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!

Farmers Market!!!

It better not rain this weekend because I have plans to ride my bike to Roslindale and hit up the Farmers Market. The tomatoes on my back porch are still puny-sized and green and all the local grocery stores can't satisfy my craving for that farm fresh produce.


There's something so pure and simplistic about directly handing the farmer my hard earned dollars for their hard earned labor. Maybe its the realization that we're cutting out the middle man trying to make a profit, or maybe its a step back in time to how people got their food prior to the commercialization of the food industry, but what ever it is, it feels great!


I'm not going to set my hopes too high. I am a realist and know that it is still early in the season for the mother load of local veggies. If I leave with one farm-ripe tomato, or a handful of pickling cukes, I will be one happy crow.

Titan Peeler!!

Yes, my new favorite kitchen gadget did come from an info-mercial, but at least I didn't buy it from this guy:

I did break down and call the 1-800 number to enquire about the Titan peeler, but how could I not-the blade is sharp enough to peel wood and delicate enough to peel a tomato! The deal breaker came when i found out that the shipping and handling costs as much as the product itself- super lame.

One day I was doing laundry, killing time wondering around CVS when I came across an aisle that was dedicated to Info-mercial products. Low and behold they had the Titan Peeler- $15 for two peelers (one does julienne strips). No shipping and handling costs-I snatched that deal up right away. I use it all the time and it super comes in handy for peeling eggplant and butternut squash- two items I always dreaded peeling. Just walk yourself down to the CVS at Hyde Square, and pick yourself up one- you will not be disappointed!

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.

Memorial Day Picnic in the Arboretum

Perfect weather for Memorial Day- not too hot (around 75 degrees) and not too windy. It didn't take us long to find a nice secluded area in the Arboretum to lay out our blankets and start mowing down on some tasty snacks and refreshing drinks. Vbar made a delicious guacamole and brought along some salsa and tortilla chips. I brought some leftover pizza, baguette and...

Tuna and White Bean Salad
(this is one of my favs because it doesn't use mayo!)

Ingredients:
1 15oz can of White Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 6oz cans of Tuna, drained
1 large tomato- seeded and diced
1/4 C finely diced red onion
1 large garlic clove- put through a garlic press
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 C olive oil
Fresh chopped Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

-Toss beans, tuna, tomatoes and onions in a mixing bowl
-In a measuring cup whisk together lemon juice, mustard, garlic, s&p
-Gradually whisk in the olive oil and pour over the tuna and bean mixture and add freshly chopped basil

And to wash it all down we sipped on some of these:
Clean Out your Booze Cupboard Cocktail
This recipe varies from household to household depending on what's hiding out in the depths of your liquor cabinet or freezer. The only ingredient that is common amongst these cocktails is a Massachusetts Law that Prohibits the Sale of alcohol on a Holiday (how do we all still forget about this!)- Otherwise you would be sipping on the cocktail of your choice rather than a cocktail of desperation. The liquor supplies in my nest were all dried up, but thankfully Carolina Place had some surprise goodins on reserve and VBar threw together a refreshing cocktail from her eclectic array of leftover booze. I do not have the exact measurements because the cocktails were already made by the time i got there (i'm guessing all of the bottles were more than halfway depleted) but I do know the ingredients: Svedka Vodka, Peach Scnhapps, White Wine, lemonade, lime slices- topped off with seltzer.

The real Hero of this picnic was Matt Studner, who was on his A game and purchased a 12 pack of Coronoa and bottle of wine the night before- thanks Matt, you really saved the day!

Summer Sipping

Day-drinking.

What better way to enjoy those hot summer afternoons than by sitting back and enjoying a delicious cocktail with your fellow crows? Whether on the beach or in the backyard, a refreshing booze beverage is sure to cool you down and sauce you up.

Last summer, as we prepared for the Milky Way's last days in Hyde Square, we were all about their JP Iced Tea.




Lovingly referred to as "The Mind Eraser", this drink packs quite the punch without letting you know it. I could barely handle two of these delicious and dangerous beverages before the dance floor sucked me in for the rest of the evening. Drink at your own risk...

JP Iced Tea

1 shot Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
1 shot Svedka Citron Vodka
fresh brewed iced tea
ginger simple syrup

Sometimes if I'm feeling saucy, I may add a splash of tequila!

Bottoms up.

nom nom nom.

The crows have been quiet in the absence of Miz Holly! And there hasn't been much activity on my part lately, due to a voyage to the nest of Mama Crow who keep me full and happy all weekend long.
Last night was a return to the nest for the Cock (male crow people) and I and we celebrated with a delcious summer meal of:

Thai Lime Marinated Tilapia
Ginger and Sesame rice (from the box)
Citrus and Fennel Salad

accompanied by:
Raspberry Lemonade Gin Drinks: Hereby dubbed the "Citrusberry Chiller."

The fish was delicious, although not much to brag about since I used Drew's Organic marinade. The rice, which was NearEast Brand went well with the meal, but was overall too sweet.
But the salad, my friends, was delicious. A last minute inspiration upon realizing that my collard greens had wilted over the weekend and I had no other fresh veggies in my house save a fennel bulb and half a red pepper. It was simple, fresh, bright-flavored and an excellent accompany to marinaded white fish. I look up similar recipes for inspiration, but this salad and the dressing are ultimately my own.

And here it is:

Vbar's Citrus and Fennel Salad (serves 2-3)

½ of a Large fennel bulb, with the core cut out and sliced thin
1 orange with peel cut off and sliced into wedges
small amount of very thinly sliced red onion
thinly sliced ½ of red bell pepper
a good handful of fresh curly parsley, roughly chopped

Dressing:
Juice of 2 limes pharmaceutical
zest of ½ a lime
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
tsp. of fresh grated ginger
Dash of red pepper
Toss all together and serve. So good, So good!

Citrusberry Chiller:
tanquery
raspberry lemonade
slice of lime


Pictures to come when I am not in the office!

On Recycling

a guest post by Lady of the Nacht

We've all been imbued with the importance of recycling. And when you enjoy beer as much as I do, it becomes crucial to dispose of all those cans bottles in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Thank Goddess for the Jamaica Plain outpost of Blanchard's, our local liquor store and recycling center, where the triangulating arrows of the recycling symbol manifests: return PBR Ten Fidy cans, buy (with those nifty recycling machine print-outs) some 40s a fine chardonnay to be enjoyed as a spritzer, with an ice cube (Hi Mom!). Rinse and Repeat.

It was a nice little JP Saturday: I purchased a refurbished bike at Bikes Not Bombs (finally!) with the help of one of the Crows and my Steady Gentleman Caller (SGC). Although my errands for the weekend included obtaining new running shoes, doing laundry, and cleaning my apartment (I know, my life is hard), after the bike purchase I really only had time for one more task. As the entire entrance of my apartment was filled with beer bottles and cans, I prioritized recycling and enlisted SGC and his trusty JP steed (a Subaru, natch) to help me cart the detritus down Centre Street. Conveniently, SGC is as much of an enjoyer of fine wines as I am, so he had quite the collection of soldiers littering his room as well. If we're going to emit some carbon, might as well kill two birds with one stone--trust, we needed the car, and I was feeling smug over my BNB buy--so we added his recycling to the pile.

A stalled parallel parking attempt and a shopping cart wedged at the entrance later (we forgot they have a turnstile at the entrance, whoops!), we were ready to recycle. Now, I know most of my friends put their recycling out with the trash or otherwise don't really deal with it beyond rinsing and sorting, but we wanted that refund, and seriously, guys, there is something SO SATISFYING ABOUT THAT CRUSHING PULVERIZED GLASS NOISE THOSE MACHINES MAKE!!!

Recycling recycled, receipts printed, we ventured over to the beer section of the store. Our goal was to have enough of a refund to purchase a decent six-pack, and we had met this goal. However--and maybe it was the warm weather, but who really knows where ideas come from (they just appear)--we were inexplicably drawn to the few big, sad 40 oz beers tucked back on the bottom cooler shelf. Like rained-on, kinda hungry cows, they blinked at us with big brown eyes from their lesser pasture, begging to be bought. "Drink me," they stated, "and ignore the taste."

They really weren't that bad. And now the empty 40 bottles perch in my vestibule, waiting to be buried by a mound of what is sure to be more bottles and cans, all so that the circle of life triangle of recycling can begin again. Only this time, I'll try to haul it all on my recycled bike.

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!

Riane's Mom is here! Let's eat shrimp!

Major mowing last night in honor of Riane's Mom's arrival!



After plans for the Lady Crows to fly downtown for the night fell through we decided to pull together some last minute snackbites to satisfy our (and the accompanying gentlemen's) hunger.

Because we started brainstorming so late we didn't actually eat until almost ten, but this meal made for a fabulous but casual late-dinner nosh, with all of us standing around the table chatting with Riane's fresh-off-the-plane Mama.


The Menu included:


-Cajun Lime Tiger Shrimp, skewered and grilled
-Veggie pouch!
-Fresh Bruchetta with Grilled baguette



And to wash it all down:

-A few well chosen wines, picked by Mr. Fresh

-HollyCollins Cocktails: Holly's take on the very seasonal TomCollins (which I will leave for her to explain, with pictures)



We cleaned the shrimp ourselves and marinated it for about an hour in:

-2 heaping tablespoons Cajun seasoning
-Juice of 1 lime
-Olive oil
-salt and pepper



The seasoning was bought by Riane at the Saturday (or Sunday?) Market in Portland, OR and brought the heat to the meal. I am personally an enormous fan of blow-your-face-off spicy and I was totally satisfied, and even Miss. Riane who often likes her spice on the milder side was lovin' it.

After the shrimp was done marinading we put them on skewers with wedges of lime. Grilling lime really brings out the flavors and the juices and those grilled slices were absolutely wonderful to squeeze over the cooked shrimp before eating. Plus, the Cajun seasoning helped to perfectly blacken the shrimp and when combined with the outdoors flavor from the grill was total perfection.


For the bruchetta we used chopped fresh tomatoes mixed with basil, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic. We served this on top of fresh iggy's baguette, which we sliced in half, brushed with olive oil, salted and grilled before cutting up.



After a long winter, tomatoes are starting to taste good again! The ones we got from harvest and Boston Organics were sweet and juicy.



Sides of veggies pouches with zucchini, mushroom, onion and broccoli....





A delicious meal, perfect for sharing and mowing with friends and family.




If any of you kiddos are going to be around JP tonight, keep an eye out for the lady crows burin' off these meals on the dance floor of the MilkyWay; we're making our debut at the new location and plan on establishing our status as Queen Crows!

Also worth mention, there was an impromptu grill and eat out session in my backyard tonight. Totally basic all the way with burgers, hotdogs, and fresh skin-on sockeye salmon marinated simply in olive oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper.

Sides of leftover pasta salad and lettuce from boston organics with sliced fennel and holly's homemade balsamic dressing. Light and satisfying summer meal, great for outdoor mowing.

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

Adventures in Grilling!

Yes! If this beautiful weather continues I may swear off my oven!

Riane, Holly and myself pizza-planned tonight, graciously welcoming the start of grill season. What was on the menu tonight? Check out this biddy...



Grilled pizza is one of my favorite summer dinners...It's so easy and delicious! Trader Joe's makes great pre-made pizza dough. It's super cheap and works really well on the grill. We typically pool our resources to maximize on yummy toppings. Tonight's scrounging of the fridges provided us with mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozz and a reserve can of fire roasted tomatoes for the sauce. Add a veggie pouch you've got yourself a mighty fine dinner.


Once your dough is all rolled out you should brush a s-ton of olive oil on one side-this should keep it from sticking. Just place the dough on the grill (oil side down!) and cook for 5 min or so. Lift a spatula under to check for those nice grill lines...When it's done, oil up the other side and flip! Add your sauce and toppings and cook until cheese is melted or the crust is at the preferred crustiness.

Quick pic before we dig in!

The weatherman promises blue skies and 90 degrees tomorrow. Riane and I will be heading back to our beach hot spot-who knows what sorts of goodies we'll be packing in our cooler! :)

Gossip Girl Here

Monday night is gossip girl night and I know the ladies are cooking up a homemade pizza on the other side of JP; hopefully they take pictures to post for tomorrow! It was all about leftover Indian food in this house tonight... even an aspiring gourmet needs a night off every now and again.

Thanks to Emily to her San Fransico local food co-op shout-out! Holly and I are both major fans of Boston Organics (www.bostonorganics.com) a local, organic fresh produce delivery service that I would highly recommend checking out; they delivery can be every week or biweekly and come in all different sizes and fruit-to-vegetable ratios. The prices are defiantly reasonable, I get the $29 delivery and I always feel like I get my dollar's worth; plus its always fresh and you don't have to haul it home from the grocery store in your bum-cart. Major plus for the urbanites.

Btwz, Emily, as far as I know the only part of a leek that is usable is the white and light-green, which yea, does feel like a waste. They have great flavor though, and although it breaks my Sicilian heart to say it, are great in butter. Tell us about your grapeseed oil love more- I'm curious!

That's all for tonight kiddos. I'm getting a popsicle.

The Crows have landed. Let the CAWing begin.

Hooray!

We're going live in a valiant attempt to share our mowing strategies. We cook, we eat, we write about it.

We are ladies united in our love for all that is delicious. The simple, the complicated, the familiar and the exotic. Always fresh, always satisfying. Blossoming domestic goddesses, we know that no beverage should be left unaccompanied by a tasty morsel or two prepared in the company of good friends.

Here we will share recipes, cooking successes and cooking failures. What we made together and we we made apart. Reviews of local JP eateries. Favorite foods. Tips on great ingredients and products. Being thrifty. Gardening practices. Cocktails. Your totally awesome Friday night.

Welcome ladies, let's eat.