As we’ve mentioned previously, we’re big fans of Rustic Bakery’s lattés, pastries, and lunches. For awhile there when we first discovered Rustic’s Asian Chicken Salad, we were so addicted we wanted to have it multiple times a week. There were many reasons why this just wasn’t the wisest move, so we attempted our own version.
We love moussaka, but it’s a pain in the ass to make. It’s not too difficult, just time-consuming. Cooking time is about an hour and prep is at least that long. It’s worth it though, and nice a month or so later to pull an extra one out of the freezer and enjoy it without any work involved. Every time we go to the trouble of making one, we make two.
Insofar as possible, I like to take advantage of what the earth is offering. In California, in midsummer, it offers blackberries. Our old backyard is covered in them: nasty thorny invasive weedy Himalayan blackberries. As much as I hate the plant, the fruit makes a hell of a good cocktail.