9/14/2010- Delights of Summer!

Our garden is bursting with tomatoes and everything right now. Crazy. I spent most of the weekend (it felt like) processing tomatoes to freezer can or making pesto to freeze. Of course, when HB came back from out of town and told me he wanted "that great pesto pasta you make...with the sungolds" how could I say no?

Contents of bento: In lower tier-Pesto mini penne (with almonds instead of pine nuts) with halved Sungold Cherry tomatoes, garnished with parsley. In upper tier- chips, homemade salsa with 4 different kinds of onions from the farmer's market, small plum, and some great mild sheeps-milk cheese (also from the farmer's market).

This bento really says "late summer" to me. Sure, you could make a bento just like this in January, but the plum and tomatoes would definitely be sub-standard.

HB's mum collects all kinds of things, including these little lidded plastic containers that fit perfectly in this bento box. Score! After my weekend of tomato processing, I still had (have) plenty of fruits but I was getting tired of peeling, seeding, cutting, and boiling boiling boiling. I was standing in the kitchen and thinking, "oh man, what else can I do with tomatoes???" And then it hit me: fresh salsa, duh. This came out so well I made more to go with the chili I made tonight for dinner. No picture on that, it's just going in a regular container, so I hardly think it counts as a "bento lunch." But regardless, I am excited to have some other way to eat tomatoes. I haven't gotten a rash from them yet, but the first frost is still a ways off. :D

9/4/2010- Leftovers Bento!

Even though I'm a working girl again, I don't have a whole lot of time for bento-ing. Or maybe it's just that our kitchen set up is not conducive to being creative. Anyways, excuses aside, I do have a bento or two to show you for September:

Leftovers in bento form! I think this was eggplant parmesan (from a restaurant) on the left and I know that the right was sauteed string beans with eggplant, onions, and balsamic vinegar. The garnish is a celery leaf.

This is in my glasslock box, which is so crucial for hot lunches. I'm very leery about microwaving plastic (as I've mentioned before). There are times, however, when I wish I had a more bowl-shaped glass container. Ah well, I will have to keep my eyes peeled. This is a good example of how to arrange leftovers in an attractive way. So always remember, you don't have to make special stuff for you bento. (This is a note to myself as much as anyone else!)