Justice by way of Annie's Shells (pep'd up!)

I'm doing an A-1 job studying tonight. Feeling the first signs of a sore throat today (ACK!) - I decided the full-force attack plan had to get enacted, then I could study better.

Step 1: Target pit stop after school. Load up on Zicam stuff, they're out of echinacea???

Step 2: Don't touch anything or anyone on the bus ride home. Pop a zinc lozenge.

Step 3: Get my sweat on - run 3 miles with bursts of speed. It will help get blood moving, i'm sure.

Step 4: Shower. Run salt water through cavities to find and DESTROY the bad bugs. Pop a zinc lozenge.

Step 5: Incorporate peppers into a "comfort food"/study dinner.
Step 6: Mango sorbet and sleepy-time tea. Hope this leads to a good night of sleep!

Annie's Shells and Cheese - they used to be the fancy mac n'cheese that families had in Boulder when I babysat (in undergrad). Organic food was so young and new, but in Boulder - it already had a strong hold of the market in the late nineties. Somehow, eating "organic" mac n'cheese makes it seem healthy. However, it does not manage to take away the "i'm a student now!" fun dinner.

This past weekend, I spotted these great peppers at the farmer's market. They were sold as "sweet, and creamy" when cooked. Hmmm... i've never had a 'creamy' pepper before. Sounds good. Looks even better sitting on the counter ALL WEEK waiting for a dinner to call home.

Since I was just cooking for my self tonight - into the Annie's shells it went! This was so tasty! I threw an all-beef hot-dog and one of the peppers into a little non-stick pan while the noodles boiled. I let the pepper and dog get all dark and cooked through - pulled it off the heat just as the noodles were done. Drain the noodles, slice the dog and pepper (can keep all of these seeds - not spicy at all). I stirred in the pepper and hot dog before the sauce ingredients. I'm not sure it would really matter - I was hoping that the pepper would help flavor the sauce. Maybe it did - but not noticibly.

Tasty for a Thursday while going over my Lawyering Skills material. I came up with a great mnomonic device to remember all of the US Supreme Court Justices:

The Super Active Girl

Sails, Bikes, Runs*

and Sometimes Kayaks.

(Thomas, Stevens, Alito, Ginsburg, Scalia, Breyer, Roberts (CJ), Sotomayor, and Kennedy).

Who knows - it could be on the test tomorrow. Even if it's not - it's something every law student SHOULD know!

Farmers Market Find: Cream Cheese Brioche

What is the perfect mid-morning snack after discussing 3rd Degree Murder with a Depraved Heart?
Well, this depraved belly wants a cream cheese brioche that has been sitting next to my computer for a whole hour. Thursday means the downtown Farmers Market in Minneapolis. After being away for 2 weeks - i've missed finding my favorite spot. Today - it was located at my bus stop. Cocoa and Fig. They really know pastries and how to make a law student happy!

Farmers Market Find: Nutella Brioch (and why i need to go running today)

Thank you to Cocoa & Fig for bringing great food to the Nicollet Mall on Thursdays. I look forward to the new additions each week.

This is brioch folks - buttery and yummy on it's own. Add a center core of nutella - and i'm signing up for a 3-4 miler later! So worth it.

Farmers Market Find: Rhubarb (+Cherry Cobbler)

Rhubarb is one of the few colorful items at the Minnesota Farmers' Market in June. Everyone has had Strawberry Rhubarb - but have you tried the sour/tart combination of Sour Cherry and Rhubarb? This is a must for any summer BBQ.

Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

Filling
2 lbs Rhubarb cut into 1/2" pieces
3 24oz jars Morello cherries (trader joe's -best!)
1.5-2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups reserved cherry juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp almond extract

Biscuit Topping (from The New Best Recipe)
10 oz (2 cups) flour
2.5 oz (6 TBSP) sugar
1/2 tsp bkg pwd
1/2 tsp bkg soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 TBSP cold butter cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2 TBSP raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 425 F
* Prep Filling. Cut rhubarb, drain cherries (reserve juice). Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt together in dutch oven (or other large pot). Stir in wine and reserved cherry juice to dissolve. Add cherries and rhubarb. Let sit - to macerate - for at least 15 minutes.
While fruit is macerating - bake biscuits.
* Biscuits: in a food processer, blend dry ingredients. Add cold butter and pulse about 10 times until dough is in pea size balls. Transfer dough to a medium bowl and stir in buttermilk. Using a 1 3/4" scoop - create 12 dough balls on parchmet lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until lightly browned on top and bottom (about 15 minutes.) Do not over bake - they are going back in the oven shortly. Leave oven on.
* Cook fruit. Stir fruit and liquid mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Let simmer and thicken (1-5 minutes depending on how much liquid was released from rhubarb.) Cook this until it is the thickness of pie filling (or desired thickness). You can cook down the liquid - or dissolve more cornstarch in a bit of water over heat until thick to add to the mixture.
* 15 Minutes before serving: Pour hot fruit mixture into serving/baking dish. Place biscuits on top of fruit. Cook cobbler at 425 until fruit is bubbling and biscuits are deep golden brown (about 10 minutes if filling started hot, longer if you let filling rest). Serve warm.

Farmers Market Find: Baby Beets (roasted and glazed)

Determined to frequent the local Farmers Market this summer - H. and I are trying to buy more vegetables and other local goods to see if a CSA might be in our future. I was really excited to see more offered this weekend at the market - including these very pretty (and pretty small) beets. The rosemary (from my urban patio herb garden) made the condo smell pretty after roasting for about 30 minutes. This was tasty - and easy. Perfect on top of the micro-greens that I scored at the market this weekend too!


Baby Beets with Balsamic Glaze

Recipe Source: Washington Post (june 2007) from In Season columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 12 to 16 baby (1- to 2-inch) beets
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch salt
• Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  Trim the greens off the top of each beet; save the greens for another use or discard.

  Rinse the beets and use heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a packet around them, placing the rosemary in the packet before sealing. Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 to 45 minutes or until the beets can be easily pierced with a knife. Transfer the packet to a work surface; open it and let the beets cool until they can be handled. Discard the rosemary.

  Use disposable gloves or a paper towel to pick up each beet and rub or peel off the skin, trimming off the root and stem ends. Set the beets aside.

  In a large, shallow saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, butter and salt over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced by about half. (It should have a syrupy, glaze-like consistency.) Reduce the heat to low, add the beets, and stir to coat and warm them through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with the remaining glaze spooned over.
  

  

Farmer's Market Find: Pnut Butter Pops

I just got an email - the 'Daily Bite' from Bakespace and guess what - it's "national peanut butter cookie day!" Who knew.

I didn't. However - I do know that it is Thursday today - which is Farmer's Market on the Mall day in downtown Minneapolis. My new favorite stop is Cocoa and Fig - mainly because they have a cool blog and site - and GREAT chocolate items.

Today - they had Peanut Butter Pops for $1.50. The PERFECT after dinner sweet.

Farmers' Market Find: Bouchon au Chocolat (chocolate corks)

The farmers markets here in Minneapolis are absolutely HOPPING this time of year. It isn't because of the piles of local veggies and fruit (HA!) - because the only thing you find this early are plants for your garden. This is a great time to check out the local merchants to see what kind of crafty or tasty treat they are trying to sell.

Today's 'Farmers' Market Find' is the Bouchon au Chocolat sold by Cocoa & Fig. These chocolate corks are so tasty - and a great size for those who don't want to be bothered with the guilt of eating a large brownie. This is basically a fudgy brownie baked in a shot glass. I pestered the guy into telling me why these were so great - it's blamed on a super-fancy cocoa that they use. I found a great imported cocoa from holland that makes a huge difference - so i believed him.

I'll have to look for some good recipes to try this out for our next patio soiree. What have you found at your market lately?

ck them out: www.cocoaAndfig.com