Homegrown High Style (And a quick homegrown recipe) test post

Noelle's Ketchecue Sauce with Label

In these over-processed, over stimulated, disconnected times, I think a little bit of old-school home-grown kitsch can go a long way. But that doesn’t mean it has to be low-brow or boring. I say, infuse your home-grown efforts with a touch of yuppie fanciness.

As I was creating a recent recipe, I found myself doing just that. Yes, I picked a mess-o-greens from the garden and plopped them on a plate, but I also created pecan crusted tempeh and a quick, sweet ketchup and plated it like a fancy restaurant. It’s down home southern cooking paired with NYC high-brow cuisine. It’s got just a touch of pretension in its perfectly stacked and drizzled presentation. But the flavors are satisfying and enjoyable in a way no teeny-tiny California cuisine nibbles could ever be. And that’s what I strive for. The perfection of restaurant presentation with all the organic, just-picked, clean ingredients of home. And yes, I wipe the borders of the plate before I serve. Just call me Martha in yoga pants.

Just to prove it, here’s a little sneak peek at a recipe from my upcoming e-book. A quick little thing I threw together mostly from the husband’s garden. Not quite ketchup. Not really barbecue sauce. Utterly delicious.

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Noelle Pouring ketchecue Sauce

All photos by Noelle Smith