Hungry Times Two

I'm have a moment right now with fall. Finally after several weeks of warm weather here in North Carolina -- seriously, who should have to sweat in autumn? Did we not paid our dues in July and August? -- it's seasonally appropriate and downright lovely. This past weekend Scott and I went camping with college friends in Western NC (Asheville and Hendersonville) and hiked the Art Loeb Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Black Balsam. If you're ever close to that part of the world, take that hike. It's now on par with my favorite place, Max Patch , as a Sound of Music -esque place to get 360-degree views that hit my heart in a special spot. There's no doubt I'm a mountain girl (place of birth: Fletcher, NC .)

Who turned on the damn furnace? Whew, it is way too hot way too early here in the D.C. nether-region. Despite temps inching towards the 90 degree Fahrenheit mark, we made it to Charlottesville this weekend for some fun! Thanks to the perusing of this C-ville blogger , our trip was peppered with tasty experiences all weekend long. After a short and traffic-free two-hour drive, we pulled into the parking garage in downtown Charlottesville just in time for the last hour or so of their kickin' farmers market. We ambled around to see the market vendors selling everything from jam to jewelry, and all in between some pretty swell looking produce. Scott couldn't resist the strawberries, so we snagged a quart of them for lunch. We decided to grab some lunch from a downtown spot and drive west to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah Nat'l Park. Luckily, Baggby's on the downtown pedestrian mall had some delectable-sounding sandwiches, so Scott scored the Cold Grinder and I chose ...

Here I sit, typing on this wee blog, with my back to my grandmother's china cabinet (which was originally a pantry for my great-grandmother's pump house , where all the men would go to have a drink 'cause my great-grand didn't allow liquor in her home, thank you very much). Peering into the glass door of the cabinet, I see nine jars of Christmas Morning Marmalade, which I rechristened "Pucker Up Marmalade" after Scott and I spent nearly two hours peeling, slicing, and seeding an ungodly amount of citrus fruit right before Christmas.

Yesterday on my other blog, I posted my pondering on vegetables - even though it's cold as a witch's you-know-what, we can't forget our greens, can we? I had fun hearing from readers' favorite vegetables - and even the vegetables that are really fruits - the impostors ! My top five are: 1) Red bell peppers 2) Brussels sprouts 3) Big heirloom tomatoes when in season 4) Portobello mushrooms 5) Lettuces like arugula and mizuna /baby spinach What are yours? Do share!

Just the title of this alone has me humming some Destiny's Child (and how in the hell did I miss that Stevie Nicks totally cameo-ed the video ? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.) I have an exciting project for fall - Apple Chips ! I think I may tackle this tonight. I've never dried fruit in an over before, but I overcooked some meat one time that could have been mistaken for jerky. "Meat Chips" just don't have a swell ring to them, do they? I know, I've been all about the apples, but can you blame me - the apple is a wonderful fruit of this season we call fall. I also have several small cooking pumpkins I need to do something with - any suggestions? Happy Hump Day, y'all. Make it bootylicous. Or not. Totally your call.

"Uh, death please? No, cake, cake." If you haven't seen Eddie Izzard's Dressed to Kill, well, I'm kinda envious, because I'd like to go back to when I saw it for the first time. British male transvestite comedian = good times, I promise you. Sooooo ...tea and cake. It's about to happen here at our house because I have this baking in the oven at the moment. I have to use up my apples, though I know they last a while in cold storage, my Virgo OCD tendencies say food needs to be eaten when fresh. I wanted to make this apple loaf cake from Tennessee Locavore as it looked so healthy - applesauce, whole wheat pastry flour, less sugar, etc. - but I didn't have any nuts or cranberries and after my canning extravaganza last night, I was not about to make my applesauce from scratch. Thus the easy way out with the cooks.com recipe. Maybe for a lazy day when my pantry's fully stocked? I'm now officially out of canola oil and flour!

As I sit here typing, a funny little sound escapes from my kitchen. "Thwack. Pop." Silence...then again, "Thwack." No, it's not Scott taking out his frustrations on a meal tonight. It's glass jars filled with yummy sweet spreads sealing their lids as they cool. Oh, how I love that sound! What did I make, you may wonder. Well, let me tell you. It has to do with these shots, taken during our visit to Homestead Farm two weekends ago: Our host tells us what's up... respect the fruit. We always respect the fruit. The apples we picked -- about 20 - 25 of the Gala and Cameo varieties, were HUGE - nearly twice the size of the typical grocery store kind. I am obviously all about them, as you see below. In addition to acres of apples, the farm also includes a pumpkin patch - pretty irresistible this time of year. Our friend Ryan demonstrates how Mr. Potato Head has been replaced by a much larger piece of produce - MUCH larger. If apples aren't your deal, you...

I'm a little obsessed with a fruit I have never eaten. Well, unless you count Fig Newtons, and what the hell is in those things, anyway? Yeah, I want a fig. A couple, actually. I hear they're amazing poached, broiled, sauteed, etc. -- a lovely fruit. I hear they pair well with goat cheese, mascarpone , and other dairy delights. Besides their natural beauty, I think it's the allure of the forbidden fruit, their limited access - - they're uncommon, rarely seen in a grocery store except in the dried form and Newton- ized . They seem like one of those simple yet decadent foods - like honey and pomegranates and wine and fresh-baked, warm bread. I think this sounds like heaven. How do I track down some figs?

This weekend, Hungry Times Two was minus one, as Scott hightailed it to Charlottesville , Va. for a father-son trip. (I was a little, no - make that super - jealous as that's one of the weekend trip destinations on my list). As per ritual when it's just me in the house to cook for, I scaled it down a bit, with the usual stir fry for one that did not turn out well at all on Friday (rice undercooked; zucchini and eggplant overdone and in a salty sauce I didn't care for). What to do? Trash the meal for a snack of homemade popcorn, of course. *An aside: Since my introduction to kernels popped in a big pot with a lid, aided by a little salt (or Old Bay, or cayenne, or whatever seasonings you'd like) and olive oil, I haven't bought any microwave popcorn and have no inclination to do so. Why eat greasy crap imitation butter flavor when you can make real popcorn for pennies? And my tree- huggin ' self loves that there's less packaging.* Saturday, with hopes for find...

We're now in the throes of summer and one glorious aspect of this sultry season is to literally enjoy the fruits of its labor. Melon, as I mentioned last week. Blueberries, God bless those little orbs of tasty goodness. And the crown jewel of the hot months, that fleshy, juicy and amazing round ball of lusciousness - the peach. Being married to a Georgia boy who knows his peaches (not a euphemism , I swear), I learned that South Carolina is actually the top producer of the fuzzy fruit. Ever whizzed past Gaffney , SC on I-85? You will see their water tower that looks rather butt-shaped, but it's a peach. This week an interesting discussion took place at the MARC train platform with my fellow commuters - the best way to eat a peach. One group just goes for the fruit, fuzzy skin and all. I'm on the other team - the peel and cut crowd. It would never occur to me to eat the skin but hey, I've always been intrigued by passages in books where a character picks something off a...

How scary is this? I hacked into a big watermelon we bought last week and cut out the flesh and scooped it in a big bowl - and now it is almost all gone! I have cannibalized that watermelon! There's just something divine about the cold ruby-colored fruit in the summer. Scott and I relished some last night as dessert and then later we discussed how Scott's dad asked if we enjoyed it with salt. I know it's a common practice to do so, but I like mine just simply sweet, unadorned. Here is a discussion of how folks treat their watermelon. Have y'all had yours yet?

Hot dogs, ice cream, potato salad that might be suspect if it's been out on the picnic table a little too long, or cold chunks of watermelon ... Whatever you're eatin' this weekend, I hope it's tasty! Happy Fourth of July!

Yes, it was hotter than two rats fornicating in a wool sock (one of my all-time favorite expressions, and that's the clean version) this weekend. Yet we couldn't let 90 pesky degrees get in the way of some good times, could we? Naaaaah. We sucked it up and headed out for Alexandria and DC on Saturday, Baltimore on Sunday. In pictures I will demonstrate: We met up with one of my best college buds Kellie visiting from Asheville and toodled around an old 1940s munitions factory that was converted into an arts center - the Torpedo Art Factory in Alexandria. Awesome artist-in-residence studios with views of the Potomac, with lots of pricey fun stuff to look at. One throwback: An old-school soda machine. When was the last time you saw these? Especially the Mountain Dew! After a lovely time with Kellie, Scott and I decided to brave the National Mall and walk to Smithsonian's American History Museum. As luck would have it, one floor has Julia Child's kitchen on one wing and ...

Today is National Strawberry Shortcake* Day! Go out and get you some!!! *The food, not the '80s cartoon character.

Apologies to all Moulin Rouge fans for the post title - I never really took to that movie but I am a HUGE Ewan McGregor fan (oh, the Scottish accent and his fearless roles, especially in the cult classic Velvet Goldmine), but I digress... I'm up on here today to tell you all about canning/preserving and how satisfying it is - yes, that thing that your grandmomma /grandma/gran/ MeeMaw does or used to do. Canning, or "putting up/laying up" as it is colloquially known, is a great way to make use of particular produce you love and want to enjoy year-round. My lovely friend C. taught me how to do it last summer and I have really, really, really enjoyed all the things I have canned thus far. I'm not really into pickling or preserving a lot of veggies, except for tomatoes, but I love making fruit spreads like jams, preserves, chutneys, butters, etc. Yesterday I took to the stove in my wee hot-as-hell-kitchen and made seven pints of strawberry jam . It went a little som...

Well, I'll be damned. I didn't freeze my toes off this morning when I rolled out the door in my Chaco sandals. In fact, the weather outside was downright delightful - sunny, low-humidity, and just about perfect. Know what that means? Smoothie time! Scott's the real smoothie lover in this relationship. During the warmer months when we grocery shop, he'll go for frozen berries, a huge container of Stoneyfield French Vanilla yogurt, and a bundle of bananas faster than you can say "Blend It." We're holding right now: all the essentials are in the fridge. We just need to drag out the blender from its cramped spot in our itsy-bitsy kitchen, scrounge up some counter space, and whip up a frosty and fruity treat. My personal fave: strawberry - banana - blueberry- yogurt - orange juice (sometimes mango nectar if I'm feeling frisky). Ooohweeee! I wish I had one now. Oh my, I just typed Ooohweeee. You know I've got it bad when I use expressions like that. Happ...

The sun is coming out and spreading its delightful warmth all around. The days are getting longer. Sunglasses and sandals are making their debut. For those in D.C. who want to put the Snowpocalypse blizzards and the frigid winter waaaaaaay on back behind them, this is most excellent news. It's spring, and with the sunny days come a need for cold and sweet treats. Sweetgreen is the place in D.C. to get them. With several locations in the Metro area and some mobile trucks dishing out the goodies, this place is a haven for those of us who hold a special place in our hearts for frozen yogurt. Forget the ghetto Dairy Queen blizzard or the played-out Starbucks Frappuccino - my cool treat of choice is Sweetgreen's yogurt topped with granola, blueberries and coconut. Chopped mango fits in well, too. Their deal is that they offer one kind of yogurt only - a kind of tangy vanilla-esque white and creamy goodness. Then you pile on the tasty stuff - all kinds of fruit and healthy toppings....

Well good grief, Charlie Brown - the only thing bigger than the Great Pumpkin in the room is that white elephant of guilt - ya know, the big, angsty feeling of " Oh hey, we abandoned the blog for two months. Whoopsies." Good thing this baby doesn't need to be watered or fed. Well, I suppose it does, as blogs that go stagnant for too long are a drag. I know I feel that way about a couple or two blogs I keep up with - they're well intentioned but if they don't' stay fresh, they're like the abandoned produce in the crisper drawer - a damn dirty shame. The main excuse - Scott and I honestly are in the midst of trying to get it all sorted out - this life thing. Job searches, relocation tactics, the whole "What does it all mean" scenario... I know, "WHATEVER, Erin, just get back to talking about what food you made or ate yesterday, what you wanna eat today, and what you might be thinking of eating tomorrow." Well, okay then. It's November...

Sigh. Mangoes aren't local. Double sigh. But I couldn't help myself last night. Besieged by a "sale" of $1 very ripe mangoes at Kroger, who was I to resist ? I purchased two and took them home and chopped them, eager to enjoy a sliver or two over a small bowl of vanilla bean ice cream. Note to those who co-habitate: check your rations first before you get too excited at the grocery store. My SO turned into the SOB who ate all the ice cream in the freezer. Thus, no yummy dessert. I could have eaten the mango with other dairy, such as cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, but it wouldn't compare to luscious, juicy mango over creamy and cool vanilla. One drawback to the mango: its fortitude of reluctance to free its tasty flesh from its pesky pit. I usually wind up scoring the mango skin about five times and then peeling it back in sections but then when I get to the skin-free fruit, it becomes one wet, pulpy mess. I recall seeing a method for inside-out mangoes once upon ...

This blog post title is my favorite German idiom - Literally, "That's sausage to me," but it means "It doesn't matter." Why not use food products to say what you really feel? I stole these below from The Splendid Table's site. They're fun. Food Idioms from around the world I'm not hanging noodles on your ears! I'm not pulling your leg — Russian To give it to someone with cheese, to pull your leg — Spanish To give papaya, to pull someone's leg — Spanish Colombia I'll boil tea with my navel - that's laughable, you're kidding — Japanese To live like a maggot in bacon, live in luxury, live the life of Riley — German To fry a bologna sausage, to give special treatment — German To have three foot long spittle, to yearn for something — Chinese Brew the dirt from someone's fingernails and drink it - learn a bitter lesson — Japanese To drown the mouse: hair of the dog. stave off a hangover — Spanish The one of shame, the last pie...