Rooftop Garden Redux

Ok, let me just start by saying that I killed the tomato.  I'm not proud of it, it happened, we're moving on.  What lesson did we learn here?  Young tomato plants don't do well unprotected from strong coastal winds.  In fact, they snap in half.  True story.  I'll spare you all the gory photos.

With head hung low, still mourning the loss of an innocent tomato plant, I dropped by Sloat Garden Center to find something a little more sturdy and able to deal better with our wacky weather here on the west side of San Francisco.  The sun is starting to come out more, but the wind is pretty consistent; I needed something a bit more established that won't get knocked over.

To replace the fallen tomato, I grabbed a green bell pepper plant with a good thick stalk and big, healthy leaves.  It was even starting to push a little fruit.  I figured a good perennial leafy green would be a good addition as well, so I potted a small french sorrel plant.  I've never actually tried sorrel, and since I never see it at the grocery I guess I'm just going to have to grow my own.  As one of the staples of French cuisine, the sorrel will make a great addition to pastas or quick salads.  I can't wait to try it.

So I guess for now I will have to rely on my friendly neighborhood farmer's market to get my tomatoes.  No problem there.  But for a few key ingredients, bell peppers, sorrel, shallots, and even a little garlic, I won't have to go very far at all.  Wish me luck (again) on getting my little garden to grow.  It's a learning experience, to be sure, figuring out what will grow in our little micro-climate, unsheltered from the coastal air.

And of course, I'll let you all know how it comes out.

(The shallots should be ready soon, and I think they are each going to be about the size of a baby's head.  Seriously.)

Big, beautiful shallots:

Catching Up

I've been lagging a little bit in writing up a couple of yummy dishes to recently come out of the Tiny Kitchen. There's no particular reason for this, I haven't been waiting for the perfect opportunity to reveal some amazing culinary creation to you all. Nope, I've just been lazy, and a little forgetful. But enough chit chat. On to the food.

I have made a Frittata for you all before, (you're welcome) but one of the best parts of the Frittata is that it never has to be the same dish twice. Since it's really just a big mishmash of fresh, chunky vegetables and eggs, you can pretty much put whatever you want into it providing it all fits into one large skillet. This time through, I added a can of black beans, something I had never thought to include before, and it ended up being the best rendition of the Frittata yet. Since we had guests, and I was not just cooking for the missus and I but for my Mother-in-law and her friend, I wanted this lunch to be more than just cold cuts and potato salad. (For the record, the missus and I don't eat cold cuts and potato salad for lunch when we don't have guests, it was really just an example. Not that there is anything wrong with cold cuts. Or potato salad. Nevermind.)



Frittatas are pretty basic and easy. Chop some potatoes and fresh veggies, some sausage if you are so inclined, saute, and fold in a dozen beaten eggs and bake. If you have it, use sea salt or another rock salt when seasoning the veggies. It adds that little something extra. Here's what I threw together the other day:

1 dozen eggs, beaten
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 white or yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bunch of chives, diced
2 Adele's Southwest Sausages, cut into 1/2 pieces
1 can of black beans, with 1/2 of the liquid drained
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt (preferably sea salt or rock salt) & Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet, and add garlic and onion and stir. Add the potatoes and bell pepper, and saute for a few minutes, then add the sausage. Pour in the black beans with remaining 1/2 can of liquid. Add the chopped chives to the egg. Once this is all combined and has had a chance to cook for about 5 minutes, close the heat of the burner, and add the egg. Allow the egg to fully cover the other ingredients by gently moving them around with a spoon. Put skillet in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. You'll know it is done when the top is nice and brown. If you are still unsure, stick a toothpick into the middle of the frittata, and if it comes out dry, it's done.

The salad was the lettuce from the Eatwell Farm CSA, 1/2 a cucumber, sliced thin, 1 carrot sliced into rounds, 1 bunch of green onions, chopped, and about 2 handfuls of green beans cut in half. I made a quick and easy mustard vinaigrette to dress the salad. Take about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Honey Spice mustard, 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of agave nectar, and a pinch of black pepper. Whisk together in a small bowl and toss with the salad. (These measurements are approximate, so add or subtract the levels of ingredients to suit your tastes.)



Keeping with our theme of healthy, uncomplicated meals, a few nights ago I made quick pasta using the fresh spinach from my Eatwell Farm CSA box. With whole wheat spaghetti, some chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a healthy dose of olive oil, this simple dish made for a great healthy week-night meal.



To get started, you'll need a hefty amount of fresh spinach, about six cups or enough to fill your salad spinner to the brim. (I'm not so good with the measurements, have you noticed?) Heat some olive oil in a large skillet and add about 4 - 5 cloves of minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Allow to cook until the garlic becomes aromatic. Add the spinach to the skillet, and stir continuously until it has wilted and reduced in volume considerably. Add a few pinches of salt as you stir the spinach. You'll know it's ready when it is soft and tender. Remove from heat.

Have your spaghetti cooking while you saute the spinach. Once the spaghetti is cooked, remove it from the heat, but do not drain it. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and drop it into the skillet with the spinach. Stir the spaghetti and spinach together and serve. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top, and dig in.



Enjoy!

Garlic Soba Noodles With Tofu

One of the best parts of being a part of the food blogging community is the fact that you get access to literally thousands and thousands of delicious, home-made recipes covering every taste, region, culture and speciality in the world. Not to get too sappy here, but it's pretty cool to be part of such a diverse and amazing community, all with one common goal: To eat good food.

So the other day when I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I turned to my fellow food bloggers and their penchant for sharing their favorite recipes with the world. As usual, I was looking for something modestly healthy, and as it was a weeknight, something quick and relatively hassle-free. I knew I had a package of soba noodles in the cupboard, so I figured I would start from there. Scouring the 'nets for soba noodle recipes, I found something Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks had posted last March that fit the bill. I changed the recipe slightly; instead of regular bread crumbs on the tofu I used panko and used fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. By pure coincidence, I also used Organic Planet soba noodles, the brand Heidi says she tends to stockpile in her original post. They tend to be the only brand of dry soba noodles I can find, or at least notice, on the shelf at the grocery store.



Garlic Soba Noodles

Ingredients:

8 oz. dry soba noodles (1 whole pack of Organic Planet soba noodles. If you are only cooking for 2, like I was, you could probably knock that down to 6 oz.)

3/4 panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
big pinch of salt
12 ounces (1 Pack) extra firm organic tofu, cut into 6 rectangular slabs
2 eggs, lightly beaten

a generous splash of olive oil
1 bunch green onions, greens trimmed, thinly sliced
4 big handfuls of chard, destemmed
2 - 3 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated

a few baby radishes, sliced paper thin

Boil a large pot of water and cook soba noodles per packet instructions or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

While the water is coming to a boil, get the tofu started by combining the bread crumbs, Parmesan and salt in a shallow plate. Dunk each piece of tofu in the egg and then press into the bread crumbs. Make sure each piece is nicely coated with crumbs. Place each piece on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces. Bake in a 375 degree oven until both sides are golden, flipping once along the way. Slice into strips and set aside.

Add the olive oil (and bit of salt) to a large skillet over med-high heat. Stir in the green onions, chard, and garlic, and cook for a minute until the chard collapses. Stir in the soba noodles. Stir in the parmesan. Remove from heat. Serve topped with the baked tofu and sliced radishes.



I strongly recommend only cooking the chard for a minute. I'm pretty sure I over-cooked the chard, and it wilted a little too much. I've never been very good at following directions. Otherwise, the dish was fantastic. These noodles were exactly what we needed on a cold, rainy San Francisco evening. Thanks to Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks for such a great and easy recipe. Enjoy!

Garlic-Lime Chicken and Corn On The Cob

I love corn on the cob. I love to cook it, I love to eat it, and I love that you get to eat it with your hands. But this ain't your grandmother's corn on the cob. (I am fighting the urge right now to call it "kicked-up" corn on the cob. I just can't let myself do it. I've got to stay strong.) Despite my internal struggle with the urge to start talking like some obnoxious celebrity chef, I have been making this corn for my wife and friends for a while now, and I just can't get enough. And the best part? It's easy! Just throw the ingredients into some foil, drop it in the oven, and you are done. Nothing to it. The ingredients for the corn are not set in stone, so add or subtract things for your taste.

As for the chicken, I was just going for something edible that paired well with the corn. As it turns out, it was pretty damn tasty on it's own. Nothing all that complicated about this one, either. The most work you will have to do is chopping an onion and peeling some garlic. Oh, and shoveling it into your mouth. So here we go.

Corn On The Cob
2 ears of corn, cleaned
4 - 5 cloves of garlic, diced
2 Tbs. butter
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of paprika
Dash of chili powder
Sprinkle of chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
2 20" (approx.) long sheets of foil

Give each ear of corn it's own piece of foil. Divide the garlic between the ears. (Of corn. Not your ears. Nevermind.) Use 1 Tbs. of butter per ear, as well as the juice from 1/2 lime for each ear. Sprinkle paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper in as well. Finish it off with some chopped cilantro. Wrap foil tightly around the ears of corn and other ingredients, place on a baking sheet, and cook in the oven at 375 deg. for 20 minutes.

It's probably a good idea to do the corn before the chicken. The corn takes a little longer in the oven.

Garlic-Lime Chicken
2 chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
2 pinches of chili powder (to taste)
Several pinches of Himalayan pink salt, or sea salt (also to taste)
Ground black pepper
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 red onion, cut into wide 1/2in slices
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Mix the lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper in a large ziplock back. Add the chicken breasts. Marinate for ONLY 10 minutes, any more and the lime juice will start to cook the chicken. You want the stove to do that. Reserve the juice in the bag for later. In a large pan on high heat, sear both sides of the chicken breasts for about 3 - 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Put the chicken breasts, garlic, onion, and marinade into a foil lined baking dish. Cover with a sheet of foil, and cook for about 10 minutes at 375 deg. Cook uncovered at the same heat for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with the cooked garlic and onion. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

At this point, I bet you're thinking you remember seeing what looked like tomatoes in the picture above. No need to scroll all the way back up, I'll help you out. While not part of the original recipe, I found some amazing heirloom tomatoes while I was at Whole Foods picking up the rest of the ingredients. Seriously, these things were as big as a baby's head. So, what the heck? Slice 'em, drizzle some olive oil over them, liberally sprinkle them with salt and pepper and there ya go. Maybe you cook them, maybe you don't. Your choice.

Enjoy!

Comfort Food

Sometimes you get in a rut. Sometimes you feel uninspired. Sometimes, you just don't feel like cooking. For those times, when your creativity seems to have run dry and you feel no desire to deal with the challenges of having an incredibly small kitchen, you need the right recipe. And the right woman.

The woman, in my case, was my lovely wife, who's constant prodding finally got us back into the kitchen with a new recipe to try. The recipe we found after looking for something to excite our palettes and warm our bellies. I must admit, though, that while I am writing the blog about this dish, my wife did most of the cooking. I helped with chopping and prep, but she really did the bulk of the work. This is because, well, risotto scares me. Yep, that's right. I've tried it before, and it tends to come out like a salty rice pudding rather than the delicate, comforting dish we are all used to.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe that just might help get me back in the game and my head back into the kitchen. Oh, and by the way...it is frickin DELICIOUS!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH BACON AND SAGE

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups homemade or canned chicken broth, may need a small amount more
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon crushed sage leaves, adjust to taste
4 slices turkey bacon, cut into thirds - regular bacon can be used as well
2 medium shallots, minced or 1 small onion, chopped (approximately 1/4 cup)
2 cups diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or risotto rice
1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese - more if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the broth in a saucepan under medium heat, keep warm. In another saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the sage and bacon. Saute for about 5 minutes until it becomes fragrant. Transfer the bacon and sage to a paper towel. Add shallots to the pan, stirring for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add the squash and rice to cook, for about one minute. Ladle enough broth into squash and rice mixture to just cover the rice.




Here is where risotto gets tricky: Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the broth is mostly absorbed. Add more broth and continue the process, adding and stirring, for about 25 minutes, until the rice is just tender. Now, be careful, if you add too much broth, the rice will keep absorbing it and it will become mush. As the broth gets absorbed by the rice, continue to taste the rice to check flavor and consistency. If you use all of the broth before the rice is cooked, add a little more at a time until the rice is done and the liquid is absorbed.

Once the rice is just this side of al dente, stir in the bacon, sage and cheese. For a tasty garnish, add some roasted garlic. Take a full head of garlic and chop off the top so you have removed the tips of each garlic clove. Place the head of garlic on a sheet of foil, and drizzle olive oil over it. Wrap tightly, and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until it is light brown and fragrant. The garlic will be soft and very hot, so once it has cooled down a bit squeeze the cloves out of their skins into a small bowl. Mash the garlic into a thick paste, and spoon on top of your risotto.

Thank you to our friends at Recipetips.com for the great recipe. Enjoy!