vacation souvenirs

I don't need no flip flops, jewelery or t-shirts . . . local tasty treats are perfect for me! Yesterady we visited the historic village and lighthouse of Corolla. We stopped at a local bookstore and coffee shop. I ate my pumpkin cinnamon roll for breakfast today - it was too tasty for a photo. I have to find the recipe. We also purchased locally made lemon and lavender cookies. I have lavender I have wanted to try in a recipe and this is perfect.

We are off to read and search for sea glass. I finished Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus II, author of House of Sand and Fog. The Garden was good but not as compelling as The House which I raced through with one eye open and holding my breath hoping "fate" would be kinder than reality. I am reading another Paulo Coelho, The Zahir. In my pile of books to read I also have... My Life in France, Food INC, Chuck Klosterman IV, and The Journey of Crazy Horse.

I am going to be brief, we have Internet but not too reliable and I am on vacation. I am better without this techno media. I just
wanted to share that even if you are on vaca you can eat healthy. I have balanced my high fiber breakfast (fiberful thomas' english muffins and apple) with my daily lunch salad with . . . fudge, wine, margaritas and John's fine peach pie!

My salad was easy to prepare with out all the at home conveniences!

• 1 can of chick peas
• 1 can kidney beans
• 2 cups of flash steamed broccoli
• 1 cup whole wheat pasta, prepared
• 1/2 cup carrots chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• paul newman's olive oil and vinegar dressing, to taste
• 1 lemon freshly squeezed

oh, I and topped with a bit of feta and greek olives. yum!

I picked up some whole wheat naan and hummus to munch on. In case you are
wondering you can not make hummus in a blender... I tried.

I finished the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I enjoyed it's simplicity and found the profound and reminder to clear away all the nonsense and distractions in my life while following my dreams. It is the moments we remember not days! Here are 2 quotes that I enjoyed,

"At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"

I hate to be a bit morose but I have to share that on our first night here a family arrive not far from our home. The husband went to take a dip in the ocean at 9:30pm. There were strong rip currents, he never returned. The Coast Guard has been out in full force searching the coastline. Life is unexpected but death is a guarantee so it makes me wonder how we live our lives in this moment. How much integrity do our words hold? Do we know the power of our words? Do we build each other up or, as a result of our insecurities, tear each other down. What kind of memories do we leave with our loved ones?

It is just something I can't ignore when we hear a helicopter or see them searching the coast for this husband and maybe father. Enjoy the blessing of today!!!!

happy! happy! happy!

...after many months of waiting, working, money, dreaming, planning, sanding, scraping, headaches, backaches, painting, money, sweat & tears it is finally finished! The dept of ag inspector just left and the kitchen is certified commercially (I had the baking certif) and with just a few small hurdles to go and I can finally get moving!!!

here is a view of my favorite room of the house! The colors are in the shade of soothing sea glass and my 3 bay sink has a wonderful view (that does not make washing dishes a magical chore). I know this space with revive me and get my creative juices flowing...in addition to restoring some of that positive energy that some people just tap right out of me.

I should be finishing up on the packing for our holiday to the Outer Banks but I had to share this great news!!

We were away most of last week for a show in OC Maryland. It was a great opportunity to visit my parents as well. I removed an entire kale plant from the garden and my dad cleaned it up and prepared it for dinner with just a splash of oil and vinegar, YUM!

I wanted to prepare a kale dish for you but because I've been spread so thin with work and preparing for this inspection I have had no time and we will be leaving tomorrow (after the Lisa L show). I make a fab kale dish that is filling, tasty and healthy... you will have to wait.

father's fab chicken & phoebe's polenta

Here is yet another tomato recipe that is a favorite of mine, my father's chicken recipe. This recipe is easy to prepare and always pleases. On my last visit to spend time with family my dad made this recipe but used a new secret ingredient. As per usual, use this recipe as a guideline and add more or less of some ingredients and substitute others.

I reheated the chicken last night and wanted to whip up a "fresh" side, polenta. Not just any creamy polenta would do for this rich chicken so I added a few things I had on hand. I could have eaten this as dessert. Corn causes inflammation and I have been cutting it out of my diet but on rare occasions I have to give in.

father's fab chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, bone in & skin removed (use boneless but it is more moist when bone in)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 large onion (2 cups), chunked as you would like it in a stew
• 3 carrots, chunked about 1"
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed (peel or unpeeled)
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp oregano, dried
• 1/2 tsp pepper flakes (optional) I like the heat it adds
• splash of soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp Chinese five spice (if you don't have add a pinch of cinnamon and ginger)
• 1/4 c olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette (I had some freshly prepared and left over so I tried it & liked it)

preheat the oven to 350. prepare a baking dish by coating lightly with olive oil. mix the diced tomato with the sauce and oregano, pepper flakes, Chinese five spice and soy sauce.

place the chicken breast in the pan and coat with the vinaigrette, top with the minced garlic and a freshly ground pepper. evenly spread the carrots, onion, garlic and sweet potato in the pan and pour the sauce on top. cover and bake for 30 minutes then uncover for the remaining 30 minutes.

polenta so tasty I'd like it for dessert too

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp butter

1/2 cup manchego cheese (this is what I had on hand, if you have cheese on hand you probably like it ... add it)

3 cups broth

1 1/2 cup corn meal

in a small saucepan over medium heat add garlic and olive oil, only for a minute, then add the broth and oregano and bring to boil. gradually whisk in the corn meal until it is creamy. Stir frequently and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. so creamy good!!!

eat more beans ... killer HUMMUS

what a tasty way to incorporate heart healthy beans into your diet. I should take some of my advice. I made my hummus last night and for lunch spread it on some whole wheat naan and toasted for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven then topped with feta. Crazy good! sometimes when we keep it simple... Again, get creative and use specialty ingredients that tickle your fancy to made this hummus your own.

- roasted red pepper

- black beans & chipotle

- sun dried tomato & oregano

- roasted eggplant & garlic

so, you have the hummus, now what? Sure you can

• serve it with whole wheat pita/naan
• but why not put it on the pita/naan and toast it
• then top it with a fresh tomato, basil & mozzarella (smoked mozz yum...)
• or try a feta and dill with a squeeze of lime juice

Basic killer hummus recipe

• 3 c chickpeas
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped (start with 2 cloves and taste as you go)
• 2T sesame seeds, powdered in a coffee/spice mill
• 4 splashes tamari/soy sauce
• 3T lemon juice
• pepper
• cayenne, to taste
• olive oil and/or water to thin (use more water and less oil if you want low fat)

whiz all the ingredients in a food processor. I like mine with a bit of texture but not as thick as spackle. I add olive oil, maybe 1/4 cup, as it is blending then use water (to cut the fat) until the desired texture is achieved.

roasted tomato sauce

We have too many tomatoes. This sounds like a fabulous title for a children's book. . . So, Dan has been harvesting these little and gigantic gems for 2 weeks. All of the plants pulled through the blight quite well. The lesson learned this year, after having fun experimenting with so many varieties, to be a little more selective. Some produced better than others. The German Strawberry was the show off of the bunch. The fruits were gigantic, 2lbs. no kidding. There is no room in this garden for egos.

For the past few years I have been making this version of sauce and freezing it. I prefer it to the traditional sauce for its color, flavor profile and ease in preparing. This year I will can the version because I often forget what is in the freezer, list or no list. It adds a special flair to bland ravioli and a great texture to pasta. Who says tomato sauce is just for pasta? Try this on roasted squash, chicken or with seafood. I love roasting my veggies . . . all kinds. When the weather cools I share some of those recipes. This sauce is crazy easy to make and my quantity and basic ingredients can be changed. In the photo above you see all the ingredients prepared on the pan and ready to be roasted. Here it is, roasted tomato sauce.

• 3lbs (give or take) of tomatoes
• 3 cups carrots, sliced into 1/4" slices
• 3 onions, halved then sliced into 1/2 inch slices
• 8 cloves of garlic, give or take
• fresh thyme or oregano (if you like heat add crushed red pepper flakes. for something very different try a chinese 5 spice)
• if you want to add eggplant then chop it up . . . peppers? why hold back . . . for whatever you like in your sauce just roast with this blend.

preheat the oven to 425. I put aluminum foil on my pans and spray with non-stick spray/olive oil. Halve the tomatoes, removing as many seed as you can then place face down on the pan. Spread the other veggies in between and lightly spray the top with olive oil (I have a pump spray that is very handy) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the herbs.

Keep them in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking after 30 minutes. If you find that things are burning not roasting then crowd them up a bit. When they get nice and toasty (below) pull them and out and let them sit about 10 minutes. Then peel the skin from the tomato, it will come easily.

Put everything (less the skins) in a food processor or blender and whiz it to your desired texture. That's it. Freeze it, if you like, or give it to friends.

roasted zucchini and eggplant quinoa salad

Too much zucchini? I had a modest harvest that I am very pleased with. In addition to my swiss chard, garlic, tomato and zucchini, I also used some beautiful Japanese eggplants in this salad. The Japanese variety grows in a shape similar to the zucchini so that when sliced they were in perfect 1 1/2" discs instead of too much mushy, meaty eggplant. These are certainly on the keep list for next years garden. They are in the photo next to my white rat (ineffective rabbit repellent), mexican sage (attracts butterflies...unless they are frightened by white rat) and snap dragons.



This new recipe was born of necessity. We went to a family picnic on Sunday. Oh yes, you know the type. . . ribs, burgers, stuffed shells, casseroles . . . mac and cheese to die for (think I took a week off my life with the serving I ate). I tried to make something healthy to fill my plate but the mac and cheese would have none of it! This is a wonderful salad and served with garden fresh veggies that are packed full of vitamins. It has quinoa as a bonus!!!

Quinoa is a super old grain that is a complete protein, less the legs and eyes, that is also gluten free. You body will say thanks for eating this grain and so will your heart...unless you smoke or eat too much mac and cheese in which case your body will say why bother, pass the cupcakes.

Roasted zucchini, eggplant and quinoa salad

• 1 1/2c zucchini, 1" cubes
• 1 1/2c eggplant, 1" cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• extra virgin olive oil

preheat oven to 425 degrees. spray the pan with a non-stick spray or lightly coat with olive oil. very lightly drizzle the veggies with olive oil and toss in the pan with the garlic and a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper. too much oil will make your veggies soggy so less is more and add it if you feel they need it. roast until they are light golden. be careful of oven steam, the zucchini has loads of moisture.

• 1/2 c quinoa, red or white, dry
• 1 c water (with some fresh herbs to season the grain as it cooks) or broth

rinse the quinoa in cool water until the water runs clear. this removes the naturally occurring saponin that coats the grain and sometimes gives it a bitter flavor and acts as the plant's natural bug repellent. in a small saucepan bring the water to a boil, add the gluten free quinoa and cover. Reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes. leaving the lid on remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. fluff with fork after uncovered. set aside to cool with the roasted veggies in a mixing bowl.

• 1 cup whole wheat pasta, cooked
• 1 handful fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups swiss chard, chopped or course julienne
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced
• zest of one lemon
• 3 T basil, julienned

mix with the veggies and quinoa.

dressing

• juice of 1 lemon
• splash of white wine vinegar
• olive oil to taste
• 1 tsp grainy mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

watermelon gazpacho

Wish I had a photo of this soup but it was gone rather quickly. Here are some of the first fruits of the garden instead. There are some glam tomatoes in this picture. We have georgia peach, amish paste, japanese black and . . . hmmm. . . well, I forgot the name of the orange tomato.

Feel'n like you need a lycopene buzz? This dish is loaded with the anti-oxidant lycopene that acts as a cancer fighter and enhances your skin's ability to fight damage caused by the sun. Did I tell you that tomatoes are one of the only veggies (fruits really) whose nutritional value is boosted when cooked? Sun dried tomatoes are fab for you as they contains all the goods (skin and pulp

When the heat is high and tomatoes are plentiful this is a wonderful soup to try. You can google watermelon gazpacho and come up with dozens of recipes. I adapted mine from a traditional base. I was afraid that the soup would taste too much like salsa or sauce and decided on a basil and mint combo. I tried the soup with cilantro and it was refreshing but preferred the basil & mint.

• 3 cups watermelon puree
• 2 cups watermelon, finely chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 cups fresh tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green (or orange) pepper, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, green and white, sliced
• 2 T lime juice and zest from the lime
• 2 T fresh basil, julienned
• 1/8 tsp garlic, minced then mashed into a paste with salt using the flat of a knife
• 1/4 tsp scant, fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt

puree watermelon in a blender until you have approximately 3 cups. Gently mix all the ingredients! Puree until smooth or serve it "chunky." I prefer the later and used colorful tomatoes with a garnish of nasturtium.

tofu scramble with garden veggies

If you know me then you know I am not fond of eating eggs nor am I fond of the idea of taking "babies" from a hen and boiling, frying or scrambling them. Eggs are healthy.... blah, blah, blah

I have tried tofu scrambles before but it turns out this time of year the garden offers wonderful things to add. I used my Lacinto, heirloom Italian, kale and garlic topping the scramble with a beautiful mix of my heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime juice (not mine). Serve it in a wrap, on brown rice, quinoa or on top of sauteed veggies.

Did I tell you kale packs as much calcium as milk but less the fat and hormones and is packed with vitamins, minerals (super food) and fiber. This makes it heart healthy, when not eaten as a side of french fries. My grandmother made the best french fries.

tofu scramble with garden veggies

• 1 12 oz package of Mori-Nu silken tofu, firm & drained in colander (substitute eggs if you feeling a bit savage)
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 1 cup kale, julienned
• 2 links of tofuky chorizo (or real chorizo if you've been bitten by the carnivore bug), I sliced mine and browned it first
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cilantro, dried
• ground white pepper to taste

In a saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 tsp olive oil and turmeric and blend for about 30 seconds then add the onion, garlic and kale to saute for a minute. Stir in the browned chorizo, tofu and cilantro.

additions or substitutions: this is where you get creative. . . crank up the gypsy kings to get the creative juices flowing

• green pepper
• hot pepper
• hot pepper flakes
• cumin
• curry
• avocado
• top with a dollop of yogurt or salsa

eyeballed salsa (approximate recipe)

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup onion/shallot, diced or thinly sliced
• handful of cilantro
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

onion harvest and hunt for a recipe

I planted many onions but did not plan for little feet that made their lives so short. Aside from the little feet, they are easy to grow and I'll be sure to put them in next year. I just wanted to share my mini-bounty of a harvest! They are little garnet gems.

I am unsure what to do with them yet and think I should just go crazy and use them all at once. Does anyone have a tasty pickling recipe using red onions?

refreshing cucumber avocado soup

There are sooo many...

cucumbers in the garden

recipes for cucumber avocado soup

bunnies

hugs from my nephews that I can't get enough of...

I can help you with the cucumbers. It has been crazy hot this week. I did not want to turn the stove on to prepare my weekly food delivery and wanted to experiment with some raw food. Google cucumber avocado soup and you will find many alternatives. This recipe is just a basic that I adapted. I suggest you make the basic and add the layer of flavors as you go.

Be creative

• add yogurt into the soup or dollop on top
• blend in a non-dairy milk to make it creamier (it will be very smooth already) soy or almond milk . . . better yet maybe coconut milk/water
• top with fresh chives, a fresh salsa (tomato, garlic, basil and onion), cilantro or pickled red onion (red onion, vinegar, sugar & salt)
• if you like heat add, on top or blended in, diced hot pepper

3 avocados (cut in half and scoop out the goods)

3 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded

2 T fresh lime juice

2 T agave or sweetener

1 tsp salt

food process the cucumbers until is smooth then add the remaining ingredients, tasting as you go. If the soup is too thick add a bit of water or non-dairy milk a bit at a time until desired texture is reached.

life hands you loads of basil...make pesto

too much basil? Everyone should have this problem! Basil is easy to grow and when you give it what it wants it will thank you all summer long. There are many varieties of basil and it makes a thoughtful hostess gift. I planted sweet, curly, cinnamon and purple basil this year but the sweet remains my favorite.

I whip up a batch of pesto with extra basil and make a pesto logs to freeze. I spread the pesto between snack sized plastic baggies. During the winter months I add it to soups, sauces and dips. It's a great way to banish winter blahs.

Here is a fool proof recipe for pesto...

• 2 c basil leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/3 c nuts (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts)
• 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c freshly grated Romano
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and/or pepper to taste

put all of the ingredients in a food processor (hold the salt and pepper) and blend it with the olive oil, adding it a bit at a time, until it reaches a texture you like. Put the mixture into snack sized baggies as soon as possible and get all the air out. Date it and freeze it.