A New Day, A New Modem

Hooray, we're back up and running chez Diva. Turns out my modem had died for good - which is what I suspected. So frustrating! I hope this will be the end of my connectivity woes for a while now. I *need* my internet!

You'd think that with the internet down and all that free time that I'd have been cooking up a storm ... or at least penning some brilliant new posts ... and you'd be wrong. We had the left-over chard soup for dinner on Friday night and on Sunday we went to a local Greek place for a quick and yummy meal.

I did make a lovely roast pork loin for dinner on Saturday - to go with the rest of the lemon roast potatoes. Sadly, there will be no picture to go along with today's recipe. I couldn't find my camera. Where was it? Hiding in plain sight on top of my computer armoire. No one knows why. If I had to guess I'd say it was because Zelda was busy launching herself onto the desk and I must have moved it out of her reach. She is one destructive little cat!

Anyway, that's why you're looking at this picture of our roving garden gnome instead of my delicious roast pork. This little gnome travels the garden in hopes of scaring off the bunnies who live beneath Mama Diva's pine trees. I guess he must be working because so far bro hasn't lost any crops. I wonder if he'd be able to protect my internet connection? Must look into that.

And now for the recipe of the day. I've combined two favorite recipes here. The rub for the pork is courtesy of my friend Deb - she of the Talapia fame - and the garlic and rum I used come from Julie Rosso's "Fresh Start" cookbook. Julie Rosso was part of the "Silver Palate" duo and "Fresh Start" was written after she had some health issues. Its a collection of wonderful, healthy and flavorful recipes. I do recommend it, but I think it must be out of print - because I could not find it on Amazon.

Normally this rub is used for pork tenderloins and I must say it is outstanding. Deb passed this one on to me years ago and it has been a favorite ever since. This is the first time I've tried it on a full loin roast and it worked just as well. I almost never make this rub the same way twice - sometimes I'll add in some herbs de Provence, or maybe some thyme ... I use the basic ratio of salt/pepper/spice and just add in whatever sounds good to me at the time. It is as delicious as it is versatile.

Garlic Infused Salt and Pepper Pork Roast:

For the rub:

• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. good quality dried rosemary*
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced

Combine the pepper, salt and rosemary in the bowl of a mortar and pestle and grind until the consistency of a fine powder is achieved. Add the minced garlic, stir to combine and reserve.

* By good quality, I mean not the dessicated stuff that has been hanging around your cupboard for six thousand years. Keep your spices fresh - so they will have some flavor.

For the Pork Roast:

• one 4.5 pound center-cut loin of pork roast*
• 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
• 1 tbsp. dark rum
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 onion, cut into large slices
• some low-sodium chicken broth
• water
  

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, make several vertical slits all over the top of the pork roast and insert a sliver of garlic into each. Pour the tablespoon of rum over the roast and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved salt/spice/garlic mixture over the roast and rub it in over all sides. Cover and allow the seasoned meat to rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oil in heavy oven-proof skillet over high heat. (I use a cast iron skillet.) Add pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced onions to the bottom of the pan and transfer the skillet to the pre-heated oven. Roast at 350 degrees for approximately 1.5 hours - depending on the size of your roast - or until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 165 - 170 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer.

Remove from oven, transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, deglaze the bottom of the skillet with a mixture of chicken broth and water to form a thin sauce. You can certainly reduce it, or make a proper gravy - but I don't usually bother with that. Just serve the pork, topped with the pan sauce and call it dinner!

*I used a 4.5 pound roast, but if you're cooking for a larger crowd, you'll need a bigger one and will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. As written, this will make @ three servings. The rum will cook away and the meat will be left with a nice savory, garlicy flavor. A perfect accompaniment to the lemon roast potatoes. I hope you'll try it!

I Hate My ISP Redux

The connectivity gods have taken exception to me once again ... this time for good. After spending 2.5 hours on the phone with the ISP's service department last night, the problem could not be fixed - or diagnosed for that matter. They are sending a technician out on Monday between 12 and 4 pm. So it looks like I won't be back online until Monday evening or Tuesday afternoon at the earliest ... that is, of course, dependent on the problem being fixed. Ugh. I'm at my wit's end.

I came into my office so I could post the warning and, once again, ask for your good thoughts with respect to my connection being fixed. I might die before Monday. Really.

In the meantime, if I owe you an email, or comments, or whatever, know that I am not ignoring you - I'm just in ISP hell. Bear with me and I'll be back up and running as soon as I can.

Have a wonderful weekend and let's hope all will be well come Monday afternoon.

Signed,

The saddest Diva imaginable.

Forbidden Recipes: Part One

And so begins another ongoing feature here at Beach Eats.

I was tempted to title this post: "In the Garden of Eatin'" - but that is, perhaps, a bit too twee. And, really, the "forbidden" nature of this feature applies only to those of you playing along at home on The South Beach Diet. As you know, white potatoes are rather off-limits during the first two phases of South Beach - but for my bro's homegrown variety I will absolutely make an exception.

You already know how I feel about "cheating", so it goes without saying that I don't consider the occasional potato dish a cheat. Especially when the ingredients are as good and pure as those grown in one's own family's soil. Strictly speaking, there are very few foods that are truly off the menu in Divaworld. Much as there is good naked and bad naked - there is good forbidden and bad forbidden. Bad forbidden would be scarfing down an entire bag of Cheetos in one go; good forbidden is having a very small portion of something wonderful, natural, and healthy. Mindful indulgence in a luxurious product. In Divaworld, these potatoes qualify.

Now, I'm quite certain that none of my kitchen-savy readers actually need a recipe for roast potatoes. But, I love this picture of bro harvesting his wares and wanted to post something to go with it. The resulting recipe isn't earth-shattering or anything, just a simple and simply delicious side dish. My latest version of a classic. I hope you'll try it!

Lemon Pepper Roast Potatoes:

• 2 very large (or 4 medium) russet potatoes, skins left on
• scant 2 tbsp. good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• scant 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
• generous grinding of fresh black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (do not use bottled)
  
• 2 tsp. of grated lemon zest, minced
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Pre-heat your over to 375 degrees.

Wash the potatoes well and leave the skins intact. Cut the potatoes into small chunks, approximately 1/2 to 1 inch squares. Place in a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt, lemon pepper and black pepper and toss to coat. Stir well to be sure they are evenly coated.

Place the potatoes on a large, rimmed baking sheet in a single layer - spacing them out so that they are not touching each other. Roast in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes or until light golden brown. Cooking time may vary - if your oven runs hot you may choose to roast them at 350 degrees, adjust accordingly.

Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle the potatoes with the lemon juice and grated zest and stir, using a spatula, to coat. Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting for @ 5 more minutes.

Remove and toss the roasted potatoes with the chopped parsley, serve and enjoy!

The finished potatoes have a lovely, light lemon flavor and are bit crisp on the outside, with a soft, tender inside. Delicious, and well worth the minor indulgence.

So, what qualifies as "good forbidden" in your world? Hungry Diva wants to know!

A Fox in the Hen House ...

This amazing picture is of bro's okra plant in bloom. The flower is so stunning and a bit unexpected ... at least from my perspective ... which is that of someone with a distinctly black thumb. Who knew that okra came from such a beautiful plant? Surely not I. Beneath the bloom you can see the okra pods just begging to be picked. I wonder why I didn't take any home with me? Such a shame.

As mentioned, the weather here has been particularly egregious this week. We hit 90 degrees this afternoon. Yuck! I'm pretty happy I decided to make that soup on Wednesday night and not today. Delicious as it is, I don't think I could get behind the idea of soup for dinner tonight.

Actually, I won't be cooking anything at all. I'm dining at the home of a friend, in her back yard ... yes, we have those here in the city. Or, at least a lucky few New Yorkers do. We've been planning this get together for a few weeks now and doing so took so long that we missed the blissfully cool nights that we had at the end of August. C'est la vie.

Since I'm not cooking I thought I'd offer you a few more pictures from the weekend. Below is a picture of Frankie's, a farm stand not too far from Mama and Papa Diva's house. Though their selection of vegetables was truly lovely last weekend, we typically go there for Frankie's fresh
eggs. Sadly, there were none to be had this time ... a fox had gotten into the hen house and decimated both his flock and the new chicks. Much as I love foxes, I was very sad to hear this. We were told that new hens would arrive this week - so hopefully the egg business will be back up and running soon. There were a few hens and chicks running around the front yard, so all was not lost. Though we've only recently discovered Frankie's it was an instant hit with the husband and I. The whole shebang is entirely charming. The run down road-side shed, the bizarre cast of characters who farm and sell the wares, and the lovely heard of Dachshunds they raise all add to the wacky, homespun ambiance of the place. Its a treasure!

Our last pic of the day is of one of the friendly goats that lives at Hindinger's Farm ... my absolute favorite local farm stand. Located in Hamden, CT, the Hindinger family has been farming this 120 acres of land since 1893. They are warm and wonderful people and their produce is spectacular. For me, its not truly summer until I've had my first bite of Hindinger's corn - and corn is just the tip of the iceberg. They're also known for their yummy peaches and some wonderful varieties of apples in the fall, as well as a host of other local offerings.

I wish I'd snapped a few shots of the farm stand itself, and will certainly remedy that in the fall when we return for pumpkins and apples. If you're ever in this area of CT, do make a stop at "Hindy's", as we like to call it, and be sure to visit - or even feed - the goats. I can never leave Hindy's until I've spent a few minutes talking to the goats ... what can I tell you, this city Diva is wild life deprived!

Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for a new recipe tomorrow. Mwah!

An Abundance of Chard ...

If there's a more photogenic vegetable in the garden than Swiss Chard, I'm not sure what it is. True, the tomatoes might give chard a run for its money, but you just can't beat the gorgeous ruby stems of this beauty. I snapped the pick for posterity because this lovely bunch came back to New York City with me on Monday.

I've been meaning to make something different with the chard this time and had a white bean soup in mind. The weather is not cooperating with my plan. Its 400 degrees here again. Distinctly un-soupy weather, save for the humidity. But, I want to make soup, dammit! I'm going to make soup and we're going to eat it too, even if it means cranking the a/c up as high as it will go.

Before we get to the recipe of the day, I will - at last - share my news. You may have noticed the little "Featured Publisher" badge on the top right side of the blog. It will link you to Foodbuzz.com, which is the foodie version of a social networking site. Its an awesome resource for all kinds of food related fun - full of great blogs, recipes, photos, restaurant reviews and more. About a month ago I submitted Beach Eats for inclusion in their Featured Publisher Program and I've been accepted! I'm thrilled to be associated with such a cool new site and I look forward to the possibilities for Beach Eats. I've already met some wonderful blog friends through Foodbuzz and I'm excited about the potential for gaining increased readership. Whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen - but, at a minimum, it means that someone has read my content and found it acceptable. Color me as bright and happy as this chard!

And now, let's get cooking. I didn't really have a specific recipe in mind when I made this soup last night - just got a bunch of ingredients together and let the soup develop as I went along. Its all pretty standard really and the amounts listed are entirely flexible. I used some whole wheat orzo in the soup, but you could certainly substitute any variety of small pasta - or even leave it out. I also used some turkey bacon and I'd like to talk about that for a minute. If you choose to use turkey rather than real bacon, be sure to buy a brand that is as chemical-free as possible. I've had good results with Applegate Farms nitrate-free turkey bacon. Its lean and has a nice, unprocessed, smoky flavor. I once made the mistake of buying Jennie-O turkey bacon and it was awful. Tasted like a mouth full of chemicals. Horrid! I ended up throwing it out. So, please don't use that brand in this soup.

Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup:

• one large bunch of Swiss Chard
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp. minced onion
• 1 rib of celery, leaves included if possible
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 pieces of turkey bacon
• 2 -3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp. of good quality curry powder*
• 2 inch piece of Parmesan cheese rind
• one can of cannellini beans
• one can of small white beans (I used Goya low-sodium brand)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• some cooked whole wheat orzo or other small pasta
  

Garnishes:

• chopped fresh parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• some smoked salt
  
• wedge of lemon to be sprinkled over the soup at table

Remove any large, tough stems from the chard and wash it well. Drain and chop into bite sized pieces. Reserve.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed, stock pot over medium high heat, add the turkey bacon and saute until well browned. Remove and reserve for later. Add the olive oil, shallots, onion, garlic and celery to the pot and saute, stirring often to pick up the browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pan. Continue sauteing for @ 3 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

Begin adding the chard, in bunches, to the pan and saute, stirring constantly until wilted. Once the greens have cooked down, add in another handful of the chard and repeat the process until all of it has wilted. This process will take some time, be patient.

Stir in the rosemary and saute for one minute. Add the chicken and vegetable broths to the pot, along with the curry powder and stir to combine. Add the piece of Parmesan cheese rind, bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind after simmering and discard. (Hint, it is used for flavor, but don't waste the lovely, melty bits of cheese that will develop while simmering. Scrape them off and eat them. Delish!)

While the soup is simmering, prepare the beans. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and reserve. Drain and rinse the small white beans and mash them to a paste, either using a fork or your food processor. Reserve. Once the soup has simmered for the recommended time, add in the mashed beans and stir vigorously to blend. Add in the reserved whole beans and stir to combine. Chop the reserved turkey bacon and add it to the pot. Let the soup simmer for @ 5 more minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and a generous grinding of black pepper to taste.

Place some of the cooked pasta in the bottom of a bowl and ladle the chard and bean soup over it. Serve with any or all of the above listed garnishes and enjoy! I particularly recommend the smoked salt - it adds a wonderful flavor and is great with any egg or pasta dishes as well.

I should note for the record - the finished product is decidedly un-photogenic, hence no final pictures here. But, what it lacks in visuals is made up for in taste. This soup is a healthy, hearty, meal in a bowl. I hope you'll try it!

*One final note about the curry powder ... this soup will not taste like a curried soup. I always add a hint of good quality curry powder to any chicken broth based dish I make. When using a canned stock, it can often lack depth and I find the hint of curry really compliments the chicken flavor and adds to the overall richness of the soup. Give it a try next time you're making a chicken soup - you won't be disappointed!

Interesting Vegetables: Part Six

I finally remembered to bring my camera to CT with me this weekend. Took a bunch of garden pics and a few of some other local attractions - I'll be posting them here and there throughout the week. Stay tuned. This one is a general view of bro's garden. The long row in the middle is broccoli, to the right you can see a bit of the radishes, and behind them are peppers, ground cherries and the first year's growth of the asparagus bed. Its going to be a long wait for the first asparagus harvest - 3 years - but so far it looks promising.

As expected, I raided the garden. We took the last two ears of corn, a variety of tomatoes, boat loads of swiss chard, the last yellow squash, a bunch of potatoes and some very interesting radish. They're white on the outside and deep magenta on the inside. So cool looking - and spicy too. Love 'em!

I put the radish to good use last night in a salad I adapted from the Ellie Krieger book. Actually, I made an entire meal from "The Food You Crave." And ... wait for it ... it included some fish! Shocking! The fish was actually my way of atoning for the weekend's food consumption. Let's just say that I was decidedly *not* on The Beach this weekend ... if pressed, I might even admit to enjoying some pizza, Cheetos and a brownie or two along the way. Whee! But, I got back on the beam in a big way last night by swimming a mile and then preparing an astonishingly healthy dinner.

I made Ellie's "Sole with Vegetables in Foil Packets", using some lemon sole, zucchini, crimini mushrooms and orange bell peppers. It was outstanding. The fish was accompanied by Ellie's Herbed Bulgur-Lentil Pilaf, which is so good it could be a meal in itself, and my radish salad. I will post the salad recipe here because I've made a few changes, but the original is from "The Food's You Crave." I'm 100% in love with this book already and will be cooking from it often.

Here's a pic of the weird, but delicious, radishes from bro's garden. They were the star ingredient in this salad, though you could certainly use the traditional variety. I left out the sugar in the original recipe, added some chopped fresh mint and a dash of dark sesame oil as well. I also altered the vinegar to include two different varieties; seasoned rice vinegar and red wine vinegar. The seasoned rice vinegar does have some sugar, so feel free to use un-seasoned rice vinegar instead if you like. Its all flexible, so feel free to experiment here.






This is the finished salad ... not my best photographic effort, I'm afraid ... I have yet to master the art of food photography! I can assure you that the dish was exquisite. Great combination of flavors and the addition of the chopped mint was perfect and necessary. I hope you'll try it!

As for my news update ... I'll be posting that tomorrow. Stay tuned!



Radish and Snow Pea Salad:

• 2 cups snow peas
• 1 tbsp. water
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 large radishes (or 4 or 5 small), cut into julienne strips
• 1/8 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. walnut oil
• 2 or 3 drops, dark toasted sesame oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint

Place the snow peas and the water in a microwave safe bowl, cover tightly with waxed paper and microwave on high for one minute. Pour into a strainer and rinse under cold water to cool. Let the snow peas drain completely.

Trim off the ends of the snow peas and cut them diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the snow peas, scallions and radishes into a medium sized bowl and reserve.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegars, walnut oil, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste and whisk together until well combined. Pour over the reserved vegetables and toss to coat. Add the chopped mint, stir to combine, serve and enjoy!

Happy September!

Greetings, lovely readers! I hope you all had a spectacular weekend. We definitely did. I'll have something new to post late this afternoon, in the meanwhile, enjoy these pics from the weekend.

The first is of some sunflowers in bro's garden. The second is a rare glimpse of the Diva with her two favorite nephews ... the furry one is Sluggo ... one of bro and sister-in-law's three pugs. Enjoy!