Indy

Every summer I look forward to the weekend we go to Indianapolis to spend time with my sister and her husband.  We normally see them when there is a holiday or an event going on, this visit is always just cause to spend time together.

We climbed 32 flights to the top of Circle Monument in downtown.

 

As usual we ate our way through the weekend.  I've heard that a Mexican Coke is better because they use sugar cane instead of corn syrup.  So when we went to a candy and soda shop I found one and had to try it.  We also did some olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting.  We walked away with a sun dried tomato oil and pomegranate vinegar.  It was a great weekend!

Fava Beans

I've never had fava beans or at least I can't recall ever having them.  So when I was at the farmers market I bought some just to see what the big deal about them was.

It takes a bit of work to get the beans out since once you take them out of the pods you need to blanch them to remove their individual shells and so a quart turns into a small cupful.

I sauteed them up and tossed them with some pasta.  It turns out they are quite delicious.  Although considering the yield I probably won't grow them anytime soon but just enjoy them when available at the market.

Bowl of Brightness

Right now we are enjoying winter citrus.  

The bright color in the kitchen is uplifting and of course the fruit itself is delicious!

Acorn Squash

If you shop seed catalogs you aren't surprised to find typical vegetables come in many different shapes and colors.  But it's fun when you see your grocery store start to carry some of the different options and not just the normal looking stuff.  Today at my store there wasn't any green acorn squash just white and golden acorn squash!

Blue and Green Eggs

You might think that green eggs are only in Dr. Seuss books but they actually exist.  I bought eggs when I was at Dogwood Farm checking out the baby goats.  They have Araucana chickens which lay eggs in blue and green hues.  There is something more fun when your eggs look like it's Easter all the time.

Pummelos

It has been citrus season and so there have been lots of fun options at the store.  On one of my recent trips I saw what looked like large grapefruit but were really pummelos.  We have never had one so I decided to try it.  In the store the sign said it is the largest citrus fruit.  I don't know the validity of this statement but I will say it is quite large.

The fruit is extremely fragrant and smells very similar to a grapefruit.  The pulp is pink and surprisingly had a very thick rind.  Despite having similar grapefruit qualities it was sweet and not at all sour.  It was quite delicious and I would definitely enjoy it again in the future.

Not Immune

Despite the fact that I try to buy items based only on their merit and quality I sometimes fall prey to marketing ploys.  Case in point I picked out our holiday wine based solely on the labels. 

I love barns, farm houses, and anything that looks like it comes from a rustic more simpler life.  So when I saw the bottle on the left it's label made me pick it up.  Then when I saw that the wine was created from organically grown grapes the deal was sealed, I had to try it.  Of course I had to buy the bottle of Chardonnay because it had a bee on it and the brand is called Honey Bunch.  And just like the label says it is the "bees knees."

Quince Jelly

Over the weekend Andy's cousin Andreas from Germany was visiting.  Andy's maternal grandmother was a German nurse who married an American soldier during WWII.  She moved here with her new husband leaving all of her family in Germany.   We wish we got to see them more but the big ocean in between hinders regular visits.

Andreas has a shop in Germany where he sells all sorts of Native American pieces.  Once a year he makes the trek out West to buy directly from the artists who live on reservations.  During these trips he always makes a detour through Cincinnati to visit us.

He always brings yummy chocolate from Germany.  This year he also brought over some quince jelly that they made.  I have never had quince before but knew it was along the lines of an apple or pear.  So of course I popped open the jar once we got home.  The jelly is wonderful, not overly sweet with a hint of citrus flavor.  We will definitely enjoy it on toast, crackers or mixed in with yogurt.

I just wish that I had known we were trading homemade goodies.  I would have made sure to come bearing a jar of jam or peach salsa and honey.  I'd also like to have such cute canning jars.

Artwork

Some people enjoy Picasso, some Mozart, me a good loaf of bread.  These are beautiful and again from Blue Oven Bakery.  It seems that my obsession with delicious carbohydrates continues.

Chocolate Cherry Bread is a dark wheat bread studded with chunks of dark chocolate and tart cherries.  The chocolate is decadent and the cherries moist and plump.  It is delicious and I love to have a slice with a cup of coffee for dessert.

The loaf with a B is called Miche.  It is a whole wheat, aged sourdough.  I have only ever had white sourdough and was intrigued.  And lets be honest the pretty B also drew me in since I can be such a sucker.  Andy saw this loaf at home and asked me if this was what they meant by "Mark it with a B," in the patty cake song.  It is a dense, chewy bread with the excellent sourdough tang but in a whole wheat vehicle, yummy.

They're Back

I love coffee.  I like a couple of cups in the morning and a couple in the evening.  On rainy days I like to be holding a warm cup all day long.  I could go cold turkey but I don't wanna.  I also could drink a entire pot and then go straight to bed.  My parents say one day I won't be able to do that anymore but for now I am going to enjoy it while I can.  I'm not too fussy about type, I've happily drank el cheapo and the premium dark roasted variety as long as there is cream and maybe a splenda packet. 

I tend not to be brand specific but this time of year Millstone comes out with their seasonal varieties.  They have two flavors that I adore because they actually taste as good as they smell.  Too often flavored varieties fall flat for me because they smell delectable and then taste like regular coffee.  I have been keeping my eyes peeled since the beginning of September because I knew they would be arriving soon.  And luckily yesterday I found them.

This pumpkin spice coffee I will drink from now until Thanksgiving.  I will share my post Thanksgiving coffee addiction when the time comes.  There might be other good varieties out there but in terms of straight brewed coffee without the added sugary syrups that give lattes their flavor this is my tried and true.

Guilty Pleasure

My newest guilty pleasure that I have acquired are my weekly Blue Oven Bakery purchases.  It is a small operation by a husband/wife team who only sell their products at farmers markets currently.  They grow a bunch of their own wheat and source the rest of their ingredients through other local vendors and then bake their bread in a wood fire oven on their own property. 

Their bread is delicious.  But their english muffins are heavenly.  These english muffins aren't like the dry nuggets you buy at the grocery store, they are light, airy and have a yeasty dough similar to doughnuts but without the sugar and glaze.  They are the reason I am willing to show up to the market a half an hour early just to get in line to guarantee that I will obtain some of these treats.  I use them instead of buns or sliced bread in all sorts of meals and sandwiches.

I probably shouldn't be eating all these carbs but I tell myself its ok because they use local organic ingredients so it isn't over processed like the white bread at the store and must be more nutritious.  Right?  However now that school is back in full swing I am not able to arrive a half hour early unless I end up with an unexpected day off.  So we will see how my luck goes, I might not be able to indulge again until next Summer.

Farmers Market Find

Over the weekend Andy and I hit up the Hyde Park farmers market specifically to buy shitake mushrooms because the vendor who I normally buy from at the Madeira's farmers market wasn't there.  While there we also browsed all of the other vendors.  I found Traderspoint Creamery whom I had never seen at the market before.  I was especially intrigued because while I have seen cheese vendors at the markets I have yet to see anyone sell milk. 

We stopped to taste some of their goodies and walked away with their herbed greek yogurt and spicy fromage blanc.  The herbed greek yogurt was delicious and flavorful and I plan to use it in place of mayo like below on the burgers or as a base for creamy herb salad dressings.  The spicy fromage blanc had kick but not too much heat and I look forward to using it also spread on sandwiches, in sauces or mixed into other dishes.  I'm glad that I had to venture over to the other market last weekend because we have found some new favorites!

We have been successful in the past year of buying as much of our food locally as possible.  Most of the meal above was purchased from a local farmer or from my garden.  We picked up some fresh saffron pasta while at the market which was delicious!

As an adult I have rediscovered brussel sprouts.  I was never a child that disliked brussel sprouts but I also didn't willingly pick them to eat.  Brussel sprouts is a food that if it isn't cooked correctly it tastes awful.  In an effort to continue to eat a large assortment of veggies I have added brussel sprouts to my repertoire of recipes.  My favorite way to eat them is simple to make and with bacon.  What isn't good with bacon?

I don't actually measure items when I cook so these are ballpark amounts based on what I use.  Cook up 2-3 pieces of bacon depending on their size and how much bacon you want.  While bacon is cooking quarter about a pound of brussel sprouts.  When bacon is finished drain most of the drippings but leave just a little bit and then add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Brown brussel sprouts and while they are cooking crumble bacon.  Allow to cook for a couple of minutes stirring so they don't burn.  If brussel sprouts are still too crisp add a quarter cup of chicken broth or water to pan, immediately cover to allow them to steam for a few minutes.  Then sprinkle in bacon and a squeeze in a bit of lemon juice.

Orange Blossom Honey with Comb

I thought I posted this a couple of days ago but when I got on today it was still in my drafts so here we go again, attempt #2:

Since we have begun beekeeping Andy and I decided that we should try different types of honey.  Different types of honey are produced when bees are placed in an area with only one type of plant and thus only get to forage one type of blossom.  Because the honey is made up of nectar from only one plant the honey has a flavor specific to that plant.

Our first honey taste test was orange blossom honey with cut comb.  The cut comb has always been intriguing to us and we decided go for it.  The honey was wonderful and had a sweetness different that that of clover honey you get at the grocery store.  However if I had not know that it was from orange blossoms I wouldn't have been able to pinpoint the exact flavor.  The cut comb is pretty in the jar but not all that exciting in the mouth.  Once all the honey is gone you essentially are just chewing on a ball of wax.  We're glad we finally had the experience but most likely will never buy honey with cut comb again. 

Massive Egg

I went to the farmers market last week as I always do and bought some eggs from my favorite farmer.  When I got home and opened up the dozen I was greeted by the largest egg I have ever seen in my life.  We have commented many times how the eggs we buy from him are often larger than ones you get at the store.  This however was a monster compared to the other eggs.  It filled the entire palm of my hand and was taller, wider and deeper than all the other eggs.  You can see below how it was as big as a post-it and how it makes a normal egg look tiny.  Andy and I joked we were going to find a premature chick inside and when I cracked it open there were two yolks!  Mark this one for the record books.

          

Edamame!

At Trader Joe's I found this fun find.  It's fresh Edamame grown locally sold on the stem in bouquets.  I can wait to steam it up and eat it!

Champagne Grapes

Look at these teeny tiny grapes!  I found them at Trader Joe's and they were just too cute to pass up.  I wish they had been available when I threw my sister her bridal shower then I wouldn't have had to halve grapes for the tarts I made.  They taste just as good as the full size version, but more fun to eat.