Salad Days

The warmer weather has us thinking about eating lighter meals. 

Salad days are here! 

Anything Goes Salad

My daughter and I were driving home from running errands the other day and we wanted to avoid making one last stop at the grocery store. So we thought about what was in the fridge and decided we had enough food to make a fun salad for dinner.

When we got home, we made a spread with baby lettuces, corn, chopped cucumbers, sliced avocado, grape tomatoes, strawberries that we mixed with a little white balsamic vinegar and agave nectar (honey would be fine), and leftover grilled chicken breast that we sliced. After we assembled our salads, we added some nice locally made Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette by D.E. Vine Foods. 

Deviled Egg Salad With Avocado  

For this salad, I just mixed six boiled eggs with a little extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), Dijon mustard to taste (about 1 teaspoon), a little fresh ground pepper, two slices of chopped bacon (optional - I was using up our leftovers). Then I dropped a couple of spoonfuls over some baby lettuces and sliced avocado. I made the croutons by toasting the leftover ciabatta bread we had with our sausage and bean dinner the other night. For the dressing, I simply sprinkled a little extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar over the top and freshly ground pepper. 

Notes

Avocado: cut open and slice just before serving so they don't turn brown or coat with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.

Corn: to avoid GMO corn I look for organic corn. Organic corn on the cob is difficult to find so I usually buy organic frozen corn in a bag, rather than corn in a can to also avoid possible BHT in canned goods. Sometimes it's difficult to avoid canned goods as in tomatoes and beans, but avoiding canned goods whenever possible is a good thing. I recently found jarred tomatoes at Trader Joe's but when I went back they didn't have any more in stock. I'll keep looking or jar some myself this summer!

Sausage and Cannellini Beans

I'm not one to get starstruck and don't watch television often but a few weeks ago (yes, just recently) I discovered the cooking show, Extra Virgin, and became an instant fan.

Given my fondness for the food prepared so lovingly on Extra Virgin, I wanted the cookbook also named, Extra Virgin, that was about to be released and reserved a copy. It arrived a day or two after its release on May 6th and this is the first dish I've made from the cookbook.

This dish, simply named, "Sausage And Beans" (salsiccie e fagioli) in the cookbook, was a hit with my family. I chose this recipe because my daughter loves Cannellini beans as does my son but he loves tomato sauce and meat even more. So this dish was perfect. I served it with toasted ciabatta to soak up some of the sauce. We placed a toast on our plates and ladled heaps of beans, red sauce, and sausage over the top. Delicious and flavorful!

Rather than the eight sausages called for in the recipe, I had a rope of sausage on hand which I cut into pieces before cooking, the reason the ends of the sausage look funky. Next time, I'll cook the rope sausage whole and slice after it's cooked or I'll buy individual sausages and keep the sausages whole for a nicer presentation.

Roasted carrots and red peppers was a nice side dish. To make week night dinners quick and easy I often roast vegetables in the oven while I'm preparing the main dish on the stovetop.

The recipe for Sausage and Beans can be found on the Cooking Channel website. It's a little different from the cookbook but sounds just as delicious.

Local Food In Providence

The local food at Nick's On Broadway was amazing! So glad I finally ate here. My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the charcuterie and mussels appetizers. My sea bass dinner was perfect.

Skillful hands. Artists.

A surprise -- both the beautiful artistic chocolate treat we were each given at the end of dinner and the combination of flavors.

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It was such a lovely warm (and dry) spring evening we decided to have dessert at Pastiche. Even though we ate inside, we enjoyed the fresh air from the open windows.

Part of the mural on the wall next to where I sat. I marveled at the very simple strokes used to create the images of the people working in the field.

Organic In Worcester

Living Earth Market and EVO Dining

Love this place! I was just there today for lunch and realized I never mentioned it in my blog.

It's an organic market and restaurant in one building. 

When my daughter started her freshman year of college last fall, worried about the way she'd eat to keep her kidneys healthy (even though she's in remission we want to keep it that way!), we found this great organic food market, The Living Earth Market. Lots of organic food choices in a small setting and to make things easy for the busy college student, the market also has prepared foods like sandwiches, soups, salads, etc.  When I visit, we eat at the restaurant next door, EVO Dining. We always have a great fresh tasting meal. They are very accommodating to food allergies and offer vegan options. I'm never disappointed!

Cheers!

Craving A BLT

The warmer weather here in New England is making me crave BLT's but there aren't any good garden tomatoes around!

If you're like me and won't buy off season tomatoes from the grocery store, but can't wait any longer for a decent traditional BLT, try this idea.

Blend a handful of organic grape tomatoes (they have a nice sweet tomato flavor and aren't mealy) in a food processor with a large basil leaf (or a few small ones), one small garlic clove, one very small shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Spread that tomato mixture on your BLT and enjoy with other organic fillings or goodies from local farmers. 

Can't wait for this to open so we can enjoy fresh garden tomatoes again! 

Franklin Community Farm and Homestead

Roasted Butternut Squash And Cauliflower

Roast these winter vegetables together for ease. 

Store them separately in the fridge. 

Enjoy them in your meals all week. 

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The butternut squash tasted great with organic chicken and apple sausage. These pea tendrils I picked up at the farmers' market were very versatile - we've had them in salads and sandwiches, with fish tacos and cod cakes. The butternut squash was handy to have on hand and a nice side dish all week.

Here is roasted cauliflower reheated with some goat cheese as a side dish to roasted pork and carrots. Feta cheese would be a good alternative.

For another side dish, I added walnuts to the roasted garlic with goat cheese.

To roast butternut squash and cauliflower, I placed them in a baking sheet with a touch of olive oil, another healthy high heat oil would be fine, and some seasoning. This time I used just a little salt and pepper and also added some garlic cloves so I'd have them ready to use during the week as well. I roasted everything at 400 degrees in a pre-heated oven. Once the cauliflower started to look golden brown, everything else was done, maybe 15 to 20 minutes. I like the squash soft but not mushy.

Then I stored the roasted vegetables in separate containers until ready to use. I froze the roasted garlic in a small herb jar for later use.

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