March is Lame and Food is Good

March is the worst month of the year.

It's so long.

It plays with your emotions.

The warmish thaws, the jubilation of going on a long leisure walk outside without a winter coat, all that squashed, the next day, with a big dump of snow.

Depression and hibernation, welcome back.

Usually Peter starts to beg about moving somewhere warmer in January, I can hold out until March and then I'm the one checking the forecast in, say, Mexico. But really, I would be happy if I could just spend Jan-March there.

That's all.

Then we can move back to good ol' Lake Wobegon.

This was just on Saturday!!!

I refused to leave the house today, so Fredrik and I cooked and baked and painted and colored and puzzled and read and on and on, so many things. It may seem obvious and cliche, but I've recently discovered the creative satisfaction I get from cooking. As days go by and I don't have time or energy to work in my studio I start to feel a little dreary. I then find myself spending more time in the kitchen, and even feel a little upbeat. Even with this weather a pleasant mood came about.

Today we made a yellow cake. Now, I know it's going to sound really pathetic having just talked about how creative I am in the kitchen, but I've had this gluten free Betty Crocker cake mix in my cupboard for over a year and I wasn't about to head out to the grocery store to get any ingredients - and I'm already thinking about depleting our food reserves since we'll be moving in less than 2 months- so that's what we made. Plus, I AM baking with a 3 year old.

The cake turned out fine. A little sawdusty, but still reminiscent of "real" box cake mixes (if I can remember correctly back to the last funeral I attended when I was still eating gluten). I think it was all the vanilla. But, despite the lack of great flavor, it had a good texture, and that's a feat with GF.

I knew the boxed yellow cake would have to be saved by frosting, and we only have this supposedly healthy sugar in the house (turbinado I think) which seemed not very likely to work. Doesn't one usually use powdered sugar for frosting? I thought about pulverizing the sugar in the cusinart, but didn't want to go to such a length for frosting. Also, we were almost out of butter thanks to the full stick in the cake.

So, I heated a double boiler, added about 3/4 cup chocolate chips, a few scoops of peanut butter, and a little whole milk. It was good, actually. And quick. Fredrik helped spread (eat) it and it tasted like melted peanut butter cups. We ate the cake later with banana slices which was really really tasty.

For lunch we had another "creative" adventure. Chicken and Rice. Seriously, I'm so darned creative. My little sister was telling me how she makes chicken and rice regularly and I thought, hmmm, I've never made that. I don't know how you are supposed to make it, but I just did it, and it was good and FGH ate it like it was the finest meal ever served in this house (besides raw cake batter).

I did it all on the stove top in my beautiful Cazuela pot from the Clay Coyote, which, may I say was a huge splurge that I do not regret at all. It's pottery for the stove top, hello! It just makes food taste better. Especially things like chicken and rice. I mean, really, cooking in metal or glass? Try artisnal flameware pottery.

I'm guessing most chicken and rice recipes ask for some sort of canned soup. I used vegetable boullion instead. And brown rice. I'm not a stickler for brown rice, but it was good here. I threw in some chopped onions and celery and dried herbs, than 4 chicken breasts and later, with about 15 minutes to go, I topped it all with broccoli. Last time I made it I covered it with carrot sticks. I think we will get four meals out of this and it was one pot, pretty much no mess at all.

Round and Round

The time of eating and merry-making is upon us and I am pumped. It's always around this time that my brain starts working overtime thinking about all the creations I want to make for the holidays. I'm talking mostly edibles, but some gift ideas have sprung up as well. I think it's the sweetest feeling this time of the year to list all of my to-dos. In just a few weeks I'll be up to my eyeballs in work and the weekends will fill with parties and my list will be modified time after time, so I best enjoy the idea of all these snacks right now.

So, in case anyone in the world wants to know what is on my list today, I will share it. I usually go for candy as cookies are in well supply in my family. Plus, candy is usually gluten-free and oh so very naughty.

1. Toffee. A darling story next to a simple recipe in the last edition of the Co-op Mix periodical has me convinced that toffee is a must-have this year.

2. Macaroons. The cakey kind. I made some like these:last year and they were super super good. I have no idea what recipe I used so we'll see what happens.

3. Gluten-free lefse. I miss lefse. Do fresh homemade corn tortillas with melted butter and sugar on them taste like lefse? SORT OF, at least the butter and sugar part. This will, by far, be the most challenging task of the season. I considered making it the past couple years but didn't get much further than some online research. Perhaps this or this or this very long-winded account will lead to success.

4. Turtles. This is becoming a staple since I made a batch with my friend Heather in high school. It's easy. I'll probably just make an itty bitty batch.

5. Peanut Butter Cups. I already know I will probably not make these but I just know my hub would love them. I have made them before. They are good. I mean, you mix peanut butter with butter and cover it with chocolate. Hello!

That's the sweets. They will be a nice addition to Christmas, and Solstice, and Lille Julaften, and all the rest.

On the less-sweet note we will be assisting once again with potato sausage and beer making this year - I even hear talk of a gluten-free home brew. Wow. We've got a pile of buckwheat groats and sorghum syrup in our fridge waiting for the big brew day.

I guess all of this holiday prep makes the dark days go faster. Not that I've noticed time moving slow ever in my life, but still, being stuck inside just makes you want to plan a party. Well, I better go cook some squash for "pumpkin" pie and think about what I'm going to make for Thanksgiving.

What are others thinking about making this year? Anything new?

XXOOXOXOX

I couldn't handle splitting this little book duo up, so I listed them in my shop as a set. How darling for you and your valentine to each have one! They started out as paintings, black gesso on BFK rives with watercolors, gouache, and colored pencils. Being the book person that I am, they ended up torn into squares and affixed to book board. You never quite know what you're going to end up with sometimes. I just love them as a set, the icy blue on the left and the fiery one on the right. That's all the commentary on that, no need to go into depth since I was working more from my gut than brain so I don't really know that they mean anything. That's the fun of art, I guess.

We do have some plans for the weekend, nothing too romantic. Out for a little shopping trip tomorrow sans child, and a dinner and movie double date on Saturday...we're opting for the mexican food + margaritas and beers over a more romantic steaks + wine. Since the double date is with my sister and bro-in-law, romance just feels, well, creepy.

As for gifts, I need to make a trip to St. Paul's best food destination, The Golden Fig. I bought some of their aged balsamic with dill for Peter for Christmas and we quickly drained it. They have quite an assortment of balsamics, decadent chocolates, artisanal local cheeses and meats, and such splendors that I do not have the time to list. It's worth a stop. We're not big on gift giving since we're near broke, but it seems ok to spend a little extra on good food now and then, plus, it's local and all that good stuff.

I guess the other item on the agenda is making valentines with fgh. I think holidays are still a little over his head, being 23.5 months old, but we'll try to do something pink and heart-shaped.

Maybe heart-shape pancakes with strawberries???

The Best Chocolate Ever

It was recently brought to my attention that the most delicious chocolate bars ever are made right here in the Twin Cities. I've had the good fortune to try the Salty Dog (dark chocolate with coarse sea salt) and the Chile Limon (my all time favorite). They are made by Minneapolis' BT McElrath and I buy it right here on Grand Ave. at the Golden Fig, a must-stop for all of your local/regional gift food treats.

At the Golden Fig They're big on samples, too, which justifies the purchase of a $5 chocolate bar or $7 box of crackers. Sort of. The salted carmel sauce you can sample by the spoonful? Tortilla chips grown, processed and packaged in MN paired with local salsa? I think they even have a special cupcake day. Sold!

Spring Frittata

Mmmmmmm.  Seasonal eating just got a lot tastier in Minnesota with the first spring greens arriving at the the farmers' markets.  We visited the Mill City Farmers' Market on Saturday to visit our old farm's new owners, Loon Organics.  We'll be picking up our CSA share there this summer.  

We ended up with a big canvas bag full of very familiar produce. Hey, isn't that the asparagus we planted?  Who knew the produce grown on that particular land would look a certain way, even after we moved?  It's something I never thought about.  Isn't asparagus always the same?  No.  After purchasing or at least browsing through asparagus in the local co-ops and grocery stores it was apparent right away that it was our asparagus, the long stems that grow about 14" in one day because they were planted on a uber-fertile former cow yard.  Pretty cool, I think.

We also loaded up with baby bok choy, radishes, and mesclun mix.  I'm so excited to be cooking with farm-fresh produce again...It was a long winter. 

I cooked up a spring frittata that turned out quite well.  Peter loved it.  I loved it, and most importantly, the little man in the house devoured it.  

I threw our radish greens in with the remaining 1/2 bunch of asparagus, a can of wild salmon, and some farm eggs.  I'm always looking for ways to use up radish greens.  They're so healthy yet I don't love their texture in raw salads.  At the farm we threw them to the chickens, but now we're actually buying them and we don't have chickens.   It was simple and oh so good.

Spring Frittata with Salmon

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch radish greens, chopped

1/2 bunch asparagus, ends removed, chopped into 1 inch segments

6 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  

Add asparagus, saute for a few minutes then add a splash of water and cook until slightly softened, 5- 10 minutes, or until water is evaporated.

Whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and cheese together.

Add radish greens to skillet and cook for about 1 minute or until wilted.

Add can of salmon (drained first) and cook for another minute or so.

Pour egg mixture over salmon and veggies, stir together once,then let simmer over burner until somewhat set in the middle.

Place under boiler until firm, about 2-4 minutes.

We ate our frittata at room temperature which I think is the best.  

I love the versatile frittata, it allows a delicious quick meal made with whatever is in the pantry or produce drawer.

Turtles

I decided to make turtles yesterday. I made A LOT of them.  I made these in high school with my friend Heather.  There is no homemade carmel involved, so they are easy-peasy.  I started with two pecans (the turtles feet???) , topped with 1/2 of a square carmel (the little ones in plastic wrapping), melted them at 350 degrees until they were a bit flattened but not bubbly, then cooled and dipped them in chocolate.  There is no almond bark on these turtles.  Half of them were dipped in Ghirardelli dark chocolate, the other half in Ghirardelli milk chocolate.  Delish.