invitations….

Last weekend we set up our invitation assembly line and got started, and then we kept going and going and going… Finally I got the bulk of our invitations stacked, stuffed, sealed, stamped and addressed. It is amazing to think that everything on that table could fit into this little cardboard box. We are sending them out in a couple batches so the post office isn’t inundated with orange envelopes. For those of you who can’t resist here is a sneak peak..

dinner is served

 

It’s time to get back into the swing of things around here. Since I will be in a hotel for a few weeks again it shouldn’t be a problem. This past week we had some great meals. Sunday before I left we had a tasty and  relaxing meal outside. We steamed up some king crab legs, gulf shrimp, fresh corn and potatoes.

Then we just sat outside in the fantastically cool breeze and just enjoyed the food and each other. Earlier that week we tried a recipe from the July Real Simple.  Simple it was, just a few ingredients and barely any preparation or cooking. We will definitely be making the sweet potatoes again!

Grilled Pork Chops with Maple Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (about 2 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 small sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 scallions, chopped

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Season the pork chops with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill until cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill, turning often, until tender and slightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve the bowl.

3. To the reserved bowl, add the syrup, scallions, the remaining oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Serve with the pork.

Meyer lemons, key limes, tomatoes and sweet peppers, oh my

    Our Meyer lemon tree has really started to grow recently and we couldn’t be more excited. We started off with what basically looked like a twig in dirt with a few leaves. Now only a few months later we have the beginnings of a little tree complete with clusters of buds!The key lime is doing well, it took off in the beginning and now it has slowed down a bit. It is definitely more than a twig in the dirt, but no buds yet.  The key lime is a bit younger than the lemon, so we can give it a bit more time before a stern talking to about its progress.

 

Our tomato plants are almost out of control. We just can;t seem to keep up with all the new deliciously ripe little guys that spring up everyday. These are just the ones that I picked when I got home from work today. I noticed today that we also have our first few little tomatoes on our yellow pear plant (as if we didn’t have enough tomatoes already).

Last but not least this week we also noticed that the first little pepper has sprung up on our baby sweet pepper plant.  It seems that we might have a few more of these than we expected as well. I am super excited about this little guy because I started this plant from a seed and he went from a soggy  peat ball to a mini little sprout and now it looks like he will be producing some beautiful peppers. This is the first time I have grown anything from a seed and I got a little scared by all the warnings about how picky and temperamental seedlings could be. The first group I started (sweet peas) did really well and eventually this little sweet pepper made its way.

   Next year’s garden is already being planned and there are going to be some big changes… we are digging a “real” garden including a stacked box in the back for easy access. Container gardening is great and worked beautifully for us this summer so I’m sure that we will have a few containers here and there as well.  I am looking forward to trying out pineapple tomatillos, edible flowers, soybeans, and possibly some onions and garlic next summer and I will definitely be raising a lot more plants from seed!

when calzone go wrong

This week we decided to try out the homemade pizza dough recipe in the July issue of Cooking Light. We made the dough (super easy) and put one ball of dough in the fridge and one ball in the freezer.

Tuesday night we pulled out the ball of dough from the fridge and we made a pizza. Lots of spinach, ricotta, garlic, homemade tomato sauce, and  some of our lovely grape/plum tomatoes from the garden.

The crust was crispy on the bottom and sides and tender and fluffy on the inside. Tonight we decided to pull out the ball from the freezer and make some sausage and pepper calzone. We took the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for an hour. We cooked the sausage and peppers and let them cool (slightly). We had our calzone shells rolled out and ready for their insides. After smearing them with a bit of tomato sauce we filled them with the sausage and peppers, ricotta, mozzarella and a smidge of parmesan.  Then Scott crimped the edges of the first calzone and we were ready to move the other and that's when everything fell apart, quite literally. Our recommendation is to let the sausage cool completely and don’t try to move a calzone after you’ve made it.

Seems like a no-brainer, right? At the time we didn’t think it would be a problem, it was only after putting the somewhat warm insides on the thin dough that I realized we might have a problem. Either way we eventually pried the calzone off the counter and popped them both in the oven. They weren’t identical twins but you would never know it by taste.  

Yield

2 crusts, 14 servings

Ingredients

• 1  package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 1/4  cups  cold water
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 26.1  ounces  (about 5 1/2 cups) unbleached bread flour, divided
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon 24.9 ounces (about 5 1/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low 8 minutes or until dough begins to form. Let rest 2 minutes; mix on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining 1.19 ounces (about 1/4 cup) flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

3. Divide the dough in half, and place each portion in a large zip-top bag coated with cooking spray. Seal and chill overnight or up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

Note: You can freeze the dough in heavy-duty, freezer-safe zip-top plastic bags for up to 2 months; thaw dough overnight in the refrigerator.

Diane Morgan, Cooking Light, JULY 2009

the chickens have come out to play

Last weekend I finally got to meet the newest additions to my parents petting zoo, the chickens! They have their own custom built chicken house, complete with egg gathering doors and a lovely backyard to run around in.

   They are still a bit young and slightly skittish.  All in all they seem to be very happy in their new house and I have been told that they might be getting some new friends in September.           They have several different kinds of chickens which all lay different kinds of eggs. They have a few Americauna chickens which lay pale blue and green eggs (think Easter) and some Bantam chickens which will have a smaller egg. These guys were inseparable all day long. Hopefully we will have some fresh eggs to cook with soon!