Happy Earth Day!

Corn soup with arugula, beet, and walnut salad

Because it was Earth Day, I decided to make a vegetarian dinner. Here's how I worked it out in my head, "I don't know, I just felt like, you know, with all the stuff you read about how bad meat is for the environment, well... its a little something." It was a little difficult to do the
planning - I was really jones-ing for some bacon - but I stuck to my guns (stuck to my greens?) and made a totally vegetarian dinner!

Armed with 4 pounds of canned corn leftover from the weekend's chili making adventure, and a fresh box of produce from the CSA, I threw together a corn soup. It was FANTASTIC! Here's how it goes:

1. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in large pot.
2. Chop up one onion (I used red, but whatever you have on hand is fine) and put it in pot. (You want them fragrant and translucent - about 5 minutes.
3. While onions cook, chop 4 cloves of garlic, throw it in pot. Put them in the pot with the onions, cook until fragrant about 1 minute more.
4. Chop 5 small red potatoes into eighths, put in pot.
5. Add corn (probably 3-4 cans)
6. Pour in vegetable stock until it covers the rest of the ingredients in the pot.
7. Add salt, cayenne pepper, and saffron
8. Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour and a half - add more water if it gets too thick
9. EMULSIFY! Or blend it in the blender in small batches. (NOT big batches, trust me on this one, it is a recipe for disaster.)

While soup is simmering down:
1. Wash, peel, and slice golden beets. Put slices on baking pan, drizzle olive oil and salt on and put it in the oven. (Or if your oven refuses to work, as mine did this evening, put it into two batches and put it in the toaster oven. This does not give the same even cooking that using a big oven would have, but sometime you gotta do what you gotta do.)
2. Wash and chop arugula
3. Briefly roast walnuts
4. Make simple salad dressing of lemon, olive oil, and salt.

Happy Earth Day!

Frozen Peas!!!!

Penne with Asparagus, Sage, and Peas
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-with-asparagus-sage-and-peas


I was wondering through the grocery store talking to my mom on the phone (I know, sorry, I was that person.) getting her recipe for roasted cherry tomato, arugula, and mozzarella pasta and standing in wine aisle, when I saw it - March's Food & Wine. I knew it was sitting on the floor next to my bed at home, but I hadn't had a chance to look at it yet. But when I saw the cover, I suddenly had to have it for dinner - bright green asparagus, penne, and - could it be?! - PEAS! I took a closer look at the cover, "pair with Sauvignon Blanc, " it recommended, so I picked out a Sauvignon Blanc, a 2007 Simi Sonoma County, and set about putting back the armful of groceries already in my arms.

I must have looked a little nuts as I circled around the grocery store, clucking into my phone, and circling around the produce department. (They rearranged it! I couldn't find anything.) Eventually, I made it out of the grocery store and back home.

Before starting dinner, I opened the wine, and took a look at the recipe. It should come as no surprise that I did forget two of the ingredients, sage and cream. Maybe I was distracted by the perfect little peas. I decided I didn't want to go to the store again, and got to cooking.

After putting a pot of water, sea salt, and pasta on to boil, I chopped four cloves of garlic (the recipe calls for three) and cut the asparagus. For some reason, I cut the asparagus length-wise instead of "in one inch lengths," I noticed it didn't look like it did on the cover, so I grabbed some kitchen scissors and cut them right in the pan. After a couple minutes, I added two cubes of chicken bouillon and two cups of water. After letting it boil down for about five minutes, I added two cups of peas (plus a little extra :-) ). Since I forgot the cream, I added about a tablespoon of skim milk. I was hesitant to add it, because I was not sure if it would ruin the dish, but decided to wait until the whole thing was finished to try it. Finally I added the pasta to the sauce, mixed in a tablespoon of butter (the recipe calls for two, but that was all I had in the fridge) and the Parmesan cheese.

It was a delicious, light dinner. The tiny bit of milk added the perfect bit of sweetness and the food actually made the wine taste a lot better.

***Note on the picture: The picture is from the foodandwine.com. Mine was not that pretty.