spring cleaning

Spring sprang and I have spent the last couple of weeks using up my stores and stockpiles. It's now time to use up those winter staples and restock according to the season. It's also a good time to use up items than may sit around for awhile, even if it means buying fresh next month. 

Soup du semaine: black bean with spinach and corn bread with baked apples. Yum!

Lentil Soup

A little bit inspired by Clara, I made this tureen of lentil soup from items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry. It is delicious and is easy to rif on depending on what you have in store. As Clara would say - this is healthy and good for you.

Lentil Soup

olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 celery stalks,thinly sliced

4 carrots, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 lb. brown lentils (1 bag)

8+ c. stock and/or water

2 T. adobo sauce

1 t. thyme

salt + pepper to taste

1 c. barley

1 bunch kale, sliced

1 can diced tomatoes

1. Saute onions in a bit of olive oil until transparent. (Add chunked meat, if desired, and brown all sides before proceeding). Add celery, carrots, pepper, and garlic and stir. Cook until lightly browned. 

2. Meanwhile rinse lentils and confirm there are no stones/debris. Add lentils to pot and add stock/water. Begin to spice with adobo sauce, thyme, salt, + pepper. Boil with lid on (tilted, not fully closed) for 10 minutes. Add barley to pot. Recover. Boil for another 10 minutes. Add kale and tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes. Continue to taste and flavor with spices. You may need to add more stock/water throughout cooking process.

3. Serve with bread, crackers, tortillas, or pitas. Can also sprinkle with parmesan cheese. ENJOY!

Notes: When reheating, add more water because lentils and barley will continue to absorb any remaining liquid. If you are using other ingredients, adjust timing (i.e. pasta cooks quicker than barley and red lentils are quicker than brown). I used homemade pork stock (2 cups and 6+ cups water) - remember to save your bones and veggie bits in the freezer!

Lima Beans

As winter wears on, I start to crave fresh, non squash, vegetables I turn to the frozen food aisle and my absolute favorite is lima beans. Fix with a little olive oil, sea salt, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Yum!

Tiny Kitchen

The Tiny Kitchen segments hosted by Jill Santopietro (a nytimes recipe tester) are encouraging, inspiring, and amusing. She prepares everything in her tiny ny city apartment, that is 11.5 sf (they must only be counting her usable counter!). The first video is for a Calvados cocktail: The Normandy (I've taste tested and it is delicious). I look forward to see what else she serves up. (image from New York Times)

Put to work

Upon my return home, I was put to work crocheting this little stocking ornament. It is traditional in our family to have ornaments at our Christmas place settings. This year it is the old-fashioned stockings which will have mini canes in them. Back to work - I have a big family!

What's left in the fridge.

I am preparing to leave the wet northwest for sunny Colorado over the holidays and am emptying my fridge... this usually results in some creative meals. Luckily, a baked squash with a bit of milk, pecans, and brown sugar was delicious. Yum! It is also good mixed in a bit of plain yogurt - I will eat that for breakfast before I leave.

I believe!

This santa pin was given to me by an elderly relative nearly a decade ago. I pull it out every holiday season and wear it in remembrance of Anne (with an -e!). 

Let it snow!

After a rescinded threat of a winter storm, I woke up to snow this morning. The forecast shows highs below freezing all week. Brrrr... it's getting me prepared for a visit home.

Clementines

Overflowing piles of clementine boxes greet shoppers when they enter any market this time of year. I buy them every-year, thinking I LOVE these. Then I get them home and transfer them to a bowl (with holes for air circulation) and put them in the fridge. I forget to eat them for a week thinking I don't want sticky fingers and when I finally peel back that first skin and smell the juices I remember it's all worth it.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

I love soup and usually have a tureen of it in my icebox. This week I'm eating Roasted Eggplant Soup. I modified the recipe from Colorado Collage (a great cookbook on its own) and added more eggplant, changed the spices, and added pecorino cheese. Delish!

Pomander Balls

Ah, I love Christmas! I don't live in a winter wonderland so I bring it inside. These pomander balls hold a long holiday tradition (centuries!) - they were also used as early air fresheners and make great anti-moth 'sachets'. 

Choose a piece of citrus and load up on cloves at the bulk spice market (fresher, cheaper, and a great way to get small amounts of spices you don't use often) and insert in either a pattern or cover the entire ball (I like to do concentric circles rather than 'random'). If you're doing several use a thimble to help press the cloves otherwise the clove oils might start to sting. Place balls somewhere with good air circulation to dry. Place en masse in a bowl or on a plate or tie up with ribbons or use a long sharp needle to insert a ribbon through so they can hang in the closet, on a door, or on your tree! They also make great holiday gifts. 

I always wrap mine up in tissue at the end of the season. The scent will fade but you can still display them after the scent is gone. In the photo, the front two pomanders are freshly made (leave space between cloves for shrinkage) and the others are from earlier seasons. I am using tangerines this year, but have heard you can use non-citrus fruit such as apples and pears. I have some apples in my icebox so maybe I'll try that next.