It is so easy to make your own gravy even when you do not have pan drippings to use for it. I wish I had a gravy picture right now but, alas, I could not find one. Here is a Rottweiler puppy sticking his tongue out instead.
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Potato Leek Soup
Potato Leek Soup, topped with cheese curds, chives, and croutons (oooh all “c” words at the end there, I didn’t plan that)
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Green Garlic
I found this at the farmer’s market. The guy behind the table said, “Have you seen our green garlic? It’s our special today and it’s not going to last long.” I asked him if you could use the green stalk portion and he said yes. At home, I dis-assembled the stalk of my green garlic and only used the heart of it like I would a leek. The stalk is basically a small version of a leek except it has a mild garlic flavor instead of a mild onion flavor.
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Ojai Farmer’s Market
I had a great time going to the farmer’s market. When I go to a farmer’s market, I like to do a complete walk-through before going up to any stand or trying anything. This allows me to strategize. I figure out what things I want most and what my budget will be. First, I stopped by a Rivendell Aromatherapy stand. I wanted to buy something just because of the name of this company alone. I ended up getting body wash, leave-in conditioner, pet shampoo, and scented greeting cards. Next, I tasted about 5 different olive oils and picked a nice one to use for Julie’s Pasta Sauce. Then Gar and I took a break and ate a couple of really good tamales.
What excites me most about any farmer’s market is the produce. More than anything, I look forward to being inspired to cook something featuring whatever produce looks and sounds good to me that day. This time some giant leeks that caught my eye. I also saw some organic potatoes and my mind was made up, I wanted to make potato leek soup.
I was also ecstatic when I found out that one of the cheese stands had cheese curds. Cheese curds are basically the building block of all cheeses; they are very mild and extremely tasty. My favorite thing to do with cheese curds is make poutine. Poutine is so good and generally consists of french fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. I’m hoping to write a post about that soon.
I just love cooking on Sundays, especially after hitting up a farmer’s market in the morning.
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Rocka-Guaca-Mole
This guacamole recipe serves: 2 very hungry men or 4 mildly hungry chicks:
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Farewell Fenris
I did not want to mention this at first, but, the day before we left for camping my three year old Maine Coon mix, Fenris, dropped dead. I had just finished picking up some things for camping in the early evening when Garrick called and told me he thought Fenris had just dropped dead in the office for no apparent reason. I could not believe it at first. Fenris was so young and healthy. I came home and confirmed for myself what Gar had told me, then took him to my work to meet with a co-worker and take care of his remains. The doctor is certain that Fenris died from a practically undetectable heart problem called cardiomyopathy. I basically cried the whole rest of the day.
The first few days of camping were bittersweet and I was exhausted but the trip was a blessing. I was able to have five days of separation from my work, and being there would have inevitably triggered my sadness. Also, I didn’t have to be home where it happened.
I had such a good time camping. I was very happy to have no phone service most of the time I was there. Mostly, my mind was concerned about when and where the next hike is and when and what the next meal is. This simplified existence along with the omnipresent natural beauty of the place was extremely therapeutic. Nature is magical to me and I find myself entranced by it every day regardless of whether I’m camping or not. I once wrote a paper analyzing the importance that J.R.R. Tolkien placed upon nature in his novels titled, “Nature: The Antithesis of Evil.” I don’t know why I felt compelled to mention that but there it is.
Fenris was a great cat. He was extremely sweet to the dogs and Gar and I. He practically was a dog himself. I got Fenris from a rescue group and they told me he was about a year or two old. It turned out, he was much younger when I got him than anyone thought. About 5 months later, Fenris needed to have surgery on both his hips in order to be able to walk again. The specialist told me that he was likely a year old or a little younger at that time based upon his x-rays. The specialist said that the rescue group probably thought he was older because he was relatively big and that the problem Fenris had is one that Maine Coon cats are prone to. Even knowing what I know now, I would not not change the past and would still have done his surgery.
Ultimately, I am blessed in a lot of ways. I am grateful Garrick was home when Fenris passed and that he did not suffer.
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Morning Walk
Sunlight through the trees on a morning walk at Los Padres National Forest.