I'm back... with morels!

Umm... sooo... it has apparently been almost two (TWO!?!) years since I have posted anything new on here... my bad. And what is it that can pull me from such a slump?

MORELS.

in the bag

"The gem of the Midwest," as my fellow food blogger Anny called them earlier. These, ladies and gentlemen, are the most delicious mushroom known to man (or at least to me). This has been an amazing year for morels, and this morning I got up early with my man to cash in on the amazing crop. While I obviously can't disclose the location of our hunting grounds, I can say I'm glad the guy found this sweet spot near his construction job site. After a couple of hours traipsing through the trees muddying our boots and jeans, we came away with a couple of pounds of the biggest, freshest 'shrooms I've ever found.

these boys are big

red, white, and blue... and green.

It being the eve of the the birthday of our nation, I felt it appropriate to blog about something... American. Cuz, you know... 'Merica. And all that jazz.


I think it's funny, of course, to pigeonhole 'American' food. After all, we Americans come from all corners of the globe, and everyone has contributed to our amalgam of cuisine. When I think of standard 4th of July fare, hot dogs, burgers and watermelon come to mind. But is that what I'm enjoying this holiday? Psh. 


My family has a habit of doing things a little differently. Summer, for me, has always been a time to celebrate the bounty of the land... things like fresh produce hand-harvested from the garden, and a catch of the day that you, yourself, actually caught. Whether Iowa corn and bluegill fillets or Louisiana okra and catfish, I've always had my bases covered for the best cook-outs you can come by.


Seeing as it was about high time to cut our collards this week, and the tomato plants are already going crazy and producing seemingly hundreds of beautiful green globes, I decided to get back to my roots and do a little fish fry dinner. Stopping by Hy-Vee on my way home from work to pick up our protein made me wish I could have spent the day fishing instead of at the office... ah, well. That day will come soon enough.


Quick Collards
Roughly 1 lb collard greens
2 slices bacon
1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce


Dice the bacon and fry in a medium-hot pan until just firm. Meanwhile, rinse and de-stem the collards, then stack them together and slice into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Add the collard strips to the pan a handful at a time, stirring with each addition so the greens wilt. (Make sure they don't get too dark; at this stage they should still be a vibrant green.) Add the chicken stock, turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. Let the greens cook until tender, 10-20 minutes, or to your liking. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Let cook another 2-3 minutes, and serve hot.

As for those tomatoes... I love them fried up just like this. It reminds me of a story my parents like to tell. When I was young, about four years old, my grandparents stopped by our house to see if I'd like to join them for ice cream at the best little ice cream shop in the whole wide world. Instead of clamoring out the door instantly like a normal child, I refused to go anywhere. Why? Mom was making fried zucchini. Mom and Dad had to swear on their lives that there'd be some waiting for me when I got back from Four Queens before I would agree to being treated to ice cream. Yeah. My mom's fried zucchini is that good.


   

Our collards and fried green tomatoes were excellent accompaniments to some fried catfish and frog legs. (You think I was a weird kid for loving fried zucchini that much? As a child I made myself sick eating too many frog legs on more than one occasion. What is it with me and food??) I totally failed at getting pictures of the fish, but let me show you how we do it proper in the South...

 So good. By the way, this is what I was eating exactly one year ago at our family's 4th of July fish fry. My uncle and cousin spent the early hours of the day (I mean early) checking traps and cleaning the fish just before throwing them in the fryer. They managed to feed all 30-something of us. Not bad. (Actually, quite good.) 


That's about all for now... gotta clean up the kitchen before we walk down to the pops concert at the capitol. I love holidays!


To life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...


Cheers!

asparagus you can't not love

          

I've never really been a picky eater. For one thing, I was not really allowed to be too picky... growing up, I was required to try anything I thought I didn't like at least once a year. 'Your tastes change as you grow up,' my mom would say, and even though five-year-old me definitely didn't believe her, guess what? She turned out to be right. (Moms are apparently really smart. Who knew.) 

to market, to market - 5 june

I'm sad to say I've missed the downtown farmers market the past two Saturdays. However, my weekend indolence led to a delightful weekday discovery - the Tuesday evening Beaverdale Farmers Market! We just so happened to catch opening night, and plan to go again this week. With plenty of food vendors to give us dinner options and everything from bacon to spinach for sale, it's the perfect mid-week excursion.

brothas baked penne

The good news is... I am no longer unemployed!


The bad news is... I haven't posted lately!


Well, that's something I can fix pretty easily. I'm here to share an extremely easy, economical and enticing dinner idea... all qualities that fit perfectly in my new [much busier] schedule! 4 ingredients and 40 minutes - tops - and enough to serve a hearty dinner for three with plenty leftover for lunch the next day.

awwww yeah

when in ireland - part three

It's not yet been a year since my adventures 'round the Emerald Isle, but I find myself becoming nostalgic about that journey lately. The other night some friends and I enjoyed a warm evening (something I can't say I had the pleasure of experiencing in Ireland, I must admit...) over a few drinks outside the pub, swapping memories of our voyages across the pond. The conversation's catalyst? A quite-close-to-authentic snake bite - authentic, that is, to the Irish snake bites I love. 


I discovered this drink one night at Stoney's Bar, a hole-in-the-wall on Hill Street in the north side of Dublin (check out the street view; you'll see what I mean). Definitely one of those local venues, Stoney's was small, laid-back and not crowded with tourists. The perfect sort of place to actually talk to the bartender. Not quite sure what I wanted, I indecisively asked for a Bulmers - no - a beer perhaps - well, but cider did sound tasty...

to market, to market - 26 may

This past weekend, for the first time since moving here, I finally made it to the famous Downtown Farmers Market!