Bruschetta

Bruschetta

     2 lbs tomatoes, seeded and chopped small
     3 bell peppers, seeded and chopped small
     1 tbsp basil, chopped
     1/4 c chopped onion
     1 small can olives, drained and chopped small
     1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
     3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
     1/4 c extra virgin olive oil + additional for bread
     1/2 tsp garlic salt
     1/2 tsp salt
     baguette, sliced in 1/2" thick slices

Combine all ingredients except for baguette and additional olive oil.  Toss gently.  Set aside or refrigerate until an hour before serving. Grill baguette slices, brushing one side with olive oil.  Spoon vegetable topping onto baguette slices and serve.

Crock Pot Food: Beef & Barley Soup

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  I broke down and invited some old aunties over for a simple lunch.  I didn't go nuts (local style), and I limited the food to traditional fare:  turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, candied yams, roasted asparagus, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin crunch cake.  Everyone took home enough leftovers for at least another meal, and I was left with a manageable amount of everything.  I'm sure my mom pooh-poohed the amount of food, but I think I made more than enough.  Kikukat Mom grew up in Hawaii, so by her measure, if I didn't make enough to hold the party 3x over, I really didn't make enough.  Well, I don't care if she thought that because the whole thing was over by 2:40!  That gave The Help enough time to help Kikukat Mom with her printer troubles.

It was nice to see the old aunties.  ABetty (of corned beef hash fame) is doing much better and moving around well. . .well enough to help herself to a second serving.  AJanice asked me if there was a book she could get which defines slang and text jargon.  She said she is currently reading a J. K. Rowling book with all kinds of profanity.  "I know what fuck and shit are, but I don't know what snogging means," said AJanice.  I had to laugh.  AJanice earned a living as a speech therapist just outside the Beltway, so "fuck" and "shit" were enunciated with utmost precision as ABetty looked on unfazed.  ABetty, the older of the two is closing in on 90, but even she will say a "fuck" here and there.  If I ever live that long. . .

The Ds popped in for a short time to get changed for a brunch.  D1 looked towering in her heels, and D2 looked so pretty in a floral dress.  Nice to see her wearing something other than a t-shirt and shorts.  Neither D is big on turkey so I hope their brunch served other things as well.

Even though the leftovers were manageable for me, I'm turkey'd out for a while.  I decided to buy a turkey breast roast (even if the whole turkey was much cheaper).  Nobody here really cares for dark meat so I figured the thighs and drumstick would only get in the way.  Glad I did.  The turkey breast cooked in under 3 hours, and because I brined it, it was juicy and seasoned throughout.  3M offered to deep fry my turkey, and I may take her up on it next year...if I buy a whole turkey.

I'm also kinda ham'd out.  I made Sugar Bath Ham.  The Help and I had ham sandwiches for a few days.  I like ham, but after 3 days, even ham loses its welcome.  I'm looking forward to eating "plain" food now.

Oahu and Kauai were under flash flood watch this past weekend, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rains would eventually reach us here.  While the weather wasn't all that great, it was primarily dry.  The Help watched a lot of football in between doing his chores (taking care of animals, washing car, etc.).  I managed to throw together this soup in the crock pot.  It was a nice break from turkey & ham.  It also went well with the leftover rolls from turkey day (giant bag from Safeway was $6.99).  Although the instructions say to initially add the barley to part of the vegetables on the stove, I'm quite certain everything could be just thrown into the crock pot. 

With the craziness of Thanksgiving behind us, its now time to do the countdown until the next break:  Winter Vacation!!!  15 work days stands between now and another break.  If I call in sick or take personal leave, I can shave off a day or two too!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Beef & Barley Soup

     1- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut in 3/4" cubes

     1 tbsp oil

     1 c chopped onion

     1 c diced carrots

     1/2 c diced celery

     1 clove garlic, minced

     12-16 oz mushrooms, cut in quarters (or smaller)

     3 sprigs thyme

     1/2 c pearl barley, rinsed and drained

     1 can beef broth

     1 can chicken broth

     2 c hot water

     1/8 tsp pepper

     1 tsp salt

     fresh Italian parsley

Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute beef cubes til no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to 4-quart or larger crock pot.  Add beef broth, cover, and cook on high.  Using same skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, mushrooms, and thyme.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, place at least half of vegetable mixture in crock pot.  To remaining vegetable mixture, add pearl barley and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil then add to crock pot, along with hot water, pepper, and salt.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Remove thyme sprigs before serving.  Garnish with parsley.

Local Style: Warabi-Kamaboko Salad

Happy Kuhio Day!  I'm so grateful today is a holiday.  Last week, work was brutal.  Going back to work after a vacation is so difficult.  To make things worse, I had two days of training scheduled (I was the trainer).  I think the training really took the wind out of my sails.  I can only hope that this week will be better, but it already includes a drive to Naalehu for an all-day meeting.  From where I live, driving to Naalehu means leaving the house by 6:00 am, as I refuse to drive over the speed limit anywhere in the national park.  Thats how I'll get to spend my Friday.

The Ds spent this weekend with me.  The house is not any neater than it was before they returned from Honolulu, which leads me to believe I'm the messiest out of us all.  I was hoping the weather would start getting warmer, but it wasn't to be.  Saturday was totally gloomy, and my trip to the Farmer's Market became an essay in how to avoid puddles, extremely slow people, and extremely rude people.  I was behind a throng of people, and I saw this lady pushing her way through the crowd, rudely shoving her body in gaps, trying to get through.  I was horrified when I saw her face. . .it was a local (well, she was born in a foreign country) teacher.  It was THE same teacher whom I saw in Ross who made the cashier, after being rung up, put all her stuff on hold because neither she nor her partner (male) had the $8+ to pay for her purchases (looked like kiddie clothes).  This is the kinda stuff that drives me crazy.  This lady is a science teacher, so obviously she must know how to add.  Isn't it just common sense to know that if you don't have a credit card, you need to have enough cash to cover your purchases?  Ross (haven't been there in a while since its still Lent) has actual price tags on their items, so its not like you need to check out before you have an idea of how much your purchases will cost.  This is the same lady who told me she needed to wear sunglasses in class because of light sensitivity and then in the next breath said how she loves to hang out at the beach.  Hello!!!  No wonder kids get all kinda crazy messages.  The teachers are crazy. . .well, SOME teachers are crazy.

The farmers market trip yielded a pound of biew kew longan, a basket of Waimea strawberries, prickly Japanese cucumbers, and a bunch of warabi (also known here as ho`io. . .I may be missing an okina, or vegetable fern. . .it is NOT the fern that is known to be carcinogenic).  With this wet weather, I'm sure warabi must be thriving in the gulches.

Warabi is something you either love or hate.  I belong to the former.  I love seeing a pan of warabi salad when I go to parties.  Unfortunately, that doesn't happen often so I usually get warabi from the Farmers Market.  I have also seen warabi for sale at KTA and RC tells me Marukai sells it on Oahu (at the price of gold).  Warabi can be prepared in a variety of ways, and my favorite way to eat it is in a salad.  Because its parboiled, it still retains some crunch without being woody. 

My favorite warabi salad recipe uses dried codfish, a flavor which I love.  Some recipes call for dried shrimp, but the flavor of fubuki tara is the best.  Unfortunately, it is not always available in stores, so I buy a big bag when I see it and store it in the fridge to use as needed.

Another ingredient this recipe calls for is shiofuki konbu.  Shiofuki konbu is dried seaweed strips that looks like its coated in white granules (salt).  Some people enjoy eating shiofuki konbu with tea rice.  Sesame oil and shiofuki konbu are complimentary ingredients, and a quick salad can be made by tossing sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, shiofuki konbu, and sesame oil.  Both fubuki tara and shiofuki konbu can be found in the asian foods section in most local markets.

 click on recipe title for printable recipe
Warabi-Kamaboko Salad

     1-2 lbs warabi

     1 tbsp white vinegar

     1 block kamaboko, cut in strips

     3 tbsp sesame oil

     1 pkg (1.5 oz) shiofuki konbu

     handful fubuki tara (shredded codfish), long pieces cut shorter

Wash warabi well.  Cut into 1 1/2" lengths, keeping tops separate from thick stem portions.  Boil water in a large pot.  When boiling vigorously, add vinegar.  Stir briefly.  Add stem portions and cook 3 minutes (do not let water boil), then add tops and cook an additional minute.  Drain.  Plunge into ice water until cold.  Drain well.  In a large bowl, combine warabi with all other ingredients.  Chill and serve.