Well, I don’t know about you, but allergies have kicked in. April’s rains have started everything growing! Explosive Ahhh-CHOOS are heard all over the place, and it’ll just get worse as tree buds become leaves and the grass grows longer, and the pollen is spread by warm spring winds. Such is life, yes?
Grilling starts in earnest for some of us; tender spring veggies are coming to market (or are starting to come up in your gardens). Farmers markets are just around the corner.
So - are you taking advantage of fresh local veggies yet? Creating new marinades for what’s going on the grill? Or going with tried and true meals your family loves?
This time of year is when I get my Solar oven into full swing on sunny days. One of my faves is a version of Buta no kakuni , or Japanese braised pork belly that I can leave simmering away for hours without using any costly energy …
Well, we just got into Berlin for May & June. May will be spent gorging ourselves on white asparagus & chanterelles, and all the good breads & cheeses & other sundry foods we cannot get back in the boonz.
As for WFD tonight, our favorite Neapolitan pizza place is just down the road from our pad, so stumbling onto their large terrace for a coupla pies & brews in our jet-lagged stupor was a no-brainer.
I got a funghi with spinach, my Pic got the picantissima with spicy salami, sharp provolone, and shaved parm. They have several bottles of chili oil to liberally pour over your pie. Chewy, crispy, flavorful crust, perfectly charred. Not overwhelmed with too much sauce, too much cheese, too much of everything.
We couldn’t finish either, of course, but the leftovers will make for a fine lunch. We swung by the nearest gas station after dinner (none of the Spätis* were open on this holy May Day!) and picked up more provisions – mostly beer, water, and Erdnussflips. I added a pic of the chips selection here, which pales in comparison to most Asian grocers in the US, but is nonetheless different.
Looking forward to a good night of sleep and hitting the organic weekly market up the street tomorrow.
An ad-hoc, spring-herb Khachapuri Tarkhunit, loosely based on this recipe from Saveur. I used low-moisture mozz, sharp provolone, ricotta, and feta for the cheese, all of which were firmed up with a beaten egg and a teaspoon of flour. Herbs included tarragon, chive, and parsley.
On the side - a tapenade of kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes in oil, marinated artichokes, walnuts and walnut oil, served up on a bed of crisp romaine.
Everything green on the plate came from the garden.
Served with a side of Flonase … May I present … Rao’s Lasagna. I had stocked up on frozen stuff in anticipation of cataract surgery, which now has to be rescheduled, I was informed. So into the freezer I dove. I even used the oven instead of the microwave. Verdict: at least the serving was big enough. Actually had recognizable beef. Better than Lean Cuisine. Which isn’t saying a lot.
For dinner tonight I had some snacks brought back from a recent trip to New Orleans that I will probably get around to writing up in a year or so. I’m still finishing a trip report from a trip there last January.
I had some Cajun boudin from Cochon Butcher - a sausage of sorts made of rice, pork, and liver. I poached them for about 10 minutes and ate by dabbing with a little mustard and squeezing out the contents out of the casing directly info my mouth.
And I also had a quarter of a Central Grocery muffuletta warmed up in the oven. Central Grocery is still undergoing repairs from Hurricane Ida but are selling their muffulettas at local grocery stores. There’s also a market in MSY airport that sells them. They are well suited for a plane trip as they are sealed in plastic.
