It’s a challenge living in our house and being hungry unless a pickle, cracker, and squirt of mustard sounds like the perfect meal.  Everything has to be prepared.   I’d like to think that not purchasing packaged prepared food is more healthy and less expensive in the long run, but I know better.  That would depend more upon the particular ingredients that fill my fridge, what type of recipe they’re destined for, and what size our servings are once we cozy up to our plates.  I could open my own market with the food that fills our house.  Or a bistro.

When I was growing up, my mother shopped once every two weeks to stock our cupboards and refrigerator, and when you’ve been raised in a household like that, you get used to knowing that not much else competes with the excitement generated by grocery shopping Saturdays.  The anticipation of unpacking the bags was always about wondering what had been purchased, even though it rarely differed from one month to the next.  I don’t think I could ever get away with shopping only once every two weeks, but it’s ingrained in me to plan nearly a week’s meals, so I still struggle with buying too much food when I shop.  I could blame it on being programmed to think about cooking for a family of five or six for a good portion of my life, or I might analyze that I’ve been permanently scarred by the lean days right before those grocery shopping Saturdays when all the Oreos had been eaten and the lone box of cereal in the cupboard was filled only with the crumpled inner wrapper and cereal remains.  Oh the agony.

Once we were old enough to be trusted in the commissary with my mother while she shopped instead of allowed wander about outside like the street urchins we were, we’d help her push the two carts she routinely filled.  I was amazed at the array of food and products to choose from I’d never seen before.  Of course I was familiar with products advertised on television, but those were so few compared to what lined the shelves, I was fascinated.  My mother would tell you I wanted everything  and was never satisfied, and I’d agree if you considered having a particular kind of tea, or different kind of jam could be classified as wanting everything. It was only food!

My incorrigibility as a shopper has always gotten the best of me, especially at this time of year because so much is fresh and ready to be enjoyed; berries, stone fruit, tomatoes, and sweet corn are the types of food I want to taste every day.  Unfortunately, instead of planning short trips to the market to purchase enough for a couple of meals, I purchase it all making grand plans to camp out in my kitchen for days.  I give it a valiant effort, then realize I’ve far too many vegetables that something has to be done with and no, another salad won’t put a dent in it.  I long for a food genie who will make dinner for me.

Instead, I survey the shallow depths of my pantry knowing it will provide a few decent options depending on my motivation.  A lasagna might be nice since there is a box of no-boil pasta, but the cheese drawer isn’t as ample as it once was since I’ve tamed that expensive habit.  The black quinoa I found on my last trip to Henry’s might be tasty with vegetables, but I want to give it more thought than I’m willing to invest in dinner tonight.  Fried rice is another idea, but it’s gotten quite the workout in recent months and has ceased to resemble any kind of the fried rice I’m quite fond of since I add whatever I have on hand to the skillet.  I hesitate to reach for the arborio because as much as I enjoy risotto, it garners comments of undercooked and chewy no matter what I put in it.  There are a few small potatoes for a skillet scramble as well, but that was on the menu night before last.  I avoid opening the freezer, because it tends to be the last resting place for excess baking ingredients and left-over sauces, but tonight, there is the promise of that fabulous new pie crust recipe I tried and the left over dough I so carefully wrapped for another time.

Sauteed veggies + bacon + pie dough = galette, which means I can avoid going to the grocery store one more night and perhaps think more constructively about curbing my food shopping habits.

Rustic Vegetable Tart with Bacon and Cheese

4-5 small unpeeled potatoes, parboiled

2-3 pieces thick bacon

1 c. colored peppers, seeded and sliced

1/4 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tomato, sliced and patted dry

1/2 recipe this pie dough

1/4 c. soft cheese such as St. Andres, brie, or chevre

1-2 green onions

fresh Parmesan

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and if you have one, place a baking stone in the oven as it preheats.

Place the small unpeeled potatoes (red, white, or fingerling) in a small pan of water and cook over medium high heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook at a simmer until a fork can pierce the potatoes with a bit of resistance.  Remove from heat and cool them in a cool water bath.  When cooled, slice into circles and set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet, fry the bacon until done, but not crisp.  Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.  Retain about 1 T of the bacon fat.

Over medium heat, saute the peppers and onion in the reserved bacon fat until softened and just beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute, about a minute.  Add the potato slices and toss with the other vegetables briefly.  Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap to about 1/8″ thickness, about 15 inches in diameter.  Remove the top piece of plastic wrap and invert the dough onto a piece of parchment placed on an inverted jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.

With a spatula, spread the soft cheese over the dough, leaving about a 2-inch edge.  Arrange the vegetable mixture over the cheese.  Break the bacon into large pieces and layer them over the vegetables.  Place the sliced tomatoes on top.  Lightly season.  Pull the excess dough over the ingredients to partially cover.

Carefully slide the parchment from the baking sheet to the hot baking stone and position the galette in the center.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes depending on how loaded it is, or until the tomatoes are caramelized and the crust golden brown.  Remove the stone from the oven and allow the galette to cool about 5 minutes before serving.  Before cutting into portions, sprinkle with sliced green onions and freshly grated Parmesan.

Notes:

• Clearly this is fondly known as a refrigerator dinner.  No trip to the store necessary.
• Any kind of soft cheese will work for this.  I like to use it to keep as much moisture from the bottom of the tart as possible so the cheese helps with this.  Sauteeing the vegetables before baking them also helps.  Any kind of creamy, spreadable cheese will work.
• I used green, red, and yellow bell peppers for this, but the possibilities are endless. Zucchini and broccoli come to mind and if I’d had either, I’d have used them.  Asparagus, corn, mushrooms, green beans or anything you have on hand would also be great.  If you plan to use chard, kale, or spinach, it needs to be steamed or sauteed first, then squeezed to remove excess moisture.
• Of course the bacon doesn’t have to be added to the mix, but that bit of pork fat is so good.
• If you don’t have a baking stone, then try a cast iron skillet or two jelly roll pans lined together.  The idea is to put the tart on a heated surface to get the crust baking and crisp before juice makes it soggy.

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I live in an area that is perfect for growing just about anything all year long if one can forget the pesky dilemma of drought we’ve endured for the past many years.  I’ve been a reasonably capable gardener most of my life — thanks to my mother who most likely could grow a stick in the Sahara –  so I’ve always had plants that needed tending.  Whether they were house plants, everyday geraniums, or wildflowers I grew from seed scattered over moist soil, I’ve enjoyed the peace that has come from caring for them.

Fast forward about 10 years.

I no longer have any property to speak of to plant things in;  instead, I have what I’ll call an extended patio that wraps around one and a half sides of our house.  It all seemed so wonderful when we bought it, not to have to worry about fixing a leaky roof or painting it, and for the most part, I still agree.  But there are days when I long for a yard — or at least a yard that is more than eight feet wide.  On other days, I’m thankful that I don’t have to take care of that dream yard.  I used to have one and know that as much as it provides a sense of accomplishment and overall beauty to a home, it can be overwhelming to care for.

Last spring, I finally decided to purchase an herb box.  Of course, I’ll be the first to admit that an herb box (dimensions roughly 8″ x 36″) isn’t quite the replacement for a dream yard, but I can deal with the delusion when the Pacific is a short 10 minutes from my door.  My rosemary bushes grow like weeds in my planters, so they were the least of my concerns.  It was more the need to have parsley, or oregano, and maybe marjoram, or salad greens.  Now that would be a luxury!  A year has gone by, and I’ve been so busy I haven’t spent much time on my patio.  The herb box hasn’t gotten much attention.  Thyme has disappeared in more ways than one, and the purple basil never really flourished to begin with.  What I’m surprised to find is red sorrel bursting with life and all but wearing an advertisement for snails and worms to have lunch.  It never really died down over winter, and now, after our recent rainy weather, it’s flourishing along with the parsley and marjoram.  Granted, the level of soil in the box is about 50% of what it once was, but still.  Surprisingly, the arugula is sending out tender shoots as well.  Go figure.

I decided that it was the perfect reason to make a spring salad, even though the vernal equinox is still a week away.  Anything surviving the neglect my herb box has had to withstand deserves to be celebrated.  And I suppose it’s proof that one only needs a strip of space with bright light most of the day to lull her into the notion of being an urban gardener warrior.

Nice.

Red Sorrel and Arugula Salad with Avocado and Orange

For the salad…

a palm full of red sorrel

half a palm full of tender new arugula sprouts

a few hearty sprigs of flat-leafed parsley

some avocado

an orange

sprinkle of feta

For the dressing…

the juice of half a Meyer lemon

a few teaspoons or so of excellent, fruity, extra virgin olive oil (from California)

a dash or two of superior Sherry vinegar (from Espana)

cracked pepper

sea salt

Rinse the greens, because the small snail you found hiding under one of the sorrel leaves has left its mark in more than one place.  Resist trimming the edges the other garden critters have chewed, because it’s organic, right?  Slice the avocado and peel the orange, removing as much as the pith as you can.  If you’re like me, eat the pith because it reminds you of times spent in childhood gnawing the inside of orange peels on hot summer days.

To make the dressing, squeeze the lemon and with a fork, whisk in the olive oil.  Splash in the vinegar and mix well.  Season and taste.  Adjust.

Pour a bit of dressing on the greens and toss well.  Plate and add the avocado and orange.  Drizzle on more dressing to your liking and sprinkle on the feta.

Notes:

• I don’t want to give anyone the idea that salad is something that has a season.  We eat salad all year long.  We have to or our bodies will rebel — and they should.  Please do not talk to me about cavemen.
• Can I just say that it semi pains me to clip anything from my herb box?  In much the same way that I rarely clip flowers to take inside and put in a vase, I had a nanosecond of angst clipping the sorrel.  But then I was over it.
• Red-veined sorrel, or rumex sanguineus is also known as Bloody Dock, Red-veined Dock, or Bloody Sorrel.  Makes you want to have a salad, doesn’t it?
• And guess what? It’s a perennial!  No wonder it survived the winter.  More importantly, it loves damp soil.  Good thing it’s in an herb box instead of our less than lovely So Cal soil which is a scary mixture of decomposed granite, limestone, and clay.
• On another note, my particular plant doesn’t sport the flower mentioned in some sources, nor does it cause stomach upset.
• The taste isn’t what I’d call bitter, but it does have a tartness to it — much less so than escarole, or endive.
• The sweetness of the orange is a very nice balance, but if you’re not someone who relishes biting into strong greens, then add a bit of honey to the dressing and a smidge of dijon.  It’s good for you!
• If you’re not the “tart” green person that I am, check out this source.  Mmmm….
• P.S.  Monosaturated fat in the avocado (and evoo) and vitamin C in the orange.  Dark green leafy veg….healthy, healthy, healthy.
• I did find this recipe using red-veined sorrel in soup — with bacon.  Now to try and gather 2 lbs. of it.  Maybe I need another herb box.

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How sad.

The last seven months of no exercise have taken their toll.  Although I’ve chosen to completely avoid my scale so can’t have the bad news confirmed, and my clothes haven’t quite taken on the appearance of a wet suit, I’ve begun to puff when I walk up stairs again.  My knees hurt, and my feet feel as if they’re carrying around a pack mule’s load.  So with little fanfare, and conscientiously avoiding any talk of a resolution, I’ve promised myself to take better care of my body.  I know how to do this and so I will.  It doesn’t mean giving anything up;  it means paying attention to what I eat, and how much.

It also means I have to get out of bed before the sun at least four mornings a week.  My good friend will join me two of those days, and I’m hoping I can get my husband to at least think about it on the other two. In the meantime, indulge me my veggies.

Have you ever made spring rolls with rice paper?

Not Quite Authentic Spring Rolls

For the spring rolls…

Spring roll wrappers (Bahn Trang)

basil

cilantro

mint

cucumber

carrots

green onions

snap peas

avocado

cooked shrimp *optional*

For the dipping sauce…

6 T soy sauce

6 T rice vinegar

squeeze of fresh lemon

3 T sesame oil

2 tsp. ginger, freshly grated

sriracha

To prepare the spring roll wrappers, layer a few paper towels onto the counter and dampen them.  Pour warm water into a wide-bottomed bowl.  The water should be very warm, but not so much that you can’t dip your hand into it.  Place one of the wrappers into the water to soften completely, about 15 seconds or so.  Remove to the paper toweling.

Layer basil first, then the vegetables, followed by a couple of shrimp, then the mint and cilantro onto the wrapper.  Fold one portion over the filling tightly, fold in the sides, then roll snugly until completely wrapped.

Cut in half, dip, and crunch away.

Notes:

• You can find the spring roll wrappers at your local Asian market, or if you’re lucky, Whole Foods.  They’re made of rice, salt, and water and can be delicate until you get the hang of softening them in the warm water.
• It’s fun to change the fillings to whatever you enjoy.  I like loading them with fresh, raw veggies because they’re so healthy, and quite filling.  Two or three are plenty.
• The dipping sauce is fun to play around with as well.  Mine is an adaptation of a salad dressing I got from the back of a bag of soy bean sprouts.  We’ve tried a peanut dipping sauce which is also good.
• If you’re thinking about calories and counting on this, the wrappers are about 30 calories each.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

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With New Year’s Day less than a week away, I’ve found myself not wanting to wait until the traditional January 1st to promise myself that I’ll turn over a new leaf here and there in my life — or perhaps nine.  Do I hear 25?  After all the cookies and cooking, left-over food,  and dishes to be washed, I’m ready for uncomplicated recipes, less sugar, and more vegetables.  While I’m on the subject, a personal chef would be great, too, but since that isn’t going to happen any time soon, I’ll settle for a soup that’s healthy and easy to prepare.  It’s elegant enough for a formal dinner, but is fabulous heated up for lunch when you want something flavorful and light.

This recipe for asparagus soup is different from a delicious Cream of Asparagus Soup I made recently in that it doesn’t contain milk products to achieve its creaminess.  Instead, a potato is cooked and blended with the other ingredients to thicken the soup.  Should you want a richer soup, a liberal drizzling of a good quality fruity extra virgin olive oil is enjoyable, but not necessary.

If you are one who appreciates a bit of cheese in soup, crumbled feta, goat’s cheese, or a curl of Parmesan are especially nice swirled into a hot bowl of this.

“Creamy” Asparagus Soup

2 lbs. asparagus, peeled, woody stems removed

3 T extra virgin olive oil plus 1/4 c. additional (optional)

1 lg. brown onion, peeled and sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lg. russet potato, peeled and diced

8 c. hot vegetable broth, low sodium

1 T fresh oregano, fresh

salt & cracked pepper to taste

feta, goat’s cheese, Parmesan to finish (optional)

Prepare an ice bath and set aside.  Drop the asparagus into salted, boiling water and cook about 3 minutes or until it turns bright green.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drop into the ice bath to stop the cooking.  After it’s completely cooled, remove the tips and set aside.  Chop the asparagus stems and reserve.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 T of olive oil.  Add the onion and saute until it’s very soft and nearly translucent, about 15 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute longer.  Add the potato dice and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes before pouring in the hot vegetable broth and oregano.  Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the potato is fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the asparagus stem pieces and remove the skillet from the burner.

In batches, ladle the mixture into a blender and puree well.  If you’re going to add the olive oil, do so now.  If desired, once completely blended, pour the soup through a chinois for a more velvety soup.

Garnish with the reserved asparagus tips, cheese, or if you chose not to add the olive oil to the soup during blending, then drizzle over each serving now.

Notes:

• When we go to Las Vegas, we enjoy Todd English’s Olives restaurant at Belagio.  This recipe is an adaptation of his Asparagus Soup with Oregano and Feta Cheese available here.
• Don’t skip the step where you have to peel the asparagus stems and remove the woody stems.  I learned that years ago, ending up with a stringy soup with chunks of tough asparagus.
• Talk about messing up my kitchen — I normally use my immersion blender for soup like this, but it wasn’t doing a great job, so I poured it all into my Cuisinart.  Suffice it to say that that was a liquidy mess, so the blender was the best choice.  Pureed the soup efficiently, and allowed for easier pouring into the chinois.
• The original recipe called for the asparagus tips to be sauteed briefly with the feta.  Although the flavor was good, they weren’t exactly beautiful, so I’d recommend adding the cheese separately.  We had cheese-covered tips left over and that was quite sad.
• This soup is easy to make ahead:  cool completely at room temp, store in a well-sealed container and refrigerate.  Reheat the soup as needed.

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I enjoy my recipe searches because in the process I compare and contrast general quantities of ingredients, consider the variety of spices used and admire an unusual spin here and there.  It’s always nice to find a version that is healthy without taking away the satisfying aspect of the dish, too.   Every once in a while, I find a recipe that stuns me.  In my search for Shrimp and Corn Chowder, I found a recipe that seems to be making its rounds, finding it posted at several different sites.  Serving six, it calls for one quart of half-and-half, one quart of heavy cream, and one-half cup of margerine. Seriously.  I just about fell out of my chair wondering why on Earth it was necessary to put that much fat into a recipe that could easily do with much lighter ingredients and avoid classifying it as diet food.

Thankfully, I found a great recipe at Nook & Pantry, and although I didn’t follow it exactly as written, my version is not too far off.  Shrimp & Corn Chowder anyone?

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

4 ears sweet corn, kernels removed

6 oz. bacon

1 lg. shallot, chopped

3 lg. cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, trimmed and diced

3 T flour

1/4 tsp.  hot paprika

2 dashes cayenne

4 c. good vegetable stock

2 c. milk, 2%

1 lb. fingerlings, cubed, peelings on

1 lb. lg. shrimp, shells & tails removed

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in the bottom of a medium soup pot until brown, but not yet crispy.  Remove the bacon to some paper towels to drain and pour off all but 1 T of the bacon fat.  Add all the vegetables, stirring over medium heat, cooking until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute stirring occasionally.

Stir in the flour and paprika, coating the vegetables with it and allowing it to cook for a minute or two.

Add the vegetable broth, stirring any flour bits from the bottom of the pot as you pour.  Add the milk, corn, and potatoes and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink and are cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes:

• This is a hearty chowder with bits and chunks of vegetables or shrimp in every bite.
• The hot paprika is such a wonderful addition to this.  A little bit goes a long way, but if you’re someone who isn’t fond of heat don’t worry.  You’ll have just the slightest hint of warmth at the back of your throat and its quite pleasant.  The pimenton picante or hot paprika I use is made by Chiquilin and is a product of Spain.  If you can’t find it at your market, La Tienda is a great source for Spanish products like paprika and they sell quite a few varieties.
• This recipe makes enough for six good servings and since there are only three of us, we enjoyed it left over even though I worried about the texture of the shrimp with reheating.  Reheat low and slow and the shrimp manages just fine.
• In case you’re wondering about the recipe I mentioned at the beginning of this post, just the heavy cream and half-and-half alone in that recipe racks up almost 6,000 calories of saturated fat.  I’m still amazed!
• I’m thinking I’d like to put a southwest spin on this next time adding a few roasted poblanos and a bit of cilantro.

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A few of you have mentioned that you’d like to get this book.  It’s not a book — it’s a list that was printed last month in The New York Times.  Each “salad” is really only a suggested list of ingredients and quantities mentioned only occasionally with phrases such as, “not a lot,” “a few,” “a bit,” and “loads.”  I think that’s what I enjoy best about this experience.  Cooking, or in this case, making salad isn’t necessarily about exact amounts of anything when you want something light and healthy without a lot of fuss.  It’s more about learning what will taste well together and which textures contrast appealingly.  It’s also about being able to relax a bit on dealing with a specific recipe, experimenting, and tasting as you go to decide how much of a particular flavor you enjoy.

As I’ve made each salad, I’ve only kept notes about what I’ve included in each salad, ingredients I’ve added, if any, and only occasionally, the quantities of dressing ingredients.  We don’t use bottled or packaged salad dressing , so experimenting with flavors is always something we enjoy.  If a dressing works especially well, then I will keep a quantity list, but even then, the amounts will be estimates.  There are no measuring cups or spoons — only squirts, glugs, and dollops of this and that along the way.

I’ve featured salads Nos. 29, 13, and 14 in respective posts, but in keeping with the spirit of simplicity, I’ve decided to group more of them together in a single post.  We’ll see how that goes.  In the meantime, make a salad!  Fourteen down, seemingly a million to go.

Let’s call this particular series fabulously delicious, shall we?

No. 59: Seared Tuna with Olives, Capers, and Tomatoes

Lunch for One: Sear yellowfin in a very hot pan with some olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slice a cup of grape tomatoes (cherry toms are too sweet and not tart enough for me…), and toss with a handful of pitted large green olives, a tablespoon of capers with their juice, and some sliced basil. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over,  taste and season. Drizzle over some good extra virgin olive oil and finish with cracked pepper.  So delicious.

No. 11: Baby Bok Choy, Grape Tomatoes, and Capers

A Dinner Salad for Three: Par boil three baby bok choy and dunk in an ice bath.  Coarsely chop.  Toss with halved grape tomatoes, a tablespoon of capers with juice, drizzle over extra virgin olive oil and squeeze a half lemon over the mixture as well.  Taste, season, and sprinkle on some crumbled feta.  Truly crisp, and refreshing.  I had no idea you could eat bok choy this way, but I’m hooked.

No. 20:  Napa Cabbage and Radishes with a Peanut Chili Lime Vinaigrette

A Dinner Salad for Three: My husband made this salad while I was writing this and came up with his own version of the dressing.  It’s shredded napa cabbage with sliced long red radishes whose name I can’t recall (hot and spicy…) and English cukes were added.  Goodness this was so good, I have to make it for myself again.  His vinaigrette recipe follows:

Peanut Chili Lime Vinaigrette

3/4 c. peanuts

juice of 1 lime

1 cherry pepper, roasted and sliced

1 T kosher salt

1 tsp. pepper, freshly ground

2 T cilantro, chopped

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Toast peanuts well until oils are being released.  Add all ingredients to food processor and blend.  Add more oil to get desired consistency.

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