Nurturing my inner... eat out, then eat in

I got to visit a friend in Annapolis recently.  If you've never been, you really should put it on your list of must see towns.  Lots of little shops by the water.  Quaint streets to walk along.  Oh, and if you happen to be there in the morning, you'll have to stop and have brunch at Miss Shirley's.

Side window.

It was a super crisp, clear day with plenty of sunshine.

Front entrance. Still winter. Craggly tree.

The menu was huge!  Like, overwhelming.  I wanted about 10 things at first glance.  It went up from there the more I studied it.

Extensive. Love that kind of offering.

Tell you what I finally wrestled down to the best option for me in my "what if I never get back here again in my life" thinking mode: Trio of Breakfast Sliders.

Sliders served with Scrambled Eggs:

- One with White Cheddar & Slow-Roasted Carolina Pulled Pork
- One with White Cheddar & Applewood-Smoked Bacon
- One with Goat Cheese, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper

All on Mini Challah Rolls & choice of Shredded Potato & Onion Hash Browns or Savory Grits with Diced Bacon.

The presentation was just perfect. It's fun
to line things up on long, rectangular plates.

One quick snap of a booth before the three of us rolled our round, overstuffed selves out of there.  (I might note we started with the fried green tomatoes which were delicious and my two skinny friends can eat me under the table like you wouldn't believe unless you watched them.)

Dark, rich browns.

I'm totally going to buy rolls and make these little breakfast trios at home! I bought mini challah rolls at Wegmans to make chicken sandwiches not long ago, but if you're in Connecticut, I bet you can find them at a Jewish bakery.  (Of course now I want to learn to make challah at home.)  As you know, I share my restaurant trips with you, so though you may not get to the same places, hopefully what I dined on inspires you to make something similar in your own kitchen. Thus, I provide you with much detail. (Not that you're going to repaint your dining room to match the pictures... though you could...)

Nurturing my inner... scoop on soup

The weather has been up and down like a roller coaster for the past few weeks.  Bizzare!  Cold to hot to windy to humid.  This weekend, it was back to being a bit cooler, so I was in the mood for soup.  Glad I had some frozen and ready to go.  But this is how it all went down when I first made it last month.

Yellow Split Pea Soup

2 cups dried split peas
1/2 onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
4 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 cup water
2 smoked ham hocks
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 dried bay leaf
Salt to taste
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes, diced

I've learned a lot lately about dried peas and beans.  Where I may have been concerned about the time it takes to prepare them in the past, I have learned slow cooker methods that take the place of presoaking.  (Because I never think to presoak.  I'd need to put it in Outlook to remind me.)

Ready to go!

Into my lovely Dutch oven, that is actually French, I added some olive oil, onions, carrots and garlic.  I sauteed until slightly soft.

Veggie base.

Into this one pot wonder, went everything.  Which continued with broth next.  Low sodium.  I like to control the salt myself.  That's a good cooking tip.

Could use vegetable broth if you'd like.

Also the water, thyme, bayleaf and dried peas.

The base is done.

Gird yourself up for this next part.  It's not for the faint of pork.  Meet, the smoked hamhock.  A strange and little lesser known food item for some.  A staple used in many dishes in southern cooking for others.  You can get them at the butcher or at the grocery store.  You may need to ask where they are, as I had to. 

They came three in a pack.

After I got over the initial disgust that this is a pig's leg part, which I don't know why I didn't think about that before my purchase, I remembered how much flavor this was going to add to the soup and focused on that.  Another option is to cube up a ham steak and throw that in.  (Likely my future choice.  I'm not so hearty of heart for meat in such natural form.  Ick!)

Yuck, still creepy!!

One last, yet important, ingredient: the potatoes.

Will make soup nice and creamy.

Into the oven, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours on 350.  Take out and stir occasionally.  Make sure potatoes and peas are tender and it's done.  No one likes crunchy pea soup.  If it ends up thicker than you like, just add a little hot water to thin it down before you serve.  (I kept it thick and then when I brought leftovers to work, I added a little hot tea water from the spicket when I heated it up.  Some days you like thicker soup, some days thinner hits the spot.  It's good to have options.)

Now that's ready.

The ham hocks add a delicious smoky flavor, but they also have a little bit of ham on them.  I removed the ham and set that aside, then discarded the rest.

Hammy bits and pieces.

When you're ready to eat, ladle into a bowl and garnish with the ham shreds.

Add a side of warm, multi-grain bread with
butter and you'll be set!

I have always like peas, so it's funny how I never liked pea soup while growing up.  It was the color of moss and may have well matched that in taste.  My yellow pea soup was much more like I would have imagined it should have been.  The ham hocks meaty infusion well complimented the peas, and the thyme and bayleaf added an interesting herbaceous base.  What can I say about potatoes - they always make everything better.

Not that I'm not ready for some warmer temps, but seeing as I know they are on their way and will be here full force for several months, I may as well relish in the final crisp days that are upon us with a hearty bowl of pea soup.  The weeks of gaspacho and vichyssoise are on the near horizon!

Nurturing my inner... mean green

When life gives you kale, juice it I say.  But there was one teensy problem... I still haven't gotten my new juicer yet.  It's on back order.  Everywhere.  And I'm not sharing the name of it until I get mine!  (Don't want you getting yours before me and making me wait even longer.) Though it has been officially ordered by me, there is no estimated arrival date.  Now what to do in the meantime with kale...

Seems to me this has been the rage for some time now, so today was my first try at making some kale chips.  (Note: Three hours after I made them, the post on the Whole Foods page today was for kale chips.  I must have some weird veg-esp.)  But first, let's see a couple of shots of my Washington Green Grocer delivery for this week.  My inspiration!

Just opened, top layer. Paper bag has
mushrooms inside.

I told my friends I was just giddy over my package arrival.  95% of them thought I needed to be "evaluated professionally" because this was a carton of fruits and vegetables.  Then again, one signed up immediately for next week's delivery and another came by to talk to me about signing up.  What can I say?  (Take that, naysayers!)  Some people get excited over new electronics or a handbag, others are jazzed by leafy greens.  Don't judge.  (I like handbags too!  The larger ones make it easier to carry kale in.)

Bottom layer. Box just jam packed with good
things to eat.

I'll give you the run down so you can see the value in this (all organic):

4 large russet potatoes (NY)
1 pint grape tomatoes (FL)
1 head of broccoli (CA)
3 navel oranges (FL)
2 mangos (S.A.)
3 bosc pears (WA)
3 braeburn apples (VA)
4 bananas (S.A.)
2 baby bok choy (CA)
2 portabello mushrooms (PA)
1 bunch of carrots (8 carrots) (CA)
1 head of romaine lettuce (CA)

And then this week I added on items (some organic/some not):

2 large bunches of kale ($2.00)
1 bag fresh shitake mushrooms ($4.00)
3 medium zucchinis ($1.50)
1 large bunch of basil ($2.00)
2 heads of garlic (.60)
1 lb of green beans ($2.25)

My total for all this produce, delivered to my door = $52.10.  I know, shut up!  I was delighted.  Did you take a gander at that baby bok choy?  They were HUGE, but still the tender baby variety.

I really was hoping, as mentioned above, that my juicer would arrive at my door by the time this box did.  I love to juice kale because it is a super food.  Concentrated green energy.  But didn't happen.  So then, with two large bunches of kale in my fridge, what was I going to do?  I thought about making my sausage, potato, kale soup, which is delicious, but then had a desire to try something new.

Smoked Paprika Kale Chips

1 bunch of fresh kale, destemmed, washed, dried
Olive oil
Sea salt
Smoked paprika

Wow, the kale was so super fresh and vibrant, I just couldn't wait.  No sad, wilted greens in this house.  The produce I get from WGG is as fresh as someone living in a condo (who doesn't even own dirt to grow anything anyway) can get.  That's the whole point.  Fresh is best.

Alive and well.

First I had to take off the tough stems.  Which naturally lended itself to tearing the leaves into smaller pieces.  (Looking back, I should have been a little more uniform with the bigger ones, so make sure to make them about the same size.)  I washed them thoroughly and had to dry them really well.  I don't have a salad spinner.  (I know - it shocks me too!  On my list though.)  So I put them in a clean kitchen towel and dried them off as best as I could.  Really strive to get all the water off of them.  Makes for a crispier chip.

Dry is good, in this case.

Got out a glass bowl, threw in the leaves and then drizzled in some olive oil.  Tossed with my hands until all was well-coated.

Go easy on the oil. Toss a bit and then see if
you need to add a little more.

Seems as if everyone and their macrobiotic mother has made kale chips in the past few years, so the flavors, like with the blank canvas of potato chips, are endless.  (Only these are much better for you.)  My secret weapon of the day was smoked paprika.  A lesser known and infrequently used spice perhaps, but I'm here to change that.  Oh, it's not just the baby that Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper from Blue's Clues had!  (Seriously, salt and pepper together do NOT make paprika, so what the heck?  I won't even mention that Paprika later ends up with a little brother named Cinnamon!  Now come on!)

Smoky, rich, unique. Don't ask me what it
tastes like. It tastes like paprika!

If you don't have industrial baking sheets, buy them.  They are the best.  Not very expensive.  Lots of good surface room.  I put a piece of parchment down and then placed all the kale on it in a single layer.  Then I lightly sprinkled with sea salt and that lovely, reddish orange powdered spice.

Can't miss it on the green.

Into a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, flipping half way through, made them go from soft to crispy.  Start with less time and then check on them.  You'll want them to be dried out and just turning slightly brown.  In essence, you're taking out all the moisture, thus the lower temp.  So they will shrink down in size from what you had before.

It's important to throw some financials around here.  2.5 ounce of kale chips at the store: $5.99 - 8.99.  (Geebers!  Why don't you just take my whole wallet while you're at it.)  Home version: $2.00 for a big bunch of fresh kale and 15 min in the oven.  Spice and salt cost = nominal.

Fragile, yet really good crunch.

These were so tasty, I have to admit to you... I ate the entire pan.  Oh yes, every last one!  I started with just the bowl below and then went back for more until they were all gone.  Addictive?  Understatement.  And because it's a leafy green veggie, they are so much better for you than potato chips.  (Translation: Less guilt.)  You won't get all the wonderful nutrients of juicing kale fresh, but dang, this is a heck of a way to replace starchy, deep fried tubers and retain the snacky quality you desire.

Baked and not fried. Yet just as crispy.

I thought of what flavors future batches could be dusted with...  Seasoning salt.  Lemon pepper.  Old Bay.  Sweet curry.  Garam Masala.  I think they'll get along with just about anything.  (Except cocoa.  Don't do that.)

Things for you to do: 1.) Check out Washington Green Grocer if you're in the DC Metro area.  If you're not, see what programs your local farmers have available for you or grow your own stuff if you can.  (One day, I will own dirt.  Oh yes I will!  Maybe.  I can't afford dirt yet.)  2.) One way or another, get some kale.  3.) Buy an industrial cooking sheet.  4.) Book 15 minutes on your calendar.  5.) Bust out the spices!

To my advantage over some of you in your larger living quarters, I don't have to mow the lawn on my weekends.  Guess condo living does have some good points.  I also can eat delicious, crispy kale chips from the second floor just like people on the first!