Snow Pea and Mint Salad

The crispy crunch of snow pea is so satisfying when the weather starts to warm. I buy them by the quart at the farmers’ market- a mix of vivid green and deep, dark purple ones if I'm lucky- popping them in my mouth just from the fridge when I need a refreshing, hydrating snack. As much as I could eat all of them raw, unadulterated, a snap pea salad my sister and her boyfriend brought to our house for a potluck showed me new potential for spring's bounty, that snow peas could taste even better tossed with a handful of ingredients.

Their recipe came via the blog, Kosher Camembert, which made their own riff off of NYC’s Union Square Cafe’s Sugar Snap Pea Salad. I made a few changes to their recipe and quite a few to the original, based on what I had on hand. Snow peas worked as a beautiful substitute for sugar snap pea. Lemony, bright, and minty, this salad is addicting. It is just as good right after tossing together as it is a few days in the fridge as the flavors have had time to mingle and the snap peas to marinate. My only recommendation? Make it with the best snap peas you can find- young and sprightly as later in the season they get tough and stringy.  

Snow Pea and Mint Salad

1 lb. snow peas, ends trimmed
1 small shallot, finely minced
½ lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
⅓ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
salt and pepper, to taste

Blanch snow peas. Prepare an ice bath, filling a bowl with ice and water. Bring medium pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and 1 lb. snow peas. Cook for 20 seconds and immediately remove, plunging into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Make dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, olive oil, mint, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow flavors to meld 10 minutes. Drain snow peas from ice bath and chop three-quarters of them in ½-inch pieces. Toss chopped snow peas with whole snow peas and drizzle with dressing, coating evenly. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately or in a few days. Serves 4-6.

Spring Asparagus Frittata

I thought that once I started a 9-5 job, my schedule would feel easier. As a student, I woke up, went to class all day, and studied all night when I got home. I was preoccupied with school nearly every waking hour, but I still seemed to find time for making dinner, running errands, and even completing a yoga teacher training (!). I felt like there were more hours in a day then than now. How does that even work?

But I think I’m figuring out what it is. Despite me having more hours of free time, energetically speaking, I am a bit frazzled and a bit less focused. In school, I had one purpose- to study. I had a strict list of to-do’s and became an expert at checking them off. Now, I come home and without a clear agenda, my energy just flows everywhere, making it difficult for me to focus, difficult for me to be efficient. As frustrating as it is to feel myself being inefficient, I’m glad that I’m finally figuring out the source of my squandering-the-hours-away attitude. I’m also not saying that it is important that I be maximizing productivity at all times, but I realize that for me, being productive makes me happy. I relish in the feeling that I’ve done something, created something, and grown just a little bit.

So how does all of this relate to my frittata here? With my evenings feeling a bit truncated because of this scattered energy, I’ve struggled getting a well-composed dinner on the table. Avocado toast, fried eggs, clean-out-the-fridge grain bowls have always been my healthy go-to’s for hectic times, but I also wanted something more composed, a dish that felt more purposeful and intentional. Frittatas have been one of my favorite dishes ever since living abroad in Spain where I ate more than my fair share of tortilla española, a Spanish frittata of sorts. Rich with olive oil-sauteed onions and potatoes, and sometimes even zucchini, they were a daily mid-morning habit when my belly would start to grumble around 11am and lunch wasn’t until 2pm.

The beautiful thing about a frittata is that you can throw almost any vegetable in it (and a little cheese if you’re feeling it) and call it a meal. Because it’s spring, I’ve been using asparagus and local feta, sometimes tossing in a handful of cooked broccoli or sauteed chard. It may seem a little intimidating at first-- my #1 worry was that the whole thing would stick to the skillet. To be honest, I did screw up my first one, but not in the way I anticipated. The top seemed beautifully golden and perfectly done, and the whole thing slipped right out of the pan for me- success!--, but the inside was still jiggly, runny egg began to ooze everywhere, causing me to hastily slide it back into the skillet and under the broiler until it firmed up. After another try, I got the timing right, and now, no more undercooked eggs. I promise, if you give this a go, that’s pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you. If your frittata does end up sticking to the pan- which it shouldn’t with my tips- just eat the darn thing out of the skillet.
 

Asparagus and Feta Frittata

2 eggs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
5 asparagus spears, tough ends removed and chopped in 1-inch lengths
¼ cup grated cheese (I used ½ grated extra-sharp cheddar and ½ crumbled feta)
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat broiler on high. Place rack 8-10 inches from the broiler. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a 6-inch cast iron pan. Add asparagus pieces and a sprinkling of salt and saute for 2 minutes or until asparagus are bright green and tender. Remove asparagus from heat.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to same pan and allow to heat over medium-low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs with a pinch of salt and sprinkling of pepper. Add all but a few pieces of asparagus and all but 1 tablespoon of cheese. Mix well. When skillet is hot and oil shimmers, swirl oil to coat bottom and sides of pan well. This will ensure your frittata has a nice golden edge and won't stick to the pan.

Pour egg mixture into skillet and gently distribute vegetables evenly. Sprinkle with reserved asparagus pieces and cheese. Allow to cook on stovetop for about 1 minute over medium-low heat. Place skillet under broiler and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes or until puffed and golden on the sides. To check for doneness, press the top of frittata just at the center. It should be firm with a slight give. There will be some carryover cooking after removing from the oven, so keep that in mind. If it gives too much, leave under broiler for another minute. Sometimes, I poke a few holes in the center with a fork and tilt the pan, letting the runny egg ooze out to the top so that it cooks faster.

To remove from skillet, place a plate or cutting board on top of pan. Invert skillet and cutting board. Frittata will release from the pan upside down, so gently flip right side up to serve. If you find the eggs are not quite ready after flipping, just slide the frittata back into the skillet and return to the oven until done. You'll get better with the timing each go-around. Allow the frittata to rest a few minutes before cutting into to allow it to settle. Enjoy! Serves 1.

Honeymoon: Part I

Lots has happened since we last spoke. Lots of good things that is. Like really wonderful things. First of all, we got married! It was filled with more love and happiness than I could have imagined. Friends, family, dancing, and lots of happy tears were all part of it. We do not have the official photos yet, but we have been reliving the whole experience through photos of family and friends. I will go into more detail on the wedding in a whole separate post. Just so much to share!

Then, we went on our honeymoon! In all honesty, I was conflicted about going on our honeymoon right away. I knew I wanted somewhere warm, and for late April and early May, that narrowed down our options. I also thought it would be nice to have a staycation and not worry about planning a honeymoon in the midst of planning of wedding. But I am so glad I was convinced otherwise. We got to treat it as something different from a vacation, still riding high from the giddiness of the special weekend. We are not exactly the lovey-dovey type, but we made sure we told as many people as we could it was our honeymoon. I don’t know what sort of reaction I was expecting from people when we told them, but I was surprised at the reactions we consistently got- pure joy....except for our flight attendant but that's another story. Other than her, everyone- male, female, old, young-  was genuinely excited for us. A smile would spread across their faces and their demeanor would change to be more accommodating, more caring, more loving. It was surprising and really, really sweet. If only I could bottle all of that positive energy up and keep it for all of the days of our marriage.

Our honeymoon. How did we decide where we were going? Honestly, process of elimination. We’re not the real lounge-on-the-beach-forever type of people, so that ruled out many places. We only had 10 days (including travel), so we didn’t want to waste it on a plane getting halfway around the world. Although I wouldn't mind a trip to Bali one day. Like I mentioned before, I was in no desire of being cold, but I did not want to be sweltering either- especially if I was not near the pool. We don’t have money growing on our backyard trees, so lavish living was out of the question, but we wanted to be comfortable. We also wanted to embark on this new stage of our lives by sharing an experience together, so we wanted to go someplace where neither of us had been. Oh, and the cuisine had to be interesting and desirable- obviously.

So where did we go?! Portugal and Morocco! Or more specifically, Lisbon and Marrakech. We would have loved to venture to other parts of the countries and probably would have if we weren’t honeymooning, but we wanted to allow some time for rest and relaxation and general husband and wife hangout time.

Most of the planning was done in the weeks leading up to the wedding using suggestions from different websites like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Saveur Magazine, other blogs, and TripAdvisor. I also usually go for the Lonely Planet Pocket guides to tote around with me if I need a little info about a sight or need some general info (like tipping protocol, museum and site hours, transportation guidance). It can be a lengthy process because if you’re like me, you want to make the most of your trip because who knows when you’ll get to visit again?! I personally love this process, and I am fortunate that my husband trusts whatever plans I make. Too many cooks in the kitchen can make planning and committing to places a bit stressful if you know what I mean.

I did take my nice DSLR camera with me, hoping to capture all of the loveliness of Portugal and Morocco, but it was sadly underused. Not only did I grow tired after just one day of carrying it, but I realized that shooting food is a lot different than shooting landscapes. Basically, I have some learning to do in that department. The phone camera was easy to tuck away and pull out and keep safe from any pickpockets. Speaking of which, we felt very safe in both Lisbon and Marrakech even late at night, but like any big city with lots of tourists, pickpockets are rampant. Just use common sense, and everything will be fine!

I was going to do this in just one post, but I’m breaking it down in two parts, so stay tuned for Part II!

Part I: Lisbon, Portugal

I thought I would include some of the highlights- in no particular order- in case you plan to venture to either of these places. It just may save you hours of parsing through reviews and pictures on other sites.

Accommodation

Casa Amora Guesthouse: Like a bed and breakfast, but better. I think I saw photos of their breakfasts on TripAdvisor, and I was sold. But really, everyone at Casa Amora is so friendly and accommodating and the rooms are bright and clean. We showed up late afternoon and were greeted with a glass of port, homemade pastries, local cheese, and a frittata. I knew I had picked wisely. They are eager to give advice and go out of their way to make you comfortable. It is tucked slightly away from the main sights, but we loved how quiet it was because of that. The patio where you eat breakfast is beautiful- like a little secret garden. I want to eat breakfast on a patio like that everyday when I grow up.

Experiences

Journey In Food and Wine Tour: It is sort of tradition for us to take a food tour whenever we are visiting a foreign country, and this one was spectacular. Our tour guide is a real pro, not just about food but about history, so while you walk and eat and walk and eat, he fills you in on all of the nitty-gritty that you should have read about but didn’t. We were worried that by not going to Porto during this trip we would miss the wine and port experience, but this tour gave some ample vinho verde and port wine tasting. We even got to experience the melancholy fado during one of the stops. Two highlights were knocking on a local’s window for a glass of her homemade ginjinha (a cherry liquor) and stopping at a Mozambican restaurant for some bites. And that’s where I learned that Mozambique was once a Portuguese colony...who knew?

Journey In Sintra, Cascais, and Cabo da Roca Tour: We almost didn’t do this day trip because we thought we would see a few more sights in Lisbon, but we are so glad we ventured out of the city. This tour allowed us to see more than we ever could have had we tried to plan the visit ourselves with coordinating transportation, tickets, etc. Plus, we had a really knowledgeable tour guide who answered all of our questions- history related and current events related. Sintra is a picturesque town with large, beautiful homes and quite a number of palaces, big and small. The Pena Palace, which my husband was convinced was depicted in a Disney movie, was whimsical and bright. It is located in a beautiful park with mini lakes, all sorts of flora, and if we hadn’t already had lunch plans, would have made a perfect picnicking spot. We then headed to Cabo da Roca- the westernmost point of continental Europe, and it was stunning. It reminded me of the grassy high cliffs of northern California, like near Point Reyes. Sigh. I want to go back there. The water is the most fantastic blue and the horizon just fades out. We lunched at a little place that gets the freshest seafood from right off the coast, so you never quite know what fish you’re going to get until you show up. Served with lots of “punched potatoes,” as they called them, and lots of Portuguese olive oil, it hit the spot. They dehead, debone, and fillet the whole thing right in front of you. We drove through Cascais, a real resorty sort of place right on the beach before heading back to Lisbon.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos: An epic building with beautiful architecture. The entry fee is a bit steep, but one of the highlights was a room featuring a historical timeline that synched the happenings of the world with that of Portugal and Lisbon. Putting local history in a larger historical context made it so much easier to appreciate!

Museu Coleção Berardo: I have a low threshold for a lot of contemporary and modern art, especially when it’s right before lunch time, but it’s hard to turn down a free museum. Right near the Tower or Belem, the monastery, and the home of the pastel de nata (see below), it is a worthwhile stop. I was pleasantly surprised by how expansive it was, and the collection only seems to be getting bigger.

Castelo de San Jorge: So we tried to go to this castle, but it was closed for Portuguese labor day. Like everyone else who didn't realize that May 1st is labor day in Portugal, we ambled about the streets nearby, which for me, was quite lovely. But of course, I wouldn’t have minded seeing what this whole 11th century Moorish castle was all about.

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian: I really wanted to check out this art museum, but again, labor day fail. The ponds and gardens around the museum are so beautiful and you can see lots of local families picnicking here and feeding the ducks. It was nice to get out of the hub-bub of the city in the quaint gardens here.

Bairro Alto: More of a neighborhood riddled with local bars, cafes, and shops. Perfect for getting lost in the labyrinthine streets. It comes alive at night.

Food

TimeOut Mercado da Ribeira: A modern and delicious twist on the food court. Part of the old food market was recently converted into a beautiful and clean market where you can get just about any Portuguese dish you want, and then some international dishes if you are craving something other than cured meat, sheep’s milk cheese, octopus, salt cod, and rice. It is a beautiful space, and unfortunately we had just eaten lunch by the time we arrived, so we did not get to indulge in all of the goodies. I did buy some great gifts at the little gift store pop-up there.

LX Factory: I thought when we left Philadelphia, we left hipster behind, but then we stumbled upon LX Factory. It is apparently the hip place to be. Weird art, trendy shops, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, and home of the BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I have ever eaten. At Landeau Chocolate. Really. I need to get that recipe. And they serve it with a nicely paired glass of port. Exactly. The whole thing is perfection. We initially got two forks because we were going to do the cute honeymoon thing and split the piece, but after one bite, I told my husband that he would have to either get his own slice or not have any at all because the piece was mine. He knew the look in my eye and conceded. I should have known it was going to be good because that is they only thing they sell. Well, slices of that chocolate cake and things that go with that chocolate cake- like coffee and port. It was like a fluffy chocolate truffle and a dense, dark chocolate cake had a baby, a beautiful rich chocolate baby. There are lots of other things going on at LX Factory, but that chocolate cake made the whole world around me stop.

Clube de Journalistas: We looked like two haggard travelers by the time we made it here (lots of missed turns and maps without street names are to blame), but I think the restaurant took pity on us and accommodated us, and we are forever grateful. They even gave us a glass of champagne that almost seemed to say, relax, “We’re going to take care of you here.” Little did we know that reservations made well in advance are highly recommended. Next time I would certainly try to make myself a little more presentable because I was the only one wearing Toms and a t-shirt. The service is top-notch and the food incredible. It is a fancier restaurant, but the food is all approachable and comforting. The only semblance of hoity-toity in the food here was little amuse bouche of corn foam. Homemade breads and spreads landed on our table to start. We shared the best risotto we’ve ever tasted with asparagus and black pork sausage (these pigs eat acorns and are free-range). I had sauteed baby squid in a delicate broth followed by the octopus with a rich sweet potato puree. Vinho verde was flowing. The dessert was epic, because at this point they had found out it was our honeymoon. A platter, about the size of our table came out with 8 different desserts, some small, some large, and all delicious. And then, the best part. The chef came out to greet us. We chatted for a while before he ducked back into his wine cellar and gave us an aged bottle of wine for which we could remember our visit to Lisbon. He didn’t seem to care that we were way underdressed, just that we were enjoying ourselves and that we were going to have a good marriage. Cheers to that!

Pasteis de Belem: The original place where the famous pastel de nata, the famous Portuguese custard tart, was made. Actually, it was made by 18th century Catholic monks of the nearby Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, but this is where the original recipe is now recreated thousands of times a day. I am not usually a fan of super eggy fillings, but these tarts have something special going on. I think it’s the extra crispy tart shell and the loads of cinnamon that goes on it. Anyway, I recommend spending a euro here, dusting it with cinnamon and sugar if you like, and then venturing across town to compare their pastel de nata to a newer one at Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata. Apparently hundreds of Lisbon bakeries compete in the annual pastel de nata competition to see whose pastry is the best for that year, and the Pasteis de Belem always refuses to participate because they know they are numero uno. I wished I walked around with that sort of confidence.

Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata: Because you ought to run your own little competition and see which pastel de nata you really like. Compared to Pasteis de Belem which makes several other types of sweet and savory goodies, they only make the pastel de nata here. It’s fun to watch the experts work while you eat your warm pastel de nata at the counter. Henry Ford would be proud of their assembly line. I personally had trouble picking a favorite, but I was surprised at just how different the two pasteles were.

Caffe Lisboa: Next door to the Michelin-starred restaurant, Belcanto, and by the same chef Jose Avillez, Caffe Lisboa serves slightly upscale Portuguese food. Think sheep's milk cheese, croquettes, fahrinhiera (a softer sausage mixed with flour), Bras Style cod (salt cod with eggs and olives), cod with tomato rice, and octopus with potatoes. Attentive service and delicious food. Good substitute for the Michelin starred place your wallet did not want you to make reservations for. If you’re lucky, score a spot outside in the quaint little plaza.

Gin Lovers Principe Reale: This is located in a beautiful unique shopping center, and their gin-based mixed drink offerings are quite extensive. Their menu includes gins from all over the world. My husband was quite impressed with the quality of drinks given we didn’t think the cocktail boom was as pervasive in Portugal as it is in the United States. It also features the Portuguese gin, Nao, in many of its concoctions, which has been aged for 3 months in Port wine barrels. Neato. It was flush with locals and seems to be a place for the well-to-do to socialize after work.

There are so many quaint spots to check out while wandering the streets. If you are not sure if the food is good and authentic, look for where more locals outnumber tourists. It is not always the most glamorous, but certainly delicious. That’s how we found some real restaurant gems that aren’t even google-able now.

The Lisbon people were incredibly friendly and so welcoming. Although we both studied Spanish in college, Portuguese has a whole other ring to it. We were able to decipher a lot of the written language since it was similar to Spanish, but the spoken language is really another animal. Luckily, most Portuguese people, if not all that we interacted with, understand and speak English. That said, a smile can go a really long way.

Spring Goddess Bowl

Someone stole spring, and I want it back. I have been awaiting that glorious moment when I can unburden my coat rack of winter coats and scarves and tuck away my gloves and boots. Just when I thought we were almost there, the mercury falls and the wind gives a raucous helloooooo. Sigh. I wish I had a spring dance of sorts, you know, to call upon those warmer temperatures and get them to linger for just a little longer, but I think any type of dancing of mine just may scare spring away. Again.

Despite these cooler temperatures, I am loving what I am finding at the farmers' markets right now -zippy radishes, tender, earthy greens, eggs from happy spring chickens, and tangy cheeses and yogurt from sprightly goats. When the ingredients, especially vegetables, are at their peak, so fresh and bright, I like celebrating them in simple preparations, and sometimes a few different ways in the same dish- cooked and raw, pickled and sauteed, roasted and blanched, pureed and left whole. In this recipe, sauteed red radishes are topped with raw, julienned watermelon radishes. You may have never sauteed a radish before, but I promise you, you'll never see a radish the same way once you do. Heated with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, the harsh radish mellows with just a teensy sweetness while still staying crisp and light.

This spring bowl came together one evening when a foodie friend of mine and I decided to meld minds...and pantries and fridges. (Side note: This foodie friend is also an amazing photographer...who just so happens to be shooting our wedding in just over two weeks and who shot our engagement photos!!!). We had both been in a bit of a recipe funk, so we decided to make it interesting by each contributing two different ingredients to the mix and then coming up with a dish. I chose radishes and beluga lentils, and she chose avocado and black rice (side note: I used a short-grain brown rice when I re-made the recipe, but black rice is both beautiful and delicious if you have never had it). We made things up as we went, tasting here and there for any additions to make it all really sing. I had some spring chickweed, a dainty and slightly bitter green, and fresh mint in my fridge, and we assembled a bright lemon and olive oil dressing to drizzle over top of everything. It really does taste as good as it looks. It was so good, in fact, I made it again after restocking my radish supply.

Like most bowl recipes, this is a template. The amounts of each component will vary depending on your preferences, but the ingredient combo here is spot-on. If you are craving a little more crunch, go ahead and toss in some toasted nuts or seeds. Feta or a tangy goat cheese will be beautiful on here as will a hard-boiled egg if you want to make it even more robust. Either way, this bowl is fit for a spring goddess- or god!

Spring Goddess Bowl

1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup beluga lentils
1 small bunch of radishes (about 6-7 radishes), greens removed (or a mix of red and watermelon radishes)
1 avocado, sliced
2 handfuls of greens (examples are chickweed, arugula, mache, or even sprouts!)
a few mint leaves, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for sauteeing radishes
fancy salt, to taste...also known as Himalayan salt or flaky sea salt;)

Cook rice. Bring water to a boil. Add rice, return to boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot and cook 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of cooked rice for the bowl, and save the rest for another meal.

Cook lentils. Add lentils to pot and cover with water by 1-2 inches. Heat water to boiling, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 15-18 minutes or until tender. Test often to check doneness- you want a slight bite, but no mushiness. Drain and set aside.

Prepare radishes. Reserve one radish for raw garnish. Cut the remaining radishes into small wedges for sauteing. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add radishes, sprinkle generously with salt, and saute about 5-8 minutes, stirring often. Remove radishes when just golden brown on both sides and tender.

Thinly slice reserved radish (or use watermelon radish here) and then julienne slices for the raw radish garnish.

Make dressing. In small bowl, whisk together minced garlic, zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and salt to taste.

Assemble bowls. Divide rice, lentils, sauteed radishes, and greens among two bowls. Top each with 1/2 of avocado, garnish with raw radish and mint, and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette. I like to finish mine with a sprinkling of fancy salt or whatever salt I have on hand. Enjoy! Makes 2 servings.   

Spring Tea Party Bites + My Bridal Shower

My whole heart is so full, it is just about to burst. I am getting married in almost a month, and some of my favorite people got together this weekend to help me celebrate with my bridal shower. We had the BEST time. I will preface this by saying one of my favorite things to do is going to high tea. Hoity-toity it may be, but I relish in the excuse to get all dolled up, sip tea with our pinkies (awkwardly) raised, and nibble on dainty sweet and savory bites with people who just make me smile. I am not one of those people who had ever imagined what my wedding dress would look like or the type of wedding cake I would have, but I knew that I wanted a tea party to make an appearance somewhere in the wedding planning process. 

I was all set to gather around with my close friends and family for tea and bridal shower games, until I stumbled upon Maddie from Madalynne Studios on Instagram. Maddie, a seamstress extraordinaire (among many other awesome things), makes beautiful sporty, modern lingerie and hosts day-long sewing and bra-making workshops which attract people from all over the country. I reached out, asking her about hosting a little sewing workshop in her beautiful studio space for my bridal shower. I was thrilled when she said yes. The plan was that we would all bring homemade tea-party bites, sip tea, and learn to sew something. She had the idea of doing a little "Panty Party" in which we would all sew cute panties while we mingled around. 

The most fantastic thing was that none of us had any real sewing machine experience, and ALL of us made a pair of fancy underpants by the end of the shower. They were bright red, high-waisted in the best possible way, and incredibly comfortable. Maddie warned us that we would all be wearing them by the end of the event, and right she was! Maddie was the perfect hostess and instructor. She was patient with the more perfectionist types and easy-going with those who got a little distracted with the delicious treats we all made. She also was a master troubleshooter when I got myself into a sewing hole...which happened quite a few times. As an added DIY, I brought materials for simple hand-sewn heart-shaped tea bags that looked beautiful floating in their tea cups. 

I must give a huge shout-out to all of my friends and family who brought the most beautiful and delicious tea party treats. We hardly had enough table space for all of the goodies! My Mom and little sister made super-cute avocado and egg sandwiches on pumpernickel, miso-yogurt and radish toasts, and cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. My bridesmaids and friends made savory frittatas, brie-stuffed puff pasty nibbles, chocolate and red wine strawberry cakes, mini lemon cupcakes, and cookies galore. My future sister-in-law brought the juiciest strawberries from Carlos Bakery, and my future mother-in-law brought tasty Filipino empanadas fresh from the bakery. The photos below do these treats more justice than any words, so take a look for yourself. Maddie snapped the gorgeous event photos in between wearing her sewing teacher hat.

Food and tea aside, It was so special for me to have many of the important, supportive, and loving women in my life all together for the afternoon. Many of them come from different periods in my life, so to have that shared sewing experience was just the cherry on top. I cannot wait to have them all together again in just 32 days when I walk down the aisle (!).

As many times as I was told I should not have to do anything for my shower, I could not resist. I love making things look beautiful, and that most certainly means I wanted to make some beautiful food. Nothing fancy, but something certainly bright, fresh, and oh-so-spring. I made four types of tea nibbles leading up to the event as practice and loved them all!

• Egg and Avocado Salad with Radish on Whole Grain
• Roasted Beet and Tahini with Lemon and Dill on Pumpkernickel
• Cucumber with Edamame Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat
• Curried Chickpea Radicchio Cups

I could not even name a favorite for you- they work so well together. I ultimately decided to take just two of them to the shower given the amount of food others were bringing, and I am glad I did because there was not a smidgen of space left on the tables... or in anyone's bellies!

Without further ado, here they are!

Egg and Avocado Salad with Radish on Whole Grain

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely diced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and finely diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 radishes, very finely julienned
8 slices whole grain bread, preferably sandwich bread

Mash 1 avocado with lemon juice and generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir in chopped eggs. Add remaining diced avocado and mix gently so as to not break up the diced avocado too much. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle with julienned radishes. Slice pieces into squares or into slender thirds. Enjoy!

Beet and Tahini with Lemon and Dill on Pumpernickel

3 medium to large beets, greens removed and roots scrubbed clean (no need to peel yet)
1/2-3/4 cup tahini
1 lemon, zested
1 handful dill, finely chopped (or another microgreen of choice, for garnish)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
sea salt and pepper, for sprinkling
7 thin slices German Pumpernickel bread, toasted or other thin, sturdy bread

Prepare beets. Place clean beets in a steamer basket in a pot with water just to bottom of basket. Steam beets for 40-50 minutes, or until butter knife inserted to beet slips through easily. Be sure to add more water about half way through to prevent pot from scorching. Alternatively, beets can be wrapped in foil and roasted in oven at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove beets from heat and allow to cool before slipping skins from beet. Using a mandoline or very carefully with a knife, thinly slice beets into paper-thin sheets. Set sheets aside.

Spread about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini on one side of each of toasted bread slices. Be careful not to go over the edge or the become a little messy. Layer beet slices in thin layer atop tahini. Sprinkle with lemon zest, chopped dill (or microgreen), toasted sunflower seeds, and sea salt and pepper. Slice bread into thirds and then leave in rectangles or slice into squares. Makes 21 rectangular slices or 42 squares.

Cucumber with Edamame Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat

1 large English (seedless) cucumber
1 recipe Edamame Goat Cheese Spread
1/2 loaf of soft whole wheat bread
handful of chives, finely chopped
sea salt, to taste

Slice cucumber width-wise into thirds. Thinly slice cucumbers thirds lengthwise into paper-tin strips. Divide edamame spread amongst bread slices. Layer cucumber slices diagonally atop spread. Some cucumber will hang over the edges. This website has a great visual tutorial. Carefully cut crusts from bread, and then cut slices into 4 small squares. Sprinkle with chives and a sprinkling of sea salt. Enjoy!

Curried Chickpea Radicchio Cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 green onions, white and light green parts, minced
1/3 cup of dried apricots, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2% recommended
1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 small head radicchio, leaves removed carefully and torn in half (alternatively, use lettuce leaves or endive)

Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add chickpeas to skillet and toss to coat. Remove chickpeas and residual oil to bowl. Add green onions, apricots, celery, and lemon zest and juice. Stir to combine. When mixture has cooled slightly, add yogurt, almonds, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. mix thoroughly. Divide mixture amongst radicchio cups, placing a few tablespoons in each cup, sprinkle with any extra cilantro and almonds, and serve. Makes about 12-16 radicchio cups, depending on the size.

**A huge THANK YOU to Maddie for also taking beautiful photographs at the event and to BHLDN for supplying some of the bridal shower-perfect decor and paper products. Maddie also blogged about the event here on her blog and posted more photos, so check it out!