A new technique...

My next cooking goal has been learning a couple of techniques with meat.  I am working up to learning how to poach chicken and, today, made my first attempt at a stove-to-oven fillet mignon.

I was most definitely impressed!  This is a pinwheel, instead of a regular fillet, so it really was my test cast, a way to work out the kinks.  It was rather tasty, but I cooked it a shade longer than what I prefer.  It was still pink inside, but barely. I prefer a nice red, medium rare.

I keep coming across the cooking word: aromatics.  So, I thought I would finally Google the matter and see what I could learn.  "What are aromatics in cooking?" is a great reference article.  It include's Cook Smart's helpful graphic that covers the basic aromatics across different ethnic cuisines.

"Aromatics are herbs, spices and vegetables (and sometimes meat) that are cooked in oil as a base for the flavor of a dish. Cooking them in oil helps to release their flavors and aromas, creating a deep flavor foundation for soups, stews, sauces, meat fillings and more."

Of course, I have seen the term used in other places that just the cooking oil.  For example, in blanching, two of the three recipes I am considering tell you to use aromatics, one suggesting star anise and rosemary.

So, when the fillet instructions referenced adding butter and aromatics to the pan, I knew what to do!  For this particular pinwheel, since it had garlic and spinach inside, I merely smashed some garlic and tossed it into the pan.  I think for the fillet, I might do sage.  

All in all, though, I am happy with my first attempt at this cooking technique.

Here's another of my cucumbers.  They are either shorter and immensely fat or longer and a bit thinner.  I brought eight of them to my doctor's office last week, because I am not able to eat as many as are growing.  I liked being able to say "Thanks" to all the staff in a healthy manner!

I was so intent on trying to harvest my own lettuce seeds, after my lettuce finally turned bitter and started bolting, that I didn't think about the fact that I might could have a second harvest.  So, last week I dug out that portion of my raised bed and planted eight sets of two seeds, four of zucchini and four of summer squash.  As you can see, only two of the summer squash sprouted, so today I popped more seeds in the ground.  I really wanted the plants to sprout near the fence so that they can grow on it like the cucumber is doing.

In the bottom right corner of the photo, you can see my carrots.  I did not know that I should have thinned them.  I am letting them go, harvesting ones that I find large enough.  The carrots are first, but tender and are also sweet.  I do like them.  I hope to get better at growing them better next year.

The reason I would like to learn to blanch chicken is that I learned that that is the method best used when making chicken salad or salads with chicken.  Once I make the other pinwheel (I don't want to freeze it for later because of the fresh spinach inside), I shall move to attempting the blanch.  

When my loins are girded.

And I'm feeling hopeful.