Easter Feast #2 ~ Roasted Marinated Pork and Purple Asparagus

On a recent shopping trip the the Fresh Market, I spotted this gorgeous Purple Asparagus and decided that we had to have it for Easter Dinner. I had seen purple asparagus in photos before, but had never tried it. I would be lying if I said it was easy leaving this alone until Easter day. I was absolutely giddy with anticipation of trying, and wasn't disappointed in the end.

When my mom arrived, she came with this lovely Easter Basket. I don't care how old I am, each year I never get any less excited about having an Easter basket. This was a particularly lovely basket as the contents were more suited to my age...

With the pork finishing up in the oven, my wait for the purple asparagus was coming to an end. I coated in some olive oil and sprinkled with Maldon salt, then cooked on a Medium flame for about 10 minutes. Once the pork came out of the over to rest, I turned the heat up to 400F and finished off the asparagus in the over, about another 5-10 minutes, checking frequently as I didn't want them to burn.

One thing I would like to mention, and I had a sneaking suspicion that this would happen, is that they turn green when cooking. They did retain a bit of the purple, but the majority turned a deep green.

Backing up a bit, the pork was marinated for 8 hours in a mixture of:

• 1 large tbsp prepared vinaigrette
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• vegetable oil to thin (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
• few good shape of Tamari sauce
• 3 clove garlic
• Herbs de Provence
• 5 sprigs of Lemon Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• good pinch each of sale and pepper
• a splash of lemonade

When ready to cook, I shook access marinade off and roasted at 325F for 35-40 minutes. What a fantastic combination...

The pork was moist and flavorful. The asparagus was divine. It had a slightly sweeter taste than regular green asparagus. The smokiness of roasting it was a good compliment to the natural flavor. This would be a good introduction for someone that doesn't think they like asparagus. We also had kohlrabi remoulade and an artichoke/green olive pesto pasta salad. Not your traditional Easter feast, but most enjoyable!

Afterwards we had lovely lemon cupcakes that my mom had made, but sadly my camera had retired for the night, so I can't share them with you.

Easter Feast #1 ~ Grilled London Broil with Grilled Peppers and Mushrooms

The Friday before Easter I was happy to discover a new shipment of Heirloom tomatoes at Fresh Market. This was a bit like winning the lottery for me as I was craving Purple Cherokee tomatoes. This zebra striped tomato is quite possibly the most fashionable tomato I've ever seen. My dad and Kathy were down for Easter weekend. While the guys had a nice morning playing golf, Kathy and I strolled around downtown and had a lovely lunch out (more on that to follow...) then met up for dinner. I had prepared the pasta salad earlier in the day, which turned out to be a good idea as our power went out. (Yet another sign that summer is quickly approaching, this is a common occurrence with PRE) We fired up the BBQ, put a table and some chairs outside, and enjoyed a lovely evening of dining el fresco.

The mushrooms and red peppers had been marinating for about 1/2 hour in Italian vinaigrette. Before cooking the beef, I cooked them for about 10 minutes to give them that nice roasted flavor, then returned them to a bowl to sit while the meat cooked. I cooked the beef 7 minutes per side on a medium heat, then turned off the grill and let sit another 2. After the meat rested for 5 minutes inside on a plate, I cut into thin slices as well as the veggies. Once arranged on the serving plate, I poured the resting juices of both the meat and vegetables over the entire plate. It was now ready to be served. Along with the pasta salad & kohlrabi, we had tomatoes prepared in my favorite way....
To finish up this live meal, we had the most divine berry tart from Whole Foods. Need I say more...

Happy Easter

Hope you are having a lovely day enjoying the beauty of Spring. We had our first Easter feast yesterday, and are preparing for our second today. The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, the butterflies are fluttering, and it truly is beautiful day.

Valentine's Dinner: A New Watercress and Dauphinois Recipe

James and I usually stay in for dinner on Valentine's Day. We started the tradition a few years back of cooking a joint venture meal instead of going out. It is a treat for me to have him cook, and there is no chance of bad service or noisy patrons. Well, apart from Harry.

James cooked steak - French style, and I made a Three Cheese Gratin Dauphinois. We also had a green salad with a new discovery to me: "Wild Red" Watercress. It was lovely, not quite as bitter as some of the watercress we get around here, and was a bit more peppery. We both agreed that we liked it better. With the lovely mixture of green and red, you could almost feel the goodness as you were eating it. Take that toxins and potentially cancerous cells! I did some research and discovered that this is actually a recent find. Or so the article goes. As it has just been placed on the market and only to a limited area, I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon it. Have I mentioned that I love Sarasota's Downtown Farmer's Market???

We had a lovely meal with Madeleine Peyroux singing away in the background. James had cleared the table and we were finishing up the last of the fizz before going for a walk when an uninvited guest showed up:

Quicker than I could say "Be Mine" (alla Sweethearts Conversation Hearts), Harry was up on the table, on the trivet, like he belonged there. Now I do not condone the cat on the table while we eat, if you know Harry, some times there is no compromising.

What's Not to Love About Puppet Shows and Free Hugs?

My Valentine's Day started with my favorite weekend activity: heading down bright and early to the Farmer's Market. It was a stressful week, and this is my favorite way to unwind. As my mom and I made our way to our favorite breakfast spot, C'est la Vie, we were treated to a puppet show by Dr. Nick and Leonardo Da Cat and His International Menagerie.Being serenaded by Leonardo himself on Valentine's Day was such a treat. How could you not smile being entertained by a group of Marionette puppets on a portable stage that is towed by a leopard print bike? It's people like Dr. Nick Gapeto that make me love this town, he really adds to that eclectic character of Sarasota. Giddy from the vibe of the early AM concert, we scored a table in the popular French café, where I ordered my favorite, the Savoyarde Crepe - this time choosing salad instead of potatoes. Yes, I'm not your typical breakfast fan, so salad at 8:30AM is perfectly acceptable to my palate.
After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the market, stocking up on some amazing produce. I love going to the Farmer's Market with my mom as it's a great way to buy in bulk, then split things between us.
While we were downtown, we stopped into Sur La Table as my mom was on a mission to get a heart shaped cookie cutter. As we were in line to pay, I noticed the napkin display... could this be a sign???
On the way back to the car, crossing Main St - in front of the Gator Club, we were greeted by this group of smiling faces giving free hugs for Valentine's Day!
Whether you're cynical about Valentine's Day being a holiday that was fabricated by Hallmark and Florists as a way of selling their goods, you've got to admit that it is nice to have an excuse to celebrate love and kindness. Yes, you should need your calender dictating a day for you to do so, but it doesn't hurt...

Happy Valentine's Day

Nothing says "I Love You" like...

Happy Valentine's Day!!! xoxo

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a very nice Christmas. It is always so nice to see your town decorated when you're out and about preparing for the big day...

...then to go home and sit by the fire...
...and gaze out at your traditional outdoor lights once the sun goes down...

I hope your day was full of warm memories and sunny smiles.

Best Wishes for a Healthy, Happy, and Tasty New Year,

~ Amy J.