UPDATE

Unfortunately, I must put Homebrewed & Stewed aside for a little while. My boyfriend and I are in the process of moving from Cape Cod to Portsmouth, NH, leaving very little time for cooking awesome veggie meals. I cannot wait to be set up in a brand new kitchen, blasting through cookbooks, and showcasing new recipes for everyone. But until that time, if you’re interested in craft beer, you can follow me on my other website Two Girls, One Beer and on our Twitter, where me and my friend Ashleigh will be updating about all sorts of beer and food-related things. Have a great fall and a happy Halloween!

CSA Sweet Corn with Lime & Chili Butter

I have to say, I think my favorite part about making this meal was the frequent and terrifying discovery of giant green corn worms, curling themselves up inside these ears of corn, only to throw themselves into my lap whilst husking.

This is the first time my CSA farm has grown corn, so it was slightly experimental. Some cobs were fine, others, worm devastation. I won’t hide the facts. I was near to tears by the end, gingerly peeling off each layer of husk, like it was a temperamental time bomb. I dislike bugs.

Cut to way too long of a time later: Corn is husked, all corn worms are sent to hell, we can then proceed. This recipe will leave your kitchen smelling amazing, and c’mon, hot buttered corn with a bright lime kick and a mellow spiciness; this is the stuff dreams are made of. I served it with some green beans sauteed with butter and fresh herbs, plus some leftover tofu. Corn is super cheap right now so stock up and get going on this recipe. You will love it.
Sweet Corn with Lime & Chili Butter
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking: A Commonsense Guide

4-5 corn cobs
3 oz. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
3 small red chilis. seeded and finely chopped
2 tbs. lime zest
2 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. cilantro, chopped

Remove the husks and silky threads from the corn. Wash well, then using a heavy knife, cut each cob into 1-inch. slices.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chili to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and 1/4 cup water. Add the corn, then cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the corn is tender, shaking the pan frequently.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the cilantro. Serve hot and with plenty of napkins.

Diego’s, Newport, RI

My favorite reaction from a friend upon returning from a trip Newport, RI was, “What the hell do punks do in Newport?”. Well my friend, we stuff face and drink beers. I went with my parents to Newport a few years back. Newport with parents is gawking at mansions, souvenir stands, coastal drives. I really had no intention of ever returning.

But working a month straight, full of 70-hr work weeks will make a person do strange things. Thus, I found myself with two days off and a bizarre gravitation towards Newport.

I won’t make you sit and watch my crappy vacation projector footage, but I will tell you that now, to me, Newport is a hidden craft beer/upscale pub food haven, oyster beer shooters and perfect Bloodys, sunset high-speed booze cruises, a vegetarian paradise where I can stuff myself on vegan pancakes, deviled eggs and great iced coffee, farmers markets, spice shops, vintage bar decor, and a brewery started by four college buddies.

I want to tell you about my favorite restaurant of our trip, Diego’s; an upscale Mexican spot on Bowen’s Wharf. It’s the typical restaurant plan of taking traditional Mexican dishes and adding a modern twist. That’s all well-and-good, but what really makes Diego’s stand out and make it a place I would frequent regularly, is their incredibly varied selection of prohibition-age cocktails.

At Diegos’s, gone are the days of the pina colada, the margaritas from dispensers, weak-ass strawberry daiquiris with their stupid little umbrellas. Enter The Ginger Snap (tequila, fresh lime, ginger beer, house-made star anise simple with a dash of rhubarb bitters, served with fresh ginger root), the Mezcal Swizzle (mezcal, lime, sugar cane, & absinthe on the rocks), White Peach Sangria (Terranoble Sauvignon Blanc with white peach puree, peach liquor, marinated fresh fruit, and a juice blend), as well as a cucumber Tom Collins, Basil Gimlets, and Pimms Classic. They treat their bar like the finest kitchen and it shows; one of the best bar menus I have ever seen.

We started our meal with the Braker’s Guac, which you can choose as mild or spicy. The portion is large enough for leaving  two people feeling stuffed full of avocados. It was simple and flavorful. I had the Spicy Baja Butternut Squash Soup; roasted butternut squash pureed with other veggies and spices, topped with sour cream and grilled tortillas. Such a great soup. I was fiending for more tortillas to soak up every drop of it.

Braker’s Guac, $12

Spicy Baja Butternut Squash Soup, Cup $4.50/Bowl $8

My entrée was the Loaded Fish Tacos; grilled soft flour tortillas with your choice of fried or pan-seared white fish of the day, beans, baja cheese, pineapple-jicama salsa, and served with salsa, guac, and either brown or baja rice. This was a pretty unique take on the fish taco. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t come with some type of coleslaw, but the sweet and crunchy jicama salsa quickly put an end to that. This meal is huge; three tacos, rice and beans, with a side of guac and salsa. I couldn’t come close to finishing it all.

Fish Tacos, $14

Ryan had an entrée off the specials board; some sort of short-rib chimichanga. I believe he enjoyed it.

For you vegans and vegetarians, vegan cheese is available, as well as tofu substitutions on salads and quesadillas.

The plates are large, the prices are affordable, and people-watching all the other losers who visit Newport from Diego’s patio is hilarious. Plan on leaving full and drunk. This place is prime.

Diego’s
Bowen’s Wharf
Newport, RI, 02840
401-619-2640

Centerville Pie Company, Centerville, MA

My mom used to work with the owner of Centerville Pie Co. until one day she decided to leave to start her own pie shop. This place is right down the street from my house. I have driven by it a thousand times, seeking out other places to get breakfast, never thinking to stop. Really, I thought they only did pies. I thought they only did Meat Pies. I had no clue that you could get a spinach and feta quiche here, or coconut cream pies, let alone breakfast.

Ryan and I stopped by the restaurant on a weekday morning; a real unassuming place, located in a sort of strip mall, bunched in between a clothing store for tweens and some lawyers offices. It is broken up into two parts, the pie shop on one half and the restaurant on the other. A few tables, a counter, one short-order cook cracking eggs on a flattop. That’s about it. I like it.

Two Eggs with Cheese on a Sweet Roll, $3.95

I ordered a breakfast sandwich on a sweet roll, which is a giant, fluffy pile of awesomeness. This huge sandwich only cost $4 and was so filling that I could barely touch the baked beans I ordered too. Ryan had the Chef’s Choice Sampler; two slices of savory pie (shepherds pie & chicken pie) that came with a vegetable and gravy for $9.95.  He really enjoyed it, especially the chicken pie.

I can see Centerville Pie becoming one of my go-to places for breakfast. Probably because then I’ll feel justified in leaving with one of these every time.

Key Lime Pie

Centerville Pie Company
1671 Falmouth Road/Rt. 28
Centerville, MA, 02632
774-470-1406

Mixed Berry Breakfast Couscous

Unfortunately for me, breakfast usually ends up being two sad fried eggs, a quickly devoured bowl of cereal, a piece of fruit, or nothing but a cup of coffee. As much as I want to be a morning person, I am not, so during my hectic work schedule, I’m either running late/shovelling something into my face, or sleeping in until lunch time, if the opportunity arises.

Which sucks! Because I love breakfast! I am completely dedicated to it. When I have the time, I love experimenting with things outside of the eggs and cereal comfort zone. I think my next activity is going to be attempting to re-create breakfasts from around the world; i.e. 50 of the World’s Best Breakfasts

This breakfast couscous is one of my new favorite work-week breakfasts. It’s easy to put together the night before, and it makes enough for like 5-6 morning meals. The cinnamon-scented, apple-infused couscous evokes feelings of fall, while the berries are all summertime; a nice August transitional breakfast. Served warm, smothered in Greek yogurt and maple syrup, it’s a soothing and healthy break from the breakfast norm.

Mixed Berry Breakfast Couscous
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking: A Commonsense Guide

1 cup couscous
2 cups apple and cranberry juice (I used a blend)
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsps. orange zest
2 cups raspberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups strawberries, halved
Greek yogurt (for serving)
Maple Syrup
Fresh mint (for garnish)

Pour the juice into a large saucepan and add the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil then add the couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Separate the couscous grains with a fork, then gently fold in the orange zest and most of the berries. Spoon the mixture into serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining berries.

Top each bowl with a dollop of yogurt, then drizzle with syrup and garnish with the fresh mint.

Beechtree Cantina, Hyannis, MA

Jalapeno & Pineapple Margarita, $12

Beechtree Cantina’s location is so picture-perfect that they could serve piles of steaming trash and I would still go, just to sit outside around the magnificent, weeping English beech tree out back. Frozen drinks and a scaled-down version of their full menu are served in the backyard courtyard. This was where we started the night, drinking margaritas and debating if we should stay here for dinner or walk down Main St. and check out other options. But after seeing a pile of nachos stacked so high they were about to topple, we decided to stay.

We grabbed a table in the outdoor seating area of their main restaurant and ordered a couple more drinks. The pineapple jalapeno margarita tastes like a spicy & fruity salsa. Really liked it. My boyfriend ordered the Spicy Cucumber Margarita ($10) and wasn’t as impressed. It tasted like someone accidentally knocked over a salt shaker into it. The last inch of the drink was undrinkable because it was so salty.

Guacamole, $12

Usually I don’t order table-side guac. Waitresses hate to make it and it’s always terribly over-priced. But I saw it made at the next table and decided to get all crazy. AND BOY AM I GLAD I DID; huge bowl and you get to choose from a plentiful selection of ingredients.

Fish Tacos, $16

Now vegetarian reader, I hate to break it to you, but within the past year I have started to work seafood back into my diet. Mainly just because of the fact that I friggin’ love food and I get incredibly bored with the strict vegetarian options on most menus (i.e. pasta primavera, quesadillas, frozen veggie burgers, etc) Fish tacos are one of my new favorites and the ones at Beechtree are definitely up there with some of the best. The fish was very fresh and flavorful, topped with shredded cabbage and pico de gallo, though the accompanying confetti rice and tequila black beans were lacking in spice.

Pollo Tostados, $12

Ryan really enjoyed these pulled chicken tostadas, topped with arugula, carmelized onions, goat cheese and avocado with an ancho crema.

So Beechtree joins the swarm of upscale Mexican restaurants that are popping up in the area and I for one am pretty psyched for it. Main Street Hyannis definitely needed a place like this since the other option for Mexican/margaritas does not cut the mustard. The drinks are innovative, the food is bright and fresh and the location has been added to my mental list of what defines a Cape Cod summer.

Beechtree Cantina
599 Main Street
Hyannis, MA, 02601
508-534-9876

Arugula Salad with Grilled Eggplant & Portabellas

I  love everything about this meal. The fact that it was made with organic arugula from the CSA. The fact that it was my first time using the grill this summer. Definite turning point. And also the fact that I made a cilantro-based anything and was able to stomach it, let alone enjoy it. I still hate cilantro on it’s own, but the few times I’ve cooked with it, I absolutely love its fresh and herby flavor.

See: http://falmouth.patch.com/articles/adventures-in-pesto

So for now, Cilantro: 2, Kristie: 0, the battle continues.

Give me a pile of grilled veggies over a bed of cold greens, covered in a flavorful sauce, and I am quite content.

Arugula Salad with Grilled Eggplant & Portabellas
Adapted from Passionate Vegetarian

4 portabella mushrooms, caps removed
1 large eggplant, stem ends removed, sliced horizontally into long, flat pieces, each the length of the whole eggplant and about 1/3-inch thick
1-2 tbs. olive oil
Cilantro Vinaigrette (recipe below)
6-8 cups very fresh arugula leaves, washed and well-dried

Preheat grill to high.

Lightly brush the mushroom caps and eggplant slices with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place them directly on the preheated grill. Grill the mushrooms for 6-8 minutes and the eggplant for 8-10 minutes, turning once with tongs about halfway through.

Remove the vegetables from the grill. Toss with about 2 tbs. of the Cilantro Vinaigrette and serve on the cold greens. Top with any remaining dressing.

The Mills Restaurant, Marstons Mills, MA

The Mills is one of those timeless breakfast spots. Off of the main Cape Cod drag and quaintly-decorated in an Americana fashion, it is a restaurant that could appear in any decade, in any quiet, rural community.

Nothing on the menu is going to absolutely blow your mind, but you’ll still be satisfied with what you get. I really enjoy their many steel-cut oatmeal options (something you don’t find in many breakfast places). You can get it with yogurt, fruit, nuts, honey, basically whatever you want. And on some days, they offer a breakfast specials menu that does step things up a notch; cream cheese pancakes with blueberries, lobster scampi omelettes, etc.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

The chocolate chip banana pancakes were delicious, but would have liked a bit more pancake for the $8 and change price tag. Also enjoyed this breakfast special; 2 poached eggs atop a  bed of bell peppers, onions and tomatoes. This isn’t four-star dining, but it is a simple, country breakfast that hits the spot and I respect it for that.

Poached Eggs Peperonata

Plus, when you’re done dining at the Mills, you can go for a dip or take a kayak out at one of the many ponds & lakes right down the street. My favorite summer adventure: paddling out at Indian Lakes, passing through the thin gap that leads into Mystic Lake and exploring the island in the middle. I guess I enjoy Cape Cod sometimes…

Mills Restaurant
149 Cotuit Rd.
Marstons Mills, MA, 02648
(508) 428-9814

White Bean & Mushroom Stew

When I think of joining a CSA, I think of weekly bundles, overflowing with leafy greens, plump & fragrant fruits; coming home from my day at the farm, dirt under my toenails, my hair flowing free..blahblahblah.

It was my first CSA pick-up the other day, and sad to say, my expectations were not met. Cut to the farm. It is down-pouring. Me in a tank top, sans jacket, frantically pulling up basil plants by the root, trying to get out of there as fast as possible. Then sitting in the car, wondering how I’m supposed to justify spending $600 a season, when all I have to show for it this week are 3 garlic scapes, a quart of strawberries, a dozen eggs, and some mesclun. Feed a family of 4 for a week?? More like an hour.

I understand that it’s the beginning of the season and I cannot rush the garden, but c’mon; a girl can’t survive on garlic scapes and spring mix alone.

On a more positive note, I did manage to incorporate this weeks CSA into one great dinner. Smitten Kitchen’s Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese, with my scapes added, Mediterranean salad with a lemon/feta dressing, and this lovely bean, leek and mushroom stew from the Veganomicon.

It’s earthy and creamy, pretty much a full meal on its own, but taken to a whole new level when served up with the leek toasts.

Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms
Adapted from Veganomicon

2 cups dried white beans, soaked over-night
1 small onion, peeled and sliced into quarters
1 stalk celery, cut in 2
1 small carrot, sliced in half
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsps. dried tarragon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 large leek, (white and light green parts only) thinly sliced
1 lb. mushrooms (whatever kind you want. I prefer a mix of mushies like shiitake, oyster, or cremini), thinly sliced
2 tsps. salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Drain and rinse the beans and transfer them to a pot. Add 4 cups of cold water, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes. Skim off any white foam from the top. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium; add the onion, celery, carrot, thyme, and tarragon.

Simmer for about 45 minutes, until the beans are tender. Remove the onion, carrot, and celery. Lower the heat to low and continue to simmer while preparing the remaining veggies. The beans should resemble a very thick stew, not a soup. If there’s too much liquid, leave the pot uncovered and stir occasionally.

About 10 minutes before the beans are done, places the garlic and 2 tbs. of olive oil in a cold skillet. Heat the skillet over medium heat, allowing garlic to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the sliced leek and saute until soft, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape the leeks into the beans. Add the remaining 2 tbs. oil to the pan, allow to warm for about 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms lightly with 1/2 tsp. salt and saute until most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes. When most of the excess liquid is gone, add the mushrooms to the beans. Turn off the heat and season the beans with the remaining salt (or more, if desired) and freshly ground pepper. Allow the beans to stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Broccoli & Tofu Lo-Mein

Well, my life almost changed drastically the other week. I found a job on Craigslist that I was totally under-qualified for, but thought would be right up my alley. I applied and was basically hired on the spot. Cut to me sweating as a sous chef for a new restaurant in a resort town on opening night. Me apartment-hunting in a part of the country I have always dreamed of living. Culminate in me declining the job and returning to my parents house in the town I grew up in.

Sometimes almost taking that giant life leap is just enough to make you have an epiphone on who you are and where you see yourself. Covered in flour, in my new chef jacket, I realized that I don’t want to be a pizza cook for the rest of my life. Even a glorified one.

So I’m taking a step back, back into my own kitchen, to focus on my recipes, my brewing, and my writing. Here’s hoping that from these things, I can salvage some sort of financially-stable career. Or at least help me into my own house because I really want a cat. All roads lead to cat.

Here’s one of my “I work all the damn time so have no time to grocery shop”-recipes. This lo-mein sauce is now my go-to stir-fry sauce; so easy and quick to make, with stuff that you almost certaintly have hanging around the kitchen. It’s savory, with the perfect level of heat, and drenches the noodles without becoming too absorbed.

Broccoli Lo Mein
Adapted from 365 Easy Vegetarian Recipes

8 oz. of whatever noodle you like (soba, rice noodles, whole wheat spaghetti, whatever)
1 tb. canola oil, divided
1 lb. broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb. firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch. pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsps. fresh gingerroot, minced
1 recipe of Lo Mein Sauce (see below)

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Heat 1 1/2 tsps. oil in a large, heavy pan over high heat. Add broccoli and tofu. Stir-fry about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute. Transfer to plate and keep warm. Add remaining oil to pan and heat. Add cooked noodles and stir-fry about 2 minutes or until thoroughly hot. Toss noodles with Lo Mein Sauce.

Lo Mein Sauce

1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsps. rice wine vinegar
2 tsps. sesame oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sugar

Combine ingredients in an airtight container. Shake.