vie a la table » food

cooking for my husband

kris — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:15:55 +0000

it’s been a long while since i’ve cooked a decent dinner for wil. or even a regular dinner. like months. blame it on the pregnancy, moving, our schedules or whatever. deep down i know it’s probably that i didn’t realize till now how unorganized i was with my time. more often than not i would cast the blame on the thought that we had a really weird schedule of closing nights and nights off. but when i honestly looked at a normal week, we pretty consistently have 4 nights at home together. there’s no excuse!

last night i cooked a really nice dinner for him. it was definitely more than the usual affair and kept me occupied all day. the vintage linens and my handed down china made an appearance.

i set up a bar (for him only of course), as he was recently gifted the supplies for a dirty martini; and this man loves a dirty martini.

we dined on a couple courses…i can’t really take credit for the recipes themselves as i spent the days prior poring over old food & wine and bon appetit magazines for inspiration. i really wanted this dinner to be special, while taking into account what i can and can’t eat right now. we went with an apple, watercress & endive salad with a french shallot vinaigrette for our first course. and for dinner we had an herbed salmon over a vegetable quinoa pilaf, topped with a spiced creamy sauce.

i forgot to take pictures of the rest of the meal, but i hope that means we just enjoyed the food and the conversation too much to be distracted by anything else.

dessert was a skillet apple and pear crumble with whipped cream. i took this picture this morning, and it looks like somebody dug into it for a little more last night after i went to bed…

i think the one thing i took away from this meal was not necessarily guilt for not making him dinner more consistently (there was a little bit of that), but opening my eyes to how much he appreciates it when it’s done for him. he loves cooking, so much that he’s doing it on a day to day basis. but i often fail to recognize that when he comes home from being on the line for 10 hours, he certainly doesn’t want to ‘whip something up’ for himself or the two of us.

i regained a new sense of motivation on having dinner ready for him, when i can. because i love him, because i want to serve him, and because he appreciates it when i do. and when it all boils down, i’m not cooking for a chef every night…he’s just my husband, who’ll enjoy crazy gourmet things off a fine menu with a fancy glass of wine, all the way down to a plate of mac and cheese with hamburger and a pbr.

this past week in efforts of being better at forecasting our days together, i made ‘whiteboards’ for our kitchen. taking the picture out, i wrapped a textured neutral fabric around the matting/cardboard, and have written out our upcoming days on the front of the glass. we can hopefully plan meals and know what social/work things are ahead of us that week. (the other is to track pregnancy food & info each week)

here’s to being more purposeful with my time and serving my husband better along the way. and making him dinner a bit more frequently. ; )

(linked with life made lovely & miscellany monday)

puppy love

kris — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:00:19 +0000

just taking a moment over here to think about my sweet girls. my sweet great dane girls. i don’t doubt that god utilizes his creation to bring us joy…because these two make me happy.

owning a dog is not always a joy. there are the expenses, the destruction of your favorite things, the repetitive ‘no’ when you are trying to find a rental, the difficulty of just carefree leaving to go somewhere, and the poop. oh the poop.

but those all somehow get outweighed when they bound to the door getting wiggly with excitement to see us returning home, the snuggles whether i am asking for them or not, the sense of protection, and the constant source of entertainment on boring weeknights when they are silly and easily teased.

i love that these big girls (i’m pretty sure they both weigh as much as me, or more), have big hearts. gracie can be needy at times, but all she wants is just to be next to you or in your lap. and ava loves giving you bedroom eyes while she gets up close and personal to your face. i’m very curious to how they will act when we start a family, when they are not the only ones getting attention. but for now, they do get all of our attention, and on a gray cloudy day with little on the agenda, i thought it was fitting to bake them up some homemade treats.

i like that this recipe (courtesy martha) is incredibly simple ingredients and incredibly simple instructions. i didn’t feel like i needed to get fancy with add-ins or flavors because when it all comes down to it, they just love the plain ole milk bones. i don’t think most treats on the market are all that nutritious anyways…why then would they be called treats?

i have had wheat germ on hand from making granola bars and if you don’t eat it, i recommend trying to incorporate it into things here in there…baked goods, on your cereal, etc. it is crazy packed with nutrients and benefits. as for the brewers yeast, i have never bought it, and it is not equal to baking yeasts so i used oatmeal instead.

simple homemade dog biscuits
from martha stewart

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup oats (instead of brewers yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more for brushing

1. set oven to 400 degrees. whisk together dry ingredients together and set aside.

2. place oil in a large bowl. add stock and flour mixture in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with stock and mix well. add more flour if needed if dough is too wet.

3. roll out dough to about 3/8-inch thick on a floured surface. cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter of your choice, or use a knife to cut your own shapes. remember to keep in mind the serving size you want them for the size of your dog. i got about 18 cookies with a cutter that’s about 4 inches long.

5. transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets until all dog has been used. i even baked the scraps left because honestly, it’s not like they’ll know they are not in the shape of a bone.

6. bake biscuits 10 minutes. brush with stock; rotate baking sheets, and bake 10 minutes more. turn off oven and let sheets stay in oven for about an hour and a half to completely dry and crisp up. i actually opened the door a few times in the beginning of the drying time to let out heat as i didn’t want the cookies to continue to cook too much more (some of them got a little over done).

7. store in an airtight container – start getting your furry friend to do some tricks for you!

chopped

kris — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:00:58 +0000

do you watch chopped? time and time again wil is told he should go on this food network show, and he chuckles every time. we’ve watched a few episodes here and there. i got entirely annoyed with the judge who would fail someone every time they used red onions and couldn’t stand it anymore. but the few times we’d watch it, once the basket of ingredients was revealed, wil would pause it and quickly come up with his idea of what to cook.

but, my husband prefers to plan. and now we’ve got on our hands a real life version of chopped in our house…but this time no judges and no time limit.

we have given ourselves the challenge of eating our way through our pantry and deep freeze without having to go to the grocery store (with the exception of basics like milk, butter, cereal). i can get by when i’m at home by myself and am nibbling on random things throughout the day. but the next couple days are our ‘weekend’ and we’ve got to plan out the next few meals while we’re at home.

the goal:

two lunches
two dinners

the ingredients:

one large beef chuck roast (can be cut into two)
smoked pork shoulder (already cooked/shredded)
butternut & spaghetti squash
onions
potatoes
carrots
green beans
frozen peas & corn
lentils
beans (kidney & pinto)
white rice
orzo & angel hair pasta
polenta & corn meal
tomato sauce

put yourself to the test…what would you come up with knowing these few ingredients are on hand? you can assume we’ve got the essentials like salt, oil, garlic and pretty much any spice/herb. who knows, maybe we’ll make one of your ideas!

ready, go!!

making gifts

kris — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:00:39 +0000

is it too early to start thinking about christmas gifts?

about two or three years ago, we seriously transitioned to making gifts versus buying for christmas. one we were broke, and two, we were on the cusp of wil’s cuilnary education. on the brink of starting to think about food differently…especially when it comes to making something yourself rather than buying a premade product.

plus, everyone loves something you created with your hands and heart.

now i promise, i’m not as on top of it as you may suspect. i know it’s only october, but beyond what i am posting today, i honestly haven’t thought about what else we’re doing, and probably won’t till about december 15th. things just kind of lined up…some cute jars on sale, herb plants that had to be harvested before the frost comes, and a free afternoon.

one year we infused our own olive oils, and i neglected to write about it, as i think i didn’t want to spoil the surprise for our family members (being the majority of my readers). this year, i’ll share one of the gifts i’ve already made, because i think by now, our siblings and parents now that we usually plan on treating them to some homemade kitchen concoctions.

both items are uber simple and will create a little flair for your next meal, so don’t feel like you have to be making a big batch for someone else to enjoy these for yourself.

infused oils

this can be done with a cold or hot method, and while the cold method is easy, is does take more time…the hot method realistically could be done the night you are cooking dinner.

heat oil on the stove, maintaining about 100 degrees…you aren’t cooking the herb, just warming it. place your favorite herbs or spices (cleaned, but no need to chop or pick leaves) in the oil, and keep at 100 degrees for the next few minutes…maybe 5-10. the longer the herb stays in there, the stronger the infusion is, so don’t take it out too soon! we did 3 kinds- lavender, rosemary and chipotle pepper.

an option here is to then throw it all in the blender to get an even better emulsion of oil & herb, but you can skip this and just have a cleaner, lighter infusion.

pour the oil through a few layers of cheesecloth into your bottle or container. some sediment may pass through, and can just settle on the bottom. store in a cool dark place; if you don’t think you’ll use it quickly enough, keep in the fridge. if you keep it in the fridge, just remember to take it out before you plan to use it just as the oil will harden a bit in the cold.

that’s it! enjoy cooking with the oil or even in salad dressings. be adventurous with what herb you do, but i don’t recommend garlic…homemade garlic oil presents a huge risk of botulism, due to the spores in the garlic and not having the equipment to eliminate those risks.

sage & rosemary salt rub

lots of sage
lots of rosemary
few garlic cloves
sea or kosher salt

clean herbs and pick off all the leaves from the stems. throw everything in a food processor, and give it a whirl till fully chopped. keep smelling it and if it smells like too much of one thing, add the alternate to balance out the flavors till you are satisified. but honestly, it will be good with any proportions of the herbs.

you’ll need more salt than you probably think…almost 1 part salt to 1 part everything else. remember, this is a salt herb rub and it helps draw the moisture out of the herbs as it dries. plus you’ll be in control of how much you use when the time comes.

once all processed, spread out on a cookie sheet and let fully dry for about 2 or 3 days (i left mine on top of the fridge, and just mixed and shook it once or twice each day). then throw in an airtight container and enjoy on meats, fish, or on potatoes. since it is dried herbs, it will last a long time in your spice cabinet!

chive biscuits & lots of rain

kris — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:59:36 +0000

it’s been a little bit easy to wallow in self pity this past week, feeling bad about our state of having to move to who knows where. i admit, with the constant gray drizzle outside our window, and when i’m home by myself, i’ll put on some mellow music and allow myself to feel hum drum all day. but enough of that!

there are too many good things in our life to worry about a little hiccup in our plans.

yesterday a few friends spontaneously came together for lunch at wil’s work, and it was good to have sympathy from caring friends, but more-so just laughter and smiling about babies, halloween costumes and silly things. we happened to have gone to high school with 3 of the 4 and renewed friendships with them when we moved to portland 2 years ago…and interestingly enough, i came to the realization that i’ve known one of them since 2nd grade, longer than anyone outside my family. what history!

it was also nice to get out of the house again last night and go see a cheap movie at our 2nd run movie theater. of course we snuck in our own junior mints and skittles! wil’s work schedule has changed to where he only closes 2 nights a week, instead of 4, and i feel like we now have so much time together at home, we don’t know what to do with ourselves! maybe we should start packing…

in spite of my poor attitude, i’m making headway on my portfolio, and even came across a free wordpress template i liked just as much as the ones i was seeking to buy. i’m about halfway done with the online portfolio and to feeling good about contacting companies. seeing my progress actually helps with not fizzling out. there’s always doubts and worries of my skills, but i know those will always be there to some extent, and hopefully i can continue to just keep them tucked away, out of my mind.

and of course, there’s always baking that makes me happy. we are trying to avoid going to the grocery store for major food hauls, and use what we have in our freezers. we’ve already hit some of our soup stashes, and i know there are some meats to take advantage of. but even when the pantry feels bare, i love that i usually have flour and baking goods on hand. and as the nights begin to cool, we are trying to make sure we harvest our herbs before an unexpected frost (and moving). biscuits are so easy, and such a comfort food to go alongside the wintry meals…sausage gravies, chilis, soups, and even just warmed with a slab of butter.

as you can see, we are messy cooks and bakers. although i couldn’t purposely recreate it if i tried, wil realized that i make a particular noise when i drop or spill something in the kitchen…and the girls know it immediately and come trotting in. if only it was sanitary to have them lick all our plates like in snow white; we’d have our no-dishwasher problem completely solved!!

chive biscuits

2 cups (16 oz) flour *if you have a scale, i’d recommend weighing your ingredients!
2 tablespoons (1 oz) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup (9.5 oz) milk
1 1/2 sticks (5.75 oz) butter, plus 1 -2 tbs melted
2 tablespoons chopped chives (or herbs of your choice)

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl (including herb)

2. cut in butter with knife or pastry cutter (or this can be done in a food processor) until you have hazelnut or pea size chunks of butter (the larger the butter hunks, the flakier the biscuit)

3. add liquid and mix (preferably using your hands), until JUST combined. don’t overmix!

4. layers are the key, so take your dough to a lightly floured surface, press out to a rough square or circle (1), and fold in on itself 2 times, press out slightly (2), rotate 90 degrees, and do it again (3)…for 4-5 more times. (i did a little doodle for you!)

5. make sure that the dough stays soft and slightly sticky…don’t overflour it while working with it, and try not to knead it too much. once you’re satisfied with your folding and turning, and it’s been patted out to about 1/2″ thick, cut out rounds with a cookie cutter, drinking cup, or whatever you can find that’s a good ‘biscuit’ size. brush tops with melted butter, and bake 10-15 minutes…but honestly, just keep an eye on them based on the thickness and diameter that you may have cut them at!

6. enjoy with your favorite gravy, but would be great along with a hearty bowl of soup too.

an oregon, autumn feast

kris — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:41:37 +0000

mmm, the flavors of fall.

it’s officially october, and it’s time to get out your pumpkins, gourds and fall decorations! wil and i were admiring the huge crates of white, cinderella and warted pumpkins that were out at trader joe’s last night. as much as fall is my favorite, i actually am seriously lacking in any autumn decorations.

so instead, we just make sure we eat lots of fall foods at their best. apples, pears, and butternut squash to name a few.

while in central oregon earlier this week, wil cooked a big meal for our family. i think at this point it’s on the docket any time he visits home…his mom lets him go wild in the gourmet grocery, and he comes up with a luxurious feast for all of us to share. it allows him to use his creative side and dabble in small scale catering, the parents to feel budding pride at his amazing skills, and for the rest of us to eat really good food.

the evening was set with 8 of us in attendance, enjoying one another’s company from the get go…we are beyond lucky that the friendship between our parents is strong. there is no stereotypical ‘in-laws’ conflict, as their friendship began as long ago as wil’s & mine. i think their relationship definitely helped shaped ours, as our families joined together for events, vacationing, and home groups. how blessed are we?!

so to say the least, the night was relaxed and jovial as wil and i worked side by side in the kitchen.

but the food, you say? i may be partial to my husband’s cooking, but it was the perfect transition into fall cooking. glamorous, maybe a little, but also hearty, yet light (if that’s possible). and a number of the ingredients & wine happened to be locally sourced, which made the meal feel even more special and ‘oregon’.

- – -

[ first course ]

freshly made mozzarella with prosciutto and fried fennel with a tarragon vinaigrette drizzle

[ second course ]

radicchio & arugula greens tossed with pistachios, roasted butternut squash and a pistachio vinaigrette, atop a black pepper chevre cream

[ main course ]

roasted pheasant with apples and turnips, aside braised leeks

[ dessert ]

pear crumb bars with pumpkin ice cream and a creme fraiche whipped cream (i was enjoying dinner so much at this point, i stopped taking pictures, so i missed this)

- – -

while i do love to bake, i was wil’s sous chef for the night, and we just didn’t have time to make the dessert as well. his mom made it up and it was perfect! to see the rest of the pictures, visit the set here.

every time we visit home it gets a little bit harder to leave. there are a lot of appealing things about bend, but we also love portland so much! who knows what god has in store for us. either way, i know there will be many more dinners like these.

you say tomato, i say…

kris — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:11:10 +0000

it’s september 20th…the weather took an immediate turn from 90′s to 70′s and we’re starting to see the peaches fade and the pears and apples begin to shine.

ok, i’ll admit it, fall is upon us. this past weekend seemed to kick it off with the husband watching football, cold rainy weather outside the window, and cravings for hot chocolate and butternut squash (not together!). i’m still going to savor the last few days or weeks that we might have of warm dry weather, but i can tell, my mind is beginning to transition along with the season.

but i’m not ready to give up on some of the favorite summer harvests just quite yet!

in efforts to enjoy foods at their prime throughout the year, we went veggie picking. we intended to see what was left of corn, tomatoes, beans, and what was beginning of peppers. when we pulled up to the farm to see a closed sign we were forced to go to plan b. iphone out, and we were quickly researching any other upick farms in the area, since we were already about 25 minutes out of the city.

‘bushue’s family farm and garden’ was open and picking! some farms feel like a big expanse of land that is a smooth operation with employees and hours. this one truly felt like we just walked up to someone’s house, who was generous enough to let us step around in his garden. sid, a loveable dane/boxer/lab mix barked at our entry, but immediately became a fast friend. and when we strolled over to the small rows of veggies, we were astounded to see they were selling tomatoes of all varieties at only 50 cents a pound!

were we expecting to go crazy and pick 40 pounds of red, green and yellow tomatoes? no. but we did. our pacific northwest season was not great for tomatoes this year, and nearly over, so i bet the friendly farmer was eager to just see people pick anything before it decomposed back into the earth.

by the time we got home, the wheels started turning and we had a long list of what to make. we’ve canned a number of things before, but mostly pickles with high acidity, and for fear of not reaching the correct proportions, times and temperatures needed, we stuck to different methods to preserve these gorgeous fruits. 16lbs went straight into our biggest pot to give us about 7 quarts of tomato sauce, that we intend to store in our deep freezer through the upcoming fall and winter months. also on the docket was drying & packing in oil, ‘jam’ (more like ketchup), salsa, and throwing a few in a pot of chili. wil loves green tomatoes maybe just as much as red and a huge batch of piccalilli was on the top of his list. he also sliced a few to make sweet pickles, and of course we weren’t going to miss the opportunity to have some fried green tomatoes.

what’s your favorite thing to do with tomatoes? i’ve included a bunch of resources and recipes that we either love, did this weekend, or plan to do. and while everyone usually has their own tomato sauce recipe, ours came out pretty great, so we wanted to share.

tomato sauce
yields about 2 quarts

2 tablespoons butter
5 1/2 pounds red ripe tomatoes
1 large onion, diced 2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
3-4 sprigs of thyme
1-2 sprigs oregano
1 bay leaf
teeny bit of red wine (1/8-1/4 cup, or a splash)
salt & pepper to taste

1. roughly chop all tomatoes and set aside.

2. toss onions, celery, carrots and garlic into pot with butter and sweat until tender, about 10 minutes. thyme, oregano and bay leaf and sweat for a few more minutes. add wine and simmer 2 minutes. add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. add some salt and a few turns of pepper.

3. stirring continuously, simmer the sauce for a few hours. you may think the sauce will be done enough to blend after 30 minutes, but when you let it cook longer, you’ll find that the flavors meld together better and are more concentrated turning a decent sauce into a magical sauce. trust me on this.

4. after the magic happens, puree the sauce with your immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. don’t be afraid to add some more salt, it takes a bunch to balance out the sweet acidity of those fresh tomatoes!

ways to enjoy an abundance of tomatoes

canning & freezing according to the nat’l center of home food preservation
heirloom tomato tart
tomato jam
slow roasted BLT
usually anything she does is a favorite
drizzled with herb pestos and salsas on a plate with a nice glass of wine! salud!

a momofuku night

kris — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:00:03 +0000

it doesn’t happen enough, but ever so often, schedules will align and wil’s friends from culinary school get together to do one thing: cook. well, also to hang out, chat, catch up, play games, sip beer and just fellowship. the night usually entails a theme, and often is an all day process. so far past events have included a meal inspired by what was at the farmers market that day, gourmet meals reinspired into sandwich form, and a good ‘ol memorial day cookout.

even during school, these three friends used their relationship and drive to take their formal education outside of the school walls and to the next level. friendly competition, bouncing off ideas off one another, and challenging each other. if you ever join all us for a beer at our neighborhood pub down the street (we all live within walking distance of one another), they will always be talking about food, restaurants to try, and the professional kitchens they’ve worked in.

this time it was momofuku. i don’t know if i can properly describe david chang’s effect on the culinary field, but this cookbook is a peek into his three new york restaurants and his interesting asian-american techniques. our goal was simple…each person take a different recipe or two out of the book. follow it exactly, or put your own spin on it, either way create a unique asian inspired dinner.

although the day of cooking started around 12, it was relaxed with a little prep here and there, a little sitting here and there. when wil initially came home from the asian market, i watched him put all sorts of ingredients i’d never seen on the table…but soon enough over the course of the day dishes began to take shape. doughs were rising, chicken wings brining, pork belly roasting, and veggies pickling!

it was a hot day already, but with all the cooking, our two neighboring houses indoor temperatures were rising. so we spent a good portion on the shared front lawn. soon enough we had ongoing bocce ball games.

it wasn’t until almost dark that we sat down for the shared meal. i’m not exaggerating when i say we were all giddy with excitement as we laid the table out…bowls and platters of food everywhere. all of our work led up to this point!

we feasted on chicken wings, roasted corn with miso butter, pork belly buns with cabbage and kimchi, and ssam with pickled mustard sauce.

0ne of my favorite things about the place we live in are our meals that happen out on the lawn. evening summer air, good drinks and friends laughing does a soul good.

david chang’s recipes are not for the faint at heart…the chicken wings wil chose to do definitely needed a day-ahead start. they were brining for hours, then in the oven to confit, then cooling for hours, etc. the pork belly buns were the highlight of our meal and if you choose to make them you will not be disappointed. but you’ll also need a whole free day or so as well.

the instructions are lengthy in his book, but here’s a link to the pork belly buns recipe that has been published online if you can’t get your hands on his cookbook.

summer in a bowl

kris — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:13:43 +0000

it pains me to say it, but summer might be leaving. someone made the comment the other day (on a morning that had a little crispness to it) that it was starting to feel like fall.

noooo!

don’t get me wrong, i think fall is my favorite season of the year, but i don’t want to get jipped out of a full summer. portland has been plagued with two years in a row of unusually late starts to the hot, dry days that summer is supposed to bring. since the warm days didn’t really start till after june, i kind of want my money’s worth, you know?

but when we grabbed a watermelon from the store and wil concocted this summer salad, all seemed right. it felt like summer. in a bowl. and i just wanted to savor each bite with a slightly sweaty brow on our front lawn (because it was too hot to sit in our non-air conditioned house). the combination of ingredients had me a bit puzzled at first, but everything feels like it was meant to go together. the zip of the red onion plays against the sweet melon. and the soft, slightly grilled corn balances the crisp cool cucumber.

so here’s a salute to the last few days or weeks, or however long we have left of summer.

watermelon salad
serves 3-4 as sides or two hearty servings

1/2 of a personal size watermelon (probably 1/4 of a regular), cubed
1/2 large red onion thinly sliced
1 corn cob, grilled & kernels sliced off (recommended), or about 1/2-3/4 cup frozen, roasted on a sheet pan to defrost and warm
1 medium cucumber cubed/wedges (if you can get them, we recommend 2 lemon cucumbers!!!)
lemon tarragon vinaigrette * updated :: see below!

toss all items in a bowl together with dressing, taste & salt if needed. serve cold or room temperature.

lemon tarragon vinaigrette

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons honey
1 sprig tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch salt & pepper

note: taste this dressing before using it and tweak to your preference! add more or less of something if you want it sweeter, more vinegary, more herby, etc.

another dressing option: you could grab 2 T of your mint salsa verde and add 1 T white wine vinegar and juice of 1/2 a lime and that tasted pretty great too!

& jam hands monday recipe swap

preserving fresh herbs, round two

kris — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:00:26 +0000

remember when we preserved some herbs last year? we were living in our teeny apartment with an even teenier kitchen. wil was in the midst of school and his externship. we were like passing ships in the night as he worked ridiculous hours while i worked during the day. can’t believe that was a year ago! and i can’t believe how drastically different our lives look right now.

but either way, i am getting off track. today i am talking about my favorite color! i just had a conversation with my sister via text, as she was asking me what my favorite color was for my niece, coloring in the background. and i said ‘lime green’. there are some other close favorites (turquoise, mustard, rust) and on some days they take first place, but right now it’s green. it’s vibrant, bold and represents what’s new and full of life. and food.

i’m taking a different spin on my inspiration workshop prompt this week and talking about food. fresh, green herbs. they are in the peak of their season in most regions right now and just like last year’s post i returned home this weekend from my parent’s house with huge handfuls of herbs from my mom’s yard.

but i have to be honest here…i did so good of chopping and freezing those herbs last september in their little ice cube trays, but after they went into the freezer, i often forgot about them. there were a couple of instances where we made a big pot of soup and they were very handy to just plop in, but that was about it. this time around, i wanted to preserve them in a way where we would actually use them more.

there are so many ways i love herbs in our food, but the ice cubes were so one dimensional. if we weren’t putting them in a soup or sauce, it was awkward to let them thaw…too wet and soppy. what about rubs on meat? drizzled over a piece of fish? a dollop on crusty bread? tossed with pasta or vegetables? a spoonful to turn oil & vinegar into a gourmet salad dressing? wil and i set out to make herb mixes in oil & butter. pestos, salsa verdes and compound butters (all variations of the same concept) would allow endless ways to make those quick weeknight dinners more interesting. the ability to use as much or as little as i want each time versus the set cubes was appealing too.

if your garden beds or pots are thriving right now, or even if you have a random mix of leftover herbs going unused, i recommend spending a little bit of time chopping them up and keeping them on hand in your fridge just for that moment when a dish needs some life, some brightening, some ‘green’!

what we made:

mixed herb ‘pesto’: sprinkle on a salad, toss with pasta

1 part basil, chopped *
1 part parsley, chopped *
2 parts carrot tops, chopped *
1/4 of the rind of a preserved lemon (if you don’t have this, there is no substitute, so just go without, it’s ok!)
garlic cloves, minced
generous pinches of salt
pinch of black pepper
olive oil, to fully submerge all herbs

* these proportions are very loose, based on what you have on hand, or what you want your dominate flavors to be! and they can be chopped as rustic or as fine as you please.

with all items chopped & minced, toss in a bowl with oil until fully covered. place in airtight container and store in fridge. if making more than one variety at a time, be sure to label your jars as they will all look the same!!

mint salsa verde: drizzle over tomatoes, toss with peaches

1 part mint leaves, chopped
1 part mixed herbs (we used parsley, tarragon, chives, rosemary; you really can use whatever you have on hand)
lemon zest
generous pinches of salt
pinch of black pepper

same instructions as above.

garlic chive pesto: dollop on fish or steak, spread on bread or sandwiches

1 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 cloves garlic
salt & pepper

same instructions as above. this one i did note amounts because you do want to have the right balance of garlic to herbs…the others are more of ‘anything goes’

compound butter: breads, meats, sauces, you name it!

1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped herb, or herb mix (i did one stick with just chives, and another with rosemary & lavender)
zest of 1/2 of a lemon
generous pinches of salt & pepper

chop, smoosh and work a stick of butter on a work surface with a big knife or bench scraper and incorporate the herbs & spices until fully mixed (picture the workers at cold stone creamery and their technique). pack it back into a log form, place & wrap in plastic wrap (you can get the shape a little smoother and more evenly defined once in the wrap). store in the fridge if you plan to use it more quickly, but it freezes great too.

& turn the table thursday