Saturday, July 30, 2011

Lima Bean Salad Recipe

I have been craving a fresh and new cold bean salad since I tasted the Corona Bean and Shrimp Salad at Cafe Fiorello in New York.  Since I had a friend coming over for lunch on Friday I decided to test a recipe that I found for Butter Bean Salad and changed the beans to these giant lima beans we have at our grocery store and also added a generous amount of freshly chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley.  Oh it is so good that I thought I would share here. 

I imagine this recipe could be changed to suit different taste's and how you could add shrimp if you like or even serve it warm in the winter, but for these 98 degree days, cold is perfect for me.  My friend loved it and asked for the recipe and my sister-in-law had two servings of it and raved about it.  I hope you like it too! 

PS...I served it with fresh corn on the cob that my friend brought and fresh out of the oven tomato pie that I wrote about before.

Butter Bean Salad Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
  • 2 cans butter beans, rinsed and drained, 15 ounces each (or Butter Beans-that is what I used)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/3 palm full
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Palm full of Italian Fat Leaf Parsley (my addition)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat beans and vegetables evenly in dressing.

Now I am off to pick blueberries with another friend. Have a Delightful Day!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Impromptu Trip

Central Park
July has been filled with gifts large and small and one of those gifts was an invitation to New York for a few days to visit a friend and attend a performance of Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall.  It had been years since I had been to New York (we are talking late 1990's) so I really did not know what to expect.  Other than a slight delay from the origin airport, there were no issues what so ever getting to La Guardia and getting a taxi to Upper West Side.  Of course I had copious notes from my friend on how to get there and which cross streets to mention along with a picture of the building. 

During my 3 day visit we:

* Walked through Central Park (#50 on my Wish List).
* Had cocktails at the Oceana Restaurant (They have the most beautiful blue agate stone mosaic columns that I could not capture by photograph).
* Attended an AMAZING performance of Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall.
* Discovered my love of Corona Beans and Shrimp at Cafe Fiorello.
* Shared a pot of coffee and talked for hours in our PJ's.
* Bought a gently used (and signed) book of Poetry at a neat thrift store called Housing Works.
* Darted in and out of lovely boutiques to beat the heat and to shop with my eyes.
* Ate lunch at Frida's (yummy).
* Went to the Museum of Natural History and studied the stuffed animals.
* Had cocktails and giggles at the Ocean Grill.  I loved the dark wood and molted mirrored walls with white coral sconces.
* Ordered take-out pizza and talked and giggled some more.
* Shopped West Elm and Pottery Barn for inspiration and discovered Gracious Home.

This invitation was one of those moments when my head said NO (No you just got back from the beach, no you don't have a job, no you can't have fun when Alan is stuck at home working, no you still have another long distance invitation to fulfill, no you need to look for homes...) and my heart said YES (yes you need this, yes this is a gift you have been given take it, yes today is all you have)...so glad that I listened to my heart. 
New York Trip in Pictures

Monday, July 18, 2011

Fireflies at Dusk

The start of the painting in June
I started this painting in early June with the intention of practicing paint drips.  Originally it reminded me of eyes and with the drips I thought of blue eyes crying in the rain.  Last week I decided to move forward with two of my paintings and this one especially.  I thought that perhaps I would paint in blocks of color around the crying eyes.  The blocks became swaths of color here and there that felt like the tide.  There were quiet feelings of solitude swirling in the paint as well as Bon Iver playing on repeat in the background that contributed to the evolution of this painting.  When I stepped away from the painting hours later I saw firefly's at dusk. I also thought of Van Gogh's swirly works of art but did not set out to imitate his style at all when I was painting.

Fireflies at Dusk


Close up


Still not sure if the painting was complete or not, the next day I asked my visiting nephew for his critique.  This was risky business asking a child for their opinion because give it they will.  He said "it's done Aunt Effie", and I let out the air I didn't even realize I was holding and smiled. 

Sam with his own painting of a Rocket Ship

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Recipe

Ever since tasting a wonderful tomato pie several years ago at Mozelle's, a local restaurant, I have been wanting to try to make one of my own.  With tomatoes coming in now and another tomato lover inviting me to the beach, I thought our beach trip would be the perfect opportunity to try out a recipe I found.  I mean tomatoes and cheese in a pie...what could go wrong with that?  Nothing!  It was heavenly. 

There are not any pictures of the pie that we made as I still have not quite got the hang of taking pictures of food that looks good. I did however take a picture of the beautiful tomatoes that were used to create the pie, and the link to the recipe shows a picture that looks just like the one we made.  It is one rich pie and could be served as a hearty appetizer or as a meal with a small salad.   I hope you enjoy it!

PS....We used a frozen store bought crust instead of the homemade one listed and used extra cheddar and monterey jack cheeses in place of the fontina cheese.

Heirloom Tomato Pie With Black Pepper Parmesan Crust
serves 6

for the crust
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/3 cup ice water

for the filling
5 heirloom tomatoes, sliced, salted and well drained*
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup monterey jack cheese, grated
¼ cup fontina, grated
10-12 basil leaves, chopped
1 bunch of chives, chopped
salt and pepper

*To avoid a case of pie soggy bottom, the tomatoes need to drain on a metal rack for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, combine the flour, salt, parmesan and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture’s largest chunks are about pea sized. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the ice water through the feed tube until the dough starts to form a single ball. Gather the dough together and place on the center of a piece of plastic wrap. Cover and shape into a small disc. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Remove dough from the fridge, and allow to sit on the counter for about 15 minutes. Flour your rolling surface, and gently roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Trim the edges and pinch into a decorative design. With a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the entire crust. Place a piece of parchment paper into the center of the pie dish with the edges gathered so as to not touch the edges of the crust. Place enough dried beans or pie weights onto the foil to just fill the bottom. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes, remove paper and pie weights and allow to cool.

To assemble the pie, mix the mayonnaise, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Layer the tomato slices, basil and chives to the top of the cooled pie crust. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the fontina on top, and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese has completely melted. Allow the pie to cool slightly before cutting.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Everyday Treasures


Snail Shell
I returned home from the beach Friday afternoon, but it wasn't until this morning that I returned to the rhythms of my home and daily pulls of my own ebb and flow.  Friday was a day of reconnecting with Alan and Butters and of sharing our stories of how our weeks had unfolded separately.  Saturday and Sunday were filled with cleaning, packing, repairing, donating, errand running, furniture moving, and lawn mowing all at a slow saunter due to the wet heat of a wring-your-clothes-out July weekend.  Today will be another hot one and tomorrow should be all the talk on the local news as it is scheduled to reach 99 hot and humid degrees.

This morning I awoke to sunshine and all the possibilities on the world ahead of me.  Butters ate while I made coffee and finished folding a load of laundry left over from last night.  We finally headed out the door and all Butters wanted to do was head straight down the driveway and out onto the street.  She stubbornly refused to step foot in our own yard and I gave her the benefit of the doubt that the heat was getting to her as well.  She sniffed her usual spots while I gazed up at the passing trees and down at the clover in each passing yard.  She stiffened her little body and quickened her pace as we approached the home on the left that has a large female dog that lives behind her invisible fence.  This dog will occasionally let us pass without incident but prefers to let us think she will give us pass only to rush up to the invisible fence line moments after we pass her driveway and come to a crashing halt with a deep loud bark.  I say "it's ok, and good girl" as much to Butters as to her and myself and off we go.  Today Illa, as her owners call her, was not out and about but Butters and I were both on alert until we passed her house.  We relaxed our pace, reached the end of the street and headed down the hill to inspect the open flat land in our neighborhood.  I looked at the growth of a shared garden area that two neighbors tend to and Butters sniffed all the smells of other dogs and animals that had passed before her.  As the heat was rising in time with Butters panting I cut our walk short and took her home. 

After putting Butters back in the house with water and a treat I headed out on a walk of my own.  As hot as it was I still wanted to stretch my legs some more and take a different walk through the neighborhood.  I was rewarded by an intricate snail shell that I saw in a culvert on the street.  I passed by it and caught a glimpse of the shell surrounded by what I thought were ants and then decided to pause and turn around for a second look.  Last night's rain must have washed pine needles and bark debris into a swirl around it and there was only an ant or two inspecting it.  The shell was empty and so I picked it up with a smile and heart beat of someone that just found treasure.  This simple shell along with the beauty of purple clover flowering, queen anne's lace bursting along the seems of the meadow and morning glories wrapping their way around hills and stalks reminded me that there is treasure all around me.  All I have to do is step outside my door and open my eyes to it.  The treasures of home may be more familiar and seasonal but they are none the less beautiful.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

She Whispers

collect sacred poetry
as it is revealed
in pools
of illuminated
familial fluid.

And then, unburdened
meet
the rhythmic lessons

      waves
               walk
  clearing     
           bursts
                          listen
                 glint
                          sway

Friday, July 1, 2011

In the Garden

Yesterday afternoon I was out back in the garden watering and pulling weeds and decided to go inside and grab the camera and capture the late afternoon sun shining on the plants.  My neighbor spied me through the trees taking pictures and got a good laugh at me.  I had no idea anyone was anywhere around but just laughed back with her.  I am sure I looked funny squatting in the grass snapping pictures of basil and tomatoes and such.  She gave me some beautiful flowers to plant and we traded jalepeno peppers from her garden and zuchini from my mother's garden. 

White Squash~just pretty yellow blooms so far.....looking forward to seeing the squash

Cucumber~I like this one because it looks like a watermelon

Dill Weed

 Miniature Tomatoes

Okra~first time I have grown this...

Heirloom Tomato blooms

Our little Postage Stamp of a Garden~flooded after my chat and trading with the neighbor

Dwarf Basil Plant

Green Tomato~I am babying this one as it is the only one we have so far

Bumble Bees enjoying the Bee Balm Flowers

Wishing everyone a happy and long weekend!