Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

As many of you know, I am not a baker. I do not enjoy baking. I try to avoid baking at all costs. Not because I don't enjoy eating baked goods, but simply because I am more of an improvisational cook than a methodical cook. And baking is all method (unless you are a very skilled baker in which you can safely improvise...enter Devin).

Luckily, my finacé, Devin, is a tremendous baker, no doubt a skill he learned from his mother. That means I get to have my cake (not baked by me, of course) and eat it too...I have my fun with veggies, meat, seafood and wine while Devin whips up batches of luxurious orange-scented chocolate chip cookies or his family's famous strawberry short cake recipe (all of these will be in future posts, I promise).

His most recent creation was so good that he made a second just days later as a hostess gift. May I present with with a true summer dessert, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. I will update this post later with recipes, but for now, here are some tasty images!

Fresh fruit ready to be turned into a delicious pie

Mis en place (Devin is learning well)

Ready to eat! Notice the lovely lattice crust.

iPhone4 - What does this mean for my kitchen?

We've finally taken the plunge...we acquired our new iPhone4s last week and I've been playing around non-stop. Home cooks, tell me--what apps should I acquire on my new toy to help me out in the kitchen? So far I have:

• Zagat guide (not so much for home cooking, but for when I don't feel like cooking at home!)
• Whole Food recipe finder
• Foursquare and Urbanspoon (again for eating out...)

Any suggestions for some must-have apps for the home cook?

Raw Zucchini and Squash Salad

Wow, two zucchini posts in a row. Can you tell it is summertime?

One of my favorite cooking blogs is Apartment Therapy's "The Kitchn." I appreciate that many of their posts focus on seasonal ingredients, which means the latest post often times coincides with whatever we get in our farmshare box. Right now, we have an abundance of yellow squash and zucchini, so this article immediately caught my eye.

Raw Squash Salad, serves 2

3 small zucchinis and/or yellow squash
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh herbs chopped (I used dill)
1 ounce fresh cheese (I used an asiago parmesan mix)

Directions:

• Trim the ends off the squash and, using a mandoline, cut the squash lengthwise into very thin strips.
• Place in a large bowl with olive oil and lemon juice, and gently toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the herbs and gently toss to combine.
• Transfer to a serving dish(es) and crumble cheese on top. Serve immediately.

This was a perfectly refreshing light lunch. BONUS: No heat from the stove in our sweltering 3rd floor kitchen! We are looking forward to moving to a new (1st floor!) apartment in August for sure.

Turkey-Stuffed Zucchini--from the Garden!

Devin's mother, Lisa, is an amazing gardener. On a recent trip through Mansfield, she revealed a pile of HUGE zucchini that had undergone a major growth spurt during our recent heat wave. This seemed like a perfect time to try out Giada's stuffed zucchini recipe (we just stuffed the zucchini, not the peppers).

Adapted Recipe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage and parsley (also from the garden)!
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 large zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce 

 

Directions

• 
  
  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture.

• Using a melon baller, carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin. Fill the zucchini with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

• Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve. Garnish with more fresh cheese and fresh herbs. 

Juicing

I. Love. Juice.

After (accidentally) taking a vegan cooking class, I started reading a bunch of different vegan blogs, and it was then that I started reading all about the juicing trend. After dropping a small fortune at The Blue Shirt Cafe on freshly squeezed juices, I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy my own juicer.

I now juice anything that I can get my hands on. Well, almost. Some friends who heard me wax poetic about how awesome and powerful my little juicer is suggested I juice things like steak or a tuna fish sandwich. I stick to fresh produce. I usually incorporate carrots and apples as a base with some ginger or citrus for bite, then toss in whatever else in the fridge or from our CSA box* that needs to be used up.

Today's juice incorporated 3 carrots, 2 apples, 3 small yellow squash (from share), one head of curly kale (from share), one half of a lemon, a knob of ginger and a pint of blueberries.

The kale, which I usually like to have as kale chips using The Kitchn's famous recipe, had sat in the fridge a little too long. Making it into a juice was a good way to extract its nutrients. While this mish mosh of ingredients might seem like they'd combine to make a strange medly of flavors, this was actually a delicious juice. Carrots, squash and apples were a nice, mild and sweet base. The berries, lemon and ginger added some brightness of flavor. The kale is a powerhouse of vitamins. Here is the final product, garnished with a sprig of sage:

The juice produced was enough for 4 servings. Do you juice? What is your favorite flavor combination? Give it a try to get your necessary servings of veggies and fruits while also putting to good use what might otherwise go bad. 'Til next time!

-Abbie


*We have subscribed to our Community Shared Agriculture program since September '09. Every week we have a local pick-up of locally grown (mostly in the state of MA in the summer or the East Coast Food Shed in the winter) veggies and fruits. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to eat freshly, try new produce and who cooks often.

New name?

So, I initially thought that this blog would be a place to post food pictures and recipes. And I still want it to be that. However, I think I will likely use this as a more personal outlet (although food on its own is still incredibly personal). As I progress in my post-college life and learn more about keeping a home (ahem...apartment), planning for the future, becoming a partner, etc., I think that I will broaden the topic of this blog to include the greater domestic sphere as well as other aspects of my life. I've never been able to keep a journal more than a few months, and I'd like to use this blog to document my experiences, from the mundane to the momentous. So on that note, here is a recent kitchen caper: a vegan summer meal of grilled tofu, peppers and onions.

Quick, no fuss recipe for the marinade (an improvisation):

Take a couple cloves of garlic, a handful of rinsed parsley, salt, pepper, 1/3 c. of OJ and a couple of fresh limes, squeezed. Blend in food processor until smooth. Add in oil until you have reached a dressing consistency. Let the tofu and veggies marinate in a covered bowl for about an hour. Grill until lovely char marks appear!

Hiatus

Hello, everyone! It's been over half of a year since my last post (after only 2...). So, we didn't get off on the right foot. My apologies. But I am back, and I am going to give this thing another whirl.
In the past 8 months, here are the highlights of my kitchen (and dining) adventures. In no particular order:

• Tried out Ina's potato and fennel gratin at the urging of my future mother-in-law. Divine.


• Devin took me to Marcel's restaurant in D.C. for my 25th birthday (http://www.marcelsdc.com/). It was the best meal of my life. Oh, and he proposed to me (after a meal like that, who could say no?)


• The meal at Marcel's inspired me to try my own parsnip puree. Whipped parsnips (from our Enterprise Farm CSA box) into a frenzy with butter, cream and broth. Served with panseared salmon, caramelized Brussels sprouts, and a cabernet reduction.


• Devin got me a double grill pan. For Valentine's Day. I couldn't be more in love.


• Bought a Breville juicer. I am a master.


• Read about and indulged in Mark Bittman's perfectly simple lasagna.


• Wheatberry salad with feta, roasted beets, parsley and lemon oil.


• My version of bringing flowers home to the man: pepper-crusted filets with parmesan smashed potatoes and arugula salad.


• Eggplant parm sandwiches with basil pesto and farmshare tomatoes


• Christmas gift from Devin's mom - Kitchenaid Standmixer. Life complete.


• Polish stuffed cabbage


• Moroccan lamb stew with root vegetables


• Gruyere fondue


• Eggs en cocotte. Best brunch in bed ever.

Be back soon with actual posts and more importantly PICTURES and recipes!