Kale Pesto and Nourished Point.

Kale, in case you hadn't noticed is all the rage and has been for several years. We are using it in salads, green soups, bean soups, I know people who make it into chips, so why not pesto ?? It's another great way to get those dark, leafy green into our meals.

My dear friend and acupuncturist, Tricia, grows great quantities of curly kale. She always sends me home with a large bag of it.

By the way, Tricia has started her own blog to share her knowledge of nutrition, health and childrearing, it's called Nourished Point. Her treatments are so helpful, I'm sure her blog will be too.

Kale Pesto

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup parsley

4 cups kale: stemmed and chopped

4 cups basil

juice of 2 lemons

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

pinch of cayenne

1/2 cup olive oil

1) In a toaster oven or cast iron skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds.

2) Wash and stem the greens: parsley, basil and kale. Chop the kale to make it easier to put in the food processor.

3) Peel the garlic and whiz it first in the food processor.

4) Add the toasted pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, salt and cayenne: process.

5) Add the greens and the olive oil, process until smooth.

6) Serve on pasta, grilled vegetables, sandwiches...it freezes beautifully as well. And make a perfect meal for your vegan friends :-)

Chocolate Sorbet, Lotusland and Willie Nelson.

Three unrelated but amazing occurrences...

Last week I spent two hours on the most fabulous garden tour at Lotusland. It is worth a glance at the website to learn more about Ganna Walska and her unique gardens. It is definitely worth a trip down to Santa Barbara area to tour the estate.

There is a Japanese Garden.

A formal garden with odd topiary.

Cactus, succulents and euphorbia in huge numbers.

And one of the largest collection of cycads in the country.

Speaking of country...

We saw Willie Nelson in concert the other night. Hard to believe he is 80 years old. He played that guitar with such energy and enthusiasm. 

You can tell we were excited.

Speaking of exciting... last but not least the chocolate sorbet, another amazing event ;-) 

A few weeks ago my favorite vegan and her family were coming for dinner. I usually make my vegan chocolate cupcakes, which are wonderful but I wanted something different. 

To fit with the theme of our taco bar meal I decided on a Mexican chocolate sorbet, wise choice.

Laurie's Mexican Chocolate Sorbet

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups water

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

      1) Finely chop two 3 ounce bars of very dark chocolate. These bars were actually 3.5 ounces, more chocolate the better, right ??!

      2) In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. 

   
    3) Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.

    4) Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it has melted, then stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon and the remaining 3/4 cup water. 

    5) Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds, careful as the mixture is hot. 

        Actually I am not convinced this step is necessary. My mixture was very smooth.

    6) Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

This photo doesn't do this sorbet justice. It is so creamy with such a full chocolate flavor with the hint of cinnamon.

Summer Soup : Gazpacho !!

It's hot today so I have gazpacho on my mind. In fact I just put some in the fridge to chill for tomorrow's dinner. I also promised my sister-in-law I would post this recipe soon. My brother is growing most of the ingredients in his garden. She got to taste it earlier this week. I made it to take on a one night camping trip we took to watch the Perseids meteor showers at Carrizo Plains.

Here's where we camped.

I knew it would be a warm night so a cold soup was just the ticket. It was !! We did see about a dozen nice shooting stars that night. The next day we headed to Lompoc for two nights with my brother and sister-in-law.

Anyway back to the gazpacho, I did a take off on a recipe by Alton Brown. I have served it several times to guests always with rave reviews. It's great as a starter or for lunch. The combination of flavors and textures are very refreshing.

Great Gazpacho

Ingredients

5-7 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cup tomato juice

1/2 red onion chopped

1 cup peeled, chopped cucumber

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 clove smashed garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 lime or lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

pinch cayenne ( optional)

5 fresh basil leaves, 1 avocado ( optional)

1) To peel the tomatoes, pour boiling water over them for one minutes, drain and cover them in cool water for another minute or so. They should peel easily that way. 

2) Chop the peeled tomatoes into small chunks and toss them into a bowl.

3) Peel and chop the red onion.

4) Peel and chop the cucumber and add it to the bowl.

5) Seed and chop the bell pepper, yes, in it goes.

6) Add the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, cumin, smashed garlic, salt and pepper ( and cayenne). Toss together gently.

7) Remove 1 1/2 cup of this mixture and blend it for 20 seconds in the blender. Mix it back in with the rest and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, which I prefer.

8) When you serve it, you can top it with a finely chopped fresh basil leaf and several chunks of avocado.

Feel free to add other fresh herbs and spices. The proportions of the vegetables are not that important, use more tomatoes, less cucumber or different peppers if you wish. I do find that letting the flavors marry overnight gives the best results.

Quinoa salad, easy picnic fare.

The first time I had this salad was at a picnic with some friends at a goat farm. After touring the farm, we tasted lots of goat cheese, the goat feta was used in this salad.

Quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor and crunchy texture much like cracked bulgar wheat often used in tabouli, in fact this recipe reminds me of the quinoa tabouli salad I posted about last summer.

This salad takes advantage of fresh summer vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes and corn, the walnuts give it an added dimension. It is a very forgiving recipe, feel free to change the vegetable or add more or less depending upon what you have on hand.
It has become a staple in our fridge, perfect for a quick lunch.

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup fresh corn or garbanzo beans

1 cup chopped cucumber skinned and seeded 

1 cup chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes halved 

3/4 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/3 cup chopped pitted Kalamata Olives

1/3 cup chopped cilantro (more or less to taste)

Dressing

3 tablespoon walnut oil

3 tablespoon lemon juice

1 t. dried oregano leave

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground pepper

1) Start with the cooked quinoa in a large bowl.

2) Toast the walnuts.

3) Chop the tomatoes, olives, cilantro...

4) Peel, chop and seed the cucumber. As you can see I didn't try to get out all the seeds.

5) Remove the corn from the cob.

6) Chop or crumble the feta cheese.

7) Toss all those ingredient together in the bowl and mix gently.

8) In a small bowl mix together the walnut oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper.

9) Mix into the salad and serve immediately or allow to chill. 

    This salad can last a week in the fridge.

Gina's Beans

Last week on my way home from LA, I stopped in Lompoc to visit family and break up the drive. My brother made a wonderful dinner of carnitas and Gina made beans, from scratch (that is one of those things I wish I did more often).

Turns out Lompoc has their own bean store, which I plan to visit next week !!

Anyway, Gina made these beans from the bean store using their recipe. They went so well with the pork and tortillas, I was inspired to make my own version to serve upcoming dinner guests. I made a couple of the ingredients from scratch which made this recipe more of a process.
You can certainly use canned items and still make great beans.

Gina was kind enough to give me the rest of her dried beans, this her birthday week, so I am naming them after her.

Here's Gina.

Gina's Beans
( I used yellow beans, the recipe mentioned pinquito beans, I am sure pinto beans or even black beans would be great.)
Ingredients:

2 cup dried beans soaked

1 cup tomato puree or fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup roasted green peppers ( or 1 Can (7 ounces) diced green chilies)

1/2 red onion chopped

1 large clove garlic chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1) Look through the dried beans for any rocks, rinse them, then cover them with water, cover and let soak overnight.

2) Rinse the beans again. Place in a large pot. "Add enough water to cover beans with 1" of water." I wasn't clear what this meant, my beans had a lot of liquid. Next time I will be more careful about this part.

3) Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook on low to medium heat. Cook beans until soft. Depending on the beans, it will take approx. 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to cook.
Next time I am going to try them in the crock-pot.

I made my own tomato puree from roasted tomatoes.

I also roasted an assortment of peppers.

Here's the red onion.

Here's the finished product.

I served them as part of a taco bar with: corn and flour tortilla, spanish rice, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and cabbage, grated cheeses, sour cream, black olives, guacamole, salsa and roasted squash.

Whew, it was hard to make tacos that would close ;-)
We were so excited to be eating them that I failed to preserve the meal in photos...oh well.

What I Ate On My Summer Vacation...

 This past week I drove to LA to visit family...I had a marvelous time. I ate my way through this vacation... I ate at restaurants, went to farmer's markets, I cooked, I was cooked for and even did take-out one night.

My brother cooked me two great meals which I neglected to photograph, that is a travesty. I do love it when people cook for me !! On his birthday, we went out to breakfast at a local diner. Bob would love this place.

 I had French Toast, which was good but filling. I didn't eat the american flag ;-)

 My first meal in LA (actually in Santa Monica) was at Sushi Stop with Theo. Isn't he handsome !!

It's inexpensive but interesting sushi. I loved the lotus root on this roll.

That night we made the best pizza. We used dough from Whole Foods which we let rise for several hours while I gave Theo a massage. We sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper and caramelized onions. We used pesto, feta cheese, mozzarella, olives, prosciutto and anchovies, all in different combinations on four pizzas. I was so caught in the moment I failed again as a food photographer.

In the morning Genna and I roamed a local farmer's market, enjoying the beautiful product and sampling the fruit.

 No trip to LA is complete without an evening of make your own sushi. The great Japanese markets around here make this so easy. Sara provided us with an assortment of raw fish, roe, eel, veggies, rice and seaweed.

 LA has a farmer's market just about every day of the week somewhere. Genna brought us these pastries from one on Sunday morning before our trip to the Getty Villa. Those real concord grapes were some of the best. They taste like real grapes, not those super sugar and water Thompson seedless sold at most grocery stores.

 After a pastry feast we headed to the Getty Villa. What a delightful place to enjoy ancient art, stroll the gardens, AND have a great meal at their restaurant. Here are my three companions for the day.

Here are a few of our entrees: salad with garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, queso fresco and pistachios.

 Baked Rigatoni with Oxtail Ragu.

 A classic melon with prosciutto, with the addition of sliced almonds and blue cheese !!

The surprise winner of the lunch competition was this burger and the garlic french fries that went with it.

 It had Candied Bacon Heirloom Tomatoes, Grafton Aged Cheddar, Caramelized-Onion Spread...wow.

After all that lunch we did enjoy our stroll around the gardens and reflecting pools.

I want to put in a plug for the Thai restaurant we ordered take out from that night. I enjoyed their panang curry and the eggplant dish.

And for the place I lunched at twice just off the Promenade in Santa Monica: Tender Greens. This place had such fresh, interesting and tasty food, served with care. Apparently it is a small chain with other restaurants in the LA area , Orange County and San Diego.

My last night happened to be Sara's birthday, we dined at The Misfit in Santa Monica. They are known for their cocktails and small plates, both of which were sampled by our table full of folks.

Yes, I am going to bore you with all the dishes we ordered or at least most of them. 

This is a food blog after all ;-)

 Caramelized bussel sprouts...

 Thin garlic fries with several dipping sauces.

A vegan caprese salad made with roasted tomatoes, a light tofu and purple basil.

Grilled peaches with cress, prosciutto and shaves of cheese.

Mussels in a spicy broth.

I am not usually a fan of fried chicken but this was good, moist and not at all greasy.

Baked mac and cheese with a kick of horseradish!

Last and certainly not least, my favorite dish: dates stuffed with goat cheese and smoked almonds, wrapped in bacon with a shave of salty cheese on top. It was a good thing there were five of us at dinner !

Funny story about the cocktails: I asked for something without alcohol but still fun. I named off some ingredients from the bar menu that I thought would go well. The waitress gave me a look and offered me a lemonade or an Arnold Palmer, claiming I would not like what I had asked for. She even intimated that the bartender would not make my request. I HATE Arnold Palmers and would not drink lemonade while everyone else enjoyed fun cocktails. She finally acquiesced. The drink she brought me was fresh and flavorful, she even admitted that the  bartender had fun with it. She asked my name and over the din of the table heard "Glory" instead of Laurie, they were naming the drink after me !! So if you ever go to The Misfit ask for a Glory and think of me. ( It has kaffir lime cordial, orange bitters, basil and seltzer water.)