pickles and potato salad...

This weekend we made some quick sweet pickles. I'm not a canned/grocery store jar "sweet pickle" person but I do like fresh ones. Last year we had some delicious ones atop salads (sounds strange but was surprising really good!) at a favorite restaurant of ours and we've always been wanting to try and make our own. So when I saw this recipe in Country Living we decided to give them a go. They turned out pretty tasty...a little sweet and still very crunchy! And because I had fresh dill and red onions and potatoes that needed using up, I made some potato salad too. April seems a little early for potato salad but it was good and fresh too!

mishmash lunch...

Last week I had lunch at my house for mum and a friend who were up for a little visit. It was a little bit impromptu (which is actually how I operate best anyways) and I thought it would be rather uncomplicated. We had chicken salad on croissants with some mixed greens and an asparagus jarlsberg tart (inspired by this gorgeous one...but with jarlsberg instead of ricotta) and lemon bars from the bakery for dessert. I thought I was giving myself a break by buying the dessert...but I'm slowly learning that what I once could do without a whole lot of effort now takes a TON of effort for me with a little nine-month old baby hanging on my leg (who is also going through a little bit of the stranger/separation anxiety stage too). It was fun to be with them and enjoy some adult conversation. And I loved using some of my vintage flowery dishes and girly things like teacups and doilies that haven't made it out of the cupboard in awhile lately...but I think my brain is finally starting to connect that things I used to do pre-baby are just not going to be same right now...which is all good and fine...I just need to learn that...and I think I finally am!

a new dish {creamy chicken broccoli noodle bake}

Last week I made a new thing for dinner...I should try to come up with a more succinct name for it but that's the best I can do these days. It's nothing super creative but we thought it turned out pretty good...warm & comforting too on these darker, colder fall nights. The leftovers were great too. Lately I've been really into egg noodles for some reason. I've always used them when I make chicken noodle soup but that was about it until recently.

This dish has 4 main ingredients*: egg noodles, chicken, broccoli, and a creamy, cheesy bechamel (white) sauce. It worked well for me to prepare it in chunks as time allowed since I don't have a whole lot of time to spend in the kitchen lately.
Here's how I did it: Par cook the broccoli (about 2 cups or so) for about 4-5 minutes. Poach 1 large or 2 regular sized chicken breasts (about 2 cups or so of pulled chicken...I always like to pull mine apart by hand after poaching). Cook the egg noodles (about half pound or so) just shy of the full cooking time by a minute or two. (I don't like mushy, overcooked noodles.)

Make the bechamel sauce: Saute a little diced onion & garlic in about 2 Tbsp butter. After a few minutes or so, add 1/4 cup flour. Cook for about a minute, stirring lots! Add 1 cup of chicken broth/stock/bouillon. Stir out any lumps. Then add 3/4 cup milk/cream. Stir over medium heat until it begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then, the real secret, special ingredient of this dish is added: cheese! But not just any cheese...Sartori's Bellavitano Gold**. I think I added a cup or so of shredded cheese.

Then in a casserole/baking dish, combine the noodles, chicken, broccoli, and sauce. Mix together well. Top with breadcrumbs for an extra special treat. (I just happened to have some breadcrumbs ready in the freezer that had some herbs and parmesan cheese in them as well which made this dish even easier.) Bake covered at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the breadcrumbs get toasty brown. Yum!

*It should be noted that I didn't measure much of anything except for when making the bechamel sauce...perhaps you can tell by all the "or so's..."! I just don't measure things when I'm cooking, unless I'm following someone else's recipe...so all of these directions are (hopefully) pretty close estimates! But I don't think you can really mess this up anyway!

**Hub recently came across this Bellavitano Gold cheese at the grocery store. It was right next to the regular chunks of parm we usually buy and he was persuaded to buy some when he saw the shiny gold award sticker on it's label. We tried it, loved it, and I use it often in my cooking! It melts wonderfully and has a really good, unique taste. :)

homemade pasta {cheesy ravioli}

Hub was itching to cook up something good, something different on Saturday. While I was busy doing various projects around the house (feeling frustrated, feeling like I was doing a lot but not fully accomplishing much of anything), his suggestion to make pasta from scratch pulled me right in beside him...it's something I'd always wanted to try making.

Hub followed Lidia's recipe for the dough and I got involved at the point of helping him knead the life out of it. It seemed really tough but "knuckling" it was kinda fun. Then, we let the dough rest for an hour...which provided me ample time to immerse myself back into my non-productive projects. When the dough was ready, I rolled it out as thin as I could... ...meanwhile, Hub was getting busy working on a homemade spaghetti sauce using our homegrown tomatoes and herbs. (Yep...we're still attempting to use up our tomatoes.) He cooked down a bunch of tomatoes in olive oil with fresh oregano, basil, diced onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Oh, and a bit of sugar too. I think he simmered this sauce for a good hour or more? (Note: His homemade sauce may have been the best part of the whole meal, although the pasta was pretty good too...but the sauce sure made it!) Hub also came up with the filling for our ravioli: ricotta, asiago, parmesan, fresh oregano and parsley, and some diced chanterelle mushrooms. (He reconstituted some dried mushroooms and then sauteed them in butter and a bit of salt first.)Putting together the ravioli was very much a joint venture. We both took a turn at filling the pasta, wetting around the filling with water, sealing shut, and then cutting into squares with a pizza cutter. Assembly is always the fun part of cooking to me. We boiled them in water for 6-8 minutes or so (our dough may have been just a tad bit too thick...next time I'd roll it even thinner if possible) and then laid them out in a low baking dish, topped with Hub's special spaghetti sauce and grated mozzarella. He then baked the whole thing for another 10 minutes or so...the last couple minutes under the broiler. And we both partook in eating these delicious squares...another joint venture! Next on our pasta-cooking agenda? We'd like to try making these again but with a butternut squash filling instead...mmm!

tomato time

Hub and I have been growing tomatoes for several years. But this season has been our best one yet due to the warmer summer and our new sunny growing spot along the house. We grew Big Boys and Cherry tomatoes and the flavor and texture of them has also been the best we've ever had. (And I thought this one that Hub sliced open was about the prettiest thing I'd seen all day.) Not to mention they get pretty big (like softball-sized) and have a very hearty, meaty center. So consequently, we've been eating tomatoes almost non-stop now for the past several days. Last week I made my creamy tomato soup. Hub's made several BLTs. We've had tomato-infused pastas. Spruced up grilled cheese sandwiches one night with caramelized onions and slices of tomatoes. And of course, several have made their way on top of our salads too.

Last night, Hub made salsa with our tomatoes and fresh homegrown parsley (I don't like cilantro except in tiny quantities and you can't beat using homegrown herbs anyhow).

He add lots of fresh-squeezed lime juice, onion, garlic, and jalapeno.
And that tiny green pepper on the plate that looks like a jalapeno...well, that's the last one we picked from our garden and we added it to our nachos.
The salsa was the best ever too. (Do you detect a theme here?)
But this morning, Hub implored that we take a night off from tomatoes.
Just one night? Okay, I guess I can do that...
.....
P.S. I'm thinking of canning some tomatoes. Any good tips? Do you absolutely need a pressure canner thingy? I get overwhelmed by Google sometimes...too much information!

garden to table

For dinner the other night, I wasn't sure what to make. And then I remembered the bush of basil we have growing along the side of our house. So I walked outside with the plastic insert bowl of my salad spinner thing and clipped a bunch of basil and picked all the ripe cherry tomatoes. I love being able to walk outside my door and pluck fresh ingredients to throw together a quick, fresh dinner. No need to run to the grocery store. I made a basil pesto pasta dish with the tomatoes sauteed in some garlic, and topped with generous shavings of parmesan cheese. It was simple yes, but also so delicious. So delicious in fact that I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish.

Oh how I wish this moment, this late summer season where the days are still warm and sun-filled, the nights are cool with the windows open, the knitting projects are just beginning, and a cup of hot tea is comforting each night that is a bit cooler...I wish this season would last for a long, long time.

.....

P.S. Here's the basil recipe I use, previously posted.

blueberry bliss...

In case you were wondering, no, I did not get trapped under a blueberry bush for several days...although it almost sort of feels that way to me, yet in a good way! After all my wild blueberry & homegrown blueberry gushing as of late, well...then I went to a blueberry farm with a friend last Saturday. Early in the morning, the berries still fresh with drops from a late night rain, I was in utter blueberry heaven! I realized then that my first 2 blueberry forays were really only precursors to this lovely farm that my friend led me to. I felt like we were on a secret mission, driving out in the country, walking down a path in the woods swinging our empty pails, only to come upon the sweetest homestead surrounded by row after row of gigantic blueberry bushes! There were already several people there, already picking...so much for my secret mission dreams...and we were asked if we wouldn't mind hiking further back, beyond the house to another field of blueberry bushes where the berries were supposed to be great. No, no problem we said.

Well, almost a full ice cream bucket or 6 pounds later, I was hefting my lovely berries back to the car with visions of blueberry bliss! I didn't plan to pick quite so many really, but my friend is a quicker picker than me so she kept topping off my bucket for me, saying that I still had room.

So after freezing a lot of them, giving some away, making blueberry pancakes, and just plain eating handfuls of them every time Hub or I open the fridge...I decided to try making a little blueberry jam today (along with some homemade bread)...and it turned out to be the prettiest plum/purple-ish color...but I learned that using my little mini prep food processor makes all the difference when it comes to mashing up the leathery exteriors, just a tip! And so does topping off the bucket. I'm so glad she did that!

summer mode {+ cabin-ing}

It appears I've slipped fully & thoroughly into summer mode...the place where I'm simply enjoying all the wonderful things about summer. Living in Minnesota all my life, I can't imagine living somewhere else that doesn't have 4 very defined seasons. There are things I do love about each season yet I prefer spring & fall since I'm not particulaly fond of extreme hot or cold weather, I guess. But the summers are uniquely special since they always seem to go by too fast, whereas the winters seem to drag on forever. So I've really come to relish the long days of this season...the lingering & intense sun, the bounty of wild berries, homegrown herbs & tomatoes, trips to the cabin, hours spent fishing, working in the garden, flowers everywhere, watching the hummingbirds, and all the other summer traditions, excursions, and activities that go by in a blur.

Hub & I spent last week vacationing at the cabin and I know I've likely said this before but the cabin has the best sunsets right across the lake without much to impend the view (as there're no other cabins on that side of the lake) and often glorious clouds that only enhance the sun's departure. I took a photo of the sunset each night we were there...and I think the one above was my favorite, but its hard to choose.

We spent most evenings out on the dock or boat until the sun went down...and come morning, I'd find myself on the dock again with my book and a cup of coffee in hand. We also had these daily visitors...a little duck family always looking for a handout.

Another thing I love about going to the cabin is all the little tiny towns nearby. We visited several during this week there...a drive to Dorset one day to browse around, followed by a fabulous lunch at a little cafe we found in Park Rapids, appropriately named "The Good Life." The food was so good! We must remember this spot.

Another day we golfed in Pine River then antiqued in Jenkins. And the following day we parked in the downtown of Hackensack and biked the Paul Bunyan State Trail heading north. (Me, resting on bench along the trail by Ten Mile Lake.)

These little towns are always fun to explore, but it's also good to get back to the complete quiet of the cabin...and wander off to a patch of wild blueberries.

I'd made note of this patch in previous years but it seems we never were there at the right time when the blueberries would be ready (last year we went later when the blackberries were ripe)...but not this year. We picked a little cupful of blue gems.

And on our final night at the cabin, we made use of another wild resource, fresh fish! Somewhat suprisingly, we'd never done a fish dinner at the cabin before, but this time we were determined to, even despite the so-so fishing. So we improvised using what we had on hand to put together a little fish bake and side pasta dish...

Hub filleted his fresh catches and I promptly washed them up and put them in little tinfoil packets...layered first with thin slices of lemon, then the fish fillets, topped with dabs of butter, salt, pepper, and dill seed (we couldn't locate fresh herbs at any of the nearby stores...hence the dill seed.) I folded them up tightly and poked a few holes in the packets. Then Hub slow-grilled them for maybe 12 minutes or so?

Meanwhile, I made a quick little tartar/dipping sauce (consisting of mayo, a dab of dijon mustard, lots of fresh lemon juice, and a bit of diced dill pickle...more improvising here!) and a whole wheat pasta side dish which consisted of sauteing up some green pepper, onion, and garlic in butter...then adding the cooked pasta to the veggies, seasoning, and topping with parmesean cheese. Mmm...this may have been one of my favorite cabin dinners yet!

...

More soon! ~L

life lately...

It was a magical sort of morning here today...the air was crisp, just 8 below...and the trees were crystallized in beauty as the sun came up. It never looks quite the same in photos though.
Yet the sunny start to the day afforded a good photo op for the new skinny scarf I just finished knitting. I started it last year, and like a lot of things, it was put to the side for a long time...mostly because I ran out of yarn and the store ran out of this yarn too. So I finally ended up finding some online. Lately, I've been trying to finish things up...books, projects, etc...just so I can start new ones!Little bits of re-decorating the nest have been taking place too...I pulled out this sweet tea pot and cups that had been boxed up since we moved. Hub gave it to me several Christmases ago. I think the cherry blossom design is lovely and its making me hopeful for Spring.
Of course buying pretty papers is somewhat of an addiction. These are just a few new ones that I picked up the other day...again, with Spring in mind! I can't wait until I have some time to just sit down and start creating with them.

Cooking, homemade lasagna the other night...always cooking and baking. Nothing new there.
There is something a bit relaxing about making a dish so tedious as lasagna though. A lot of repetition in the grating, chopping, layering and all. It gives one time to just ponder things...
And finally, I'm SO anxious to do some packing in this super BIG tote bag I recently bought. Soon, soon, we'll be on our way for a much needed get-away. Sometimes a little change of scenery is all you need to get you through the long months where you patiently wait (especially in MN!) for Spring to arrive, don't you think?

More soon! ~L

making gnocchi

For whatever reason, I've thought about making gnocchi for quite awhile now. Last Wednesday I happened to buy a 5 lb bag of russet potatoes for 48 cents (simply because they were on sale for practically nothing). Then on Thursday the latest issue of Bon Appetit arrived in our mailbox with a potato gnocchi recipe. And on Friday I had no plans for dinner that evening plus a rather free day to make it. So all these things working together, I decided it must be time. I'd perused the gnocchi recipe in our Joy of Cooking book in the past when I first started having gnocchi-making visions, but decided to go with the Bon Appetit version instead.I don't know why but it always seemed to me to be one of those elusive and difficult foodie-sort of things to make (like the kind I had here)...but I found it was just the opposite, rather fun and sort of like playing with Play-Doh! You start by putting the potatoes in the oven to bake for an hour and walk away to do other things...easy enough.

Then you need to scoop out the flesh and put it through a potato ricer. I didn't have one but the Joy of Cooking book said you could also use a sieve as an alternative, which I found worked really well.

Spread out and cool a bit to room temp.

Next, you mix the potatoes with flour and add in 1 egg, salt, & nutmeg.

Knead and form into a ball. This dough felt so wonderful and was easy to work with.

Divide the ball into quarters. Roll out and chop up!

Then I placed all my little gnocchi gems on a tray, covered them up, and put them in the fridge to hang out until dinnertime. When you're ready to eat, you simply boil them in water until they float and let them go for about 4 minutes more. We wanted to try a couple in their pure state (without sauce) so we drizzled on a bit of truffle oil and a little freshly grated pecorino cheese...and they were so delicious. Just the right amount of chewyness & good texture...perfect! The rest we had with a simple garlic + olive oil tomato sauce...and more pecorino of course!

I'm pretty sure the meat-loving Hub would've probably preferred them better when combined with this recipe...but with a mixed greens salad and some other good eats, he didn't complain one bit! Looks easy, no?