Peas and carrots have never been all that appealing to me. Carrots by themselves, good. Peas by themselves, or maybe in a pasta dish, good. Together? It’s lost on me. I’m simply not a fan.
So what do I do when I’m not a fan of something? I make my own version. Sub green peas with chickpeas and magically I find one of my favorite side dishes.
We are not hurting for good tacos here in the Central Valley. There are plenty to choose from. But when it comes to fish tacos, we have to find our way to a coast like everyone else.
The most recent coast was, of course, Kauai last month. Speaking of which, you can expect some round-up posts about that wonderful island to show up here next week.
I remain inspired, and hungry for fish tacos.
I haven’t said much about it yet, but we are embarking on a huge kitchen remodel. Demo starts next week. That means I am in use-up mode in the kitchen. This includes reaching to the far depths of the freezer to find the things I’ve long forgotten about.
Just out of curiosity, what is the authentic shape of a scone? All of the scones I’ve eaten in Ireland are round. That’s probably a safe bet. But a lot I eat in the U.S. are wedges or triangles. It’s the shape I make most often, too.
Call me crazy, but every once in a while I like to pull a wild card and make them square or rectangle. In the grand scheme of things, I realize this really doesn’t matter. A good scone is a good scone regardless of shape. This is simply a little sneak peek into the things that roll through my head when I’m in the kitchen – authentic scone shapes.
Speaking of good scones. I have some for you today!
We returned from Kauai this past weekend. It was our first trip to that island and our second to Hawaii. As usual, the travel gave me some inspiration for the kitchen along with a few ingredients that made their way back to California via my suitcase.
It’s like broccoli rice casserole, but without the broccoli or rice. That’s the first description that came to mind when I made this. Or at least that is what I envisioned when I came up with the recipe.
I’m still not over riced cauliflower. Maybe the rest of the world is? I don’t know. But I love the stuff. I’m always stir-frying it into things. So last week I thought – why not stir it into things…and then bake it.
Alas, a casserole was born.
I caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eye. It seems like yesterday that I was asking the vendor at a local farm market if the blood oranges had arrived yet, only to be told it would be a couple more weeks.
And here we are now with the season ending.
I think it might take moving to California to truly appreciate citrus. Heck, maybe it takes moving to someplace like the Central Valley. (Although, I was equally excited about this season when we lived in the Bay.)
There are so many varieties, so many bright colors. It’s such a welcomed sight and taste during a season that is void of other favorites like berries and cherries.
Those last few lonely bags of blood oranges were staring at me, begging me to make one last thing before their season was over.
This hearty chicken soup is simmered with a bone broth recipe. It’s full of fresh herb flavor and ideal for cool spring days.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry – Home of ROCKY® and ROSIE® Chicken.
I’m not trying to be overly dramatic, but homemade soup is life changing.
Once you have a bowl that has been simmered long enough to blend flavors and infuse broths, the thought of going back to canned feels like a death sentence to your taste buds.
If you’ve eaten a lot of canned soups in your lifetime, like I have (hello, diet food!), then you know they simply taste salty. And if you buy any type labeled diet or healthy, then you are in for even worse of a treat. Bland with a capital B.
Make it at home, though, and put in little effort, but a lot of time. Consider your soup world rocked.
I’ve always wanted a messy garden. I know that sounds strange. Most people want a gorgeously organized, symmetrical growing plot with every veggie in its place.
Not me. I’ve always loved the look of gardens that are bursting at the seams with greenery growing in every direction. Like a forest gone wild that produces food.
This might be because I lack the skill to produce one of those perfect gardens. Maybe I’m drawn to messy gardens because they are easier to maintain. But really it’s how they look.
I’m getting there.
Am I the only person who didn’t know about poha? How did I miss this?
I feel like I have a basic knowledge of most cuisines, but as much as I enjoy Indian cuisine, poha completely slipped passed my radar. I first discovered it a little while back through Liana Krissoff’s Vegetarian for a New Generation. Her book contains a poha recipe and I was hooked immediately.
Poha is a flattened white rice and when combined with spices, veggies, and eggs it’s like an Indian-inspired fried rice! There is something about it that I enjoy so much more than regular rice. Internet rumor has it that it’s easier to digest as well. But don’t take my word for that. I’ve just seen it around the web.
A couple months ago, I bought a bulb of fennel from the farmers market. It had the most gorgeous long stem, overflowing with feathery fronds.
This kind of fennel is harder and harder to come by. Not a chance at our local super markets. They like to chop off the beautiful tops to make the bulbs all tidy when stacked.
It always makes me feel like I’m getting ripped off when I have to purchase fennel like that. I do as much with the fronds as I do with the bulb. So whenever I spot it at the farmers market, I grab it.
Well, this time around I had loads of greenery left over after a project. I started to think about how its licorice-like flavors would pair with the Costco-size bottle of vodka sitting on the counter (don’t judge). I’d had fennel infused cocktails before, but it was as a flavor accent, in the syrup or as a garnish, versus the main attraction.
Good news! I submitted my book manuscript last Tuesday!
I should probably celebrate with a beer, but we’ll save that for later this weekend. I felt much more like celebrating with some baking.
If you had asked me two weeks ago if I was sick of cooking and baking I would have said, “YES.” But the past several days have been all editing with my butt planted at the computer. I’m ready to be back in the kitchen.
And what better way to celebrate than with a recipe by mistake!
