Produce Pantry

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My kitchen is overflowing with wonderful fall produce. As sad as I am about the coming cooler weather, it has been such a treat to see new foodthings to buy, cook, and enjoy. Trader Joe’s has had some whimsical displays of these fairy tale pumpkins, and I wanted one every time I walked past. I think it would look great on my kitchen table. And when I came home the other night, David had one waiting for me! It is much heavier than it looks. Stella is also very curious about it and tries to nibble at its ridges and stem if I let her. I’m pretty sure one of my friends cooked a fairy tale pumpkin last year, so I’m excited to give it a try myself once I get tired of the pumpkin’s decorative quality.

Here is a crazy looking eggplant I saw at the farmers’ market the other day. I had to buy it so I could investigate further. I have no idea why this eggplant has a pinkie. I cooked some of the eggplant (not the pinkie) into a frittata that you’ll see here soon.

I also bought these English walnuts at the farmers’ market because I’m not used to seeing freshly picked nuts for sale. Although they are very pretty, this purchase was a bust. Some of the walnuts are good but others are rotten, and it’s impossible to tell which they will be which from the outside. Blech. I bought chestnuts (one of my true loves) from a farmers’ market a few years ago, and they were a bust too. I think I’m done with their nuts.

Hey, Stella! You’re not a vegetable. But I’ll eat you up anyway!

I got this spaghetti squash in my most recent vegetable delivery. It is probably my least favorite type of squash because the strands are always too crunchy. I’ll try to really overcook this squash and see if it turns out any better. Do you have any spaghetti squash tips to help me out? I’ll get back to you on this one.

I hope you’re enjoying the early fall harvest as much as I am!

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Sinful Eggs

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These baked eggs are so delicious and fun to eat. They’re baked with cheese, cream, and anything else you want to add for extra flavor. Then, you mix the yolk, whites, and cream all together and scoop the deliciousness to your mouth. It’s a good way to start the day! Even Stella was begging for a nibble (but that’s not too surprising these days).

To make your own delicious breakfast, preheat your oven to 425°F. Then, crack 1 egg into a smallish ramekin or bowl and add in 1 tablespoon of cream, 1 tablespoon of shredded gruyère cheese, a minced clove of garlic, some chopped herbs (I used sage), salt, and pepper. Don’t mix it! Of course, feel free to multiply these ingredients and add them to a larger baking dish to make more servings.

The most difficult part about making these eggs (besides eating more than you should) is figuring out how long to bake them. I think 10 minutes would have been ideal for my 3 inch ramekin, but I overdid it by a few minutes and my yolk hardened. Don’t worry, it was still so delicious! Add or subtract baking time depending on how shallow your eggs sit in their baking vessel (the more your eggs can spread, the less time they will need). Cook your eggs until the yolks have reached their desired doneness. Then, mix the egg together with a piece of toast and enjoy every last bite of it. Simple ingredients can really make huge flavors!

This recipe was inspired by the Kitchn.

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Camera Flash

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Now that it started getting dark out a little bit earlier, I have had some trouble taking pictures of the things I cook up for this blog. With low natural light, my pictures come out grainy and blurry.  With artificial lamp light, my pictures come out discolored and unappetizing. It’s very frustrating. I knew it was time to start flashing. I took Smitten Kitchen’s recommendation and got the Canon 430 EXII Speedlite. I’m in love!! It adds a healthy dose of natural coloring to things, and it can be rotated to bounce of the ceiling or wall for a more natural look. Would you ever guess this pear picture was taken in the dark? I got these pears in my vegetable delivery, and they are really tiny- the size of figs. While they’re really delicious, I felt like a foolish, oversized squirrel when I nibbled on them in public. I finished the rest of them at home!!

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