Moving, and Burgers.

Today we moved the first of our things into a giant, beautiful colonial.

And it ended with a (finally) rare burger!! Perfect with corn and a glass of Cabernet.

Summer is nearly here.

Kale & Eggs

Kale was not the focus here; Bean had bought some to use in his soup and I threw in a leaf or two. But it was the only ingredient I haven't tasted before! I let stew some:

olive oil

basil

parsley

onion

garlic

lil' red wine

many chopped mushrooms

asparagus

(kale)

and then when it was a'simmering, I cracked an egg in it. Was yum. We also tried a new wine.

Drip, drip, drip.

Mushroom Stew & Dumplings

Today was a day of wintery doldrums. I yearned to make something that would remind me of the stew my dearest Moth would make for re-heating after a day of pulling brush out in the frigid winter air. She always makes it with our home-grown beef; having none of that, I settled into the usual mostly-vegetables routine.

While Bean and I mulled around the kitchen, I steamed a small bundle o' asparagus. When it was done, it was pureed into the most pleasing of green shades! Next to the vast supply of mushrooms it held its own quite well (see picture).

The next step was to saute:

olive oil

scallions

garlic

and when this was browned (or at some random time) I added a bit of red wine and a massive pile of chopped mushrooms. They came from a 'wild medley' (crimini, oyster, shiitake, etc.), and it excited me very much. I added the asparagus puree, and let this simmer as I mixed up a simple dumpling dough:

3/8 c. flour

oregano, thyme, and garlic

~1/4 c. water

These I dropped (plop!) into the water, and then this all simmered and spat and whined while I cleaned up the kitchen for Ma'am. And then?

A delicious combination of spices! I'm not sure exactly what made this scrumptious to me, but I wish to know for the future. For now it shall remain a mystery.

Portabella Caps

I've always wanted to try these. Today, Bean craved french toast, and I wanted to use the plethora of mushrooms that resided in the refrigerator. Ironically enough I bought more of them while we were shopping for wine and bread and things...and stuffed them with:

spinach

mushroom innards

lil' butternut squash (how is it still good?!)

parsley

olive oil

cabernet sauvignon (days old)

and after I'd steamed all of those for a bit, I stuck them in the oven with some mozzarella cheese, and it was SCRUMPSH!

Tomato Soup

Bean is obsessed with soup, and I'm rarely in the mood. Today, though, I'd determined to make something I liked, and so when I got home from work I was ready to whip off to the store for some tomatoes in order to make something creeeeeamy and delicious. Much to my surprise, I found a box o' chopped tomatoes sitting tantalizingly on the countertop!

And look at the amazing ingredients!!

Into the pot went:

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 tsp lobster bouillon (not so bad!)

2 mushrooms

stalk o' celery

chopped onion

bits o' pasta

thyme

basil

oregano

salt

pepper

and I let it all boil for what seemed like eons -- the smell of spices finding their way pleasingly into my nose as I slowly sipped a slightly-sour wine.

And when it was done, I did not forget about dinner! It went beautifully with our homemade thyme-bread from yesterday. Mmm...

Arancini

Arancini balls with Fontina cheese (Trader Joe's), swisschard with Parmesan cheese, and a glass of blueberry wine from my dearest Nana makes for a tasty bit.

Mushrooms in Red Wine

There were a lot of mushrooms in the refrigerator threatening to topple into the realm of undesirability, so I cooked up a few for myself in:

butter

red wine

garlic

lemon juice

rosemary

thyme

They came out delicious. No one else in the Sarris house except Dearest Mother enjoys them, though (wimps!).

We also grilled burgers marinated in soy sauce and some other things of which I am unaware, and they were beauteously done.