Balsamic-y green beans

To accompany hot dogs for dinner

Grilled chicken, roasted broccoli and cauliflower with avo, romaine and vinaigrette

In my yard

Plumeria

 

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

From True Grits cookbook.


2 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T. dijon mustard
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 (12-oz) pork tenderloins
1-1/2 T. olive oil


•• Mix together first five ingredients in a bowl. Rub mixture evenly over the pork; place in a shallow dish. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
•• Brown the pork on all sides in heated oil in a skillet (cast iron works well). Place in baking pan (or leave in cast iron skillet).
•• Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until cooked through. (don't overcook!)


Note: this goes really well with brussels sprouts! While the pork is cooking, prepare the brussels by cleaning, cutting and partially cooking them. Once the pork is out of the oven and resting, use the pan to crisp up the veggies, and utilize those delicious crispy bits from the bottom. Depending on how cooked the brussels are to start, may need to combine stovetop and oven, or simply stovetop alone. Also, may want to try deglazing the pan first with some white wine, then finishing up the sprouts.

Saffron, India street

Greek eggs with bialy bagel and iced coffee

Encinitas Pannikin, one of my happiest places

Serenity now

Cal heights food trucks

Bolognese Meat Sauce

I tried the famous recipe from Marcella Hazan, which was highly recommended by Martha herself. I followed directions for the most part. Though swayed by several reviews, I felt confident to make a couple substitutions that promised to either enhance, or at least, not hinder the results. I substituted red wine for white, and I used 2/3 ground beef + 1/3 ground pork, instead of all beef. I thought it was good, but not thee quintessential, perfect sauce everyone reports it to be.

Looking at even more reviews afterward, many actually do specify to make it EXACTLY as written, no substitutions. So next time, I will use white wine and beef only. But there's one more thing- this must be the Californian in me- I would have liked more actual tomato sauce in the outcome. The consistency was more like a chunky filling for cannelloni or lasagna, than a sauce for pasta.
I want to make it again as written. But I also am curious to see what will happen if I add an extra can of tomatoes to make it more saucy. I guess I'll have to have two pots of gravy going, and do the pepsi challenge to see which I prefer. Better stock up on good canned tomatoes.

BTR 2012

We call it "being the river"
It means don't flail when the river is flinging you, and your cooler-tube into the reeds. the more you flail, the worse it will be. Just relax, be the river, and you'll sooner get out of the whirlpool, jetty, or reeds naturally. Don't fight the river, BE the river. Words to live by.

photo by Greg Jacobs

photo by Greg Jacobs

photo by Greg Jacobs

Fresh homemade salsa

Still benefiting from friend's gardens!

Pizza burger

Lots of planting over the weekend

Making sunday gravy, flipping through sunset mag, listening to the stones

Sent from my iPhone

Beautiful tomatoes and peppers

from my friend's garden. Love it- I don't have to do the work, yet I still reap the benefits!