Food • Photography • Life
Mmmmmm…… Hamachi Kama. Tonight we hit up CoCo Asian Bistro for a farewell dinner for a dear friend. He is moving away for awhile and although I know we will most likely always keep in touch, he will still be missed. And yes, I’m pouting about it, so there, J ;p Come back unless you find your dreams.
Counter seating at my favorite lunch sandwich spot: Yiya’s Bakery.
At the gym.
Stone pagoda at Tokyo Bowl, which has turned into our Monday night healthy restaurant go to spot.
We had one of our new friends we met through the Shoot Miami Meetup group over for a collaborative dinner.
The Spread
Apps
Home made duck prosciutto (more on that soon… I made it as part of Charcutepalooza and suffice it to say, it was a huge hit)
Bacon jam (made with my very own home made bacon, no less)
Goat cheese
Slow roasted tomato jam (also coming soon. I’m a bit behind) served with toasted flour tortilla chips.
Mains
Chris’s fantabulous grits with a slow-cooked ragout of mini sweet peppers, white onions and chipotle topped with batons of home made bacon
Kevin’s awesome lamb stuffed with herbs & garlic with a garlicky tzatziki sauce
Pitas & sundried tomato tortillas for wrap making
The meal was a complete success and I predict this is just the first of many future collaborations. 🙂
2011 CSA Box 4
6 oz. local Florida strawberries
6 oz. blueberries
5 Pink Lady apples
6 fair trade bananas
1 head cauliflower
2 lb. Red Bliss potatoes
2 red & 6 white onions
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 small local Florida celery heart
5 oz. baby arugula
2 heads broccoli
1 bunch spinach
How I Used My Share
I was out of town during this two-week period, so we have gotten a bit behind.
I used half of the blueberries in the berry raviolis I made for Valentine’s Day. I also used half of the red bliss potatoes for that dinner in the smashed potatoes with bacon dust and the arugula was used up in my failed attempt at arugula spaghetti.
The spinach was used in the Pickle Me Pink Salad with the pickled beets from Box 3.
My DH used the broccoli, celery and a few of the onions up while I was gone inventing new spins on stir fry (isn’t he great?) and most of the rest we still have on hand.
The tomatoes unfortunately went to waste, as did one of the butternut squashes we had left over from I think Box 2.
My Favorite Recipe From This Box
I’ll have to say the beet salad.
1 Year Ago
8.8 oz. strawberries
6 oz. blueberries
2 Kent mangoes
8 Valencia oranges
1 bunch asparagus
1 zucchini
19 Crimini mushrooms
2 heads broccoli
1.5 lbs. fingerling potatoes
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 slicing tomatoes
What I Made: Lemon Smashed Potatoes, Mung Bean Mango Stir-fry with Cilantro Lime Coconut Sauce and Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice.
Wondering what to do with all the pickled beets you just made? Well so was I, so I whipped up a little light salad to use up some CSA veggies.
Pickle Me Pink Salad
Oh no she didn’t go there; that recipe title is terrible! Ok, so I’m a dork, so sue me ;p
1 c. bulgur wheat
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c. broken walnuts
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 grapefruit
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 bunch spinach, washed & chopped
3 oz. goat cheese crumbles
3/4 c. sliced pickled beets
1/4 c. + 2 tsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper
Add bulgur to 2 1/2 c. boiling water, turn off the heat, slap on a lid and let sit for 30 mins.
In the meantime, slice garlic wafer thin and add to a pan on medium heat with 2 tsp. olive oil. Sautee until golden and crisp. Set aside and wipe the pan.
Put the pan back over medium heat and add walnuts. Toast in a dry pan until starting to color and smell sweet. Add maple syrup and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the syrup has evaporated. Remove immediately to a dish to cool fully.
In a large bowl, whisk together the juice of 1 grapefruit, dijon mustard and 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.
Add the bulgur (drain if it is a little wet), chopped spinach, goat cheese crumbles and sliced pickled beets to the dressing. Stir & serve.
Makes a nice healthy meal for 2, with enough left over for lunch the next day.
Awesome chandelier at Rocco’s Tacos in Fort Lauderdale.
Night palm outside the Sunrise Cinema after seeing The Adjustment Bureau. Good movie. Think Dark City meets love story meets existential crisis. I forgot how good of an actor Matt Damon actually is.
The start of a pretty yummy creation: butternut squash, spinach & Italian sausage with carraway seeds & crushed red pepper.
Gastography 