Cod w/ Chimichurri Sauce.........YUM

The original recipe calls for halibut, but you know how hard it is to find good halibut in my neck of the woods, and when I do find it, it's cheaper to go out to dinner.

So instead, I used Alaskan cod here. A nice, firm, mild white fish.
Love its versatility.

I am a chimichurri lover from way back.
That gorgeous herby pesto from Argentina that I make from herbs in my garden.
Love it on hanger steak and now I love it on fish.

There's a lot of "love" going on here.

I served it over roasted potato slices with some nice roasted cherry tomatoes on top.

This dish is a 10.

Fish w/ Chimichurri Sauce: (adapted from The Kitchn) Serves 4

For the chimichurri:
2 cloves garlic
1 small shallot
1 cup parsley
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish
handful of cherry tomatoes (optional) for the top

1 1/2 pounds halibut or cod, cut into 4 portions

I usually use a handful of this and a handful of that, so don't worry if you don't measure the herbs exactly.

You can hand chop or use a mini food processor. Add in all the ingredients and whiz for a few seconds.
Set the sauce aside, can be made a few hours in advance. Keep at room temp.

In an oiled baking pan, lay out the fish and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the chimichurri sauce on top and bake in a 375F oven for 15-20 minutes.

While the fish is baking, roast the potatoes with some olive oil, kosher salt & pepper (put them in about 20 minutes before the fish). Add some cherry tomatoes to the mix if you want for the topping.

When everything is done, serve the fish on top of the potatoes and throw on the roasted cherry tomatoes.

Add some more chimichurri sauce to the plates and enjoy!

June MCG Update

Lots going on in the Militant Community Garden. Things are really moving along.

We harvested broccoli last weekend.
The beets keep coming and it's hard to keep up with them.

We have a million strawberries, and I have already baked 2 cakes & muffins with them. I can't keep up with them either.

This is the BEST cake in case you haven't made it yet.

Rainbow Chard is plentiful and we have our first tomatoes, though still green, they look promising.

We have potato beetles destroying the leaves of the potato plants, and not really sure what to do about it, but I will leave that to my husband, the pest destroyer (remember it is an organic garden, no pesticides please).

Carrots will be coming up next week, and yes, this is a real photo of the crazy carrot love we picked on Sunday!

We are having a late crop of radishes (which are usually early spring).

For appetizers, I made these simple radish snacks.

Cut a slice into the center of very cold French breakfast radishes, and spread a very thin slice of your favorite butter inside.
Sprinkle on some Maldon salt and open some wine.

So good.

Many of you have asked why I haven't posted any militant emails from the Militant Community Garden lately.

Well, they fired the passive aggressive 50 year old garden manager who lives at home with his parents and wears tie dye shirts and drives an 80's Camaro and thinks he is still in high school.

I am glad in one way that he is gone, however, now the entertainment has stopped.

Well, just when you thought it was safe to pick the tomatoes.................

"We seem to be making great strides with the dumpster and there doesn't seem to be any more trash in the dumpster (which is a good thing) but there seems to be garbage and recyclables in every empty container in the garden. There's a phrase they use at most National Parks which is "Pack It IN - Pack It Out" which means whatever you bring in you take home. I have attached a picture of a sign I took when we were in Hawaii on vacation and the idea is the same.

When I was in the garden earlier today one of the volunteers pointed out a snake to me in plot 3. I took a picture of it and confirmed that it is an Eastern Garter Snake and although it is not poisonous most snakes may bite if they feel threatened (so just leave it alone because it will hurt if it bites you). I attached a description for any of you who may be interested.

Lastly, there are still people parking too close to the wood chip pile and making it hard for people to get in and out of the garden. When you come in the driveway there should be no one parked in the path from the drive by the silo to the main gate (there should be at least 20 feet from the wood chips to the closest parked car). There should also be no one (without the proper tags) parking in either of the 2 handicap spots to the left of the gate.

We have been trying to keep the email to all to a minimum but these items seem to be on going issues that needed to be addressed."

See, I knew they couldn't keep quiet. :)

Hangover Eggs 2: Spinach w/ Lentils & Tomatoes

This is one of those dishes that you don't need a recipe for, and you can throw together in a few minutes.

It makes for a hearty vegetarian dinner, or in my case, a great hangover breakfast.

Healthy and delicious.

For some reason, when I'm not feeling well, I like to eat spicy foods. That zing makes my head feel a little better, and my tummy.
And eggs are a must. They are my go to comfort food for everything.

Happy or sad, I eat eggs. :)

For this dish, I used my fresh picked spinach from the garden, which is thick and bright green and super crisp.

I will allow for a can of Goya lentils here, and a can of fire roasted tomatoes w/ chilis, I'm not that strict (especially with a hangover).

If you are not a runny egg person, then I am sorry for you.
The best part of this dish is piercing the egg and letting the runny yolk mix in with all the lentil goodness.

Spinach w/ Lentils & Tomatoes:

1 cup of cooked lentils (or a can of Goya lentils, rinsed & drained)
1 small can (14 oz.) of fire roasted tomatoes w/ chilis (I used Muir Glen)
1/2 white onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, chopped
olive oil
big handful of fresh spinach leaves, washed and torn
sea salt & pepper
1 egg per person

Add some olive oil to a heavy non-stick skillet and saute the onion and garlic about 2 minutes.

Next add in the tomatoes and spinach and cook about 5 minutes, until the spinach is just about wilted.
Add in the lentils and cook this mixture for another 2 minutes.
Season w/ sea salt & pepper.

Remove the lentil/spinach/tomato mixture to a large bowl.

Wipe out the skillet and add some more olive oil.

Crack one egg per person and season w/ a little salt. Prepare eggs as you like them.

Serve the spinach and lentils in shallow bowls and serve a fried egg in the middle of each bowl.

Eat and enjoy!

I feel better already!

Sour Cream Cherry Coffee Cake

There are a million blueberry cake/muffin/buckle recipes out there, however, when you search for a cherry "cake", they are hard to come by.

I guess cherries are reserved for pie?

I love cherries (one of the very few fruits I actually like) when in season in June.

I had some local cherries and decided to create my own recipe for a sour cream cherry coffee cake, since no one out there had any better ideas.

You all know me by now, I despise pitting and stemming cherries.
My kitchen and apron look like a blood bath and the clean up is the pits (no pun intended!).

I'm calling this cake a "coffee cake", meaning:
Any cake you eat midday with a cup of coffee (my favorite time to eat cake); or with someone who stops in to have a cup of coffee at your house, chat, and have a piece of cake.

These days, most people have full time jobs, so have no time for cake and coffee in the mid-afternoon.
What a shame.

Stacey's Cherry Sour Cream Coffee Cake:

1 1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups of fresh cherries, stems and pits removed
6 tbsp melted butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
8 oz. (1 cup) sour cream or creme fraiche
1/4 tsp almond extract
sliced almonds for top
2 tbsp turbinado (raw) sugar for top

Butter and flour an 8" springform pan.

Mix together the first 3 ingredients and add in the cherries (this way they won't all sink to the bottom).

In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter w/ the sugar and egg until pale and golden.
Mix in the sour cream and extract.

Add the flour in gradually to the butter/sugar mixture. Incorporate to make a nice smooth batter (don't over mix and try to keep the cherries whole).

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of turbinado sugar on top.

Bake in a 350F oven for 45-50 minutes. The raw sugar will form a nice crust.

Let cake completely cool in the pan.

When ready to serve, unmold the sides of the pan and serve w/ ice cream, or not!

Come on over for a cup of coffee, anytime.

Very yummy.

(PS Thanks to my friend Sarah for being my professional photographer).

Eating Smart for Body & Mind: Beets w/ Mint Pesto & Gwyneth

Buckle your seat belts, this is going to be a long one.

Let me start this post by talking about Gwyneth Paltrow.

I find it odd that people have such strong feelings towards her (read the reviews of her cookbooks). You either love her or hate her.

She is very easy to make fun of.

Why is that?

Is it because she is from a privileged Hollywood family? or because she is married to the lead singer from Cold Play and lives in London, L.A. and NYC.

Is it because she is 6 feet tall and wears a size 4 jeans? or that she speaks Spanish like she was born in Madrid.

Or is it because she is righteous about what she believes in.
A good, healthy lifestyle.

Her website GOOP is super popular (I have no interest in her favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, I have my own).

It could be jealousy, but I doubt that.
After reading her new cookbook "It's All Good", you find out, it's really NOT all that good.

She suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, migraine headaches, she has thyroid problems, had terrible postpartum depression, is anemic...........the list goes on.

She is a big hot mess, like the rest of us.

She saw some alternative doctors, who put her on cleanses and eliminated foods from her diet, instead of medication, which I am a big believer in (unless you have a bacterial infection).

She eliminated wheat (gluten), white sugar, nightshades (eggplants, potatoes) and anything from the cow (meat, cheese, milk, etc).

Blah, blah, blah. Seems everyone is getting on that train.

She claims that healthy eating has changed her life totally. Not a bad thing.

She says she feels like a new woman.

Could all this healthy eating have some truth to it?

I think it might be a combination of positive thinking and eating good things on her part. Why make fun of that?

When I looked thru this newest cookbook, I laughed. Who needs to know how to bake a sweet potato or boil and egg? Not me.
Most of these recipes I already make in my head (so where's my damn cookbook?).

If you've noticed, I try and eat local, that includes eating fish in season, also which is sustainable; meats in moderation (and only from a reputable butcher who I PERSONALLY KNOW); organic chicken and eggs only; and produce from my garden or from someone who grows it within 50 miles from my house.

I make my own chicken stock (but not all the time), don't buy processed foods, and do my part to support local food co-ops and farms. I'm not perfect (like Gwynnie), but I really try.

I try not to preach (but it sometimes spits out), this is a lifestyle choice. I do it because I feel good and I want my husband and my family to be healthy. Nothing more than that. Plus I like good food (in case you haven't noticed).

We all can take in the knowledge, it's what we do with the information afterward that matters.

There's no proof that organic is better, but I personally like knowing that my hands picked my beets, and that they were treated with nothing but love and care and maybe a slug or two.

So good for me, and good for you, Gwyneth.
You still annoy me, but I am enjoying your book anyway.

Here is a simple recipe from the book, which I could have easily written, but I didn't.

Beets w/ Mint Pesto (adapted from It's All Good):

4 local beets, any color, leaves trimmed
olive oil and kosher salt

Mint Scallion Pesto:

big handful of mint leaves
1/4 cup whole almonds
1 garlic clove
pinch of sea salt
bunch of scallions
1/4 cup of olive oil

Drizzle olive oil and kosher salt over the trimmed beets. Cover in a foil packet.
Roast in a 400F for about an hour. Wait until beets are cool enough to handle, then slip off skins and cut into dice or wedges.

Whiz the mint leaves with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor. Add the olive oil a bit at a time.

Spoon the pesto over the beets and serve.

I know I can be long winded sometimes, so thank you for listening!

Duck Leg Confit on Quinoa w/ Roasted Leeks & Asparagus

This is one of those dinners that I just made up as I went along.

What did I have in the freezer?
2 duck legs confit from Dickson's Farmstand Meats in NYC (the BEST).

What's in the vegetable bin in the fridge waiting to die?
A couple of asparagus spears, and a few homegrown leeks.

Since the duck is already cooked and preserved in duck fat, this was a no brainer.

I made a delicious quinoa salad w/ the roasted vegetables and added currants for sweetness.

At the end I drizzled a little melted duck fat over everything for good luck.

And of course I cooked a bunch of sliced potatoes in the pan with the duck, so we could have duck fat potatoes.
I had to.

This was so good.

You will like the quinoa salad on its own, with or without the duck.

Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Leeks & Asparagus:

1 cup of dried quinoa
2 cups of water
1/4 cup of currants or golden raisins
handful of asparagus spears
4 leeks, trimmed and sliced
sea salt & pepper

Toast the quinoa in a big saucepan until fragrant, then add the water.
Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer until the liquid is absorbed. About 15 minutes.

Add the currants in with the quinoa and season w/ salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, lay out the sliced leeks and asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle w/ olive oil and sprinkle w/ kosher salt.

Roast in a 400F oven for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan after 10 minutes or so.
Slice the roasted asparagus into 2" pieces and add them with the roasted leeks to the quinoa in the pot.

For the duck legs:

Lay the duck with the preserved fat in a baking pan and bake in the same 400F oven for 15-20 minutes until skin is crispy.
Don't forget to add thin sliced potatoes to the pan too, because they are the best part of the meal.

Serve the duck legs on the quinoa salad and enjoy.

Delish.

Oh So Good! Golden Beet Tart w/ Feta & Walnuts

Hello.

It's Tuesday, time for a tart.

Don't you love cooking with what's in season?

I have a load of beets in the MCG and need to use them up weekly.

Since I have made a tart with almost every ingredient by now, and I have pickled anything I can get my hands on, it was time to put the earthy orbs into a pastry shell and see what would happen.

End result:

This ranks up there with the best of the beet recipes (as well as Tart Queen recipes) that I have tried.

I loved this tart.

I found this recipe on Alexandra Cooks, the original being from Boston chef Gordon Hamersley, and I was obsessed.

Here are the changes/additions that I made to the recipe:

Since yellow golden beets were in the plot this week, I used them, along with 1 small baby red one.
Also, I increased the amount of beets from 2 to 4. The more beets, the merrier.

I did not have goat cheese, but always have feta, so used that instead (good choice).

I decreased the walnuts from 1 cup to half a cup.

Instead of making my own crust (lazy bones), I rolled out a sheet of defrosted puff pastry and fitted into a deep dish tart pan with removable bottom.

I omitted the white wine from the recipe, no need for it.

I incorporated the walnuts in with the beets and onions, instead of sprinkling them on later, and instead of parsley, I used fresh thyme.

So now, you see, I have altered the recipe just slightly, but stick with me.

If you roast your beets the night before, then half the work is done.

This has the fabulous factor.

Golden Beet Tart w/ Feta & Walnuts: (loosely adapted from Gordon Hamersley)

4 small-medium size beets, any color or mixed, scrubbed and leaves discarded (save them for another recipe!)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
butter & olive oil
1/2 cup of walnuts
1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves
kosher salt & pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup of heavy cream (I used half and half, you can also use milk if you are afraid of fat)
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese)
1 tbsp of walnut oil for the top (optional)

Start out by roasting the beets.

Lay the beets in a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle w/ olive oil and kosher salt.
Roast the beets in a 400F oven for 1 hour.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and cut into cubes.

While the beets are roasting, cook the onion in a tablespoon of butter w/ a tbsp of olive oil.
Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle w/ kosher salt & pepper.
Don't let the onions brown, you want them golden. Low and slow.

Add the diced beets, cooked onions and walnuts to a large bowl and mix together.
Season w/ more salt & pepper and some fresh thyme leaves.

Roll out a sheet of defrosted puff pastry (you can also a ready made pie shell), and fit into a 9" fluted deep dish tart pan with a removable bottom.

Add the beet onion walnut mixture to the bottom of the pie shell and spread out.

Make your custard:
Whisk the 3 eggs w/ the cream and add in the feta or goat cheese.

Pour over the beets mixture and bake in a 375F oven for 40 minutes.

After the first 20 minutes of baking, drizzle some walnut oil (this really makes it even better) over the tart and put back in the oven for the remaining 20 minutes.

Let cool in the tart pan before removing the sides.

Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

Makes a delicious lunch on the patio with a green salad.

Enjoy.

EXCELLENT at room temperature or cold.

Crostini w/ Tuna & White Bean Spread

In the summer my go to appetizer is always crostini.

Grilled bread with some fabulous toppings. I could live on these little pieces of toast.

This was a delicious summer topping, sans mayonnaise.

The mint adds an extra special component.

This is the perfect recipe for canned beans. But not for Bumble Bee or Starkist tuna.

Most Italian spuma di tonno (tuna mousse) recipes call for Italian tuna in the jar.
Tonnino sells a great brand, found at most supermarkets, and they also make it in the can.

It's worth the extra dollar or two, and makes a big difference.

This recipe is from the fabulous book Donatella Cooks (you know the one where she looks like a high class call girl on the cover, with the shiny gold pumps).

Crostini w/ Tuna & White Bean Spread: (adapted from Donatella Cooks)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, soaked for 30 minutes in ice-cold water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained well
1 (9 oz.) jar imported olive-oil packed Italian tuna confit, drained
20 fresh mint leaves, cut in thin strips
6 slices rustic Italian bread

Whisk together 1/4 cup of the olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl. Add half of the onion, toss, and let stand for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the beans and the onion vinaigrette in a large bowl. Puree one-third of the mixture in a mini food processor until smooth. Fold this mixture back into the beans.

Add the tuna and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, then stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the mint. Mix until the tuna is no longer chunky.

Using tongs, "grill" the bread slices on both sides over a gas flame or by placing the bread directly on the coils of an electric burner, taking care not to let it char. Cut each in half.

Arrange the bread slices on a platter. Spoon some of the tuna-bean mixture on to each slice. Garnish with the remaining onions, mint and serve.