Baked Oatmeal a la Liberty Hill Farm

*dry ingredients*

One of my favorite activities these days is to fantasize about what I'm going to do when I am done with chemo and *hopefully hopefully hopefully* cancer free. (It almost makes me nervous to say that, like I'm going to jinx it or something. But that is the goal of all these treatments, right?)

Anyways, we've already planned a chemo-is-over!-time-to-catch-your-breath weekend getaway HERE in March; and we've decided that, come hell or high water, we are starting Phase I of a daunting and exciting kitchen renovation this May. But the "when I'm healthy" fantasies can be much more mundane...go for a hike, take Alena to the aquarium, have a picnic on the beach.

*sigh* I cannot WAIT for those days.

While daydreaming and surfing (do people still say that?) the interweb for all things fabulous & fantastical, I came across the Liberty Hill Farm in Vermont. It looks like a great place for a rejuvenating weekend in the country and I love that they fully embrace the farm-to-table/agritourism thing.

I got so caught up in reading about (drooling over) their hearty country fare that I had to make this month's featured recipe, Baked Oatmeal. It made the house smell wonderful and is exactly the kind of breakfast one wants during a New England winter. Even a mild one like we've been having. Super YUM.

*right before going into the oven*

*and right out of the oven*

I did not manage to get any shots of it plated up...ummm...because we ate it too fast.

Both times I made it.

::blush::

Anyways, here is the LINK to their "meals" page, but just in case the oatmeal recipe gets replaced by a new recipe, I've copied it here:

Beth's Baked Oatmeal

1 1/3 cups oats (must use old-fashioned, steel cut, never use quick oats)
1/4 cup brown sugar or maple sugar
1 apple peeled and diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups milk ---- for best flavor and nutrition use whole milk!! ;-)

Stir together in oven proof bowl, Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Serve in bowls with milk.

P.S.-Just had to do a little woot! woot! regarding the great deal we got on our Maine getaway. I'd been eyeballing the York Harbor Inn as a potential destination, and then it popped up on Groupon...so we got a luxury room for 60% off! And then, around Christmas I received an email from the inn, promoting a 20% off sale on gift certificates...so we're saving on dinner, too! And don't think I haven't already done some serious menu stalking...Yorkshire Lobster Supreme, I've got my eye on you...

Satisfying Seafood Cravings

I've had some wicked cravings for seafood lately...particularly salmon and lobster. It seems like great seafood is everywhere you look during the New England summer, but in fall and winter, it takes a back seat to hearty comfort foods. And then suddenly it's February and I feel like I haven't had fresh seafood in forever.

So for Valentine's Day, we stayed in and I whipped up a light and fresh salmon fettuccine, with a lemon butter dill sauce and capers. One craving down, one to go...

And since Steven and I were good little homeowners this weekend and worked on several projects around the house, I thought we deserved a special Sunday dinner.

This creamy lobster stew, featuring fresh lobster, onions, corn, white wine, butter and milk, was just the ticket. It was quick and easy (shucking the lobster took the longest) and only took about half an hour to prepare. It probably would have been even better if allowed to meld for a while, but we couldn't resist eating it right away. It was delicious and definitely hit the spot. :)

New Blog Obsession: Tartelette

Have you seen the movie Julie & Julia, in which blogger Julie Powell, apparently rather bored with her life, endeavors to work her way through all 524 recipes in Julia Child's first cookbook? Well, if I had to choose a similar challenge for myself, I would probably choose to work my way through the recipe index of my new favorite blog, Tartelette.

I am seriously smitten with the recipes, the photos, the desserts...

like S'mores Doughnuts (*omg, drool*):

Candy cane macarons:

and Goat cheese and fresh berry tarts:

That's just a glimpse of all the goodness going on over at Tartelette. Head on over if you're in need of culinary inspiration...so many beautiful things!

*Special thanks to Helene for allowing me to use images from her gorgeous blog*

Peppermint Marshmallows

Inspired by this blogger, and galvanized by my love for hot chocolate, I knew I had to try and make Peppermint Marshmallows for myself. I thought maybe they'd be a little funky (like homemade oreos vs. real oreos...yeah, they're good, but they're not "it") but these are better than store-bought fo' sho'. The texture is perfect...they have this nice semi-firm consistency and then they go all gooey in your hot chocolate. Not to mention kicking it up a notch with the peppermint, cashing in on the best wintertime flavor combo ever. Ah, so good!

Great Potato Salad Recipe

I just wanted to share a great recipe I recently tried: Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs from Epicurious. I needed to throw something together to accompany some fried pork cutlets (traditional Czech řízky) I was making, and this po-po salad sounded promising. Tons of fresh herbs and some lemon zest? A recipe for success, me thinks.

It was simple to make and tasted great...this recipe is definitely being added to my cookbook of go-to dishes. It would be especially fitting for a summer BBQ or picnic, so give it a shot if you're ever looking to try out a new potato salad.

Note: I omitted the celery and the basil and it was still fantastic. Easy peasy.

Vereniky

I spent yesterday at my mom and grandmother's house making our traditional Ukrainian Christmas meal: Vereniky (better known in the U.S. by their Polish name, pierogi.)

Every year, the women in my family get together a couple weeks before Christmas and crank out hundreds of these simple yet satisfying dumplings, as well as ushka (much like mushroom tortellini), which are served with borscht on Christmas Eve.

We make two varieties of vereniky...one with potato and cheese filling, and one with sauerkraut filling. They are the main dish on Christmas Eve, and are served boiled, with fried onions and a dollop of sour cream.

Last year I graduated from the vereniky assembly line to making the dough, which was my job this year as well. I had long been intimidated by it (no one wants to be responsible for making a crummy dough and having the vereniky fall apart when boiled), but now that I've got it mastered, I've got the know-how to carry on with the tradition for decades to come.

Because honestly, it just wouldn't be Christmas without home made vereniky.

P.S.-Although I haven't had them in years, vereniky can also be sweet...filled with cherries or blueberries, and served with melted butter and a sprinkle of sugar. Definitely going to have to try and make some this summer!

P.P.S.-If you ever want to give it a shot, Martha (whose mother was Polish) has a whole bunch of recipes and tutorials on her website.

Grape Harvest

Last year, Steven discovered a grapevine hidden in all the weeds of the then neglected veggie garden and just threw it up and over a nearby bridal wreath spirea to get it out of the way. This spring, we were delighted to see that it had set fruit! (Apparently this will never happen if the vine is lying on the ground, regardless of how healthy it is.) All summer I've been checking, checking, checking the progress...and yesterday, when I approached the vine and inhaled that sweet ripe grape scent, I knew it was time to grab a bowl, some clippers, and Steven.

I figured we wouldn't actually get enough grapes to make anything significant, maybe just a grape syrup to use in spritzers or something, but we ended up with a total of ~4 lbs! Most grape jelly recipes I've seen call for 5 lbs, so it would be totally feasible to make jelly out of our own backyard grapes! How adorable is that?

BTW, not sure what kind they are. Any guesses? Of course Concord is the go-to answer, but I think they seem a bit sweeter...

Anyways, we were downright charmed by this harvesting process, and kept the momentum going in the veggie garden, where things are winding down...just as they got going. (Note to self: start earlier next year!)

We ended up picking most of the acorn squash (6), even though they could have hung out for a bit. Powdery mildew had become an issue about 1 month ago, and although it supposedly only damages leaves, I was paranoid about losing the fruits that I had lovingly nestled in straw, and creepily stalked for months, LOL!

So hopefully I'll get a chance to play in the kitchen this weekend, in between coats of paint. I'm shooting for just one of the following: grape jelly, tomato sauce, eggplant bruschetta, or acorn squash risotto...

Greek Night

One of our favorite meals on our 2008 trip to Greece was the ubiquitous, fast, cheap and delicious gyros pita. I attempted to recreate the glory by loading some grilled pitas with green peppers, tomatoes, feta, and spicy beef souvlaki (the spice rub was a variation on the recipe here). I topped it off with a generous dollop of homemade tzatziki and even made a little foil jacket to give it some street cred.

I think I made Steven want to marry me all over again with this one.

Eggs Benedict

A couple of weeks ago, a froworker (friend+coworker=froworker!) offered me her Siena Farms CSA share as she was going to be out of the country and wouldn't be able to use it. I was happy to help her out. :)

Of course the first thing I thought when I rifled through the box of produce I received was "What am I going to do with all this stuff?" Then I remembered that Gesine Bullock Prado of Confections of a Closet Master Baker, had just posted a recipe for eggs benedict featuring sauteed swiss chard on her other blog, Living in Freegrace.

We love us some benedict and had some lovely rainbow chard in the CSA box, so...no brainer.This was my first time making hollandaise from scratch, and I was actually really surprised at how simple it was. Egg yolks, butter, salt, lemon juice, pepper...and blend.

A perfect weekend brunch!

Noteworthy Cookbooks

1) Martha Stewart Cupcakes

I recently realized that I have never made cupcakes. Nope, never. I think it's time to change that...and this cookbook from Martha seems like a great place to start. Worth flipping through, at the very least for the creative decoration and presentation ideas.

2) The Italian Farmer's Table

This cookbook might be a keeper. It profiles several Northern Italian agroturismi (small family farm "resorts") and shares their simultaneously rustic, elegant, and progressive recipes. So much in here I'd like to try and make...Chocolate Ricotta Tart, Rye Bread Soup, Goat Cheese Gnocchi with Walnut Butter Sauce, Zucchini Roll, Stuffed Baked Peaches, Chicken Breast with Lavender, and the list goes on and on...

Meat CSA Update and Spiced Lamb Chops

As our first meat CSA session came to a close, I found myself downright conflicted as to whether to renew or not. Don't get me wrong, there is an unmistakable difference in the quality of the meat. More tender, more flavorful, the beef is lean and the pork lusciously fatty. And of course, there's the psychological side of buying local, humanely raised, etc etc etc...it just feels good. The major CON was the inconvenience factor...driving to the city in the middle of a Saturday, even only once a month, is a HUGE drag. Especially in nice weather.

So I was waffling.

And then the country-style pork ribs clinched it. They were so tender and so darn good, simply basted in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and grilled. Steven, while savoring each bite, declared them to be the best cut so far. I don't know if I could pick a "best" (the chicken and ground beef would be contenders for that title, as would the pork chops)...but they sure were fantastic.

So we renewed for another 6 months. :)

And on that note, I thought I'd share the latest meat CSA dish:

Spiced Lamb Chops with Mint-Mango Sauce.

When we received lamb chops in our May share, I wasn't really sure what to do with them. I don't exactly have a go-to lamb recipe, you know? So I thought I'd try this little gem from Epicurious (with some modification based on what spices I had on hand). Good stuff.

The lamb chops themselves were excellent, and the spicy crust plus mint from the garden! and mango was a great combo!

Weekend in Review: Puppies, Wedding, and Bruncheon

Can I just take a second to say "I love summer hours"? Oh, I can? Okay then: I LOVE SUMMER HOURS!

Summer hours means I get to work a half day on Fridays and start the weekend early, which has led to such glamorous Friday afternoon activities as getting the car inspected and mowing the lawn. Okay, okay, okay...I know that's not exactly glamorous...but it still makes me happy for some reason!

Anyways, a little photo montage from this past weekend...

*My mom and grandmother stopped by to show off their new puppies!*

*They're 10 week old Border Collie/Spitz/Pomeranian mutts and they are adorable!*

*On Saturday, we attended a lovely wedding at the beautiful Pierce House in Lincoln, MA.*

*It was a really nice wedding...elegant and fun, with great food, and of course, a beautiful couple! (The bride was my manager at my previous job, and she & her new husband are just wonderful people)*

*My hot date, appreciating the architectural details in a room that bears a striking resemblance to the inspiration photo in my last post.*

*On Sunday I hosted a little ladies' bruncheon (no, not a real word. but i like it.) for a couple of my best girls. We all enjoy cooking, so we BROUGHT IT...I made cranberry scones with lemon curd (YUM!) and toasted bagel bites made with honey mustard, ham, tomato and dill Havarti. My girls brought a fantastic veggie quiche and homemade granola with fresh berries. We've decided we need to do this more often.*

And today...back to the GRIND.

Marinated Cheese

I wanted to share this fantastic recipe for marinated cheese that came my way through a series of recipe hand-offs...and boy am I glad it did. It's really easy and really, really, really good!

1 lb. feta cheese, cubed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. finely minced green bell pepper

2 tbsp. finely minced red bell pepper

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp. Italian flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 tsp. fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. peppercorns

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for several hours, or even several days, flipping jar periodically for best results.

Serve with crackers, crostini, whatever. I prefer to serve it straight from the jar using a cute spreader...which splits up the feta chunks a bit and makes it more of a spread as opposed to individual cheese cubes. **Also, don't worry if you're not a HUGE feta fan. Steven loves this, yet doesn't really care for feta**

It makes a great foodie gift, too!

Leftover Pizza

One of my favorite ways to "resource manage" is to make Leftover Pizza. It's a great way to use up any any odds and ends of veggies, cheese, and (pizza-appropriate) meats. I generally roast the vegetables with some salt and olive oil first (not only does it make the veggies taste extra good, but it keeps the pizza from being too wet), and we try to always have some pizza dough stashed in the freezer, ready to go. Our favorite is Portland Pie Company's whole wheat dough, made in Portland, ME and carried by our local Hannie's (Hannaford).

Yum.

Update: Meat CSA

Well, the 2nd share was much more impressive: steak tips, sirloin tips, london broil, a chicken, ground beef, italian sausage, and pork ribs (pictured above, with homemade coleslaw and a honey, mango, raspberry, banana smoothie).

The first share is pretty much done...and while I found the charcuterie to be good but unremarkable, the pork chops and the chicken breast were fantastic. I wanted to "resource manage" the chicken breast...so I ended up stuffing them with the ricotta, herbs, sun dried tomatoes and garlic I had on hand, then baking them. The pork chops I maple brined using this recipe, and they came out great. I could definitely tell the difference between these meats and regular grocery store meats, and now I'm really excited to try the beef, as I've read that the difference in taste and texture is quite noticeable in grass fed beef.

Steak tips for dinner tomorrow night!

We have Create TV!

The other day, I sent Steven an email with the following subject line:

I'm so happy, I could weep.

The cause of my excitement? I discovered that we DO have the Create TV channel as part of our cable service. I used to watch this channel all the time when we had free digital TV in Salem, but couldn't find it when we moved. Now I'm catching up on all my favorite travel, cooking, gardening, and home improvement shows, such as:

*Cultivating Life is a great (Rhode Island based--woot, woot!) show that focuses on outdoor living, gardening, cooking and entertaining*

*EQUITREKKING. Traveling the world on horseback...need I say more?*

*Everyday Food. Part of the Martha Stewart empire, this show shares simple and fresh recipes for everyday cooking.*

I can't get enough!

Molten Chocolate Cakes

I was craving something rich and chocolaty the other day and even though our cupboards were pretty bare, I knew there had to be something I could make using the basics I had on hand (eggs, flour, sugar, etc.) So I took to the interweb, and of course my girl Martha Stewart had this sweet little recipe for me.

I omitted the espresso powder (didn't have any), but threw in a little vanilla extract for kicks. I served them in the ramekins, right out of the oven, with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream.

Gotta say, these were delicious, like a brownie sundae gone gourmet. The combo of the warm chocolate cake, gooey center, and melting ice cream was exactly the fix I needed. I think Steven liked it, too, as his disappeared in about 1 minute flat. :)

Try this recipe for a quick, decadent, homemade treat!

Meat CSA

I finally did it.

I’ve been wanting to participate in the Stillman Turkey Farm meat CSA (community supported agriculture) for a couple of years now, but never felt I could justify it. I recently decided to just DO IT, and signed up for the 6 month/half share program, which is 10 pounds of meat per month for 6 months. That 10 pounds can include beef, pork, chicken or lamb, and is roughly 5 lbs. of ground meats or stew cuts, and 5 lbs. of premium cuts. Most importantly, it is local, free-range, hormone-free and conscientiously-raised.

Since I’ve been wanting to do this for quite a while, it was with great anticipation that we drove up to Jamaica Plain on Saturday to pick up our first share. It contained: ham steak, Italian sausage, pork chops, chicken breast, raw bacon, smoked pork butt, and as an extra “bonus“, a bag of pork neck bones (for soup, stock, etc.).

Hmmm, written out like that it sounds like a pretty good haul…but I have to say that my first impression was that it must be a cleanout month for the CSA, since this share was so pork-heavy. And of course, this little frugalista wants to make sure she’s getting a good value. At the end of the day, this meat is costing $7.50 per pound.

Of course, when I refer to value, I’m not just talking about the meat itself. I recognize that part of what we’re paying for is almost political in nature. With our financial support, we’re saying that local agriculture, humane husbandry, and traditional small-scale farming are a good thing and we want it to stick around. Even from my relatively elementary experiences while growing up on a hobby farm (we had nearly every barnyard animal you can think of, except for sheep), I know that what these farmers are doing is not easy. Furthermore, it’s rarely lucrative. So I really appreciate their willingness to live that life, preserve old New England farmland, raise heritage breeds humanely, and make it available to the rest of us. It’s not an occupation that many of us would have the guts to pursue.

Anyways, now comes the fun part…choosing/designing recipes around the meats that we received. I’m actually really excited for this part, and to see what’s in next month’s share…it’s like a grab bag of meat! I’ll keep the updates, recipes, cooking tribulations and triumphs coming…

In the meantime, if you are interested in these sorts of topics, I thought Fast Food Nation and Real Food were great reads…

Sunday Morning Crepes

For some reason, I tend to forget about crepes unless I'm in a foreign country--probably because that's where I was introduced to the simple yet delectable treat that is the Nutella-filled crepe. But after Paris, I decided it's time to bring the goodness home. And so I made these crepes, filled with Nutella or stroop (a Dutch caramel-like syrup), for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast...

P.S.-After breakfast, we made more progress on the bathroom renovation. We've got one piece of cement board to go, then we'll patch the seams and embark on our first tiling job!