One-Pan Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Vegetables

I'm not always in a hurry cooking.  Often I take my own sweet time and dust be damned.  Lately, with more boxes and mess than I want to own up to (after 16 days in the house), I'm still just throwing meals together in hopes that anything for which I heat the stove up will last a couple of days.  Because the larder is not up-to-snuff, I end up running to the grocery over and over; I'm wasting time on this stuff.  Bad words.

The kitchen is functioning though I have cabin knives and only four drinking glasses. #badlylabeledmovingboxes

Ina Fridays -- Appetizers -- Roasted Eggplant Spread

Ina Garten's appetizers are, like all of her recipes, lovely and luscious, but while making this I kept remembering how often Ina speaks about simple, store-bought appetizers like

• olives
• nuts
• chips
• cheese

and so on. The show sometimes drives along with Ina into town to pick up the ready-to-go food and I have to admit I'm always jealous of the shops she has available.   Her point is often that if you have too many nibbles with your apertif or sparkler, you're full.  Not only that, who wants to spend not only the whole day getting ready for company, but making yet another recipe?  I not only agree with her, I follow those rules for entertaining and make things easy on myself.  I'll also admit I adore potato chips and champagne.

Curried Peppers and Tomatoes on Rice with Grilled Chicken or Cooking in a Time of Grief

There have only been a handful of times in my life when I didn't want to cook.  This is one of them.  For a couple of days, we just ate out or ordered something sent over.   I did send up a big pot of chicken noodle soup to the family, because they wanted it.   I guess we had to eat, but I had no interest in figuring out meals for us or lighting the stove.   After a while we thought we'd better fix something, so Dave grilled some chicken and I rustled up a big pan of vegetable curry.  We ate it on trays in front of the tv watching "The Newsroom," my newest tv crush.

You've all been there sometime (or will be there); someone you love dies suddenly.  Incomprehensibly.  The shock's enough to make you ill.  And you are.  Loss is painful, hurting, ugly, even scary.  Our dear friend Rick Lester died last Saturday biking in the Courage Classic to raise money for Children's Hospital in Aurora.  He had trained, was in good shape, and was ready, willing, and able.  I can't say that we lost him because we don't lose people except for kids in stores; we lose keys, sweaters, wallets.  People--not so much. I'd rather say he crossed the river ahead of us.

                       I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends-- Joe Cocker version

I'm a faithful person; I make a living in a faithful church.  And have for a long time.  But I don't know about this stuff for sure.   I kept having odd thoughts, "Where IS HE?" Fearful crying jags were coming out of the garage where Dave, in a fit of pain, cleaned out, threw out, and scrubbed a place that has been a mess for eons. (It's in perfect order and terribly, sadly clean now.)  And Dave, ever thinking--always smart, said, "He's in Sandy, Alyce."  And I knew Dave was right. He's in Sandy, in the kids, in the old friends, in co-workers,  in Dave and in me.  A bright, shining, maybe exploded star that shared the light. He gave away a lot of himself.

 My reactions were first shock, disbelief (still disbelief), and horror.  Not being able to imagine my friend without her husband or her adult children and grandchildren without their dad and grandpa or Rick's parents without their son.  Next, I began to have flashes of my own life without this great encourager, who could also be cranky and hold a grudge like a precious stone.   He was sure I could do anything and let me know it.  If anyone ever believed in my abilities, it was Rick.  Of course I could cook anything; of course I could write a book.  He'd be one of the recipe testers--and he was.  He tested the chicken noodle soup I call, "I've Got a Spring Cold Chicken Noodle Soup," but which may now earn a new name.  He posted pictures of it around fb, saying it was the best chicken noodle soup he'd ever eaten.  See?

Years ago, when I decided to include the Vivaldi GLORIA in a concert my choir was giving, he was the first to say, "Sure! It'll be great!"  We hired strings from the local symphony, I kept the score and cds near at hand for months, and when the performance day arrived, Rick's comment afterward--delivered with a big hug and kiss-- was, "Incredible, Maestro!"  As Rick spent most of his adult life helping arts organizations, including symphony orchestras, figure out how to promote themselves ("putting fannies in seats," he'd say), he surely had heard a lot better renditions of the Vivaldi and both he and I knew it.  Still, he was there, and he helped make my day. The great encourager.

Emily and me at worship in Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary.

The year my youngest daughter was visiting colleges, he stopped by the choir loft one Sunday with a folder of photos, pamphlets, and fliers labeled, "Drury University."  Not much more than that. We spent the next four years ferrying her back and forth to Springfield, Missouri....to, you guessed it, Drury University. He came to her graduation.  Visited her at Princeton during grad school--which he knew well because his Dr. Mrs. Pastor Sandy received her own Mdiv right there, as well.  You begin to get the picture?

Third from the right and just to my left, Rick was the husband of one of my closest friends (Sandy--on his left--who married my son and his wife in 2002), and the instigator of the wine group pictured above.  Based on the premise  OPEN THAT BOTTLE (Don't let them sit waiting until it's too late...), we planned meals; he planned wine.  I cooked or we all cooked and drank.  We traveled to wineries for tasting (once 120 wines in three days), but Rick was the heart of the adventure, the original bon vivant.  He found the best restaurants, better b+bs, knew the winemakers, and made sure everything was always interesting, fun, and letter perfect for us.  Always dreaming up--coworkers nicknamed him "The Rainmaker"-- the next party ("Why don't we go to France next spring?" was a favorite), he was the consummate glass half-full guy.  In reality, he never wanted a half-full glass; he wanted not too awfully much wine at a time in his glass.  "Small pour, big nose," was his mantra.

The problem with sudden loss is the myriad of empty shots of the future that keep popping up.  Did I know that I hoped for meals, trips, talks for years to come?  Did I plan on mailing my published books to him?  I didn't know I planned on a future that included Rick Lester; I feel sickeningly unaware of my own dreams.  Because, you see, I think it's the future that I'm so very sad about.  I have no regrets (though I turned down  a chance to see him just two days before he died) about the past, except for being too busy.  But that's everyone I know.  Just too busy to see friends often or for very long at a time.  But the future hurts.  The idea of a life without my friend Rick shows events, dinners, holidays, wine tastings, and trips with  big, gaping holes in them.  There will always be an empty chair at my table.  At many tables.

Here we are at Soter Winery--just a glimpse of Rick, at rear, second from right.

Rick's favorite meal was hamburgers and french fries.  He was crazy about ice cream.  Had to ration it (Once, when he, his parents, and Sandy borrowed our house for a couple of weeks during a fire evacuation, I later returned to find no less than 3 or 4 kinds of ice cream stuck away in my little freezer.) He dressed simply in the dark suits needed for work or in plain old jeans and polo shirts or tee-shirts--a button-down oxford if it were an occasion.  He loved The Beatles. And Doctor Mrs. Pastor Sandy, as he called her. He didn't like olives...and could on occasion be selfish.  He read...lots of stuff. He once said to me (couldn't be true--but...), "I read EVERYTHING." Amazing.  (I was sometimes surprised to find he had read many of my posts, for instance.)  He was nuts about his grand kids and was ever in love with and proud of his two children.  Rick wouldn't drink out of a crappy wine glass and he'd drink Oregon wine whenever he could get it. He could be damned picky.  He was a tireless and talented writer, as well as a first-class storyteller. (Ok, some were yarns.)  He grew weary of classical music sometimes and rarely talked work with friends.  While he lived a decent lifestyle (when home, anyway--he traveled more than anyone I know), I don't think  money ever particularly was his thing.  Unless it bought better wine.  Or provided a spot for the kids to watch movies or have a bon fire.  Holidays?  A bigger Thanksgiving every year was likely his goal.  While an accomplished cook (I'll attest to that.), his family tried to keep him out of the kitchen sometimes because he made such a mess.  He dirtied every pot and pan available, they said.  (I watched Rick cook quite neatly many times.  Must have been only for company!)

              Wanting Memories--Cantus

The world is a big empty stage, a vast, unending void without Rick Lester, that Beautiful Dreamer, that lover of Pinot Noir and grandchildren. Nothing can fill it and that hurts my heart literally and figuratively.  The nasty saying goes that some people "suck the air right out of a room."  Rick opened the window and drew fresh air INTO the room. He enlarged the space available and did it all with a great big smile that created light and possibility. We didn't call him Mr. Entertainment for nothing.

Beat.

My last communication with Rick was a couple of days before the big race. He called to offer some free tickets to a show in Denver and we spoke briefly, talking over one another the way folks do who are in a hurry.  I texted him back to save time (shit) and to let him know we couldn't get up there on Thursday, but also cautioned him to be safe while riding the bike that weekend.  His last communication to me:

                "No worries."

...          ...             ... ... ...           ...           ...         ... ... ... ...        .. .. ...             ... ... ..           ... ...

When I finally cooked, this comfort meal was what we ate:

curried peppers and tomatoes on rice with grilled chicken
serves 4

• 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, kept warm
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Crushed red pepper
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, and sliced thinly
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, and sliced thinly
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup cooked thin green beans (haricots verts)
• 2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 2 large grilled chicken breasts, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup sliced, toasted almonds

In a large, deep skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and heat over medium flame. Add onions and peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and tender--about ten minutes.  Stir in garlic, ginger, curry powder, the other two tablespoons of olive oil, and vinegar.  Let cook a minute or two to marry flavors and develop a bit of sauce.  If dry, add a tablespoon or so of water or white wine.  Stir in cooked beans, tomatoes, and grilled chicken slices and warm through for a minute or two.    Spoon curry over rice (3/4 cup per serving) and spoon a bit of sauce on top.  Garnish with a sprinkle of sliced, toasted almonds.
---
A couple of days after this, I was slicing eggplant:

Rick, whom no one would call an angel, is, I'm sure, flying high and very fast with the brightest and best.
Too soon.  Too soon.

Let me get a hamburger and ice cream post together, my friend,
Alyce

Shop and Chop Pickles: Every Night Now!

It's too warm to do much cooking indoors unless you do it in the wee small hours of the morning.  Lately I'm not up then unless I need to bake and then I start between four and five.  Mostly I throw together fresh vegetable soups in the food processor or get Dave to grill while I whip up a salad or vegetables and dip to go with the vodka tonics. That said, there is the odd exception when I do something like cook up a pot of Turkey Italian Sausage chili mid-summer, which I did yesterday afternoon, an unusually cool day.  Just for grins and change. We still ate it outdoors, as we do nearly every dinner in the summer.

One-Pan Salmon with Whole Wheat Pasta and Vegetables--A Picture Recipe

My friend Jill says, "We're always looking for something else to do with salmon."    My friend Jim says, "Give me a side that I can make on Monday, but have enough leftover for lunch or dinner; I just want to grill a little fish or chicken each night."  As for me,  I like cooking anything in one pan, and while this isn't exactly in one pan, it could be if you use fresh pasta.  

This simple, but filling, healthy, and tasty entree fits the bill for all three of us and I hope for you, too.  Serves two with a lot of vegetables and pasta--good hot or cold-- leftover for another meal.    Adding another two salmon pieces would be no trouble and cold salmon is good salmon.  This is  meant to be the impetus for improvisation, not an exact recipe; you'll see why. Ingredients are in bold print.   Here's how in the PHOTO RECIPE:

38 Power Foods, Week 29 -- Pecans -- Light Winter Vegetable Gratin with Savory Granola

Each Friday, a wonderful group of women reaches across cyberspace and joins culinary hands to salute one very healthy food, one single beautiful ingredient from Power Foods : 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients.  (Scroll down for the list of blogs.)
 

I won't say it's not a challenge to come up to that gorgeous plate each week.  If I'm busy learning music for church or have my daughter home, or am busy with the soup book, I sometimes can't give the opportunity the intelligent focus and attention it deserves.  I used one great recipe for more than one blog recently....life can get ahead of me sometimes.  Hopefully I'm forgiven!

Minnesotastrone-Big Pot Full (Minestrone Made in Minnesota)

I do love soup.  Ask anyone who knows me.  I'm never happier than when a big cauldron is bubbling away merrily on a front (or back) burner.  I like fast or slow soups.  Vegan, vegetarian, or meaty stews.  From scratch, on purpose, or fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants clean out the frig pots.

I love soup for Dave and me, for dinners with friends, or for parties.  Last week, my friend Sue was coming for supper on Friday night.  I didn't want a complicated (IS THIS or this DONE YET?) meal.  Soup was perfect; I'd have the entire evening to spend with her and Dave.  I knew I had some ham from Grandma and Grandpa, as well as two huge chicken breasts leftover from a casserole I'd made Wednesday.  At the store, a couple of beef shank bone slices with quite of bit of meat on them sealed the deal.  I'd  make minestrone.  While there's really no need to use three different kinds of meat/poultry, I did it because I had it on hand; I bought the beef to make the stock.  If you, for instance, have some pork roast or Italian sausage leftover, cut it up and throw it in.  If you only have a ham hock, forge ahead--using the hock where  I've used the beef shank slices. 

Turkey Noodle Soup--Carcass and All

Make this soup on Friday and curl up on the couch to watch the first Christmas Movies!

If you kept or froze your turkey carcass from Thanksgiving and aren't quite sure what to do with it, this is your method for soup. While it looks like a recipe, it's merely a method and you must yourself judge which ingredients you have or want to add; it's all about flexible. Note the options of using your leftover vegetables, gravy, stock, or just adding all purchased low-sodium chicken stock and so on. In about an hour an a half, you'll have just about the best turkey noodle soup you ever ate. If you are skipping noodles this week, leave them out and, instead, add extra fresh or frozen vegetables. (Brown rice, wild rice, or barley are other possibilities.)

Turkey Noodle Soup from Thanksgiving Leftovers...Including that gravy if you like.

This soup is made in two stages: one to create a quick stock and the other to make the soup.
Please read all the way through before beginning.  

Cook's Note:  The Turkey Soup police are not out today.  You can make this with lots of changes and substitutions, but you have my idea to start.  Blessings on your soup pot!  Be brave!

38 Power Foods, Week 13 -- Swiss Chard -- Vinegar-Chard with Apples, Shallots, and Honey

Not terribly photogenic, but quite delicious.

  I don't cook Swiss chard a lot, though when I make it, I'm always happy I have and wonder why I don't make it more often.  It's a fast side for chops or chicken (chop/saute),  tops rice beautifully, and fills an omelet like nothing else.  Did I mention it's gorgeous?

38 Power Foods, Week 9 -- Kale -- Baby Kale and Spinach with a Roasted Chicken Breast

 While I didn't grow up eating kale, I got to it as soon as I could.  My folks were transplanted southerners.  Greens made an appearance, oh yeah.  I ate them.  (not)
There were lots of reasons why I finally hit on kale (baby kale first, actually)  once I knew from good.  One was its curly beauty:

38 Power Foods, Week 8 -- Carrots -- On the Loose

I have no idea what you'd do without carrots.  I think I just couldn't cook without them.
I don't spend a lot of time thinking about, "Oh, I love carrots," but there isn't a week that goes by that I don't buy them. I can't imagine my crisper without carrots.  But I don't think I ever thought much about them before.

Two carrot stories come to mind...after this gorgeous salad:

Moroccan Carrot Salad

 We were camping in Texas once where we spent long days tubing on the Guadalupe River.  (Folks floated by with six-packs tied to their inner tubes.)  It was so hot the ice was a constant puddle in the coolers and we worried about our food.  (Why didn't I sell ice in south Texas?  Once again I had chosen the wrong profession.)   Insert bad language; there were six of us to feed three times a day for a week.  One poor woman stopped to say only one thing to me, "Even my carrots rotted today."   I knew how she felt; I was down to cabbage, potatoes, and onions, though I always have cans in the back of the van.  If your carrots betray you, you're in trouble.  She was heartbroken and I understood why.

And the other story....

Once, when I'd been on Weight Watchers forever, Dave said,

I liked you a lot better when carrots were no points.

38 Power Foods, Week 7 -- Brussels Sprouts --Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with New Potatoes and Parmesan

.
When brussels sprouts (note spelling) first came back in vogue (they were vegetable non grata for a long time, right?), I put off making them.  It seemed everything was being thrown into the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. Was there anything you couldn't cook that way? Brussels sprouts joined in the olive oil-oven fun all over the food world.  I waited. 

(above) This is one of Madeline L Pots' award winning songs from her CD "Gonna Plant A Garden".

50 Women Game-Changers - # 45 - Diana Kennedy- Fresh Salsa Mexicana from Jerez

Wake up and smell the salsa.
This is not salsa made in New York City.
Nor in San Antonio.
This salsa is made in your house. On your cutting board. 
And not in your Cuisinart.

Plant your gardens and sharpen your knives.

This salsa is worth the time it takes to  grow the ingredients and make it by hand.  But you can make it in its glorious Mexican-flag colors this weekend in honor of Cinco de Mayo if you'd like!

Women Game-Changers #37-Severine von Tscharner Fleming- Moroccan Carrot Salad

‘Farming is an attractive path for people who are getting out of school and feeling like there’s kind of a toxic consumerism and not feeling too excited about working for the Man, especially seeing as he’s been spoiling our politics and a lot of our ecology,’’ she said.  (Severine von Tscharner Fleming via NYT)

#36 on Gourmet's list of 50 Women Game-Changers in Food is Severine von Tscharner Fleming-- farmer, activist, and filmmaker...

Chinese "BBQ" Pork, Five Heap Noodles, and Wine-Explosion Soup for Chinese New Year

Set your table before you begin cooking.

While I missed blogging Barbara Tropp a couple of weeks ago for "50 Women Game-Changers in Food" from Gourmet Live, it didn't stop me from making some of her incredible food in honor of a good friend's birthday and Chinese New Year.

I started out by spending a bit of cozy time with one of Barbara's books, The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking, just to see what I thought I'd like to make.  The choices were myriad and luscious... but I couldn't make all of them.  I did, however, want to keep reading forever; she wrote beautifully.  I decided on three separate dishes:  one a soup for a starter and the other two as a main course that could be eaten together, but that would also provide some great leftovers.  HA!  There were hardly any leftovers.  Do make extra pork; it's a perfect cold snack.

Curried Pumpkin Soup or Julie Used to Live Here

I adore pumpkin in nearly any form.  I think I love pumpkins because they appear during my birthday month.  Maybe not, though.  Because, truly:  I love to eat them.  Almost any way.  While I'm sure pumpkin soup has been around a long time (A quick peek at my historical cookbooks, however makes no mention of it.  American Cookery 1796 has a recipe for Pumpkin Pudding.  Fanny Farmer, 1896, lists only pumpkin pie.  The  Household Searchlight Recipe Book, 1931, has listings for canning pumpkin, making pumpkin custard, jam, and pie with cheese crust--but no soup,) I had never tasted it until 1985 when we went to live in Spokane, Washington, and my God's gift of a neighbor, Joyce Smith, made pumpkin soup in the pumpkins for a holiday meal.  Ten years later, I traveled right here to St. Paul, and good cook Lani Jordan whipped up a pumpkin-peanut butter soup for Sue's birthday lunch.  

My own soup was years later coming.  Late 90's maybe.  By now, it comes in several guises.  I sometimes blend cooked, ripe pears and apples into the mix.. or other batches contain a touch of vanilla and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds on top.  One memorable pot was ladled into bowls with my sweet-crunch  "Go Nuts" as garnish.  I've also been known to use a mix of squashes and vegetables (also cooked dried beans) with the soup and up the heat factor, as well.

While, according to an old Craig Claiborne book, you can steam unpeeled pieces of pumpkin and later peel and mash them, I'm by now definitely attached to opening a can.  As are many women.  And...
Pumpkin anything is pretty simple if you're willing to used canned pumpkin.  I also adore butternut squash soup, but if you want to make butternut squash anything,  you have to peel and cook the rock-hard thing.  Which takes a lot of effort.  I buy a new peeler every year because the winter squash wreaks havoc with them.  Even Paula Deen gets one of her boys to peel her squash.   (My children don't seem to be waiting in the wings to peel my squash.  Where are you?)   Your other option is to pay through the nose for already cut-up butternut squash.  I'm not doing that.   But pumpkin!  Well, that's why God made Libby's, right?  (Or go ahead and roast or microwave a whole one if you have to, but after trying it once,  you'll head to the grocery store canned aisle.)  I seem to be on a pumpkin jag lately--both in this blog and in Dinner Place.    So!  Go ahead and make pumpkin soup.  Did I say it's quick?

Curried Cauliflower or I Can't Play my Piano

 At Thanksgiving, when cauliflower is so very dear (and it's supposed to still be in season), I'll wish I'd bought a few extra heads in September.  Made a little gratinee with lots of garlic, cream, and Swiss cheese.  Thrown in an extra casserole for Jeanne.  Maybe even made some cauliflower soup--even though it's so very easy and is even good made with frozen cauliflower.  Once in a while I get it all done, but not this year.  The basement freezer isn't bought, though it's on the list (after paying the floor guy and the radiator repair guy) and I expect  it's not too far in the future.  But right now, we're eating what I cook and not putting much away for the winter. I did sneak a big bag of blueberries into the side-by-side and have a couple of on sale whole chickens (for chicken noodle soup) down in the bottom.

Make-do steamer.

I'm not much for raw cauliflower.  I'm not saying I don't eat it from the raw vegetable platter; I do.  But the mealy, cabbagy sensation isn't what I'm after; it's not my favorite.  But steam it, stew it, boil it, roast it, fry it and I'm all over it.  I don't care if it's a bit crispy or grandma-done; I like it.  This curried dish is a mix of two preparations.  First you  briefly steam it. Next you saute some sliced onions and garlic with curry powder.

Then add the steamed cauliflower..

Stir and cook until quite golden and nearly tender. 

Curried Cauliflower

1 head fresh cauliflower, cleaned, cored, and cut into florets
2T olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder (Penzey's has a great variety; try a couple of different ones.)
Kosher salt, pepper, and ground cayenne (if your curry isn't too hot)

Steam cauliflower in a veggie steamer (or in the microwave) for about seven minutes, until just losing its crispness.  Meantime, in a large skillet, heat oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, curry powder and sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground cayenne, if using.  Add steamed cauliflower and stir well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cauliflower is nearly tender.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  (To increase cooking speed, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the skillet and cover for a  minute or two.)  Serve hot.

---------------------

At least that's what I did.  And walked the five steps to the dining room to eat it paired with a little steak Dave and I had.  That's as far as we can go because the couch is in the dining room, too, due to floor repair and refinishing in the living room.  Where the piano is.

Can't get to the piano.  Or the bedrooms.  Or the front door.

You could call it cozy.

If I climb over the couch, and land in the perfect place, I can quickly scoot over and land on the piano bench.  If.  I haven't tried it.  If we didn't have dogs, we would be able to walk through the living room tomorrow.  If. But we do have dogs, so we're waiting until Wednesday.  Sleeping in the basement where we can watch tv lying in our great (no, really, it is) sofa bed.

Next they're tearing up the kitchen floor (6 layers?) down to the sub floor in order to lay a new wood floor.  And, yes, the stove and frig must come out for a two week period.  Ought to be interesting in our dining room; that's where they'll go.  I love fixing up old houses, don't you?

Two-Dog Kitchen and Around the 'Hood

Came home Friday to find Alvin running around the kitchen....

                          He jumped up in the window and I closed him in there.  Quick thinking, huh?   The floor guy, aka Bob,  had left the door open.  This chipmunk, aka Alvin, has been in our yard all summer, eating the painter's lunches and jumping out into the path, scaring the crap out of us.  Our painter and friend, Chris, kept telling us that chipmunk was too smart for his own good and was going to get in the house.  We laughed.  Until Friday.

Still, all was well.  We finally snuck open the bottom of the window, pushed the screen out, reclosed the window and went around outside to pull the screen out and watch him fly through the air into the still-blooming (really) day lilies.  None the worse for wear, he yelled as he passed my head, "Just wanted to see what you'd done with the house."

Still picking flowers from our yard.

Snuggin'

Not quite the last rose of summer, but nearly.

Meantime, come sing your heart out at Prospect Park United Methodist over in Minneapolis.  We worship at 9:30 am and have coffee and then Sunday School after that.  Wander over and see what we're up to next Saturday, October 1 at 7pm when we present "Pops and Pies," a toe-tappin' evening of music followed by scrumptious pie and, of course, coffee...

Pie, me oh my:  I love pie.

Sing a new song,
Alyce

Pasta with Eggplant and Pancetta

What's in your frig?  Make pasta for a cool fall evening.  Pancetta helps.

We lived for four years in Dayton, Ohio.  How at home I felt there.  The flora and fauna welcomed me warmly (and coldly) as, indeed, the atmosphere felt just like northern Illinois where I grew up.  The summers were wilting (and our air conditioning never worked right) and the winters were damned cold.  Gray.  A long period of waiting for spring was how some approached it.  I felt differently.  I adore late fall; Thanksgiving is my favorite season.  I'm entranced with Advent and greet it positively every year, knowing my walk to the stable will be a new one.  Again.

But, in Ohio, summer seemed to disappear without a trace one wet day in October.  It happened in such a way that a week or two later, you wondered what had happened.  There were weeks of cool, sunny times and God's great leaves flying.  Lovely Saturdays at the farm watching cider being pressed.  Nights on hayrides with bonfires later for hot dogs.  A morning you dug out the sweaters.  Any time, though, an 80 degree day could still pop up.  Really.  And then, one day on the way to work, you knew that day wasn't appearing.  At all.  Anymore.  It had been raining for a week or two, getting colder all the time.  It just rained itself right into winter.  And gray it was.

We're on the edge of that here.  Mostly the days are still perfect.  A light sweater or short jacket needed sometimes.  Flowers still in bloom---somewhat.  The yard is drooping mightily, though, and the window boxes have definitely seen better days.  I broke down and bought mums and pansies, but haven't gotten them all out yet.  And, truthfully, taking care of the yard (and watering) is beginning to seem like yesterday's diapers.  But today it's rainy and there's no sun.  At all.  Gabby still has her head hanging out by the window in case that German Shepherd or Black Lab has the nerve to walk by on the sidewalk.  But soon she gives up and puts her head down on the rug near my chair.  The other doggies are staying home more these days.

The oven can stay on for bread now.

What will I do with these?

Why does it have to rain, Mom?

Droop.

 A bunch of green tomatoes appeared on the back porch from the gardening neighbor.  We won't have enough sun or heat to ripen them.   I go around turning lights on during the day.  Think of making a big pot of beef vegetable soup.  Planned activities are a girls' night at Scusi and then out to a movie.  Not a picnic or outdoor concert or backyard cook-out.  This morning I ordered a long down coat and tall, warm boots.  I'm looking for a freezer so I can make Christmas cookies ahead for Drop in and Decorate.  We're getting our floors redone before snow flies.  That's what time it is.

 

Oh, we're not at the point of storing the patio furniture.   Or of skipping Saturday breakfast on the porch.  But it's coming.  And I've just woken up to it.  I still get up and put on capris and flip flops.  Sometimes I change.  Not always.

Last night, it was cold enough for a filling and warm dinner of whatever's in frig for pasta.  I occasionally blog these instant meals (and lately I'm doing it often) because that's how so many of us have to eat.  If we can even get THAT much cooked.  I have friends who are happy to have time to pull out cheese, apples, and crackers because that's all there's time or energy for.  But listen, 15-20 minutes will give you this admirable and filling meal.  You'll be busy the whole time, but you can put on Vivaldi while you do it and you'll definitely have time to set the table in a welcoming way.
 

Well maybe not quite like this, but why not set an attractive table?

 If you must (and who knows?), throw all of the vegetables in the food processor (except the tomatoes) and get it done even faster.  (Note:  I keep chopped pancetta on my freezer door all of the time.  There's almost nothing it won't do.  And, yes, a bit of American bacon will work.)

As this is more a method than a recipe, I write it in steps.  Read it through to understand the process and then make it yourself.  Boil the pasta, fry the pancetta (or bacon or ham), add vegetables, garlic and herbs, put it together and serve with cheese.  So there.  Maybe you need read no further.  But go on.

Pasta with Eggplant and Pancetta  serves 2  generously with a bit leftover for someone's lunch

1.  Put a covered 10 quart stockpot 3/4 full of salted and peppered water on to boil. Sprinkle with a pinch of crushed red pepper and dried oregano.  Add  1/2 # whole wheat pasta when the water is boiling and cook about 10-11 minutes until al dente.  Drain and reserve.
2.  Meantime, in a large, deep skillet, brown about 1/4 cup of chopped pancetta or bacon.  When it's crisp, remove it to a plate lined with paper towels.   Leave fat from pancetta in the pan.
3.  Into that same pan, add 1 large chopped onion, 1 large chopped carrot, 1 chopped medium yellow squash or zucchini, 1/2 cup chopped, peeled eggplant, 1/2 sliced or whole fresh spinach leaves,  and 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow pepper.  Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste) and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  Vegetables can be changed to suit what's in your crisper.  I do think you need onions, garlic, something for bulk like squash or eggplant, and fresh herbs of some sort.
4.  Cook vegetables until they're softened and add 3 cloves garlic, minced.  Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add 2 chopped ripe tomatoes (or a cup of cherry tomatoes) and 1/4 cup chopped parsley and/or basil.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper.  Return pancetta to the pan and stir well. 
5. Add drained pasta to skillet.  Mix and toss well, using tongs, and taste for seasoning.
6. Serve in pasta bowls with grated  Parmesan or Romano cheese at the table.

Wine:  We had a little Barbera leftover from burgers on the grill, so we drank that.  A big Chardonnay would work, as would Zinfandel or even a Cabernet Sauvignon.  While we think of big reds as the province of big meats, they stand up and support a hearty, vegetable-filled pasta--especially if it's topped with a strong cheese like Parmesan or flavored with a warm, deep meat like pancetta.

Two-Dog Kitchen and Around the 'Hood

The singing fellowship:

Choir came to lunch Saturday.  Chicken chili, sangria, brownies.

Good bud Kim all but moved in to the kitchen to keep things going.  Love you, Kim!

Nope, we didn't sing.  Just visited and ate.  Rested our pipes.

Fall--Time for Grooming.   Didn't much like it.  But they looked good for the choir.

Exhausted after their baths and trims.  What did we have to do that for? And what's with the bandanas?

 My life is currently full of playing catch-up at work.  Reading all the fall lectionary texts so I can choose appropriate music.  Off and on for a couple of weeks, the dining room table is full of music, bibles, notes, computer, etc.  I run back and forth trying to familiarize myself with the music library at church.  What's there?  What's possible to learn (and do well) with only two rehearsals?  Listening to anthems online. Listening to the choir.  Attending one lectionary study at Cabrini Catholic church  and one Bible Study with the neighborhood women.  Praying for a co-worker, who had to undergo emergency surgery.  Looking at a choir retreat in November.  Dreaming of the cantata much later than I typically do.  And I'm sooo excited and...

 I'm so busy ...  Being grateful, grateful, grateful for the opportunity.  Thanks, God.

Sing a new song,
Alyce