don't bother me...i'm cooking

it's been a little while since my last post. it's not for lack of inspiration. in fact, i have gotten a lot of goodies in my csa box and it was thanksgiving, so plenty of reasons. but alas, no time...
today i take a break from my 11-hour day (that's right, 10+1, you need more fingers than you've got to count the hours i worked today) to reflect on my recent culinary victories and ogle my foodie porn.

roasted winter veggies. all major players present and accounted for, including butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and grape tomatoes and rosemary. with the addition of an onion from the store, this was to die for. not actually, or i wouldn't be here typing about it. but talk about the perfect blend of delicious and nutritious!

simple salad. never underestimate the power of a good salad to brighten up your dinner. spinach, avocado, and heirloom tomatoes. with the addition of green onions and feta cheese and dressed with a oil and vinegar, this was one of the prettiest (and tastiest) salads i have made in a while.

persimmons. who knew??? some of you might be thinking "where the hell have you been that you've never had a persimmon?" apparently, under some sort of rock that did not have persimmons. but as i spoke with friends and colleagues about this curious, orange goodness, i quickly realize i am not alone in my persimmon virginity. what to do??? i made a fruit salad per some recipe from epicurious with one of them. but i had five more. so i searched for more to do with them when i see persimmon cookies. fruit + cookies = happy belly. so i pureed them and mixed them up with your standard cookies ingredients. oh. my. cookie. so good!

brussels and greens. another good winter vegetable is the sprout of brussel. sauteed in a brand new boojie garlic infused olive oil (see temecula olive oil company), i cooked them until them were browned and a little crispy. i finished them with a little bit of honey infused balsamic (see temecula olive oil company, again). next time, i will use a little bit more balsamic to get a little more flavor from it. either way, tasty. it's plate partner in crime is the green of mustard. sauteed red onions in regular olive oil, i added the greens and some salt and pepper and cooked them down a bit with a little bit of cider vinegar. i finished them off with a little lemon. this was a magnificent way to spend meatless monday :)