Baby bok choy in Pullman?? Hallelujah!

I love baby bok choy. When I see a bunch of it I giggle and shrug my shoulders involuntarily, and I've noticed that most food bloggers share the opinion that it is the cutest of all vegetables (I also have a crush on the radish, and I feel sorry for the rugged, Father Time ginger root).

Pullman isn't known for its cuisine, and foods I used to use all the time in my cooking have become distant memories. So imagine my surprise and delight when I noticed my food crush beckoning to me from the produce section at Safeway. Ever since Safeway has been remodeled and restocked with more upscale products, it's been so much easier to find foods I desperately miss. Since Ian wouldn't be eating with me one night, I decided it was a perfect opportunity to cook up my long lost love.

What to do with leftover mashed potatoes

I made tons of mashed potatoes earlier this week, and I had no idea what to do with them beyond shepards pie (which I admit was tempting, but invoked memories of snow that I have trying to repress for weeks). So I shaped them into cakes since there was too much to make potato balls with, added turmeric, garam masala and frozen peas, and rolled them in wholegrain mustard and panko. I might also mention that in order to ensure the mashed potato didn't overcome the panko crust and fall apart, I froze the cakes for about 20 minutes before rolling them in breadcrumbs. Then I fried those tasty little morsels. Yum. Next time I make them I think I'll use egg to bind the panko.

Served them with lentils and spinach with curried coconut sauce and mango salsa. I make my mango salsa with basil, cucumber, honey and lime juice.

Sorry if one of the photos is a little shaky--my camera isn't very high tech (it's a little too much like it's owner...)

It may be spring, but the silence doesn't mean I'm tanning...

The Pacific Northwest has decided that "spring" is only a suggestion, so time I would spend updating this blog while lounging in my backyard wearing a tank top has been eaten up by shivering, squeezing my feet into wool socks and cooking fall-inspired comfort foods. Alright, I'm being dramatic. I've been optimistically making mango salsa and bbq'ing my heart out in hopes of seducing a warmer breeze into my little valley.

It hasn't worked.

Despite all my hard work in planning my garden this year, it's been too cold for most of my careful planning to be fully realized. The daffodils, garlic and onions are the only plants to survive the frost so far, but I have high hopes....