Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad with Marinated Grilled Drumsticks

The first thing I noticed when I awoke Memorial Day was the silence. There was no traffic noise with neighbors leaving for work, no lawn mowers, no barking dogs, just quiet. Nice! I knew that our nearby downtown area was already teeming with tourists.

We had previously decided we were going to break out our grill for the season. And we decided we were going to grill chicken and vegetables. The day remained relatively quiet. I guess our neighbors had left town for the holiday weekend, while thousands of tourists were pouring in.

Pritchard Parker did the grocery shopping. He chose chicken legs and marinated them overnight in olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, paprika, and salt and pepper. They were outstanding! He also bought the vegetables I wanted--corn, zucchini, onions, red bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, limes, and parsley.

We don't have a fancy, modern grill that involves turning a knob. We have an old school charcoal grill. While Pritchard Parker was getting the fire ready, I prepped the vegetables. While they cooked, I put on the pasta and made a dressing. While the chicken was cooking, I finished the salad, and we were ready to eat.

Delicious!

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
3 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut in half
3 ears sweet corn, husks removed
2 Vidalia onions, cut in half horizontally, stems left in place
1 whole head of garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, membranes removed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch parsley, chopped
Juice of 2 limes (approx. 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey

Rub the zucchini, bell pepper, corn, onion, and jalapeno peppers with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice the top off the garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in aluminum foil. Grill vegetables until tender and slightly charred.

Cut grilled vegetables into bite-sized pieces and combine with pasta. Squeeze in whole garlic cloves.
Sprinkle liberally with parsley.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and maple syrup. Pour over salad and toss to combine, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Vegetarian Gravy

                     
THERE IS NOTHING I LOVE MORE THAN A VEGETABLE PLATE.  I am not a vegetarian, I just love vegetables--all vegetables. I was this way even as a kid. I was the nerdy kid who liked rutabagas, beets, brussels sprouts. I especially love greens and beans of all kinds.   

For this vegetable plate, I cooked fresh turnips with turnip greens and fresh black eye peas, all of which I got at the Farmers Market. I know rice is technically not a vegetable, but it is a plant based food. Plus I was craving gravy (which I often do) and needed something to serve it over. Also, I think rice is lovely with beans.

Vegetarian Gravy
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4 tsp thyme
generous salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet

Melt butter, in a medium skillet. Stir in flour until well blended, the add the finely minced onion. Cook over medium low heat until onion is tender. Slowly stir in milk. Add bay leaf, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until thickened to desired consistency. Remove bay leaf and stir in Kitchen Bouquet. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

WE HAVE BEEN ON A BIG STIR-FRY KICK for a few weeks. The frigid weather seems to have cleared out, yet I am afraid to think we are having an early spring this year, It is only February.

Stir-fries are perfect to enjoy during changing seasons--times when it is not cold enough to want a heavy soup or stew, yet not hot enough to want to eat salads for meals. Stir-fry vegetables are light and fresh and the spices of ginger and red pepper are warming.

For this stir-fry, I used onion, red bell pepper, cremini mushrooms, broccoli, Napa cabbage, and bok choi. Other vegetables that work well are snow peas, carrots, green beans, mung bean sprouts, cabbage, scallions, asparagus, zucchini, and spinach. Use a variety of vegetables like I do or stick with one or two--your choice.

I served this stir-fry with Jasmine rice but I have also used brown rice, udon noodles, and soba noodles. One of these days I might try cellophane noodles.

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Stir-Fry
14 ounces extra firm tofu
1/4 cup cornstarch
Oil for frying
8 - 10 cups vegetables of choice, washed and chopped

Rinse and dry the tofu. Wrap in a couple layers of paper towels, place on a plate with another plate on top. Put a couple of cans on the top plate to press the tofu. Set aside while making the sauce and preparing the vegetables.

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Unwrap the tofu and toss with the cornstarch.

Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the tofu in batches, until brown on all sides. Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.

Remove all but 1 Tbsp. oil from the wok and turn the heat to medium high. Beginning with the sturdier vegetables, add them to the wok; stir and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the more delicate vegetables, stir and fry for a minute more. Add the tofu and the sauce, continuing to cook for 1 or 2 minutes more.

Remove wok from heat and serve immediately.

Braised Collard Greens

COLLARD GREENS ARE A STAPLE IN THE SOUTH.  All our barbecue restaurants offer them as a side choice. Diners with a meat-and-three type menu will have them. Our children start eating collard greens when they are still in the high chair.

Whenever we have family gatherings, I am volunteered to cook the collards. I am told mine are the best but I often wonder if it is really the fact that I am willing. They are a bit of work. It is work I enjoy; I love to cook, including washing and chopping vegetables with my good cutting board and my excellent sharp knife.

To prepare the collards for cooking, they must be washed and chopped. Some people prefer tearing them and that works just fine. I use a knife. First I cut out the tough inner stem, I stack a few leaves, roll them (a chiffonade if you  will) and slice into strips. I then put them into a sink fulll of cold water. Swish the leaves all around then let them sit for a few minutes. Feel the bottom of the sink. If you feel grit, remove the greens, drain the sink, and rinse away the sand. Refill the sink and rinse the collards again. Repeat until no more grit is detected.

I find the process to be mindful, contemplative, and relaxing.

We serve our collard greens with pepper sauce and by that I don't mean a hot sauce such as Tabasco. Pepper sauce is basically hot peppers and vinegar. If unavailable, just sit a cruet of apple cider vinegar on the table. 

Braised Collard Greens

1 1/2 pounds fresh collard greens, large stems removed, washed, and chopped

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cups water

Salt and pepper - be generous

Using a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Start adding the wet collard greens until the pot is full. Add the water; cover pan and simmer for a few minutes until the greens start cooking down then add the remaining greens.

Simmer until tender but not mushy, about 30 - 50 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Split Pea Soup

JUST BECAUSE IT IS SPRING DOES NOT MEAN it is warm. It took me a while to figure that out when I moved to these mountains years ago. In fact, on the first official day of spring, this year, we had snow. It is a time of year I don't plan too many meals in advance. I may want a salad for dinner or I may want a bowl of warming soup. I try to stay flexible.

I love split pea soup but I don't cook it that often because Pritchard Parker doesn't love it. He will eat it; he thinks it is OK. I made the soup this day for a couple of reasons, one being I had some leftover ham in the freezer I wanted to go ahead and use. Plus I had everything else on hand and wouldn't need to go out to the store.

To start the soup, I got out my soup pot, 2 medium-large potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, a jumbo onion,the frozen ham, and a one pound package of green split peas. I looked at all this and asked myself, "How many people are you making soup for"? I replied, "Two, and one of them is not even that crazy about it". I exchanged my big soup pot for a smaller one, put away one of the potatoes, one carrot, and one of the celery stalks. I used half the onion, half the package of split peas, and half the ham.

Split Pea Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium-large potato, peeled and diced
1/2 lb. green split peas
3 ounces (approximate) ham, to taste (optional)
Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, carrot, and potatoes in the olive oil, until beginning to become tender. Add salt and pepper. Stir in the split peas, add the ham and bay leaf. Cover the mixture with water to about 1 inch above the vegetables. Bring to a boil then lower heat; cover and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water when needed.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

FOR THE RECORD, I LOVE VEGETABLES. All vegetables. I've never met one I didn't love.

At a recent gathering of immediate family, extended family, friends, and in-laws, the subject of food came up. (Imagine)!  The conversation drifted to vegetables and a discussion of likes and dislikes ensued.

Topping the "dislike" list were eggplant and mushrooms. At the top of the well loved list was greens--specifically the traditional Southern greens of collards, turnip greens, and mustard greens. A close second of the "like" list was beans. All beans, fresh, frozen, dried, and canned. The group was evenly divided on squash. My husband was the only one who doesn't like corn.

When okra was mentioned the group split into the "I only like it fried" side, and on my side, the "I like it all ways".  

Once home, I kept thinking about okra and needed to go ahead and cook some. Stewed okra and tomatoes is a regular item in our home; we both enjoy it very much. It is best, of course, in the peak of summer when garden fresh vegetables are available. Otherwise frozen okra and canned tomatoes make a fine substitute.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
1 lb. okra, thoroughly rinsed, sliced if desired
3-4 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
(or 1 quart canned tomatoes and their juice)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook until the onions are tender and turning golden. Add the okra and tomatoes along with their juice. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the okra is very tender. Add salt and pepper.

Rosalynn Carter's Baked Eggplant

WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS RECIPE on Melynda's blog, Our Sunday Cafe, I knew I would make it. The first reason is that I love eggplant and they are in season. Secondly, I am a fan of former president Jimmy Carter and his beautiful wife, Rosalynn. Like most Southerners, the Carters love vegetables, but the eggplant is undoubtedly Jimmy Carter's favorite vegetable.

When we recently heard that President Carter had been diagnosed with cancer, I felt a bond with him on a completely different level. Besides his peace keeping missions, his food preferences, his dignity and courage, his charming  Southerness, when given a diagnosis of cancer, you inadvertently become a member of a club to which you had no desire to be a member. I have been a member of the club for about 3 years. To not leave anyone in mystery, here is a brief post I made about it back then.

Because this is a food blog, not a health blog, I give you the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Rosalynn Carter's Baked Eggplant
1 large eggplant
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Slice eggplant about 1/2-inch thick. Place on a rimmed baking pan, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until lightly browned and fork tender.

Meanwhile heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet; add onion and cook until golden. Add garlic and tomatoes, cooking until beginning to thicken. Stir in seasonings and bread crumbs.

Spread the tomato mixture over the broiled eggplant then cover with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes.

Baby Kale and Black-Eyed Peas Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

EARLIER TODAY, WE HAD A POWER OUTAGE. I have no idea why--the weather is beautiful and perfect.

I thought of the day when Alice was pregnant and needed to have a 3-hour glucose tolerance test. I went along with her to keep her company (and calm; she hates needles) while the time passed. While we were there, the medical office had a power outage. One worker said to another, "Someone must'a hit a pole".  We couldn't stop giggling! And to this day every time we loose electricity, that's what we say. It is what I thought this morning.

Meanwhile, I was working on this post and now I'm back at it. I got this lovely recipe from my Mother. She had enjoyed it at a ladies luncheon and I'm pretty sure the recipe came from Southern Living Magazine.

Baby Kale and Black-Eyed Peas Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
10 slices thick smoked bacon
1 (16 oz.) package frozen black-eyed peas
3 cups water or broth
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 spring thyme
1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 cup thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
5 oz. baby kale
8 oz. mini sweet peppers, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon in a single layer on a wire rack in a rimmed baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until crisp,. Reserve 3 Tbsp. plus tsp. drippings.

Stir together peas, water or broth, black pepper, garlic, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. bacon drippings in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes or until peas are tender. Drain peas and discard thyme and garlic.

Saute onion in remaining 3 Tbsp. hot drippings in a large skillet over medium heat 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, and 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds or until smooth and slightly thickened. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly. Stir in peas. and cook until thoroughly heated.

Toss together the parsley and kale in a large bowl. Top with peppers and warm peas mixture. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and parsley. Serve immediately.

Puttanesca Sauce

WE RECEIVED A CATALOG FOR Continuing Education classes for the upcoming Spring/Summer session at our local Community College. These classes are always excellent and I have taken a number of them over the years--some of them career related, but most for personal enrichment. I love the art classes.

As I was browsing this latest catalog, I noticed a class for Basic Keyboarding (which I don't need).
The description states, "Come and learn the ancient art of keyboarding using all ten fingers". Ancient? I might have said, traditional. How established does something need to be, to be considered ancient?  I did once hear someone say, "Back in ancient times--50 years ago.  . ."

I have heard various stories about Puttanesca sauce. Sauce of the harlot was invented as a quick to prepare sauce made from pantry staples, at night, when the markets are closed?  And from my understanding, it was invented in the mid-twentieth century. Between the fact that markets are now open 24-hours-a-day and this dish's creation in, like, 1960, make it ancient?

Puttanesca Sauce
(Grace Parisi/Food and Wine, 9/2007)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 anchovy fillets
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (35 ounce) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
Pinch of sugar
2 basil sprigs
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, Stir in the sugar, basil, olives, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper. Discard the basil springs and garlic.

Lemony Quinoa and Cabbage with Chickpeas and Olives

WHY IS QUINOA SO EXPENSIVE? I have mentioned before that it is not my favorite grain. But I do like its nutritional profile and because of its popularity, I see very enticing recipes for it everywhere I look. Like this one, which is adapted from Martha Stewart. I was intrigued by the combination of ingredients--quinoa, cabbage (one of our favorite vegetables,) chickpeas, olives, lemon, and dill, all well loved, yet I couldn't quite imagine how they would taste combined. I am happy to report that we loved this dish and I will be making it again. Perhaps next time, I will experiment with a different grain?

Back to the price of quinoa. . .

Quinoa grows best at cool high altitudes at 2500 to 4000 meters, unlike rice or wheat which grow efficiently on large acreages of flat farm land. The top producers of quinoa are farmers in the Andean highlands of Bolivia and Peru. You know what that means: steep mountainous terrain, not easily mechanized, and difficult transport.

From now on, if I choose to purchase quinoa, I will happily pay the price.

Lemony Quinoa and Cabbage with Chickpeas and Olives
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 head cabbage, sliced
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup large green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh dill
Yogurt or sour cream for serving

Bring water to a boil. Stir in quinoa and 1/2 tsp. salt; return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and cook until water evaporates and quinoa is dry and tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

Heat oil, over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring often until tender and golden brown in places, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in quinoa, chickpeas, olives, lemon juice and zest, Toss to combine, season with salt and pepper. Stir in dill and serve topped with yogurt or sour cream.

Home-Style Butterbeans

SOUTHERN CUISINE HAS A REPUTATION for being unhealthy. While it is true that Southerners love fried food (who doesn't) one point that is often overlooked is that Southerners love vegetables. Sure, your Southern Grandmother may have put a ham hock in with the pot of beans, but that was often the only meat on the table.

Poor butterbeans (or lima beans) are one of the most maligned vegetables and one of my favorites. I recently made these beans as a side dish with our dinner. For lunch the next day, I split a slice of cornbread and heaped these butterbeans over it. Even better. As you can see from the photos, I like a lot of black pepper on my butterbeans.

Home-Style Butterbeans
5 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (16 oz.) package frozen butterbeans (may substitute baby lima beans)
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
12 cups water

Cook bacon and onion in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Sitr in butterbeans and butter until butter is melted and beans are thoroughly coated. Stir in 12 cups water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours or until beans are very tender and liquid is thickened and just below top of beans. Stir in salt and pepper.

Ham, White Bean and Kale Soup

COMFORTING AND WARMING SOUPS have been the stars of our evenings. I actually dreamed this one. Do you dream about food? I do all the time. Sometimes my dreams are of a dish or recipe; other times, they are more obtuse.

Last night, I dreamed I was in a grocery store with our resident 5-year-old, searching for a package of cinnamon rolls. The dairy department was very under stocked and the shelves were garnished with kale, just like an old-time salad bar. I couldn't find any cinnamon rolls but eventually found  a tube hidden amongst some kale. When I picked it up, I saw someone had already opened it and eaten most of the raw dough.

Where did that come from? Perhaps from all the snow and blizzard scares? You know how people panic and rush to the store for bread and milk when dire weather is predicted.

A few nights ago, my dreams were more pleasant. I was peacefully stirring a big pot of soup, while standing in my sock feet. Next morning, over my cup of tea, I was thinking of this dream. As I recalled the details and ingredients, I knew this was a dream I would make true and we all loved it.

I made this soup with a ham steak but if you have some leftover ham, even better. I also soaked 1 1/2 cups of dried navy beans, overnight. Feel free to use canned navy, great northern, or cannelloni beans if you don't want to take that step.

Ham, White Bean, and Kale Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ham steak, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups navy beans which have been soaked overnight
5 cups soup stock or water
4 cups chopped raw kale
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Saute the onion and ham until beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the beans and soup stock. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if needed. (Mine took about 1 hour).

Stir in the kale and tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes longer. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Stone Soup

WE HAVE BEEN EATING A LOT OF SOUP around here lately. It is warming against the frigid temperatures we are having.

We are hosting another family, including a 5-year-old, in our home while they are in a transitional period. Although we are happy to do it, it does put a strain on our physical space not to mention our food budget. Soups are an economical and nourishing way to feed a crowd.

I called this one Stone Soup after the folk tale in which some hungry travelers with an empty pot stopped in a village for the night. In the tale, the travelers filled the pot with water, dropped in a stone and set it over a fire. Soon a villager contributed some carrots to flavor the stone soup, then another contributed and so on until a delicious soup was enjoyed by all.

That is sort of the way this soup was built. We all contributed and helped make it based on what we could find in the kitchen, including some leftover black-eyed peas from our New Year dinner.

Stone Soup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 (15 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes
3 cups homemade vegetable stock
1/2 head cabbage, sliced
3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
Salt, pepper, basil and oregano to taste
Grated cheddar cheese

I started the soup by sauteing the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil, in a large soup pot. Then I added the potatoes. The next person came along and added the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Then the cabbage and peas were added. Pritchard Parker added the seasonings.

We let the soup simmer for a while, then topped with grated cheddar cheese, and served with cornbread. Soy sauce and hot sauce were available.

Delicious, healthful, warming, and satisfying.

A Simple Baked Cabbage and Pear Side Dish

The lowly cabbage is one of my husband's favorite vegetables. I love it too and am constantly thinking up new ways to use it. 

And there are many ways: coleslaw, sauerkraut, cooked with corned beef for St. Patrick's day, kimchi, vegetable soup, stir fry, borscht, stuffed cabbage rolls, braised, steamed, roasted, egg rolls, and so much more.

Cabbage is an under recognized nutritional powerhouse, is available year round, and is cheap!

I made this simple pear and cabbage side dish to serve as a salad with a rich meal. The pears added a sweetness to the dish and mellowed the often piquant taste of the cabbage.  Some of my dining companions didn't even know it was cabbage.

You can fancy it up if you wish. Some crumbled bacon would be delicious. Chunks of blue cheese and toasted walnuts would be scrumptious.

Baked Cabbage and Pears
1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 pears, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for pan if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice from half a lemon
Cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter (or spray) an 8x8 inch baking dish.

Place cabbage into prepared dish, then layer the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread pear slices over the cabbage and onions and sprinkle with lemon juice. Dot the top with butter.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until desired tenderness.

Arrange on salad plates and dust with a little cayenne pepper if desired.

Roasted Vegetable Cobbler

AS THE SEASONS CHANGE, WE NATURALLY begin changing our diets. As our summer tomato harvest winds down, the weather gets cooler and the days shorter, I often feel myself at a loss. I will fumble along for a bit but then I will find my "sea legs" again. Meanwhile, I will prepare very simple meals to sustain us.

One thing I miss in the summer, is using my oven. I love baking and roasting--so delicious, fragrant, comforting, and warming.

Upon my return from a recent trip to the flat lands, I discovered it was quite chilly here in the mountains. I began planning a roasted dinner right away!

Using Brussels sprouts and root vegetables, seasoned with what I think of as the quintessential savory seasonings for fall--sage, rosemary, and thyme, I made this vegetable cobbler with a slightly sweet cornmeal biscuit topping.

I served it with fresh, warm, homemade applesauce. It was a perfect meal.

Roasted Vegetable Cobbler
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 large carrots
2 medium rutabagas
4 cups Brussels sprouts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. each sage, rosemary, thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Topping:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash potatoes, carrots and rutabagas, peel if desired, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Place all into a large black skillet. Toss with the olive oil and seasonings.

Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the topping, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, and brown sugar. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined.

Remove vegetables from the oven and drop spoonfuls of the batter over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 40 -45 minutes, until vegetables are tender and topping is golden brown.

Composed Salads, Grain Bowls, and Organizing Photo Files

IF YOU LOVE COOKING AND YOU LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY (a match made in heaven) you will most likely end up with a backlog of photo files to sort through.

My files had gotten so big, they were bogging down my computer. It was time to stop procrastinating and get to work. I have deleted hundreds on photos and transferred others to an external drive.

I do photograph many things other than food and this process has taken me down a memory lane of the past couple of years. There are so many cute pictures of the children--they grow and change so fast. There were pictures of my head, bald from chemo, to growing out, to my first haircut last week. There are many photos of beautiful flowers, birds, bunnies, butterflies, and bugs from our yard. Scenic photos from the gorgeous, vibrant, and hip place I am blessed to live--Asheville, North Carolina.

Mandarin Chicken Salad

As I culled photographs, I decided to share some of the things I have made, we ate, but never made it to my blog. Mainly because I wasn't pleased with the photos. But also because I wasn't thrilled with the taste of the food. I only blog about things I think are delicious.

For example, the Mandarin Chicken Salad. Ho-hum.

Shrimp, Brown Rice, and Vegetable Salad

I can see the salad has a dressing but I don't remember what it was. Which is another danger of letting my photo files back up. I can't remember what I did.






































I remember loving the brown rice and tofu bowl--I would happily eat it right now. I suppose I could fake some recipes. . .

Many things I love, tuna, cheese, boiled eggs, radishes, cornichons, sprouts (!) with baby lettuces.

Waldorf Quinoa Salad

I was really happy with this meal, but I didn't get any photos I loved. Quinoa, grapes, celery, apples, lettuce, candied pecans, and crumbled blue cheese. (Some kind of dressing). Mmmm, I think I'll try this again.

I was also happy about this meal, but again did not get shots of it that I loved. It was an awesome combination of flavors, quinoa, black beans, roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, pineapple, cheddar cheese, and spinach. I dressed this one with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Honey Lime Vinaigrette
1 small sweet onion, preferably Vidalia, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, washed and peeled
1 lime, washed, roughly chopped and seeded
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients into blender and process until smooth.