the arugula files

Apple Picking at Stribling Orchard

I'm smitten by one thing these days: the weather.  It's fall in DC, my favorite time of year.  Hearing the leaves do the cha-cha on the street, drinking seasonal beer at the Black Squirrel, watching local drag queens sprint down 17th Street, and picking apples are, for me, the measures of fall.

Apple picking is the best way to embrace the weather.  My favorite place to pick my own is Stribling Orchard, located about 60 minutes from DC.  There are farm animals, picnic tables, and a small country store that sells pie.

If you are from New England forget about Macintosh Apples.  Let it go.  Now is the time to pick York, Nittany, Crispens, and Granny Smith.  What to do with all those apples? Bring them home and bake an apple pie, apple cake, applesauce, and, when your sweet tooth falls out, top them on pizza and stuff them in sandwiches.

If you are looking for somewhere close by to eat, try the Apple House, about 15 minutes further down the road on Route 66.  The kitchen serves all day breakfast and specialty sandwiches like the Redskins Rockin' Rooster.  Most importantly: they sell spiced apple donuts. 

If Stribling Orchard is too far for you, check out Metrocurean's Apple Picking Guide for other orchards in the area.

 

 

Born Round: As Delicious as UTZ Potato Chips

 
Much like a bag of UTZ sour cream and onion potato chips, I devoured Frank Bruni's book, Born Round, in one sitting.   

A confessional of a self-described "baby bulimic" and "full-time eater," this is no Karen Carpenter-style eating disorder memoir.  With the skill and humor of a an HBO series storyteller, Mr. Bruni chronicles his life of pie from the early years as a fat baby, to his college years, a period when he dabbled in "Mexican speed" and other gag-o-riffic tricks to keep his weight down.  The hook?  Eventually Bruni takes a job that pays him to eat.  And not just any food job—the Alinea of foodie fantasies: restaurant critic at the New York Times.  Eating out every night on some one else's dime?  Sounds like heaven (and, for Bruni, a hellish 14-hour day on the elliptical machine). 

Bruni is a great writer: funny, witty, and self-deprecating.  If you have ever struggled with weight management, this honest diary will make you laugh, cry, and make you hungry.  It’s a treat that left me full and satisfied, minus the guilt that accompanies a greasy, salty, delicious bag of potato chips.  

Photo Credit: Eater

Corn "Peelers" (Are They Worth It?)

Just yesterday I said I would stop writing about corn.  I lied.  Before we switch the seasonal menu board, I want to tell you about corn "peelers."  I am completely skeptical of one-use kitchen tools.  Yes, I own plenty, including such unneeded absurdities as a melon ball-er and a salad spinner.  What's next...electric scissors?   

I was perfectly happy using a knife to cut corn off the cobb, until I almost sliced my hand off.  After that incident, I decided to buy a corn peeler.  (I ordered this one for $9.99).   I think my hand is worth the price.  But, really, life changing hand injuries aside, are corn peelers worth it? 

Corn Chowder (Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall)

This is my last corn recipe for the summer.  It's fitting, I think, for the end of the season.  Hot soup featuring summer ingredients is a perfect cross walk. 

I'm sad to see summer go, but I'm looking forward to all things fall, most importantly: sweater weather.  Nothing beats it.  In fact, as much as I like tomatoes and corn and the beach, I think fall is my favorite season.  I love apple picking and brussels sprouts and braising cabbage for hours.  I like going shopping for new school clothes, even though I don't go to school.  And hikes.  Fall hikes are the best.

Here's a quote that sums it up:

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.  So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne (one of my least favorite authors)

Let's get in the mood: what's your favorite thing about fall?

Mid Atlantic Red Fruit Festival

 

I'm super psyched that my recipe for grilled pizza with heirloom tomatoes was selected as a finalist for the Mid Atlantic Red Fruit Festival.  I'll be working with Chef Jerry Edwards, who will prepare the recipe at the festival.  The event is from 6-8 pm Friday, September 24 at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza at the Ronald Reagan Building. Tickets are $35. Attendees get to vote for their favorite dish.

Panas (Plus, Make Your Own Empanada Contest: the "Duponada")

Fourteen.  That is the number of savory empanadas available at Panas, the recently opened healthy "fast-food" Dupont Circle eatery.  I want to try them all.  And I will – eventually.

Each crescent shaped empanada is about 3 to 4 bites of a light flaky shell, stuffed with fresh ingredients and served with one of four dipping sauces: salsa verde, a spicy mayo "aji," cilantro and tomato sauce, or roasted red pepper sauce.  They are served with addictive "thank goodness they're baked" plantain chips. 

I had lunch there recently with two friends.  Between the three of us, we ate 10 empanadas, ordering six different types. 

Elephant Jumps

The first time Marcus and I dined at Elephant Jumps we had the entire restaurant to ourselves, and the ear of the owner, who proudly made suggestions from the menu.  The tiny 32-seat Thai restaurant had recently opened in a strip mall off 495.  At the time, we were on a Vietnamese and Korean food overload and finding a reliably tasty Thai place near our house in Falls Church was a must.  After a few bites of the scallop with crispy summer basil, I said to Marcus, "I hope this place lasts.  It's good."  The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema agreed, giving Elephant Jumps a positive review.  Now instead of worrying about the restaurant staying in business, we have to worry about a 30-minute wait.  Curse you Tom Sietsema.

Win Tickets to Hear Mark Bittman Speak

Mark Bittman, the New York Times food columnist, will be visiting Sixth & I on October 5^th to speak about his new cookbook, The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Living. 

I love Mark Bittman.  It started with How to Cook Everything, my first cookbook ever.  Before our introduction, I was buying store-made guacamole from the produce aisle. Oh dear. 

And, per his book, Food Matters, I even went vegan for a few meals.

I'll be there, hopefully in the front row, with a sign that says, THANK YOU MR. BITTMAN FOR SAVING ME FROM A LIFE OF ELLIO'S PIZZA AND CANNED GREEN BEANS.

Enter to win two free tickets, compliments of Sixth & I, by leaving a link to your favorite vegetarian (or vegan) recipe in the comments.  Comments close on Sunday, September 12 at 9:00 pm ET.  I will select a winner randomly.  Make sure to leave your email so I can contact you if you win.