A Thousand Words

So, I had a sort of epiphany this morning.  I've been debating two recipes that I'm rather excited about, and have been having a bit of trouble deciding which to share.  One is ready.  One, I have to admit, needs some more work.  And the photos I have of this recipe are utter rubbish.  Those utterly crap photos led me down a little meandering path of thought.  It turns out, this is a good thing, because I was able to see a few things about myself, and this blog, a little more clearly.  You see, I've been privately berating myself about my measly posting of late.  A mere one post a week.  For a while now.  I have all sorts of excuses for my slackness, of course.  Busy...lackluster photos...uninspired writing...blah, blah, blah.  And I realized, with a figurative slap to the forehead, that those less than perfect photos are really holding me back from saying what I want to say.  Here's the thing:  I am not a photographer.  (I know, you're shocked.)  Sure, I enjoy looking at other blogs with beautiful pictures of food.  You know the photos I'm talking about:  an ordinary hunk of cheese, a simple wedge of cabbage, a humble slice of bread that is so picture-perfect that you're drooling jealously over not only the food itself, but the talent that went into taking that lovely shot.  And thinking about all this, I was able to see something kind of important.  The reason I began this blog was not to show off my (imagined) photography skills, but to write about the things I love.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but for me, it's the words themselves that light me up.  The words, and the food, of course.

So, my friends, having done my bit of confession this morning, I'm hopeful that I will no longer let my sad high school photography class-level shots stop me from writing.  (I took that class because there was a cute boy in there, and many of my photos were ridiculous shots of my feet in different locations...oh dear, it is confession time, isn't it?)  I'm hopeful that my rather middling talent in this arena will no longer stand in the way of the words.  Because I do love words.  And food.

Saying that, I actually am fairly happy with the shots I took of this recipe...

See?  That's not entirely terrible.

Moroccan Spiced Turkey Patties.  I found the recipe via Splendid Table's weekly newsletter, and it originally hails from James Villas' From the Ground Up.  And it is something special, I must say.

I altered the recipe somewhat, substituting golden raisins (sultanas) for the black ones, because I'm funny about raisins in my food.  I don't know what it is exactly, they just don't do it for me.  It's mainly a texture thing, I believe, and so this led me to also chop up the sultanas, so that there was a small burst of sweetness, rather than the offending chewy pop you sometimes get with cooked dried fruit.  I also made the patties falafel-style, into little balls, and grilled them, rather than the pan-fried patties suggested in the recipe.  You see, I had a Mister wanting to try out the new barbecue/smoker, so it worked for us.  That's the thing about recipes, isn't it?  You find something that interests you, and adapt it to suit your fancy.

And these definitely suited my fancy.  Super easy, super quick, a dish that would be a fantastic crowd-pleaser, especially if you want a little something unusual to replace the standard burger-as-barbecue-fare.

Go to it, people.

Moroccan Spiced Turkey Patties with Herbed Yogurt Sauce - adapted from From the Ground Up

Ingredients

Patties
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey, preferably dark meat, or a mix of light and dark
1/4 cup golden raisins (sultanas)
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Herbed Yogurt Sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne
small bunch of chopped herbs:  mint, cilantro, green onions (green parts only)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Patties:
Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing gently with your hands to combine.  Don't overmix, or the meat will become tough.  Form the meat mixture into roughly two inch balls, and grill (or fry) until the inner temperature reaches 165 deg F.  This took us about 10 to 12 minutes over charcoal, but may differ for you, depending on your cooking method.

For the Herbed Yogurt Sauce:
Combine all ingredients, and check for seasoning.  You can easily vary the sauce by adding fewer herbs, more cayenne...it's up to you.

Serve the patties on warmed flatbreads, or pita, with some shredded lettuce, and a few vegetables.  I sliced some yellow pepper, cucumber, and pickled beetroot.  Spoon over the sauce, and enjoy.

I may not take the photos that are worth a thousand words, dear people, but I can certainly yammer on that long.

Have a lovely day!

That's How We Roll

 

Ahhh...here's to summer.  At long last.

Had a lovely bike ride and picnic today, with the Mister and the kiddos.  And yes, my bike is pink, and certainly not intended for the mountains where it gets ridden.  But, whatever.  She's pretty.  And well, yes, I may be rocking the flip flops and skirt as my biking gear of choice.  That's just how I roll.  

There is absolutely nothing serious about my biking adventures.  Often there may be a bit of huffing and puffing, and possibly some cussing, because of those unavoidable hills.  But not today.  Today was my favorite kind of biking day.  A flat day.  Yes indeed, merrily we rolled along, and nary a drop of sweat to be seen.

Perfect day, really.

The mountains, my favorite people, good food...

Oh yes, and the CSA box today!  Among all the loveliest of lovelies, we had another amazing cache of strawberries.  Tonight, after a seriously massive salad and fresh loaf of bread, I made up a quick whip cream/yogurt mix, while Tyler prepped the berries.  I have a recipe for a Blueberry Fool, in my Williams' Sonoma Outdoor Living Cookbook, which combines plain yogurt with whipping cream, and layers that much lighter treat with a spiced blueberry puree.  To honor these strawberries, I saw no need whatsoever to mess with cooking or seasoning them.  So, here's our very quick, very delicious dessert:

Strawberries with Yogurt Whipped Cream - serves 4

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

2/3 cup plain yogurt

1/2 tsp pure vanilla

1 Tbs confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat the cream and yogurt together, until it thickens, but not as far as forming stiff peaks.  Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and beat another minute or two.  Layer the yogurt cream with the berries, and luxuriate in the fact that it's only half naughty for you.  And wholly nice.

That's how we roll.  Have a good one.