Bless Her Heart

Favorite Thing :: Our Zoku

For the most part, I've long since given up buying gimmicky kitchen gadgets.  I've learned to save my pennies for the better knife instead of the 'world's most perfect plastic garlic mincer'.  At first blush, the Zoku can seem like another superfluous kitchen took, and Lord knows I've bought my share of new fangled popsicle makers in all shapes and sizes over the years. I started seeing it show up in my favorite eye-candy kitchen catalogs a couple of years ago.  The price scared me off on more than one occasion.  I'm not gonna lie, these suckers are pricey.  Then last summer I got a gift card to one of the aforementioned kitchen stores for my birthday. I'll admit, I was swayed by the pretty pictures in the idea book...and hey...gift card...it's like free money, right? I had nothing to lose.  I bought the one that makes 3 popsicles for my birthday and The Girl loved it so much that we got her an individual one for Christmas.  That way we could remove the big one from the freezer during the months that we're not baking alive in the Texas heat. She makes them almost daily, but none of the rest of us feel the need to when the weather is mellow.  We've reached ridiculous temperatures this week, so we'll be swapping back out for the big one this weekend. The only downside of the Zoku is that it has to freeze for 24 hours before you can use it, so when we swap 'em out, The Girl will have to go a day without her afternoon homemade popscicle.  First World Problem. I know. I also know that I have friends that wanna know what the big deal is about this thing...and they're wondering if it's worth the chunk of change. Well. It's summer y'all...in TEXAS...and your kids can make their own. damn. popsicles.  In the amount of time it takes them to have a ridiculous argument with their sibling, or run through the sprinkler 3 times, or tell you how boredhotboredtiredhungrybored they are, they can go to the refrigerator, get out the juice or the Superfood, or kefir, or almond milk and make a popscicle. They can watch it freeze on the countertop, they can watch the timer tick down, they can think about which kind they'd like to make next. And in 7-10 minutes (seriously) their popsicle is ready.  It's like the reverse microwave that my brother and I used to fantasize about when we were melting in the heat when we were kids. It's the future! It's here! Freeze Ray! Okay, not really...but STILL!  All I know is that over the years, I have spent sillier amounts of money on stupider things in the name of trying to maintain sanity in the home with my children when it's 109^o outside. For whatever reason, the Zoku works for us, and my swelteringly sweaty-hot little heart is, you guessed it...grateful.  

Favorite Thing :: Pickled Blueberries by Confituras

Stephanie at Confituras never disappoints. I love the simple flavors that she uses in her preserve recipes....perfectly balanced, never too sweet, always with a subtle hint of a familiar spice to compliment the fruit. Last weekend at the market, I stopped at her booth to pick up some Blackberry Jam and her little jars of Pickled Blueberries caught my eye. That night, I topped crackers with a mild chevre and the blueberries. Remembering that Stephanie said it pairs well with any cheese really, last night, I skipped the crackers all together and just drizzled them over Parrano. Both ways were really delicious, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the contrast of the sweet pickled berries with the bite of the Parrano.  Each has a depth of flavor that can hold its own with the other. I can't wait to experiment with these decadent little things beyond cheese pairings.  Next up...maybe salad...sandwich...cocktail?  

Father's Day Frittata...

Knowing that The Man would be working at least part of the day, I wanted to pick something simple for brunch so that I didn't spend all morning in the kitchen cooking.  I love being in the kitchen, but not when time with family is at a premium, as I knew it would be today.  In addition to this, The Man and I do Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet a couple of times of year as a cleanse of sorts, and we happen to be in the tail end of that, so I knew I wouldn't be baking any sweets. A frittata seemed like an obvious choice.  It's a favorite around here, and it's super simple. I picked up some leeks, bell pepper and shisto peppers yesterday at the farmers' market to accompany the basil from our herb garden and the beautiful Sungold and cherry tomatoes that the girl brought home from her time at Farm Camp. It seems like anything savory can be added to a frittata without fail...so far.

Father's Day Frittata

Serves 4-8

Preheat Oven Broiler

1 cup leeks, chopped and washed

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

3 fresh shisto or serrano (not too hot) peppers, seeded and minced

Fresh basil, 1 tbsp minced, and several leaves for topping

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half

1 tsp canola oil

1 tbsp butter

12 eggs

1/2 cup cream

6 cherry and/or Sungold tomatoes, halved

salt and pepper to taste

Add canola oil to 12" cast iron skillet, or non-stick skillet that can withstand broiler heat. Heat oil over medium heat and add leeks, green bell pepper and shisto peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sautee until tender (about 5 minutes).  While the veggies are sauteeing, whisk the eggs and cream in a medium bowl. Add a bit of salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  

When the veggies are done sauteeing, add the butter.  Once the butter has melted, add the egg/cream mixture.  Stir slowly for the next 2 minutes or so, scraping down the sides to make sure the eggs aren't getting baked to the sides of the skillet.  Mix in the minced basil and allow to cook on low/medium heat without stirring for about a minute.  While it is cooking, add whole basil leaves and tomato halves to the top. Sprinkle the second 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese across the top.

Remove from stove top and place in broiler for 3-5 minutes, checking frequently to make sure that you get a nice golden (not burnt) color on the top. When the top is a nice golden color, remove from the oven and let sit for 5-6 minutes, so it can firm up in the middle. Once firm, slice and serve.

 

 

 

Music for your Monday Night: Sarah Jaffe

Sarah Jaffe's "Clementine" Music Video from Jon Todd Collins on Vimeo.

 

Sarah Jaffe : Glorified High from Kirtland Records on Vimeo.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Late afternoon quiet time...