Food Dreams

I don't normally dream about food. I only a "foodie" by marriage and parenthood and I had food dreams the other day. Ahhh this was so good I have to share. No pictures - sorry about that - we ate it all and went back for seconds. Though the recipe calls it a salad we ate it like it was a main dish. This is a meal that won't heat up your kitchen as it takes almost no heat.
The recipe, in it's original form, came from a column in the usaweekly magazine by Pam Anderson. There is room for lots of variation.

Moroccan Couscous & Chickpea Salad.
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup dried cherries (you could substitute, craisins, golden raisins, or cut dried apricots)
1 cup boiling water

Pour boiling water over couscous and dried cherries, cover and let sit for about 5 minutes

2 T olive oil
1 Large orange bell pepper, cut to bite size pieces (we used a red pepper)
1 Large onion, halved and sliced thinly (we used a Walla Walla so it was a sweet flavor, a red Burmuda would be pretty, and notice that the recipe doesn't call for a sweet onion)
1 1/2 tsps. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Heat Olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add spices and salt and pepper as they cook. Add this mixture to the couscous and cherries.

1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained

Add the chickpeas to the couscous mixture.


3 T olive oil
3 T rice wine vinegar
3 T orange juice concentrate

Whisk these ingredients together and pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Makes six side dish servings.

We ate this at room temperature.
DER took the left overs the next day after they had been in the fridge. He reports that they were OK.

The recipe called for chopped fresh cilantro - we left this for last in order to cater to our individual preferences. DER likes it and I'm not so fond of it.

2000 miles and worth it!

We returned a couple of days ago from a memorable trip. We went to Rexburg to meet our first granddaughter. K & M had a baby girl they named Sally Elizabeth. She was born on 7 June 2009 and weighed in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. We think she looks like her daddy though her hair doesn't look like it's going to be red - time will tell. As you can see she is a beautiful little girl. What you can't see is that she has a sweet nature.

DER and S stayed a day in the burg then left me to hopefully be useful and went on down the road to see the older sons and "the grands" - I missed seeing the rest of the family but loved the extra time I got with the baby and K & M. K & M are going to be good parents.

We are smitten.

I love summer

Reasons to love Summer

1. Eating from the garden. Starting with the Aspargus which doesn't need anything on it if you eat it right after you pick it. It's season is almost over. It is time to let the stalks grow to nuture next years wonderfulness. Please note my well composted bed. Also note that the fennell seeds that sprouted from the compost have been removed. There were probably a couple thousand fennell seedlings. Sigh.... compost just doesn't get hot enough around here to decompose those tough little seeds.


2. Eating from the garden deserves more than one spot. The Rhubarb season starts with DER's birthday pie near the end of April. The Rhubarb is wonderful and doesn't need as much sugar as some varieities. This variety, whose name is long forgotten, gives so generously and is lacking that "green rhubarb" flavor that so many people dislike. We've had a couple of pies and a cobbler and given some away to rhubarb fans in our acquaintance. The plant is still vigourous and does well in this cool summer climate in the Northwest. We'll be eating rhubarb goodies most of the summer and have some put away in the freezer for rhubarb cake through the winter months. Yummmmmy.

3. The bees are energetically buzzing the raspberry and blue berry plants - more wonderfulness to look forward too.

4. Sleeping with the windows open and hearing bird song when I wake up.

5. Western Tanagers have been flitting in the alder tree with their bright orange heads, which are amazingly well camouflaged for orange.

6. The "fluff" of the cottonwood trees drifting down like a warm snow and gathering along the edges of our world.

7. The need to weed seems to slow down.

8. Eating outside

9. and .... best for almost last....Long daylight hours, especially in the morning - and most especially when I am teaching seminary and it is day light instead of dark night.

10. and .... "bestest for lastest"..... Those long road trips to see various family members that this year, for the first time, will include a grand child. Yipppeee!