Instant Gratification

Sweet summer, oh how I love you!

CSA season is so full of delicious bounty it is almost impossible to not have something beautiful to eat at every meal. I love cooking fresh. I love eating fresh.

I. Love. Summer!

I’ve been thinking about making a lettuce pot for a while now. My friend Kate saw one on Breakfast Television and ever since I saw her picture I’ve wanted one. Yesterday, when I saw a pin on Pinterest for a DIY wine box herb garden I thought - perfect!

Today after school, I stopped by the liquor store, picked up some free vintage wine boxes, stopped by the nursery bought basil, parsley, mint, oregano, thyme, sage and chives. Then, I grabbed some red and green leaf lettuce, some arugula, endive and radicchio. Came home planted...and...viola!

Tonight we had simple salads with lettuce from our new lettuce box, tomato’s and parmesan slivers.

A few hours later a little snack was calling. Back to the bounty we went and quickly pulled together some zucchini chips with basil (also from our new herb box) mayonnaise.

Zucchini Chips

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup milk
2 small zucchini cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
olive oil

Preheat oven to 425° F. Grease a large oven-proof wire rack set on a baking sheet.

Whisk together bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, garlic salt, paprika and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk in a separate shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk then in breadcrumb mixture patting the crumbs on. Place slices on wire rack.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Basil dipping sauce

fresh basil, chopped
paprika
lemon juice
mayonnaise
dijon mustard
salt and ground black pepper

Lovely

Lovely. I can’t think of a better word to describe how the start of summer makes me feel. When I picked up our first CSA of the season there was a wonderful selection of lovely things:

• asparagus, lettuce, spinach, baby cucumbers, tomatoes, rhubarb and fresh garlic.



• add of course, because when I’m there and can’t resist picking up a few more things:strawberries and peas. so fresh, so delicious. each time I walk by the baskets on the table I eat a few strawberries.

Tonight making dinner was easy. I opened the fridge, rummaged around our new bounty and quickly pulled together a frittata, (if you’ve read the last few posts you can really see my love affair with eggs) with a side of canadian bacon and tomatoes. Recently, a lovely friend went to picton’s cheese festival and brought me home some amazing goat’s cheese to crumble on top.
And the last lovely thing for today – I have a new issue of Bon Appétit to read with Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover!

Happy Summer.

ingredients

4 egg whites, a splash of milk, ½ a lemon, zested, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ cups packed chopped fresh spinach, 1 clove garlic, minced, ½ small onion, minced, goat's cheese to top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites, milk and lemon zest until fluffy, about 30 seconds. In an ovenproof, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. add the spinach, garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Pour the egg mixtures into the pan and stir to combine the ingredients. cook, without stirring for 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until set, about 6 minutes. Slide the frittata onto a platter. Crumble goat's cheese on top. Using a serrated knife, cut the frittata into wedges and serve warm.

Paris is a Feeling

I have been missing Paris. Really. Missing. Paris. If you’ve been you know how simply enchanting this city is.

I would love to be shopping the outdoor markets, picking up a still-warm chocolate croissant, stopping in a little café and watching the day go by.

I had never had chocolate for breakfast until I was in paris and I decided this was the only way (that didn't involve a plane ticket) to sooth my heart ache.

Homemade nutella by David Lebovitz (also if you are looking for a great read – The Sweet Life in Paris by david is fantastic. He tells a little story with each recipe.)

1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp. mild-flavored honey
pinch salt
1 heaping cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup chopped milk chocolate

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the nuts in a 400ºF for 8 minutes, or until fragrant and their skins begin to pop. Transfer to a tea towel, gather into a bundle and rub together to remove as much of their skins as possible. While warm, transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend until they go from finely ground to pasty and thick, like natural peanut butter.

Meanwhile, warm the milk, powdered milk, honey and salt in a small saucepan just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat. In a glass or stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolates, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate to the ground nuts and continue to process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the warm milk mixture and process until everything is well blended and as smooth as you can get it. Makes about 2 cups. refridgerate until thickened.