Stitch Fix is a fun and different way to add items to your wardrobe. It definitely does not replace trip to the mall, but it is a great additional way to get some retail therapy!

My new bag and top, courtesy of Stitch Fix

Want to try it? Click the following link to use my referral code for your next fix! Hope you like your fix as much as I did! http://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3240417

Another Snow Day, Another Blog Post

A very sad snowman.

It's "snowing" here in Baltimore today, and snow days are the perfect excuse to update the blog. There are a few more recipes left over from the CSA (including one that my husband claims he will *eventually* write from AUGUST!), and it seems quite possible that I'll be all caught up by the end of the year. Not so bad, considering the CSA ended almost a month ago...right? Ok. I'm lazy. I get it.

Anyway, this post is all about one of my favorite foods: butternut squash risotto! You've heard all about risotto before here, so without further ado, here's my recipe for butternut squash risotto:

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed and roasted
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5-6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbl unsalted butter
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add onion and cook until soft, approximately 3-5 minutes. 

2. Add rice and allow to cook 1-2 minutes, until slightly toasted/opaque. Pour in enough broth to barely cover rice (about 1/3 cup). Stir occasionally, until broth is mostly absorbed.

3. Continue adding enough broth to cover the rice and stirring until each addition is absorbed. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes.

4. When rice is al dente and almost soft, add in butternut squash. The butternut squash should be soft enough that it is easily mixed into the rice and is not chunky. Continue adding broth and stirring, until rice is soft, another 5 minutes.

5. Top with parmesan cheese (optional), and serve!

The Caviar of the South

The first time I had pimento cheese was at the end of my first internship for graduate school. My supervisor and the other counselors arranged a surprise potluck lunch for me and my classmate/co-intern who had worked at the school for the past semester. All the counselors brought different foods - turkey wraps, arroz con pollo, salad, and pimento cheese. I had never had or even heard of pimento cheese at this point in my life, and to be honest, it grossed me out. However, I wanted to be polite (and maybe get a good letter of recommendation?), so I dug in to the spread. Surprisingly, the cheese wasn't as bad as I had expected and was actually rather tasty. When pimiento (aka pimento) peppers appeared at the market, I knew exactly what to do with them.

Pimiento peppers are some of the mildest peppers around. You may recognize them as the little red dots inside green olives. However, the most popular use for pimiento peppers is pimento cheese spread. The possibilities for the spread are endless - I found recipes for pimento cheese mac n' cheese, grilled cheese, sandwich spread, and many others that all required to first have some pimento cheese already made. In an attempt to keep things simple, I just ate mine with crackers!

This dip is obviously not the most healthy appetizer, so I would only make it again for a party. As tasty as it is, it can't be consumed by only one or two people!

Eggplant and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

I can't think of a more creative name for this dish besides eggplant and sun-dried tomato pasta. I guess because it's really simple and there isn't much more to the dish, so any other name would be too complicated for such an easy and quick meal to make.

This meal can be adapted to other vegetables, such as broccoli. There is no real "recipe", but here are some steps to make this dish:

1. Sauté 1 chopped onion and 1 garlic clove over medium heat in a preheated pan with oil, until soft.
2. Add chopped eggplant, that has been presalted to drain some of the water content. Cook 10-15 minutes, until soft and the eggplant turns brown. Season with salt, pepper, and chili pepper.
3. When eggplant is cooked through, add sun-dried tomatoes (in oil). Stir until warm.
4. Add to pasta, cooked according to package directions. Top with fresh mozzarella balls. Enjoy!

Pretty simple, right?

The Kale That Never Ends!

Three weeks ago, I picked some kale from the farmer's market, assuming it would get eaten quickly. Somehow, the kale has seemed to multiply in the refrigerator! It's been used in three dishes and has had a starring role in each, unlike the fennel that played a supporting role when it was used three times. Without further ado, here's how the kale has played out since it came home with me three weeks ago:

Delicata and Kale Salad

Delicate and Kale close up!

When I saw the delicata squash at the farmer's market, I had NO idea what to do with it. Another woman who was picking up her produce casually mentioned that it tastes great roasted in a kale salad. Of course, there was kale that week, so I picked up some kale and planned to make the dish my fellow CSA-er had raved about. That's how this bunch of kale made it in my shopping bag in the first place. Here's the recipe I used for Delicata Squash Salad with Kale and Cannellini Beans. I was shocked at how much my husband loved this salad. His idea of salad is a piece of steak with a carrot garnish! The salad was warm, hearty, and filling - all words that are not normally used to describe a salad! It was both sweet and salty, and it was perfectly for a cold fall night. Definitely something I would make again!

A little blurry, but you get the idea!

Broccoli and Kale Soup

Meal #2 was a mistake! I wanted to make The Joy of Cooking's cream of broccoli soup, but unfortunately the two stalks of broccoli did not weigh enough. I substituted some kale (which was really more like half a bunch!), and proceeded with the recipe. The kale didn't affect the taste of the soup at all, and it pureed very nicely with the immersion blender. The soup was a perfect consistency without the cream, so it was left out. It was great with a (store-bought) thick slice of asiago bread.

Kale and Arugula Flatbread

The last time I went to visit my parents, my mom gave me a jar of olive and walnut spread because she didn't want it. I wasn't entirely sure if I would be able to put it to use - the spread has a very strong olive taste that is not the least bit subtle. I wanted to find a way to use a lot of it at once, not because it was bad but because it is a random thing to have in the kitchen! I didn't want it to expire before I could use it all. I came up with this flatbread pizza:

It's very simple to make, using store bough pizza dough. There's no real "recipe" since you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you prefer. I like a lot of cheese and a lot of greens.

1. Preheat oven, following directions for the pizza dough. Prepare pizza dough as directed, as well.
2. Saute greens in olive oil until wilted, with minimal salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool, 5-10 minutes, until warm to the touch.
3. Coat rolled pizza dough with olive and walnut spread, as the base for the flatbread pizza, in place of tomato sauce. Amount of spread is a personal preference depending on how much you like (or dislike) olives!
4. Place wilted greens onto pizza, covering in a single layer (again, how much greens you use is personal preference)
5. Grate tallegio (or substitute with gouda or fontina) over pizza. Bake as directed.
6. Drizzle honey over flatbread. Allow to cool and serve with a chilled glass of white wine!

And in case you were curious, here's the olive and walnut spread I used:

CSA Week #25: The End.

Wow. It is hard to believe 25 weeks went by that quickly! I really enjoyed our half share of the CSA, and it is definitely something that I'd do again. At times, it was hard to come up with new and different ideas for the produce that was available. It was a great way to change things up in the kitchen and experiment with new foods and new cooking techniques. For anyone who enjoys cooking (or eating), I would recommend participating in a local CSA - it is a great way to support local farms, and nothing beats fresh produce!

Here's what the last four picks of the season were:

Butternut squash, kale, beets, and arugula.

Some of my favorite recipes from the past 25 weeks are listed below:

• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Mexican Poblano Chile Lasagna
• Pepper Poppers
• Eggplant Caponata
• Pasta with Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese
• Purple Sweet Potato Fries

Even though the CSA has ended, I still have a few (ok, maybe more than a few) recipes that still need to be posted. Keep checking back to see what I've cooked!

CSA Week #24

One week left - how quickly time flies! Here's what was picked up this week:

Pimiento peppers, spinach, red potatoes, and chard!

Potato, Patata

Sliced potatoes

A few weeks ago, I posted the potatoes that came from the CSA and I wondered about what to make with them that wasn't mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. When I asked my husband if he had any ideas, he seemed to know exactly what we should make - tortilla de patata. My husband studied abroad in Spain, in a small town outside of Madrid called Alcalá, and tortilla de patata aka tortilla española aka Spanish omelettes are a popular dish in Spain. It consists of eggs, potatoes, and onions - kind of like scrambled eggs and hash browns that you can enjoy all at once!

The finished product - delicious!

Tortilla de patata takes a bit of work - you need to thinly slice a lot of potatoes and onions, which is not such an easy feat. This must be the third time since I've been blogging that I've needed a mandolin. Maybe it's time to finally purchase one! This dish also takes a bit of fancy flipping - halfway through cooking, you need to transfer the tortilla onto a plate then flip it upside down back into the pan so that it can finish cooking. Easier said than done, that is for sure!

Profile shot - check out those layers!

Tortilla de patata is obviously a great breakfast, but it also is good for lunch alongside a salad or bowl of soup. It would also make a great dish for a brunch!

CSA Week 23

This week's CSA was picked up a little later than normal - I usually get produce on Tuesdays from the farmer's market, but this past week (and next week, too) I had a work field trip so I missed the usual pick up. Instead, I got the produce at this cute little general store that had tons of local produce, meat, and diary items. There were a lot of bulk food bins, too, so I picked up some banana chips - YUM!

Here's what I got:

Acorn squash, broccoli, arugula, and purple sweet potatoes!

Something's Missing...

If you have read the tagline of this blog, you have seen that it clearly states "cooking.crafts.life". Two of those things have been showcased quite often throughout the time this blog has been around. But something is clearly missing - CRAFTS! Sadly, there are only 3 weeks left of the CSA. Once the CSA is over (and I've caught up on all the food-related posts), this blog will have a lot more crafty posts! I already have a few projects in my mind, so you will have to stick around to see what is made.

This blog is also missing pictures of Winnie - so here she is:

What a cutie :)

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Another variation on traditional lasagna: roasted butternut squash lasagna! This dish is so delicious and perfect for a cold autumn night. The tomato sauce is replaced with a creamy béchamel sauce. The recipe calls for blending the butternut squash after it's been roasted, but it was so soft that it was easily mashed with a fork. The filling was so good that I was tempted to eat it all before it went into the pan!

I know that the picture doesn't really showcase the different layers, but it does seem to adequately show how creamy the lasagna was! But the creaminess is a bit deceiving, as it really is mostly mashed butternut squash. Yum - this lasagna was so delicious, I can't wait to eat it again!

Easy Add-Ins

One of the easiest ways to use up extra produce is to add it to other dishes to give them some extra flavor. This post is a similar to this one, in that these are just some simple ways to make your meals a little more exciting!

Here's some soup to which I added leftover kale. The soup is from a dry mix, and even though it doesn't look so appetizing, it is actually really good! A mix of beans, lentils, and alphabet pasta reconstituted with veggie broth. The soup has to simmer for close to an hour before it is ready to eat, so I just added the kale in at the beginning. I didn't notice much of a change in flavor, but it gave the soup more texture, which is always a good thing with soup.

And here's some boxed mac n' cheese with some added broccoli that had been blanched. Blanching vegetables is a quick alternative to steaming vegetables, but you end up with a similar end result of soft, less bitter vegetables. While the pot of water is coming to a boil, wash and chop the vegetable into bite-sized pieces (or however big or small you'd like), and then add to the water once it boils. Let it cook for 5 minutes - for broccoli, you can tell it's done when it turns bright green. You can just eat it like this...or add it to other dishes!

These are also some go-to single lady meals. I made both of these on nights when it was just me and Winnie because the husband was working late! It's hard to cook intricate meals when you are just cooking for one!

Roasted Cauliflower

Did you know cauliflower comes in colors besides white? While white is the most common variety, they also come in purple, gold, and green. Who knew?! I was pleasantly surprised to see an orange cauliflower at the farmer's market a few weeks ago, so I snatched it up, roasted it, and served it alongside beer can chicken (which might have to be another post of it's own)!

It didn't taste any different than white cauliflower and it made a really tasty side dish alongside the chicken! Roasting vegetables is one of the easiest ways to prepare fresh vegetables and it always seems to perfectly compliment whatever is being served as the main dish. Sometimes simple is much better than a complicated side!

CSA Weeks 21 & 22

I wish I had a more exciting reason to explain the hiatus in posting updates, but I was really just kind of lazy. Catching up on the DVR while laying on the couch lazy. That didn't stop me from taking pictures, though! Here are the past 2 weeks of produce from the CSA:

Week 21: lettuce, eggplant, orange cauliflower, and broccoli.











Week 22: kale, delicata squash, green peppers, and jalapeño peppers.

I promise to update more this weekend - there are lots of pictures waiting to be uploaded to my computer! Stay tuned!

Little Green Pumpkins

One of the surest signs that fall is here is the abundance of winter squash available at the farmer's market. Winter squash, unlike their estival (keep that word for a crossword puzzle!) relatives, have hard skins and last longer off the vine.

Acorn squash is that cute little acorn-shaped squash that is generally some combination of green and orange. Or, as my husband calls it, a little green pumpkin. We made a classic baked acorn squash that was so incredibly delicious!! It might be a bit sweet for those who prefer more savory squash dishes, but we loved it! It was a really nice compliment to roasted chicken and quinoa, and it was really easy to make (or so I hear! My husband cooked dinner that night - isn't he the best?). Baked acorn squash is a nice comforting side dish that makes you forget how cold and dreary it's starting to be outside.

This dish would be a great (somewhat healthier?) replacement to sweet potato casserole - you know, the one with the marshmallows on top? Maybe this dish will make another appearance in a few weeks at the Thanksgiving table!

CSA Week #20

Here are the goodies from this past week at the farmer's market:

Butternut squash, red beets, potatoes, and kale.

I've been on a huge beet kick recently (have you noticed how many times they've appeared in these weekly pictures?) - I am really enjoying them roasted and chopped up in salads. My go-to lunch has been lettuce, cucumbers, roasted beets, and a chopped up veggie burger patty...with ranch dressing!

The butternut squash and kale will be going in a lasagna, but I haven't figured out what to do with the potatoes. Any suggestions? I'm hoping for something more exciting than mashed or roasted potatoes. Anyone have a different way to make potatoes that they'd like to share?

Heinz 57 and French Fried Potatoes

Cheeseburger in Paradise is not just a Jimmy Buffet song, it is also a great restaurant. Alright, I've only been to one of them, over 15 years ago...but I remember it being delicious. Who doesn't like a grilled pineapple slice on their cheeseburger? Anyway, this post is not about cheeseburgers - it's about french fried potatoes! French fried purple sweet potatoes, to be exact! Have you ever made homemade french fries without a deep fryer? It's so simple and much less intimidating than you might think. I picked up these purple sweet potatoes from the CSA two weeks in a row, and I made sweet potato french fries with both of the shares! No use in trying to reinvent the wheel - this recipe was so perfect and delicious the first time, there was no reason to think of any other uses for these purple beauties.

Here they are after being chopped - note the deep purple color!

And here they are, fresh out of the oven, sprinkled with some sea salt. See how purple they are on the inside???

In case anyone was wondering, I was told these sweet potatoes are a little milder and more starchy than their orange cousins. I couldn't really tell much of a difference in this preparation, but they were delicious...and great with a cheeseburger!

CSA Week #19

There are only 6 weeks left of the CSA! Where did these past 5 months go??? It is really hard to believe that this year has gone by so quickly. Do I say that every week? Oh well. Here's what was ripe for the picking at the market on Tuesday:

Kale, golden beets, an acorn squash (or a "little green pumpkin", as my husband called it), and some more purple sweet potatoes! I am a little behind in posting what I've made recently, but I promise it will be worth the wait!

Easy Pasta Sauce Variations

Ever try to figure out what to make with that half used jar of pasta sauce sitting in your fridge? You know you want some spaghetti for dinner, but you just aren't sure there's enough sauce...and let's be honest, there's no such thing as too much pasta sauce! Or maybe you are tired of the plain sauce on your pantry shelf and want a way to make it a bit more exciting? Here are some easy ways to change up the jarred sauce that you have just waiting to be used:



Pasta Sauce with Kale

Add kale to a preheated pan with olive oil, over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic. Let cook for 5-7 minutes. Add pasta sauce until warm. Serve with pasta of choice.

Pasta Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a pan. Add 1 small chopped onion and 1 chopped garlic clove, cook until translucent. Add one pint of chopped cherry tomatoes, cooking approximately 10 minutes until tomatoes begin to break down. Add pasta sauce until warm. Serve with pasta of choice. Enjoy!






Easy enough - right? I apologize for the messy pictures...sometimes I'm just too hungry to make a pretty plate!

CSA Week #18

It seems to be that summer is truly over -  I got the last of the onions and the last of the cherry tomatoes from this year's crop. And those purple potatoes...don't be deceived! They're not the same purple potatoes as last time; these ones are SWEET potatoes. And that's some pretty nice broccoli. A nice end of summer/start of fall haul :)

Popcorn on the Cob

Did you know that popcorn actually came from cob? It's probably one of the many foods you don't often think about how it's made, but you just know it's delicious and a great snack. Popcorn on the cob is just dried corn on the cob! Pretty simple, right?

To make popcorn on the cob, just place a cob in a paper bag (to prevent the kernels from exploding all around the microwave!), and pop it in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Let it cool, and then enjoy!

This popcorn was not as fluffy as the store-bought variety, and it kind of reminded me of corn cereals. Not all of the corn popped off the cob, and it was a little hard to pick off the popped kernels from the cob when it was done. Two cobs yielded probably about half as much as one normal sized bag of popcorn - but that's probably a real serving size. It would have been great with a little bit of butter and salt, but I couldn't stop eating it long enough to melt some butter. I was hungry!

This has definitely been one of the more unique finds at the farmer's market. When I signed up for the CSA, I was expecting to bring home some new and different produce, but I never thought there would be popcorn available! It was a really nice surprise. I wonder what will be at the stall tomorrow!

Roasted Broccoli

Another simple recipe - roasted broccoli! In my mind, broccoli is not a vegetable that is typically roasted. It's steamed, placed on a baked potato, and topped with melty cheese. Or it's steamed and then topped with butter and some salt and pepper. However, roasted broccoli is delicious and so so easy to make!

As with all roasted vegetables - preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat broccoli with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Roast for 20-30 minutes until the broccoli begins to brown. That's it! A quick, easy, and delicious way to eat your veggies :)

CSA Week #17

It's hard to believe there are only 2 months left of the CSA - we're closer to the end of the CSA than we are to the beginning. Time has flown by pretty quickly, but every week there are always some surprises at the farmer's market. Here's what was picked up this week:

Popcorn on the cob! Butternut squash! Beets! Kale! Looks like it will be a yummy week!

Simple Pasta Sauce

It doesn't get much simpler than this when it comes to making pasta sauce! You probably even have all of these ingredients sitting in your kitchen at this very moment - although, if it's my kitchen there are rarely any tomatoes present. This pasta sauce was simple and fresh tasting - a perfect end of summer meal.

Simple Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 small tomatoes, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced.
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• dash of oregano
• 1/2 box of pasta (I used fettuccine)

Directions:

1. Prepare pasta as directed on box. In a medium pan, heat 1 Tbl of olive oil over low-medium heat. When hot, sauté onion and garlic until soft, 3-5 minutes.

2. Add diced tomatoes and seasonings, cooking until tomatoes begin to break down and the juices are released, approximately 7-10 minutes. 

3. Serve over pasta - enjoy!

Flying Purple Potato Eater

Purple potatoes! From the outside, they don't look like anything special or that different...but on the inside, they are purple! These ones were actually a bit more pinkish than a true purple, almost too beautiful to eat. This is one of those times I wish I had a mandolin...what could be better that PURPLE potato chips? Since there is no mandolin in my apartment, these potatoes just had to be made into roasted rosemary and parmesan potatoes. If anyone out there in blog land wants a recipe, just contact me, and I will happily send it along. These potatoes tasted just like...potatoes! There wasn't any noticeable difference in these colorful potatoes vs. the yellow/gold variety. We served them alongside baked chicken, and it definitely did brighten up the plate! It was a nice visual change. And here's what they looked like after they were in the oven:

still purple!

Sidenote: I've been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days - thanks to my lovely sinuses that enjoy giving me pain every once in a while. Sinus infections are not fun :( Anyway, because I'm just trying to rest up, I now have the perfect opportunity to catch up on the blog! So be prepared for a few new posts coming down the line the next few days.

CSA Week #16

Fall is definitely right around the corner. It was obvious by the huge variety of winter squashes that were available this week! However, summer still refuses to leave - it's been close to 80 degrees here these past few days! Here's what came from this week's farmer's market:

Spaghetti squash, yellow watermelon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes! We made the spaghetti squash last night for dinner...but forgot to take a picture. Oops! It seems like it will be a regular at the market for the next few weeks, so there will be other photo ops in the future.

Best Thing SHE Ever Made

The view from the side

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were watching TV and we flipped to "The Best Thing I Ever Made" on Food Network. The episode's theme was Family Dinners, so everything the chefs made were big dishes that can be served family style and are pretty comforting to eat. One of the chefs, Marcela Valladolid, host of "Mexican Made Easy", featured her Corn and Poblano Lasagna. It sounded sooooo delicious and relatively simple! Instead of a traditional Italian lasagna, hers is stuffed with poblano chiles and zucchini, and the sauce is a blended corn/cream mixture (which I probably could have eaten on its own as a soup). After we saw this episode, we couldn't stop talking about how much we wanted to make and eat this meal. As fate would have it, what did I find at the farmer's market that week?? POBLANO CHILES! We were destined to make this meal, and it was oh so yummy! The recipe calls for Oaxaca cheese, but she said you can substitute mozzarella, which is all we could find in our local grocery store.

And the view from the top - look at that melty cheese!

The lasagna was really easy and delicious and it will definitely be made again, but this post also comes with a cautionary tale:

Be careful when you slice spicy peppers! Only recently have I started to experiment with peppers, and so I never really knew much about peppers or their oils. A few weeks ago, we made jalapeño poppers, and later that night, I felt as though I had burnt my finger. I just assumed that I accidentally hit the side of the oven or pan while I was taking out the peppers, and although it really hurt, I just brushed it off as nothing. Doesn't every good cook burn themselves once in a while in the kitchen? A few hours after we had finished the lasagna, my hands were in excruciating pain - tingling and burning. At first I thought I might be dying; I had never felt this type of pain before in my life! I quickly typed in my symptoms into Google and I found out that, no, I was not dying, but my hands were burning from the capsaicin in the peppers. A quick search for remedies led me to pour rubbing alcohol over my hands and then coat with a thick lotion. Although the pain didn't go away completely, it was lessened enough so that I could fall asleep. Lesson learned. Next time - GLOVES!

CSA Week #15

This week is all about deceptive produce - these 4 items all look like your standard fruits and veggies. Nothing too wild about watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes, or potatoes, right?

While the tomatoes and zucchini are nothing out of the ordinary, take a closer look at the watermelon and potatoes.

That is a YELLOW watermelon! Have you ever had or seen one of those before? It tastes a bit milder than your everyday red variety, but it also is a tiny bit sweeter, kind of like honey. After eating it for a few days, I think I might like it even more than red watermelon! It definitely tastes more like a dessert and it is just so juicy and delicious. Yum :)

As for the potatoes - just take my word that they are purple! When I finally make something with them, you can see for yourself their purple hue.

Two Years Down...Two Hundred To Go!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary! It's hard to believe how quickly two years has flown by. On our actual anniversary, we celebrated by having crab cakes, baked scallops, and sautéed green beans. Remember those gigantic green beans from a few weeks ago? Yup, we ate those! For dessert, we shared a slice of Banana Cream Pie from Dangerously Delicious Pies (side note: I am working on replicating their Baltimore Bomb Pie - which actually is the bomb! Stay tuned for a post!)

The following weekend, we took a brief trip to Philadelphia, where we celebrated our anniversary by dining at Morimoto - the Iron Chef's restaurant. We went all out and did the omakase menu, which is an eight-course tasting menu of all of the most popular and more unique items. Some of our favorites included the tuna carpaccio, the lobster, and the waygu beef. With the exception of the lobster, everything we ate was either raw or rare. This was a really delicious way to celebrate our marriage - we left feeling full but not bursting at the seams.

Dessert at Morimoto

We also did touristy things, including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, eating cheesesteaks, and climbing up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Liberty Bell

The coolest thing we saw was the Magic Gardens, an outdoor sculpture/mosaic garden that was started in 1994. Isaiah Zagar, a local artist, transformed his side yard (and the surrounding buildings) into a labyrinth with every inch covered in eclectic murals made of tile, mirror, glass bottles, and other trash. It was really impressive to see, and it's hard to imagine how long it took him to make such an amazing and unique outdoor art installation. 

Overall, we had a great time in Philadelphia! We did a lot of walking and a lot of eating. Most importantly, we celebrated our love - and that's the best way to celebrate an anniversary.