Zucchini season is here, make quiche!

I love all the things I'm currently seeing at the farmer's markets around town.  The wonderfully communal culture in Portland also brings with it some generous friends and co-workers who share fresh produce from their fruitful gardens.  This is so welcome, as our garden has been unfortunately neglected this summer, so I'll take all the help I can get.

Last week, I uncovered some amazingly supersized zucchini in my office kitchen, which got me thinking about zucchini recipes.  My mini happens to love zucchini, which is a blessing on its own and she seems to like anything in quiche form, which gave me the idea for this zucchini quiche.  Hope you like it and are able to adapt it to your own tastes and preferences:

Fooditka's Zucchini Quiche (serves 3)

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 cups of diced zucchini
1 small red onion, diced
4 eggs
3 tbs of milk
1/4 cup of shredded smoked gouda cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place round casserole dish into the oven to heat it up.
 
In the meantime, sautee the zucchini and onion until golden brown and add salt and pepper.  Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy and add the milk. Whisk for another few seconds.

Take the hot casserole dish out of the oven and add the sauteed zucchini/onion mixture.  Then add the egg/milk mixture and distribute evenly.  Add the cheese at the end.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and puffed up.

Enjoy with a crusty piece of bread or simply on its own!

The Shady Lady Serves Friday Brunch

Like most people, I love me some brunch food and often look for an excuse to have something eggy and delicious.  Getting particularly excited when restaurants serve breakfast/brunch food during non traditional hours, I was tickled to find out about Snowdonia's Monday brunch, which caters to the Theater/stagehand crowd that's common in Astoria.

Image by The Shady Lady

But now we've also got a taker for Friday brunch, which comes by way of The Shady Lady. Serving up brunch each Friday between the hours of 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. you can now enjoy their signature brunch dishes such as:

Country Brekky - Eggs, crispy white cheddar grits, ham, biscuit and gravy...$18
Freakin' Starvin - Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuit and gravy...$18
Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Bacon and caramel syrup...$15
Straight Up French Toast on brioche, with maple syrup and powdered sugar...$16
Jack and Coke French toast with fresh strawberries...$17

And more!

The Shady Lady - 34-19 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.440.9081
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue

Cows, Raw Milk and General Dairy Goodness at Jersey Girl Dairy

One of the most memorable parts of last week's Sweet Escape retreat, was the experience of visiting a local dairy farm called Jersey Girls Dairy.  I've been to several farms in my life, but most of them were during a time that I was young and not as eager to learn about their wonders.  This trip was totally different, as I was in a state of mind to learn and absorb everything - and I couldn't wait to try some delicious raw milk, eggs and other goodies.

About Jersey Girls Dairy:
When we arrived at Jersey Girls Dairy farm last week, we were welcomed by head farmer and proprietor, Lisa Kaiman.  She was punchy, charismatic and obviously really passionate about her farm and her lovely Jersey cows.  Listening to Lisa's stories, some of which were eccentric, no doubt, it was clear that she runs her farm in an honorable and sustainable way--producing happy cows and high quality dairy and meat products.

Lisa showed us around the entire dairy, except for the actual pasture, which we did see as we came in, but it was too wet out there as a result of a rainstorm just the night before.  This was OK though, as we still got to meet plenty of lovely cows that looked happy, healthy and pleasantly plump.  We got to see the milk room, as well as all the equipment that Lisa uses to get that delicious sweet milk out of her Jersey girls.  A special highlight for me was to see a day old calf and her proud mom, enjoying the company of her new "human" friends.  Overall, I loved seeing and understanding the whole dairy process from start to finish.

Farm Fresh Goodies:
And speaking of finish, I got my hands on some farm fresh milk, eggs and veal before we left the farm.  Lisa sells these openly (and on the honor system too) where you grab what you like and leave some money in a little wooden box, the trust and transparency of her business seeping into each aspect of her farm.

As for the raw milk, I've been drinking it each day this week with my cereal and it's been life changing.  Its beautiful eggshell color and silky taste makes me only too happy to wake up each day--and this is coming from someone who's not a morning person.  Another pleasantly surprising aspect is that the milk is really easy to digest, unlike the ultra pasteurized milk we get from the supermarket.  As a result, I experienced none of the issues that I do with the latter, when I get painful stomach cramps on occasion.  In terms of the veal, Dan and I are making meatballs out of it tonight, so stay tuned for more yummy details.

If you ever have the chance to visit Jersey Girls Dairy in person, I highly suggest you do - it may just change your whole perspective on the dairy process.  

Jersey Girls Dairy - 157 Thompson Road, Chester VT 05143
802.875.6576
www.jerseygirlsdairy.com

5 Napkin's Kegs & Eggs Brunch

Last week, I mentioned 5 Napkin's Kegs & Eggs brunch, which I had the pleasure to attend.  My mom and dad came along too and really enjoyed themselves.  Even though we didn't go too crazy with the beer, we had a taste of the SingleCut Billy 18 Watt IPA and liked its bitter hoppy flavor.  

Just to recap things for you a bit, Kegs & Eggs offers $20 bottomless pints for 2 hours during brunch hours.  

It was nice to see the patio open and by the early afternoon, it was nearly all filled up with hungry Astorians.  Many folks came with larger groups and seemed to make a social outing from this experience, which was great to see.
In addition to the beer of course, here are some dishes we tried:

Healthy Frittata - Wanting to keep things nutritious, I ordered the egg white frittata with spinach, tomatoes, onions and peppers.  It was nice and light with little air pockets inside that made it feel super fluffy.  The veggies added an earthy flavor, which went nicely with the well done hash browns and the side of salad dressed with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.  I like that it didn't make me feel overly full, but instead energized and satiated.

Other Dishes - My parents also went with lighter dishes, my mom ordering the Southwestern Chicken Salad and my dad also going with a chicken dish, the Churrasco chicken breast. I was intrigued by the chimichurri sauce on top of the latter dish, which made it look vibrant and taste delicious too.  My dad also liked the side of fried goodies such as French fries and onion rings.  A little bit of salad came with it too, making this a generous offering.

Service and Cost:
Excellence in service never fails to prevail here, as our waiter was really wonderful and paid attention to all our needs. We asked him to hold our food until my dad came to join us and he was more than happy to oblige.  Everyone was really kind and accommodating.

Costs are moderate and include anywhere from $9.75 - $15.50 for egg dishes or $11.50 - $18.95 for other lunch food.

3 Mmmms

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to Steinway Street, R/M Train to Steinway Street
www.5napkinburger.com

MLK Brunch is On!

If you're at home today and looking to get some leisurely brunch, fear not for Astoria has some fab options ready for you.  Here are just three yummy places serving your favorite brunch and lunch dishes, but I bet you can find plenty more as soon as you're out and about.  Let me know where you end up and what you enjoyed!

Sugarfreak - I'm displaying their Jambalaya and Eggs dish here, which was so hearty and a little bit on the spicy side, which I love.  They're serving a traditional Southern brunch today starting from 11:00 a.m. so come on down and treat yourself to some wholesome, homemade food.  36-18 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.726.5850

LIC Market - Featuring a "bonus" brunch today in honor of MLK Day, it'll be available until about 3:30 p.m.  Expect hearty dishes such as their famed "Bulls-eye Eggs," slow roasted duck hash, a "dirty rice" frittata, buttermilk pancakes with housemade berry jam and more.  21-52 44th Drive, LIC.  718.361.0013

Sweet Afton - Nothing like some good ol' fashioned bar food to start off the week - except this isn't any run-of-the-mill grub.  Everything is prepared carefully and deliciously with top quality ingredients, like their classic Pat La Frieda, Sweet Afton burger, a melty skillet mac 'n cheese, and of course their hand-cut fried McLure's pickles.  They open at 1 p.m. today.  30-09 34th Street, Astoria. 718.777.2570

Queens Kickshaw Honors the Incredible Edible Egg

After hearing a lot of buzz about Queens Kickshaw's upcoming brunch, Mackenzi, Dan and I headed over there yesterday for a sneak preview and were really impressed.  While we didn't try everything on the menu, the items we did have delivered (and then some), whetting our appetite for the other dishes we'll try in the future as well.

Their brunch officially started today and goes through the weekend from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., which is quite the treat.  I love that the menu pays homage to the ever-so-versatile egg, which is much harder to do right than it sounds. So without further ado...here goes brunch:

French Toast - Wowness! I love a great French Toast, and usually am not such a harsh critic when it comes to this classic dish, but Kickshaw's version really blew me away.  The brioche bread was tender and buttery and just so moist!  Dressed with a chunky pear compote, which added a beautiful earthy element, I didn't even think about maple syrup or any kind of dressing at all.  The most interesting part also was the cheese crisp stuck to the top, which had a surprising kick to it, as it was seasoned with chili powder.  Pretty fantastic!

Layered Potato Cake - Although I called this potato gratin, because that's what I thought it originally was, its flavors were amazingly nostalgic and comforting.  The creaminess of the potato cake, juxtaposed with the runny fried eggs was just like reliving a fun family get together during Hanukkah.  It reminded me of the starchy foods we'd eat then and I can't wait for this time to come around again - very soon.

Scotch Eggs - I've heard about Scotch Eggs before but never yet had them, so this was a real treat.  Quite different from your traditional version, which is typically wrapped in sausage, this one was enveloped in a creamy blanket of sweet potato and tofu.  Leave it to the Kickshaw to always innovate and give something special to our veggie friends as well.  Nicely done!

Egg Salad - Quite a different take on what you may think of with egg salad, this plate had both a sweet beet/potato salad helping along with a more traditional heap of egg salad too.  Both were fabulous, but I had a strong preference for the beets, as they were so different, sporting a gorgeous crimson color.  But, if you're a lover of both things, I suggest you stack them on top of each other for a truly novel combination.

Egg Custard (aka Pillowy Eggs) - Arriving in a wide ramekin filled to the top, the egg custard just oozed with indulgence and luxury.  Its middle was silky and unapologetically rich, with some teeny pieces of red pepper on top to cut all that richness.  While my dining companions had to leave a bit early, I tried to finish this one on my own, but only got through about half of it, since I already devoured all of the above too.

Service and Cost:
As customary here, our service was super welcoming and friendly - and you just can't help but feel as if you're hanging out in your friend's kitchen.  Ben and Jen, Kickshaw's co-owners were only too happy to stop in and chat and most modestly present to us their latest creations.  It was inspiring to see the passion behind their creative ideas.

Costs are really wallet friendly and include $8-$12 for brunch entrees.

3 incredible-edible eggy Mmmms

The Queens Kickshaw - 40-17 Broadway, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.0913
M/R Train to Steinway Street
www.thequeenskickshaw.com

Eggland's Best Cooking Event at ICE Culinary

I was fortunate to be invited to a fun blogger's event at ICE Culinary, which was sponsored by Eggland's Best.  I've heard of their eggs before and was excited at the prospect of cooking with them, together with my fellow bloggers. 

In addition to meeting some old friends, I met many new interesting ones that I felt like I already knew through their musings in the blogosphere.

The Experience:
The evening started with a fun meet and greet, throughout which I met other bloggers such as Christine from Fresh Local and Best (I was so happy to finally meet her, as Margot has been telling me so many wonderful things about this woman), Heather from The Single Dish, Simon from Plate of the Day and Megan from Runner's Kitchen (pictured above).  It felt wonderful to be in the same room with like-minded individuals who all obsessed about food.  I felt right at home with the constant picture taking, video, Tweeting, Facebooking - it was great.

After we got acquainted with our peers, we were introduced to our ring leader/Chef Instructor, Erica Wides, who walked us through the egg-a-licious menu of the evening. Take a look at this video to get a sense of the feast we prepared (with Erica's help of course). 

From the beginning, I was really impressed by Chef Erica, who I later found out has been on the popular Food Network show Chopped.  Not only was she a confident speaker, but we later observed that she was also excellent in the kitchen.  Her instruction couldn't be clearer and she taught Kim from the Kimberly Belle blog and me how to poach eggs in a mixture of water and white wine. 

By the end of our egg shift, we poached about 36 of them, some of which came out quite beautiful, if I do say so myself.  I think I got a bit over-confident at the end, which spurred me to give an impromptu poaching lesson.  See video here - and feel free to make fun of me.

After we finished cooking our 3-course meal, we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labor.  More conversations were had, during which we learned about Eggland's products including their nutritional value (25% less saturated fat and 19% less cholesterol than other eggs). And...I also got to meet another wonderful blogger, Cindy from Chubby's New York Food Diary.  Cindy doesn't take herself too seriously and calls herself the Chubby Chinese Girl (which she's so NOT! Well she is Chinese but chubby she isn't).  We had fun chatting about the NY restaurant scene, taking pictures of food, eggs and what not.

The Food:
The food we made turned out quite delicious and while everything was tasty, I preferred the first dish, a warm salad of spring veggies, duck prosciutto and a poached egg on top.  It could've been because Kim and I poached all those eggs, but I had a real soft spot (pun intended) for this starter.

Not only was it flavorful and hearty (also containing morel mushrooms) but once the poached egg was broken and released all that wonderful gooeyness, I was in heaven.  The fresh, seasonal veggies such as radishes, carrots, sugar snap peas and asparagus added a wonderful earthiness and so much texture, lending an exciting experience for your palate.  The recipe is below - please enjoy.

Warm Salad of Spring Veggies, Duck Prosciutto, Toasted Walnuts and a White Wine Poached Eggland's Best Egg with Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients (Serves 4)

White Wine Poached Eggs
4 eggs
2 cups of white wine
2 cups of water

Salad
8 radishes, trimmed
8 morel mushrooms, trimmed (or other wild mushroom)
12 spears of asparagus, bottom ends trimmed
12 baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
12 sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 large leaves of Boston or buttercrunch lettuce
4 thin slices of duck prosciutto, julienned
12 walnut halves, toasted

Champagne Vinaigrette
1 tsp, minced shallot
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs champagne vinegar
6 tbs of olive oil
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Directions:
Place wine and water in a large shallow saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer, but not a boil.  Have an ice bath ready, a pair of tongs and a slotted spoon.

Place 4 poaching rings in the simmering water (if you don't have poaching rings, you can use cleaned tuna cans by removing their top and bottom).  Make sure the water isn't boiling; it should just have a few bubbles breaking on the surface.  Gently crack each egg into a ring, and allow them to poach for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove the poaching rings, using tongs, and then remove the eggs using the slotted spoon.  Place the eggs in the ice bath and reserve.  Turn off the heat under the poaching water, but leave it on the stove for reheating the eggs later.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the morels and radishes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place them on a sheet pan, and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the mushrooms have exuded all their water and the radishes are tender.  Remove from oven and reserve.

Meanwhile heat a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Have an ice bath ready and a pair of tongs.  Blanch the asparagus, baby carrots and sugar snap peas until they are tender, and then remove to the ice bath.  Start with the baby carrots, as they take the longest.  As soon as the vegetables are cooled in the water, remove them and leave at room temperature.

Make the champagne vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients for it in a small bowl.

Reheat the egg poaching water.  While it reheats, lay out 4 salad plates and place a leaf of lettuce on each.  Divide the radishes and morels among the plates, then toss the asparagus, carrots and sugar snap peas in the vinaigrette and divide among plates.

When the egg water returns to a gentle simmer, carefully place the eggs back in the water for 1 minute to reheat, remove and blot on a towel, then place one egg on each salad plate.

Garnish each salad with duck prosciutto and walnuts, and drizzle with any remaining vinaigrette.  Serve immediately.