Pizza with tapenade, feta, and beet greens

Sturgeon with romanesco and baked sweet potato chips

Occasionally our fishmonger gets specialty fish from once-a-year harvests in Oregon and Washington. This sturgeon is from the Columbia river, and tastes remarkably beefy. I'm looking forward to next year's catch. To go with the sturgeon, B baked sweet potato chips with a dusting of salt and paprika.

Broiled oysters with salsa

It was too cold for a raw oyster dinner, so after scrubbing the oysters, we shucked them open, being careful to save the juices in the shell, and arranged them on the broiling pan. We then broiled the oysters in their own juices for ten minutes or so, until the oysters had barely poached and the edges that stuck above the juices had started to darken. Meanwhile, we prepared a salsa of canned tomato from last summer, green garlic, salt, a little olive oil, and a bit extra lemon juice (depending on the acidity of the tomatoes). Served next to a fresh baguette, the dinner was delicious.

Also, I wanted to give a shout-out to the wine we had that night, and have continued to enjoy weekly. Columbia Crest, based along the Columbia river in Washington, makes very drinkable wines that are available at the Safeway for only $5 with the "club card" (and Safeway takes off the liquor tax if you buy at least six bottles). I would not pay $12 for these wines, but Columbia Crest has quickly become our favorite in the $5-$6 range.

Casserole of squash, braised onions, and sausage

Our second night of pork was not quite as successful as our first. Actually, the flavor was fine, but the presentation of the casserole left, I felt, something to be desired, and it was too salty and sweet. In any case, we first prepared the ingredients: braised/caramelized onions in red wine, squash lightly breaded in flour-and-thyme and lightly fried, and pork sausage meatballs cooked in their own fat. Then we assembled and baked the casserole. The end-result was saved by generously covering the casserole with grated parmesan.

Rigatoni with rapini and meatballs

Astute readers will have noticed that I changed the text at the top of this blog, removing "mostly vegetarian". We've been eating fish or shellfish at least three nights a week. And we had pork in February, when we were offered a free sample from Riverdog Farm, from whom we get our weekly vegetable box. For images of the pigs before they become sausage, check out the Hog Blog.

This pasta recipe was from one of the Alice Waters books. Start by removing the casings from the sausage, cutting the meat into meatballs, and sauteing the meat in a little oil. You don't need much — I'm not used to my food rendering as much fat as meat does. Then set the meat aside, and in the same fat saute onions and garlic until translucent. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta with the rapini. Reheat the meat and toss everything together. Serve with a good cheese. The dish is delish.

Homemade pasta with smoked fish, peas, and cream

Sushi

The nigiri is a snapper from the Berkeley Bowl. The rolls included tombo tuna, green onions, and something else that I don't remember.

Mushroom pizza

We sauteed the mushrooms whole. For the sauce, we blended a can of tomatoes in the cuisinart. The cheese is just a brick mozarella. Mmmm.

Baked macaroni and cheese

We've tried to follow recipes for baked macaroni and cheese before, and we were sorely disappointed. For a good dish, boil some pasta (slightly undercook it), and layer with some good cheese in a buttered baking pan. Finish with cheese and a dusting of paprika on the top. We used an Old Quebec Cheddar and a Chaubier.

Leek soup

Saute leeks in butter along with a little garlic and celery. Then combine with broth and blend. Transfer to bowls, and pour some cream on top to create a nice swirling pattern.