Archive | July, 2012

A (Lil’) Garden Grows Over Brooklyn

29 Jul

Our garden has expanded into 2 long planters and 2 smaller ones.  We are growing: 4 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, Japanese eggplants, shishito peppers, sage, thyme, 2 types of basil (regular and “lettuce” basil), and a shiso plant.  They are doing quite well and have given our balcony a lush, green look.  We love our little garden!

Our first harvest was a lovely little tomato (which we ate with our bun-less burgers):

Currently, there are 2 Japanese eggplants growing very nicely.  We may eat them by the end of this week!

Our urban petit jardin overlooking Brooklyn — it’s giving us great joy so far this summer!

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Portabella+Shiitake Beef Meatballs (topped w/garlic broccolini)

21 Jul

We love meatballs for dinner, not only because they are simple to make and delicious, but also because they make great leftovers.  My favorite type of beef meatballs are stuffed full of mushrooms, which give the meatballs a juicy, earthy flavor.  Here’s an easy recipe for beef meatballs I often make at home.  In this instance, I added some crispy, garlicky broccolini on top — so it’s a complete meal of meat and vegetables!

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Sweet Potato+Duck Hash w/Fried Eggs

9 Jul

I like to make sure that I get as much meat off poultry (chicken, duck, turkey) before I throw way the carcass.  Although the meat between the bones are perfectly lovely, sometimes they are better eaten within something rather than on its own, since the meat tends to be in little pieces and shreds.  We had a bit of duck leftover from the whole roasted duck, so, for our Saturday brunch, I made us sweet potato and duck hash to go with some fried eggs.  We LOVED it!

Here’s what I recommend you do with leftover, shredded pieces of duck meat:

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Whole Roasted Duck w/Black Plums+Spices

7 Jul

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a little protein rut.  What else can we eat besides beef, chicken, pork and fish?  Last night, David and I went shopping at Whole Foods and felt such a rut.  What protein should we eat for dinner?  When we saw a whole duck (last one, it appeared) and some lovely looking organic black plums,we found our inspiration and challenge: whole roast duck with black plums and spices!

Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s recipe for duck legs, I came up with a recipe that worked out quite nicely.

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