If the end of January is approaching then I know I can expect a variety of things:  emails from sites I subscribe to sharing the perfect Super Bowl snacks, bloggers swapping their tried and true party dish faves, and people talking about whether they’re planning on a game day get together or not.  None of it has been discussed in our house yet, because we’ve been busy, busy, busy with life enjoying a long weekend making like tourists in West Hollywood, soaking up the last bits of our youngest’s company before he returns to San Francisco for the spring semester, celebrating family birthdays and anniversaries, and in the past couple of days, nursing one of our cats back to health after a run in with a neighbor’s kitty.  Goodness!  And it’s not over yet.  Any time now, my husband will ask about what’s on our  Super Bowl agenda.  It always seems to be a last minute sort of thing most years, and that’s just fine with me because it doesn’t take too much thought to decide which snacks football fans will expect to have at their fingertips whether they’re for our small family, or a larger group.

I doubt there has ever been a time we haven’t had fresh salsa or pico de gallo with guacamole and tortilla chips.  A pot of chili with all the fixin’s and a salad for halftime eats are also the norm even though the chili recipe varies from one year to the next.  But I’m also known for sneaking in something that may raise eyebrows, causing certain guests to cast one another a nervous glance before pointing and asking, “What is that?” then politely suppressing the urge to continue with, “Do I have to eat it?”  as they reel their fingers back in.  Actually, they now ask, “How do I eat it?” because it seems my food often has rules that accompany it — or must seem like it does.   Is it supposed to be dipped, or layered?  Which of the ingredients on the plate create the best bite?  Is it finger food, or do I need a plate and fork?  To their credit, they seem much more enthusiastic than they did years ago, so I know my risks to encourage people to try something new haven’t failed, and that makes me happy.

They’ve long accepted they will never see “taco pie” loaded into a corn chip bag with a plastic spoon sticking out of it coming from my kitchen because they figure it’s something the snack bar on the Little League field sold when they were kids.  Once upon a while ago, they may have seen cheese sauce hot from the microwave ready to pour over their tortilla chips and call the mess nachos, (shhh…don’t tell anybody) but now, they get hummus or white bean and roasted garlic dip with toasted bread, crackers, or raw veggies and they like it.   And sometimes, they get to bite into spicy grilled sausages, nestled into a crusty sandwich rolls smothered with grilled onions and peppers, then topped with mustard.  That still counts as manly game day food, doesn’t it?  I hope so, because if it doesn’t, then my football party days are over.

Many of my close friends have been changing the way they eat for a variety of reasons.  Losing weight always seems to be on everyone’s mind, but honestly, as we’ve gotten older, lowering cholesterol or blood pressure, controlling Type 2 Diabetes, and yes, even learning to tolerate food during and after cancer treatment have far outweighed the desire to lose a few pounds for the sake of simply looking better in our clothes.  None of this has stopped us from enjoying the food we share when we get together because making sure it’s fresh and delicious is the ticket.

These crab stacks are the perfect party food.  They’re light, bursting with flavor, easily adaptable to a variety of ingredient choices, can be made in advance, and most importantly, fit nicely into anyone’s healthy life style.  I’ve been invited to Gojee’s virtual potluck and know people will enjoy it!  Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.  

If you’ve never visited gojee, then you’re in for a treat.

See you there!

Crab Stacks with Ginger Lime Dressing

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 T agave nectar

6 T lime juice

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. pea shoots

1/4 c. Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 c. cucumber, sliced

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1/4 c. mango, diced

1/4 c. avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, roasted and chopped

1/4 c. fresh crab meat

2 T chopped peanuts

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Prepare ginger-lime dressing by mixing ginger, agave nectar, lime juice, garlic, and water. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours and as much as over night.
2. To assemble the crab stacks, you’ll need two cylinders such as dessert rings or recycled cans with the bottoms removed.
3. Lightly spray the inside of the cylinders with cooking spray, then line two small dishes with pieces of plastic wrap large enough to pull up and over the cylinders (you’ll need to do this after you’ve built the stacks) and place the cylinders on top of each.
4. Begin layering ingredients inside each of the cylinders in this order:  pea shoots, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mango, avocado, jalapeno, then finally, the crab.  Gently press down on each ingredient as you fill to make sure it’s securely layered.
5. If making ahead, pull the plastic wrap up over each and wrap, then place in the fridge until ready to serve.
6. To serve, choose a large platter and place each cylinder on it.  Unwrap and holding the cylinder with one hand, slide the plastic from beneath it.  Then slowly lift the cylinder, pushing lightly on the ingredients to reveal the stack.
7. Finish by sprinkling the chopped peanuts and cilantro over each stack, sprinkle baby salad greens around the platter if desired, and drizzle with the ginger-lime dressing.
8. Allow everyone to admire the crab stacks before encouraging the first guest to dig in, scooping into the stack with crackers or toasted slices of bread.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Rappongi’s Chef Stephen Window’s Polynesian Crab Stack.  Rappongi’s is one of our favorite San Diego restaurants.
• The original recipe calls for sugar instead of the agave nectar and double that quantity.  I’m not fond of overly sweet salad dressing so prefer my adaptation more.  It allows for the flavor of ingredients to stand out instead of the sugar in the dressing.  Honey would be another good choice.
• I used canned crab meat for this recipe Blue Star.  It comes chilled in a 1 lb. can and is much more than is needed for this recipe, so I wrap it up and freeze it for a later use.  It’s pricey at about $16/lb. but when you consider all you can make with a pound, it’s worth it.
• Have some fun with the ingredients if those on the list above aren’t available to you.  Pea shoots are available at Whole Foods and Sprouts, but you could use a different type of sprout instead, or leave them out all together.
• Colorful bell peppers, either diced raw, or roasted and cut into strips would be a nice option.  Thinly sliced apple would also be delicious, grilled pineapple, or citrus such as blood orange slices, or grapefruit.  If you don’t like crab, then try shrimp or tuna.
• The peanuts add a nice crunch to the mix so if you can’t use peanuts, then try toasted pine nuts.  Even a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds would add a nice touch.
• If you’re in the mood for a treat, just make one of these crab stacks for yourself and increase the amount of salad greens.  It makes a beautiful, elegant lunch, or starter for a special dinner.
• Speaking of salad greens, that’s my first ever crop of salad greens I’ve grown.  I have a pot just outside on my patio that barely gets enough sun in the winter, and so sprinkled the seeds over the soil my tomatoes are usually planted in.  The tender crop has somehow managed to escape the attention of snails so has done really well!  All in all, as much as it is interesting to do this, we eat so much salad, there’s no way one pot could ever keep up with us.  Still, I’m proud of my first effort!

 For more delicious crab recipes perfect for parties

Cayla’s Kitchen Sink — “Cold Crab Dip”

Pham Fatale — “Seafood Crab Salad”

Chez Us — “Hot Spicy Crab Dip”

I grew up expecting to have to eat the onions on my plate whether I wanted them or not. That’s just how it went at our house, and I didn’t question it.  Good thing I’ve always liked them.   Although I remember my mother telling me my grandfather liked a good onion sandwich, we had them sliced and in salads — mostly yellow onions because they were a staple — but scallions were included once in a while, along with red onions.  Now that I think of it, red onions made their appearance when we lived in Spain because they were served in the cafes, often included with cucumbers and tomatoes in a very light water and red wine vinegar marinade.  No lettuce, just a sprinkle of salt.  It was wonderful.

Onions were chopped and fried in bacon fat for the liver my mother enjoyed so much, and as much as I didn’t want a taste of the liver, I could sit all day and inhale the aroma of those onions.  Chopped onions went into simple spaghetti sauce to flavor it, or in goulash along with other vegetables and pasta, because it didn’t seem right to not have them in the mix.  My mother’s meatloaf wouldn’t be meatloaf without chopped onions.  They were quartered and added to our Sunday pot roast with carrots and celery as well, but I didn’t appreciate their flavor in the braise.  Perhaps it was the sweetness — something I expected in the more predictable foods kids enjoy — not an onion.  I still had to eat them. I liked them best raw on burgers, or a salami sandwich, the crunch and sharp spike of flavor something that was definitely missed if it wasn’t included.

Maybe it was the onion soup my father made one year before a holiday dinner.  I’m surprised I don’t remember the details of his making it, but the flavor of those long cooked onions nestled in a rich broth gave me a different perspective on just how unique the sweetness of caramelized onions could be.  I’d never had onion confit, though, and wondered just how different it might be.  Would the sweetness that it took me years to appreciate be more intense and if it was, would I enjoy it?  Based on many of the recipes I’ve come across where onion confit or jam is included, I’m thinking yes.

But would one type of onion suffice?

Five Onion Confit

Ingredients

1-1/2 T butter

1-1/2 T olive oil

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, sliced and rinsed well

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

3 shallots, sliced

6 cipollini onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T raw sugar

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1-1/2 c. red wine

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a lidded skillet or pan with a wide bottom until the butter is melted.
2. Add all the onions and garlic at once and season with salt and pepper.  Stir briefly to mix the ingredients.
3. Cover the pan and over low heat, cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the onion mixture, stir it in, then cover and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Now add the remainder of the ingredients.  Gently stir to mix all the ingredients well, cover and allow to cook on the lowest heat possible, about 1 hour.
6. Check the pan occasionally to ensure there is still liquid in the pan.  It should decrease gradually over the entire cooking time.  If necessary add more wine a few tablespoons at a time in the first 30 minutes of cooking time only.
7. The onion mixture should be glossy and thick when done.  Scrape the contents of the pan onto a wide platter and allow to cool to room temperature.
8. If not using immediately, place in a well covered container in the fridge.
9. Bring to room temperature before using.

Recipe Notes

• If there was such a thing as swoon-worthy, this luxurious combination of flavors would certainly qualify.
• Although I don’t have an official culinary bucket list, onion confit is something I’ve wanted to make for some time, so I’ve mentally checked it off my nonexistent list with great satisfaction and new understanding that no, onion confit is not the same as a skillet full of caramelized onions.
• This recipe was adapted from one by Steve Sullivan who is the founder of the Acme Bread Company.  It accompanies his Pizza with Onion Confit recipe in Baking with Julia.
• So what’s the difference between a confit and a jam, or preserves, and does it matter?  A confit preserves food either in fat — as in duck confit — or in sugar, such as with fruit.  Think preserves, but with less sugar.  But then again, this lemon confit recipe uses sugar and salt.  It’s a toss up as far as I’m concerned.
• From what I’ve researched, the terms are now used less to describe a method of preparation than the resulting product.  For example, onion confit, which only contains a bit of fat and sugar, ends up being quite jammy in consistency.  Fruit jam often contains pieces of the fruit in the end — hence, jam.  Am I making any sense?  If I’d chopped the onions, I’d be more inclined to call this a jam, but that’s my simple opinion.
• Comparing many, many onion confit recipes, honestly, I see little difference.  In most, sugar and acid in the form of vinegar is added to the onions to make the confit or jam.  Ultimately, when I think of recipes that involve some kind of preservation, I think of ages long past when refrigeration didn’t exist, and people wanted to keep the food and flavors to last well past harvest time.
• And speaking of harvest seasons, varieties, and all things onion, The National Onion Association is a great resource if you’re interested in knowing more — such as what the measurement of a “large” onion is as opposed to a “medium.”
• And speaking of onions, the five “onions” I used for this confit are from the allium family, but not all onions, specifically.
• Although I made this onion confit to accompany a pizza and sandwich, there are other great things to enjoy it with such as burgers, pasta, grilled meat, white beans, in or on meatloaf, in soup or bread.  I’ve got this Tartlet of quail and quail eggs with onion confit on my mind.  Think about the possibilities before you start and you’ll have a week’s worth of menu items lined up and ready to go!

More Onion Confit and Jam Recipes

Panini Happy — Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam

Kari’s Creations — Red Onion Confit

Delicious Days — Red Onion Confit with Port Wine

Kyotic Kitchen – Onion Confit

Homesick Texan — Spicy Red Onion Jam

Oh, the over indulgences of the weekend.  New recipes tried and sampled a bit too much.  Football season in full gear, so lounging more than we normally might, our comfies donned, windows snapped shut against chilly and unexpectedly damp breezes.  Projects stalled while we stay indoors making like house potatoes.

Thank goodness for Monday morning and snapping back to a schedule.  For thinking about all that might be accomplished in a week’s time.  Promising myself to get back to healthy eating.

Exercise?

Hmmm…maybe.

In the meantime, smoothies help.  I’ve become addicted to them — especially the green ones.

So very, very good.

What ingredients do you like in your green smoothies?

Green Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

1 banana

1 apple, seeds and core discarded

1/2 bunch kale, chopped & stems removed

1/2 can sparkling orange beverage

2 handfuls of ice

1 T ground flaxseed

Directions

1. Place first four ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Add the ice and blend until smooth.
3. Add the flaxseed to the mix and puree until ready to sip through a straw.

Recipe Notes:

• This green smoothie recipe was adapted from one that appears in the October 2011 issue of Eating Well and it’s very tasty if you’re someone who like a good dose of green.
• Add 3 heaping tablespoons of plain non-fat yogurt to this green smoothie for a different texture and flavor.  It’s also good.
• Add raspberries instead of or in addition to the apple.  The color won’t be the most beautiful thing on the planet, but the combo packs a tangy punch.
• If you’re not someone who has tried a green smoothie, try to get past the green.  I know that’s odd when something is as green as this smoothie is, but think about it.  There’s a whole apple and banana in it.  One of the commercial brands I enjoyed for years had quite a bit of apple juice in it, so it was pretty sweet.  This one isn’t.  It’s sweet enough, light in texture, and very satisfying.
• The original recipe calls for orange juice and water, but I love the San Pelligrino Aranciata because it’s light and flavorful, and not filled with syrup like most carbonated beverages are.  Half a can has 70 calories of orange juice, water, and sugar.  It adds a nice tang.  When I don’t have this, I use sparkling water like Perrier.
• What’s all the fuss about kale?  It’s a power house full of vitamin K (good for our blood and bones), vitamin A (good for our immune system and vision), and vitamin C (good for our bones, skin, and blood).  Its health benefits are actually magnified when it is lightly steamed, so if you’re inclined, prepare the kale ahead of time by steaming for 5 minutes, then dividing it into quantities for smoothies or salads.
• If you use whole flaxseed, its nutritional value will be wasted since digestion cannot break down the seed.  In breads and other food that requires chewing, the whole seed adds a nice crunch, but is also chewed, so you get the the omega-3 fatty acids.  Use the ground flaxseed for smoothies.  Comprehensive information on flaxseed can be found at Medline Plus which is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health.
• A great place to get all kinds of information about the nutritional value in food is Nutrition.gov.  In particular the What’s in Food section is very helpful.

I’m not sure how many years ago we started the tradition of taking a long weekend trip late in January, but it’s one of my favorites.  I think it all began when I figured out that the holiday presents other than clothing my husband received were rarely used, so I surprised him with a trip to Solvang one year.  The next year it was Monterey, and from that point on, we tried to find somewhere to go just to get away.  Sometimes the boy accompanied us, but most often, it was just the two of us.  One year we may have taken a plane, and the next we’d drive.  We’d talk occasionally about stretching ourselves to go somewhere we hadn’t been before — Monterey, CA is still our favorite — but the whole point of getting away is to relax, and when you’re the semi-unadventurous people we are familiarity facilitates that relaxation.

We don’t go as often as we used to since life isn’t as hectic, but this year my husband charged me with finding somewhere to go within a reasonable driving distance.  I’m thinking it’s because the patio is torn up and figuring what to do with it is a far less attractive option than heading off on a Friday afternoon for anything unrelated to a DIY project.  I don’t blame him.

I asked the boy what he thought, and without hesitation he mentioned Julian.  You may remember me waxing over this small town early last month, and since I’d toyed with the idea of gifting my husband with a get away there before moving on to something else, my research had already been done.

We’re back now, and as much as we might have enjoyed some sign of wintery weather, there wasn’t a trace.  Clear blue skies, dry air, and highs of 65 during the day welcomed us.  The cabin was nestled against a mountainside beneath huge cedars, young pines in the undergrowth, and massive coastal live oaks.  The persistent rush of water from a stream nearby was the only sound to be heard.  We hiked, cooked a little, played cards and Yahtzee, and enjoyed the quiet, our books, and one another’s company.   I took Tessa Kiros’ breathtaking book Falling Cloudberries:  A World of Family Recipes which I finally treated myself to after seeing it for the first time about a year ago, and  read through it over the two days.

When I open it to make one of the many wonderful recipes from now on, I’ll remember last weekend and smile.

Here’s a simple, delicious vegetable soup adapted from one of Kiros’ recipes.  It’s light and full of bright, fresh flavor that will warm you through and through.

Perfect.  Just like our weekend.

Vegetable Bean Soup

1 c. large lima beans, cooked

1 leek, rinsed and sliced

1 zucchini, sliced and quartered

4-5 small red potatoes, chopped

3 small carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 small butternut squash, cubed

1 bunch chard, chopped

4 whole roma tomatoes, canned

1 c. oyster mushrooms, chopped

1 handfull fresh parsley, chopped

2-3 pinches fresh oregano, chopped

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper to taste

fresh lemon

fruity extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the lima beans ahead of time by soaking them in a pan of water overnight.  Alternatively, bring the beans to a boil, turn the heat off and allow to soak for 1 hour.  Drain the beans, cover them with fresh water and cook partially covered over low heat about 1 hour.  When the beans are tender, remove them from the heat and drain them reserving the broth.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the vegetables.  Mix everything except the olive oil and lemon in a large pot.  Add 10 cups of water and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Cover the pan and bring the vegetables to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a low simmer, partially cover with a lid and allow to cook about 1 hour.  Taste and correct seasoning.

Add the cooked lima beans and 1 cup of the bean broth.  If desired, with any left over lima beans (some of them are very soft after cooking) mash and stir into the soup.

Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a drizzle of good, fruity olive oil.

Mix and match veggies and greens

Cover the veggies with water and cook

Fresh soup for dinner

Notes:

• I could eat this soup — or any variation of it — all week.  The broth is clear, light, and very flavorful.  Without the drizzle of olive oil, this is nearly fat-free, but the drizzle is worth it.  That and the lemon really add a bright flavor to the soup.
• I enjoyed the lima beans in this — especially the mashed up-stir-it-into-the-broth left over limas.  In fact, I could eat them by themselves.  But if you don’t have the limas or the time, I know some rinsed cannellini beans would work just fine.
• If you don’t have chard, then spinach or kale would be nice, too.
• Dried mushrooms would work well instead of fresh if you don’t have a nice variety of mushrooms available.  Cover them with hot water and allow to soak about 30 minutes.  Drain them — reserving the broth — and chop before adding to the vegetable mix.  Add the filtered broth to the soup pot.
• If you don’t have potatoes, add pasta or rice instead.  Make sure it’s partially cooked before adding it to the pot about 20 minutes before the end of cooking time.
• Use the herbs you enjoy in any combination.

I’m at that place I’m so familiar with — the place where it seems as if I’m floating on a river lazily making its way to a point in the distance.  I could swim and get to wherever there is more quickly, or I can do what I’m doing —  floating.  Knowing time will pass and I’ll get there.

And then I snap out of it.  Like this morning.

Eight days before we leave for the UK.  Eight. After months and months of planning every single tiny detail, eight days will fly by and as much as I’ve questioned and searched and adjusted to make sure everything is perfect, I swear I’ve forgotten something.  My husband has indulged my sometimes nightly litany of hairsplitting with gentle logic and comments of support.

I’m sure everything will be fine, he tells me.  The other vacations you’ve planned have been great.

Yes, but…

…but.

I suppose I have to have something to worry about.  The one thing that hasn’t been a worry is thinking about what we’ll eat.  That may be a surprise considering I think about food all day, and given any opportunity to explore something food related, I will roll up my sleeves and get busy.  But when we travel, we’re more involved in the place we’re visiting — the history, the countryside, and the towns.  Of course, we eat, but there isn’t a lot of planning around making it to one particular restaurant or another, and I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m traveling for the sake of food.  I know.

Heresy.

For this trip, I have planned to visit certain old tearooms along our route, using Great Tea Rooms of Britain, a book I’ve had for years.  And with the help of Google Maps Street View, I’ve been able to see where each of them is, and bookmark a website for a few, like The Swan’s tearoom in Lavenham, Suffolk near Cambridge, or Little Betty’s in York.

Of course, we’ll frequent the pubs as we go, trying hard to avoid any kind of a crawl for dignity’s sake.  I’ve researched those as well, finding information from locals about what’s good and what isn’t.  Or what might live up to our expectations of an old English pub, like The Falkland Arms in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire,  or The Shaven Crown in Shipton-under0Wychwood, also near Chipping Norton.  We might as well get some history with our pint of bitters, right?  They don’t just serve “pub grub” any longer, as many are proud to inform potential customers that only locally produced food is served.

As for the traditional English breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, and beans we’ll be offered at many of the B&Bs where we’ll stay, I’ll deal with that one with a great amount of restraint.  We’ve gotten away from eating a full breakfast, even on weekends, thinking we don’t need anything sticking to our ribs for an entire day, no matter how busy our agenda is.

Image courtesy Google Streetview

We are staying in the Cotswolds for a few days at the house above and will have use of a kitchen, so expect to make a couple of breakfasts with something lighter on our plates, and quite a bit more “green.”  Our day trips out and about through the old market towns are bound to turn up some fresh, local ingredients we can enjoy.

Breakfast, or brunch?

Don’t forget your toast points.

Breakfast Salad with Poached Egg and Prosciutto

The following quantities are for each person served…

1 hand full tender greens, such as maiche, butter lettuce, or baby spinach

1-2 eggs, poached

2 thin slices prosciutto

1/4 sliced avocado

slice of goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 c. small tomatoes, halved

a few pinches of sliced green onions

fresh lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, put the amount of greens you need for all servings.  For us, it was two good-sized handfuls.  Squeeze a half lemon over the greens, then drizzle on a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss lightly to mix the lemon and oil.  Divide the greens evenly between the plates.  Add the tomatoes and the avocado slices, then layer on the prosciutto.

To poach the eggs, heat 3-inches of water in a large lidded skillet over high heat.  While the water is heating, crack each egg into a small ramekin or tea cup and set them next to the pan of water.  When the water boils, add 1 T of white vinegar (to help keep the whites together) and a pinch of salt.

Carefully slide each egg into the water by lowering the ramekin slightly into the water being careful not to burn yourself.  Put the lid on the pan, turn off the heat, and set a timer for 3 minutes.

When the time is up, gently remove each egg with a slotted spoon, allowing it to drain a bit before placing it on the salad.  Crumble over some of the goat cheese, a few green onions, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, and enjoy by cutting into that egg and mixing all the great flavors together.

Notes:

• A far cry from a traditional “full” English breakfast, but in my fascination with British food, I have seen eggs over many dishes, so maybe it’s not too far off.  In fact Jamie Oliver makes a similar salad that is one of my all time favorites, and it has a poached egg over it with garlic croutons as well.
• We enjoyed this on a quiet Sunday morning and loved every bit of it.  All that delicious warm yolk oozes into the greens, and creates an amazing blend of flavors with the lemon, avocado, and tomato.  Oh.  My.  We agreed it would be great for dinner as well.  It’s light, and not nearly as calorie laden as an average Sunday breakfast.
• Have fun mixing your favorite greens.  I love arugula so know that would taste very good, but the baby spinach we used was perfect.
• Instead of prosciutto, use pancetta, good old bacon, or ham.  Or if leave the meat out.  The salad would still be delicious.
• The tomatoes I used for this (Violet Jaspar Cherry) were the last of my meager harvest, this second year of experimenting with growing them in pots.  Just wait until next year!
• Freshly shaved Parmesan would be tasty on this salad instead of the goat cheese, but Feta would be delicious.
• Next time, perhaps a few artichoke hearts would be nice in the mix, and a few sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh.
• Sauteed mushrooms?  Mmm…

I thought I’d have more time to write at this point in the year, but I’ve been preoccupied by my youngest son’s graduation from high school, as well as planning for a fall trip to the UK — our first official empty nest vacation. Is there such a thing?

Both events provide me an excuse to spend time at my Mac even though one is rarely needed.  Who knew that sifting through 18 years of significant world events, pop culture, family photos and memories could be so time consuming?  Each rediscovered piece of a life gives me pause, and I can’t resist indulging myself more time than is necessary to collect this piece or that to add to a collection that will commemorate my son’s big milestone.  Memories of my own graduation day and those of my two older sons have me counting the years since, amazed at how truly quickly they have passed.

When I become too maudlin,  trip planning commences and the details of deciding which route to take from London, how many nights to spend where, and which pubs might best entice us to stop and sample a pint or two gives me something to look forward to. It doesn’t quite distract me from wondering how it will feel after so many years of having growing boys in my house, to have none.

Oh my goodness.

I’d say it’s time for some ice cream, wouldn’t you?  Or what about sherbet?

Definitely.

Berry Buttermilk Sherbet

6 oz. raspberries

6 oz. blackberries

6 oz. blueberries

1/2 c. raw sugar

1-3/4 c. buttermilk

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp. cardamom

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.  Pour into the container of an electric ice cream maker and run until frozen, but soft enough to spread into a container to place in the freezer.  Seal well and freeze 1-2 hours before serving.

Notes:

• This was adapted from a recipe in the June 2010 issue of Sunset magazine.
• First things first:  Sherbet is pronounced like this. There is no “r” in the second syllable.  But you knew that, right?  Just checking.
• Why is this a sherbet and not a sorbet?  Sherbet contains dairy products, although most often the fat content is quite low compared to that of ice cream.  Sorbet contains no dairy products.
• If the idea of seeds from the berries concerns you, then puree them first and force them through a sieve.  This in not my favorite thing to do, and I don’t mind the seeds, so no sieve and sherbet far more quickly.
• If you wanted to make this without an electric ice cream freezer, spread in a shallow metal baking pan and freeze it for 30 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and using a spatula, scrape the sherbet from the bottom of the pan and then smooth it out again.  Repeat as needed until firm enough to scoop.
• If it hardens too much to scoop, allow it to sit at room temperature about 10 minutes to soften a bit.
• Highly recommended. The berry flavor is intense, the buttermilk provides a pleasant tang, and it’s not too sweet.
• Guaranteed not to make you feel guilty, and much more healthy compared to ice cream.  Think of all those lovely antioxidants!
• OOH-LA-LA bowl below courtesy of a very nice lady who gifted it to me chock-full of fudge sauce.  Thanks, Carolyn!