Scouting the planet dream

I landed on a strange planet on a space ship with my fellow space travellers. I was sent to scout if the planet was inhabitable.

During my exploring trek I reported to mothership that the planet was viable, rich in growth and flourishing, as well as totally empty of other beings. My colleagues seemed pleased, started the engines and left me there.

Taste buds need surprising

This moorish salad from Jamie Oliver was something new. Carrots, raddishes, apple, raisins with an intense tahini-sesame-pecan nut dressing. We ate it first with bruschetta-like bread and the next day with melted white cheese. The combination of crunchiness, softness, sweetness and strong tahini taste was really fresh.

October dinner

Veggie raving continues. But it's the season now, isn't it?

Last Sunday friends were served dinner with pumpkin soup and mushroom risotto. I prepared the soup, with risotto I turned to M. As dessert a moist lemon cake made by K, fresh beer from Naplvak's beer festival and some red wine. There can't be a better way to spend a leisured Sunday afternoon.

No more handicraft handicap

This is the first handicraft post EVER. Last Thursday I, owner of no handy skills whatsoever, sewed a shoulderbag. With kind help of my friend K who draw the pattern and instructed me. But it was me who did the actual sewing.

After that everything seems possible. I may pick up knitting needles, start carpentering, have a dog or run a marathon.

Butternut buffoonery

Oh jeez. Went to veggie market with modest intention to buy one modest pumpkin for Sunday's soup. Came home with a overflowing bagful: butternuts, orange winter pumpkin and zucchinis. Had to reluctantly leave ufos, decorative ones and the 35 kg giant there. Got somehow mesmerized by the chubby plumpness of the seasonal veggies.

Roasted the winter ones, and oh jeez how good they taste roasted! Ate quarter of them standing next to oven, straight from the pan piping hot. Like nuts, sweet potatos, carrots, potatos all in one. Just hope there'll be enough left for the soup. Or I need to make another trek to pumpkinland.

Additionally to pumpkins, I've developed a crush on The Saurus online, Merriam-Webster. [My name] and Merriam-Webster in the tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.

Dessert dare

Invented desserts over pizza the other day. I came up with taste of pecan nuts caramellized in maple syrup, underneath some combo of meringue, white chocolate, cream cheese, vanilla, cheese cake-y. Did some googling to find base recipes to alter, combine and develop. The novelty dessert may see daylight already even as soon as this weekend.

It is going to be so delicious and so not healthy. And it will be named after me.

Harvesting #1

Garden season is about over, I've been done some minor harvesting already. Coriander seeds, mint, rosemary, chili. Next weekend more. I'll  dig up the perennial herbs and guerilla plant them around. Watch out, Prague 7.

Also did some semi-illicit foraging with long-armed friend, can't tell you more details or coordinates I'm sorry. The catch, 25 almonds is drying in lukewarm oven at this very moment. Almonds! It feels so southern and exotic! I'll be self-supported when it comes to almonds for some time.

It's October and I just can't stay away

No no, I have to share the harvest hype I'm experiencing. It is SO satisfying  to prepare food from seasonal ingredients. And how beautiful these autumn veggies look! The appetizing blaze of colors.

Some time ago I tamed an UFO zucchini into a gentle soup. Today's soup was more piquant, made out of carrots and chickpeas with indian spices. Accompanying a pungent fresh salad with kohlrabi, raddishes and lemon. Really good, just not sure whether it's stomach-friendly eaten in large quantities. We'll see.

Next thing I'm gonna do is to bake the ultimately best carrot cake in the world. Just need to borrow an oven pan from friends first. And the next post will be about harvesting my garden. Oh yes, thou shalt see the full extent of crop '13. Plus some guerrilla foraging!