I was so distressed yesterday when LJ was down. I try to keep up during the week, but the weekend is when I’m most predictably present. Which I think is the opposite of most of the people on my Friends list. It’s too bad, as I know I miss stuff and I hate to miss stuff.
Two bits from the kitchen:
First, I made the most wonderful (to me) dinner tonight and it was easy. Easy like a 10-year-old could learn to do it in five minutes. While I boiled some penne, I pulled out a deep skillet and put it on a medium flame. I threw in:
— A large pat of butter
— sea salt
— a healthy handful of minced garlic
— seven or eight pearl onions, chopped in half
— one can of organic diced tomatoes
— a few healthy shakes of crushed red pepper, basil, oregano and pepper
— about ten frozen broccoli florets
I stuck a lid on the skillet and let it simmer/steam while I waited for the pasta. When it was done I gave it a good squeeze of lemon, threw the sauce over the pasta and sprinkled with some shaved mixed Italian cheeses.
So delicious!
The pearl onions have gone into everything lately. When I was at the market last week they were selling these gorgeous containers full of red, white and golden pearl onions. They were so beautiful. I’d be tempted to use them as a decoration if they wouldn’t just go bad.
The pearl onions give me the perfect transition for bit #2. All winter long I love to make big pots of stone soup. I usually use a combination of V8 (regular or spicy) and organic vegetable broth as the base. Then I throw in whatever comes within arm’s reach. My last batch, which I made a few days ago, had carrots, celery, brown rice, flax seed (I put this in everything that will take it, just for the nutritional benefit. You can’t really taste it.) I might have thrown a few more things in, but we ate it all and now I can’t remember. But the best, best part was the onions. Instead of cutting them I just popped them out of their skins and threw them in whole. The mostly stayed in tact and whenever we lucked into one on the spoon it was just the greatest taste and texture combo. They’re nice and sweet and they’d just pop in the mouth.
I was going to do an adoption update here, but I think this post is getting too long. I’ll hit that one next time.
jaysaint 