The Calendar Says Summer, But... (And give-away winners)

If you entered the “Random Apps of Kindness” giveaway, then you won! Lucky for you, only a few readers responded, so all will receive a random kindness. Just send me your mailing address to julia [at] growcookeat [dot] com. Don’t forget to pass it on.

For those of you keeping track, Boston broke all sorts of records this June, weather-wise. Many questioned if perhaps we had entered an alternate universe that combined the worst features of Seattle and London – only 5 days in the entire month were rain-free. Despite the dreary skies and cool temperatures, the garden is fairing pretty well.

I’m benefiting from a few changes, mainly that I planted more variety of spring crops. That meant that when the salad greens bolted from the heat (yes, there were a few hot sunny days back in May), I have other crops to sustain me until the summer vegetables ripen.


This week, I’ve harvested kohlrabi, kale and beets. All simply roasted with olive oil and garlic.

I no longer expect ripe tomatoes by July 4th as I had hoped before this strange weather pattern locked in over New England. Nonetheless, tomatoes continue to poke through the flowers, weighting the plants down. And though I’ve typically had little success growing heirloom varieties, the black krim shows fruit.

The cucumber plants flowered this morning announcing the location of the baby cukes – 7 – 10 days away from maturity.

Julia on Julie & Julia

When I had my business, Interactive Cuisine, I found the best marketing came from securing press coverage. I did a pretty good job over the years and a few newspapers even referred to me as, “The Other Julia.” Since we both lived in Cambridge, my mentors coached me to work this angle.

A few years into my business, I started hearing about The Julia Project. A woman named Julie was cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking, blogging about, and she was getting tons of press for it. I’ll admit it, I was a little bitter. I should have been writing that blog! And getting all the press!

Julie Powell’s book, Julie & Julia came out a few years later. I obstinately did not look at it, purchase it, much less read it. But a few months ago, when I had credit at the used book store, I decided to get over myself and read it.

I’m glad I did, because it was a fun read! Perhaps, I can appreciate it more now as a fellow food-blogger. I enjoyed the voice she created and her ability to admit to her foibles and quirks. From a cooking perspective, I appreciate the challenges of cooking classically French. I recall learning many of the recipes and techniques in culinary school, and know that they take practice. I wonder now, 17 years after I started cooking professionally, would I be able to successfully cook through Master the Art of French Cooking?

Did you read the book or follow the blog?

Urban Gardening at its Best!

Outside the second story window of an apartment building on Hampshire Street in Cambridge...


The gutters have been repurposed....

Perhaps most intriguing is the upside-down tomato plant.

Free Range Eggs (Recipe: Oleana's Deviled Eggs)

Amazing things happen when animals can roam freely. From all this exercise, more blood flows through their muscles, yielding meat that is more is more flavorful and also has a little more texture. And when egg-laying hens roam freely, the eggs taste better too!

Cooking farm-fresh eggs is different than regular supermarket eggs. They cook more quickly. When used in cakes or other baked goods, the results are lighter. The yolks tend to be more orange and flavorful as a result of the grain and grass diet.

When I get fresh eggs, I tend to make egg salad or deviled eggs so I can really appreciate the flavor and texture. Lately, I’ve tired of my usual recipe and decide to branch out.

With a recent dozen, I made a simple deviled eggs, seasoning the yolks with mayonnaise, mustard and cumin...

And the recipe from Oleana for Deviled Eggs with Tuna and Black Olives...
Ana Sortun's Deviled Eggs with Tuna and Black Olives
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup minced fresh tuna (about 6 ounces)
1 scallion, minced
1/2 cup minced celery
Tiny pinch curry
Salt and pepper
8 hard-boiled eggs, split in half lengthwise, with yolks and whites separated
1 cup thick mayonnaise, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
8 black olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 plum tomato, finely chopped

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the tuna, scallion, celery, curry and salt and pepper. Cook until the tuna is just opaque, about 3 minutes. Cool and drain well.

In a small mixing bowl, mash the egg yolks with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, tuna, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the egg whites with salt and pepper and fill their centers with heaping spoonfuls of the tuna egg filling. Top each with a black olive and tomato.

Random Apps of Kindness (and GIVEAWAY!)

Several years ago, my friend David and I started Random Apps of Kindness: every time we dined out, we sent an appetizer to a stranger. What started as a way to make peace with a favorite bartender, turned into a little adventure. For 6 months, we made new friends and even had an article written about us in the local paper. But like most good things, it came to an end.

When Melissa announced she was having a giveaway – 5 Random Acts of Kindness – I was reminded how much fun it is to do nice things for others. I entered into her giveaway, not thinking I’d win, but I did! Part of winning is means passing along 5 more acts. Even though the rules suggest that I use my blog to give my kindness, I decided to send 2 Random Apps and 3 Random Acts to my blog readers.

So here’s how it works:

1. Leave a comment on this post no later than 8 pm EST Monday, June 29. I’ll pick 3 comments by random, on whose authors I’ll bestow an act of kindness, and I’ll announce the winners Tuesday morning. And to fulfill my “obligation of 5” to Melissa, I will send 2 random apps of kindness and blog about it here.

My blogging prowess prevents me from capturing your email address. If you don't want to leave it here in the comments (so I can contact you if you win), be sure to check back.

2. My kindness can be anything of my choosing. It might be handmade and it might be purchased, but it will be selected just for you. It will be given to you sometime in the next 12 months. I make no guarantees that you’ll love it (or not find it odd or quirky), but I guarantee that it will be heartfelt on my part.

All you have to do, dear readers, is have a blog and be willing to pass on the kindness by creating a similar post. If you don’t blog but you Facebook, pledge to bestow a kindness on five Facebook friends. If you do neither, play the game the old-fashioned way: find a neighbor, stranger or friend in need and fill it.

Mayberry Magpie described it as a kindness dogpile, which sounds like great fun, don’t you think?

P.S.

The One Page Cookbook (Recipe: Herb Crusted Tuna)

Over 20 years ago, my father was my first passenger after I got my pilot’s license. It seems only fitting that today he should be my first guest poster. And as he tells it, he taught me everything I know about cooking, and especially plate presentation. Thankfully, I learned to eat artichokes on my own.

I am Julia's father. Although I have written a number of books and magazine articles, this is the first time I have written for a blog. I do so at Julia's invitation.

My subject is a cookbook. I suppose thousands of cookbooks have been written, especially in recent years. But this one is unique. Not only was it specially created for me, but I believe it is different from all the others of the genre. It is known in our house as The One-Page Cookbook.

In response to the ever-increasing demands of Julia's mother for my bolder participation in the preparation of our evening meal, I have with increasing frequency taken to cooking its central feature, usually fish. However, I would often get stuck in the middle. Since one of my daughters is a professional chef, this situation would naturally lead to a frantic telephone call to Cambridge. As often as not, she would be out.

Over time, it became clear that I should think ahead of time about where I was going--or rather how I should proceed--in this culinary adventure. This led to a request for more sustained assistance from Julia.

In response to my request, Julia wrote The One-Page Cookbook on an 8 ½ x 11 piece of typing paper that is now crinkled with heat and spotted (in several colors) but valuable as ever.

In one page, Julia managed to provide recipes for tuna, salmon, codfish, tilapia, snapper and scallops.

The only reason this cookbook has not been published by Random House and distributed more widely is that, unfortunately, there is no money in it.

Here is Julia's recipe for tuna from The One-Page Cookbook:

Season with s&p both sides. Add seafood herb mix. Get steel skillet and utensils (thin spatula, tongs, potholder) ready. Heat pan med hi, cover pan with canola oil. Canola must never smoke. Gently place tuna in hot canola oil. Start with tuna at room temp. Sear each side for two minutes. If oil starts to smoke, remove pan from heat.

The only modification I would make in this recipe is to place at the beginning the direction to begin with tuna at room temperature. I never remember to take the tuna out of the refrigerator in advance. But we're getting used to cold tuna in the middle. It's like seared tuna with sushi inside. Delicious!

Happy Father's Day, Dad! Looking forward to cooking many more meals with you and FOR you.

Herbalicious

I favor the soft herbs --- tarragon, basil, chervil, chives. On the other end of the spectrum – rosemary, sage, and oregano – the flavors tend to overpower. Too often, cooks have a heavy hand with the hard herbs, and ruin an otherwise good dish.

But back to the soft herbs… They can be mixed with lettuces for a salad or blended together for my cherished dreamy green goddess. Or, mixed with soft butter to make a compound butter.

Compound butter is versatile. I rub a few tablespoons under the skin of chicken breasts before roasting

Or finish a tomato sauce with the butter for salmon.

Or toss steamed asparagus in it.


Herb Butter
1 tbs. fresh tarragon
1 tbs. fresh chives or scallions
1 tbs. fresh parsley or chervil
1 tbs. fresh basil
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop herbs and spices. Mix with butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


I'm submitting this recipe to the Weekend Herb Blogging #188, hosted this week by the ever-charming Graziana of Erbe in Cucina - Cooking with Herbs. This event was originally started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, and is now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. For more information, see the rules, hosting schedule, and weekly recaps for WHB.

Spring's Last Hurrah

I've never had much luck growing peas... I usually console myself with the tendrils and buy English peas at the market. For Spring's last hurrah, I sauteed freshly shelled peas with morels, asparagus and tarragon (from the garden). I tossed it all with fresh pasta; a little butter, lemon juice and freshly grated parmesan rounded out the dish.

ERS (Empty Restaurant Syndrome)

I recall learning about this in culinary school. Our instructors warned us of this problem – potential customers walk into your restaurant and see nary a soul dining. They think something must be wrong with the restaurant and walk out. No one wants to be the first customer of the evening. And when the first customer is seated, we were taught to seat them in the window so passers by don’t get the feeling of Empty Restaurant Syndrome (ERS).

In the past few weeks the local papers have been covering the closing of several restaurants. Most recently, Great Bay announced it’s shutting its doors. The last time I ate there, the cavernous room seemed eerily empty. Sure, there were other diners, but nowhere near a full house. And when I go to Open Table to peruse restaurants for an evening out, invariably they have the coveted 7:00p.m. table available.

I’ll be honest, ERS has prevented me from dining there more. When it first opened, they were packed. In the past 2 years (and not just when the economy soured), when I’ve consider dining there, I’m suspicious as to why a seemingly good restaurant is empty. And now it seems that a collection of people, just like me, stopped eating there for no other reason than other people weren’t either. We created a self-fulfilling prophecy and the restaurant is now closed.

My father, on the other hand, has reserve-ERS (Full Restaurant Syndrome??). He actually prefers the empty restaurants because they are quiet. As someone who is hard of hearing, he cherishes the quiet ambiance so he can enjoy the conversations with his dining companions.

Have you fallen prey to ERS?

Garden Updates - Early June

I harvested the first kale last week. The leaves are decently sized, but like the first cutting of most leafy greens, they were still quite tender and delicately flavored. And they cook down like spinach. But to get to the second cutting, when the leaves will have more texture and flavor, I must get through the first.

Not that the first cutting was such a hardship. I sautéed them with garlic and chile flakes in a bit of olive oil; a little salt, pepper and lemon juice at the end.

In other garden highlights, I have a few roma tomatoes. Like last year, I was able to get the tomatoes in the ground by May 1st, and avoid any damaging frosts. But unlike last year, when the tomatoes were just starting to blush in mid July, I may get tomatoes by July 4th. We’ll see, and I’ll keep you posted.


The first jalapeno poked its nose out from behind the flower. Now I know that in a pinch, I can go to the garden for a spicy kick… though I hope to wait until it matures a little further.

The beet greens are large and hardy, but still not as big as supermarket beet greens. Since I can’t dig up the beets to check their size – if I did, that would be the end of its growth – I must judge their size by the size of their leaves. I still have a few weeks to go.