i am a big fan of the food network...and frequently get my dinner ideas from giada or ina or sunny. today...i saw giada prepare penne with beef and arugula...and knew that i wanted to prepare it. so...as soon as the clock chimed 5:00...i was out the door to pick up the ingredients.
i hadn't been to the grocery store in a while...so i wandered about the produce section for over 1/2 hour...picking up lemons and avocados...ginger and jalapeno peppers. i even bought a pineapple. i'd entered the store at 5:30...and it was 7:00 when i emerged. i couldn't believe i'd been in there that long. i gotta get cooking!
while i put away the groceries...i started the water for the pasta. once i'd put the steak on the grill...i needed to prepare the rest of the ingredients. i used my herb-infused olive oil in the salad dressing. *glad i bought another bottle of olive oil because i need to flavor some more. i think i'll hit up costco this weekend...and buy the industrial sized container.
i finished the pasta dish with grated parmesan cheese and a touch of lemon zest...and packed it into containers for tomorrow's lunch. some grapes...a good book...and sunshine will round out my picnic in the park. i'd better set the alarm on my phone so i make it back to the office.
for now...i need to go clean up my kitchen! where's my sous chef or escuelerie (dish washer)? isn't there some saying that says she that prepares the food should not have to wash the dishes??? well...there oughta be!
last night...to make sure every drop of water was removed from the herbs that i was going to put into the olive oil...i brought out my dehydrator (yes....i have one of those too).
i now have bags of dehydrated herbs that i plan to label & give to people that i know would appreciate receiving it (that would be other geeky wanna be chefs like me). 
yesterday when i twittered that i was making the olive oils...my daughter twittered back that it sounded 'very californian' and promptly asked me to make some for her. so...i'm off to the grocery store to pick up a few more bottles of olive oil and vinegars so i can come up with a few more conconctions.
i'm also going to need decorative bottles (and labels) to put my new creations in...so perhaps i'll go shopping during my lunch break tomorrow.
i like making herb infused olive oils. my kitchen smells wonderful when i'm making them...and i love using them in salad dressings & stir frying.
rosemary-garlic-oregano oil...
garlic-sage oil...
chili-rosemary-oregano oil...
simmer the herbs in the oil for a minute...allow to cool & then strain.
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blanch fresh herbs in boiling water for 2-3 minutes & allow to dry overnight. place the herbs in a clean container & pour the strained oil over them. *you can also use dried herbs to flavor the oil.
the other day on my lunch break...i went to my fave nursery. to browse. wink. wink. well...let's just say i wasn't looking for anything in particular.
on my way into the store...i spotted the lemon cucumber plants. i've planted those the past couple years...and have had success with them. since i didn't get a basket...and didn't want to start picking up items before i even got into the store (especially since i was 'browsing') i thought...well...they must have some in the back...so i'll just pick one up back there. perusing the veggies & herbs...looking for the lemon cucumber plants...i spotted a purple bell pepper plant. i'd never seen those before...so i picked one up to give them a try this year.
if you hadn't guessed...i like to grow the veggies that you can't pick up at the nearest supermarket. i want something that not only looks different...but sparks a conversation.
i share my harvest with friends...family & co-workers. heck...anybody can grow a tomato...but not everyone grows an orange-colored, soft-ball sized heirloom tomato...or eight-ball zucchini. remember the cuteness factor?
i ended up purchasing...more herbs & the little ladybug windmill. i will stay away from the nursery for at least a week. (they should have received a couple more shipments by then). :)
this is a photo of some of last year's herbs...
