{Raspy Berry} WordlessWednesday

Blog must go on!

I have been aloof from the blog, from the Internet altogether. While floating in a pool of hot summer days, fresh local vegetables, long lazy days I sometimes submerge into depths of my own thinking.

I was thinking about my blog. Why did I start blogging? What was my initial idea? What was the ‘hook’?

Popping like soap bubbles, these questions can easily qualify as rhetorical in my own mind, but not this time. Am I losing purpose?

I let myself get even deeper in the thinking process…

A while back I had this message inside my head, sealed in an enveloped, addressed and stamped. Every time I tried to send this letter it would return to the sender’s address or it would be tossed in a junk as an unsolicited mail. I had to find an alternative to the direct mail from one brain to another.

And the message that I want to ‘transmit’ is: do it yourself.

At first, I was going to blog about things around the house that can be made at home in lieu of being purchased in a store. But somehow I got stuck in the kitchen, cooking dinners.

It was inevitable. This is the place where I spend most of my free—and not so free—time. The kitchen is my office, my art studio, and my retreat.

But again, food wasn’t the primary subject I had in mind. I don’t mind writing about food and recipes. I do mind, however, to be called a foodie. In my understanding, foodies are the people, who cook food, eat food, talk food, breathe food—they live food. I’m not one of them. I’m not judging, I wouldn’t dare, it is just not me.

Think of it this way: foodies and their recipes are the Haute Couture of cooking; my recipes—an everyday wearable collection.

So, my recipes are usually call for the same ingredients, and the ingredient list doesn’t include exotic products. My recipes call for simple, local, seasonal, preferably organic, familiar ingredients. Yes, that is exactly the word: familiar. I’m all for trying new things, but I will not build a recipe collection for everyday cooking with something that has to be hauled across the universe to make it to my table.

Allow me to say couple of words on organic food. On one hand I agree wholeheartedly that it is better for you. On the other, I understand that an average family may struggle to afford organic produce since the prices are still polluted with a high markup. That is why I don’t say in my recipes what’s organic what’s not. It’s up to you to decide.

It is great if you can afford but when you can’t, substitute with locally grown produce. A local non-organic apple is more affordable and perhaps even ‘greener’ than an organic one from Argentina. (Unless you live in Argentina, that is)

A word on Vegetarianism: I personally prefer to eat fruits and vegetables any day, but I do occasionally eat and cook with red meats and poultry, which I get from familiar trusted sources.

I stand firmly for eating local and seasonal. I understand this cuts the variety of foods we eat in half, but I believe that the same set of vitamins in Acai berries is found in locally grown blueberries. Acai is for people of Brazil, we are happy with blueberries and other berries that grow naturally in our area.

Eat Local. Eat seasonal. Grow and cook your own food. And Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose!

Simple.

But I can’t tell people what to do, I can only do what I believe is right and hope others will get inspired…

I will continue tossing local and seasonal ingredients into wholesome recipes on my blog and add a new theme—repurposing that food packaging and other kitchen ‘waste’ in every day life. (I already have couple of post on this subject)

Show must go on? Blog must go on!

Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad

It's July, finally! And it comes with all sorts of fun around here: my garden started to yield first vegetables from the patch, raspberries and blueberries a plenty, crafts in open air, sun, summer rain, and star speckled skies during a backyard campout. A lot to occupy yourself, so why bother with cooking? Especially when there are a lot of fresh produce on the market. Farmers and gardeners with a gentle help of mother nature have invested a lot of labour into each vegetable you by this month from the market. Why work any further?

Yes, I am proposing a vegetable-eating month. And, when possible, raw eating. It might sound hard, but with few knife techniques and a bit of grill heat (plus a great deal of will power), we can indulge in fresh and vitamin packed dishes.

I'll start with grilled vegetable salad. This one is my all time favorite. You can use any seasonal vegetables you have available. Mix and match- mix the vegetables and match the grilling time. Dress the final dish with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste and viola!

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Grilled Vegetable Salad

Serves 4 if main dish, 6 if as a side dish

2 medium zucchini, cut in half longwise

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sectioned

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sectioned

1 large onion, cut in half longwise

2 T spoons vegetable oil

1 dried red chili pepper, crushed

Salt+Pepper to taste

Preheat grill to medium heat

Grill the vegetables, 5 minutes each side

Let cool slightly, enough for you to be able to cut them

Cut grilled vegetables into chunks, arrange in a serving bowl

Drizzle with oil and season

Of course if vegetables alone is not enough for you, you can toss in some pasta, rice or even grilled meat or chicken, cut into strips. I will try to eat meatless this month. We'll see how it goes…

Chaos Vs. Order and Iced Coffee

I have been away, a way-way too long. I have been working on several projects at a time and contemplating on Chaos vs. Order dilemma and my vision have narrowed and focused on a certain point in space and time.

And this point became many, too many to keep in order. Sort of like a Monet painting: many chaotic brushstrokes, dots of different color freely dancing in an unorganized pattern.

Atoms, erratically bouncing inside the molecule of everyday life. And I am trying to focus on all of them at the same time, realizing this is a futile pastime.

I need to see the big picture. Like everything else in the material world we live, chaos has its limits. All you have to do is draw a line around, give it a shape, an outline. This outline will be the order that encompasses chaos. To see these shapes, I need to take a few steps back and focus on the big picture.

Now, from a distance, I can see the whole impressionistic painting that is being composed, brushstroke after brushstroke on the canvas of my life. I see the shapes, I see the order. An Order made out of Chaos. And it is as beautiful as it is impressive.

Chaos is part Order. Order is part Chaos.

Creativity is one of the manifestations of Chaos drawn into forms of Order. To be creative is to let your chaotic thoughts and ideas be incarnated in the organized shapes and forms. I have to remember to simply give my thoughts and ideas an outlet or outline to dwell outside my mind.

I'll continue on the path of creativity, no matter how chaotic it might become at times, giving it different shapes and forms.

There are several ways to stay creative and each individual has his own little tricks to stay connected to this force. I will not get into details, for my ways of staying creative are various and change often. One of them, however, quite carnal, I want to mention today: a good ole cup of coffee!

Although heat has relieved in our neck of the woods for the last couple of days, during summer I can't say no to an icy variation of a broadly welcomed beverage. But I find popular joints don't quench my thirst for a quality iced coffee. All they do is dry out my pockets. Thus, I make my own variation.

My father likes to 'upgrade' his cup of coffee with a splash of hard liquor. This inspired me to add vanilla extract to my glass. And my husband's family likes to drink cardamom spiced coffee and I also have grown a taste for it. I added another spice—cinnamon—and a teaspoon of heavy cream and in the end I had a fresh, simple home made and cheap but fancy beverage to get my creative juices circulating.

The purist in me wanted to roast and grind my own beans. This time I've took a shortcut and used already ground coffee. And it's OK!

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Upgraded Iced Coffee

for each 6 oz water:

1 heaping T spoon ground coffee

1 t spoon ground cinnamon

1 t spoon sugar {optional}

3 cardamom pods, crushed

1 t spoon vanilla extract

crushed/cubed ice

Milk, cream to taste {optional}

Brew the ground coffee in a coffee machine with crushed cardamon, cinnamon and sugar right inside the coffee machine.

While coffee is brewing, fill a 16 oz tall glass half way with ice, crushed or cubed.

Pour vanilla extract and milk/cream over ice.

Now when the coffee is done, pour it over the ice.

Give it a swirl and drink up.

Chaos has become Order once again: the coffee grinds, once disorderly and disembodied, orchestrated into one smooth beverage!

Grilled Lasagna

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But sure enough it is doable! But why grill? Because it is faster, than baking in the oven and the noodles have those attractive grill marks, which add a nice little crispy bite to the dish. I like to keep it simple—spinach, cheese, and tomatoes.

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Grilled Spinach Lasagna

Serves 8

1 pack lasagna noodles, about 24 pieces, cooked al-dente (not too soft), rinsed with cold water

1 32-oz container ricotta cheese

2 cups leaf spinach, washed, dried and chopped

1 large egg, beaten

pinch of sea salt

1 t spoon freshly ground black pepper

1 28-oz can whole peeled roma tomatoes in sauce

few basil sprigs for garnishing

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For grilling you will need:

Metal cookie sheet

Metal grilling tongs

Lasagna dish

• Cook lasagna noodles, strain, rinse with cold water and arrange flat on the counter
• In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, salt and pepper
• Make the rolls: smear 2 T spoons of cheese mixture 3/4 of the way down the noodle, roll towards the empty end. Repeat, arrange them on a metal cookie sheet

• Chop the canned tomatoes, pour them with the sauce into a lasagna dish, cover with some torn basil leaves

• Preheat grill to 350°F. Grill lasagna rolls for 10 minutes on one side, flip with the metal tongs and cook for another 1o minutes, always with the grill cover on

• Arrange hot off the grill rolls into the lasagna dish with tomatoes, cover with mozzarella and some whole basil leaves, put it on a metal baking sheet, place the sheet on a grill, turn off gas, cover and let lasagna stand there for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange the table

• Sere with extra basil leaves and enjoy!

I've Gotta Grilling!

Last year as we were remodeling our kitchen I was left without a stove, an oven and even without a sink. It would not be a big deal if we were fond of takeouts, but we're not. I had to improvise on a grill to create dinners. And for the sink, I had to use a garden hose suspended over the plastic container. Honestly, I loved my impromptu outdoor kitchen. It felt so primal!

I want to repeat it this year. Not the sink part, but as the temperatures rise, I have a feeling for grilling. The whole month! Last year, I have tried few dinner dished that are normally prepared on a stove top or in an oven. This time not only I will try to re-create them, add new ones, but also blog about my experiences! So stay tuned this month for dinner makeovers on a grill!

First one is my family's go to meal, herb roasted chicken. I roast chicken in the oven with onions and potatoes—the vegetable choice of my kids—and sometimes add green vegetables such as asparagus. Now, I'm grilling this roast!

As we all know, grilling starts not with firing up a grill but with proper preparation. And by preparation I mean the process of marinading. So, I took a whole chicken, quarter it and marinaded it with fresh herbs {sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme}, garlic and onion rings. Now, I could of used the whole chicken and roasted it on a rotisserie attachment, but a) I didn't have this attachment; b) the chicken, coming from local farm, was 5 1/5 lb. I had 8 hungry people to feed!

I am not going to post a formal recipe, just a description of what I did. I couldn't even find a proper name, but it's totally irrelevant! :)

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Grilled Chicken With Grilled Potatoes, Onions and Asparagus

Chicken:

One medium to large {5 1/5 lb} whole chicken on a bone, skinned and cut into 4

For marinade:

Extra virgin olive oil—1/3 to 1/2 cup

Fresh herbs of your choice—1 bunch

Garlic—5-6 cloves

Black pepper corns—about a teaspoonful

Coarse sea salt—1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons

1 lb yellow onions, peeled, cut in 4 pieces across

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Potatoes:

2 lb yukon gold medium size potatoes, washed and cut across in halves

2 T spoon of olive oil for grilling

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You will need:

A wire basket

Metal skewers, enough to fit all the potatoes

Metal (grilling) tongs

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• Mash herbs, pepper and salt with a mortar and pistil until all crushed. Add e/v olive oil and cover the chicken and onions. Let marinade for at least one hour.

• You might also want to add one bunch of asparagus, although it's optional and need not to be marinated.
• Preheat grill to 350°F (Grill)
• Arrange chicken, cover and cook for 20 minutes, keeping the temperature at 350°F.

• Arrange potatoes on the skewers and onions and asparagus in the wire basket.

• Flip the bird, add potatoes on the skewers to the grill, cover and cook for another 30 minutes keeping the temperature same, at 350°F.

• Check if chicken is done: it should run clear when poked, or if you have an instant read thermometer, it should read 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. If bird is not ready, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. If it is, take it off the grill and arrange in a baking/serving dish and let it rest and re-collect all the juices under a sheet of aluminum foil.

• Put the wire basket with onions and asparagus on the grill where the bird once was and flip the potatoes. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are fully cooked. Don't overcook potatoes, they will fall apart and may even fall into the grill.

• Once potatoes are cooked, remove the chicken from the serving dish (temporary) and arrange the vegetables on the bottom. If desired, season the vegetables with a dash of sea salt and toss.

• Put the bird back, now on the bed of grilled potatoes, onions and asparagus. Cover with foil and let it all rest for 5 minutes until serving.

• Cut the chicken and serve with the side of grilled vegetables and some fresh green leaf salad.

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I have to admit, if I was reading all this, I would probably think this is an elaborate idea. I have to assure you, however, it is very easy to prep and to grill this dish. In time it takes you to finish reading this post, your dinner could be on the table! Unless, you're a speed reader :)

Enjoy cooking and eating al-fresco!

{It's the little things…} WordlessWednesday

…that work!

It's About Thyme…

…I made some cookies! With thyme…

May is bidding good-byes now, promising us lazy days of summer. So does my mini-series of recipes with herbs. I hope it inspires you to grow your own herbs, in the garden or on a window cill, and use them fresh every day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, turning your creations into a work of art, both tasteful and healthy. Truth be told, I haven't covered all the herbs out there, but hopefully the idea of using herbs passes on.

Having presented mainly savory dishes, I'm now off to dessert: cookies!

I got this idea first from my Savory Baking book. It was a recipe for Thyme and Lemon bars. Thyme and lemon is such a classic flavor combination! But I wanted to make something sweet. Then, I came across a recipe from a Russian food journal. It was a recipe for a cookie made with farmer's cheese and lemon. So I married these two to create my own variation.

I didn't use farmer's cheese, it is a bit overpriced rather than being overpraised around here. Thus, I used good 'ol whole milk Ricotta. Plus, I tuned down the lemon flavor and cranked up the thyme! The cookies came out soft and very flavorful, but not too sweet.

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Thyme Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

WET

1 stick {4 oz} of unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 container {15 oz} whole milk ricotta cheese

zest of 1 medium lemon {1 T spoon}

handful of thyme sprigs {10-15}

leaves stripped and mushed with mortar and pistil to make about 1 T spoons

DRY

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 t spoon baking powder

1/2 t spoon salt

• Preheat oven to 375° F
• In a bowl, beat butter with sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, about 3 minutes on high speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Add ricotta and continue. Then add lemon zest and thyme. Mix it all well with the mixer for another minute.

• Add dry ingredients, mix the batter. The batter should be soft and creamy.
• Place half of the batter in a pastry bag with a cookie tip and squirt about a table spoon on a prepared cookie sheet {lined with silicone liner or parchment paper} leaving 1 inch in between. Or, just spoon the batter with a spoon.

• Bake for 15 minutes or until they turn lightly brown.

The May may be over, but the herbs are still growing, so don't forget to add them to your list of ingredients.

Gratitude

Today, I wanted to express my gratitude. With constant flow of information nowadays, this eternal virtue took shape of an bent cliché phrase, or many phrases.

Never the less, it is the Internet where I have encountered so much sincere courtesy, kindness and geniality. Most of the time from complete strangers.

Although I have started this blog in 2008 I was very timid in my beginnings. It is people from my virtual circle that have inspired me to cary on and here I am, still learning along the way!

I am utterly grateful for every click, every comment and every reply that I receive. One might find it silly, but for me the virtue of virtual kindness is very important.

Last week, I received and award, six to be exact, from a wonderful blogger, The Harried Cook. I was humbled to say the least. You can find them on my +1 Award page.

Now to sharing 7 things about myself:

1. I am proud of my ancestry [Circassian] but wish our cuisine was more omnifarious
2. My favorite flavor combination is sweet and sour. I don't take one without another.
3. I always envied people who know how to play musical instruments, but never learn to play on anything but my parent's nerves :)
4. I am forever curious, never nosy [well, maybe sometimes]
5. My first DIY experience was a set of earrings made out of paperclips when I was 11 years old :)
6. I still love to bend wire and bang on metal! [maybe this could be considered a musical talent?]
7. I use smily faces way too often :) [here it comes again!] but it is only because I really do smile a lot :)

Now to the winners:

1. The Harried Cook Marsha
2. Roberta, with way More Thyme Than Dough
3. Kate, cooking from Kate from Scratch
4. Nadia, who cooks delicious meals just For The Love Of Yum
5. Michelle, with thoughtful words of Encouragement for Moms
6. Olga, squeezing juice from Mango & Tomato
7. Kulsum, on her tasteful Journey Kitchen

I want to thank you for stopping by my humble blog and leaving your comments! Passing on love and awards!

An Act of Cilantropy

Before everyone gets busy with the Memorial Day festivities, I wanted to share this delicious alternative to catsup. One might find it more coarse in texture, but the splash of fresh flavor is undeniable, due to this wonderful herb called cilantro.

It is quite popular in Asian and Mexican cuisines. And I won't bore you with detailed information on the benefits of a plant with delicate fan shaped leaves. I will tell you one thing: do your taste buds—and eventually your health—a favor and try using cilantro. Practice some cilantropy towards yourself…

Cilantro leaves are so delicate and wilt fast, to keep them clean and crisp keep them in a bowl of ice cold water before cooking with it.

Plant some in your garden, or find organic cilantro in your market and try this simple recipe for a fresh home made condiment. It is generously versatile: use as a dip, or spread on burgers, kabobs, or add to pasta, hot or cold alike. The ingredient list of this spread was inspired by flavor combinations of Caucasian cuisine.

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Cilantro Dried Tomatoes Spread

Makes about 8 oz of pesto

1 bunch cilantro (washed and dried)

4 oz dried tomatoes

1/4 cup shelled walnuts

2 cloves of garlic

1-2 dried chili pepper, few black pepperocrns

Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 a lime

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulverize into a uniform mass.
• Serve it with whole wheat pita bread, on a burger, or as a dip.

What's the DILLeo?

Many of us know this spiky looking herb is for its dedication to fish and seafood dishes. However, I can assure you dill has a lot more potential. Back in the Caucasus dill is one of the most commonly used herb in any savory dish. We value dill so much we even serve it whole along with parsley, cilantro and green onions. Dill blossoms and seeds are vastly used in pickling, infusing the pickle-juice with pungent and tangy flavor.

You see, I couldn't go without mentioning my all time favorite grass. And there's more.

Many health benefits are tangled in those shaggy greens. First of all, it helps our digestive system process from the very beginning: with its essential oils, dill literally makes your water mouth and activates production of bile and stomach juices. Dill also kills bacteria that cause diarrhea and indigestion. Your breath fresheners can rest on a shelf while dill seeds and leaves can do mouth freshening jobs as well. Furthermore the essential oils of dill can end and prevent microbial infections in the mouth. Eating dill can also help with hiccups and gas.

Apart from that, the essential oils in dill are anti congestive and antihistaminic. They can help clear nasal congestion due to allergies. It can really come in handy for those suffering with seasonal allergies.

There's something more I found on the internet about dill's essential oil that I didn't know before. The flavonoids are stimulant and may stimulate secretion of certain hormones which are responsible for proper menstrual cycles.

But enough with the benefits, one can love these filigree sprigs for its fresh and appetizing flavor.

I decided to keep the tradition and use dill with fish. Or in a sauce that commonly used for fish that is.

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Dill Tartar Sause

Makes enough to fill a 12 oz jar (use the mayonnaise jar)

12 oz mayonnaise

1 cup finely chopped kosher dill pickles

1 cup finely chopped dill leaves

1 tspn freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of salt (the rest of the salt is in pickles)

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

• That's all!

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Of course you can't eat the sauce by itself. That's why I'm sharing this new burger recipe. It is Tuna burger and may I say it can easily compete with its beefy counterpart (or the other way around). I found this recipe in one of the issues of Eating Well magazine and have been wanting to make it. I had to tweak it a bit, adding more tuna and less of other ingredients, just to keep it simple. I fried the burgers on a cast iron skillet with a little bit of olive oil. It took 2 minutes on each side! Quick and easy, delicious and different! Tuna burger can be a scrumptious new choice for burgers on your Memorial Day barbecue menu.

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Dill Tuna Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

1 12oz cans chunk light tuna in water, drained

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (see note)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 Tspn dry dill weed

1 tspn freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for frying

6 whole wheat mini kaiser rolls

• Break tuna into small pieces with a fork.
• Combine tuna, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, dill weed and black pepper. Mix well until a uniform mixture forms and holds together.
• Form 6 patties, patting the mixture with wet hands.
• Heat the oil in the skillet, fry patties 2 minutes on each side. Be careful flipping the patties, they will be tender.
• Smear a generous table spoon of tartar sauce on the bun, arrange the patty and top with some fresh young lettuce. Enjoy with some fries on the side, or without!

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{Note} To make whole wheat bread crumbs, toast 2 loaves of whole wheat pita bread in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, cool the toasted pita and pulverize into crumbs in a food processor.

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{What I'm looking forward this summer!} Almost/Wordless Wednesday

Including, but not limited to:

Herb infusions/Sun teas

Pool splash

Outdoor cooking (which means clean kitchen indoors)

Summer reading

Berry picking

Flowers

Fresh vegetables from the garden

Mama's blintzes (crepes)

Ice cream and festivals

Making jam

Butterflies

Fresh grilling

Awesome forest sunsets

Mountain Laurel Blossoms

Travel USA

Chalk Art

4th of July

Blue skies

Green grass

Dreaming