My Coach Bag Runneth Over

I forgot my produce bags and didn't have time to run home before picking up our CSA share this evening.

What else was there to do but to shove gently nestle the week's bounty into my work tote.

I'm thinking these aren't the items my sister had in mind when she picked out this sleek black Coach bag for my birthday this year, so I could commute in style. But it did the trick.

The funny thing, to me at least, is that this bag replaces a bag she got me a few years ago, a black woven grocery bag that I'd been using to haul my computer, files and books back and forth to work each day. 

In the CSA box Coach bag this week:

• Bell Peppers
• Shallots
• Green Beans
• Lettuce
• Sweet Corn
• Carrots
• Garlic Bulb
• Fresh Basi
• Crimini Mushrooms

Oh, and, btw, the corn was delish. We threw that into the pot first thing. 

Seasonal Recipe: Spaceship Squash, Feta & Basil

I've been admiring these little spaceship-like yellow squash I've seen hovering at farmers markets for quite some time.

I'm told they're excellent on the grill. I'll definitely try that.

But this weekend, I opted for a sauteed version from a recipe I found over at Taste & Tell.

I really enjoy the mild flavor of the leek and squash with the punch of the basil and tang of the feta.

Spaceship Squash with Basil & Feta

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups baby pattypan squash, halved
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 large ones, white and light green parts only)
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Heat olive oil in non-stick skillet on medium high, add squash and leeks, then saute until tender about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Toss in basil and feta. Serve immediately.


Note: I didn't quite have four cups of squash when I started trimming and cutting the little pattypan squash in half. So I added about a cup or so of some fresh squash my daughter's Daisy troop found on our Irving Garden hunt on Sunday.

Ooh, Ooh That Smell

Chives, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cilantro & mint.

This morning I assembled these aromatic herb bundles for a Daisy Scout activity later today that I'm calling, "Ooh, what's that smell?"

It's not a test and no right or wrong answers. Instead, I think it'll be fun to see if the girls can associate foods with the aromas. (Bonus points though for girls who recognize the herbs and can name them.)

All of these are herbs from my backyard. Some, with the blue ribbons, are ones they will be able to spot in their schoolyard garden. I'll point those out -- weather willing.

It's been raining all morning. I'm still hopeful the clouds will dissipate in time for our afternoon in the garden. A Garden-themed meeting just won't be as much fun on a covered back porch.

Next Scout Project: Biodegradable Seedling Pots

Click for step-by-step instructions.

I've been testing out the making, filling and watering of my own biodegradable newspaper seedling pots. It's a dry run for a Girl Scout project we're doing this Sunday.

So far so good.

I made a few modifications to this method from yngla at instructables.

I used a smaller bottle, a beer bottle rather than a wine bottle. I also reinforced the bottom with another square of paper that I tamped down with the butt of a flashlight.

Because this is going to be a kid activity, I also wanted to reinforce the circumference, so I tied a bit of jute around each pot (rather than the whole lot as pictured in the example) before filling with potting soil.

So far so good on holding the soil and water. I'm not using more than a quarter cup when I water.

Natural Lawn Mowers Hard at Work at The Farm

Boys riding goats, ca 1918.

I'm so looking forward to our next visit to The Farm: Countdown to Aug. 12.

That's a very long 25 days until I can see what my family's new goats have managed to clear out of the orchard. From what I hear, they've been quite the little lawn mowers.

Spikey thistle and thorny wild rose bushes are no obstacle for these tenacious herbivores.

I'm told they've nearly cleared the old orchard, which had become quite the jungle.

Years ago, the orchard was filled with fruit trees. (We enjoyed the flavor from the last chips of the last apple tree during the pork roast to celebrate my sister's graduation in May).

I've only seen slides of that part of The Farm, with its finely manicured lawn. The mowing back then was by sheep that my grandparents kept long before I was born.

My whole life, the orchard, at least most of it, has been a jungle of small brush, trees, and, if you knew where to find them, raspberries. Only my grandpa had the nerve to brave the chiggers to harvest them so my grandmother could magically transform them into jars of jam or pies. I tagged along a few times, long pants and long sleeves secured at the cuffs with rubber bands. [I still got chiggers, btw.]

I don't know what the plans are for that part of The Farm. But I'm eager to see how the goats have transformed the landscape.


Note: Two years ago, I blogged about how Google had retained the services of a grazing business to clear some of its land.

Photo above from the State Library of Queensland, Australia, flickr photostream. 

'You Made This?'

That incredulity from my son's friend just made my day.

That's what he said when I handed him a homemade chip. I didn't tell them it was baked kale.

No matter. He knew it was a veggie: "Is this a leaf?"

I confessed that it was. He was impressed nonetheless. And so was my son. Even my picky eater daughter gobbled up a huge crispy leaf before asking what it was.

This was our appetizer this evening. Much healthier than even chips and salsa.

Here's the recipe...

Krispy Kale Chips

Large bunch of kale, rinsed and spun or patted dry [We used a hearty bunch of Tuscan kale from our CSA delivery this week.]
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Cayenne pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear or chop dry kale in large pieces, toss with olive oil to coat. Separate on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes. If kale is crispy to the touch, all done! If it's bendy, bake for another two minutes. (Browned pieces will taste burnt or bitter.


For the kids, I seasoned with Kosher salt. For the adults, I added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. These would be good with garlic powder and just about any of your favorite chip seasonings.

Another Winner: Table Fifty-Two

Table Fifty-Two in Chicago's Gold Coast.

Oh how I wish I could afford to splurge like I did last night at Table Fifty-Two, where I had the pleasure of experiencing Southern cooking at a whole new level.

This was no roadside, red-checkered table cloth joint, where signs warn, "no hands in food." Don't get me wrong. There's some good eats at those place and plenty of Southern charm.

Table Fifty-Two is, well, a few steps above in both carriage-house inspired decor and culinary creativity.

Chef Art Smith (Oprah's personal chef and organic/local devotee) is an artist, who clearly takes pride in his creations.

I've had Southern pork chops before, but nothing quite as delectable as Table Fifty-Two's Berkshire pork chop, complete with a sweet-with-a-kick strawberry-chipotle glaze, crispy country ham bits and beluga lentil.

I could have done without the lentil and would have preferred a veggie side or bed, but the rest was pure heaven. Perfectly cooked and artfully presented.

My friend seemed to have a similar experience with his cornmeal crusted catfish, bacon-braised collard greens and hush puppy. The only thing left on his plate at the end of the evening were the collards. His loss because those were very tasty. I took those home with the leftover cake and three-cheese mac-n-cheese.

I'm a fan of mac-n-cheese, so this was a particular comfort food treat. I'd go back just for that and the cornbread, laced with bacon, bits of fresh jalapeno and topped with honey and butter. Seriously. Good.

We ate in the cozy dining room downstairs. I'd like to have a look at the more formal dining room, but felt at home where we were.

For dessert, we opted for Art's banana-pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting & pineapple sorbet. I'm not a huge cake fan. But it was really good, dense and not too sweet. The sorbet? Divine.

Icing on the cake was all the extras - deviled eggs to start, then a cheesy bread course - and after our cake, we were served cookies. I only regret being too full to try that last sweet bite.

Clean-Out-the-Fridge Salad

I'm working on clearing out the refrigerator with as little waste as possible to prep for this week's CSA pickup.

Tonight, I threw together what turned out to be a delicious little salad (since I missed the family meal), with this:

Summer Salad on the Fly

Roasted beets (CSA), sliced in bite-sized pieces
Leaf lettuce (Irving Garden), torn
Red romaine (CSA), torn
Salted pistachios
Blue cheese crumbles

Dressing: Garlic/Balsamic vinegar (Herbally Yours) & extra virgin olive oil

Toss all ingredients and enjoy!

Restaurant Debuts By NoMI, Bridge House & Autre Monde Offer Some Hits, A Few Misses

This spring and summer I've had the pleasure of taking in a few restaurants new to the area.

NoMI Kitchen

Beautiful bays overlooking Michigan Ave.

My first was NoMI Kitchen, which I had the privilege of attending a pre-opening event a few weeks ago. It's an old new, revamped and focused more on the trendy farm-fresh experience.

It's hard to imagine NoMI not being a success, whether the food's any good or not because nothing beats its location.

The setting, at the Park Hyatt, offers beautiful views of the city, from a spacious deck, to expansive panoramic bay windows that jut out over the street below and overlook Water Tower park, Michigan Avenue and the lake.

It's an impressive venue. For the most part, I had no problems with the food. The fish, raw veggies and meats - all communicating the restaurant's new farm-to-table emphasis - were fresh, presented beautifully and creatively, and were superb. The only exception was the strawberry rhubarb tart, which I just didn't care for. It was too sweet and had barely a hint of the signature rhubarb.

Bridge House Tavern

Looking down from the Clark Street bridge.

Not long after, I got a chance to check out Bridge House Tavern, which is right below my office downtown. Again, this place has location going for it.

So far, the restaurants I've seen there haven't had much luck, despite the river-level charm. Most have had over-priced drinks and mediocre food. I'm afraid this place isn't much better.

I wasn't impressed with any of the bites I had a chance to taste. I may try it again for a business lunch, but I wouldn't risk it for dinner.

Autre Monde Cafe

Then last night, I got to try a new Mediterranean restaurant -- Autre Monde Cafe -- in Berwyn. Unlike NoMI and Bridge House, Autre Monde isn't blessed with a picture-perfect location. Indeed, I spent my evening gazing at the CVS across the street.

But the food more than made up for the view. Most of the menu was foreign to me, but our waitress was patient and very knowledgeable. I have to mention my drink - Baies Rose, featuring Santome Prosecco, Jo Snow Rhubarb, Pink Peppercorn Syrup. It's not a combination I would have considered. But it was excellent. And so was the food. We tried a combination of a couple small plates and shared a large plate, the recommended steak. All came perfectly prepared, in larger portions than many small-plate restaurants I've visited. Plus, each plate was beautifully presented. The final tally was more than reasonable.

My big negative was that it took more than 20 minutes for us to get the check and pay our bill, well after we'd finished our meal, declined dessert, had our table cleared and started getting impatient. The inexplicable delay caused us to be late to our show at nearby Fitzgerald's, missing one of my favorite Rosie Ledet songs (several actually). That left a bad taste in my mouth, so it may be a while before I go back. Certainly, I'd think twice about cutting it so close to an event following a meal there.

This Week's Market Report: Blueberries Are In!

I blew my budget at the Oak Park Farmers Market this weekend.

Even though we have a CSA, we split it between two families, so on alternate weeks, I'm in particular need of veggies. And, plus, I just love going every week, hearing the bluegrass jam session, tasting the freshly made doughnuts, chatting with friends and seeing what's in season.

I wasn't sure if blueberries would be in, but to my son's delight, there were tables full all around the market this week. Oh my, how sweet they taste. Not sure they'll make it past the day.

I also nabbed some rainier cherries for snacking over the weekend, and picked up serranos and rosemary to plant

For next week's camp lunches, I bought fresh broccoli (which I'll probably blanch) and snow peas.

The budget breaker was the four pork chops from Wettstein Organic Farm. They were about $4 a piece, but I hear their meat is excellent, so I can't wait to throw those babies on the grill.

For more about Wettstein, check out David Hammond's Market Report piece in the Wednesday Journal.

Now to head outside to enjoy this beautiful day and to plant my veggies and herbs.

Bottle Rocket Hot Dogs & Other Fun Fair for the Fourth

Bottle rocket hot dogs.

This may have been a little over the top (unnecessary), but I had fun making these Bottle Rocket Hot Dogs for the kids this weekend.

They were super cute and the kids seemed to enjoy the presentation. The negative about these -- in summer -- is that you have to bake them.

Turning on the oven when the weather's in the mid-80s is usually a no no in my house.

Also, no surprise, my daughter wasn't a fan of the breading. She peeled that right off.

Other menu items that seemed to be a hit this weekend:

• Jalepeno blue cheese burgers (served with red romaine from our CSA and on toasted herb focaccia.)

• Marinated CSA carrots (instead of shallots and garlic, this time I used garlic scapes)

Beignets - fully loaded.

• Beignets (topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries & sprinkles)

• Guacamole (a simple version with two avocados, a large grated jalapeno, two cloves crushed garlic, juice of one lime, about two tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and salt to taste.)

• Red, white & blue strawberries (strawberries dipped in white chocolate and blue sprinkles.)

Except for the carrots, most of what I made this weekend could be eaten with fingers - no forks, spoons or knives really necessary.

Parading on the 4th

All American girl.

Even though it was a little overwhelming to get our Girl Scout troop up and running, it's already proving to be well worth the effort.

These girls are a delight; their energy and spirit infectious. 

About a dozen of our Daisy Scouts showed up, all decked out in their red-white-and-blue finest to march (and scoot) with their siblings, parents & leaders this morning in Oak Park's 4th of July Parade.

We had the weather and enthusiasm on our side, so it's no surprise we all had a lot of fun.

I'd asked the girls to bring and decorate their scooters, which turned out looking great with so many of them on two wheels, zipping back and forth across the street between rows of parade watchers.

Scooter brigade.

My little Daisy and I spent a decent amount of time beforehand decorating her scooter with ribbons, star garland, flags and a pinwheel. But her scooter ended up on the wagon for the entire parade.

At some point when I wasn't looking, the parade organizer for the troops handed Eva and her friend a couple of the official Daisy flags. They ended up helping lead the Girl Scout troops as flag bearers.

That flag and pole can get heavy after 1.5 miles of walking, even slow parade walking. But she did her troop (and me) proud.

Every time I caught up with her, she had a big smile for me. 

Eva Bella and the color guard.

BTW, I realized while drafting this that this is my 1,000th post!

Red, White & Delicious

I made these mostly because I thought they looked really cute (and easy to make) in my issue of Family Fun magazine this month.

But it turns out they're really good too.

My son enjoyed helping me dip these into the white chocolate and roll them in blue sprinkles.