Veggie Homefries- A morning Staple

Looking at the recent fresh tomato post- I was inspired by some farm fresh red potatoes (a great alternative from the "pink skinned" ones you buy at the store). The skin has such a deep color you just know its packed full of nutritious iron- i couldn't wait to get them onto the stove and into my mouth.

Homefries are usually my favorite part of breakfast-especially when they're dipped in a golden runny yolk. Here is the recipe I've been using for a couple years now, it varies a little from batch to batch but the simple technique is a keeper.

Veggie Homefries
The ingredients vary depending on how many i am feeding and whats in my fridge but the staples are: unpeeled red or golden potatoes-medium diced, onions-diced, assorted colored peppers-diced, mushrooms-chopped, garlic-minced, red pepper flakes, olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, oregano and parsley.
I also prefer to mix sweet potatoes with the regular but don't always have them on hand

• Put diced potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil, drain once potatoes are al dente (they will continue cooking in the pan, if overcooked it will turn into hash-which is still yummy but not always desired)
• Heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan and add drained potatoes, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute on medium high until they start to get brown
• Once potatoes start forming an outer crust add onions, after another five minutes add peppers, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and oregano
• When all has reached your desired crispiness, remove from heat and add fresh parsley
  
  

Writers Block EXTREME

I know I should be reflecting and writing about the recent CAW visit to California, but I just can't. I am way far more excited about the soup that I just made, than reflecting upon things we all did.

Although, I will, I promise. Eventually.

While Billy is away enjoying the sights and sounds of Yosemite with his childhood christian brethren, I am at home attempting to not freak out about the mess left behind; and the toilet seat that was up- a clear indication of man-boy rampage prior to their departure this morning.

How do I relax? I brief clean up, and immediate cooking adventure and a characteristic analyzation of my day.

Today was the Castro Farmers Market- a savior on a day where fumes were emitting from my ears for approximately 8 hours straight. After consuming a delicious lunch of Hummus and Tabbouleh* with sesame pita, around 4 o'clock I felt it was time to go for a walk.

I enjoy eating my lunch at my desk, and then going for a stroll later in the day, in lieu of a full blown lunch out. On this day, I decided that I did not crave cookies (although that was tooootally what I needed on Monday, from Hot Cookie)

I craved strawberries. Sweet Delicious strawberries.

Now it is not strawberry season, so I question the integrity of these apparent fresh market berries, but god damn you these were stupendous! They saved my day.

But I digress. Savior of Soup. Simple, delicious, my mind is a-flutter as to what to do with the savory leftovers.


Red on Red on Red Lentil Soup

1 small onion diced
1 large carrot grated
5-6 gypsy or lipstick peppers
1 excessively large ripe heirloom tomato, diced
about 1 cup frozen corn- although fresh would suffice

1/2 cup red lentils
4 cups water

larger bits of ground fennel seed
1 T crushed black pepper
pinches of salt
sprinkles of onion powder
1 pinch cumin
some garlic powder
a little mustard powder
some nutmeg

Methods:

Coat the bottom of a heavy pan with olive oil. Add carrot and onion, cook for a long while. meanwhile, dice the peppers all nice and tiny-like. Add these. At this time add some salt and lots of black pepper. Cook for an f-ing long while, add tomatos and cook until they give off their water. Add various spices now. Add lentils. Add water. Cover and cook for a long while, until lentils are cooked until you can't tell they were once tiny little things, and the soup is of a consistency that makes you happy. Turn off the heat, add the corn, mix. Eat with bread, or rice, or alone!

*a great lunch btw

Crows unite, fly to brooklyn, eat honey.

This weekend Herself and I had the rare opportunity to perch together for a few days in Brooklynand catch up with each other and some old pals. We spent all day Saturday grazing across the borough in search sublime satisfaction/ a perfect greasy mess to cure a hangover. Some truly awesome snacking occurred, including:

-An enormous taco-esque creation that was too messy to eat in public but I did anyway
-Asian-inspired hot dogs with red cabbage slaw on top
-A mango speared on a stick and sprinkled with chili power
-Expensive, but delicious pizza, eaten under the Brooklyn bridge and washed down by summer ale.

While on the journey we encountered this small farmer's market that has some super fresh looking produce and locally made yummies.

Observe below:
This local organic cheddar made my mouth water. Herself and I took a moment to fantasize about biting into a huge block of cheese; probably not as awesome as it sounds, but still, I really wanted the cheese. Sour cherries!

Free samples! Of marinated tofu! ehhh... oh well.

And lastly, I know this is a terrible picture, but I had never seen an artichoke in full bloom before and I thought it was beautiful. (Also, side note, artichokes are my favorite food. Maybe they should be my favorite food and flower?)

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.