Early Summer

Freshly picked Radishes

Within just a few days, Spring seems to have subsided and Summer has made an entrance.  Its softer, warmer, and satisfyingly longer days of growth affects us just as much as it affects plants.  We rejoice in the warmer nights and bask in the beauty of each sunny day.  Our skin tone changes and we glow from it.  Just as we love the longer days of summer, our plants too respond to these long days.  My broccoli rabe and bok choy, planted just weeks ago, are already going to seed and flowering.  Too hot too soon? Lettuces are in need of a trim, as they too are not long for this world.  They will either be eaten or go to seed as well.   Such is the impermanence of the growing season, as it echos our own impermanence in this life as well.  Our children grow from an infant to a toddler, and before you know it, they are off to college or married with children.   Just as we pick fruit from the tree when it is ripe, we let go of our children in small ways at first, then larger as they set off on their own and push us away with their newfound independence and strength.

With daily reminders that we are different from moment to moment, there is wisdom in knowing our daily rises and falls.  Our own wisdom allows us to know when we are being too greedy or too passive.  Too ebullient, or too negative.  Just as a plant knows what kind of a plant it is, deep down, our own wisdom knows these things.  How does a pepper know its a pepper and not an eggplant?  How do we know when to slow down or when to speed up? When I look at the miracle of a seed and the sprout, with all of its genetic make-up in one tiny little package, it reminds me of a baby, a smaller version of us, but not quite us.  Its own unique and special individual.  Are plants individuals too?  They must be.

Often people are referred to as being in the spring of life, the autumn of their lives, etc.  It is obviously a metaphor, but its one that I think brings comfort.  To know that there is a season for everything. A time to be young, loose and fancy free, a time to be busy with focus, a time to relax, a time for raising children, a time to retire, a time to pass on.  It is nice to know that I can slow down if I want (not just because I am older, but that helps make the decision more clear)

I was just reading an article about Isabella Rosellini's new movie Late Bloomers, a comic film about aging.  Its a sign that the baby boomer generation is getting older and noticing it, big time.  Eyeglass companies are booming and it has probably spilled over into the hearing aid department as well.  As we accept each stage of our lives with open arms we don't have to fear the consequences of what is happening.  It is just what happens when you get to a certain age.  It is life, so to speak.  There is a certain grace that comes when you accept.  You can even see and sense the uncomfortable ones out there who aren't so comfortable with aging.

Late Bloomers, is probably just the beginning of the films we'll see out of hollywood on the subject, a place where it is rumored that you wouldn't recognize a 50 year old woman if you saw one (because their faces and bodies are so altered).  Is 70 the new 50?  As the director Julie Gravas (Costa Gravas' daughter) says, "...reaching 60 is a no man's land in between ages that need inventing-not as young as one thinks one is, though not as old as others may think."  I like that way of thinking, I will ponder that one as I go back to my summer gardening.

Homegrown Roasted Potatoes with Celery, Radishes, Cucumber and Herbs
This recipe can be made several ways, but tastes great with freshly plucked potatoes out of your garden.  If you have never grown them before, take some that have started to sprout and just stick them in the ground, about 6" under.  They will adjust themselves accordingly and before you know it, will sprout leaves above ground.  Keep watering the plants until they reach maturity, about 2ft high.  Pluck and watch the potatoes fall off the plant.  Dig a little so you aren't missing any below.  Its like a treasure hunt!

8 small white or yellow potatoes
Celery. 1 rib, finely chopped
Radishes, 2-4 thinly sliced, then finely chopped
Cucumber, 1/2 English or Persian, partially peeled, then finely chopped
Parsley, 1/4 cup finely chopped
Chives, 1 bunch, finely chopped
Shallot (optional), finely chopped
Olive Oil
White Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper


Roast the potatoes in the oven for about 30 minutes on 400 degrees.  You can also boil them. I usually quarter them first so I don't have to handle them when they are hot.  Either way they are tasty.

In the meantime, prepare the dressing by drizzling about 3/4 cup olive oil into a salad bowl.  Then drizzle about 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk.  Finely chop 1/8 cup of fresh parsley and a whole bunch of chives, the celery and the radish and if you are opting for the shallot.  Whisk again to saturate the herbs in the dressing.

When the potatoes are done cooking, gently add them to the dressed herbs.  Be careful of the hot potatoes!   They will absorb a little more of the dressing if they are warm.  You can then lay them over fresh greens, or leave it by itself, or even add it to a nicoise salad.    Happy Cooking!   Tricia

Springy Avocado Soup

The Springy Avocado

The essence of spring can be tasted in the simplest of ingredients, from spring onions, artichokes, shelled peas, leeks and green garlic to wild arugula, and even avocados.  Avocados you say? Yes, this native Central Mexican crop made its way to California in the 19^th century and now has about 6,000 acres of fruit planted here. The popular Haas avocado makes up 90 percent of our country’s crop, and California is one of the world’s top three producers.  Oddly enough, the avocado is a climacteric fruit, the same as bananas, meaning they are picked when mature in size, but they ripen off the tree.

Avocados are a great source of fiber, potassium, folate, and B vitamins and are low in monounsaturated fat (2 grams).  A whole avocado has more than a third the daily allowance of vitamin C.  According to Wikipedia, because of its combination of aliphatic acetogenins, the avocado is under preliminary research for potential anti-cancer activity and is also under research for possible treatment of hypertension and diabetes.  That is some super fruit!   

I remember my first run-in with an avocado.  I was sitting in the back of a classroom my junior year of high school, when a friend of mine whipped the funny looking thing out. He had just returned from a trip to California during spring break. My face scrunched up like a sour puss and I would not venture to try it.  It looked completely unappealing to me then.  Fast forward 30 years, and as a transplant to California, it has become part of my regular weekly diet.  I spread it on toast, make guacamole, of course, or top a sandwich or taco with this creamy green delicacy.  I can’t imagine how its first impression turned me off, but we’ve been friends a long time now. 

The recipe for Chilled Avocado Soup, is something I made up from my memory of a visit to Paris, of all places.  I was at a party there several years ago for a friend of mine who had an art gallery opening.  It was late April and we had made our way to the apartment on a warm evening, but by way of the long walks through the metro and up into a neighborhood, then up three flights of stairs to our final destination.  The long journey made me intensely hungry and the beautiful green soup was waiting for us on the table in a white pitcher, ready to pour into a small serving cup. 

Avocado soup has a delicate flavor and with the lemon juice and freshly chopped herbs it will wow you!  The best part is that everything can be put into the cuisinart, it couldn’t be more simple to make.  Just what I like, delicious, simple and outstanding presentation!  Happy Cooking! 

Chilled Avocado Soup

With its bright green color, this soup says spring!  With the fresh herbs, garlic and buttermilk, it’s a refreshing spring on the cusp of summer soup.   I like to serve it before dinner as a small appetizer with chopped cherry tomatoes or a little dressed salad of arugula leaves. 

1 ripe avocado

1 red spring onion, finely chopped

2 garlic toes or 1 stalk green garlic, finely chopped

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup water, or chicken or vegetable broth

2TBS chopped Italian parsley

1 TBS fennel tops, dill, or parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Sauté the spring onion and garlic, on low temperature, with the olive oil until just translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Put in a cuisinart and pulse.  Then add the avocado, lemon juice, buttermilk, salt and pepper and Italian parsley, pulse again until all ingredients have melded.  Slowly add about 1/2 cup water or stock and pulse.  You can decide at this point if you would like a thicker or thin soup simply by adding more water or stock.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  The flavors will develop more and taste even better in an hour or two.  When ready to serve pour into a bowl and top with freshly chopped herbs, chopped radish or finely chopped tomatoes. 

Recipe by Tricia O’Brien

Spring forward

Chamomile, Oregano, Cilantro and Thyme ready to be planted in the ground

This year I was determined to plant a "real" garden.  One that my grandfather would be proud of.  I am pretty sure that my grandfather gardened every day of his life.  If he wasn't actually in the garden, because of cold Michigan winters, then he was gardening in his mind.  Dreaming up what to plant next, how many beans, tomatoes and pea sprout starts to plant. Enough to share with his children and their children.

Enough of a bounty to have a nice little hobby for most of his almost 99 years of life.  My grandfather taught me to pick all the fruit, even the bruised ones, because, sometimes the other side was simply perfect.   He taught me patience and waiting until fruit or vegetables were ready, and by ready, I mean, they have their own internal time clock, not when I was ready.  He taught me to appreciate the fresh and crispness of a freshly picked vegetable that cannot be replaced with frozen or canned and he taught me to caretake the land in a gentle and ordinary way.  There is nothing unusual about having a garden and yet there is something profound in the ordinariness of tending one.

So this year, I planted three raised beds and am working on developing a nearby plot piece by piece.  One of my beds I planted seeds in just two weeks ago is already up. Soon I will have radishes, a few varieties of lettuces, garlic, and potatoes.  The other two beds just got planted this week. For me, it is nothing less than a miracle to see their little greens tipping up through the dirt.
my garden tended,
quiet thoughts of onions spring
simple alliums root

If you look closely you can see the bees buzzing on the Rosemary bush

Fresh new beds show off the French Radishes show their tiny green tops!

In spring, there is still a little winter lingering and I like to take advantage of the winter greens still in the market, like chicory, radicchio, endive and others to make a bitter winter salad.  I sometimes mix the olive oil with white balsamic or apple cider vinegar and fresh squeezed lemon juice and then add a tsp of sugar to cut the acid, salt and pepper to taste.  Like everything in life, its balance you are looking for.  Not too tart, not too oily.

Toss with your favorite winter salad greens, drizzle over thinly sliced oranges, or grapefruit while they are still in the market and add creamy avocado for a yummy winter citrus salad.  


Happy Spring!  Happy Cooking!

Tricia

Chilly Winter Weather Spurs Baking Frenzy

Gingerbread Muffins with Meyer Lemon Curd

There are times when a baking bender is required.  That time is now, as the temperature dips have given us multiple nightly freezes, (yes, right here in Northern CA!!) this just makes me want to keep my oven employed.  This weather led me to find the most delicious recipe for Fresh Ginger Muffins.  Actually, the author calls them Steamed GingerBread Pudding, but muffin will do for me.  They are so flavorful because they use freshly grated ginger, and a ton of it!  Don't be alarmed, cooked ginger is never as strong as dried.  Please try these with fresh ginger, you will be rewarded for your adventuresome spirit.  Mine stuck a little to the pan, even with a cooking spray, which didn't happen the first time I made them (hmm?), so you might want to use muffin papers.  The tops get crisp and are the best part!

Steamed Gingerbread Pudding (or Muffins)

1 1/2 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup Fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup + 2 TBS hot water
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray the pans of muffin tins, or using paper, line each one.  I used a mini- muffin tin of 24 and it was the exact amount.

Using a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and let stand.

Place the ginger in a cuisinart and add enough water to cover, then process until smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl.  Pour the rest of the water and pulse to dislodge any remaining ginger.   Set aside to cook a little, five minutes.  Add the sugar, oil, molasses, and salt to the ginger and beat on medium speed until incorporated.   Add the flour mixture, slowly to the bowl and switch to high speed until the batter is perfectly blended.  The batter will be very thin.  Pour the batter into prepared pans, dividing it evenly.  Bake the cakes until the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Let cool and then serve with Fresh Meyer Lemon Curd and Whipped Cream.   OOH LA LA!


Lemon Curd ~ Chez Panisse Style

This is the easiest thing in the world to make.  It took me five minutes and what a treat to have this when you are entertaining.  It brightens everything up.   I have to tell you that I accidentally skipped the butter and it came out just fine!  So that is the low-fat version!  Voila!

2 lemons (meyer if you have them)
2 eggs
3 yolks
6 TBS sugar
6 TBS unsalted butter
pinch of salt

Zest the lemons into a small bowl.  Juice the lemons, and strain the juice into the same bowl.  Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until completely incorporated and a little fluffy.  The eggs will lighten in color somewhat.

Cook over medium heat, stirring until the texture of thick creme anglaise.  Remove from heat and allow to chill for 4 hours before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Gingerbread recipe by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson
Lemon Curd Recipe by Chez Panisse restaurant/Alice Waters

Stay Warm and Happy Cooking!