dreaming of early mornings. at higgins beach.

"Live in the sunshine, swim in sea, drink the wild air."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

october's remark.

9 October 2013

Map 

In the last of the day's light
a small brown bird sings
furrows his fine feathers
gathers, and labors.
The same exchange every day. 

The dim beams enter
as a welcoming,
dust floats down
settling on these papers
that are strewn about
obsessively riffled.
I am desperate for cognition. 

I trace the dark borderlines
of the map you are moving in
an abstract space that consoles
as we navigate this uncharted territory. 

Outside the panes of my window
pink, vibrancy
fire burns in the sky
dwindling like fleeting embers
over naked trees, and
silent smoke stacks. 

Inhale, deeply
the cold air inhabits my lungs
takes residence
a reminder of the season's change.
It hangs so silently on each trembling leaf
it is but a moment, until
their journey begins
I can hear it, on the wind
burning in my lungs
grasping me inward,
enveloping. 

As the sun subsides into the earth
the days grow shorter, and
the maps become smaller
Guiding me closer to wherever you are.
- R. Grzesik, 2013

I realize that there has been more words than food on we eat. happy as of late. My life has been a bit on over drive, & am I hardly finding the time to be culinarily creative. Most evenings have been filled with dog walks; a quick salad or some eggs-over-easy & a glass of wine; a miniature TV show binge; then off to bed. But over the next few weeks, as life begins to taper toward a routine, and a new kitchen, I will be more than happy to spend some quality time here on my small nook on the world wide web. I hope you all are enjoying the beauty of the season, wherever you call home.

happy eatings & cheers!

bienvenue septembre.

1 September 2013

Ode to Autumn 

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'erbrimmed their clammy cells. 

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours. 

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, -
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing, and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
- John Keats, 1819 (written after his own Sunday walk in the countryside)

The first of September. What is left of August lingers in the air, but with the arrival of this autumnal month comes change. Ominous clouds roll in from the ocean, the wind reveals a hint of silver hidden under the trees' leaves, & somehow I know that change is coming for me too. It is the great unknown. It presents itself with intense excitement, mingling in fear & delight. I cannot know what lies ahead along my path. I can only greet it as an opportunity, like a revitalizing wind & a renewing rain that welcomes me into my succeeding season. Greetings to September, & as always, happy eatings & cheers!

weekend moments.

26 August 2013

Over this past weekend, we spend the last of August's glorious days & evenings with friends & family in Sebec, Maine. Our visit to my dad's house was spent playing croquet & forging through his beautiful vegetable garden, inspiring all of our meals. We stayed up late chatting, snacking, drinking, sharing, laughing...it was all good.

On Saturday we had the pleasure of celebrating our friends' Dustin & Natasha wedding. After nine years the high school sweethearts united under the waning summer sun on Sebec Lake. With a twinge of autumn in the chilly evening air, everyone danced, laughed, & reconnected in honor of their special day. So to the Farmer & his Wife, we wish you both many years of joy & your very own bountiful garden.

beet greens & a fried egg.

Here is a simple way to use up the beet greens that are often thrown away, but are very delicious.

serves 2

1 bunch of beet greens, cleaned of any dirt

1 TBL garlic infused olive oil

sea salt & cracked pepper to taste

2 free range eggs

1. Cut the stems off from the beet greens & chop the stems up. Reserve the leaves because you will add them to the pan later, once the stems have softened up a bit. In a medium sized pan or cast iron, heat the oil over medium heat & add the beet green stems. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the are soften, stirring them often. Add the greens & cook another 3 minutes & season to taste.
2. Meanwhile, over medium heat in a lightly oiled or buttered cast iron pan, crack the eggs into the pan. Cover with a lid for about 4 minutes until the whites are cooked all the way through. Season with salt & pepper & transfer to a plate with the beet greens underneath. 

happy eatings & cheers!

grilled pizza & fried artichokes with herbed-yogurt dip.

After a long, leisurely afternoon of watching cooking shows, Jediah & I found some real inspiration for a lovely outdoor dinner. Oddly enough, both of these ideas came from two different Barefoot Contessa episodes. I have always been a little nervous about cooking pizza dough on the grill, thinking it would surely stick & cause a terrible mess. Gladly, I was wrong--it is super simple.

We used pre-made dough (a regular flour dough and a basil gluten-free dough) from a local pizza place, Portland Pie Company. The toppings here are super simple, but really, the options are endless. Just take a stroll through your local farmer's markets & let your imagination run wild.

The fried artichokes are another super easy appetizer, & I listed it as it is on the Barefoot Contessa site. I know there seems to be a lot of oil, but keep it! We used some to brush our pizza dough, but it also can be used for dressings & sautees. The dip is an adaptation of the one on the Barefoot Contessa's site, because the one there made way too much for what I would need.

As you can see, I can't get enough of the gorgeous, colorful perennials!

grilled pizza. with cherry tomatoes & mozzarella.
serves 4

1 pizza dough or gluten-free pizza dough, cut into 4 even pieces & rolled out into individual pizzas
a glug of olive oil (we used the oil from the fried artichokes)
1 cup of pearl mozzarella or 1 mozzarella ball torn into pieces
a handful of basil, chiffonade

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, larger tomatoes halved
4 cloves of garlic, minced (we used the cloves from the fried artichokes & mashed them with a fork)
1/4 cup of white wine
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper

1. To make the cherry tomatoes sauce, heat a bit of oil in a pan over high heat. Toss in the tomatoes & garlic, cook & stir for about 2 minutes. Add wine, basil, & seasoning. Cook for about another 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Set up a grill with heat source, coals or gas, on medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill.
3. Using your hands, place dough, oiled side down, directly over heat source. Brush dough with herb oil or olive oil and cook until underside is lightly charred and bubbles form all over top, 1 to 2 minutes. With tongs, flip dough & add your toppings (here, tomatoes, cheese, & basil). Cover & cook another 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
4. Take off the heat & serve. 

fried artichokes.
serves 4

10 baby artichokes
Olive oil
6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Remove and discard the artichoke stems. Peel off lower leaves (approximately 18.) Slice off the top half so that only the light green remains (artichokes should be approximately 1 1/4 inches), then cut the artichoke in half lengthwise.
2. Place the artichokes in a medium pot, flat side down, and add olive oil to just cover. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the olive oil to a boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low flame and simmer for 15 minutes. Insert a knife into the lower half and if easily penetrated, it's done.
3. Remove the thyme and garlic from the pot, raise the heat and fry uncovered for approximately 2 minutes, turning over the artichokes midway. They are done when brown and crispy. Remove the artichokes from the pot and place them on paper towels flat side down. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

herbed yogurt dip.
This dip is great with veggies & even with potato chips!
serves 4

1 cup plain 0% fat Greek Yogurt
2 TBL Vegenaise
1 TBL fresh basil, finely chopped
1 TBL fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp dried sage
1 clove garlic, minced
a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Whisk ingredients until combined. 

happy eatings & cheers!

five day challenge. gluten-free & vegan. breakfast.

For those of you who follow the blog, you know that I try to eat gluten-free the majority of the time, but I am not a vegan (I eat poultry & seafood). In an attempt to drop a few unwanted summer pounds, I decided to give myself a little food challenge. And, why not? This time of year the fruits & veggies are abundant, so it shouldn't be too boring. Besides veggies, there are all sorts of grains & legumes to eat...it should be a cinch to forego all those summer grilled meats.

I decided to share my favorite new breakfast. Sure, a kale shake sounds really sad, but I really love it. Give it a shot. I have also made it with spinach which is just as good.

kale & almond shake.
It's All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow
serves 1


1 cup of kale leaves, stems discarded
1 cup of almond milk
5 raw almonds (I soak mine)
1 date, roughly chopped
1 TBL almond butter
1 TBL coconut oil

1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender & blitz until completely smooth.

happy eatings & cheers!

cool. layered bean dip.

We have been getting so much snow here in the last few weeks, but I have a feeling that it is not going to last much longer. Less than a month until spring, buds will soon be out, snow melted, & I am sure, flooded rivers. So, I thought I would take some pictures of probably one of our last mornings waking up in Farmington to a sugar-dusted river front. 

For lunch we snack on this cool layered bean dip, similar to the Mexican seven-layered dips found at cook outs all throughout the summer. This one has just a few simple ingredients, it's packed with flavor, & relatively light--no weird shredded cheese here! You could easily double this for a larger get -together. It can also be made vegan by switching out the yogurt-chipotle cream for a creamy avocado dip instead.  

cool layered bean dip.

serves 4 as an appetizer 

Layer 1: black bean dip:
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/2 jalapeno
juice 1/2 lime
1/4 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
2 TBL cilantro leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper

Layer 2: yogurt-chipotle cream:
a heaping 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 tsp adobo sauce
sea salt & cracked pepper

Layer 3: 1/2 cup green olives, sliced

Layer 4: tomato salsa:
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
2 TBL cilantro leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper

Layer 5: 3 butter-head lettuce leaves, washed, dried & shredded

-Corn tortilla chips-

1. For layer one, put the garlic, jalapeno, & cilantro leaves in a food processor, blitz until chopped. Add beans, lime  juice, and seasoning. Blitz. With motor running add oil. Scoop & smooth into a shallow serving bowl or dish. 
2. For layer two, whisk yogurt, chipotle, adobo sauce, & seasoning together. Scoop & smooth over beans. 
3. Add the olives evenly on top of the yogurt.
4. For layer 4, toss tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, & seasoning together with lime juice. Pour over olives.
5. Lastly, evenly scatter the lettuce on top of the tomatoes. 
6. Serve with tortilla chips that have been warmed in the oven for about 3-4 minutes (350 degrees in fine). 

happy eatings & cheers!

ica. portland, maine.

Check out my latest post on M▲INE Art Happenings on the exhibit Bump at the ICA MECA in Portland. It is a really fun show for the whole family. If you are in the area, you should check it out.

happy eatings & cheers!

harriet casden-silver. & MAINE Art Happenings.

This week is the UMF Art Gallery's opening reception for the Harriet Casden-Silver show Beauty and the Political Body. For more information about the holography show visit my other (& very new) blog about contemporary art in Maine, MAINE Art Happenings. The site is brand new for me, & something I have been meaning to do for a while. While this blog is a little more personal & focused on food, the art blog is centered around art shows, events, performances & digital media happenings in Maine. Hopefully this will get me out and about more often, travel then incites eating, therefore more food inspiration. Apparently, I want to be very busy blogging. Thanks for all the wonderful support here on we eat. happy, & hope you enjoy MAINE Art Happenings (especially in these early stages).

happy eatings & cheers!

a winter salad with orange-date dressing.

Technically while detoxing, you are not supposed to eat oranges, but right now they are in season & so delicious. It is hard to pass up fruits that are in season, so I went a head with this salad & AMAZING dressing. This salad reminds a bit of a salad my mum used to make when we were growing up. It has mandarin oranges & almonds...so I guess this is my interpretation. This was great as a light lunch, but would be great next to maple mustard salmon or roasted chicken.

The weather in the Western Maine mountains has been so lovely this week, sunny & brisk. It has been really nice to get back into a routine of walking with the dogs through the woods & along the river.

a winter salad with orange-date dressing. 
serves 4 for a side or light lunch

4 cups of greens (baby romaine, spinach, kale, etc.), roughly chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
2 oranges, peeled & segmented (preserving the juice for the dressing)
sea salt & cracked pepper
orange-date dressing*

1. Toss greens, onions, seeds, orange & seasoning in a serving bowl.
2. Add half of the dressing & toss together. Serve on individual plates & serve with a side of the dressing.

orange-date dressing.*
makes about 1 cup

juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
1 TBL rice vinegar
5-6 dates, pitted & halved
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Add juices, vinegar, dates & seasoning into a food processor or blender. Blitz until the dates are finely chopped, & with the motor running slowly add olive oil (unless your using a blender, turn it off, add the oil & turn back on).
2. Pour into a jar, bowl or individual small cups for serving.

happy eatings & cheers!