Broiled Whitefish with Corn and Crabmeat Salsa; Roasted Beets & Potatoes

Here I Am!

Wow!  It has been a long time since I wrote for my AE blog.  I have a bunch of 'before' and 'after' shots of foods/meals I've been meaning to upload, and since it has been over a year that these foods were prepared (and, consequently, eaten--yum!), I will probably do just that: upload just the pictures.  Apologies for not including text; it is just hard to remember the step-by-step processes that were done all those weeks...months...YEARS ago. 

However, upon reading this ol' blog and taking a trip down memory lane, I have decided to start it up once again!  We now live in the Twin Cities, and the local food community here is fantastic!  Also, I have turned into a semi-crazy-coupon-lady (pennies are being pinched in the big bad city, my friends, what can I say) so I will be sure to upload the insane food deals that I have been finding...and, thusly, what I have been able to make out of them (warning: I am on a Vietnamese kick lately, and have been making summer rolls and bun bowls out of the discounted cucumbers and cilantro I am finding on sale everywhere!  It.  Has.  Been.  AWESOME.)

With that being said...if there are actually any readers out there who still occasionally check this ol' blog (even though I have been absolutely wretched about keeping it updated), have no fear: I am back on the saddle!  New AE posts will be coming your way soon.  Thanks for your patience!

See ya on the flip side (of the bacon I am draining),
Heidella

Pan Seared Lambchops

Corn Man Corn Chowder

Local Edibles

Corn Man Corn; Morningview Farm Canadian Bacon (on sale at the co-op!)

(additional ingredients: chicken stock, onions, butter, carrots, potatoes, flour, milk, spices, etc.)

What I did: here in Ashland, we have a local legend: the Corn Man.  Every summer, the Corn Man sets up shop in town (albeit briefly) in a parking lot, and the masses flock to him because those in the know KNOW that Corn Man corn is the BEST corn in town.  However, a few weeks back, our local newspaper published a FRONT PAGE STORY on the Corn Man.  Bloody hell!  Now, of course, everybody and their mother (and their mother's cousin's brother) know about the Corn Man...and the lines are sometimes 15, 20, 25 people deep to pick up a few ears of corn.

But you know what?  It's worth it.  And I was lucky enough to have a kind co-worker pick up a dozen ears for me the other day while she was waiting in line.  And since Corn Man corn is the BEST corn (so sweet!  so succulent!  so PERFECT) I always prefer to eat it simply, either right off the cob OR highlighted in a quick chowder.  Since I had some delicious Canadian bacon from Morningview Farms on hand, I decided to go ahead and whip up a batch.  Here is what I did:

First, I diced my Canadian bacon, onions, potatoes and carrots and sauteed them together in butter and oil.  Note: I specifically choose to cook with CANADIAN bacon when I make Corn Man corn chowder as opposed to 'regular' bacon, because I feel as if regular bacon overpowers the sweet and delicate taste of the corn...and I don't want that.  I want the CORN to be the star of the show here (deservedly so) and I find that Canadian bacon (especially Morningview Farm Canadian bacon, which is just phenomenal) is a perfect accompaniment.

At any rate, after I sauteed my CB and veggies, I deglazed the pot with chicken stock, and let everything simmer for a bit.  I added milk, made a roux with butter and flour to thicken everything up, and added my corn (freshly cut from the cob, about 2 1/2 cups worth) at the end.  Personally, I prefer my corn chowder to have plump, fresh corn kernels (and not mush), and since Corn Man corn is SO sweet and SO good...there really is no need to roast it or cook it before you add it to the chowder.  Hell, I've been known to drunkenly gnaw on raw Corn Man corn cobs on the beach in Cornucopia on occasion--because it is THAT good!

The Verdict
The Corn Man did not disappoint, as usual!  His cobs were perfect.  This chowder was easy to make and delicious.  It tasted like SUMMER!

Taste: 8.5
Appearance: 7
Creativity: 5

Improvements for next time: perhaps add celery?  A little green color might improve the aesthetic.

Pickles? Pickles?! PICKLES!

Local Edibles

cucumbers, garlic, dill

(additional ingredients: vinegar, sea salt, pickling spice, alum)

What I did: for the first time in my LIFE I made pickles!  Oh, happy day!  Seriously though, I think I have been intimidated my entire life because my mother makes a damn fine pickle, and I was worried I would fail miserably or pale in comparison.  But I didn't.  In fact: I succeeded! (I know this because one of my cans didn't seal, so they became refrigerated pickles...which meant I got to TASTE one a few days ago.  And they were delicious!)  The process was easy: I bought a few pounds of cukes from the community garden on campus, dill and garlic from the local farmer's market, rounded up my canning supplies, read about 1,802 articles on pickling and canning (recommended: the tried and true Joy of Canning), and hunkered down one night to make them.  Here were the results:

I must say: I found some DELICIOUS garlic at the farmer's market...check out those cloves!  Incredible.

I had a crazy dill bouquet that I cut up for my cukes; I'm sad to report that I only had a few tiny little pieces left after stuffing my quart jars.  It appears I'm going to have to get more dill for my next pickling adventure... (I'm looking at you, dilly beans!)

I stuffed my jars as best I could, but I have to say...as a first timer...I could've done a better job at compacting my cukes.  Oh well, you live and you learn!  As a totally random side note: check out that AWESOME green color.  I wish pickles would stay that vibrant green for the duration of the process, but that pesky vinegar just has to have its way, doesn't it?

An ariel shot.  As you can see, I dutifully cut off the 'blossom end' of my cucumbers.  This was a step that was repeatedly stressed in ALL pickling recipes I researched...apparently, leaving that end on in the pickling process leaves a bitter taste (and also somehow contributes to a soggy pickle).  It is highly recommended that these be removed before canning, so I happily obliged.

Into the canner they go!  OH, oh hot.  How steamy!

And...viola!  The finished product.



The Verdict

All in all, I have to say my first pickling experience was a pleasant one.  And YES, I realize I didn't go into detail with this post pontificating on all the how-what-and-whys of pickling and canning, but there is SO MUCH information out there on the subject matter...I felt like I didn't need to throw my hat in the ring.  I used my mama's pickling recipe (+ an addition of pickling spice from the co-op), so, really--it wouldn't be that exciting for all you readers out there to hear about.  What IS exciting, however?  EATING PICKLES WHENEVER I WANT!


Taste: TBD

Appearance: 7

Creativity: 0

Improvements for next time: hard to tell.  I'll let you know once I taste a pickle from one of my canned jars...in about a month or so!

New Digs! (2.0)

Huzzah!  I have a new kitchen.  Or, ahem, we have a new kitchen--since my lovah and I have moved in together. How exciting!  I have more counter and storage space now, too, which is lovely.  Moving in with the love of my life AND into a new kitchen with tons more space?  Are you serious?  Life does NOT suck, my friends.

Tempura-Battered Zucchini with Hollandaise Sauce

Abandoned Edibles*

Zucchini; Cherry Tomatoes

(additional ingredients: tempura batter, beer, canola oil, spinach, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, butter, eggs, lemon juice, salt, spices, etc.)

* NOTE: these foods were not 'abandoned', but rather kindly given to me by talented friends who GREW them in their home gardens!  A shout out and MAHALO to Mz. Jackie M and Ms. Emily M for sharing their delicious veggies.

What I did: my oh my, I sure do LOVE the end of summer.  So many delicious fruits and vegetables are in season!  I was lucky enough to be gifted with zucchini and cherry tomatoes from two friends the other day, and I must confess: fried zucchini is one of my FAVORITE foods...especially when you pair it with smooth, luxurious, artery-clogging hollandaise sauce for dipping!  You just can't go wrong!

This was a pretty simple meal to make.  First, I made sure to sweat my zucchini after cutting them up (as I learned when I made my fried eggplant dish last year, sweating veggies such as eggplant, cucumbers, and zucchini make them less soggy) before I started frying.  While the zucs were sweating, I made a batter...and I'll confess something here...I have found the perfect batter balance.  I use this brand of pre-packaged tempura mix, but I substitute 3/4 of the water called for with BEER instead when making it, and let me tell you--the results are delicious.  A tempura/beer battered hybrid.  Oh yeah.  Oh yeeeeeeaaaaaaah!  It IS as good as it sounds...trust me.

At any rate, once the zucchinis were done sweating, I rinsed them (a vital step), patted them dry, dipped them in my tempura batter, and fried them right up.  Once they were done I made a quick 'easy' hollandaise sauce (1 stick of butter melted, add in 3 beaten eggs on super low heat, add in lemon juice, whisk whisk whisk until it thickens!), threw together a salad of spinach, mozzarella, prosciutto, and cherry tomatoes, and viola: dinner was served!

The Verdict

Oh, SO delicious...I could just die!  Seriously I LOVE fried zucchini with hollandaise.  And the salad...those delicious little tomatoes with fresh mozzarella...it was just perfect.  One thing of note, however--since I cheated when I made the hollandaise sauce, and made an 'easy' version, the sauce ended up much lighter and fluffier than a typical hollandaise would normally  be.  This of course is attributed to the egg WHITES that were included in addition to the yolks...and you know what?  It actually worked out better, see as how the hollandaise was used for dipping (and not, say, smothered over a poached egg on an english muffin).  Just look how it coats and clings to the zucchini chip so perfectly:



Nice, right?  I think I'll use this 'easy' hollandaise route from here on out!  I never liked separating eggs much, anyway.

Taste: 9

Apperance: 8

Creativity: 4

Improvements for next time: you can't improve perfection, dahling!  And fried zucchini + hollandaise sauce IS perfection.  Simple, easy, and delicious--and simply the BEST.

Lil' Smokies and Tortilla Chip Casserole

Abandoned Edibles

Tortilla chips; BBQ Lil' Smokies

(additional ingredients: tator tots, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bag of frozen vegetables, INSANITY!) 

What I did: whoa, nelly!  I've really outdone myself this time.  I brought home a bunch of leftover cocktail wieners and tortilla chips from a catering, and had the INSANE idea to make a casserole out of them.  This project was so effin' ridiculous that I refuse to divulge how, exactly,  I made this dish, in fear that some other crazy mofo will attempt to duplicate it.  Note: please, for the love of all things holy, do NOT.  I'm warning you.

Instead, I'm going to tell the tale of the Lil Smoky Casserole via a pictorial spread.  Without further ado, here we go:

First and formeost, I had to wash the cocktail wieners clean of their sins (AKA, the barbeque sauce surrounding them), which was weird and NO I do not want to talk about it.  If I never have to scour miniature cocktail wieners clean of condiments in my kitchen sink ever again, I will be a happy camper.

Next, I made a casserole.  I will not going into detail how this was done (trust me, it is for your own good).  Suffice to say, I incorporated lil smokies in the filling, which was my main objective (the tortilla chips will come later, don't worry!).  Being a true Minnesota girl at heart, I of course also threw in a bunch of tots.  What's a casserole without tots?  A damn, crying shame--that's what.

After cooking this monstrosity for about 45 minutes, I placed crushed tortilla chips on top, and sprinkled shredded cheese on top of that.  Back into the oven it went, for another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese was melted.  I poured myself a stiff cocktail, pulled the casserole out of the oven, and cut myself a piece to taste.

Here is an up close and personal shot of the casserole, for all you sickos out there.

The Verdict

This.  Was.  SO.  GROSS!  Seriously, I couldn't even finish my piece.  I had three bites.  But what was even MORE disturbing was that when Duggins got home, he ate TWO pieces.  And then brought leftovers to work the next day.  WTF!!  It seriously made me question his palate (not to mention, sanity) in a very serious and profound way.  Then again, this IS the same person who also enjoys eating Jello cones...

So I rest my case.

Taste: 2

Appearance: 7

Creativity: 7

Improvements for next time: stop smokin' crack and cooking with cocktail wieners!