A heck of a sandwich; food news

Em-i-lis' Apple, Bacon, Caramelized Red Onion Sandwich with Arugula-Thyme Spread. Fantastic photograph by James Ransom of Food52.

Friends, I am delighted to see that my Apple, Bacon, Caramelized Red Onion Sandwich with Arugula-Thyme Spread was chosen as a Community Pick on Food52. I thought it was good, but one never knows. So, thank you!

If you only know me here, online, you might think I'd been on cooking strike as of late. In short, I have not. Just busy, busy -did I tell you we have a squirrel family in our attic? a presumed cannibal fish?- and keeping things simple. And yet, isn't that often the best kind of cooking?

Applesauce, pan upon pan of roasted fall vegetables, chili verde...hearty comfort food to the max.

roasted fennel is soo good. so are roasted parsnips.

roasted celery root and romanesco broccoli with a little pimento

I already miss peaches and good tomatoes, but this stuff is pretty delicious too. Hope y'all are eating well.

So much good food

Yesterday was a celebration of vegetables, as I was knee-deep in fresh ones and needed to start clearing a path in the fridge. I made a Hakurei turnip, celery root, leek mash with ricotta and parmesan as well as a pan of roasted Romanesco broccoli in a mint-lime olive oil drizzle. Nothing to write home about but solid, comforting and healthy nonetheless. I admit that T made a turkey sandwich to go alongside. Whatever!

Isn't that a striking vegetable? Each floret makes me think of the golden mean in brassica form. Spectacular.

The veggie hash reminded me of best-case mashed potatoes.

Tonight we enjoyed the short rib ragu that I made in NM (and have often cooked) and love. I never serve mine on polenta, but rather a wide noodle like pappardelle or, tonight, mafaldine, another ribbon-type pasta.

Delicious.

Romanesco broccoli, pumpkin soup

Romanesco broccoli has got to be one of the coolest vegetables ever. It's shape resembles a fractal with each bud a confluence of smaller buds arranged in a logarithmic way. It originated in Italy and can be used interchangeably with regular broccoli though its taste is a bit more muted. I tried to grow some this year and the initial bud was perfectly formed but I just don't get enough sun to sustain the growth of an entire plant. Sigh. But, our farmers markets always have it this time of year, and I think it's both beautiful and a pleasure to eat.

Tonight, I decided to let go of one of my gorgeous heirloom pumpkins and turn it into a soup pot, serving tureen and meal all in one. Into this cleaned out gourd went the romanesco broccoli, a leek, some Gruyère, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, cream and thyme. I put the top back on and the whole thing is roasting away in the oven now. Pretty, huh?