Rosemary Pappardelle w/ Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

2 large garlic bulbs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces chevre

4 bundles Rosemary Pappardelle from Ohio City Pasta

Broccoli

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut top off the garlic bulb and remove outer peel (leaving just the pell thats in the individual bulbs) Drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper. Wrap in foil pouch and roast for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Heat in a large saucepan on low heat: heavy cream, butter, and chevre. Remove peels from garlic and puree in a mini food processor or mash with a fork. Either way, be sure to add the remaining EVOO from your foil pouch to the puree.

3. Add garlic puree to heavy cream mixture and bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Do not overcook.

4. Boil pasta and brocoli for 4 minutes. Drain and top with roasted garlic cream sauce. Enjoy!

Berry Salad w/ Goat Cheese and Cashews

Well, the bounty of delicious, locally grown food is upon is. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Berry Salad w/ Goat Cheese and Cashews

•   Mixed greens or kale

•   Strawberries or raspberries

•   Goat cheese

•   Unsalted cashews

•   Balsamic Vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (lightly drizzle over salad)

Mixed greens, kale, raspberries, and strawberries will be available at the Downtown Farmers Market tomorrow, 11am-2pm!

Olive & Baby Arugula Salad

Well, I had my heart set on takeout from Istanbul Grill tonight but they’re apparently closed on Mondays. You’d think I’d know that… It’s like my favorite takeout place! After sulking for a few minutes, I decided to get creative with what I had in my kitchen – which wasn’t much!

I could’ve made yet another grilled cheese but I probably ate at least 10 this weekend and I figured my body could use something green. Enter my $1.00 produce find from this week’s West Side Market trip… Baby Arugula.

The Basketeria (stands 60-62 at West Side Market) has the best organic arugula and it’s always $1.00. All other ingredients can also be found at West Side Market.

• 1 serving baby arugula
• Pitted Kalamata olives - Rita’s, stand G-10
• Heini’s Raw Milk Cheddar – AnneMarie’s Dairy, stand H-4
• Pepita seeds - Mediterranean Imported Foods, NW corner of market
• Cashews, unsalted
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Toss arugula with olives, cheddar, pepitas and cashews.

2. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Seriously, drizzle. (Unless you’re using a vinaigrette, you only need a very light dressing.)

3. Serve with warm bread. (If you want to get nutty with the olives like I did, try the Olive Sourdough from Mediterra.)

Pepitas are a good source of iron, copper, vitamin K, and vitamins B-1, B-2 and B-6.

Red Beans & Rice

• 20 ounces mixed red beans – give or take
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 bulb garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper – more or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• Rice
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Soak beans in a covered bowl of water for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.

2. Add to crock pot: beans, green pepper, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Fill the crock pot with water, leaving at least an inch of room from top of pot.

3. Cook on high until beans are cooked through, stirring occasionally. Beans should take about 6-8 hours to fully cook. If broth does not thicken up, cook for last hour uncovered.

4. When beans are almost completely cooked, add chopped cilantro to the bean mixture and begin cooking rice on stovetop. I highly recommend using a whole grain rice – not instant rice! Try Narrin’s Spices Seven Grains rice from the West Side Market.

5. Top with the best hot sauce in town – Blaze Gourmet‘s #9! Other toppings might include: shredded cheddar, avocado, sour cream, fresh lime juice.

This recipe can also be done in a stockpot in about 2 hours. 

Daffodil Hill: A Springtime Awakening

I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
- William Wordsworth, 1888

Daffodil Hill

Everyone knows the first signs of Spring. The grass turns green again, the colorful bulbs burst from the cold ground, people emerge from their homes and infiltrate the parks, patios and front porches in their neighborhood. Even if it is only 50 degrees, the sun is out and so are we!

With its vast and carefully-planned collection of trees and plants, Lake View Cemetery is one of the most beautiful places to experience early Spring.  The colors of the lush landscape seem to change with every hill you pass over and every corner you turn.

Daffodil Hill is likely one of the most popular attractions at Lake View and for good reason. The collection of nearly 100,000 Daffodil bulbs first planted in the 1940′s only blooms for about four weeks in April. On the weekends, the hill is filled with families (and their dogs) taking pictures but is a serene and romantic refuge on a weekday afternoon.

On April 15, 7:30am-5:30pm - “Daffodil Sunday” - visitors are invited to take a self-guided walking or driving tour of the blooming springtime flowers.

Lake View Cemetery is located at 12316 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Daffodil Hill is located in sections 40 and 41. 

Glass Blowing Workshops at Glass Bubble Project

The Glass Bubble Project in Ohio City is offering a special on their glass blowing workshops through the end of January. The introduction course is lead by an experienced glassblower and teaches you how to reheat and shape molten glass into a decorative ornament.

Originally an $80.00 value, the workshops are just $40.00 through the end of this month. The workshops take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. See below for exact times:

• Friday, 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Saturday, 3:00pm-6:00pm
• Sunday, 11:am-2:00pm

Be sure to arrive at the beginning of the workshop and plan for a small wait. You can come early to check in then head out to one of the many restaurants in Ohio City or hang around and watch the others while you wait your turn. Snacks and beverages are available while you wait!

The Glass Bubble Project is located at 2421 Bridge Avenue in Ohio City – in the parking lot behind the Garage Bar. They recommend you call beforehand – (216) 696-7043.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Omelette

It’s taken a long time but I’ve finally perfected the omelette! I have this beautiful set of copper pots that I absolutely love but they’re terrible for making omelette’s!

I was against the non-stick pans because they’re supposed to be bad for your health, the environment, ect, ect, ect… but apparently they’re a necessity for making omelette’s. I recently got my first non-stick pan and finally, an omelette that looks like an omelette!

Mushroom & Goat Cheese Omelette

• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
• Leeks (about 2 tablespoons) – thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh Thyme
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Goat cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter on medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms and leeks in the hot pan until edges are brown and crispy. Remove fresh thyme from stems, add to mushroom mixture and sauté for one more minute. Set aside. Do not add salt until mushrooms are finished cooking – it pulls out the water and mushrooms will get soggy. 

2. Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. Add to the large sauté pan you used to cook your mushrooms and cook evenly on low- to- medium heat. Make sure the egg thinly coats the bottom of the pan. 

3. Sprinkle one half of the omelet with goat cheese and mushroom mixture. Once the egg is cooked through, carefully lift one side of the omelet and fold in half. Cook a few minutes longer, until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Local ingredients: goat cheese from Lake Erie Creamery; eggs from Brunty Farms (via AnnMarie’s Dairy); milk and butter from Hartzler Family Dairy (via AnnMarie’s Dairy)