beauty-- just waiting to be discovered

Saturday was a gorgeous summer day. A day we've been waiting for all summer long. 80's, low humidity. And I was lucky enough to happen across beauty just waiting to be discovered. 

Delux-it-up

I went back to a place that I have not been in a loooong time. Delux.  Good company, good vibe. As busy as if it there was no tomorrow-- even in the dog days of summer.  Popular neighborhood spot, even for people that are 'not neighbors' ...which currently includes me (but I'm a former neighbor ;) ).  

Hike with a View

Today I had a terrific hike with a friend in the Leominster State Forrest.  Steep climbs, amazing views.

suggestions & a craving

I asked my friends for some inspiration on what I should cook today... Here's what came out of the suggestions "ricotta and pesto" and "hot-dish"...and my own cravings.

The Pesto-Ricotta Challenge:

This is whipped ricotta with pesto and honey, serving as a bed to a 

fennel, ruby-red grapefruit, arugula, sugar snap peas salad, topped with

a balsamic dressing and a squeeze of lemon & some lemon zest. 

It was delicious. I highly recommend it. Oh, and that's tilapia for my weekend fish.

The "Hotdish" challenge... apparently Wisconsin is being graced with some cooler weather...

Wild-rice and chicken casserole. An old favorite. 

It will make for a satisfying lunch dish this week.

Finally, my own craving: pork roast, with mashed potatoes, gravy, and peas:

Another satisfying day of cooking =)

Basil Harvest

Okay, I went for it...Today I harvested the majority of my basil. I had both lemon basil and traditional genovese basil.

So, I made three pestos*.

1) Classical Basil Pesto: pine nuts, garlic, basil, olive oil, sea salt

2) Chef's Triple Italian Herb**: basil, rosemary, oregano, garlic, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, sea salt

3) Lemon-Mint: Lemon basil, basil, lemon-thyme, mint, lemon zest, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, sea salt

*I omitted cheese with the goal of being able to diversify its use. I can always add a cheese of my choice to the dish when I use it.

**This is a made up name. I thought it sounded good though...

I like to put my frozen herbs in plastic bags, that way I can break off pieces for use, without having to defrost the whole container if I only need a little. Not my own original idea, but it works great.

I used the classic in my dinner tonight. I made frozen tilapia (yes, I kind of cheated), and then a side of veggie pasta, with spinach, tossed with the classic pesto, with parmesan cheese added.

surviving summer

I think one of the key elements to surviving summer this year is...brunch!

A good friend came over for brunch and here was the break down: veggies with a caramelized onion and balsamic hummus (store bought, but the carrots I grew myself!), cheese (boursin) with rosemary flatbread crackers, a caprese inspired salad (substitute tomatoes for nectarines and strawberries, add arugula), and a triple-cheese frittata with crispy prosciutto, corn, scallions, and herbs.

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That's it! (But I think we were pleasantly stuffed...)

brunch & a burger

This weekend brought brunch and a lamb burger. I made crepes for brunch, along with a peach caprese salad. Check out the pictures below!

That was Saturday. Today I made a lamb burger with a side of fresh fruit and sangria!

And dessert! More strawberries and peaches, but...

 this time with a balsamic reduction and whipped cream!