Dark Days Challenge Final Week: Pan-seared Scallops over Roasted Beets and Bacon

Yesterday I finally set out to recreate the scallop and beet dish I enjoyed at Gramercy Tavern last month. The journey began with a stop at the Union Square Greenmarket for bacon from Flying Pigs Farm. Jesse and I are both bacon neophytes. My parents never ever cook the stuff because they think any fat at all will kill you (even good fat like avocado). So we found ourselves a bit overwhelmed, both my the claustrophobic crowds at the Greenmarket,...

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Dark Days Challenge Final Week: Braised Lamb Shoulder Chop, Smashed Potatoes and Celery Root, and Bitter Greens

Lamb again? you're thinking. I know, I've gotten myself into some kind of rut, between all the lamb, and and potatoes, and roasted beets, and the staples of cooking through a winter that just won't end. It will be April in two days, and yet it's still been too cold to go for a bike ride (in my opinion). Since it's still acting like winter, I figured I might as well cook like it by warming up the apartment with some braising action after work last...

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Dark Days Challenge Week 10: Grilled Lamb Leg Steak, Broccoli, and Oven-Baked Fries; Chocolate Bananas

Continuing with the lamb theme, I made sure to go to the 3-Corner Field Farm stand at the Greenmarket last week, figuring it would be one of their last weeks before the lambing season begins. It turned out I was right, so I indulged and bought ground lamb as well as lamb leg steak. After reading on Farmgirl Fare that lamb leg steak is her her favorite cut of lamb, I figured I had to try it. Instead of the whole leg of lamb, which is popular this...

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Northampton Take Two: The Dirty Truth

Following the aforementioned ruin of last weekend, I was hoping for a little more relaxation and enjoyment this weekend. We returned to the Northampton area in Massachussetts to pick up Jesse's car, now fixed, and I figured this time around we would know what we were doing and have a better time.Well I was wrong. I chose a cheaper motel for this trip, the Amherst Motel, and I do not recommend staying there. The heating was inconsistent, making it...

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Dark Days Challenge Week 10: Fluke, Turnip Fries, and Braised Green Cabbage

After a long busy week, we went away last weekend in search of relaxation. Instead, we ended up with a torrential downpour and a broken-down car. So when we finally found our way home on Sunday evening, I was glad that the ingredients for dinner were already waiting for us in the fridge. I had picked up a fluke from the Union Square Greenmarket on Friday before we left and planned to serve it with a few turnips and a wedge of old cabbage. With Jesse's...

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Dark Days Challenge Week 9: Grilled Lamb Rib Chops with Fries

I bought the cutest lamb rib chops at the farmers market last weekend. Just look at how little they are on the plate. But it was actually the perfect amount of meat to eat without feeling stuffed. I marinated them for an hour in a mixture of garlic, balsamic vinegar, water, mustard, salt, and pepper, and then Jesse grilled them. I had never had lamb chops before and they were so fun to eat. They are bone-in,so we just picked them up and gnawed at...

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Paella

Jesse's mom was nice enough to gift me saffron rice, which is cool because saffron itself is so expensive I would never be motivated to buy it. So of course the first thing I thought to do with the fabulous yellow rice was to make paella. I have to be honest and say the only local ingredients in the paella were the seafood, onions andgarlic. I splurged and bought frozen peas for the occasion, because I felt like the dish really needed that green...

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