vegetables

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I definitely have some of my happiest moments in the kitchen. Whether alone or with my husband or a group of people, the kitchen is such a hub of goodness, fun, nourishment, and rest.

Last night was no exception. My husband was out with his family, so I first baked buttermilk biscuits using the leftover buttermilk from my chilled avocado soup. Yes, I baked. A small feat, but still, I never bake, so these simple biscuits will get their own post.

Once the biscuits were done, I got to work on dinner. Although we are facing an end of August heat wave, I am ready for fall cooking which, for me, involves lots of roasting. Last night I decided to roast onions, potatoes, and tomatoes together for a flavorful side to a cornmeal and chile crusted cod. Thanks to the generous portion of cod sent by Alaska Seafood for the Foodbuzz contest, I had a couple of filets left and decided to cook them with a little crunch and spice.

But first, the veggies. I love roasted red onion, and because of the roasting time, thought that I would toss in the chunks of onions and potatoes together. While I chopped them into chunks, I preheated the oven to 420, then tossed the veggies in olive oil and popped them in the oven.

potatoes and onions

In the meantime I chopped and set aside some heirloom tomatoes to be added to the mix later. I wanted them roasted but not disintegrated!

cornmeal

Next, I mixed an egg with some fire roasted green chile peppers from Trader Joe’s and coated cod filets with the mix.

Alaskan cod

Before I popped the fish into the oven, I sprinkled cornmeal over the top for a little bit of crunch. At the same time, I added the tomatoes to the dish of roasted veggies and doused them in some nicely aged balsamic vinegar before I put them back in the oven for some more roasting.

roasted vegetables

Adding the balsamic toward the end provided some great flavor to the vegetables but did not burn because I didn’t add it at the beginning.

My husband arrived home just in time for dinner, and we had a nice, cozy meal on our deck, each with a glass of Pares Balta Ros de Pacs wine.

dinner outdoors

Barefoot, in the kitchen, music playing, open windows, food on my hands, yes, one of my favorite ways to be. Now how do I make this my job? 😉

Do you have a hobby you would like to turn into a job?

And I can’t forget to wish a Special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best mom in the world today! Happy Birthday mom, love you! 🙂

Tags: cod, cooking, Food, recipe, vegetables

As summer grudgingly comes to an end, we celebrate all of the great things that Massachusetts Farmers Markets brought to us this year. I for one feel as though each week is made better x 100 by my many visits to the Copley Square market, and if you have been reading my blog for the past few months, you know that I can’t help myself but post weekly photos of the market and all of the local produce I enjoy.

It all started back in the spring, the market sparse with things like fiddleheads, the colors and life of the market a welcome relief from a cold winter and a gray, rainy spring.

fiddlehead ferns

And rhubarb, perfect for making an easy, warm rhubarb compote for yogurt and ice cream . . .

rhubarb

Colorful root vegetables like Easter egg radishes and beets popped up, making some incredible, crunchy salad additions. I discovered my love for raw radishes topped with tiny slivers of Kerrygold butter.

Easter Egg Radishes

The greens and herbs were plentiful throughout the summer, my favorite being dinosaur kale and of course, basil for intensely flavored pesto.

image

Fresh, local varieties of squash started appearing, bright yellows and greens painting Copley Square with color and providing the perfect tools for kitchen adventures like zucchini pancakes and pattypan squash with a Greek twist

pattypan squash

And then finally there were the heirloom tomatoes. I wait all summer for these beauties, inspiration for new recipes like heirloom tomato panzanella, cod with tomatoes, and the base for a fabulous multi-course tomato dinner.

heirloom tomatoes

The farmers of Massachusetts should be commended for all of the hard work they do. Each year I have lived in Boston, I see more and more people buying food from local farmers, and I hope that will continue. As we see with mass produced food situations, such as the current egg crisis, it is best to know exactly where your food comes from, even down to the person who picks it and brings it to market. We are pretty lucky here in Boston to have such great markets just about every day of the week!

One of the greatest parts of blogging is that it is a living, growing, diary. In the dark, depths of winter, I will be able to look back to see all of the beautiful local foods I ate this summer. . . and to to look forward to making them even more a part of my diet next summer!

But summer isn’t over yet, and the markets go on for a few more months so be sure to check them out for the gorgeousness of fall, pumpkins, apples, honey, cider, and more!

And maybe someday soon we will have our year round public market in Boston!

As I mentioned above, this post is part of the Celebrating the Flavors of Massachusetts blogathon, hosted by In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens. If you love local food, why not donate to Mass Farmers Markets?!  

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I had a dream the other night I was on a tour bus with Mick Jagger and Mark Bittman. This may have to do with my obsession with being in the cast of Spain on the Road again. . . not sure exactly what it means, but I woke up really happy!

Have you had any weird dreams lately?

Tags: Boston, Farmers Markets Week, Food, vegetables

Despite yesterday’s chilly rain, I had a fantastic evening. After finishing 3 projects for work, I went for an all out run in the rain, splashing in puddles and completely soaking wet by the time I was done. I looked very much like I did in this photo. I can not wait to officially start training and fundraising for the 2011 Boston Marathon.

After a hot bubble bath, complete with Philosophy Pumpkin Spice Muffin bubble bath (adore Philosophy!), I put together a delicious soup using ingredients I had laying around the house.

1 summer squash

1 zucchini

3 heirloom tomatoes

6 potatoes

1 carton organic veggie broth

1/2 red onion

1 cup cubed tofu

3 cloves garlic

olive oil

dried herbs and spices to taste: basil, fennel, crushed red pepper, black pepper

I began by chopping everything in uniform sizes so that all of the ingredients would cook through.

tomatoes squash potatoes

Organic Veggie Broth

I then sautéed the chopped onion and garlic in some olive oil just until soft, pouring in the veggie broth before they started to brown. I added the potatoes first, then about 3 minutes later the tomatoes and tofu, and 5 minutes after that, the zucchini. As I was stirring, I added tiny bits of the herbs and spices, tasting as I went along.  Toward the end, I drizzled in a bit more olive oil, then lowered the pot of soup to simmer for about 15 minutes.

vegetable soup

Once my husband arrived home, I ladled our bowls and grated parmesan cheese over the top.

image

Served with a small glass of spicy, jammy Nero d’avola, this meal was warming to the core. My Monday workout plus making a big Monday night meal, plus my run made me sore and sleepy. And the rain certainly made me want to go to bed!

Nero d'avola

I am soooo happy it is Wednesday! Dinner tonight at Upstairs on the Square with some of my favorite Boston bloggers which is totally making me smile. I still have to draw a winner for my CSN Stores giveaway, will definitely announce that by the end of the day tomorrow.

What’s your smile-maker today?

Tags: food and wine pairing, recipe, soup, tofu, vegetables, Vegetarian, wine

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