My First Venture w/ STUFFED PEPPERS

Stuffed Peppers are something I enjoy to eat but have never attempted to make. My motivation sprang from a sale on bell peppers at Harvest. Usually a sale on bell peppers only refers to the green, and if you're lucky the red. I was shocked to read the sign and saw that the $1.99 a pound sale also included the yellow and orange, and they didn't even look old and shriveled! In a perfect world, I would always buy yellow and orange peppers, but since I try to food shop on a budget, I rarely treat myself to these goodies.

At the grocery store I felt like a squirrel collecting nuts for the winter when I put 6 fabulous looking colored peppers into my basket. I headed back to my nest to dig out a stuffed pepper recipe i read months ago in Vegetarian Times magazine.

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
This is the recipe I followed but of course I made some modifications to accommodate my pantry but they are purely optional

• I cut the recipe in half to make 6 stuffed pepper halves
• Substituted Barley for Quinoa (i'm not a quinoa hater its just what I had in the pantry!)
• Did not have celery, instead used finely diced squash and green bell pepper
• Used sauteed fresh spinach instead of frozen
• Tip: Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes w/Adobo seasoning works really great here with the southwestern flavors. If not available use regular fire roasted and add the said amount of cumin

The extra stuffing is wonderful on it's own- I thought of you Riane because the consistency came out to be like a barley risotto!

Barley Monster

Everyone has their favorite grain and mine just happens to be Barley- I like its texture and ability to absorb delicious flavors without getting mushy. Barley Salads are great as leftovers and that's why I make them so often; it's perfect to bring to work for lunch because it allows me to avoid the dreaded microwave.

I found this fabulous recipe: Quinoa with Roasted Zucchini, Feta & Oregano in a Healthy Eats email and decided to give it a whirl, but of course I needed to make some adaptations to the OG Recipe.



I substituted the quinoa for barley- I had it in the pantry and like I stated before I'm a Barley Monster. My Quiona Cousin Mo would have done differently but I'm sure it's just as tasty with either grain. Second I added tons of fresh oregano and thyme rather than the dried- It's summer and time to take advantage of fresh herbs growing in yards or on porches! Lastly, I added some sliced grape tomatoes to the salad to get some more summer flavors in there. This salad tastes even better when consumed at the beach.

The REAL Italian

I know mad Crowz were in Maine last weekend, so I'll give a shoutout to the 207 and it's official state sandwich, the Amato's Italian. Though you can get it with salami, turkey, capicola, pepperoni, sans meat, etc., the Original calls for ham, green peppers, olives, onions, tomatoes, picles, then salt, pepper and oil.. And American cheese, not that fancy provolone stuff. My version: no tomatoes, extra sour pickles. Sour pickles and kalamata olives are key.

To be eaten while looking at the ocean or at some NEBS winding their way down a cobblestone street in search of the next Miller Lite draft.

Pasta Salad Season

One of my favorite things about a summer BBQ or Picnic are the side dishes. Chip and dip platters, roasted veggies, kabobs, cole slaw, your almost full before you even dig into a burger or dawg. My new summer side dish love is the versatile pasta salad. I'm not talking about the stuff you buy at the deli that is drenched in Wish Bone Italian Dressing; I'm talking about these bad boys:

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad w/Artichoke Hearts & Orzo Feta and Tomato Salad w/Marjoram Vinaigrette

Now these are the Pasta Salads I'm looking to scarf down this summer.

I saw Barefoot Contessa make a yummy Lemon Fusilli Salad with Arugula so I found the recipe online, tweaked it a bit and ended up with a tasty Pasta Salad that I would be proud to present at my next Picnic.


Changes in Recipe:

• I didn't have arugula so I just added extra broccoli
• Swapped the Fusilli for some Bow Ties
• Added the lemon juice at the end, I didn't want the taste to get bitter while simmering on the stove but I still added the zest at the beginning
• Substituted half of the cream with vegetable stock to cut back on some of the richness, but I had to simmer it a little longer to get the right consistency
• NOTES: I know this recipe calls for the broccoli florets, but I happen to really enjoy the steam. If you peel off the outer tough ends, the inside is nice and tender. Also this recipe works great cut in half

Here is my finished product, it's fine served warm or at room temperature. I would love to hear some other Pasta Salad recipes that you Crows are cooking up!

Gratin: Not Your Mama's Casserole (but kinda the same)

Casserole= Americana grossness favored by 60's housewives. Includes pantry staples such as egg noodles, canned tuna, canned green beans/peas/corn, Campbell's soup. Convenient way to feed your hungry brood of children when you are tired after a long day of drinking white wine and smoking Marlboros while waiting for your husband to come home from the office

Gratin= Fancy favorite of the yuppie crowd and natural food recipes, often found in the food & wine section of the NYT. Includes pantry and refrigerator drawer staples such as summer squash, potatoes, leeks, fresh herbs, cream, eggs, gruyere and arborio rice. Convenient way to feed your long-term live-in boyfriend or semi-employed friends after a long day of drinking white wine and smoking camel lights while waiting to hear back from those 20 jobs you found posted on idealist.org and applied to after you woke up at 10 am.

As the Thai people so famously say: "same-same, but different."

Gratins come in many shapes, sizes and levels of healthyness, but I think the majority of us crows agree that the Queen of all gratin recipes is this little gem that we dug up last summer:

This Summer Squash Gratin recipe from the NYT "recipes for health" section.

I have made this a least a half dozen times, and I know Mz Holly has as well. What is so great about this particular recipe is that is completely adaptable to whatever you have in your kitchen at any given time- zucchini can be substituted for sweet potatoes or butternut squash, Gruyere can be replaced by cheddar or chevre, leeks or shallots could be added, basil, parsley or organo can take over instead of thyme. Be creative!

Using rice in the gratin keeps it light yet filling (brown rice works just as well as aborio and makes it a little heartier), and personally, I like that this gratin isn't too cream-heavy, as many are.

The most important thing that this, and most, gratin recipes never mention is a classic ode to the casserole; always opt for a crusty top! A thick layer of breadcrumbs ups the yummy factor big time. After all, your Mama was right about a lot of things.

Curse the Kitchen Elves!

Have you ever planned out an entire meal, purchased necessary items at the store only to come home and find that key ingredients you were counting on are missing from your pantry or freezer. This happens to me all too often. Monday night the kitchen elves made off with my marinara sauce and half a bag of frozen gnocchi- curse those little scavengers who take off with my food while i'm slaving all day at work. Initially I get angry at the Kitchen elves, but then I realize I still need to make dinner regardless of what i have/don't have in my pantry, so then I look at it as a challenge. Drawing inspiration from a bottle of red wine, I decided to clear out most of the leftover veggies in my refrigerator bin and make my own pasta sauce. To deal with my lack of gnocchi I would just mix it in with some whole wheat pasta and this is what I came up with:

Baked Pasta with Gnocchi & Chard


1/2 package of frozen gnocchi
1/2 package of whole wheat pasta
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 medium carrot diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch chard, chopped

Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup dry red wine
fresh oregano and thyme, chopped
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes

• Saute onions, carrots, zucchini and garlic in a deep saucepan with olive oil, salt, pepper and a 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (reserve one garlic clove and 1/4 of the onion for the chard)
• When onions become translucent pour in red wine and let reduce for 5 minutes
• stir in tomatoes, extra dash of salt and fresh herbs, let simmer while the pasta water comes to a boil
• While sauce is simmering saute onions, garlic, chard, salt, pepper and oil until chard is just wilted- take off heat and set aside
• When water comes to a boil give it a generous salting, then pour in gnocchi and pasta- cook for 3 minutes less then instructions call for
• Combine cooked pasta with sauce in a mixing bowl
• Pour half of the pasta mixture into a casserole dish, spread out chard mixture over the pasta, then add the remaining pasta and top it off with some Parmesan Cheese
• Bake in a 425 oven for 15 minutes covered, then an additional 10 minutes uncovered to crisp up the top
  
  Here's what it looked like without the top layer:

Overall It wasn't a bad meal for a Monday night, I got to use up a bunch of veggies before I got a new batch delivered the next day. The fact that I combined the gnocchi with regular pasta made the whole dish a lot lighter, Nick commented that the gnocchi was like biting into little treats. If I make this dish again I would double the amount of chard I put in- you could also substitute the chard with spinach, kale or arugula.
Holly: 1 / Kitchen Elves: 0
until we meet again...

Eggplant City!

The crows have been posting alot of eggplant recipes lately, but if they are all different then what's the harm? One problem I have with eggplant is that if I don't use it right away, it has a tendency to hide out in the back of my vegetable bin only to be discovered when it's way past its prime. A huge challenge to getting a produce delivery each week, or being part of a CSA is to make sure you use all of your veggies before they turn foul; there's nothing worse than throwing away brown and slimy string beans, asparagus, arugula, etc. that were once green and vibrant.

In an attempt to not repeat past mistakes, I decided to dig right into that eggplant (thank's Boston Organics!) and make one of my stand by recipes: Individual Eggplant Parms. I invited my friends over who just moved down here from Maine because I figured they needed a break from unpacking and have probably been eating out for the past week, so I wanted to treat them to a home-cooked meal. When I began prepping, I remembered that I made the same meal the last time I had these friends over for dinner and immediately felt discouraged. I knew they wouldn't mind but it's always nice to switch up meal plans when you have dinner guests, you don't them thinking you're only a one dish wonder! I sipped on a beer and weighed out my options and decided I would just jazz up the eggplant parm rather than brainstorm a whole new meal. I sliced the eggplant lengthwise to make long patties rather than my previous method of circular slices; and added some fresh asparagus.

Here's my new eggplant creation before it went back in oven:

Individual Eggplant Parm w/ Asparagus
1 eggplant
1 bunch of asparagus
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2 eggs
Shredded Parm and Mozz
Breadcrumbs
Fresh basil leaves
Olive Oil, S&P

Preheat oven to 450
Peel* the eggplant and cut lengthwise into 1/4-1/2 in strips
salt eggplant slices on both sides and lay out on a cooling rack or strainer- after 10 minutes flip slices over to let the other side drain. After another 10 minutes pat slices dry with a paper towel. (This step is to draw some bitter liquid out of the eggplant but is completely optional if you don't mind the taste as is)
Crack two eggs in a shallow dish, whisk with a little water to thin out
Dip eggplant in egg, then breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet and put into the oven
After 15 minutes flip the eggplant (make sure it is golden brown on the bottom side).
Toss asparagus spears with olive oil, salt and pepper
Once the other side has baked for 15 minutes take baking sheet out of oven and assemble the parms by laying 2-3 asparagus spears on the eggplant slices, top each with fresh basil, fire roasted tomatoes and cheese
Cover with aluminum foil and place back in the oven for 5 minutes.
*Peeling the eggplant is optional, I just find it easier to eat without the skin

This meal goes great with some crusty bread and a garden salad. I felt like swaying away from my normal balsamic dressing and made a yummy Dijon vinaigrette. I used a dijon jar that was almost empty and added a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar, tablespoon of honey, salt, pepper, and a pinch of freshly chopped thyme. Put lid on and shake to get all of the leftover dijon off from the sides. Add extra virgin olive oil and give another shake and you're ready to dress your salad and have a easy container to keep your left over vinaigrette in!

Roasted Acorn Squash with herbs and Feta

This is a take on one of my absolute favorite recipes from my absolute favorite cook book, Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons, who, as it happens, is also a great fan of Jamaica Plain. In fact, JP gets several shout-outs in the book.

But anyway, this is a much toned down version of Didi's "Ziti with Acorn Squash and Roasted Garlic"- which if you have the time and the means on a cold winter night I highly suggest to try out. But for those nights when you are feeling like more of a 30 minute commitment to the stove rather than an hour and 30 minutes, this version is for you. I made it tonight and couldn't get the man to stop eating it- and I myself am already looking forward to lunchtime leftovers.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb- 3/4 lb pasta of your choice- although I suggest something big and not spagetti, like ziti, macaroni, farfalle, ect.

1 acorn squash, cleaned, peeled and chopped

8 cloves of garlic

1 onion, preferably vidalia or red, sliced thin

aprox. 1 tablespoons of sage

aprox. 1 tablespoon of thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper

5 oz feta

1/4 cup Romano cheese

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Clean out and peel the acorn squash and chop into small cubes- maybe a 1/2 inch to an inch in width. Combine in a roasting pan with onion, herbs and salt and pepper. Coat generously with olive oil and toss together. Let roast in the oven, tossing ever 10 minutes, for 30-35 minutes total or until squash starts to fall apart when moved.

3. At the same time put all 8 garlic cloves (with peels still on!) in a little tinfoil pouch covered in a bit of olive oil. Roast alongside squash.

3. Cook your pasta while all this is happening.

4. After squash is done, take the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic into a little bowl and discard peels. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the roasted garlic and mix it all together to form a paste.

5. In a big bowl toss together pasta, squash mixture, garlic paste, feta and the romano (leave a little for garnish!)

6. Eat while hot.

I forgot to take a picture, and honestly, it's not the most colorful of meals- but what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in taste bigtime!

Also, shout out to fellow crow Herself and her Mama who introduced me to Vegetarian Planet.

Beets Beets Beets

Beets are new this year on my list of enjoyments, thanks a great deal to Boston Organics. Although their season is now almost over, in the winter they are a great way to bring some color and variation to a table.

There are plenty of ways to eat beets, but I like them best as a salad, served cold as a side dish. Here Are my two favorite ways to eat beets- the first is how my Mom does them at home and the second is from a restaurant I used to waitress at.

For both salads, start by roasting the beets: scrub them clean and place in a tinfoil pouch drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Keep them in the oven at 375 degrees until they are tender; meaning a fork or knife will easily puncture deep into the beet. After they have cooled, peel off the skin with a knife and slice into rounds or cubes, depending on preference.

Beets with fresh Parsley:

-Finely chop a handful of fresh curly parsley. Toss into roasted beets with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Add a little bit of red onion or fresh garlic if preferred.

Beet and Mozzarella Salad:
- Stack sliced beets with thin slices of fresh mozzarella and top with ribbons of basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic, S&P.


Also, don't forget to sautee the green leafs in olive oil with onion and garlic for double the dish action- the greens are just as delicious as the bulbs, and just as healthy. Enjoy!

Two Eggplant Things from a Devoted Omnivore

My nearest grocery store, Andy's Fruit Ranch, is where I shop the most and I am devoted. It's filled with Balkan imports like cured sausages, healing teas, and tons of cookies and chocolates, as well as Middle-Eastern specialty items like rose water and tahini. And as their name indicates, produce is the specialty. Eggplants (or as I like to call them when I am feeling fancy, aubergines) were on special this week for 39 cents a pound, so I revisited some dishes I made earlier this year.

Baba ghanouj I actually make pretty regularly because of how low maintenance a recipe it is. This is all you need to make it:
Get two large or three medium eggplants. Check their bottoms. The one's with clefts are female and have more seeds in them. Bitter seed removal is a bitch, but there are a bit fewer in the rounded bottom males. Stab the aubergines with a fork a bunch of times, wrap in foil, and then roast them at 425 for an hour plus. The squishier the better. When they're done, top and tail them and peel with your hands as soon as you can handle the heat. De-seed as best as you can and then chop roughly and throw in a bowl. Drain as much liquid as you can from the eggplants. As it settles in the bowl, it will come to top and you can pour it off.
The next part is all about taste. Into the bowl I throw in two large cloves of garlic, minced, and a whole lemon, because I love those things. I also use about a handful and a half of finely chopped parsley. Then it get two tablespoonsish of tahini paste and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Mix it all up, salt to taste, and there you go. Fresh baba for snacking. Turn down the oven to 350 and make some fresh pita chips in 10 minutes it takes to combine ingredients while you're at it.

Fried eggplant lasagna is as good as it sounds and looks.
I generally have a lot of time on my hands during the day, so I made my own sauce for this, and I also purged the eggplants, which takes about two hours and isn't totally necessary, but enhances the flavors. I won't belabor how to make a lasagna, but suggest putting tons of romano and smoked mozz in there if you can, and also to consider the eggplant in it's floured and fried form.
Slice up two 'plants and lay the slices in stacks on a cutting board, sprinkling each layer with salt. Lay another board or flat something on top, plus about five pound of weight-- a big pot of water on top of a coffee table book on top of a second board works well. Slip a second book under the bottom board and let the pressure squeeze the juice out of the slices and into the sink. Run an errand, and when you come back, you have salty, less bitter slices, that you can then dip in flour and pan fry in olive oil till brown. Eat them right then, or slip them amongst the layers of cheese, sauce, and noodles for a badass, filling lasagna that you can eat for a week. Unless you have boys around. They will kill that shit in a night.

Flawless Fritatta

Weekends fly by so fast, especially the morning part because like most of my friends, I'm usually sleeping off the night before. If I wake up late, my first instinct is to throw on some clothes and crawl to one of the neighborhood brunch spots (Bon Savour, Dogwood, or Centre St Cafe-depending on the line). On those rare weekend mornings, where I shoot out of bed early with a mission to get things accomplished, is when I get to make a yummy frittata.

FLAWLESS FRITTATA:

Ingredients:
10 large eggs
1/4 C Milk
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 C mixture of grated gruyere and parm
1/2 head of chopped broccoli
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
oil, salt & pepper

• Position oven rack in the center and preheat to 350
• Whisk together eggs, milk, cayenne, s&p. Fold in the cheese
• Heat olive oil in a medium sized oven proof non stick skillet (or could use cast iron). Cook veggies for about 5 minutes, until crisp tender
• Pour egg mixture into the skillet and gently stir with a spatula lifting the veggies from the bottom of the skillet. Cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes
• Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes
• Remove from oven, cover and let set for 5 minutes, then SLICE IN!

I was nervous the first time I made a frittata just because eggs can be so volatile. Once you have the technique down you can truly make this recipe with any combination of veggies and cheeses. The Frittata pictured above is made with broccoli, onions and feta because that was all I had in the fridge. It's cheap, filling, and cleans out the leftovers in the veggie and cheese bins!

Man CAW

Oh sweet relaxation.

Last night Billy and I went to our friend Chris and Jen's house.
They have a sweet back yard that they are trying to inoculate with toxin eating mushrooms so that next year they can have a veggie garden!

After a bit of hanging out we decided to all make dinner together.
We decided on Eggplant Parmesean, made entirely by Chris!

It has been so long since I've seen a boy cook dinner from start to finish!
It was glorious.

It was simple, and oh so sweet.

It should happen more often.

Back in the Bean

Well hello hello my lovely ladies

I am reporting to you live from McBride after weeks away in the great North (QC) and the wild west (Denver) for my debut blog. (hold applause)

While in CO celebrating my littlest sister's 21st birthday, she and I decided to make my mom's new lasagna recipe (I think an Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa) recipe. This recipe is great because first of all, it uses goat cheez...mmmmmm....and second third and fourth turkey sausage, home-made sauce, GREAT noodle cooking technique. details to follow.

the recipe is:

LASAGNA WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE
serves 8

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Heat the olive oil in a large (10-to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9x12x2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

To make ahead, refrigerate the assembled, unbaked lasagna. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly.

After making this recipe for the second time I have several suggestions. There never seems to be quite enough sauce for the incredibly huge and awesome amount of chzzzz mixture you end up with, so I would suggest just dbl'ing the sauce mixture. You could also easily substitute you're favorite sauce recipe. A great way to really AMP up this dish is adding layers of spinach or roasted (or raw) veggies of your liking. I definitely plan to try the spinach myself next go around, I'll let you know how it goes ;) Also want to comment on the noodle cooking method, IT'S AWESOME. Because you don't technically "cook" the noodles before assembling the lasagna, the sauce finishes them off nicely while in the oven and you end up with perfectly al dante layers every time. Really adds a nice texture to the soft ingredients of the lasagna. Even if you don't end up trying this recipe, I would strongly suggest trying the noodles.

Glad spring has sprung and summer is around the corner. Paul's grilling marinades to follow (i promise)

cheers!

Riane

Snacking: homemade popcorn

Modesty aside, I admit that I make fantastic popcorn. And I think I can find a few people to back me up on this claim. It is a skill entirely attributed to genetics; my father also makes amazing popcorn. So amazing in fact that he used to use it has a sucessful bargening tool to keep me and my friends in the house in highschool.

It is delicous, fast, easy, super cheap and can feed LOTS of hungry guests, all while making you look like you are some sort of bad-ass homemaker with good campfire skills. At least that is how I feel.

Honestly, it is the easiest, fastest thing ever and requires no special equiptment. Just throw away that microwave and airpopper and bring it back to the stove!

Use a large pot with a thick bottom. This is the most important thing. It is best, if you know you will be making lots of popcorn, to just give in immediatly and designate a pot you already have to be used in the future only for making popcorn. This is just better because:

(1) the pot is going to, without fail get black, burnt stuff on it that will never come off. ever. don't even try. Particularly while you are first learning and burn a few batches.

(2) This may sound gross, but you shouldn't ever really wash your popcorn pot. The oil build up makes it work better and really helps prevent burning. Every now and then rinse it down with some hot water and soap if you must, but no need to scrub. Only oil an popcorn are ever touching it anyway.

I use a wok that never really worked so great as a wok. It works great as a popcorn pot. Pick any old pot you have, or one you have duplicate sizes of. Just make sure it has a well-fitting lid to go along with it. You can also get a dandy stovetop popcorn popper from Target or William Sanoma, but plz.

- heat vegetable oil in (or veg/olive oil mix; depending on the taste you want- I only go for olive oil when I am planning on little or no butter/parm.)

-When oil is heated, add popcorn kernels- about half a cup should feed like 4 people. Cover with lit

-As the popcorn heats in the oil, occasionally (every minute or so) lift lid a little bit. There must be science that explains why, but this little extra air helps it pop faster and prevents burning. I know know why.

- on the side, heat up some butter. Remember, this popcorn is cooked in oil, so it needs less butter than you think. Show restraint!

- When popcorn starts popping, toss the popcorn in the pot; hold that lid down tight! (or crank; if you are a dandy.)

-Remove from heat when kernel popping slows significantly.

- put in a huge bowl, and 1/2 at a time add butter, a few shakes of parmesan, and salt. Mix with butter knife

Consume by the fistful. Large quantities are important here.

I just made a batch for me, Matt and Mark; so good!

Our First Beach Adventure-Singing Sands

Sunday Morning we embarked on our first beach visit to Singing Sands at Manchester by the Sea (Take the Newbuyport commuter rail from North Station to Manchester)

For once we actually brought enough food and bevy to sustain us all for the long haul. Some items included:

• Port Salut & Baguette- absolute staple for picnics and beach excursions


• Pasta salad with fennel- for Vbar to post


• Barley Salad- unfortunately on this trip got a bit water-logged from melted ice


• Geary's Summer/ PBR


• Saussy Sangria

Saussy Sangria

There are numerous variations on the beverage but this is a version i enjoy

Dice up whatever fruit you have on hand (apples, kiwis, strawberries, pears, oranges, etc)

Add fruit to a pitcher and cover with a half cup of booze (brandy works nice but i've even done this with tequila!)

Add a bottle of vino verde and a bottle of red table wine

Top of the mixture with San Pellagrino or if you have it Trader Joe's Sparkiling Grapefuit Juice

Let Sit overnight- or for as long as you can hold out.

Barley Salad

I got the idea of this salad from a food and wine recipe- but I switched up the ingredients to fit my palate, feel free to try either version

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/barley-salad-with-parsley-and-walnuts

Cook one cup of pearl barley in boiling water for 15-20 minutes

In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp grainy dijon mustard, juice of one large lemon, quarter cup of olive oil, 1 large minced garlic clove, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes

Add 1/4 C finely diced red onion, 1 diced tomato, diced feta cheese, 1 diced carrot, chopped basil, and a handful of baby spinach to mixture and let marinate while barley continues to cook

When barley is tender, strain under cold water add to the mixture.