pesto fish, late summer fruits bento

Happy Friday, bento pals!It seems like many of us are enjoying bento this week as a way of giving leftovers new vitality and pizazz. Definitely my approach to today's lunch...

A dinner of orange roughy baked with olive oil, basil pesto, capers and a thick topping of sauteed red onions, yellow bell pepper and tasty fennel is jazzed up here with a fresh mozzarella and orange tomato skewer. Fresh oregano, romaine and snow pea tops share this hand-painted bento box along with sweet white peach slices and ripe raspberries.

We have had a series of gentle, breezy-bright days that look set to continue into the weekend. Tall trees in our backyard are quietly musical in the wind and crickets, cicadas and squirrels join in with their own sounds and songs...

The farmer's market has started to shift, ever so gradually, to include autumnal items like squash and apples, but we are still enjoying tomatoes and peaches more than any year I can remember...I think bento has something to do with that! Do you also find that bento has made you more appreciative and aware of the season's changing and beautiful bounty?  

Have a fun and relaxing weekend!

 

                                    

salmon cakes and white peach bento, upcoming csn review

Today's lunch was simple and bright: salmon cakes with corn and scallion, crisp romaine lettuce, yellow peppers and little goat-cheese-mint flower hearts. Sharing the bento: a mixed grain pilaf (Trader Joe's Harvest Grain mix with couscous, barley, and baby garbanzo beans) cooked with mushroom bouillon and topped with orange baby tomatoes. A perfect white peach, ripening since the Saturday market was summery sweet with baby green grapes.

A cute pink crochet doily is a sweet touch shared by a wonderful bento friend, thanks so much you know who!

 I'm excited--CSN Stores has asked me to do a product review for them! This retailer features over 200 online stores under their umbrella with an enormous selection of cooking items to choose from...dutch ovens and elegant casseroles, even cute animal-shaped cutters and much more! Choosing should be a fun challenge...

This regal kitty seems to be enjoying the mellow, sunny weather as much as we are today:

weekend explorations

This weekend included a visit to a nearby winery on Saturday and a really delicious Szechuan lunch on Sunday, visits to two contrasting aspects of our area which so happily includes agriculture along with great diversity...

Came home from the Saturday farmer's market with the ripe-sweet baby tomatoes above (in a handcrafted lapis lazuli bowl brought back from Kandahar by Jamison) and some larger heirloom tomatoes for our weekly BLT ritual, along with peaches, snow pea tops and interesting onion blossoms. This kitty also found them intriguing!

Saturday was glorious and fresh, perfect for a drive to Chrysalis Winery in Loudoun County, less than an hour away. This vineyard has made a specialty of wines made with the American Norton grape...

I enjoyed meandering through the well-tended grapes, ripe and bursting with sweet flavor

The winery is about to open its own dairy where it will make cheeses to compliment its unique wines, an exciting idea...

Today was misty and overcast after a night of much-needed rain. We went to TemptAsian in Annandale for a stellar meal of contrasting, fresh flavors. Eggplant before its ginger-sesame dressing...

 

and after:

 

Beef with bitter melon and black beans was awesome!

 

chicken, ginger and scallion dumplings...

and my total obsession, cilantro scallion fish rolls...

Next stop, the Korean-Parisian bakery cafe Matin de Paris for iced coffee and ginger tea. This pastry had my name on it, literally:

Nom...

Monday's bento features treats from our Szechuan meal, extended a bit by combining soba noodles with the sesame-ginger sauce. The savory eggplant and beef with bitter melon should be tasty with snow pea tops and farmer's market grapes...and fresh figs with pistachios.

Have a great week, friends!