Mary, Mary Quite Contrary How Does Your Garden Grow?

My herb gardenGrowing up, we had a huge garden.  I use to love to "help" my dad weed the garden (i.e. sometimes pull weeds, more often dig up plants).  I still have fond memories of eating a tomato, still warm from the sun, like an apple or picking corn and immediately cooking and eating it without any butter on it because it was so sweet.  Even though I get lots of fresh produce from the farm markets it is nearly impossible to duplicate these flavors. 

Unfortunately, I'm not able to have quite as ambitious a garden now.  I still plant some tomatoes, but mostly I plant herbs.  Herb gardens are wonderful.  They are relatively low maintenance, they add tons of flavor, smell great, save money (who ever uses an entire bunch of name that herb if you buy it in the grocery store), space efficient, and--as long as you bring the planters inside--you can grow them year round.  Thankfully, my belly hasn't gotten in the way of the bbq....yet

I'm currently growing thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, sage, lavender, cilantro, mint, and lemon verbena.  I managed to kill my parsley (to my green thumb's credit, however, a bug decided to lay eggs on the plant, so technically it wasn't me who killed the parsley) and basil (that was my fault).  Luckily, for $2.50 I could replace the basil.

I use fresh herbs in almost everything I cook.  Lemon verbena has--you guessed it-- a lemon flavor.  It's great with poultry or in salad dressing.  Last night, we had grilled lamb chops that I marinated with rosemary and mint (click here for the recipe).  It was an easy meal and very flavorful thanks to the fresh herbs.

MMMMM......Doughnuts

I don't know if it is my favorite season, but I do love fall.  I made a trip up North to visit my mom.  The pre-trip conversation went something like this.  Mom, "Make sure you pack warm clothes because it's going to be 50."  Me: "at night?"  Mom, "no that is the high."  If she hadn't promised to get me cider donuts, I'm not sure I would have traded in the 70 degree dc Indian summer for true fall. 

It was worth it.  I don't even like doughnuts, with the notable exception of cider donuts.  Cider donuts are (shockingly) made with apple cider.  The donut is only as good as the cider used to make it.  It should be light and fluffy, not greasy, and not too spicy so that you can really taste the apple flavor.  If you are in NY in the fall, I recommend stopping at Golden Harvest Farms for a donut and a glass of cider.  Your waistline will forgive you.

Panko Crusted Veal Medallions with Prosciutto, Tomato and MozzarellaBecause one can't live on cider doughnuts alone (or can they?) my mom and I made Panko Crusted Veal cutlets with tomatoes, prosciutto and mozzarella.  I had seen Panko crumbs used on TV shows before, however I never experimented with them.  What a mistake.  Panko crumbs are Japanese style bread crumbs made from the center piece of the bread so they are bigger and fluffier then normal bread crumbs.  I dredged the veal in a mixture of flour, garlic, salt, and thyme followed by a quick dip in an egg bath and then the panko crumbs.  The crust was flavorful, but the most significant difference was the light yet crunchy texture.  Thanks mom for introducing me to a fun new ingredient!

By the way, I am dedicating tonight and tomorrow night to updating the recipe page! 

Easy Summer Meals

Insightful remark of the night...summer is here.  Just because it is hot outside doesn't meant you have to stop cooking, but on these hot nights I crave lighter meals.  (Ignore my posts on venison stew and the five course meals we have been eating lately).  Light doesn't mean lacking in flavor, however.  On Saturday we went to a concert and brought a picnic supper of prosciutto, mozzarella, and sun dried tomato sandwiches.  Last night we didn't have much time to prepare dinner, so I defrosted some Smithfield Farm Lamb sausages, seared them in a hot skillet, and served them with a fresh baguette, sauteed peppers and onions, and stone ground mustard.  It was easy and delicious.  Tonight we had another favorite--lemon and herb grilled trout.

A few of my favorite things

A wise old man once said you only need a skillet, a wooden, spoon, and a fire to cook. Maybe that's true, but kitchen accessories are fun and definitely make it easier to cook. Here are a few of my favorite things:

1) Kitchen Tongs. I never used tongs until law school. What a mistake! Tongs are like fingers except you can pick up hot objects without burning yourself. I use them to toss pasta, rotate osso bucco, flip burgers, sautee onions, etc. If you don't already own them, buy a pair.

2) Dutch Oven. I love my Le Crueset dutch oven. It weighs about 20 pounds, but there is something reassuring in its heft. Like the tongs, my dutch oven is the consummate multi-tasker. I use it for soups, stews, pasta, and if I need it, a weapon (although I have to admit, the skillet version is easier to wield).

3) Good knives. I have Shun Ken Onion Knives. I love them. They are perfectly weighted, and very, very sharp. As I mentioned before, people who say that dull knives are more dangerous are lying. I know firsthand. I truly am a klutz in and outside of the kitchen, hence the name of this blog. Ask my neighbor who just happens to be an ER doctor. I have had a couple of run ins with my perfect knives that I wouldn't trade in for anything in the world. Anyway, it was nothing that a little super-glue, albeit applied under the strictest medically supervision, couldn't fix.

4) A cutting board. I leave mine out. I use it every day, and it looks nice, so it seems silly to put it away. I prefer a heavy wooden chopping block. I know I should use a different board for raw meat to prevent cross contamination, but I don't. I just wash it with soap.

5) A wooden spoon with a long handle. I have multiple wooden spoons, but my favorite one is from Italy. I paid $2 for it and it is made out of olive wood. It is hand carved, and square, rather than curved at the end.

6) multiple pot holders. I don't think this needs any further explanation. Use them.

7) Hot kitchen Fashion Accessories. Aprons are kind of reminiscent of the 1950s, but they are incredibly handy. You can wipe your hands on them, stay clean, and even make a fashion statement. One of my friends recently introduced me to Anna Maria Horner's creations. She is a blogger and a fashion designer. You can purchase her beautiful aprons online. I love them.

p.s. There are lots of other "essential" kitchen tools, but those will be the subject of future posts.

p.p.s. I might have made up what the wise man said...

I never knew they brewed beer in France...

and they shouldn't!  It tastes terrible.  I have been craving meatballs all day.  I don't know why.  its hot here and not exactly meatball weather, but I gave into my urges and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some necessary ingredients.  Whole Foods has fabulous quality ingredients, but the best part of the grocery store are the free samples.  If you time it right, you can actually eat your way through the store.  I made my way from the produce section, to meat, to dry goods, to dairy, to the wine and beer section.  To my delight, they had beer samples.  "Mademoiselle, can I offer you a sample?" Yes, please! 

I'm not one to turn down free beer, but if you ever get offered French beer do yourself a favor and just say no.  The first brew, was ok--brewed in the Alps near the Swiss border, it was a fairly standard unfiltered beer.  It didn't taste bad, but it was unremarkable.  The second, brewed in the Loire Valley, was not good.  I should have stopped there, but I'm an optimist and it's been a long day, so I held out my plastic 1 oz beer tumbler for one final shot.  UGH.  It was brewed with wine (which should have been a clue) and tasted like a white zinfandel.  It was so bad that I had to walk back over to the cheese counter and beg for a piece of cheese to get the offensive taste out of my mouth.  They must have tasted the beer too and took pity on me and my palate.

Braised Meatballs with PenneAnyway, back to the meatballs.  I like my meatballs full of flavor, so I add lots of spice (parsley, oregano, garlic, and onion); an egg and a milk-soaked piece of bread to bind the meatballs together and make them juicy; parmesan cheese, mustard, and tomato paste for flavor; wine just because; and a combination of pork, veal, and buffalo.  I braise them in tomato sauce and finish them off with a bit of cheese and fresh shredded basil.