In the spirit of transparency

I have two intentions for this blog. One is not to post any pictures of my cat. The other is to not make myself seem more productive than I actually am. The other day I claimed boldly that I was setting out to make pesto, maple custard, bake bread, and maybe make vegan caesar dressing. Here's how it actually went down:

I did make the custard that day. It was delicious, though it sort of deflated as it cooled.

It took me another day or two to make the pesto, and then it spent another day or two in the fridge before I got it into jars and into the freezer. 
   
     The recipe went something like this:
A whole lotta' basil - about 2-3 cups of picked leaves, rinsed
3 cloves garlic
2/3 ish cup of raw cashew pieces
juice of 2  lemons
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper
olive oil

I put it everything except the olive oil in the the food processor (actually, I did it in two batches) and pulsed for a few seconds. Then I slowly pored in the oil and watched it all come together. Some pausing and scraping down of sides was necessary. I like my pesto thick for spreading on toast. Feel it out. It's sad to me that you can't can pesto, but you just can't. If you don't believe me, here's an expert telling you "NO!"

CCF toast, a smear of pesto, eggs!

I did not bake bread. I wanted to make another batch of the whole wheat sandwich bread from Alana's cookbook, which 'slices like a dream' exactly as advertised. But I just didn't get around to it. I did, however, get around to the Sheffield Farmer's Market, where I bought a startlingly delicious loaf from my friends at Community Cooperative Farm. Four pieces were eaten immediately with butter and strawberry jam.


I eventually did make vegan Caesar dressing. I made the mistake I often make of buying Silken tofu. I just like the idea of the silky texture, forgetting every time that it adds way too much liquid to the recipe. So I have a big batch of runny dressing. I served it up right away with slices of zucchini and peppers from my garden. Even Ben, who protested at the mere sight of capers, gobbled up the veggies and then had a slurp or two of dressing straight from the bowl.