I’m starting something new: Whatcha-Makin Wednesday. Every Wednesday I will post pictures of some awesome foodstuffs that I’ve made.

I started this blog to primarily post about my gardening experiences. And of course with a harvest comes good food. So naturally I’ve been no stranger to posting recipes using food from my garden. But Whatcha-Makin Wednesdays will be slightly different in that I’m “allowing” myself to post recipes using food that hasn’t necessarily come from my garden. Furthermore I’m not going to  limit myself to posting recipes that I consider my own, however when that happens I will be sure to give credit where credit’s due.

I’ve been debating Whatcha-Makin Wednesday for some time now. I’ve hesitated on the idea because I was afraid it would deviate from the original purpose of my blog. I did not intend to make a cooking blog. But I also didn’t intend to make a gardening blog. This blog is about my desire to be self sufficient; it’s about cooking, gardening, (hopefully someday) husbandry, and much more. I want my blog to serve as a tool for others so they can learn from my successes and failures and so that they can be inspired.

And inspiration is the main purpose of Whatcha-Makin Wednesday. For example this first post is on Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Peas. The peas didn’t come from my garden, but maybe you have peas in your garden and want to make this dish! Or maybe you have some asparagus in your garden and you decide to make this dish and also add some blanched asparagus in. Voila, you’ve now created your own garden-fresh meal! That is what I am hoping comes out of Whatcha-Makin Wednesdays.

So anyways, let’s get on with the first Whatcha-Makin Wednesday: Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Peas.

This dish was amazing. I’m pretty satisfied with my gnocchi making skills. The gnocchi came out light and pillowy, just how I like it. The Gorgonzola sauce was rich and tangy, and the sweet peas lightened things up a bit so it wasn’t too heavy of a sauce. The recipe also made a ton of food so I have a lot of awesome leftovers!

This recipe is from Lidia Bastianich. The recipe for the Gorgonzola and pea sauce can be found on Lidia’s website: Gorgonzola and Pea Sauce. I should add that the ingredient list in the recipe online is a bit confusing. The ingredients should read:

• 1 recipe gnocchi
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock or pasta water)
• 1 (10-ounch) box frozen peas, thawed
• 6 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
• 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano

The online recipe also lists potatoes, salt, eggs, and flour in the ingredient list but these are the ingredients for gnocchi (not the sauce). You can find the recipe for Lidia’s gnocchi in this how-to video: Making Gnocchi. The recipe for the Gorgonzola sauce makes enough sauce for two gnocchi recipes, so you’ll want to either half the Gorgonzola sauce or double the gnocchi yield. I hope that all makes sense and isn’t too confusing. I must say, while Lidia’s online instructions aren’t completely clear, she lays it out very nicely in her cookbook, Lidia’s Favorite Recipes, which I own and love.

If you’ve never made gnocchi I would highly recommend you try it out! Leave yourself some time the first time you do it, but trust me, your efforts will be rewarded. When my husband and I make meals like this we like to make a thing of it. We put on some good music, open a bottle of wine, and work together in the kitchen. I’d recommend doing something similar. 🙂

The link above (and here) on Making Gnocchi is a great how-to video on making gnocchi. To make gnocchi you typically need a potato ricer and a gnocchi board. I happen to have both. But the first time I made gnocchi I didn’t have either one. So if you don’t have those two kitchen gadgets don’t let it stop you! Instead of a potato ricer simply mash your potatoes by hand. And if you don’t have a gnocchi board use a fork (which Lidia demonstrates in the how-to video).

Until next time, happy cooking! And, hopefully, happy gnocchi making!