Sunday, July 15, 2012

Iiiiiiii'mmmmmm mmmmeeeelllltttttiinnnnnggggg, mmmmelllltttinnngg.   Frak it's hot, hotter than it's been for a century.  Today the mercury (yes I am fully aware that no one uses mercury anymore, just bear with me here, k) topped 106 degrees.  So guess what I'm cooking for dinner tonight.  NOTHING, are you fraking insane?!  Did you not just read where I said it was 106 FRAKING degrees?!  Seriously!
 Sorry, I think that was the heat talking.  I DID make dinner, I just didn't do any cooking today.  Yesterday I woke up at the butt crack of dawn.  why, i have no idea, but it was cool and I was awake so I figured I should probably get out of bed and get some shit done.  One of the things I got done was roasting up a couple of bunches of beets that I got in my CSA.  I washed and trimmed the little red orbs, tossed them in olive oil then stuck em in the toaster oven at 375 for about 40 minutes.  When they were cool enough to handle I peeled them (under running water to minimize pink fingers) and threw them in a bowl in the fridge for later use.  They didn't stay there very long.
   Today when I got home it was 90 degrees in my house. And 2 of my kids were starving after having slept all damn day at day care.  Dinner needed to be quick, and it needed to be cool.  Salad to the rescue.  And not any ole' salad.  Butter leaf lettuce, shaved carrots, roasted beets, and herbed goat cheese, all dressed with arugula pesto. Wait, what's this you say?  I've not mentioned the pesto? well fuck me running, I'm sorry, let me back track a little.
     Arugula pesto, Arugula pesto, wherefore art thou, arugula pesto? Did you know that pesto doesn't always have to be made out of basil?  Well if you didn't catch on until just now, you're actually pretty thick. Sorry, but it's true.  Anyway, arugula is a very seasonal spring green, sometimes called rocket, with a spicy, peppery, bitter, nutty flavor.  See how this could make a tasty Pesto?  So into the food pro it goes, with garlic, a spring onion (just cause i had some) and some pine nuts.  Turn on to low then stream in the olive oil until it's smooth and creamy.  Mine came out very buttery and spicy, almost tastes like guacamole. 
   So I tossed my salad (he he he) with the pesto.  I do believe that beets and goat cheese have never been so happy before.

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