Vegetables + Sides
Few things in nature are as weirdly beautiful as Romanesco. I think it looks like a prehistoric sea creature, or perhaps like a miniature gnome forest. When Wylie spotted some of this cauliflower cousin at the grocery store last week it blew his mind, so we took one home with us to try. Today I'm sharing our recipe for whole roasted Romanesco with lemon-thyme vinaigrette. I can't bear the thought of cutting it up so I just lay the whole thing onto a sheet pan and slow roast it with a heavy dose of olive oil and sea salt. It becomes so tender that the florets just tear off, leaving nature's design perfectly intact. Full recipe below...
I've never really loved pesto. I think I'm kind of sensitive to garlic, so it always tastes so strong to me. Alas, I had to make pesto as part of my preschool duties this month, so I prepared a mild version using only baby kale and spinach, toasted pine nuts, olive oil and sea salt. The result is really very delicious, almost creamy despite being vegan. It would work for a spread on toasted bread, or as a sauce for gnocchi, but today's recipe has it coated onto cauliflower florets and roasted in the oven. Roasting vegetables gives them a tender, nutty flavor, and adding pesto to the mix only bolsters that quality...
So that little garden we planted a couple of months ago has been fruitful. I have more lettuce than I know what to do with, the strawberries are growing like weeds, and the Dinosaur kale that I was worried we were planting too late is ready to harvest! Kale is one of those vegetables that can be a real turn-off for kids. Kale is green and leafy, and not so sweet, but it's oh-so-good for you, with a ton of vitamin C and vitamin K, and a decent dose of calcium. Since Jasper can't get his calcium from dairy products, I try to make sure he eats plenty of these dark green leafy vegetables. There are a few ways to make kale chips, and I've tried them all. Here's my success recipe, which involves baking kale tossed in olive oil at a lower temperature to dehydrate it, without scorching the leaves. This makes for a nutty, crispy snack, and with a little sea salt (or truffle salt if you live in my house) the kids not only eat it, they like it! For a more grown-up version, toss with a little hot chili oil, or lemon juice before baking.
I'll finish off this month of in-season recipes with a great weeknight meal, perfect for pairing with grilled shrimp or a poached egg. Grits are stone ground corn, similar to polenta, which would also work in this recipe. The way I prepare them here, they are low in fat and vitamin rich, not what you think of when you here the word grits. I wanted to infuse the the meal with flavor so I finely chopped asparagus stems and sauteed them in a little olive oil and sea salt to combine with the water. I slowly added white grits to the water, bringing them to a boil, then covering and reducing the heat to low, stirring consistently until absorbed. I then added skim milk and stirred until creamy and fully cooked. All said it took about 25 minutes.
From Top Left: Baby charentais melons(a French cantaloupe variety), The family eating at the cedar table handmade by Nicole's husband Phil, Lucie enjoying tomato cobbler, The Martin's lush backyard vegetable garden.
Adam and I had a delicious Mediterranean quinoa salad a few weeks ago at Hopmonk in Sonoma, and we set out to make our own version. I put together a lemon-grapeseed oil dressing and used tangy green olives to give it some punch. Try the recipe below!
Today was Jasper's birthday and we celebrated with a BBQ by the pool. I made an orzo salad with fresh peas and mint from the farmers market, dressed in a garlic-lemon vinaigrette...
One of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area is located right next door to one of it's most famous, Chez Panisse, maybe you've heard of it? With it's common table, Spanish small plates, and extensive wine list, Cesaris more my speed. My favorite dish is their padron peppers. About one out of ten is very spicy, the others are mild a full flavored. A healthy dose of olive oil and cracked sea salt make them irresistible. I get them every time they are available at our Farmer's Market. Tonight we made them on the grill, which was a first and it worked beautifully. Here's the recipe...
It just so happened that last night I noticed I had posted 99 times. I started to wonder what I should do for my 100th post. I thought it would be nice to do something that captured the spirit of the blog, but I'd only planned to share my recipe for a soba noodle salad (not 100th post material). Today when I was prepping ingredients with Wylie, shooting pictures and then sitting down to share lunch with him I realized that Poppy Haus is about moments like these. It's about creatively living your everyday life.
It's a little strange not to be hosting any of the holidays this year. Our new home, with it's small rooms and circuitous floor plan, walls yet to be knocked down and made open, simply can't hold a lot of folks for entertaining.