the arugula files

Radish, Chimichurri, and Butter Toast

Let's see, what do I have to say about radishes?  Not much really.  

They are nice to throw on top of salads for a little crunch.  Radish and butter toasts are delightful, but let's all admit that it has more to do with the butter, not the radishes.  I've never actually purchased radishes from the farmer's market or a super market. Not even once.  

So last week when a bunch of radishes came in my CSA box I had to look around for radish recipes. You know what I found?  Not much really.  

I ended up making radish and butter toasts.  Lucky for me I had some chimichurri stashed in my fridge.  A little dash of crack parsley makes everything better.

Chimichurri

When it comes to herbs, I've never been that impressed by parsley.  That was until I started making Chimichurri, the most addictive form of this otherwise underperforming herb.  Chimichurri sauce takes minutes to make.  No chopping required, just toss everything into your food processor. Make it at the beginning of the week and then add it to anything you aim to transform from bland to delicious.  I've used it to top grilled hanger steak, roasted sweet potatoes, or raviolis.  Careful, chimichurri – or crack parsley as I like to call it – is habit forming, and could result in periods of extreme happiness, followed by withdrawal symptoms.

Spring CSA: All this for $18.20 From Lancaster Fresh Farm Cooperative

My spring CSA started this week.  Hopefully it will give me a bit of a push to start cooking again.  I have to admit, I've been relying a lot on what I call gathering dinner: hummus, pita, left over take-out rice, a baked sweet potato. Basically, whatever is in the refrigerator. Oh look, there's a lone pickle, left in that jar.  Let's eat that. Dip it in hummus.  That's what's for dinner.  

Here's what I got this week for $18.20, a crazy bargain.

My Ugly Kitchen Floor

Modern Kitchen by Vancouver General Contractor JL Construction

I know, that kitchen floor is not ugly.  That's because it's not my kitchen.  It's one of the dream kitchens I've recently pinned.  Isn't it gorgeous and bright?  Maybe I'm dreaming of a yellow kitchen?  My ugly kitchen floor after the jump.

I'm Dreaming of a White Kitchen

When we first moved into our house about three years ago the orange and brown linoleum floor really bothered me.   Every time I walked into the kitchen I avoided looking down.  When I had friends over I would mention my disdain for the floor immediately, as if to say, yes, I know this floor is heinous looking.  

I had big plans to rip it up and replace it with something else.   It's amazing how fast I forgot about my ugly kitchen floor when confronted with the reality of actually removing it and laying something down in its place. 

I moved on.

But now I'm back.  I want to do something with my kitchen.  We recently re-did our bathroom and used white subway tiles for the shower and white penny tiles for the floor.  I have some of the subway tiles leftover and am thinking about adding a back splash.  I'm dreaming of a white kitchen. 

I'm also thinking about cork floor.  Does anyone know anything about putting down cork floor?  I think it could be easy. But beyond the installation, I'm afraid of how hard it will be to keep clean.

I would share a picture of my current kitchen, but I'm currently writing this from a plane.  So, stay tuned for part 2, when I share my ugly linoleum floor with the world.

{photo credit: apartment therapy}

Italian Wedding Soup

This soup is a keeper.  It's light, but filling.  Full of flavor (thanks to adding more dill and spinach then the recipe calls for).  It can be made on Sunday and eaten throughout the week (for lunch or dinner).  Word to the wise, though, if you are planning on eating this throughout the week, wait to add the orzo.  Otherwise, it soaks up the liquid and your soup becomes a dish of wet orzo.  The recipe is here.

Cooking for Josie (Oh What, Your Kid Doesn't Love Kale?)

I've thought about writing this post for a while and resisted for a few reasons.  First, I'm not a Mommy blogger. This blog is my space; my hobby.  But obviously Josie is a big part of my life, and these days she takes up a lot of my culinary attention.  So I'm giving in by writing an occasional post about what she's eating.  

Secondly, I find that while I love reading Mommy blogs, especially ones that share what they feed their children (I need ideas, people!), some of them come across as judge-y.  For example, a few lines from Mommy blogs that have made me flinch, "Not breast feeding is similar to feeding your kid McDonald's." (I didn't breastfeed for various personal reasons).  "I would never feed my kids chicken fingers." (I feed Josie chicken fingers regularly.  I tell myself it's ok because they are the fancy "no junk" kind from Whole Foods or ones that I make myself. Lucky for me, I'm privileged enough to buy them, cause they ain't cheap.  I wouldn't judge a tired mother for feeding her kid chicken fingers from the drive thru.  There are worse things.)  Another favorite line, "My kid is a good eater because I make everything from scratch." (Some kids are just picky.  Doing river dance while feeding them baked kale leaves isn't going to change that).

Culinary Resolutions 2013

Culinary resolutions in February? It's of a little late, I know.   I realize that it doesn't speak very well of my ability to complete the list, does it?  It seems from my 2010, 2011, and 2012 lists that I usually finish between 13 to 15 of my "resolutions."  What does that mean for this year's list?  Well, I'm only going to name  15 (instead of 25), of course.

 

1. Experience Omakasse (for Olga)

2. Spend the day in Frederick and eat at Family Meal

3. Stick with my CSA

4. Save enough money to buy a 5D

5. Master the art of ginger syrup

6. Use my pressure cooker

7. Plant some kale

8. Continue to re-design my blog

9.  Eat at Ethiopic (this one is for Maggie, my H Street friend)

10. Make Boston Brown Bread and Clam Chowder

11. Learn how to poach an egg

12.  Buy some cedar planks for my grill.  Cook up some salmon.

13.  Cook more Vietnamese food

14.  Start a cooking for Josie post series

15.  Start a fish on Fridays post series

 

Do you have any culinary resolutions?