today was a great day. i'm just going to lead with that. nothing crazy got accomplished. i didn't earn a bunch of money. no jobs were secured. but, it was a great day. 

after teaching my usual tuesday morning class, i headed to a swim lesson with two of my favorite little boys. we just started back up now that it is warming up and they pretty much have me in stitches for a solid hour. i followed that up with a few hours at the beach with wesley (who has a rare day off now that nobu is open) which lead into a really solid beach nap. there aren't too many things better in life than a beach nap. my nap was followed up with some really great news about a job we have coming up and finished off with one of my all time favorite dishes in the garden. with rose. mic drop. 

if you are like me, and don't give a shit about garlic breath, this is a great meal to serve for date night. it is light, zesty and delicious. not to mention, it cooks up quickly so you have plenty of time to actually enjoy yourself. 

shrimp scampi
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: .5lb peeled and deveined shrimp (i found and argentinian red shrimp at my local fish guy that was delicious). .5lb spaghetti pasta (fresh if you can get your hands on some). 4 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup grated parmesan cheese. zest of 1 lemon. 4 lemon slices. 2 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs butter. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tbs parsley, chopped. 1 tsp oregano, finely chopped. 1 tsp red pepper flakes. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp pepper. 

start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. cook your pasta to the package instructions. try to time the completion of the pasta around the time you complete your shrimp (pay attention to the cook time on your pasta) while your water is boiling and you are cooking your pasta, work on the rest of your dish. pat your shrimp dry and season it well with half the salt and pepper. 

in a large pan, heat you butter and oil with the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium high heat. you want the butter to start to sizzle, but not burn. be careful as garlic can burn quickly. 

once the garlic is fragrant and the butter is bubbling, about 2 minutes, add in the shrimp. cook until the shrimp is cooked through (slightly firm to the touch) about 5 minutes. 

add in your lemon wedges, juice, lemon zest, oregano and the rest of the salt and pepper. stir well to combine. cook until the liquid starts to bubble. 

toss in half the parsley and the cheese. stir well to combine. 

toss in the cooked pasta and toss everything together. 

serve on a platter or plated topped with the rest of the parsley and cheese. 

xo, a

shrimp scampi
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: .5lb peeled and deveined shrimp (i found and argentinian red shrimp at my local fish guy that was delicious). .5lb spaghetti pasta (fresh if you can get your hands on some). 4 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup grated parmesan cheese. zest of 1 lemon. 4 lemon slices. 2 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs butter. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tbs parsley, chopped. 1 tsp oregano, finely chopped. 1 tsp red pepper flakes. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp pepper.
start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. cook your pasta to the package instructions. try to time the completion of the pasta around the time you complete your shrimp (pay attention to the cook time on your pasta) while your water is boiling and you are cooking your pasta, work on the rest of your dish. pat your shrimp dry and season it well with half the salt and pepper. in a large pan, heat you butter and oil with the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium high heat. you want the butter to start to sizzle, but not burn. be careful as garlic can burn quickly. once the garlic is fragrant and the butter is bubbling, about 2 minutes, add in the shrimp. cook until the shrimp is cooked through (slightly firm to the touch) about 5 minutes. add in your lemon wedges, juice, lemon zest, oregano and the rest of the salt and pepper. stir well to combine. cook until the liquid starts to bubble. toss in half the parsley and the cheese. stir well to combine. toss in the cooked pasta and toss everything together. serve on a platter or plated topped with the rest of the parsley and cheese. 

it may be early in the season, but spring in california is in full bloom. the heavy (and rare) rain we had this winter created a "super bloom." which in my little secret garden means my marjoram has grown out of control. and i have the perfect solution for extra herbs. 

whether you can't possibly use all you are growing in your own garden, or you just purchased an overpriced pack of thyme at the market and you only used three sprigs for your recipe, drying herbs is simple. 

start by trimming and washing your herbs well. if you are cutting the herbs fresh from your garden, it is best to do it in the morning before the bright sun has a chance to wilt them. 

after washing the herbs well, pat them dry. 

remove as many of the leaves as you can from the stems. this could be a quick process for herbs like basil or parsley that are larger. for smaller herbs like thyme, oregano and marjoram it may take you a bit longer. if you have kids, this is a great task for little hands to help with. while you are removing the leaves from the stems, preheat your oven to 200 degrees f. 

once all your leaves are removed from the stems, once again pat them dry. 

place your leaves on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. 

place your baking sheet in the oven and use a rolled up dish towel an oven mitt to tent the oven (keeping it slightly ajar so air circulates). dry the herbs for 1 hour (might take a bit longer for larger herbs like basil). 

when the herbs have dried, allow them to cool. remove any remaining large stems. 

using your hands, a food processor or spice grinder, grind the herbs up into almost a powder. 

pour your freshly dried herbs into an airtight container. label and keep on hand for up to six months. 

xo, a