StephanEAT

I had a friend over for dinner and promised that I would be experimenting on her. I am pretty sure she was a little scared. I had seen on a couple of Food Network shows, grilled romaine salad. I have always been a traditionalist when it comes to lettuce, it should be cold. UNTIL NOW! I purchased a bag of romaine hearts and sliced them in half (keeping the core at the bottom so they don't fall apart on the grill). I brushed them with olive oil and put them right on the grill. They cook very quickly, so move fast. They spent the most time on the cut side, but I moved them around. Then I took them off the grill and went inside. I made a lemon/dijon vinagrette with lemon (juice and zest), a hefty couple of tablespoons of dijon, chopped shallots, some salt and pepper and a little honey. Whisked it together with olive oil and ready... I crumbled some bacon and gorgonzola cheese over the top and yum. Along with the salad, I decided to try grilling pizza dough. I have seen it done a numb

This week in the box we got more lettuce, but there were 2 treats I really enjoyed. 1, strawberries. It is truly amazing how different strawberries straight from the farm taste vs. the grocery store. They were really tart and melt in your mouth. Number 2, fresh dill. It was possibly the best dill I have ever had. The first thing I did with it was add it to the lettuce to make a salad. I blanched asparagus, cut those up and added chopped green onion. I made a quick lemon vinagrette with simply, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, shallot chopped finely and olive oil. The second thing I did with the dill was roast small yukon gold potatoes with more dill, chopped shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper, and cayenne. Dill and potatoes make some magic connection, I couldn't stop eating them! (this goes back to my long enduring love of potatoes and the statement I have made "I have never met a potato I didn't like". ) I really do love salads in the summer. The abundance o

I was so excited to get my first ever CSA share on Thursday. I am sharing it with my sister Katie and we were anxious to see what the "Chica" box from Featherstone Farms included. We were also a little nervous because we didn't know where to pick up inside Seward Co-Op, who to ask, etc. Now, we are pros. The box included, lots of salad greens, some spinach, asperagus, rhubarb, radishes and cilantro. Before we divided up the goods, we made a few things. The first thing was radish salsa, a recipe from Featherstone's blog "Cook from the Box". Historically, I am not a fan of radishes, but I made a promise to myself that I would try everything I got this summer. The salsa was REALLY good. It had chopped radishes, cucumbers, red onion, jalepeno and cilantro (2 of the box items). Then I salted it and squeezed and zested a lime. It was wonderful! Salt and lime is a must. It even would be really good with diced avocado. The next ingredient on our list... RHUBARB!

Another weekend end and Scary Movie Sunday (Monday this week). I am so inspired by summer's arrival and my trip to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. In addition to the fresh vegetables there, like wearing white, grilling has come back in fashion for the season. Growing up, flank steak was such a treat. My Dad would marinate it in soy sauce overnight or longer. I have continued my love of it, but have advanced my marinade beyond just soy sauce. I really like the asian flavor with the flank steak. I make a marinade with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, jalepeno, rice vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and olive oil. I didn't have the time to let it sit overnight, that is my preference. It sat for about 6-7 hours. Then I grill it to medium and let it rest well before slicing. Then, I decide to make a cold peanut salad with pasta (thin spaghetti). I made the peanut sauce, I used similar flavors to the marinade. I finely diced garlic and then sauteed in vegetable oil until softened