A Simple Summer Meal

This was my dinner tonight. I shared it with my dear friend, Jocelyn. I had no desire to cook or prepare anything as I had injured my back earlier in the week. So what did I do? I threw together a simple, somewhat seasonal, summer nosh. I have a collection of wood fired tea bowls from the great Chuck Solberg, a potter in St. Paul, Minnesota. I throw all kinds of snacks in those bowls, haul it onto the deck with a beautiful bottle of wine and call it a night.

Top left hand corner we start with the strangely fantabulous Tom Yum Cashews from Trader Joe's. If you like Thai flavors, you will love these. Lemongrass, fish sauce, Kaffir lime leaves - definitely a conversation starter.

Next, the wooden bowl on the right we have roasted salted fava beans from Middle East Bakery in Andersonville. I know, I mention them a lot. I love them. They make a great variety of homemade prepared foods like fava bean dip, hummous, falafel, kibbeh and you can't beat the price on their olives by the pound. I often go there before a trip to Ravinia, to stock up and create a great picnic meal.

Next bowl on the right we have a heaping pile of Michigan cherries from Seedling Fruit.

Below, in the bottom right corner are the remains of a hunk of Persian Fetta. It comes from Australia in a lovely metal tin marinated in olive oil, herbs and big chunks of garlic. Sam's Wine sells it in their deli.

Rounding the corner in the green bowl is the much celebrated pickled asparagus as seen a couple of posts back.

To its left are some brown rice and caraway crackers - both gluten free and delicious.

And finally, the star of the show - Colorouge - a washed rind cow's milk cheese from Colorado available at my favorite neighborhood wine shop - Provenance.

ASK ME ABOUT SMOOTHIES

For two days this week, I was fortunate to work craft service for a TV commercial. Craft service is essentially providing drinks and snacks for the crew and talent on a commercial, TV show or film shoot. I had to provide for 40 people who work long hours and for the most part, appear to live primarily on caffeine and cigarettes. I honestly haven't seen that many people smoking since early episodes of Kojak.

A traditional craft services table is full of bowl upon bowl of junk food: M&M's, chips, candy bars, gum, pretzels and the requisite platter of fruit. Coffee is always percolating and the caffeinated soda always flowing. Crew and talent pop in for a quick fix, something they can grab and go.

Knowing my Real Food bent, my friend Eve, who's a producer on the job, hired me to clean up the joint as they say. She just knew I would do a conscientious job and provide, with care, some real food alternatives.

I knew I wanted to make a difference any way I could. I also knew I had to compromise my values so to speak and provide junk. There would be a major revolt if there weren't candy, cookies, gum, chips and other industry standards at the table. And I'll be honest, it was a little soul crushing to purchase some of that stuff. But my M.O. was strategic if not long range: I was going to present food that would surprise and delight them and maybe even plant some seeds down the road. (Call me delusional, but I prefer optimistic) I created a menu that was great-tasting, beautifully presented and REAL and I did it with pleasure.

The first thing I laid out was falafel from Middle East Bakery. I got wide, clear plastic cups and cut open one falafel ball in each, drizzled it with tahini sauce and topped it off with a cherry tomato, cucumber slice and fork. Total hit!

I also did a Caprese/Pasta Salad on a skewer with cherry tomato, basil, fresh mozz and spinach tortellini and drizzled my mint basil pesto on one batch and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette for the next. Bonafide smash!

Next I made smoked turkey and cheddar sandwiches on mini parker house rolls with dijon and a cornichon attached to the top by a toothpick. Hell, I'm not reinventing the wheel but they were good.

Being the clever lady I am, I also put up a sign on the wall above my table that said, "ASK ME ABOUT SMOOTHIES." I brought my blender and was making smoothies on the spot for people and they loved it. I did one that was frozen banana, organic peanut butter, apple cider and almond milk. (If you wanted to turn it into a milk shake, substitute a fresh banana for a frozen one and vanilla ice cream for almond milk)

By special request I also created my own frozen coffee smoothies: just blend cooled coffee, organic half and half, agave nectar and a ton of ice. Take that Starbucks! Addictively delicious and without a trace of corn syrup!

Pickled Snicky Snacks

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Hey, Dana Joy, when do you find time to pickle?" Well, dear readers, I make time. And, I've become one of pickling's biggest fans. Yes, it is slightly time consuming and you have to project in to the future a bit to enjoy them. Not only do they take about four weeks to cure but they require some vision. What gets me to commit to the process is envisioning some dark mid-winter day when I've been eating braised meats, kale and potatoes for what feels like years and I'm just aching for something fresh and bright and a harbinger of warm, sunny days ahead. And then, I reach into my cupboard and grab a jar of these babies. They brighten everything they touch and they give me hope. More important, they taste damn good. They also make great hostess gifts - they're showy in a Little House on the Prairie-kind of way.

I did this batch with a good friend. It's easier than you think, requires little equipment save for Ball Jars which are super cheap (and can be found at Ace Hardware stores) and a canning jar lifter which is essential. I got mine at Sur La Table. It took the better part of an afternoon and we celebrated our bounty by sharing a great beer.

I eat these right out of the jar, I serve them as snickey snacks during cocktail hour or as part of an antipasti course. I throw them in salads and they're the perfect accompaniment to braised and smoky meats.

The recipe we used is from the New York Times, adapted from the book, Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone. Instead of me typing it out, just click HERE.

I Can't Believe I'm Still Blogging

Quite a shocker. I've just been so inspired in the kitchen lately and being a classic introvert, I'm discovering that being able to share things I'm passionate about without opening my mouth to speak, sometimes, is a godsend.

So, it's a rainy 4th of July here in Chicago and it suits me just fine. I'm sitting under an umbrella on my deck, writing, drinking tea and eating some homemade skillet cornbread fresh from the oven.

When I was a child, my Grandma Skeets had a pretty reliable repertoire of things she would make. One of them was Jiffy Corn Muffins. I'd help mix them and end up eating quite a bit of the batter raw. Perhaps I was drawn to the strong metallic kick from the baking powder. What can I say? I can't defend my childhood tastes, I just loved it.

Anyway, this is a very special skillet cornbread recipe from the book, Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster. I use local, non-homogenized buttermilk and fresh ground corn meal from Three Sister's Farm at Green City Market. I just ate it for breakfast with room temperature butter and raw honey. It would be great reheated as a side to salad or with a plate of fried eggs and sauteed greens. When summer tomatoes arrive, I might make panzanella salad out of it the next day after it dries out a bit. Just a thought.

SKILLET CORNBREAD

Use a 10 or 12 inch cast iron, enamel clad cast iron, or stainless (such as All Clad) skillet

2 tbsp olive oil or bacon grease
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature

preheat oven at 425F.
pour olive oil or bacon grease in skillet, tilt to coat sides, place in preheated oven.
stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, salt in large mixing bowl.
add buttermilk, eggs and butter, blend with spoon until smooth, don't over-mix.
remove hot skillet from oven and pour batter in (it will sizzle which is awesome!) and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and slightly golden brown.
wait for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting in.

I Can See Clearly Now

An impromptu bike ride yesterday led me to these glass canisters at CB2. Two sizes fits coffee, tea, grains, nuts, you name it. Perfect for pantry and fridge. And apparently the bathroom.

Couldn't Help Myself

I know. I know what I said about not blogging. But I'm having a cooking moment and I desperately want to share. Why? Because it's so friggin'good and the ingredients are happening NOW and the technique is so beautifully simple. I dedicated this whole day to quiet introspection and to cooking new things and I'm proud to say I've found a winner.

I just made Mint Basil Pesto (from my deck herb pots) and also my first ever ricotta gnocchi from scratch. the pesto is insane; bright, a little salty, rich and freshly herbaceous all in the same gasp.

you could use this on pasta, on lamb chops, grilled or pan seared fish, you could drizzle it over bruschetta with a dab of ricotta and freshly shelled peas or on - gasp - ricotta gnocchi (so easy to make!) Just so you know, I have been intimidated by doughs of all kinds. Just never wanted to go there - didn't think I could handle it. But my love of tactile pleasures in addition to the recipe's promise that it's super easy, fast (15 minutes!) and guaranteed to satisfy won me over. I also feel like I accomplished something - I learned something new and my senses are so incredibly happy.

MINT BASIL PESTO

this is adapted from a Giada De Laurentis recipe on foodnetwork.com:

throw everything but the olive oil in a food processor and turn it on. slowly drip the oil through the top as it's running and stop occasionally to spatula the sides down and re-integrate. pesto doesn't like air (it will turn dark) so put this in a jar and cover with additional oil on top if you'll be storing it. try and use it within 3 days.

1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (I used closer to a quarter cup, actually)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Green City Market Opens!

This Wednesday, May 6th, Chicago's Green City Market opens at 7 am (through 1 pm). It's my favorite market and a truly beautiful place to be. I wait for it all winter. I get up early in anticipation, I ride my bike there and I sit and have a cup of Intelligensia coffee and a pastry before making my rounds to shop. Wednesday is my favorite day but they're also open on Saturdays and this Saturday the 9th will be a season-opening kick-off celebration if that's your kind of thing. On Saturdays the market explodes with families and children, while Wednesday is a bit quieter and lots of chefs arrive to pick up their provisions.

I'll be honest and say that finding street parking near the market is frustrating at best. There is a parking lot just south of the market and the market will validate your ticket for a discount. Chicago bus lines that get you right there or close are: 22 Clark, 151 Sheridan, North Avenue, 11 Lincoln.

Gear up because more and more markets will be opening in May and all will be open by early June!