Vera Pizzeria

Vera Pizzeria on a Saturday night is tight and loud and hoppin. A crowd kept flowing up to the bar in waves, calling out orders to Kerry and Jon who shook their steel tins so fast, spitting out drinks with names like Blood and Sand and the Bullet Train and Hanky Panky.


Jessica kept the rest of the house in order, keeping a sharp eye on the flow of tables and the bar and the front door.

I started out the night with the cracked pepper creamy parm pistachio salad and paired it with Jon's recommendation of a Pink Lady. On the overhead, playing in black and white with the sound off was Breakfast at Tiffany's. The salad was a great blend and the dressing was flavorful and thankfully didn't drown the mix of lettuces. I especially liked the crisp red onion.

A handful of other staff moved fast between the kitchen's large service window and the tables, moving plates and clearing empties with lighting speed efficiency.





I then went on to order dinner. I paired the Caprese pizza with a Bare Knuckled Boxer. The drink was outstanding with it's four year whiskey and house made almond syrup and sugared strawberries.

The pizza was simple with roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a Balsamic reduction, but very well made and delicious. The German silent film of 1927, Metropolis started up and the crowd at the bar started to slow down.


Then I wound down the night with a slab of salted caramel cake which came with a shot of Fernet Bianca and I paired it with a glass of Hot Rum and Cider.











Which was the perfect way to end my visit at Vera since it was bitterly cold out. The whole evening was a wonderful escape and I highly recommend stopping by for drinks and more.

Globe Market

On a cool, damp, breezy early afternoon I went to the Globe Market for their 1/2 & 1/2 lunch special. The market is so inviting, with it's warm colors and cozy corners, that I found myself wanting to tuck into more than just a quick lunch. A meal here could quickly turn into a leisurely multi-course visit.

The choices for meals and the platters and bowls loaded with food in the deli case are plentiful and enticing.




Prepping pork in the kitchen. Marinating in spices and freshly squeezed oranges.

The prep kitchen efficiently makes use of every surface.

So many beautifully constructed cold salads to choose from!

Winners of Buffalo Spree's The Best of WNY 2012 Best Small Caterer, Artvoice's Best Soup and Best Salad, and they are proud to serve Elm Street Bakery's freshly roasted coffee.

 
I picked the Beef Minestrone which came with a slab of light molasses multigrain bread, and a grilled cheddar and tomato panini. Both were full of flavor and beautifully done.

I highly recommend visiting with family and friends. They have large round tables that can comfortably seat everyone without fear of knocked elbows. I'll be back for certain!

Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken. (boil, cool, shred)

Chopped flat leaf parsley, fresh cracked pepper, dried peppers and onions, flake salt, minced garlic and hot pepper of your choice, seasoned as you like.

Stir in 3/4 cup of mayonnaise. Sprinkle dry Coleman's Mustard and Old Bay Seasonings on top.

Lemon Garlic Chicken, Wilted Ruby Swiss Chard and Arugula Wild Herb Salad

Most of the herbs in the garden have come in thick enough to start harvesting regularly. The arugula has come in all wild and woodsy and covered in flowers.

It's sharp astringent, nut flavor is an excellent addition to our herb salads. The chard too is coming in fast, so that we have to harvest handfuls every week.

My youngest can't get enough of it's bright flavor. Marinated organic chicken breast from Wegmans. Bake, with 5 tbls of water, covered, at 400 degrees for 15 min. Internal temp. should read 165 degrees.

English sage leaves. Some for our salad and some left out to dry. Will be making more sage ghee later this week.

Wooly oregano, drying on the counter. Will be used in meat balls and an Italian meatloaf I'll be making on Tuesday.

The salad was a blend of arugula, wild herbs, romaine, avocado, fruit salad and heirloom tomatoes.

This was served with a very tasty Santa Cruz Raspberry Lemonade and crusty Lexi co-op bread.

Fort Valley Peach Salsa Grilled Pork, Garlic Parmesan Asparagus and Wild Herb Salad

Sliver a 2 pound pork loin into 2" x 3" medallions. Marinate the pork in Mango Peach Salsa.

Diced tomatoes, diced mangos, diced peaches, diced onions, diced roasted red sweet peppers, minced jalapeno peppers, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, minced cilantro, and minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Separate evenly into three foil packets.

Grill on medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes.

Trim and wash the asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic....

....and parmesan cheese. Grill on top rack for 10 minutes.

These herbs were harvested from our hanging herb garden.

Wild herb salad: ginger, chocolate and pineapple mints, lemon thyme, rosemary, chives with flowers, basil, wild asian greens, arugula, and spinach.

Roasted red sweet peppers that were drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with Grind to a Salt by Simply Organics.

Very tasty!

Green Chilies Enchiladas

Fry very skinny strips of chicken, beef, fish or vegetables in a bit of salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil until slightly browned.









Boil 1 lb of tomatillos in 4 cups of water until soft, about 5 min. allow to cool then add cooked tomatillos and 2 cups of the cooking liquid to a blender. Then add 4 cloves of garlic, ½ bunch of cilantro, ½ a large yellow onion, ½ of a jalapeno (no seeds or veins, more or less can be added) 1 tsp each of salt and sugar. Blend on high until smooth. Heat a large frying pan with 2 tbls of sunflower seed oil, add the sauce to the frying pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Shred cheese and set aside. This is Monterey Jack.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay out the tortilla and layer in your filling and cheese and roll very tightly.

Once they are all rolled and laid tight against one another, pour the green chilies sauce on top. Use your fingers to spread the sauce over every tortilla evenly. Then sprinkle a little bit of cheese over the top. Bake for 30 minutes.

 While the enchiladas are baking make refried beans. I love cannelloni. These are pan fried in a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Serve with salad and the beans and enjoy!

Elderberry Chipotle Sauce Pork Chops with Wild Spring Salad and Steamed Asparagus

These chops were marinated for two days in a whole jar of Hill 'n Hollow's Elderberry Chipotle Sauce and then grilled until they reached 165 degrees.

They came out tender and moist! The asparagus was steamed until a brilliant green and it still snapped. Served with a wild spring greens salad and toasted ciabatta, this dinner was perfect!

Calzone - Ground Sausage

Brown Spar's ground sausage and then add to sauce that has been slowly stewed for several hours until thickened.

Thinly slice Mozzarella and layer on top of the sauce and fold in rolled out dough. Bak at 380 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting so that the ingredients don't come sliding out. Serve with a mixed green salad or a hot bowl of soup. This is perfect for cool evenings.