More of My Cooking.

Happy March 1st everyone!

Only 3 more weeks until spring!
















But it's looking more and more
like spring here.

Jonquils from my garden.

Mr. Hawthorne took the leftover chuck roast and its gelatinous mass from the other night, added celery, carrots, onions, peas, edamame, 2-3 cups beef boullion, and V8 juice, which was not fitting properly in my fridge. It was a HUGE bottle.
Simmered for a few hours.
This was dinner for the boys last night.

Schwann's has a delicious frozen baguette loaf that you bake for about 13 minutes.
My boys love it.

Here's my semi-mise-en-place for whatever I might be making today.
I haven't quite decided yet, but the secret ingredient is JICAMA.
That's jicama over on the right hand side, above the limes and between the cabbage and celery.

Let's see what I have to work with: cilantro, red onion, cabbage, jicama, celery, limes, green onions, potato, yellow pepper, green pepper, and snow peas.

I have a plan.








First, I made a salsa, with really crappy, piss-poor tomatoes that were nothing but mealy-assed pulp. I added some balsamic vinegar, hoping that would help, some cider vinegar, some sugar, chopped red onions, green onions, jalapenoes, cilantro,
and salt and pepper.

Next, I diced my potato and boiled it until tender.
I diced my jicama the same size.
Surprise!
Look the same, but different texture and flavors.
I chopped some red onions, green onions, snow peas, yellow and green peppers, cilantro and
added that to the mix, along with a jar of pimientos.

I had made some Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing using both mayo and sour cream and milk and buttermilk.
Added that to my potato/jicama mixture.

In the meantime, I had been cooking black beans.
I added the beans, along with the sad, sad salsa.

Here's my finished product: potato/jicama/black bean salad
with salsa enhanced Ranch Dressing.

Next, I made cole slaw, consisting of my sliced cabbage, shredded jicama, shredded carrots, some cider vinegar, a bit of sugar, salt and pepper, and just enough mayo to barely coat.

I'm really liking the addition of the jicama, both texture wise and taste wise.



Finally, I made matchstick jicamas.

Cut into fat matchsticks, then put in a dish with ice water and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Drain and pat dry.

Then I squeezed a bunch of limes, added some chili powder,
and tossed the little sticks in that.
Very nice snack.

Here are today's efforts:
Clockwise from top left, potato/jicama/black bean salad, jicama coleslaw, matchstick jicama treats, and salsa with tomatoes I'd be embarrassed to serve, much less sell.

Ooooh. Oooooh Oooooooh!
Guess what today's theme is!!!!