Asparagus and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Goat Cheese

Pin It Now! I just love Farmer's Markets, don't you?  I love wandering around the various booths and admiring all of the gorgeous local produce and flowers, listening to the (usually many) local musicians and learning about how the vendors grow their produce or make their products.

When I walked by the Drake Family Farms booth I couldn't help myself...  I just had to sample their goat cheese.  They had several to choose from and I was really torn between the cranberry walnut (it was knock your socks off good) and the basil.  I went with the basil and immediately began shopping for things to pair with it.

The asparagus is quickly blanched to preserve its beautiful color, and when combined with a simple lemon dressing and sweet heirlooms this salad is sure to be a springtime favorite.  Try it with your next BBQ, pasta night, pizza night or even toss it with some brown rice or quinoa and make it a meal.  Delish!

Asparagus and Heirloom Tomato Salad
|Serves: 2| Prep time: 10 mins.|
1 bunch asparagus
1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
juice of half a lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper
Basil goat cheese

Fill a medium stockpot with water and set to boil.  Set up an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside.  In the meantime, trim the end of the asparagus and then cut the stalks in about 2" sections.  Cook the asparagus for about 2 minutes in the boiling water.  Remove the asparagus and immediately place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Allow to cool thoroughly.  Slice the tomato into 1/2" thick slices.

To make the dressing, combine the juice of half of a lemon with about 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Combine asparagus, tomato slices and dressing and toss gently.  Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese.

{Comfort Food} Baked Meatballs

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Guess I kinda dropped off the radar again, didn't I??   So sorry for being such an inconsistent presence lately.  Allow me to give you a brief update...

As I mentioned here, we have been up to our ears with re-doing the apartment (not gonna lie, it's still a work in progress).  The kitchen and living-room are somewhat done, which is a relief, but the "guest bedroom" is still littered with boxes of things to go through.  At the moment we are actively in the "shut-the-door-and-ignore-it" phase.

Aside from the nesting, we had some car issues on our hands.  Hubby's temperamental car took another nose-dive right after the new year, so we had to make the tough decision to let her go and move on.  I didn't think it would be an emotional thing, but I cried when she drove away.  What a goober, right??  We had some good times with her.  We drove that car to the moonlit beach the night Hubs asked me to be his girlfriend so many years ago.  We drove that car countless miles to countless places over the course of our relationship making memories together, and the day after our wedding we drove that car - with my wedding dress in he back seat - home to start our life as husband and wife.  Those are the things that brought me to tears when she drove away with her new owner.  Now, time to change our phone number before they figure it out. ;)

Anywho, last week we took a day trip to the Bay area with close friends to visit some other close friends who recently got engaged.  The guys headed off to play golf while us girls took the train into the city and had lunch at Boudin Bakery overlooking the bay.

Don't judge us, it's a vacay day!

The Rock... Alcatraz

Great friends!!

While the hubbies are away, the ladies will play!

Back to the present, the ACM awards were on this weekend, and I sure loves me some country music.  Country music plus comfort food?  Yes, please!  This was kind of a kitchen-sink recipe.  Shredded carrots and canned tomatoes keep the meatballs tender and moist, while the onions, garlic and feta add tons of flavor.  I think next time I'll add some hot sauce for a little kick.

These would be great for entertaining as well.   The baking time will vary depending on the size, so keep an eye on them.  Now back to our regularly scheduled country music awards...  yeehaw!

Baked Meatballs
1/2 pound ground beef (85/15 or 80/20)
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 can diced italian style tomatoes (salsa would be great, too)
crumbled feta (just eyeball it)
1 carrot, finely grated
1 egg
Drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

Now pay attention, this is where it gets complicated: Mix all ingredients.  That's it!  Make sure not to overwork the meat, or the meatballs will be tough.  Form into meatballs and bake on a cooking rack at 400 degrees for approx. 20 minutes.  Yummy yummy!