That looks great. Apple is so good with pork.

Getting stock quickly out of the 40º-140º danger zone. Hot stock in the fridge will raise the temps of your fridge contents compromizing their freshness. Quickly cooled stock in uncovered containers in the fridge, then to the freezer, gets the task done and out of sight.

Another shrimp fried rice.

Sunday brunch. Guess I should have used a recipe, because it's a bit, um, protein packed.

Ham and bacon, with broccoli on the side.

Because I had a big meal earlier. Asian chicken lettuce wraps. I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe.

https://joyfoodsunshine.com/asian-chicken-lettuce-wraps/#wprm-recipe-container-8625

That looks good. I just stocked up on nuts, peanuts and cashews and have a jar of almond butter. Never think to purchase water chestnuts. I like that they come in small tins like tuna.Love the crisp texture. I recently picked up a tin of bamboo shoots and DH asked why. "I have no idea". I know i saw a recipe but who knows where that is.

We have a house guest so the weekend dinner plans changed. Probably tacos tonight. I usually have one, then make a couple lettuce wraps.

Just bafore the weekend grocery delivery, with a thinning crisper drawer, made a stuffed fritatta. Seems to be in rotation every six weeks or so if i have eggs.

Saturday treated our houseguest to shrimp rolls and roasted chips. (obsessed with shrimp rolls at the moment)...no pic of the rolls but looks like up-thread.

Yesterday smoked three baby chickens cut in half and two small salmon filets on the top rack. I can see why NYC restaurants like the small breed chickens. Nice to serve a whole half chicken and not be too big. Too big a portion for me but our guest devoured it. And it is slaw season, whoot whoot!

It's been crazy busy here, Bud is graduating from high school and it's gardening season, also season to cut and kill autumn olive, weed out the asparagus patch, both granddaughters have softball games. We've been eating a lot of leaves, because my hoop house looks like this:

That red lettuce is something called Merlot, it's pretty enough to be an ornamental, I think.

Tonight we had pork chops from the freezer, roasted asparagus from our backyard patch and a pea and peanut salad:

Here's Bud, graduating.

Tomorrow is my birthday so we're going to drive to some local greenhouses and get flowers for my front flower box. I grow all my own vegetable plants and then I grow some for neighbors but I never seem to get around to growing the flowers, LOL.

Annie

Wow Annie, Bud graduating, seems like a couple of years ago you showed photos of him as a little boy eating at the table. Happy Birthday for tomorrow.

We also have been busy packing up our little country holiday place. It was where everything we didn’t want in the city was stored. Hence, alot of sorting out and taking things to the Op Shop ( Opportunity Shop/ Goodwill Shop )

A quick and easy savoury mince stew last night with sweet potato. We are down to two plates, two knives and forks, two cups, a frying pan and one saucepan, so meals are quite restricted.

Bud graduating. Does that mean the baby girls are in high school?

Memorial day brunch i made sausage, egg, and cheese. Not something i would ever purchase but Walden had sausage patties in their add-on listings where they have ofal, stock bones, maple syrup, eggs, etc. Nice way to offer a freebie. Just had 'free' where the price usually is listed rather then just tossing it in the bag. It would go to waste if a family does not eat pork.

Nicely spiced, very lean. Barely shrank up at all. And not sweet like usual. Perfect for a house guest.

Misfits does similar. You need to add 'freebies' to your cart.

That is alot of work to scale back and pack a vacation home. The previous owners of our beach house left a ton of junk. Took most of that first summer cleaning it out and multiple trips to the dump. A 'free' table by the road of useful things helped a bit.

Monday night we had DIY smoked chicken tacos. I just prepped the corn tortillas with the chicken.

Made a nice mediterranian style pasta with hot smoked salmon, Argentinean nicely spiced sausages, lots of lemon, artichoke hearts and olives. Lots of vegetables. We still have a house guest, (sadly a separation and possible divorce). Has not been eating well so here has had a massive appetite. Making 4-5 sevings. And smartly stocked our snack drawer.

The boys plates and seconds

prep. Our favorite organic DiNapoli California grown fire roasted tomatoes.

I like those tacos Sleeve.

Back home but still have a couple of trips back to holiday home to do before it’s finalised.

Chicken Korma with sweet potatoes made from scratch with fine almond flour as the thickening along with some wheat flour and butter. No coconut milk, so no Thai influence just Indian. Based on a recipe from Rick Stein’s India book. You make the sauce separate from the frying chicken, onions, garlic and ginger and before adding those ingredients into the sauce, I sieved the sauce with all it’s spices, so it was smooth and creamy.

I made a quick flat bread just from flour, salt and water, rolled out and heated without oil in a caste iron pan...Chapati.

The bread looks good, Neely. I know you are sad to give up your vacation house. I've always said that the only way to REALLY clean a house is to move. At least someone is getting some good out of your unneeded extras at the Op Shop.

Sleevendog, is good of you to take in the separated friend. It's a hard time for them, but also kind of disrupts your life and schedule.

The little girls are not yet in high school, thank goodness, but Madison will be 13 this year and her sister will be 12. They are both as tall as I am now, which isn't all that tall but they aren't even teenagers yet. (sigh) I'm hoping they still want to bake with me for the Fair this year, things are finally all back to normal after all the pandemic changes, although now the bird flu will keep chickens out of the Fair, I'm afraid.

We spent the day putting the electric fence around the garden, hoeing, fixing the pasture fence and helping Amanda plant some flowers. We're both tired so supper was frozen pizza and we were both happy enough with that!

Annie

We have known our house guest for 35 years. He knows to just help himself to snacks and cook an egg... glad i stocked up on some junk and filled the snack drawer. Lots of cheese, crackers, nut butters, chips, yogurt, granola, fruit salad, cottage cheese...and his obsession...all the various veg hummus i've been making.

I found a half pint of Indian curry base in the freezer. (no coconut) I have to order that at a favorite Vienamese restaurant. DH prefers the Indian version with grilled chicken and potato, sweet potato, squash.

I made a very herby falafel. Lots of sauces and sides for DIY. The lower left first sauce is feta, yogurt ,tahini, lemon, cilantro stems. Used it in a slaw and a sauce for the falafel.

Sloppy plating without pita but so good. Just a bit messy.

Gorgeous weekend. Made a couple snack trays for the day. Had to make another green sauce for a tamale dinner so made another veggie humus with the last of the beans...pinto and garbanzo. Served with the last of the beet/smoked chipotle humus.

(that is enough veg humus for a couple weeks).

Noodle bowl

prep

Chili crisp, pickled mustard seed, ginger, toasted sesame oil

Dashi broth and miso with hijiki and wakame

A shame to find, finally, a good noodle. A pantry pack without the seasoning packets. I don't need a tiny packet of dried chives and a soy-sesame packet. A-Sha knife cut noodles have been out of stock for over a year. A pack of 20 for 25$. (double that with the seasoning packets)

A-Sha makes the Momofuku noodles, $$$. A-Sha are air dried, not fried like instant noodles. I can get the lower right pack of four on Amazon but includes the seasonings.

Might have to go back to buying a similar noodle from H-Mart.

Fish two nights two ways.

First night crispy skin barramundi, broccolini and snow peas with potato chips and a good old dollop of caviar. Sauce was smoked cod and caviar.

While I was cooking last nights dinner I also prepared fish pie, which we took with us today to have for our last night at our country holiday home tonight. I made it with smoked cod, flake ( shark ) some barramundi and a few prawns. Topped with potatoes and served with broccolini on the side. Again a dollop of caviar because… that’s what we are lucky to have atm.

Before serve

Deboned chicken, grilling, with paprika, shiitake mushroom powder, onion powder, s & p, and later in the process, cream and butter.

One of my most used dry brines is about 60% mushroom powder.

Nice looking chicken.

I'm sure we would like a fish or seafood pie. Just not all that common here. Most recipes are Canadian Maritime east coast or UK BBC or CBC(Canada)

For 22 years now, we stop at a well known market in Canada. Just a quick minute off the TCH. They have a seafood pie that seems popular. Single serving, medium for 2-4, and a large for 4-6. Big realestate in their chiller. Always half or more empty. I have always wanted to try it but not practical being early in our road trip. If frozen i could probably keep it so, and have it as our first easy meal when landing.

We do have something called crab/or seafood 'imperial'. I like to add a puff pastry top crust but not traditional. Never a bottom crust.

Tuesday night i made two new-to-us meals and then some.

Last Sunday, playing with my young pup...the ball throw and chase, he got the zoomies and clocked me from behind. Fortunately just big bruised knees under the knee-caps.

Fortunately more comfortable standing than sitting or laying up on couch or bed, so i had a kitchen moment. Three burners going with a pound each of RG flagolettes and garbonzoes. A mixed grain. And a big grain/veg congee for the pup.

A few pints in the freezer for quick meals.

Made a Bulgogi Bipimbap. Bulgogi the mince, 'bipim'-mix, 'bap'-rice.

Served to the table in one dish.

Rice 12o'clock. fennel, cucumber slaw, kimchi, bean and braised cabbage.

Finished with chili crisp.

Bipimbap would be a good Sunday brunch with house guests. Served similar but with a separate oval dish with more rice and beans separated by more kimchi...eggs on top.

A good friend and co-worker met his Korean wife at NYU. Growing up, her mother made bipimbap every Friday night. Similar to our pizza nights. (two pies, one half pepperoni, half mushroom, etc. Everyone gets their favorite)

DH was sceptical when asked my plans for pork mince. He does not care for mince saute, grey and dry. Those 70's taco kits, sloppy joes.

I seasoned and added minced wild mushrooms, shallots. Pressed into a cast iron medium heat and covered with braised cabbage/onions/bell pepper then chili crisp. Did not flip. Into the oven while i cooked the eggs. Nice and crispy bottom. Folded and into the serving pan.

I don't think beans are common in the Korean pantry but my friends wife says every family has their own way to serve bipim, the 'mix'. Some sort of noodle is common. Lots of pickled condiments. Use what is on hand.

At the same time made mushroom meatballs with 1/3rd of the mince for Wed night.

Mushroom mix from Costco. Porcinis from Amazon. Nice bronze die pasta from my local market. Really soaked up the sauce.

Thursday night i made Maangchi's shredded slaw pickle.

Miso/Dashi broth. My bowl at the top looks dry because i drank straight from the bowl before taking to the table. More hot broth to the table in a commercial small teapot.

Cod cakes with creole remoulade

Last night egg and cabbage fried rice

I've certainly been absent here. For that I apologize.

I'm still going out with friends to bars, dances, getting together at one home for game night, where we play pool, euchre, darts, shuffleboard, food and drink.

I'm also doing 4 exercise classes a week, and have started online dating. I met someone with huuuge potential, so we'll see where it goes.

I haven't had salmon in years and a friend showed me his meal which got me craving it.

Air-fried, as well as the asparagus. This was a big piece! I didn't realize it was that big when I bought it, the label was covering most of it.

It was delicious though, and will be on my regular rotation

Lovely to see you here again Jasdip and good to hear you’ve been having a busy social life. It is a large piece of salmon and good for you, the stores here used to cut them like that in the past but now cut them in small strips.

We’ve finished travelling and packing and I’m feeling tired and washed out. I ordered take out sweet and sour pork to be delivered the other night...noticed that they had Mapo Tofu on the menu, so got some of that as well. Big mistake for me as it was so spicey hot I couldn’t eat it ( and I do like my chillis ) DH had some and finished it off for lunch the next day. That’s the Mapo Tofu on the right looking all innocent.

Hi Jasdip! when do you cook for Huge Potential?

Here it is perfect grilling weather - not too hot but very pleasant

I made pork ribs, sous vide 150F 12 hr, cool, grill with glaze of BBQ sauce, miso, soy, garlic, and reduced pork cooking off-juice.

Miso is such a good addition to sauces/glazes.

We have been mostly snacking. Tamales, Dim Sum, miso/tofu soup, fennel/apple slaw....

Made a few vegetable humus last night for the weekend. Finally made the cauliflower/white bean tasty adding roasted garlic.

I have the whole rainbow maped out for the 4th of July LGBTQ+ party. Just need to test the purple and blue using blue pea powder.

Cod cheeks with lemon caper butter, new potatoes and roast cherry tomatoes. No picture I'm afraid.

I went to the market last week with a friend. Specifically looking for eggplant, as I had the urge for Caponata. I've bought them regularly for a buck a piece. None to be seen and the vendor said they aren't in season. I ended up by buying it at the store, $2.99/lb this year.

So I made a version of caponata. I didn't have any olives but I had cauliflower so added that. This is one of my favourite summer dishes

Good to see your caponata Jasdip.

We visited a friend in a coastal fishing small town where they have a delightful fresh fish shop which backs onto the sea with its own jetty and fishing vessels, so you know the fish is going to be fresh.

We had two kinds of fish

Flake ( below) which is gummy shark and the fish my husband prefers as it is very meaty and closest to his much liked Atlantic Cod from his ‘fish and chips’ days in England. I love Cod also, but only very occasionally can get it here frozen.

I love Orange Roughy ( below ) sometimes known as deep sea perch and I had that.

I also bought a dozen oysters and had 6 two nights. They were very good.
Sorry about the lighting…now it’s dark at 5.30pm

We have fish-n-chips coastal once twice a year on road trips. So good.

Change of plans and surprized DH with the first Salmon BLT's of the season last night.

. Fathers Day but today is his Birthday....a shrimp 'boil-up' tonight.

We don't use bacon anymore. Procuitto is, not only cheaper, but we like the flavor best. Does not shrink and barely leave a 'sweat' stain on the parchment bake. 4 big slices of prosciutto is 2 bucks. Bacon is loaded with nasty fats and makes a mess. (don't care for bacon fat for cooking). Paying for all that messy fats. No thanks.

Shrimp boil-up for birthday Monday.

A timing test for an upcoming gathering with friends. The edamame is a nice addition being a hands-on meal.

Next one will be a true loaded boil-up with more seafood. Making some small rolling pins for the crabs. Also good for lobster legs. I'll cut a few dowels in half for 6inch long pins.

Fish and chips. Yum!!!

I used up the rest of my caponata over pasta. I love using it up that way.

We've got hot hot temps this week and another day and I'll be grumpy. Threw together a salad plate for dinner.

Is that a mustard grains dressing on the potatoes Jasdip … Yum

We had a fillet steak with green peppercorn sauce.

Roasted garlic, leek, and potato soup. Added a half dozen blanched garlic scapes. Made extra for a few 1/2 pints in the freezer for summer chowder base.

Favorite side salad...fennel, celery, red onion, cucumber.

Based on SusanSpicers NewOrleans restaurant Bayona recipe for garlic soup. I worked in the FrenchQuarter GumboShop in my early 20's. So many hot climates serve soups and stews year round. Visits to SouthAmerica and Tunisia...We are making Gumbo this weekend.

Nice micro green harvest...

Neely, it's the only way I make potato salad. 2 part olive oil, 1 part grainy mustard and red wine vinegar. Minced herbs, salt and pepper. Refreshing and so easy.

Jasdip, your salad looks good. How much RW Vinegar and what herbs do you use?

Lizbeth it's 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp each of Red wine vinegar and grainy mustard. You can use any herbs, cilantro, parsley etc. I used minced lovage as I have lots in the garden. I also chopped some basil from my plant. It's been my go-to salad for years.

I add more dressing as the warm potatoes soak up quite a bit.

Thanks, Jasdip! I am never satisfied with my potato salad, so am always looking for another version.

DH and I both love your method for cooking pork tenderloin and have been using it for several years.

Cottage pie with cauliflower on the side

Trying my best to avoid turning on the oven or stove in this heat wave. Yesterday I did Ribeye steak, teriyaki shrimp skewers, a veggie medley( onions, peppers, broccoli, golden beets, zucchini) and local fresh corn on the cob on the grill. I just had to boil the beets on the stove for 10 minutes to soften them for peeling.

Today it's pot roast. I just finished putting a chuck roast in the crock pot with onions, carrots, and new potatoes from the garden. Seasoned with S&P, garden garlic, Thyme and Rosemary. It should be done by 6:00 pm cooking on low. I had to use the stove to brown the roast and soften the onions but that only took 10 minutes. I'll also have to use the stove for a few minutes to make the gravy.

ETA: We are planning BLTs a couple times this week. My tomatoes aren't ripe yet but there is a market garden at a nearby church that uses low tunnels to get an early crop. I just split a whole hog with a friend, so I have plenty of thick cut bacon in the freezer. I'll nuke the bacon instead of bake or fry it.

Neely, I love cottage pie. Today was salmon again. I learned to just eat half, it's a big filet. I bought some beets so had those along with veg and rice.

I think salmon would make a nice easy dinner for my guy. I'm expecting to meet him in person in a couple of weeks. It's a long story, he's working temporarily in another province. He's sincere, lots of green flags so I feel confident he is 'the one'. He's coming back here for a couple of weeks on a business matter, then heading back to finish the job.

We had a burger, nuked potato and salad for dinner.

I made an apricot and blue berry galette with bought frozen pastry. We always have some in the freezer because DH will quite often make apple galette to use up some uneaten apples. I usually make my own pastry as I quite like doing that.

We find splitting a serving size salmon filet plenty with abundant sides. For guests i might have extra as some have big appetites.

Green flags are good. Just let a couple local friends know when and where your first date happens. But they obviously know all about the new beau.

A galette is my go-to for all summer fruits. Double crust mile high is too much.

Last night beef and broccoli stir fry.

prep

Last weekend we made a big batch of gumbo. Chicken and sausage with a shrimp 'garnish' appetizer. Grain at the table. DH tended the roux.

Possible house guests we wanted to have plenty. Their teen has a bad cold so glad they canceled. Freezes great so two quarts of gumbo and two pints of grain for stir-fry.

I used Isaac Toup's recipe

Shrimp/ Prawns as a garnish must have been floating in the air, a mini zeitgeist if you like, anyway pasta with seafood and shrimp as a garnish.

DH visited our friend at the fishing village again and brought home fresh, fresh fish again. We had it with salad and asparagus and a sauce made from the butter and oil in the pan and lemon juice, salt and pepper… easy and tasty.

The asparagus has a story to it
in as much as I was in a hurry, saw it in the store, grabbed a bunch, vaguely thinking that the new asparagus from our northern regions must be coming in. When I got home I saw it was from Mexico??? So much for being careful about food miles. Ridiculous. Anyway it tasted OK.

I’m trying to sort out better lighting for my winter photos, it’s quite dark at 5pm atm. The dining area still has the old halogen down lights because there was an issue with the dimmer when we switched to LED years ago… the halogen gives quite a yellow light, which annoys me… Not that it matters really.

My recent iPhone has a sensitive 'glitch' in the photo setting. It jumps around. My previous iPhone is a part of the class action but not sure if i want to go through all the paper work to prove it.

Your pics always have such good natural light so i get that.

So easy now without fussing to get a meal on the table HOT and just 'get-what-you-get' for a photo. Good natural light is nice.

This is a weird photo. A shared smoked duck breast salad last week.

We have a large sky-light over the kitchen. Maybe it was raining or overcast.

But the stove side took a fine photo of the duck roasting over potatoes.

Always have a couple of these in the freezer.

Smoked duck breast … Yum.

Slow cooked lamb shanks, gnocchi and silver beet from the garden.

You always get me with 'silver beet'. Called 'swiss chard' here or just 'chard'.

Never see lamb shank here or maybe just not looking hard enough. We would love that.

Cy arazt the asparagus. (crazy about). My keyboard is glitching. Weird.

I do my best but sometimes miss the fine print. One local large organic farm also grows exotic fruit in a NJersey greenhouse for fancy restaurants, but also has a farm in Florida.

I assumed they were using modern farm practices like low tunnels inside greenhouses.

Lamb/Porcini Bulgogi Bibimbap

Love Bulgogi’s distinctive flavour.

Would anyone mind if we stopped at 80 posts and started a Summer thread. I know 100 posts is the norm but I’m afraid it will be Fall and we’ll still be in Late Spring mode.

DH cooked us a steamy pork loin stir fry with plum sauce and rice wine vinegar

Yum.

I was thinking the same. It is July 1st. Just made a big batch of coleslaw last night,... potato salad tonight to have with shrimp rolls. Summer food.

I sometimes go back a few years seasonally to get some meal ideas.