CORN

As many of you know O and I signed up for a CSA this year from Bluebird Gardens out of Fergus Falls. This is an excellent way to get your fresh veggies and one hell of a deal. I love it. Although sometimes I find we just can't eat 12 ears of corn in one week! I know, I know! We only have this sweet delectable corn for a few short weeks each year so I should really enjoy it but seriously, I've got ears of corn coming out of my actual ears!

Instead of eating ear after ear of corn I've come up with a lovely little side dish that utilizes the corn, zucchinis, and onions we receive in our CSA. I'm not sure what to call this. I think YOU should come up with the name. Whoever has the best name for the side dish gets a high 5 from me. That's right people you read it right; one high 5 from yours truly.

Here's the recipe:

One Month!?!?

I cannot believe it has been one month since I last posted something. I've been busy--blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I should write more but I haven't. No excuses.
The last month has been busy doing all sorts of stuff. O's family was in town from France and Australia!! His brother, sis-in-law and 2 year old nephew were here for 3 weeks. I know, cringe! 3 WEEKS!? It wasn't as bad as it sounds. They stayed with us for 1 week, went to South Dakota for 1 week and then back again. It was such a joy to have them here. They are the best in-laws a gal could ask for.

What have we been eating for the last month you ask; a lot of random stuff. I feel like we haven't been cooking but I know we have. We must have. Right? When his family was here we tried to come up with "American" food for them and not necessarily all fried foods which are good but, well, maybe not always the healthiest of choices. Of course the first night we grilled HUGE T-bone steaks. Soooo good. Another night we had beer can chicken which is probably one of my favorite summer meals. Then there were lots of sandwiches. It's hard to give someone from France a loaf of our bread but they didn't seem to mind. We took vacation the 3rd week his brother was here and went out to the lake to stay with my parents. It was great! I need to be on vacation all the time. My mom, the saint that she is, made a turkey on the grill, pulled pork, potato salad and of course, corn on the cob; everyone's favorite!

Since they left we have been trying to get back to "normal"--whatever that is. Lounging around I guess is what it is. Today we took our bikes (first time in a long time) down to the farmer's market. We bought some beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes, baby eggplant, a massive onion, some garlic, more tomatoes (for quasadillas), a huge basil plant and a dill plant. Speaking of dill--I need some. I want to make some pickles but no one seems to have enough dill for me! hhmmmppppfff.
With the cherry tomatoes we are going to make another one of my favorite summer-time meals. I have no name for it. It's just good.

Pea and Parsley Pesto

I’ve been so lazy lately. It’s the heat. It’s even too hot to go swimming! 

The last couple of weeks we have received shelling peas from our CSA. I’ve never been a big fan of peas so I wasn’t sure what to do with them. One day on the Food Network I heard someone say pea pesto. A light bulb went off—what about parsley-pea pesto!? We have a small garden at my mom's house and the parsley was ripe for the picking. We didn’t put it on pasta or on a crostini. Instead we put it on a pizza and added some diced kalamata olives and parmesan cheese. The combination of the olives with the pesto was very satisfying and so fresh. It tasted like summer.To die for! 

Here is the recipe:

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

You know what is good; strawberries fresh from the berry farm with the warmth of the sun still on them. You know what goes well with strawberries; rhubarb!!

Below is a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen. If you haven’t been to this website you must go. It’s fabulous. She takes the best pictures (which are also for sale) and has the best recipes. She even has a book coming out. 

I bought a flat of strawberries from Moll’s Berry Farm this past weekend and even though there are 1 million things to do with strawberries I wanted something I had never made before and this recipe jumped off the page. I decided to make it last night. It was hot last night (yes it gets hot in Fargo!) and turning on the oven bumped the temperature up in my tiny kitchen by about 1000 degrees (or so it felt) but it was worth it.

As the crumble was baking, the smell drew me back into the kitchen repeatedly. I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't help myself; I kept looking in the oven. The berries were buckling under the heat and as they did their juices sprang forth like a volcano. When it was finally done and I took that first bite each individual flavor exploded on my taste buds. I puckered up from the tartness of the rhubarb and lemon. The strawberries danced in my mouth and as they descended, my stomach smiled. It was happy. Summer is here and life can’t get any better.

 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble (taken directly from Smitten Kitchen)

An American Girl's Mexican Quesadilla

One of my favorite places to travel is Mexico. What North Dakota gal doesn’t like Mexico especially when the winters here are so brutally cold!? I am lucky enough to work for a company where I have received many opportunities to travel. I never thought in my wildest dreams would I have had the opportunities I have had in the last 8 years. I met my husband this way after all (our first kiss was in Cologne, Germany). 

I went to Mexico (Cancun) for the first time when I was 19. It was spring break. I went with maybe 20 other people and of course, we had a blast! We went deep sea fishing, went to Chichen Itza, went to a “mission,” and it was there I had my first taste authentic Mexican food. It’s true people; what you eat here in the Midwest is NOT Mexican food! It’s Midwest-Mex as I like to call it. 

The next time I went to Mexico was almost 10 years later. There would be no cool blue waters, no white sand beaches, no deep sea fishing. I went to the (almost) geographical center of Mexico, Leon, Guanajuato. It’s a beautiful city surrounded by mountains in the center of the country. It is absolutely wonderful and it just so happens to be the leather capital of Mexico. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different purses, wallets, jackets and shoes to choose from. And if they don't have it they will make it for you. 

*Side note--if you ever go there go to the leather district. It is here you can find men and women selling fruit from carts on the street. My favorite was cucumber and honeydew with chili! They put chili on everything and now I know why; it's good! 

If you don't come for the leather or fruit on the street you should go for the food. You can find Carl's Junior, Italianni's (like Oliver Garden) and even some sushi and teppanyaki.

But the best is the street food. I know that freaks some people out because we are used to such sterile environments but let me tell you, a taco or quesadilla (a true quesadilla) is the best when it comes from the street or from the small taqueria’s that line the streets. 

You can smell the peppers and cooked meat for blocks! The meat is paper thin and cooked ever-so-delicately on a hot, hot grill. It comes off, is chopped up and is then slathered onto a corn tortilla (that was fried in the oil of the meat) filled with cheese. This, my friends, is a quesadilla. A quesadilla is not an uber giant flour tortilla filled with bacon and co-jack cheese.

Some places will provide you with small bowls of onions, hot peppers, and assorted sauces at the table. Other places you’ll go up and load your quesadillas on own. Either way, my favorite is with onions, cilantro, hot peppers, and a squeeze of fresh lime. My goodness, my mouth is watering. 

The last time I was in Mexico I went every day to have quesadillas. I couldn’t help myself. I can’t get those here…until now. I’ve come up with a way to make an American’s Girls Mexican Quesadilla. 

I don’t have pictures and I don’t have a recipe. All I can give you is an idea of what I do. 

4-5 tomatoes (I usually use Roma but you should use what you like) diced. I generally do not use the seeds or the pulp. It’s a salsa but I don’t want it runny.

2-3 T chopped cilantro

1 white onion diced (use half if you don’t like a lot of onions)

1 jalapeño seeded and chopped into tiny pieces

I T (or more depending on how you like it) freshly squeezed lime (or lemon) juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in one bowl and set aside so the flavors can marry

You can really use any meat you want; whatever sounds good to you; chicken, pork, beef. You could even use beans instead of meat but I like to use sirloin. I purchase a small piece and pound the shit out of it with a meat tenderizer (put it between two pieces of parchment paper). I then cut it into itty,bitty, tiny pieces. I season it with salt and pepper and place it in a non-stick skillet and fry it up. You really don’t need to fry it long so be careful not to overcook it.

Set the meat aside after cooking and wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

Put 1 T of peanut oil (I use this because it has a higher smoking point and my smoke alarm loves to go off even when we make toast) into the bottom of the pan—turn your stove onto HIGH!

When the oil begins to ripple place one corn tortilla in the bottom of the pan. Watch it carefully as it can burn. If the burner seems too hot, turn it down. Fry the tortilla until the one side is crispy—not super crispy though—you don’t want it to be a chip. Be careful , if you add too much oil your tortilla will be nasty. You might have to sacrifice a couple of tortillas until you get it just right.

When the one side is a bit crispy flip it over and place cheese (use Monterrey Jack if you can’t find any Mexican Cheese blends) in the middle of the tortilla. As the other side is cooking you want to watch it carefully. By this point some of the oil might be gone and it will be easy for the tortilla to burn. Fold the tortilla in half (in the pan) so it’s a half moon. Once the second side is “done” put it on a plate to rest while you make up the rest of your tortillas.

Like I said this tortilla part can be tricky. Too much oil and it’s a greasy mess; too little oil and your tortilla will burn. If you ever get a bubble in your tortilla but pop it with a fork.

Once you’ve mastered your tortillas it’s time to assemble! Open them up, put in some meat, put in some salsa, and enjoy! So good.

Restaurant Review: JL Beers

I love to go out to eat. O and I eat out so much...probably too much. My excuse is I like to support my local community! HA! I use that excuse for whatever I buy whether it's food or clothes.
Today we went out to lunch to one of my favorite restaurants: JL Beers. The first one to hit the restaurant scene in Fargo was downtown. How convenient considering we live only 6 blocks away! They recently built another restaurant in West Fargo and another one will pop up in Moorhead in October. http://www.jlbeers.com/
They have 100s of beers to chose from; from the tap, bottle or can. But my fav is the 1919 Root Beer. It's dark, dark brown and there is nothing better on a warm summer day. Ah, who am I kidding!? It's good on a cold winter day too. Sometimes you get one and the glass is so cold you get root beer icicles floating in your drink. To die for!

They have a small menu serving burgers, chips and fries. Let me just tell you, YOU MUST GET THE CHIPS! They are made right in front of you using the entire potato. They come out of the frier in minutes and then they are doused with salt. They are by far the best chips ever. EVER!

The burger list is small but there is something on there for everyone; from a regular hamburger to one with a fried egg on top. My favorite is the classic burger with cheese (no tomatoes). When the burger and chips (or fries if you must) come to you all you can do is smile. The first bite will send you over the edge into flavor town. It's juicy. It's meaty. It's simply divine.
I like to compare the burgers to something you'd get at a fair. You know what that's like. A hot summer day at the fair and you have been walking around all day looking at the state's biggest pig, the horticulture building, and machinery hill. You've filled your belly with so many cookies, corn dogs, and cheese curds that by now you just need some "real" food. You settle for a burger in the 4-H building. When you bite into it seems to transport you to a time when there weren't blogs, there was no Facebook, no smart phones and the USPS wasn't going bankrupt. A simple burger for a simple time. JL's Burgers are like this. Old school and good.

Go and check them out but be aware the restaurants are small but it's worth the wait! The downtown location seats 24 and the West Fargo location seats around 40 (they do have outside seating now though). If you want to wait, get a beer (or a root beer), relax and wait for the best burger this side of the MN State Fair!

Part 2 Spicy Panko Breaded Chicken

The chicken turned out great! I didn't use as much cayenne pepper as I normally do because my grandma came over for dinner. I didn't want to burn her 80+ year old tongue!
I served some cheese and crackers and olives while they waited for the chicken to be done. On the plate below there is dilled Havarti, Gorgonzola, Boursin, Herbed Goat Cheese, and the red one is some British cheese--I can't remember what it is but I do know it's awesome!

Onto the rest of the recipe!
Combine approximately 2 cups of panko (maybe more--I don't measure) with the following ingredients:
1/2 tsp salt--or more depending whether or not you like salt like me (and my entire family)
1 1/2 tsp season salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper (or as much as you want)
1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne (I usually bumped this up to 1/4 tsp--the flavor combined with the garlic in the marinade is delicious!)
1 1/2 tsp paprika

Take chicken breasts out of the buttermilk marinade and shake off excess buttermilk. Place in bowl with panko. Press panko all over chicken breast until completely covered.
Place breaded chicken breasts on cooking sheet. I place the chicken on a cookie cooling wrack thingy (I know, the wording is so exact) and then put that on the cookie sheet (see picture below).

Stick in the oven at 375. Check the chicken after 35 minutes--if it's done, remove it and eat it. If it's not done, stick it back in the oven for 10 minutes at a time.

Here is the finished product!

As I said yesterday we served this with mashed red, yellow and purple potatoes and turnips. Olivier made these and they were DIVINE!

Because we had a cucumber in our CSA this week I decided to make a cool cucumber salad.
Recipe follow:
1/2 c sour cream
2T fresh lemon juice + 1/2 tsp vinegar
2T fresh dill (chopped)
Mix together and add 1 1/2 cucumbers peeled and sliced
Let sit 1 hour (minimum) so the mixture can absorb all those flavors

ENJOY!!! 

Part I of Spicy Panko Breaded Chicken

One of our favorite meals is this chicken breast soaked in buttermilk, sour cream and spices and then breaded with spiced-up panko bread crumbs then baked in the oven. It's soooooooooooooooo good. I cannot tell you how many times we eat this in 1 month.

I got the idea from my sister, who by the way, is an awesome cook. She is WAY more creative than I am. She made this for me one time using crushed corn flakes--also very good but I found the panko is a lot easier to use. For those of you who do not know, panko is a Japanese style bread crumb. It has a really crispy yet airy texture. You can find it in almost any grocery store next to the bread crumbs. I highly recommend it. It would also be good on top of a baked macaroni and cheese dish---ooh--that's given me an idea!


So, onto part 1. Ideally you should let the chicken marinate in the buttermilk mixture overnight. However, if you're in a hurry you can let it sit for just half an hour. Letting it sit overnight though makes the chicken breast really juicy and intensifies the garlic/spice taste.
I do not really have a recipe for this; I just add stuff I think sounds good and that have the same basic flavor profile (yes I watch the Food Network).
This is as close to a recipe as I can get:
1c buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
Add to a bowl and whisk until combined
Add the following spices
1tsp season salt (Lawry's is the only way to go if you ask me)
1tsp paprika
1tsp Tastefully Simple Season Salt (no you do not have to use this--i have it in my cupboard so in it went)
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (be careful! this gets hot)
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped

Whisk together--pour over 4 chicken breasts and let sit over night

I'm finishing the chicken tonight and I'll post more when finished but if you cannot wait here's a high-level overview of the next steps:
bread it in panko using the same spices and bake for 40 minutes at 350 and of course, ENJOY!

BTW--I'm serving this with potatoes and turnips that were boiled with garlic and then mashed with milk and mozzarella cheese--to die for!

I told you!

I told you I wasn't good at this!!!
It's been almost 1 week and I haven't posted anything else and this is because all I've really cooked at home are hot dogs!!
I love a good hot dog though, especially in the summer. The Schweigert Old Fashioned Weiners are my all time fav but I do love a Hebrew International too! Raw onions, fried onions, ketchup and mustard. Mmmmm....I think I could have one right now.

I hope to post more later this week as I plan to actually cook! We are getting another one of our CSA boxes today with radishes, cabbage, turnips, lemon peppergrass, and my all time favorite vegetable; green onions. There is nothing better than a big, fat green onion dipped in salt. My mouth is watering.
Also, my mom gave me a big bag of rhubarb so I plan to make Rhubarb Dream Bars. I'll take pictures and post the recipe when I actually make it.


Oh--I told you I would maybe talk about my cats too. Alfred and Arthur are their names. Arthur is 9 months old and Alfred (the all black cat) is 2 years old. Alfred recently adopted us through the Humane Society. He's a lover and a talker. He talks ALL THE TIME! He and Arthur are getting along really well. They have even started to play together. However, this is not always a good thing. This morning they started to play around 430 or 5. They would run and jump across the bed. Alfred and his 12 or 13 pounds of muscle pounced off my body I don't know how many times! Stinker! Then he runs down the hallway and sounds like a horse! Arthur the dog and Alfred the horse. Great!

Mixed Greens with Soy Vinegar Dressing

I've never been very good at blogs. I've tried them before only to run out of steam after the first few posts. So...I'm trying this again. 

This time it'll be more focused on food; my favorite thing. I love cooking and I especially love cooking with my husband, O. Cooking together creates this kind of connection; it's romantic and fun and funny! We have a HUGE apartment but unfortunately our kitchen isn't so big. Somehow we make it work though. 

I was lucky to be raised by a mother who also loves to cook. I never really liked the food she cooked until I was much older--and wiser. I see now the glory that is "home-cooking." It's easy and for some things, like Alfredo sauce, it's quick. I made an Alfredo sauce during a commercial break once. No I did not open the can and throw it in a pot! I shredded the cheese, boiled the milk and butter and added a dash of freshly grated nutmeg. It was fabulous and quick! It took longer to boil the noodles. 

I digress though; this post is about Mixed Greens with a Soy Vinegar dressing. I love this salad. I love it more than I love pork! Last night we had pulled pork and this salad. I had about 4 bites of the pork before I dove into the salad and that was the end of me eating the pork. I could eat this salad every day!! 

There are so many different greens you could use for this salad. I used my greens from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from BlueBird Gardens (based in Fergus Fall, MN). 

Here's the recipe:

1 pgk ramen noodles (crush them--use a meat tenderizer or a wine bottle--just make sure they are crushed--don't forget to take out the packet of seasoning though!)

3 T sesame seeds

1/4 -1/3 c slivered almonds (pine nuts would be good too)

2 T sugar

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)

*Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat with the above ingredients. Stir continuously until they turn slightly brown. Keep an eye on it though because it once it starts to brown it will go quickly

Pour out onto a plate to cool. After about 5 minutes it will all be stuck together but you can break it apart. Quite frankly you could just stop here and eat this--it's so good! 

Wash and dry mixed greens. I used a variety of greens (spinach, romaine, bok choy, mizuna greens)

Add to bowl and then add the crunchy ramen noodle mix

Dressing: 

3/4 c vegetable oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

2T Soy Sauce

1/4 c sugar

*Mix well and pour over salad JUST BEFORE SERVING

I also added sliced radishes, cucumbers and sliced green onions. O thought it was a good idea to add a couple pieces of fresh basil too! This was a great idea. I ripped it up and added it in. I wasn't sure at first if the basil would be too strong but it was delicious! It added a nice floral quality to the salad. 

Enjoy!