Thursday, March 30, 2017

Mo' Oysters.


 You know the Hawthornes and their oysters.
It's a love affair.




And sometimes we find little treasures inside.






















I'm making oyster toppings today.
Mince everything: fennel, shallot, celery, apple in lime juice
Place sparingly on each oyster.
Give it a pinch of sugar, some rice wine vinegar, and a grind of pepper
Light panko and crumbled Ritz topping, then a drizzle of melted unsalted butter.
Then a few shreds of Melkbus cheese, which has truffles!, on one half and shreds of Valseren parmigiano reggiano on the other half.  

Place under a 450° for 6-7 minutes, until breading is lightly browned and cheese melted.

I like that freshly cracked pepper.
Rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar gives it an extra punch.


Ready for the broiler.

Under the broiler until lightly browned.


 


















And this concludes our last bushel of oysters for the season.


Monday, March 27, 2017

Rosie Makes Sausage, Potato, And Kale Soup.

It's Spring, but it's hard to believe it.
When I woke up and looked out the window the other morning, I coulda sworn I saw frost on the ground.  I don't think it was my aging eyes.  It was cold!
I tottered into the kitchen/living room and the fireplace was emitting its morning ambience.  It's nice and toasty.


First, I made breakfast pizza.

Fortified, Rosie confronted the day.
Look out, Day!










The Hawthornes headed off to the recycling center and ... recycled.
Then took a quick trip to the bank to deposit a check and ... deposited.
Then it was back home.
I had the forethought to think about where our next meal was coming from, so Mr. Hawthorne was kind enough to call The Saltbox Café and ask about their soup de jour.  Mr. H. replies that it's "Irish" and has potatoes, sausage, and collard greens.  And he's still on the line with not-April because he's waiting for me to OK the pickup order.  Except I don't do that.

Heh...  Thanks, Amanda and Randolph!
As soon as I heard what you were souping up, the hamster started running and the light bulb over my head shone brightly.

I will make my own soup.
Based on your soup.
Which I have never had.

I'm making a ground Italian sausage, sliced Andouille sausage, potato, onion, northern beans, and fresh kale from the garden soup!

And I owe it all to Chefs Sprinkles!
Thank you both for the idea.


 Rosie's SausagePotatoOnionKaleSoup
 Based on a soup I've never had, but I imagined on the way home.

It's just the two of us eating today, so I'm trying to do a small amount of soup, knowing I will still have leftovers.  Hoping for dinner guests tonight, but, alas, up they didn't show.

2 1/2 oz. ground mild Italian sausage
2 1/2 oz. sliced Andouille sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 potato, diced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dried great northern beans, cooked
2 cups chopped kale freshfromthegardenfromlastyearsplantswhichselfseededsoitslikesurvivalofthefittestandthebestestkaleever

In medium pan, cook sausages over medium heat, chopping ground pig with a wooden spatula, until all is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in onion and potato and sauté 2-3 minutes.  

Next, I poured in 2 cups of vegetable broth.  Now this vegetable broth was not just any ordinary vegetable broth.  It was Enhanced Vegetable Broth. 

 Enhanced Vegetable Broth is a lowly quart carton of vegetable broth in which cauliflower florets have been simmering for twenty minutes or so.  Two cups of the heightened infused broth were pulled off and saved in the fridge.  The other two cups were used to purée with the cauliflower which was divine, in case you're wondering.  My 2 cups of Enhanced Vegetable Broth went into the pan, gently covering the sausages, potatoes, and onion. You may use non-enhanced vegetable broth.  I just happened to have Enhanced Vegetable Broth.

Add in oregano and a squished dried cayenne pepper, with seeds.

Bare simmer until potatoes are almost tender.
Pour in skim/cream.
Drop in kale pieces.
Add in beans.
Cook over low until kale is tender.
Maybe 15 minutes. 

Then I saw a little baggie with chopped bell pepper and red onion in the fridge.  
In it went.

This soup was all kinds of sublime!
I feel healthy just looking at this kale!

Serve soup with a nice toasted slice of homemade ciabatta.










Bon appétit!


Sunday, March 26, 2017

Rosie's March Garden. And Some Other Stuff.

Welcome, finally, to Spring.
Rosie's Garden never goes to sleep,
but it's stirring into Life again after lightly napping, with one eye open.


 I wish I knew the name of this little beauty.

 One of my favorites and one of the first to bloom - hyacinth.
The fragrance is delicious.
 My gailliardia AKA blanket flower.


 Gotta bring some of the pretty inside.
 Downstairs smells like hyacinths.

 Bachelor button AKA blue cornflower AKA Centaurea cyanus.
Although I have them in pinkus too!



 Jonquil.
I say jonquil.  Others call them daffodils.  Is this a regional thang?

 California poppy.


 This is a lovely pale yellow hyacinth.
Photograph really doesn't show the beautiful color.
 The hyacinth is coming up next to cilantro plants.


 Beautiful pink hyacinth.



 Oxalis AKA shamrock.




 Hello, little Soldier.
 I will eat you tomorrow.
Along with all your friends.
 
 Pretty pink tulip.

After so much Garden Fun, Junior wanted his special time with Nana.
That meant a walk around the block.
And that's an Adventure.


I like the lines here.  The black, grays, whites.
 Junior is happy.

 Pretty smile!

 Happy Junior!


That's a Happy Dog!

I like the patterns here.










 I like the patterns and lines.

 Hello, Squirrel!

 I love the bark of a crape myrtle.


 
 Junior likes to practice his yoga poses.
This is Strong Tail Asana.

Then Mr. Hawthorne and I went to Food Lion and I got a shot of Firemen In A Bucket!
Taken from inside the car through the window.



 'twas a good day.