Like many of you, I was at a BBQ over Memorial Day.  My friend Andres introduced me to the “lazy mans lemonade”.  Andres said, this is how we make it in Bolivia.    When Andres says “lazy”, he really means practical and fast.  He had 3 pitchers of lemonade whipped up in less than 7 minutes.

This recipe needs only lemons, water, and sugar.  You can put a twist on this recipe by adding some fresh mint, basil, ginger, or strawberries.  Start simple, then go crazy.   It’s going to be a long summer.

Lazy Whole Lemon(ade)

Ingredients

12 Lemons
3 Cups of superfine sugar (granulated will do, but superfine dissolves best)
Add water to taste, I use about one pitcher of water per 7 lemons

Preparation

1. Cut lemons into wedges.
2. In a blender chunk up wedges from 4 lemons, a few cups of water, and 1 cup of sugar. Don’t over blend, it will be bitter.  I blended too much in the photos.
3. Repeat blending until all lemons are used.
4. Pour mixture through strainer into a pitcher.  Press liquid out of lemon mixture with a spatula.
5. Mix with ice and guzzle!

Tastier Lemonade

Some people find the blended lemon rind causes lemonade to have a slightly bitter taster.  You can cut the peel away and filet the lemon before blending.  If you make this option you can leave the pulp in for a country-style lemonade.  Think ahead and freeze ice cubes with mint, basil, and lemon zest to give this lemonade more depth.

World meet Elliott, Elliott meet the blogosphere!  This is our fluff ball Elliott.  Y’all will be seeing more of this little guy in future posts.

Arlington Virginia, Whole Lemon Lemonade, Arlington

Mulberries are sweeter, more oblong, and more intense than blackberries. They are pit-less and have a hint of blueberry flavor. I’ve walked past these berries rotting on the ground since I was a kid in St. Louis, but this is the first year I’ve made use of them. Looking down underfoot is the easiest way to locate a mulberry tree at peak picking season.

For this recipe, I draw inspiration from Arlington’s renowned forager, Sara Shokravi. This is not the first time Sara’s name has appeared on the topic of mulberries. She was spotted foraging berries by Key Bridge last year and was featured in the Washington Post for her homemade homage.

Mulberries are ripe when they’ve completed their transition from white, to red, to purple, to black. They should be soft and release easily from the tree. I prefer to lay a sheet under a tree to harvest, then smack and shake the tree with a stick until it rains down berries. Mulberry season lasts only three weeks each summer, don’t procrastinate. Happy JAMing!

Mulberry Jam

Ingredients

4 cups mulberries, hulled and rinsed
3 cups of powdered sugar
Juice of one lemon

Preparation

1. Combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.
3. Preserve in jars.

Easier Mulberry Jam

After pulling all the stems off each mulberry my fingers were rather raw.  I talked to the local foraging expert Sara about the recipe and she laughed.  She said to just throw all the berries, stems and all, right into a blender.   Then combine the ingredients in the sauce pan. Bing-bang-boom,  time saved and the jam has a more even texture. 

The beauty of fried rice is that it is highly adaptable.  I rarely make it the same way twice.  The recipe is more dependent on what’s in my fridge than what a recipe calls for.  It might as well be called the clean out your  refrigerator meal.  Take morsels of frozen vegetables, shredded egg, day old rice and you are well on your way.

The first time I tried to cook fried rice it was a complete disaster.  “Simple” is the key ingredient in this comfort food meal.  Let me share a few keys to the perfect fried rice that I wish I knew the first time I tried my hand at this dish.

• RICE: Day old rice is key, and 2-3 day old rice is even better.  Older rice with less moisture content will result in light fluffy dish.  If you try to make it with freshly cooked rice you will likely have a heap of fried blob on your hands.
• EGG: There are a few schools of thought on how to cook the egg. I prefer to scramble the egg and mix it in with the rice – the egg is scrambled separately and added to the rice in the final stages of cooking. Others prefer to fry it up, slice it, and place it on top like a garnish.  This is a choose your own adventure here, either is fine.
• INGREDIENTS: One of the secrets of fried rice is that the ingredients are cooked separately – helping them maintain their distinct flavors. Once cooked, combine  them in the final stages of cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

• • 2.5 cups cooked cold long-grain brown rice  (1-3 days old)
  • 1 cup mixed peas and carrots
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 lightly beaten eggs
  • 1 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 sliced green onion

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil a medium pot of salted water
2. Stir in the rice and boil for 10 minutes (until done)
3. Drain the rice and set aside to cool
4. Microwave the carrots and peas for about 5 minutes (until tender); Drain and set aside
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over high heat
6. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds
7. Add the cooked peas and carrots
8. Remove from heat and move to a mixture to a bowl
9. Heat the remaining oil in the pan over high heat and add the rice to the pan; Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes
10. Make a well in center of rice and pour in the beaten eggs
11. Stir the eggs until they are scrambled; Stir-fry the eggs into the rice until thoroughly blended
12. Add soy sauce and chicken broth and stir fry for 3 minutes
13. Add the vegetable mixture and scallions

The event, “Food Carts: Regulations and Best Practices 2011,” will be held between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. on March 9 at the Central Library auditorium (1015 North Quincy Street). Registration is free.

Among the featured speakers will be District Taco owner Osiris Hoil, who “will share his insight on how he used his food cart business to secure a retail lease in Arlington County.” Representatives from the Arlington’s health department, police department and tax office will also be on hand.

“Are you interested in learning the legal aspects of opening this type of business in Arlington County from local regulators?” Arlington Economic Development asked in its email flier for the event. “During these tough economic times, small businesses throughout the United States are launching food carts at record rates as alternatives to leasing commercial retail space.”

The event is sponsored by BizLaunch and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.   [Source: arlnow.com]

Taste of Arlington is Arlington’s biggest eating event of the year with more than 15,000 attendees.   This is like speed dating for your taste buds with more than 40 of Arlington’s favorite eatiers featured.  Sip spring offerings from Virginia’s vineyards while rocking out to local muscians.  There will also be lively arts and crafts, children’s activities, beer & wine.

The event will be held from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22. Admission is free but tickets are required to sample the food and grog.

Eight advance tickets purchased online cost $20, versus $25 on the day of the event. Food samples cost one ticket, while beer and wine cost two.

Proceeds from the event will benefit several local charities and non-profits.

Flickr pool photo by: David Sachs

Have you ever wished that we had our own Arlington Food Network Channel?  A show that focused on all the things you can’t find on Yelp.com or Zagat?  I’m talking about places that your friends don’t even know about?

Our friends over at  Arlington Virginia Network (AVN) have you covered.    Food For Thought  is Arlington’s very own Emmy nominated show that  showcases “the places you love, the diverse food in our area, and why you should see what’s in your neighborhood. ”  You can expect to see these videos pop up here on arlingtonEATS.org  just as fast as they crank ‘em out.

Check out Margarets Soul Food and let us know what you think of her cooking and AVN’s videos!

MAKE AHEAD:   The casserole can be assembled 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

6 servings

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use 2 1/2 tablespoons of the ras el hanout to coat the chicken breast halves on both sides; place on a plate and cover loosely while you prepare the casserole.

Spread 1/2 cup of the crushed tomatoes on the bottom of a heavy-bottomed 5-quart casserole or Dutch oven.

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Add the oil and toss to coat evenly, then distribute the coated couscous evenly over the tomatoes in the casserole.

Combine the remaining crushed tomatoes, the broth, garlic, onion, sweet potato, chickpeas and the remaining tablespoon of ras el hanout in a separate heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from the heat; add the apricots, raisins and zucchini, stirring to incorporate.

Use a slotted spoon to distribute the vegetable-fruit mixture over the couscous, then pour the liquid from the pot over the mixture. Arrange the spiced chicken breast halves on top so their pointed ends touch at the center (like the spokes of a wheel).

Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes, covered, before serving.

To serve, drizzle the chicken with oil and garnish with the chopped parsley or chives.

NOTE: To make the ras el hanout (3 1/2 tablespoons), combine the following ingredients in a small bowl: 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; mix well. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Arlington is where we live, work, and EAT.  It is quickly becoming a food lovers paradise.

We are Arlovores, food advocates of all things local, sustainable, tasty, and fun.

• Independent restaurants
• Local recipes
• Farmers
• Sustainable eating
• Foodie photography

Stick with us and you will gain a perspective and inside tip that can’t be found elsewhere. Read along, connect with your food and the cultures in our community, try new recipes and restaurants in Arlington.

DISCLAIMER:   arlingtonEATS.org cooks with reckless abondon and, on occasion, total disregard for caloric intake.