The Garden Apartment

Root vegetable salad with cranberries, pecans, and orange dressing

I know, I know. Even as I write this, I'm groaning at myself for sharing a raw root vegetable salad just two days before Christmas.

Am I out of my mind?

I mean, really, all month long it's been about desserts and sweets here at The Garden Apartment. You would think I had jumped the farmers market vegetable wagon and adopted a new diet consisting of butter and sugar. 

But folks, I am really craving salads after all the cookies and cupcakes. And I could never forget winter-time root vegetables. 

So, please. Take it or leave it: my root vegetable salad with cranberries, toasted pecans, and orange dressing. 

This salad has the wonderful refreshing crunch of raw vegetables enhanced by the sweetness of apples. An orange-tamari dressing imparts a hint of Asian flavor. If you so desire, add some fresh pomegranate seeds and black sesame seeds for a prettier presentation.

If I do say so myself, it would make a beautiful and healthy addition to your holiday table.

Or, you can bookmark it for the new year, when everyone will be interested in healthy foods again. . . at least until Valentine's Day, anyway.

Root Vegetable Salad with cranberries, pecans, and orange dressing {Serves 4-6}

• 1/2 large celery root, sliced into batonettes
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into batonettes
• 1 large apple, sliced into batonettes
• 1 beet (I used a golden, but red would be lovely too), peeled and sliced into batonettes
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (dried cherries would also work)
• 1/2 orange, juiced (about 2 TB)
• 1 tsp fresh orange zest
• 1 tsp rice wine, or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar or honey
• 3 tsp grape-seed oil (or other lightly flavored oil)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• optional: 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds 
• optional: 1/2 cup toasted pecans
• optional: black sesame seeds 

Slice the celery root, carrots, apple, and beets into batonettes. Combine with the diced onions in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, rice wine vinegar, tamari, and sugar. Slowly add the grape-seed oil, whisking the entire time. Whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Pour the dressing atop the root vegetables and mix well. Allow to flavor through for approximately ten minutes prior to serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans, and black sesame seeds.

Leftover mashed potatoes = Potato Pancakes

I am not one for Black Friday shopping. After days of preparing food for Thanksgiving and hosting a crowd in my house, shopping in a crowded mall is far from my mind. 

For me, the day after Thanksgiving is all about relaxing and rummaging through all those leftovers in the fridge and making the most of them. Just before going to sleep last night, John had some culinary inspiration for the leftover mashed potatoes: mashed potato pancakes.

His mom had brought a large batch of creamy potatoes to our house, and we had plenty left to play with.

Using some of the leftovers, I threw together these potato pancakes for my family this morning. We topped them off with leftover green goddess vegetable dip, but plain old sour cream would be just fine too. 

Don't worry too much if you don't have all the ingredients listed below. A little seasoning, a little egg, and some breadcrumbs or flour would make it all come together just fine.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

• 2 Cups of leftover mashed potatoes
• 2 scallions, finely diced
• 1 TB red onion, finely diced
• dash of garlic powder
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• a few splashes of milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko, or breadcrumbs

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and small amount of butter. Once the butter is bubbly, begin spooning small balls of the mashed potato mixture onto the frying pan. Flatten each ball with the back of a spatula. Cook each side until golden brown.

Serve warm with sour cream or veggie dip.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

After a delicious brunch of the potato pancakes, we are looking forward to some turkey sandwiches later tonight-- served on my homemade multi-grain bread. Mmm. . . .

Thanksgiving Test Club {and a wild mushroom tart}

Who says you have to wait until Thanksgiving to frantically run around grocery shopping and cooking? Why not do that two weeks prior to the holiday?

That's right. This weekend April of The Food Scribe, Alison of The Humble Gourmand, and I got together for a Thanksgiving test run.

The plan was for everyone to gather at my house at 2PM. Somehow, I had decided to have a relaxing morning in the house. I slowly sipped my coffee, read the newspaper, and browsed the internet. Then at noon I realized I had not showered, cleaned the house, or bought the groceries I needed for my test recipes. If this is any indication of how I will approach a much more extensive Thanksgiving menu, then I am in trouble.

All worries aside, I had planned to test an appetizer and a dessert during our Thanksgiving test run. 

You may have noticed my affinity for tarts, so it should come as no surprise that I decided to prepare a wild mushroom tart as the appetizer and a pear tart for the dessert. But, you'll have to wait to hear about the pear tart until I have perfected it this weekend.

I love mushrooms, and the wild mushroom tart is a very vocal celebration of their earthy taste. They are not hidden amongst other ingredients; they are not simply an enhancement to a dish. No, no. They are the main event of this delicious tart. 

The filling is a saute of mushrooms in butter, shallots, a little garlic, cognac, and fresh herbs. A small amount of custard is poured atop the mushrooms inside an herbed olive oil crust. 

The resulting tart is almost pure mushroom, with just enough custard to help the filling set nicely. Sprinkled with a little gruyere cheese and set atop a flaky crust, it simply melts in the mouth. 

If you want to dress it up a little, serve it with a green salad and some reduced balsamic vinegar on top. Lucky me, I snatched up some pomegranate balsamic glaze for this very purpose.

Wild Mushroom Tart

Adapted from Bon Apetit Magazine, original recipe at Epicurious

Crust Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
• dash of garlic powder (optional)
• 1/3 Cup olive oil (preferably one with depth of flavor, like a Spanish olive oil)
• 1/3 Cup ice-cold water
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 teaspoons of fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme), minced 

Combine the Ingredients

In a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and garlic powder). Stream the olive oil in and continue to pulse. Next, add the ice water and vinegar until well combined. Finally, add the rosemary leaves.

Shape the dough

Remove the dough from the food processor and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and shape into a 1/2 inch thick disk. The plastic wrap will assist you in shaping a smooth disk (use the tension of the plastic wrap to help smooth the dough). Once the disk is the right size, ensure that it is well wrapped and allow to rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

Make the filling

Ingredients

• 1 package of dried porcini mushrooms
• 6 TB unsalted butter
• 6 ounces of crimini mushrooms, sliced 
• 6 ounces of assorted wild mushrooms, sliced 
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 TB Cognac or brandy
• 2 TB chopped fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme)
• 3/4 Cup heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 Cup grated Gruyere cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow to hydrate for 30 minutes, then remove porcini using slotted spoon. Slice. Reserve porcini liquid.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter to the pan; add porcinis, criminis, and other mushrooms. Season with salt. Saute until the mushrooms are golden brown. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan; saute for 1-2 more minutes. Add the cognac and reserved porcini liquid. Simmer until the majority of the liquid has cooked off or absorbed into the mushrooms. Remove from heat and stir herbs into mixture. Let the mixture come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Whisk together cream, eggs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Assemble the tart

Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator and roll out into tart pan. Line the dough with parchment and fill with pastry weights or beans. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until crust is beginning to turn golden. Remove from the oven. Remove the parchment and pastry weights. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Return the crust to the oven and allow to bake for 5 more minutes (this will allow the bottom of the crust to bake).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle half of the gruyere on the bottom of the crust. Cover with the mushroom mixture. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the mushrooms, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the custard is set.

Delicious. Now, if I can only perfect that pear tart before Thanksgiving.

Cooking for DJ {and apple slaw with cilantro-lime vinaigrette}

Our household has recently adopted a new member and a new, healthier diet. Read on to hear about our household goals or scroll down for my recipe for apple slaw with cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

I know, I know. Where have I been? Several of you have kindly emailed me to ask if everything is okay. And yes, everything is fine. This just seems to be the year that everyone has decided to either: 

a) get married (most of our good friends)

b) have a baby (all of our already married friends, and seemingly everybody but us)

c) move into a new house (us)

d) adopt their brother-in-law (us)

Yes, that's correct. We have adopted my brother-in-law-- if it is actually possible to adopt a 29 year old.

It was about three months ago that DJ moved in with us. Timing is a funny little thing sometimes. It just so happened that we moved out of the garden apartment right around the time John's little brother found himself facing the prospect of moving back home with his parents-- again.

John, being a caring older brother, has always wanted to help DJ through the various difficulties which persist in his life. But, until we moved into this house, our ability to help has been limited. The brother-in-law residing on the couch in a one bedroom apartment is much less appealing than the brother-in-law living in the basement of a four-bedroom house. 

He has tried to be independent, but something always seems to prevent him from having the life he wants. Sometimes it's bad luck. Sometimes it's bad decisions. Whatever the balance of luck and decision making, this August we found DJ on our doorstep. 

We knew it was important for him to tackle everything head-on, so we had a pow-wow with DJ the night he moved in. One of the biggest decisions made during that family meeting was that DJ wanted to improve his health and lose weight. His 5'5 frame was supporting 305 pounds and he could hardly walk up our street without losing his breath.

At this point in November, he has lost around 25 pounds and is actually able to jog short distances (something he claims he hadn't done since high-school). 

And of course, one of the biggest ways we are supporting DJ is by ensuring that the house is full of healthy food options. Initially, this led to silly things, like me raiding the pantry to make sure that all the snack foods with bad carbs were removed to an undisclosed location. This proved to be a bad idea when I forgot they were hidden.

Now I am finding it much more effective to just limit the snack foods, or to buy healthier options like whole grain baked pita chips. 

I created this apple slaw recipe just for DJ, as a healthy side for steamed fish I prepared during his first week here. DJ is a big fan of spicy foods (he is notorious for putting hot sauce on everything), and I thought the combination of spicy, tart, and sweet would be especially good here.

Despite its origins as a DJ recipe, my apple slaw has turned out to be a huge hit at every party I have thrown in our new house this fall (including baby showers for all those friends having babies). It's the perfect accompaniment to barbecued chicken and cornbread-- if you aren't watching your calories, of course. 

Apple Slaw with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6 as a side dish 

2 apples sliced into thin batonettes

1/4 red onion, finely diced

1 large garlic clove, finely minced

1/2 jalapeno, minced

1 tsp white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1 lime

2 TB olive oil

Directions:

Slice the apples and set aside.

Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Toss the apples in the vinaigrette, allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Happy at the Falls Church farmers market {and grilled eggplant, beans, and shitake mushrooms in an Asian marinade}

Our move to Falls Church is finally over, our boxes and bags are unpacked (well, mostly), and we are settling into our new neighborhood. I spent my weekend exploring my new farmers market, and grilling up some fresh vegetables in an Asian marinade. Read on to hear about the market trip, or scroll down for the recipe.

After many busy Saturdays of hosting friends and relatives at our home, I finally took some time for myself and visited the Saturday morning Falls Church City Farmers Market. 

Nothing quite makes me feel at home like discovering my neighborhood farmers market. And lucky for me, the Fall Church Farmers Market is a real gem. Set near a quaint park and historic buildings on Park Street, the market is open year-round and hosts around forty vendors during the summer season (dropping to about fifteen vendors during the winter). The variety and quality of products available is outstanding, with many of my favorite farmers and producers participating.

Strolling through the market, here are some of the things I found:

Locally grown and milled flour from Moutoux Orchards in Loudon County 

Locally grown wheat is very difficult to find in our area. Moutoux Orchard is now selling rye flour, wheat flour, wheat berries, oats, and barley at the Falls Church Farmers Market, the Arlington Farmers Market, and the DuPont Circle Farmers Market. I bought a bag of the rye flour, and am looking forward to making some homemade rye bread soon. 

I was delighted to find seckel pears, each pear fitting snugly in the palm of my hand.

Tree and Leaf, a farm utilizing sustainable and organic farming practices, had a wonderful variety of produce including these late summer tomatoes . . .

and these interesting long purple beans called "asparagus beans."

Sunnyside Farm and Orchard had these adorable Hungarian eggplants, which I would have mistook for tomatoes, had I not read the sign. 

Toigo Orchards still had some of their delicious peaches. I snagged several with the hopes of introducing them to my grill, a little butter, and some rum.

And finally, to make the boys in my household happy, Cibola Farms was at my service with their buffalo meat products. As fate would have it, a few buffalo patties would also be making their introduction to my grill in the form of a family burger night.

In fact, the grill seems to be the main method of food prep in our new house. Perhaps after years of living in an apartment where grilling produced more hassle than pleasure, we are catching up on lost time. 

One of our friends gave us a vegetable grilling basket as a housewarming present. After picking up a load of fresh veggies, I wanted to try grilling vegetables in a sauce I would usually use for stir-frying. For the stir fry, I selected two skinny Japanese eggplants with pale green skin. I know these to be particularly mild, absent of the bitter flavor eggplants sometimes have, and possessing a flesh which becomes very creamy when cooked. I tossed the eggplant with long purple asparagus beans, some red onion, and a large cupful of shitake mushrooms.

While the grill was heating up, I sliced the vegetables and then tossed them in a marinade of garlic, ginger, lime juice, fresh basil, chile paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. They marinated for about thirty minutes, then sizzled in the grill basket, transforming into a tasty concoction perfect over a bit of Jasmine rice. We prepared this as a vegetarian dish, but it would also be delicious with chicken or shrimp.

Grilled eggplant, beans, and shitake mushrooms in Asian Marinade

Serves 2 as a main course

Vegetables:

1 Cup beans (I used asparagus beans, but green beans or sugar snap peas would work well)

2 small eggplant, preferably Japanese 

1/2 red onion, sliced

8 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced in half

Marinade:

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced chiffonade

1 TB fresh basil, cut into a

1/4 tsp red chili paste

2 tsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp sugar

zest and juice of one lime

1 tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar

3 TB canola oil

For serving:

soy sauce

lime wedges

fresh basil 

Directions:

Prep the vegetables and set aside.

Prepare your gas or charcoal grill.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the marinade, except the oil. Slowly whisk in the oil until the mixture is well combined. Add the vegetables to the bowl, and toss thoroughly with the marinade. Allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes, mixing often.

Place the vegetables in a lightly oiled grill basket, or on a grill grate lined with aluminum foil. Grill for 10-15 minutes, tossing often. Vegetables should be slightly blackened and beginning to soften.

Serve over rice with soy sauce, lime wedges, and fresh basil.

As you can see, we were a bit anxious and did not wait for the grill to cool down before throwing the veggies on. Some of our vegetables were more than adequately blackened. Fortunately, they still tasted delicious, and we finished every last bite. 

25 Pounds of Tomatoes {and canning pasta sauce}

After canning pasta sauce as a work assignment, I decided it was absolutely necessary to do at home. 25 pounds of tomatoes later, I had fresh tomato sauce and several cans of simple tomato sauce to enjoy. Read on for the story, or scroll down for the recipe.

 

Seemingly, a work assignment involving a very large garden with a lot of tomato plants and several days spent canning everything tomato (ketchup, crushed tomatoes, sauce, and whole tomatoes) would deter most people from continuing to can tomatoes during time off at home. 

Seemingly.

But, after processing fresh tomatoes into a delicious simple pasta sauce (inspired from Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle), I knew I had to make some at home. 

I urgently emailed my friend Calvin of Bigg Riggs Farm. "Can you sell me some seconds tomatoes?"

An affirmative reply was quickly rendered, and I made plans to pick up my tomatoes from the Wednesday afternoon King Street Gardens Park Farmers Market. When I arrived for the tomatoes, I only planned to buy about ten pounds.

Calvin scoffed at this idea. "10 pounds? You should really get more like 20-30."

Having never been one who avoids purchasing excess produce, I agreed. The 25 pound box of tomatoes (all for $12) was so heavy that I was unable to carry it to my car without assistance. 

When I arrived home, the tomatoes found a nice cozy spot on a kitchen chair making my husband ponder what on earth I had gotten into now.

The next morning, I woke up early and got my supplies ready. Canning takes time and careful preparation, and most importantly a zealous belief in sanitation.

With this in mind, my first steps are always to get my glass jars out, and to separate the jars from the lids and rings. The jars can be sterilized in the dishwasher (mine cycles for around two hours), while the lids need to be sterilized just before processing the cans. 

The next step is to set up the following equipment: 

• a pot of boiling water
• a large bowl filled with ice and cold water  
• a large cutting board and knife
• a discard bowl 
• a strainer perched atop another bowl 
• a large stock pot for making the sauce 

Since my recipe calls for two chopped onions, I decided to get all that chopping out the way before getting my hands into the tomatoes. Once the onions were chopped, they went right into the large stock pot and softened up so that they were ready when the tomatoes joined them in the pot. 

With the onions out of the way, the assembly line began. 

Each tomato first needs to have its skins removed. The easiest way to do this is to blanch them for about one minute in boiling water. . . 

 

And then plunge them into an ice water bath for at least the same amount of time.

Next, the skins easily slide off into the discard bowl. 

At this point, I like to cut them in half to remove the core and the seeds. 

After the skins, cores and seeds were removed, my tomatoes went into a strainer set atop another bowl. This allowed the excess juice to strain out-- a process that takes around thirty minutes. The juice can be saved and reused in other cooking. 

 

Messy, messy tomatoes.

Finally, after straining all those tomatoes and simmering them with the onions and spices for over two hours, I processed them in a water bath for 40 minutes.

The end canned result canned was a simple pasta sauce which I doctored up to make even tastier with a little fresh basil, garlic, and grated parmesan.

Canned Pasta Sauce:

 

Note: Be sure to read and follow all instructions carefully. Safe home canning requires careful adherence to guidelines and the use of properly sterilized equipment.

Ingredient List

• 20 pounds of tomatoes
• 2 onions, roughly chopped 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 2 TB dried oregano 
• 2 TB salt  
• 2 TB pepper 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Equipment List

• 1 stockpot 
• 1 smaller pot  
• 6-8 pint sized canning jars 
• 1 pair of jar lifters 
• 1 cutting board 
• 2 large bowls 
• discard bowl (another medium- large sized bowl) 
• 1 strainer 
• 1 large canner 
• funnel 

Prepare the ingredients

 
Have ready and set up: a cutting board, one large bowl filled with an ice and cold water, and one large bowl with a strainer set on top of it. I also like to keep a discard bowl handy for the tomato skins, cores, and seeds.

Chop the onions and place in the large stock pot. Warm over medium heat until they are softened. If necessary, add water to prevent sticking. Important: Do not add oil! Once onions are softened, turn off heat and wait for tomatoes to be added before continuing to cook. DO NOT add other vegetables or garlic to the recipe as it will change the pH level of the tomatoes and increase the risk of contamination.

In the meantime, fill the smaller pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, begin blanching the tomatoes in the boiling water. After one minute, immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath (they should stay in the ice bath for at least one minute).

Bring the tomatoes to the cutting board and peel off the skins. Cut the tomato in half and carefully remove the core. Cut each half in half (quarter) and remove the tomato seeds. Place each tomato quarter into the strainer set over a bowl. Allow tomatoes to strain for about thirty minutes to remove excess juices (this will help your sauce thicken better).

Note: At this point, some people like to puree the tomatoes in order to have a smoother sauce. I prefer a thicker sauce with tomato chunks, so I keep the tomato pieces in quarters and break them up while the sauce is simmering.

Add the strained tomatoes to the large stock pot. (Tip: You will have to do this in batches because the amount of tomatoes is so large. I keep an assembly line going to increase the efficiency of the process.)

Once all tomatoes have been added to the stockpot, add the sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring from time to time. Allow to simmer for 2-3 hours, until the sauce has thickened to your likeness.

Preparing the canning equipment:

Once the tomatoes begin processing, it is a good idea to get the canning equipment ready. 

Most importantly: it is essential that everything you are using is clean and sterile.

I like to sterilize the canning jars in the dishwasher, and since the cycle takes around 2 hours, it works out perfectly with the timing of the sauce.

The jar lids and rings can be sterilized by running boiling water over them. This should be done right before the sauce is processed in the boiling water bath canner.

Make sure all of your kitchen surfaces have been cleaned and sanitized of any tomato seeds and pulp that may be leftover from working with the ingredients. Set up your water bath canner on the stove top, fill it with water and bring to a boil.

When your sauce is ready, place your sterilized jars on a clean kitchen towel. Place a funnel over the jar mouth; ladle sauce into the jar leaving 1/2" head space. Carefully wipe off any excess sauce which may have gotten on the jar rims. Seal each jar with a lid and ring, tightening them just past the point of resistance. Repeat this with the remaining jars and sauce.

Process all jars in a boiling water bath canner for 40 minutes.

Remove from the canner using jar lifters (this will really help prevent burns- believe me) and set on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, check the seals to make sure they are firmly shut. The seal should not move at all when it is gently pressed down on. Any jars that did not properly seal should be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Garlic-Basil Pasta with Parmesan

I enjoy pasta sauce so much that I didn't process all of my tomato sauce in mason jars. I just couldn't wait to eat it. 

Instead, I kept about four cups of sauce in the stock pot. I simmered the sauce a little longer, then added some of the ingredients I couldn't during canning: two crushed cloves of garlic, some fresh basil, and a little olive oil. This delicious sauce was spooned over a heaping bowl of pasta with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

And now, whenever I pop open a jar of my homemade sauce, I can look forward to a delicious bowl-- just like this one. 

Explaining my absence {and watermelon soup with yogurt, mint, and toasted pecans}

July?  Already? 

July is most definitely my favorite month and one of the best months for locavore eating, and here I am just writing my first post of the month.

I must explain my absence.

You see,the garden apartment has become something of a cross between a moving out zone and a construction zone.

Between packing up boxes (including some of my favorite kitchen gadgets, oh no!) and the last minute projects we've decided to take on (painting, re-grouting the bathroom), cooking has become a rather difficult task.

If you're wondering why two people moving out of a small apartment are putting so much effort into improving it, let me explain. We own the garden apartment, and the series of projects began when we realized we would have to rent the apartment out for a few years before selling it (has anyone heard that it is not a seller's market?). So, we decided it was time to get a dishwasher. Yes, that's right. We have never had one- even with all the cooking and baking and culinary projects.

Getting a dishwasher meant losing some cabinet space. So we decided to buy another cabinet to add on to the opposite counter. This meant that our counter was no longer long enough, so we'd need to get new ones. Do you see where this all is going?

Basically, we have almost completely remodeled the garden apartment's kitchen into a beautiful kitchen I would have loved to use the entire time I lived here. 

The situation on Sunday was something like this. Garden apartment: full of boxes and extra furniture given to us by a friend who knows we'll need more in the house (we have two dining room tables in our dining room right now, and a large dresser in our living room). Garden apartment kitchen: looking great, but counter tops have just been sealed and cannot be used for 24 hours.

What's a girl to do? I decided it was time to use one of those extra dining room tables to chop some summer produce. I'd make something I could use a portable appliance for (blender), and which did not require the stove or kitchen (with the exception of toasting the pecans).

Earlier this week, I took a field trip to theAmish market in Charlotte Hall, Maryland.

I found a large watermelon with deep green skin. This watermelon was begging me to make it into a cold soup. Yes, begging.

I also happened to have a few other local ingredients around: mint and basil plants growing in my window wells, Greek yogurt from the Blue Ridge Dairy, and some Virginia pecans I picked up awhile ago from the Crystal City farmers market.

I would blend together the main ingredients, then top it all off with some extra mint, some diced watermelon, a little red onion, and some toasted Virginia pecans. 

John was skeptical about the idea of cold watermelon soup, but was easily won over after one bite. The soup was perfectly refreshing on a warm summer day, with a nice blend of flavors and textures from the garnishes. 

Cold Watermelon Soup with yogurt, mint, and toasted pecans

Makes 4 First Course Servings

• 4 cups of watermelon, seeds removed and diced (+ 1/4 cup extra watermelon small diced for garnish)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon of champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of honey 
• pinch of salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 tsp mint, diced in a chiffonade (+ extra for garnish)
• 1 tsp basil, diced in a chiffonade
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped into small pieces and toasted

Make the soup:

Combine the 4 cups of watermelon, 1/2 Cup Greek yogurt, lime juice, champagne vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, 2 tsp of the mint, and basil in a blender. Blend until smooth. 

Set aside in the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the garnishes. Finely dice 1/4 cup of watermelon. Finely dice 1/4 cup of red onion. Reserve 1-2 teaspoons of the mint chiffonade for garnish. 

Heat a small frying pan to medium high. Add the chopped pecans. Toss from time to time until pecans are evenly toasted.

Putting it all together:

Remove the soup from the refrigerator. Spoon into bowls, then top with reserved watermelon, red onion, toasted pecans, and mint.

Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * *

And if you're still in the mood for watermelon, check out my recipe for Watermelon Granita Rum Colladas!

Things to enjoy now {and a recipe for roasted asparagus with red pepper puree and microgreens}

Sigh.  

 

Spring is really truly here. 

Juicy and sweet strawberries. . . 

 

. . . tender sprigs of fresh asparagus

   

All are popping up at many DC area farmers markets. 

It's enough to make me a very satisfied woman.

But as a special icing on the cake (or rather, greens on the top), you will also be able to find micro greens at the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market this weekend. 

Micro greens are tiny and intensely flavorful greens: the smallest sprouts of a variety of salad greens, herbs, and vegetables. The beautiful leaves are typically found in high end restaurants, and can be difficult for home cooks to obtain.

Bigg Riggs Farm is selling a variety of gorgeous and tasty micro greens, including arugula, fennel, beet, and radish. The greens arrive at market alive. They burst out of their trays in colors of green, purple, and red. When purchasing them, you simply pick which one (or ones) you'd like. Your choice is clipped freshly for you and put into a small container. 

It doesn't get any fresher than that.

They sell for $4 an ounce, which is a bit pricey, but a full container doesn't weigh very much, and a small amount of microgreens packs a big punch.

After a weekend shopping at the Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market and the West End Alexandria Farmers market, I had all the ingredients for a tasty treat: a lovely dish made from a simple preparation of roasted asparagus and a roasted red pepper puree-- all topped off with a microgreen salad.  

For the record, this method of preparing asparagus is stand-alone. Roasting the asparagus draws out a certain level of sweetness. Furthermore, actually roasting it with the lemon wedges imparts the perfect amount of lemon flavor to the tender sprigs. If you just want a simple side, you can follow the roasting instructions here. Or, really make your asparagus dish extra special with the pepper puree and microgreen salad. 

Roasted Asparagus with Red Pepper Puree and Microgreen Salad

Serves 2 as a first course, 4 as a side

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the roasted asparagus

1 large bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 2-3 TB)

salt and pepper, to taste

For the red pepper puree

1/2 Cup Roasted Red Peppers (freshly roasted or jarred will both work well)

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves

1/2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

For the micro green salad

1/2 Cup of assorted micro greens

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

Preparation:

Roasting the asparagus

Preheat the oven to 400F. 

In the meantime, trim the asparagus spears and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, a little bit of fresh lemon juice (from the lemon wedges) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place the lemon wedges on the baking sheet with the asparagus spears. 

Roast the asparagus for 8-10 minutes, until it is bright green and beginning to brown just a little bit. Toss the asparagus 1-2 times during roasting.

Making the red pepper puree

While the asparagus is roasting, combine the red peppers, garlic, thyme leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade (I used a mini prep). Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.

Putting it all together

Spoon 2-3 TB red pepper puree in the center of each plate. Divide the asparagus evenly on each plate, placing it on top of the pepper puree. Place a small amount of the microgreens on the top of the asparagus, then drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a small amount of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Enjoy immediately.  

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One year ago at The Garden Apartment:

Old Town Di(sh)patch: Grilled Steak with Arugula Pesto and Roasted Potatoes with Ramp Mustard and Spring Onions

A Bipolar Month {and sauteed Asian greens}

March is a rather bi-polar month, don't you think? One day it's sunshiny wonderful and the next it's in the deepest depths of despair without any warning. 

Take for example the day it snowed so heavily that I couldn't leave the Garden Apartment to drive to work. A mere three days later the snow was a melted seventy degree memory.

Despite the joys of the warm "ups" of March, I'm over it. Bring on April! Better yet, bring on May or June. 

All weather-related complaints aside, I have one additional gripe. You see, I've lost all enthusiasm for my winter diet. As much as I tout seasonal eating, I can't seem to muster up an appetite for any more root vegetables.  I'm craving green things, crunchy things, and fresh-out-of-the-ground things.

And in the spirit of Lenten self betterment (and the Catholic guilt which never leaves me), I must confess to you- my readers- some very non-local vices as of late. Mango. Avocado. Pineapple. . .and a few more I can't recall. 

Clearly, I haven't been completely bad, or I wouldn't be writing to you about this delicious dish. At a recent trip to the DuPont Circle Farmer's Market, I trekked off to the Spring Valley Farm stand for some of their delicious greenhouse-grown greens. Spring Valley consistently has the most fresh and satisfying mixes of greens including basic salad mixes and Asian stir-fry blends. 

A closer inspection of the greens revealed some of these players: Swiss chard, curly kale, and mustard greens.

In addition to my Asian stir fry mix, I also found a bunch of India mustard greens from the Sunnyside Farm stand.

Farmer Jim Huyett cheerfully warned me that they would be a bit spicy. 

Perfect.

I headed home, excited to put together a simple and extremely healthy stir-fry. 

This dish has very few ingredients and is easy to throw together in under ten minutes. Six cups of mixed greens may sound like a lot, but they cook down impressively. Always have more than you think you need. If necessary, you can always adjust the amount of seasoning to compensate for extra greens.

Sauteed Asian Greens

Serves 2 as a main course; 4 as a side

• 1 large bunch of assorted greens, washed; about 6-8 Cups (Asian mix, if available-- otherwise a mixture of mustard greens, kale, Swiss chard, and spinach would work)
• 2 TB canola oil 
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced  
• 1 large garlic clove, finely minced 
• 1 TB freshly grated ginger
• 2-3 TB dry white wine 
• 2-3 TB soy or Tamari sauce (+ more to taste) 
• a drizzle of sesame oil 
• toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• white rice, for serving 

If you are using mature greens, be sure to trim the ribs from the Swiss chard and kale. A baby greens mix will be fine as is.

Heat the canola oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until softened. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir to combine. 

Add the greens, white wine, and Tamari sauce. Stir to combine, and cover. Stir occasionally until the greens have softened and cooked down, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve over white rice. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and cover with toasted sesame seeds (optional).

* * * * * * * * * * * 

In the end, a bowl full of this has enough nutrition and flavor to beat a case of the March's any day.

Acorn Squash Ravioli {waiting in the wings}

This little guy has been waiting in the wings for a long time. 

 

Or rather, he's been sitting in my fridge since November. At that point in time, the weather was much warmer and I was happily farmer's-marketing every weekend. I found my acorn squash at the Bigg Riggs booth at the Old Town Alexandria Farmer's Market and was so smitten with him that I proceeded to take him home for a little photo shoot in my neighborhood. 

I had to be very inconspicuous while photographing him, given how nosy neighbors can be. I didn't want anyone thinking I was a little looney and all, you know, taking photos of a squash and a couple of pumpkins. Upon exiting the garden apartment, I safely concealed him in a hip-looking bag and wandered off to a quiet spot which seemed free of curious dog-walkers and stray afternoon strollers. 

I don't think anyone saw me.

So, that was me, two months ago. Smitten and in-love as I could be with my acorn squash. That is, until he landed a spot in my crowded fridge. 

Where I proceeded to forget about him for an entire two months while I ate things like this, this, and this. 

But, he's been a good sport through all the rejection. He's held up well, and was perfectly fit and prepared to be the object of my affection again. You see, that's the wonderful thing about winter fruits and vegetables. They have an amazing shelf life.

I decided to feature him in acorn squash ravioli. He would be the main star of the dish, slowly roasted before being pureed with a mixture of onions, garlic, sage, ricotta, and parmesan cheese. Then, he would be wrapped in wonton wrappers, boiled quickly, and covered in a sauce of browned butter and fresh sage. 

Isn't that worth waiting for? 

With no further ado, here is the recipe.

Acorn Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter  View Print Friendly Version 

Serves 4 (Main Course) or 6 (Appetizer)

• 1 acorn squash, diced and roasted*
• 1/4 Cup yellow onion, diced 
• 2 TB fresh sage, choped
• 1 TB butter 
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese 
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg  
• 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar 
• dash of red pepper flakes 
• salt and pepper 
• 1 package of wonton wrappers 
• semolina flour or cornmeal (for dusting) 
• small bowl of water (for preparing the ravioli) 
• 4 TB butter 
• 2 tsp fresh sage (+ more to taste) 
• walnut oil (optional) 

Make the Ravioli Filling

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. To get maximum flavor from the squash, peel the rind and dice into small cubes. Place the cubes on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30-45 minutes until all sides are nicely caramelized. *Note: If you don't have the time (or patience) to peel the squash and cube it, you can alternatively follow this procedure: halve the squash. Place each half cut-side down on an oiled parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

 

In the meantime, warm 1 TB butter in a medium sauce pan. Saute the onions and 2 TB chopped sage until the onions are transparent. Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Saute for one minute longer, then set aside.

When the squash is finished roasting, combine the squash, onion mixture, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, sherry vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Pulse until the texture is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Assemble the Ravioli

Lightly cover a piece of parchment paper with semolina flour or cornmeal (this will prevent the ravioli from sticking). Have ready: a stack of wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water, a brush, additional semolina flour or cornmeal.

Place 1-2 tsp of squash filling in the center of the wonton wrapper.

 

Brush the outside edges of the wonton wrapper with water. 

Fold the two outer points of the wonton wrapper together to make the wonton into a triangle. 

Press from the inside of the ravioli (near the filling) outward to seal the ravioli. This will help to remove any air bubbles that might be on the inside. 

 

If necessary, fold over any extra dough on the outside to make a neater shape.

Repeat this process until all of the squash filling has been used. This recipe should make between 30-40 raviolis.

 

Place the raviolis in a large pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes before serving with sage butter sauce, or your sauce of choice. If you'd like to make these ahead of time, they can be frozen in an air-tight ziplock bag, and then prepared at a later time.

Make the Sage Butter Sauce

Heat 4 TB butter in a sauce pan over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add 2 tsp of freshly chopped sage, salt, pepper, and a dash of walnut oil (optional). Serve atop acorn squash ravioli immediately.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe, and please let me know if you try it.

As for myself, I will be taking a long weekend away from cooking in order to celebrate John's birthday. We are off to New Orleans. And look- he received the perfect present to prepare himself for impromptu jam sessions in the French Quarter.

If only he knew more than the three glorious "power" chords from the instructional DVD that came with the guitar. 

Ah well, we'll have a good time anyway.