theblogbloom.com, Author at Bloom.

The Girls Do Charleston

May 12, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 3 Comments

Oh, baby!

Long time, no blog.

Universities are closing down, so work has been busy. The garden is gearing up and baby chicks have arrived, so that’s busy. Weekends have been full of family gatherings for the last few weeks. And, I even got to go on a great girls trip with a bunch of my sorority sisters!

We all met ten years ago as freshman and after a whole lot of weekends over the last five years celebrating quite a few marriages, we found ourselves wedding-less in 2015. (However, there will be one baby…!)

After Breakfast Club, a Purdue Tradition, in 2008.

So, to celebrate our decade of friendship- and make sure that we all see each other this year- we headed south and spent an excellent long weekend in Charleston, South Carolina.

Charleston is one of my favorite cities.

As a kid, we used to visit the city when vacationing in Hilton Head and Kiawah Island. I even considered the College of Charleston when trying to figure out where to apply to college when I was a high school senior. The College of Charleston has a strong hospitality and tourism program thanks to the surrounding industry, particularly the restaurant industry.

Charleston has topped “Best Food City” lists in The Washington Post, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure, The Travel Channel, Tasting Table and many more.

And, this may be one- of the many- reasons it topped our list too.

Once we decided on Charleston, I got a phone call from my old roommate, fellow Hospitality grad, and major food aficionado, Anne. (Anne’s resume boasts gigs at Chicago’s Four Seasons and The Signature Room.)

“We HAVE to get a reservation at Husk,” Anne exclaimed.

I agreed. Husk was on my radar too.

I had tried to get in last summer when I was in town for a convention but couldn’t. It was then that I had learned that Husk’s ever-changing, seasonal menu is full of Southern classics like okra, deviled eggs, grits and fried chicken with an elevated, modern-culinary touch. Husk has partnerships with many local farms, growers, fishmongers and even a mill out of Columbia for the restaurant’s grains.

When Anne called, it was January and we couldn’t make a reservation until 90 days out. So, we both made a note and revisited our reservation goals in March.

And, it was then that the miraculous happened: We got one!

For NINE people.

On a Saturday…!

… at 5:00.

We have never made reservations so early (in time and in terms of a calendar…) in our life. Even the dining courts didn’t open that early. But, we didn’t care. We were over the moon and couldn’t stop talking about all we were going to eat.

The night of our reservation arrived, we all got a little dolled up as Husk has a relaxed yet chic vibe, and headed downtown. Husk’s building is a quintessential historic southern home with a big, wrap around porch on each story, complete with rocking chairs.

Once seated, we started our meal with a handful of appetizers such as fried chicken skins with hot sauce and honey, pig ear lettuce wraps, and the most amazing pimento cheese on crackers.

I decided that the night warranted bubbles, so I sipped on Thibault-Janisson sparkling wine from Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville is the home to University of Virginia which is where my parents met and is my namesake. I thought it was appropriate for the evening.

For dinner, I chose a cider glazed pork dish that was paired with my favorite spring vegetables, asparagus and ramps. I asked the sommelier to recommend a good wine to pair with the meal. He brought out a chilled red La Sibilla Piedirosso from Italy. It was light and a perfect compliment to the fresh flavors of the dish.

Other plates that were a hit at our table were the Cornmeal Dusted Catfish paired with sweet creamed corn that earned a trip around the table for everyone to taste and a huge vegetable platter for Haleigh, who is a vegetarian. We also passed cast iron skillets of corn bread with bacon and the sweetest, creamiest grits I had ever had in my life. It tasted like a dessert!

And speaking of dessert, we took one glance at the menu and knew we were in trouble.

After passing four different options around the table… twice, I dubbed the fresh strawberry short cake my favorite of the night. Although, it was tough competition and I knew the peanut butter pie would have been right up Adam’s alley.

As we wrapped up the meal, we stopped by the bar at Husk thanks to a recommendation from our very helpful waiters.

The “bar” is actually a small, old, building next to the home that still has the original exposed beams and bricks. By that time of the evening, it was pretty crowded. But, it is worth stopping in even if you don’t have reservations for a cocktail or bourbon.

While our meal at Husk lived up to- and beyond- every single expectation we had, it wasn’t the only great meal of the trip.

I absolutely loved our lunch at Butcher and Bee, a super cute, BYOB brunch/lunch and late night spot. Butcher and Bee was totally my style with long tables, mix and matched chairs, wild flowers in old mason jars as center pieces and chalkboard menus.

I ordered the uber-fresh, seasonal house salad chock full of radishes, asparagus, spring peas, pistachios and lentils with a can of kombucha.

From our group, I also heard great things about the grilled cheese, french fries, and massive cheeseburger with special sauce.

My group of girls also has a thing for cupcakes. We have visited cupcake shops in any and every city we visit together. So, naturally, we made a pit stop not once, but twice, at Sugar Bakeshop for cupcakes.

Sugar is the sweetest (no pun intended…) little place.

I fell in love with not just the look of the shop but also their almond cupcake. Blueberry Vanilla, Caramel, and Lime Curd Coconut were also favorites of the bunch. In addition to cupcakes, Sugar also has tarts, cookies and pies on the menu… but we stuck to our tradition.

Before the trip was over, we were already having conversations about where we might enjoy our next cupcake.

Maine, Mexico, and Nashville top the list!

A selfie on the Carriage Tour downtown.

Note: We actually stayed in Folly Beach, not downtown. We rented a great condo on vrbo.com that was within walking distance of the beach and the main strip of Folly Beach Island. Staying in Folly Beach, we got a good balance of city and beach as downtown Charleston was only about a twenty minute drive.

Folly Beach was full of great spots too such as Taco Boy (Kim Chi Beef and Avocado Tempura Tacos were to die for), BLU at the Tides hotel (great cheviche, fried green tomatoes and scallops… and Prosecco… we had a lot of Prosecco here), and Woody’s Pizza (the prosciutto and artichoke heart pizza was perfect).

And, the Folly Beach night life surprised us! It’s actually dubbed the “Bachelorette Party Capitol of the World” by the locals. We had a great time at Loggerheads (great outdoor deck and live music), Surf Bar (a “locals” bar), and we actually shut down Snapper Jacks (… thanks to a great DJ that played all our favorites from fratty-rap songs to Taylor Swift.).

Out in Folly Beach!

Sexy Asparagus

April 23, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 6 Comments

“… You’ll have to forgive my awe and excitement over the variety now available in the produce isle. With the range of colors, shapes and sizes, it’s like the bra and panty section in department stores. Vegetables like carrots and broccoli and peas are the equivalent to granny panties- familiar, comfortable, and easy to put on (the table). Artichokes and eggplant and fennel? More like silky lingerie- I eat/wear them often but not so much that they become uninteresting. Then there are the more exotic vegetables- kohlrabi, bok-choy, and mustard greens- that are kind of the like Swavorski bedazzled bra and thongs only available at the Victoria’s Secret runway show. Pull those out on rare, rare occasions and wow someone with your ability to rock his world.” – Jenny McCarthy

I just finished listening to Jenny’s very fun “Stirring The Pot” memoir in the car, which was read by Jenny.

Note to Road Warriors and Runners: Audio books are game changers. And, autobiographies and memoirs always are more captivating when they are read by the author… for more information, listen to Tina Fey in “Bossypants” and Elizabeth Smart’s “My Story.”

But, this quote about Jenny’s affinity for vegetables in “Stirring the Pot” really made me laugh.

Out loud.

In my car.

Alone….

It’s fine.

She makes a good point, right?!

Plus, I love a good, imaginative metaphor. My brain works the exact same way.

However, I do think Jenny forgot to mention the most sexy vegetable of all: Asparagus.

Okay, okay. So, you might not be getting visions of Victoria Secret Angels when you look at a bunch of asparagus.

But, if you saw how it grows you might begin to think more steamy thoughts.

An asparagus shoot emerges from the ground looking like a rounded nosed… hmm… snake.

The shoot rises from the ground, growing incredibly quickly and… umm … erect.

In fact, thanks to it’s phallic appearance, asparagus was thought to be an aphrodisiac in Europe during the Renaissance. Some churches even banned it from their nunneries.

While very sexy in appearance and lore, I think asparagus, just like the other exotic veggies Jenny mentioned, also earns it’s Swavorski crystal bra.

To me, there is nothing more exciting than asparagus because it marks the start of the growing season. It is the first veggie to pop up in gardens and at farmer’s markets, emerging in early April. It is the first reminder of all the great things that will soon be coming. And, because of it’s early arrival, it has no competition and steals the show.

That is, like anything sexy, after a few years of awkward puberty.

It takes asparagus a few years to hit it’s stride.

Asparagus grows from perennial “crowns” that look like an octopus and are planted, root side down, 6-12 inches deep in a well weeded garden bed in 18 inch intervals.

If growing it, be sure to keep asparagus in it’s own garden bed that is well mulched as asparagus doesn’t like any competition. Any weeds will prevent the plant from growing well.

Development of a strong root system is important to the overall success of asparagus so in the first few years you also need to cautious with your asparagus harvest. During the first year it is recommend to only harvest a couple spears from each plant and gradually work your way up throughout the following years.

We planted our asparagus crowns last year and have loved seeing the first shoots pop out of the ground this spring. Some have grown as tall as Adam’s knee- so far. But, we have resisted our temptation to give them a try in hopes of having a strong, long growing asparagus patch. An asparagus plant can be productive for over 20 years!

While we have not tried our own asparagus, it has been easy to find at local markets and food stands in the last week or so. And, I am sure we will find some more at opening day of our local farmer’s market this weekend.

Adam and I both love the taste of fresh, spring asparagus.

So much, that it is now hard for us to even consider purchasing it any other time of year. In the spring, we eat asparagus just about any way you can; steamed, roasted, in frittata’s, on pizza, mixed into salads, etc., until we are just nearly sick of it.

But, then it’s gone.

Replaced by the runway show of slinky, spicy, voluptuous vegetables throughout the summer and into the fall.

Making us lust for it’s sexy, skimpy season again as winter turns to spring next year.

Here is my go-to, no fuss asparagus side dish. Perfect for a weeknight, yet sexy enough for a weekend.

Roasted Asparagus

2015-04-23 05:08:37

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Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus
1 lemon
1 tablespoons Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
Salt and pepper
Optional: Herbs such as thyme or rosemary, removed from stems.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash and dry asparagus, removing woody stems.
Place on baking sheet in a single layer. Run oil over the asparagus. Top with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Slice lemon in half. Juice one half over the asparagus. Slice other half in thin slices.
Toss asparagus with oil, salt, pepper, herbs and lemon juice to coat and set back in a single layer. Place thin lemon slices randomly on top of asparagus.
Bake for 20 minutes, tossing with a spatula or tongs half way through.
Enjoy right away.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Five Food Favorites: Friday April 17

April 17, 2015 by theblogbloom.com Leave a Comment

Happy Weekend, Bloom Babes!

Here are a few of my favorites from the week in food news.

Did you read anything interesting this week? Tell me about it!

Millennials Use of Restaurants Change As their Lifestyles Change
ABC News

While driving home this week, the “Top of The Hour” ABC news briefs came on the radio. The anchor said that in March spending was up, particularly in restaurants.

I found that sort of interesting (See also: slightly concerning… as a home cooked meal, nutrition advocate) so when I got home I tried to look up the whole article. Instead, when search key words from the radio piece, I found this article from March.

The report says that millennials, young people ages 18-35, make up a quarter of restaurant spending, but recently the group has actually cut back on restaurants. Reasons run the gamut from the fact that it is cheaper and more nutritious to cook at home to the fact that many millennials find enjoyment in cooking.

Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015
Time Magazine

Ina Garten is my all time favorite. I would be 110% okay to have her life when I am 60.

… Who am I kidding?

A house in the Hampton’s? That garden? The kitchen? First class foodie trips to Paris? Fun visitors for parties and afternoon baking sessions?

I would take that life right now. (However, Ina can keep her Jeffery. I have one of those already…!)

I was absolutely thrilled when I read that she made Time’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2015. She has been a huge influence to me in my approach to cooking, entertaining, food shopping and gardening.

It also didn’t hurt that Taylor Swift, another one of my favorites, wrote the article.

The Prettiest Naked Cakes Ever
stylemepretty.com/living

Evidently, “Naked Cakes” are very hot right how.

Now, don’t go thinking that these are for bachelorette parties only.

Naked Cakes are actually very “rated G” and gorgeous. (Plus, let’s be real here… this is from the ever swoon worthy, Style Me Pretty… Do you really think the pretty police would okay an X-rated cake?)

I love the somewhat rustic, unfinished look to these cakes. With berries just around the corner, be on the look out for a summer berry naked cake on Bloom. I am feeling inspired!

Let’s Talk About Native Bee’s and Why We Need Them
gardenbetty.com

I am a big fan of bees and make sure to always have more than enough flowers in the garden to attract these vital pollinators. Adam and I have even considered bee keeping with honey bees. Bu, we still have a lot to learn.

This week Linda at Garden Betty wrote about native bees and how they are just as important to the food system as honey bees and bumble bees. What is interesting about native bees is that they are incredibly strong pollinators (much stronger than their other bee cousins) and they don’t need a hive, just a group of hollow tubes.

Linda’s approach to keeping native bees, with help from Crown Bees, looks pretty simple. This is something I will be looking into for our garden this summer!

Gwyneth Paltro Consciously Uncouples From $29/Week Food Challenge After Four Days
The Today Show

This story seemed to be everywhere this week.

Gwyneth tried to buy and eat only $29.00 worth of food for a week. $29.00 is what individuals on the SNAP, or food stamp program, are permitted each week.

She found that in just four days it was too difficult to eat wholesome, nutritious food on this budget.

I won’t doubt that it is challenging. I also know that I am incredibly fortunate to not be in the position to worry about budgeting only $30 for all my meals each week.

However, I can’t help but wonder, “What if she had a garden?”

What if SNAP benefit members planted their own gardens?

Seeds and starter plants can be purchased with the benefits.

What if they took advantage of this?

Nothing huge, just things like zucchini, beans, peas, radishes, carrots and tomatoes. Things that grow well in small spaces and only require a bit of attention. Things that can be frozen or canned for winter meals.

Since we garden and put away so much food for the winter, our grocery bills are pretty light.

Could a garden help?

I think it could… in more ways than one.

“Simply” Fun Day at The Indiana Artisan Marketplace

April 15, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 4 Comments

A couple weekends ago Adam and I had a great day date.

We took our time getting up and headed to Indy for brunch. I was so excited to take Adam to one of my new favorite restaurants, The Garden Table, in Broad Ripple.

Broad Ripple is a fun area of Indianapolis full of unique restaurants, bars, and other neat amenities like workout studios and boutiques.

At The Garden Table, the menu showcases seasonal produce, cheese, and meat from local producers. The meals are simple, fresh and made from scratch.

While I love the food and juices, I really love the style of the restaurant. It’s clean and unfussy. The Chalkboard walls illustrate the farms they work with and menu items in a beautiful, whimsy script. Glass Weck jars sit at every table full of water and they even had the super cool, new purple Ball jars holding silverware.

For brunch, Adam opted for the Lox Toast. He had been having dreams about it since I had showed him a photo of it on their instagram account weeks earlier. It, apparently, didn’t disappoint because I didn’t even get a bite.

Which really wasn’t a problem because I enjoyed every bit of my order, the Garden Toast, topped with mashed avocado and juicy tomatoes. It was light and had a fresh bite to it thanks to the lemon juice and micro greens.

We also shared a flight of four of their cold pressed juices. The deep blue, thanks to activated charcoal, Detox Dream was our favorite with The Garden Gate, full of beet and carrot juices, as a close second.

After our satisfying brunch, we headed a little further south to the Indianapolis Fair Grounds for the Annual Indiana Artisan Marketplace.

Every year, members of Indiana Artisan come together to connect with consumers and each other. One of Adam’s longtime friends, Andy, is a member and makes beautiful furniture. Check him out at http://coleandsonsinc.com/.

Adam and I absolutely love this marketplace. We are always impressed by the woodworkers who make everything from baskets and boxes to neat kitchen tools. We enjoy seeing the skill of the painters and jewelry makers. But, not surprisingly, what we really enjoy is checking out all the “Foodists.”

There were so many different food vendors this year. It was great to see some of our old favorites like Best Boy and Co.

All the Best Boy products are all natural and all of the profit (yes, 100%!) goes to charities for children and families.

Last year, Adam fell in love with their Redhead Hot Sauce and ran out of his last bottle a few weeks before the marketplace.

This year they had come out with a new Brunette Hot Sauce, which they convinced Adam to buy because I was right next to him. Looking at me, they said, “You gotta get the Brunette Sauce too!” Their sales tactic worked like a charm.

In addition to the new Hot Sauce Flavor, they also just rolled out new stone ground mustard’s. We picked up a jar of each flavor and I have loved using the Deli Style Mustard on anything from pretzels to salmon to salads.

Another one of our favorites that we were introduced to at last year’s Marketplace is Fermenti Artisan. Fermenti Artisan is a company that makes fermented products like sauerkraut, Kim-Chi, and curtido. They take extra care to source local, organic and nutrient dense foods.

Their products are so good. Adam literally will eat their Kim-Chi right out of the jar. I love to add it to stir fry, pho and even to salads.

This year, as we stocked up on more Kim-Chi and krauts, I noticed that Fermenti Artisan had a new product: Kombucha.

I was excited. I love kombucha and would love to try to make my own one of these days. When I mentioned this to the owners who were manning the booth, confused looks crossed both of their faces.

“You know what kombucha is?” they questioned.

I laughed, knowing that they had probably sized me up.

Kombucha is a fermented tea with an added culture of bacteria and yeast. It is known to have a variety of amazing health benefits.

It is also know to have a little bit of a “crunchy, granola, hippie” type following.

… Apparently, I don’t look the part.

But, it’s all good. I am more into diamonds than dreads anyway.

My favorite new find this year was Sage’s Simple Syrups.

I literally squealed, “What a GREAT idea!” as I walked into their booth.

I love making craft cocktails and making simple syrup isn’t hard by any means; it’s just kind of annoying because of the dishes and time involved. This make’s it easy because the work is done. You still get the complex flavor of a handcrafted cocktail.

Sage’s Simple Syrups is owned by a husband and wife duo and they create a various different flavors of simple syrup mixes. Their diverse flavors include things like Mango Ginger, Guava, Peach Lavender and even Coffee Vanilla Bean.

In talking with Bryna, the wife behind the brand, I learned that the mixes are named after their daughter, Sage, and that her husband actually doesn’t drink. His motive for the product was because he didn’t want the alcohol, but still wanted to have the feel, flavor and fun of a cocktail.

Each simple syrup bottle includes a cocktail recipe and a mocktail recipe. But, they also encourage customers to have fun and get creative.

I was immediately drawn to the Lime Mint flavor because I like Mojitos. And, as much as I love adding my homegrown mint to cocktails like Julup’s and Mojito’s, the leaves can be kind of annoying.

Mojito drinkers will understand… It clogs your straw. You suck too hard and you get a big chunk of mint leaf in your mouth. This eliminates the problem!

Excited to give it a try at home, I made a Mojito without a trip to the grocery store for limes or mint. Club Soda and rum are staples in our liquor cabinet.

The flavor in the cocktail was a great balance of bold yet not over powering or too sweet. I am excited to try other Sage’s Simple Syrups flavors, like Cucumber Basil, this summer at the lake and at cookouts to keep life a little more simple.

“The CSA Cookbook” Review

April 12, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 11 Comments

When I first started to get serious about gardening thoughts of blogging about it were not far behind. So, because curiosity struck, I hit the webs to find other garden blogs.

I wanted to see what was out there, if anything. I wanted to learn what people were interested in, what they were reading and what was popular. I also wanted to pick up some new garden tips and tricks.

I took to Google with things like “Garden Blog.” “Young Gardener.” “Garden Blogger.” “Backyard Garden Blog.” Etc. Etc. Etc.

What I found were a lot of pieces that read like science books.

… And, if you know me, this was bad. Science was, and still is, not my thing.

But, then I found Garden Betty, written by Linda Ly.

Finding Garden Betty was like a breath of fresh air.

Linda’s fun and fresh style shows through in her approach to gardening, backyard chickens, recipe creation and writing. Garden Betty quickly found it’s way into my “favorites” and Facebook “Likes.” So, when Linda announced she was publishing her first book, The CSA Cookbook, and approached me about reviewing it here, I was thrilled.

I knew the book was going to be excellent just based on what I knew about Garden Betty. But, after watching The CSA’s Cookbook’s trailer I couldn’t wait to get the book in my hands.

Because of our remote location and the fact that we grow so much on our own, I have never participated in a CSA. However, I know that CSA’s are gaining huge popularity. They are a great concept for people who lack space or time to grow their own food.

A CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a community of people who support a farmer or local agriculture. They all come together to buy shares of the farm’s bounty and receive deliveries of fresh produce throughout a growing season.

Linda wrote The CSA Cookbook with these shareholders, as well as gardener’s and Farmers Market shoppers, in mind. Throughout the pages, Linda strives to show readers how to get the most out of their produce even if they are not familiar with it.

As a cookbook, The CSA Cookbook is great. It is full of easy to follow recipes, comprised of typical kitchen staples, and beautiful photos. In addition to this, The CSA Cookbook is also an excellent resource for any home cook.

“The Basics” fill the first portion of the book. These pages teach readers everything that they need to know about fresh produce. Linda lists great spices, sauces and tools to have on hand. She also shares how to store your veggies so that you can enjoy them at their best.

While flipping through the colorful pages, Linda’s skill and creativity shines through. She features unique recipes like pesto made from almost anything and Pan Fried Cucumbers in Honey Sesame Sauce. (I mean… Have you ever put cucumbers in a skillet? Me either, but I will now!)

But, what really struck me was Linda’s encouragement to celebrate quality produce by using the whole vegetable.

My compost and the hens love vegetable scraps, but it was eye opening to learn that there is so much more that I could be doing with carrot tops, tomato leaves and even kale ribs to feed my family and friends.

After thumbing through the book a few more times and laughing at the adorable photo of Linda’s pugs, I headed down to my basement to check on my tiny seedlings.

I noted that the tomatoes are getting their second set of leaves. Leaves that I will eat.

The kale is beginning to get a little curl, meaning that the stems are growing. Stems that I will eat.

And, the leeks, the newbie to this year’s garden, had shot up and stood straight and tall.

This reminded me of the section of The CSA Cookbook dedicated to bulbs and stems.

Between the recipes for “Leek and Bacon Breakfast Pizza” and “Seared Scallops Over Melted Leeks,” I knew I would have a lot of fun with these tiny green blades come summer.

But, on the walk back up the stairs I convinced myself that I couldn’t wait that long.

Leeks made it onto my shopping list and late last week I made The CSA Cookbook’s “Seared Scallops Over Melted Leeks” for dinner.

All of the ingredients with the exception of the leeks and scallops were already in my kitchen. The recipe was really straightforward. But, to make it even easier, Linda adds a handful of pointers to help home cooks get the best result.

In addition to being new to the garden, leeks are relatively new to my kitchen. Typically, in my kitchen, leeks find their way into soups and they are rarely the star.

In this recipe however, leeks take the lead.

Melting the thin leeks in butter transformed their flavor from strong to slightly sweet. The delicate leeks were complimented well by the seared scallops and decadent tarragon and white wine sauce.

A perfect light and easy meal that was still a bit of a treat.

Seared Scallops Over Melted Leeks with Tarragon Butter Sauce

2015-04-11 17:07:56

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For the Leeks

6 Leeks, white and green stems only
2 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup of chicken broth
Salt and Pepper

For the Scallops

1 1/4 pounds sea scallops, rinsed
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon butter

For the Sauce

1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of half a lemon
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced tarragon
Parsley and Lemon Zest for garnish

Instructions

To prepare the leeks: Slice the leek stems in half, longways. Rinse under running water, fanning out the layers to wash away dirt and grit. Shake dry and slice into thin half moons.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat.
Stir in the leeks to coat.
Add broth, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
Uncover and cook off any remaining broth. Stir, then reduce heat to low. (Keep leeks on the stove while you prepare the scallops and sauce.)
To prepare scallops: pat them dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat so that it covers the pan.
Place scallops in a single layer in the hot pan to sear on one side for three minutes.
Flip scallops and sear them on the other side for two minutes. (Be careful to not over cook the scallops as they get rubbery. Even if under cooked, scallops are delicious and they will continue cooking when removed from the heat.)
Once the scallops are opaque throughout, place them on a plate and keep warm.

For the Sauce

Pour the wine and lemon into a small sauce pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Boil until the liquid has reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and whisk in two tablespoons of butter until softened but not completely melted.
Whisk in the remaining two tablespoons of butter and the tarragon until the sauce is smooth and thick.
To plate: Divide the leeks among four plates and top with scallops. Drizzle the tarragon butter sauce over the top and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

By Linda Ly, The CSA Cookbook

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

The CSA Cookbook is available wherever books are sold.

Note that a copy of The CSA Cookbook was given to me for my review. The opinions are my own and I think this book is fabulous. Anyone who loves their CSA, Farmers Market, backyard garden, or fresh vegetables will love this book and use it for many years to come.

Five Friday Foodie Favorites: April 10

April 10, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 2 Comments

The Correct Ratio When Substituting Dried Herbs for Fresh
thekitchn.com

The Kitchn is great. (And, Fun Fact! The editor is based out of my hometown: Columbus, Ohio.) The site is full of kitchen design inspiration, tips for cooking and entertaining, recipes and more.

This ratio is good to remember especially as we transition into spring and fresh herbs will be more widely available. Dried herbs pack more punch in smaller packages than fresh herbs. Keep this in mind so that the flavors you are looking for are well balanced and delicious.

Buying Local Foods: It’s Not as Hard as You Think
backtothecuttinboard.com

This blog was recently started by a family friend and fellow Purdue grad. Adriane and her friend Katie are on the road to becomming RD’s, but along the way they share their food and nutrition knowledge on Back To The Cutting Board.

This post is full of resources for sourcing local food be it from a CSA, farmer’s market, or even your own grocery store.

I take the stance that local is more important to me than eating certified organic. There are plenty of great small, local producers who practice honest principles, but cannot afford the certification. Finding local farms from these resources will help you get to know growers in your area and make the best call for you…. And, save a ton of fossil fuels.

How to Make Chicken Poop Into Fertilizer For Your Garden
naturallyloriel.com

Loriel, from Naturally Loriel, is my editor at Scratch Mommy and this is actually a guest post on her personal blog by me. (Shameless Plug…) When we first began considering a backyard garden, it became pretty clear that we should also consider backyard chickens. This post explains why chicken poop is so valuable to a garden and how we compost our chicken’s droppings.

Growing Our Own Food Saves Us Up to $24,000 a Year
Business Insider

Adam and I have never gone as far to track how much money we might be spending at a grocery store if we didn’t have a garden. Please, even just talks about a budget are hard enough.

This South Carolina couple claims if they were to be purchasing the same caliber of produce and eggs at the store that they can grow, they would be spending an additional $24,000 each year.

Impressive? Yes. And, I do agree that the incredibly flavorful berries, tomatoes and carrots, that come out of a well cared for backyard garden are on a different quality and taste level than most produce at the grocery store.

But, what I really enjoyed about this article is how this couple promotes gardening. In addition to the extra cash and fine-dining quality produce, they mentioned that gardening is a great couples activity, source of energy and way to exercise. They also encourage people to not invest a lot of cash up front and use what they have. Their own garden is on their 3/4 acre lot!

Teach Every Child About Food
ted.com

Oh, Jamie Oliver. Isn’t he great? I could listen to him talk all day; Obviously for the accent and because his delivery is so powerful.

I remember when I first heard that staggering fact that this generation is the first generation of children to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. I had just turned 24, was recently married and started a job at a county school district as their Food and Nutrition Director. I was on an optional nutrition conference call.

It took my breath away.

I couldn’t help but think, “So, is this where evolution just… ends? We went up for years and years and now we are going… down?”

Quite honestly, that call changed my life a bit. It steered me toward Bloom, my career in everyday consumption of food versus one time special occasions, and my passion for homegrown and home cooked food.

Give yourself twenty minutes to listen to this sometime this weekend because Jamie’s Ted Talk is great.

While listening I felt every emotion under the sun. It made me laugh and made me want to cry. It made me scared, sad, disgusted, and angry. But, this talk also inspired and assured me that what I am doing, as small as Bloom might be, is right.

It is something so simple: Cooking at home, teaching children (and adults!) how to grow food and how to cook food.

Simple. But, it’s about so much more than food.

Five Friday Foodie Favorites

April 3, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 2 Comments

I think about food… A lot.

I talk about food… A lot.

I read about food… A lot.

Yes, I do work in the food service industry and surround myself with food and thoughts about food throughout the working hours.

But, I also thumb through Bon Appetit and Food and Wine when laying at the pool while my friends catch up on the latest US Weekly. I do this because I want to learn about the cool, new trends, restaurants and ingredients… and because The Bachelor really doesn’t interest me.

I listen to Ted Talks about our food system, childhood obesity, and nutrition when driving instead of pop radio because I want to listen to the leaders in the industry and to learn as much as possible about what is really going on.

I read and reread books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and The Omnivore’s Dilemma over and over again because I want to continue to be inspired about home cooking and fresh, homegrown food.

I check my favorite food blogs or the “Living” sections of major news publications each morning because I want to know what other people find important and what people are talking about.

I bring cookbooks to the gym to read on the treadmill because… well, sometimes I think it must be because I like to torture myself… But, really, I love reading about the ingredients and flavors other people are putting together. I love learning more about the process of braising or searing. And, I love the stories that the authors share about their beloved dishes.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that I have food on my mind between eighteen to twenty hours a day. (Come on. With all these other thoughts of food, of course I dream about food too!)

Because of this, I am starting something new on Bloom. On Friday’s I will share five food things that I read, saw, heard, throughout the week that inspired me, made me think or taught me something.

So, grab some tea this weekend and take a moment to read. My hope is that it will get you thinking more about food too.

Five Culinary School Secrets Every Home Cook Needs To Know
theeverygirl.com

The Everygirl is one of my favorite websites. I check it nearly everyday. It’s a great resource for any girl in her twenties and thirties. And, these cooking tips would be exactly what I would share with any new home cook.

30 Unhealthy Foods You Mistake as Healthy and Their Surprising Swaps
healthyholisticliving.com

This was shared this week on a few different platforms that I follow including Edible Indy. Some of the swaps are obvious and the whole article is a little lengthy, but what I really loved were the great info-graphics. There is a lot to learn in this one.

DIY Magical Color Changing Food Coloring
thethingswellmake.com

I think this is so fun. And, in the day and age where so many kids are allergic to dyes, it’s great to have natural alternatives for birthday and holiday treats. It also looks like it would be a great rainy day activity for kids with a little bit of a science lesson, but still plenty of magic.

One-Pot Creamy Spinach Lentils
pinchofyum.com

Adam and I made this for dinner this week and it was excellent. I had the opportunity to meet Lindsey of Pinch of Yum last summer at a photography workshop. She is so sweet and so smart. I love how she explains how great lentils are in this post. They are becoming a favorite at our house and this recipe helped seal the deal. It’s super easy with minimal clean up. Plus, we had lunch for the rest of the week!

PS- It sounds weird, but do add the red wine vinegar at the end. Major flavor boost!

How America’s Most Famous Farmer Can Appeal to the Left, Right and Center
thewashingtonpost.com

Fun Fact: Joel Salatin is Adam’s #mancrush. He loves him.

I do too. We both look up to his approach to farming as well as to the principles his farm, Polyface, was founded on. We hope to someday emulate the same practices on our land.

This week, this article struck a cord with me. (… Perhaps it’s because I live in Indiana.) Food politics are interesting because it has such a wide appeal and a unifying power. Everyone eats. Because of this, food politics tend to “run purple.” Joel appeals to the masses because he takes the stance that he is a “Christian-conservative-libertarian-environmentalist-lunatic.”

I like that for a lot of reasons but mainly because throughout my early twenties I have struggled with thoughts like, “Am I a conservative? But, I am not like that conservative. Okay so, does that mean I am a democrat? But, I know that’s not right either.” Which in turn has honestly lead me to be really apathetic towards politics.

Joel encourages people to think through issues instead of following the “blind alignment.”

Just because you believe one thing doesn’t mean you have to agree 100% with everyone else who thinks that way. It also doesn’t give someone the right to make assumptions about everything else that you believe because of that one thing. Inform yourself and be your own party of one.

So, You Want to Plant a Garden?

March 30, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 7 Comments

You guys…!

I think we made it.

I can see it. I can smell it. And, – on good days- I can even feel it.

I think spring is here.

Well, it better be. I started seeds last week and they are already growing out of their starter kits.

A good thing, yes. But, also a weather reality check as it’s only a matter of weeks before the little seedlings move to their summer home, the garden.

In the last week or so I have seen many social media posts sharing images of sprouting veggies and excitement for summer gardens.

I love it because I totally understand: It feels like you just did something magical. You turned a tiny seed into a growing, living, green stem. All in less time than it takes for online shopping packages to find my country doorstep.

But, I also know plenty of people who are on the fence about starting a garden. Almost all of these people that I speak with agree that it sounds wonderful; but, what does it really entail in terms of time, energy, commitment, and more?

Here are six good questions to ask yourself before getting seeds in dirt.

What grows well where I live?

Here’s the deal: I would absolutely love a lemon tree. But, the reality is, Indiana’s short growing season and continuous growing cycle of a lemon tree isn’t a good fit.

Local nursery’s and garden supply stores are good indicators of what grows well in your area. The USDA’s Plant Hardiness zones also help you understand the length of your area’s growing season and what plants will do well.

What do I like to eat?

These are things you should plant.

If you don’t like squash, don’t plant it. Even if kale is totally on trend, but you can’t stomach it, don’t plant it. You will be more apt to care for plants that you are excited to eat. Plus, it also prevents veggies from going to waste.

But, even the most seasoned gardeners will also encourage you to plant one thing to try. This year I plan to get over my fear of butternut squash with five little plants. Wish me luck!

What do I want from my garden?

Do you plan on enjoying fresh summer veggies only or do you want to put things up for winter?

This will help you determine how much to plant. Canning and freezing vegetables, like beans and tomatoes, is awesome because you can enjoy them throughout the winter months. Plants like potatoes and carrots can stay fresh for months in a cool, dry place.

But, enjoying tomatoes the whole month of August or asparagus all spring is the greatest introduction to learning to eat seasonally. Do what makes sense to you.

Where is the garden going to go?

For the most part, garden plants only need a bit of space, water, and sun to grow well.

Many plants will be just fine in containers on the patio and you can even work edible pieces into your landscaping. Or, if you have the space and you are willing to give up some of your lawn, you can do beds that are either raised or right into the ground.

No matter where the vegetables go you want to make sure it is an accessible space that receives six to eight hours of sunlight and there is a good water source nearby.

How do I want to do this?

Do you want to go the totally organic route? Or would you prefer to use conventional fertilizers and pest control?

Either way is fabulous. You are growing your own food in your own yard!

Either way you are still saving fossil fuels because your produce isn’t being shipped from Argentina and Southern California. You are teaching your kids an amazing skill and your family is learning to eat fresh, seasonal foods.

But, if you do choose to go the organic route you may want to begin to explore composting, natural pest control (such as diatomaceous earth and just good old manual labor) and even begin looking into chickens for natural fertilizers.

How much time can I give the garden?

Gardening is easy, but it isn’t easy.

… Perhaps only gardener’s will understand that.

But, it’s true.

And a caveat here, it all depends on scale. If I let my garden sit for a week, I will be weeding for an hour or two. But, if a gardener with two 8×3 raised garden beds lets things go for a week, they may only need to weed for 20-30 minutes.

But, at the end of the day, every garden requires a little attention. If you can work with the garden at least twenty minutes once or twice a week (with the exception of a couple weekend afternoons where you get everything into the ground or cleaned up for fall) you will be fine.

And, if that seems like too big of a commitment, herbs are a great place to start and CSA’s are wonderful too!

Trendy Pho

March 22, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 7 Comments

I have never really been a trend setter.

Trendy? Sure.

Trend follower? Okay, yeah. I’m not ashamed. I won’t deny it.

But, I have never really been the first on the scene with the latest and greatest.

I had a flip phone longer than some probably thought was socially acceptable and I resisted the iPhone for a long time due to a fear that I would ruin it in the first 24 hours. I drive a ten year old car. And, I don’t own a crop top. (And, that’s okay.)

But, something funny happened around the start of the year… I found myself ahead of the curve.

I was watching the Today Show and each anchor was sipping from what looked like a coffee cup. But instead of lattes, the cups contained the newest craze to hit NYC: Bone broth.

This winter, shops were popping up all over the city that offered warm cups of ($4.00!) broth that New Yorkers were drinking like Starbucks. Bone Broth is made with any animal bones that you roast and simmer for hours with vegetables. The broth is touted for it’s vitamins and minerals to help boost immune systems, relieve joint and gut pain, and to brighten skin and shine hair.

I have been making Bone Broth in my home every other week for almost two years.

And, not to be trendy. Or, even for the vitamins and minerals… although, that’s a nice bonus, I suppose. How’s my hair look?!

But rather, to take complete advantage of a whole chicken and ensure that nothing is wasted, not even bones.

After enjoying a whole chicken’s meat, I place the bones in a large pot or crock pot with whatever vegetables I have in the fridge and let it simmer for the good portion of a day. Once cool, I freeze the broth in mason jars with plenty of room for expansion. It’s great to have on hand because we make soups and risotto often. I cannot remember the last time I had to purchase broth or worry about the massive amounts of sodium in store bought broth.

The most recent good dent in our broth was to hop on another trend: Pho.

Pho is big. The chefs I work with make it often as it’s a common college request. My urban friends gush over it. My sister-in-law even claims that she and her husband are “pho-natics.” And, they aren’t alone: If you look up “#pho” on Instagram you will find over one million tags to filtered pho-tos.

It’s popularity is well deserved, but it is actually pretty simple. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup that typically contains broth, long, skinny noodles, herbs and meat.

And, with my homemade broth and already cooked chicken, I made it even more simple. However, while simple to make, it’s flavor is anything but.

This Pho is a symphony of flavors. There’s the deep, slightly sweet but spicy broth, bright herbs, and crunchy garnishes that literally sing with every bite.

The perfect transition to early spring soup.

Chicken Pho

2015-03-22 15:35:30

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Ingredients

8 Cups of Chicken Broth
4 Cups of Water
1 medium onion, roughly chopped in large pieces
4 cloves of garlic, roughly minced
3 whole cloves
1 inch knob ginger, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 TBS fish sauce
Salt and Pepper
5 Ounces Pho Rice Noodles (I used ramen because it's what I had. Even linguine works just fine.)
12 ounces cooked chicken, roughly chopped
Garnishes: cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, green onions, thinly sliced jalapenos, etc.

Instructions

Stir broth, water, onion, garlic, clove, ginger, cinnamon stick and fish sauce together in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Cook the noodles according to the package. Drain and rinse immediately to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Prepare the garnishes.
Add the chicken to the broth to heat back up.
When ready to serve, place noodles in serving bowl then cover with the hot broth and chicken. Top with garnishes and serve right away.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

The garnishes are one of my favorite things about Pho. You can really make it your own and create lots of flavor elements. Common toppings are green onions, cilantro, chili peppers, lime wedges, and bean sprouts. Adam loves to add sirracha for some more heat. I added kimchi to this one for color… and because kimchi is the bomb.com.

Pho reals.

Outdoorsman Goes Italian

March 19, 2015 by theblogbloom.com 7 Comments

Adam and I met in 2008 at one the most famous college bars in the nation.

Harry’s Chocolate Shop is everything there is to love about a college town bar: long time presence on campus, full of history and even myths. The place is timeless playing the same tunes, serving the same cocktails and the bartenders still remember your name… and drink. And for alumni, it holds a special place in their heart.

Harry’s tagline claim’s that it is “Home To the Great Indoorsman.”

Well, little did I know on that November night, surrounded by indoorsmen (and women!), I met a great outdoorsman.

Adam first went hunting before he reached double digits, fishing before he was in kindergarten and was hooked from the start. (No pun intended.)

Today, he spends any weekend he can in the late fall rising early to head out to the woods to hunt deer in solitude or to hunt ducks and geese with a handful of other guys. And, fortunately for me, any shopping I do is completely justified by his once a year gun purchase.

But, even with my suburban upbringing, Adam wasn’t the first outdoorsman in my life.

When I was in grade school, my Uncle Norm was single and lived close to our home. So, we all hung out often. He came to games, Holidays, and saw us off for school dances. There was no doubt about it: Uncle Norm was a cool uncle.

With Norm and my munchkin of a little brother in 2001. Braces and hair straighteners are a good things.

If out to ice cream, he let my sister and I order adult sized scoops. Which, at ten, was so cool. At 16, he let me drive his very cool convertible while he rode shot gun. He taught me how to eat sushi and would buy me the expensive brands I so needed in order to be cool for my Birthday.

All things my Mom and Dad didn’t do.

But, in addition to being cool, my uncle was also a big outdoorsman. For as long as I can remember, my Uncle Norm has loved to fish, owned and trained his own hunting dogs and even would string shot gun shell Christmas lights up during the Holiday’s.

It was with Uncle Norm that I first caught a fish, first shot a BB-Gun, first shot a real gun and went hunting.

Again, all things my Mom and Dad didn’t do.

So naturally, Norm and Adam were instantly buds and these days they try to line up a hunt every time they are together. On our most recent visit to their new home, I tagged along a pheasant hunt with my little sister, her boyfriend, and Norm’s wife, Emma.

Oh, and Otto, his nearly two year old hunting dog.

Photo by my Aunt Emma

As hunting goes, at least for me- a chatty, indoor kind of girl- Pheasant hunting is actually pretty fun. You get to walk around in the woods and you don’t have to worry about being quiet. I joked with my Chi-Town native sister who was a little nervous about the hunt, that it’s just cardio while carrying around a large, ten pound weight. I left out the part that the “weight” could potentially be dangerous… I think she appreciated that.

This day wound up being a really nice, winter day, full of sunshine and blue skies. We all had fun, laughing and cheering Otto on. And, we did pretty well, bringing home a handful of birds.

Another great photo by Aunt Emma

Like raising our own chickens and even growing our own food, hunting an animal and taking it’s life doesn’t go without a prayer. And, both Adam and Norm are great at ensuring anything they hunt isn’t in vain but rather is used to nourish and sustain our bodies.

Uncle Norm always creates amazing recipes with the wild game he hunts from a smoked trout dip that I used to always request for my Birthday to Moose-chetta, a spin on bruchetta using you guessed it- Moose! Adam and I are also getting pretty good at creating new wild game recipes for things he typically brings home like duck and venison.

For Valentine’s day this year, Adam and I decided to make pheasant ravioli, inspired by my uncle’s own pheasant ravioli. We busted out the pasta maker and had a great evening rolling pasta sheets and creating our own filling using the pheasants from our late January hunt.

The filling has a light, but creamy taste and texture thanks to the combination of white wine and Parmesan cheese. Topped with our own homemade sauce from last summer’s tomatoes making it a great meal knowing that we touched every part of it.

Pheasant Ravioli Filling

2015-03-19 08:18:26

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Ingredients

4 Pheasant Breasts
Salt and Pepper
1 TBS Grapeseed Oil
1/2 Cup finely chopped pancetta
1 finely chopped shallot
8 ounces dry white wine
2 TBS grated parmesan
4 TBS heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the breasts in half and season with skin on.
Pour oil into an oven proof skillet (I use cast iron) and cook the pheasant quickly until skin is golden brown.
Add the pancetta, shallot and wine and continue to cook for three minutes turning the pheasant breast over.
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and let the breast cook through. It should only take about three minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
While still warm put breasts, pancetta and shallots into a food processor with the parmesan cheese and process until you have course paste.
Place mixture in a bowl and slowly mix in the heavy cream.
Roll mixture into small balls and place on thin, rolled pasta sheets prepared according to machine's directions to cut into ravioli.

Notes

Ravioli cutters and pasta machines can be found at any kitchen supply store.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/