good 'n planty

Last night I made Miso soup for the first time, and although I would definitely tweak a few things, overall I was pleased to have a new quick dinner to add to my weeknight repertoire. I loosely followed the miso recipe on 101cookbooks, substituting with the ingredients I had on hand.

I didn't mind spending a little extra on Organic Miso because it only takes a tablespoon to make a serving, so I knew I could get many dinners out of one container. I found Westbrae Natural: Mellow White Miso in the organic section of my grocery store. 

For the soup shown above, I thinly sliced one onion and sauteed it in a little olive oil till translucent, then added 2 cups of fresh, chopped spinach and sauteed till wilted. I added one cup of chicken broth, one cup of water, and 2 heaping tablespoons of white miso, stirred till dissolved and let simmer. Next I added one cup chopped firm tofu and simmered till the tofu was heated through. I garnished the soup with sliced green onions and a tiny bit of chili oil.

I love how versatile this soup is, you could add almost any vegetable you happen to have on hand. I think mushrooms, napa cabbage, or thinly sliced zucchini or carrot would also taste great in this soup.

I went camping this weekend, and arrived home on Sunday as the sun was setting, starved and exhausted. As I flung my luggage on the floor and changed out of campfire-smoke-soaked clothing, the anticipation of seeing my garden forced me to forgo flipping through mail or turning on fans. I had to get outside. It's always so fun to check in on your garden when you've been away, isn't it? 

I knew exactly where to look. My very first perfect plum tomato had finally turned to a deep red. Happily, I plucked it (and a few other low-hanging fruits, to let ripen indoors) and some stems of basil and ran inside. 

I don't think I've ever made such an occasion of my first red tomato before. I know I've missed them entirely some years, when my plot was in a community garden across town. So this time, with great pleasure, I sliced that tomato, drizzled it with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, a few leaves of basil and a healthy grate of parmesan cheese and as Jamie Oliver would say, "tucked in." It was impossibly sweet and perfectly textured. I can't wait for more. :)

I suspect that most of you, like myself, have a refrigerator packed with produce. Unless you are canning zucchini relish (which I really want to try!), it is nearly impossible to use it all up. The other night I found myself with a jam-packed vegetable bin and a craving for curry... I'd never made curry before, so I decided to give it a try.
(By the way, I have to be honest and share that I actually planned on being lazy and buying a simmer sauce from Seeds of Change, but my grocery store didn't care it, so I made something similar instead. If you're pressed for time, they work very nicely...)

Begin by wisking a tablespoon of red curry paste into one can of lite coconut milk over medium heat. Add one tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, a few cloves of chopped garlic (and ginger, if you prefer), and a sprinkle of cumin and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add a cup of sliced onion and half a head of chopped cauliflower. When both begin to soften, add chopped zucchini and peas (you could also add red pepper, snow peas, mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes...). Add cooked, chopped chicken, (or tofu, or beef, or shrimp!) and a generous amount of sliced basil. Serve with rice or rice noodles, or alone!

Really quick, delicious and fridge-clearing :).

I'm kind of a freak about using up leftover ingredients. I will, frequently, plan a dinner solely for the purpose of using up one single perishable ingredient I have lying around. Such was the case last night, when I had a good bit of arugula left. I've always wanted to try to make carbonara ever since I saw Mario Batali make it on an old Martha Stewart episode. It looked so simple and satisfying; bacon, eggs, cheese! Like breakfast for dinner! The only thing stopping me was the whole "mix raw egg into hot pasta and stir to cook" thing. But luckily, my compulsion to use up my bag of arugula and my curiousity about carbonara won and I gave it a shot.

I modified a recipe by Tyler Florence, because it didn't call for cream (which seems unnecessary) and it did call for fresh parsley (which seems necessary).

Here's what I did, more or less. Boil enough water to cook 1 pound of pasta. Cube 4-6 slices thick cut bacon* and brown in a saute pan. Add 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic to the browned bacon and fat, stirring and cooking till soft and slightly golden. Remove from heat and mix in few big handfuls of arugula, stir till wilted. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk in 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus salt and pepper. Add to drained, hot, al dente pasta, and stir till the eggs are cooked. (I did this away from the stovetop, but if you're very nervous about the eggs, try it over low heat). Once the pasta looks creamy, not runny, add the bacon, arugula, and garlic, sprinkle with a handful of fresh, chopped parsley, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes.

* I used 4 pieces of bacon, but my boyfriend pointed that with all that healthy arugula in there, a couple extra pieces of bacon wouldn't have hurt, and I have to agree. :)

Last year I planted two cucumber plants in my garden bed- TWO. That was about one and a half plants too many...not only did they ramble their way across half my garden, but they produced an impossible amount of cucumbers- too many for me or anyone else I tried to pawn them off on.

This summer I decided I'd buy my cucumbers and save the space, and I have to say, I'm starting to regret it. My tomatoes are tiny and green, my lettuce is done, my herbs are doing well but certainly not ready for a pesto-making thinning, and it'd be nice to have some small cucumbers to harvest. Maybe next summer I'll work my way back to one plant :)

For those of you who didn't coldly turn your backs on trusty cucumbers, here are two of my favorite cucumber recipes:

Tzatziki! This dip is perfect for wheat pitas and goes great on grilled veggies or fish.

My secret weapon when making tzatziki is to use a medium ribbon microplane grater so the sauce is smooth, not chunky.

Some recipes recommend straining yogurt to make it a little thicker but if you're in a hurry just plop 2 cups of greek yogurt into a bowl, grate one (or more) large cucumber into a strainer and squeeze to remove excess water (note: if you're using a thick-skinned cucumber, or a waxy store bought one, peel the skin. if the cuke has seeds, scoop them out and grate the solid part only), add 2 (or more) cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper, and if you're feeling fancy, some chopped mint and fresh lemon juice to taste!

PA Dutch Cucumber Salad

There are many variations of this salad but this is the simplest and in my book, the best.

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced

Mix together sugar, salt, vinegar and water until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumbers and onions and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.

(Recipe from here.)

Cucumbers, elsewhere:

Peanut Sesame Noodles from Smitten Kitchen, have yet to make this but it's on my list.

Willi from DigginFood did a great tribute to ‘Satsuki Madori’ cucumbers- sliced into a gin and tonic? Trying that one tonight!