Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Hhhmmmm — Not sure where to start regarding the above, so instead report about the Carrot Soup I made and will post the recipe when prepared again and photographed.  It was a superb combination of Roasted Carrots, Chicken Stock, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic and Fresh Thyme, puréed.  It was beautiful, complex and flavorsome.  The pictured Carrots weren’t used for my Soup, somehow it wouldn’t seem right!?  Should they put on pants?

Happy Leap Year — It’s a bizarre extra day every four years.  I love Gary Larson.

A friend recently wrote…”Shelly, I just made this recipe and (if you like Brussels Sprouts) it’s SO DELICIOUS!  Just wanted to share it with you.” Thanks D, I do and you made me make them.

Mustard Braised Brussels Sprouts with Dijon and Shallots sounded good to me too.

I thought the cooking process was interesting, especially the beginning.  I like how the Brussels Sprouts are placed cut side down in Olive Oil undisturbed for 5 minutes — Most were golden brown.  Shallots and Broth are then added and all is cooked covered for 20 minutes.

The exact RECIPE is here.

Remove Brussels Sprouts, stir in Dijon Mustard until well blended, and cook 2 minutes more.

Pour the Mustard Sauce over the reserved Brussels Sprouts (add optional Parsley) and serve.

Okay, it was good, but surprisingly rich — I didn’t love ’em like these, but all is well amiga.

One of the most searched recipes on Nibbles of Tidbits is a copycat of Houston’s Chicago-Style Spinach Dip — To me (and confirmed by others), it captures the flavor and texture of Houston’s tasty Dip.  It’s a respectable recipe (linked above) that holds up well to this simplified variation.

The pictured Spinach Artichoke Dip was prepared using the same recipe, without the Heavy Cream and alternatively increasing the Sour Cream from 1/2 to 3/4 Cup — This may be the better recipe (below), if too much Water is in the Spinach.  Mix and bake pictured ingredients.

Bake in one to four dishes for an appetizer or individual side, depending on the crowd.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe (a variation of this copycat)

Mix all ingredients together well, then transfer mixture to an oven proof dish and bake at 350° for 30 – 35 minutes.  Let cool slightly and serve with Tortilla Chips, Bread or Vegetables.

1 (16 oz.) Bag of Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed, drained of water

1 (12 oz.) Jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped (Unmarinated is fine)

1 Large Garlic Clove, minced or pressed

1 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese, grated (Jack Cheese may be substituted)

2/3 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, grated or shaved

3/4 Cup Sour Cream

One dish to freeze for another time is good too.

Note:  The spotlight should also be cast on the following for being amongst the Top Five Most Searched Recipes in 2011:  Houston’s Braised Red Cabbage with Goat Cheese, Chipotle Barbacoa Beef, Amish Friendship Bread and Oven Baked Ribs.  Enjoy — Happy 2012!

Continuing our celebration of food in every color, the majesty of purple food and life is evident.

An inedible purple tree that inspires play.

I’ve made a lot of Cole Slaw in my life and always appreciate having it around.

Which Eggplant do you like most?  Know yet?  I’m not sure.  Learn more here.

Are purple colored glasses better than rose colored glasses?

Do you think this Fish is scary, cute, funny, dorky, bucky, weird, sexy?  I’m not sure.

Purple Pepper exterior with a green interior — Green food is pictured here.

The Power of Purple Chart — Check out its benefits.

More about Potatoes and photo credits here — Purple ones can be mealy and bland, I think.

Have you tried Purple Carrots?  Purple food facts, Carrot and Pepper photo credits are here.

Another long road to walk down, though it looks far away from here.  Credit unknown.

Baby, baby, baby, what’s it gonna beeeee?  The post title muse is here and on Purple Rain, a delicious album.  Hope not to see the one-eyed, one-horned Flyin’ Purple People Eater.

A work in progress by Kids in the Kitchen — Some of the Best Carved Pumpkins are HERE.

Don’t toss the SEEDS, bake ’em — Pumpkin Seeds are too easy to make, especially in October.

What happens when you eat Grilled Asparagus?  The same thing that happens when you eat any Asparagus.  The answer is here.  Grilled Asparagus is so simple yet dang good!  The pictured were tossed with Italian Dressing and grilled about 5 minutes — Toss and turn ’em until nicely charred, then plate and eat.  Or how about Bacon Wrapped Asparagus?

The previously reported about Oak Grilled Artichoke at Walt’s Wharf is pictured here.  It’s the real deal.  We love it and its Lea & Perrins Sauce sidekick, but do think my recent variation tasted better.  How did that happen?  Can’t touch their Artichoke though — It’s a tasty plate.

06/06/11 Update:  I now know why my Lea & Perrins Sauce tasted better than Walt’s recent Sauce — They changed the recipe.  The ingredients are the same, but the measurements are different for some reason.  I prefer the original recipe, linked above.

Have you ever tried an Oak Grilled Artichoke at Walt’s Wharf in Seal Beach?  They serve one of the best Artichokes around.  The flavor of the grill combined with Walt’s Wharf Lea & Perrins Sauce is superb.  Since I don’t live as close as I used to, I make it at home.

Ingredients for Walt’s Wharf Lea & Perrins Sauce — Mayonnaise, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, Lemon, Sesame Oil, Olive Oil, Seasoning Salt and Honey.  Recipe is below.

Walt’s Wharf Restaurant first steams their Artichokes and then grills them over Oak Wood for extra flavor.  For ease, most of the time I just steam them, but do grill ’em on occasion too. 

I’ve had the recipe for about 20 years, as you can tell by its stained condition.

The Walt’s Wharf Lea & Perrins Sauce recipe is kept in one of four recipe binders created before Nibbles of Tidbits and a variation is linked here.  And semi-related, just because it’s in the same binder, is a photo from a recipe contest I won several years ago.  Lucky me.

On the subject of Artichokes, Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que serves an amazing one too.

Note:  A link will be provided to Walt’s Wharf Restaurant when it’s operable again — They say it was recently hacked and are working on it now.  Check back.

06/03/11 Update:  The Walt’s Wharf website is still bogus, but a few of us are heading there (Walt’s and Seal Beach) this Saturday for the real deal and more.  We’ll see what’s goin’ down and update again.

After much experimentation, I found the best combination/ratio of ingredients to make Hummus using (1) Can of Garbanzo Beans aka Chickpeas.  I always have at least one can on hand, plus all necessary components to prepare a flavorful Hummus — Garlic (1 Clove), Tahini (2 Tablespoons), Lemon Juice (3-4 Tablespoons), Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons), Salt (1 Teaspoon) and Pepper (to taste).  And the best part is… All is simply blended together to produce instant homemade Hummus in minutes.  With warm Pita Bread, it’s my current snack preference.  Recipe doubles well, if you want more.  Opa!

Can you believe the weekend Strawberry Tours have already begun at Tanaka Farms?  Time flies by too fast, but I’m happy to see it again.  We went last year and loved the experience.

Today is the first day of Spring — It’s time to start planting a few things to save on produce.

A good friend brought Tapenade to a party I had last month and left the leftovers, which I LOVED having the next day.  It tasted and looked like it was from a restaurant.  Her husband made it and I finally got the recipe (kinda).  No measurements, but I understand.  Prepare it to taste.  He simply wrote — Two kinds of Olives, Garlic (not powdered), Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Italian Seasonings.  For the Italian Seasonings, I used Oregano and Basil.

I think mine (pictured) tasted like his, but I’ll have to find out if he adds more “Italian Seasonings” than Basil and Oregano.  At first the above Tapenade had too many Green Olives in it and then I overcompensated a bit with the Black Olives.  Overall, I learned that good Tapenade can be made in an instance with items always on hand.

After a party, I’m often left with a fair amount of washed and trimmed vegetables — I love it because it’s a convenient, healthy snack to have ready, but after a few days it gets a little boring, thus I hunt for other ways to use ’em.  I TRY to make something different each time.

This time with Iceberg Lettuce and an abundance of Cucumbers on hand, I made a simple Salad with a Cucumber Dressing — I’d link the recipe, if it was good, but it wasn’t.  I’ve yet to master the flavor I’m searching for in a Cucumber Dressing.

After the latest party inspiring this batch of ideas, I cooked Eggs over leftover Salsa, which I loved having (over and over again) with a side of Sour Cream.  I’ve since made and purchased more Salsa to make the same.  I can’t stop eating Eggs Over Salsa for breakfast and dinner.  It’s simple and fabulous with or without Tortillas, Chips or Toast.

This time I roasted the Carrots with a little Olive Oil and Spice Blend I found locally.  Carrots are always good roasted in the oven, but were better last time with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and S & P — Past ideas are linked here.

A tasty Artichoke Heart, Olive and Tomato Bruschetta Dip that was leftover from the same party was cooked and served over Angel Hair Pasta — Why not?

And then there’s Celery, which always stumps me — The best thing I’ve made thus far is Cream of Celery Soup and this time I made a Braised Celery and don’t see its appeal.  I followed a highly ranked recipe, but yawn was the consensus.

If not in a Soup or a mirepoix, I might prefer good old-fashioned Celery with Peanut Butter.

Peppers roasted in the oven with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and S & P.

Asian Cucumber Salad made with Rice Wine Vinegar, Canola and Sesame Oil, Honey, Soy Sauce, fresh grated (or powdered) Ginger, Red Pepper Flakes and S & P.

And with the leftover sliced Oranges, bar garnishes from the night before, I made Candied Orange Slices.  I’ve always wanted to make them — What better time?

Here’s the recipe I used from The Repressed Pastry Chef — Candied Orange Slices

Candied Oranges – I’ll use this recipe again.  They turned out great and weren’t bitter at all, as some are reported to be.  I think one key is to cook them for a fair amount of time.

Until the next leftovers…

These quick appetizers were inspired by BusyMOM at the Easy Appetizers blog — They caught my eye as a “Top 9” on Foodbuzz, because they looked so nice.  And since I happened to have all ingredients on hand, I made ’em the same day.  Mine differ in that they aren’t as pretty, Yellow Bell Peppers were added and the Asparagus wasn’t cut lengthwise, since they were too skinny.  Aside from their look, the combination of all (Toasted Crostini, Goat Cheese, Asparagus and Yellow Bell Pepper with Olive Oil and S & P) tasted good.  We’d make them again to hopefully swap the above photo for a better one.  They’re fast, easy and tasty.

The photo certainly doesn’t do this easy Roasted Corn Salad combination any justice (sorry about that).  The recipe is simply a mixture of Roasted Corn (cut off the cob), Sun Dried Tomatoes, Avocado, Green Onions and Sea Salt — That’s it.  No Oil and no Vinegar, but it works.  I was sceptical at first, but this is a tasty Salad that doesn’t seem to lack moisture.

Why did we feel guilty eating these Carrots?  It’s probably because they seemed to be in love.  We got ’em during our tour of Tanaka Farms.  Carrots are one of the amazing clues left by God — Read more about that here.

Have you been to Tanaka Farms yet?  If you haven’t, you’re missing out.  It’s in Irvine and is also known as Orange County’s Largest U-Pick Farm.  During certain tours you get to pick your own Strawberries, Watermelon and much more.  We recently went on the Strawberry Tour, which was more fun than we imagined.

At the end of the Strawberry Tour, you get to pick and take home your own large basket of Strawberries, which happens after you eat as many as you can stuff down.  We all said they were the best Strawberries we had in our lives.  Not sure why, but they’re amazingly sweet.  The tour lasts about an hour. 

While on the tractor ride that’s included with the Strawberry Tour, you get to try a few of the seasonal vegetables along the way.  After sampling all, you feel like you’ve just had a healthy meal.  We joked that we should bring Salt, Pepper and Ranch Dressing next time — And we seriously might.

In addition to the endless Strawberries, we ate Radishes, Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas, Green Beans, Iceberg and Red Leaf Lettuce directly from the field.  What a treat!  And when you’re done eating, you just toss the remains (aka Carrot and Radish tops, Strawberry leaves, etc.) over your shoulder off the tractor.

Weekend Strawberry Tours are running now through June 27th (weather permitting) and the Watermelon Tours begin in early July.  Tanaka Farms also offers Cookout Tours, whereas you get to pick, wash and cook your own meal directly from and at the farm.  The view from the cookout area is beautiful.

We still keep talking about how much fun this was and that we now look forward to enjoying Tanaka Farms all year long.  They have a fresh produce stand that’s open daily. 

Family run Tanaka Farms is organized, friendly, fun, clean and pesticide free.  They do a lot of creative planting to put forth the best produce possible.  We’re impressed with ALL.

My Brother-in-Law just told me a funny story.  One of his co-workers learned that purchasing a maximum of (5) Green Beans at one time doesn’t weigh anything, thus he’s usually not charged for them at the checkout stand.  After fine tuning his discovery, he went to the supermarket daily for a week, until he had enough Green Beans to make a meal.  Can you believe it?  It’s true.  And he’s not poor either — He owns two houses and has a great job.  I’m still laughing about this.  In some ways it’s moderately inspiring (haha), but I certainly wouldn’t want to go to the supermarket every day.  Hope he doesn’t stumble upon this blog or my Brother-in-Law is in trouble. 🙂

Note: Photo is of Fava Beans, which are generally more expensive than Green Beans.

As Orange County Food Examiner, I just posted a collection of links to most (if not all) the Farmers’ Markets happening in Orange County.  It’s a terrific resource — You can learn where they all are here.

We’ll soon be posting about Orange County Farmers’ Markets on Examiner.com.  This weekend we started with a visit to the Corona Del Mar Farmers’ Market.  Our visit was also inspired by the new Cookbook we’re trying, Southern Living’s Farmers Market Cookbook.

Right now the Corona Del Mar Certified Farmers’ Market has a lot of beautiful flowers — You can surely tell it’s Spring.  It’s one of the smaller Farmers’ Markets in Orange County, but offers plenty of variety.  We post a sampling here and will later publish a slide show on Examiner.

The Corona Del Mar Farmers’ Market is at PCH and Marguerite, near the pictured clock tower.

Inspired by the coverage of the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, I made Roasted Brussels Sprouts.  At the Outstanding in the Field style dinner held at the Greenleaf Warehouse in San Francisco, it seems like everyone loved the Brussels Sprouts.  They looked terrific on the various event recap posts, which made me want to make ’em. 

The recipe of the actual dish served at the festival is here, but I made something else.  These Brussels Sprouts have a nice roasted char, but different ingredients.  I tossed this bunch of hot water washed, halved Brussels Sprouts with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Salt & Pepper — That’s it.  Just roast all in a 425° oven for about 25 minutes.  Stir occasionally and add more Olive Oil and Vinegar as necessary or to taste.  They turn out sweet and caramelized.

I can’t say these Brussels Sprouts are as good as those served at the Foodbuzz dinner, since I sadly wasn’t there, but they’re darn good and easy to make with what’s on hand.  I’ll surely make them again — Super easy and tasty is my favorite combination.