Blogiversary

I've officially been blogging here for two years!

Image source: Love to Stamp & Scrap

It all started with this post about how much I dislike gardening (because of the worms). Not much has changed since then as regards my aversion to the crawling creeping slimy little things, but I have come a long way in adjusting to farm life.

When visiting my family last week, actually, they remarked upon how my wardrobe, topics of conversation, mannerisms, and demeanor have all been "countrified." And I like it. I love this way of life now!

Thank you all, dear readers, for making this blog such a (prepare for a litany of trite words) fun, rewarding, fulfilling, enjoyable, fruitful, and beautiful experience.

Thank you to my husband, the dearest love of my life, who encourages me daily in this venture. Quite often I can only get over writer's block because I can't wait until he gets home to ask, "What was my City Wife up to today?"

I dedicate this blog for the rest of 2011 to Our Lady of Czestochowa.


Here's to another two years of happy blogging!

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Yesterday I was bemoaning the approaching end of the asparagus season.

But it's not quite over, and I wanted to make a dinner that would really showcase my favorite vegetable. This recipe has been circulating around the blogosphere lately and each time has caught my eye, so I gave it a go.

The cheese, the garlic, the crust, the asparagus, the amazingness -- um -- YUM!! The flavors are the perfect combination and all complement each other.

But let me give two warnings.

Number one, it was not cheap. The 5oz. package of Boursin cheese cost almost $7!! I suppose paying around $10 for a homemade pizza isn't outrageous, but it's a bit cost-prohibitive for us to make it a regular weeknight meal during asparagus season.

The second warning is that while this is undeniably the best pizza crust I've ever made, or even had, it's not quick. You can substitute your own quick pizza crust recipe but if you go with this longer method (about two and a half hours from start to finish) you will not be disappointed. Seriously, it's better than Pizza Hut and at least on par with if not better than Papa John's crust. Chewy, crunchy, light, perfect.

This meal garnered my husband's rare two-head-nods-eyes-wide-open-look-down-to-the-left reaction.

And that made it totally worth it.

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza dough (from Baking Illustrated via Annie's Eats)
3 or 4 Tbsp. Olive oil, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, pinch salt, pinch red pepper flakes, for brushing
8 oz. asparagus spears
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
3 oz. spreadable garlic herb cheese, such as Boursin or Rondele

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil mixture.

Cut the tough woody stems off the ends of the asparagus spears.  Use a vegetable peeler to shave the spears into ribbons.  Use more ribbons than you think you need because it will cook down in the oven.

Place the sliced mozzarella over the pizza dough in an even layer.  Pile the asparagus shavings over the top of the mozzarella.  Dot the surface of the pizza with the garlic herb cheese.  Season with kosher salt and pepper.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-14 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats which was adapted from The Tasty Kitchen Blog

If you need me, I'll be in the fridge polishing off the leftovers.

Sweet Sorrow

The asparagus season is slowly winding down.

I could cry.

I eat asparagus with great gusto. Actually I eat it with my fingers, 'cause I can't wield my fork quickly enough to get that goodness in me (did I really just admit that?). I can never get my fill of it, and the fact that the season is so short makes it that much more desirable.

But the great thing about gardening is that there's always some new delicacy around the corner...

Pure sugar.

These juicy delights just might help to ease the parting blow.

Why I Will Forever More Request Cranberry Juice on Airplanes

The scene: 8:00pm in a Boeing 777 airplane, headed from Dulles to San Francisco before my final connection home.

The background: I'd had an appetizer of fire-roasted olives for lunch, followed by basil pesto pizza with feta and artichokes: delicious beyond compare but salt supreme. Saharan desert-parched throat. Blood sugar getting low from lack of dinner.

The main characters: Airline stewardess #1 (AS1), Airline stewardess #2 (AS2), me.

Roll the curtains.

AS1: "Would you like something to drink?"

"Coke, please."

"Nope?"

"Coke."

"Okay, maybe you'd like something later."

I reel in slow-motion panic as she blithely pushes her little oasis-cart to the next thirsty traveler. My throat is filled with cotton. I gesture wildly, but to no avail. She is now pouring the man in front of me an icy cold beverage, deaf to my frantic pleas.

I try, unsuccessfully, to flag down another stewardess, but never wanting to cause a scene, I eventually give up.

Two hours later: I can barely speak I'm so thirsty. My blood sugar is dangerously low as I've staunchly refused to pay $12 for a turkey sandwich and the seatbelt light has been illuminated for the last two hours, preventing me from snatching my emergency rations from the overhead compartment.

At last, I see another stewardess making her way down the narrow aisle, pushing the clanky-wheeled cart, filled with cases of liquid refreshment. After an eternity she finally reaches me. I'm ready. I'm waiting. No confusion this time. Clear enunciation will make it past my chapped lips if only I can get that crisp cold refreshing delight only a real Coke can provide, with that emergency boost to my flagging blood sugar.

AS2: "Would you like something to drink?"

"Coca-Cola" I yell out, not taking any chances with the abbreviated name.

"A cup of water?"

Before I can protest she's already poured it.

Roll the curtains.

Public Service Announcement

♪♫ "I'm leavin' on a jet plane..." ♪♫
 

I've known for three weeks that I was going out of town tomorrow.

"Maybe I should just write up one post every few days and then I'll be covered."

As time moved on...

"Maybe I should just write up a post every day and then I'll be covered."

As time flew by...

"Maybe I should just write a few posts a day, and then I'll be covered."

As tomorrow approaches...

"If I don't pack or do laundry or go shopping and just write up a bunch of posts, I'll be covered."

Uum... if things get a little quiet around here, it's 'cause I decided it was more important to pack than to pre-write blog posts to cover my vacation.

I'm off to the East Coast tomorrow morning! I'll be back June 1st!

See ya then! (FYI: I probably won't have much access to computers, so I most likely won't be approving comments during that time, either).