beef stroganoff, on a cloudy day

Mostly I cook from the hip. What does that mean? Well, I’m notoriously bad at following directions, and I’ve been known to veer off the beaten path. So, photos and a list of ingredients work as recipe “suggestions.”

tonight: gnocchi with grilled corn and tomatoes

Happy summer! Did you realize that next week is the Fourth of July? Exactly. How did that glorious, star-spangled-banner event sneak up so quickly? Maybe, it’s because I have my birthday in mind, and it’s a big one. I won’t say just how big, but trust me on this one.

tonight: tomato and olive pizza

I don’t do raw tomatoes! Sounds weird, right? Roast them, toast them, throw some balsamic or lemon juice and herbs on them and I’m good. Just don’t hand one to me expecting it to be eaten whole and untouched.

tonight: farmer’s market nicoise salad

a loose rendition of Salad Nicoise

What happens when your work is moving to a new location, the condo you’re living in is put on the market, you buy a house and need to pack and move? Simple answer to the chaotic state? No writing and scrounge-type eating.

tonight: tomato pie with fresh herbs

browned and crisped, the tomatoes melt into the ricotta and herbs

Several years ago, my darling man who doesn’t do a lot of cooking, but is really swell in the clean-up department, took up the habit of fixing brunch on Mother’s Day. This is a total treat – great food, no hurry at an overly busy restaurant, and did I mention great food?

national ketchup day

National Ketchup (catsup) day was on June 5th, and I missed it! “Arg,” said the girl who loves ketchup and especially Portland Ketchup.

I first had this captivating tomato based elixir a few years ago. We (my man and I) had gone to Kennedy School McMenamins for brunch on Mother’s Day – sans our kids – where were they anyway? It was a grand afternoon sitting on their umbrella and plant inhabited courtyard.

what is it about charred and burnt food?

grilled corn on the cob doesn’t need butter, but if you must, by all means do!

The skies are cloudy and moody. Outside, it looks more like fall than being right smack dab in the middle of summer. Peeking at the 7 day forecast, tells me this is my one and only opportunity this week to use the oven without heating up the house to beyond uncomfortable levels; the 90’s are returning.

Having spent the morning at the farmstand gathering red and yellow cherry tomatoes, Italian prune-plums, beets, potatoes and cilantro I was set for the weekly menu that I’d scratched out on a torn piece of yellow legal pad. My organizational skills are usually a little more technical, but not today. And, that is ok.

i was out farming

community garden in the desert

A visit to the community garden has become my new Saturday am (and most evenings) ritual.  A couple of weeks ago it was garden sign-up with a basic orientation, as well as some housekeeping, i.e. pulling stray grass that will crawl its way into the beds.

delayed flights and fried green tomatoes

green tomato slabs

What else do you do on a flight that’s been delayed, dropping you at your destination in the middle of the night? Some people read; the smarts ones sleep. Not me. I start thinking about food and how I’d love to have a drink of water, but I hate how they charge you an astronomical amount of money for a tiny bottle of water. So, since sleep eludes me and my thirst isn’t life-threatening, writing is a quite suitable way to pass the time.

I finally picked the first tomato from my very slow growing plants. In the meantime, I’ve visited my farm stand. It’s not actually mine. I don’t own it or even work at it, but I do frequent it, so in that regard it’s mine.