The First Lunch

The First Lunch

The Menu:

Arugula salad with asparagus roasted in truffle oil, roasted red and yellow peppers, caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, and feta. (For me)

Fall mixed greens with cucumber, dried cranberries, blue cheese, roasted red and yellow peppers with a side of buffalo milk mozzarella, basil from the garden, and high altitude sun ripened tomatoes from my in laws greenhouse in the mountains. (For Chad)

Dressed with a balsamic drizzle: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary, two cloves of fresh garlic, Fage 0% Greek yogurt, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and caramelized onions.

Whole Wheat Flatbread with carmelized onions, fresh rosemary and basil, goat cheese gouda, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and olive oil.















Salads are my homeland, my comfort food. I spend a couple hours a week prepping my vegetables. Washing my pre-washed lettuce (thanks Mom, who taught Microbiology), caramelizing onions in a scant coating of olive oil, sea salt, finished with fresh ground pepper. And asparagus, the way Aunt Pamela instructed me.....cut the ends, peel the thick part (unless they are extraordinarily thin or fresh), drizzle with truffle oil and sea salt, bake at 425 for 10 minutes. And of course, a bevy of fresh herbs. Cilantro, basil and rosemary from my pots out back....all cleaned and ready to join the salad rave. Cucumbers are a favorite raw vegetable of mine, delightful with dried fruits and feta. And I roast slivers of almonds, and always have feta, Parmesan, and a strong cheese like Gorgonzola (sweeter then blue cheese) on hand. Portabello mushrooms, cooked on high heat in a stainless steel skillet with a touch of olive oil and sea salt, they end up moist and darkened, full of flavor as they release their juices. Green onions add a wonderful bite. With that said, I have these items on hand, so making a salad is an effortless act of art...use your imagination.

A few slices of flatbread makes a salad really feel like a meal. Nothing like cranking that little oven to 400 degrees on the first brisk fall weather day and filling the homestead with these divine aromas. We sat at our dining room table, drank water, and spoke about this and that. I usually take the time to lay out a couple of placemats, as my mother always did growing up. Somehow that little rectangle of color enhances the experience, however brief the time and busy the day may be.

Welcome

Recently a colleague of mine mentioned that they considered themselves a "foodie". Defined as an "aficionado of food and drink", I agreed that I too was a foodie. Knowing that I was a vegetarian, a puzzled expression looked back at me, and this colleague of mine retorted, "How can you be a foodie as a vegetarian?". He muddled something under his breath about his love for meats. I was offended, my posture became more erect, hairs on my neck stood on end reflexively. I was forced to recite my usual rhetoric that my aversion for meat was merely textural. Nothing ethical here, I'll pad raw buffalo meat into symmetric patties, I'll pound chicken paper thin, hell....I used my bare hands to tear prosciutto into tiny nests for a pizza just yesterday! To further prove my point, I added how much I loved the smell of a freshly smoked turkey, resting on the counter top, stuffed to the brim with an herb laden stuffing (like the one my neighbor Susan made last Thanksgiving that was divine). Or the irresistible smells of my father-in-law's Texas Barbecue ribs roasting over low heat in the smoker on his deck, smoke billowing from the blackened side pipe. Perhaps I should invite this friend over some evening and prepare one of my favorite recipes, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Orange Sauce. Hailing from the Earthbound Farms "Food to Live By", authored by my own kin, my Aunt Pamela. I can envision the scene now, my colleague devouring this grilled loin, spiced with orange zest, mustard, fennel, and cinnamon, drizzled with a sweet and tart orange sauce. With that said, I began thinking of how cooking is a passion of mine deeply rooted in my family and upbringing. It is a hobby that I share with many of my dearest friends, and something of a creative outlet for me. I started looking around my closet kitchen from the 1950's (complete with salmon pink cabinets) and noticing all the things that have meaning. And today, I began photographing my everyday meals to share. And then, I started this here blog. Bon Appetit!