What's Cooking Wednesday - Sublime Spring Lunch

Please go to Shan's place for more What's Cooking Wednesday participants.

It's garlic scapes season. What are garlic scapes, you might ask? They are little blades of goodness whose flavor rests between yes, garlic, and maybe spring onions. They're milder than both, and fabulous in all sorts of dishes and sauces. They look like this:



I wanted a lunch that would showcase the taste of the mild scapes, so I came up with this:



Strawberry-Mint Salad with Garlic Scape Tostada

For the Salad:

Ingredients:

a handful of fresh, local, spring greens or lettuce
5 - 6 large mint leaves
1 large radish or 2 smaller radishes
5 - 6 fresh, local strawberries (if possible)
1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

1. Grab a handful of fresh spring greens, preferably from at least two heads of lettuce. Rinse and tear into bite-sized pieces.
2. Chop 5 - 6 good sized leaves of fresh mint and sprinkle it over the lettuce.
3. Slice a large radish or two smaller radishes. Scatter over the top of the salad.
4. Slice 5 - 6 fresh strawberries. Scatter those over the top of the salad.
5. Take 1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 TBS fruity balsamic vinegar and 1/4 tsp Montreal Steak seasoning. Whisk together until vinaigrette is formed. Drizzle over the salad.



For the "Tostada" (I'm calling this a tostada, but it's really just a soft taco, served open-faced):

Ingredients:

8 chopped garlic scapes
1 egg
1 egg white
a little buttermilk, cream or half and half to taste
1 corn tortilla
a few sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 TBS sour cream (give or take - I used reduced fat)

1. Heat a little olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
2. Add about 8 chopped garlic scapes - chop them fairly fine, but don't mince them.
3. Saute until garlic smell is released and they turn bright green.
4. Beat an egg, an egg white and a little buttermilk or cream or half and half if you have it and if you want to (I used a little lowfat buttermilk).
5. Turn heat to medium low and add eggs. Scramble together until the eggs are just set.
6. Heat a corn tortilla using whatever method you usually use (I wrapped mine in a paper towel and zapped it for 30 seconds).
7. Spread tortilla on a plate, place egg mixture on tortilla, sprinkle with fresh, chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy:

I'm Gonna Party Like It's... Belgium?

So, on good days, I get to have a chat online with my friend Goofball. She's a total delight, and I think we've learned a great deal from each other over the past several months. It's a deep hope that I get to meet her some day soon!

Yesterday we were discussing summer plans, and she said, "Well, you know, Belgium is the Festival Country."

No, I didn't know. What did she mean?

Well, she proceeded to reel off a huge list of festivals that take place almost nonstop, both in her home town of Leuven, and in various other cities through Belgium. I wish I could remember them all, but they have everything from traditional street fairs, to music festivals that put Bonnaroo to shame, to specific festivals that celebrate specific things.

Who knew?

Well, I'm sure Belgians know, and probably most citizens of Northern Europe, or maybe it's just me that didn't know.

This is the thing that I love about visiting new places - especially in person, but vicariously, as well, if "in person" is impractical.

Another experience I remember from years ago was taking part in a U.S./Soviet Peace Walk in 1988. 450 U.S. peace activists walked across stretches of the U.S. with 250 Soviet citizens from every walk of life. We walked anywhere from 7 - 15 miles/day, and stopped at festivals, towns, etc., to promote cross-cultural understanding. The itinerary had us walking from D.C. to Philly via Baltimore, bussing to Pittsburgh, walking through Pittsburgh, bussing to Rockford, IL, walking from Rockford to Des Moines, Iowa, where the founders of the Peace Walk movement lived, flying to L.A., and walking and bussing up the California coast to finally walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in SF as our finale.

We started from the Capitol Building, as I recall, or maybe from the Mall, and we had great festivals in D.C., Baltimore, and especially Philly. We got to lie on the beach in Santa Monica, go to Disneyland, have brunch in Monterey and be part of a fabulous music fest in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh.

So what was, hands down, the best part of the trip?

Iowa. Iowa. Iowa.

Iowa was experiencing the drought from Hell that summer. It was so bad that we passed horses that had dropped dead from heat as we walked past field after field.

Despite this, at every single place we stopped the locals welcomed us with open arms. We'd arrive to a one-stoplight town and the streets would be lined with cheering people, everyone had taken the day off from work, tables were groaning with home-baked goods and pitchers of lemonade, people hosted us in their homes every night.

Many of the Soviets were high ranking in their various fields. We had Communist Party officials, rock stars, opera singers, surgeons, cosmonauts, Olympic champions, etc.

This was a sophisticated crowd.

Despite this, we all loved Iowa best.

Who knew?

So, what cross-cultural, or similar type of experience, has surprised you in your travels or adventures? Where have you been totally taken aback? Where have your stereotypes been shattered?

Please share.

Singular Saturday: A Change is Gonna Come...

OBAMA



Join Jenn in Holland for other singularly wordy individuals...

Farmers Market Thursday - June 4, 2008

Greens galore
Spinach bunches bigger than your head
garlic scapes
oregano
spring onions
the sweetest radishes to grace the Earth

That's our bounty for this week.

I looked at last week's meal list and laughed. I did make some of the dishes, but often ended up with riffs on what was planned.

The lamb chops and grilled asparagus were heavenly. When I pulled out the pomegranate molasses, however, it had solidified, so a quick switch was made with blackberry vinegar and the results were still food of the gods. I didn't make the pitas, but we still had fresh bread.

Strawberries came in, and so did a wonderful frozen yogurt recipe, via Su Good Sweets, (click on her link to "make your own") so we've been having frozen yogurt with muddled strawberries.

I didn't make the lasagna, but I did make a layered, hot, spinach, green onions and asparagus with ricotta terrine. D loved it.

We've been doing lots with pasta and spinach or pasta and asparagus.

Since we received our share yesterday morning, I made a whole wheat pasta with sauteed spinach, green onions and garlic scapes, mixed with toasted walnuts and feta for a teachers luncheon at C's school, and last night I made whole wheat pasta tossed with the same vegetable sautee, lemon pepper, lemon juice and canned salmon and tuna.

Today we're having grilled lamb chops with an oregano-mint marinade, boiled new potatoes and steamed spinach with lemon juice.

In the next few days, I can see these things on the menu:

Spinach quiche
Spinach-Brown Rice Casserole
Salads of all stripes and forms
Sweet Potatoes baked with spinach and hardboiled eggs (delicious, even if it sounds weird).

We'll probably pick up some rhubarb and more strawberries this Saturday, but that may be it.

I'll be interested to see what my fellow Tantre members come up with.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Surprise Salad

Please go to Shan's place for more What's Cooking Wednesday participants.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I love salads. I have a salad for lunch most days of the week. I put all kinds of things in my salads and that's how they don't get boring.

For today's recipe, I'm posting one of my favorite summertime salads. This really isn't "in season" yet, but I got some beautiful greens as part of my Tantre share from last week, and there were Georgia blueberries on sale at the market, and Georgia isn't as far away as some places... so I splurged.

So, for when the summer heat picks up, I give you my Summer Salad with Blueberries and Goat Cheese:



Jen's Summer Salad with Blueberries and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

For the salad:
2 large handfuls of spring/summer greens, rinsed and dried
5 large radishes, sliced
1 1/2 cups blueberries
2 oz. of soft goat cheese, preferably peppered goat cheese
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the dressing:
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 TBS thick fruit vinegar or a good balsamic vinegar (I used a blackberry-balsamic mix)
4 large, fresh, mint leaves, chopped fine, or 1 tsp dried
a pinch of Kosher salt
more pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and let sit, while you wash and prep the salad ingredients.
2. Toss together the greens, radishes and blueberries.
3. Grind pepper over the salad and toss with the vinaigrette.
4. Crumble the goat cheese over the top.

Enjoy with a nice glass of sweetish white wine, like a Riesling.

PSA Tuesday - Older Women and Blog Blast for Education

Speaking of movies, a couple of days ago NYC/Caribbean Ragazza regaled us with this superb post. This post was typical of several reviews I saw that day concerning the opening of the Sex and the City movie. NYC said it in her usual inimitable style, and she also has the background to really cover this (as a producer), and I seriously, seriously recommend that you all go over there and read this now. Her main point, however, was that Hollywood execs feel that women won't "open" movies. Especially older women - older women actresses or older women viewers.

But despite this, SATC beat out my old friend Indy for total sales during its opening weekend. Open that male execs!

Soccer Mom in Denial had a different post, on the subject of women's bodies that have been, well, lived in. Or maybe I should phrase it as well-lived in.

She was horrified, as am I, by a new children's book, called My Beautiful Mommy, that prepares young children for what to expect if Mommy comes back from the hospital with a new nose, or a new set of... well, you know.

Nice. Just the thing I'd want my child to read, because, you know, I think all young children should expect their mommies to get new body parts when the old ones look a little less shiny.



And then there's two of my Hollywood heroines, one old and one new. The first is Jamie Lee Curtis. Jamie Lee posed for MORE magazine in nothing but underwear. Not sexy underwear, just plain underwear, with no make-up, no airbrushing, no stylist for her hair, etc. She wanted us to know what late 40s/early 50s movie stars look like. For real. And for lack of a better, gender-appropriate expression, the Lady's got balls.

Karen Allen is my new heroine (and, apparently, the current cover for MORE ). I guess I have to include Steven Spielberg, too, but he's been a longstanding hero for other reasons. Karen Allen is up on the big, harsh, show-every-pore, movie screen with a face that shows her age. She is radiant, yes. I mean, she is Karen Allen, after all. She's still cute, she's still freckled, she still exudes health and energy.

And wrinkles.

And a post-menopausal paunch.

Just as nature intended.

How much healthier would our culture be if we saw the beauty in women as they are meant to be - in all their permutations, ages, skin tones and colors and body sizes? In the meantime, however, viva those brave actresses who act, and look, their age.

Now, speaking of heroines, I'd like introduce you to April, of It's All About Balance, for those who don't already know her. If you don't know her, and if you parent, or are creative, or if you run into adversity in your own life, ever, go - go now, and read her.

April is a single mom, with two beautiful, happy girls, who lives in LA. She's smart (she was just promoted to a position she's not credentialed for, because yes, she's that good), she's creative (actress and graduate of various prestigious arts programs), and a completely passionate, devoted mom and advocate for her daughters. April does not have the support of her daughters' father, and she is on her own. She's had many setbacks, but somehow she keeps it together in a totally inspiring manner.

One of the lights in her life has been her older daughter's experience with a KIPP school. KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) Schools are free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools designed to serve underserved students for future success in the academic world and in life. Sadly, though, there appears to be trouble on the horizon for her daughter's particular school.

As April was analyzing this situation in her usual thoughtful way, and attending meeting after meeting to try to ameliorate the situation (yeah, in all her spare time), she came up with a wonderful idea: A Blog Blast for Education on June 20th. You can read all about it here.

Cable Girl has designed not one, but two, gorgeous buttons to choose from. The one I'm proudly hanging to the right of this post is this one:



Here's what April has to say about the event:

"Education is an issue that affects every Mommy Bloggers' lives (and the Daddies, too).

We've been hearing lately how much power we have, let's utilize it. (Not to mention, it's an Election Year and I haven't heard nearly enough about education.)

Let's talk about whatever concerns us most. Let's talk about a brilliant teacher or curriculum. Let's talk about homework. What's the first thing you think about when you hear the word "education?" Let's talk about that.

And, okay, we may not get the ears (eyes) of McCain or Obama/Clinton from this, but we can learn from each other, right?"

I know that is one day I'll be cranking up my Google reader with great alacrity. I'm excited to learn about the pressing concerns and joys of others, and I'm eager to write about my own.

So, hell yeah, I'm going to be there on June 20th.

How about you?

Music Monday - The Movie Themes of John Williams

For other tales of musical adventure, please visit Soccer Mom in Denial.

We went to see Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull yesterday.

I loved it, C liked it, and D hated it. Whatever.

My favorite parts? Seeing Karen Allen re-emerge as the oh-so-fabulous Marion Ravenwood and LOOK HER AGE. (That's fodder for another post in itself). And, in addition to Marion, there was the thrill of hearing "that" theme.

"That" theme that lets us know that Indy is about to crack his whip one more time. Or the theme that lets us know that Harry will battle Voldemort again, or that Luke and Leia will eventually rule victorious, or that we'd better not swim in "those" waters, or that ET can, indeed, phone home.

Yup, there's something about hearing each of those pieces and KNOWING that we're returning to beloved characters or favorite movies. Even if the current movie is sequel #92, at least when we hear that great John Williams theme, we have hope that we'll be transported to the greatness of the original.

I don't think I can "share" this medley, so I'm leaving you with this link.

So listen and transport yourselves to your favorite darkened theater, popcorn and drinks in hand.

Happy Monday.