It's really quite ridiculous that I'm even posting a recipe like this.  I bet you have thought of making this in some incarnation or another about a million times.  You've probably  gone through with it and actually prepared the thing maybe about a thousand times.  It's so easy and basic that I feel kinda silly but the truth is that it's all I've got.  Another truth is that I really need to break the ice, break the silence, break the break and pump something out.
Our house being in total chaos - and the large part of that chaos being the kitchen - for the entire summer has just derailed me.  My summer was sanding and staining and taping and painting and trying to find some sanity while not being able to make a morning coffee.  The good news is that the kitchen is done.  I can now make my morning coffee.  I only make it on the weekends though because I truly believe that morning coffee is a ritual that is sacred enough not to be rushed.  Rushed is the only way that morning coffee will happen throughout the workweek.

Is there anyone out there without a potato somewhere in their kitchen?

This recipe is easy enough that you can use whatever veggies you have in your house, you will pretty much be guaranteed to have the other ingredients just about all of the time and lastly, you really have to try hard to screw it up.  Even though I'm back in my kitchen it doesn't feel like my kitchen quite yet - although I'm getting there. Generally, I'm going with some easy, quick and comfortable recipes.  When I'm not making this kind of thing, I'm pretty much either snacking on toast, chips or going out for something.
And this brings me to the story portion of this post.  Last week, on labour day monday to be exact, I took the kids out in a fit of starving, exhausted, desperation.  We went to The Wren (a fantastic little spot about 10 min's walk from my front door with great food and a fantastic craft beer selection).  I happen to read this blog on a regular basis and the blogger also frequents The Wren so every time I'm there I always kinda scan the place just out of interest to see if she might be there.  So I'm sitting with my two kids trying to be sane and sip my beer when who sits down at the large table right beside me but the Yum Yum Factor Lady (at least that what I call her in my head).  I tell the kids while trying to be inconspicuous.  Kid #2 is 8 and hungry and couldn't give a rip and probably didn't even hear what I was going on about.  Kid #1 is riveted and tells me I should say something.  She also tells me that if she can text Misha Collins (?) and some other actor guy that is super important to her about something or other.... well then I can certainly walk up to someone (now I did make the point here that in person and on line are two very different things) and tell them that I like their work.  Truthfully, I felt weird about it but I thought about how I would feel if someone walked up to me and told me that they really liked my blog.  I would be thrilled (I think) and flattered (definitely) and not weirded out at all (unless they proceeded to do something weird or confusing).  So I strategized with kid #1.  She took kid #2 outside once we were done and I - very naturally, politely and casually - interrupted the Yum Yum Factor Lady's meal by telling her how much I loved her blog.  I think that she was happy and asked to take a picture with me.  Kids #1 and #2 stared very conspicuously through the front window.  If you want to see the picture go here (she looks sassy and cool in the hat - I'm the other one)
The moral of this story:
1. Tell people when you like them, their work or their hat.
2. Post more shit on the blog so that maybe someday someone out there will feel inspired enough to introduce themselves to me if they see me somewhere.
3. Go to The Wren.

Still playing with (ie. screwing up) a 35mm camera lens which was an Awesome Gift from D.  My pictures are not happy.

Fridge Frittata
serves 4

3 - 4 med potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices (very approximate)
1 red or yellow pepper, coarsely diced
1/2 cup onion, coarsely diced
2 lg cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups milk
4 egg whites (you can simply add 3 extra eggs if you don't have egg whites from ice cream hanging around)
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp each - dried basil, marjoram and parsley
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp pepper sauce (optional)
1 1/2 cups cheddar, shredded
1 med tomato, sliced into 1/3 inch slices

Preheat oven to 375°F
Boil potatoes for about 6 minutes, drain and set aside
Heat a large caste iron (i.e. something big that can go straight to the oven) skillet over medium heat.
Add some oil or fat.
Throw in the pepper, onion and garlic.  Cool for about 4 minutes and turn the heat off.
In a large bowl combine the milk, egg whites, egg, salt, herbs, worcestershire, soy sauce and pepper sauce.  Whisk until fully combined and set aside.
Mix the drained potatoes with the cooked vegetables until they are mixed up well.
Sprinkle the cheese over it all.
Pour the milk mixture over that (it should cover everything)
Place the tomato slices on top and push them down just a little.
Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.  The middle should not be liquid.
Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

It's taken me so long to get this post out that I've forgotten what I took pictures of.  After having checked the pictures I'll be honest with you, I'm still not a hundred percent.  Nevertheless, I'm not one to let a little thing like bad memory get in my way, so I forge ahead.  The pictures look good.  I think that this was vegetarian.  Not super sure but pretty sure and since vegetarian is a thing that most of us are happy to have more of I'm gonna run with it.  If you see something that looks suspiciously like meat don't worry, it's just large chunks of mushrooms (or something).

As I look back over my last few posts I'm a little distressed at the lack of savoury food and also simply the small number of posts.  Yikes - where have the last two months gone?  I'm home today with a sick 7 year old.  Since he is running around and playing energetically with lego, I'm wondering if I wasn't conned.  However, heavy eyes, a slight fever and some whimpering this morning convinced me that staying home was a good idea.  This has given me time to get a post out.  It has also given me time to catch up on work emails, have a pleasant morning coffee at home and sift through the photos for this post... and find these photos as well.


I guess that kid #2 enjoys not just watching the stuff on the computer but feels compelled to document the occasion with pictures as well.  I should just be happy that he is doing it all in french and shut up.

It's amazing how full your brain can be and yet you can have absolutely nothing to say.  That is how I've been feeling lately.  Quiet.  Possibly even uninspired.  I am working on inspiration but it can be a hard thing to drum up.  I've been scouring pinterest for ideas (it's not really working though), pouring over some of my tried and true cookbooks (nothing yet) and... well that's it really.  Maybe inspiration will come with better weather.  Maybe my paradigm is changing.  Who knows.  The thought of subsisting on beer (craft beer though - come on) and chips for the rest of my life doesn't sound to me like the worst fate.   That should give you some idea of where I am at the moment.
Fortunately this malaise hasn't affected my cooking ability.  In fact, when I do cook everybody tells me it's amazingly delicious, etc.  Even better than usual (that's what you call a back handed compliment I think).  I churned these suckers out because I had feta cheese in the fridge that was going to start giving way to the bacteria that was threatening to turn it fuzzy and blue.  I'm told that the suckers were good.


Now I am going to do something with bananas (my freezer has gifted me with a lifetime supply) and possibly make some soup for the sick conman(kid) who says he is craving see-through soup.  Wish me luck.


Veggie Pinwheels
makes about 9 medium sized pinwheels

Dough:
2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup shortening (I think that I used half lard and half cold butter, cubed)
3/4 cup milk

Filling:
3/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lg bunch (about 4 - 5 cups) greens (kale, collard, chard - I used chard) finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
2 tsp salt
1 boullion cube (I used a low salt, veggie one)
1 tbsp each, basil, oregano, parsley
dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp dijon
dash of pepper sauce (optional)
2 tbsp water if needed
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup cheddar (havarti or brick would also do), shredded

Dough:
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric.  Mix together. Cut in the shortening (or lard and/or butter) with a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture looks crumbly.  Add enough milk to the mixture for it to form a ball but not be too wet.
Set aside.

Filling:
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add in about 3 tbsp of oil.
Add in the onion and celery and turn the heat down to med/low.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion is wilted and beginning to caramelize.
Add in the garlic and bouillon cube (crumble it with your fingers).  Cook together for about 2 more minutes.
Add in all of the other ingredients except for the feta and cheddar.
Cook together until the greens are wilted (add a little extra water if the mixture gets too dry).
Add in the feta and mix well.
Set aside to cool slightly.

Putting it together:
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicon liner and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in a rectangular shape about 1/2 an inch thick.
Spoon the filling onto the dough and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle the cheddar over the filling and roll everything up along the long side of the rectangle.  Cut the tube into pieces of about two fingers thickness and place flat side down on the cookie sheet - leave some room in between each one for expansion.
THIS WILL GET MESSY.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges of each roll are turning golden.
Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

It seems like yesterday that I was running around Italy with 180 boys.  It wasn't yesterday though, it was last April.  Seven whole months ago.  It seems like yesterday though because I've been running around small town Ontario for the last two days with 180 boys.  Italy vs Small Town Ontario?  I won't comment.
We just finished a very short, whirl-wind tour to kick off our 2013 Christmas Concert Season.  You forget the pain of tour so quickly when it's over and then it hits you so quickly once you are back in the saddle again.  The exhaustion.  The lack of food.  The constant running.  The long hours.  The stress of concert after concert.  The tour becomes your life for that period of time.  You forget that you used to like breakfast and reading the paper.  You forget that eating could be a pleasant experience.  You forget that the internet is a real thing and that news is still happening somewhere.
In the 48 hours while I was away Kid #1 got her first 'Will you go out with me' request (which she declined but they are still friends apparently) and handed in her high school applications, Kid #2 had a play date and skipped Karate class and D played a dance class for a Canadian dance Icon.  That's just the news at our address - the stuff I missed within the walls of the little place we call home.  Just imagine what else happened out there.
When it comes to food on tour it's usually pretty depressing and the last 48 hours have done nothing to lift my mood.  Day one presented pizza, apples and granola bars for lunch and dinner was lasagna, salad and a bun.  Day two brought us pizza for lunch (no apple, no granola bar) and lasagna, salad and a bun for dinner.  I'm sensing a theme here.  I know that it's hard to successfully feed 200 people on a budget but it's like the two churches (in different towns no less) got the same deal or something.  Day one I ate 4 apples and two cartons of chocolate milk, 1 salad and half a bun with two bites of lasagna thrown in there before I gave up.  Day two: 1 salad and a bun with two bites of lasagna before giving up.
Lessons learned from this tour:
1. Most boys under the age of 30 are more concerned with how much food there is rather than what that food tastes like.
2. If given the choice between church coffee and church tea, always choose tea.


This soup is neither pizza nor lasagna and although it tasted great nobody was jazzed about eating it except kid #2 (oddly) I think that a couple of days alone with my tour menu would fix them all right up.


Roasted Celeriac and Fennel with Kale and White Beans Soup
serves 8

1 med sized celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 small fennel bulbs, thickly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, whole and still in the skin
grease or oil to coat
1 leek, washed and thinly sliced
2 cups kale (I used lacinato/black kale), torn or sliced into rough slices
1 can (about 1 cup) white beans (cannellini or navy bean), drained and rinsed
4 cups good broth (I used leftover turkey broth - surprise surprise)
1 tbsp parsley, oregano, marjoram
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F
On a baking sheet, spread out the celeriac chunks, fennel and garlic.  Toss everything in some oil or grease.  Spread out evenly on the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Roast for about 35 - 40 min or until everything is soft and golden brown.
Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over med/low heat.  Add a little oil or butter (about 1-2 tbsp) and the leeks.  Let them cook over low heat for about 7 - 8 minutes.  Remove the casing from the roasted garlic and add the roasted veggies to the leeks.  Stir to mix.  Add about half of the broth and heat through.
In a blender or using an immersion blender, blitz everything until it is a smooth consistency.  (Pour back into the pot if you took it out to blend) Add the rest of the broth and stir to heat through.  Add the herbs, nutmeg and salt.  Mix well.  Check the taste.
Add in the kale, beans and parmesan and heat through until the parmesan has melted in.
Add about 1/2 cup of milk - more if you would like it a little thinner.
Check the taste and adjust (like by adding pepper sauce) if necessary.

I made these awesome peach muffins that no one is terribly excited about, including myself.  I'll get the recipe off to you all ASAP but for tonight I just didn't have the heart to type it all out because I was so underwhelmed with it.  I didn't have a whole lot of peaches and should have used more.  The fact that I'm not so into the muffins isn't really saying much though because I'm still not really feeling cake or sweets at all... except for ice cream.  For some reason, ice cream is the only sweet that I'm really into... sometimes.  Occasionally, I might enjoy two bites of a wunderbar chocolate bar.  Two bites and I'm done.  D isn't really into baked sweets at all and if he eats them it's for an occasion and then it's over.  Muffins or cookies everyday.  Nah.  Ice cream... now he could do ice cream everyday.  Kid #1 has assured me that the muffins get considerably better by day 2.
I had this whole awesome tabs bar full of articles and crap that you all would have been totally blown away by checking out.  Somehow, it had all magically disappeared after Kid #2 enjoyed some computer time.  That's funny.  I could go and look it all up again but some of it was from a long time ago (because I haven't been the most organized about getting them posted in a timely matter) so I just kind of gave up and had a beer.
I sent a work email to about 5 people this week.  I realised the next day that I referred to one of the addressee's by the wrong name for the entire email.  That's a little bit funny and mostly just embarrassing.  Fortunately, embarrassment has never phased me much.  You giggle a little and then apologize for being an idiot and then move on.
I hope that you never have to experience just how difficult it can be to focus on something that you really really need to accomplish - something that isn't stupid - when someone is watching continuous episodes of 'Community' on Netflix.  I'm not a huge tv fan at the best of times (although 'The Newsroom' has been trending in my house lately), reality tv makes me wish I'd never left the comfort of my mother, sitcom's are wayyyyyy too inconsistent, I can't even tell you just how bored I am with American crime shows right now.  Community can be loud and even turning it down low doesn't drown it out enough to help me focus.  Maybe it's my trouble focussing.  Oh god.
I'm hoping that these anecdotes serve to illustrate to you all just what kind of week it's been.  A little blah and maybe even disappointing.  A little frustrating with a twinge of exasperating.  A large dose of embarrassment and some forehead slapping head shaking.


All of that changed when I made this eggplant recipe.


It might not be too far off the mark to wonder if collective nirvana could be achieved by the ingestion of this eggplant.  There are probably some who would argue that world peace is within reach should this dish be ingested.  Well, at least peace in the middle east.  This dish raises simplicity to an art form.  Given my own issues with simplicity, it was everything I could do to hold my arms down sometimes.  I wanted to add more ingredients.  Different veggies.  Add more flavour to the sauce.  Nope.  I resisted.  Mostly because of focus issues.
You will need a little patience getting through the eggplant but the patience will pay off and you will wish that I had told you about this weeks ago.


Spicy Asian Eggplant adapted from Step by Step
makes about 3 cups, serves 4

2 small or 1 lg eggplant, cut into 1 inch thick strips 3 - 4 inches long
4 shallots or 1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
4 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 heaping tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 heaping tsp brown sugar
1 heaping tsp corn starch
dash of pepper sauce (sriracha would be great here)

coriander or flat parsley leaves to garnish

Heat a wok to med/hot.  Once heated turn down just a little.  Add a few tbsp's of oil and add the eggplant in about two batches.  Cook each batch of eggplant until it's softened and browned (you may find that you need more oil).  Remove each batch, set aside and add the next batch.
Once the eggplant is done, add a little more oil to the wok and turn down the heat just a little more.
Add in the shallots or onion and cook until softened and golden (anywhere from 5 - 7 minutes).
Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, corn starch and pepper sauce together.  Whisk until combined.  Set aside.
Add the garlic and stir briefly - should be just browning and beginning to smell.
Turn the heat down to low and add back in the eggplant.  Stir to mix.
Add the soy sauce mixture and stir to coat.
Turn the heat off and check the taste.  Adjust if necessary.
Sprinkle some coarsely chopped coriander or flat parsley leaves on top.
Serve

The first week of the next 10 months is squarely behind us all.  Thank Jeebus.  It felt like the starting gun went off and the race is on.  It won't stop now until June 2014.  Long race.  I went to the staff social on Friday after work.  This is newsworthy because I never go.  Nobody noticed because we were all too shell shocked to really converse with each other in any meaningful way.  No amount of alcohol could help us.
Kid #2 has added to his PTSD-inducing-non-stop-talking by way of making movies on my phone.  He sets up the phone on the couch so that it's at precisely the right angle to catch his moves (talking non-stop) and then records himself acting out some sword fight from something or other.  Full sound effects and stage worthy bow at the end.  Who says violent video games don't do damage.  He's done about 12 movies so far.  The only thing that changes is the lighting (afternoon into evening).  I have already deleted 6.
Kid #1 is happily walking into 'teen land' having started at a new school (an arts school which she had to audition for and we're very proud of her for getting accepted into).  We've been inundated with stories of new friends, new teachers (all of whom are epic apparently) and how today's dance class was... oh yeah, and can I take clarinet lessons (god... NO)
Huffington Post classified this piece as 'Weird News' but I don't think that there is anything weird about it.  In fact, I was thankful for the information and appreciated the commitment to education that the artist displays.  Be warned: There is audio that kicks in automatically (which I can't stand Huffington Post... Please make it my choice, Thank You) so if your kids aren't comfortable with the word 'clitoris' then think about volume.


First pay cheque day is not until the middle of the month which means we are still scrounging around and making whatever we can find in cupboards and the freezer.  Beans are my friend.  Orzo is cheap but looks classy.  Fortunately, being the end of summer means that vegetables are plentiful.  Also, fortunate that I haven't used everything in the freezer from last year.  I think that the very last thing will be soup with last years frozen green beans and broccoli along with whatever is dying in the crisper.  I would guess that this dish comes in at well under 10$ in total but don't quote me on that.  If it's not under 10$ then it's awfully damn close which is saying something when it makes that much food.


Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Orzo adapted from Eat to Thrive
serves 6-8

1 generous cup orzo, uncooked
1/2 cup onion
1 med/lg zucchini, thinly sliced
3 cups cremini or button mushroom, stems removed and quartered
1 cup corn kernels
1 can (about 400 ml) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced tomato (keep the juice)
3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add salt and then the orzo.  Cook until al dente (about 8 minutes).  Drain - reserving some liquid - and set aside.
Heat a heavy bottomed dutch oven or large pot over med heat.  Add about 2 tbsp oil.
Add the onion and the zucchini.  Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes - turn down the heat a bit if you need to.
Add in the corn kernels and drained black beans.  Mix well
Add the tomato with the juice, vegetable broth, honey, salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder and cardamom.  Mix and simmer at med/low heat for a few minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and add in the cooked orzo - add a little bit of the pasta water - and mix well.
Add the cheddar cheese and mix.  Remove from heat, cover and allow the cheese to melt for about 5 minutes.
Serve.

I have learned a lot this summer.
I have learned that 7 yr olds talk a lot.  A hell of a lot.  I'd forgotten how much they talk.  Twelve year olds talk a lot too but it's mostly about things that make sense so it feels more interactive and less like I'm getting hit over the head with words.
I have learned that both Kid #1 and #2 quite possibly get their 'gift of gab' from me because I have a tendency to talk a lot at inopportune times... like when someone next to me is trying to sleep.
I have learned that there is a way for my bike to get pimped so that I can have two fenders: a front and a back.  This knowledge will not only save me about $700 (I don't need to buy a new bike this year) it has also changed my life.
I have learned that chocolate does not own me and I don't own it.  We can coexist happily and I can eat it if and when I feel like it and it can sit in my cupboard and neither of us are the lesser for it.  In fact, I have learned that my sweet tooth isn't a constant.  This has made for a cooler summer (very little oven activity) and less money for Lindt.  I don't think they're feeling it though.
I have learned that sometimes a vacation with two kids doesn't actually feel like a vacation and that maybe it's worth having them bring a friend next time.  This is problematic because we don't have room  in our car for two friends unless one can fit into a trunk.


I could go on but I will spare you the mind blowing details.  Needless to say, all of this learning has left me feeling a little empty on the inside.  A couple of days ago I was so embedded in the couch (which is a new couch so it makes sense) that it took me ten minutes to talk myself into getting up to eat something.  I didn't even want to think - it took effort.  How does one make food in such a state.  Can one cook from the couch (food is off limits on my couch BTW... in fact, it's not even allowed within a foot of the couch).  It began to get critical by about day 4 of toast.  Finally what I did was wrench myself from the loving arms of the couch, take a look at what we had left in the fridge or hanging around it and then did a google search for those items.  This is what I came up with.

Please note the wrinkling, shrivelling tomato

I would say that the potatoes and zucchini are essential here but everything else is up for grabs.  You could add or subtract at will.  I almost added corn because it's in my freezer but decided to save it for soup later because I'll need to go through this process again in about 36 hrs.


Summer Vegetable Gratin Mess adapted from Yum and More
serves 4 as a main course

4 med/sm potatoes, thinly sliced (peeled optional)
1 med/lg zucchini, thinly sliced
1 med tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (1 sm) onion, diced
3 small cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 lbs (about 3 - 4) sausage (mild italian or honey garlic are nice) casings removed [sausages are optional]
1 cup cheese (gruyere, aged cheddar), shredded
1 1/2 cups cream or half and half
3/4 goat cheese or cream cheese (I used goat cheese which has more tang and less sweet)
1 tsp dijon
1 tsp pepper sauce (optional)
1/2 cup wine (optional - use more cream or veg stock)
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp herb mix (dash each of basil, oregano, thyme)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
drizzle of honey

Preheat oven to 375°F
Butter or grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan or sauté dish over med heat.  Add the sausage and the onion together (if not using sausage then add a little oil to the pan first).  Cook together over medium heat until the onion is beginning to soften and the meat is just beginning to brown.  Add the crushed garlic and continue to cook over medium heat for about a minute.  Add the wine and pepper sauce (if using) and cook down until the mixture is almost dry (about 8 minutes over med/low heat).  Drain off excess fat and set aside.

Whisk together the cream, goat cheese and dijon until the cheese has mixed into the cream.  Set aside.


Begin to lay slices of the potato and zucchini alternately and overlapping in rows on the baking sheet.  Intersperse with a slice of tomato every once in a while.  Once the veggies have been placed on the baking dish then sprinkle the veggies with the salt, the herb mix and the nutmeg.  Drizzle with a tbsp or so of honey over everything.  Sprinkle the sausage mixture over the veggies and cheese mixture.  Pour the cream mixture over everything.
Cover with foil and bake for about 50 minutes.
Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and brown.
Cool for about 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Have you ever had this happen to you...
1.  You've just made something that you are mildly happy with,  like fish tacos or beef stroganoff or anything involving eggplant,  and within a few hours you happen across the perfect recipe for the exact thing that you just made.  I hate it when that happens.
What about this one?
2.  You know that your bike light is always attached to your backpack so you don't have to make sure it's there ahead of time.  You're ready to leave because if you don't go now you're gonna be late and low and behold your bike light is not where it should be and ten minutes later you still can't find your bike light... you run around swearing under your breath (maybe) and blaming any and everyone... and then you find it in your pocket... that totally sucks.
3.  And then there's the bathroom thing.  You know - you go just before you leave but because you had tea (or maybe a beer) about 15 minutes before that you have to go again once you're about 10 minutes down the road... frustrating.


Number one happens to me a lot.  I guess that it goes with the territory being a food person and all [can I just say out loud once that I have a problem with the term 'foodie']  That's kinda the bad news.  In my case, I usually find about 4 recipes that are 'PERFECT' and/or 'Make. This. Now. Or. Else.'  and/or 'This will seriously change your life' and inevitably I find them right after I've pulled something relatively mediocre but edible from the oven.  The good news is that this is not one of those recipes.  It's pretty good and I am pretty happy with it.  Except it got a little burnt which sucks because then you can't see the colours as much (burnt food = darkish brown colour).  Fortunately it still tasted good to everyone except Kid #2 who is making me a little Cra-Cra with the veggie thing.  He declared that the vegetables tastes sour and spent 1 1/2 hrs getting through half of his piece.  I stomp.  I fume.  I leave the room to cool off.  I come back and fume some more.  I tell him he'll never get cheesy noodles (our name for that crap that comes in a box) again and that maybe I'll never teach him how to bike on a two-wheeler.  I stomp some more.  He's gagged his way through two bites.  I mentally run through my list of reasons why my parenting is a failure.  I refrain from crying.  He gags through another piece or maybe two.  We finally go outside to continue learning to bike on a two-wheeler because the cheesy noodle ban I can live but the two-wheeler biking ban was always just a desperate and manipulative lie (add another thing to my 'Parent Failure' list).  We sit down at the end of the day and talk about how important eating good food is and how we want him to grow up big, strong and smart and he claims that he understands and promises to try harder.


Kid #1 ate her piece quietly and washed the dishes (apparently I was a successful parent with one of them)


Right now I'm in Vermont, on vacation.  Sitting outside in the middle of a sunny, beautiful afternoon hearing nothing but wind blowing through trees and a cold beer beside me, I feel like I'm an ok parent and can laugh (weakly) about the incident.  None of this changes the fact that this recipe is in fact a slightly-better-than-nice way to deal with the bounty of summer.  If you are so inclined, serve each piece with a drizzle of good olive oil and some torn basil.


Grilled Summer Vegetable Crostada adapted from Camilla Styles
serves 6
makes 1 large pie

1 med. eggplant, seme-peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick long slices
2 med/small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch thick long slices
1 lg red pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch wide strips
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
sprinkling of salt
600 g (about a cup) fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/3 cup parmesan, freshly grated

Crust:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat or red fife flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

*Make the crust the night before or morning of*
For Crust:
Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and cubed butter.  Use a couple of knives or a pastry cutter (or apparently you can throw it all in a food processor - check the original recipe) and cut it all together until it forms a crumbly texture and none of the flour is still dry.  Add enough sour cream or yogurt to allow the mixture to form a ball that stays together easily.
Cover in a left over bag or plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hrs or overnight.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8th of an inch thickness.
Place on a lined cookie sheet - there should be between 1 1/2 and 2 inches hanging over all of the edges.
For the vegetables:
Place the eggplant, zucchini and peppers in a large bowl.
Add the garlic, olive oil, worcestershire, balsamic vinegar and salt.  Coat the veggies completely and let them marinate for about a half hour.
Heat the grill to about 500°.  Turn the heat on the grill down to about medium.  Place the eggplant and zucchini on the grill and grill each side for about 5 minutes.  Remove from the grill.  Place the red pepper on the grill skin side down.  Grill until the skins are burnt.  Remove the peppers to a bowl (or paper bag) and cover with plastic wrap for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, place the grilled eggplant and zucchini on the prepared pie crust.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Add about half of the sliced mozzarella around the veggies and sprinkle with a little salt and parmesan.
Remove the plastic wrap from the peppers and remove the skin (should just about fall off).  Arrange the peppers around the other veggies.  Add the rest of the mozzarella, another sprinkling of salt and the rest of the parmesan.
Fold the edges of the crust over the veggies.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the veggies aren't burnt.
Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

We are in the middle of a delicious heat wave in Toronto.  Oh sure, it's not my favourite thing but I'm damned if you find me complaining about it because before we all know it I'll be jumping on my bike in the middle of December cursing the cold and trying desperately to remember what it felt like to have the skin melted off of my bones.  Not one complaint.
There are however, some challenges when houses are built to keep in the heat rather than keeping cool.  We've managed to keep the air conditioning off during the day and use it only at night to ensure that we sleep and to cool the house down just enough for the next day.  Food becomes difficult though.  How do you eat and not heat up the whole house.  Canning hasn't even begun.  I can't imagine doing water bath canning in this heat.  I see all kinds of posts for jam and that kind of thing and I wonder where these people live.  My fruit is chilling out in the freezer.  Baking is absolutely out of the question.  We're not big BBQr's but we've resorted a time or two.  I've been working to come up with some things that we can eat and feel satisfied with but aren't just salads (which no one except me would eat anyway).
This is one of the things that I 'created'.  Almost no cooking required.  Just the couscous which is so barely cooking that it's hardly worth mentioning.


In other challenges...
Here is the food box contents for this week.  Decidedly green but a couple of colourful additions just to get my hopes up.



I am trying valiantly to not lose it in my own house but I swear if I here 'Hey Mom?' or 'Mooooom!' one more time... I just want to have space in my house to do my own thing.  I won't get into serious specifics but there comes a time in every day where I would like them to disappear to their rooms for the duration.  Oh to be able to watch a crappy movie or some trashy show with no questions.  To be able to eat some chips... or a whole bag... without anyone else asking to have some.  To get through the day without Kid #1 asking for money to do something with her friends and then trying to figure out what she can do to earn the money.  It's been all I can do to get them through two meals a day (they usually but not always take care of their own breakfast - thank jeebus)  Sometimes I just retreat to my room and just lie there on my bed with the fan going.  I've discovered that if the fan is going and I close the door then I can almost not hear anything downstairs.

Due to the heat I am working on shifting gears with my workout routine.  Running is a definite challenge in this weather but not just because of heat.  The air quality is more of an issue than heat.  Early morning or late evening are the only times when running for any distance is a possibility because it quickly becomes uncomfortable or even difficult to breathe.  Anything during daytime/rush hour times are that much worse because of the vehicle emissions as well as the temperature.  Fortunately up to now I've been able to find a day during the week that isn't sweltering in order to get my long run in.  The best news is that I'm up to 11k and no pain in either my foot or in my shin.


Corn, Black Bean and Couscous Tortilla's adapted from Food.com
makes 8 - 10 tortilla's

2 cups cooked couscous
1/3 cup onion, diced
1 cup (1 lg) red pepper, diced
1 lg can (1 1/2 cups) black beans, drained
1 1/2 cups corn (roasted would be nice but not necessary)
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
dash of sugar

Combine diced onion and peppers together.  Add in the black beans and corn.  Mix well.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, salt and dash of sugar.  Mix well. Add the cooked couscous and mix.  [Couscous - add 1 3/4 cups boiling water to 1 cup of dry couscous.  Cover and set aside for about 5 - 10 minutes (or whenever you need it).  Break it up with a fork and you're good to go]
Add it as filling to tortilla shells - a little cheese, sour cream, thinly sliced radishes and garlic scape sauce.

Garlic Scape Taco Sauce adapted from My Kitchen Addicition
makes about 1 - 1 1/2 cups

4 cups garlic scapes, diced very small
2 jalepeno pepper, seeded (optional depending on how hot you want it) and diced
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/3 - 1/2 cup water

Throw everything in a blender (start with just 1/3 cup of water though) and blend until it forms a thick paste - add a little more water to thin out as necessary.  I started the blender on chop and gradually worked up to liquify.

Life is learning.  To learn is to live.
I'm learning with salad.  Salad and I have a love/hate relationship.  I know it's good for me but I think it's lame.  I know that everybody likes when I post salad 'recipes' because we all think that we're better people for eating it... but I still think it's lame.  Sometimes, in my laziest moments, I will wash two or three big leaves of some kind of green and stuff them down my throat just to appease the salad pushing monster in my head.  The last few 'salads' that I made were disgusting.  There is always way too much of a good thing... even with salad.  I now feel that I have adequately explored the too much and am learning to keep it more simple.  My favourite salad used to be a chickpea and carrot adaptation from 'Moosewood'.  So I've kind of channelled that salad while adapting another one that I found online.  Wonder of wonders, I liked it.
This salad process has gotten me thinking.  I was out today with Kid #2.  It was his first day on a two wheeler bike.  I held onto the back while he worked to steer and watch where he was going and keep the pedals turning and balance himself.  Of course I can't let go of that bike but the reality is that he's not really going to be able to truly learn how to ride until I do let go.  The only thing that my holding is doing is keeping him from falling over and/or getting so frustrated that he stops trying.  Everything else he won't get until he can do it on his own.  How much of that learning do we carry with us throughout our entire lives?  I still feel like that's how I learn.  You can tell me.  You can show me.  You can help me.  Ultimately, I won't understand those things until I start trying on my own and making the mistakes I need to make in order to get it.  Cooking and baking are very much like that.  It's not something you just get... at least I didn't.  I've never been scared of it but I've also made my fair share of mistakes, disasters and ho-hum dishes.  At my best, I try to learn from the mistake and at my laziest I simply don't stop trying.  Effort - there it is.  Effort is required.  I have to try - I can't stop trying.  Like Kid #2 on his bike.  It's going to take him a few days but he'll get there.  All of a sudden I won't have to hold on to the back of the bike so that he doesn't fall over and then I'll let go... and he'll fall over but he'll get it.  Motivation will keep him getting back on that bike until he can do it without thinking.


I've made a lot of mistakes lately - a lot.  Fortunately for me, I have people in my life who not only love me but who stick around.  Mistakes are embarrassing.  I am muddling my way through learning new stuff all the time and I'm hoping that it's what keeps us alive on the inside - thinking, feeling (good stuff and bad), challenging and making efforts.  This salad was a lesson for me in simplicity (can we stop with the four kinds of protein in one salad, please), in humility (ok - that absolutely blew, let's try it again) and in satisfaction (this one sucks a whole lot less and maybe salad can not be lame).
I'm probably reading a whole lot into salad because I need to write some crap before I give you the recipe.  Whatever.  I'm not gonna write a book about it or anything but I did get a decent salad and it all made me feel very very healthy... Salad Pushing Monster appeased for another day.


Green Bean and Chickpea, Parsley Salad adapted from Simple Provisions

2 cups fresh green bean, trimmed and cut into about 1 1/2 inch lengths
1 400g tin (about 2 cups) chiced and cut into about 1 1/2 inch lengths
3 green onion, diced
2 med garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
dash of sugar
2 dashes of cayenne
2 cups fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (approx.) good quality feta, crumbled

Have a bowl of cold water and ice cubes ready.
In a saucepan bring about 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add in the green beans and simmer for 4 minutes.
Immediately drain the beans and throw them into the ice cube bowl for about 5 minutes.  Drain on a clean towel to dry them off.  Set aside.
In a large bowl or dish add the chickpeas (with extra liquid), green onion, garlic, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and cayenne together.  Mix well.
Add in the dry green beans and mix well.
Add in the parsley and mix.
Add in the feta and mix.
Check the taste and adjust if necessary.
Refrigerate for about 3 hrs.

The good news:
Summer Break has just started... like just now.  This means that I can begin to rebuild that thing called a 'life at home'.  I have vague memories of it - the cooking and baking, the sweeping, the cleaning, the kids.  This is good.  This also means that I should be able to post more than one thing per week here because I know that this blog basically keeps your world turning.
More good news:  It looks like my shin problem was very short lived and since my foot is doing much better I'm going to slowly start ramping up my running and see if I might be able to hobble through a half marathon in the fall.

The bad news:
All of this stuff will happen but hasn't yet happened.
This Salad.


This Salad and I failed together.  We're on the outs... maybe permanently.  I had high hopes for it and it disappointed me thoroughly but it was my fault - I think.  It was supposed to be simple - a chick pea, feta, parsley thing.  That was where it started.  Then I saw that there were radishes and peppers in the fridge.  Into the bowl they went.  Oh yeah... then cucumber.  Chopped and into the bowl.  And What?  I've got a can of tuna in the cupboard... can't leave that out.  You guessed it - into the bowl.  What I ended up with was a crazy mish mash of a salad.  I mean, how much protein does one salad need.  My advice, should you be brave enough to go for it, is to omit the tuna entirely... and maybe the cucumber too... and maybe less feta if there is less salad.
Damn - I ate this for four days straight.  D doesn't believe in salad with dressing ever.  Only stuff with nothing dressingy in or on it.  Kid #1 and Kid #2 - they probably didn't even know that the salad existed in our fridge but the knowledge wouldn't have made a difference one way or another.  I could barely stomach it, I sure wasn't going to force it down anyone else's throat.  Serving salad is an optimistic endeavour in our house at the best of times and this one was barely edible even to me.  Maybe I should have thrown some pasta in there too... that it.  Throwing something else in there would probably have fixed everything.  Thank god for D coming to the rescue and cooking some food for the week.
This must be a new personal low for me and I'm thinking that after this there is only one direction that food in this house can go.  Here's looking at a good food summer.


Chickpea and Parsley Kitchen Sink Salad... with Feta