Soup weather, a.k.a. my favorite season, has arrived! Once the high dips below 90 for several days in a row, I consider it official. There are so many delectable soups to rustle up and dig into, though, and it's really hard for me, as a devoted soupster, to choose which to make first. This year, I settled on minestrone for its calming, vegetableish effects, but I had an ulterior motive...I wanted to try frying some chickpeas, and I decided they'd come in handy as a crunchy crouton for the soup. I'd planned to include chickpeas in my minestrone, so what could be easier than reserving a few chickpeas from the can and frying them up?
making soup sing: chicken minestrone with crispy chickpeas
By foodorleans · September 23, 2011 · 0 Comments · 134 Views
Tagged with: Chicken, WEATHER, fall, bacon, cheese, fried, autumn, bread, Soup, onion, celery, parmesan, basil, carrot, thyme, broth, Bean, crouton, kidney, Minestrone, chickpea
on sustainability, and garden-friendly falafel
By foodorleans · August 14, 2011 · 0 Comments · 103 Views
I've been thinking a lot about sustainable kitchen practices, by which I mean not just the foods we're eating and cooking, but how we're shopping, planning (or not), growing, and storing. For years, I've been a big believer in planning an entire week's meals as a way of saving money. But sometimes I think that holding too fast to a planned menu can actually cause food waste; if you purchase what you imagine to be a week's worth of food at one time, but you end up not needing that much, what do you do with the excess? And what happens if the meals you planned to make don't store well once prepared? I don't have easy solutions to these questions, other than trial and error, and an idea that's new to me: maybe a little less planning is a better way to go.
Tagged with: cucumber, sandwich, summer, salad, mint, salsa, pita, garden, fried, yogurt, wrap, tomato, vegetarian, herbs, parsley, cilantro, basil, tahini, falafel, tortilla, chickpea
what to do with so much goodness: peaches & herb fruit crisp
By foodorleans · August 3, 2011 · 0 Comments · 131 Views
This week was our first visit to Hollygrove Market and Farm, right in the city. Hollygrove offers a CSA (community supported agriculture) box filled with freshly picked goods from farms within a hundred-mile radius of New Orleans, and I'm sure many of you are taking advantage of these types of boxes in your own areas. They really are a great way to support local food growers and to learn how to cook with what's in season. Two things I love about Hollygrove's operation are that they offer two boxes each week, on Tuesday and Saturday (sometimes slightly different), and you don't have to subscribe--just come get it when you want it (or order home delivery). Also, you can pick up other vegetables and fruits a la carte at the market, as well as organic meats, coffee, dairy products, and some interesting pantry items.
Tagged with: Fruit, Farm, pizza, bacon, blueberries, summer, market, sugar, lime, crisp, peaches, herbs, basil, goat cheese, local, CSA, almond, chanterelles, hollygrove, shiitakes
the stars of spring: strawberry bruschetta and strawberry caprese
By foodorleans · April 3, 2010 · 0 Comments · 45 Views
One of the things I love about the Crescent City Farmers Market is their varied locations--and even more, that one of those locations, the Thursday evening market, is a short walk from our house. This past Thursday, we sauntered out with dozens of people from the neighborhood who were taking advantage of the brief period in New Orleans when days are sunny and bright, but not hot. For a month or so, the weather will be the star here, with sweet Louisiana produce running a close second.
Tagged with: seafood, strawberries, basil, goat cheese, mozzarella, farmers market, bayou st. john, caprese
