LOW Effort: Spicy Popcorn

My favorite snack is popcorn. Fisher’s Popcorn is always my first stop at the beach and the perfect late night bite. This spicy LOW Effort version is amazing and was inspired by someone near and dear. So, let’s make popcorn!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of microwave popcorn

• 2 tbsp melted butter

• 1 tbsp LOW Effort Jalapeño Hot Sauce

• 1 tbsp Ring Stinger Burn your Butt Rub

Method:

• Melt the butter for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl, if the butter is not melted add 10 more seconds to the cook time

• Mix the LOW Effort Hot Sauce to to the melted butter, stir with a fork. After tasting the mixture add more hot sauce to increase the heat

• Make the popcorn in the microwave according to the directions, or if you are a professional pull out that air popper and make this a moderate effort spicy popcorn. I’d add an extra tsp of butter if you are going this route, and some extra hot sauce too

• In in a large bowl, toss the butter/hot sauce mixture with the hot popcorn, shake on the additional rub too

• The best bowl to nosh from is that butter & hot sauce bowl….this is the bowl I add my popcorn to

Listening to: Phish, Waves

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LOW Effort: Spicy Salad

I win friends with salad. I go out for salad. I have friends that laugh about their salad! So this one is for you Courtney & Mollie! LOW Effort Salad with Spicy House Ranch.

Ingredients:

• Lettuce

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup of mayo

• 1 clove of pulverized garlic

• 2 tbsp fresh chopped chives

• 2 tbsp fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

• 2 tbsp fresh chopped dill

• 2 tbsp LOW Effort Scorpion Hot Sauce

• Salt & Coarsely Ground Pepper to taste

Extra Effort Ingredients:

• 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes

• 1 cup of chopped kale and/or arugula

• 1/2 sliced avocado

• 1 piece of previously cooked bacon, crumbled

• blue cheese

Method:

• In a large bowl add greens

• In a second large bowl add the salad dressing ingredients and whisk together, taste for heat and salt - add extra hot sauce if you desire

• Drizzle salad dressing on to the greens and extras

• Store the remaining dressing in a glass container in your fridge for up to 4 days

Listening to: Bob Marley & the Wailers, Stir It Up

LOW Effort: Cioppino

Every once in a while I surprise myself, tonight was that night. It only took 30 mins from start to finish to create this LOW Effort masterpiece. You should make this tonight.

Ingredients:

• 4 clusters of dungeoness crab

• 1 lb sea scallops (pink have more flavor)

• 1 lb gulf shrimp, cleaned but shell remains on

• 1 lb cod

• 2 large shallots, diced

• 1 clove of garlic, diced

• 28 oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes

• 4 cups of chicken stock

• 1/2 cup Pernot

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp butter

• Scorpion LOW Effort Hot Sauce to taste

• 1 tbsp kosher salt

• fresh pepper to taste

• pinch of saffron

• Sourdough or baguette for dipping, and holding more butter

Method:

• In your largest pot/dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter with olive oil then add the diced shallots and garlic

• Add in a pinch of salt and stir until the shallots are translucent, you do not want caramelization

• Stir in the Pernot, cook for 4 mins, then add in the chicken stock

• Add in tomatoes by crushing them by hand into the vessel. When the tomato can is empty, fill it halfway with water and add that to the simmering pot

• When the liquid is back to a bubble, add in the saffron, salt, and pepper

• Begin layering in the seafood, first cod, then shrimp, scallops, and crab clusters. Gently stir it all in and cover for 8 mins over medium/high. Check the pot at 6 mins to see if the shrimp have curled and changed color

• It should be complete within 15 mins. Ladle into a bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil and Low Effort Scorpion Hot Sauce

Listening to: Billy Strings, Show Me the Door

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LOW Effort: Spicy Hummus

Easy, spicy, hippie food. Let’s make some hummus.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans of garbanzo beans, drained

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp ground smoked pimenton (paprika)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic, pulverized

• 3 tbsp LOW Effort Cayenne

• salt & peper to taste
  

Ingredients to dip:

• Toasted pita, carrots, bell peppers, etc
  

Method:

• In a food processor, blitz the garlic, then the beans, and rest of the hummus ingredients. Taste for heat and salt. For a smoother consistency add more tahini and olive oil

• Dip your veg, and store any leftovers in a glass container up to 5 days

Listening to: Eat It, Megan Thee Stallion

LOW Effort: Breakfast Burrito

In honor of the Not Pollock & Ring Stinger collaboration my 15 year old made the most low effort breakfast burritos, 1 for me too!

Assemble your fav ingredients, Jack found:

• Low Effort - Scorpion Pepper sauce

• 4 eggs

• Leftover refried beans & rice

• Shredded cheddar cheese

• Pico de gallo

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 pieces of cooked bacon

• Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper flakes to taste

Method:

• Mix up eggs with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes

• Scramble the eggs in a non-stick pan with 1 tsp butter & 1 tbsp of olive oil

• While eggs are cooking layout tortillas with Low Effort Hot Sauce, pico, rice, beans, and crumbled bacon

• When eggs are done, add them to the tortilla, sprinkle cheese, and wrap it up

• Broil, seam-down for 2 minutes in the oven. Then drizzle more hot sauce & dig in

What I’m listening to: goose, Hungersite

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wild rice & butternut squash

I love wild rice! Especially during the autumn. The earthy aroma and chewy texture meld perfectly with so many vegetables. Today I have butternut squash, kale sprouts, leeks, cremini mushrooms, & shiitake mushrooms.

Yum.

Prep your veg: (and preheat your oven to 425)

- peel, core & chop the butternut squash (the whole thing!) - rough chop on the kale sprouts (a did a whole bag) - clean and slice 2 leeks (you just want the white & super light green parts) - pulverize 3 or 4 garlic cloves - slice 2 pounds of mushrooms (I had a mix of cremini & shiitake - stems removed from the latter)

Time to cook:

- roast your cubes of butternut squash in some olive oil (plus salt & pepper) for 30 mins, until caramelized and soft - cook your wild rice (I cooked 2 cups in 4 cups of chicken stock) according to the instructions on the package - sautee leeks, garlic & mushrooms in olive oil and a few tbsp of butter, season to taste - add the kale sprouts when the other veg have cooked down, I like the kale to have a little chew to it - once the the squash is done, add it to the other veg and when the rice is done, combine it all! Season to taste. I added a tsp of dried thyme at the end.

- Serve it alone, or with your fav meat. We paired this with a delicious chuck roast. The flavors were divine!

Looking for kale sprouts? I found them at Trader Joes earlier this month. A great substitute would be broccoli, cauliflower, or even chopped kale.

making hulky (spinach) meatballs

My CSA just wrapped for the season & we are drowning in spinach. The past few weeks we've had spinach salads, wilted spinach w/ garlic & balsamic vinegar - and now I'm putting spinach in my meatballs.

After I preheated the oven to 425, laid out 4 sheet pans - I lovingly made 80 meatballs for storage in the freezer. Use whatever you have on hand - my go to fillings* are:

- 3 garlic cloves - 2 eggs - 1 cup sourdough bread crumbs - 1/2 to 1 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese - 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil - 1 pound of spinach - 1 pound of ground turkey - 1 pound of ground pork - dried oregano & thyme - pinch of nutmeg - salt & pepper to taste

* all the veg, cheese & bread crumbs are individually pulsed through the food processor beforehand

Bake for 30 mins, I bake 2 pans at a time & switch at 15 mins. Let them cool & toss into a freezer bag. Warm them in sauce for a quick spaghetti & meatball dinner, or for meatball subs. My kids love them - and love to help make them!

What are your fav meatball ingredients? I love swapping the spinach for arugula or carrots!

bread pudding: peaches, blueberries & sourdough - oh my!

When we are swimming in produce, I find a dish to combine everything we have on hand. Today I have sourdough, peaches, blueberries & eggs - time for bread pudding!

ingredients: *4-6 tbsp salted butter *2 cups whole milk *1 cup heavy cream *1/2 cup half & half (just in case you need a bit more liquid) *2/3 cup sugar *2 tsp vanilla extract *1 tsp ground cinnamon *4 large eggs *5 large peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes *1 pint of super ripe blueberries *5-7 pieces of sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)

method: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-11-inch ceramic baking dish.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the butter, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, & cinnamon, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the milk is hot. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and then whisk them steadily into the milk mixture. Continue whisking until blended. Counting to 125 usually ensures well blended eggs.

4. Combine the peaches, blueberries, and bread in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer to the baking dish and pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top. Make sure all of the bread pieces are soaked with the mixture, and let sit for 5 minutes. Pressing down with a spatula helps here!

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bubbly and brown. Serve warm but not hot. I cooled mine & served it for breakfast the next day.

Not only is this a super yummy breakfast, but it's divine as dessert. Add some local ice cream from Trickling Springs and you'll want a second bowl!

We are looking forward to what our CSA pick up has this week. I've had a craving for plum granita!

beautiful morning in the garden

We've been on the go, but the garden keeps on. The weekly summer storms and my bug-patrol birds & mantis have kept the garden happy and lush.

Flowers for the pollinators:

The local squirrels have shown little interest in my garden as of late. Hoping that as the peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes ripen the trend continues!

Veggies & Herbs:

This weekend I'll be giving the garden a dose of fish emulsion, all this rain drains the nutrients from the containers plants. I'm hopeful that my little garden helpers will be keen on being in the garden a bit this weekend. Mama needs to dig in the soil!

Friday Flower: Milk Weed

Milkweed. I'm guilting of pulling it. I used to see it as a weed. But, its the nesting spot for monarch butterflies, and I'm happy to give it space in my garden!

In the next few weeks the pink flowers will bloom and Im hoping we'll see some monarchs. In addition to providing a nursery for monarch eggs & larvae, milkweed brings an element of height in the yard that was needed.

Finding the balance between garden function, beauty, and maintenance level is always tricky. But remembering that the garden is nature & is a part of a greater cycle is easy. Know you climate, soil type, and pollinators and you'll be more successful and find it easier to maintain.

Friday Flower: Bachelors Button

Friday flower: zinnias on the deck

This Friday flower is Zinnia. This summer beauty can take the heat of full sun and all it needs is water and occasional feeding - we like Neptune's Harvest. The large blooms will pop out from all angles and draw the pollinators into my deck garden. They get a little zinnia nectar and make stops at the tomato & peppers!

This year I'm growing lavender, green, red & pink zinnias (I forgot about orange!) So far the lavender and red are gigantic and gorgeous. I'm hoping that the ones I planted in the ground out-front will do as well as the deck flowers.

So far we've seen bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and finches dine on the zinnias. The finches can be a bit tough on the zinnias, but as long as they don't devour all the blooms I'll allow them to snack.

The zinnias in my garden will be going strong come September - which is more than I can say about the pansies and violas in my window-box, they need to be laid to rest in the compost bins! Perhaps I'll find some zinnia plants at the farmers market this weekend to replace the spring blooms that are fading.

Do you have a fav flower in the garden?

friday flower: sage

One of favorite herbs is sage. Turns out, it has one of the most beautiful flowers! The sweet purple flowers are bursting with nectar, if only the bloom schedule was timed with our hummingbird visits! A few small pollinators have taken advantage of the delectable blooms, and I have too!

I just cut two branches and strung them over the dinning table to dry. These leaves & flowers will come in handy around November.

Are any of your favorite flowers from herbs?

my front porch * bursting with color

Now that the weather has warmed my front garden has exploded with perennials and my flowers are brightening things up. I have a mix of store-bought & homegrown flowers this year - one of these days I'll be all homegrown - and most love the sun and heat.

Mt thyme & chives came roaring back to life early in May, both need a trim. Additionally I have African Marigolds throughout the garden bringing a pop of color and extremely low maintenance.

Also in the mix is a variety of Milk Weed. There's nothing meticulous or well trimmed about my garden. It is for the pollinators and our enjoyment. So few gardens are pesticide-free these days. I try to cultivate a garden full of color, nectar and fragrance for us and those winged friends.

Those needing TLC, stay close to the house where they get a reprieve from the intense summer sun. My black violas & pansies will last a few weeks longer because of the afternoon shade.

Next to burst open are these bachelors buttons. Many will grow 2-3 feet tall! A it of height mixed in with the low growers makes for an eyeful. You won't find bachelors buttons at the garden center, but you will find the seeds. Plant some now for some beautiful late summer blooms.

cooking with garlic scapes: fajitas

Right now, farmers markets are teeming with a delicious spring treat - not asparagus, not ramps, not fiddle heads - though all delicious - I'm talking about garlic scapes. These scapes come from my garden & Love Dove Farm.

One of our fav preparations using scapes is fajitas. Omit the chicken & add beans and this is easily a fabulous vegetarian or vegan meal. Gather your favorite veggies, some cumin & chili powder and dig in!

Last night we raided the fridge for an easy tortilla filling meal. Using:

-5 garlic scapes -3 shallots -1 rotisserie chicken (substitute home roasted chicken) -2 red bell peppers -2 packs of cremini mushrooms -1/2 cup of cilantro from the garden -1 tbsp ground cumin -1 tbsp pimenton -salt & pepper to taste -1 tbsp-1/4 water or stock depending on how thick/thin you like your fajitas -2 cans of TJs cuban black beans -Your fav tortillas -Sour cream & chopped scallions to garnish

Just chop up your veg, sauté in olive oil, add the chicken & spices. Let it all meld together, now might be a good time for some of that stock or water, and taste to adjust seasonings.

Since we make this for ages 1-36, I hold out the chile peppers until I plate each serving...don't want any burnt tongues!

Here's what the fajitas look like open & then wrapped up, pardon our excessive sour cream usage...we love the stuff!

Some additional garlic scape ideas:

Grilled w/ your fav protein Enchiladas Scape and Sausage Penne How about in an omelette?

Don't wait on scapes, they'll only be around for the next few weeks. Better yet - grow your own garlic and harvest your own!

garlic scape corner

My garlic beds have moved a few times over the years, this past season I grew garlic in containers on my front patio. Sadly, out of 20 bulbs only 5 produced plants, which means I'm getting 5 scapes! A garlic scape is a flower that grows out of the head of garlic. We cut (and devour) our scapes so the plant focuses the last 3-4 weeks of growing on the bulbs under the ground.

A few years ago I detailed the best way to harvest the garlic scapes and then how to harvest and cure the garlic bulbs. Though we only have 5 this year, I'm sure that Gorman Farm and LoveDove Farm will have plenty of garlic scapes & garlic for us to buy, I've got to remember to save 20 cloves to plant this October - location TBD!

As the scapes are harvested we'll sauté and grill them up in numerous meals. Over the weekend we enjoyed garlic scapes with our grilled pork chops. How do you cook your garlic scapes?

grilled garlic scapes & pork chops

Scapes are starting to emerge from my garlic plants, and we love to grill them. Just toss them in olive oil, grill for a few mins on each side, add a sprinkle of sea salt & dig in. But we cannot survive on scapes alone - enter big juicy bone-in pork chops.

I marinated the (trader joes) chops in olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and pepper for a few hours in the fridge - I seasoned with kosher salt right before they hit the grill. They grilled for 4-5 minutes per side, the kids like them a little more well done.

To go with this BBQ dinner I whipped up a butternut squash mac and cheese, same recipe as my vegetable drawer mac & cheese, but with only butternut squash. It was divine & the kids have a great leftover pasta dish for lunch!

I hope that trader joes keeps these chops in stock this summer, we loved them...even my 1 year old couldn't help but gnaw on the bone! As for the garlic scapes - their time is short but we'll scour the county farmers markets for them! You should too!

foraging in your backyard: dill, cilantro & mustard greens

There's a lot growing in my backyard. Hostas, Lavender, Zebra Grass, Black-eyed Susans, and Dahlias. But there's more.

Seeds from my upstairs deck garden scattered all around my backyard and now I reap the rewards. Dill, cilantro, mustard greens & flowers are scattered in-between the larger plants. I'm harvesting now before the beds are shaded & Black-eyed Susans fill in the garden beds.

When harvesting, weeding, and planting in the garden, take care. Look at your surroundings and keep an eye out for plants that may be poisonous and/or make you itch! Smell and look closely at anything you think is safe. Often weeds will grow in-between other plants, and you may not want to consume those!

First stop for the dill, cilantro & mustard greens is the sink! All were washed individually in cold water & spun in a salad spinner.

Don't forget about your garden finds in the fridge! Make a plan and use them up quickly. The dill will pair with chives on some new potatoes tonight. The cilantro will be atop shrimp fajitas tomorrow. The mustard greens are destined for a pickle jar & to a pork sandwich next weekend!

Found anything in your garden? Chive blossoms, asparagus, or ramps?!

strawberries & shortcake

We were one of the hundreds that braved Gorman Farm on Saturday & left with 2 baskets of delicious strawberries. The fields were full of kids & berries and the line to pay was full of little fingers sneaking berries from unsuspecting baskets! It was worth the wait!

With our 7 pounds of strawberries & a few growing at home we were thinking strawberry shortcake! First we washed then sorted the berries into categories - shortcake, eat all week & eat this weekend. I love this time of year....soon TLV will have their delicious berries too!

To make the shortcake we kept it easy. Premade organic whipped cream + trader joes shortcakes + berries macerated in vanilla sugar for at least an hour. A twist of lemon or a sprinkle of sea salt is nice too.

Don't cut your berries too small, just hull them and slice them into 2-3 slices. Otherwise they'll be mush, you want some texture. If you're drowning in raspberries, blackberries & blueberries, toss them in. We love this seasonal treat. Next week it's strawberries & balsamic vinegar with thin sliced pound cake.

Layer how you like. We have little ones that are whipped cream fanatics, next time I'll make fresh, so we tend to have equal parts cream & berries. I'm pretty sure this sat in front of my son for no more than 3 minutes....it goes fast!

It was definitely worth the trip out to Gorman. Though I left with two sunkissed & exhausted kids, we had so much fun picking, snacking & people watching.

Are you growing strawberries? Do you have a farm near by to pick your own?

Container Garden 2014: on the deck

The deck garden is already in bloom! Thanks to a great winter growing station in my basement, I have blooming flowers, large greens, lots of basil, fruiting peppers & strong tomatoes.

This winter I invested in some new deck containers, Vegtrugs. We are moving away from plastic containers, and looking for something that can grow without taking up too much space. So far, so good!

This year the container garden is growing:

Greens: Arugula, Radicchio, Kale & Swiss Chard

Peppers: Sweet Bell peppers Hot: Jalapeño, Serrano, Poblano, Pasilla, Cayenne, Fish & Lemon Drop

Tomatoes: Hawaiian Pineapple, Purple Cherokee & Costoluto Genovese

Herbs: Sweet Basil, Thai Basil, Sage, Mint, Chives, Chervil, Dill, Thyme, & Cilantro

Flowers: Dahlia, Zinnia, Viola, Bachelors Button, Black & Blue Salvia, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, and Chamomile

Root Veg, etc...: Beets, Onions, Cucumbers, Carrots, Strawberries & Radishes

Unlike other years, I mapped out and meticulously planned what I would grow and where. Notably - my deckrail planters are full of flowers to attract pollinators. Last year we had countless bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. This year we want more!

So far the companion planting and locations are working out well. It 's amazing what you can grow in a container. You just need to remember to water a bit more often and feed the plants monthly.

Growing a garden can be a lot of work, but the rewards are tenfold. Not only are you growing delicious food on your own, but you're closer to the ecosystem, and a part of natures beauty. And in turn nature rewards you. One of our fav garden treats is the arugula flower. We harvest them and pop them into salads.

Are you growing in containers? What's your fav crop?

Hope your garden is a success this year!