Nugget's Lunch - September 23, 2009

(clockwise from upperleft)  two kinds of tortilla chips:  jalapeno and blue corn, beet hummus, blanched baby corn with ghee and sea salt, red seedless grapes, ultimate sandwich bread with cheddar cheese and tiny black currants for buttons, and a small chocolate chip cookie.

For the beet hummus, I just used my favorite hummus recipe and added four cooked beets to the food processor, and adjusted the extra virgin olive oil and the sea salt as necessary.  I use Braggs liquid aminos in mine, as well as parsley, but without those two , the hummus is a truly brilliant hue, and because of the garlic and spices, the earthy flavor is disguised for those folks (like my husband and my son) who are beet averse.

The sandwich bread in this picture is a slightly different color, perhaps a tint of golden color, because I kept the milk solids in the butter.  In the post/picture below, where I discuss the sandwich bread, I used butter with the milk solids removed, otherwise known as ghee. 

Ultimate Sandwich Bread in 15 Minutes Hands-On Time!

Nugget's recently self-proclaimed favorite bread.  Seriously, the ultimate sandwich bread.  It will be soft for two days in an airtight bag or container, but it will probably be eaten long before then.  Incredible as sandwich bread, but also as toast, french toast, and particularly grilled cheese on the outdoor charcoal grill.  Here is the amazing part:  (sssshhhhhh!) it is really easy to make!

I followed the Cooks Illustrated recipe for "American Loaf Bread - Stand Mixer Method", and it turns out beautiful every time.  I'd post a link or the recipe, but the link is only available to their website subscribers.  Anyone can try a free 14-day trial, though.  Just go to the Cooks Illustrated website.  You can also look up the recipe in their Baking Illustrated cookbook which I have seen in the public library.

There is rise time involved for the dough, so you will need just under two hours total - yet only 15 minutes of actual hands on time is needed.  I'm not sure why I am not yet making this twice a week every week.  I have made it three times since this picture, and am confident in the method and prep time.  Time to squelch that psychological block in my (and your) head that says, "Bread making MUST be hard!  It is only for over-achievers!"  Yet this bread?  Easy-peasy.  It's like a confidence booster, letting you feel like Martha and Betty without actually going insane!  Enjoy.

Nugget's Lunch - September 18, 2009

(clockwise from upperleft) Mashed yukon potatoes with ghee and sea salt.  Sugar snap peas. Animal crackers.  Persian cucumber rings stuffed with salmon salad. Cheddar cheese dolphins, and red bell pepper.

Yes, I am painfully aware of how, um, "worm-like" the mashed potaotes look.  I was trying to squirt them out of a bag, and I should have used a pastry bag with a fancy tip or something to make it look nice.  I think I was envisioning those squirts that you see in the twice-baked potatoes that are pre-made, you know?  Sigh.  I showed the potatoes to my son and tried to sell it as "cool! little worms!" and he said, "they are like snake potatoes, really."  *Whew*  Just to reassure him, I told them they are actually the same mashed potatoes he likes to eat for dinner.  On a side note, this would also be a good example where color really matters.  Had I used a red container (or even a green container) for the potatoes, I am confident it would look much more appetizing.  Blue does not seem to be a good color for potaotes that look like worm-snakes.  But I was going for a "ocean" theme with the dolphins and salmon...

For the salmon-salad stuffed cucumber rings, I made what would otherwise be tuna salad, except I used Chicken of The Sea's wild alaskan salmon.  Simply mix in shallots, relish, sea salt, white pepper and a bit of mustard.  I used this really cool thing by Oxo called a Corer, and made the holes in the cucumbers, which I had peeled and cut into sections about 1-inch thick, then stuffed in the salmon salad.  I don't know why we haven't been eating tuna salad / salmon salad with cucumbers more often; try it, it is tasty!

Results of the Homegrown School Lunch Week

I have romanticized notions about what the Homegrown School Lunch Week will eventually be.  I packed my son's lunch today, however, because the school did not have a local food on the menu for today.  I was unable to find out what Monday's local vegetable was, but Tuesday was cantaloupe, Wednesday was tomatoes and cucumbers, and Thursday was watermelon.  Today was going to be leftovers of the few tomatoes and cucumbers, but they sold out of the cantaloupe and watermelon.  I do hope the school system will implement the local food program more often.

Homegrown School Lunch Week

This week in some of the Maryland Public Schools, it is Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week.  This means the fruits and vegetables at Nugget's school are locally grown and offered to the children.  He will be buying lunch all week, because I really want to support this program, and encourage the eventual expansion of it.  The current downside is that the school system has not fully embraced the philosophy (they are still having those pre-packaged square pizzas as the main entree today, for example).  However, the fruits and vegetables are a great step in the right direction, even if it is only for a week!

Click here for more information on the Food to School initiative in Maryland.

Click here to find a Farm to School program near you.

Click here for Procurement Information Packages.

Nugget's Lunch - September 11, 2009

A little addition to today's rainy-day lunch was a small thermos of warm baked beans.

(clockwise from upperleft)

chocolate M&Ms, canned pineapple chunks, ranch dressing, carrot, baby spinach leaves, chicken sausage and red bell peppers, and whole wheat bread pockets filled with cream cheese and pumpkin butter.

Day-After Labor Day

Here we have some lunch goodness leftover from a Labor Day potluck in the park. A picnic, bikes, playground, and the grandest game of cornhole combined with friends and yummy food make for a fine day, indeed.

(clockwise from upperleft) fresh picked glorious juiciness in the form of local white peaches from Weber's Cider Mill Farm, carrots and persian cucumbers cut into quasi-matchsticks, squash, tomato, bean and white quinoa pilaf, brown pearl mushrooms, and some pumped-up hummus in a spinach tortilla roll with cucumber sticks, grated carrots, tomatoes and broccoli sprouts.

I specified persian cucumbers because they are smaller, seedless and don't need to be peeled. And if you buy your cukes at the supermarket, they are unencumbered (dare I say unencucumbered?) by that awful wax coating found on the more common store variety. They have slightly less flavor, but that may not be a bad thing if you are introducing them to your little one for the first time. I am planning to make some pickles with them, so we'll see how it goes!

A word about quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), because it is a great staple to keep in your pantry. Technically, it is not a grain, but the seed of the goosefoot plant. Considered a complete protein, it contains all 8 of the essential amino acids, and cooks very quickly (15 minutes!). The recipe I used is Tuscany Bulgur Pilaf from The Chopra Center Cookbook, and I substituted quinoa for the bulgur. The fresh mint and basil in the pilaf allow it to easily be eaten hot, cold or room temperature, so the dish is very versatile. In fact, the dressing alone for this pilaf is one worth committing to memory, or making a triple batch of and keeping in your fridge, because it can be easily tossed with rice, sautéed vegetables, or in a quick salad.