Lunch - Leek, Potato, and Escarole soup with Mini Pancetta Lardons

I started a lovely soup last night.  I sauteed celery, leeks and one clove of garlic in some olive oil then added homemade chicken stock.  Today I fried up the mini pancetta lardons and adding the escarole and then a blend to make it nice and smooth.  It blended to a nice spring green color.  Yum, I can't wait. 

My Own Recipe

Food is all about sharing.  And when I think about my most favorite recipes they are from people I love who love to eat good food.  Granted many of my recipes come from my mother and they come from a time when she liked to cook.  Now she is not so interested in cooking.  My Dad has seemed to discover a new fondness for cooking.  I think he has always liked it, but I think now he is devoting more time and intention to it and it is coming out well.  Some of her famous recipes weren't cooked for us.  Maybe they were before my time or perhaps at the grown up only parties.  But after a couple requests she capitulated and made the infamous cheesecake my brother and I always heard about but never tasted. 

Yesterday I was invited to a pot luck.  But not any standard potluck, but one that is going to be part of a cookbook and if I understand it correctly, I am supposed to bring my food and recipe and perhaps even have a mention in said cookbook. 

So I have been racking my brain thinking of what to make.  Turkey Lettuce Cups - but that came from my Mom, I changed it a bit, but still it is hers.  What about Vietnamese Summer Rolls, same story different person, Denise via her mother.  Well, every one seems to always talk about my tomato sauce, but I am bored with it.  Bored is not the feeling I want to bring to the potluck. 

So what else do I make, potatoes gratin, nah.  Oh! my Tico Black Bean Dip.  I usually use canned pureed black beans but maybe this time I will start with dried beans.  Add cilantro root in the cooking process, definitely bacon fat, maybe tiny lardons on top.  Hmm, this will mean I will need to  have some sort of serving dish.  A good guest comes with a serving piece right?  The host can always swap into something they have.

Anyway I am gonna do a test run tomorrow. 

Today I am making tangelo bars, like a lemon bar but with fresh tangelos.  I am also making some chocolate chip cookie dough to store in the freezer.

Here is the canned bean version of the Tasty Tico Dip:
Dina's Tasty Tico Black Bean Dip
1 can black beans, re-fried plain, or whole and blended
3-4 slices good quality bacon
cumin
½ chopped medium onion
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup Salsa Lizano, plus more to taste
1 jalapeño chopped, more or less to your taste
sea salt

First, fry up the bacon in a pot to desired doneness. Remove bacon, keep fat, add onions and jalapeño, cook until onion is translucent. Add cilantro and cumin cook another minute or 2. Add pureed black beans, salt, and Salsa Lizano. Cook until heated through stirring. Taste and adjust cumin, salt, Lizano. Chop cooled bacon and stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips, a bowl of sour cream, extra Lizano, hot sauce, etc.

If you cannot find Salsa Lizano add more cumin. Salsa Lizano is a table side condiment in Costa Rica, what soy is to Asia, ketchup & mayo to USA. Try the Internet or my favorite way, go to Costa Rica and bring some back!

Mystery me Mariquita!

an old entry i did not post:
4/30/2009
look what I just picked up!!! http://www.mariquita.com/Farmers%20Market/mystery%20lists/Piccino%20Mystery%204-30-09.pdf

agretti

shallots

green garlic

little gem lettuce

wild arugala
sunflower sprouts
baby carrots
baby leeks
fava beans

Potatos, Fennel, Carrots, Turnips, and Leeks

That is what I have to work with this week, and oh yeah some broccoli.  But doesn't potato, turnip, carrot and leek sound like a soup waiting to happen?  I did want to saute carrots until carmel, but there is never a shortage of carrots is there?  It is soup weather.  Nasty storm out.  Moose, our dog is not happy about rain, he is still salty after double towel dry.  He needs a jacket, maybe today's project. 

It is storming outside and I missed the weather report all last week telling us to get prepared.  So I am scrambling, hoping I didn't request my mystery veg too late.  I didn't make it to the farmer's market this weekend.  I had some family stuff instead.  Shoot, I definitely need the mystery pick up, I won't be able to get to the farmer's market this weekend as well.  It is my Dad's birthday and I think it would be fun to take him skiing.  But that requires some planning so I should be able to make it all work out. 

We have been working through our leftover prime rib, my Mom's Chile Verde, and the experimental Thit Ca Vietnamese Braised Pork.  The pork came out good, but not quite like Auntie Lili's.  And it is so rich.  Hmm, that reminds me I need to take a trip to the liquor store and get some digestivos and some vermouth. 

I have been going through my condiments and getting rid of things I do not use or that are too old or both!  I am trying to have the essentials in the fridge, not every hot sauce, but maybe my favorite 5, not 15.  Maybe this will somehow help me to finally be able to store all of the mystery, instead of relying on the old frisge in the garage.  I do like the secondary refrigeration, but maybe I should get a newer effiecient model?

So many things to eat and to repair and to replace and to upgrade, moving forward.

Thit Ca Braised Pork Shoulder

Today I am going to try to recreate a dish my Auntie Lili made to celebrate New Year's.  I am going to recreate it the healthy way she did using agave nectar instead of rock sugar.  I recall nuoc mum, shallots, black pepper, young coconut water, agave nectar, and what else?  She let the meat marinate in this mixture for a few hours and then cook slowly on the range. 

Along side I will serve rice and a refreshing green minted salad or stir fry some cabbage.

I threw some chili together last night.  I had a few tablespoons of my homemade chili powder and added more chipotle and ancho chile powders.  It was deep and dark and delicious.  I also cubed some leftover prime rib into the chili.  Beans, for me of course.  I love beans. 
I have used most of the veggies from my pick up.  I have the Portugeuse cabbage, turnips, a couple potatoes, and broccoli di Cicco.  I tried to use the greens first and then move on to the more cruciferous veggies.

Did I tell you I signed up for a local grass fed no antibiotic protein CSA?   I am excited, it starts next month.  More later.

Veg Out!!

I am so excited I just peaked on Mariquita's website and saw what today's offerings are.
1/7/10 Mystery Box
Red Potatoes
Loose Spinach
Red Radishes
French Breakfast Radishes
Arugula
Escarole
Portuguese Cabbage *
Leeks
Red Turnips
Fennel
Cauliflower (green or orange) OR Broccoli di cicco (grab bag: you don’t get to choose, sorry!)
Romanesco
So I think I will make a lentil and escarole soup, also using the leeks, potato and maybe even cauliflower. Serve it with some pan roasted prok chops and hearty whole grain bread.

I have the option to buy some Broccoli di Cicco I might go for if I don't have it in my assortment.
I think I only need to buy a bunch of carrots and maybe some celery. I did some pre veg shop yesterday of items I knew would not be part of a winter offering. Green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and basil. I tried to restrain myself but it is hard coming off 12 non cooking days.
Last night I whipped up spaghetti and meatballs and made a lasagna for a friend. I served our dinner with a fresh Greek like salad. The meatballs I made have Italian sausage, pork, veal, and beef. It might be the best lasagna ever. There are two layers with meatballs, a layer with pesto and of course a great homemade sauce and mozzarella, ricotta and fresh parsley and basil. Darin was a little jealous of the lasagna so I think that will be remade for him soon.

Mystery Me Thursday

I am so excited for my Mariquita Mystery veggie pick up tomorrow. I haven't been able to cook for about 2 weeks. I have been on vacation and in homes where the Mommas rule the kitchen. The food has been fantastic but I love to cook too.

I wonder what I will get tomorrow. I love the mystery aspect. And then if I am missing a few items wham Saturday and Sundays farmer's markets are just around the corner! Or if I can't wait off to Noriega Produce, or Dimitri's as we call it. He has the best organic produce and often times beats the prices of the farmer's market.

I have really enjoyed the San Rafael Farmer's market as of late. It is a bit of a drive but that goes by when you are chatting with your friend. I might even get a carpool together for it, as a few of us seem to go. I think I will buy more goat from Marin Suns. I really like it and not only is it healthy, but also better for the environment than say beef.

Yeah food!