eG Foodblog: SobaAddict70 (2011) - Market basket blogging

[SobaAddict70]

Smaaaall kitchen counters - try a cutting/pastry board big enough to cover your sink.

I second Chris' comment, thinking that I could do with the inspiration at this produce-starved time of year past spring and not yet into summer...but you're obviously not suffering .

Love the toes on your kitchen floor...great indication of scale!

Never thought of that. Thanks Helen.

For tonight, thanks to Shalmanese:

I should mention that I don't own a microwave and I try not to have leftovers if I can help it. Unless I'm making a pot of soup or stew ... that's the exception to the rule.

[SobaAddict70]

Chicken's not looking so photogenic while it's poaching so no pix just yet.

Clockwise from upper left: young onions (they have a sweet taste, not unlike a Vidalia onion), thinly sliced crimini and shiitake mushrooms, chickweed, ginger, scallions, asparagus. For the stir-fry.

I'll be using some of the poaching liquid to cook the rice.

Chickweed has a faintly sweet, hay-like flavor. This is the first time I'll be using it in a stir-fry. I treat it simply -- dressed in hazelnut or walnut oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. That's all you really need. I'm curious how this will turn out. I'll probably add at the last minute so I can preserve some of that crisp texture.

[heidih]

Great to have you blogging. I have been inspired over the years by your fresh from market to table, vegetable highlighting, style of cooking.

The pasta with the nasturtiums is lovely. My nasturtiums are sadly already on the wane but I will keep this definitely in mind for next spring. The pea sized seed pods are a pale green now and I just went out and ate one - an herbal peppery taste. I think they can be pickled like capers. Hhmmm- research to be done.

Looking forward to the final on the evening meal.

[SobaAddict70]

Great to have you blogging. I have been inspired over the years by your fresh from market to table, vegetable highlighting, style of cooking.

The pasta with the nasturtiums is lovely. My nasturtiums are sadly already on the wane but I will keep this definitely in mind for next spring. The pea sized seed pods are a pale green now and I just went out and ate one - an herbal peppery taste. I think they can be pickled like capers. Hhmmm- research to be done.

Looking forward to the final on the evening meal.

Thanks Heidi.

If I can inspire people who might not normally like vegetables or even certain kinds of vegetables to try something out of the ordinary, then I'll have considered that a victory.

[SobaAddict70]

I needn't have worried.

Chinese white-cut chicken, with scallion-ginger sauce; stir-fried chickweed, mushrooms and young onion; steamed rice, with white pepper and scallions.

Thanks Shalmanese! That recipe is a keeper.

I should really cook more Asian. That's definitely an area I haven't explored much.

[heidih]

So how did the chicken skin get dealt with? Eaten, saved for another use or? I am one of those that has an issue with soft skin but I know it is part of that style of dish.

How did the flavor of the chickweed stand up to the heat of a cooked prep?

[SobaAddict70]

So how did the chicken skin get dealt with? Eaten, saved for another use or? I am one of those that has an issue with soft skin but I know it is part of that style of dish.

How did the flavor of the chickweed stand up to the heat of a cooked prep?

I'm following Dave's commandment -- eat more chicken skin.

Re the chickweed -- I'm afraid any distinguishing characteristics it might have had disappeared once I tossed it into the pan. That, or I cooked it for 20 seconds too long.

I didn't use all of the chickweed. There's still a healthy chunk left, enough for a small salad tomorrow.

[SobaAddict70]

could you make some of the ricotta gnudi like they serve at the spotted pig? mmmmm

Hi Nikki, and thanks.

Ricotta gnocchi is one of my staples. I usually serve them with some kind of vegetable feature though.

I have a few things planned for tomorrow, not the least of which is a demo on how to make ricotta gnocchi. I'm afraid I've never been to The Spotted Pig and have no plans to go anytime soon. That being said, I took a look at this recipe for the gnudi and it seems to me that it's not all that much different from Suzanne Goins' version. Suzanne's method is my preferred recipe.

I have some raspberry white chocolate ice cream waiting for me once I get the dishes washed. Until the morn.

Soba

[artisan02]

Here, you can see my small but efficient cookbook collection. I don't cook from cookbooks all that much, but I do use them for sources of inspiration. When I was growing up, I'd go to the library and spend a few hours reading cookbooks.

I have that Williams-Sonoma cookbook, Fresh From the Farmers Market. It has some really good things in it.

Christine

[SobaAddict70]

Here, you can see my small but efficient cookbook collection. I don't cook from cookbooks all that much, but I do use them for sources of inspiration. When I was growing up, I'd go to the library and spend a few hours reading cookbooks.

I have that Williams-Sonoma cookbook, Fresh From the Farmers Market. It has some really good things in it.

Christine

It does have great recipes but I've moved away from the mode of "going to the market with a list of things to get" to "going to the market, seeing what looks good and planning meals based on what's available". Very often I don't have any idea what I'm going to make until I get to USGM. I've made less than a handful from that cookbook, but I keep it around for ideas.

[nikkib]

that is exactly how i cook, when i have time off from work. I look for seasonal ingredients and then see what i feel like cooking when i get home!

[SobaAddict70]

Good morning.

Stuff for 2nd breakfast:

Clockwise from upper left: La Ratte fingerling potatoes, spinach, garlic cloves, white shallot, tomato, eggs from Quattro's Game Farm

More pix in a little bit.

[SobaAddict70]

About 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted; 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, a small handful of dried curry leaves and 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced. When mustard seeds pop, add garlic and cook until the cloves turn from pale white to a light gold. Then add potatoes to the skillet along with a generous pinch of salt.

Ordinarily I'd use ghee but my supply ran out a while ago and I haven't had the opportunity to visit Kalustyan's. I'm going tomorrow or Wednesday and will take pix (if I can).

Cook until potatoes become golden brown, taking care not to burn. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, stir once more, then remove from heat and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt another tablespoon of butter on medium-high heat, then add shallots. Cook for a few seconds, then add tomatoes, a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric. Cook until tomatoes turn a brilliant red and are halfway between a solid and liquid state. Difficult to give a time estimation ... I sort of just "know" when. Add spinach, turn heat down a notch and cook until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Return potatoes back to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes. Taste for salt, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, scatter some chopped cilantro over the top (if you have any; I didn't). Serve at once.

Poached farm egg, pan-fried potatoes, spinach and tomatoes with Indian spices

Time: About 45 minutes, including prep.

edit: spelling.

Edited May 30, 2011 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Blether]

That looks delicious. Haven't you tried making your own ghee ? Is the stuff you buy genuine 100% cow-butter ghee ?

[SobaAddict70]

That looks delicious. Haven't you tried making your own ghee ? Is the stuff you buy genuine 100% cow-butter ghee ?

I have made my own ghee before.

I alternate between the stuff I get from Kalustyan's (where I'm assured it's 100% cow-butter ghee) and homemade.

I use commercial ghee out of convenience. Yes, I've strayed from the pack.

[SobaAddict70]

All right, I'm headed off to the gym in a little bit, then to Union Square Greenmarket where I'll be taking a boatload of pix. I'm thinking what I want for lunch ... if the fish people have anything left, I'll pick something up. Have to see what's there.

Ricotta gnocchi for dinner tonight, still unsure what will go with it. More later.

[SobaAddict70]

Late lunch today.

This is technically my fourth meal today.

1: glass of water with 5 grams creatine, followed by a whey protein shake with 1 tablespoon olive oil (for the calories)

2: poached eggs with pan-fried potatoes, tomato and spinach, 2 glasses of milk

3: protein shake with 1 scoop of peanut butter, nonfat milk, yogurt, banana and weight-gain powder

For lunch, it'll be broiled wild black sea bass and chickweed-tomato salad. Pix later after I get my UGSM pictures loaded up.

Today's calories will be on the high side because when I cook, I don't stint on butter, cream, cheese and olive oil. All the food porn that you're seeing this week isn't what I normally eat during the week. I can afford to do it like this because technically I'm on vacation this week.

However, if it were a normal workday, it's a little more mundane.

Meals 1 and 3 are usually the same on gym days. 2 is some kind of high protein/moderate carb and fat breakfast, like a fried egg sandwich with turkey and cheese on a kaiser roll, dash of Tabasco. 4 is usually something like a tunafish sandwich with honey mustard, lettuce, onion and tomato or a LOADED turkey sandwich with mayo, lettuce, onion and roasted peppers. The idea is to consume something with protein every meal, something with high to moderate carbs before my workout, and something with high protein after my workout. 5 is either beef, chicken, fish or rarely, pork and 6 is either a whey shake or a bowl of cottage cheese. Calorie count ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 calories a day, protein comes out to 200 to 250 grams.

Strawberries were in abundance this afternoon. Strawberries and rhubarb. I couldn't resist buying a pint ... that'll feature in tonight's dessert. By the time I got to the Greenmarket, temps were in the mid 80s and the fish guys were gone, so I moseyed on over to Eataly and bought a fillet of black sea bass.

Even on a Monday, the place was jam-packed. I REALLY hate crowds in tight-enclosed spaces so I bought a couple of things, took one picture for the Foodblog and left.

Lunch pix in a little bit.

Edited May 30, 2011 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Shalmanese]

I needn't have worried.

Chinese white-cut chicken, with scallion-ginger sauce; stir-fried chickweed, mushrooms and young onion; steamed rice, with white pepper and scallions.

Thanks Shalmanese! That recipe is a keeper.

I should really cook more Asian. That's definitely an area I haven't explored much.

Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it

[SobaAddict70]

When you've got fish this pristine, it'd be a crime to treat it less than what it deserves.

Just a scant pinch of salt, black pepper and chopped fresh thyme. I have it sitting in a Pyrex dish for about 10 minutes, after which I'll drizzle some Umbrian olive oil, then pop it in the oven for 15 minutes.

[Jenni]

Next time try black mustard seeds in your dish...would be normal for an Indian dish. Looks lovely though

Edited May 30, 2011 by Jenni (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Next time try black mustard seeds in your dish...would be normal for and Indian dish. Looks lovely though

I have black mustard seeds in the spice cabinet but didn't have them ready. Oops.

[SobaAddict70]

Broiled wild black sea bass with fresh thyme, chickweed and Jersey tomato salad.

Chickweed and tomato salad: chickweed; 1 tomato, diced; sea salt; black pepper; juice of half a lemon; walnut oil.

Edited May 30, 2011 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Genkinaonna]

That's a lovely meal, the sea bass looks perfectly cooked. I'm intrigued by the chickweed, I'll have to see if I can scare some up around here.

[Kim Shook]

Soba – we just got back from our trip and what a lovely surprise to see you blogging. I always love your food and your pictures and can’t wait to see what you have for us! I am just amazed at what you accomplish in such a small space! I love the nasturtium flowers – one of my first forays into ‘high gourmet’ was planting them 25 years ago. I got probably 3 blooms (I am NOT a gardener), but thoroughly enjoyed that peppery flavor on a salad. I am completely jealous of the market! I remember visiting during my last trip to NYC and I mourned that I didn’t have a kitchen to cook in!

[FauxPas]

I've always wanted to taste those flowers. Are they kind of a sweet/flowery taste?

Shelby, I wonder if you couldn't grow a few nasturtium plants at your place? They are usually really easy to grow from seed. Mind you, they can be aphid magnets when I grow them in coastal BC, and they tend to reseed so if you don't want them anymore, you have to work a bit to remove them.

But the flowers are so expensive in the markets, and they really are tasty and so colourful. They also make a lovely vinegar - you don't need many flowers - just immerse them in white wine/champagne/cider/rice vinegar. They only take a few weeks and you get a beautiful colored vinegar with a peppery taste that goes well with salads, etc.

SobaAddict70, your food looks so beautiful, your meals simple and complicated at the same time. You make them look so appealing. How big is your kitchen - what are the dimensions?

Waiting to see what you will do with the strawberries!