Colorful cauliflower

I can't help but buy the most unusual veggie I can find at my local farmers market. These made a tasty sauté for lunch last Wednesday. The purple one tasted like broccoli to me, but I was assured it was cauliflower that was just"grown out a little bit more."

Farmers market lunch

Now (may) is a great time to show support for local farmers. I snagged some baby zucchini from one of my favorite vendors. I was surprised he could have summer squash so early in spring. He said that they started them early in a green house, then planted them, then covered them at night. Like tucking children in to bed at night! 

Peanut noodles

Peanut sauce: combine salsa & peanut butter with brown sugar and fish sauce in a sauce pan... Cook on low, stirring until it starts to bubble, then take off heat. Top noodles and enjoy :)

Kai Salad

This is my adaptation of a salad made by one of my dearest friends. 

If you've been reading me for any length of time, you know I don't do exact recipes or like to measure. So here's my rough recipe for this super tasty, savory sweet salad:

Two hearts of romaine or one 6 oz carton spring mix or a blend of your favorite greens

2 cups cubed chicken thereabouts (optional- my friend's version was vegetarian)

1 tub crumbled feta (I use Aldi's)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 red pear or Macintosh apple, cubed

3 Tbs sliced red or sweet onion

2/3 cup pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)

Dressing:

My friend just whisked an olive oil, garlic and vinegar and herb dressing together. I like to use my immersion blender to make an emulsion. It's up to you.

1/4 cup vinegar of your choice

A couple of squeezes lemon juice

3Tbs minced sweet onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

Oregano or favorite herbs

A few grinds black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

I usually blend the above until smooth, then pour a slow stream of olive oil as I continue to blend. I don't really measure the oil, but the amount of total dressing is about 3/4 cup. 

Mix salad and dressing before serving. If you don't mind wilted greens, this salad still tastes good a day later. 

Inside the Jarrahdale pumpkin

This blue pumpkin has already been made into a huge pot of soup and two 9x13 pumpkin pies!

Yummy plummy noodles

So, in order to get this blog back up and running, I've devised a new strategy-- mobile blogging from all the pictures I've taken over the last year... All those photos that I took thinking "I should post this on Moody Foodie," but didn't.  So, here we go:

I must say, the first time I made these Doong Ji Korean noodles, I thought they were a bust. For one thing, I wasn't in the mood for their cold slithery texture. Plus, I had over cooked them, allowing them to congeal into a cold slithery blob. 

Ok so why on earth would I blog about said slithery noodles? A couple of months ago, in the heat of a Kentucky August, I tried them again (this time following the directions.) And they were delightfully refreshing in all their slipperiness. The plum flavored cold broth is really different, but so good on a sultry evening. I topped mine with a hard boiled egg and veggies for a satisfying summer dinner.

Can I resurrect this blog?

So. It seems this blog has been completely defunct for more than a year... I don't have a good excuse. But as a way to make amends, I offer up a snapshot of my new favorite healthy ramen in all it's quirky Kor-English  glory :)

This particular variety has a unique bright red but mild soup base that oddly reminds me of kind of a tomatoey-paprikash with a touch of tandoori spice. So, not very Asian tasting, but quite tasty.