#ultrastrict

How does a girl transport her herb starts and other tasty loot home from the Crescent City Farmer’s Market on her SCOOTER? Very carefully. Crazy gorgeous tomatoes in the boot and these aromatic green beauties on the board between my feet. If you plan on using a lot of herbs in your cooking this summer, I would recommend making the up front investment in plants for your yard or patio. An startup cost of $20-$40 will provide you with a summer’s supply of bright, fresh flavors – a heck of a lot cheaper and better for the environment than those little plastic packages of supermarket herbs!

SUNDAY lunch: Spiralizers are a great way to use summer garden veggies like squash to make tasty salads that quickly soak up seasonings and dressings! This was a combo of Hollygrove veggies – Spiralized yellow zucchini squash and cucumber combined with julienned roasted beets. Topped with Bergeron pecans and basil from my front porch. Dressed with pecan oil, Envie garlic farm garlic, Steen’s cane vinegar, and salt. This would be lovely with some slices of Country Girl’s Creamery mozzarella or other local cheese. The cornbread peeking in on the left is gluten free, and made by my good friend Wendi using country boy brand corn flour. (Quick note on spiralizing cucumbers: you'll want to allow them to drain a few minutes on some paper towels before using, because they produce a lot of moisture which can dilute your dressing).

Fast FRIDAY dinner: Simple herb omelette (eggs from Hollygrove, home grown herbs) topped with a yogurt sauce (garlic and fennel fronds from Hollygrove and Country Girl's Creamery yogurt). Mashed local sweet potatoes and slices of creole tomato, both from Rouses.

Happy FRIDAY morning! This morning's grits (Country Boy) made extraordinary by macerated white nectarines (Cherry Creek Orchard), pecans (Bergeron) and whole milk (Feliciana's Best Creamery). The nectarines were in Hollygrove's reduced price area -- $1 a pound -- and so I couldn't resist scooping them up.

Plate the corn on 4 dinner  plates, with 5 shrimp per person and equal portions of tomato on top. 

THURSDAY breakfast: back to posting, and hoping to finish out the week strong. I'm happy to share that I finally found a good local source for grits, thanks to my lovely friend Wendi. Picked up Country Boy Grits (Denham, LA) at Rouses (along with that gorgeous LA cantaloupe on the table behind breakfast.) The blueberries are from J&D Blueberry Farm, Poplarville, MS. Bergeron Pecans. Whole milk from Feliciana's Best Creamery.

MONDAY lunch: Sweet potato oven frites and roasted poblano aioli for dipping. Happy solstice everyone! Roasted poblanos taste pleasantly of spice and smoke. Aioli is basically a garlicky mayonnaise sauce. And frites are, well, just a fancy name for French fries. Since it's the height of summer, and I am cooking for 1, I used the toaster oven. RECIPE: Frites 2 small sweet potatoes (Louisiana local, Hollygrove) 1 tablespoon leaf lard (purchased from Cleaver and Co., a local butcher whose animals are raised in Como, LA) veggie oil of your choice also works well Salt (This makes enough frites for 1 person, adjust your recipe accordingly.) Aioli 1 medium sized poblano pepper (from the Hollygrove reduced price area) 1 egg yolk (Local eggs, Hollygrove) 1/2 cup Inglewood pecan oil (Alexandria, LA) 1 clove garlic (Envie garlic farm, Chauvin, LA) 1 tablespoon Steen Pure Cane Vinegar Salt (Makes enough for 4 servings) HOW-TO: Roast poblano pepper whole at 400 degrees, turning often to blister skin evenly on all sides. When pepper is softened and skin charred, remove and allow to cool. When cool, skin should pull off easily. Remove skin and then split open and remove seeds. Mince pepper flesh. Set aside. Peel and finely minced garlic clove. Set aside. While pepper is roasting, prep sweet potatoes. Slice long-ways into french-fry shapes, but leave the skins on! Put leaf lard into microwave safe bowl and melt briefly. In a bowl, toss potatoes with lard until coated. Spread potatoes in a single layer on greased baking sheet, or use parchment parchment paper instead. Try to make sure all the potatoes are touching the baking sheet rather than being piled on other potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees until roasted, tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, about 45 minutes. While potatoes are roasting make the aioli. Crack the egg, carefully separating the yolk from the white. Reserve egg white for another use, like tossing into your next omelette. In a ceramic bowl (do NOT use plastic for this!) beat up the egg yolk and vinegar with a whisk until frothy. Then, very slowly and whisking continuously, add the oil. You are creating an emulsion, so start with just a few drops at a time. Asking a friend to pour while you whisk is a great idea if you are doing this for the first time. You will be amazed as, like magic, the mixture starts to thicken and get creamy. The more you beat it, the thicker it will get. When all of the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick, yellow, and creamy, add the minced garlic and poblano. Whisk, taste, and add salt. Taste again. Then allow the sauce to sit while the potatoes finish roasting. The sauce will thicken a little more and the flavors will meld while you wait. When the potatoes are done, toss in a metal bowl with a little salt and any fresh herbs you might like (Rosemary is great). Serve immediately while piping hot with a little bowl of sauce on the side. Enjoy!

SUNDAY dinner on my own. Hubbie is working tonight, helping to make our dreams come true. And honestly, if it weren’t for this challenge my dinner would have been jumbled into a bowl, and eaten thoughtlessly in bed after a long day on my feet. But after taking care of myself, making pretty plates and lighting some candles, i feel like making the effort wasn’t just worth it for my “faithful readers” (Hi Jolene!) but for me too. Dinner deets: a Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato (Fekete Farm, Hungarian Settlement, LA) sliced and dressed with herbs from my porch. Leftover “locally burnt” baked beans I shared in my previous post (note: that post is unfinished due to a technical glitch while publishing. This will be remedied tomorrow.)