Lunch at Industrial EATS

What a fantastic summer it has been so far! I can't get over the balmy California weather, long light evenings, and the thought of all the warm summer weekend getaways ahead. Do you have any fun plans or vacations for summer? Stuart and I have a series of trips planned, including a bridal shower, baby shower, wedding, family weekends, and the list goes on. I'll be sure to get full reports out to you, in between all the ooo-ing, ahh-ing, and dancing ahead!!

Last weekend, we met up with my mother in law Karen for a belated birthday celebration. Since she lives in the Santa Barbara area and we are here in SLO, we decided to conveniently meet in the middle in the town of Buellton. I feel like the area isn't very well known, but along with being the home of the famous "Andersen's Pea Soup" restaurant, Buellton in home to many winery tasting rooms and a couple great places to grab a bite.

We had lunch at Industrial Eats, a little gem of a restaurant that offers amazing cheese plates along with a full menu of housemade pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. It has a casual, picnic-y vibe but has also paid a good attention to detail in the way their wares are displayed, such as a butcher-paper menu, cute little glass cake stands, and homey blue-and-white bowls piled with fresh fruit. A great stop if you are driving through and find yourself needed a meal in the Buellton area!

 

 

Salad of beets, fava, walnut oil, and goat cheese

 

Smoked turkey sandwich with basil mayo

 

Pizza with tomato, fennel sausage, and mozzarella 

 

 

Not sure when we'll be back, but next time I want the cheese plate! Yum. 

Homemade Veggie Burgers

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I am writing to you after a lovely refreshing day spent in Yosemite National Park on Thursday. Since the end of June marks my and Stuart's 2-year wedding anniversary, we decided on the spur of the moment to re-visit the location where we got engaged four years ago in 2010. We had just enough time to get away for a day in between his final grad school projects and start of his summer internship. It was amazing to spend the day amid giant sequoias and waterfalls, and to see the place where we got engaged, which had been covered in snow at the time of our engagement. As you can see in the photo below, this time it was green and beautiful! (Special thanks to the little boy who I accosted to take our photo and took about 7 of them).

In honor of summer greenery, I wanted to share a favorite recipe that I have been keeping under wraps for FAR too long now: homemade veggie burgers! If the words "veggie burgers" makes you want to wrinkle up your nose with a skeptical look on your face, please reconsider. You are probably thinking of the bland, frozen veggie patties the likes of which unlucky vegetarians are consigned to at summer barbeques. These are not those burgers. The homemade patties are full of texture and flavor, while toppings can include smoky roasted bell peppers and big hunks of crumbly feta cheese. As usual, need I say more?

 

 Plus, sweet potato fries. Of course.  

 

 

Just give everything a good stir... 

 

Get your hands messy and shape into a patty...

 

And grill in a skillet until nice and warm.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
4  hamburger buns, toasted

For Topping:
plain yogurt
crumbled feta cheese
sliced red bell pepper (I like to roast mine in olive oil for 5-10 minutes)
sliced red onion

Directions:
1. In medium bowl combine oil, garlic, oregano, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir in stuffing mix to coat thoroughly. Stir in eggs, spinach (making sure as much water as possible is squeezed out), and feta cheese; mix well. Shape into 4 patties.

2. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook 3-4 minutes per side, until browned.  Serve with desired toppings. I also enjoy mine with a side of Trader Joe's sweet potato fries!

Feta and Chive Biscuits

So I've been slacking again on the blog front, and I have what I believe is another good excuse -- Stuart and I just moved! It was just a move across town here in San Luis Obispo, from one apartment to another. But regardless of where you move to, all that packing somehow adds up to hard work! After about 10 car loads to the new place, a few trips with a borrowed pickup truck, and some lifting assistance from my father-in-law Simon, we are all settled in to our new place. The perks to moving apartments after only nine months? We now have a nice big kitchen with even more counter space than ever before!

I christened the new kitchen this week by baking a batch of these delicious strawberry biscuits and smothering them in additional strawberries and homemade whipped cream. But if you're in the mood for savory biscuits, this Feta and Chive recipe from Joy the Baker is a winner as well. They are full of flavor from the paprika and texture from the crumbly feta, and go perfectly as a side to almost any meal. Who can resist a buttered biscuit, hot from the oven?! Not this girl.

 

 

I am looking forward to many more meals cooked in the new kitchen -- hope you enjoy these!! 

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons cold water
3/4 cup sour cream, cold
1/3 cup chopped chives
3/4 cup crumbles of feta cheese
1 egg white (for egg wash)
coarse sea salt, cracked black pepper, and smoky paprika for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper.  Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  In another bowl, combine egg, sour cream, and water.  Beat lightly with a fork.  
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring enough to make a soft and shaggy dough.  Add the chives and feta and dump mixture on a clean counter to knead the dough together.  The mixture will come together in about 10 to 15 kneads.
5. Roll or pat out the dough into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into circles using a biscuit cutter or the bottom of a round drinking glass. Reshape and roll dough to create more biscuits with excess scraps.    
6. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheets and brush tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. 
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm. The biscuits are best eaten the day they’re made, but will last up to 2 days.