happy friday! i hate to keep bringing up the weather, but i can't resist sharing this bit of news: it's going to be warm (like, high sixties to mid-seventies) and sunny this weekend. i'm looking forward to spring produce (green garlic!) at the farmers market and soaking up some much-needed vitamin d.
i'm over at food52 today, with 9 links to help you celebrate the end of march
1. so much yellow
2. margherita pizza with arugula (and pino noir rose!) at ken's artisan
3. she found the one sun patch in the apartment
4. more signs of spring
5. stained glass
6. rifle paper cards
7. practicing my calligraphy strokes
8. pink trees!
9. grapefruit mimosa at tasty n sons
10. penny and drew, being adorable
though it's technically spring, march in portland is still pretty schizophrenic. random hail storms and frigid nights are not uncommon this time of year—hence, my non-stop cravings for baked pasta. baked pastas can be inherently heavy, so to offset that and pay homage to the new season, i doctored mine up with fennel and artichokes.
baked pasta with fennel and artichokes
8 oz. pasta (elbows or shells are best here)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 bulb of fennel, sliced very thin (stalks removed, fronds reserved)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, packed in water
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella and cheddar both work)
cook pasta until al dente and set aside. in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. once heated, add diced onion and sliced fennel and cook for about five to ten minutes, or until slightly browned. next, add garlic, salt and crushed red pepper. cook for another two minutes or so, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. add spinach and cook just until it begins to wilt. next, pour in can of crushed tomatoes and simmer the sauce for about ten minutes.
meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees f. drain, rinse and chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the sauce once it finishes simmering. add pasta to sauce, turn heat down to low and stir to combine everything. pour pasta and sauce into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and the reserved fennel fronds. bake dish for about ten minutes, then turn oven to the broil setting and broil for about three minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling and browned).
i always look forward to the band of outsiders campaigns (the michelle williams one was my favorite). frank ocean is the celebrity of choice for their latest, and i'd say it's a match made in heaven.
all photos via band of outsiders
these are birthday flowers from my coworker. i never (ever) keep fresh flowers in the apartment because i'm one of those people who lets my cat dictate my life completely, and most plants are poisonous to our little feline friends. but such a thoughtful gift prompted me to let go a bit, so i snipped the ends, put them in water and set them atop our highest shelf (which happens to be in the kitchen, so it gets pretty decent light).
the bright pop of yellow, especially with our green wall as a backdrop, brings such joy into the space that i think i'll keep up with a weekly bouquet of something colorful and beautiful. as long as penny doesn't figure out how to get up there, that is.
if you told me two years ago that there would come a day when i'd not only make, but like, carrot soup, i would have laughed at you. i used to despise carrots (and broccoli, bell peppers and a whole slew of other vegetables), but going vegetarian forced me to expand my pallet, and for that, i'm forever grateful. now i can't get enough—the more veggies, the better.
i omitted the tahini drizzle in this soup (couldn't stomach the nine-dollar price tag for tahini at the store), but compensated with roasted sesame seeds on top. if you do have tahini on hand, i'd highly recommend using it. i felt the sweetness from the carrots did need something creamy to balance it out a bit. next time!
carrot soup with crispy chickpeas adapted from smitten kitchen
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
fresh lemon juice
toasted sesame seeds
cilantro
preheat your oven to 425 degreesf. heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. add in carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, curry, salt and red pepper flakes and saute for about 15 minutes. after the mixture has started to brown, pour in vegetable broth, cover pot with lid and simmer for about 30 minutes (stirring occasionally).
while the soup is simmering, mix chickpeas with olive oil and salt and lay them out evenly on a baking sheet in your preheated oven. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they're browned and crispy.
once the carrots are soft, puree soup with an immersion blender and ladle into bowls. top with crispy chickpeas, a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
