sheppard girls

Smitten with Smitten Kitchen

I have a new food blog love!  Smitten Kitchen.  These past two weeks I have been trying to use up what we have in our freezer before making another trip to the grocery store.  CSA boxes makes this much easier since we are still getting fresh vegetables and some fruit each week.  Earlier in the week I pulled out bone-in beef short ribs from the freezer and went looking for a recipe.  I came across this one from Smitten Kitchen.

Of course then my little meat eater went on a sleepover and my big meat eater went to a Tweetup after work and didn't get home until 9:30, but after his evening snack of spareribs and fresh pasta, he declared it one of the best things I've ever made.

After that I had chicken and tons of green beans, so I found this marinade.  Spicy and excellent on the beans as well.

In a few minutes my mother in law and one of her sisters are stopping by for a visit, so Blueberry Boy Bait, Smitten Kitchen and our shared love of quick company cakes to the rescue. 

Signs of summer part 2

Breakfast on the deck.  Most Saturdays the dad makes breakfast. 

Today Swedish pancakes, strawberry jam still warm from the pan and creme fraise. 

Pretty, right?  Except if you had a video you could hear the bickering over who got more caribou thin steaks (ish) and the little one whining because she was coooooold, but she didn't want to go get a hoodie because none of them looked good.

Signs of summer

First garden strawberries.  After two years of struggling with birds, bunnies and deer, we were so proud that our patched together security system of fencing and bird wire had kept out everyone until we had at least 30 strawberries nearly ready to pick.  Then something smarter than us managed to get in and eat them all.

Rhubarb

 

Why the picture of the printer in a post titled rhubarb?  The dad got me a new printer/scanner/copier for my birthday, promted, I am sure, after a frustrating, teary hour (mine not his) trying to print the text for these shower invitations for my neighbor's cousin.

    

Based on ones I saw on Anna Maria Horner's blog a few months ago.  So I have a new printer, but I haven't figured out the photo software, so I can't show you pictures of the rhubarb crisp the little one and I made.  The best Rhubarb Crisp Recipe EVER, titled Sarah's Rhubarb Crisp in my recipe book, which may have come from a college friend and roommate who recently discovered my blog.  Sarah, is this yours?  And the Rhubarb Chutney from a really old Bon Appetit.

Rhubarb Chutney

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 4 cups 1/2-inch cubes fresh rhubarb (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup (generous) chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup dried tart cherries or golden raisins (about 2 ounces)

Heat first eight ingredients in a dutch oven until sugar dissolves.  Add onions, rhubarb and cherries and simmer 5 minutes.  Let cool.

I love rhubarb and it is precious around here.  We planted rhubarb last year and it has grown huge, but gardening lore tells me that we can't harvest it until next year.  Our CSA box started last week too, but so far only, lettuce, herbs, and six stalks of asparagus.  Six.

Bread pudding

This afternoon I will be making bread pudding, because due to several birthday gatherings, and two ill-timed trips to Costco, I have way more several day old bread than I know what to do with.  I have tried a bunch of recipes and so far the best one is The Best Bread Pudding from Paula Deen.  I am not a huge fan of Paula Deen, she's a little too loud for me, which I realize is exactly what makes her so beloved, just not by me. 

I really do love the following comment from the Food Network website though:  "Paula dear, I love you but it sure is a wonder that you are not diabetic."  How funny is that!?

I cut the amount of sugar in half and added 60% cacao dark chocolate chips, which was the only way to get my kids to consider eating it.  Raisins, um, no.  But with chocolate, the little one ate some and declared, "it tastes like french toast!"

More soup for us

Speaking of WiseCraft.  Several of her soup recipes have become quick favorites around here.  Most recently she posted a tortilla soup recipe, which I made, even though the primary ingredient was avocado and I hate avocados.  Really hate them.  Their consistency icks me out.  Here is her recipe:

Wise Craft Tortilla soup (serves 4-6)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, chopped small
2 scallions, chopped small and including 1/3 of the green stem
2 32 oz. boxes of reduced sodium chicken stock

1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large avocado
3/4 cup queso cheese
3 cups of shredded, pre-cooked chicken- white meat only

Coriander, cumin and cayenne to taste
finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
unsalted tortilla strips (recipe below)
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat olive oil over med. high heat in a dutch oven or your favorite soup pot. Add onions and cook to soften (not brown), add scallions, cook for one minute more.

2. Pour in chicken broth, then add in shredded chicken and canned tomatoes. Heat through for 15 minutes.

3. Slice avocado evenly into bite-sized chunks, add to soup pot. Add spices and pepper.

4. To serve, ladle soup in bowl, add in queso cheese, then tortilla chips, then cilantro.

*Leftover soup is fine with chicken and avocado in it, but store the tortilla chips, cilantro, and queso cheese separately.

Her recipe didn't include them, but I added the chicken, tomatoes and spices and it was great.  As were the homemade tortilla chips, also inspired by her.  Finally a use for the Costco size bags tortillas I always come home with!

Strange beans and seeds

In the interest of using up the groceries we already have, I came across 2/3 of a big of lentils.  I don't ever remember cooking with lentils, and what kind of recipe only uses 1/3 a bag?  So I was pretty unsure of what I might come up with.  Alton Brown to the rescue!

Alton Brown Lentil Soup recipe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
• 1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

Directions

Place the olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and salt and sweat until the onions are translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin and grains of paradise and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Serve immediately.

I used fennel instead of celery, because we had fennel.  Not really sure why, since no one around here likes fennel.  But it did give me a chance to show the little one, who keeps all seeds she find in food, including oranges, apples and the fennel seeds in her sausage, (which she calls sausage seeds) that if she were to actually plant the sausage seeds, this is what would grow.

   

Friday

I ran to the grocery store quick this morning before the little one's classroom Valentine's Day party, during which we made these cute lollypop mice,

so I could pick up some sweet potatoes, because I had it in my head to make this Sweet Potato Soup from the NY Times.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Scant pinch ground cinnamon
Finely chopped scallions, green parts only, or minced parsley

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stock and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée contents of pot, in batches if necessary, until smooth.

3. Reheat soup, stirring in jalapeño, corn, molasses, salt, cayenne, black pepper and cinnamon. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, topped with scallions or parsley.

I had to go the the expensive grocery store in our neighborhood, which I try to avoid because it is more expensive and I spent way too much money on fancy cheese, and they had the prettiest bouquets.  Perfect to plump up our existing flowers.  When I was checking out the guy asked, "are these for someone special?"  I had to say "uhmmm, me?"

Muffin tin lunch

A playdate lunch for the little one and her guest.  (There were sandwiches too!)

Snickerdoodles

The quest for perfect snickerdoodle continues.  When we were growing up, my sister, who gave me the vintage plate, and a neighborhood friend made them all the time.  They were so good, they were going to start a business.  This recipe is from the Martha Stewart cookie book from last year.  One of the few I've found that didn't include Crisco.