Tuna is tricky. At 25$ a pound here for wild caught i get shy-to-buy. I do purchase a half pound when doing a big mixed grill for company....so it has been a while.

I still have a few roasted tomatillo packets in the freezer from last October. Congrats on a new flavor experience, 😜.

Wednesdays are always a meal dilemma. Hump day. Then on top of that is a weekend plan to plan...

Made an old classic, ShipwreckPie. Roasted Cod. Thick fillets were undercooked and had to go back into the oven,...better than overdone.

New fat-n-full veg box delivery helped.

Beautiful looking shrimp and couscous Lynda. I've never tried the larger Israeli style

Sleeve I didn't realize that you get shipments of meat. I thought you were pretty much a Misfits/vegetarian eater. I'm sorry your DH forgot to put the leftovers in the frig, but I'm sure not as sorry as he was. 😁

Neely I smiled at you pointing out your grey lump on your plate. I love that we can freely discuss and laugh at our less than perfect, or funny looking meals.

All week I was thinking about having nachos today so I did. I put black beans in it.

It's impossible to make one serving so I have half of my small baking sheet left. They don't reheat the greatest but since I'm not in the least fussy or picky they'll get eaten.

Neely, I remember you talking about Tomatillos, and I am glad you got to have your salsa. I have a packet of seeds sitting on the kitchen counter that I still need to plant. I need to get on it so I can have some salsa when my tomatoes start to die off. I know everyone roasts tomatillos, but I skip that step as I love the flavor, which is more pronounced without roasting.

Jasdip, Nachos are always good. I am glad you enjoyed them.

Sleeve, we pay $20 - $23 per pound for fish market sashimi grade Ahi, which is needed for sushi. If we are pan searing, we find that Costco has amazing quality for a much lower price.

Tonight, I did some experimenting. We had cashew crusted tilapia with a lime coconut jasmine rice and a spicy nectarine salsa. We liked all of it, but not together, as there were a few too many flavors going on. The consensus was (and yes my family will tell it like it is) that the salsa and rice were good together, and would pair nicely with a plain protein like a grilled white fish or chicken breast. The cashew crusted tilapia was delicious on its own, and would pair well with a lemon butter sauce and a simple basmati rice.

I've been working hard to make sure that nothing from the garden gets wasted. This morning, I canned a batch of ollalie & blackberry jam. From the pulp that was left over, I made a blackberry lemonade. Then DH came in with a handful of over ripe white sapote. I turned them into an ice cream which we have yet to try. I did taste the mix before I froze it and I liked it. The last few nectarines ended up in my salsa.

On Thursday, we took DH on a day trip for Father's Day to Santa Cruz Island, which is an uninhabited island in the Santa Barbara channel. The way over was a bit of an experience. Because they are transporting you to an island, they fell under the transportation act, so masking is required the entire time both inside and out and no matter how sick you were. Our waters can be rough, and so a number of people got motion sickness and were throwing up through and around their masks. Yikes. Once we got to the island it was lovely, and the trip home was thankfully calmer. We are making sushi tomorrow as the second half of our Father's Day celebration.

Oh dear, sea sickness is misery. I had it once in my early 20's.

We get the local farm share every three months. Should be once a month but we always postpone. Perfect for our once a week meat fest. One pound portions so always another meal and a lunch for DH.

Next time i come across a nice thick slice of Ahi i think i will marinade straight from frozen in the fridge a few hours, then into the smoker a half hour at 180º. Miso/toasted sesame oil glaze, into sesame seeds and cast iron sear. Rare. Any other method i've tried is bland or tastes so much like the cans. (we do like tuna salads from a can). It is so easy to overcook....so we are loving the sushi grade salmon we get from Alaska. I order twice a year and have yet to screw it up.

We smoked a couple salmon portions as well as a small pork tenderloin Thursday night. Made smoked salmon BLT's Friday. Pork tenderloin smoked an hour then into the oven for a low-n-slow. DH had a Cubano for friday lunch. Pork had a heavy dry rub that 'barked'.

Misfits provides the daily salads in all forms. And my lunches. With cold smoked salmon.

Veg box determines the daily salads. Made another batch of humus and half the beans i roasted.

Slaw for days.

Nice Father's Day trek Lynda. A couple decades I got a cruise to Hawaii through work. I took my cousin and she was sick for 3 days. Didn't even leave the cabin.

I marinated drumsticks in a ketchup, balsamic and spices mixture. In lieu of potatoes I made beer bread. Finished up my asparagus as well.

Lazy Sunday...

Breakfast, watermelon salad

Brunch, grains and kimchi marinated eggs

Dinner, dumplings

Dumplings look yummy! Nice looking asparagus Jasdip. Our seasonal crop is unfortunately over.

DH spent his FD bottling our pomegranate wine, which came out like a dry rose. About half of last year's pomegranates ended up spoiling because I couldn't use them fast enough. This year we will use most of them for a large wine batch and just leave a few for fresh eating and to top salads.

FD sushi - I added sushi grade ocean trout to the mix and it was a hit.

Table set for a feast.

This was the ocean trout, which was delicious and on sale.

Ahi was from Fiji, which is good, but never as good as when they have some fresh off the fishing boat.

Salmon was exceptionally good this time, definitely the star of the meal.

On my way to drop Garrett off at a Nerf Wars day camp. It will be the first time he has been with anyone other than us since early March 2020. I am hoping he makes some friends and has a good time. I think we are both a little nervous.

I'm getting mixed reports how children are dealing with the new normal. Friends teens and college age seemed the most troubled during the lockdown yet so resiilient for the most part.

My neighbors had a big birthday party last weekend. The sweet sound of children having fun. Finally. To think this time last year i had a folding table in my front yard, during a power outage, so the neighbor kids could charge their laptops. Seems like yesturday....

Sushi. I have acquired all the ingredients. Just can't get it on the menu. I'm daily dealing with excess veg. Like your excess fruits.

Another watermelon salad. Meatless monday, (not planned). Getting late i roasted a variety of veg and we snacked straight from the oven dipped in a tahini, chickpea, ginger, lots of lemon dressing. Far right, semi off camera, roasted cabbage wedges for lunches. (gorgonzola dressing with mixed greens and slaw)

Pre-covid DH never cared for broccoli. He could not stop. I think it is the roasting with chili crisp. I like the cauliflower so a mixed veg roast is always my way for variety.

Watermelon salad at the table was more like dessert.

DH went to Costco yesterday and came home with asparagus and nice piece of ahi, so it was fish again last night.

This was marinated and then cast iron pan seared ahi, with jasmine rice, asparagus, and topped with toasted sesame seeds. The sauce was soy, sesame oil, kaffir lime juice, crushed red pepper and fresh grated ginger. DH always serves me way more than I can eat, so I will likely have two lunches from the leftovers.

I know what you mean on the menu being driven by what is fresh and needing to be used. We try hard not to waste. I often find it pushes me to be more creative in my cooking and try new things, when my natural tendency is to stick with tried and true.

Speaking of trying new things, we are smoking a whole chicken today. We spatchcocked and marinated it last night. I am going to use up some more nectarines by making a bbq sauce to go with it.

Garrett's camp has gone well. This week's theme is Rome and they learn about famous historical battles in the morning, then strategize how to recreate the battle with nerf guns. His only complaint is that when they actually get on the field to play, much of the historical context is lost and they just go nuts shooting at each other. He is having fun, and I am having some uninterrupted time to get caught up on the many things that got put on hold while I homeschooled. Win-Win.

"...they just go nuts shooting at each other." 😂

My SIL did home schooling until 6th grade for her boys but that was a choice. Can't imagine last year solo at home under these circomstances.

Keep pulling out crisper veg and making salad sides for burger night. Still working that golden beet from three weeks ago. It was bigger than a softball. The second smaller monster i roasted.

How did we live this long without an electric smoker! That thing is just amazing.

Today we spatchcocked a chicken (which was a first for us) and smoked it low and slow with chunks of applewood. It took way longer than expected and we didn't eat until 8pm, but the result was probably the best chicken we have ever made. I kept thinking we were overcooking it, but we waited until the thermometer read 165, and it was perfect, fall off the bone tender.

With Garrett in camp, I found a level of productivity I haven't seen since pre covid. I managed to get a ton of work done, and cook at the same time. I made a sourdough boule, dehydrated two batches of herbs (oregano and thyme), harvested basil and made a double batch of pesto, turned over a couple of raised beds, and harvested the last nectarines to turn them into BBQ sauce.

That was a productive day. We have been smoking chickens for years using a side fire box smoker and plum wood from an old tree. Takes a bit of tending. Our electric we used right out of the box in the snow. It fits two chickens easily. Makes great chicken salad and the stock is good for chowders. (labeled carefully as i don't want certain things smokey). The electric takes less baby-sitting. I can do a block of cheedar, 20-30 min, a couple salmon portions, 30 min, and a chicken at the same time. Chicken we usually go 45 min to an hour, then finish in the oven.

Wood fired summer smoker chickens usually take 3 hours.

Costco has those big bages of peanuts in the shell this time of year. Lovely smoked. Tossed in some avocado oil, then herbed salt flour....run through a spice grinder to a powder. I should pick up a bag for the 4th. Peanuts do not really agree with me but i have a fresh bag of pecans.

I kept making salads to last a couple days...then some baby burger gorgonzola sliders. 3 oz.

Much as I love your salads, it is the burger that has my mouth watering. I really like a strong cheese on a good burger. Yum!

We still have a lot of experimenting to do with the smoker. As much as we both enjoy cooking, we had never smoked anything before about a month ago. It is one of those things that is so easy and so good, that I am kicking myself for not giving it a try a long time ago. On my list to try is smoked cheese, and I am now adding peanuts. Our last attempt at salmon was severely overdone, so we need to go back to that and get it dialed in.

Do you cold smoke? We had ordered an attachment to do this, but it shipped and never arrived and is now out of stock.

Most cheeses melt above 145-150º. A favorite is the Irish white cheddar fron Costco and the mozzarella that i freeze before smoking. (we use on pizza). I don't freeze the cheddar but have frozen the slices after smoking. (food saver) ...some put their cheese in the freezer for an hour before smoking.

It is a good 'piggy back' experiment while smoking a larger protein. Take a 1 1/2 inch slice of cheddar, then cut in half like a fish stick. I like to freeze a square cake pan and put on the shelf under the cheese. Or a small bread pan works. Lots of tricks. Some get it nice and smoky, then turn off the heat or unplug. I can crack the lid and let heat escape, and it stays low in the heat dept, then shut it off and seal shut.

I should add, we have been enjoying less smoke, maybe half of a full smoke. Like our salmon portions, frozen sushi grade, straight from the freezer....,smoked around 170º for a half an hour. Turn it off for another 20 minutes....still rare inside but perfect for us. And fully thawed after smoking. Excellent in a chowder or tossed in pasta...appetizer on a baguette slice with capers, goat cheese, olives. Turn back on and toss in a chicken or ribs.

I've had salmon jerky....talk about overdone!. Don't care for it so amount of smoke is a personal choice. I do like beef jerky but i have no desire to make it. (i relize jerky is more of a drying/curing).

And smoked salsas, bbq sauce,...smoked tomatillos , garlic...

I've never needed the cold smoke attachment. We've done fine without. Grills and smokers were out of stock most of 2020 and still. Nice to have gotten my hands on the electric one last holiday.

I just sat down to look over my 4th bbq. Mixed grill. Smoked cheese, salmon, shrimp. Appitizers....then chicken, ribs, corn on the cob. Kicked off the scallops from the menu, and the pork shoulder. (on the fence about that because of late afternoon pulled pork sliders). Friends with kids come early. We like to have a steady protien coming off the grill all day. Lots of sides and salads no problem. I started 16 trays of microgreens for the occasion. Perfect timing for salads.

Great summer meals happening!

I've been debating on getting an air fryer for a while, and have seen some great looking food. I like the idea of cooking asparagus etc. So I made sure to get a square one.

I recently won a $200 gift card in a raffle, so I bought a air fryer. I still have some money left over that I'll use for gas or something.

The stupid thing didn't come with a recipe booklet or anything. That really ticked me off so I have to spend hours noodling around for recipes. Just a few basic ones would have been nice. Not even a mention on what temp and time to cook frozen fries, which have to be pretty much what everyone starts off doing.

I did read that potatoes bake up wonderfully in it so that was my maiden voyage. It could have been a couple of minutes longer, they weren't fluffy inside, but I'll definitely do them again. I also threw in some sausages. I took them out early, cause I was afraid they'd explode, even though I did prick them. I put them back in for a few minutes at the end to reheat.

We’ve finally had dinner. Not really but we have been at our little country getaway where meals are very casual. for example just a sandwich with a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate for our evening meal. Been doing good work in the garden... planting lots of Australian native plants around the house.

Nice looking meals everyone, heaps of delicious sushi.

This meal is chicken legs fried with chilli and oyster sauce, sweet potato, beans and belachan egg plant (bought)

Jasdip, I will be interested to see how you use your new air fryer. I hadn't thought we needed one, but find we are using ours all the time.

Neely, glad to hear you are enjoying time in your country home.

Last night, we smoked a tri tip. Our third in the smoker. We reduced the time to 20 minutes per pound, which is perfect for us.

Nice looking chicken, Neely!!

Lynda, you have an a/f? I'm using it as much as I can to get the hang of it. I'm still upset that it didn't come with any instructions.

I did buy the square basket as I feel I'd get more use out of that vs the round. I'm happy with the square one for sure. It's the Instant brand, the company that makes the InstaPot.

I love roasted potatoes, carrots and onions so I cooked them in the a/f and added a pork chop halfway through cooking. It was delicious.

Looks good Jasdip! Yes, my "little oven" that I bought a few months ago is an air fryer that also bakes, dehydrates and proofs. The manual for it is here - https://www.williams-sonoma.com/netstorage/pdf/149650-Cuisinart-Digital-Air-Fryer-Toaster-Oven-TOA-65-Manual.pdf There is a list of air fryer times and temps on page 8 and the recipes start on page 16.

I've found that the air fryer has had a little more learning curve for me. I actually keep a document with notes to myself on times/temps and as I am learning what it can do. I like to use it for fajita vegetables, and potatoes. I don't buy a lot of frozen fried items, but we made some frozen eggrolls that were really good.

^^^^^This. I have a learning curve as well. I too am keeping a sheet of paper with times and temps on food I've cooked that work for me. There's so much info/recipes online, but they all say times will vary based on your machine. I'm opening my basket even before it's time to turn/shake the food just to make sure nothing's overcooking.

Mine has pre-sets for a/f, roast, bake and preheat. I still have my Cuisinart countertop oven, so I'm not exactly sure if I'd use the roast setting on the a/f. I'll definitely still use my Cuisinart for baking my rolls and my pizza in my 10" skillet, etc.

Hah, on an A/F Facebook group someone posted a pic of my air fryer and wondered about the roast and bake settings. Someone commented that when baking potatoes, roasting chicken, my roasted potatoes, carrots, onions posted here, should all be on Bake. I guess I won't be using the a/f function much. I'm ready to throw the computer out the window. Too much info/conflicting info. LOL

Glad to know I am not the only one with a learning curve. I think it really is trial and error and then keeping good notes on what works.

We are at our vacation place for a few days RnR with a little work from home mixed in. We took Zac and Garrett to the beach yesterday and then picked up some wild caught CA king salmon. I've seen this advertised at our Santa Barbara fish market, but the price gave me sticker shock, so I have never tried it. Two hours north, and it was half the price, so worth trying. It turned out terrific, very tender and flavorful. We pan seared it, but it came out similar to a poached salmon. We had a small piece left over, which we are going to try in the smoker and see if we can do it justice.

Pork chop and Salmonn, my k nd of dinners.

We had another ’dinner’

Pork strips just fried over salad with some noodles. The dressing was Asian style meaning it had a splash of fish sauce

Lynda is that your Lemon rice alongside your salmon? It looks delicious!

Neely, lovely pork dinner.

I had a pork chop with a big salad.

Jasdip, That is a very big salad - love all the fruit on it. The rice in my picture is a butter saffron basmati.

Neely, That Asian pork looks good. How are things where you are? Are they getting back to normal?

This is last nights dinner - smoked chicken soft tacos with some fresh pico de gallo.

We drove home today and didn't make it home until after 5, but were able to pull this together quickly. This is scampi over a Mediterranean couscous. We sautéed fresh tomatoes in olive oil with garlic and shallots, then added some couscous and water and finished with some fresh basil. We had just enough leftovers for me to have a work lunch for tomorrow.

Both your meals Lynda look tasty and enjoyable. As regards things getting back to normal... well actually it’s pretty crazy here. A month ago my city was locked down for a fortnight now Sydney is locked down for a fortnight. Our vaccine rollout has been very slow and messy. Case numbers are still very low but our country wants to go for elimination.

Love your pork chop and big salad Jasdip.

We had another of our frozen lumps -tuna-but this was tastier than the last. Added a mixture of soy, lemon juice, grated ginger and chilli flakes which really lifted the fish.

Neely a good friend of mine has a daughter in Sydney. She told me that they were in lockdown again, after several months of freedom.

Nice tacos and shrimp/couscous Lynda.

I used the air fryer again tonight. Tonight was chicken thighs. Nice and crispy. I took them out to rest while I did the veggies so they lost a bit of their crispness. I could have popped them back in for a minute, but I didn't bother.

I am so far behind I'll never catch up, but everyone's summer meals look so good...

I've been having a lot of leaves,my hoop houses looked like this 3 weeks ago, now they've exploded with greens!

Mother was here for a couple of weeks and she doesn't eat anything, so not many pictures, but I did roast a chicken last week:

Elery's grandson was here from California and he and Bud caught a nice batch of bluegills from the pond, so we had fish for supper one evening with homemade french fries and some cole slaw with a head of red cabbage that had been hanging around the crisper drawer for a couple of weeks.

Had some more leaves with some salmon:

Made some pizza roll ups for the kids:

Picked the first strawberries:

Made some root vegetable hash with parsnips, golden beets, Yukon Gold potatoes and some sweet onions and had that with some leftover brisket I excavated from the freezer for supper and the rest with eggs for breakfast:

We had a small visitor, which greatly entertained Mother, and my "butterfly garden" has several Monarch caterpillars and one cocoon.

Tonight we had beans in the crockpot as I've spent the last two days trying to run down medical records/pharmacy records/service records for the Veteran's Administration. My stepdad spent 25 years in the Navy, and so Mother has his military insurance which may or may not pay for Home Health Care Aides, so we need lots and lots of papers. I knew it would take all day and it did, so, beans for supper, made with last year's beans from the freezer, some dehydrated leeks from the pantry and the turnip greens from the turnips in the hoop house.

Then I sliced up the turnips for a snack. They are nice and sweet, not at all bitter. I'll plant more for fall, I was very happy with them and they only take 45 days to grow, plus they are happy in the hoop houses:

That's all I remember!

Annie

It's so good to see you Annie! I figured you're just so busy and no time to post here. Your gardens are taking off this year, which is terrific.

I'll bet Elery's grandson was in awe of all the work that's involved in your farm.

Ditto, Nice to see you back Annie.

45 days. I need to add that to my list for the Fall plantings.

Been busy planning the 4th of July. Enjoying many test salads and dressings.

Need to add a pico to the list after seeing the taco above....

Menu is planned. All veg and protein delivered and in the house.

Went off script and made Marcella Hazans porcini risotto. Then last night arancini that somewhat exploded having so much mozzarella inside.

DH did the stirring while i made a salad.

Some of the salad tests from the past month. Almost all Misfits except for the cheese, eggs, and seasonings/dressings. They sent extra cabbage and a big iceberg by mistake that was so good crispy and sweet i ordered another. I'm going to cut rounds with my english muffin ring as 'tostada' veg tacos shells. The off cuts go into the 'leaf' bowl for crunch.

Pasta salad came back on the menu after i made a keeper. None of these are complete as the potato still needs celery and the final toss and dressing. Just a good visual for Saturday prep.

DH is obsessed with the kimchi ramen eggs so i ordered three dozen eggs from 3 different farms and hope for success...i just need a dozen to peel properly...😜

I have 12 small and four tall Ikea glass square containers...inspired by Sweetgreen

Watermelon salad and leafs will be served in the tall 11inch bowls with the smaller square containers for add-ins 'salad bar' style. All on ice.

Smoked chickens and BoSaam smoked pork as the proteins. Having made everything mutiple times including the visit with family all should be an easy prep. Most prep ahead Saturday, tomorrow, in the afternoon. Just the watermelon salad, so far, needs day of prep, Sunday morning.

Sleeve, if you have an air-fryer, I've read on the groups that I joined that hard-boiled eggs are awesome in the a/f.

Jas, it is less about the method than the eggs. I have a built-in steam oven stacked with a 24inch side door wall oven at eye level. Has a strong fan just like an air-fryer. And SousVide.

It is more about the chicken laying and the breed.

I don't have appliances dependent on electricity for many reasons. Not even a toaster.

Or maybe just simply comfortable with a simple kitchen 'lab' setting void of appliances i have no room for.

Some breeds have a larger yolk, one supplier sends varoious breeds in the same carton at different sizes so they cook at differen times....not good for soft or jammy steams.

My pork shoulder recipe is Momofuku Bo Ssäm...the correct spelling i always get wrong. (Ssam)

An excellent recipe Lynda and family might like. It is a pork shoulder with a great bark crust. I use palm sugar that has a heavenly nutty aroma.

The sides, wrapped in lettuce leaf, are already prepped...kimchi, (not spicey), fresh herbs, and anything in season. One of our favorite meals. I've also braised short ribs with similar table wraps.

This old photo must have included house guests seeing extra plates and served on the kitchen table....maybe self serve, then taken out doors? being so sunny?. No memory of that or a date... just photos.

This kept Momofuku in the city from closure due to covid shut-down...reservation delivery/pick-up for a BoSsäm family meal. Serves 4-6 with all sides and slider buns for left-overs.

Annie, is your mother receptive to home care?. My mother is resisting having anyone in her home. Their next door neighbor had 24/7 home care the past 5-6 years. Dad got to know them really well but Mom did not. Dad has been insistent for a few years that Mom stay at home if he passes first. That was a serious discussion and one major reason for our recent visit. He needs to have someone in asap at least once twice a week. Finally he has a 6 hour help Friday or Saturday mornings for errands and lets her get used to the personalities around. He needs it more than she does at this time. Gradually increase to two days a week. Then three. I'm a dumb-dumb about such things as i suppose we need another employee 'house keeper'. If it comes to that. If anyone came figure all this out it is you. Stressful!.

Cloudy and drizzling all day. Easily picking herbs and garden checks but no much else can be done outside. So wet and heavy rain all last night.

Got a bit antsy last night being a bit to early to prep ahead for Sunday. Made a mini potato salad to test the dressing...steamed a couple ramen eggs to test a carton. Success, but a bit to jammy at the usual ten minute steam. So i will steam the rest of this carton this afternoon at 11-12 minutes. Must be just a hair bigger egg than the last successes. (we like them this way but for a crowd a bit less 'jammy' will be better). Also, they need to hold up in the kimchi, tamari 'pickle'.

On point to the welcoming of the summer season i made a couple last minute grilled dogs.

6 tray of 18 micro greens. Went nuts and grew so fast. Pretty perfect and tender. Sunflower, pea, corn shoots, a few different radish not pictured.

Made some more mini salads with all this veg in the crisper. Nice way to test and adjust dressings.

I should add, i've been sending them Misfits boxes...just the minimum. She is a kid-in-a-candy-store getting the boxes. Just loves the attention and the 'un-boxing'. Dad thinks it is silly. I just said "tough titty"...i saw her excitement being in the kitchen with her every day for a week. (10 days)....her early demetia is present but day to day happiness is much more than i expected. She has always loved washing, prepping, fresh fruits and veg since long ago retirement. Organizing the day and still does well with it. I will probably go to once a month. Right now it is every other week.

At least Dad is no longer driving!. He could cause a serious accident and no longer able to provide for her care. Another serious converation we needed to have in person.

Cast iron crispy skin salmon is such an easy last minute meal. Especially with so many salads prepped. Had to use up some very ripe tomatoes so i stewed them with white beans and the last tidbit of smoked mozzarella. Would be good with olives and feta, maybe lemon. And a steak.

Lot's of good cooking going on. Now I am the one behind!

Sleeve, I'd love your recipe for the pork shoulder. You are right that it would be a hit with my family. We take care of my FIL who lives alone and has some dementia. He is completely resistant to any in home help which is a challenge for us as it is a 6 hour round trip to visit. We do the best we can to make sure his needs are met, but it is hard.

Neely, I am sorry to hear that things are still crazy where you are. I think I had a harder time on the second lockdown after having a taste of normality.

Annie! We've missed you! I correctly assumed you were busy on your farm. I am glad to hear your garden is coming along.

Jasdip, I can't cook a hard boiled egg to save my life. How does one use the air fryer to hard boil?

Catching up on a few recent meals -

This was a pizza I made for lunch - minus the first slice. I used pesto, mozzarella, shallots and some lovely tomatoes from the greenhouse and topped them with my garden herb mix.

This was parmesan crusted Tilapia with homemade tartar and lime. Served with pearled barley and chard.

This was our red wine and rosemary lamb sausage, paired with a Mediterranean relish of tomatoes, shallots, basil and oregano. On the side were yukon gold potatoes mashed with butter, cream and garden herbs. We liked the flavor of the sausage, but for the next batch, we are going to add some bread crumbs to improve the texture.

Chicken and roasted corn risotto-- used homemade stock and decided to chop up the veggies from the stock and toss them in too! And, as always used a nice drinkable wine in the meal, and enjoyed a glass of it while eating dinner.

Susan, Your risotto looks great. I like the idea of adding the veggies from the stock.

Lynda, the people in the group just put them in their and cook for 17 minutes at 250F, then into an ice bath..

Personally that's not any quicker than the way I cook them. I bring them to a boil, turn off the heat and let them sit for 10 minutes.

I'm still on an a/f kick, trying to get the hang of it. Last night was burgers. I put 4 homemade patties and air-fried them. Everyone raves how juicy they become. Mine shrunk and dried out. Fail. LOL I may or may not try them again, I'll make the burgers bigger and cook for less time. I did throw in some bacon with the burgers, which was handy, and threw the bun in at the last minute.

You're all going to getting sick of my air frying experiments. This one turned out fine. Breaded drumsticks and potatoes that were nuked partially first and then crisped in the a/f. A bowl of greens.

Jasdip, I like your air fryer experiments. Keep them coming!!

This was smoked beef with salsa, air fried wedges and grilled zucchini and sweet peppers. The zucchini was the first of the season and just picked.

Last night I worked late and was greeted with the unexpected smell of roast chicken when I walked in the door. I love that we both cook and that he knows just what to cook when I've had a long day.

Lovely to see Annie’s food and photos. Two delicious looking risottos from Sleeve and Susan. Jasdip , I love all your air fryer experiments and Lynda yummy food as usual and first class roast chicken by DH

Two completly different meals for us.

Below. Snap with Annie as there are golden beets in this pork warm salad

Below. Corned Beef, veg including Fennel and a mustard sauce. First made the bechamel sauce adding Dijon mustard but wanted more punch so added some hot English mustard as well.

Neely, I'm not sure when you'll get around to seeing this. There's an Aussie series that I'm loving; it's older with several seasons called McLeod's Daughters. It's about 5 women who run a horse and cattle station. I love the scenery and the horses.

Lots of storylines to keep me fixated.

I've yet to see any kangaroos in it, but apparently emus are wild and run rampant? The woman loathe them, and they were trespassing and did some damage. A flock/herd of them. Huge and ugly for sure.

I've seen some here, raised for their meat and in sanctuaries, but never up close.

Oh, they drive utes (utility vehicles) and one has its exhaust run upward alongside the windshield. Have you ever seen anything like that??

Interesting the fennel looks steamed. I usually have it raw in salads/slaws...or partially roasted/grilled. Need to try that.

I'm guessing, like many appliances, all air fryers are different. So many brands jumped on it. The instapot and similar brands would be easier to share recipes me thinks.

Frustrating to hear Sydney is still in another lockdown. A childrens church camp in Texas has infected 160+ and continues. A very vaccine hesitant state.

Made a nice smoked stock with the 4th of July chickens. 8 1/2 pints for summer cooking.

Chrisper drawer stuffed so veg heavy frittata it is....

Odd that some posts post late and some post a second time, 🙄

This is so good if you like eggplant without fats and breadings. Low carb friendly. Recipe, HERE

+ I do not use mirin, (too sweet) or added sugars or sake. Why recipes use such unnecessary expensive ingredients makes no sense. White miso is umami and slightly sweet. Just a bit of unsweetened rice vinegar or Braggs AC to thin it is fine. Fresh ginger and a splach of toasted sesame oil. But the method is great. Mine was pretty before i put crap on top, 😂.

Miso is fermented so it has a very long fridge life.

Nasu Negaku. Hijiki salad

Good news. Just called Dad, and Mom loves the woman helping them. (i need to get her name and number). -The one major hurdle we won from our visit last month. She was in elder care and hospice for 20 year before staring her own business.

She dropped Dad off at the pool for his swim, then took Mom for a blood work appointment, then picked up Pop....stopped by the grocery that Mom has not been to for 2 years...then cleaned the house, then their upright freezer went out...so she helped organize and toss old stuff. Helped Mom organize her kitchen fridge/freezer, then my Misfits box arrived, 😂. Oy. Helped to put that away. Then helped Mom with her bath.

Brilliant. She starts all new ciients herself, then gradually can introduce an employee for assistance if she cannot meet the need that day. She so understands the eldery hesitancy to have a stranger in the home.

I am so relieved. It has been so stressful especially during Covid lockdown. He was driviing and not safe at all. He causes an accident and mom is at home alone with demetia...his license expired and no way will be renewed. (we considered taking the keys to the car)...to force some outside help. I have three older siblings that are 'dough head' about the sitaution. They are all retired and i am the baby 8 years yourger so where are they? jerks, lol.

Wow, she's a keeper, Sleeve!!!

I reheated my drumsticks in the air-fryer and had pasta with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes alongside. I haven't had that in ages, I don't know how long and I've missed it. It was delicious.

I'm going to try a stir-fry idea.....chicken bits and veggies in the a/f tomorrow so I'll let you know how that goes. Also a frittata.....using a metal cake pan that I have. Experimenting!

Here is the full Momofuku BoSsam recipe. HERE

I kicked out the cup of sugar and use my own dry rub with a couple tBsp coconut palm sugar. Then a few tBsp at the end for the high heat blast. We get a nice bark without being too sweet.

I've had the book for a while but the site linked is a Momofuku site, probably to advertise the spices for sale. First line about using the smallest dutch oven for the size of shoulder. On the wood fired smoker i usedouble thick foil coming up the sides a bit to collect the juices. In the winter i used the electric smoker for an hour and a half, then into the kitchen oven.

It is an old pic. I was pointing out a typo in the book for the mustard seed. I make the three condiments about every two months.

The book says one cup of seed will make one cup pickled....but the seed swells almost three times its size dry.