Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scapes are the edible curlicue shoots that emerge out of the ground as the top part of the plant in springtime, before the garlic bulb itself is edible. Here in New York, scapes came into season in late May and are still around now, so you might be able to find them at your local farmers market.

Scapes have a spicy garlic flavor, which you can mellow out by sauteeing them, but I prefer to turn garlic scapes into pesto.

I spread the pesto on sandwiches as a spicy alternative to mustard...


Add it to mayonnaise for a dipping sauce that feels like the essence of springtime...
(Here it went especially well with roasted potatoes, asparagus, and grilled soft shell crabs)


And freeze it in an ice cube tray so that I can defrost only as much pesto as I need later in the season.

It's easy peasy to make if you have a food processor or blender. I use almonds because that's what I tend to have on hand, but you could also sub in walnuts or pine nuts - it's flexible. And I like to add vinegar for an extra kick, but you could leave that out. Other great optional ingredients include: parmesan, lemon juice, basil, parsley, other herbs.

Garlic Scape Pesto
1 lb garlic scapes
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
salt
pepper

Combine ingredients in food processor until smooth. Add additional oil or vinegar until it reaches a creamy consistency and desired taste.

first photo via flickr

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Meet Milo!

Among the many backlogged updates that await you...my boyfriend got another puppy! (Yes there are now two dogs living in our apartment).


One morning last month my boyfriend couldn't sleep and was browsing puppies on the internet. He woke me up around 6am, brought over the laptop and showed me a very cute blurry looking puppy (to my groggy eyes). "Yeah he's cute," I said but thought little of it. But surprise! once I got to work, he called to say that he really really wanted the puppy and so...


Milo arrived at the apartment late at night, plucked from the wilds of the Adirondacks. He has two different colored eyes, is fairly mild for a puppy, loves to hide under things, and is good at some commands (sit, down) but not so good at others (Off!) The other dog Spencer was depressed for a few days, but he finally started smiling again earlier this week. The two dogs are getting along surprisingly fine. And oh it is such a pleasure walking a dog who gets along with everyone (ie. not Spencer who has to kept on a short leash lest he bite someone/thing).

But let me tell you, if you are thinking about getting a puppy, it is a LOT of work...a lot of cleaning up...keeping a close eye on him so you can use every opportunity you can get to train...hiding things so they don't get chewed...feeling like the house is a kennel with dogs running around and jumping all over the furniture (since we currently have no yard for them to play).

Anyone out there have any advice or good books on training puppies?

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Welcome!

Welcome to Color Me Green, now at http://colormegreenanew.blogspot.com
I merged my food blog, The Wounded Chef, into the new Color Me Green, which will meander through my slow food, DIY, eco-friendly life in Brooklyn. Please remember to update to this new URL (http://colormegreenanew.blogspot.com) on your blogroll, list of links, following, reader, subscriptions, bookmarks, etc. Welcome and feel free to take a look around!

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Misshapen Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

I'm wayy behind. Got lots of posts for you.

I made these cupcakes for a coworkers birthday last month with dulce de leche from my trip to Argentina. They came out kind of misshapen because I overreached and tried to have too much going on. I wanted the cake part to have both melted chocolate chips and a dulce de leche center; however the chocolate and dulce de leche both sank to the bottom, hardened, and stuck to the pan. The crumb was also very crumbly, so the cakes fell to pieces when I tried to remove them from the pan. Hence they were very misshapen and small and sad looking, but no one really seemed to care. Coworkers thought they were delicious anyway. Especially the frosting, which I whipped half a jar of dulce de leche into!


I don't remember the recipe so well anymore, so I'm going to leave it out. Suffice it to say, dulce de leche frosting would go well with any standard vanilla or chocolate cupcake recipe. To make the frosting, combine a lot of butter, a lot of dulce de leche, a little powdered sugar, a little milk, and scant vanilla until the taste and consistency seems right to you.

As for the leftover crumbs and scraps, I formed it into a "cupcake detritus ball" and left it in the fridge for some sinful snacking.

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Pick up and Move to Colorado

My dear friend Gina is on a plane to Colorado today. She decided she'd had enough of the crazy life in NYC and that it was time to start afresh by moving to Colorado, where she can spend time with old friends and lead a slower-paced life. I'm excited for her, because it takes a lot of guts to realize what's making you unhappy and to change that by leaving a life you've made. It may seem a little crazy but it's also smart. Plus Colorado is so beautiful, I wouldn't mind living there myself, among the mountains and the clean air.

I met Gina on craigslist, and she was roommates with me for over a year, but more than a roommate she became my friend. One of those friends I can be myself with and is kind enough to listen to many many hours of my venting, which I'm very thankful for. I don't know why we didn't see each other last fall after she moved out, but I'm glad we picked up where we left off this winter. I will miss her, but I'm already looking forward to visiting Colorado sometime in the coming months! Here's to us both finding the right projects we've been seeking that will make our lives meaningful and joyful.

To my readers, have you ever done something totally crazy or different to make a fresh start?

photo via flickr

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Rituals

photo via Last Night's Dinner
As a follow up to my last post about the things that make our homes feel luxurious and relaxing, I've also been thinking about how to incorporate more rituals into my life.

Sarah at Pink of Perfection recently reflected on this a bit more eloquently than I could:

"I find myself very interested in rituals these days: the way they mark the passing of seasons, days, and even the smallest occasions. Rituals make the ordinary sacred — like the grandmother and grandfather of a friend who always sit down together for a glass of wine before dinner each night."

I also think rituals and traditions are important for couples (or friends or families) building a shared life together. Rituals can be grounding; they can be homages to the things that are important to both parties; they offer a new opportunity to connect over shared interests each time; and they can transform mundane chores like grocery shopping into something special rather than something to just get overwith.

One of our so-called rituals is to bike down to Park Slope when we have a free weekend afternoon for drinks at a bar, a snack, and some time alone to chat. But I'm trying to think of new ideas. For example, a champagne toast every Friday evening to kick off the weekend, or trying out a new restaurant once a week, or sitting down to dinner together every night sans phones and distractions. However, irregular work and social schedules make it hard to establish regular plans, so these ideas are really just in my head at this point.

What are the rituals that make your life more fun, more relaxing, and more meaningful? How do you find time to sustain them even when busy life gets in the way?

PS. I highly encourage you to check out the two blogs referenced above if you haven't already. Last Night's Dinner features the most beautiful photos of inspirational seasonal meals; and Pink of Perfection charms hearts with her musings on "a thrifty girl's guide to la dolce vita."

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Little Luxuries Part I

Coming home often means stress instead of relaxation, thanks to kitchen detritus, dog hair everywhere, and all the chores to be done. I'd like to figure out how to highlight the little luxuries that help home signify a place of comfort and soothing, so that I can uncoil the tight ball of frustration that currently resides inside my heart.

My current list of luxuries I like to have on hand includes:
* A bottle of wine

* Good beer

* Dark chocolate bars

* Comfortable chairs for relaxing on the balcony

* Natural handmade soap

* A stack of good books

* Looseleaf teas

* Potted plants

* Baking supplies so I can whip up a treat whenever the need (desire?) arises

* The 50s, Jazz, and Bluegrass channels on satellite radio

* NPR podcasts

* Long showers (I know it's not ecofriendly but the it's a guilty pleasure)

My luxury wishlist
* Crisp organic bedsheets and a comfortable duvet

* Aromatic soy candles

* A big puffy couch to sink right into (we can't fit anything bigger than a futon into the apartment)

* A stereo system that extends to the kitchen for music listening and dancing while cooking

* The New York Times paper edition (a luxury we gave up long ago in an effort to be green, but oh how our weekend brunches for two were enjoyable with the paper spread everywhere)


* A warm cuddly blanket by the couch

So dear readers, tell me what do you think are the little luxuries that make your home and life a lovely place? (Next up we will explore the rituals that incorporate these luxuries and add meaning and comfort to our lives.)

photo via flickr

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