Rice Pilaf - Simple Suppers

Rice Pilaf - Simple Suppers Back in the Spring I started to make a dish that I loosely call Rice Pilaf. I suspect that it not a true Pilaf, but anyway... I added 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a cast iron or other heavy duty skillet/frying pan, heated the oil until just about to smoke and added a tablespoon of mustard seeds, when the seeds started to pop, I added either Scallions/Spring Onions, sauteing them until soft and added a handful of pine nuts, which I lightly browned, and then 2 chopped garlic gloves and a chopped hot pepper - both optional. At the moment, I am then adding a small to medium sized zucchini chopped into 1/4 inch pieces, 3 - 4 shishito pepper sliced and about half a red pepper also cut into 1/4 inch pieces, sauteing the mix together until starting to soften. In the Spring I was adding chopped baby carrots, new peas and or fava/broad beans. Stir in 4 or five cups of cooked rice. I like an Indian Basmati best. Serve with grilled fish or chicken; Kebabs and of course a lovely salad...

Honeysuckle and garden bounty

We planted 3 different varieties of Honeysuckle, this one has flowered most. An old variety of Zinnia, which I was originally disappointed with but love it's tiny red flowers.

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival - faces in the crowd

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

A beautiful night, of fantastic music, good friends in Marcus Garvey Park. Jimmy Heath Big Band made sweet music...

Harlem Graffitti and Harlem Day

Connecticut Butterflies

Eastern Black Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Jazz in the Marcus Garvey Park and a few Crowns

A beautiful evening in Marcus Garvey Park, listening to wonderful free Jazz courtesy of Jazzmobile by Gregory Generet with Connie and Bijal. Gregory performed an amazing version of Moondance. We will know to take a cooler with prosecco next time, and are thinking about our own Crowns for the future.

Tagliolini with garlic shrimp/Simple suppers

Jeanette, one of my first friends in New York - we met at Danceteria, which tells some of you how long ago this was, worked down at the original Tower Records on 4th Street. I would often catch the subway down and meet her for early dinner during her break. We would walk over towards Macdougall and 3rd street and go to a small Italian restaurant/cafe, that disappeared about 23 years ago. There we would have a bowl of home made linguine with a fresh tomato sauce, pesto, marinara. Simple, delicious, clean tasting food. This immediately took me back to when I was a child and we would drive down to Riccione on our holidays. A few years later friends and I discovered Pietro and Vanessa on Lafayette, very similar food, divine pasta’s, the best stuffed artichoke I ever had. I took all my English visitors there. My godson Sam, then aged 9, famously ate a huge bowl of seafood pasta, much to the delight of the owners! Last night Num was away, and my mind immediately turned to what sort of pasta I would have for dinner. A number of men I know; my dad, Num, Sam’s father David are not big pasta eaters. I would tell my mum about various pasta dishes I would make, that I knew she would enjoy. Her response was mostly the same umm delicious, but your father will never eat it. I now find myself in a similar position, a lesson learned! I was down near Zabar’s, saw some fresh pasta’s and bought a combination bag of spinach and egg Tagliolini. On the subway home I began to think of what I had to make with it, to turn it into dinner. I sauted in olive oil a couple of scallions (spring onions) with 3 sliced Shishito peppers. I peeled and chopped about 12 shrimp, I like them chopped into a manageable size for pasta, adding them to the pan with 3 chopped garlic cloves with a dozen or so cherry tomatoes, chopped thyme and marjoram and let them all saute together for a couple of minutes, then added a half cup of dry white wine and a tablespoon of sour cream. Served with a good grating of Parmesan. Perfect dinner.

Garden whites and insects

Busy Bee's I am not sure what this plant/flower is. I think it came out of a wild flower seed packet. The only thing that grew from said seeds... Is this a silver spotted Skipper? This fat fledgling is very demanding and also slightly stupid. Great Southern White?