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Farmer's MarketLunch RecipesQuick and EasySalad

Easy Avocado Cream Salad Dressing

written by Ali

Making this easy avocado cream salad dressing should definitely be on your list for the New Year. I have to confess that after two weeks of holiday eating, I couldn’t wait to have a salad for lunch. And while I’m all for really elaborate salads, I was also looking forward to something for my lunch this week that’s just simple.

We still have quite a bit of canned albacore tuna from our canning party back in September. I’m looking for new ways to use it up. With all things canned, there’s always that sense of time progressing. Before I know it tuna (and tomatoes) will be back in season. I’m doing my best to eat up before that happens and the bulk of what’s in our pantry is tuna and tomatoes. I opted to just use the tuna for my salad, though.

I bought a head of romaine lettuce from the store and a bunch of radishes. My salad for this week is just three ingredients plus the dressing: lettuce, radishes, and tuna. Very satisfying.

The easy avocado cream salad dressing is a little more complex (though not by much). Avocado, Meyer lemon juice (regular lemon will do nicely), olive oil, Greek yogurt, and salt and pepper. I made up four salads for the four remaining days of the week and tossed them in mason jars. I layered with the dressing going in first, followed by the tuna, the radishes and the lettuce. I’ll dump it all in a bowl at lunch and be very, very happy.

The dressing, however, is the star of this post. This is an avocado cream that would be lovely on spicy dishes, like enchiladas or tacos. It would also go well on a chopped salad. You might even use it to dip carrot and celery sticks.

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Easy Avocado Cream Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1/2 avocado
  • Juice from 1/2 Meyer lemon or lemon
  • 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Mash the avocado and combine it with the other ingredients in a small jar or bowl. Mix the ingredients until the dressing is smooth. If the dressing is a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out.
  2. Serve over salad, as a topping for tacos, or as a dipping sauce.
  3. Enjoy!
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January 2, 2018 0 comment
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AppetizersBeveragesFarmer's MarketLunch RecipesMusingsVegetarian

Top Five From 2017 and Five Goals for 2018

written by Ali

I’m happy to share my top five from 2017 and five goals for 2018 today. However, am I the only one who is having a hard time believing that 2017 is already at an end? It’s been an incredible year. The highlight for me was our big move to the Southern Oregon coast. The coast is the really important part of that statement – I’m so happy being back near the ocean. I’ve also really enjoyed having easier access to local foods. We joined a CSA this year, went to the farmer’s market regularly, and enjoyed the overall bounty around us, including some incredible seafood.

I’ve managed to keep on blogging, though I haven’t been able to focus on it quite as much as I could when we were in Portland. My job takes a bit more of my time. Still, I have a list of top 5 recipes from 2017 that I’m really proud of. But before I get to them, I thought I’d take a quick moment to review my goals for Fix Me a Little Lunch from 2017. First was to improve my food photography. I’ve done a slightly better job with this. I’ve tried to be a little more attentive to lighting, though when we moved, my blog set up had to change. Second was to create and stick to an editorial calendar, which I managed through the first half of 2017 until we moved.

Third was to continue to participate in food challenges. I’ve been able to do this more or less consistently. I’m still doing the occasional contribution to Food ‘n Flix (and am hosting in March – yay!), as well as reading the books for Cook the Books, even if I haven’t always managed to make a recipe right away. I continue to enjoy the blogging community – I’ve had great fun this year participating in the Food Advent Calendar, in #Choctoberfest, in #Cookoutweek, and in #RecipeMakeover.

Fourth up was to try my hand at sponsored posts, which I did with some pretty good success. Last was to build my follower list – ok, so I did say I wanted to get to 1,000 subscribers and I’m actually at 35, but I count that as a success since I haven’t had nearly the time I’d like to focus on growing my list. I’m really grateful for my 35 subscribers!

So, without further ado, here are my top 5 from this year:

I really loved making these easy sweet and savory pinwheels. It was so much fun showcasing some great Oregon products: cheddar cheese, cranberries, and hazelnuts. It’s no surprise to me that this recipe did the best this year (and is, in fact, my overall most viewed recipe in the two years I’ve been blogging).

My almond brownie martini recipe has been very popular. I can totally appreciate why - this cocktail is super decadent and super yummy!

I have to say I’ve been a little surprised that my limoncello lemon drop recipe has been so popular. But I’m so glad I shared it, as it’s always been one of my favorite easy happy hour cocktails.

And speaking of lemons…my penne with burratta, peas, and preserved lemons has been very popular. My one and only regret with leaving Portland is that I can’t find a single source for burratta here. I can, however, find minimally processed milk, so maybe it’s time for me to make my own burratta.

Last, but not least, is my cherry vanilla vodka cola cocktail. I had a great time creating this cocktail as it reminded me of when I lived in the Marshall Islands.

2018 Goals

Some of my goals for 2018 are fairly similar to 2017’s.

  1. I’d like to keep on working on my photography. I’d like to get back to better backdrops and better lighting. I love taking photos of my food!
  2. I’d like to grow my subscriber list. I’ll keep doing my monthly email and have added the feature of a freebie recipe each month exclusive to my email list. I’ll also be working on a e-book for my subscribers this year.
  3. I’d like to get back to my editorial calendar. It helps me stay on track and especially when the CSA season gears up, I think it will help me stay on top of the mountain of veggies that come my way.
  4. I’ll keep on enjoying the food blogging community. I’m looking forward to hosting Food ‘n Flix in March.
  5. One thing I haven’t done is reach out to a favorite product and offer up my blogging services to promote the product. I’d really like to do this in 2018 and I have a couple of products in mind. I did a terrible job with being an Amazon affiliate, so want to make some effort again to be an affiliate with a company.

So there it is – we are heading on into 2018. I’m looking forward to sharing many great lunch recipes and cocktails with all of you in this new year!

December 27, 2017 0 comment
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Foodie PartiesMusings

How to Host the Perfect Lunch With Friends

written by Ali

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If you are planning to host a get-together for friends, you may be feeling excited but a little bit nervous. After all, you want to make sure that your friends have a good time, and you probably want to show off your culinary skills a bit too. With that in mind, in this post we are going to take a look at some top tips on how to host the perfect lunch for your friends.

  • Set the right mood – Hosting a lunch is not just about the food and drink you serve, it is about the atmosphere too. It is up to you to generate the perfect ambience. There are a number of ways you can do this. Focus on music, lighting, and decorations. Of course, this does not mean you should invest in some disco lights and have songs playing on full blast. For a lunch, a bit of quiet music in the background works well, and ensure a lot of natural daylight floods the room.
  • Make sure everything is served at the right temperature – There is nothing worse than food that is too cold or wine that is not cold enough. However, ensuring everything is served at the right temperature is often one of the most difficult aspects of hosting a dinner party. The key is to have the right equipment and utensils. For example, why not check out Cooling Wine for information on the best wine coolers and wine cooler reviews? In terms of keeping food warm, you could invest in some warming racks and plates.
  • Choose food with care – Don’t think about the food that you like to eat. Think about what everyone else will like to eat. It is important to have foods that are good for entertaining. This is why a lot of people opt to serve an array of smaller dishes, rather than focusing on one specialty meal. After all, it is hard to please everyone with one dish.
  • Ask about allergies in advance – It is important to find out whether any of your guests have any allergies you need to be aware of. After all, the last thing you want is to make one of your guests ill because you have served them something that they aren’t meant to eat.
  • Consider how you are going to serve your food – Planning in advance is important, not only in terms of making sure you acquire the right supplies, but also when it comes to serving your food as well. You need to know what each food item is going to be served in to make sure you have everything you need.

 

So there you have it: some of the top tips you need to follow when you host a lunch for friends. If you take note of the advice that has been mentioned above, you should make the day less stressful and more enjoyable for yourself, while also ensuring your guests have a great time too.

December 6, 2017 0 comment
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BeveragesLunch RecipesVegetarian

Easy Chocolate Smoothie

written by Ali

This post is sponsored by Barlean’s. All opinions are mine alone.

This easy chocolate smoothie is a great way to include just a bit of chocolate into your week. One of the great sponsors for #Choctoberfest is Barlean’s. I’ve had the privilege of working with Barlean’s before and made these great healthy whole grain scones using their butter flavored coconut oil. It’s a one to one substitute for butter. I use it all the time on popcorn.

\I love the Barlean’s story - the Barleans started out as a fishing family, pioneering a direct order system to deliver salmon. One Barlean son got interested in a better way to press flax seed and between the direct order system and the Omega 3 rich flax seed oil, a business was born. Barlean’s products are health-focused. As I said at the start, I’ve made great use of their butter flavored coconut oil. During #Choctoberfest, I got to try out several new ingredients, including the Green Powder Chocolate Silk Flavor and the Essential Woman Omega Swirl Chocolate Mint. The Green Powder Chocolate Silk is an essential ingredient in this easy chocolate smoothie. But I love the Essential Woman Omega Swirl Chocolate Mint , too - it’s so good in my yogurt in the mornings!

Barlean’s Green Powder Chocolate Silk is made with antioxidant-rich fair trade cocoa. You won’t notice the super concentrated blend of greens, fruits, and vegetables, because you will be thoroughly immersed in the great chocolate flavor. Best yet, there’s no added sugar, which means I have no problem adding it to my all natural smoothies.

I’ve been enjoying this easy chocolate smoothie with my lunch all week this week. I’d definitely encourage you to try this smoothie out.

Easy Chocolate Smoothie
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Easy Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 scoops Barlean's Greens Powder Chocolate Silk
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Serves 4. Enjoy!
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October 19, 2017 1 comment
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Farmer's MarketFoodie PartiesFreezer MealsLunch RecipesMain DishesVegetarian

Delicata Squash Mole Enchiladas

written by Ali

This post has been sponsored by Rodelle. All opinions are mine alone.

Delicata Squash Mole Enchiladas is a savory, chocolaty, spicy way to greet the changing seasons. I love this time of year. I can wear sweaters; make soup; and spend guilt free weekends curled up under a blanket with the dog, a cat or two, and a good book. It’s also time for the CSA to start sending us storage veggies, like Delicata squash.

Delicatas are my favorite winter squash. They are small, which makes them easier to use up quickly. You don’t have to peel them, which is a tremendous bonus in my book. And they have a great flavor when they are roasted. This past week’s CSA heralded the start of winter squash season with Delicatas. So, as far as I was concerned, this was perfect timing. The Delicatas coincide with #Choctoberfest, which is a week long celebration of chocolate!

Long story short, I decided I really wanted to make a savory chocolate dish. Last year, when I was still doing all the crazy travel for my job, I ran across a great little place in Redmond, Oregon that served the most amazing mole. I recognize that a traditional mole takes a bit of time and preparation. This is a short-cut mole.

I was also very excited to use Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa in this recipe. Rodelle is one of the many awesome sponsors for #Choctoberfest. Their Gourmet Baking Cocoa is amazing! It’s got a great depth of super chocolaty flavor. And it pairs incredibly well with chilies in Adobo sauce for this mole.

On a total side note, one of my friends from work reminded me that there is a great recipe for mole in the novel Like Water for Chocolate. I’m thinking this is a book on my short list to curl up and read again, preferably with a dog and one or more cats snuggled next to me.

This mole is quick. A few dried spices, chilies in Adobo, a little peanut butter, and Rodelle’s Gourmet Baking Cocoa and that’s about all there is to it. I love the combination of roasted Delicata squash, a bit of smoked cheddar, and mole in my Delicata Squash Mole Enchiladas. These freeze beautifully and I’ll be eating these for lunch this week and next.

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Delicata Squash Mole Enchiladas

Ingredients

    Mole Sauce
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Chipotle peppers in Adobo
  • 1/2 teaspoon of adobo sauce from peppers
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon peanut buter
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups vegetable broth or water
    • Delicata Squash Enchiladas
  • 3/4 cup Mole Sauce
  • 9 corn tortillas
  • 2 Delicata squash
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups smoked cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the delicata squash into 1/4 inch rings. Remove seeds. Lay the squash rings on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes or until squash is soft and slightly caramelized.
  2. In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes or until the onions begin to brown.
  3. Take the onions off the heat and add the remaining mole ingredients through the water/vegetable broth. Stir and return to the heat. Continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken (about 20 minutes). Use an immersion blender and blend until the sauce is smooth.
  4. To make the enchiladas, spoon 1/4 cup of the mole sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 10 inch baking pan. Lay 2 tortillas over the sauce and split another tortilla into four pieces to cover the corners. Spoon a bit more mole over the tortillas and then layer the delicata squash rings on top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.
  5. Lay 2 more tortillas over the squash, cheese, and mole. Use another tortilla, cut into quarters to cover the corners. Spoon more mole over this layer and then sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.
  6. Lay 2 tortillas over the top. Use the final tortilla to cover the corners. Spoon the remaining mole over the top of the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling on top.
  8. Serves 4. Enjoy! Remaining mole sauce can be frozen for later use.
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October 16, 2017 4 comments
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Farmer's MarketFreezer MealsLunch RecipesQuick and EasyVegetarian

Eggplant Mac and Cheese

written by Ali

The last few weeks have seen an eggplant inundation from the CSA, leading me to make eggplant mac and cheese. Because when it doubt, make mac and cheese. In this first week of October, I decided I needed some comfort food for lunch. It just feels right. And eggplant mac and cheese is the perfect anecdote to the early fall blues.

Not that I can complain too much. Our CSA is still going strong - this week we got lettuce, chard, carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet peppers, parsley and hot peppers. I also picked up some zucchini and more tomatoes at the Valley Flora farm stand and we got mushrooms and figs from the farmer’s market. The lettuce went into a salad. The peppers are going into chicken fajitas later this week. The mushrooms went into a swoon-worthy fritatta. The carrots are going to get grated and tossed into the freezer for some recipes later this month. The parsley went into my stock bag in the freezer.

I’m ready for that transition point, though - ready for winter squash, shallots, onions, and potatoes. And really ready for mushrooms. Still, I’ll gladly use up the last of the eggplant.

This eggplant mac and cheese is a super creamy dish. I used a combination of mozzarella cheese and goat cheese. These are a great counterpoint to the nutty sweet roasted eggplant. Just about any pasta would be good with this, but I used cavatappi because it just happens to be my absolute favorite. I’d imagine this would be good with a variety of add ins - bacon might be good, but if you happen to have some home roasted cherry tomatoes, you might try those out, too.

This recipe freezes well. I’ve got only a few days this week when I’ll actually be at my desk for lunch, so this recipe will tide me over through next week.

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Eggplant Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 small eggplants or 1 large one
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 package cavattapi or similar pasta
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 ounces goat cheese
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the eggplant into one inch pieces. Lay the eggplant pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.
  2. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and whisk constantly for one minute. Add the milk and stir constantly over medium heat until the milk begins to thicken. Take the sauce off the heat. Add the cheese and stir until it's melted.
  4. Add the eggplant and pasta to the sauce. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add salt to taste.
  5. Serves 4. Enjoy!
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October 2, 2017 0 comment
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AppetizersFarmer's MarketLunch RecipesQuick and EasyVegetarian

Green Curry Eggplant Pinwheels

written by Ali

Green curry eggplant pinwheels are such a super easy appetizer to make. These are great finger food – ideal for a picnic or a cocktail party. And they only take four ingredients to make! I’ve been munching on these for lunch – two or three of these get tossed in the lunchbox alongside a salad.

As you might be able to tell, eggplant has been a feature in the CSA the last few weeks. We’ve also been getting zucchini, tomatoes, sweet peppers, corn, cucumbers, onions, leeks, potatoes, and carrots. I’m getting to that point where the freezer is well stocked; I’ve canned all I’m going to can; and I’m ready for autumn to get here and put an end to all this abundance. Then I’ll start whining again around January that I miss the veggies. It’s a pretty normal cycle.

The green curry eggplant pinwheels were a good solution to the one-eggplant-a-week from the CSA. I can make up several batches of these and freeze them, too, which also makes them an ideal recipe to enjoy over the next month or so. I’ve also taken to pairing them with my cranberry cheddar pinwheels - it’s fun to have some variety in my lunch box!

My cheat for this recipe is to use a store bought green curry. If I had more time, I’d whip up my own curry, but here of late, time has been a precious commodity. You can also short cut this recipe very easily by using store bought puff pastry. Thaw out one sheet for green curry eggplant pinwheels and then keep the other sheet for future use.

 

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Green Curry Eggplant Pinwheels

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon green curry
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1 sheet puff pastry

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Combine the eggplant, curry, and coconut milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is soft. Set aside to cool for at least fifteen minutes.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the puff pastry on the parchment paper and spread the eggplant mixture evenly over the pastry. Roll the puff pastry, starting from the long end.. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Cut the eggplant and pastry roll into 1 1/2 inch slices. Lay the slices flat on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.
  5. Makes 1 dozen pinwheels. Enjoy!
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September 26, 2017 10 comments
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BeveragesFarmer's MarketLunch RecipesVegetarian

Tomato Celery Green Smoothie

written by Ali

It’s rapidly getting to the point of the season when I’m just overwhelmed with veggies enough to think that making a tomato celery green smoothie is a good idea. Fortunately, it really was a good idea. Yes – I’m getting to a point of vegetable overload. It’s ok – it’s a pattern I go through every year. Around January, I miss fresh veggies so bad, I’m driven to purchasing tomatoes and cucumbers from the store (and instantly regretting it). April brings some degree of hope: after all, morels are showing up in the market and there are the occasional snap peas. May and June are much more hopeful. July is reasonable in its level of abundance. September, well, September is a full out onslaught of squash and tomatoes and greens.

This week was especially bad. We got our CSA veggies (zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, carrots, collard greens, peppers, strawberries, and celery) and then went to the farmer’s market and bought more zucchini, more peppers, lettuce, basil, red cabbage and cherry tomatoes. I could have managed if I’d just left it there. But no, then I went on Saturday and helped a friend can 300 pounds of Albacore tuna. Yes – you read that number right. 300 pounds of fish. I still smell like tuna. I also can’t wait to dig into a jar and make a tuna salad, but that’s a post for another day. What’s more important to this post is that by Sunday, my back had said no more. Forget it – don’t even dream about even moving. Abundance of veggies in the fridge versus cranky back. The back won.

I ate the cucumbers and cherry tomatoes as snacks. I made zucchini pancakes, despite the protests of my back. I sat and drank sangria and read. That was Sunday. By Monday, Labor Day, the Icy Hot had kicked in. I did yoga and then contemplated the contents of the fridge. I couldn’t let the beautiful celery leaves go to waste. (The celery itself will survive a few more days.) I couldn’t neglect the collard greens for another week without serious guilt. Plus, all those tomatoes.

So, I made a tomato celery green smoothie with the tomatoes (did I mention that somehow in the process of tuna canning, we ended up walking away with even more tomatoes from our friends’ garden?), the celery leaves, and a few of the collard greens. The only thing that it was missing was vodka – but that’s just not healthy. This is a healthy tomato celery green smoothie. And I’ll totally look the other way if you add an ounce of vodka to this and call it a Bloody Mary smoothie.

This week, I’ll be working on catching up with the abundance. I’m pretty sure we’ll skip the farmer’s market this week and just eat what comes in the CSA. I’m positive that by January, I’ll be missing all of this again and the cycle will start all over. In the meantime, I’m going to be drinking my tomato celery green smoothie and being just the slightest bit annoyed by all the produce that keeps coming my way.

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Tomato Celery Green Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 4 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • 1 cup celery leaves
  • 4 collard green leaves, spines removed, and roughly chopped (or 2 cups spinach leaves)
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 3 dashes green Tabasco

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend. Add water as needed to smooth out the smoothie. Serves 4. Enjoy!
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September 5, 2017 3 comments
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Farmer's MarketSaladVegetarian

Kale Salad with Buttermilk Cucumber Dressing

written by Ali

Kale salad with buttermilk cucumber dressing is one of my favorite easy lunch salads. We received a gorgeous bunch of red kale several weeks ago from our CSA, along with a cucumber. I definitely wanted kale salad, then decided I also wanted to make my own dressing. It made perfect sense to pair the cucumber with buttermilk and it didn’t hurt matters that I had fresh dried dill on hand as well.

I realize that fresh dried dill may be a contradiction in terms. It might be more accurate to say that I had my own homemade dried dill on hand. About three weeks ago, we received a large bunch of dill fronds in our CSA. I didn’t immediately need dill, so did some research regarding how to best preserve it. As it turns out, you can easily dry dill on low heat in the oven and then crumble it up and keep it in an air tight container for a while. It’s so good added into cream cheese (with smoked salmon on a bagel – trust me, it’s amazing!) as well as into a creamy dressing like this buttermilk cucumber dressing. I’ve also used it to liven up popcorn.

The kale salad with buttermilk cucumber dressing takes very little time to make. I massaged the kale with salt and lemon juice to soften the kale up a bit. The dressing does require blending, which is super easy to accomplish with an immersion blender. I’ll be using the dressing on other salads, and might also use it as a light spread on a bagel or sandwich. It would also be great for dipping veggies.

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Kale Salad with Buttermilk Cucumber Dressing

Ingredients

    Kale Salad
  • A bunch of kale, de-stemmed and torn into small pieces
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
    • Buttermilk Cucumber Dressing
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, and finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. For the salad, combine the kale, the juice from the half lemon, and the salt and massage until the kale is softened.
  2. For the dressing, combine all ingredients and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
  3. Dress the kale salad and enjoy! Serves 4.
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August 23, 2017 0 comment
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Farmer's MarketLunch RecipesVegetarian

Fried Lemon Fennel Linguine

written by Ali

There’s a story behind my fried lemon fennel linguine this week. I guess in fairness, there’s always a story behind the scenes, behind the food. This week’s recipe was heavily inspired by Melissa Clark’s Dinner: Changing the Game. I’ve had an evolving relationship with cookbooks. There was a time in my life when I had so many cookbooks they occupied most of one floor to ceiling bookshelf. I aspired to have a collection so large I’d have to bequest it to a library or something someday. (There was such a collection at the university I attended – I seriously romanticized the notion of having that many cookbooks). In recent years, with multiple moves under my belt, several of which were multi-state, I’ve had to gradually scale back my cookbook ambitions. Plus, Pinterest has been a game changer, as are all the great food blogs that are out there. In the last couple of years, I’ve generally not bought cookbooks, relying instead on my own cooking wits and getting my inspiration from online sources.

Then I discovered the Food 52 Cookbook Club on Facebook. A group of foodies cook out of the same cookbook for the month and post luscious food photos of what they’ve made. I’m two months in and having a blast. Last month, we cooked from My Paris Kitchen (David Lebovitz). I actually bought the book – it’s too beautiful not to have on the shelf. This month is Dinner. To save shelf space (and to spare the need to pack too many books someday when we move again), I bought the e-version of Dinner. Both months’ books have been great inspiration for dealing with all the CSA veggies. Today’s recipe – fried lemon fennel linguine – is no exception.

Speaking of CSAs and farmer’s markets: here’s the haul from last week. The CSA brought me tomatoes, fennel, thyme, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, kale, and carrots. My sweetie bought me 20 pounds of tomatoes from the farmer’s market, along with some corn, Anaheim peppers, and blackberries. The tomatoes all went into diced canned tomatoes. The lettuce made it into a salad. The Anaheims went into eggs for several meals. The zucchini and some of the corn made it into zucchini, corn, bacon pancakes (I’m pretty sure that one will make it onto the blog someday soon). The fennel went into today’s recipe. The cucumbers were both eaten and added to a salad, as well as inspired a salad dressing that accompanied the kale that should make it to the blog mid-week. The carrots are still hanging out in the fridge, as is the thyme.

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Fried Lemon Fennel Linguine

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon, quartered, de-seeded and sliced into thin slices
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bulb fennel, fronds removed and sliced into ¼ inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Approximately ½ cup ricotta cheese (preferably homemade – recipe here)
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch sugar
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • ½ package linguine

Instructions

  1. If you are making homemade ricotta (which I really do recommend – it’s so easy and yummy!) make the ricotta first.
  2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lemon slices and blanch for 2 minutes. Taste after 2 minutes – if they are still bitter, blanch again for another 2 minutes. Remove the lemons from the water, pat dry, and set aside.
  3. Cook the linguine according to the package directions. While the linguine is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Once the olive oil is hot, add the lemon and fennel slices, along with a pinch sugar and a pinch salt. Let the lemons and fennel fry, turning occasionally. When they are both brown and caramelized, remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain.
  4. Drain the linguine, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water. Combine the linguine, parsley, lemon and fennel in the saucepan. Divide among four bowls and top with ricotta. Salt to taste and sprinkle with a bit of fresh ground black pepper.
  5. Serves 4. Enjoy!
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http://fixmealittlelunch.com/fried-lemon-fennel-linguine/

This post is linked up to Tinned Tomatoes’ Meat Free Mondays

August 14, 2017 1 comment
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