Dark Days: Frittata di pasta

by Kimberly on January 24, 2010

in Chickens!, Dark Days, Eat Locally, Food

After a several-week winter hiatus, coinciding closely with my unplanned break* from the Dark Days Challenge, our little backyard flock has begun laying again. This week, the girls have given us 3-4 eggs each day, and although my husband eats an egg or two almost every day, the egg carton has been slowly filling up.

eggs from our girls

Last night, our dinner was fresh egg fettucine that I’d picked up at the U-District market, tossed with a sauté of farmers market leeks, garlic and carrot, and less local (but still Cascadian) red bell pepper and cremini mushrooms. I added thyme and black pepper, and grated a little parmesan on mine. Simple, quick and tasty… and as usual, I cooked more than than the two of us could eat. While I would have happily eaten the leftover pasta on its own, I was looking for something different to do with our abundance of eggs (there are only so many dutch babies once can eat!), so this morning I combined the leftovers with several eggs in a frittata di pasta. The leeks, mushrooms and peppers added a delicious mix of savory, earthy and sweet flavors to the eggs. I had expected more texture from the fettucine, but the soft, fresh egg pasta provided little contrast with the eggs. However, the frittata was a delicious, satisfying breakfast… a great way to use leftovers and eggs.

leftover pasta stirred incooking one sidecooking the other sideready to eat

* My break wasn’t a break in cooking, eating and even photographing meals for the Dark Days Challenge, just a break in blogging them. The number of drafts I have labeled “Dark Days: Blah blah blah,” containing only a photo and a smattering of words is embarrassing. I’m going to delete them now, but I just thought you should know.

Local ingredients provided by:

  • The East Wing ladies, aka our chickens (20 steps): eggs
  • La Pasta, Seattle, WA (5 miles): fresh egg fettucine
  • Anselmo’s Organics, Snohomish, WA (23 miles): garlic, leeks
  • Pipitone Farms, Rock Island, WA (104 miles): thyme

Localish ingredients:

  • British Columbia: organic red bell pepper
  • Oregon: organic cremini mushrooms

Non-local ingredients:

  • Olive oil (from California)
  • Black pepper (far, far away)

{ 4 comments }

Home again

by Kimberly on December 27, 2009

in Holidailies, Musings, Photos

361:365 :: home again with cat(s) and tree

We’re home.

The cats are staying close. If not on top of one of us, they’re in the same room, talking or just watching. In bed, they’re under the covers, or perched on a hip, and purring, always purring. Looks like they’re glad we’re home. If they missed us, they don’t seem angry about it.

The chickens seem glad that we’re home, too, though it’s harder to know with chickens. They were excited to be let outside in the sunshine for some foraging and flapping about, half running and half flying in that funny way that they have. And they liked the brussels sprouts that I tossed into their coop whole – a combination of food and entertainment. Not that either of those has much to do with me.

We’re home, with our cats and our chickens. I missed them. I’m glad to be home.

{ 2 comments }

One giant leap for bovines

by Kimberly on December 26, 2009

in Holidailies

cowstronaut

At the Houston airport, in a terminal I’d not been in before, stands a giant cowstronaut in a Holstein-spotted space suit, holding the Texas flag. What sometimes passes for art in my hometown is truly remarkable.

{ 3 comments }

Love and light

by Kimberly on December 25, 2009

in Holidailies, Photos

heart and bokeh

{ 0 comments }

Day 24: Dear Santa

December 24, 2009

Because it’s late, and I have yet to finish wrapping presents and stuffing stockings before crawling into bed, I’ll ask Ringo and friends to send out a letter to Santa for me tonight.
Dear Santa, I know it’s Christmas time again,
How I love to sing the songs.
And everyone becomes a friend
When they start to sing along.
Dear [...]

Read the full article →

Day 23: Gifts of the Internet

December 23, 2009

Three years ago, I posted a photo on Flickr of the small wooden Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus figures from the nativity scene that my family has had since I was a child. I’d taken the photo to use with an Advent post about a group of children putting together a nativity scene at my [...]

Read the full article →

Day 22: Market Report

December 22, 2009
Thumbnail image for Day 22: Market Report

I have been known to plan vacations around the dates of the farmers markets where we’ll be traveling. I will go out of my way to find a market, even if I’m not going to buy anything (except perhaps on impulse), just to see what farmers are growing and selling in other places. If [...]

Read the full article →

Day 21: Solstice in the sun

December 21, 2009

On this shortest day of the year, it is almost 70 degrees in Houston, and sunny. On this day when, according to ancient traditions, the old year dies, the sago palm tree in my parents’ yard has set seeds. Brilliant red-orange, and glowing in the light, the seeds are ready for the new year — [...]

Read the full article →