Root Vegetable Pie

Simple Roasted Leeks

Roasting vegetables is probably the best way to eat them. I joked at a recent dinner party that's it's been a long time since I've eaten lettuce - raw vegetables, just not my thing. But I love roasted vegetables. I'd estimate about half of what I eat is some kind of cooked veg. This recipe is one of my new favorites.

Leeks are delicious and really good for you. Until recently, I'd only really had leeks in soup. Oh what I was missing! Like most vegetables, roasting leeks concentrates their flavor and brings out their natural sweetness. All you need to add is the tiniest bit of salt and oil for a super yummy treat. 

Ingredients

1 Leek

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Miso Paste (can sub 1/4 teaspoon salt if you don't have miso)

2 Tbsp Shredded Hard Cheese (about 1/2 oz, I used Asiago)

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325. 

Chop the roots and tough leafy greens off the leek. Slice the leek stocks in half lengthwise and discard the outermost layer. Rinse any soil from between the outer layers. 

Mix the EVOO and miso, then brush it onto the cut surface of the leek (if not using miso, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with salt). Slice the leeks crosswise into 2 inch sections and line them up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper and cheese. 

Bake for 40 minutes and enjoy. 

  

to austin, part 2

Day 3
The third leg of our trip took us through southern Utah. For the most part, this was a very boring place - deserts as far as the eye could see, some were red, some were green. The green parts were perplexing, perhaps copper was to blame?

More exciting than random green rocks was Arches National Park. Big red rocks, 120 degree heat, and oddly dressed tourists, what's not to like?

Here's Emily enjoying some rare shade beneath the twin arches. Assorted Europeans can be seen in the background.

Twin arches. I was curious about how these giant rocks came to stick up from the surrounding desert. Not one to simply read the plaques posted all over the park, I looked it up on my phone. These rocks were once at the bottom at the bottom of an inland sea, which is why they have such lovely sedimentary layers. Supposedly, this part of north America had been slowly stretched upward and outward over the last 60 million years or so. The huge expanses of flatness were once cracks between the rocks. Over the millenia, they grew wider and wider until there became the majority of the landscape. Fascinating.

The majestic phallic rocks of arches park.

Emily attempts to blend in with the locals.

Tourists walk in single file, even when no path is specified.

Lastly, a delightful Indian village / gas station just outside Arches. So many opportunities for cultural exploration!

blackberry weekend

The best part of August? Blackberries, of coarse! So last weekend, Ana, Dane, and I went picking! Considering how prevelent blackberry brambles are in Tacoma, it was suprisingly difficult to find good berries. All of the obvious places were pretty picked over. Eventually, we found an undisturbed bush next to the highway. You can see pictures of our berry hunt on Ana's blog, Oh Ana.

When we got home, we got to work making delicious berry treats!
Before we got to the berries, we needed some bloody marys. I love this recipe, it's got horseradish, which gives drink a great complexity. Try it out!
Next up, blackberry cocktails. We made a puree of berries, peaches, and maple syrup, then blended with ice and absolute. Delicious!
No blackberry cooking spree is complete without cobbler! For a little extra flare, Ana poured some melted butter on top before baking. It was like magic in my mouth. So glad we made a couple of these!

to austin, part 1

I went on a road trip to Austin TX a few weeks back. Emily was moving down there for grad school, so I tagged along as her co-pilot. It was a great trip! Emily planned ahead so we could stop at a fun tourist attraction half way through each day, and sleep in a different state each night.

Day 1
We headed due east to Pullman WA, to visit Caitlin and Chris, who had just moved there. Their house is so cute! I don't know what it looked like before they moved in, but they did a great job fixing it up!
After Caitlin and Chris's place, we went south through Idaho toward Ontario OR. We learned that Highway 95, while beautiful, is not a fast way to get anywhere. But if you're up for a long, scenic drive through low mountains and winding river valleys, I would highly recommend it.
Day 2
From Oregon, we went south into Utah. The drive was not nearly as pretty as Highway 95 was, but Salt Lake City made up for that. It was so clean and green, it was hard to believe we were in the middle of the desert. We spend most of our time there wandering around the Temple Square, Mormon headquarters. Of coarse, it was even cleaner and greener than the rest of the city. Beautiful buildings and meticulous landscaping. Here's my favorite temple on the square:
On the way out of the Temple Square, I spotted this spotty moss flower bed. What a cute idea! I love moss. If I ever have a yard of my own, I'm going to rip up the grass and grow moss instead.
Tune in next time for Arches Park in southern Utah!

when refrigerators die

Many weeks ago, Ana and I put in a request to our landlady for a refrigerator with a freezer. The puny ice box in our current one just wasn't cutting it; our ice cream always turned to mush! Our landlady loves us, so she got right to work ordering a fridge with a separate freezer that would fit in our tiny apartment. The first new fridge they tried to wedge in here was 1 inch too wide. The second fridge 8 inches too wide. The third fridge was just right. Finally, a freezer!

But the troubles weren't over. About 6 hours after plugging in our perfect new refrigerator, it crapped out! We called the landlady right away, but she wasn't able to come up with any immediate solutions. After 24 hours with no cooling action, our leftovers and dairy were a total loss.
Here you see the first wave of food carnage. After the loss of my precious cheese and deli meats, I decided to be a bit more proactive. Ice block time! Produce drawers filled with ice became make shift motors, saving the last of the condiments and preserved foods. It's actually pretty cold in there now!

Unfortunately, lack of air circulation meant that anything not stored in a glass container was contaminated with new plastic smell. Goodbye, produce.
Ironically, it's business as usual for the built-in ice box. The racks are all gone and the plumbing to the drain was removed years ago, so I just use it to store liquor and wine. Nothing expired in there!