Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Darlingtonia and A Green Bean Potato Salad


We have been driving right by the Darlingtonia Botanical Natural site for several years now. Last week-end we finally made the stop. It is roughly 5 miles north of  Florence, Oregon. There is a small sign right off of Highway 101 that takes you to a small paved parking lot. The trail starts off through the shaded trees on a wide forested path that winds around to a wooden bridge. From here you go through a marshy or bog like area.


The path takes you to this viewing area. Here you see these amazing insect eating plants, they are also known as a Cobra Lily. They do look rather prehistoric. Would be fun to come back when they are flowering.


After spending most of the day in Florence, hiking the Hobbit trail, and then down at the docks we came home and barbecued. I had green beans and red potatoes left over from last weeks market and decided upon some type of potato salad. I found this recipe from "Dave Lieberman" on the Food Network website and just made a few minor changes. Great flavor with a lot of crunch!


Ingredients:

5 medium red potatoes (chopped, large pieces)
1/2 pound green beans (trimmed)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot (minced)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Handful of parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Start potatoes in a large heavy pot of cold salted water, let boil until potatoes are just tender. (I like my potatoes firm). Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Bring another pot of salted water to boil and then add green beans, cook about 4 to 5 minutes until crisp tender, drain and rinse with cold water.

In the meantime, whisk all the other ingredients together until smooth. Toss everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

A Great Salad with Friends and Neighbors


I have made this Orzo Salad with broccoli pesto and avocado at least twice every summer for the last 4 years. The occasion has always been a get together of some kind; with people you want to make your best impression. People you live somewhat close too or work with; you know.....your friends and neighbors. This recipe is from, "Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day Cookbook".

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat orzo
5 cups raw broccoli (cut into small florets and stems)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and diced)
2/3 cups pine nuts (toasted)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup crème fraíche
1 avocado (peeled, pitted and chopped)
Salt to taste

To prepare:

Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil, salt generously. Add orzo and cook approx 9 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water. To cook broccoli, bring 3/4 cup water to boil in a large heavy pot, add salt, then broccoli, stir to cover with water. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Drain in strainer and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.

To make the pesto, combine 2 cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, most of the pine nuts, the Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and crème fraíche and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss orzo and remaining broccoli with about 2/3 of the broccoli pesto and lemon zest. Fold in avocado. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Garnish with remaining pine nuts and bits of avocado. Enjoy!


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Baked Halibut with Arugula Salsa Verde



Fresh green leafy vegetables are everywhere this time of year. So when I saw a episode of  "Giada at Home with Giada De Laurentiis" featuring this recipe on the Food Network channel I knew I had a winner. I substituted lettuce for the arugula as that is what was available in the garden. The halibut was served over a whole wheat couscous and it was delicious.

Ingredients:

Fish topping:

2 tablespoons fresh chives (chopped)
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Baked halibut:

Two 6 ounce halibut fillets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon for garnish (sliced)
Arugula Salsa Verde, recipe follows


To prepare:

Preheat oven to 375°. Place oven rack in center of oven. Prepare fish topping by adding together the chives, parsley and 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest. Cover and chill.

Coat halibut fillets with olive oil. Place in baking dish and top with fish topping by gently pressing down to adhere. Bake until fish is opaque in center about 10-12 minutes. Spoon the Arugula Salsa Verde on top and alongside. Garnish with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Arugula Salsa Verde:

1 cup arugula (finely chopped) I used salad greens from garden
2/3 cup flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup capers (rinsed and drained)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

To prepare:

Add together, the parsley, olive oil, capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.




Monday, July 22, 2013

Squash Blossom Frittata


I made this squash blossom frittata after a hike and a trip to the farmers market. The hike started out just North of Seal Beach State Park.The cool misty fog was our backdrop. We clambered among the sand and rocks around the water. The only sounds were the shore birds and the waves as they pounded the rocks. We had the whole beach to ourselves. Life is very good.


The squash blossoms were from the farmer's market. I also stuffed some with tomatoes and goat cheese and sauteed in a light flour and club soda batter.


Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, just add a nice green salad.

How to make frittata

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
7 eggs
2 spring green onions (chopped)
2 small yellow squash (sliced thin)
1 clove garlic (diced)
1/4 cup combined shredded Italian cheese (Used Parmesan and mozzarella)
9 squash blossoms
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare the squash blossoms start by removing the stems, the stamen inside the flower and the outer green spiky leaves. Rinse gently inside and out. Have all your vegetables chopped and diced. Shred cheese. To make things easy set up individual bowls with ingredients ready to go.

In a large bowl crack eggs, add cream and cheese and whisk together. In a oven safe pan, on medium high heat add olive oil, then add green onions and squash. Saute about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat add garlic and stir. Pour egg mixture into pan and arrange and top with squash blossoms. Cook on top of stove until bottom sets, about half way through. Then into oven, bake another 10 to 15 minutes until set. Season to taste. Enjoy!




Monday, July 1, 2013

A Berry Refreshing Salad


It's warm on the coast, in fact maybe one of the warmest summers we have had since we have been coming here. There is no air conditioning in this old house and some of the windows do not open. Because of this we have been spending our afternoons and early evening hours outside on the deck. It is breezy from the southwestern winds. The shade comes from the Alder and Pine trees that surround our yard. We spend our time reading more and watching television less.

Even the way we eat is changing. Our meals and snacks have become lighter and healthier. I'm always on the lookout for simple and seasonal foods. So when I saw this combination of red berries I just knew they would hit the spot. Today's Red Fruit Salad recipe came from Heidi Swanson's blog, "101 Cookbooks". One of the best things about this dish is that you can enjoy it for any meal of your day. Also, it's refreshing and even better the second day as the fruit continues to macerate.


Ingredients:

1 pound of cherries pitted
1 pound of strawberries cored
1 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (ground)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 lemon zest ed and then juiced

To prepare:

Add together cherries and strawberries. Toast the coriander seeds until fragrant in a dry skillet. Crush in a mortar and pestle or grind until somewhat fine. Toss the coriander into the sugar and lemon zest until completely mixed together using your fingertips. Combine together with the fruit. Then toss with lemon juice. Let set at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!