Sorry, I’ve been MIA recently. With summer getaways and visitors, I’ve lost track of things. Let me catch you up!

A couple of weekends ago, I went on a little mother-daughters’ weekend with my two sisters and my mom. I’ve never been away from Pickle for more than a day, so this was a big trip for me. Granted, he was with Chris, but still, I felt like I was constantly forgetting something (or someone)!

Anyway, we spent a very relaxing few days on beautiful Elkhart Lake drinking lots of rosé and eating delicious food. I’ll have a recipe for apricot-ricotta tartines for your once I get the photos from my sis (hint, hint :).

We also had a pretty exquisite meal at the Paddock Club, whose head chef spent time in the Bartolotta kitchens in Milwaukee, as well as a personal favorite, Lombardino’s in Madison. We shared many small plates, but the one dish we ordered seconds of was the grilled broccoli with red pepper rouille. It was really special and cooked to perfection, as well as a great inspiration for what to do at home on your own grill, with our without the sauce. Served simply dressed with a little olive oil and a squeeze of grilled lemon, it would be divine as a starter or side.

Grilled Broccoli
If you don’t have a grill, high-heat (425 degrees) roasting the broccoli would give you a similar effect to gas-grilling it, but you can't replicate the perfect charring of charcoal grill. Still worth a try, though!

Ingredients
1 lb grilled broccoli, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
½ of a lemon (optional)

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Has a large bowl of ice water ready. Heavily salt the water and then carefully submerge the broccoli in the water; boil rapidly for 1-2 minutes and then removed to the ice bath. Once cool, drain very well. Toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil, as well as a good pinch or two of salt and lots of pepper.

When your grill is hot, place the broccoli on the grate and grill until nicely charred on one side – a minute or so; flip to the other side and do the same. Grill some halved lemons at the same time, if you have them.

Remove to a platter. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and a squeeze of the lemon. Serve immediately.

p.s. My sister Holley and my mom made this broccoli to put on a pizza with a roasted garlic sauce and mozzarella cheese; I must say that is a good idea and a definite must-try.

In the CSA box:
Broccoli
Carrots
Cucumbers
Fresh Garlic
Garlic Chives
Green Beans
Green Zucchini
Napa Cabbage
New Red Potatoes
Patty Pan Squash
Rainbow Chard
Red Iceberg Lettuce
Red Mustard
Bonus: Basil

Menu: week of 17 July 2010
Saturday Lunch: open-faced sandwiches with garlicky sautéed zucchini and patty pans topped with melted Edelweiss Dairy two-year cheddar
Sunday: Iceberg wedges with homemade garlic-chive and Hook’s blue cheese dressing, served with a whole wheat baguette
Monday: roasted red new potatoes with a tahini-Greek yogurt sauce and a side of quick-sautéed green beans.
Tuesday: Swiss chard pizza
Wednesday: Concerts on the Square
Thursday: sautéed red mustard on fresh ricotta bruschetta
Friday: Cilantro-almond chicken tacos with shredded Napa cabbage

Lunches throughout the week: shredded carrot salad with whole-grain pita
To-do: pickle some cucumbers!

Happy eating, -s.
We picked up our CSA box last Saturday and then headed out of town for the 4th of July, so I just started cooking from our box of goodies yesterday. We had a lot of fun over the weekend, spending lots of time at the pool. Pickle was in heaven and, as we learned this weekend, a bit of a daredevil. We were worried he would be afraid of the big, curvy waterslide that he rode with Chris, but he loved it, clapping his hands as he went down the the tube. "More, more, more," was all we heard.

We never go hungry at my parents' house, but we had quite the feast on Saturday night - marinated feta, Cypress Grove's Humboldt fog and salumi started the pre-dinner noshing. Dinner was comprised of grilled ribeyes, roasted new potatoes and a green salad with red onion and red-wine vinaigrette. The crowning touch was my mom's strawberry pie. I am still thinking about it: the crisp, slightly salty crust, the sweet strawberries and a cool dollop of whipped cream to gild the lily. Incredible ... and sad since strawberry season is now over.


I hope you had a great weekend too!

In the box:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Curly Parsley
Garlic Scapes
Green Savoy Cabbage
Green-top Beets
Green-top Carrots
Zucchini
Fennel
Patty Pan Squash
Snap and Snow Peas


Menu: week of 4 July 2010
Sunday: grilled burgers and brats, baked beans, grape-tomato and perline mozzerella salad with red onion, lemon zest & juice and olive oil, watermelon
Monday: tomatillo-braised chicken tacos with avocado, onions and crema
Tuesday: pappardelle and zucchini ribbon pasta
Wednesday: stir-fried snow peas, patty-pan and savoy cabbage with roasted peanuts
Thursday: farfalle with sauteed cabbage and Italian sausage
Friday: out of town

Happy eating, -s.
The Hungry Bambino is taking a long weekend. Have a fun and fabulous Fourth of July!

Here are a few of my favorite Fourth of July eats to get you hungry or help with your menu planning (I've linked to most of them):

Grilled corn and locally made sausages served with slices of watermelon

Barbequed chicken with curry-yogurt slaw and cornbread

Burgers with sharp cheddar, a slice of white onion, lettuce and tomato

Skirt steak with a corn, cherry tomato and red onion salad

Homemade baked beans


For dessert: s'mores

Happy eating, -s.
Magic. Some experiences are just that. First kisses, bonfires on the beach, your wedding day, a sudden shower that ends in a rainbow, dinner in a piazza in Italy. Any place or event can be magical if you are with the right people, at the right time, at the right location. Magic.

At our picnic under the stars on Saturday, this was a big topic of conversation that began with a recount of a recent magical dining experience. By the end of the conversation, a few of us were left discussing whether those evenings can ever be repeated. By the time dinner was served, I think we all agreed it is pretty hard to replicate magical evenings, of which our picnic can be described.

My friend Katie, with her magical ability to take any setting and make it special, put on quite the party at the beach. Everyone supplied a dish or drink and Mother Nature provided a perfect summer evening. A roaring fire and dishes of affogato put the finishing touches on a pretty special evening. Magical, indeed.

Picnic under the stars menu:
To start: an assortment of cheeses, tapenades and crackers
To follow: arugula and spinach salad with goat cheese and cherry tomatoes; garlicy sauteed broccolini; Greek-style bean salad with heirloom dried beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion and feta with mint and parsley; grilled flank steak with chimichurri.
To end: affogato with raspberries and chocolate truffles

Earlier that day, here's what I found at the market:
broccoli
carrots
green beans
golden beets
mint
parsley
smoked trout
strawberries
squash blossoms
white onions
whole milk

Menu: week of 27 june 2010
Sunday: ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms: click here for the recipes
Monday: sauteed chorizo and beet-green tacos with avocado
Tuesday: smoked trout salad with peppery creme fraiche fingerling potatoes and green beans
Wednesday: roasted golden beet sandwich with local goat cheese
Thursday: green bean and cashew stir fry with jasmine rice
Friday: take out
Happy eating, -s.

































Inspired by the picnic under the stars we will be having for our dinner group this weekend, I thought I would share some of my favorite outdoor-dining accoutrements — some I already have in my arsenal; others I want with religious zeal. Enjoy!

Duraclear barware — this is some fancy plastic! Love the monogram. A mojito or vodka tonic would look smashing in here. At Williams-Sonoma.

Ice bucket — one on each end of the table with a bottle of bubbly chilling inside. At Anthropologie.

Serving (and hauling) tray — this tray is perfect for lugging lots of things in one go, instead of in many trips to and from the house or car. In the off-season, this eco-friendly galvanized version would also be great on a coffee table or desk as well. At Pottery Barn.

Candlelight — a few of these gorgeous lanterns would add such a nice glow as the sun sets. At Pigeon Toe Ceramics

Utensil caddy — for me, anything in this marigold yellow is a must, especially this charming yet modern utensil caddy. I would fill two slots with utensils and the other with a drinking glass filled with flowers — an instant centerpiece that is both functional and frilly. At Crate and Barrel.

Tea towels — picnic fare tends to be a little messy, which is why I forego the normal cloth napkin for a crisp, large, lap-sized dishtowel. At Williams-Sonoma.

Stainless steel cooler — no picnic is possible (or safe from food poisoning) without a big cooler. I just saw this model on Apartment Therapy last week; now I must have it. At coleman.com.

Chairs with flare — love, love, love these chairs. At Wisteria.
Happy first day of summer!
I cannot find the cord for my camera to download pictures, which is really disappointing since I have some fantastic photos of delicious vegetables ( I'm sure you are super disappointed too). I have a feeling Pickle has put it where a set of keys has gone as well as a few other small household items. He's a master hider of little things that will magically show up a few months later when you aren't even looking for them. So, long story short ... I have no new food-related photos for this post.

But, I have a really great menu this week that will hopefully get you inspired to get in the kitchen. One of Chris's co-workers couldn't pick up his CSA so Chris brought home some additional veggies to add to the mix - cabbage, more sugar snaps, bibb lettuce and turnips. There's no doubt we'll be eating our veggies this week!

Menu: week of 20 June 2010
Sunday: Chris's father's day dinner of North Carolina-style slow-cooked pork shoulder sandwiched with green cabbage slaw and purple-potato oven fries
Monday: leftover pulled pork sandwiches with watermelon
Tuesday: Thai-style bibb lettuce wraps with ground turkey
Wednesday: sauteed Asian greens on ricotta bruschetta
Thursday: roasted broccoli pasta with lemon, pine nuts and golden raisins
Friday: fingerling potato and rosemary pizza

Happy eating, -s.

... our first CSA delivery is Saturday. Here's a sneak peek at what will be in the box! We do the every-other-week share, which allows me to go to the farmers' market on our off-weekends. With a lot of unusual and special items included in this first box, I can't wait to start cooking!
In the box:
Asian Green Mix
Broccoli
Blue Potatoes
Bunched Spinach
Green Garlic
Kohlrabi
Green Leaf Lettuce
Rosemary or Oregano
Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes
Scallions
Strawberries

Happy eating, -s.