February Flower Arrangements

I love fresh flowers and I make a point of always having them in my apartment (yes, I buy them for myself, thank you very much).  I had the opportunity to make a few arrangements for an elegant dinner party for my boss last night, which was a fun assignment for me to take on.

I knew the dinner would feature many fabulous wines and would require a place setting with multiple wine glasses, so I wanted the arrangements to sit nicely amongst the glasses.  Nothing too tall, splashy, formal or cutesy.

I was due at The Cooking School for work at 3:30pm, so my mom and I headed to the SF Flower Mart in the morning to pick up vases and an array of fresh flowers.  Well, before I knew it it was 2:30pm, so I ended up arranging the flowers in my trunk outside my apartment!  I got quite a few curious stare downs by people who were walking down Divis, that's for sure.

Here are a few pics I was able to snap via iPhone.  

before

after!

greens, yellows and whites

packed up and ready to go

At the last minute, I ended up running to Safeway to buy one more bunch of flowers, as I thought the arrangements looked a little too wedding-y.  I chose petite purple lilies.

the table

this arrangement was my favorite because it's a little wild looking

the vases I chose had a black matte finish

colorful yet understated

Success!  My boss was very happy with the arrangements.  And that made me happy!

Meatless vegetable smorgasbord

Who says a hearty dish has to include meat?  

When I moved into my own apartment and started cooking for just me, I challenged myself to start cooking meals which made vegetables the primary focus.  This somewhat haphazard dish came about because I happened to have a fridge full of fresh vegetables from the farmers market - all of which were threatening to start going downhill.  So I threw them all into my giant pot at different stages, steamed some cauliflower and the final result was absolutely delicious - and I didn't miss the meat for one second.

Heat a Tablespoon or so of olive oil, and add a Tablespoon of salt over medium heat.  When the oil shimmers, add chard stems (save the leaves to add later on), leeks, green pepper, and banana peppers.

Once the vegetables have softened, add the chard leaves.

Stir until the leaves have wilted.  Next add a 28 once can of whole or diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of dry wine, plus 1 Tablespoon sweet smoked Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) and/or a Tablespoon of freshly toasted and ground Cumin. 

Next add shredded or chopped mushrooms.  These are white trumpets, and I highly recommend using them in lieu of meat, as they absorb the sauce and take on a rubbery meat-like texture.  

Allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes or so, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Break up a head of cauliflower and steam the clusters for 5 minutes or until they soften to your liking.

Pre-sauced cauliflower: I recommend substituting any steamed or lightly sauteed vegetables instead of pasta .  If you are really craving some delicious pasta, choose whole wheat.  Fusilli would be a good shape for this dish.

The finished product! 

I hope you will consider eliminating meat from your dinners at least once a week.  We actually consume way more protein than we really need.  Yes protein's great and delicious, but like anything, it should be consumed in moderation (and if at all possible, choose organic and grass fed).  So go out and have fun trying out new vegetables!

February Stroll with my Little Man

The sheep are currently roaming the lands of JPV, so Henri and I made an attempt to chase them down this weekend.  Here they are munching on the grass that shares soil with the rootstock of Cabernet Sauvignon vines.  

It was a gorgeous day and I loved every minute of it.

can you spot the black sheep?

aftermath of pruning

oh, hello

"lemme at em, sister!"

little nibbles of mustard

sunny daffodils

Rainbow Chard Nested Eggs

My new car ( her name is Edgie, and she is CHERRY RED! ) came equipped with Sirius radio.  Well I'm sure you'd be shocked to learn that my favorite stations are Martha Stewart Radio, Oprah Radio, 60's on 6, and 90's on 9.  I now find myself nodding along in deep concentration, speaking directly to Oprah and Martha with such reactions as "INTERESTING!", "oh, really?", "no way...", "great idea!.  Cause that's normal.

Anyways, my favorite segment on MSR is Living Radio and the other day they were discussing the procedure for cooking eggs on the stovetop by way of nesting them in sauteed greens.  So I tried it out yesterday and the end result was absolutely delicious!

I washed a bunch of rainbow chard, and finely diced the stems.  I minced half a shallot (it was really big, so if it's a small one you can add the entire thing), and thinly sliced the leaves of the chard.

Then I heated a medium saute pan over medium-high heat and added about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.  Once the oil was hot I added the stems and shallots, and then allowed them to soften.

Next  I added the leaves of the chard plus a generous splash of white wine and a tablespoon of water.

Once the leaves were saturated, I divided the mass in half and created the small nests, leaving a small amount of chard at the base of the nest (so the egg wouldn't directly touch the pan).  I lowered the heat to medium-low.  It's really important that the chard is hot and the heat is evenly distributed, or the eggs wont cook on the stovetop.

I cracked one egg into each nest, as you can see below.

I felt like the eggs were not cooking through evenly, so I covered the pan with a glass bowl to allow some heat to cook the top of the egg.

As soon as the yolk took on a softer yellow I immediately pulled it off of the stove.  You want the yolk to remain soft and runny.

Finally, I finished it with a drizzle of good olive oil, salt and lemon pepper.

How gorgeous is that?  It was so tasty and healthy.  I will absolutely be cooking this again - maybe with some fresh mushrooms or diced tomatoes.

"Thanks, Martha!"

Cherry Apple Chutney and Cheddar Canapés

Makes 2 dozen canapés

Ingredients:

• I cup dried sour cherries
• Enough sherry to cover the cherries in a small bowl
• 1/2c yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups skinned and cored Pink Lady, Braeburn or other hearty tart apple, diced to ½ inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ t ginger
• ¼ t nutmeg
• 2 cloves, finely ground
• 1 cup water
• 1/8 c champagne vinegar

Additional Ingredients:

• Your favorite unseasoned crackers
• 1 block extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Combine cherries and sherry in a bowl and allow them to rehydrate for 30 minutes.
2. After the cherries have become plump, pour the mixture into a non-reactive saucepan.
3. Add all other ingredients and stir to combine
4. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat.  Allow the chutney to simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, approximately 45 minutes or until the fruit has softened and the liquid has condensed to a jelly-like consistency
5. Transport the chutney to a clean bowl and cool to room temperature

To Assemble:

• Slice the cheddar cheese into 1/8 inch thick pieces.  Then cut the squares diagonally to create 2 triangles
• Place the cheddar triangle on top of the cracker and spoon 1 teaspoon of chutney on top