Garden Ratatouille and Pesto Mashed Potatoes

Farmers' market baby eggplant

Stenback garden tomatoes, squash, onions, peppers

Freshly dug potatoes with basic garden pesto, buttermilk, butter

1st Anniversary Dinner

We celebrated a year of marriage together.
Here is what we ate.

• Cake: Layered dacquoise, chocolate / toasted almond genoise, chocolate Italian buttercream, and coconut cream ganache.  Plus pandan macarons.

We decided to start the day with the cake I made for the wedding, so I could plan another dessert if it no longer tasted good.

The verdict?  Thanks to my Mom's amazing wrapping skills, the cake had no trace of defective aroma, and it may have tasted even better than at the wedding!

• Aperitif: Roy Classique (Cachaça, Borenjongens Liqueur, a shake of Angostora bitters, and Borenjongens as garnish)

We made the Borenjongens (basically golden raisins soaked in Courvoisier with a little sugar and cinnamon) a few months before our wedding last year.  They have been getting better and better sitting over the past year, and made for an outstanding cocktail which we will definitely be revisiting in the future.


You can see our prep list under the cocktail.

• Crustacean Course: Chili-marinated wild prawns in garden collard slaw with saffron vinaigrette

• Bivalve Course: Scallops served with negimiso brown rice

• Fish Course: Wahoo with garden beet and potato gnocchi, beans, baby eggplant, and candied tomato in red curry pesto

• Wine: Ken Wright's 2010 Pinot Blanc (an excellent pairing)
• Cheese: Reichert's Dairy Air washed rind cheese: Robiolina di Reba

So, that's the gist of our main meal, though we had many other wonderful snackies and wines (including a bottle of the 1988 Domaine Michel Cab Sauv we got for the wedding).

Forthcoming: what I haven't posted for the past year and a half.

Best of 2010: Top 10 Favorite Photos

Tuna for Breakfast (October) & a Bahn Mi Torta (March)

Chicken Thigh (July) & Salsa Negra Lengua Tacos (February)

Scallops with Vanilla Bean Reduction (March) and Brioches Chinoises (July)

Polenta with Shiitake Tomato Sauce (September) and Spam Musubi (March)

Macaron au Café (September) and Atsuage Stir Fry (March)

More Delicious Foods: Avocado, Kale, Garlic, etc.

Eggplant and Kale Stack:
We're finally starting to get a better handle on plating up vegan dishes. It's still a challenge, but a fun one. This dish included some sautéed potatoes and eggplant, caramelized onion, and mirepoix. We really need to start paying a little bit closer attention to recording our ingredients, but since everything is still very experimental at this stage with the demise of gluten and the increase in plants, it can be difficult.


Mom's Pea Soup
Laura's mom was kind enough to make this delicious vegan pea soup for us. We had it with them and then took home the leftovers, for which Jeremy made this beautiful garnish.

• Mom's Pea Soup: Caramelized mirepoix, various fresh herbs (I think she used tarragon, oregano, and basil?), vegetable stock, split peas
• Jeremy's Garnish: Fried garden garlic and potatoes

Stuffed Tofu with Carrots and Potatoes
Yeah, this photo is awful. But, we try to document everything we make--so, it happens. A for the taste: so-so.  The potatoes are the most interesting part of this dish, as we basically made a flavored mashed potato with a little gluten-free flour, piped it onto a half-sheet pan and browned it/evaporated some of the moisture.

• Stuffed Tofu Pocket: Frozen deep-fried tofu (thawed and gutted) stuffed with Ancho-marinated Jackfruit (Jackfruit, Anchos, Cumin, Garlic, Mirepoix...???)
• Potato Sheet: Mashed potatoes, Garlic, Roasted garden chiles, miso, shiitakes, various gluten-free flours
• Roasted Carrots: Carrots, Coconut Oil
• Salsa Fresca: Tomatoes, Onion, Lime, Cilantro, Jalapeno

Jambalaya
This dish was amazing. It was one of those meals that's aim was just to use up leftovers, but it definitely did not feel like it. As a result of the diverse ingredients, it also isn't a traditional jambalaya, but somehow it feels just right. I love the way the blackened brussel sprouts introduce a bitterness that contrasts the sweetness of the tomato, and the avocado garnish gave it just enough creamy, fatty mouthfeel to elevate this dish to another level.

• Jambalaya: Leftover brown rice, tomatoes, Jeremy's blackening spice, vegetable stock, carrots, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, pan-seared frozen deep-fried tofu (which has the most wonderful texture) and brussel sprouts, avocado

Ancho-Braised Jackfruit Tacos
We've been working with brined, canned jackfruit for a while to emulate a sort of carnitas-style taco filling. If you're not familiar with green jackfruit, the flavor can work very well with savory dishes.  Additionally, it has a pleasant texture that pulls somewhat like pork butt. This has been our best attempt yet. Jeremy took the jackfruit, rinsed it thoroughly, salted it to pull out some moisture, then chopped it. He then started his pan with caramelized onions, garlic, and ancho chiles before adding the jackfruit and liquid plus spices for braising.

Add to this freshly made corn tortillas and salsa: so yum!

• Jackfruit: Jackfruit, Anchos, Cumin, Garlic, Onion...??? (I can't remember)
• Tortillas: Masa flour, Water
• Salsa Fresca: Tomatoes, Onion, Lime, Cilantro, Jalapeno

Ginger-Mango Rice with Chili-Lime Garlic Black Beans
Yep: another excellent meal. Lightly sweet and aromatic rice pair perfectly with beans that are sour and a touch spicy.

• Rice: Sushi rice (Nishiki), Kombu (kelp), Rehydrated dried mango, Ginger
• Beans: Black beans, Lime, Garlic, Onion, Korean pepper flakes,

And as a preview for next time: we have been gifted some lovely lentils and beans.  Get ready to see them in action soon.

Fitting Meals in Around the Holidays

Miso-Blackened Tofu with Potato Hash, Caramelized Green Onions, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Seared Shiitake Polenta with Refried Black Beans and Spicy Sweet Potato Purée

Tomato-Corn Scrambled Tofu

Beurre Noisette à l'Orange Saignée Skate with Potato Zucchini Hash 

Avocado Espresso Shakes

Ginger Sweet Potato Soup with Fries

Sweet and Sour Kouya Dofu, Kale and Potatoes

Ancho Black Bean Chili

Polenta / GF Brownie / Savory Sweet Potatoes / Kouya Dofu with Cabbage & Beans

Shiitake and Cabbage Miso