greetings from sao conrado, rio!

there was a ton of hype before we came down about the lack of safety, unfinished venues, and pollution. and while i'm not planning on swimming in the water, so far the dangers and chaos of rio seem to be completely over blown.

the city is stunning, the people are warm and helpful and the olympic venue we are frequenting is pretty stellar. 

even though we are only on our fourth full day here, it feels like we have already done so much. we've had some great meals out, attended our first two olympic games, navigated the hectic food markets, enjoyed the beach kiosks (delicious little beach bars with amazing food) and most notably, hiked up corcovado mountain to christ the reeder. 

thats right, all six of us, including my sixty+ parents hiked 2.5 hours through the jungle, using vines and roots and chain ladders to hoist ourselves to the second largest statue of christ in the world. 

even though it was a cloudy day at the top, the trek was well worth it. so worth it we are planning to go again on a sunny day for the full money shot. 

now, i'm sure you are expecting some amazing new recipe inspired by brasil. but remember, this is only my fourth day. and while we have done a fair job of navigating the markets, the harsh reality that this is not a place where i can get any ingredient i want at any moment has definitely set in. last night's chicken marsala had to be reworked to chicken with sherry and cauliflower (actually worked great as sub and the flavors were pretty spot on). 

but the thing i miss most is not having access to anything and everything. the thing i miss is walking out into my garden and picking stunning produce whose origin and growing process i'm certain of. 

so in honor of my little garden i love so much, here is a simple, quick, delicious vegan dish with a star from my garden. 

marsala mushrooms + swiss chard
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz baby bella or crimini mushrooms, sliced. 2 cups swiss chard leaves chopped + stems diced. 1 large shallot (or 2 small), sliced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. .25 c marsala wine. juice of .5 lemon. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper. 

in a medium pan, combine mushrooms, chard stems and shallots with the olive oil over medium high heat. season with half the salt and pepper. cook until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

pour in the marsala and allow it to cook down with the veggies until most of the liquid is gone. about 2-4 minutes. 

add in the chard leaves, garlic and remaining salt and pepper. cook until the chard is wilted and the garlic fragrant. 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

drizzle the lemon juice over the veggies, stir well to combine and serve hot. 

xoxo
a

marsala mushrooms + swiss chard
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz baby bella or crimini mushrooms, sliced. 2 cups swiss chard leaves chopped + stems diced. 1 large shallot (or 2 small), sliced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. .25 c marsala wine. juice of .5 lemon. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper.
in a medium pan, combine mushrooms, chard stems and shallots with the olive oil over medium high heat. season with half the salt and pepper. cook until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
pour in the marsala and allow it to cook down with the veggies until most of the liquid is gone. about 2-4 minutes.
add in the chard leaves, garlic and remaining salt and pepper. cook until the chard is wilted and the garlic fragrant. 30 seconds to 1 minute.
drizzle the lemon juice over the veggies, stir well to combine and serve hot. 

at the moment, i'm doing something i haven't done in many moons. 

this post is being written as i'm flying through the air at ten thousand feet. 

airplanes used to be the only place i got alone time to sit and concentrate. these days my schedule is my own and the only directions i'm going are the ones i choose. and i chose to head to dallas with wesley for a long weekend with most of our besties to celebrate our friend julia's thirtieth birthday bash. 

this was our first vacation since my self employment began and it was a feeling like no other. yes, the idea that no money is being generated while i'm away is a bit scary, but the freedom i feel is ten times better. while eating and shopping in adorable mckinney texas, we made a point to check out a kitchen shop that julia thought we would enjoy. not ten seconds into soaking up every inch of the curated shop we were offered a shot of homemade infused gin by the owner. right there in the middle of small town usa, i knew i had found my new muse. 

this woman lives in a picturesque town with her loves, raises chickens, has impeccable style and writes for better home & gardens magazine. that's when she's not working on marketing and branding strategy for food companies or working at her shop that makes you feel like your in the best kitchen ever. (some of this info she gave me and the rest i gathered with some mild blog/instagram stalking). 

while in the ettiene market i saw my dreams come to life. it IS possible. people do have big crazy ideas and they make them happen. so i'm headed home with some amazing new (thank you coryanne) and old (thank you mckinney antique mall) kitchen toys. and a whole lot of inspiration. but before i go whipping up a bunch of new recipes, here is a new summer staple to add to your arsenal. summer tomatoes are here and i can't get enough of them. there are so many amazing varieties, why not mix a few?

summer tomato salad
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered. 2 cups arugula. 4 slices bacon. .5 c blue cheese crumbles. .25 c olive oil. 2 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs chives, chopped. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper. 

preheat your oven to 400 f. while the oven preheats, place your bacon on a rack in the oven over a baking sheet. to help with clean up, you can line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. when the oven is hot, bake the bacon for 22-25 minutes until nice and crispy. when they are cooked, place them on a paper towel to dry off. when the bacon has cooled slightly, roughly chop the bacon. 

while the bacon is cooking, chop all the tomatoes. season the tomatoes with the salt and pepper. toss together the tomatoes, chives, blue cheese, chives and arugula. drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. toss well, top with bacon and serve.

xoxo
a

summer tomato salad
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered. 2 cups arugula. 4 slices bacon. .5 c blue cheese crumbles. .25 c olive oil. 2 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs chives, chopped. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper.
preheat your oven to 400 f. while the oven preheats, place your bacon on a rack in the oven over a baking sheet. to help with clean up, you can line your baking sheet with aluminum foil.
when the oven is hot, bake the bacon for 22-25 minutes until nice and crispy. when they are cooked, place them on a paper towel to dry off. when the bacon has cooled slightly, roughly chop the bacon.
while the bacon is cooking, chop all the tomatoes. season the tomatoes with the salt and pepper.
toss together the tomatoes, chives, blue cheese, chives and arugula. drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. toss well, top with bacon and serve.