Mint Chip Trip

Maybe I've mentioned that the Somm's grammy gave me an ice cream maker last time we were down for a visit. I never thought I could get into the swing of thinking ahead enough to make the ice cream a full day before I wanted it, but here I am.

The first batch, just in time for the wisdom teeth sayonara was salted caramel, which knocked me for a serious loop and made me (very temporarily) forget the gaping holes in the back of my mouth.

For the second batch, I pillaged our front herb box for three fat cups of fresh mint, and I made mint chip that is, frankly, astounding. I couldn't believe that so much wildly fresh mint flavor would actually infuse into the cream--nevermind lend it a pretty, pale green color. I'm going to go eat some right now.

Radish Salad and Pea Soup with Chevre

I never got any presents like a giant bag of just-picked radishes from my neighbors at 223 Manhattan Ave. But I came home to that a few days ago in my new city!

This is part of the reason San Francisco is The Best. 

I am on a radish kick right now, so I felt pretty bowled over and ready to stuff my face with this recipe I've been ogling: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/recipe-of-the-day-radish-salad/

I also felt the need to put the kibosh on a bag of frozen peas now that fresh ones are all up in my space, so I whizzed them together with homemade veggie stock, fresh mint and a healthy dose of salt and pepper.

Finally, I got a riotously tasty fresh chèvre from Bi-Rite (thank you, girl with short hair, for the rec as I stared blankly at the cheese wall). I dolloped it on the soup and also smeared that all over a baguette (for good measure) and called this my first Perfect Spring Dinner of 2011.

Kuku Kadoo, Fun to Say

For once in our lives we could all celebrate together! Sarah's freezer full of lamb and my intense desire for a dish called Kuku Kadoo brought us to this meal that finished off with a much-too-ugly-to-photograph but still delicious pistachio meringue smothered with rose-water-doused mascarpone and fresh strawberries. You can read about that and see a much prettier picture here.

Here's us making mint pesto to smother all over the delectable little lamb chops. Mint + almonds + garlic + olive oil, salt, lemon juice = outrageously tasty pesto.

This is us whipping the meringue by hand! For at least ten minutes straight! In an 800 degree kitchen! I need a mixer!

Here's the Kuku Kadoo! I highly recommend halving--or even quartering--the recipe, as it made enough to feed oh, I'd say approximately 30 people as a side dish. Just wayyy too much zucchini frittata in my life after this meal. Oh, and also, the called-for 12-inch skillet is at least three times too small to fit all of the ingredients. Anyway. It was delicious nonetheless.

Here is the final meal all gorgeous and delicious.

The Last Pieces of June

Cherries, glorious, in all their red, white and sour forms! A much healthier cook-time snack than my usual bread groaning under the weight of cheese.

And then... Fresh duck breast! I have not seen this lovely vendor at the Union Square Farmers Market until just last week. It was 6:00--closing time--and produce was a little tired and discounted. I wanted to use my wok again and had scored bok choy, mint, scallions and snow peas when I saw the sign: "10% Off All Duck!"

Abawhaaat!? Giddy, I stepped right up and nabbed a big, fatty, fresh not frozen(!) Moulard breast--almost a whole pound for $7 from the Hudson Valley Duck Farm.

At home, I rubbed five spice and Sriracha onto the breast, browned it up nicely in the wok and then, ghetto-like, finished it in the toaster oven. To keep the heat in the kitchen down, I stir-fried all the green things with a bit of ginger for just about 15 hot seconds, then I put some orange juice, a tiny bit of hoisin sauce and soy sauce, a spoonful of honey and a squirt of Sriracha into the hot wok (these things sort of sounded like they should go together, no?), let it reduce and then poured it all over my duck before mixing everything together.

Final answer: really pretty, really easy, fairly good flavor... and I decided I don't like bok choy. Poor bok choy.