I have been away from home for almost a week now. I am missing my pillows and my garden. Please tell me you are ok Mr. Garden. I have been eating and drinking my way through Atlanta, Savannah and now Lake Toxaway. Savannah was another wedding weekend. Lots of cake and wine!
While at the wedding eating out was rare. However I did manage to visit Harris Baking Company and Savannah Bee Company. Harris Baking Co has a savory tart filled with caramelized onions and bacon that is to die for and their bread is made inhouse. The bread is fabulous. In fact bring some home for your puppy sitter, they will offer to take care of your dog anytime. (Sorry family I did not make it home with any. I am terrible.)
Savannah Bee Company has a store located intown. The store offers a tasting of their honeys, which I highly recommend. I never knew the difference between Tupelo Honey and Orange Blossom before my visit. Plus when do you ever get the chance to participate in a honey tasting? Some friends bought a bag of honey roasted coffee beans and a little jar of whipped honey. If you have never tried whipped honey I insist you march out and find some. It is divine! Smooth and delicate. The honey man suggested spreading the honey on dark chocolate and then sprinkle it with cinnamon. B & G can we please try this when I come visit!?! Also a cup of the coffee in the morning would be great. I'll bring the puppy, cross my heart.
Now I am up in the mountains for a bit of relaxation and detox. More so I need to figure out what I am going to do with myself/life. Suggestions are welcome.
The oven is out up here so we are grilling and sauteing. Last night we grilled rib eye pork chops and made a broccoli salad. This is not your southern mayo filled salad. It is a salad started with sauteing garlic, onions, red pepper flakes and red bell peppers. Throw in broccoli, white wine and some stock after the onions have caramelized. Right before the broccoli is done add a couple of handfulls of spinach. When the spinach has wilted top the salad with avocado, basil, pepitos and feta. So good!
Tonight filets, chard and possible some pan roasted carrots.
Headed to Greenville for the weekend! Home sweet home.
J-Sorry no pictures.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Apologies and Strawberries
My apologies that it has been so long since my last post. Sometimes life gets in the way. I will try my best to be better about posting.
Delicious finds and happenings since my last post:
- Cooked for the Headstrong cycling team during their weekend long training camp. What a fun weekend of cooking. 24 cyclist, 7 meals and 1 cook. More to come on this.
- Eating at Bocado and Cakes & Ale in Atlanta.
- Picking up beautiful strawberries from a road side stand on 276.
- Sauteing broccoli rabe greens, who knew how good.
- Spring peas, feta and mint. I could eat this everyday.
- Baby veggies are abundant in my garden.
- Enjoying the bounty of spring!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A day of cooking
This past weekend we were in south Georgia for a family wedding. BEAUTIFUL! A weekend of catching up with old friends and making new ones. Eating delicious food, drinking and story telling. I indulged in ribs, lamb chops, white beans, shrimp and grits, crab cakes, mini desserts and way too many cocktails. I am still exhausted from the festivities. Sorry no pictures, I promise I will try to be better about pulling out the camera/phone.
After an entire weekend of eating out I spent all day yesterday cooking. Well not all day but after a trip to the store and then cooking it was a full day.
Then made stock out of the the carcass for the curry I am making tonight.
Dinner was fresh caught halibut pan seared Ad Hoc style and finished in the oven. Roasted butternut squash with black beans, feta, radishes, jalapenos, avocado and pickled red onions. A squeeze of lime over the whole dish and a sprinkling of cilantro, delicious!
I am loving the cilantro from my garden. The leaves are so delicate. Just fantastic.
After an entire weekend of eating out I spent all day yesterday cooking. Well not all day but after a trip to the store and then cooking it was a full day.
First up I roasted a local chicken for our lunches this week. I rubbed and stuffed the chicken with thyme, rosemary and pineapple sage from my garden. A lemon, garlic and an onion made it into the mix. Yum yum yum.
Then made stock out of the the carcass for the curry I am making tonight.
Dinner was fresh caught halibut pan seared Ad Hoc style and finished in the oven. Roasted butternut squash with black beans, feta, radishes, jalapenos, avocado and pickled red onions. A squeeze of lime over the whole dish and a sprinkling of cilantro, delicious!
I am loving the cilantro from my garden. The leaves are so delicate. Just fantastic.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Strawberries and fennel
I have a strawberry! Well I had a strawberry, I ate it. It was delicious! Warm and juicy. Perfect.
I have been eying a recipe for fennel slaw on Sunday Suppers. I finally got around to making it last night. It was fantastic. I have put off making it because it takes some advance prep, the recipe calls for pickled red onions.
I happened to have almost all of the ingredients on Monday for the onions so I made the recipe with some alterations (a cut up jalapeno instead of thai chili, half red wine vin and half distilled vin). They are great. The onions keep for about a month in your fridge and can be used in a variety of ways: on sandwiches, crostinis, fish tacos, chicken....
The recipe after you make the onions is very simple. Shaved fennel, pickled onions, golden raisins soaked in hot water, lemon juice, salt and pepper, mint and toasted hazelnuts (I used blanched almonds because that is what is in my pantry.) I also added a bit of olive oil. So good! Not to mention my excitement to use my mandolin and mint from my garden! We devoured the whole bowl and fought over the last bite. I won. We had lime cilantro sweet potatoes and grilled chicken. The sweet potatoes were a bit over done because my sweet was late. Though chard the taters were still tasty. Click on the Sunday Supper link above for the fennel slaw recipe. It is seriously tasty!
I have been eying a recipe for fennel slaw on Sunday Suppers. I finally got around to making it last night. It was fantastic. I have put off making it because it takes some advance prep, the recipe calls for pickled red onions.
I happened to have almost all of the ingredients on Monday for the onions so I made the recipe with some alterations (a cut up jalapeno instead of thai chili, half red wine vin and half distilled vin). They are great. The onions keep for about a month in your fridge and can be used in a variety of ways: on sandwiches, crostinis, fish tacos, chicken....
The recipe after you make the onions is very simple. Shaved fennel, pickled onions, golden raisins soaked in hot water, lemon juice, salt and pepper, mint and toasted hazelnuts (I used blanched almonds because that is what is in my pantry.) I also added a bit of olive oil. So good! Not to mention my excitement to use my mandolin and mint from my garden! We devoured the whole bowl and fought over the last bite. I won. We had lime cilantro sweet potatoes and grilled chicken. The sweet potatoes were a bit over done because my sweet was late. Though chard the taters were still tasty. Click on the Sunday Supper link above for the fennel slaw recipe. It is seriously tasty!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Weekend in review
This weekend ended up being tour de restaurants. I ended up eating out for most of my meals.
It all started Friday I had lunch at Never on Sunday. An old school Greek restaurant that has been an establishment of Greenville for over 43 years. Still run and worked by the couple who opened the restaurant. I could pinch their cheeks they are so cute. Dolmas. She still makes her Dolmas by hand everyday. YUM! This is not a tabbouleh, falafel kind of place. Think potatoes and kabobs.
That night my parents came into town we had my aunt and uncle over for dinner. Homemade olive oil crackers from 101 Cookbooks, hummus and radishes to start. You must make these crackers they are delicious and super easy. I had the dough in the fridge leftover from Easter dinner. You can top them with whatever you have. This night I just used walnut oil. salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Broiled rosemary garlic shrimp (we don't have a grill yet), green beans with Marcona almonds and a whole wheat penne salad. I have to say I am not a pasta salad fan but this was delicious. Kalamata olives, feta, baby arugula, green onions, cherry tomatoes, celery and basil. Dressed with lemon, olive oil, a touch of balsamic and of course salt and pepper. Great summer salad. This would be perfect to take for a picnic with some cut up chicken or grilled shrimp.
Saturday while running around to gather our gardening supplies my mom and I ran into SWAD. A vegitarian indian restaurant/market on Lauren's road. I am obsessed now. Probably just because the owners the nicest people and the food was perfectly spicy. They made sure we knew the proper way to eat each dish. I am a huge fan of spice, not so much my mom. If you go my mom would definitely suggest getting the mango lassi to cool your tongue down.
That night we celebrated! American Grocery. So far my favorite restaurant in Greenville. I am a huge fan of sitting at a bar. I love to talk to bartenders, see what they think is good plus I find you always get better service. Darleen at American Grocery is great! She makes a fantastic cocktail and puts up with me not ever knowing exactly what I want. This night the highlight was the fried goat cheese with baby arugula and red pepper relish. We also had the grilled Caesar. Usually I am not a huge fan of the Caesar salad but I am when it is grilled and I can eat the spears with my fingers. I pretty much a fan of eating anything with my fingers not so lady like but I think it makes food taste that much better.
Not to bore with all the details. Sunday we headed to Bohemian for brunch, make your own Bloody Mary bar! Then Oysters on the Westend for a big basket of seafood that was completely disappointing. So we made up for it with gelato on the way home.
Enough restaurant talk. I'm headed inside to make some pickled red onions then for a walk with the aunt.
Dinner tonight: bison flank steak and fava beans!
It all started Friday I had lunch at Never on Sunday. An old school Greek restaurant that has been an establishment of Greenville for over 43 years. Still run and worked by the couple who opened the restaurant. I could pinch their cheeks they are so cute. Dolmas. She still makes her Dolmas by hand everyday. YUM! This is not a tabbouleh, falafel kind of place. Think potatoes and kabobs.
That night my parents came into town we had my aunt and uncle over for dinner. Homemade olive oil crackers from 101 Cookbooks, hummus and radishes to start. You must make these crackers they are delicious and super easy. I had the dough in the fridge leftover from Easter dinner. You can top them with whatever you have. This night I just used walnut oil. salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Broiled rosemary garlic shrimp (we don't have a grill yet), green beans with Marcona almonds and a whole wheat penne salad. I have to say I am not a pasta salad fan but this was delicious. Kalamata olives, feta, baby arugula, green onions, cherry tomatoes, celery and basil. Dressed with lemon, olive oil, a touch of balsamic and of course salt and pepper. Great summer salad. This would be perfect to take for a picnic with some cut up chicken or grilled shrimp.
Saturday while running around to gather our gardening supplies my mom and I ran into SWAD. A vegitarian indian restaurant/market on Lauren's road. I am obsessed now. Probably just because the owners the nicest people and the food was perfectly spicy. They made sure we knew the proper way to eat each dish. I am a huge fan of spice, not so much my mom. If you go my mom would definitely suggest getting the mango lassi to cool your tongue down.
That night we celebrated! American Grocery. So far my favorite restaurant in Greenville. I am a huge fan of sitting at a bar. I love to talk to bartenders, see what they think is good plus I find you always get better service. Darleen at American Grocery is great! She makes a fantastic cocktail and puts up with me not ever knowing exactly what I want. This night the highlight was the fried goat cheese with baby arugula and red pepper relish. We also had the grilled Caesar. Usually I am not a huge fan of the Caesar salad but I am when it is grilled and I can eat the spears with my fingers. I pretty much a fan of eating anything with my fingers not so lady like but I think it makes food taste that much better.
Not to bore with all the details. Sunday we headed to Bohemian for brunch, make your own Bloody Mary bar! Then Oysters on the Westend for a big basket of seafood that was completely disappointing. So we made up for it with gelato on the way home.
Enough restaurant talk. I'm headed inside to make some pickled red onions then for a walk with the aunt.
Dinner tonight: bison flank steak and fava beans!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Birthday Present
This year for an early birthday present my mom gave me the gift of her passion, gardening. We spent all day yesterday building a square foot garden in my back yard. I am going to attempt to grow fruit, veggies and herbs to use in my kitchen.
There is just nothing better than picking a couple of tomatoes and a handful of basil fresh from the sun to start a meal.
Yesterday we planted:
Yard to table dinners in the making!
There is just nothing better than picking a couple of tomatoes and a handful of basil fresh from the sun to start a meal.
Yesterday we planted:
- Progress #9 Shelling Peas
- Royal Burgundy Beans
- Mr. Stripy Tomatoes
- Small Fry Tomatoes
- Clemson Spineless Okra
- Ichiban Eggplant
- Pickling Cucumber
- Red Beauty Sweet Pepper
- Cauliflower
- 5 Color Silver Beet Swiss Chard
- Jalapeno
- Zucchini
- Cilantro
- Bloomsdale Spinach
- Float Leaf Parsley
- Arugula
- Easter Egg Blend Radishes
- Ever-bearing Strawberries
Yard to table dinners in the making!
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