It actually feels like fall (or at least not summer anymore)

I bet other parts of the US are already in full swing of fall and/or entering winter already, but we live in California.  I was wearing t-shirts up until a week or so ago in the 70+ deg sunny weather!  Now when I bike to work in the morning and come back in the evening, it's actually a bit chilly with a jacket on...

In honor of fall, I have been inspired to make tasty things in the oven (and stove).  No need to turn on the heater just yet :)

A friend had sent me the Smitten Kitchen cookbook a couple of years ago, but I haven't gotten really into it until now.  Many of her recipes are pretty easy on a weeknight!

Sunday night's dinner:
Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
recipe here: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/10/butternut-squash-and-caramelized-onion-galette/

Monday night's dinner:
Apple Cider Pork Chops (with sauteed Swiss Chard on the side)
recipe here: http://kitchensinkdiaries.blogspot.com/2014/11/pork-chops-with-cider-horseradish-glaze.html

Tuesday night's dinner:
Roasted Chicken with Kalamata Olives and Grapes (with roasted potatoes and sauteed kale on the side)
recipe here: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/11/smitten-kitchens-harvest-roast-chicken-with-grapes-olives-shallots.html 

Salad with peach, tomato, mozzarella, and farro with balsalmic vinagrette

The fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmer's market have been amazing lately.  So why not mix the best of it all together?

Toss some cherry tomatoes, summer peaches, salad mix, and mozzarella balls with farro and sliced almonds with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil vinagrette.

Eat and enjoy!  This tastes like the epitome of summer :)

Chile Verde (with pork)

I recently went to a Mexican restaurant around here for lunch.  Looking at the menu, I saw that they had Chile Verde and got super excited because the only time I've ever had it was a couple of years ago when a coworker made it and let me try a bite of her lunch.  It was amazing, and had a complex layer of flavors I didn't understand (because I haven't ever attempt to cook Mexican food).  AND IT WAS GREEN!

So I ordered the Chile Verde, daydreaming of the green sauce and tastiness of years before.  No such luck.  I mean, it was ok, but it was brown and not what I was hoping for.  So I made it a goal to attempt to make it!  And I think I got pretty darn close :)

Now I know what tomatillos are and that they are sticky and kind of weird to peel.  And having learned the hard way once, I'll always remember to wear gloves when cutting chili peppers!

Tomatillos before peeling:

After peeling:

Adapted from here: http://food52.com/recipes/21128-slow-cooked-carnitas-chili-verde 

Sauce:
1.5 lb tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
4 cloves garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/2 can Hatch chilies (I didn't have this, so I just left it out)
1 bunch cilantro

Make the sauce:
Put the tomatillos (you can cut them in half if you want, or leave them whole) and garlic onto a baking sheet and broil until slightly blackened (about 10 mins).  Let it cool down, and then put all the above ingredients into a food processor and blend until well mixed.

Chile:
3 lb pork shoulder
2 tbs oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I used berbere because that's what I have)
1/4 t cloves
1-2 tsp oregano
2 cups chicken stock

Make the chile:
Cut the pork into 1" square pieces, salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a dutch oven to high and brown the pork in batches.  Remove the pork, lower the heat to medium, and add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until they are soft and translucent.  Put the pork back in, along with the tomatillo sauce (above) and all the other ingredients.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat so that it's just simmering.  Cover, and simmer for a couple of hours (2-3?) until the pork is tender.

Serve over rice!

I can't believe it's not pizza!

It's broccoli rabe!!  But it evokes the same tastiness of pizza (because it's mozzarella over a quick tomato sauce), but without the crust. 

A friend saw and sent this recipe over from the Lucky Peach:
http://luckypeach.com/recipes/broccoli-rabe-mozzarella-anchovy-spicy-tomato-sauce/

 

I did not have any anchovies, so I just went without, and no fresh mozzarella, so I used mozzarella sandwich squares!  Still resulted in brown cheese spots on the top, just like pizza!

I made it on a Friday evening after working late so I was pretty darn hungry.  It says 4 servings, so I started by putting 1/3 of it into my bowl, and then went back for another 1/3 because it was just as addicting as pizza, and finally decided to polish the whole thing off!

How I went to the baseball game (a couple of weeks ago)

So G's work goes to a Giants game at AT&T park once a year every summer, and they're allowed to bring a guest. While I normally do not enjoy sitting through baseball games (or other sporting events for that matter), the tickets come with $25 for dinner each.  I read about a $17 crab sandwich only available in AT&T park (Crazy Crab'z), so I had to go try it!

It's literally all crab with not that much mayo to hold it together, with a slice of tomato on buttered/grilled sourdough.  Kinda drippy from the oil, but definitely worth it for all that crab!

And we spent the remaining money on Ghiradelli mini chocolate squares.  What a good night!

Tomato and Corn Salad

Last summer, I borrowed a book from the library called Delancey by blogger Orangette (Molly Wizenberg).  It's about how she and her husband opened up a pizzaria in Seattle.  She's a great writer, and also graduated from Stanford (yay!) so I like reading her posts whenever I remember (maybe once a month). 

Anyway, the only recipe from that book that I've tried (and it was super delicious!) is a tomato and corn salad with shallot vinagrette.  I made it for a potluck last summer at a coworker's house and it was a hit, so when the tomatoes and corn rolled into the farmer's market this summer I had to make the salad again :)

Tomato and Corn Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
(makes 4 - 6 servings)

For the vinaigrette:
2 small or 1 medium shallot, minced
1 medium clove garlic, minced
5 tbs (70 ml) red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1/8 tsp sugar
Sea salt to taste
4 - 5 fresh basil leaves

Mix the shallots, garlic, vinegar together in a bowl, leave it for at least one hour.  Then whisk in the olive oil, sugar and salt and basil leaves (bruise them with the whisk) and let sit for another 30 mins (I left mine overnight).  Note: remove the basil before serving.

For the salad:
2 large beefsteak tomatoes or 6 smaller tomatoes (I used heirloom tomatoes)
1 - 2 handful cherry tomatoes
Raw kernels from 1 ear of corn
Crunch salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel
A few fresh basil leaves

Slice the tomatoes into 1/2" thick rounds and arrange them on a platter.  Halve the cherry tomatoes and put them on top along with the corn kernels.  Spoon the vinaigrette over the whole thing, and sprinkle some crunchy sea salt and basil strips on top.

Lentils with Broiled Eggplant

I've never broiled eggplant before, but when I saw this recipe from Ottolenghi's Plenty More book, I had to make it.  Mine turned out just as delicious as the one from the book looked!  And I finished mine by drizzling some maple smoked sea salt on it :)

I'm too lazy to type out the recipe, so here's a link: http://www.thekitchn.com/lentils-with-broiled-eggplant-144643