Simple dinner with added lively flavors of mint, basil, and chives

Our favorite crabapple tree in full bloom…the first sign that dining alfresco is finally here.

The zucchini side is from David Tanis' Heart of the Artichoke Zucchini Antipasto minus the fresh mozzarella.
 I wanted to keep it light and let the fresh mint, basil, chives and lemon juice stand out so I omitted the mozzarella and instead added a few crumbles of fresh feta to the spring mix salad.
The swordfish is prepared with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and grilled over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. 

A few good cookbooks… a hearty vegetable side for Easter dinner and holiday chocolate

The chef/owners of Philadelphia's Vedge, have just published a cookbook bearing the name of the restaurant. That along with two of David Tanis' latest cookbooks have kept me busy reading for the last couple of days.

For our Easter dinner this year I've decided to keep things super simple with a main dish of  grilled salmon and a livelier side dish, which lead me to swiss chard al forno from David Tanis' One Good Dish. 

Our local market had rainbow chard available so I substituted that for the Swiss chard used in the recipe.

The chard before the béchamel and cheese is added. The rainbow stalks add a nice depth of color with the deep green chard. 

Chard al Forno 

After dinner we enjoyed a delicious Easter Egg from Le Petit Mitron Chocolatier 

A surprise of  dark and white chocolate and sugared candy pieces inside the Easter egg.

Light reading

Lately I've been reading past issues of Cook's Illustrated from the library and it never fails to impress. I love the quick tips from the readers and the recipes are always foolproof and interesting. I've also been catching up on short stories in The New Yorker, and with two of my children living in New York, it also keeps me up to date on the latest cultural happenings. And my latest library book is  A Short Guide to a Long Life by David B. Angus, MD. Even though I'm aware of the latest health and fitness advice (thanks to the Harvard Health Letter), I can never seem to pass up a new book that adopts a short and quick guide to health and well being.

Philadelphia Restaurant: High Street On Market

We had the opportunity to dine at High Street on Market this past Saturday night - and although pressed for time (we had tickets to the Arden for an 8pm show),  it was a really enjoyable meal.

The newly renovated Fork Etc, has been turned into a chic, casually dressed candle lit space with a creative menu.

We started out ordering Kale Chips and Potato Rolls with fresh butter- and after tasting- we realized we were in for a treat. Next, we shared Crispy Broccoli, Rabbit and Chestnuts, and Aged Beets - all outstanding. Our entrees included Buckwheat Orecchiette, Agnolotti, and Seaweed Bucatini,  all delicious - perfectly sized portions.

Our server was casual and efficient- and we were right on time for the eight o'clock curtain!

Buckwheat Orecchiette with crawfish and okra. 

Agnolotti with eggplant, spices, and caramelized goat yogurt.

Arden Theatre Company Presents Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov

There's quite an amount of emotional heft in Chekov's play, Three Sisters, and it resounds when performed onstage. It is a timeless drama of love, loss, family and social class and standing. The cast at Arden took a new twist to these Chekovian–made that up I think–themes and the play was more engaging as a result.

The opening act takes place in an acting studio, with who's to become the eldest sister introduced to us as an acting teacher offering instruction on Chekov's play to a room of students (studying various other parts). The artifice of the school setting gradually falls away, as each student comes to completely embody their character (the set follows).

The three acts bring to a boil the escalating pressures that each of the three sisters face in their young lives, and gives way to the key elements that grip the play; that a life worth living is a life with the freedom to choose how to live. But they lived in the shadow of their town, encumbered by their past. Moscow was their far off hope for a better life.

The actors portrayed their parts with a deep and sometimes funny yearning for significance, validity – "real" and complete lives.

An added bonus, the actors are often caught in conversation with strumming Russian folk songs, occasionally breaking out in to full song. Far from a musical, the songs just help lighten scenes, and give the play some excellent builds and transitions.

Spring metaphors

This is when I know it's officially spring…. when asparagus appears in lovely green bunches at the market. Also, the multi-colored carrots have been showing up occasionally and are such a treat. The pale yellow version is light and crunchy compared to the traditional carrot.

This asparagus was simply prepared by washing, trimming, tossing in olive oil, salt, pepper, and sautéing. 

Roasted multi-colored carrots seasoned with olive oil and cumin. Carrot is a member of the parsley family so cumin, coriander, parsley all compliment the taste perfectly. 

This was a pleasant surprise while walking around the yard this morning.

This small cluster of crocus really perks up the landscape.

Snowdrops among the winter brush. 

Salad Inspiration

After watching Melissa Clark's NYTimes video A Big Salad That Stands In for Dinner, www.nytimes.com I was inspired to do the same but using a few different ingredients. Rather than persimmons which haven't been in our local markets for a couple of weeks, I decided to use strawberries and clementines; the tartness of the clementines with the sweetness of the strawberries was a perfect balance along with baby spinach leaves, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, and large croutons all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Spinach salad with fruits and meats is one of the most delectable treats during late winter when a lighter meal seems so refreshing after heavier winter fare.