End of Summer Recipes: Pickled Jalapenos

This year was our first time to have our own garden. After moving into our first apartment with a porch (and a sunny one at that!) we decided to make use of the space and filled our little bit of the outdoors with tomatoes, jalapenos, eggplant, green peppers, basil, sage, and rosemary. We got food from all of them, but the jalapenos were really the superstars. As of 2 weeks ago, our two plants were heavy with little peppers. Towards the end of the summer, many of them even grew in red instead of green, which made a really beautiful assortment. Knowing there was no way our palates could sustain all of that capsaicin before the peppers went bad, I, of course, set about pickling them with carrots (just like they're served at our favorite Mexican place). This recipe doesn't call for the typical canning procedure to ensure they're preserved, but from what I've read online they should last for 1-2 months in the fridge.

Ingredients
2 pints jalapenos
3 carrots, sliced 1/4" thick 
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, lightly pounded
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Pack the jalapeños and carrots in a glass jar.
2. In a saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the jalapeños and screw on lid. Let cool on the counter until able to be handled.
4. Store pickles in the fridge until ready to eat. For a crunchy bite, you can start nibbling on them within a few hours. As for softer texture, let this sit for 4-5 days.

Recipe adapted from here. Happy Halloween!

Fall Weekend

 This weekend I'm excited to do typical fall things: walk my dog through the fallen leaves, bake things with apples, and lay on the couch reading a book or watching football with my better half and drinking a pumpkin beer (really its mostly about laying on the couch). If things go well an apple-related recipe will be coming soon. Happy fall weekend!

Photos from here, here, here, and here.

Babette Jewelry

Sharing one of my favorite Etsy shops with you. Babette Jewelry is full of vintage, nature-inspired designs....so beautiful.

Photojournal: San Sebastian

 For me San Sebastian is a lost city belonging to a lost generation. While we were there I kept thinking of Hemingway and his Lady Ashley; Fitzgerald and his Nicole Diver. Had they also walked this road? Had they, in the sudden onset of a rainstorm, ducked into a cafe and sat with a cappucino as I was? Which beaches had they loved the best, which narrow streets, which bars? It was impossible for me to forget this city's history. This was no doubt reinforced by the cloudy October day, which made the beaches appear faded and inhospitable, the buildings damp and dirty. But we liked it. Instead of glamorous expats there were fishermen at the harbor; instead of exciting nights there was a slow day; and of course, the pintxos in the Basque capital were great.

End of Summer Recipes

Although we're planted solidly in the middle of fall here in Chicago, for the next couple of weeks I'll be posting "End of Summer Recipes". For me they are "end of summer" because they mark the last harvest from our porch garden. Our basil stuck it out as long as possible, but at last I had to trim him back and bring him inside for the winter. So what to do with the last of the summer's basil? Make bruschetta, of course. I used grape tomatoes here because I love their sweet flavor.

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

1 pint grape tomatoes

3-4 sprigs fresh basil leaves, chopped

5 oz. semisoft goat cheese

1-2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tblsp balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely sliced

2 tblsp butter

Chop the grape tomatoes into quarters, then toss with olive oil and vinegar. Add chopped fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste. While the tomatoes are marinating, prepare garlic butter by sauteeing butter with sliced garlic over low heat in a shallow pan for 3-4 minutes. Remove garlic slices and brush the baguette rounds with garlic butter using a pastry brush. Spread each slice with goat cheese, then bake in an oven set to 350 degrees until the baguette just begins to turn golden. Remove from oven and top with the tomato mixture. Serve warm and enjoy with friends.

Farewell little garden!

My Jewel Tone Dream

Happy Monday! Here's my current fantasy to help perk up your Monday morning.....cozy restaurant, yummy food and the perfect fall lips.

Photos from here, here, and here. Thanks to Pennyweight for inspiration!

Photojournal: La Rioja, Part II

La Rioja was a quiet place. At siesta time you could've heard a pin drop on the stone streets of the medieval towns. Whatever activity persisted would certainly be centered around a pintxo bar in the main plaza of town; perhaps a table occupied by a group of workers stopping for rest and a bite to eat, or a family on holiday. Spaniards here like to sit. We would often pass a bench on the outskirts of town occupied by an elderly couple or two friends. Often they were talking; just as often they were not. People in La Rioja understand how to take life slowly, which is a miraculous thing for two Americans to see. However, we took the cue and passed the time slowly ourselves, and on more than one occasion enjoyed a bottle of cava over the course of an afternoon on our terrace.

Photojournal: La Rioja, Part I

A year ago, my then-fiance and I bought a camera with the intention of getting good enough at photography in one year to be able to return from our honeymoon with beautiful photos from Spain. We practiced a lot, learned a lot, and took some pretty bad photos, but in the end, I feel we've met our goal: although still solidly amateurs at the craft, we came away from our 10 day trip with several photos that I know we'll keep for a lifetime. I'm dividing our photojournal by region, starting with La Rioja, the first stop on our trip. The wine country in La Rioja certainly gave us some good material: in addition to it being harvest time for the vineyards, the open, rocky landscape and medieval hilltop towns were a feast for the eyes. I hope you enjoy these snapshots from our trip! Stay tuned for San Sebastian and Barcelona.

Cozy Up for Fall

This super comfy looking bed got me thinking: with fall here and winter close on its heels, its time to outfit the bedroom for darker mornings and rainy Sundays spent in bed. A monochromatic but textured look with earthy hues is perfect for fall. Plus, pillows and lamps lend a coziness that will help you forget about the bygone summer days. Put it all together, and you've got a perfect hideout for the colder weather. Personally, I would punch it up a tad with some vibrant fall shades to keep it cheerful. Ready to get cozy? These essentials will help get you going:

(1)driftwood lamp  (2)Kenyan wood bowl  (3)Kilim pillow  (4)Striped flannel sheets  (5)Mongolian lamb pillow  (6)Kilim pillow  (7)Chevron quilt

Velocity Home

Sharing some of my favorite items from Velocity Art and Design, an online store with tons of beautiful modern accents for your home. Among others they stock items by Roost, Pigeontoe, and Thomas Paul. Dying to get my hands on some!

Folded salt and peppar cellars / brass spoon / green tumblers / bud vases / cake stand

Beginning

At last the wedding is over and we've returned from our honeymoon in Spain. Everything was a blast, but I think the best part was returning home to our normal (and newly wedded!) life together. A photojournal of our time in Spain will come soon.....in the meantime, here is my favorite photo of us from our travels.

Also try heading over to Blue Pool Road and checking out Peggy Wong's travelogues, they are beautiful!