Bacon Spinach Tomato Salad

One of my favorite salads

 So do you ever have one of those days where you completely forget an event that you are supposed to take food to?  On the way home from work you remember and are in panic because you have nothing in your house. It happens - well at least to me. It happens often enough that I have an easy go to salad.  It will feed a crowd and I can swing by the grocery and have it done in no time. Oh- I forgot to mention the best part, it is delicious. Really. I promise.

I remembered when I was about half way home, so I bought one of those big containers of mixed spinach and spring mix, a bag of croutons, and a pint of cherry tomatoes. I got home and made the salad dressing. I quickly microwaved some bacon so it had time to cool. Next I found a giant salad bowl and dumped the spinach/spring mix into the bowl. Next I added the tomatoes and the croutons. The croutons were followed by the bacon. Then I added some grated Parmesan cheese because I love cheese. I took the salad dressing with me because I hate wilted greens. That is it. I should have timed myself. I can't give you an exact time but I made the salad and changed clothes in less than 20 minutes. The best part of this salad was my husband told me on the way to the meeting (it was an aviation meeting all men except for Katie and me) that no one was going to want any salad. Guess what? It was all gone by the end of the meeting. I think they liked it. But then what's not to like?

Bacon Spinach Tomato Salad

The Dressing

1/4 Cup of Milk
3/4 Cup of Mayonnaise
1 Garlic Clove, Minced or 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder (Not Garlic Salt)
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste
A Couple of Dashes of Cayenne (Optional)

Whisk ingredients together.  Pour on the salad right before you serve it. I always rewhisk the dressing right before I add it to the salad. [Note for bigger salads like the one below-  use 1 part milk to 3 parts mayonnaise and adjust the seasonings]

The Salad

4-6 Slices of Bacon, Cooked
1 Large Container of Mixed Greens and/or Spinach
1 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
1 Bag of Croutons (Homemade are so much better if you have time)
Parmesan Cheese, Grated

The tomatoes really make this salad beautiful

Combine all of the ingredients. When ready to serve add the dressing and toss.

It is not as pretty tossed so I always wait to the last second to toss the salad

The bottom line: will I make this again?  Yes, I can't wait until we have summer ripe tomatoes (I am growing yellow pear tomatoes). They make this salad incredible. I am also growing my own spinach and spring mix so soon I will be able to harvest my own greens for this salad.  The other ingredient I really want to add is avocado. I think it would be amazing.

A Saturday in Springfield

The view from the plane

Today’s trip was to Springfield, Missouri. They were having a farmer’s market festival. With the promise of fresh veggies, we were off. We made a mistake; we flew into an airport (Springfield Downtown) that was closed on Saturday. Obviously, the runways still open but the office and more importantly the bathrooms were not. I made the mistake of drinking a large cup of coffee before we left and I was quite distressed about the lack of a  bathroom. Thankfully, a flight instructor heard Steven asking about the closed office and landed after us.  If you are a general aviation pilot or are married to one you already know this—pilots are some of the nicest and most helpful people you will meet.  Not only did he tell us about landing at Springfield National but also called over to verify that we could get a courtesy car. A huge thank you to Brian Morgan-- we looked him up later on the Internet- he is a flight instructor extraordinaire with over 10,000 hours of flight time. 

Springfield National is a tower controlled airport. That means you are vectored in which in turn means that you don’t just land.  At this point I am really regretting that cup of coffee. [For those of you thinking about flying in to Springfield National here is the general aviation information]. 

Springfield National is a fairly busy airport that has regional jet traffic. Jets go roughly 500 miles an hour and the Tin Dog goes approximately 110 miles an hours. Needless to say we probably held up some of the airport traffic when we landed—sorry.We parked in front of the General Aviation building and Steven took care of the plane. I was able to visit their lovely bathrooms. They had a custody car for us to use—they have 3 for general use and local maps.  Once again, nice friendly people.  And since it was a weekend aviation gas was 40 cents off a gallon.  Unfortunately, it was too late to go to the farmer’s market. Sigh. But the one thing having a small plane teaches you is flexibility. You can’t guarantee that you can fly on a particular day or at a particular time—safety always is the first consideration and the second and the third…..

The inside of the the Aviary Cafe and Creperie

So we decided to see some of the highlights of Springfield. First, we went to Aviary Cafe and Creperie and had some of the best pomme frites that I have every had. 

Pomme frites

Oh my they were yummy. Already mostly full, we followed these delicious tidbits up with crepes. I had the hen and pine crepe and Steven had duck confit crepe.  We couldn’t finish them and honestly we should have just gotten the pomme frites. Yes, they were that good. Trust me go and get them. You will not regret it. 

Words to live by 

Next up--- Askinosie Chocolate.  Owned by a lawyer who saw the light and left the practice of law and now makes insanely good chocolate.  A chocolate bar will set you back about $10.00  so you are paying premium prices but you are getting a premium product. We also bought some chocolate nibs for the next chocolate stout we will brew. I really liked soaking them in Jim Bean and adding it to the secondary so I will probably repeat the process with our next batch of beer.

Mother's brewery

Mother’s Brewery is also in Springfield and on my list of breweries to visit. Mother’s is best known for their IPAs. They have a lovely tasting room with friendly staff explaining the beers available for testing. Note: these are beers that you can only get at the brewery. Steven obviously could not taste the beers so he smelled the beers and I tasted them. 

Tasting menu

We narrowed the beers to Cheech and Chong IPA, two versions of the same beer with different yeasts. It is amazing the difference a yeast can make. I chose Chong- which is an “in your face” IPA and we bought a growler to go. Steven could taste it once we were home.

It was time to head home so we made our way back to the airport to our fully fueled plane. On the way home we enjoyed the sights from the sky. It really is beautiful from 3,000 feet. It was a bit bumpy. We saw flocks of white birds (maybe ducks) below us and even saw a lone eagle. I watched the earth get a bit less green as we headed north but it was clear that spring had finally sprung in Missouri.

Roosterville

Safely back at Roosterville Airport we transported our chocolate bars, nibs, and beer home.  

Flying to a Field Near You

The Tin Dog

One of the more dramatic changes in our household was my husband getting his pilots license and buying a plane. It is something he has always wanted to do. What I didn't expect is that my daughter would fall in love with all things aviation. Who knew?  We have a Piper Cherokee that we fondly named the "Tin Dog." For the Whovians out there, yes, it was named after K-9. It seemed like the perfect name for the plane and it has stuck. It really is like K-9.  I think it has the same technology-- look at the control panel and see for yourself.

1977 technology at its best

Airplanes have opened a new world for us. We are amassing a different body of knowledge and think with a different perspective. An example is the  weather. We think of weather in terms of flying conditions. Is it too windy to fly? What do the clouds look like? Words like  "glass cockpit," "cleco," "FBO," and "flaps" have entered our working vocabulary.

Unconsciously, science and math have taken a front row seat in our house. We compute how far we are going, how long it will take us to get there (and compare it to driving),  how much fuel we need, and weight allowances. We are fascinated by how the plane works and the physics of take offs and landings. I never knew the science behind a soft field takeoff could be fascinating but then my safety had never been at stake until I was in a small aircraft taking off from a grass strip. You think also about the afternoon heat and air turbulence (I try to sit in the front on the way back).

The grass strip we landed on - really- we landed here

Our hope is to visit small towns this spring and summer and explore. Did you know that there are 1000s of small airstrips throughout the United States? Really - here is a link to them FAA Airport Data and Contact Information. I am hoping that many of these have farmer's markets nearby and I can get some fresh produce and fly home.  One airport on the top of my list is the Amana Airport. It is next to the Millstream Brewing Company. How great is that? Of course we would have to spend the weekend because it would be unfair to Steven to fly to a brewery and fly back in the same day. (FAA rules require 8 hours minimum from "bottle to throttle".)

This past weekend, we went to Anita, Iowa. It was about an hour and half flight. We flew at approximately 4,500 feet. It is a gorgeous view. The lakes and ponds glitter likes jewels when the sun hits them.  The world is beautiful. On the trip there we were excited about going to a new destination and exploring. It made for a great adventure. (We were also hoping for a clean restroom).

The view out of our plane

Anita, Iowa is a small town (about 1,000 people) in Southwest Iowa. The draw was a grass strip airport and a state park with a lake that was about a mile walk from the airport. I was shocked when I saw the grass strip. It really was a grass strip (about 2,900 feet long). You probably wouldn't want to land here at night because there are no lights. When I saw where we were supposed to land, I thought really???? We are going to land there??? There are small orange cones marking the runway. Thankfully we landed just fine and went into to town to explore. We found a gas station, walked through down town and headed for the lake.

Wind turbines by the lake

On the way we saw some extraordinary wind turbines, as well as, the old fashion type.

An old fashion windmill

We walked around the lake, enjoying the incredible views of the lake and surround farms. Realizing that we were starving we stopped for a picnic lunch of cheeses, crackers, hummus, pita, and salami. It was a perfect lunch. After lunch, we headed back and flew home.  On the trip back we were thinking about the place we just visited and looking forward to getting home. I pondered dinner and what I was going to make. The only way the day could have been more perfect is if there had been a farmer's market. We even had a hawk soaring with us for a short time before it flew on.  Know of a place you think we should fly to- that we can get to in the Dog? Please let us know--especially if there is a great place to eat or a farmer's market. We are always up for an adventure.

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Bacon

Yummy pasta goodness

I did my research and picked a CSA (community supported agriculture). The one I picked is Fair Share Farm in Kearney, Missouri. I am quite excited.  Fair Share Farm  requires one half day of work at the farm so the family and I will be picking and washing some veggies. I am looking forward to our day on the farm although I expected we will be quite tired after our half day of work.
On the sign up day we received a bag of spinach. We a farmer hands you spinach, you make pasta. Yes, another pasta. I seem to be on a pasta kick. I had some asparagus so I threw that in too and some tomatoes and bacon. I wish I had some fresh peas that would have been yummy. Maybe next time.

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Bacon

1 Pound (454 g) Box Pasta
4 Slices of Bacon
3 Tbsps of Olive Oil
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Approximately .5 lbs (227 g) of Asparagus, Chopped into Pieces
Salt, To Taste
Pepper, To Taste
Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste (Optional)
A Couple Handfuls of Spinach, Roughly Chopped
12 oz. (340 g) Tomatoes, Diced (or if Cherry Tomatoes Cut in Half)
Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Cook the pasta according to package directions (reserve 1/2 cup (118 ml) of pasta water) and drain. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon and set aside. Pour olive oil into a large skillet (I use cast iron) and heat to medium-high.

Lovely lovely spinach

Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add the asparagus, salt, and pepper (and red pepper flakes if you want some spice) and cook for about 2 minutes.

Stir frying asparagus

Add the spinach, cooked bacon, tomatoes, cooked pasta, and pasta water.

Adding all of the remaining ingredients and heating to wilt the spinach

Stir to combine and heat until spinach wilts. Add cheese. Season to taste. Enjoy!

Yum!

The bottom line would I make this again? Yes, it was delicious.  Next time I may try a different cheese or different veggies. I think whatever I bring home from the CSA will likely work.

One Pot Pasta

One Pot Pasta

Oh how I love this dish.  I admit it; I had my doubts when I first saw it. I thought Martha Stewart was off her rocker and there was no way it could work. But I decided to try it. What did I have to lose? I tried it and I liked it. Now, I basically throw a bunch of stuff in a pot, add heat and get a great dish. Yes, it is that easy. I have a basic recipe below but I change it every time I make it. Other items you may want to add- mushrooms (portabellas are especially nice), olives, fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced red pepper, bacon, or anything that would be a great pizza topping. I have tried multiple types of pasta in this dish and I prefer spaghetti. If you use spaghetti or any other type of long noodles, break them in half before placing it in the skillet.

One Pot Pasta

1 Box (16 oz. 454 g) of Uncooked Pasta
1 Handful of Arugula or Basil or Parsley
4 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced
1 Onion, Thinly Sliced
1 Handful of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, Quartered
1/2 Pound (227 g) of Precooked Sausage or Meatballs (Optional)
Several Dashes to 1/2 Teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes or a Dried Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
4 1/2 Cups (1 L) of Room Temperature Water
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Place all of the ingredients except the cheese in the skillet (I use cast iron).

Everything is in one pot- It couldn't be easier

Next bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat so you have a little more than a simmer but less than a rolling boil.

Cooking the pasta and the ingredients

Boil mixture stirring frequently until the pasts is al dente and the liquid has mostly absorbed (about 9 minutes). You may need to extend the cooking time or add more water depending on the type of pasta. Towards the end of cooking taste and adjust slat and pepper if necessary. Remove from heat and place in bowls. Top with cheese. Enjoy!

A bowl of yummy pasta

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes. I can't wait to make it from summer ripened veggies.

Italian Sausage and Pasta in Broth

Italian Sausage Pasta

Ok. I just threw this one together and after we started eating it my family told me to blog it. The inspiration for this dish is the sausage pasta dish at Trezo Mare. It is really really good. It is a light dish that contains Italian sausage. I know, it seems impossible to have a light dish with sausage. I use Scimeca's Italian sausage. It comes in mild, medium, and spicy. Pick the one you want for the spiciness of the dish. This dish was so good we all had seconds and maybe (shhh don't tell) thirds. It was a good thing that it was a running day.
I have two sets of pictures one set from the first time I made it and the second when I went back and tweaked it.  The first time I made it with button mushrooms and the second time with baby bellas. The second time I also doubled the amount of mushrooms. Did I mention how good it was? It is so good that I craved it for days and ended up making it for breakfast on a Saturday morning. If I had some summer ripened tomatoes I would have diced about three and thrown them in with the chicken broth. Also for a twist, I imagine some fresh spinach or kale thrown in with the broth would be delicious.

Italian Sausage Pasta

1 Pound (.45 kg) of Italian Sausage
1/2 Onion (160 g), Thinly Sliced
One Red Pepper (160 g), Sliced
4 -8 oz. (113-227 g) of Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Can (397 g) of Chicken Broth
1 Box (340 g)  of Pasta, Cooked and Drained
Pepper, To Taste
Basil
Parmesan Cheese

Crumble sausage into large skillet. Cook over medium heat until it begins to cook. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Once the sausage begins to cook, add the onions, pepper, and mushrooms.

At this point the house smells incredible.

Cook until sausage begins to brown and the veggies are softened. Add the broth to the skillet and simmer.

Almost ready for the pasta

When the pasta is ready, add it to the skillet. Mix well and season with pepper. Take off the heat and add the basil and cheese. And that's it!

Skillet of pasta

The bottom line, will I make this again? You mean more than the two times I already have? Yes, it is lovely and so easy.

Cranberry Sorbet

Cranberry Sorbet

I used to have Thanksgiving dinner at my house and I would cook and cook... and cook. Not that I minded. I really like spending time in the kitchen. Now, we go to a friends house (thanks Jeanne) and I only make a couple of dishes. This year I have so much extra time, we are running a 5K in the morning. I know it is amazing (1) that we have that much time and (2) that we are choosing to run outside in the cold. On the other hand that is 300 calories burned. 

So what will I be making? I have my Thanksgiving dishes that I make every year, chocolate bourbon pecan pie (it is incredible and it even has a nut crust) and cheese garlic grits. Yes, I will make these this year, because otherwise I would have a family mutiny. I am also making candied bacon (maybe I should run the one mile fun run after the 5k as well).

In addition, I decided to make something different this year, cranberry sorbet. (Yes, it sounds like a Prince song.) It took awhile to get the recipe right. I wanted a tart sorbet but not too tart. I wanted the sorbet to have some sweetness as well. So I decided on a pink grapefruit / cranberry sorbet. The result was right on. It is tart but not too tart and not too sweet like an earlier version I made. I can already imagine the sorbet in a glass with champagne for the adults and ginger ale for the kids. Yum!

Pink Grapefruit Cranberry Sorbet

1 1/2 Cup (300 g) of Sugar

1 1/4 Cup (300 ml) of Water

3 Pieces of Grapefruit Peel

12 oz. (340 g) of Cranberries

3/4 Cup (175 ml) of Grapefruit Juice

Bring water, sugar, and peel to a boil. Add cranberries and boil for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Boiling the cranberries

The cranberries will have popped and will be tender. Remove the grapefruit peel. Puree in a blender or a food processor. Add  the grapefruit juice and pour through a sieve. 

Straining the cranberries

Refrigerate overnight. Pour into an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. 

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes. It is awesome.