Week two of the CSA share brought even more food. Tons of lettuce, more kale and bok choy and fresh peas, which I was very excited about! We also bought a quart of strawberries (not included in our CSA share price). One item in our share was garlic scapes, which are the top shoots that grow out of a garlic bulb. I’d never tried them before. I decided to get out some of the chicken leg quarters from our chicken share and whip up a dish with them. This dish is VERY simple and easy to put together but has a ton of flavor. I had 4 chicken leg quarter which I put in a pan and seasoned with salt and pepper. In the food processor, I put 16 garlic scapes and chopped them up. I added a tablespoon of olive oil and half a cup of sour cream (I wanted to use yogurt, but I was out). I added salt and pepper and a little paprika. That’s it. I rubbed it all over the chicken and baked at 400 for about 45 minutes until the chicken was cooked through. The scapes have a garlic flavor but they are not as strong as garlic bulbs and were milder and sweeter. We really enjoyed this dish! I served it with some steamed rice.

I also steamed last week’s broccoletti and just put some butter on it. We ate the peas and berries raw (my favorite way!).

Week two of the CSA share brought even more food. Tons of lettuce, more kale and bok choy and fresh peas, which I was very excited about! We also bought a quart of strawberries (not included in our CSA share price). One item in our share was garlic scapes, which are the top shoots that … Read more →

I try to schedule appointments for my son after school, so he won’t have to miss classes. But this then means that we get home right at dinner time on those days. So, I’ve either got to get something in the oven before I leave, or I have to have a plan for something fast. That can be hard to do when you don’t have much in the house! On a recent night I pulled out a package of mahi-mahi to defrost. When we got home, I had my husband grill the fish and I whipped up the easiest sauce in the world. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan. Add one can mango nectar (9.6 ounces), 1 tbsp lime juice, and a little salt. Bring to a boil and then let it sit on medium low until it condenses to a thick syrup (about half an hour). Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tbsp heavy cream. Pour over the fish. Easy, no fuss and truly delicious!

I try to schedule appointments for my son after school, so he won’t have to miss classes. But this then means that we get home right at dinner time on those days. So, I’ve either got to get something in the oven before I leave, or I have to have a plan for something fast. … Read more →

Megan at Megan’s Cookin has chosen Coconut Balls for next Monday.

Megan at Megan’s Cookin has chosen Coconut Balls for next Monday.

My husband and I have been married for 23 years and have been traveling together for 24 years. We started small because we had no money, and drove increasingly further each year. We stayed close to home when the kiddos were little, but have been trying to explore more and more of the world ever since. It occurred to me that I’ve been to a lot of place and experienced a lot of amazing things over the years, so I want to share some of them with you.

One of the places that we have never forgotten is the Red Roost Restaurant. It’s located inthe middle of Maryland’s DelMarVa peninsula. When we visited (before GPS was invented), it was in the middle of nowhere and involved complicated directions like “turn right at the chicken coop.” We did find it and at the time it was a very nondescript building (an old chicken coop itself) set on a deserted road, with a parking lot full of pick up trucks.

We tentatively went inside and were seated at a booth that had a roll of paper towels and a squeeze bottle of what looked like melted butter on the table. The inside was plain and the highlight of the decor were the pendant lights covered with bushel baskets. The business was family owned, and it was clear many employees were part of the family. At that time, the menu was all-you-can-eat (today’s menu has some all-you-can-eat and some al a carte items). We ordered Maryland crabs, fried chicken, ribs, steamed shrimp, and clams. The waitress brought our food and literally dumped it on the table in front of us. It also included corn on the cob and some other sides I just don’t remember. We ate and ate and they brought as much food as we wanted (we were young and not worried about our waistlines!). It was all incredible, fresh, and intensely flavorful. It was simply eye-opening for us to find that food poured on the table could be better than almost anything we’d ever tasted.

After we stuffed ourselves, the waitress convinced us to have apple pie al a mode which may have been the best piece of pie I’d ever eaten. The night was not over yet though. The wait staff passed out song sheets in plastic protectors and everyone sang along. One of the waiters sang a heartrending version of Danny Boy I have never forgotten.

We left nearly in tears from the sensory overload of incredible food, intense homey atmosphere, and the music that brought everyone in the room together. We’ve never forgotten this meal, but have never been back in the area to try it again, so I can’t speak to what it’s like today. I only hope the new owners still pass out the song sheets at the end of a wonderful meal.

My husband and I have been married for 23 years and have been traveling together for 24 years. We started small because we had no money, and drove increasingly further each year. We stayed close to home when the kiddos were little, but have been trying to explore more and more of the world ever … Read more →

I chose today’s project, strawberry lemonade.  (Recipe here). I make my own lemonade a couple of times a year and I use a juicer and I make simple syrup for it. I was interested in trying this method since it involves just mashing up the lemons and berries and then straining them. I didn’t think it was as flavorful as regular lemonade. I did enjoy the strawberry color and flavor though. I thought it ended up kind of watery, unfortunately. What did everyone else think?

I chose today’s project, strawberry lemonade.  (Recipe here). I make my own lemonade a couple of times a year and I use a juicer and I make simple syrup for it. I was interested in trying this method since it involves just mashing up the lemons and berries and then straining them. I didn’t think … Read more →

Here is the latest Martha Mondays schedule:

6/25 Megan’s Cookin’

7/2 Sassy Suppers

7/9 Perfecting Pru

7/16 Tiny Skillet

7/23 Putting It All on the Table

Here is the latest Martha Mondays schedule: 6/25 Megan’s Cookin’ 7/2 Sassy Suppers 7/9 Perfecting Pru 7/16 Tiny Skillet 7/23 Putting It All on the Table

I used some of the CSA greens in the Tuna and White Bean Salad for this week’s Martha Mondays. I’ve been using the lettuce throughout the week. My daughter is eating the radishes. The arugula went into the trout dish I posted about. There was still so much to use though, so I decided to make kale chips. This is super easy to do. Wash and dry your kale. Spread it out on a baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake about 10 minutes, turning it halfway. It comes out crunchy and delicious!

I decided to do a quick dish with the bok choy. I sliced it thinly and put it in a pan with a little olive oil and one chopped garlic clove, and 2 tsp tamari sauce (which is basically a stronger soy sauce). I got it going and then added a few teaspoons of water and covered it for a few minutes. I removed the lid and it was tender and ready to serve.

I used some of the CSA greens in the Tuna and White Bean Salad for this week’s Martha Mondays. I’ve been using the lettuce throughout the week. My daughter is eating the radishes. The arugula went into the trout dish I posted about. There was still so much to use though, so I decided to … Read more →

Facing my large amount of CSA bounty, I am working hard to find ways to use it all. I came up with a great trout dish that was tasty, except my hollandaise broke. I have the worst luck with it on my gas stove. It just gets too hot. I even tried it in a double boiler with no success. However, I can easily make it on my mom’s electric stove. Oh well. The dish was great and quite easy even if the sauce broke.

2 trout, cleaned

2 cups arugula

1 medium-large potato, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

Hollandaise sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Place the trout on a baking sheet, butterflied open, and season with salt and pepper. Drop the potato slices in boiling water until almost completely cooked. Remove and drop in the arugula for just a few seconds, drain. Place the potato slices over the trout then top with the arugula. Bake for about 10 minutes, until fish is cooked through. Serve with Hollandaise.

Facing my large amount of CSA bounty, I am working hard to find ways to use it all. I came up with a great trout dish that was tasty, except my hollandaise broke. I have the worst luck with it on my gas stove. It just gets too hot. I even tried it in a … Read more →

It’s my turn to pick this week and I’m going with Strawberry Lemonade from June Everyday Food. The recipe isn’t online, so I’m sharing it here:

In a large pot, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 10 ounces strawberries, and 6 lemons and 1 lime, both thinly sliced. Mash with a potato masher, 5 minutes. Stir in 6 cups of water and let sit 30 minutes.  Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Serve over ice. Makes about 6 cups.

It’s my turn to pick this week and I’m going with Strawberry Lemonade from June Everyday Food. The recipe isn’t online, so I’m sharing it here: In a large pot, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 10 ounces strawberries, and 6 lemons and 1 lime, both thinly sliced. Mash with a potato masher, 5 minutes. Stir in … Read more →

Ana at Sweet Almond Tree chose this salad (which really was a salade nicoise) for today’s project. I used greens from the CSA instead of spinach. I added some cucumber and did not use olives since no one here likes them. I added some herbs and a pinch of sugar to the dressing to give it more flavor. I thought it was very tasty and I’ll be finishing the rest up for lunch today! I eat a lot of salads for lunch and this was a nice change.

Ana at Sweet Almond Tree chose this salad (which really was a salade nicoise) for today’s project. I used greens from the CSA instead of spinach. I added some cucumber and did not use olives since no one here likes them. I added some herbs and a pinch of sugar to the dressing to give … Read more →