Roasted Califlower: Unexpectedly Delicious

I will admit, I've never been a big fan of cauliflower. Among its vibrantly colored counterparts on the holiday veggie tray, it always seems a bit unexciting and bitter. Anything I have to cover in ranch dressing in order to swallow isn't worth the calories. But last week, cauliflower was on sale for 97 cents, so I brought one home as a challenge.
Good ol' Alice, she never fails me when it comes to vegetables. I tried her Roasted Sliced Cauliflower recipe. The result? Simple. Easy. Delicious. The way cooked vegetables should be. My mouth was salivating as I pulled the pan out of the oven. Roasting transforms the cauliflower slices into sweet and almost nutty, morsels. Nathan and I ate the whole head of cauliflower in one meal--it's that good!

Roasted Sliced Cauliflower
from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food, pg. 299

Trim and wash cauliflower and cut across the whole head into 1/4-inch thick slices. Roast some of the undamaged leaves as well--they are quite tasty. Lay out the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. (I'm a big fan of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.)
Roast in a 400 degree oven until tender and starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the slices with chopped fresh herbs or crushed whole spices, for variety.

5 -Year- Old Artisan Bread

Our five(and a half)-year old friend came over to play with Charli this past Thursday. We pulled out the Artisan bread dough from the refrigerator and I let her shape her loaf, "dust and slash"(see recipe), and we baked up a beautiful loaf for her to take home. Her parents told me later that she and her 3 year old brother ate the whole thing on the way home. Upon breaking the bread in half she said to her brother, "Here, buddy, let's remember Jesus!" Wouldn't it be great to just eat the whole loaf of bread when we take communion? So here's the recipe for all of you who have been asking. Bake it, break it, and remember Jesus.

I highly recommend just buying the book from there website artisanbreadinfive.com, but if you can't wait until it arrives, this will get you started! Click on this post title to go directly to the link:

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/cookbook/2009/artisan-bread/boule.html

Sweet, Sweet Charli Mae

Our friend, Justin, came over last Saturday and took some pictures for us. The greenbelt is right outside our back door with lots of beautiful walking paths and parks. Isn't our Charli sweet?!

Enjoying the Process

As I wrote earlier, Nathan had given me Alice Water's cookbook, "The Art of Simple Food" as an early Valentine gift. If you're not familiar with Alice's style or are reading my blog for the first time, you need to know that she is a champion of the "local, organic, slow" food movement out in this part of the country.
So Sunday evening, I decided to prepare Nathan a meal solely from her recipes. The Menu was as follows:

Hearts of Romaine with Creamy Dressing and Homemade Croutons
Onion Soup in Bread Boules with Guryere Cheese
Rustic Apple Tart (I call it "rustic" because the edge burned)

I purchased as many ingredients as I could from the Farmer's Market Saturday morning, baked the bread bowls from scratch, and bought the gruyere from the specialty cheese section at Nugget Market.
I must say, this was one of the most enjoyable and delightful meals I have ever prepared! I savored every fragrance and marveled at the way God designed it all so harmoniously---the way the onions virtually melt into sweet candy after simmering in olive oil over low heat for half an hour, and the way the fresh thyme sprigs intertwine with it all to add interest and dimension to the broth, or the way the perfume of granny smith apples,(fresh from the tree,) escaped from the bag as I opened it, and the way that good wine paired so beautifully with it all.
I enjoyed the process, tasting all the way; the cheese, the creamy dressing, the caramelized onions, the apple slices....
Even the part where the butter from the tart melted and dripped onto the bottom of the oven which created much smoke that billowed out of the door, at which point Nathan and I had to go around the house opening up windows and doors to air the place out. What's an experience with some unexpected elements?
Recipes to follow...

Flowers In Our Living Room

Nathan and Charli and I went to Farmer's Market this morning, and before returning home, Nathan purchased these peach blossoms for me for a Valentine treat! These branches are green with brown speckling and bright pink flowers with creamy yellow centers. This picture hardly does them justice, for these blooms are absolutely lovely, and smell delightful. I sat near the sunny window and enjoyed them for a good half hour while sipping some Orange Spice tea, working on some lyrics to a new song.

Zoo Day!

Last Saturday was Free Museum Day in Sacramento, which included the Sacramento Zoo! It was Charli's first zoo experience--the talking parrots were her favorite. I never cease to be absolutely delighted by the creativity and infinite intelligence of our Creator as I admire all the beautiful, odd, and majestic animals.

Conversation and Chocolate-Cherry-Almond Clusters

Last night, Nathan and I sat on the couch and enjoyed a good long conversation together along with a couple of these no- guilt, semi-addictive, after-dinner treats. (Other than the sweetened cherries, there is no sugar in these babies!)
Of course, the chocolate clusters didn't last but through the first few sentences of the conversation...actually now that I think of it, I think I said something like, "Wait. I'll finish my thought in a minute. Just let me enjoy this first." They are melt-in-your-mouth-yummy. But maybe that's just because I'm on a chocolate kick....which is apparently lasting a lifetime....

Anyway, we sat there for a long time, discussing things about life and death, and heaven and hell, and it occurred to us that neither of spend enough time really thinking about these things. And that if we did really think about these things more often, we would probably live life somewhat differently, and at the least, view ourselves and people in general differently. In the mean time, we want to live in such a way that Jesus is enjoyed and savored in all of life. Even in chocolate clusters. So here's the recipe. It's quick and super-easy. Make 'em. Enjoy 'em. Thank God for chocolate. And if you love Jesus, savor His goodness and mercy as you take a bite.

Chocolate-Cherry-Almond Clusters
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, Ellie Krieger

1 cup whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli)

In a medium bowl, toss together the chopped almonds and chopped dried cherries.
In another medium, microwavable bowl, put the bittersweet chocolate chips. Melt in the microwave, stopping every 20-30 seconds to stir until chocolate pieces are just about melted. Continue to stir the chocolate pieces until completely melted.

Combine the almonds and cherries with the melted chocolate and stir until completely coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.