Week in Review

As a family, minus our oldest who is off at college, we are starting to get organized after the school year started.  Honestly as a teacher and mother I find September the hardest month.  I'm never ready to go from 0-60 in 2 seconds.  However I finally do get into the swing of things as they say.

I'm back to reading a little bit more.  I just read a very interesting article about what dinner looks like around the US.  As someone who takes the dinner hour very seriously I always find it interesting to see what other people are eating and doing for dinner.  Click here for the link.

I'm also reading A Feast Nearby. It is the story of one woman surviving on local food and a budget of $40 a week of groceries and grocery items. I seem to have a food theme this month of September.

Of course Saturday is not complete without a trip to the farmer's market in September and October.  I need to get all of the local produce I can before the winter, when the selection becomes very sparce.  However this week I did pick up a non-local ingredient, black truffles!  I haven't quite decided how I will use them, but I'll figure it out soon.

This weekend was also the first time I picked up seconds from my favorite apple orchard.  So with the help of my daughter and husband we peeled about 10 pounds of apples for apple sauce.  This was the first time that product came out of the hot water caner looking professional. I'm very pleased with my self.

And of course at this time of year what is for dessert?  Apples in various ways.  This time I chose to make an apple tart.  This is incredibly simple.  Just roll out a sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4 or 5 pieces; it depends on how big you want your tarts.  Peel and core your apples and slice thinly.  Then just place them on the pastry and dust with cinnamon sugar.  Top the pastries with dots of butter, maybe 4 total all around the tarts.  Bake in an over preheated to 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until they turn golden brown.  Brush the tops with  melted apricot jam for a glaze.  They are delicious as is or topped with whipped cream too. 

I hope your had an enjoyable week.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Eating Local

Several years ago I read a book about 2 people who based their whole eating life-style around food that came from within 100 miles of them.  The book, Plenty, really made me start thinking about where my food comes from.  Since then I've read other memoirs about self-sustaining life styles.  Now I know that in reality this is not something I really want to do for all of the year, especially living in northeast Wisconsin.  However as I said theses books really made me think. So starting in the late spring and up through the late fall I love to eat as much local food as possible.  That means eating with the seasons, growing food in my garden and of course trips to my local farmers' market. In addition my family now buys a 1/2 cow from about 20 minutes away.  The meat is also packed by a local butcher and it makes me feel good about giving back to my community.  So what are we eating and buying now?  Well the garden is full of kale, carrots, zucchini and herbs.  Unfortunately the tomatoes got a blight, but I have Rick from Produce with Purpose.  Also from the farmer's market I have Cipolini onions and various types of mushrooms and of course the last of the corn.  As for fruit we have the last of the melons, blueberries and now apples.  As I said we aren't perfect localavores in our family, but I try be aware of where our products come from and pass that on to my family.

Hedgehog, shrimp of the woods and chanterelle mushrooms along with fresh garlic.

Cipolini onions

What are you eating this fall season?

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Favorite Lunches

I love to cook as you may already know and I love to make a delicious lunch when I have time.  However there is something  quite divine about going out for a delicious lunch in the city.  Recently my oldest daughter and I went down to Chicago.  We did this last year as well, so we decided to return to our favorite place for lunch, The Peninsula Hotel's Pierrot Gourmet.  It was a wonderful day and we could dine outside.  The restaurant sits directly on Rush St. with just enough of the city crazy yet you are still able to carry on a conversation quite easily.  The other thing I really enjoyed about this restaurant is the clientele.  People were happy to be alone reading (not on their phones), enjoying a glass of wine with lunch or just not rushing.  For lunch I had their Asian grilled salad with a peanut dressing, avocado and mangoes.  Of course to drink and Argentinean chardonnay.  Absolutely delightful
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The following week my husband and I dropped our eldest off at UW-Madison.  Madison is a great food city.  I'm really looking forward to eating there more often.  For our first of many Madison lunches we went to Graze.  The restaurant is right on the capitol and also has beautiful outdoor seating.  The menu is based on local seasonal ingredients -so how can you go wrong.  My lunch was a Bun salad, Chinese noodles, various raw vegetables sriracha dressing and a tofu roll.  It was just the right lunch after working all morning.  Of course I had to have the delightful glass of wine too, a California from Santa Barbara County.  

I hope you can take some time to enjoy a leisurely lunch somewhere nearby.  Take some time not to be on your phone, talk to someone, just be alone and of course enjoy your food and wine.

Bon Appétit!,

as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth

Soufflé

Cheese soufflé is one of my favorite vegetarian meals.  It can serve 3 for a light dinner or 4 for a lunch.  The other day I had a smaller group for dinner, just my husband, myself and one child.  So I decided to make cheese soufflé.  I like to use Alton Brown's recipe; it is almost foolproof.  Every time I cook it I get a gorgeous meal.  

With soufflé or any sort of eggs as a matter of fact I enjoy bread.  As I've posted before I also like to make my own bread.  This bread is a pesto bread that is an old recipe from Bon Appétit.  I love to make it in the summer when I can use the basil from my garden mixed with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.  It makes it just that more special.

We rounded out the meal with a green salad of local greens and of course some wine.  Unfortunately not mine since I'm waiting for my second batch of lettuce to grow for the fall.  As usual I dressed it with a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. 

Bon Appétit 

and as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth

A Day at the Gardens

I love gardens and now matter how much I think I'll be better about our yard in the summer I can't make it perfect. So I love to visit gardens for inspiration and relaxation. This weekend my husband and I spent a few hours at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens.  This is about 30 minutes from our house and we of course have never been.  I have heard about them watching the local news; there is an annual Christmas light show in the winter.  I would really like to go one year.  However in the summer the flowers were beautiful and there were 3 weddings going on.  I've included some beautiful pictures from our afternoon.  

I always love rose gardens.

I'm standing under a grape and green bean arbor.

A super cute fairy garden.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Dining in Sarasota Florida

A few weeks ago I posted a few of my favorite recipes for all of the fresh fish my husband caught during our family vacation to Long Boat Key.  Honestly most nights we eat in; this way we can stay at the beach longer or enjoy the pool until when ever we want.  However sometimes it is really nice just to go out to dinner or lunch and not have to do dishes.  When I go out I really am very picky. We've tried several places in the area but a few are new this year to us and others have stood the test of time.  So I thought I'd put together a list of a few good restaurants that my whole family enjoys.

Rick's French Bistro  was new to us this year.  If you like simple French food this is it.  The restaurant is run by Rick and his wife who does all of the cooking.  There is seating for about 40 so call ahead for reservations.   We went twice and both times the food was lovely.  The menu is very small, but I enjoyed my salmon plate followed by lamb chops and creme brulé.  They also have a small wine list and you can also bring your own wine for a uncorking fee.  We enjoyed our first dinner so much we came back at a later day. As a side note it was so nice to speak in French to people who are not my students.  

C'est la vie was another new to us restaurant.  We went there for lunch and I really enjoyed their salade nicoise.  Other members of my family loved their omelets and of course desserts.  They have a wonderful pear tart and great breads.  A couple of times I went into town just to pick up good bread and dessert for the night.  

The Old Salty Dog has been a family favorite for many years.  The restaurant doesn't look like anything from the outside yet you are sitting right on the water enjoying your food. I really like their mussels and with a glass of Chardonnay I could stay their all day.  

Portofinio is another long standing family favorite.  You can order pizza out or go for dinner.  The restaurant is part of the Long Boat Key Club and looks out onto the marina. I love their caciucco, a fish stew.  

Bon Appétit!

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Summer Reading

I love to read and luckily I've been able to read a lot this month; going on a vacation at the beach really does help.  Sitting outside with my book under a large tree is a great way to spend part of my day or if I'm near a beach I'm there with a book in my hand.  

Tout Sweet and Picnic in Provence took me back to France, a country and culture I love so much.  I always wonder what it would be like to pack up our family and move to France.   I don't think it would be that easy.  Elizabeth Bard also has some delightful recipes.  Recently I made her Zucchini Soup after a stop in my local farmer's market.

A Time to Kill is older, but I've never read it. It was a definite page turner. I would say almost as good as The Firm.  

Crazy Rich Asians and Sightly South of Simple were just fun beach reads.  Both of these have sequels coming out soon if not already.  

That leaves Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk.  This book was very well written and makes me think about all the stories people have that you see walking around your own city.  I think this book is a must read for anyone.  

What are you reading lately?

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth