Simple arugula and peach salad with fresh lemon dressing

My first full day in San Francisco and, of course, I had to start investigating the local food scene. You can't get more local than your own back yard. I don't mean this in a metaphoric sense - we actually have a gorgeous lemon tree in our backyard, which is AWESOME because of how much I use lemons.

So I decided to grab a few more California grown and made items to make my first meal in San Francisco.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb baby arugula
• 1/2 white peach
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil (preferable Italian as its spiciness works well with arugula)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 lb Mt Tam cheese from Cowgirl Creamery (any soft, creamy rind cheese will work)
• Chunk from a fresh baguette

Instructions:
In a salad bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cut the peach into crouton-sized chunks. Add the arugula to the bowl and toss. Add the peach chunks and toss. Serve with the cheese sliced and the chunk of bread.

Moving Day (or when the chick moves her nest)

As you can tell from the lack of posts for the last two months, I've been pretty busy. There's the usual work trips, vacations, and summer adventures that have certainly kept me busy. BUT, add to that moving across country to the beautifully eco-centric San Francisco! I'm very excited for the cool new ways that I can be green in one of the greenest cities in the US.

But in the process of moving, I realized that there are also green things you can do during the move. Here are some of my tips.

Empty and recycle condiment containers

I don't care how hard you try to eat everything before moving, unless you're feasting on ketchup soup with a side of creamy pickle and mustard salad, you are going to have a fridge full of condiments. These are honestly not worth moving across country. But don't just wait to the last minute and throw them out as you rush out of your apartment to chase after the moving van that forgot one of your boxes. Instead, a few days before you move, take the time to empty them all and recycle the containers. (Hint: you may also want to do the same thing with toiletries.)

Sell items that you can easily and inexpensively get in your new home city
This one is really hard for me. I have a tendency to pack everything because I hate throwing things away. But you don't have to throw things away! Try selling things on Craigslist. Or take them to Goodwill. Of course, be thoughtful about this. If you give away all your pots and pans and then order new ones on Amazon, then you're not really saving any carbon miles or any money.

Ship items via parcel post with USPS
Packing up a truck or pod is great, but invariably you'll have a bunch of stuff left over that you will want to take. (I had an entire box of mason jars that I just didn't want to send to recycling hell.) Fight the urge to just roll up to the airport and check it as baggage. Most airlines charge a lot for extra bags (JetBlue charges $75 for the third+ bag). Instead, go by USPS, throw the equivalent of a medium bag in a box and they'll charge you about $25 a box, depending on how heavy it is and how far you have to go. They even have a handy online calculator to help you estimate. Just remember to ship it parcel post. AND if you have a bunch of old family cookbooks, make sure to put them all together in one box. Books, videos, and dvds have a special media rate.

Reuse your boxes

I know, when you've unpacked all your stuff, you really just want the boxes out of your house. But moving boxes are made to be reused, so do it! Post an add on Craigslist in the Free section to have someone come by and get all your boxes off your hands. In fact, try finding boxes on Craigslist or go by your local liquor store and pick up used beer boxes. (Hint: if you plan to ship a box via USPS will not allow you to ship with a reused liquor box.) If you want them off your hands immediately, try taking them to your local Uhaul location. Many of them have a place where you can give (and take) used boxes.

Be creative with your packaging materials

It is important to protect breakable items from breaking. You don't want to move things across country only to have to throw them out when you get there. Very, very wasteful. Uhaul has lots of great products to help you protect your stuff including biodegradable packaging peanuts. They also have a wide assortment of specialty boxes so you can do crazy things like pack a plant.

While the specialty packaging is worth it, you can get creative with things you have around the house. While the organization freak in me wants linens in one box and kitchen stuff in another, all that really does lose the opportunity to use linens and towels as protective packaging. But it doesn't end with that. You can also do things like nest glass cups in plastic cups. Or wrap mason jars in cloth napkins. Or place washcloths in-between plates.

Of course, the trick with all these tips is to give yourself time to pack. When you wait to the last minute you're more likely to cut corners and waste things in the process.

Tastecation: Paris

I apologize for my long absence. After three weeks in Europe for work and other travels, I had a bit of a hard time acclimating back to being at home. But I'm back now to tell you all about my Tastecation.

First stop, Paris.

Ahhhh, Paris. If you're on a European Tastecation, you can't miss Paris. French cooking is at the center of all things gourmet. It is famous for its complex (and delicious) sauces, based in butter, or some other delectable fatty substance, typically smothering some exquisitely prepared meat or vegetable. This has, of course, led researchers and lay (fat) Americans to wonder how those annoying French can eat such decadent food and stay so freaking thin! Perhaps it's what some speculate - the wine. Oh, the wine! How can anyone talk about France without mentioning the wine? But I digress.

All of these things are wonderful, and I did enjoy a number of classic French meals, from flambéd crêpes at Crêperie Josselin, to scrumptious crayfish and melt in your mouth soufflé at Aux Lyonnais, to classic Niçoise salad and the most amazing espresso crème brulée (and I don't like crème brulée) at Le Comptoir du Relais. My mouth waters just thinking about this wonderful weekend in Paris. Mmmhmmm.

These things are obviously an important part of a successful tastecation, but my favorite part of Paris is the marketplace culture. In sharp contrast to the complexity of most French meals, you can walk down streets where you see these amazing French dishes in their most basic forms.

Oh you lovely little, squirming crayfish. I will eat you later and suck the delicious buttery goodness off of every surface of your tiny, crustacean body.

And you, my fungal friends, don't think I won't have you sautéd with white wine and butter.

Yes, I do talk to my food. Don't judge me.

But really, you have to go to a market street. And I really mean street.

While the French also have the insanely huge super grocery stores that we have in the United States, they also have a thriving culture of specialty stores and outdoor markets. As a result, an entire street will be lined with specialty stores from meats to cheese to fresh fruits and veggies to bread and, of course, wine. This creates the same convenience of an all-in-one store, with the expertise that comes from specialization.

In addition to the brick and mortar shops are the booths of the open air markets that are only open selected times during the week (also, most of the shops are closed a couple days a week, so make sure to note the hours of your favorite). Here you can get similar food to what you find in the shops in addition to other specialty foods. My favorite is the olive booth. Beautiful and delicious.

As a result of all this specialization, you are guaranteed the best food. You will get a freshly baked baguette from the boulangerie. You can taste the housemade tapenade before purchasing. And my favorite part, you can watch the cheese monger in the fromagerie as she gently squeezes the cheese to make sure it's ripe for you.

You will also find the pride that the French have in French food. No one has to tell them to eat locally. They've been doing it for years (they probably assume that no one knows food as well as they do). And in a trip to the market, you'll see that much of the food is from different regions in France.

And seasons are important, too. When I walked into the fromagerie near my hotel, I immediately saw the sign that said "Le fromage de chèvre, c'est de saison!" Yum. Goat cheese season! We tend to think of just fruits and vegetables as having a season. But spring also brings fresh goat milk and the start of fresh goat cheese. I couldn't pass that up.

So we took our goat cheese, a fresh baguette, and a bottle of wine to the Champs de Mars for a lovely afternoon picnic.

THAT is quintessential Paris life.

And I love it.

Tastecation: Helsinki

I am currently on a business trip in Finland. I've been here a number of times, but this is definitely my favorite time of year. If you look at the trees, it seems that they're all still naked.

But look a little closer and you can see the leaves starting to push their way out toward the bright sun and blue skies.

Like Boston, the people of Helsinki have endured months of cold weather and little sunlight. Now, for the first time in months, the sun is out and is warming everything around. When this happens, the Finns do what we do in Boston - celebrate! It's not necessarily a formal celebration, but more of an extreme mood adjustment accompanied with lying about with as little clothing as possible on any surface with even the least amount of grass.

In addition to the palpable happiness throughout the country, the Finns also celebrate asparagus for a few weeks each May. During "Parsaviikot" each restaurant has various dishes added to its regular menu featuring either green or white varieties of this delectable vegetable.

However, as I perused Kauppatori, the main central market in Helsinki, I noticed that the asparagus for sale was not from Finland, but from Holland or Spain. Surprisingly, there were a number of vegetables that were from Finland ("Suomalainen" items included radishes, parsnips, peppers, and even tomatoes), but the things everyone craved, asparagus and strawberries were from other countries.

So what's the fuss with asparagus? I have to believe that this is related to everything turning green for the first time in months. It's time to celebrate life, and the asparagus is the first green thing to come out of the earth, even if it is earth that's almost a thousand miles away.

From a locavore perspective, it's a little off. But from a seasonal perspective I totally get it and I appreciate celebrating food that is in season rather than forced into season.

While asparagus seems like a national obsession from the menus in all the restaurants, there is still a lot of local food. For example, I noticed that a good deal of cheeses and meats served at the breakfast buffet at my hotel are from Finland. In addition, there are the amazing false morels.

These guys are the first on the scene in spring in Finland. Only problem, they are deadly poisonous if not cooked properly and illegal in many countries. Yikes! Okay, maybe THAT is why they celebrate with asparagus.

Mushroom ragout with arugula and poached egg

So for my last post, I was trying to take a picture of some eggs and accidentally cracked an egg. Uh oh. Well, when life hands you a cracked egg, you poach it! I took the opportunity to do my spin on one of my favorite dishes at Craigie on Main. If doing this for guests, prepare most everything ahead so that you can focus on the poached eggs. I usually make this for myself, so I only have to poach one egg. If you have an egg poacher gizmo, it will probably be a lot easier.

Ingredients (for four servings):

• Mix of mushrooms (bag of dried morels, 2 portobello, 8 shitake)
• 1 - 2 C baby arugula
• 1 C whole basil leaves
• 2 C cooked pasta
• 1 C white wine
• 1/4 C butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 eggs
• 2 oz shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions:
A few words on mushrooms. I try to do local and in season with mushrooms, but splurged on the morels. I also had to extend my "local" reach out of New England and down to Pennsylvania for the portobellos and shitakes. If you're using reconstituted dried mushrooms like morels or chanterelles wait till the raw mushrooms are fully cooked before adding them. Also reserve the water you use to reconstitute them. Sure, it's a little stinky but it makes the most amazing broth. If you don't reconstitute any of your mushrooms just add a cup of water where the recipe calls for the mushroom juice and cook a little longer.

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high flame. Add sliced raw mushrooms. When the mushrooms are fully softened and browned on both sides, add the garlic and about a teaspoon of salt (less if you're not a fan of salt). Stir frequently to avoid burning the garlic. When the garlic is cooked through add any reconstituted shrooms, their juice, and the white wine.

While you're doing this, cook the pasta. I had just made some ricotta cavatelli, so used that. I think gnocchi would also be a nice choice. Make sure to reserve about 2 C of the pasta water.

Add the butter and a cup of the pasta water to the mushroom mix. The starch in the water will help make a bit of a gravy for the mushrooms.

Now comes the fun part... poaching the eggs. Now that I know the vinegar trick, I really love poached eggs and have used them in other recipes. Add about a tablespoon of white vinegar to the poaching water. Bring the water to a full boil. Crack the eggs into separate ramekins (or other small container) so that you can drop one in all at once. Have your spoon ready so that you can quickly coax the white of the egg back to the yolk. Repeat with the other eggs.

Add the cooked pasta in with the mushrooms. Check that there's still a broth. Add a little more water if it has dried up. Spoon the mushroom and pasta mix into bowls. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Add a mix of arugula and basil on top.

This meal was the only use I made of my winter garden of arugula. Growing salad greens in a window in winter is difficult. But this was so worth it. While I usually use thyme and rosemary with mushrooms, the spicy and tangy flavors of the arugula and basil really balanced the richness of the mushrooms and the yolk of the egg.

You want the yolks to be pretty runny, so try to cook them for about 2 - 3 minutes max. Then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put on top of the mound of mushrooms, cheese, and greens. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and serve.

To eat, pierce the egg and mix the yolk in with the sauce of the ragout. You will likely want to eat this with a spoon or at least have some bread on hand to sop up the rest of the sauce.