French Onion Soup

I received a five pound bag of yellow onions as part of my last organic veggie share, so I've had French Onion Soup on my mind. I grabbed a pile of cookbooks off the shelf to see if there was anything interesting to add to my usual recipe....not really. The key to good onion soup is slow cooking the onions until they are a rich brown and meltingly tender. I usually deglaze the pan with beef stock, but this time I took Ina Garten's advice and deglazed with 1/4 cup sherry before adding the stock. I found recipes for French Onion Soup in two different cookbooks by Garten, both pretty much the same. She is never one to shy away from butter, and she certainly likes some booze in her soup....along with the sherry she called for cognac or brandy, plus white wine. I brought my soup to a rolling boil and then turned off the heat to let it hang out and blend the flavors. When I tasted it later I added a bit of beef base and some more salt (I seasoned the onions with salt and pepper as they were cooking in the canola oil). To get that delicious crusty top, it is best to start with cold soup. I filled two bowls, added some croutons, and then the shredded gruyere. Put the bowls on a sheet pan and place in a hot oven until bubbly and golden.

Lunch @ Azur

We decided to try another September local's lunch discount, this time at Azur in Old Town. They just listed new $6 lunch plates on Facebook....a great deal for things like spicy fries with shrimp remoulade, hummus sliders, patatas bravas and several other tempting small plates. They still have the full lunch menu, plus they offer a few really yummy sounding breakfasts all day. (We've got to get back there for Short Rib Hash Eggs Benedict with Truffle Hollandaise....omg!) In typical fashion we blew past the good deal for the regular menu, which offered some favorites we can never pass up. John had his usual Yellowtail Snapper, fried crisp on ciabatta with key lime mayo. I got the Crab Cake BLT. Quite good! Salsa Verde mayo, ripe tomato, and bacon also on ciabatta. We ended up splitting them so we each got half. Nice service, sophisticated atmosphere and a great lunch for the same price as most of the local casual joints. I look forward to going back again soon.

Iguanas

I used to think they were kind of cool. A sign that we really DID live on a tropical island....hey, we have iguanas in our yard! When we put our swimming pool in, I started to see the very UN-cool parts of having iguanas around. At first we thought a stray cat was getting in at night to leave, um, deposits....nope, iguanas like to poop near water. They also love the lush tropical plants I chose to surround the pool, especially orange flowers....my favorite, too. We have a large native sea grape tree over part of our deck and pool, providing shade and a lovely canopy of leaves. In the last few months, the tree has also provided direct access for the iguanas to leave deposits IN the pool. Really gross! We tried trapping them.....they walked in the traps, took the oranges, and went about their iguana business. Yesterday the chief tree trimmer for the City of Key West came and cut the tree back for us. Native sea grape is protected and can't be cut down, but you can trim 25% per year. We may have to add a sun shade out back if we feel like we are getting too many rays, but it will be nice to enjoy a swim and play with the girls without worrying about iguana poop putting an end to the fun. And I know John will be happy to go back to cleaning just leaves and stray flowers out of the skimmer and filters.

St Mary Star of the Sea

John had the best idea, that I should go on vacation through the end of the year. Enjoy fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas without any distractions (other than the usual ones that come with having two kids, an ailing dog, and an elusive iguana that poops in our pool). Really more of a staycation, since I'm not going away, but his idea was for me to take the time to regroup and to refocus. The first step was to tell people that is what I am doing.....I'm free!! Feels good. When we first started traveling to Key West, John would attend Mass at St Mary Star of the Sea. Eventually I started going, and even though I wasn't raised in the faith, I fell in love with the parish. After we moved here, I completed the adult education program at St Mary and converted to Catholicism in 2011. We haven't been very good about attending Mass over the summer, but we are back and I realize how much I missed it. How much we all need it as part of our week. Today when I took this photo I had that free and happy feeling that I used to have when I would take vacation photos on the beautiful grounds. It's good to be back. And to feel like I'm on vacation at home in Key West....again. :)

Breakfast in Key West

There are many spots for a great breakfast here in Key West. John and I go out at usually once a week, mid morning so it's more of a week day brunch. And when you look at the photos below you will see that these meals definitely cover two meals in the calorie department! If I want yogurt and fruit, I can do that at home, right? First up, Crab Cakes Benedict at Camille's on Simonton Street. These aren't my beloved Maryland-style cakes, these are thinner and seasoned differently, but they totally work with the poached eggs and hollandaise. Next, is a meal at Sarabeth's, also on Simonton. This is one of our favorite spots on the island for breakfast or lunch....a meal on their patio is always lovely. At breakfast, we always get Juice of Four Flowers, a blend of orange, banana, and pomegranate juices. On this visit, I had a Farmer's Omelet, filled with finely diced potatoes, ham, veggies and Gruyere cheese, if I remember correctly. The Sarabeth's in Key West is part of the restaurants of the same name in Manhattan, so yes, you do get their awesome toasts, muffins, jams and preserves with your breakfast. So good! I've often thought that sitting on the patio there with a pot of tea, toast and jam would be a delightful way to enjoy some 'me' time.....I should get on that. The last photo is from a breakfast at Harpoon Harry's on Caroline Street. It's a crazy little joint.....restaurant, liquor store, T-shirt shop. Cash only, but don't worry, there's an ATM in the OTHER liquor store across the street. I had Eggs Benedict and John had Creamed Chipped Beef on Biscuits. Really good if you have the option for a nap afterwards.....and on that day, we did.

Lunch @ Turtle Kraals

With the girls back in school, John and I are going to try and hit as many of the '50% off for locals' lunches as we can. On Tuesday we went to Turtle Kraals, the familiar dark green restaurant right next to the Key West Harbor. Key West restaurateur Pat Croce purchased it last year, but other than the new ceviche bar and bocce ball court, things seem the same. Which is good! We have always liked the place. We both got the same thing, fresh catch of the day, yellowtail snapper, fried. It was really good....crisp coating, nice roll, yummy key lime tartar sauce. When our server brought the bill it came to $19.95 for the two sandwiches and an iced tea....awesome!! We gave her a hefty tip (it's the slow season, she needs it!) and it was still a bargain.

In the Garden - What's blooming today

It's a lovely, sunshiney day in Key West! And our plants are super lush from some heavy, seasonal rains. I love walking around with my watering can and clippers....taking inventory, making mental notes on what needs to be tied back or maybe moved to a sunnier spot. Here is a little tour:

I have two hanging pots on the front porch....I think I need more! So far I have one with basil and rosemary, and one with a lovely yellow portulaca.

A neighbor have us a small cana lily plant that has gone absolutely crazy! I need to divide it and spread some around. The blooms are lovely.

A friend of John's gave us an orchid rhyzome and he tied it to one of the palm trees out front. Happy to see it sprouting....maybe we will get a flower!

A bunch of bananas or plantains starts with the large red bloom on the bottom. Our Cuban neighbor calls them 'tits.'

A closer look at the bunch at the top of the stalk. These are tiny Cuban bananas, about as long as your finger.

The latest from Key West...

I think things on the island are even slower than when I wrote a week or so ago. We did have much excitement last weekend, as Diana Nyad completed her swim from Cuba to Key West. There was a parade through town, and some kids we know got to meet Ms. Nyad at local spots, including the Dairy Queen on United Street. I read in the paper that she thinks we should change the buoy at Southernmost Point to read 113 miles to Cuba, not 90. We should!  She swam every last one. Blue Heaven is closed through mid October, and I think La Creperie will be shuttering soon for vacation. The other day I had to drive to Big Pine Key, and I was happy to see that Bobalu's was open again, after being closed for vacation since July. I stopped in and got a wrap to go and the place was full. A parent from the girls school took my order....it's a very small town. :)