Freeze

Went home to Massachusetts for the weekend and the nights went down to freezing. All the basil and a lot of the dahlia leaves have turned black. Oops.

GORP

Good Old Raisins and Peanuts... Trail mix with dry roasted peanuts, raisins, and dark chocolate M&M's. Easy to make ahead of time and grab when you're on the go! A recent reading of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe gave me such cravings for raisins that I had to stock up.

What other fun nuggets do you add to your GORP?

Chicken Cutlets with Orange and Arugula

Another recipe from Rachel Ray's Look and Cook. Planning to make this tonight, if I can only remember to buy arugula! Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each
Salt and pepper
Olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying
2 seedless oranges
2 yellow or orange tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 sprig of fresh oregano, leaves removed and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 small red onion or 2-3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons EVOO
4 cups baby arugula leaves

Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, nutmeg, parsley and orange zest in a shallow bowl. Place the flour in a second dish and the eggs in a third, positioned between the flour and the bread crumbs.

Cut into the chicken and across horizontally to butterfly each piece open. Lightly pound the chicken between wax paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap into 4 large, very thin cutlets. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and coat them with the flour, eggs, and bread-crumb mixture. Heat 1/2 inch of frying oil in a very large skillet over medium to med-high heat. When the oil is hot, cook the cutlets 1 or 2 at a time, depending on the pan size, for about 2 minutes per side. As the cutlets are done, place on a baking rack to drain. The cutlets may be served at room temperature but you want them to remain crisp.

While the cutlets cook, peel and section the oranges to dice. Combine wit the tomatoes, oregano, onion, EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste. When ready to serve, gently mix in the arugula leaves.

Top the cutlets with mounds of orange and arugula salad and serve.

Night #1

Night #2 Leftovers: Same chicken and salad (next to each other instead of on top), with a side of creamy cheesy pasta.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's my last day of vacation and I am celebrating with a new cookie recipe! A great way to spend a grey morning in the kitchen before the sun makes the deck too nice to resist. Today's temperature: low 60's.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen, adapted from Fake Food Free 
I found this recipe on the blog, Eats Well With Others

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pureed sweet potato
• 1/2 cup oat flour (just pulverize oats in food processor!)
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Mix in the sweet potato.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Scrap the sides and mix until everything is combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Place cookies by the teaspoon or tablespoon full onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly browned. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 1 minute and then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: I found these cookies to be very sweet so next time I will use less brown sugar!

Pork Chops Pizzaiola

Recipe found in Rachel Ray's Look and Cook, a fabulous cookbook I found at Stop and Shop. I highly recommend this cook book for those who need to see a picture to get inspired!

We were only cooking for 2, so we cut this recipe in half, normally it serves 4:

Ingredients:
4 (1.5 inch thick) bone-in pork chops
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons EVOO
1 Garlic clove, chopped
1 Teaspoon fennel seed
1 Medium onion (I used a leek)
1 Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 Sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 Cup tomato paste
1 Cup red wine
2 Cups chicken stock

Sprinkle the pork with s+p. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, wait a minute, then add the pork and cook until golden brown and caramelized, 2-3 min per side. Transfer the chops to a plate and set aside. Add fennel seed, onions/leek, red pepper flakes, and oregano to the pan and reduce the heat. Cook 7-8 min, then ad the tomato paste and stir for 1 min. Add the wine, stir for a minute more, then add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Slide the chops back into the pan and simmer for 5-6 min to finish cooking the meat through.

Notes: Next time I will use more red pepper flakes - they got a little drowned out in the stewy sauce. We loved the sauce and might use it for other meats - lamb, chicken, etc.

Back Deck Bistro Beef

Outrageously hot. The thermometer is reading 117ºf (1pm?) but it is in the direct sun. I'm pretending it's summer. In the basil planter I filled in the holes that used to be oregano and sage with potting soil (Miracle Grow's "Moisture Control" or something) and then added seeds of Sweet Basil and Summer Long Basil. I also moved the sage and mint to a basket and added seeds in there. Hopefully the mint doesn't overrun the sage. I planted (to stay outside) 2 big pots with flower seeds: one with half Giant Flowered Zinnias and half Cut and Come Again Zinnias and the other with a few Delphiniums and  a whole bunch of Straw Flower. I have also been scattering Sweet Pea, Morning Glory and Nasturtium seeds in the back edges of pots - I really hope my plan for a vertical wall of vining flowers works!

Tulips "Angelique" (pale pink) and "Champagne Diamond" (warm pink)

The bees, butterflies and various other bugs are out in full force. It's like they're all dressed up with nowhere to go, this heat feels like summer but very few flowers are blooming yet! The daffodils have been going strong for about a week now and just yesterday the tulips really put on the show. I'm obsessing over the Angelique Tulips! The pale pink and white blooms are amazing, even more beautiful than the antique-y looking Champagne Diamond Tulips that bloomed a day earlier. The peonies are poking up, as are the Lily of the Valley, Poppies, Peas, Spinach and Lilies.

Tonight's Dinner: Bistro Beef from Pillsbury's 30 Minute Meals. Serves 2-4.
It's still nice and warm out so I'm serving by candlelight on the back deck!

Bistro Beef
Ingredients:
8 slices French bread, diagonally sliced 1/2 inch thick
Nonstick cooking spray (or make your own with 1 part oil to 5 parts water)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
3/4 lb beef sirloin or flank steak, cut into thin bite-sized strips
1 small onion, sliced (I used a leek)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
1.5 cups frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry (I just used a fresh bell pepper)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Place bread slices on ungreased cookie sheet. Spray bread with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil/water mix; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Broil 4-6 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat until hot. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook 3-4 min or until beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and onion stir-fry (I used one bell pepper instead); cook 2-3 min until crisp-tender.

3. In a small bowl, combine water, cornstarch and Worcestershire sauce; blend well. Add to beef mixture; cook and stir until slightly thickened.

4. Place 2 toasted bread slices on each of 4 individual serving plates. Top each with beef mixture.

I am very excited to join a community of garden bloggers sharing their blooms! I will attempt to post reports of what is growing on the 15th of each month as the growing season continues. To see what's growing in other gardens, check out May Dreams Gardens, the mother hen of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

Spring Break

It's 80º! I am thrilled that the team I coach is on spring break and I can enjoy this glorious weather! Thank goodness I'm not running the Boston Marathon today - it's toasty! I planted some "High Scent" Sweet Peas and Morning Glories around the base of mom and dad's lamp post. It may be a little early for that but the hot weather has me ancy. I mowed the lawn for the first time all year this morning, and have a sunburn to prove it.

Zinnias and Phlox (2 on left), then Basil, Beets in the last planter, pots in the foreground have Dahlias, Garlic and Peas.

Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme

At my house in RI I put the Zinnias, Phlox and Violas in a planter and put all the Beet seedlings in another one. I am now giving disproportionate space to Beets and Dahlias, so much for my careful planning! I swapped out a dead Zinnia for a fresh one and did the same with a Basil plant. The peat pots make this maneuver a cinch so I'll have to remember it in the future! Then I prepared 2 hanging baskets for tomatoes - apparently I should have sweetened the soil with Lime back in the fall but this will have to do. It's a month before I can put in the tomato plants anyway. In another hanging basket I put the Oregano, Thyme and Rosemary. Why do I always grow so much Oregano when I barely ever cook with it?

We're going on a beach picnic for dinner!

April 15 Status Update

Spinach

Peas-in-a-Pot

Today I started Tumbling Tom Yellow Tomato and Giant Flowered Zinnia seeds under the grow lights. I moved the Peppers out to the porch and loaded up the Zinnias that spent the last week on the porch into my trunk to bring to RI.

First Tulip!

Spinach Chicken

Sort of at a loss tonight what to cook for dinner. Ended up breading some chicken breast and throwing spinach and romano cheese on top, and serving it with pasta and a big salad with avocado. Not too bad for a night without a plan.

In other news, one of the airplants is blooming!

Outdoor Planting

The days are in the 50's and nights down to around 42º. I am wanting to embrace outdoor growing. Today I planted in outdoor pots: Gourmet Duo Beets, Peony Poppies (I put the packet of seeds in the freezer for a few days first) and Galaxy Sweet Peas. I'm trying out "companion planting" - since the dahlias are in such big pots and won't really bloom until later in the summer, I put the poppy seeds around the edge of one of the pots. We'll see how that goes. I finally planted the last 2 dahlias from Eden Brothers and threw last year's tuber halves in the woods - those were a failure. I'm leaving all the dahlias outside tonight because I think I need to stop babying them.

Happy Easter

Planted under the grow lights:

Phlox, Bachelor's Button, Viola, Portulaca, Rudbeckia, Delphineum, Carnival Pepper. Moved a bunch of things - Zinnias, Echinacea, Beets, etc. out to the porch. It still seems too cold at night to do the cold frame but I haven't really tested it. Maybe I don't have enough faith?

April 5 Blooms

Lemon Glow Daffodils

Phlox and Pinwheel Zinnia, both grown indoors