Tag Archives: grilling

Mezze

Posted on August 24, 2013 by AnnieRie

Inspiration.

If there was ever a moment that defined how my cooking changed, and how our view of dining also changed, it was a trip to Greece and the Islands in 2004. Third time lucky, I would say. We planned this trip three times. First, 9/11 canceled my 50th birthday present cruise scheduled for late fall 2002. The cruise lines pulled their ships from the Med. Our next attempt, on Windstar, was canceled due to the fact the ship caught on fire and sunk six months before our scheduled cruise.

Finally in 2004, we made it there. Right after the Olympics. There, in the islands, we learned to enjoy small plates of fresh food, simply prepared and eaten at leisure, with wine, a view and good friends.

Doesn’t this view beat that of a parking lot, or a storm water management pond?

This trip, and our trip to Provence, greatly influenced how I cook, and how we dine. We love putting together a mezze assortment. Mezze being the Greek equivalent of tapas.

And, we love dining out back watching the birds, squirrels, bunnies and butterflies.

Tonight I grilled some old pizza dough I found in the freezer. It looked ugly but tasted great. Put out an assortment of tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, and a jar of my ajvar. Nothing really fancy, just “flatbread” to dip and pile. Mix and match.

With a side arugula salad with balsamic.

No pictures of dinner tonight. Sometimes those messy plates of leftover goodies paired with bread or naan, are all we need to remember trips from the past. And, how good the fresh seafood, veggies and fruit tasted. Bought and enjoyed in exotic settings.

I don’t have to go to Greece to eat well. I can’t come up with a view that compares, but love my ajvar spread on charred warm pizza dough. Watching the crape myrtle in the sunlight. Not bad.

With a glass of old red wine. Loving the Saturday night. What’s your inspiration?

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Food, Nature, Real Food, Remember When, Travel and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, grilling, nature, real food, travel, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

A Picture Perfect Day …

Posted on August 14, 2013 by AnnieRie

… for picking peaches. Oh, and Blackberries, too. At Larriland.

I dropped my husband off at his monthly Glenwood DX Association radio group’s luncheon at Town Grill in Lisbon, then headed off to pick blackberries.

An hour or so later, and five pounds of berries in the back of the car, I picked him up so he could help me pick peaches. Twenty seven pounds of peaches in less than 20 minutes.

Gorgeous peaches at $1.25 a pound if you pick more than 20 pounds. Tomorrow will be peach blanching, freezing and blending day.

The weather was perfect. There were lots of people at the peach picking sites, but I had most of the blackberry bush area to myself. My own row, as a matter of fact.

After a stop back at the red barn to get some canning supplies, an eggplant and a couple of red peppers to top off the ajvar, and home to process berries.

The best berries go into the freezer whole, are flash frozen, then packed in small bags. I got eight bags with about a cup of berries in each one. The ones on the top left are the less than perfect. I will drop them into boiling water briefly using a strainer, then put them in the blender with a little honey and just a touch of balsamic. They will be strained into syrup then put in an ice cube tray to freeze. The basis for vinaigrettes all winter. The top right are the “Eat Now” berries. For cereal. Yogurt. Salads. Snacks. They will be gone in two or three days probably, they are so good.

As for a few of the ripest peaches, they became part of dinner tonight.

Right on the grill with lemon olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Served with some Breezy Willow kielbasa, a local wine from Big Cork, and some pesto pasta salad.

Head on out to Larriland. The peaches and blackberries are down the road from the farm entrance (stay on Rte. 94 south) and a right turn into the picking areas.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Farmer's Markets, Farms, Food, Gardening, Hobbies, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Weather, West HoCo, Wine and tagged cooking, farmer's markets, farms, Food, foodie, gardening, grilling, hobbies, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food, weather, West HoCo, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Before and After

Posted on August 5, 2013 by AnnieRie

For my red pepper eggplant spread. Ajvar. Serbian, Hungarian, Balkan, whatever. All over Eastern Europe, this spread (with all its various versions) celebrates the pepper harvest.

This is the “Before” picture. Before blending, that is. Two eggplants and two large red peppers. Sweat the eggplant first to pull out moisture. I slice it and drizzle it with salt. Then roast, in a very hot oven or in a gas grill. I used the grill today.

The peppers went into a paper bag to steam after roasting, and then were easily peeled.

All into the food processor with five or six cloves of roasted garlic, half a cup of olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste.

The “After” picture. Garlicky, rich, yet smoky and sweet, all at the same time. A celebration of summer harvest.

Try it sometime. It is addictive.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in Food, Real Food and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, grilling, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Taking It Outdoors

Posted on July 22, 2013 by AnnieRie

The Buy Local Challenge. I keep trying and it keeps storming. The contest this year is “Take It Outdoors”. The facebook page is where the photos will be uploaded.

We are hosting a picnic at the Howard County Conservancy this Sunday. With our own contest. Best picnic spread. And, best baked goods. Using local ingredients. Not everything has to be local but the pledge to use at least one local ingredient a day applies.

Here is one of my “outdoor” dishes. I had to bring it in and broil it but you get the idea.

Those fava beans we shelled. In a classic dish with grilled (broiled) Halloumi. Beans, peas, mint, olive oil, salt, pepper and grilled Halloumi. You can find Halloumi at Roots.

For dinner tonight we also had corn and tomatoes, both from the CSA. Corn on the cob, grilled. Tomatoes in any salad. Easy dishes to eat outdoors.

Besides the picnic prize, the Conservancy is giving a baking prize. Here is your chance to rock that zucchini bread recipe.

This is “my” zucchini cornbread, using this recipe.

Lots of possibilities to eat locally. And, to meet a few new friends at the picnic.

hocofood@@@

Spring is Still Springing

Posted on June 8, 2013 by AnnieRie

I don’t know about you, but I am really happy about this lovely spring weather. It is so much better for my plants, and it is just lovely outside today.

We grilled. I didn’t take pictures. I was too lazy. But, I did use these.

I sent my husband down to Boarman’s to pick up a few crabcakes. He came back with much more. Like some shrimp to use with the curry tomorrow, and some box wine. I love having one stop shopping there. Pick up dinner. Match it with wine. Black Box Pinot Grigio.

I grilled the mushrooms stuffed with the crabcakes. Grilled some asparagus. Made a potato salad this morning using the TLV potatoes.

Sat out on the patio. Enjoyed the mid seventies temps. Have all the windows open, and I am loving the springtime. I also transplanted my celosia today. Gardens are doing well with this weather. I could get used to this.

hocofood@@@

All Scapes Aren’t Created Equal

Posted on June 7, 2013 by AnnieRie

So I learned today. The thinner tender scapes from my garden are nowhere near as intense as the ones we got in the CSA box. Now I understand why people who aren’t huge garlic lovers don’t care for scape pesto. It can almost knock you over with the intensity.

I did figure out how to tone it down a bit, after my first batch. I made sure I labeled them differently so when I pull the first batch out of the freezer I can add orange juice and a little lemon olive oil to tone it down.

My scapes:

Thinner, shorter not as thick a green stem.

The CSA scapes:

Some of these quite thick and two distinct shades of green. The first batch in the processor made from CSA scapes was peppery, intense, in your face garlic flavored.

I could have doctored it up after I started tasting it, but decided to freeze the first batch and deal with it later. The second batch I added a bit of juice and used some of my St. Helena lemon olive oil. A little more cheese, and more pine nuts.

Lots of little containers to go in the fridge and freezer. This year I decided to do small batches. Just enough to put in the crock pot or to add to pasta for one meal.

The recipe:
1 cup scapes
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted lightly
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/3-1/2 cup good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice (orange will sweeten it a bit)

Put the first three ingredients in a food processor. While running, add olive oil to get consistency desired. Stop processor. Taste. Add salt, pepper and squeeze of juice and pulse a few times.

I fill small containers. Add a thin film of oil on top. Close, label and freeze. Whatever I put directly into the fridge gets the layer of oil to keep it from oxidizing and turning dark.

I made two double batches from all the scapes I got in the CSA box and from Breezy Willow. My little scapes are going to be grilled, to be served with grilled asparagus (whenever it stops raining).

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Food, Gardening, Real Food and tagged cooking, CSA, Food, foodie, gardening, grilling, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

It’s All Love Dove’s Fault …

Posted on June 5, 2013 by AnnieRie

… or maybe TLVs, or Breezy Willow. Who knows? I just know I find something interesting at a market and then I get it from the CSA. Tomorrow the “anticipated” list on the Sandy Spring web site includes new potatoes, cilantro and garlic scapes (all of which I purchased in the past week).

I need to rearrange my schedule to hit the markets after I get my Thursday delivery.

TLV had a facebook notice about having new potatoes. There are no potatoes in our house at the moment and my husband expressed a wish for the little ones, steamed, then sprinkled with Parm, salt, pepper and butter.

Baby reds. At the TLV stand at Miller library. I was there only to get potatoes, bread, curry and cheese. I already was lured into scapes at Breezy Willow last Saturday, as you can never have too many scapes.

I really like this curry from Thai spices. Figured I would do chicken over the weekend, with curry sauce and whatever boatload of green things come tomorrow in the CSA box. This curry has the following in it:

coconut milk, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, bay leaves, turmeric, coriander, cumin, white pepper, cardamom, line juice and palm sugar.

Not things I normally keep on hand to make my own curry, and I like supporting the new business at the markets.

So, of course, cilantro at Love Dove is my downfall. It made me think — guacamole! Why, again, who knows? I buy cilantro, and then head off to Harris Teeter to get the few items I forgot last weekend, like limes, parchment paper, toilet paper.

I buy a few avocados to make the guacamole, and the limes to go with it.

Big, ripe avocados. Perfect. Then, I spy another weakness.

Meyer lemons. At the Turf Valley Harris Teeter. With all the lovely basil growing in my garden, it is certainly time for Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz (and this is all Michael Symon’s fault). It does have to be blamed on others. It’s not my fault I love to cook and entertain. Right?

There will be Meyer Lemon Basil Fizz’s on the menu if it clears up and we have that cookout Saturday night. Simple to make. I don’t make mine as strong as his. One can San Pellegrino Aranciata and 4 oz. vodka for each two drinks. Juice of one large Meyer lemon muddled with half a dozen basil leaves and left to soak for at least 30 minutes to infuse. Mix it all with crushed ice. Two drinks. If you want it as strong as the original recipe, you have to double the vodka.

I picked up Aranciata at Costco to have around for just such discoveries.

But, it all comes back to that cilantro at the market. At least I resisted the scapes there today, because besides the Breezy Willow ones, I have twelve in the garden ready to harvest and tomorrow it looks like we are getting more.

There will be garlic scape pesto flatbread on the menu Saturday night too.

Love, love, love springtime! And, of course, the Howard County markets, farms and CSAs.

Planning any good cooking, grilling or cocktails with the local goodies?

hocofood@@@

The Sunday Night Eat Local Report

Posted on April 7, 2013 by AnnieRie

It’s Sunday, the day our small group of bloggers puts up our latest meals made using mostly local ingredients, bought from farms and artisans in our 100 mile radius.

As for the farm reports, which I am working also, I hope to do at least two farms a week, and make them part of my Eat Local Challenge. They will be spaced out to take advantage of visits once they open for the spring and summer seasons.

Tomorrow I will talk about Clark’s and later this week, Breezy Willow. Clark’s just opened their Elioak site last week, and I stopped by today to see how they were doing. Busy, busy, busy. As I said, more tomorrow, but how can you resist such a beautiful scene?

Today I want to showcase some local foods from my Breezy Willow Early Bird CSA, which found their way into dinners the past two nights.

And, since wineries are farms, too, I will touch on the wines from VA that made their way to the table.

Friday night stir fry.

The Napa cabbage, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, onions and spinach all came from Breezy Willow. The Canadian bacon in there came from Orchard Breeze Farm in PA, bought at the Olney indoor winter market. Orchard Breeze raises Berkshire hogs. This bacon made its way into many meals the past few days. The Japanese sweet potatoes that you see in the pan came from my fall CSA, Sandy Spring, which uses Lancaster Farm Fresh Coop, a nonprofit Amish coop from PA (80+ farms). I divide my CSAs between the two, using the strength of each one to keep me in fresh foods most of the year.

Looks good, doesn’t it? The shrimp came from the new Harris Teeter in Marriottsville, and the noodles are from Nature’s Yoke. I picked them up in the farm store at Breezy Willow when I got my CSA.

Served with one of my favorite wines for slightly spicy dishes. Since this dish also included some of the red peppers from the olive bar at Harris Teeter, some garlic from last week’s CSA, and grated ginger (another Harris Teeter purchase), it had a little kick to it. Enter Linden Vidal Riesling, a slightly sweet yet acid balanced white perfect for Asian styled foods.

I include Linden and his wines in my farm categories, as if you ever meet the owner of Linden, Jim Law, he will introduce himself as a farmer. To him, growing the grapes and tending his land is extremely important in the success of his winery.

Last night we had another local meal. Venison tenderloin. From my stash of venison. The farm across the way from us. My neighbor helps them in herd management and we got one of them for the cost of processing. This was the tenderloin, a prized part and one that demands careful handling.

I did a dry rub with RubJoeMeat. I can’t explain it. Read it on their web site if you really want to know. Trust me, though, it is a great rub for beef and for venison. I found the recipe to use for the tenderloin here.

I did not use a BBQ sauce, I made my own sauce from my berry vinaigrette, local PA maple syrup, balsamic, cinnamon and cayenne. Grilled it on that lovely evening yesterday.

The sweet potato is from last week’s CSA. The salad made with eggs, spinach, mushrooms, onions, all from Breezy Willow, the last of the bacon from Orchard Breeze. Perfectly cooked venison, not tough or gamey at all.

It looks great, doesn’t it? I will definitely use that web site again, for other venison recipes. As for the wine last night, I mentioned wanting to use a really good wine, and decided on a very old lovely Barboursville Octagon. From 1998, as a matter of fact.

Luca Paschina makes exceptional wines near Charlottesville. And he is one of the sweetest people to talk to, we spent 15 minutes in a buffet line at RdV last fall talking about his winery and his love of Virginia, coming here from Piemonte to be the winemaker at Barboursville.

1998 was the vintage year for the third edition of Octagon. Beautiful wine, that stood up to the venison and had that smokiness that matches grilled food so well.

You don’t have to buy imported wines, or food shipped halfway around the world to have first class meals. This weekend we celebrated the arrival of spring, using some of the best in the area.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, farms, grilling, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Redefining Local

Posted on February 7, 2013 by AnnieRie

For fifteen months now I have been blogging, mostly about being a locavore. I started out during my challenge to eat locally, by considering only locally grown items. I finally decided that this was unrealistic for me.

Locally grown, locally produced, or locally sourced. That’s my priority now. Beyond that, either organic or as natural as possible. Real food. Food made from scratch.

Things not grown here in Maryland, ever, like olives and most citrus, most spices and chocolate, I agree, are part of my cooking and won’t be avoided. I just try and maximize the local ingredients, and I support our local farms and markets. I buy from them, even the things they sell that they brought in from outside the state.

What has that meant? I shop rarely at grocery stores, and then, only for items not available at local markets, shops and farms. I shop organic as much as possible. I make many items from scratch, using fresh ingredients.

I also don’t eat at chain restaurants, or eat fast food, unless we are in the middle of a turnpike with no other options. I can’t believe how differently I approach dining out. And, how I now cook.

My freezer is full of local veggies, fruits and meat. I shop at farms weekly. I pick up staples and organic items at the grocery stores, usually Wegmans or Harris Teeter these days and very little of my food budget goes to them.

For my winter eat local challenge, I find that I don’t actually eat one meal a week that is local, but rather, I cook almost every meal with something local in it. Most of the time, the local items outnumber the others.

I know this isn’t easy to do, unless you have the time to do it. I really appreciate what our moms did, 50 years ago. Cooking from scratch every day. Eating in season. Stretching the food budget.

I see quite a few people doing the same as we are. Going back to basic cooking. Not eating all those overly processed foods from institutional food services. Not a bad way to spend time.

Bake a few brownies from scratch. Put a crock pot meal on the table. Spend time in the kitchen, instead of a restaurant lobby with a pager. Not a bad idea.

Check out that grill. Everything on it locally sourced. Easy as it can be.

Here’s to really good food. Made with love.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, crock pot cooking, crockpot soups, farmer's markets, Food, foodie, grilling, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, real food. Bookmark the permalink.

Thanksgiving Wines

Posted on November 18, 2012 by AnnieRie

One of the hardest dinners to pick a wine to match. We get to bring wines to my brother’s house every year, as we have the cellar and have been collecting for a very long time. But, our older reds aren’t the perfect match for the turkey, particularly when other dishes would compete with them. Easter is always easy for me, since he makes lamb. Christmas generally he has a Smithfield ham and we always have shrimp, so a nice white works there.

Thanksgiving though, drives me nuts with choosing the pairings. One of the couples only drinks reds so I considered getting this year’s Nouveau. I do hear it’s slim pickings due to a small harvest.

I think I finally settled on what I am taking. I need to come up with four bottles total, to cover the number of people. These were the choices and they all will complement the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and won’t be totally messed up by the sauerkraut, that Maryland anomaly on the table. 😉

locapour dominating the Thanksgiving choices

It turns out I will be bringing the three local wines on the left, and not the Hillinger. I may take that down for Christmas as it will fit better there. The Vidal Riesling is my mom’s favorite. It has a little spritz and is an off dry wine, but not too sweet. It really goes well with the stuffing, if you use a spicy sausage in it. It is a perfect wine for novices to drinking wine, but has enough structure to make a wine lover happy. I will take one of those.

The other two wines are pretty big rose wines. Linden’s is made dominantly from their merlot. Breaux’s is a blend of Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chambourcin. 2011 was the year Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee did a number on the red grapes in the area. Wineries like Linden and Breaux used some interesting red grapes to make these wines. They didn’t try to force big red wines from grapes that had too much rain dilute their structure. It became a year with many very good roses, and there are some decent light reds out there in Virginia from 2011.

These two will both pair nicely with a Thanksgiving dinner. As for what we will be opening on the weekend when I make my turkey, it will probably be a Maryland red. My weekend Thanksgiving turkey, bought from Maple Lawn, and served with stuffing made with local bread and sausage, and CSA veggies, will be grilled if the weather holds. I am thinking of opening one of the Black Ankle pinot noirs. We have two of them from their first vintage, 2008. I think it is a better choice than the Syrah, which is bigger.

It is nice that there are such good wines made locally. You do have to search for the better wineries around here, but you can usually find something that meets your needs. Making this locavore a locapour as well.

hocofood@@@

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