The Kitchen in June

I. A Confused, Confusing and Super Nutritious Lunch

We make it a habit at Cafe Drake HRV, nay, more a self-imposed law, to never throw away perfectly good food. (Besides, Arabella at least will always help out.) Judging from the photo above, we really cleaned the fridge of leftovers this particular afternoon: garlic knots and marinara dipping sauce from Slices of Saugerties, red leaf lettuce, simmered pinto beans, a mini veggie turkey sandwich on whole wheat and roasted sweet potatoes!

II.  A Kitchen Sink Full of Past-Their-Prime Peonies Absolutely Means Spring Is Over.

(sigh)

III. Stormy Supper: Cooking Without Power

A savage early-summer storm left Cafe Drake HRV (and all our neighbors) without power overnight. Out came the candles and cocktails.

We managed to scare up a lovely Cold Supper of rice crackers, peanut butter, homemade veggie sausage, a garden salad and salsa.

IV. If It's Tuesday It Must Mean Tofu for Dinner Tonight

How can these little nuggets of breaded and fried tofu possibly taste so good? The secret is the crust - roll the cubed tofu in a few drops of dry sherry then coat with a mixture of panko bread crumbs, garlic and onion powders and lots of sea salt.

A well-seasoned and lightly oiled iron skillet produces the most delightful charred, toasty crust.

Of course the tofu nuggets are perfect with a bulgur pilaf and salad as above, but it's summer, so indulge yourself at least once by serving them with a selection of favorite dipping sauces (BBQ? Ranch? Honey Mustard?) and french fries.

V. Is There Nothing a Black Bean Burger Won't Fix?

The answer of course is No. For us this is the ultimate comfort meal - crusty outise, creamy inside black bean burgers, brown rice, cotija cheese, sour cream, kale corn chips and a fresh Tomatillo & Pasilla Chile Salsa. Grab the directions HERE because we certainly can't improve on Rick Bayless' recipe!