Roasted Radishes

I am not too crazy about my CSA this fall. This week's pick-up contained: lettuce, radishes, eggplant, delicata squash, and turnips (with their greens). The lettuce and the squash are okay, but radishes, eggplants and turnips are not something I would get unless I specifically had something in mind to try. This is our fourth week in a row getting radishes, and while they are the prettiest things ever, I grow tired of them quickly. In Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster's Market, I found a recipe for roasted radishes. Since, I was about to just give up and toss them on the compost pile, it was worth a try.

I have to say that they were pretty good. The roasting took away some of the bite of the radishes. I'm not all that crazy about radishes to begin with, so I would not run out and actually by radishes to make this, but it was good use for some of the huge bag that I have in my fridge. If you like radishes, you really should try it. And besides it's really quite attractive on the plate, isn't it?? Even if you are just serving it with some leftover Kentucky Fried Chicken and biscuits which you have fancied up with some sweet potato fries.

Roasted Radishes
Serves 4 - 6

1 pound radishes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (from about 3 or 4 sprigs)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.

Trim the tops off the radishes, leaving just about 1/2 an inch of the stem. You can reserve the tops for garnish. Rinse the radishes and the leaves (if using).

Put the radishes on a baking sheet or in an oven-proof skillet (a cast iron skillet is perfect). Drizzle with the melted butter and olive oil, and sprinkle with the thyme salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Roast the radishes for about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, garnish with a few sprigs of thyme and the radish leaves, if you wish.

For those of you still reading...yes I have my internet back!!! And I was right, it was the modem. I triumph over the cable guy, yet again. Actually I have never triumphed over the cable guy before, but I just liked saying yet again. Unfortunately, you people didn't stop posting just because I didn't have internet access, so I have 237 posts in google reader. Be patient. I'll work my way through them. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Internet Issues

This is just a quick post, letting you all know that I am having internet issues. Our modem, instead of showing the warm, comforting glow of four lights, is only showing one flashing light. Apparently that means, I can not get connected. I think it's the modem, the cable guy (on the phone) thinks it's trouble on the line or at the pole. We'll see who's right. We have a service call scheduled for Friday a.m. I am absolutely lost without the internet! Last night, I wanted to Google, "how to keep a kitten from climbing up your leg", but I couldn't.

So, if you've left me comments or you've posted fabulous entries that you know I would be commenting on, don't fret, I would respond if I could!

Garden Tuesday - Not So Busy Bee

Do bees take naps? I saw this big old bee on my flower and I rushed in to get my camera to take his picture. I snapped several picks of him, and walked around my garden. After awhile I realized that he wasn't moving. So, then I was sort of sad, thinking I had been taking pictures of a dead bee. I went inside and when I came back out later, I noticed that he was gone. What do you think? Did he fall off? Was he eaten by something? Was he just taking a nap?

Pressure Cooker Chicken Vesuvio

I love Chicken Vesuvio. The combination of the chicken, potatoes and lemon just can't be beat. I usually make Giada's version, but I've been on a pressure cooker kick and wanted to try using it. The total time for Giada's version is about an hour (counting browning, bringing to a boil, baking, reducing), the pressure cooker version takes about 30-40 minutes. So, it's not a huge savings, and really I think I liked Giada's version better, so I will probably stick with it. But when pressed for time, this (slightly modified) one from The Best Pressure Cooker Cookbook Ever by Pat Dailey, will do quite nicely.

Garlic Lemon Chicken
Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil
1 3 1/2 pound chicken cut into pieces (I used 8 thighs)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 small red potatoes, halved
3 large garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the cooker. Cook over medium heat, until the chicken is browned, turning once. About 5-7 minutes. Add the potatoes, about 2 cloves worth of the garlic, the wine, stock, lemon juice, oregano, and hot pepper flakes.

Cover and bring to low pressure. Reduce the heat to stabilize the pressure and cook for 16 minutes. Release pressure.

Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Leave the potatoes in the cooker, cut side down. Boil over high heat until the juices are reduced by half, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the rest of the garlic, the lemon zest and the parsley. Serve the potatoes and the chicken topped with the fresh parsley mixture.

Weekend Cat Blogging #177

Patchouli giving us her fake "smile for the camera" smile.

Since, I post a picture of one of my kitty cats every Saturday, I've decided to join Weekend Cat Blogging. It is hosted this week by Amar and Luna at Catsynth. This week she is highlighting black cats especially in honor of Halloween!

What Happened?

Does this happen to anyone else? You are getting out of the shower, or bath, or whatever method you use to remove the daily grime, and you are standing there naked (or has they like to say here in the south..nekid) and you notice a bruise. Now, I'm not talking a little bruise, but a huge monstrous bruise, and you have no idea how you got it!

This happens to me all the time. The latest is this enormous bruise on my leg. It is about 5 inches across, and all shades of purple, to blue, to yellow, to green. It's nasty. I have no idea how I got it. How could I get something so obviously painful and not know it?? What makes it even weirder is that it's on the back of my calf! I can understand running into something, but how does one fall back on something??

Drying Sage

I know...I know...I've all ready posted about drying herbs drying oregano .

But the sage dried so beautifully, I just had to share it.

And besides, Patchouli wanted me to show you that she helped.

New York Strip with Horseradish Mustard Sauce

I'm sure many of you will agree with me, when I say that, steak doesn't need a recipe. You rub a little olive oil on it to keep it from sticking to the grill, salt and pepper, grill to desired degree of doneness and eat. Simple. End of story. But I was browsing through Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster's Market, which by the way is my new very favorite cookbook, when I saw a recipe for steak. It still looked pretty simple and sounded good (my two major qualifications for selecting a recipe).

It called for marinating the steak, which allowed me to use my cute vintage dish (always a plus). It also calls for making a horseradish mustard sauce. This was so good. It was not my usual steak, and I don't know that I would give up my simple steak, but this tasted like something you would eat in a restaurant. One note, the marinade really darkens the steak, so it was a little difficult for me to judge doneness based on looks. So I attempted the professional chef way by poking it with my finger and trying to judge what it felt like. I must say it was cooked perfectly, but I still don't feel confident in that method yet. The horseradish mustard sauce was also great on sandwiches later in the week.

New York Strip Steak
Serves 4

2 14 ounce New York strip steaks (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Place steaks in a container to marinate. Drizzle with Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 the rosemary and fresh ground pepper and press into the meat. Marinade for at least an hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the steaks to room temperature before grilling and sprinkle with salt.

Place the steaks on a hot grill and cook to desired degree of doneness. I cooked mine about 3 minutes per side because I like them rare.

Let the steaks rest for about 10 minutes before slicing (or just serve them whole, like I did).

Horseradish Mustard Sauce
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Add more salt and pepper to taste. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This will be my entry for this week's Bookmarked Recipes hosted this week by it's creator Ruth at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

Garden Tuesday - Bunny Love

We really don't abuse our garden bunnies, I promise. But somehow, he lost his ears.

Chili-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Growing up, I can only remember eating sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving. They were always in the candied up sweet potato casserole. Now, don't get me wrong, sweet potato casserole is a fine and dandy dish, but there is so much more to them than that. I love baked sweet potatoes, and mashed sweet potatoes, and roasted sweet potatoes..well, I guess I love just about anything you can do to a sweet potato. One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is made into sort of homemade steak fries and roasted in the oven. All they really need is a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

But there is always room for improvement, so when I saw this recipe for chili-roasted sweet potatoes in Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster's Market by Sara Foster. I was intrigued by the use of fresh lime juice. There was something I hadn't tried. It was good, really good. The lime juice cut the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and added a nice little tang. I didn't use as much chili powder as called for because I'm not all that crazy about chili powder, except in chili.

Chili-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder (I used 1)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400.

Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with the oil, lime juice, salt, pepper. Spread them out so that they are in a single layer and roast for about 20 minutes. You can turn them halfway through for even browning (I didn't, but I never do).

Remove the potatoes from the oven, and toss with the chili powder and fresh parsley. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until tender.

Preserving Herbs - Oregano

When my girls were in elementary school, they always took their lunch to school. One of their favorite things was dried fruit snacks. They were so expensive though, so I had the brilliant idea to buy a dehydrator and make my own. I purchased a dehydrator bought a big bag of apples and spent hours peeling, coring and slicing the apples. After they were dried, I put them in a ziplock bag, feeling rather smug, thinking that it was a lot of work, but still I had lunch covered for a couple of weeks. I went off and did my housewifey things, came back about 20 minutes later and the girls had polished off all of the apples. Every last one! Seriously, hours of work gone in a blink of an eye. So, the dehydrator got shoved to the back of the cabinet until I could properly explain the concept of moderation.



Finally, this week, I had a brief, but memorable epiphany. As I was describing to my husband the fancy screen system that I wanted him to build, that would allow me to dry my herbs on the back porch, I happened to remember that I had a dehydrator!



It is so easy and simple, I can't believe I haven't been using it for this! I cut and washed the oregano and placed in on the drying racks. Stacked them up and turned it on. This dehydrator gets pretty warm and keeps a constant flow of warm/hot air blowing over the leaves. They were dry in about 90 minutes!!!

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This will be my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Amy and Jonny at We Are Never Full

My Gift From Vietnam

In 1993, I started carrying around in my purse an envelop with nine pictures in it. I showed these pictures to everyone I met, whether they wanted to see them or not. These were my daughters. Or rather, they weren't yet, but they were going to be. They were three little girls, ages 5, 8, and 9 in an orphanage in Vietnam.

I will not subject you to the agony and frustration that I went through that year, especially in dealing with immigration and governments on both sides, let's just say, I avoid bad language, and it would be impossible to tell the tale without it. But finally after a year, we received the call that our girls would be arriving in the US. That was even better news, since I had originally planned on flying. But I don't fly well, I don't unbuckle my seat belt, and I don't go to the bathroom on airplanes (hello...I said I don't unbuckle my belt, which means I don't get out of my seat). They arrived in Nashville and we greeted them with hugs and raggedy ann dolls.



When we got home, we found that some adoption friends had hung a banner on our house welcoming the girls.



I'd always dreamed of making matching red corduroy jumpers and making my children wear them and pose for pictures.



What good is having children, if you can't make their Halloween costumes and put lots of make-up on them. Their first Halloween, they could only speak a few words of English. I taught them how to say "Trick or Treat" and with help from a Vietnamese friend, explained the whole knocking on a door and getting candy routine. They looked doubtful, but after the first few houses, they were fully in the swing of things! Things were going smooth, until one lady tried to talk to them. She kept asking them what they were supposed to be, and they kept repeating "trick or treat". Each time they said it a little more firmly, finally looking back at me, as if to say, "what is with this woman, why doesn't she get it", finally I told her that they didn't speak any English and they weren't going away until she gave them some candy.



So, yes, I know I didn't post any current pictures. That's because...gulp... they are adults now, and I respect their privacy (except not enough to stop me from showing them in matching red jumpers!). They are 19, 22, and 23 and I am just plain old.

Oh, and sorry the pictures are so crappy. Thank you Microsoft Vista for taking two hours of my life that I will never get back, while I tried to load my scanner software. Yes, two hours, and I still can't get it loaded. So, I had to take pictures of my pictures.

Yogurt Cheese

I've shown you how I make yogurt and I've shown you my favorite kind of yogurt to buy. Now, I'm going to show you another favorite thing I like to do with yogurt (and you thought I only used it for sweet frozen desserts). I love to make yogurt cheese. It's a wonderful substitute for cream cheese and when you add some fresh herbs and a little bit of garlic, it's divine on bread or crackers.



You can use a colander and a bowl, but I love the neatness and ease of Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Cheese Maker. Depending on how thick your yogurt is, it holds about a 32 oz container (if the yogurt is thick it holds a little less).



All you do, is spoon your yogurt into the strainer, place in the container, top it with the lid and place in the fridge. Leave it for 12-24 hours (the longer you leave it the thicker the cheese).



After 24 hours, you are left with wonderfully thick yogurt cheese and the yogurt whey (the liquid part) has all drained into the container. I keep this liquid and use it for baking bread (some people drink it!).

Garden Tuesday - My Favorite Kind Of Spider

If I was going to have a favorite spider, this would be it.



Of course, I only admire him from afar.



If he was actually on me, I would probably die a thousand and one small deaths.



But admiring him in his web, with his creepy dead bug friend, is doable.

Poached Chicken Noodle Salad

I have a problem with Australia. Apparently they are on the other side of the world from me. So, when I finally do find a current issue of Donna Hay's magazine, it's all about spring! Here I am settling into fall, with soups and winter squashes, and her magazine is filled with luscious spring dishes. Asparagus! Grilled burgers! What's a poor, seasonally challenged girl to do? Luckily my mint is still going strong and I had some CSA green beans to use up, so I was able to make one of her tempting dishes! She did call for snap peas, which I didn't have so, I just used more green beans. Also, she has you blanch and slice the green beans. While I do think they look pretty sliced like that, after about the first ten or so, I decided it just wasn't going to happen, so that's why some look sliced and some are whole.

Poached Chicken Noodle Salad
from Donna Hay issue number 41

4 cups chicken stock
2 chicken breasts fillets
8 oz oudon noodles, cooked
8 oz green beans, blanched and sliced (or not)
8 oz snow peas, blanched and sliced (or just substitute more green beans)
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
ginger dressing
1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1/4 cup mirin
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons fish sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix ingredients for dressing in a small bowl or a jar.

Place chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add chicken, reduce heat to low and poach for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred it into a bowl. Add noodles, green beans, snow peas (if using), mint, coriander, and dressing. Toss to combine.




This will be my entry for this weeks Presto Pasta Nights , hosted by Judith at Think On It.

Patchouli

Last Friday, while trying to unwind after a hard week of work, by doing some yoga, I was interrupted by a knock at the door. Standing on my porch were three teenage girls. At first I was mesmerized by the eye make-up. It was an impressive sight to behold, the artistry, the sheer quantity of it. Then I noticed a tiny black and white bundle in one of thier hands. They started their tale. Apparently the little kittie had been dumped at the beginning of our street and and older lady (even older than me - ha!) had tried to take care of it, but she couldn't, and now they were looking for a home. They barely got it out of their mouths, when I said "yes, I'll take it" and grabbed the squirming furball out of their hands. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a kitten, especially a black and white one. We have named her Patchouli. Much to the utter dismay of Scrappycat and Smudge her favorite activity is stalking them and attacking their tail, preferrably when they are trying to eat. She is particularly fond of bothering Smudge, even though he outweighs her by probably about 14 pounds!



And as a last note, I'd like to give a little birthday wish to my very, very favorite social studies teacher, Mr. S, who turns the big 4-0 today. He is wonderful with my students, patient and understanding and he is personally responsible for the fact that I know that Hammurabi is known for writing the Code of Laws and I also know that the machine that Egyptians used to lift water out of a canal was called a shadoof! If he can get me to remember some social studies facts, you know he is amazing!

Pork Chops with Blueberry Sauce

You know how they say in order to stay healthy we should eat a rainbow of colors? Foods richer in color are better for us. Well, it doesn't get much richer in color than this dish. The orange of the sweet potatoes with the blue of the blueberries, gorgeous! You couldn't ask for an easier, healthier, prettier dish ever! Of course, some people might say that pork is not healthy..I am not one of those people. This pork was certified to come from a pig who ate whatever pigs like to eat, did whatever pigs like to do, and lead a reasonably happy pig life. He (or she) didn't have any growth hormones or other bad stuff. It cost a pretty penny, but I think it should, after all the piggy gave up his (or her) life so that I could have these yummy pork chops. I am an omnivore and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. This recipe came from Cuisine at Home in one of their Weeknight Meals special publications.

Pork Chops with Blueberry Sauce
Serves 4

4 boneless pork chops, halved
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and fresh ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

fresh parsley and lemon wedges for garnish.

Swirl some extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops for about 2 minutes per side (or longer depending on how thick they are). Remove from pan, and keep warm. In pan, saute shallots for about 30 seconds, stirring.

Deglaze with the wine and simmer until it is almost evaporated. Stir in the blueberries, broth, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the blueberries start to burst and the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes).

Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over mashed sweet potatoes. Garnish with parsley and lemon.




This will be my entry for this week's Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Ruth at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

Notable Books - Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

I know, I am woefully behind on all of my book challenges. I have no explanation other than, putting books on a to-do list, turns them into, well, something that has to be done. They move from being something enjoyable, to a task. And I all ready have plenty of tasks. But I will finish the Notable Books Challenge, and I will probably enter it again next year, so really this whole intro paragraph went nowhere, and if you are left scratching your head in confusion, welcome to my world.

I finished Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson last night, and truth be told, I really don't know what to say about it. Here is a quote from the inside of the jacket,

Out Stealing Horses is a magical novel that captivates the reader. It records the changing and ever elusive dance of time through the voice of sixty-seven year old Trond Sander, as he recalls his young adulthood against the shadowy aftermath of World War II, and the shock of certain life-defining experiences... As recollections converge in his mind, like a latticework of remembrance, and a fascinating chain of coincidences unfold, the here and now of contemporary European experience, such as Chechnya, is never far away, an echo chamber within which historical change, at the turn of the new millennium, reverberates.

Um, yeah. After reading my intro paragraph, you can probably tell that this novel is not my cup of tea. It's probably not a good sign when I have to reread the jacket blurb two or three times to understand it! It was not bad, it just didn't grab me. As a matter of fact, as I'm writing this review, I can't even remember enough about what I liked or didn't like. It was pleasant, it was not horrible or bad, it just wasn't memorable to me.

Orange Popsicle Ice Cream

Do you ever think of a food, and then you can't get it out of your mind? Every once in a while I'll see a picture or think of a food that I really, really want, and I can't stop thinking about it until I have some. For some reason, I started thinking about the orange ice cream bars that I used to love as a child. I think maybe they were called dreamsicles, with the orange and vanilla ice cream. And so even though summer is just a happy memory and I'm firmly involved in fall stuff, I was craving ice cream. Of course, I could be craving ice cream with cold winds blowing snow in my face, it really doesn't matter. So, I turned to the master, David Lebovitz, Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. As usual, he did not disappoint. The only bad thing I can say is that this was too good. It tasted too much like fresh oranges and where was the fake orange color? I guess there are lots worse things to be said about a recipe than "it was too good".

Orange Popsicle Ice Cream
From David Lebovitz

2/3 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 oranges (preferably unsprayed)
1 1/4 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (I used a mix of fresh and from a carton)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (I used Triple Sec)

In a blender, pulverize the sugar and the zest until the zest is very fine. My zest was not all that fine, because I was impatient! Add the orange juice, sour cream, half-and-half and Triple Sec and blend until the sugar is dissolved.

Chill thoroughly and then process in your ice cream maker per it's instructions.

Garden Tuesday - Hardy Cyclamen

Hardy cyclamens are an unusual plant. They go dormant in the summer (and if you are not careful, you can easily forget where they are), but then in the fall these lovely delicate pink flowers pop up. After the flowers fade, pretty ivy like leaves appear and stay green all winter. It adds some sweet color to a shady spot.

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Roasted Squash and Mushrooms

I'm starting to develop several go-to dishes. Dishes that I can pretty much whip up without thinking about it too much. One of those is pasta with some sort of sausage, maybe mushrooms, and an extra vegetable or two. Pasta with Chorizo and Green Olives and Spicy Thai Sausage with Cabbage were two recent favorites. For tonight's dinner, I had some italian sausage from the freezer, a few button mushrooms and some lovely delicata squash from my CSA. I love winter squash roasted with some sage, so I thought why not?? Why not with sausage and pasta??



Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the discarded peels are kind of pretty?

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Roasted Squash and Mushrooms
Serves 3-4

1/2 pound dry pasta
1 lb Italian Sausage
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 winter squash, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Toss squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and sage. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

In a large skillet, brown and crumble sausage. Add mushrooms and a little drizzle of olive oil if too dry.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to directions. Drain reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add pasta and squash to skillet. Add a bit of the pasta water if too dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.




This will be my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights , hosted this week, by it's very own creator Ruth at Once Upon a Feast.