Went to the Hillsdale Farmer’s Market and picked up eight ears of corn for $4. Deal! The recipe here calls for six ears, but I always like to get a couple extra, just in case. Sometimes, you don’t know what you will find when you unwrap corn — all plump golden kernels or plump golden kernels with little patches of shrunken, underdeveloped kernels. With extra corn, you can have more on hand if your ears are less than perfect. Mine were pretty good, but I used 8 ears to come away with a little over three cups of corn kernels. Perfect ears, you could probably do it in six.

Organic, pesticide-free, local corn (it’s good!) — get eight.

The recipe here is from Local Flavors, by Deborah Madison, which is a great cookbook to find inspiration from. Especially when you come back from a Farmers Market with a big bag full of farmers stuff.

I had enough batter to make about 12 fritters, but then I was a little over on the corn (I had about three and a half cups). Assume the below recipe as written will make 10-12 corn fritters. Originally, the cookbook said six fritters, but I think hers were a little larger than mine, as she just said to divide the batter into six portions right away. I like to take a more unplanned approach to my fritter frying. “Surprise me”, I say. Surprise, I got 12 fritters.

Oh and for the record, I am not completely sure that my cheddar was aged. Was good, though.

Corn Fritters with Aged Cheddar & Sage
Adapted (just a little bit) from “Local Flavors,” by Deborah Madison
6 -8 ears sweet corn, enough to yield 3 cups kernels
2 eggs, beaten
4 scallions, including an inch of the greens, finely sliced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped sage (dill or basil will also work but up it to 2 tbsp)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (you can also use Swiss or feta)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil for frying
Optional: 3 handfuls arugula, stems trimmed

Slice the tops of the kernels off the corn, then reverse your knife and press out the milk. Now, before you do this on a cutting board or plate, realize that little corn kernels will fly all over your kitchen. Try standing the end of the corn up in a big bowl that will catch the kernels and milk nicely.

Mix the kernels and scrapings with the eggs, scallions, herbs, cheese, and as much flour (mine used the whole 1/3 cup) as can easily be absorbed. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

Heat enough oil to cover a wide skillet generously. Drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls into the skillet. Fry over medium heat until golden, about 2-3 minutes, then turn and brown the second side. I found it easy to check for readiness to flip by pushing the fritter a bit with my spatula. If the fritter stuck together, it had a nice crust and was ready to turn over. If it wanted to separate a little and not stay together, I gave it a bit longer. Cook fritters in batches.

As your remove from your skillet, place on a paper towel covered plate to absorb any extra oil.

You can serve these as a main dish over some arugula leaves and maybe make a spicy aioli dipping sauce or, have as a side dish. Mmmmm!

We first went to Lauro Kitchen on SE Division a little bit after it opened. It is afterall, a neighborhood place in our neighborhood. We both liked it a lot and then kind of forgot to go back. Anyway, one of the things I do remember is how much I loved the gazpacho. Imagine my delight when stumbling upon their website, they had the Gazpacho Recipe listed! Awesome!

I made it within a day or two of finding it. Probably the only time I will be happy for hot weather. Anyway, it was so good. But, I did think it was pretty vinegary — I love vinegar so it was fine for me and jwa. I would start using 1/2 the vinegar called for to begin with and then tasting and adding more to your liking. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup but I say start with a couple of tablespoons.

You can also serve this in a glass with some grilled shrimp (like they do). Oh and drizzle some tasty olive oil on top for decoration.

Printable recipe from LK’s Website

Lauro Kitchen Gazpacho
10 large, ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 slices dry bread, crust removed
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded
1 large hothouse cucumber, peeled
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 - 4 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cupcold water
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped herbs for the top (parsley, basil, chives)

Cover the bread with water and soak for 5 minutes. While this happens, puree the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and garlic in a blender, in batches.

Push the mixture through a strainer into a container. This is why I didn’t peel my tomatoes. Well, I didn’t peel them because I am lazy but I also figured that putting them through the strainer would catch most of the peel. It did.

Remove the bread from the water and squeeze out the excess water. Place that in the blender and puree with the olive oil. You will need to get some olive oil in there before the bread starts to actually do anything.

Add the vinegar and lemon juice. Add some of the tomato mixture back to the blender and then mix it back into the container. Taste. Stir in more vinegar if you’d like.

Season with the salt and pepper and adjust the consistency with the cold water. Serve in bowls with olive oil drizzle and chopped herbs.

I just saw this on Sara’s blog (I Like to Cook) and couldn’t resist. This list is the 100 things that Very Good Taste thinks everyone should eat at least once in their life.

And you can sing along.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

My comments after the — dash

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile — Hopefully with a tasty sauce and appropriate grill marks
6. Black pudding — ewww
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi — Wikipedia says… Hey! I have had this at Indian restaurant buffets!
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses — Wikipedia says…
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese — uh, no. probably not.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper — again, probably not. I have a delicate lady-stomach.
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters — Do they have to be raw? Then no
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda — not yet, but I actually have been meaning to make this in my awesome fondue pot
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi — Does a mango lassi count?
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar — eww to the cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail — Hopefully with a tasty sauce and appropriate grill marks
41. Curried goat — actually, i would totally be into trying this. maybe one day I can combine this with #75 (roadkill)
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal — Wikipedia says…
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu — Wikipedia says…
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel — With a good sauce
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi — Wikipedia says…
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal ew
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine — Wikipedia says…. my god, how have I not already had this? Especially, with #58?
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads — If someone sitting by me ordered this and offered me a bite, I would try it — but hopefully, I’ll never find myself in that situation…
63. Kaolin — along with Sara, I am getting clay here. that’s kind of weird. If I were sitting next to someone who ordered clay and then offered me a bite I would probably decline, because dude, you’re eating clay.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs — Hopefully with a tasty sauce and appropriate grill marks
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings — Wikipedia says… uh, pass
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini — can I get 1/2 a point?
73. Louche absinthe — ohhh, arty!
74. Gjetost — Wikipedia says…
75. Roadkill — Depends, like did I roadkill it personally? Then at least I would know it was fresh. Or, has it just been lying there for a few days. Because ew. Also, what is it? If I could roadkill a rack of lamb that would be awesome. Or maybe a nice Cornish game hen. Anyway, those are my stipulations. Oh and “hopefully with a tasty sauce and appropriate grill marks” applies here. Grill marks are from the cooking, not grill marks from the killing with a vehicle. ba-dump-dump
76. Baijiu — Wikipedia says…
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail — As long as there is a lot of garlic involved
79. Lapsang souchong — also because of the smoky flavor, it’s also great for making marinades, sauces and steaming edible things
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky — Wikipedia says…
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant — Ah, hell yes — wait, am I paying?
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare — Hopefully with a tasty sauce and appropriate grill marks
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake — Hopefully with a tasty sauce and appropriate grill marks

Eek! Only 49! I guess I have some eating to do…

I just finished a mosaics workshop at Portland Community College and here it is — Octopus!

Detail — the big glass things at the top and bottom are not plates — they were from the Dollar Store!

It will hang outside on the back fence as soon as I go to Home Depot and get some grout sealer. It’s on concrete backer board and it’s all broken plates (except for the blue and turquoise glass bits).

Working on it Sunday night

I started it last Saturday (although, I actually starting breaking plates and nipping the pieces last week), and worked on it for about 5 hours that day, 4 hours on Sunday and 2 hours Monday night. I actually finished it in time to let the adhesive dry for 48 hours before grouting! We met as a class tonight to grout at the Portland French School. The instructor was Pauline Tait and it was a really fun workshop.

I was getting a little concerned that I was not going to get it all done in time.

Spencer was really not all that impressed…

I’ll take more pictures once it’s up on the fence! Okay, coming soon: Gazpacho and a Plum-Marzipan tart.

Well, hell. It’s hot out again. And here I thought we were going to escape the Summer with sweet, sweet 70’s and sunny weather through the end. Nope. 101 103 degrees Friday and Saturday. Ick. Now’s the time for the chilled pea soup. But Saturday I will try a new gazpacho recipe — that’ll be fun.

Weather aside*, here’s a really tasty dish we had last weekend, way back when it was reasonable out. Originally, it was shrimp and Chinese broccoli in the Gourmet Magazine version, but I sneakily changed that to chicken and green beans. Mahahahahahaha!, says Chef Evil.

Anywhoooo, I found what I am 99% sure is fermented black beans at Uwajimaya. Please, no one tell me this is something else, because they were really good in this. Oh well, if they are some other kind of black bean product, this dish will just become Chicken and Green Beans with Mystery Jarred Black Beans from Uwajimaya. No biggie. But for now:

Printable Recipe pdf!

Chicken and Green Beans with Fermented Black Beans
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing) or medium-dry Sherry (I went the sherry route)
3 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb-ish Green Beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lb-ish boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
2 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, minced and ready for trouble
1/2 fresh jalapeno chile (including seeds), or to taste, diced finely
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Stir together broth, rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved.

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling, salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove to an ice bath and then drain. Set aside.

Heat wok or large skillet over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly. Pour peanut oil around side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl oil, coating side. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and stir-fry 5 seconds. Add black beans, garlic, and jalapeno and stir-fry 1 minute. Working quickly, add chicken, spreading in 1 layer on bottom and side of wok. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes, then stir-fry 2-3 minutes more. Add green beans to wok to reheat.

Stir in broth mixture and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil, then stir to combine. Serve over rice.

We had this with some experimental Green Onion Pancakes. I know my dough was rolled too thick. I think I also added too much flour while kneading.

The recipe is directly from Cooking.com and you can grab it there. Here are my pictures.

Adding green onions to dough

After making a spiral and rolling again — I’m pretty sure this should be thinner, but my dough was starting to tear

Cooking pancakes in peanut oil

Finished product was thick and a bit dense but pretty damn good dipped in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and chopped cilantro!

* Although, photoshop is on my mac upstairs. Which means I had to edit all the images up there. In the hot. Wah. That is why this post it up later than I had hoped. Damn you weather!!!

We’re going back to Spain again. Can you tell I just got The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen and I just can’t stop leafing through it? Yes? Okay, good, as that’s pretty much the case. I had planned to make this soup and wouldn’t you know it, it was only about 78 degrees that day. But it was sunny! So, I guess that counts.

This would be an awesome soup on a super hot day. It was a great soup on a kind of warm day. I loved the mint, although jwa thought there might have been a bit too much. So, I guess scale your mint usage on how much you like mint. Oh and I was a little concerned about the iceburg lettuce, but it works. Let’s see, what else? Oh, the color is a wonderful, bright green. And I got to use a lot of herbs from the garden. That’s always a plus.

Enough with the chit-chat, let’s get to the soup!

Printable Recipe pdf!

Spanish Chilled Herbed Pea Soup
from The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen
1 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
2 small leeks, cleaned, halved, and chopped
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth
3 1/2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
2 cups chopped iceburg lettuce
3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh chervil or parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
5 ounces mild goat cheese or cream cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

My new favorite frozen peas, from the Columbia River Valley!

Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and saute the leeks over medium heat. Cook until soft and not much browned, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and 3 cups of water and increase the heat to high, bringing to a boil.

Add the peas and lettuce and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer about 3-4 minutes.

Drain the peas, setting aside the cooking liquid. Run the peas under cold water to stop cooking and the let everything (peas and cooking liquid) cool in their separate containers.

Garden herbs — parsley, basil and tarragon

Places the the peas, most of the chives (save a few out for garnish), tarragon, basil, chervil or parsley, mint, goat cheese, remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and 3 cups of the reserved liquid in a large bowl and combine.

Blend in batches, pureeing until completely smooth and frothy. Transfer blended soup back into your bowl and whisk in remaining liquid. Taste and season with salt & pepper. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. Serve the soup in glasses garnished with the remaining chopped chives and drizzled with olive oil.

***

We went to Uwajimaya Sunday and got jwa tons of ramen (okay, 5 packages). He is happy! I also got lots of oils and other assorted jarred items. For those not in the area, it’s a huge and wonderful Asian grocery store here with so many fun and tasty things — and live sea creatures: lobsters, crabs, prawns (cute!) etc… Just don’t get too attached to them.

So, next recipe? Should be Chicken and Green Beans in a Black Bean Sauce as I found fermented black beans at Uwajimaya!

We had a nice break from the heat with some cool, 70’s and sunny weather. What a great time to reintroduce myself to the oven. Hi oven Remember me? Let’s do something! Oven agrees! Hooray.

This is so very good. We had it with some potatoes and green beans and it made for a wonderful dinner, next-day lunch and the rest of the chicken was used the day after that in a pasta salad.

I even have all the bones in a freezer bag (in the freezer) waiting for the next cool day to make some stock!

Printable recipe pdf!

Lemon Chicken with Honey and Saffron
Recipe adapted from The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen
1 chicken (about 4 pounds), cut up
1 tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tsp light honey, such as orange flower
1 large pinch of saffron, pulverized in a mortar and steeped in 1 tablespoon very hot water
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: 2 tbsp lightly toasted sesame seeds

Rinse chicken pieces, pat dry and trim off excess fat. Rub chicken all over with cumin, ginger and coriander. Let stand for 15 minutes. Place lemon juice, 5 teaspoons honey and saffron in a small bowl and whisk to mix.

Place chicken in an earthenware cazuela that will hold it in one layer, or in an enamel or glass baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken. Prick chicken all over with tines of a fork, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours, turning several times.

After marinading, remove chicken from mixture. IMPORTANT: Leave the lemon-honey mixture in the dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scatter the onion and garlic in your baking dish. Place browned chicken on top of onion and drizzle it with remaining 1 teaspoon honey.

Bake chicken at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking chicken until it is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Start testing the chicken for doneness after 40 minutes total cooking time. Remove pieces (breasts, wings, etc.. as they are done if needed. Keep warm with foil).

If you are using sesame seeds, sprinkle them on the chicken when about 5 minutes from being done and then return to the oven to finish cooking. Serve chicken right from the baking dish or transfer to a platter.