Gazpacho - Cool Relief From the Heat

Another healthy way to use the garden's bounty! This is Ina Garten's recipe with a bit of a more traditional adapting. The gazpacho is very smooth, has the addition of a piece of artisan loaf that has had the crust removed and a wee bit of cumin as well as that Kosher salt and black pepper. The garnishes resemble a pico de gallo atop the bowl of soup ... cold crisp and the perfect start to a meal with a glass of cold Pinot Grigio on the side and tortilla crisps with guacamole.

Spring Green Vegetables

Last week's rain and grey have given way to this week's bright sunshine and the greening of the back yard! There are violets and wild strawberry blossoms, soft velvety grey pussytoes, and yes, the first dandelions blossoming out back! And the grass has greened up !

Nigel Slater's Chicken, Olives, and Lemons

Tucked in under all those olives, onions, lemon and saffron are the juiciest chicken thighs ! They spent the day in a spicy marinade paste that consists of a boatload of smashed garlic, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, turmeric, sea salt, black pepper and olive oil. Oh boy! Can't you just smell the kitchen while these cook?

Giada's Hearty Italian Stew - IHCC's Potluck and Projects

So often, these days, my life revolves around my current sewing project. For whatever reason, sewing has begun to take a more important role in my creative life. I've been sewing to complete a quilting legacy project that I've had in mind for my children and nieces and nephews, but also for different charitable projects that I wish to support. Sewing takes a lot of time, folks ... so I have found myself looking for easy dinner recipes that give SB and I some leftovers for lunches. I've also been using simpler one dish meals that can be knoshed at our spots on the couch or in front of a baseball game or out at the table on the back porch. I'm not sure how SB feels about this departure from our usual formal dining table/candle light experience. He's pretty supportive, though, when I spread a new quilt out before him and ask his opinion or gush at the results.

Pepin's Crepes With a Savory Take ...

Savory French Crepes for Dinner

Crack an egg and add some milk, water, parsley, flour, melted butter, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Whisk it together and let it sit for a bit.

Channel your inner Frenchman by heating a crepe pan until it's good and hot.

IHCC - A Riff on Jacques Pepin's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

This is the first major meal that I have cooked this week. Really. You see, life's been crazy busy of late.

Ottolenghi's Sweet Potato Galettes

Kate called the house the other afternoon, as she was walking home from the market. She was all about these little sweet potato galettes that she was going to make for a small dinner party she was having at her apartment. The recipe was coming straight from the first Ottolenghi cook book. As she was talking about them, I began to think that that recipe seemed all too familiar and when I went to my copy of the cook book, I found the recipe marked with a post-it note. Yup, mother and daughter think alike sometimes ...especially when it comes to food!

IHCC's Mystery Box - Bacon, Leeks, Thyme

Chicken + Bacon + Leeks + Thyme = Tasty Supper

Smothered Pork Chops with Mustard and Thyme Butter

Normally, at this time of year, I'm perking up and looking for the first asparagus at the market and poking around the edge of the grey cottage's foundation for the first crocus spears, hoping for their happy golden and purple splashes of color against the brown of earth and crust of melting snowy patches. Ahem ... someone please give a whisper in Mother Nature's ear! It's snowing ... again. The joke is old, Mother dear.

Instead of flinging open windows to bring in a Spring-ish breeze, I'm poking more logs on the fire and contemplating what bit of warm Winter-ish comfort food I can concoct for dinner that will use the oven. Diana Henry's Mustard and Thyme Pork Chop Bake sounds good ... and the smells are fantastic.

IHCC Potluck - Building a Healthier Meatball

It's been an age since I've participated with the bloggers that belong to the I Heart Cooking Club. I don't really know why, as I've certainly been cooking along with the Diana Henry theme plus getting a few recipes in by Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater, and Giada de Laurentiis. In fact, yesterday, the kids came home for an easy Sunday supper of spaghetti and meatballs that came straight from Giada's webpage.

Gifting Homemade Moroccan Spiced Apricot Chutney - IHCC

Apricots, tomatoes, apples, golden sultanas, purple onion, citrus juices, ginger, cayenne pepper, and honey ... simmer and stir and you will have a spicy slurry of gold ... a worthy gift for foodie friends

IHCC's Mystery Box Challenge - Pumpkin Tart with Spinach and Gorgonzola

Start with a sugar pumpkin...

Thyme Oregano and Citrus Roasted Poussin - IHCC

There is such satisfaction in taking a beautifully roasted chicken from the oven! Maybe that's why it's the classic Sunday afternoon meal. Just a thought ...

IHCC Potluck - Indian Beef with Peas

Sometimes the universe offers up a grand set of coincidences. Do you believe that?  I do, and here's a little coincidence that brought together three of my favorite cooks and cook book authors.

Hot and Sweet Roasted Mediterranean Veg ... IHCC

For the next six months, the I Heart Cooking Club will be concentrating efforts and investigations on Diana Henry, an Irish food writer and cook with a wonderfully eclectic body of work. For this first week of celebration, we were to choose any old recipe that struck the fancy.

Well, the options were wide open, as Diana Henry has put out cook books on preserved goods, simple home cooking, healthy foods that seem far more decadent than they are, gastropub fare that makes it to the finest of pub menus, deadly baked goods, etc, etc, but ...

IHCC - Time for Small Plate Salmon Cakes

This week Nigel Slater's appetizer or snack recipes are on stage. 

IHCC - Nigel Slater's Mushroom and Leek Pie

It's time to get back in there and dig in ... so says, Silent Bob.

 

Asparagus Tarts with Lemon and Cream - IHCC Potluck Week !

Today's lunch came right from the pages of Nigel Slater's Notes From the Larder.

June 1st entry on page 230 ... thank you very much!

Cooking With Nigel ... Rice and Grains

The constant push to get away from pasta products has made me branch out and look for more rice and grain recipes to sub in for my beloved noodles. Nigel has been so helpful ... he does like a good bowl of rice, a good rice pudding, a nice side of pearled barley, stewed lentils ... et cetera !

IHCC - Here's to the Taters, Nigel!

... 500 grams of tiny Yukon Golds ... a Nigel Slater recipe ... a tasty side dish for baked cod ...

This week's challenge from the I Heart Cooking Club was to find a  root vegetable recipe from Nigel Slater's vast collection of work. I have been enthralled by his potato recipes for the past few weeks, so I thought I'd extend the tater love and go for one more goodie!