Simple Spring supper or brunch: arugula and eggs on toast

Spring is about what is truly spectacular without adornment. Tulips do not require greenery or baby's breath added to the bouquet. Baby lambs can be watched for hours and a plot twist is unnecessary. A spring storm followed by brilliant sunshine and a stunning rainbow needs no sound track. 

Arugula, eggs, bread. Simply perfect.

Yes, you can find fancy recipes for arugula. Please feel free to try them all. But please, let this peppery green take the center stage she deserves. This isn't even really a recipe so much as a reminder that you should just eat arugula and not worry about knowing "what to do with it." 

A bunch of arugula draining in the best colander ever.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tsp olive oil
• 2 or so garlic cloves, finely minced
• Bunch of arugula - couple of big handfuls
• Splash of white wine or broth or skip it
• Sprinkle of thyme - fresh or dried - if you have it
• 2 whisked eggs with a  splash of milk if you have it
• 2 small slices of toasted bread
• Chèvre or other cheese of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add olive oil to small frying pan over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low. Add garlic and sauté a bit but don't brown. After rinsing (duh), toss in the arugula. Splash with wine. Sprinkle in thyme. Stir a bit. It will wilt pretty quickly. Add the whisked eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Nudge around occasionally until cooked, but not dry.

Yes, I should have stemmed and chopped. But it was fine without doing that.

I usually toast the bread first. In this case, it was some leftover olive bread I had in the freezer. Whatever bread you have is fine. Or if you don't eat gluten or bread (so, so sorry) just eat it without. Add the cheese to the pan and be done. Perhaps with potatoes. Or sweet potato hash for you no gluten, paleo people.  Geez. (I love you all.)

Scoop the arugula/egg mixture onto the toasts. (I had a little left over because my bread was small.) Here is your choice about cheese. I spread some on the bread first, then topped with stuff, then dotted more cheese on top. I really like chèvre. You could just put on top if you want. Or substitute another cheese if you don't like this kind. I'm not your mother. (Unless Tyler is reading this. Doubtful. Do you read your mother's blog?)

Before going in the oven. Actually, you could eat it like this if you can't wait 2 minutes.

Place on small baking sheet under a broiler for a couple minutes until hot and cheese is slightly golden brown on top. That is it.

My light supper. What is on my plate at this moment. Or at least a moment ago now. 

This would be terrific paired with sweet potato hash and/or fresh fruit salad. I had it with a glass of the white wine I used when cooking. Thank you Trader Joe's two buck Chuck Sauvignion Blanc. Don't judge me. It's what I had in the moment and it was darn good!

So simple. So perfect in this Spring moment.

Roasted Chicken with Apples, Potatoes, & Leeks

This dinner is probably total comfort food to many people. For me, it was an outside my comfort zone meal. Some of you are familiar with my aversion to meat that still has its skin and bones and to mushrooms. (Shudder.) I don't like to be reminded meat comes from an animal, don't like anything greasy, and don't like the idea of eating fungus. But I was looking for a way to use a bunch of CAS veggies (including mushrooms), the thighs and drumsticks pack at the grocery store was on a big sale, and my friend Eric has been talking up the paleo diet.

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of chicken - thighs and drumsticks
• 3 medium sized red potatoes, quartered into wedges then in half again
• 1 apple, cored and sliced in 1/8ths
• 1 leek - white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-4 pieces
• 1/2 large onion, cut into 1 in. pieces
• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4-5 crimini mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1/4-ish cup white wine or broth (vegetable or chicken)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. In a roasting pan or large stoneware pan, add potatoes, apple, leek, and onion. Toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1.5 tbsp rosemary, and half the salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken pieces with remaining salt and pepper and arrange, skin side up, on top of the veggie mixture. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until chicken registers 180 degrees.

Just before going into the oven.

Meanwhile, heat remaining half tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about a minute, or until it begins to turn golden brown. Add mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for a couple more minutes. Add half the wine and sprinkle with salt. Cook about 4 minutes and add remaining wine. Reduce for about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Just after removing from oven.

The mushrooms can be sprinkled on top of the roasted chicken and veggies and/or other side dishes at the table or stir into the roasted vegetables and apples if you really like mushrooms. You can drizzle everything with some of the chicken dish pan juices. I like options. (Eric, please ignore the piece of bread in the bottom lefthand corner of the photo below.)

Full meal, plated.

I served this with sautéed onions and red chard. That recipe will come later because I have an idea that could be either brilliant or disastrous for the leftovers of that dish. Stay tuned.

In this moment, I'm learning that pushing beyond my comfort zone brings incredible comfort when I've tried something I'm unsure of or accomplished something new. I wish you adventures that nourish body and sprit, too.

Oregon Clam Chowder

I know a lot of people have clam chowder for Christmas Eve. We have tacos. I don't know why - that is just what Grandma and Grandpa Jack did. It is tradition and we love it. So that is what we had. However, Tyler brought home a whole bunch of cockles from a dive at the North Jetty in Florence. His very kind Grandpa Ron ground them up before he brought them home so I didn't even have to tenderize them and chop 'em up. Blessings to them both.

I should also say, I don't like clam chowder. I mean, I won't eat it in a restaurant. I think Mo's is awful. I never thought I'd eat any. Ever. Amen. And then I made a batch myself. Mind changed. It happens, people.

Veggie ingredients, except the half onion and carrots

If your son didn't bring you fresh, prepped cockles you can use any clam you like - fresh preferred, but canned works. Rather than using a clam chowder recipe as the frame for this recipe, I started with a potato leek soup recipe. It tastes rich and creamy, but doesn't use any added thickener or cream. So it doesn't taste like flour and half and half.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons butter and/or canola oil
• 1 leek - white and light green parts only - sliced and washed well
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 4 potatoes, give or take, sliced and then cut in half
• 1 parsnip (optional, I guess), sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 cups veggie or chicken broth (mine was low sodium chicken broth because it was open)
• 2-3 cups water (or enough to cover the veggies)
• 1 cup milk (I used skim)
• 2(ish) cups finely diced or ground cockles or some kind of clams
• salt, pepper, paprika to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme or whatever fresh or dried herb you fancy

Leeks grow up through the dirt. Dirt gets between each layer. So you'll want to swish them in water to get it all out. I always recommend organic. I can't afford to get everything that way, either. But anything that requires special washing I try to get organic for sure. This one - and the parsnip and onion - were from my CSA. (Potatoes were from Rob's mom's family farm in rural SE Oregon. Such a treat!)

Washing sliced leek in my awesome new strainer.

Heat a dutch oven or other heavy stockpot on medium; add butter and/or canola oil. I used a tablespoon of butter and about 1.5 tablespoons of canola oil. Add onion and leeks. Cook until soft and a little bit golden, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat when needed. I reduced mine to medium-low after 5 min.)

Meanwhile, the potatoes, parsnip, and carrots can be diced or sliced. I sliced with a mandolin and then cut the large ones in half. It just makes them cook faster and mash up a bit easier later. Dicing is fine if you don't have a mandolin or don't want to wash it later. (Been there, done that.) Add to the pot and stir to combine. 

Add broth and water to cover veggies. Add more of either one if it doesn't quite cover. Add some salt and the bay leaves now. I put in about a teaspoon. Bring to boil over medium heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or so until the veggies are soft. With a potato masher (or fork or whisk - I used a plastic whisk) mash up the veggies until in bits. You could use an immersion blender or blend in batches, but I didn't want mine completely smooth. It is entirely up to you. 

it will look kinda like this when you have all the veggies and liquid in.

Add whatever clams you are using (no need to drain juice - add it too) and the milk. Add the fresh thyme if using. Put in pepper and paprika to taste. Let simmer without coming to a boil for 5-10 minutes. Taste. If it needs more salt, pepper, or paprika, add it now. If it is too thick, you can add more of any of the liquids you prefer. Simmer until you are ready to eat. 

The soup pot will look something like this at the end.

Caution: the smell of the finished chowder will attract teenage boys. Or at least it did at my house during Winter Break. I didn't do it tonight, but I would highly recommend bread bowls for this chowder. You didn't use any flour or cream and very little butter, after all. 

My half eaten bowl. Yeah, I was hungry and forgot to take a picture right away.

So if your winter moments bring you root veggies and cockles, or if you just have a hankering, make yourself and loved ones a steaming pot of this chowder. It will certainly warm your winter moments. 

Broiled Persimmons with Greek Yogurt

Fall and winter desserts are so deliciously rich and substantial. Afterwards we end up feeling too "substantial" to get off the couch. Hibernation food. Now that is fine and dandy after Thanksgiving dinner, but what's a girl to do when a sweet end to the meal is in order, but you don't want to end up in a food coma?

Enter a lovely little fruit that shows up in late fall: the persimmon.

Fuyu Persimmons. Photo by Rob Loper

I made a delicious butternut squash risotto for a cozy dinner at home. The evening called for dessert, but after the risotto I thought something light would be best. I stared at the persimmons from my CSA. I'd never eaten one and let them go a little longer than I should have with this variety because I didn't know what to do with them.

So, I just plunged in. I pulled the stems out, sliced them horizontally and placed them on a small baking sheet. Then spread about 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon of honey on top of each half. I turn on the broiler and placed the baking sheet on top rack of oven. I broiled them for about 5 minutes, but you should check each minute after 2 minutes. If some of the honey drips off onto the pan it will smoke a bit and smell like it is burning even though the fruit is fine. (But you might want to turn on the fan, because smoke alarms don't know nothing is really burning.)

When lightly browned around the edges, remove from oven. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt (I used plain, non-fat, but honey or vanilla would also be good), sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar blend or drizzle with additional honey, and top with fresh or dried mint, finely minced or crushed. If you want your desert to be a little less virtuous, you could top with whipped cream or sweetened, whipped cream cheese or mascarpone. Or perhaps a little vanilla bean ice-cream.

The finished product. Photo by Rob Loper

Now, I think these would have been better if I hadn't refrigerated the persimmons for a few days ahead of time as I think that diminished their flavor a bit. However, broiling seemed to bring it back out. That actually works with a lot of fruits. Like roasting does for veggies. It also helps if you eat by candlelight. Really, everything is so elegant and appetizing that way. You should all try it.

Beautiful end to a meal. Photo by Rob Loper

I've had lots of food on my table in the past couple of months, but keep forgetting to write down the recipes or take photos. So I haven't blogged anything in awhile. It seemed mean to say, "Hey, I ate this really terrific thing, but I can't tell you how to make it or show you any photos." Reminds me of a big fish story.

I hope you are all savoring your sweet moments at the table as much as I am mine.

Fresh End of Summer Salads

Fall is in the air, and I'm sure I am getting the last of the summer fruits and vegetables. I'm not ready. If I stomp my feet and shake my fist at the sky, will the warm sun and long days come back? Don't get me wrong, I do love autumn with it's changing leaves, football, crisp morning air, and cinnamon added to so many dishes. But I'm just not ready yet. So here are two summer salads that I think look like sunshine on a plate.

First, Golden Beet & Tomato Salad. I know some of you think you don't like beets and maybe you really don't. But please don't judge them by the canned pickled things you've eaten at grandma's house.

Sunshine on a platter.

Ingredients:

• Golden beets (I had like 8 small ones)
• Tomatoes - preferably Roma (I used 5-6)
• 3-5 Roasted Garlic cloves, depending upon how much you like garlic
• Chèvre, about 1/4 - 1/3 cup
• Vinaigrette (I used a honey mustard one with tarragon in it, but any kind will do)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Scrub beets and trim off greens. (Save greens for another use - they are tasty.) Place beets on foil on a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap foil around beets. Bake for 30 - 60 minutes until a fork or knife can easily be inserted (like a baked potato.) I know this is a big range of baking time, but it really will depend upon the size of your beets. Unwrap and let cool. Peel with a knife; the skin will come right off now. Slice beets.

Slice tomatoes, and place slices on plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, flip, and let sit another 15 minutes. You can skip this or shorten time, but it helps keep the salad from getting watery. 

On a platter, layer beets and tomatoes with a partial overlap in a ring shape. I put a couple beet slices together because my beets were quite small. Put any extra slices in the middle. Cut up roasted garlic and sprinkle on top. Crumble chèvre (you could also use feta) and sprinkle on top. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

The second salad really is just a way to dress up mellon. It doesn't even have a title. It is based on a lovely side dish my friend Karen made for me that had honeydew and cucumber chunks with a similar topping, only mixed altogether. So refreshing. I don't know what the mellon I used is called. My CSA list just said "mellon." The flesh looks like cantaloupe, but the exterior was different and it was sweeter. However, this would work with any mellon.

Here is the mellon cut in half

Ingredients to serve one person:

• 1 cup diced mellon
• 1-2 tbsp plain, non-fat greek yogurt (or whatever yogurt you want)
• Drizzle of honey (maybe a teaspoon or so?)
• Sprinkling of crushed or minced mint (Crushed if dried and minced if fresh)

Directions:

Placed mellon in a bowl. Dollop the yogurt on top. Drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with mint. Eat.

Sum, sum, summertime!

I'm holding on to the last moments of summer with these sunny salads. I hope what is on your table in this moment will help you keep that warm summer glow going, too.

Tomato Soup for Grown Ups: Roasted & Spicy

I had 11 tomatoes. 11. Yes, 11. When one is the only person in the house eating tomatoes, that is a lot. I made salsa with the last batch and caprese salad with the one before that. And we were expecting a gray day. Therefore, my excuse for end of August soup.

I love grilled cheese and tomato soup. Even Campbell's soup with grilled cheese made with plastic cheese on Wonder Bread. But this... this is something... special... and zippy.

Ingredients:

• 10 (or so) tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small onion cut into about 1/2 in. pieces (or half of a large one, duh)
• 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, and quartered
• 5-7 stems cutting celery (aka smallage) - optional. You could also use celery stalk with leaves.
• Oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 28 oz canned tomatoes with juice (or more fresh tomatoes if your cup runneth over)
• 1 - 1.5  cup red wine
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper - optional

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425. Add tomatoes, onion, jalapeño peppers, and celery to a rimmed baking sheet, roasting pan, or stoneware pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Add red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Shake or toss to coat. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, shaking pan twice. You could also add garlic cloves when roasting, if you like. I didn't this time, but probably would have if I had some on hand.

It should look like this and make your mouth water when done roasting.

Let cool for a bit so it doesn't explode when you blend it. It doesn't need to be cold or even clear down to room temperature, but you should be able to handle it. Put all, including juices, into blender or food processor and blend until pretty smooth. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender or food processor. It won't look like Campbell's, mind you, but pretty smooth. Pour into large saucepan or stock pot. Add canned tomatoes to blender or food processor and do the same with those. Add to stock pot. Add wine, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Stir to bring together. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and let flavors come together for at least 10 minutes - and up to 30. You could add milk or cream too if you wanted to make it creamier. It was rich and creamy enough as is for me.

Here is what it looks like just after you add everything.

If you like, top your soup with greek yogurt/sour cream and/or pesto. I used both and it was yummy.

I had mine with a baguette spread with chèvre, then topped with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and parmesan cheeses and broiled until melted and a green salad topped with a delicious sweet onion/tomato dressing from a local farm called Thistledown. Use your imagination. Your childhood favorites can be even better with fresh veggies and some spice. 

Full meal deal.

This is what is on my table at the moment. And I'm pretty sure it will be on my table in several Fall moments. I hope what is on your table is just as comforting and nourishing. 

Miraculous Risotto

If you think risotto is too time consuming, fear not, gentle reader. I won't disappoint you with something complicated and time consuming. I bring you the miraculous one pot wonder (and a great way to use some leftovers) that is my version of risotto. Honestly, I've put all manner of leftover veggies and proteins in this recipe. Below is really just a guideline.

Latest risotto and hungry hungry hippo as dinner companion. 

Basic ingredients:

• 5 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken are usually my choices)
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine (I did a sweeter wine once with apple chicken sausage and dates)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. lemon juice (sometimes I forget this part, but it is especially nice with spring veggies and shrimp)
• salt and pepper to taste

Add ins:

• Proteins: any kind of bean, chicken, shrimp, scrambled egg, sausage... probably other choices. 
• Veggies. My favorites are: caramelized onions, asparagus, peas, celery, summer squash - but really anything will work. 
• Flavor enhancers: fresh and/or dried herbs that go with your choices of proteins and veggies, dried currants/raisins/chopped dates if you want some sweetness, chopped nuts, garlic (roasted or regular).

Basic directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine broth and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat.

Add butter to dutch oven (or heavy, large sauce pan) on medium heat. Once melted, add rice to the pan, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the grains just begin to be translucent at the edges - about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed about 2-3 minutes. Stir 5 cups of hot broth mixture into the rice. YOUR CONSTANT STIRRING IS NOW COMPLETE. DO A HAPPY DANCE. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just al dente, 15-20 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. (Okay, sometimes I only stir once - and last time I forgot to stir at all.)

Remove lid and add 3/4 cup hot broth mixture and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan. Add lemon juice. Remove pot from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. 

Add in directions:

Most of the add ins should be added toward the end. Asparagus can be added to the hot broth mixture to cook for about 5 minutes or so to soften. Peas can be added just before the Parmesan. (Last time, I used mixed frozen veggies - gasp! - and added at that time.) Leftover chicken can be added at that point too. Heat up or keep over heat on stove until heated through. If using shrimp, add to top of risotto before adding last 3/4 cup of broth mixture, replace cover and steam until pink and cooked through. If you add onion or garlic, add extra butter or olive oil before adding rice and cook, then add rice and continue as rest of recipe. Veggies like carrots need to be steamed or added at beginning to cook through. I used smallage in this last batch. (Not to be confused with shrinkage. Kind of a wild celery that looks like parsley. Also called cutting celery. ) I cooked with garlic in butter before adding rice. If you have leftover veggies, just add them at the end and heat through before adding cheese. Fresh herbs and dried fruit should be added with the 3/4 cup of broth at the end. Dried herbs can be added earlier - when you add the 5 cups. Nuts I'd add at the end. Beans add when you put in the 5 cups of broth mixture. Or if you forget, heat up and add at the end. No big deal.

Get the idea? Just add leftover stuff at the end and heat before adding the cheese. If you don't have Parmesan, use whatever cheese you have. You can even poach chicken in the broth mixture, then remove and shred. Seriously, clean out your fridge and everyone will think you slaved for hours. 

Sometimes in the moment I need to clean out my fridge because a fresh batch of veggies is on its way. An absolutely incredible woman I know called this fridge frolic. Repurpose your leftovers and frolic in the this moment.