Farm Fresh to You

Cooking is my new hobby. I used to think I couldn't cook--and I couldn't cook because I didn't take the time to learn. So I started cooking the quick recipes in the back of Cooking Light. I have had great luck with recipes and in fact for quite a few years I wouldn't cook without a recipe. I still love Cooking Light and use it but I've expanded my repertoire. Epicurious.com is great-you can put ingredients into the search field and find recipes to make what you have.
In order to keep pushing myself as a cook I signed up to receive fruits and vegetables delivered to my doorstep form Farm Fresh to You. We get vegetables I have heard of but never bought like acorn squash and swiss chard and dinosaur kale. And we receive vegetables I've never heard of or seen like romanesco.
I made a YUMMY soup last night with NO RECIPE :)
About 3 TBS of coriander and cumin
1 tsp dill
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
head of celery
3 white onions
About 10 organic carrots
About 10 baby red potatoes (use any potato peeled and coarsely chopped_
2 packages of Aidell's sausage (use any smoked sausage or ham)
Bunch of dinosaur kale (or any hearty leafy green)
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans white beans
Bag of dried beans rinsed and boiled
A few cans of broth until it looked right to me
Salt and pepper to taste

Follow instructions to prepare dried beans
Sautee celery and onions with herbs and olive oil until soft in large dutch oven
Puree white beans with enough broth to get it out of the blender, then pour the puree into the dutch oven
Slice carrots and sausage
Add rest of ingredients to dutch oven and let simmer for a couple of hours
Remove bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

More to come as I explore the joys of cooking for friends and family with new ingredients.

Looking back to look forward

What a crazy year.

My husband graduated with his Ph.D. in Cellular Biology after 5.5 years of working hard for it. I am so proud of him. He is working as a Presidential PostDoc now at Novartis in collaboration with UCSF.

I started a job with the American Heart Association in February. It is challenging, but my co-workers and volunteers keep me motivated to navigate through this challenging year. Anyone want to be a fundraiser in this economy? :) Matt found a great link about how to survive in this economy, and we are living our lives by the writer's suggestions to be creative and work harder through this.
http://calacanis.com/2008/12/04/the-120-solution/

When Matt graduated and I got my new job at the American Heart Association, we decided to move back to the Bay Area from Orange County. We moved in with his parents for a month so that we could find a place to rent. One month turned into nine months because we thought that we could buy a house if we were all willing to sacrifice personal space for a few months. My in-laws could not be better in-laws.

So, in November, we moved into our new house. While we were in escrow, the economy really went crazy and the world as we knew it changed. We vacillated every day between buying or not buying. As I sit in our new house, decorated for Christmas, getting ready for friends from Orange County to come stay the night, I am so grateful for the path we have chosen.

Matt and I have lived simply for a long time always with the future in mind. We continue to live simply, but we are starting to enjoy the present and all that we've worked toward. He is my best friend and my favorite person. I chose my partner well. This morning I am overwhelmed with gratitude that it is him that I wake up to every morning. I get to take care of him when he's sick, tease him when necessary, live the mundane day to day with, and love him always.

Our house is a refuge and a joy. We have been able to entertain friends at our house comfortably for the first time since we got married. This life is so much fun. Thank you, my husband!

Pep Boys

I must say that I hate the Pep Boys. My car was supposed to be fixed within one day and it was. I went to pick it up and drove to work, then it died. I had the car re-towed to Pep Boys. They fixed it, and two days later I drove off with the car. It died again! The problem they were fixing was fairly minor and they made it worse--now the car was dying. I took it in a third time and a week later they had it fixed. I had to pay them for each repair even though they didn't fix it. I had to rent a car because it took almost two weeks to finally get my car back.

I will NEVER give Pep Boys my money again.

Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops

brine:
1 cup each salt and brown sugar
tbsp black pepper corns
tbsp mustard powder
dissolve in 2 cups hot apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
add pork chops in fridge for 2 hours

stuffing:
1 1/2 cups cornbread, crumbled fine
1/4 cups dried cherries, halved
2 tbs golden raisins
1/4 cups walnuts
2 tbsp fresh sage, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
mix and insert into the chops... don't overfill

cooking:
Sear the chops on HIGH heat on a propane grill for 2 mins, quarter turn and sear for another 2 mins. Flip for 2 more mins, quarter turn and grill for another 2 mins. About 140 degrees should be about medium once it rests.

Move to high rack and turn heat down and cook for another 2 mins for well done pork.

Recipe from "Good Eats with Alton Brown" on the Food Network

Tabasco Pickles

What a joy! A salty crispy delicious Vlasic pickle--with Tabasco. This is truly one of life's joys. I bought a jar because I love dill pickles and I love spicy food, I had low expectations...but I was WAY wrong! You should try them if you haven't already.

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Ingredients
Filling:
1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cake flour
2 cups sifted cake flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
3 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Fresh blueberries (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
To prepare the lime filling, combine 1 teaspoon lime rind, 1/4 cup lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, coat bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Lightly spoon 2 cups cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined.

Combine oil, 1/3 cup juice, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon rind, lemon extract, and egg yolks in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.

Divide cake batter equally among prepared pans, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Remove wax paper from cake layers. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small glass bowl. Microwave at high for 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Fold into whipped topping.

To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of filling over cake layer. Top with second layer, remaining half of filling, and third layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with mint, blueberries, and lime wedges, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice cake into wedges.

Yield
16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Jan Moon , Cooking Light, JUNE 2006

Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon & Prosciutto

Ingredients
1 (9-ounce) package fresh fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces very thin slices prosciutto, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and next 4 ingredients (asparagus through salt). Cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in prosciutto; cook, uncovered, for 1 minute. Combine asparagus mixture, pasta, and cheese in a large bowl, tossing to coat.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Lisë Stern , Cooking Light, APRIL 2004