Tag: <span>inspiration</span>

cherries-myvegtable

Breakfast is my favorite meal. I love it so much, I make it for dinner–often. French toast, veggie-potato hash, waffles, fried egg sandwiches and pancakes of all sorts make the cut for our evening meal. Paired up with some fruit and sausage or bacon for my guys–and some sausage or bacon-like substitute for me–it is my favorite kind of meal.

As I was strolling through the produce section the other day I saw that cherries are in season; I grabbed the biggest bag I could find. The first thing I thought of making with them is a recipe that has been on my “culinary bucket list” for years–clafoutis. A clafoutis (clah-foo-TEE) is a French dessert that bakes fruit into a custard batter. Don’t be intimidated, it sounds fancier than it really is. The ingredients and technique are as simple as can be: whirl up a pancake-like batter in the blender, pour over fruit and bake until slightly crispy on the outside and warm and custardy in the center. While I’m sure it makes a lovely dessert, it sounds more like breakfast to me–it was finally time to cross this dish off my list!

Inspiration

chili-cornbread-myvegtable
There’s no such thing as too much honey butter on cornbread. It’s the perfect accompaniment to my chili.

Aside from desserts, one of the first things I remember cooking for other people is chili. I learned how to make my Mom’s “dump and stir” version–there wasn’t much to it. The recipe was exactly this: one pound of browned ground beef; one can Hunt’s “chili-ready” tomatoes; one can tomato sauce; and one can kidney beans. I made it often and people loved it–until one night I had friends over to my dorm room for dinner and I got busted by the RA. “No plug-in electrical skillets!” she scolded. Well, that was the end of my first dinner party era.

Tidbits

july4th-myvegtable
Happy 4th of July!

I moved to Florida when I was ten; my lazy summer days were spent in the pool and around the neighborhood with my friends. We would swim most of the day and occasionally come inside for a meal; our days were full, yet relaxing. I don’t remember how I spent my summer days when I was six years old, but I can’t imagine they were as busy as my son likes his days to be. Everett is ready to go the second he opens his eyes in the morning; he doesn’t stop until his head hits the pillow at night. As usual, he is ready to fill the day with activities–with no “lazy” time in sight. When trying to make the most of our busy summer days, fitting in time to cook is challenging. Lately, we have been dining out more often than we would like–convenience rules when you are on the go.

I got to enjoy a lazy day to myself last week: my husband, Ed, took Everett to work with him. While enjoying the quiet, I realized that it was time to get back to cooking. We can still fill our summer with fun things to do, but I also need to carve out the time to cook proper meals for myself and my family. So, with Pandora playing my French Cafe station, I reclaimed my kitchen as a workspace–rather than a dish collecting space. I raided the fridge, picked up my chef’s knife, started chopping away and ended up with my favorite summery salad–tabbouleh.

Inspiration

vine-ripe-tomatoes

Summer is right around the corner here in Florida: the humidity is getting higher by the day and hurricane season is about ready to begin. When the summer comes, I look forward to stone fruits, melons and sweet corn on the cob–I also can’t wait to get my hands on some in-season tomatoes.

When I was a kid, I would eat tomatoes fresh from my Grandfather’s garden and bite into them as I would an apple–with the added addition of a bit of salt. The smell of a fresh tomato is intoxicating: it smells just like the vine it grew on. If you don’t grow your own tomatoes, the next best thing is the on-the-vine variety from your local supermarket. I have found that these smell just like those back in my Grandfather’s garden and taste almost as good. Compari tomatoes, although small, are my runner-up at the grocery store.

Inspiration

kugel-bake

Like many holidays, Easter is celebrated with a feast: a feast full of spring vegetables; a hearty meat as the star of the meal; and a nice, light dessert to finish. While I miss my Grandmother’s ham and raisin sauce as well as the rack of lamb I used to make, I have found a new main course that not only pleases the vegetarian in me, but also is a reminder of family.

My Great Uncle Ray was the only family member we had in Florida when we moved here in 1985. I viewed him as a surrogate Grandfather after my own Grandfather, his brother, passed away. He attended all family gatherings and he loved to eat. I never remember a time hearing him say that there was anything he didn’t like. He always filled his plate with everything offered and always came back for seconds. He finished off every meal with dessert and black coffee. He derived such pleasure from family and food and life. He loved to cook for his friends and family and was always experimenting with new recipes. Looking back, I think that he was the first foodie I ever met. I’m not sure if he was even familiar with that term, but he definitely embodied the definition: he was a great lover of all things food.

Inspiration

almond-butter-cookie-ingredIt’s time for something sweet and I’ve got three words for you: One. Bowl. Cookies.

Trust me, there’s nothing I love more than creaming butter and sugar together and sampling it when it’s perfectly combined–for me, that’s the best part about making cookies. But, there’s something to be said about not having to break out the stand mixer just to make a special treat. Six ingredients, one bowl and a wooden spoon are all you need to make these tasty little gems.

Inspiration

seattle-dog

No judgment, please…I just ate an entire bowl of sauerkraut. Just sauerkraut. In a bowl. With a little salt. What can I say, I’m German and Polish; I grew up eating this stuff with everything from pork to pierogies–but never in a bowl, by itself. I think I may have a problem…

A friend of ours recently started making his own sauerkraut. He has generously shared with us and now we are on our second jar. I can only imagine his kitchen counters lined with pickle jars full of this magenta-colored, crunchy, vinegary cabbage; just awaiting the fermentation to be complete enough to call it sauerkraut.

When I brought home my first jar from him, the question swirled around in my mind: “What should I do with it?” At the time, eating it all by itself did not register–I don’t think that thought registers with many. But, typically, sauerkraut is paired with meat. What to do?

Tidbits Travel

market-finds
My bounty from last week’s Saturday Morning Market.

One of the things I love about St. Petersburg is our downtown Saturday Morning Market. Have you been? It’s so great to get outside, walk around, listen to the live music, sample new items and stock my kitchen—and my belly—full of delicious finds. I recently found out that getting there early is a really good idea—probably commonsensical—we’re just never ready to be anywhere by 9:00am.

Aside from our usual stop at the Pop Craft popsicle cart, produce is the other thing I almost always buy on market day. Shopping for produce at the market is always tricky: there is never enough room in my fridge for all that I would like to bring home. But, last week, I found some unique items that I knew I had to make room for. First, I found some Romanesco, which is just about the funkiest looking vegetable ever. Then, just when I thought I had seen it all when it came to produce, three veggies jumped out at me that I had neither seen nor heard of before: Yukina Savoy, Hon Tsai Tai, and Celtuce. No matter what is awaiting me at the market, it is an ever-changing source of inspiration.

Inspiration

butternut-squash

Although we have been getting our share of chilly weather here in Florida, I fear that spring is just around the corner. I don’t think we ever have enough “sweater and boot” weather—I get excited when the weather dips down into the 40’s and 50’s—maybe I’m the only one. But, now as I look around and see my once black front porch covered in yellow oak pollen and the beautiful petite, pink flowers blooming on my backyard tree, I know that my favorite time of year is coming to an end. So, to say goodbye to winter, I’m making my favorite Butternut Squash soup. This soup is the first thing I think of when the fall weather begins and it’s the last one I want to make as spring enters.

Inspiration

image
Let’s transform this often-hated vegetable into something spectacular!

Well, we’ve made it to post #13 and I am guessing that by now you are thinking, “OK, Michelle, where are all of the vegetable recipes on My Veg Table?” Thus far, I’ve introduced many of my favorite recipes to you and most of them haven’t had a speck of a vegetable in them. Fear not, the wait is over! Now I get to share one of my favorite veg recipes that receives the most skeptical looks: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Red Grapes with Walnuts. That’s right; the grapes are roasted in the oven alongside those tiny cabbages. Did you just raise your eyebrows, too? Trust me on this: if I can take a table full of the pickiest people I know and get them to not only taste this, but also agree that it’s good, well, I think that I just might convert a few of you as well.

Tidbits