foodie to foodie {july pen pals}

i think

foodie pen pals

is single handedly

saving the postal service

each month

about a thousand packages

go 

flying across the world

filled with

goodies

tailored to individual tastes

what the sender knows of the receiver

is very little

he/she may read your blog

or

ask what you favor

wonder about allergies

&

food true loves

then

pops a whole lot of goodness

in the hands of 

parcel post

july was my second month of participation 

in

foodie pen pals

dreamed up and managed by

lindsay of the lean green bean

it is a whole lot of fun

and

anyone can join...

....it isn't just for bloggers

so

on to the treats i received

a darling gal named marisa from the college cuisiner

put together a really special package 

first let me say

i am a bit sappy

but

there is a rule

the package must include something written

well

marisa

knocked it out of the park

it made me teary eyed

can you see it?

it is a journal

with recipes and ideas and food quotes

bound in leather

that SHE made

it is wonderful!

i have already decided to "borrow" the idea

along with this fabulous gift

the box was filled with all the things i love

crunchy homemade kale chips

(already gone)

quince jam her sister made

(already opened and enjoyed)

delicious almond butter

(also gone)

green tea for my morning pick me up

(not gone, but well on its way)

a personal chocolate milk

(which i am saving for a weekend mocha marathon!)

and some amazing crackers

what?

no photo of the crackers?!

that might be because

they. are. gone. too

hmm

well

marisa did offer this quote in my new favorite journal

so it is kinda her fault

thank you marisa

i truly loved everything in the box

oh

there were also bubbles

which are so much fun

i broke them out immediately

figuring our african grey would find them amusing

no g

he kept telling me to

"knock it off"

i sent my package to heather

who is also in california (like me)

but doesn't have a blog

she was kind enough to

send a little post along

for me to share with you

about 

what i sent her

take it away heather!

I was the recipient of Christy’s box this month for Foodie Penpals, and was I thrilled with the amazing things she sent.  The first thing that was great about my pen pal this month was getting to discover Christy’s blog.  She has some great recipes!  My eggplants are finally ready for picking and I tried her eggplant involtini recipe, which was fantastic. Her box was just as wonderful and Christy must be a mind reader for things people will love.  

The first thing I noticed was a tin of Chana Masala.  I did not tell Christy this, but I just went to a friend’s wedding in India this April and I am on an Indian food kick.  It smells wonderful and is all set to be used for this tandoori salmon recipe I want to try out this weekend.  There was a box of green tea chai.  I don’t drink coffee, but looking at my desk at work right now, I have at least 8 kinds of tea and this is a great addition to the mix.  The chocolate covered grahams were delicious and did not last long after the picture was taken.  The olive oil is so good drizzled on a fresh picked tomato with a pinch of coarse salt. I have already made a note to get more of this oil when I run out. As if everything wasn’t wonderful enough already, Christy has also given me some of the wildflower honey from her hives.  I am so jealous about her having beehives and the honey is so good that I haven’t figured out what is the best way to enjoy it yet. I don’t want to waste it on something that won’t really showcase the really floral flavor.  On top of the food, I got a neat little bundle of the cutest things.  There is a Pinocchio bottle stopper, adorable.  There are also some cute little picks that will be fantastic on a cheese platter. And finally, a handy bottle opener that will be added to the wine opener in my picnic basket, since I always forget it doesn’t open bottles.

Thank you so much for all the delicious and fun treats, Christy.  Your box was thoughtful and I appreciate everything you sent!

if all this seems like fun to you

join up

chard & ricotta pie

up at the cabin

i don't always have a full larder

but

i do have a garden

and

a few cheats in the freezer

which leads to

simple

creative

dinners

i was able to whip this

up in a snap

mostly because

our garden overflows

with 

chard

 chard and ricotta pie

10 sheets filo dough

olive oil

grated parmesan

1 garlic clove--finely chopped

1/2 medium onion--finely chopped

2 Tbs olive oil

1 bunch (about 12 large leaves/4 cups chopped)--chopped--discarding stems

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp freshly grated parmesan

a few turns of the pepper-mill

use an 8x10 pan.  layer the filo by brushing each sheet with olive oil, and a light sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  the bottom layer should be 6 sheets.  trim the ends and set aside.  

in a large skillet, heat the olive oil on low--toss in the garlic and onion.  cook just until the onions begin to sweat and turn translucent. do not allow the garlic to brown.  toss in the chard and allow to wilt, giving a good stir to evenly cook.  after about 5 minutes, toss in about 1/4 cup of water and cover.  allow the chard to get nice and soft. allow to cool slightly. strain off the liquid and place in a bowl.  add the ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and pepper.  

evenly spread into the prepared filo crust.  

take the remaining 4 leaves of filo one by one and scrunch them in a loose accordion.  place on top of the spinach layer, making sure to cover the entire top of the pie.  drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a bit more cheese.

bake at 375F for about 30-35 minutes.  you will look for the filo to be nice and crispy.

serve warm or room temperature. 

this is very easy to crisp up in the oven for a "next-day" treat!

lemon lavender cake

i love lavender-trimming day

delicate buds

not yet spent

but 

given their pollen

to the bees

at the ready

for

culinary cajoling

i bundle the limping stalks

tacking my baker's rack 

with 

lines of purple

a

scent of  Provence

filling the air

i toss the dried buds

in everything 

from

simple syrup to custards

aioli to bitters

shortbread to biscotti

i especially love it

in this cake

lemon-lavender cake

(this is a riff on a classic 1-2-3-4 cake)

(printable recipe)

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter--room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 Tbs lemon zest

juice of 1 large lemon

1 generous tsp dried lavender buds

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each

addition. Stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula and resume beating until the mixture looks like

buttercream frosting. Meanwhile…in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and buttermilk together. With the mixer on low, alternately mix in

the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, in 3 additions. Do not over-mix, just allow the ingredients to come together. Stir in the lavender. Pour into 2 loaf pans that have been coated in pan spray. Bake at 325 F for approximately 50 mins. Check for doneness after 40 minutes. Cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.When cool, pour glaze over

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs cream

Juice of lemon (more or less to your taste)

Stir together and pour over cooled cake.

i've linked my cake up to this great weekly party

ripe figs with ricotta & honey

it is a given

if i were to find myself

naked

roaming the garden of eden

surely i would be

occupied

with

plucking and eating figs

not with

modesty

of.

any.

sort.

figs are good

fresh or dried

plain

&

gilded

for a simple and gorgeous treat

serve these

as an appetizer or dessert

gilded figs

ripe fresh figs

ricotta cheese (fresh if you can get it)

sea salt

honey

toasted walnuts

slice the figs in half, and put a generous scoop of fresh ricotta on top.  drizzle your best honey to just cover the ricotta, sprinkle a few grains of sea salt and top with a walnut half.  serve chilled or room temperature.

**tastes great accompanying a cold glass of prosecco

eggplant involtini

with the sun low

a slight breeze

cooling the warm air

summer evenings

are

ripe

for a picnic

we like to hitch the dogs

grab

a well worn blanket

load

a basket of tidbits

and

head out

to

our garden

the beach

a park

a concert

sometimes

the porch

a favorite tidbit

this time of year

is

eggplant involtini

(printable recipe)

eggplant

roasted peppers

fresh basil leaves

soft goat cheese

2 cloves garlic-peeled and smashed

1/2 cup olive oil

salt & pepper

place the olive oil smashed garlic in a small saucepan and heat to warm. this process is to simply infuse the garlic flavor into the oil.  set aside and allow to infuse for an hour.  remove the garlic and store extra oil in the refrigerator.  slice the eggplant into slices no thicker than 1/4".  layer slices between paper towels and let dry out for several hours or overnight.  heat a large skillet over medium heat. in batches, place the eggplant in the skillet. do not use oil, you will be dry frying.  turn when soft and brown and brown the second side.  remove from heat and place on plate and allow to cool to room temperature.  once cool, take a slice of eggplant and brush the top with the garlic oil to coat, but not saturate.  place a piece of roasted pepper across the middle, add a generous dollop of  goat cheese.  give a quick sprinkle of salt and pepper, and top with a basil leaf.  roll overlapping the eggplant ends and place closure side down. brush a bit more olive oil over the top.  serve cold or room temperature.