pickling day: red onions and cucumbers

In spite of my taking a sick day and sleeping for 12 hours - twelve hours! - the CSA box arrived again last night with more cucumbers and lovely red onions, BUT.  We still have some from last week - what to do, what to do.

Then I remembered those wonderful pickled red onions I made last year, and the Finnish cucumber salad my daughter likes so much, so spent a few hours this morning stuffing the already full fridge with those zesty condiments.  Easy to make, and delicious with everything from cold chicken or fish, to French potato salad, they're a perfect way to use up your summer abundance.  AND I used the last of the dill, mostly stems by then, to start a new bottle of dill vinegar.  So pleasing to have all three of these condiments stashed in the fridge and pantry.

Enjoying the blue, blue sky with wispy clouds overhead , the chattering of the children just back from the beach - and eyeing my bed for a little siesta:)  Enjoy your summer days!

Anni's kale salad with breadcrumbs and garlic

Thursdays are CSA pickup days around here, and after struggling to empty the fridge before the next box,  we're finally getting the hang of it.  As soon as we got home, my daughter-in-law Anni whipped together this wildly popular minced kale salad.  I've seen recipes for it, but thought I wouldn't like it.   Boy, was I wrong!  

The last cup of this went out the door this morning in my daughter's lunch box, but I had scribbled down the off-the-cuff recipe last night, thankfully.  Looking in the fridge, there was just enough tuscan (aka dino ) kale left for half a recipe, so here it is:


Anni's Kale Salad

2 slices wholegrain bread, toasted, cooled, and whizzed into breadcrumbs
1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil
kosher salt to taste
3-4 cups of kale, stripped from stems, then minced.  It should measure between 1 and a half to  2 cups minced kale.  There was a stray stem of yellow rainbow chard in there:)
1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (optional)
about a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice


Heat the oil in a pan on low, then add the minced garlic.  Cook a few minutes, then add the breadcrumbs and stir until crumbs are lightly browned.  Remove from heat.

Place the minced kale in a bowl, then add the breadcrumbs and massage the kale for a few minutes.  Add the parmesan, if using (I skipped it).  Sprinkle the lemon juice over, toss, and serve.

It's been hot in Minneapolis, so I haven't been exploring as much, but I do notice these beautiful orange flowers everywhere - if you know what they are, I'd love to know!  We did go to The Mall of America.  I'm not much of a shopper, but loved the Lego world display, where this enormous dragon peered down at us from the second story.  Hope your summer is going swimmingly!

exploring Minneapolis

We had the most wonderful field trip the other day, visiting one of the hottest pizza places in Minneapolis - and after one bite, I understood why - Punch makes the best pizza I've ever had.  Their wood-fired pizza oven maintains a temperature of 800 degrees , so your order is done in minutes.  Unlike my homemade pizza, their pies are very light and thin, with a few delicious charred bubbles of cheese and dough.  

After lunch, we meandered to Nicollet Island - a tiny island in the middle of the Mississippi river, with a charming Inn and lots of parkland to wander through .  We met up with a family friend, who was fishing there (below) - he didn't catch anything, but the fish were leaping and splashing just a few feet away from us.  What an amazing place!

And here is Frankie at one of the farmers' markets - wearing his butterfly wings:

                                                 Have a great weekend!

jamie's red pepper pasta sauce with lemon, parsley, and ham and Saturday sightseeing

I love exploring this new place!  Saturday we visited the St. Paul Farmers Market, just over the Mississippi River, which was packed with shoppers and visitors, like me.  Lots of herb and flower plants, which made me feel a little wistful, as we have no garden space here - yet.    Flowers were everywhere, making for a very colorful market, and we picked up some gorgeous Italian parsley and fresh basil for our dinner recipe (and two small baskets of red and yellow shallots, for $3!)

On the way home we happened to pass this stunningly gorgeous French villa, and I made my daughter stop so I could take pictures.  Putting down my camera for a minute, I saw a poem inscribed in the sidewalk beside the house, such a surprise and a joy.  

And that night we made Jamie's wonderful red pepper pasta with Parma ham and lemon, tossing in a handful of bright, fresh broccoli we had picked up at the market.  I opted for a chunkier sauce than Jamie's - I'm sure it's just as delicious either way.  Amazingly, all three children (2,4 and 9) loved it!

Happy rainy Monday to you all....

Minneapolis!

Here I am!  New town, new neighborhood, new everything!  I've been exploring this sweet little neighborhood , most of which are small, cozy looking houses, with bright flowers , tidy lawns, and lots of stucco, adding up to great charm.  And the people are just like me - striking up conversations from their yards to me as I walk to the stores.  The small market I walk to has beautiful, huge pots of planted edibles and herbs, and there are flowers everywhere.

  See the blackberries (not quite ripe) below?  Someone has planted huge walls of berries along the sidewalk so people walking by can pick a few to eat as they stroll by.  I love that spirit of sharing.

And it's wonderful to see Izzie, Frankie, and Noah for more than an hour or so -!

Wishing you a wonderful 4th of July!