Tacos Two Ways

Sorry for the delayed post. I think I've still been on vacation time. Hope you all had a good weekend.

Jacqui hosted this week's recipe for The Food Matters Project. Check out her beans 'n greens burrito and what others made here. Since we were at the beach I didn't make burritos, but I rounded up two taco recipes for you to try. You might remember these green apple tacos from a few weeks ago or these NC fish tacos from last July. Make both and you'll have happy pescatarians and vegans on your hands. I also want to try Sara's shitake and lentil tacos and Kelsey's squash tacos. I mean really, who doesn't love tacos?

Friday Favorites with Living Antenna

I met Barbara in the winter of 2005 at our dorm in London when we were both studying abroad. She was studying fashion, I was studying design. We instantly clicked. Fast forward 7 years later, we email regularly and visit each other when we can, even though we live on separate continents (B lives in Amsterdam). Barbara's the most curious person I've ever met, always wanting to learn something new, and up for anything. We share a passion for food and design, and could (and have) talked for hours about it. Her blog, Living Antenna,  is a culmination of current trends in food, design, and sustainability. She was recently nominated for a TWOTY (Trend Watcher of the Year) award for upcoming talent. You might want to pour a cup of coffee, and curl up with Living Antenna, like you would a good book.

Barbara, what's your favorite food?

Barbara: Here's my fave food—actually any grain or couscous, mixed with lots of greens, herbs and some sort of nuts. If I could, I'd eat it everyday. But I guess the most important part of any of those dishes are herbs, I just love to mix dill with basil, use cilantro along parsil, use chervil and chives when I can.. That's why Etti's herb salad by Yotam Ottolenghi is my fave dish to serve to friends. It makes them realize that herbs are not only seasoning when dried and blended in a little jar, but rather the heart of your meal, from which you subsequently pick your veggies, and then either the proteins or carbs to top it off. 

We're off to the beach with friends for the long weekend. There won't be a post on Monday, so check back early next week. Have a great holiday!

Mostly peach salsa & goat cheese on toast

We got back from our vacation to Seattle and Vancouver late on Friday night. We had a wonderful trip. I woke up early Saturday ready to hit the farmers' market. I bought peaches, blueberries, goat cheese, chard, lettuce, dill, onions, and eggs. I was so excited for the peaches (much like this lady).

Today's Food Matters Project recipe is a Mexican-style fruit salsa with grilled or broiled fish. Make sure to check out Sarah's recipe as well as the rest of the team.

Mostly peach salsa & goat cheese on toast
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
3 medium peaches, peeled and diced small
1/4 c blueberries
1/4 c watermelon, diced small
jalepeno, minced to taste
fresh basil (I had lemon), to taste
squeeze of a lemon + lime wedge
pinch of salt + pepper
dash of olive oil
1-2 pieces of whole wheat bread

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate so the flavors have time to marinate.

Throw a piece of bread into the toaster. When it's toasted to your liking, smear with goat cheese. Top with salsa, and enjoy for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I think this would make a great picnic food in the park or on the beach.

Friday Favorites with Note to Self

Today I'm talking with Sarah of the blog, Note to Self. Sarah is a graphic designer who's currently pursuing her Master's degree from SCAD. She's also the associate designer of Matchbook Magazine. I just love the Sip/Snack series, her attention to detail, and the overall aesthetic of her work. Make sure to read her local's guide to Savannah—trip 1, trip 2, trip 3—if you happen to be visiting there anytime soon.

Sarah, what's your favorite food?

Sarah: My favorite food right now is the peach. One of my favorite things about getting to live in Georgia is its signature fruit. They're just coming into season down here, and whether they're plucked straight from the farmer's market, mixed into a cocktail, or grilled and wrapped in prosciutto as a snack, a juicy peach simply can't be beat. 

Thanks Sarah! See you guys on Monday!

Give your leftovers a makeover

Don't forget the beet greens

Did you pick up beets from the market this weekend? Are you going to make a raw or roasted beet dish? Whatever you do, don't discard the beet greens! They can be substituted for chard in recipes. Seriously, beets and red-stemmed chard are related. They both share a wine-colored stem, which I think is pretty rad. That has to mean there's some extra vitamins and minerals in there, right? Right. Beet greens are full of folic acid, vitamins K and A. They also contain more iron and calcium than just the beet itself. So next time, save those greens!

I've been digging the humble beet green lately, and the CSA has kept my crisper full. I sauté them with spring onions and garlic, and finish with this tahini sauce (yes, I'm addicted). They sound good on pizza and in a risotto too.

As you can see there's no Food Matters Project recipe here today, so skip on over to see what Laura and the rest of the members whipped up.

Source: Woods, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia, 2010.

Friday Favorites with Reading My Tea Leaves

Today I'm talking with Erin of the blog, Reading My Tea Leaves. I've been following Erin before she moved to NYC and was living in Wilmington, NC. Her blog gives a glimpse into her everyday life and boy, is it pretty. She lives in a teeny apartment and shares tips for surviving in a small space. I love her week in object series, and her way of making the everyday mundane things so beautiful. She's the type of person I'd love to meet for an early morning cup of coffee and a cheese & chive biscuit (or maybe a slice of this) and discuss making the world a better place.

Erin, what's your favorite food?

Erin: When I first thought about my favorite foods, my thoughts turned to favorite dishes. I started dreaming about the buttery, flaky crusts that encase savory tarts filled with sweet leeks and fresh eggs and cream. Then I dreamed up a lasagne oozing with ricotta and winter spinach and drenched in a rich red tomato sauce. Next, a kale salad tossed with lemon and parmesan and sprinkled with hazelnuts. And finally, dessert and rich chocolate cake topped with barely sweet cream. But for Adrienne's question, I decided I wanted to think about individual foods: those things that we eat that are so interesting and inspiring that they stand up all on their own. With spring arriving to the New York City Greenmarket, I couldn't help but turn my attention to the red-veined sorrel popping up on farmer's stands. Sorrel isn't a longtime favorite of mine, but it stole my heart last year at this time and I haven't turned back since. The taste is sharp and lemony and yes, something about it evokes the sweet and the sour of an early spring strawberry. If it's tossed into a salad, I promise, you hardly need a dressing at all.

We're on a plane to Seattle right now! We'll be there for a couple of days before heading north to Vancouver, BC. I'm so excited to get away, for cooler temperatures, awesome coffee, delicious food, and to explore new places. I have a few posts scheduled for next week, so be sure to check them out. Until then, see you in a week!

A raw strawberry tart with a side of perseverance

I don't normally talk politics here, but I was among the 39% who voted against Amendment One in North Carolina. It was a vote cast for progress, hope, and equality. We lost the battle. I am saddened that my home state was close-minded, and that I've witnessed many harsh words being flung from both sides. I wasn't going to post a recipe today, because it seemed trivial compared to other things. But I decided that there is good that comes from bad. The fight for equality is far from over. Just look at this amazing endorsement from the President yesterday.

All of this reminded me of these raw strawberry tarts. Tarts that I made for a dear friend who has been fighting her own battles for months, the strongest and most beautiful person I know. She finished her last round of chemo recently. And that made me smile. Here's to perseverance.

"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today." - H.G. Wells

Raw strawberry tarts
Makes 11-12 individual tarts
Crust
1/4 c raw hazelnuts
3/4 c raw almonds
3/4 c dates
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
pinch of sea salt

Filling
1 c raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours
1 c local strawberries
juice of half a lemon
1/4 c honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted & at room temperature
strawberry slices or raspberries to garnish

Line a 12-muffin tin with plastic wrap.

Put all the ingredients for the crust in a food processor. Pulse until combined and sticky. Add about two tablespoons of crust into each muffin cup, pressing into the bottom and a little up the sides.

Add the filling ingredients to the food processor (or Vita-Mix). Process until smooth, creamy, and very pink. Pour about two tablespoons into each muffin, right on top of the crust. Garnish with slices of strawberry or a single raspberry.

Place in the freezer to set. This will take about 4 hours. Let set at room temperature 10-15 minutes before eating. Perfect for those hot and humid days or for anyone looking for a light dessert.

Green apple tacos

We had tacos for dinner on Saturday night in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The husband loves Mexican food, so we make tacos about once a week. I'll prepare beans and some sort of veggie filling—caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, or greens—while he cooks chicken and grates cheese. Taco night is fun. It's easy, relatively quick, and can be healthy.

The Food Matters Project recipe for this week was five quick salsas for chips, dips, and other stuff. Check out Alissa's recipes as well as what others made here. I decided to change things up and try Bittman's green apple salsa since I already have pico down pat (and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of tomatoes from our CSA).

Green apples. Cucumbers. Cilantro. So light and refreshing. I'll definitely be making this again. I think it would make a lovely summer salad with the addition of kale or lettuce. I also made Bittman's corn tortillas, which produced a better end result than my previous attempts. They weren't the prettiest tortillas—I don't own a tortilla press—but they were tasty. I piled the tortilla with a spicy black bean puree and sautéed chard and onions underneath the salsa. Perfect.

Green apple salsa
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
1.5 green apples, diced
2 large spring onions, diced
half a cucumber, peeled + deseeded, diced
1/3 c cilantro, minced
1 large radish, diced
juice of half a lemon
juice of half a lime
half a serrano pepper, minced (add to taste)
1 avocado, chopped
salt + pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate and let flavors meld before serving.

Bittman's corn tortillas
Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook
1.5 c masa harina
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c boiling water

Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and mix well until the dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough is nice and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Unwrap dough and tear into 12-16 pieces. Roll into balls and cover. Take each piece, rolling and shaping into a small disc by hand (or use a tortilla press). Continue with all of the dough.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add a tortilla, cooking on each side, until a darker yellow and a few brown spots start to appear. Only takes a few minutes on each side. Repeat for all.

Grab a tortilla, layer with your favorite fillings, and top with delicious green apple salsa. Leftover tortillas taste great the next morning with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes.

Friday favorites with Wit & Whistle

I've decided to open up Friday Favorites to other bloggers I admire, not just food bloggers. So today's guest is Amanda from Wit & Whistle. Amanda and I were in the trenches together at the College of Design, so I know first hand how smart, quick, and funny this girl is. She always manages to make design look effortless. I love her DIY tutorials, recipes, and beautiful photographs on her blog. Make sure to visit her online shop (or these retailers) and purchase a witty Mother's Day card or a handmade jotter.

Amanda, what's your favorite food?

Amanda: Asparagus is easily my favorite food (in spite of the rather unfortunate side effect it causes). It's best drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted at 425 F for 9–13 minutes until it's tender but still crispy. I've been known to eat an entire pan of roasted asparagus in one sitting, but if I manage to leave behind any leftovers, they are delicious cold, straight from the refrigerator.

Thanks Amanda! I thought it was fitting to share Amanda's love for asparagus after the Food Matters recipe earlier this week. Also make sure to check out yesterday's chard recipe. Have a great Friday everyone and stay cool in this heat!

Chard packages

Tired of eating sautéed greens? Liven up your plate by making these chard packages.

My crisper is overflowing with greens—kale, chard, beet greens, and lettuces—from our CSA. I wanted something different for dinner, so I decided to stuff my chard leaves. I had leftover brown rice and lentils that I knew would make a perfect filling. I spied a half full jar of tomatillo salsa that I decided to use for the sauce. These are similar to stuffed grape leaves you might find at a Mediterranean deli.

Don't worry this is a pretty easy and quick recipe. Simply select the six biggest leaves you have. Prepare the filling, about a cup's worth. Stuff your leaves and bake. Feel free to change up the ingredients in the filling or the sauce. I think tomato sauce or freshly diced tomatoes would be nice.

Chard packages with tomatillo salsa
6 large chard leaves, rinsed well
~1 c of tomatillo salsa
1 tbsp olive oil or ghee
2 small onions, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp oregano
pinch of sea salt
pinch of red pepper chili flakes
1 small carrot, diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 radish, diced, small
1/4 c cooked brown rice
1/3 c cooked lentils

Preheat oven to 350. Pour half of the tomatillo salsa into the bottom of a loaf pan.

Cut the chard stems at about where the leaves start. I normally make an upside down V with my knife into the stem. Set leaves aside.

Prepare your filling. This is where you can get creative. I used what vegetables I had on hand. You really need about a cup of filling. Saute the diced onion in the olive oil until transparent. Add the garlic, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant then add the carrot, celery, and radish. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rice and lentils.

Fill your chard leaves. Grab a leaf, scoop about almost two tablespoons of the filling, and add to the middle of the base of the leaf (widest part). Roll in the sides, while rolling towards the end of the leaf (smallest part). Make sure to hold the filling with your fingers, so it doesn't go all over the place. After one or two you'll get the hang of it.

Nestle the chard packages, seam side down, right onto the salsa in the loaf pan. Drizzle the rest of the salsa over the tops. Cover with foil and bake for about 20-22 minutes.

Enjoy with a side of lentils and chipotle sweet potatoes.