Sheep Sorrel and Seedling Pesto

Not the prettiest pesto you've ever met, but a tasty one.

It's exciting times in the garden. Yesterday, I spent a while in the garden doing a task I never enjoyed: thinning the seedlings. That is, until I started eating my seedlings. I wait until they're a decent size, and cull them. Once they are washed, roots and all, I can do various things with them, like putting them on a sandwich, like sprouts (which they are), or make soup (along the lines of this garlic mustard greens soup), or make a pesto-like sauce.

To call this pesto is a stretch, as there is no cheese or nuts, or any of the traditional pesto ingredients. I gathered all of my seedlings, a mix of mustard greens, arugula and radishes and added a good amount of wild sheep sorrel, a tangy lemony green that grows wild in my garden. Sheep sorrel is very tasty, and makes a great soup. It's also an indication that your soil is acidic, although every time I test my soil it's very alkaline. Go figure. Sheep sorrel is high in oxalic acid, hence it's tanginess, and the radishes are a little tough, so I blanched them quickly in boiling water. This turned the sorrel a horrible color, so the finished product is not that jewel-toned green hue that I love so much.

After blanching, the greens went into the food processor and got pureed with some olive oil, and a few cloves of garlic. I'll eat this as a condiment on sandwiches, tossed with pasta or steamed veggies. It's garlic-y and peppery, with a lemony tang.

Wild sorrel.

Tofu, Noodles, Arugula, Leeks in Duck Broth

Before it gets a little too rhubarb-y in here, I figured I'd prove that I eat a little bit more than just fruits and jellies. It's been raining hard, and I thought today deserved some soup. Last week was my birthday, so there was a lot of unrestrained eating and drinking of rich things. One of which was a duck. I pulled the breasts for the freezer, and roasted the rest of it to braise in the rendered fat. Oh, was that leg meat good on some rice, alongside the aromatic vegetables that were cooked in the fat as well. (Does that render the vegetable a vegetable any more?)

The carcass was then turned into a flavorful stock, as it had been coated heavily with 5-spice powder when roasted. The stock, nestled in the back of the fridge for such an occasion, was the base for tonight's meal. Just simmered with leeks, garlic and ginger, then lo mein noodles tossed in to cook, heat off and handfuls of fresh from the garden arugula to wilt. I fried up some tofu in soy and honey to sit on top. So satisfying, particularly after getting soaked while you are up on a ladder removing gunk from the clogged gutters.

Tomorrow, we return to the rhubarb channel. All rhubarb, all the time.

Arugula and Tomatoes over Polenta with Goat Cheese

I love polenta, but I've realized that unless I buy some instant polenta (which is available and good, too) I shouldn't make it when it's just me and baby. Wayyyyy too much stirring is involved. I forgot. You can't watch a walking one-year-old and a bubbling pot of boiling cornmeal at the same time. Something will go wrong. Although, I did manage it the other day. I used medium ground organic cornmeal, milk, stock, butter, cheese, cheese and more cheese. And some rosemary. It was creamy and tangy. Topped with a quick saute of garlic in olive oil, arugula and big chunks of really ripe tomatoes. 

Goodbye, summer.

Cannellini, Cherry Tomato and Arugula Soup

I call this a hot bowl of summer. It's been getting cooler and cooler quicker and quicker, so I made soup the other day. Also, I didn't have much in the fridge. This was one of those soups that came out of nothing. Thank god for the garden! This utilized a bunch of split cherry tomatoes and the last of the arugula, which was getting a bit tough and stringy.

Saute chopped garlic and onions in olive oil. Put a bay leaf in. Add two cans of white beans (slowly, so they don't make the pot cool down too quickly) and then halved cherry tomatoes. Add a can or two of water. Simmer for a bit, until it tastes good or you're just plain hungry. Add washed arugula and a bunch of chopped parsley. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil, cracked pepper and some grated cheese.

Et voila. Sorry I'm so lazy on the amounts. I just throw things in and see how they look.