Away longer than I anticipated...

Dear friends,

I miss you and I miss my blog. i've been away from blogging far longer than I anticipated. I still do not have internet access at home. The surgery I had in July was successful and I recovered well. I've been very busy in school and back to work full-time. This summer I began an academic program to become a Registered Horticultural Therapist. So far it's been an awesome experience and a really good fit for my skills, experience, and interest. This week I am putting my community garden to rest and I've been doing lots of food preservation--pesto, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, apple sauce, pear cider. I do love the Autumn! Enjoy the season for all it's beauty. I hope that you are well and I hope to blog again soon for you.

Warmly,
Jolie

Where is Miss Jolie Ann?

Dear Readers,

Hello! So sorry to have kept you in the dark the past month. I have not forgotten you or been slacking about the blog. I so appreciate your readership and I miss the blog, a lot! At the present time I do not have internet access and I have no way to update my blog.

I am continuing to research recipes, create recipes, cook, and photograph beautiful food. I intend to return to the blog just as soon as I can. Probably in July. Please check back and in the meantime explore the blog archive for recipes and inspiration. This is a sneak peak of what I've created during the past month:

• Beet, Quinoa & Mint Salad
• Fennel Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
• Roasted Asparagus in Mustard Marinade with Brie & Brown-Butter Bread Crumbs
• Mashed Fingerling Potatoes & Sorrel Pesto with Roasted Fennel & Spring Carrots
• Cilantro-Coconut Pesto Rice with Leeks & Edamame
• Rhubarb Sauce
• Lavender-Honey Salad Dressing
• Frittata of Dandelion Greens, Leeks & Fennel
• Soft Tacos with Wilted Beet & Turnip Greens, Soy Chorizo & Queso Fresca
• Jamaican-style Black Bean & Coconut Cornbread Bake
• Edible Flower Salad
• Baked Polenta with Swiss Chard, Zucchini & Wild Mushrooms
• Spring Salad of Asparagus, Fennel, Grapes & Figs

Like I said, I've continued to cook & photograph. I just have no way to get you the recipes. So sorry. Unless, of course, one of my readers has a laptop they'd like to donate to the cause ha-ha! :) Then I could go to a cafe with wi-fi and keep you all updated. Or if someone wants to subsidize my internet bill that would be awesome. But, alas, until then you will have to drool over the above list.

I've been attending the weekly Buckmann Farmer's Market here in Portland. Have you been attending your Farmer's Market? Spring is the season for greens and I'm getting eating lots of them. Arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli raab, mustard greens, swiss chard, kale, spinach, beet greens, mustards...oh my!

This April began my adventures in community gardening! My 400 square foot plot is lush and thriving despite the intense rain storms we've had here in Portland. With the help of my friends Bobi, Drift, Noelia, Peggy & Sherrie I was able to purchase plants, seeds and supplies. And my friends Drift & Sea both helped me install & plant the garden.

Here's what we planted on May 1st:

• A perennial & annual border to attract beneficial insects
• A sunflower border-because it's gorgeous!
• 2 varieties of kale
• Purple sprouting broccoli
• Swiss chard
• Mustard greens
• Purple orach
• Arugula
• Celery
• Fennel
• Snow peas
• Kohlrabi
• 4 varieties of lettuce
• Edible flowers: violets, calendula, bachelor buttons
• Herbs: dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, chamomile, lavender, chives

Here's what we planted on June 5th:

• 3 varieties of pole beans
• 7 varieties of tomatoes
• 5 varieties of sweet peppers
• Cucumber
• 2 varieties of summer squash
• 1 winter squash
• 3 varieties of basil
• Edible flowers: nasturtiums

I guess that's it for now my friends. Thanks for reading and I'm really sorry for the lack of postings the past month. Hopefully I will be back on the internet some time soon.

Love,

Miss Jolie Ann

Farmers Markets in Portland

Good Morning!

This Saturday is May 1st and that means lots of the farmers markets in Portland are opening up. This is very exciting news for a seasonal eater! It's been a long 6 months without my favorite farmers market. And, I've been without my own garden since November. I am so ready for some farm fresh produce. And, since my new community garden isn't even planted yet, I'm going to be completely reliant on the farmer's market for a few months.

In 2009 I began attending my small neighborhood farmers market. I attended every week the entire season. I got to really know the farmers and vendors. My favorite non-produce vendor was the goat cheese stand staffed by a 10 year old girl who's family owns the farm. She is a great salesperson and can tell you all about living on a goat farm and working with her goats. Plus, the chevre is amazing. I highly recommend the blueberry lavender chipotle chevre. It is phenomenal.

Farmers do not make a lot of money from these small neighborhood farmers markets. The larger heavily attended farmer's markets like Downtown or Hollywood District on Saturdays are what sustain them. But, what I love about the smaller neighborhood markets is the slower less frantic pace. I have ample space to peruse all the booths without being crowded by masses of people. I have the opportunity to talk with the farmers and vendors. And, there's always easy parking.

Here's a link to all of the Portland area farmers markets. If you have a favorite, let me know. I'd love to check it out this Summer.

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

No Post This Week

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your readership and comments. I just wanted to check in that there are no posts for this week. My computer got a virus and died. For the moment I've lost 2 years worth of photos and documents. Then a kind friend gave me her son's old computer. I tried to get it working and realized the virus was coming from my facebook account. My facebook and email accounts had been phished and compromised. Said infection then disabled the newest computer.

I spent many hours channeling my every computer geek I know and was able to resolve the problem, I think. Keep your fingers crossed. It was a frustrating week not having internet access to stay connected with my friends, write my blog, work on my cookbook, or participate in an online class I'm 2 weeks into.

I'll be back at the blog next week. Thanks for your patience.

Much Love,
Miss Jolie Ann

Big Bowl of Happiness for Catherine

Dear Readers,

My BFF Catherine and I were talking about her recent travels and how we sometimes find ourselves without healthy vegetarian food. This is especially complicated if one is gluten-free, or has food allergies such as eggs or dairy. When returning from such trips cooking and enjoying nourishing food is vital. It is in this spirit that I whipped up tonight's recipe.



It's just a big bowl of happiness and health. Looks great and tastes delicious. Big bowl recipes are simple and improvisational. I got the idea originally from Heidi at 101 cookbooks. 2 years ago I was inspired by her recipe and created my own "Quinoa Big Bowl with Garlic Spinach & Roasted Yams" recipe. What's funny, is now when I went back and checked out Heidi's original recipe she talked about traveling and how much she craved healthy earthy quinoa and cooking for herself as soon as her plane landed. Whoa. Seriously, I did not read that before coming up with tonight's recipe. I guess it's a universal experience for healthy eating foodie cooks.

For a Big Bowl, start with a tasty whole grain. Usually I choose quinoa, but tonight it's short grain brown rice. Followed by delicious sauteed potatoes, wilted spinach & chard with garlic, sauteed fresh local asparagus, rounded out with garbanzo beans, and finished with toasted walnuts. Mix. Devour. Yum. In my photos it looks very composed. But, when I eat it, I just mix it all together.

This kind of meal helps me feel so nourished. It's gluten-free, vegan, and loaded with fiber, protein and fresh vegetables. Olive oil and walnuts give a boost of omega fatty acids. Trust me, this big bowl is all around goodness. And I hope it makes my Catherine very happy. It's making me happy right now.

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann



Big Bowl of Happiness Recipe
Makes 4 large servings

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/4 tsp tumeric
sea salt & black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach, washed & chopped
1 bunch chard, washed & chopped
1 bunch asparagus, washed, tough ends cut off, sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Put the brown rice with 2 cups water in a pot and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes. Set aside.
2. While the brown rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe. In a skillet warm a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the tumeric. Cover and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes. Potatoes should be tender and browned. Set aside.
3. In the now empty skillet, add another splash of olive oil. Add the garlic, spinach, and chard. Ad a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Greens should be wilted, still bright green, and the garlic should be fragrant. Set aside.
4. In the now empty skillet, add another splash of olive oil . Add the asparagus and another pinch of salt. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes. Asparagus should be bright green and still firm. Set aside.
5. In the now empty skillet, add the walnuts. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are starting to brown and have released their fragrant oils.
6. Assemble the brown rice, potatoes, greens, asparagus, and garbanzo how you would like in individual bowls or family style on a large platter. Top with the toasted walnuts.

Beet Salad with Creamy Chevre Dressing

Dear Readers,

Happy Sunshine here in Portland! Today I am feeding my craving for beets. Literally. A salad composed of beets in a creamy chevre dressing with mustard, balsamic and thyme. It's simple and sublime. I tried really hard to work "sublime" into this post because it rhymes with thyme. Were you on to me? :)

This simple, but exquisitely delicious beet salad is divine on it's own. However, I also envision it as a jumping off point for more elaborate add-in's and recipes. It would feature lovely over mixed baby greens, perhaps sorrel & arugula or beet greens. Top it with some toasted walnuts or hazelnuts. It would pair nicely with cooked beans, perhaps baby navy beans. A cooked whole grain such as quinoa or brown rice would add substance and texture. I imagine this beet salad on a picnic sandwiched between slices of hearty bread with baby greens and some chunky shavings of asiago cheese and creamy wedges of fresh mozzarella. Seriously, that's the kind of food I pack on picnics. You should come with me some time and find out. Suddenly I have a hankering to hike Silver Falls State Park. One of my favorite places.

Today I am eating this salad straight out of the bowl I mixed it in. Nothing fancy. No add-in's. I am using a spoon. I just love the earthy flavor of beets. They satisfy me to the core. Enjoy!

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann


Beet Salad with Creamy Chevre Dressing
Makes 4 servings

6 beets
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp prepared dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tbsp chevre (brought to room temperature)
pinch of sea salt & black pepper

1. To cook the beets, pop off their tops and discard or use for another recipe (they are great sauteed). Rinse them a little, but no need to scrub or peel. Place them in a large pot filled with water and cover. Boil over high-medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. They should be soft when you pierce them with a fork. Cooking time varies based on how large are the beets.
2. Remove beets from heat. Drain. Place them in cold water and set aside while you prepare the dressing.
3. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Use a wire whisk and beat until everything is combined and creamy. Check the flavor and add a dash of sea salt & black pepper to your desired likening.
4. Now that the beets have cooled enough to handle, it should be easy to pull their skins off. They should slip off in pieces. This is my favorite part of cooking with beets. Discard the peels. Compost them please. Now cut the beets into halves, then cut those into halves. Slice your quarter pieces of beets.
5. Add beets to the dressing and stir until combined. I like to let this salad sit for about an hour to absorb all the flavors before serving.

Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Sourdough French Toast

Good Morning Readers!

As you know, lately I've been quite interested in egg recipes, since my weekly eggs from Happy Tortoise Farm began gracing my kitchen. These fresh little light green and brown eggs have endeared themselves into my heart and my belly. Sometimes I get them so fresh from the farm that the dirt and straw still cling to their delicate colorful shells. I eagerly anticipate cracking open each egg and never cease to be surprised and amazed at how solid and orange the yolks are.

Today I choose to make a delicious french toast with some of my eggs. I indulged in some sourdough bread, which is a gluten-free no-no for me. Life is too short for shame people, so I say honor your indulgences and jump in with both feet! Oh taboo-full-of-gluten sourdough bread, how I've missed you. Typically, I favor a fresh local Challah bread for french toast. I had sourdough loaf in my pantry because yesterday I was really craving toasted sourdough with my curry egg salad recipe.

Today's french toast recipe is sans maple syrup for good reason. I once had a lover who cooked me breakfast in bed and arrived with delicious smelling french toast. I asked her where was the maple syrup and she handed me a halved lemon and a spoonful of powdered sugar. I thought she was crazy. I followed her lead and squeezed the lemon on the steaming hot french toast and then the powdered sugar. Maybe it was the morning-after-glow, but that combination of sugar sweet and tangy sour lemon was heavenly. It's the only way I've eaten french toast ever since.

In this recipe I call for meyer lemons, which in my book are the absolute royalty of lemons. The flavor is unequaled in the world of lemons. They are literally bursting with flavor onto your french toast. The tang of the sourdough bread and lemon, is a perfect compliment for the sweetness of the vanilla and powdered sugar. They meld together in lovely harmony for your taste buds.

The smell of this recipe cooking is delightful and intoxicating. I recommend you make it as breakfast in bed for someone you love and create your own french toast memory. Enjoy!

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Meyer Lemon-Vanilla Sourdough French Toast
Makes 4 pieces of french toast

butter
3 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened plain soymilk or cow milk
1 tbsp pure alcohol-free vanilla extract
4 meyer lemons
1 tsp lemon zest
4 slices sourdough bread
nutmeg
powdered sugar

1. Warm about 1tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
2. While the pan is warming up, in a wide shallow bowl combine the eggs, soymilk, vanilla, lemon zest and juice of one lemon. Beat with a whisk until just combined.
3. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture, one at a time. Let each slice absorb egg mixture, but not linger in the bowl too long. Add slices to the awaiting warm butter skillet.
4. Cook bread slices over medium-low heat. Cook each side a few minutes until they are browned and egg is cooked. Flip after cooking first side. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg. Not a lot. Just a sprinkle per slice on one side.
5. When bread is browned on both sides remove from the pan. Halve the 3 meyer lemons. Squeeze one half lemon on each slice of french toast. Sprinkle with as much powdered sugar as you desire. I use about 1 tbsp per slice. Garnish french toast with lemon slices. Serve hot.