Sorry, Nomsters – I have no time to write a lengthy post tonight. I’m busy studying for a recertification for work (a.k.a. my real job!) and I have to keep my nose to the grindstone. I’ll just leave you with some photos and brief captions to describe my day of eats, okay?
My sister and brother-in-law made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-‘em appearance in the Bay Area this weekend, and I’m glad we got to share at least one meal with them. We had breakfast at Baji’s Down The Street Cafe, an old-school breakfast joint in Mountain View.
My breakfast: an omelet with ground beef, mushrooms, and spinach. I substituted sliced tomatoes and fruit for the toast and potatoes.
And when I got home, I chased it down with a mug of bone broth.
The rest of the morning was spent developing and testing new recipes. Our friends Jackie and Ben had invited us over for an evening barbecue, so I put on my thinking cap to come up with something summery.
Thankfully, I had a platter of heirloom tomatoes from the farmer’s market to inspire me.
I blanched a few tomatoes…
…washed and cut up some veggies and herbs…
…cracked open a juicy watermelon…
…measured out a bunch of other top-secret ingredients under the watchful eyes of my boys…
…and blended up a tomato-watermelon gazpacho.
After sticking the soup in the fridge to chill, I fried up some of my brother-in-law’s homemade smoked poblano sausages for lunch…
…and served them alongside a generous helping of kimchee (also made by my brother-in-law!).
But wait – there’s more! I seasoned and sous vided the wild salmon that came in my SirenSeaSA delivery…
…whipped up a batch of Paleo mayo…
…punched it up with some smokiness and spice…
…and then gently mixed it into a bowl filled with cooked salmon, diced shallots, chives, and other goodies.
I prepped some cucumber cups…
…and when we arrived at our hosts’ beautiful kitchen, I assembled the appetizers.
Here’s a platter of my as-yet-unnamed spicy/smoky-salmon-salad-and-heirloom-tomato-in-cucumber-cup thingies…
…and the finished tomato-watermelon gazpacho.
There was plenty of other food to feast on, too – from fresh, colorful salads…
…to steaks and sausages…
…and wonderful veggie sides.
Here’s my plate!
I had a blast eating al fresco with friends and family. Weekends are way too short, I tell ya.
