Auburn Wildfire

Yesterday, we were packing to spend three days on the coast at  Dancing Coyote Beach

 

We were married there, and love the whole Point Reyes National Seashore area.  We were going to take the kayaks, beach them in front of our cottage, and cool off from this awful heat wave.  Maybe some fresh oysters at Olema or Nick's....mmmmm.  


About 3 pm the sky.......... almost suddenly,  filled with an awful, low black smoke. It looked like a tornado was coming.  Garth took this photo from our backyard.  I went on the net and found out that there was a fire in town.

Then, we lost power (which, for us means  no cordless phone, a/c or water). We do have two corded phones and we received a reverse 911 call invoking mandatory evacuation.  Garth hitched up the trailer, we loaded some clothes, food, homeowner's insurance policy, passports (don't ask), medications, some jewelry, external hard drive, dog and cat food, cat box and Maggie and Missy.    We headed up I-80 and went to Ellen and Steve Johnson's house in Colfax and parked in their driveway ready to spend the night.  They had power, a/c, water....and most of all news!  At around 8:30 or so Garth determined that he was lifting our evacuation notice and we came home.  We started up the generator to get the refrigerator running and have a bit of light.  Power was restored somewhere  around midnight.  It is very hard for us to get our minds around all this. 

Here is where I am going for info. 

 

Now, here is the part that amazes me.  When you leave your home for what might be the last time, what do you take?   I have no idea why I took the passports, but..hey they are small.  On our way out the driveway, Garth stopped and ran back into the house and returned with a bunch of granola bars and a nice Cabernet Sauvignon  (good thinking).  My quilting friend, Elly, packed her new Janome and some quilts.  Since she was under voluntary evacuation, she and John and the pets eventually did not leave.  

What did I learn from all this?  First off, what is important to me:  my husband, my pets, the contents of my hard drive and a handful of jewelry.  Know your neighbors.  We live in the country, so that is almost a given.   Secondly:  You must have a cell phone that receives a signal where you are and a portable radio that can receive a signal.  We found that Garth's brother at Lake Tahoe and friends up in Colfax knew what was happening and we did not.  Had I not looked at the online news for those few minutes before we lost power, we would have been clueless and might have depended on rumor.   Finally:  take photos of items you own that are of value.    We are doing that this very day and will store them on a memory stick and online outside of the house.   Oh, and let's not forget that bottle of wine.

P.S.  By the way, I called to cancel our reservations this morning, and Janet at Dancing Coyote said she would send us a full refund.  That is another of the reasons we love this pretty place on the water.

quick and easy rack of lamb

We were out working on our river canoe skills today. On the way home we stopped at the market and bought a rack of lamb (already frenched), some red yams, parsnips & broccoli. This meal was prepped and ready to eat within 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 rack of lamb.
salt, to taste,
pepper, to taste

2 cups of red yams, 1 cup of parsnips, cut into small cubes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 lemon, juice of

Directions-

1. preheat BBQ to high. salt and pepper the rack of lamb and place on grill, cook, turning when brown and a few more time until an instant read thermometer reads, 125° F (about 15 minutes). take the lamb off the grill, tent it under some foil and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting between the bones and serving.

2. toss the red yams, parsnips, chopped garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl, place in side a foil packet that you make and seal it shut. barbecue on high, turning the packet frequently for about 15 minutes.

3. Steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes. In a non stick skillet, sauté the garlic in the butter for a minute or so, add the steamed broccoli and toss and heat through. Add the lemon juice and toss and heat through for 30 seconds or so. remove from heat and serve.

Tangy, Cranberry and Mint Quinoa Salad

I have just finished making this to bring with me hiking this weekend. Quinoa is full of protein and all these fresh delicious ingredients will fuel my hiking and canoing adventures. My second mom made this for us last weekend. It was so tangy and delicious I asked her for the recipe. Like most moms she said, well you take some quinoa and cook it in some orange juice and water and then add some of this and some of that...... haha. I have given you measurements to how I made it. you can switch them around as much as you like.


Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa (pre rinsed)
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
2/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
1/2 cup celery, finely sliced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped fine
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped fine
1/2 lemon, zest of and juice of
1/3 cup walnuts, quickly chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the orange juice, water and quinoa in a med/large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Stir once, cover and reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa has expanded to little swirls. stir, and set aside to cool.

2. Once the quinoa is cooled, add the celery, parsley, mint, red onion, lemon zest and juice, cranberries and walnuts. stir well to combine. add the olive oil and salt and pepper and stir again. refrigerates nicely for a couple of days.

Freddy Moran!

Yesterday was our Freddy Moran class. She was teaching the "Liberated Wedding Ring" technique. This is Freddy's quilt....Eighteen of us came at 10:00 am with our colorful scraps neatly folded and confined in their boxes and bags.....tidy workspaces.

A few hours later it looked like a technicolor fabric explosion.
The classroom was a fabulous mess!

Later, we had show and tell.....one of the gals had made a "Freddy's House" quilt with "Freddy's Garden" blocks....just look!! The quilt, the quilter with the lady herself. Some of us are still on a high from yesterday.







By the way, Freddy was talking about her visit to the Sisters, OR Outdoor Quilt Show
where she had an opportunity to connect with the quilters from Gee's Bend
who had quite an impact on her. This is a collection I truly crave to see. I am also trying to find a dvd of the documentary about these incredible women. Last month, Garth and I were driving through Ashland, OR in the late afternoon enroute to our B&B. We drove past the Southern Oregon University Museum and Library.....there was a banner on the wall that was advertising "The Quilts of Gee's Bend" exhibition. We had wi-fi where we were staying, so I went immediately online only to find that that very day was the last day of the show and it had closed. Someday!!

Pink Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Pair this dressing with delicate mild-flavored greens (like butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce) or even more robust greens (like spinach and romaine.) I simply threw the rest of the grapefruit on top and some walnuts. You could use oranges or a little stilton (if you eat dairy) , whatever you like. The lettuce is from my MIL's garden again. I brought home A TON of lettuce so I will be eating salads for the next few days. :)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. pink grapefruit juice
2 pink grapefruit segments (peeled)
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp. shallot, finely minced
1/2 lime, juice of
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. cut off the skin and pulp of the grapefruit, Over a med bowl- using a sharp knife, cut between the section skins and free up the segments. Squeeze out the remaining juice and set aside.

2. Puree the grapefruit juice, 2 grapefruit segments, ginger, shallots and lime juice in a blender. add the olive oil and blend until well mixed. salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom 'Truffles'

4 Tbsp butter

1 clove elephant garlic

2 packed cups clean black trumpet mushrooms

2 packed cups chopped portobello stems

3/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp tawny port

3 cups juice from roasting mushrooms (you don't have this at home. sorry.)

1 tsp agar agar powder (equals 2 Tbsp flakes)

- secure bonbon molds with rubber bands and set in salt so that they are level

- in large saucepan sweat garlic in butter over low heat until very fragrant

- add portobello stems and 1/2 tsp salt; cover and sweat until portobellos are soft - about 8 minutes

- add black trumpet mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and continue to cook 8 more minutes

- add port and cook 1 minute

- add mushroom juice and simmer 5 minutes

- strain mushrooms and reserve liquid (2 1/2 cups)

- in a small saucepan bring reserved liquid and agar agar to a simmer, whisking often

- continue to simmer until reduced by 1/4 cup

- while still hot, puree this liquid with mushroom mixture in blender completely

- transfer to sauce funnel and fill bonbon molds; reserve extra liquid - it can be reheated to make a second batch

- chill completely and remove from molds

Chanterelles al Greco

5 lbs chanterelles

2 cups olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

5 tsp coriander seeds

1 bouquet garni

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups white wine

juice of 4 lemons

water as needed

- clean and trim the chanterelles as necessary; set aside

- in a large saucepan sweat the onion and coriander seeds in the olive oil over medium low heat until onions have softened

- add chanterelles and season with salt and pepper

- add remaining ingredients, adding water, if necessary, just enough to cover

- bring to a full boil, cover and remove from heat

- allow to cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally

- refrigerate overnight before serving

Garden Fresh, Spicy Vegetarian Escabeche

I was lucky enough to get access to my mother in laws garden yesterday. I came home with more lovely little carrots and fresh green beans. I also had some chipotle peppers left over in the fridge and some mushrooms that I meant to use, so I decided to create a veggie Escabeche with what I had. I made it hot. As in Spicy. As in knock your socks off that tastes soooo good spicy. I ate mine wrapped in organic corn tortillas. You can eat yours however you like. Rice would be nice, grilled fish or meat would go well.
I liked this a lot.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and blanched
1 1/2 cups fresh baby garden carrots quickly cut up into reasonable sizes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water
1 med onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
3 whole cloves
6 chipotle chilli's (from a can of adobo sauce), finely chopped
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp. sucanat
salt, to taste

Directions-

1. clean the mushrooms, place the mushrooms and 1 1/2 tsp. salt into a hot, dry pot (med high) and stir for a minute and 1/2. Add 1/3 cup water and cover. Leave for 3 minutes then lift lid and stir, replace lid and let steam for another 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large pot sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. add all the spices and stir, add chopped chipotles and stir.

3. Add the vinegar and 2 1/2 cups water. Add the sucanat. Bring to boil. and add salt to taste.

4. Add the carrots to the pot replace lid and cook until tender, remove the cooked carrots with tongs and set aside in a med bowl.

5. Add the blanched green beans, replace lid and cook until tender, remove the green beans from the bowl and set aside with the carrots.

6. Add the steamed mushrooms, replace lid, cook until tender (maybe 3-5 minutes) remove and add to carrots and green beans bowl.

7. Drain the remaining stock through a mesh strainer and pour the strained liquid over the veggies.

8. serve with rice or on fresh tortillas. would be nice with guacamole (and sour cream for those who eat dairy)

Adobo Shrimp

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, deveined and peeled.
3 chipotle chilli's, (from a can of chipotle chilli canned in adobo sauce), chopped fine
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a med bowl, combine the chopped chipotle chilli's, orange juice, cilantro and olive oil. stir well until marinade is combined.

2. Place shrimp in a medium non-reactive bowl, pour chipotle/ orange juice marinade over to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes.

3. Heat grill to high, remove shrimps from marinade and sprinkle them with salt before placing on grill. Grill the first side for 1 1/2 minutes, turn and grill until finished (about 3-4 minutes total cooking)

4. remove from heat and start eating!

Jalapeño pepper & roasted peanut slaw

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted organic peanuts
3/4 medium cabbage
1 1/2 cups cocktail tomatoes, washed and cut into quarters
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1 1/2 limes, juice of
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Cut the cabbage into quarters, cut out the core and using a sharp knife cut each section into very thin slices.

2. Combine the cabbage, diced jalapeño and cilantro in a large non reactive bowl.

3. In a med size bowl combine the Olive oil, lime juice and salt. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss well.

4. Add the peanuts, toss again, and lastly add your tomato slices and toss once very lightly (so you don't get mushy tomatoes)

5. season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

All Is Quiet

Grampa and the grandtwins, just pulled out of the driveway. Garth is taking the kiddos back home and will be visiting with his mother in the Bay Area. There was a lot of action around here for the last four days and the quiet is already seeping in. Time to get a grip on my sewing room and finish up three UFOs.

'This week I am taking Freddy Moran's "Liberated Wedding Ring" class. And,boy is it liberated! Not a digital maven, Freddy does not do email and has no website. To see Freddy's work, go to her photographer's website.

Here is a thumbnail photo of the pattern.

I will be spending the rest of the day pulling fabrics from my stash for the class. This qult is in Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston's second book, Freddy & Gwen Collaborate Again

I will report back on how fabulous the class was, so stay tuned.

Blackened Chicken with grilled eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tiny tomatoes and jalapenos with balsamic drizzle

Ingredients:

Cajun Blackening Spice-

5 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions for Cajun blackening spice
1. mix all together in an airtight container. (will keep for quite a while)

Ingredients- chicken-

garlic butter- (2 Tbsp Butter mixed with one pressed garlic clove)
2-6 boneless chicken breasts with skin on. (we simply washed and cut up a whole chicken as we were grilling anyhow. That way there are plenty of leftovers for hiking on the weekend)

Directions-

1. Liberally toss or sprinkle the Cajun spice on the chicken breasts.
2. place on hot grill, skin side down. 5-7 minutes (once they are black) and flip breasts over, rub with garlic butter and cook for 5-7 minutes and flip and rub the other side with garlic butter. Grill until an instant read thermometer says the inside of the breast is- 165 F.


Ingredients for Eggplant and vegetables:

1 large eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/2 thick rounds
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 cups tiny tomatoes, skewered onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers
2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed, skewered onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers
2 jalapeno peppers, trimmed, cut in half and deseeded
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Directions for veggies-

1. Place the eggplant slices in a shallow bowl and drizzle with a couple Tbsp. olive oil. These will take the longest to grill, up to 20 minutes. place them on the grill and turn when there are nice grill marks, grill other side.

2. Place the zucchini slices in a shallow bowl and drizzle with a Tbsp. olive oil. place them on the grill and turn when there are nice grill marks. These take a little less time than the eggplant.

3. Brush the jalapeno slices, skewered mushrooms and skewered tomatoes with olive oil, place on grill and grill until nice grill lines appear, turn and grill other side.

4. When all the vegetables are done, plate them and drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Forever Summer Salad

What to do with all those cucumbers? How about a delicious and fresh dinner salad.

Ingredients:

1 Organic avocado, removed from skin,deseeded and cut into cubes
1 Organic English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups organic fresh strawberries, washed, trimmed and cut in halves
1/2 lb. fresh shrimp (buy the kind that has already been deveined)
1 organic lime, juice of
2 Tbsp. extra virgin Olive oil
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste


Directions:

1. Cook the shrimp by dropping them into boiling water and leaving in the water for 3 and 1/2 minutes. Take them out of the pot when done and rinse them in cold water to cool them down.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Place the cooked shrimp, cucumber, cut strawberries and avocado in a large bowl, pour the dressing over and toss lightly. adjust salt and pepper. Serve it right away.

oh yummith!

DH is home!!!

Garth arrived home after two weeks in visiting his brother and family in Montana. He took our 17' Casita trailer AND two of the grandkids. 10 year old twins Elio and Isabelle. We live in Northern California and Thompson Falls, Montana is a ways to go with two kids, but it turned out to be a wonderful time. The kids were good travelers and everyone had a good time at Uncle Johnny's and Aunt Cheryl's place. They have lovely home right on the banks of the North Fork of the Clark River. There was campfire by the river, inner tubing behind the boat, catching crawdads, paddling, picking huckleberries.... and any number of great things. If you are going to spend quality time with the grandchildren, do it before they get too old and have other interests. These years never come around again.
Picking Huckleberries in the rain.....

Catching crawdads........then eating them with
butter.....





A picture is worth a thousand words!






Now starts the laundry, emptying the trailer and all that goes with the end of a trip.

Crazy Good August in New England Pancakes

Despite the fact that my wife made and froze pancakes yesterday (I didn't know, I swear) and despite the fact that my kids had already eaten breakfast, I was determined to bang out a pancake recipe this morning, which was a challenge to do between loads of laundry, picking up the house and heading over to Karl's Sausage Kitchen in Saugus for obscene amounts of meat. I got smoked bratwursts, beef and tomato sausages, pork sausages, boiled ham, pepper salami, andouille, veal loaf, some other stuff, gummy letters, and German potato salad which I gave to the babysitter. But I digress. Like I said I was determined to come up with the ultimate pancake, to win the title of Ultimate Pancake Cooking Guy or Gal, a position previously held by my father, and probably by yours, too, but I did, and now I am He (I don't mean to say that I am my father - that would be weird). We had these peaches and blueberries from our farm share, and they were begging to be eaten, so who was I to deny them, right?

I love yogurt in pancakes, don't you? I have to apologize in advance to Stonyfield Farm: I only know how to make the trademark logo thingy on my Mac.

Peach & Blueberry Pancakes

(makes 8)

2 eggs

1 cup Stonyfield Farm peach yogurt smoothie

2 Tbsp melted butter

2/3 cup blueberries

2 peaches, peeled and diced

2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon (yay to cinnamon and peaches together)

2 pinches salt

pan spray as necessary

- whisk together eggs, peach yogurt smoothie and butter and set aside

- combine fruit with dry ingredients in a separate bowl

- gently fold fruit/dry ingredient mixture into egg mixture

- heat a nonstick skillet (or 2) over medium heat and coat with pan spray

- using a 2 ounce ladle, pour pancake batter into pan

- cook about 3 minutes per side, then eat them

fresh garden beans and carrots - spicy noodle salad

My MIL gave me the key to her garden while she is away on a cruise. I decided to use the fresh beans and carrots in a salad tonight. crunchy, satisfying and spicy. mmmmm

Dressing Ingredients:
1 lime, juice of
1 1/2 Tbsp cold pressed canola oil
1 1/2 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
1 Tbsp sucanat
1 tsp. blue agave nectar (this is sweeter than sugar so add more if you are using sugar)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 or 3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 Tbsp orange zest
2 hot red chilies, chopped very thin
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

Salad Ingredients:
2 cups green beans, trimmed
2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
250 grams rice vermicelli

Directions:

1. Combine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside for 1 hour.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on high, add the green beans. cook for 2 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl of icy water to cool quickly. when cool, remove from water and drain well.

3. Add the rice vermicelli to the now empty pot of boiling water. turn off heat, stir to separate, and remove noodles from hot water in about 4 minutes (or when done). rinse noodles under cold water, drain well, lay out on a cutting board and slice the noodles in half lengthwise (easier to eat).

4. Combine the green beans, carrots, green onions, rice vermicelli and dressing in a large bowl and toss to coat. serve right away or chill for later.

Not Secret Butter for Steak Applications

1/4 lb unsalted butter at room temperature

1 Tbsp ultra-reduced beef stock

1 Tbsp Heinz chili sauce

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

dash Tabasco

1 tsp minced shallot

1 tsp minced parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

- combine all thoroughly by preferred method

Dang!

Scrambled Kirkland Fake Eggs with Yancey's Fancy Buffalo Wing Flavored Cheddar & Applegate Farms Hot Soppressata - Simply Ridiculous

seriously - the best I could come up with for lunch yesterday: sauteed hot dogs, celery and mushrooms

Quilts

Well....the time has come to list my finished quilts in my etsy shop. Three will be for sale, to begin with, and we will see how they sell. This is a little guy, 42 x 42. Maybe diagonally on the table with candles, etc, or as a wall hanging.

The one on the just below was fun to make....I did it just to see how it went together. An excellent stash-buster.

I didn't know if it would end up on someone's bed, over the back of the couch or on the wall, so I put a sleeve on it. It measures 68 x 49. It was professionally quilted, so zoom in on the wonderful feather work.

And then is my one of my favorites....great Turkey red fabric that I hoarded for a couple of years until I could find a quilt to put it in. Size is 74 x 74. I also made pillow cases from leftover fabric. I can see this in someone's guestroom.

So...the quilts will to up tomorrow.

Soyrizo™ for that Pesky Pescatarian or Postmodern NeoHippie

Once upon a time I moved with head held high amongst its ranks, that subset of omnivore that for some inexplicable reason insists on referring to itself as vegetarian, but when confronted, admits that fish would be just fine, thanks. Even preferable. But in the absence of seafood, we'll take just about anything your R&D people can drum up, just as long as it bears a striking resemblance to the meat we've cast aside. Yes, I was a pescatarian for a spell. I am cured, now, but alas, my wife is not, so we have some dinner rules on Otis Street. Anyway my friend, Robert, dropped off some cod he caught yesterday, and I immediately and correctly thought spicy sausage. I mean, who wouldn't, right? Of course, in this house there will be no andouille or chorizo - at least not shared, so what's a guy to do? Then I remembered Soyrizo™ and I thought I'd give it a go. I also learned how to make the little trademark thingy on Blogger™ today, so I needed a branded product to showcase my progress.

For those of you familiar with the not-so-nuanced differences between Spanish and Mexican chorizo, Soyrizo™ is Mexican-style. For those of you unfamiliar with said differences, Soyrizo™ is still Mexican-style. At the market I set out thinking Basque and shopping accordingly, but after trying the Soyrizo™ I went with more of a Franco-New World fusion and something like a Mexican "chili con carne sin carne." (™pending) This I served with Robert's really great cod and a simple avocado sauce, but really tripped out actual vegetarians/vegans could simply leave out those last two flourishes and enjoy the Soyrizo™ stew on its own.

Cod, Chili con Carne sin Carne & Avocado

CcCsC

Soyrizo™

1 tube Soyrizo™

- prepare the Soyrizo™ as per directions on the package, which means cook it as you would ground beef in a non-stick skillet, chopping it up as it browns with some sort of utensil; set aside

Fennel

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bulb fennel, sliced into short matchsticks

4 leeks, white and light green only, cut into 1/4" rings

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp brine from kalamata olives

1 cup water

- heat a heavy saucepan over high heat and add olive oil, fennel, leeks, garlic and salt

- while stirring often, brown slightly; add brine

- reduce until brine has disappeared, stirring often, then add water

- cook until fennel has softened - about 12 minutes; strain and set aside

Tomatoes

3 very large tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

fresh ground pepper as desired

reserved fennel/leek mixture

reserved Soyrizo™

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

- blanch, peel and seed tomatoes by the shoemaker method (slice in half across the equator and squeeze out and reserve the seeds and guts)

- cut tomatoes into large dice; strain seeds and guts and add resulting pulp and juice to tomatoes

- in a large, heavy saucepan, lightly brown garlic in olive oil, then immediately add tomatoes to halt browning process

- add remaining ingredients, turn heat to as low as possible and cover

- cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes; stir in cilantro and serve

Avocado Sauce

1 avocado, skinned and rough chopped

3/4 cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp cream cheese

1 Tbsp minced cilantro

- puree in blender

1/2 tsp salt

Cod

4 portions skinless cod fillets

- cook cod, serve over CcCsS and nappe with avocado sauce

This One's for Sandra

This may not look like much, but it's got a great sense of humor. Local cheeses, eggplant and, miraculously, tomatoes from our farm share coupled with herbs from our garden and topped with cheesy olive crumbs make for an easy and tasty vegetarian entree for two.

Bouvard et Pécuchet's Pavé aux Legumes d'Été.

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced vertically 1/4"
olive oil, salt and pepper as needed
2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4"
1 ounce fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 ounce smoked mozzarella, small pieces
2 Tbsp mixed herb flowers (fennel, basil, oregano)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 slices whole wheat bread
1/4 cup grated grana padano
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 Tbsp chopped herbs (from the flowers)

- brush the eggplant slices liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
- in a nonstick, pan saute the eggplant until browned slightly and just softened - about 2 minutes per side; remove to paper towels
- season tomato slices with salt and pepper
- in a loaf pan or terrine mold, alternate layers of eggplant and tomato, dividing goat cheese, smoked mozzarella and herb flowers between each layer
- in a food processor, pulse the olive oil, bread, grana, olives and herbs; top your new creation with this crumb mixture
- bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, uncovered, or until top is not quite as brown as the one in the picture above.

If your tomatoes aren't money, don't bother making this. Also, if you don't like eggplant or goat cheese, get over it and make it anyway, as long as those tomatoes are money.

Smoke, Carrie and Our Friend Marti

We live on one side of a lovely valley, but today it is hard to see across to the opposite ridgeline. The fires in California, especially in the neighboring county, are making their presence known with our air and our valley full of smoke.
The aerodynamics of it all elude me, but it has happened before. But still, when you live in the foothills and wake up at smelling smoke, you know there is wildfire....and you head for Google to see where the incident is located.
Here is the sunset...............and then a view of part of our backyard.
Tomorrow, I go to get my hair cut.....styled, that is. My super special stylist Ms. Carrie, owner of, Hair Productions in Auburn, has offered to let me display some of my totes and bags in her shop! So I am figuring out how to make a little display for large bags that will not take up much space or get in the way.

Now, bad news...We received an email from the correspondence e-fairy at the Auburn Garden Club. Member and friend, Marti and her husband, Paul were in an auto accident. The newspaper....says that their car struck a tree, and then spun out of control, hit an embankment and landed on its roof. This how the first responders found them. He is doing well, but Marti will be in the hospital for some time. They were driving only 40 mph with their seat belts on. Two tons of steel just going just 40 mph can be a scary thing. People, please be careful.

Free Labor!

Our neighbors have the most adorable pygmy goats on their adjoining land. They have the goats because they are fun pets but also because they will eat brush. We live in a high-risk fire area and must keep 100 feet of defensible space around our house. Sometimes the little darlings will breach the fence and come on over and eat our weeds. We never complain! Speaking of labor, I had better get to work and organize my sewing room. By the way, for those of you in the S.F. Bay area, the American Craft Council show is on in the city this weekend. Too far for me...http://www.craftcouncil.org/sf/ .

Mock Peanut Sauce

It's been about a year since our older son was diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergies - a diagnosis we question, but we are not so ill advised that we would really put it to the test. Yet. And it hasn't been all that challenging; I mean, you can swing a dead cat all you want and you'll never hit a school that allows peanuts anymore. But one thing he really misses is Asian peanut sauce, whether as a dressing for noodles or a dip for chicken satay. So this one's for you, Owen.

4 Tbsp sunflower seed butter (easier to find than you think)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp sriracha (or less)

1 Tbsp minced cilantro

1 tsp microplaned ginger

- puree thoroughly in a blender

New Sashimi 8.14.09

So here's the culmination of the last 3 posts. In the foreground you have hiramasa slices dressed with sea salt and olive oil, separated by thin slices of lemon and topped with herb and garlic infused milk foam. In the rear and out of focus are the caramelized onion custard and elephant garlic chips, which turned out fantastic. And in between the two is a dab of the mustard emulsion, which also wound up pretty darn tasty. Each element is acceptably yummy on its own, but the combination, the perfect forkful if you will, is the way to go. IMHO.

Break In The Heat!

There is a short break in the heat. Last night I did some watering then spent some time in the garden hammock and watched the solar lanterns come on.

This morning it was still cool which means coffee on the deck. However, soon I am looking down at the garden.....which brings into view tons of weeds that really weren't there a few days ago. I am a gardener and this phenomenon has no scientific basis, but I bear witness to it. There will be no photo of the garden until it is looking better.

Yesterday, was my quilting mini-group day, only I was the only attendee! Summertime is hard for the five of us to be in one place at the same time. So, I put my quilting stuff away and made a bag instead.







Today, however,it is time to get to work on at least one of my ufos. I do not know why I started this quilt, but I can't seem to finish it. Garth looked at it and declared it "scary".
The blocks are those bright, fun 'Fresh Paint' fabrics from Marcus Brothers. All put together it makes my eyes ache. I have a pieced border to add, but it really needs something else or something different

Any ideas? Help!

Here it is with the backing I got for it!

Suggestions welcome...you all know where!

Spicy Mustard Emulsion for Sashimi (or Ham & Cheese Sandwiches)

This would make a tasty, spicy everyday mustard, as well.

1/2 cup white wine

1 Tbsp honey

2 tsp salt

1 tsp coriander seed

1 tsp horseradish powder

1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns

1 pod star anise

3 eggs, poached (or nuked together for 1 minute)

1 1/4 cups grapeseed oil

1 cup mustard oil (Laxmi brand)

- reduce the first seven ingredients together over medium heat to 3 Tbsp - about 6 minutes in a small saucepan; strain

- in a blender puree eggs and wine reduction

- with the motor running, drizzle in grapeseed oil

- repeat process with 1/2 the mustard oil

- remove to a mixing bowl and whisk in remaining mustard oil

- use sparingly

Chips 'n' Dip

Good for you for making extra caramelized onions the other day. Nice work. Now you can go to the trouble of making this moderately involved, glorified onion dip. And while you're at it you can make the chips, too. Out of garlic. But make sure to use elephant garlic; I forgot to order elephant garlic last night, so I made a batch with regular garlic, and right now I can't drink my Diet Dew fast enough. Yuck.

Caramelized Onion Pot de Creme

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup caramelized onions

1 Tbsp minced dill

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup caramelized onion juice

1/4 cup creme fraiche

2 whole eggs

4 egg yolks

- combine cream, onions, dill and salt over low to medium heat; coo 10 minutes

- strain through sieve, pushing to extract as much flavor as possible from the solid ingredients

- whisk in onion juice, creme fraiche and eggs; strain again

- divide between 12 small ramekins, 1 ounce in each

- bake covered in a water bath at 250 for 35 minutes, or until just set.

Elephant Garlic Chips

desired quantity of elephant garlic sliced 1 mm on Ted's truffle slicer

simmering water

warm clarified butter as needed

salt as needed

- pour simmering water over garlic slices and allow to cool to room temperature

- pat dry and gently toss garlic chips with butter to coat

- lightly salt and bake between two silpats at 250 until light brown and crispy - about 20 minutes

- store at room temperature

A Day For Linus...

Yesterday was our day to quilt for Project Linus. We meet at Cabin Fever Quilt Shoppe down in town. They have been providing us with a classroom to use for the last two years. That is a significant contribution to our efforts to make quilts and blankets for children in crisis. We had a great potluck lunch (nobody says quilters are not foodies too) and a four hours of sewing together. At right snap of our leader, Sandy, who is the provides the enthusiasm and emotional glue that keeps us energized.

Two visitors from the Red Cross came to say thank you for our quilts. Their volunteers respond to disasters small and large carry our quilts in their vehicles.....A family sitting on the curb in front of their burning house will get age-appropriate 'blankies'......piles of quilts went to New Orleans. Well, if you are not familiar with the organization, please click here. If you sew....think about joining a group in your town.

Mediterranean Bubbles

Rule #1 - if using something like this, do not mention it, but rather, be discreet. For example, you might call it "garlic & herbs."

3 cups 2% milk

1 cup chopped mixed herbs such as chervil, parsley, and chives

1 bulb garlic, cloves smashed and peeled

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soy lecithin

1/2 tsp demerara sugar

- over low heat bring milk, herbs, garlic and salt to a slight simmer

- cook, stirring often to keep the heat down, for about 10 minutes, or until garlic softens

- strain and return to pan; whisk in lecithin and sugar until fully dissolved; cool completely and strain once more

- foam as you would for cappuccino (with the steamer) for a dense hot foam, or with an immersion blender for cold airy results

PS, an afterthought: I would add a few sprigs rosemary to the steeping herbs to serve with a peppered lamb carpaccio, but I'm serving the above recipe with hiramasa sashimi, elephant garlic chips and caramelized onion custard.

By Request... 2 Caesar Dressings

I get email recipe requests all the time, which is one reason I now post recipes here - as a preemptive measure. So today I was asked for our caesar salad dressing recipe, and I realized that 1) it's not posted, and 2) it's really hard to scale down. But I thought I'd give it a shot. The first of the recipes below is just that - my condensed version of the G23 dressing. The second is one I use at home, or close to it, I think. Good luck.

Grill 23's Caesar Dressing

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

2 tsp red wine vinegar

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 shakes Tabasco

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp anchovy paste

1 1/4 cups canola oil

1 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

- in a countertop mixer, thoroughly combine all ingredients except for oils

- with machine running on medium-high speed, slowly drizzle in oils to emulsify

- season to taste

My Other Caesar Dressing

1 egg, poached for 2 minutes

12 anchovy fillets

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

juice of 2 lemons

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup olive oil

- in a blender, thoroughly process all ingredients but oils

- with motor running, slowly drizzle in oils until thickened

Me and the Camera, or The Camera and Eye and etc Stuff.

I have never given much thought to taking pictures and I detest having my picture taken. When I launched my online shop, I uploaded photos of some of the bags I had made. The were awful! I got some advice both from friends , etsy and Garth's daughter, Renee. I think I can do much better now so I am going to take them all over again. Thanks everyone....

Meet my loves! Here is my husband, Garth and our Cockapoo of 14 years, Maggie. I believe when some men retire, they have a need for property and big toys. We have retired some ten years ago, and Garth has sculpted our property with this machine. The man makes the earth move!

This morning I made dogfood for Maggie. Yes, we make our own. She has Cushing's Disease and the special food from the vet is way too expensive. So we keep her healthy and well with good food and love. If your dog has this problem (not uncommon in smaller dogs) contact me, and we will give you the recipe.

I am trying to add to this blog while downloading an audio book....my mac is getting a little wonky. So since I know how to come back ato the blog, but no idea how to get my books back I shall pause. Tomorrow is Project Linus sewing day, and I need to make a Tortellini Salad for the potluck (We are having an anniversary party) and get my materials together to go sew for the kiddos.

The Spanish Word for Étude

A number of years ago I came upon a new, revolutionary product: fata paper, ostensibly invented by some Italian chef, though I'm sure he was only its public face. Fata paper purported to be a transparent, oven-safe plastic that one might use as one would use parchment for meals "en papillote." It seemed pretty cool at the time - I pictured packing meals-to-go in the stuff, doing some nifty table presentation, whatever. Then I discovered Reynolds Oven Bags. My fata bubble had burst. Anyway, last night's dinner was a bit of a spoof on some of today's latest trends, and following are recipes for you to execute a perfectly modern menu at home: native cod, a ragout of corn, shiitakes & smoked shrimp, maiz fundido and cucumber-celery espuma.

It begins with the farm to table movement: garlic scapes, first blanched, then cooked for so long they approach a surprisingly edible state; and some local corn, which along with New Hampshire shiitakes, Maine shrimp and dayboat cod, all qualify for the locavore title. Next we hit Spain, home of the top culinary trendsetters for the past 15 years or so, and the hub of molecular gastronomy (a title which, to me, much better describes microwave cooking). So we have little monoliths of corn (the yellow rectangles in the photo) designed to only finally melt when the dish is fully cooked, which actually works out quite well. And here we use marshmallows, as it is typical to the school of avant garde Spanish cuisine to make use of rather improbable, perhaps inappropriate - or at least marginally appealing - ingredients. Of course we must include one of several types of foam, the one often refered to as "air." I personally prefer "fizz," but that doesn't do justice to such a scholarly study of la cocina. Also, I included one metric measurement for true authenticity. And finally we bake this whole bundle in fata paper, except that I left my expensive roll of fata paper at the office, so I got some Reynolds Oven Bags from Shaw's while Owen had a piano lesson. (I should mention, by the way, that Owen chose corn and shiitakes as ingredients.) I should also mention, that spoof or no, this was an unreasonably delicious dinner.

The Spanish Word for Étude

Ragout

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil

1 Tbsp butter

10 large shiitake caps, cut into brunoise

kernels and milk from 2 ears corn

6 oz smoked Maine shrimp, chopped

2 Tbsp combined thyme and oregano flowers

pinch salt and a few grinds pepper

- sweat shiitakes and corn in oil and butter over low to medium heat 7 minutes

- remove from heat and add shrimp, herb flowers, salt and pepper; chill.

Maiz Fundido

1 Tbsp butter

shaved corn and milk from 1 ear corn (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup thin sliced sweet onion

1/2 tsp sea salt

200 ml prepared dashi

2 marshmallows, diced ( I like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's brands)

1/2 cup 1% milk

3/4 tsp agar agar powder

- sweat corn, onions and salt over low to medium heat until onions soften - about 8 minutes

- add dashi and bring to a simmer

- stir in marshmallows and remove from heat

- puree in blender until smooth (this should amount to about 1 cup)

- return to pan and add milk and agar agar; whisk constantly while simmering 5 minutes and pour into small bread pan lined with plastic wrap; chill until set

Cucumber-Celery Espuma

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp soy lecithin granules (available at hippie supermarkets)

- puree celery, cucumber and water; strain

- add soy lecithin and warm this liquid over low to medium heat

- before serving, whip this mixture with an immersion blender

Assembly

4 oven bags

4 garlic scapes, blanched 3 minutes and shocked in ice water

corn, shiitake & smoked shrimp ragout

4 7 ounce portions of cod, seasoned with salt and pepper

maiz fundido

cucumber-celery espuma

- in each oven bag place a garlic scape and fill with the ragout (the scape is a spiral shape)

- top each with a portion of cod and 1/4 of the maiz fundido (which will be a solid block)

- seal bags with the provided enclosures and bake at 350 degrees until the solid maiz fundido rectangle has melted - about 20-25 minutes

- remove from oven and cut bags open; top with dollops of espuma and enjoy!