Scurry

In West Texas, spring has sprung: the weather is doing that back and forth thing, but most days are lovely; the trees and bushes, including the red buds, are starting to peek out; and my stomach is yearning for something besides winter foods. But, there is still a chill in the air in the evenings, so I also want something warming. What to do?

Vegetable curry! There are a million curries in the naked city, but this one is simple, delicious and straddles the seasons well by combining root vegetables with those skinny little green beans that are so very yummy. And the gravy? It's tomato-based, simmered with ginger, garlic, pepper and spices and married to a healthy dose of (light) coconut milk for a creamy finish perfect with rice or sopped up with some naan. Leftovers? You'll have a few to see you through a couple of lunches for the week. Plus, this recipe is easily adapted to whatever veggies you like or have on hand. Enjoy.

Recipe: Delicious Vegetable Currrrrry

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded and cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1, 16 oz can petite diced tomatoes with juice
1, 16 oz can tomato purée
1, 16 oz can garbanzo bean, drained and well rinsed
One 14-ounce can light coconut milk
3 carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound small green beans, cut into thirds
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Brown rice for serving


In a large, dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the ginger, jalapeno and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about another five minutes. Add the spices cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant; about two minutes

Add the tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for five minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften. Add the coconut milk, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Add the carrots and sweet potatoes, cover loosely and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the green beans and garbanzo beans, cover and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the season. Serve with brown rice and garnish with cilantro.

Six servings.

Late Spring/Summer Bar

(A Manic Thrift Store Shopper/bigYELLOWbowl crossover post.)

It's spring, how do you mark that around the house? Some people put different wreaths on their door, others change the clothes on the ducks on the porch, but I mark the changes of the season by changing out the bar ware. I like to think not just about color and motif, but also what kind of drink I might serve and what sort of glasses and accessories I might use.

This bar is my late spring or early summer bar. I have tall glasses for iced drinks, a sailboat themed ice bucket and a blue and white tray. I tried to carry the red and blue throughout the arrangement, balancing it with dark, gray stones and a smoke color drink pitcher. Note the West Virginia blue bird of happiness. This is a family joke I could explain, but it would take all day and probably wouldn't be funny to you. But, to those who play the game, it's worth two points.

I decided I needed something kind of tall and interesting, perhaps white? And what says spring more than a doe and her fawn? These little figurines haven't been out since I set-up house in Terre Haute, so it was nice to bring something new to the bar. The celery dish is Ben Seibel and one of my favorite things. With the exception of the tray, small blue bowls, stir sticks and red olive floaters, this bar is all thrift shopping finds.

So what will I be serving this summer?

Pimm's Cup
Whiskey Sours
Honey Girl Cocktails
Vodka Tonics
Mojitos for a crowd
Dark and Stormy
Something with pineapple and rum

Stop by for a drink...

Recipe: Winter-to-Spring Rice Salad

This recipe utilizes the first spring asparagus and the last of the winter oranges in a delicious and light combination. It was exactly what I was craving this week.

Recipe: Winter-to-Spring Rice Salad

For the Vinaigrette:
2 tsp grainy brown mustard
4 tsp citrus flavored vinegar (I used Vom Fass Calamansi Waldburg Balsam)
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1 tsp of salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tsp olive oil

Combine the first five ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. (Kitchen tip: when making vinaigrettes or other emulsified sauces, adding all of the non-oil ingredients first allows the salt to dissolve and be fully incorporated.) Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, continuing to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. You may want more olive oil, but I prefer the strong citrus and vinegar flavor for this salad. In general, my salad dressings have more acid than is conventional. I like the acid!

For the salad
1 lb of asparagus, washed and woody stems broken off, tips cut off and the stems cut into 3/4 inch pieces*
1 navel orange
6 Kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
3.5 oz of baked tofu (I use a savory flavor from Trader Joe's and this is half a package), cut into a small dice

You may steam or roast the asparagus to your preference. My favorite way to prepare asparagus is to partially pan-fry and then to steam it until tender. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and stir fry for about 3 minutes, until it begins to turn bright green. Add 1/4 cup of water; lower heat to medium; and cover and steam for about 3 more minutes. Test for doneness and then run under cold water to stop the cooking.

Supreme (Not Diana Ross and the Supremes, but en français: \sü prim\.) the orange and cut each section cut into three or four pieces.

Combine the asparagus, orange pieces, tofu, olives and rice in a big yellow bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Allow to sit for one hour and serve. Likewise, you can keep it overnight in the fridge and let the flavors marry a little more, but bring to room temperature and toss again before serving.

Make 4 lunch-size portions.

Mangez!

*DON'T THROW AWAY THOSE WOODY STEMS! Put them in a freezer-safe bag labeled with the date and toss them in the freezer. Keep the stems from three to four bunches of asparagus in this same manner and I'll give you a great tip for making them into an impressive starter for a meal. Waste not, want not!