All I wanted was a pickle.

...so I made salmon burgers really quick.

Roaming around the grocery store after 7:00 pm hungry and without a list usually ends poorly. Luckily I had made it past the produce section with a few of my weekly staples (greens, carrots, mushrooms, berries) before my unavoidable impulse buy happened. I went looking for red wine vinegar when I am confronted with a wall of pickles! Sweet ones, salty ones, square ones, round ones, flat ones, chopped ones... and it's summer now, so they've got to be sweet. I do a quick scan of the ingredients lists to weed out any that contain the dreaded HFCS, for argument's sake, and I stumble upon this adorable-looking pickle product! Wickles- Wicked Garden Mix, with pickled cukes, baby pearl onions, and cauliflower. I figured it might be a local product... since wicked works its way into the vocabulary of everyone in New Hampshire. Later to find out... not made here, made in Alabama... but still a delish pickle that I'm happy made its way into my heart! I mean basket!

What on earth could I eat pickles with? Thank goodness I'm standing right across from a wall of canned tuna and salmon... perfect! Salmon burgers! (And the marketing majors win, again. I needed vinegar, and due to perfect product placement, now I'm buying pickles and making salmon burgers.) Okay then! Inspired by memories of my mom's tuna burgers (which we probably ate with pickles) and a recent spread in Women's Health on quick and healthy burgers, I didn't think twice. Got home, threw this stuff in the food processor, and in 20 minutes I was eating a fresh, summery meal.

Into the food processor (man I love that thing) go canned salmon, an egg, a handful of oats, half a lemon's zest and juice, garlic, dill, a handful of fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and a few squirts of Sriracha sauce. A few pulses later, I formed patties, trayed up, and stuck them under the broiler for (what should have been) 5-7 minutes per side. I made them pretty small and kept them in for too long, but that was my only complaint. Yummy!

perfectly plated with collard greens, curry ketchup, and my new pickles

I should also mention that I will make any salty thing if it means an excuse to use my German curry ketchup. Simply the best condiment ever known to the world. My parents bring me back a few bottles each time they return to the States. (Surely a perk to having international parents. Danke!) These burgs were a good, solid start to my week. I ate them reheated for dinner, plus packed them in a salad with yellow cherry tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette. Making them reminded me of one of Mark's and my all-time favorite recipes: Red Lentil Burgers. Oh, I just went digging in iPhoto to see if I had a picture of that recipe... here!

college kidz gotta eat- red lentil burgs, pea penne with lemon vinaigrette and goat cheese. circa aug 2010.

Only 1 more week of my clinical rotation! Then things are happenin', people! Until then... eat up.


Enjoy!

LM Visits Keene

This time last year, my dear friend Lauren Martin and I were picking all the garlic scapes we could handle under the summer sun at Tait Farm. We also worked weekends at a local catering company and spent all of our cash buying the same clothes at Express. So much has changed in one year! She has recently finished her dietetic internship in Philly (woo!) and came to visit me at mine here in New Hampshire. What hasn't changed is our shared love of all things good food. I've documented the best parts here in my little blog... which could use a revival since my current lack of free time in my clinical rotation.

First, we made Cream of Asparagus Soup. What a fantastic spring vegetable. This dish was a first for both of us. We decided we would have changed some things if we made it a second time... so I've edited the recipe for you below.

Taking a pause from asparagus-spear-snapping to smile for the camera

Cream of Asparagus Soup
Ingredients:
1 BIG bunch of asparagus
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 leeks, white parts only, chopped (we used a whole bunch)
1/2 cup oats
1 qt milk (we used unsweetened soymilk)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

1. Snap off the tough ends of each asparagus spear and discard. Wash asparagus, and use a vegetable peeler to peel the ends off of some of the bigger pieces. You will thank yourself for this step... asparagus ends are often called "woody." The thick ends are fibrous and don't blend up well in the soup. We didn't peel them, and ended up pulling asparagus strings out of the soup between bites. Chop asparagus in 2-inch pieces... as demonstrated above!
2.  In a large pot over medium heat, saute garlic and leeks in olive oil until soft (2-3 minutes). Add asparagus, oats, milk, broth, and dill. If liquid doesn't cover asparagus, add more broth or water.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until asparagus is soft (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender... as demonstrated below! Also demonstrated below is the definition of woody asparagus ends... and the problem they cause in achieving a nice puree.
5. Garnish with parsley and serve.

as-par-a-gus |əˈsparəgəs|
noun
a tall plant of the lily family with fine feathery foliage, cultivated for its edible shoots.

We also made a fresh Carrot Raisin Salad. We combined grated carrots and raisins, orange juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, and freshly grated ginger. Mixed it all together, and before serving, topped it with chopped, roasted walnuts.

Cheesy. Me, not the salad.

We shared our dishes with some of my intern friends at their lakehouse that night. S'mores completed the meal! (Both of these recipes were adapted from Clean Food by Terry Walters.)

I also took Lauren to two of my favorite eateries in Keene. (Well, 3... the day she arrived we practically ran to Fritz for fries! (Remember Fritz?) On Sunday afternoon we took a leisurely stroll down the street for ice cream at The Piazza!

My parents and I visited The Piazza when they moved me to Keene in August. Located in downtown Keene, The Piazza serves Gifford's (of Maine) hard-dipped ice cream, a variety of soft-serve and blends, smoothies, blizzards, ice cream cakes, and a ridiculous offering of classic and extravagant sundaes! To make matters worse... they opened a second location that is just a short walk from my apartment. (It is inconveniently located on my running route so I have to see it every day... I have come very close to bringing a few bucks in my shorts to treat myself to a mid-run cone.) I would eat at The Piazza any day of the week!

Bruce and Cindy enjoying a sundae last August

Sunday is the day for sundaes

After an afternoon of ice cream and bridal magazines (two kinds of indulgence!) we feasted yet again at my new favorite Keene eatery: Fireworks.

Fireworks is a new restaurant with a big-city feel. Their cuisine specializes in brick oven pizza, gourmet salads, fresh pasta, and stylish cocktails. This place has been a favorite for me and several of the interns this year. I'm making good progress through the menu, and I have yet to find something I don't like. Baked feta and vegetables, goat cheese and beet stacks, salmon arugula salad, and the best thing on the menu: fresh-cut papperdelle with oven-roasted wild mushrooms. Lauren and I had the Fungi pizza. The sauce was made from roasted wild mushroom puree! It was fantastic!

Fionna, Jo-Ann, Emily and I at our fave restaurant

Fungi Pizza... this is serious.

Thanks for your wonderful visit, Lauren! Love you!