Fresh recipe of the month: Pomegranate lamb chops with mint molasses

We have plenty of pomegranates ripe and ready on our tree and fresh mint in our garden, so we decided to try out these ingredients with lamb. We found a delicious recipe on the POM Wonderful website, which is an awesome site full of great pomegranate recipes. We followed the recipe as written, except used 1.5 times as much pomegranate juice and mint, and used lamb chops instead of racks of lamb. The combination of the flavors with the lamb was incredible.

Here is the recipe directly from the POM website:

Juice from 46 large POM Wonderful
Pomegranates,* or 2 cups POM Wonderful
100% Pomegranate Juice
2 racks of lamb, frenched and trimmed of fat
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mint leaves
4 tablespoons dry sherry
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons orange blossom honey
skin of 1 apple (any variety)

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook pomegranate juice, sherry, bay leaf, honey and apple skin; reduce by half.
Remove from heat and discard bay leaf and apple skin. Allow reduction to cool; divide evenly and save in two separate containers.
In a blender, place 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mint leaves; blend until smooth.
Combine the mint and oil mixture with half of the pomegranate reduction to make molasses. Set aside and keep warm.
Salt and pepper the lamb and set aside for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 325F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet.
Brown the lamb on all sides.
Place lamb on a roasting rack over a shallow pan and brush on all sides with the remaining pomegranate reduction.
Roast in preheated oven.
Baste lamb every 7 minutes (5 times). Lamb should be done to medium rare when a meat thermometer inserted reads 135F.
Remove lamb from the oven and allow to rest for 7 to 10 minutes before carving into chops. Allow 3 to 4 chops per serving or a half rack per person.
Drizzle with mint-pomegranate molasses and serve.

Organic produce box

We've decided to start getting a regular fresh organic produce box from Farm Fresh to You.

Because I have been such a fruit-fiend during my pregnancy, we decided to go with the "mostly fruit" option, every other week. I'm very happy with this program because it allows you to exclude certain produce from ever coming, and also lets you view the components of the box that will be arriving that week. This gives you the opportunity to make changes if you aren't happy with what will be coming. You can change the delivery week very easily if for whatever reason you don't want the box to come that week (out of town, visitors, etc.).

I'm very excited to have even more organic produce in our house and to support local farms!

Fresh recipe of the month: Pumpkin raisin bread

Fall is here, so I just love finding good recipes for pumpkin. Today I made pumpkin raisin bread, which was very moist and tasty.

- 2 cups Pumpkin, peeled/steamed/pureed

- 1-1/2 cups sugar

- 1/2 cup oil

- 2 eggs

- 1-3/4 cups flour

- 1 teaspoons baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

- 1/3 cup water

- 1/2 cup raisins

Grease and flour bread pan. Combine sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs. Beat until fluffy. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to pumpkin mixture, alternating with water. Add raisins and turn into pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Eating Mexican in SF

San Francisco is full of fantastic Mexican restaurants. It's impossible to try them all, but I thought I would give my two cents about which ones are worth visiting. The restaurants range from quick taco stands to full family-style Mexican.

Just down the street from my old apartment is Pancho Villa Taqueria, located on 16th Street in the Mission District. The burritos and quesadillas are delicious and hearty. The restaurant is clean, the ingredients are of good-quality, and they are generous on the portions. My favorites are the super vegetarian burrito with pinto beans or the super chicken quesadilla. The prices are slightly higher than other quick taco options, but I think this is seen in the quality of the food.

Another one of my favorite burrito options in the Mission is Azteca Taqueria. The food is also quite tasty, with huge burritos and tasty salsas. I particularly like the ambiance at Azteca, as it is covered with Mexican decor and bright colors. The service is friendly and the food as tasty and cheap, what more can you ask for?

The third Mission taqueria that I recommend is El Castillo. It is one of the least expensive options, and again has nice quick burrito options. Because of the prices, location, and business hours, this tends to be a popular late-night eatery. My only caution of El Castillo is that the food tends to be a bit on the spicy side, so be sure to ask for mild if you can't take the heat.

For a family-style sit-down Mexican restaurant, I also have a few favorites. Tres Agaves, near AT&T Park, has a festive atmosphere, great food and strong margaritas. For a more authentic meal, try the Salvadorean Panchita's, which serves Mexican as well as traditional Salvadorean dishes. The papusas are particalarly tasty here, as are the chicken mole and enchiladas.

Which Mexican restaurant is your favorite?

Fresh recipe of the month: Butternut squash soup

I love the autumn because it means I can make my favorite soup in the slow cooker-- Butternut squash soup. Easy recipe and delicious!

- 1 yellow onion

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

- 1/4 teaspoon ginger

- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 4 cups vegetable broth

- Chives and sour cream for garnish

Saute the onion with butter for 5 minutes then add the spices. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker along with the butternut squash, brown suger, and a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 8 hours, then use a blender to smooth the soup in sections. Garnish with sour cream and chopped chives.

Fresh recipe of the month: Apple crisp

One of my favorite recipes for apples is apple crisp. It is so simple, yet so delicious.

- 1 cup flour

- 3/4 cup white sugar

- 1 egg

- Pinch of salt

- 6 cored/peeled/sliced apples

Mix all ingredients except apples. Put apples in a greased pie pan. Top with mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with small chunks of butter. Cooke at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F for an additional 10 minutes.

Lighthouse Field SB, Santa Cruz

Today was a sunny day so we drove down to Santa Cruz to soak up the sun. The coast along West Cliff Drive today was pretty crowded, but we were still able to find some space along the water to enjoy the scenery, at Lighthouse Field State Beach.

We had fun watching the local surfers catch waves, taking a few photos, and just enjoying the great outdoors.

San Carlos concert at Burton Park

San Carlos holds a summer concert series that is always fun to check out. The concerts are held at Burton Park and are a great way to get together with friends and family to listen to some music.

This weekend was the last concert of the summer, a rock band called Livewire. They were a great cover band and it was really fun!

Wine tasting in Napa with the dogs!

Today we head up to Napa to go wine tasting, but this time we decided to bring the dogs along with us.

We first decided to check out the Elizabeth Spencer winery, which we heard allowed dogs. It was fantastic. They allowed us to taste out in the courtyard, bringing each wine out to us. The dogs even got to taste some exceptional water! They treated us great and it was a much more relaxing tasting experience than the usual. The wine was great as well, and we ended up buying a Merlot (which is not our usual cup of tea).

Next we decided to head to V. Sattui, since they have a really nice set up for picnicking. We brought along some of our favorite breads and cheese (including olive bread and Beemster aged gouda... my favorites), and bought a bottle of Cabernet at the tasting shop. We enjoyed our afternoon meal in the beautiful weather at one of the benches in the courtyard.

After a nice afternoon of tasting and snacking we head home. It was a great day with the dogs!

San Carlos summer concerts

Stop by Burton Park on Friday nights to enjoy a concert! Here is the schedule for the San Carlos Summer Concert Series:

July 10
Big Bang Beat- Ultimate Party Classics

July 17
Luce- Original Rock

July 24
Caravanserai- Santana Tribute

July 31

Tom Rigney and Flambeau- Zydeco and Cajun

August 7

E-Ticket Band -Oldies Rock n' Roll

August 14

Livewire- Rock, Disco, R&B Dance band

Fishing at Lake Camanche

We tried out a new fishing spot this weekend-- Lake Camanche, in Ione. We took out an aluminum fishing boat and were able to cover most of the reservoir. Using worms as bait, we were able to catch a few small panfish and bass, but unfortunately we didn't catch anything big enough to keep. It is always a sad day in my eyes when you can't cook fish after a long day of fishing.

Slightly defeated, we went to set up camp. To our dismay, the ground was covered in ants! I mean thousands of ants. Since we didn't catch any fish anyway, we decided to just head home to sleep.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with Lake Camanche. Sub-par campgrounds and fishing.

Fresh fruit in our backyard

The fruit trees in our yard are really coming along at this time of the year. The blueberries and loquats are ripe and ready for eating, and the pears, apples, and pomegranates are well on their way!

Today we picked a bowlful of fresh blueberries, which will make for great additions to our cereal this week. We also brought in a few of the loquats. We still haven't come up with a great use for these, other than eating them fresh. They have a tart flavor and are similar in texture to kiwi. If anyone has any good ideas for cooking with this funny fruit, please share!

Alemany Farmer's market

Today we spent the morning wandering around the Farmer's Market on Alemany Boulevard in San Francisco. Now I love going to farmer's markets, and I think this is one of the best markets in the city. The fresh produce, the vibrant colors, the chocolate croissants! Yummy.

We started as we always do, stopping by the bakery stand and ordering some pastries for breakfast. We had our usual chocolate croissant as well as a cinnamon sugar twist.

Next we did the full loop, checking out all of the fresh produce. We settled on a nice assortment of fruits and vegetables. The most exciting item of produce we saw today at the market was fresh sugar cane, very cool! On our way out, we also grabbed some fresh flowers-- gerber daisies.

Bass fishing at Clear Lake

We've been bass fishing up at Clear Lake before, but it was about time we head back up with Cooper. As in the past, we rented a small aluminum fishing boat so that we could cover more of the lake during our fishing expedition.

Cooper handled the boat just fine-- as one of his favorite past times is lounging around in the sunshine, which is not too different from boat life. There was one scary moment for him though. We docked on the shore for a short break, and hopped in the boat without Cooper. As we were pulling away from land, Cooper started crying in panic. He is terrified of water, but apparently even more terrified of being left behind as he jumped in the water and swam after us!

Again as usual, Nate brought home the keepers. We had two nice bass to eat for dinner, and there was even enough to give Cooper a taste.

Fresh recipe of the month: Seville orange meringue pie

We have a Seville orange tree in our yard and have been thinking of recipes to enjoy with with this tart fruit. We're not huge marmalade fans, so we settled on orange meringue pie. After comparing a few recipes online, I came up with the following concoction:

Graham cracker crust:

- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs

- 6 tablespoons melted butter

- 3 tablespoons white sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt and mix. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Seville orange filling:

-Juice from 5 Seville oranges

- Zest from 1 orange rind

- 2 tablespoons flour

- 3 tablespoons cornstarch

- 4 egg yolks

- 1 cup white sugar

Bring the water to a boil, then slowly add juice, orange rinds, flour, and cornstarch. Simmer until it forms a thick custard. Mix the egg yolks and sugar together and add to the custard. Bring back to a boil and remove from heat. After briefly cooling, pour into the crust.

Meringue:

-4 egg whites

- 6 tablespoons white sugar

Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar one spoonful at a time and continue whisking. Spoon the meringue over the pie and swirl it into peaks. Add a few orange rinds to the top. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until the meringue is beginning to turn golden brown.

The pie turned out delicious and received many complements. I think the graham cracker combined with the orange tart flavor was just perfect.

Day hiking in Marin: Bon Tempe Reservoir

We decided to get outside and enjoy the fresh air with our pup Cooper. We drove north to Marin county and took a nice hike down to Bon Tempe Reservoir. The area surrounding the lake included meadows with beautiful wildflowers, wooded forests and dense shrubs. We walked down to the lake and took a nice hike around the water.

I recommend this spot for hikers of all levels, as it is beautiful, the terrain is not too difficult, and you can choose to hike for any distance.

Backpacking at Cache Creek

We spent the weekend camping up at Cache Creek Wilderness. We chose this location because of the beautiful wildflowers that pop up in the meadows at this time of year. There were indeed many gorgeous flowers sprinkled along the trail, complementing the beautiful wooded scenery.

We took the Redbud trail, which extends seven miles to Wilson Valley. At the end of the trail we found the perfect spot to set up camp directly next to Cache Creek-- which made Lucy very happy as she spent the evening in and out of the water. Cooper, of course, avoided the water at all costs. There were no other hikers out for the night, so we were able to enjoy the serene surroundings on our own.

The air temperature dropped dramatically during the night, even causing frost to cover the ground by morning, so we appreciated the warm body heat of our dogs, who shared the tent with us. In the morning we warmed up by the fire with some oatmeal and cocoa to revamp our bodies for the hike back.

All-in-all this was a great hike for a one night backpacking trip.

Windy Hill hiking

We took the dogs to Windy Hill Open Space Preserve to go on a 7 mile loop with their packs on. As the name suggests, half of this hike was along a very open hill, where the sun was blazing and the winds were quite harsh. The other section of the hike, however, was very different-- full of shade from thick trees and traversing along thin unpaved trails.

Spring blossoms in our yard

Living in California is fantastic. Residents are able to grow a wide range of produce in this climate and our yard is proof of that! We have over 30 types of fruit-bearing trees and bushes and are able to enjoy fresh produce year-round.

I find the fruit trees to be especially beautiful in the spring months. Each tree has it's own gorgeous flower-- the pink peach blossoms, the white pear and orange flowers, and the deep red pomegranate petals. It is such a treat to be able to look outside each day and see such divine nature!

Fresh recipe of the month: Asparagus soup

It is asparagus season! Yesterday I made a delicious cream of asparagus soup in our slow cooker.

-1.5 pounds fresh asparagus

- 4 cups vegetable broth

- 1/2 onion, chopped

- 1 yukon gold potato

- 1/2 cup half and half

- Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours at low temperature. Use a ladle to bring soup in small portions to a blender and blend until the entire batch is smooth.

Fresh recipe of the month: Homemade pizza

On this Valentine’s Day we decided to make one of our favorite dishes– pizza! I think making homemade pizza is one of the best ways to spend time together and allows you to be especially creative with your meal.

In order to get the best ingredients, we spent the morning at the Farmer’s Market on Alemany Boulevard in San Francisco. After perusing the stands we decided to make one pizza with red and yellow bell peppers, mozzarella, tomatoes, red and green onions, and sausage, as well as a “dessert” pizza with blue cheese, pears, yukon potatoes, and fresh honey. Both pies turned out to be delicious, as they always do.

I hope everyone’s Valentines Day was as fun as ours!