Barley & Wild Rice
One of my fave grain combos for salads or as a side dish is barley and wild rice. The textures compliment each other and both have a hint of sweetness. Had this with blood orange marinated grilled chicken, as a cold salad. The grains were tossed with fresh from the garden arugula, parsley, oregano, and chive blossoms.
Friday Breakfast … from what I found in Vickie’s frig: polenta pan fried, carrots and onions sauteed, sliced avocado, pickled cabbage, an egg poached, a drizzle of balsamic, all on a bed of mixed greens.
New Flavor Combo
Having brunch with friends ended with Rhubarb Crumble Coffee Cake and … wait for it … Brooklyn One Local Ale! Maybe my goto dessert beverage :-)
Poached Egg with Lamb in Sorrel-Ramp Sauce
I have always enjoyed spring for fresh herbs, especially sorrel; almost always as a cream soup. Finding suggestions of using lamb stock for the soup base got wheels turning. So, I braised lamb shanks and used the stock in the sorrel sauce. Great combination! The lamb is well complimented by the savory lemony flavor of the sorrel.
Sorrel-Nettle Soup with Ramps
Sorrel, nettles, ramps and chives, perfect makings for a spring soup on a rainy day. Sorrel has a wonderful sour, lemony flavor offset with a little cream. Nettles add an herbaceousness, ramps offers a bold background, a pungent flavor of onion and garlic. And chive flowers for contrast.
Blood Orange Chicken
Grilled marinaded blood orange and rosemary chicken, chive tri-colored couscous topped with strawberry rhubarb maple sauce.
Dinner feature: Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna finished with wasabi, soy sauce and ginger glaze topped with Michigan ramps and morels!
Oh my … I already had dinner :-(
Poached Egg with Nettle Sauce
Broke my self-imposed veagan-ish diet (allowed shrimp during weekend) with this break-fast … Poached egg, crispy potatoes, asparagus, all topped with garden fresh nettle-chive sauce.
Working the garden with a Yuengling Lager :-)
Shrimp Paella
Rarely do I prepare anything but a full paella with chicken, chorizo, shrimp and clams, but currently restricting my intake of meats save for fish and shellfish, I was pleased how well this turned out.
Probably best called Saffron Rice with Shrimp, broth from shrimp shells was used, browned the rice with leeks, sweet bell peppers and tomatoes then finished with saffron infused sherry. A few minutes before done added the shrimp and capers. Serving revealed the beautiful crispy crunchy bottom, classically known as the “socarrat”.
