Wilted Greens

It seems like the only way I ever eat greens is in a salad.... not anymore! This is a great, easy recipe for preparing greens that is NOT a salad, and would be a fine accompaniment to many main courses! I found this in "Easy British Cooking", edited by Celine Hughes.

This recipe will work with any fresh, small-leaf green. I used aragula (which I just found out is also called rocket), but you could easily substitute baby greens or baby spinach. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 1 or 2 large bunches of fresh small-leaf greens 
• 1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 lemon 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled 
• freshly ground sea salt & black pepper, to taste 

Directions 

1. Crush the garlic clove while keeping it whole, and spear it on the end of a fork. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over med-high heat. 
3. Add a large handful of greens to the pan - stir them around with the garlic-fork spear until just wilted (approx. 30-45 seconds). 
4. Transfer the greens from the pan to a plate with tongs. 
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have all the greens you want wilted. 
6. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on each pile to season, add a little salt and pepper to taste. 
7. Eat while warm! 

Serves: as many as you want, it depends on how many greens you have

Time: 10 minutes (to gather ingredients, cook and serve)

Cottage Pie

For me, this recipe is absolute comfort food. Potatoes, ground meat, bacon... mmmm. Sorry vegetarians, this one is not for you (but if you wanted to make the jump back to carnivore-land, this might be a good recipe to try!).  Even though it is summer right now, I can already visualize making this on a cold, rainy day, then curling up on the couch with a nice glass of red wine and a big bowl of hot-from-the-oven cottage pie. Have I mentioned "mmmm" yet?

The original recipe comes from a great cookbook a friend brought back from London, called "Easy British Cooking", edited by Celine Hughes. I made quite a few adaptations, while trying to keep the nature of cottage pie intact. I will list those changes at the bottom of this for you to peruse and perhaps try.

All I really have to say about this recipe is: Happy Cooking! Happy Baking! Happy Eating!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs olive oil 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 1.5#  ground turkey 
• 3 pieces of bacon, chopped into pieces 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1 heaping tsp dry parsley 
• 1/2 tsp dry thyme 
• 2 Tbs tomato paste 
• coarsely ground sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

• 2 large potatoes, peeled & chopped 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1/4 cup milk (I used rice milk, any low fat milk should work) 
• 3 Tbs butter (I used butter substitute) 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Start by making the mashed potatoes - bring water, bay leaf and chopped potatoes to a boil in a sauce pan. Cook until tender, then drain and remove the bay leaf. 
3. Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl, coarsely mash by hand. Add in the butter, then milk; mix until your desired consistency is reached. (For creamier mashed potatoes use an electric hand blender/whisk.)
4. While the potatoes are boiling - heat the olive oil over medium heat in a frying pain. Add the onions and cook until browned (3-5 minutes). 
5. Add the garlic, ground turkey and bacon - cook until the meat is almost completely browned. 
6. Add the wine to the frying pan - cook until evaporated (adjust the heat as needed). 
7. Stir in the parsley, thyme, tomato paste, salt & pepper.
8. In a medium-sized casserole dish spread the meat mixture over the bottom and level with a spoon. Cover the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes. 
9. Bake until the potatoes are golden brown on top, about 25-30 minutes. 

Serves: 4 large portions

Cook time: About 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes all the prep time, boiling potatoes, and baking the casserole in the oven) 

Adaptations 

• Olive oil - original recipe called for 2 Tbs butter to brown the onions and meat 
• Ground turkey - original recipe called for ground beef 
• Bacon - original recipe called for 5-6 pieces of bacon 
• Cheddar cheese - original recipe called for 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to be sprinkled over the casserole before it went into the oven - I omitted this altogether 
• Milk - original recipe called for whole milk in the mashed potatoes 

Garden Harvest

Just in case the picture does not speak for itself.... here is the carrot harvest from the garden!

Fig & Prosciutto Salad

Fig & Prosciutto Salad

Figs are in season right now; I am finding them everywhere from the Farmer's Markets to grocery stores to hanging on trees along the streets. I think they are a food that people either love or hate and I think a lot of it has to do with texture. I am not a huge fan of the fig, all on it's own; however, I LOVE them in this salad. The mix of sweet figs with salty prosciutto and tangy vinegar dressing on fresh, earthy field greens is divine.

The recipe is adopted from Alfred Portale's "Simple Pleasures" cookbook. It is one of the easiest summer meals I have thrown together and stands on it's own for a light dinner, especially if you pair it with a nice piece of bread and a fine glass of white wine.

Ingredients

 Dressing

• 2 Tbs + 1 1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar 
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 Tbs honey

Salad

• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 
• 4 oz prosciutto - thinly sliced strips 
• 8-10 figs, stems removed, sliced into halves or quarters (depending on size of the figs) 
• 2 oz feta crumbled (I used sheep's milk) 
• 4 cups arugula, rinsed and tossed (or other rich field greens) 

Directions

1. Mix the dressing - place the vinegar in a small bowl, add the salt and pepper, stir. Then mix in the honey. Set the dressing aside. 
2. Place the arugula (or other field greens) in a large prep bowl - drizzle with olive oil and mix well. 
3. Divide the greens evenly into serving bowls. Add the figs and prosciutto. Drizzle the dressing on each salad. Sprinkle with the cheese. 

Servings - These portions made 2 large salads or could be divided into 4 smaller plates. Enjoy!!

Garden update.

I lived my life. (in memoriam)

My friend: I did not live my life to write a book. I lived my life to live.

Me: I know that. But your life has been amazing.

My friend: Well, I didn't set out to make it amazing. I only set out to live each day.

Me: (smiles, nods "yes") I know... but that living has lead to a truly amazing life. Have you ever thought about writing it all down? Or even telling your stories and letting someone record them?

My friend: Oh goodness.  Another person wanting me to record everything. (smiles, shakes head "no")

Me: Why not?

My friend: Because my life has been my life. And your life will be your life. And why would reading or hearing my life story change yours? It should not be that way.

Me: Because you have wisdom and perspective. You have lived a full life and I am honored to learn from you.

My friend: Well, that may be so. But I'm not going to write or record anything - my life can live on through those that knew me and remember me. The rest of the world will  just have to figure it out.

Me: (smiles, nods head "yes") Then I will have to do my best to not forget you and to share what I know of you and your life.

My friend: Fine. (turns head and looks around, leans in closer) Really, it all boils down to one thing: remember to live your life to live it. Not to think about what you will look back on later, but instead to live each day. Just live.


This was a conversation I had with a patient (and friend) of mine almost weekly for six months.

She never wrote down or recorded any of her stories; however she did share them with myself, her family, and her friends. Those shared stories are where her memory lives.

It really all boils down to one thing: remember to live your life.

Asparagus the Easy Way

Roasted Asparagus

I'm not sure I have posted a recipe that is both this easy and this tasty before. The ingredient list is short. The prep time is nothing. And the roasting requires only an oven and one flipping half-way through. The result is super tasty and pairs well with so many dishes. If we had a grill, we would grill asparagus, but since we do not, this is a great way to get the same type of flavor. This recipe was adapted from "The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook," by Amelia Saltsman.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of asparagus - ends trimmed 
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

1. Place the top rack of the oven in the upper third. Preheat to 450 degrees.
2. Lay the asparagus out on a baking sheet - allowing space between each stalk. 
3. Generously sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Roast the asparagus for 6 minutes - use a spatula or tongs to flip - roast for another 6 minutes. 

Eat and enjoy!