• Quiche w country ham, chard & mushrooms
• Corn w scallions and country ham (left over from last night
• Baguette & Butter
• Bowl of Cherries

Quiche very loosely adapted from Julia Childs Mastering the Art recipe for Swiss Cheese Quiche.  She’d be so disappointed.  Much too mild.  Needed more of all seasonings, and the cream.  I subbed 2% milk for the cream, mozzarella for the swiss.  Added about 2 tbsp diced ham, 1/2 c diced mushrooms and 1/2 cup chard (julienned and blanched).  I did make the crust from scratch, though, her recipe even.  I have to admit that it was the best part.  The custard was too much like baked eggs, vs the density of a good quiche (I’m thinking Tartine’s quiche here.  perhaps unfair in that this is my first quiche in years.)

Snowy (L’s current alter ego, after Tin Tin’s small, white dog) initially tried to eat around the mushrooms, make peace with them, then asked for a second slice.  Which he only ate a third of.

C sat down and asked if there was anything else for dinner.  Took a micro bite of the teeny, nearly there slice I’d served her, tried to push it aside, realized her dad was going to make her eat it before she could have any cherries and quietly ate the rest before he could notice how small the slice was.

To be fair, all of our appetites and schedule are still a little off kilter.  Kids and I are still on Hawaii time.  Bob wasn’t there long enough to get on Bucharest time, but not here either.  This morning, Snowy was crouched by my bedside moaning FOOD at 7am.  Which isn’t so early Pacific or Hawaii time.  Except that he’s been sleeping until 10 and the only reason he was hungry was that he refused to eat the steaks I made last night. This is why I keep the fridge stocked w yogurts.

Friday’s dinner:

• Steak (one boneless rib eye w Lea & Perrins, one filet w peppercorns)
• Corn w scallions and country ham

General agreement was that the rib eye was tastier than the filet mignon.  go figure.  General except Snowy, who didn’t buy it that he had to eat the 6 bites of steak on his plate because all dogs love steak.

Corn was great.  One of my favorite was to cook fresh corn.  I’m always torn about making this.  If the corn is really fresh and sweet, why do anything other than boil it for a couple of minutes (no more), hit with salt and butter and eat off the cob?  And if it’s not fresh and sweet, then it’s going to be disappointing anyway.  But this is a family favorite that I started making one August when we had an abundance of ham still in the freezer from Christmas.

Corn with Country Ham and Scallions

• 6 ears fresh corn
• 1 tbsp oil (canola, olive, whatever you prefer)
• Small handful (1/4-1/2 cup) country ham
• 1/2 medium onion- peeled & thinly sliced or diced
• 3-4 scallions- white and green sections separated, thinly sliced
• salt & pepper (don’t need much salt w the ham)
• 3-4 springs thyme, OR 1/2 tbsp curry powder

1. Prep corn:  Shuck and remove as much silk as possible.  Cut kernels off the cob over a bowl.  Collect kernels and any juices/milk in bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, white parts of scallions, ham.  Add thyme if using. Salt & pepper to taste.  Saute & stir until softened and starting to turn golden.  Add curry powder if using.  Cook a minute more until you smell the curry powder.
3. For softer onions, splash in a little water, lower heat and cook until onions are soft & golden; water is evaporated.
4. Add corn and scallion greens.  Turn heat back to medium.  Stir and cook 3-5 minutes (will depend on quantity of corn kernels vs size of the bottom of your pan) until corn is heated through.  Kernels should be crisp and pop when you taste one, not mushy.
5. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Great hot as a side with meats.  Room temp for a picnic or buffet.  Cold the next day for lunch.

Thursday’s dinner:

• Burritos and tacos from El Toro (Valencia at 17th)

I’d actually made it to the store and picked up the groceries for 3 dinners.  Not bad planning for the first day back and all.  Most times, my just got home to an empty fridge grocery runs yield fruit, breakfasts, a few staples, some bread and miscellaneous snacks, but nothing that really says Dinner.  But then driving home through the Mission, I pass 17 zillion tacorias.  How can I not have a burrito after 6 weeks away?  (Just an aside:  El Sol Cafe in Hilo does not cut it when you want SF Mission Mexican food.  Nice lanai for a beer on a rainy afternoon though.)  So my awesome honey walked over to El Toro with our individual special requests typed in Notes on his phone.