The flower garden I planted two years ago is really starting to take shape.  Not much got added to that garden the exception of a basil plant.  As you can see, the garden is filling out nicely.

Flower Garden beginning to bloom

The garden contains yarrow, Jupiter’s beard, saliva  a couple of lilies  a few poinsettias leftover from Christmas, violets, correopsis,  and  a couple of mat daisy plants.  Today I added a basil plant.  No law says you can’t mix herbs and flowers.

Several weeks ago, during our first bout of warm weather, I planted bibb lettuce.  It has germinated and, with some very careful covering, managed to survive the recent frosts.

Bibb lettuce going strong

The lettuce will be making it way unto our salad plates and as a garnish for breakfast dishes very soon.

Today I also set out the decorative flowers in the pots on the portal; geraniums with a small day lily plant as an accent.  At the end of the season the day lily plant with be moved to a permanent place in the garden.   A spearmint plant and Italian parsley also went into large pots on the portal.  So much easier to use as a garnish when they are nearby.

The last things I planted were the vegetables.  This year we are growing grape tomatoes as well as a standard size tomato, green peppers and Japanese eggplant.

Tomato plants in the pots and ready to go..

All of these items were planted in pots inside the wall and behind the flower garden.  I discovered, after our first 8 years here, that plants do better inside our adobe wall.  For some reason we don’t seem to have the problem with leaf hoppers inside the wall as we do if plants are place in the raised beds outside the wall.  I am resigned to growing onions in the raised beds as they are the only plant that doesn’t seem to interest the nasty leaf hopper.

One of our apple trees flowered this year, the other has yet to show us any blossoms.  I don’t think we will get much of an apple crop as the flowers appeared before the final frost and some very hig winds.  I won’t know for a few weeks yet if the flowers set any fruit.  I’m keeping my finger crossed.

So everything is in the ground.  I’ve fertilized and watered and planted with care. I ‘ve done my part – plants get busy!

• Parpadelle – ok made that
• 2 leeks – nope – forgot those but I did have shallots
• 1/4 fresh chives – cut them from plant in the yard
• 2 tsp lemon zest – had that!
• 1 bunch arugula – yeah, that somehow became asparagus, but I do have some arugula growing in the garden so I used a bit for flavoring
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese – always have this on hand
• 3 oz prosciutto – I remembered this ingredient!

I  just decided I would have to improvise with the ingredients I had.  No trip to the grocery store for me.  So here’s my recipe for

Pappardelle with Prosciutto and Asparagus   Serves 2

• 1/4 lb of pappardelle 
• 10 stalks of asparagus, tough ends peeled
• 1 tbs Olive oil
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 2 tbl chopped chives
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest – more for serving
• t tbl minced arugula -
• 2 1/2 tbl grated parmesan cheese, additional can be offered at the table
• 1.5 oz prosciutto (about 3 thin slices) torn/cut into one inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water.  Remove from pan to a bowl of ice water and cool immediately.  Drain the asparagus, cut into one inch pieces and set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.  Remove pasta from water, reserving one cup of pasta water for sauce.  While the pasta is cooking, slice the shallot, chop the chives, grate the lemon, mince the arugula and cut up the prosciutto.  Set aside until pasta is done.

Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan.  Add the shallots and cook until softened but not browned.  Add the pasta, chives. lemon zest and arugula to the pan with 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid.  Cook, stirring gently and adding more of the reserved pasta water, a small amount at a time,  until you get a glossy sauce that coats the pasta.  Add the asparagus, prosciutto and parmesan cheese and stir gently until asparagus and prosciutto are warmed.  Remove from heat, transfer to plates and top with more freshly grated lemon zest and parmesan cheese.

The dish turned out pretty well. George and I both enjoyed it though I will have to try the original version soon.

So in the words of the Kung Fo Master “What have we learned from this grasshopper”  Two things Master –  Read the ingredients while you are making up the shopping list and There’s nothing better than a well stocked pantry and fridge to save you from yourself!

Unfortunately my camera isn’t working as well as it should so I have no pictures – you’ll have to use your imagination.  Here are the recipes with my changes:

Chicken Breasts with Poblanos, Mushrooms and Cream  Serves 2

• 2 medium poblano chiles
• 2 tbl grapeseed oil, divided
• 1 large Mexican spring onion – you can get them at a mercado or Mexican market. If you can’t find Mexican spring onions you could use white onions.
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 3 large leaves, epazote
• 1 tsp salt plus a little to sprinkle on the chicken
• 1/6 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms.  I used a combination of wood ear and white mushrooms because I wanted to use them up.  Use what ever kind you want.
• 1 cup heavy cream – I use Mexican creama because I like the tang.  If you can’t find creama you could use creme fraiche or whipping cream

Roast the chiles over an open flame until blackened on all sides.  Place chiles in a deep bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to steam for 10 – 15  minutes.  This will facilitate the removal of the skin from the chile.  Peel the chiles, remove and discard the stem and seeds.  Slice into 1/4 inch strips.

In a  10 – 12 inch skillet, heat 1 tbl of oil over medium high heat and add the onion.  Cook, stirring frequently, until nicely browned but not too softened.  Add the garlic, oregano and thyme and stir for one minute.  Add the chile slices and heat through.

Remove about 1/3 of the mixture from the pan and place on a cutting board.  Roughly chop this mixture and set aside.  Add one half the cream and the epazote leaves to the pan with the chile mixture and and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.   Remove from the pan and place in a blender.  Add the remaining cream and blend smooth. You can add some chicken stock or water to the sauce if it is too thick.  It should be the consistency of a cream soup.  Remove the sauce from the blender and stir in the cilantro, reserved chile/onion mixture and salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place 10 – 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tbl oil.  Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides of the breast with salt.  Place the chicken breasts into the pan when it is very hot.  Lightly brown on one side ( about 3 minutes) then turn and brown on the other side.  When both sides are browned, lay them in a baking dish.

Return the pan to the heat and add the mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms are softened but not mushy.  Remove from the pan and spoon them over the chicken breasts.  Cover the chicken and mushrooms with the sauce.  Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 or 20 minutes.   Remove from the oven and plate with the rice.

Green Poblano Rice Serves 2

• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 fresh poblano
• 6 sprigs of cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbl grapeseed, vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 cup aborio rice
• 1/2 small white onion – use a whole white onion if you are using Mexican spring onions – cutr into a 1/4 inch dice
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves – finely chopped

Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano and roughly chop.  Place in a saucepan with the chicken stock and bring to a boil, partially cover and reduce heat.  Simmer until the poblano chile is very soft.  Pour the mixture into a blender, add the cilantro and blend to a smooth puree.  Start blending at a low speed to avoid the hot liquid exploding out of the blender!  Press through a medium strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.  Set aside.

Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the rice and the onion and cook, stirring frequently until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft – about 5 – 7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Add the chile liquid to the to the hot rice pan and stir to blend.  Cover the pan and cook over medium – low heat for 15 minutes.  Check the rice for doneness.  It should be nearly cooked through and will have the consistency of rice in a paella.   If the rice is done, remove from the heat, leave covered and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.  If the rice is still too hard, continue cooking and check every 5 minutes until rice is finished. Remove from the heat and let stand.

I plated the rice and laid the chicken breast partially across the rice.  Then I topped the chicken breast with some of the sauce.  There was some sauce left in the baking dish when I finished plating so I put it in a bowl and passed it separately.

So much better that tacos – a fitting way to celebrate the day.

The fish component in tonight’s Cioppino includes mussels, shrimp, squid and a piece of cod.  No fancy crab or lobster.  And, as much as I would like to have a salad made with baby greens from my garden; they just aren’t quite ready to be picked.  So I ‘ll have to make do with some store bought romaine and bibb lettuce.  Spring can’t come fast enough!

I spent most of the day running errands and preparing for a 3 pm meeting here at the inn.  As soon as the meeting ended I began the preparation of the applesauce   Apple sauce is one of those dishes that it seems to take more effort to buy than to make.  I know that’s not really true but I can’t see buying it when I can make it fresh inside one hour.  I peeled and cored the apples, sliced them and added them to a pot with water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.  The pot went over a medium flame and one hour later – applesauce.  Well at least cooked apples.  I got out my stick blender and blended the cooked apples into a slightly chunky sauce – another great thing about making your own -  you get to pick the consistency.  As I write this the applesauce is cooling on the counter top and the yummy smells of cinnamon and cloves fill the air.

In an hour or so I will prepare the potato pancakes.  It’s a pretty simple recipe; potatoes, egg, a bit of flour, salt and pepper.  That’s it.  I fry my pancakes in a very small amount of oil – because what are potato pancakes without oil.  My grandmother used a lot of oil when frying hers.  Perhaps that is why I have such fond memories!  I’ll serve mine with sour cream and chives, applesauce and pork sausage.   A great meal for a gray and blustery day.

Home Made Applesauce – 2 – 4 servings

• 3/4 lb apples – Any kind except Red or Yellow Delicious
• 1/4 cup of sugar ( more if apples are tart – you decide how tart/sweet you want your sauce to be)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• enough water to barely cover the apples

Peel, core and dice the apples.  Place in a saucepan with enough water to just barely cover, the cinnamon and the cloves.   Cook over medium flame, stirring frequently, until apples are soft and most of the water is evaporated.  Remove from the heat.  Use a stick blender, food mill, food processor or even a blender to turn the soft apple pieces into a sauce.  Pour into a serving bowl and let cool.

That’s it – you’re done.  And if you have apples, cinnamon, sugar and cloves in the house probably faster than going to the store to buy it.

And to Sean and Sam who always ask for this meal when they come to visit – we’ll think of you tonight as we enjoy our dinner!

Eggplant Dip   Serves 6-8

• 1 large eggplant – about 14 oz
• 5 tbl olive oil
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbl finely minced parsley
• salt and pepper
• smoked Spanish paprika to garnish
• French bread to serve

Cut the eggplant into thick slices and sprinkle with salt.  Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

Heat 4 tbl. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the eggplant slices and cook on both sides until soft and beginning to brown.  Remove from the skillet and let cool.  The slices will release the oil again as they cool.

Heat the remaining 1 tbl of olive oil in the skillet.  Add the scallions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until the scallions become soft.  Remove from the heat and reserve with the eggplant slices to cool.

Transfer the cooled ingredients to a food processor and process just until a coarse puree forms.  Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the parsley.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.  Cover and let chill until 15 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with paprika and serve with French bread slices.

We have been busy here at the inn refreshing plantings and getting cold weather seeds into the ground.  My chives are up and have already been used in breakfast egg dishes.  The bibb lettuce seeds I sowed are really coming along, as is my arugula.  Another week or so and I will have enough to harvest as a garnish on breakfast plates.  My perennials are up and I am already seeing some flowers.   I should be excited except mother nature keeps sending us these freezing nights!  Fortunately the perennials seem to withstand the cold.  But our yard looks like ghost heaven with all the sheets draped over the tender shoots of lettuce, tarragon, morning glories and sunflowers.

With all of this yard work I have not had alot of time to do very elaborate meals.  Tonight, because of the cold wind, we are having chili.

This past Sunday was our night to host our local gourmet group.  As we were the hosts we got to pick the menu. Our group is made up of four couples.  The host couple picks out the menu, send out the recipes and provides the entree.  The other couples choose which dish they would like to make – first come first served.   I opted for a Spanish theme – tapas and paella.  We started with three tapas dishes; garlic potato salad, eggplant dip, shrimp deviled eggs and, of course, olives (there were four dishes that the other three couples could choose from – no one selected the pimentos stuffed with goat cheese.)  I really considered doing an octopus or squid tapas but one of the group can’t eat it so I decided to save that for a day when it can be enjoyed by all.  I choose a chicken and shrimp paella with Spanish chorizo,  mussels, green beans, peas and red pepper as the entree.  And for dessert, I made profiteroles filled with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with chocolate orange sauce.

There is nothing better than garlic potato salad to start a Spanish meal. I know, it sounds strange. I was first introduced to garlic potato salad as a tapas at Emilio’s in Chicago and now it is a staple whenever we have Spanish food.  A group of co-workers would go to Emilo’s for lunch on occasion.  I’ll never forget the time we told a new co-worker we were going for lunch at a tapas place and did he want to join us.  He said yes but was pretty quiet all the way to the restaurant - not like him at all.  He seemed to visibly relax when we walked into the dining room.  Turns out he thought we said topless – what was he thinking!  But I digress.

Back to our tapas.  A food processor was used to make the eggplant dip creamy.  Topped with smoked paprika, it was perfect on french bread slices.  I was intrigued with the shrimp stuffed eggs.  They are hard boiled eggs stuffed with a mixture of hard boiled egg yolk, mayonnaise, diced shrimp, salt, cayenne pepper and lime juice.  It was good but lacked a certain zing.  Perhaps because the recipe called for using the salt, cayenne pepper and lime juice to taste.  I would have been a bit more liberal with those seasonings.  Still good but  you be the judge.  Here’s the recipe for the Shrimp Stuffed Hard Boiled Eggs:

Shrimp Stuffed Eggs – 8 servings

• 8 hard cooked eggs
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 4 oz shelled cooked shrimp, chopped
• salt,  cayenne pepper and lemon juice to taste
• whole shrimp and parsley for garnish

With a sharp knife, slice the eggs in half lengthwise.  Scoop yolks into bowl.  Set aside whites.  Add the mayonnaise and chopped shrimp to the bowl with the egg yolks; mash with a fork.  Add salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice to taste.  Fill the reserved whites with the yolk shrimp mixture.  Arrange on a platter with whole shrimp and parsley as a garnish

Tomorrow – eggplant dip!

As luck would have it I have a ham bone that I placed in the freezer after our dinner on Easter Sunday.  So tonight we will be having Split Pea and Ham soup.  I actually got the idea watching America’s Test Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting for just the right weather.  Blustery and Cold is perfect!

I start with dried peas and the ham bone.  I add onions, garlic, carrots and celery.  Here’s my version of the recipe:

Ingredients for Split Pea and Ham Soup

Split Pea and Ham Soup    Serves 3 – 4

• 1 tbl unsalted butter
• 1 tbl grapeseed oil
• 3/4 cups chopped onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 ham bone – preferably butt portion
• 2 ounces thick bacon or slices of salt pork
• 1/2 lb green peas, rinsed and picked over to eliminate stones
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 carrot peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat butter and oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. When butter is melted, add the onion and 1/4 tsp of salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant – do not let garlic brown.   Add the water, ham bone, bacon, peas, thyme and bay leaf.  Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.  Stir frequently to prevent peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender, about 60 minutes at our altitude; less at lower altitude.  Remove the ham bone and set aside.  Stir in carrots and celery and simmer until peas have broken down and the vegetables are tender – about 30 to 45 minutes.  While the vegetables are simmering, remove meat from ham bones and cut into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.  Remove and discard thyme, bacon or salt pork and bay leaf.  Return cut up ham to the pot and return soup to a simmer.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

I’ll make some cheese biscuits to go with the soup.  Perfect for a cold spring day!  Oh, and Dad, this one’s for you!

Diabetics and vegetarians are pretty easy.  For the diabetics I serve alot of fresh fruit, sugar free syrups and omit the sugar wherever possible.  For instance I make strawberry sauce with no added sugar and omit the vanilla in my orange french toast.  Vegetarians are really easy – no meat and you’re done.  They get veggie omelettes with extra vegetables and I skip the meat side when making pancakes or french toast.  Vegans are a bit more difficult.   No eggs, dairy, obviously no meat or meat based fats.  It’s oatmeal, veggie burritos or breakfast salads for them.

I am fortunate that I have access to a number of health food stores that provide me with a number of gluten free mixes and products.   Therefore, providing a nice breakfast for those with gluten issues is not a problem.  I have gotten pretty good about making gluten free pancakes and french toast.  I’ve experimented with the gluten free muffin and cookies recipes and have been pretty successful with them.

Surprisingly, my biggest challenge was the couple who were on a raw diet.  Nothing can be cooked so that means no eggs, no pancakes or french toast.  Oatmeal is prepared by letting it sit in warm water overnight – not my cup of tea but I’m not eating raw.  My biggest concern was feeding them for the nine days they were here without repeating a breakfast. I make it a rule to provide something different every day.  I have a large enough repertoire for people without dietary issues to go for 14 days without a repeat.  But I wasn’t that lucky with my raw people.  They did get a few of the same breakfast meals twice during their nine day stay.  And in case you are wondering what I fed them  - here’s a sample.  Kale salad with dried cranberries and raw almonds, oatmeal with dried raisins, raw honey and raw sugar, spelt bread with butter made form raw milk and raw milk cheese. On a couple of  mornings I did a vegetable plate (varying the vegetables) with raw milk cheese and raw milk yogurt.  Whenever possible I used fresh herbs to provide extra flavor.  They seemed quite happy with the breakfasts.  I was a bit surprised when, on the morning they were leaving, the husband described in great deal the fabulous fish and chips he had for lunch the previous day! But then who can resist a really good plate of fish and chips! After all, they were raw – once.

So a big Thank You to all my guests who have taught me so much about special diets and food issues.  I would have never learned without you!

Last night I decided to try something new.  I found a recipe for baked chicken legs and thighs with roasted squash and apples.  A one pan entrée that required no real last-minute cooking.  Perfect!  It was better than I expected.  The chicken was cooked perfectly and with the squash and apples I didn’t need to add a starch.  This will definitely stay in my repertoire.

Squash apple and Chicken Pan Roast    Serves 5

• 1 1/2 lbs butternut squash peeled and cut into a 3/4 inch dice
• 3 cups peeled and diced (3/4 inch)  apples such as Granny Smith or Fuji
• 1 tbl chopped sage and 5 whole sage leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 chicken legs, thigh attached, trimmed of extra fat and skin
• salt and pepper
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  I a large bowl, toss the diced squash, diced apples, chopped sage and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spray the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to hold the five whole chicken legs with Pam.  Spread the squash/apple mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan.  Season the whole chicken legs with salt and pepper and place them skin side up on top of the squash/apple mixture.  Scatter the whole sage leaves around the chicken.  Roast in the oven for about 75 minutes or until the squash is tender and the chicken is browned and cooked through.  Remove the pan from the oven, place the whole chicken legs on a plate and cover to keep warm.  Place the roasting pan over a medium high heat burner and boil until the pan juices are reduced.  Place a portion of the squash/apple mixture on a plate and top with a whole chicken leg.

That’s it.  You’re done!.  This one got a big thumbs up from my husband and the book club ladies.  Easy to prepare, easy to serve and one pot clean up.  What can be better?