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Sunday, October 3, 2010

libra bento


Hi bento pals, hope your weekend was relaxing and fun! The Saturday farmer's market felt particularly interesting and well-rounded with a richer array of autumn treats, the cool bright air bracing and delicately balanced between warm and cool, summer and winter like the sign of Libra we are currently moving through (Happy Birthday Carolyn and other Libra bentoists!)...

With notions for a Libra astro-bento on my mind, it seemed perfect timing that hubby suggested that we make a bento together using ingredients we'd selected at the farmer's market (Libra being the sign of partnerships and creative collaborations). Many fresh market treats ended up in our jointly made Libra bento including these delicate, vibrant grapes from Reid Orchards:
Exciting to see many varieties of heirloom apples and pears at the market...it is really fall!
vibrant fresh greens...I love mizuna
and a last taste of summer...
a lovely patch of morning glories just beyond the main market area:
We brought home a romantic dahlia bouquet...I've been waiting expectantly for these lush autumn beauties to appear at the market for the last few weeks:
Breakfast with smoked trout, tapenade, chevre from Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Company and yummy farmer's market radishes and tomatoes...
In A Taste of Astrology, my go-to astrological cookbook, author Lucy Ash describes a "sweet and fragrant" collection of Venus-ruled Libran foods to include pears, grapes, figs, cherries, game, peaches, almonds, coriander, cinnamon, celery, roses, legumes and apples.

Hubby and I managed to include many of them in our jointly produced bento (which was quite fun to put together this afternoon)! For his two bento sections, Jamison broiled a delicious buffalo tenderloin medallion from Cibola Farms and arranged it with an heirloom tomato and celery, and also made some yummy market lima beans (aka "butter beans") paired with cinnamon and coriander.
My little green salad features baby greens from Wisteria Gardens with tiny figs and grapes from the market:
A pretty image of the baby greens and October fruits salad taken by Jamison:
and another nice capture by Jamison--of his market "butter beans" with cinnamon and coriander:
the buffalo was excellent...
for the first time in ages, I made spaghetti squash and remembered how really good it is (sure to appear again in upcoming fall bentos)! Here it is blended with some Reggiano Parmesan and goat cheese, topped with cute yellow market tomatoes...
We shared the fruits of our "bento for two" efforts with a subtle fig and plum accented Cabernet Sauvignon from Poets Row, Sonoma County--delish with the soft but deep autumn flavors here.

Have a lovely week ahead and happy cooking, friends!


30 comments:

Jenn and Jac @ sketch-free eating said...

Ohmy!! How cute. Beautiful bento box:)

Bentobird said...

Many thanks J&J, I love your blog :D!

megan said...

what a stunning meal - seems like you and jamison have a wonderfully romantic and creative partnership. i love the use of the shokado-style box with the beautiful and unique dishes inside; perfectly compliments each brilliant, seasonal culinary creation!

Bentobird said...

many thanks for your lovely comments, megan! this was the first outing for the large-size shokado box, was lots of fun to fill it with a "joint production" bento :D

wishing you a really great week ahead!

Debra said...

The dahlias are in full display in our area too! Striking and elegant.
Your box is exquisite! Lovely interpretation of shokado-style lunch.

Emily Ng said...

Oh...'speechless'...my eyes are busy looking at those pretty photos and the beautiful bento. You are my 'super star'!!! ^.^

tata | bonitafood said...

The Libra bentoists must be very thrilled with this Libra bento present that looks heavenly beautiful in color and arrangement. This bento looks like a King's meal :D. Really love that fancy fan!

OhayoBento said...

Wow, I opened this post and that photo of your bento literally took my breath away. I am truly in awe of your artistic ability. Fantastic!

The Church Cook said...

OK, you are making me hungry, again! So beautiful!

Bentobird said...

hi Debra, ah glad you are enjoying regal dahlias too...they really are a special treat as we transition more fully into autumn. thanks for your great comments!

Bentobird said...

Emily you are so sweet! *blushing* hope to do some cute bentos inspired by yours soon...

Bentobird said...

hi Ta! thanks, dear for such great comments! the fan was a b-gift from a wonderful friend and the minute I saw it I thought making it part of a Libra bento...and here it is!

Bentobird said...

wow, that's quite a compliment OhayoBento, I'm soooo pleased you liked this one! have an excellent Monday!

Bentobird said...

hi Kay, thanks so much! I need to visit your beautiful blog and be made hungry in turn ;)

Angeleyes said...

Jenn, it is always a pleasure looking at your posts! They are always filled with beautiful and bright photos that feed the eyes!

Now I am hungry after looking (fed the eyes) and need to feed my tummy! :P

Kelly Polizzi said...

Wow stunning photos. Thank you for sharing. I am a new follower. I hope you can stop by and visit some time. http://kpolizzi.blogspot.com/

Kaimono888 said...

I really love this colorful post! You really have full of beautiful creations/themes for your bento ~ Awesome ^.~ Hmmm, just wondering do you have a garden full of flowers, vegetables & fruit :P

KidsDreamWork said...

There is only one thing that I can say about the bento, breathtakingly beautiful!!! Love it!

Bentobird said...

Angeleyes, your comments make sharing bentos such a joy, thank you!

Bentobird said...

Hi Kelly, thank you and welcome! I look forward to visiting your blog :D!

Bentobird said...

Hi Kaimono888, so kind you are! I've been relying on our farmer's market for bento color...but the rose came from my garden :) Hope you are enjoying a GREAT week my friend.

Bentobird said...

Dear Ai Ping, thanks for the big smile your comment brought to my face, happy bentoing :D!

Sonoma Bento said...

Wow Jenn! This is not just a beautiful Libra lunch, but it's pretty flippin romantic, too! *blush* Making a bento together with your hubby, and it has figs in it, and spices like cinnamon and coriander, plus Sonoma County Cab!? Hubba, hubba. :)

Bentobird said...

Tee hee, great comment M! Yep, good food and wine bring so much joy to life, esp. shared with your one and only...and hooray for such delish Sonoma County Cabs!

Anonymous said...

How lovely that you got to make this bento together! :)) I love its brilliance and am really curious about the spaghetti squash... Do you have a link to the recipe?

Also, how do you keep your dahlias alive for more than 2 days? :-o Somehow they always die on me!

Bentobird said...

hi gnoegnoe, so kind these lovely comments!

I baked a whole spag squash in a hot oven @375 until it was tender when poked with a knife. next, cut in half and when cool enough to handle, separate out seeds and carefully remove the golden strands of squash and place in bowl.

add about a tablespoon of pure butter, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and then grated reggiano and crumbled goat cheese to taste...blend and enjoy! golden baby tomatoes make a nice addition.

Dahlias only have two days max for me...so they are a seasonal celebratory splurge, fleeting but so worth it...in fact I'll probably get another bunch at the market this weekend!

tinyskillet said...

Jenn, sorry so late to comment and actually I'm at work, (but it's after hours, the kids are gone for the day so I'm off the clock). When I open your blog it always takes me so long to take everything in, so I like to read your posts when I can take some time to really enjoy them.

I love that the two of you worked together to create this. Again I am loving all the colors, and the beautiful dishes that you use in this box. I am on the lookout for such cute dishes when I shop now! Are those concord grapes? I was able to pick some up this year it always reminds me of my childhood...squirting the tart eyeballs into your mouth and chewing the sweet, then bitter skins. I will post a few new things we tried at our farmer's market, nothing too exciting yet!

Cheers! Have a great day!

Bentobird said...

Lyndsey dear I'm touched that you find my posts something to take in with care and attention! That is really flattering :)! This was a fun experiment and I'm glad we worked together to come up with this bento...Jamison is becoming a more skilled and adventurous cook all the time so I'm expecting more collaborations in the future!

Loved your poetic description of concord grapes, that's what there were. So....happy TGIF my pal, thanks so much for your lovely visit!

cherry bento said...

I cant believe I missed this one! A very inspiring Libra bento with delightful presentation once again. A beautiful blog entry overall!

Bentobird said...

hi cherry bento! thanks so much, your supportive comments are always a joy to read!