Harrisonburg, VA & Rehoboth, DE

A glimpse of my weekend which included best friends, beer tastings, a county fair, a demolition derby (!!) driving, good music, illegal Dark and Stormies on the beach, water so cold that your knees shake underwater and my first time at a bed & breakfast. Kris got a commemorative Thermos. I got a commemorative gold plated crab ornament. Classy.

The Virginia Kitchen

Sunday morning we took my mom to the Virginia Kitchen. I love this place. We went a few times in the winter and it was great getting back there. The food is good, filling and cheap. The coffee flows and the waitresses are vintage.

 

Haven't tried the pie yet... 

Doris's Special- Cured ham steak, two eggs any way you want 'em, a fluffy biscuit and some nicely seared hash browns. Don't forget some freshly squeezed orange juice.

Waffle King's Virginia Kitchen
450 Elden St
Herndon, VA 20170

Peach Picking

Wow- It's been so long that either my internet is freaking out and not displaying the page properly or Blogger has gone ahead and changed their software! I guess this kind of thing happens in the summer when every free weekend fills up in about June and you rarely get a day off. It's been busy, loud and awesome. My parents were in town- my mom still is. My sister came to visit. My aunt will be here soon and we've been eating very, very well.

That's the great thing about having a mother who loves to cook but who lives with no access to a real kitchen- lots of ambitious and delicious meals! In fact we attempted maybe THE most ambitious meal recently and she swears that she clocked in 35 hours of kitchen prep during the week leading up to the meal. I don't doubt her- the woman was on fire. I'm still waiting to get pictures back, but it's coming. Let's just say that it may have been round 2 of this birthday dinner.

Our most recent adventure out into the plains of Virginia was to Hollins farm to do some peach pickin'. 

Have you ever gone peach picking before? I hadn't. I didn't really know what to expect so I wore sensible shoes and clothes, expecting the need to shimmy up trees for the ripest peaches and I braced myself for some over-heating. And you know what? It was nothing like that. 

For one- Peach trees aren't that tall. For 2- It's so damn pleasant to pick peaches! Everything is within reach and it's almost entirely shaded. 

Plus- isn't there a peach picking party in either Oklahoma! or Gone with the Wind? I can't remember and the internet isn't telling me! But I can totally see why this would be a good activity for dainty Southern Bells. 

We may have illegally eaten our weight in peaches... but their skins were bruised and they would have been tossed anyway.. at least that's my story.

We also found the elusive blackberry bush and went to town trying to pluck only the ripe ones. Who knew it wasn't quite blackberry season in Virginia? I thought it was almost over!

 The peaches were made into 3 different batches of jam and a Bourbon Caramel Peach Pie, while the blackberries were meant for another pie that didn't quite work out... More pie making to come- I'm planning on entering the state fair this year! I could be getting way in over my head, but it'll be a good excuse to make lots and lots of PIE! 

Eating my way through Brooklyn

Kris and I spent the 4th of July weekend in New York because that's when all of New York leaves New York. We got to drive around the city and park on the street. It was awesome. We also ate- a lot. We focused the whole trip around "where to eat next?" and "where can Claire buy food to bring home?". This post attempts to answer those questions- in case you cared.

Brooklyn Smorgasburg

Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

27 North Sixth Street, between Kent Avenue and the East River (near East River State Park).

 Lobster Roll ($16) from the Red Hook Lobster Pound

I'm glad we had it and it was really good but I'm not sure I'd by it again- It cost the equivalent of like 3 tacos and a pupusa!

DuMont Burger Slider [grilled Brioche, Boston bibb lettuce, tomato, red onion and homemade pickles] ($5?) from DuMont Burger Restaurant 

Tasty little burger

Tried the Grapefruit Honey-Jalapeno Soda and bought the Homemade Root Beer ($4?) from Brooklyn SodaWorks

The first soda was straight-up weird. A sample was enough. The root beer was great. Not too sweet and quite spicy. Would have loved to try their sold out Blueberry & Mint soda.

Lemon Poppy seed Doughnut ($2) from Dough, 305 Franklin Ave Brooklyn, NY 11205

Awesome doughnut. They are huge but are so light and yeasty that they go down way too easily. 

Porchetta slider ($5) from Porchetta

Can't go wrong with pork.

Brewla Bars's Peach Ginger White Tea Popsicle ($3) from Market Share

A little syrupy but really tasty. You could tell it was all "real" stuff in that popsicle.

Rhubarb & Red Plum shaved iced ($2.50) from People's Pops

LOVED the hand shaved ice! Could have watched it all day! And it was very refreshing after all the other rich  foods. 

The Goodwich Ice Cream Sandwich [crisp oat chocolate chunk cookie with sea salt, Adirondack vanilla ice cream, dark fudge drizzle] ($5) from The Good Batch

Maybe a little overpriced? It was good but not amazing. The ice cream lacked depth. There, I said it. Now I sound like a twat. 

Sampled some Lemon Drop Kombucha from Kombucha Brooklyn

Not for me... Kinda tasted like apple cider vinegar? My mom might be down for this since she's always trying to get me to drink vinegar in the morning for "health" reasons. I don't doubt the health properties of vinegar and Kombucha, but I don't want to drink the stuff either...

Bought the Market Blend Pasta [Basil Fusilli, Garlic Parsley Rigatoni, Tomato Shells & Plain Rigatoni] $5 for 1/2 pound from Flour City Pasta 

They were sampling their "Orient Express" flavored orzo- lightly dressed in some olive oil, this was spectacular. Can't wait to play with the mix I bought!

Tried some great Light Amber Maple Syrup ($18) from Crown Maple Syrup

Would have bought a bottle if it weren't so hot!

Bought a truly amazing bottle of each: Balsamic Vinegar ($12) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($14) from Radish Prepared Foods

This is a great shop for foodies- you can grab a tasty lunch to-go AND get fancy mustard, Whimsy&Spice sweets while refilling your Kombucha Growler.. if you're into that kind of thing. OR you can just get some  great coffee and a pastry.

Great New Orleans style cold brewed iced coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee

No seats! Loved this place but I was basically the walking dead by this point.

Chocolate Bars: Maple & Pecan ($8), Stumptown Coffee ($8) and Grand Cru ($11) from Mast Brother's Chocolates

Just tasted the Maple & Pecan chocolates last night and they tasted a little sour... I wonder if the chocolate still needs to mature? Great little shop with a fantastic smell. 

Deviled Eggs ($4) Bone Marrow on Toast with Crushed Peas and pickled onions ($17) Beef Short Rib with Summer Peas ($29) Blueberry Tart ($8) Spotted Pig Bitters ($10) The Spotted Pig 

Had to wait 1.5 hours to get in as they don't take reservations. Got in as promised, at around 10:45 pm and didn't get our food until close to midnight! I was too tired to be angry. The food was pretty excellent. The short rib was outta-this-world.  

Buttermilk Vanilla Waffles with Blueberry sauce and Fresh Blueberries served with Maple Butter ($15) + side order of double smoked bacon ($4) from The Clinton Street Baking Company

Had to wait 2.5 hours to get in so we walked to Whole Foods and chatted over coffee. Went back and got right in as promised. The food was awesome. Maple Butter is where it's at. 

Franziskaner Hefe-Weizen $7 for 1 pint from Radegast Hall & Biergarten

Good atmosphere- friendly servers. The food looked decent too!

Corn Cookie ($1.85) and Raspberry Lemonade soft serve ice-cream ($4.50) from Momofuku Milk Bar 

I always have to get my Momofuku fix before the ride back to DC. Corn cookie tasted like Captain Crunch and the soft serve was legit. All in all- tasty!

Homemade Tagliatelle with Green Olive Sauce

I don't eat much pasta. I love it but it's one of those things I can easily do without, like bread. Maybe it's because it's so often underwhelming. Not much flavor other than gummy bread. Or maybe it's because I first thought I was "cooking" when I doctored pasta from a jar. The boyfriend and I would cook some chicken in a skillet, maybe add some red pepper flakes to the jarred sauce and TA DA! We cooked! I'm not trying to be condescending to anyone who makes and eats that kind of pasta, I still savor it when I have it on that rare occasion, but the stuff that really gets me going is homemade pasta. Pasta with eggs. Pasta with flour, eggs and little else. It's a real treat.

My first time making and maybe even eating homemade, fresh pasta was a Daring Baker's challenge for Lasagna. We had to finely chop a giant pile of spinach and knead it into the pasta dough. It took forever. My wrists hurt. Then it had to rest (as did I). Next up- rolling the dough out until it was thin enough to see through- no easy task- especially on a wooden kitchen table. This time around, the dough comes together in a food processor and there is no kneading required. Just give the dough some time to sit. Rolling the dough still isn't a piece of cake, unless you are equipped, but a marble counter top certainly helps.

Just a few minutes in some boiling water and you've got yourself something to write home about.

Crunch, crunch, yum

Homemade Tagliatelle with Green Olive Sauce

Inspired and Adapted from 101 Cookbooks and The Minimalist

Serves 4

For the pasta:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt, plus more as needed
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
  
  

For the sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 2/3 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
• fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the eggs and pulse until a ball starts to form. If the dough is too grainy, add a few drops of cold water. If the dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured counter. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough sit for 30min - 1 hour on the counter or up to 24 hours in the fridge.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until tender. Add the broth and cream and bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the olives. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes and then blend either with a handheld blender or a blender. Add lemon juice to taste and keep the sauce warm. In a small dry skillet, toast the pine nuts until fragrant and golden. Do not take your eyes off them!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the dough is rested, cut it in half and roll the dough out as thin as you can manage without driving yourself crazy. Cut into 1/2 inch strips and add to boiling for 2-3 minutes. Drain the water, reserving 1/2 cup. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water. Once the sauce is as you like it, add the pasta and swirl around for a minute or two. Serve topped with toasted pine nuts and if you need it, Parmesan.

Baked Chicken, Tomatoes & Olives with Roasted Asparagus

I cried during my commute this morning. Nothing bad happened. I was listening to the latest This American Life which is centered around fathers and their opening story was about a dad showing how much he cared for his daughter by assembling a terrorist attack kit for her to take with her to college in New York. He apparently spent quit some time assembling special equipment for "the box": a NASA blanket, self powering flashlight, potassium iodide pills in case of nuclear fallout.... When she moved into her dorm, her dad brought "the box" tightly sealed and labeled "Winter Coats". She kept the box with her through her first and second year and then decided to open it on her third year to use the emergency $200 to go tanning before a big trip. On top of all the disaster equipment was a letter from her father. It said: "If you are reading this, then something very bad has happened But don't worry because you're going to be fine."

I love this whole story. It makes me cry now just thinking about it. It's just so frigging sweet. Maybe it's because it reminds me of my own dad. Not always knowing how to verbally or physically show his affection, but making a huge effort to not only provide, but to protect his family. My mom has always said that if she was ever stuck on a desert island, or was in an emergency, the one person should would want by her side is my dad.

I would too.

I was going to post about this recipe anyway and it turns out this totally something my dad would eat, following his strict diet rules of no starch, carbs or sugars. But he would have this for lunch the next day, cold, and slathered in french mustard. With a glass of wine.

Dad: "I'll est 11h du matin et la vie est belle."

Baked Chicken, Tomatoes & Olives with Roasted Asparagus
Adapted from Donna Hay's No Time to Cook
Serves 2
From the pictures you can see that I cheated and used what I had on hand- so no mozzarella or proscuitto but bacon instead- and who can argue with that? This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. The chicken, tomatoes and olives are great the next day too- reheated or not.

• 8oz pack cherry tomatoes
• 8oz olives, marinated & pitted
• 2 tbl olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, boneless (or 4 cutlets)
• 1 ball mozzarella
• 8 slices prosciutto
• basil leaves
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 tbls olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 3 tbls parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cherry tomatoes and olives on a cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil and seaon with salt & pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the chicken: if using 2 chicken breasts, slice them in half so you have 4 thin chicken breasts. Cut 4 thick slices of the mozzarella and place them on top of each chicken breast with a few basil leaves on top. Wrap 2 slices of procsuitto around each piece. Remove the tomatoes & olives from the oven and add the chickent breasts on top, seam side down. Bake for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus: bend each stalk until it breaks naturally and discard the bottom half. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, salt & pepper and scatter on a cookie sheet. Top it all off with some parmesan. Cook in the same oven for about 12 minutes.

Sichuan Beef with Ginger-Soy Greens

This is one of those dishes that seems too simple and then I had my first bite and was blown away. Coming to you from the amazing Donna Hay (hey!), this meal is fantastic and will literally take you 17 minutes to make. This means that my buying habits have changes and I buy baby bok choy whenever I see it. Much like Meyer lemons or the first ripe strawberries.

If you've never cooked with bok-choy before, don't be detoured- it's an Asian cabbage and has a bit of a bitter taste but the sauce they cook in is very savory and has enough sweetness to really play off the bitter greens.

And the steak is coated in toasted sea salt and Sichuan (or regular... ) peppercorns which adds a bit of spiciness to the dish. The whole combo really hits it out of the park for me. I make this often enough that I will toast extra of the sea salt and peppercorns and save it in a jar along with my spices. That way the only prep I need to do is grate some ginger and wash some bok choy!

Easy-peasy Japanese-ey

Sichuan Beef with Ginger-Soy Greens

Adapted from Donna Hay's No Time to Cook

Serves 2

• 1 tblsp sichuan peppercorns (or regular)
• 12 oz baby bok choy (cut in half, lengthwise or chop off the root and separate the leaves)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbls soy sauce
• 14 oz beef filet
• 2 tbsl oyster sauce
• 1 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1 tblsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp grated ginger

Heat a pan over high heat. Add peppercorns and salt to pan and cook until fragrant (2-3 min). Place mixture in mortar & pestle (or spice grinder) and pound until fine. Sprinkle on all sides of beef. Add oil to pan and cook beef. Remove beef and keep warm. Place sesame oil & ginger in pan and cook for 1 min. Add bok choy and cook for 1 min. Add combined soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar & water and cook for another 2-3 min or until tender.

Tip: If you can't find baby bok choy, use the full grown kind but chop into large pieces and when cooking it, cover the pan for just a few minutes to help steam it.