And we're back!
Hope everyone here on the east coast is getting back to their routine. For those of you that can't just yet, hopefully you're reading this from somewhere warm and comfortable. And for those of who can: you may donate via text to the American Red Cross for relief efforts. Every bit helps, as they say.
It's true.

We already covered the hurricane's impact on me (or lack thereof); trapped inside, I decided to cook all the things. It was windy. Ozzie didn't want to pee.

Fazekas posed:



...and that about summed it up!

But prior to the tasty salsa verde I made, I first had tackled the gorgeous orange habaneros we'd grown in the backyard as well, about a week ago.

Alas, I knew I had to find a way to do this without making something simply way too hot for my taste buds (which is relatively uncommon, but those little peppers pack a whopper punch that somewhat terrifies me. Biting into one to confirm it was, in fact, hot did not help. Idiot).

So, I grabbed a lot of heirloom tomatoes (again, Kimball fruit farm. Thanks for being my lunch-hour salvation every Tuesday and Thursday, guys!) and some sweet corn and decided to wing it. It was beautiful out, so I employed the grill to roast everything prior to mixing. The result a just-spicy-enough, hearty, chunky salsa that Matt simply had to fry fresh tortilla chips for. If you're still grilling, give this a go. You'll be glad you did.

Hello.

Final tomatillo crop of 2012!

What has your uncle done for you? 
Boo boo neww boo newww OO-ooo-ooo-yeah.

Told you guys I was back in the kitchen!
And though, as I am typing this, NStar is currently sending a "construction crew" to my home to determine the reason our gas mysteriously stopped working on our brand new stove, I am confident that this weekend will be no exception in my culinary pursuit (hear that, gas guys? I am serious. I also REALLY, REALLY LIKE HOT SHOWERS. BY THE WAY.)

On that note, I wanted to share an easy weekend breakfast I made a few weeks ago with limited ingredients: swiss chard I'd nabbed at the Farmer's Market (from Kimball's Fruit Farm, of course), eggs, and some top-grade salami (when else does one buy salami with the intent of eating it sober and not on a 2AM sandwich? Anyone?). The result was this fluffy, delicious frittata that was perfect for the late summer Saturday morning it was served. Now that it's fall and some hearty greens are in full swing, this would be great with kale (have I mentioned that I like kale?) or spinach as well. Toast up some crusty bread and brew some coffee, and enjoy your weekend morning (maybe outside while you still can--apparently us East Coast folks are in for what is being dubbed a "Frankenstorm"...fantastic). 

Anyway. Without further ado.



What it's Made of:
(Recipe adapted from Epicurious, here)

• 4-5 large eggs (use your judgement, more if you don't use the yogurt)
• 1 6oz container plain Greek yogurt (optional, but gives such a good texture)
• 3 T parmesan cheese
• 2 T EVOO
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch swiss chard, removed from stems and torn
• Genoa salami (I used one pre-sliced small container, about 3 oz), sliced thin and cut in quarters

How it's Made:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Whisk eggs, yogurt and cheese together with some salt and pepper
• Heat EVOO in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat
• Add onion and garlic to skillet and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until onion is soft
• Add swiss chard in batches, stirring until wilted, then adding the next handful
• Add salami and stir until combined
• Pour eggs over mixture, allow to set momentarily before transferring to oven
• Run a rubber spatula around the edges to prevent eggs from sticking
• Transfer to oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until cooked through and a fork pulls out clean
• Top with additional salt, pepper and parmesan. And eat.

...and thank the lord for your functioning stove. Enjoy.

Products relevant to this post:

Well.
It's that time of year, again, friends.
When you can finally turn the oven on and not loathe every second in your kitchen.
When the thought of a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes sounds ideal.
When cooking becomes so enjoyable, you find yourself trying to reinvent the wheel with seasonal ingredients just for the hell of it.

That's what I did here-- I'd had chicken piccata a week or so prior while at one of my favorite restaurants (our neighborhood haunt, if you will), and was taken aback by just how good it was (224 nails it, also). There, served with mashed potatoes and some sautéed spinach, got me immediately thinking of variations I could try.

And since I put kale in just about everything (whaaat?!), that was the next logical leap. The giant spaghetti squash I'd bought in a fit of autumn produce purchasing the weekend before seemed like it would compliment things nicely (it did). And luckily, I had capers on hand (from that morning I simply had to have lox). This was easy, relatively quick, and absolutely delicious.

For once, I had dinner on the table before 8PM; and with the sun starting to set a little sooner, that made all the difference.

We're finally almost caught up with photo sharing from my (apparently) very long summer.
And by "almost", I mean, just two months behind or so now.

There are so many new photos I have taken and things I have cooked and stories to be shared. But first, I had to post about one of my favorite weekends in August, spent in Burlington, Vermont.

If it wasn't implied by past posts on the subject, I quite enjoy the company and people that I work for. Being part of such a small startup seems to encourage traditions and inside jokes, neither of which are lacking in our office. One such tradition, however, that stems a little further than beers at 3PM on the nose on Fridays, is "Company Weekend". Every year, we all leave the office around noon on the first Friday in August and make the four-hour or so trek from Boston to northern Vermont, where we spend the weekend on Lake Champlain with each other, significant others, spouses, families, children, pets, and usually a hefty supply of explosives to be launched into the night sky. 2012 was no exception. Here are some highlights, without any further ado.

...I am spending some quality time with my brother.

And by "quality", I mean, we are locked in a pen in the yard because he is an idiot and incapable of not running away. 

Thanks a lot, bro.