More Food!

Who doesn't love good food? And a good blog in which to read about it?

Thanks to Meili for finding this article that can link you to even more culinary delights.

Bon Appetit!

Greek Panzanella

Tonight I made Greek Panzanella. I saw Ina Garten make it on her Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa, and I just had to try it. I will be tasting the onions all night, but it was so yummy! Don't you want to give it a try? Let's do it! Here's what you need:

Slice a nice loaf of crusty bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss the cubes in extra virgin olive oil (or butter if you run out of olive oil like I did), sprinkle with a little bit of salt, and toast under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

In the meantime, chop the following veggies into 1 inch squares and throw them into a large bowl:

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 hot house cucumber (slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, then chop)

1/2 red onion (I like to slice the onions into smaller pieces)

cherry tomatoes (halved)

kalamata olives (no need to chop these)

Whisk together these ingredients to make the vinaigrette:

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

This is what it looks like after the first 2 ingredients. Pretty, huh?

Throw the bread cubes and a tub of feta onto the veggies and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Toss it all together. Let it sit for 30 minutes before serving. This is a dish that can be enjoyed at room temperature.

Mmmmmmmm! I think I might have to go sneak a few more bites...

Lemon Curd

Lemon curd! I made lemon curd! I am preparing a bunch of desserts for my punk's 2nd birthday next week. So far, I've baked and frozen batches of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (a family recipe that my cousin Brooke made for our mothers and daughters gathering in May) and shortbread cookies (which didn't turn out pretty, but they're still tasty). This weekend, I'm going to attempt making pastry puffs which I will then fill with the lemon curd and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Wish me luck!

Lemon Curd

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 stick (6 Tbs) unsalted butter, cut into bits

Whisk together juice, zest, sugar and eggs in double boiler. Stir in butter and cook over medium/low heat. Whisk frequently until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and the first bubble appears on the surface (about 6 minutes according to my recipe, but it took me 12 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly, and chill for 1 hour. Lemon curd will keep for up to 1 week.