Busy Morning

It's been a little of everything so far this morning. First, I rounded another corner on the Yard Art quilt. The binding is a little more than half finished now.

But I haven't wanted to neglect my embroidery while I'm stitching the binding, and so I did a little more on the Wine Country block too. I'm loving these colors. Usually I rely on a printed pattern to tell me what colors of floss to use. In this case, the color selection is all mine. This will probably be finished in a couple of more sittings.

Erik stopped by this morning to watch the Formula One race with his dad. Mike made waffles for the three of us, and so that was a nice way to start the day. While they were watching the race, I got to work churning the strawberry ice cream. After I added the fruit to the custard, it churned for another five minutes (about 15 minutes total).

Then I scooped it into a contained and stashed it in the freezer. We'll be enjoying that for dessert tonight. I'm telling you, it's the best strawberry ice cream ever. Want the recipe?  I can't post it because it's from a website that requires a paid membership.  But if you want it, email me, and I'll send it to you.  I think good food is meant to be shared...especially when it's ice cream.

While that was churning, I got to work on the Spicy Dilled Carrot Spears made from three bunches of carrots that followed me home from the farmer's market. I've linked to the recipe, and they're easy to make. Three bunches of carrots gave me a yield of 6 jars, so not a bad haul. If you decide to give them a try, I should warn you that they're extremely addictive.

As long as we're talking about vegetables, I wanted to report back about the bok choy recipe I tried yesterday. I've adapted a recipe from this book. 

If the term "brassicas" is unfamiliar to you (as it was to me), it includes the genus of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops—derived from the Latin caulis, denoting the stem or stalk of a plant. So we're talking kale, Brussels sprouts, collards, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and the like. For last night's dinner, I was trying to find a way to love the bok choy that is served up several times per season in our CSA share. So far, we've been tolerant, but we haven't found a way to look forward to it. Until now. This Bok Choy Waldorf Salad with Crystallized Ginger was seriously delicious.

The bok choy stands in for the celery of the traditional Waldorf salad, and the dressing is made from nonfat plain Greek yogurt with just a dab of mayonnaise so it's relatively low in fat and calories. I served it up with some Margarita Grilled Shrimp, and that was one tasty dinner, if I do say so myself. And I do. 

Here's my adaptation of the recipe:

Bok Choy Waldorf Salad With Crystallized Ginger

Recipe adapted from Laura B. Russell
Serves 4    

1 large head  Bok Choy (about 1 pound)
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
Grated Zest of One Lemon
1 1/2 Teaspoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Teaspoons  Honey
1 Red Apple, diced
1/2 Cup Red Seedless Grapes, halved
1/2 Cup Chopped Toasted Walnuts
3 Tablespoons Chopped Crystallized Ginger

Cut the end root from the bok choy and discard (or save for stock). Halve stalks and leaves lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide pieces. Place stalks and leaves in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle the salt over the top, then rub it into the bok choy with your fingers briefly. Let stand for about 10 minutes to shed its excess liquid.

Meanwhile, make the dressing in a small bowl by stirring together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

Gently squeeze the bok choy to release excess liquid and then transfer it to a serving bowl. Add the apple, grapes, walnuts, and ginger to the bowl. Just before serving, use a spatula to gently combine the salad with the dressing.

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If you're unfamiliar with crystallized ginger, you can usually find it in the baking aisle, or the bulk foods area, dried fruits, or even in with the spice jars of your grocery store. It's one of my favorite ingredients in baking.

So now that I've finished up in the kitchen, I'm going to spend some time sewing this afternoon. I'd like to at least get a start on the next block for It's Raining Cats and Dogs.