Section 89 Fish Baked in a Salt Crust

2012-02-12T22:09:00.001-06:00

Sorry the blog was down for the last day- I am trying to build it upgrade a few things and we had a hiccup for a while there. Hang tight. Shiny new things are coming soon. Mostly, thanks to my talented brother, Reid. He is doing things that would take me a month and a half of headaches to work through.

But for now, here is your salty recipe. Yes, this does seem to be a special occasion one because you do need a lot of salt for it, but the results are beautiful. I have never had a better fish. Ever. The fish does not taste salty, it just moist, tender perfection. If you need a dish with a "wow" factor- this is it. The presentation when you remove the salt dome (which forms into a solid piece you break to lift off) is glorious.

Fish Baked in a Salt Crust
adapted just barely from Alton Brown

1 red snapper, 5 to 6 pounds, gills removed, fins trimmed (stripped bass is also a great choice)
4 egg whites
1/2 cup water
6 lbs. kosher salt
1 handful parsley
1 fennel bulb, (with stem) quartered
1 lemon, sliced thin
1/2 orange, sliced thin
Olive oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cover the bottom of a baking sheet large enough to hold the fish with parchment paper.

Rinse fish inside and out with cold water and drain. Dry with paper towels. Stuff body cavity with herbs and citrus, saving a few lemon slices for garnish. Set aside.

Pour half of salt into a large bowl, add egg whites and water, then the second half of the salt. Use your hands to work mixture to a mortar-like consistency. Lay down a 1/2-inch thick bed for the fish to lay on with a 1-inch clearance on all sides. Lay the fish on this bed and pile the remainder of the salt mortar on top. Work into a smooth dome completely encasing the fish. (Don't worry if the head or tail poke out a little.)

Cook approximately 35 minutes. Check for doneness by pushing the probe of an instant read thermometer through the salt into the fish. When temperature reaches 130 degrees, remove from oven, and rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Open the fish at the table by hitting the dome several times with a small hammer and lifting off the slabs of salt. Brush away any stray salt. Gently pull out dorsal (back) fin. Using a fish knife or serrated pie server, make a single incision all the way down the back of the fish and around the gill plate. Then lift the skin off working from the head to the tail. Remove meat from top side of fish, going down one side of the spine then the other. Grasp the tail and remove the skeleton, (it should come up intact). The meat revealed below will slide right off the skin.

Sprinkle meat with a little virgin oil and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Salt

2012-02-08T14:14:00.000-06:00

Salt is common. It graces the tables and pantries the world over. We all know the scriptures that praise its savor. It the ingredient that can really make or break a dish. Ever had bread with the salt missing? Meh, that stuff is lacking. Over salt your entree? Inedible. There is something powerful about salt.

Salt has always been valuable because it is valuable for survival. Salt helps us regulate water flow in the body. The sodium ion itself is used for electrical signaling in the nervous system. Think of it as the stop lights for water and electricity in the body. We need a certain amount, but there is too much of a good thing.

As necessary as it is, salt gets a bad rap. A lot of that has to do with excessive consumption. I'm going to wager that most of us don't go crazy with the salt shaker- when we add salt to our food we can only add so much and then the taste is off. Processed food isn't the same as your tabletop shaker. Processed food is jam packed with salt. The reason why our sodium intake has skyrocketed in the last fifty years has more to do with what packages we are eating out of then what we are sprinkling on home cooked foods. This article on NPR's mainpage, clearly illustrates the point- they point out how much sodium is in a deli meat sandwich, and then how there is an equal amount in the store-bought white bread that meat is on. The point of the article was to limit our salt intake, and yes you could do that, but for me it was about eating the foods where I control the salt shaker.

Another key factor playing into the problem with too much salt is too little potassium. This piece by the associated press points out that the combination of the two is worse than each problem isolated. The long and short of it: replacing fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables with ultra-processed snack foods is unacceptable.

So, cut up some potatoes, toss them with some good sea salt and roast them instead of opening a bag of potato chips. Pass on a packaged power bar and make your own trail mix of nuts and dried fruit. Save the salt for when you really want to enjoy it.

There are lots of varieties of natural salts without additives, that each have distinct flavors coming from their natural mineral content. Those nuances aren't in the common iodized salt canisters. If you have never tried sea salt, head to the bulk bins and buy a little bit. The cost is much less than the fancy shakers and canisters. I love flaky sea salt to sprinkle on the top of a dish, the impact is fantastic.

Want to know more about salt? Check out a lot more information here.

And hang tight for this week's recipe. It's all about the salt.

What are your thoughts on salt? Do you have any in your food storage?

Trust me- with all those beans you are going to want some.

Red Lentil Soup

2012-01-29T22:36:00.001-06:00

So, I told you all about lentils and then promptly forgot to post the corresponding recipe.

Whoops. It is like that sometimes.

This is a brilliantly colored soup with fantastic flavor that comes together fairly quickly.

It is the perfect bowl of dinner for a wet, cold winter night.

I know I say this all the time, but I mean it. I love eating at my own house.

We we traveled a bit this weekend, and will be out of town again this week too.

And as much as I love trying exciting new food- like the hot and crunchy,

sesame seed, almond, arbol chili flake, corn flake crusted avocado cone from

The Mighty Cone food trailer in Austin, and the deep, savory satisfaction of the yesimisisr wot (another amazing lentil dish) from the Ethiopian restaurant we grabbed dinner at in Pfluggerville, TX.

I can't wait to try to recreate those flavors at home.

But I am always glad to be home. I love to cook here, I love to eat here

and I love to share that with my family. I felt it again tonight as I sliced vegetables for dinner while my three year old daughter rubbed them with herbed olive oil marinade for the grill.

My husband assembled the finished sandwiches and

my son turned to thank everyone involved for the tasty dinner.

It was good.

Red Lentil Soup with Lime
tweaked from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

2 cups split red lentils, picked over and rinsed several times
1 tbsp. tumeric
3 tbsp. butter
Kosher salt
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1½ tsp. mustard seeds (yellow or brown work fine)
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
Juice of 3 limes, or to taste
1 bunch kale, or other leafy green, chopped into small pieces (I’ve also used beet greens)
1 cup cooked rice
Plain yogurt

Put the lentils in a soup pot with 2 quarts (8 cups) of water, the tumeric, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft and falling apart, about 20 minutes. Purée for a smoother texture (an immersion blender is great here).

While the soup is cooking, prepare the onion flavoring: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and throw in 1 tablespoon of butter. Once it is melted, add the onions and a large pinch of salt. Cook for another five minutes, until soft, then add the cumin and mustard seeds. Turn the heat to medium-high and allow the onions to brown slightly, stirring occasionally. This slight bit of char will add great flavor to the soup. Add the cilantro and cook just until it wilts.

Add the onions mixture to the soup, then add the juice of two of the limes. Taste, then add more if needed to bring up the flavor. The soup should be a tad sour.

Just before serving, add the last tablespoon of butter to the same skillet the onions were cooked in. Once melted, add the kale and a large pinch of salt, and cook just long enough to wilt. Add to the soup and let all the flavors blend for a couple of minutes. Even though you have added salt several times along the way, you will probably need to add more to your taste at this point. If the rice is warm, place a spoonful in each bowl. If it’s leftover rice, add it to the soup and let it heat through for a minute. Serve each portion with a dollop of plain yogurt if desired.

Does anyone out there have a good recipe for yesimisisr wot?

All About Lentils

2012-01-24T23:02:00.000-06:00

Lentils aren't expensive, but don't let their price make you are getting something cheap. As far nutrition goes, it is the best bang for your buck. Even Esau famously sold his birthright to Jacob for a mess of the stuff. Yep, biblical pottage was lentils. And would I ever love to have that recipe.

The easiest to cook of all legumes, lentils make a simple dinner. Unlike most beans that need at least an hour to cook and do best with an overnight soak, lentils need no special treatment. They cook up with no soaking in about 12-15 minutes. Lentils can be last minute, but are also fantastic when cooked slowly until they become a bit of a savory porridge, like a typical Indian daal. I wrote about my favorite one already here. The texture is mellow and smooth, a reason why this is the most common first solid food for babies around the world.

Lentils are rich in fiber and just one quarter cup gives you more than a quarter of your daily fiber needs. Folate is also another of the lentil's superpowers. Folate is the magic stuff that promotes growth of new cells, which is why it recommended for babies and those who are growing babies, the pregnant and breast-feeding mothers. Folate also does good for those with anemia, but promoting the growth of healthy red blood cells. Lentils are also a great source of iron, which helps you feel full and energized as it cells loaded with it can carry more oxygen than those running on empty. Yes, you can get iron in other places, but lentils provide it without much in the way of calories, fat or expense.

If you are new to lentils and wary of their tendency to turn to mush or porridge quickly, I recommend trying French green lentils or lentils de Puy. This lentils are my favorite and the most attractive of them all. Up close these lentils look like tiny stones, dark green, flecked with dark gray spots. They cook up firm and flavorful. I love making these into a simple salad tossed with homemade vinaigrette that is as good cold as it is hot, packable for lunches and picnics, french green lentil salad is a staple.

Whatever lentils you like, they are pantry essentials; they store forever, cook up quickly and are packed with nutrition.

Do you like lentils? What is your favorite thing to do with them?

Sacrament Bread on Segullah

2012-01-23T22:35:00.000-06:00

By way of announcement, for those who don't know, I also write and edit for Segullah, a literary journal with a blog and bi-annual print publication. Today, I have a blog post up with some musings about bread for the sacrament. Read it here, and check out the rest of the site, it is jam packed with good stuff.

Eat Your Greens

2012-01-23T08:41:00.000-06:00

I loved this piece up on CNN right now. My favorite line: "Dark, sulfurous, bitter greens, to excise the sins of the flesh and remind ourselves that while any shoemaker with salt, a Boston butt and an oven can make a passable pulled pork sandwich, it is through vegetables that cooks show intelligence and intuition." I've believe that one to be true- to me that is the mark of a real cook and a stellar restaurant: respect and attention to vegetables- especially the green ones, which are in season right now.

If you are looking for an easy new recipe this week I recommend one of these::

Chard with Pistachios + Mint
Bright Lights Gratin
Swiss Chard Tart with Goat Cheese and Golden Raisins

Avocado Grapefruit Salad

2012-01-20T11:21:00.000-06:00

Two months pregnant with my first child I began nearly every day with a visit to the bathroom to empty the contents of my stomach. Everything made me nauseated. I didn't eat a lot of food for a few months there. I tried and failed to put lots of foods down the hatch. But almost as many went down, also came up. My desire to try again plummeted with each botched attempt. I didn't want to eat noodles, when noodles had not stayed put, anything made with anything processed was flat out rejected, even recall one weary evening when I couldn't sleep, knowing the watermelon I had just eaten wanted out before I could rest. Food and I were not friends. How could this baby that seemed to demand so much of my energy and sustenance, result in me being scarcely able to get any for myself? Frustration was not a strong enough word.

But there was one food, I could always count on. One food that I never threw up. The cool, soothing smell of grapefruit exploded my heightened senses, quelling my nausea and providing me a welcome spell of relief. Grapefruit was my superfood and often my only food. I'd jokingly laugh that this baby had put me on the grapefruit diet. It often all I could eat, and all I wanted to. But we were not in citrus country, and grapefruits were not cheap and I would hoard those expensive fruits. I'm not sure that I offered any of them to my husband during those few months. He never got to find out what he was missing.

Years later, with two healthy kids, made possible my grapefruit, (I had the same grapefruit desire with the second pregnancy as well), we headed from our home in San Francisco down to South Padre Island, TX to spend the holidays on the beach with my family. Along the way the spotted countless stands and pick up trucks selling ten pound mesh bags of citrus fruit fresh from the orchards of South Texas. My dad pulled over and purchased a few. Not that I am in the least bit partial, there is only one grapefruit that rules supreme, the Rio Red of Texas. It is the sweetest, most brilliant grapefruit of them all. As we greedily ate that grapefruit, my husband realized what I had been missing. And why I had been paying twice as much for Texas grapefruit instead of the sour white fruits at half the price when I could eat nothing else. I had full access to as many white grapefruits as I could eat from my in-laws backyard tree one hour north of our home, but still I wasn't sated. I craved the Texas citrus I had spoiled with growing up down south. When grapefruit is that good, it is hard to settle for something by the same name and so decidedly less enticing.

So when the grapefruits started showing up at my Texas farmer's market this fall, I was giddy. I felt like Texas was saying, welcome home, Sandra. This may not be the the lush land of strawberries and artichokes I knew in San Francisco, or the berries and apples that had my heart enraptured and in Maryland, but we have your the thing you long for most. And while this month marks one year we are still waiting to have another child, and it is still not happening, I feel a bit of comfort knowing that the right grapefruit will be here, and in abundance when I need it again.

This is the salad I make most often with my grapefruits. The rio reds are so juicy and delicious you don't need much else in the way of dressing, just a good quality olive oil. Pick thing bright and peppery, it will shine when paired with a perfect grapefruit and a creamy avocado. You can skip the greens entirely here and this still works, but I put this most often with baby spinach; shaved fennel, watercress, arugula, and butter lettuce are also fantastic directions to go with this.

Grapefruit Avocado Salad
serves 4

1 large Rio Red grapefruit
1 large avocado
2 large handfuls of spinach or greens
2 T. olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Place greens in a bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Cut grapefruit into supremes by cutting off all of the peel and pith with a knife. Then cut each section of grapefruit away from the membranes. Put in the bowl with the greens.
Cut avocado in half, remove the pit and slice while in peel. Use a spoon to remove slices. Add to the salad bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Squeeze the remains of the grapefruit over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Get Your Freekah On

2012-01-18T10:25:00.001-06:00

Are you cool and old school? Hip to what was happening in the great world of grain thousands of years ago? If you are already a devotee of these old school grains, you may be hearalding their resurgence. Suddenly, these densely packed nuggets of nutrition are getting easier to find and cook all the time. Read more from the article today in the Washington Post.

Lately, I am loving the nutty favor of teff. And I am honestly addicted to raw millet in my favorite waffle recipe. What are your favorite ancient grains?

Grapefruit is for Grandmas.

2012-01-17T17:21:00.000-06:00

My grandparents were the only people I knew growing up that had a grapefruit tree of their very own. I can remember my intrigue as my grandmother would slice the large yellow fruit, pulling apart the halves to reveal the pink, juicy middle. I remember watching how she carefully took a knife and sectioned it. It seemed like such a fancy fruit! So fun and high-maintenance! And I remember how she placed them on little dishes next to our breakfast plates. Ooooh! They get their own plate!

And then, I remember tasting it.

And being sooo disappointed.

Could a fruit this beautiful really taste that awful?

I didn't see grapefruit around my own home unless my mom was watching her weight. So basically, as a child I made up my mind that grapefruit was for two kinds of people --- people on a diet or grandmas.

It wasn't until I visited my in-laws for the first time about 11 years ago, that I truly gave grapefruit another chance. There it was, on it's own special dish, next to my breakfast plate in Maryland. But this time, it was delicious. So delicious in fact that when I got home from that visit, I went out and bought myself some grapefruit and a special grapefruit knife. So delicious that once, when I was going on a flight and needed a snack, I grabbed a grapefruit and my fancy high maintenance fruit knife and put it in my carry-on. And then little grapefruit loving me got my fancy high maintenance knife taken away by security.

And now, my fridge is full of them every winter. And guess what? I am not a grandma. And I am not on a diet. I am just in love. I wonder sometimes if I just grew into the taste or if maybe my first experiences weren't so good because the fruit itself wasn't so good? Grapefruit it funny like that. Well, I think most fruit is like that -- you win some, you lose some.

Facts About Grapefruit:
*Grapefruit season is January-May
*60% of the world's grapefruit is grown in the U.S.
*It is grown in four states: Florida, Texas, Arizona and California
*You can eat it sliced and sectioned, or peeled and eaten like an orange. (I have never done this though)
*When refrigerated, grapefruit can last for several weeks.

Health benefits of Grapefruit:
It is loaded with vitamin C and quinine, which have been strongly linked to both aiding in recovery from degenerative disease (cancer, arthritis, heart conditions) and also common colds, flus, fevers etc. Apparently the bulk of the vitamin C is in the pulp, which is the case with most citrus. So, when we have them and scoop out the insides and leave the thick skin, we are leaving behind something our body needs.

So, my goal this week is to eat a grapefruit like an orange -- pulpy thick section skin and all. Isn't it exciting that there is even a fruit in season in the winter?? I happen to think so. So, get excited and grab them while you can. Stock up on the vitamin C and fight viruses and colds before they happen.

Your body will thank you.

Your Grandma will thank you.

Wherein There is Life

2012-01-13T12:17:00.001-06:00

This weekend we took the kids down to the Fort Worth Science and History Museum to see "Born to be Wild," a film in the Imax Theater about the rescue efforts to save orphaned baby orangutans and elephants headed by two incredible women who can see the worth the animals' divine creation.

Now, I am not an "animal person," the kind of woman that will age add a cat to the foot of my bed with each decade of life; I don't even have a goldfish right now. But I have been moved to wonderment about animals lately. I did a bit of reading about the emotional response of elephants a month ago when I wrote this piece for Segullah. I marveled at how expressive and open they were with each other; how caring, compassionate and beautiful their relationships were. When I see something that beautiful, I always know it is of a divine origin.

And as I sat there during sacrament meeting this week, I was still thinking. God sent man and woman out from the Garden of Eden due to their choice to know good and evil: to become as God is. I know that much. But what of the animals? They were with Adam and Eve in the Garden, and they exist outside of it as well. What are we to make of them? They never chose their future, it was our actions that brought about the fall for them. A consequence of our "dominion over them." God allowed them to continue with us. And though it seems like a stretch when I think of vultures and termites, animals can "please the eye and gladden the heart." (At least those animals have practical value as part of nature's recycling team.) So, I feel some responsibility for them.

Then I read in the first chapter of Genesis

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 ¶And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his akind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

* * *

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for ameat: and it was so.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

"Wherein there is life" jumped off the page at me. All these creations, each of the species, everyone of those animals were created by the same life force that created each of us. God didn't have someone lesser create those things, they were also personally made by God. And they were "good," "very good." More than just very good eats. Now, I am not condoning eating meat- we aren't supposed to do that (D&C 49). I am just stepping back, grappling with what my "dominion" over these creatures means.

I don't think of dominion as ultimate power, not at all, that is something only God possesses. Sovereignty, influence and exercise of control are definitions of dominion that I resonate with. Dominion is not to dominate, but to act as a leader, and thus responsible for that within our stewardship. D&C 76:111 points out that we will be accountable for this:

111 For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared;

Any Christ-like leader, as we all seek to be should understand and exercise the virtue of kindness. One of our prophets wrote an essay entitled, "Kindness to Animals." I agree that it should extend there. While editor for the Juvenile Instructor (an old church publication), President Joseph F. Smith wrote,

“Kindness to the whole animal creation and especially to all domestic animals is not only a virtue that should be developed, but is the absolute duty of mankind. … It is an unrighteous thing to treat any creature cruelly. … It will be a blessed day when mankind shall accept and abide by the Christ-like sentiment expressed by one of the poets in the following words: ‘Take not away the life you cannot give, For all things have an equal right to live.’”

And while we still do use animals for meat, I don't think we have the right to exploit them for that purpose. They are entitled to fulfill the measure of their creation, although different from our own, they are to have joy, be fruitful, to multiply and replenish the earth. I believe that even when we do use them as meat, when serve chicken for dinner, when or if we hunt for wild game, or buy a burger, we should uphold that kindness to animals. That those animals should be have been given those kindnesses, treatment worthy of creature that was made both spiritually and physically by God. In general conference in 1951, Prophet David O. McKay also spoke for the need of humanity for all:

“a true Latter-day Saint is kind to animals, is kind to every created thing, for God created all.”

I come back to the another word that accompanies dominion in Genesis: subdue. That word more than any other brings me back into focus, helps me understand my stewardship with the earth. Subdue is to tame, to pacify, to calm. As we subdue the earth, fishes, fowl and the noxious weeds threatening to take over my backyard, we are reestablishing the Garden of Eden. A "second innocence" to borrow a term from poet William Blake. Changing our actions toward animals will bring us closer to the way the earth is to be renewed, how we are to live in the future. I love these words from Brigham Young:

Brigham Young also showed concern for animals. For example, in a sermon preached in Salt Lake’s old Tabernacle, he said, “Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. Let the people be holy, and filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace. … The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the savage nature of the brute creation will vanish away.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 203.)

I will have more on how I apply this in the next post, since this one was getting a bit long. Until then, what do you think? Do you resonate with this?

Veggie Shunning Preschooler?

2012-01-09T01:43:00.001-06:00

Do you have a veggie shunning 3-4 year old in your life? Here's a great idea that just might work for you. Offering a sticker to the preschool set as a reward for trying an unliked vegetable has been met with more success than verbal praise, according to a recent study from Reuters Health. Pretty cool.

Cultured Buttermilk

2012-01-03T00:30:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the new year. January seems to be the official month of belt tightening. Cinched spending, and trimmed eating. The glorious indulgence of the holidays screeches to a halt: it is January 2nd and I've come home to any empty fridge. I need to decide what we are eating and go shop for it this afternoon. And I'm not in the mood for spending money, since I exercised that urge enough in recent months, but we must eat... So more than anything this is the time of year I declare, I can do it myself.

I won't lie derive a certain measure of pleasure, a sense of accomplishment when I can do something myself that I previously hadn't placed in my realm of possibility. (Like when I did the research as to why our dryer was screaming, ordered the parts and fixed that whiny beast together with Justin- that might have fallen into the unrighteous pride category, since we aren't naturally skilled like that.) Major repairs may not be my forte, but when it come to saving some money on groceries and preventing waste, that I can do. I culture my own buttermilk, really anyone can, and once they realize how easy it is, I will really have nothing to brag about save the singular appliance repair, whose glory I must share with my husband.

Back to buttermilk. True buttermilk is the milk leftover after churning cream into butter. That stuff is lovely, but almost never seen now. If you have never made butter I recommend doing it and trying the stuff sometime, it is sweeter than the tangy stuff we call buttermilk now, and not so thick. What we call buttermilk now, is really cultured milk. Good bacteria introduced to fresh milk that cultures it, thickening, and creating that classic buttermilk tang. That flavor is so rich and satisfying whether in a dressing, baked good or how ever you like it. The culture helps relax the gluten in flour, the reason why buttermilk bread is my most successful and favorite 100% whole wheat bread recipe of all time.

And when buttermilk is so useful and delicious, there is no reason you should be without it, if you like it as much as I do. But if you are also like me, you wonder if there is a way you can do it yourself. So when you know you need 2 cups of buttermilk to make oatmeal pancakes in the morning, and when you pick up the carton it is regrettably too light, don't panic. You can make buttermilk in your sleep. Yes, you heard me right. Read on, and then laugh that this counts as recipe.

Buttermilk

Pour a minimum of 1/4 cup of cultured buttermilk to a quart sized container- I prefer a glass jar with a lid.

Fill with milk until you have 4 cups.

Shake.

Set in a warm place for 8-24 hours. (Next to the oven or dishwasher is good)

Buttermilk clabber, culture and thicken. It is totally fine to leave on the counter until you reach your desired consistency- don't worry if you are satisfied with the results in just 8 hours- the warmth of the room and amount of buttermilk you started with can cause variation in the time it takes to thicken.

When thickened and tangy, shake it, and put in the fridge, it is ready to use.

And yes, you can continue to make buttermilk this way from the remnants of that culture, I just transfer to a clean jar each time.

Have you made buttermilk before? What is your favorite way to use it?

Living Proof

2011-12-22T00:55:00.000-06:00

There is a profile up on the Mormon Women Project right now profiling Amy Jones. Amy is a doula, childbirth educator and promoter of holistic medicine. She explains in this piece how these things connect with the Word of Wisdom and how she has been inspired in her path toward homeopathic living.

Personally, I am a fan of natural childbirth and things done in a natural way, but I lack experience and knowledge of herbs and holistic medicine, so can't say much on that. I admire anyone that seeks inspiration and follows it.

What do you think about it? How do you feel about the Word of Wisdom in connection to holistic healing and health?

Edible Giftable: Ashland Bread

2011-12-16T21:07:00.001-06:00

Nevermind the finger poke from some random kid in the middle, this is good looking bread. Aside for less than obvious looks, this bread is among the fastest, easiest bread I know how to make. I rotate bread recipes regularly since that's how I roll. But do keep a a few standards I return to again and again. This is one of those select few. I got rather addicted to it for some time. Because I could go from thinking about homemade seeded whole wheat loaf of bread, to eating a nutty, warm and fresh seeded whole wheat loaf of bread in about an hour.

Did I mention this bread is yeasted, and freezes nicely? A perfect sandwich loaf and lovely slice of toast, and still comes together in about about hour. Yes, you could say I am a fan.

Perfect to get and to give, easy to make and delightful to eat. This "wonder" bread comes to you from the cookbook, With Love and Butter from Holly B's bakery floating on Lopez Island in the Puget Sound. Now, I have never been to that bakery, and I don't even own the cookbook- but I really would like to. This bread speaks volumes about the kind of stuff them must be putting out there and I would like to sample more of it.
But for now, I am happily making do with this fabulous go-to recipe.

Ashland Bread
from With Love and Butter
A yeasted batter bread, Ashland Bread receives only one, brief rising. Yields 2 medium loaves

6 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
3 cups warm water
3/8 cup (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) honey
3 tablespoons quick-rise yeast
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup wheat germ
4 tablespoons brown sesame seeds (available in natural foods and Asian foods stores)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Generously butter two 4 x 8-inch loaf pans and sprinkle one tablespoon sunflower seeds in each.

Place the remaining 4 tablespoons sunflower seeds and the rest of the ingredients in a mixer bowl and blend with the dough hook at medium speed for 8 minutes, or stir by hand energetically for 15 minutes. Divide the batter between the 2 pans. Loosely drape with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place just until the batter reaches the top edge of the pans. This will take only 10 to 14 minutes if you're using fine-grained whole wheat flour and 20 to 30 minutes with a coarser grind. When you set the loaves to rise, preheat the oven to 400 degree F with the rack in the center position.

Remove the plastic wrap and bake the bread for 15 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake another 15 minutes. The bread will be firm to the touch and molasses-colored, but won't rise much above the rim of the pan (don't look for a rounded top). Remove from the pans and cool on a rack. toast and enjoy with butter or cheese.

Edible Giftable: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-15T23:30:00.001-06:00

photo property of Lisa Fain

Time for something sweet. I was thinking of these cookies, and looked back and realized that I posted about these cookies for the first time exactly two years ago. And I have no idea how many times I have made these cookies since then. Really, it has been a lot. This has been one of the ten most requested recipes of anything I cook, ever.

And these cookies travel well. The are not a flat or crumbly cookie. They are round and chewy and lumpy. The perfect type of cookie to pile into a waxed paper bag and a nice ribbon and gift to the people you are gifting nice treats to.

I have made these cookies with only 1/2 cup of butter and 2/3 cup and sugar and even swapped 1/2 of the butter for a banana for fun. So feel free to adjust to what you like. Sometime I would like to play around with using maple syrup or honey as the sweetner- it would make for a flatter cookie, if prefer that- it may be the way to go- likewise go for a gluten free flour and make these work for you if you need that. Personally, I would sub in whole grain spelt flour for that.

Anyway, have fun with this one, they are some really good cookies.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Homesick Texan

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup of brown sugar or organic/raw sugar plus 2 T. molasses
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cup of oats
1 cup of whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups of chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together the butter, sugar and egg. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Place 1 teaspoon-sized balls of dough on a greased or parchment-paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Note- if you dough looks too dry work in a bit of milk or applesauce until it holds together nicely. You can also substitute one of the eggs for applesauce- It keeps the cookies nice a moist and works out great when you thought you had two eggs, but you really didn't...

Makes 3 dozen.

Oh, and let me know if you do make any other changes and variations- I'd love to know about it.

Edible Giftable: Dukkah

2011-12-14T16:20:00.002-06:00

I know you are wondering, what is dukkah, why do I want to make it, and why would I want to gift it? Let me explain. Dukkah is an Egyptian spice and nut blend. This mix is a punchy combination of nuts and whole spices, toasted until the oils release and become fragrant, and then bashed together to yield a bold, flavorful bite. The mix smells like I have be transported from my kitchen to another world away.

The key to what makes dukkah sing is toasting each of the seeds, nuts and spices. Because each of the components are different sizes and shapes, they toast at different speeds, so each one must be toasted individually. But no worries, this goes fast.

Just toast each item as you measure it and dump together in a bowl.

Once you've done that, mash a bit with a mortar and pestle or a non-breakable bowl with a rock (I do this all the time, and then I put that rock in the dish washer) or in the food processor. Pulse or smash until you have a consistency you like. And don't feel bad if you want to change up the ingredients as well. Dukkah is not a set recipe, but a mix, go for what sounds good to you. Other popular add-ins or swaps include almonds and chilies.

Then bag it up or put in a jar and gift away. Be sure to include ideas of how to use it. My favorite is bread dipped in a brightly flavored olive oil and then into the dukkah, so it adheres to the bread. It is also great on top of hard boiled eggs, some avocado on toast, soft cheese, sauteed or roasted vegetables or meat... You get the idea.

Dukkah
Spicy Food Lover's Bible by Dave DeWitt & Nancy Gerlach

1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup coriander seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat a heavy skillet over high heat, add the hazelnuts, and dry-toast until slightly browned and fragrant, being careful that they don't burn. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Repeat the procedure with each of the seeds and the peppercorns. Allow each of them to cool completely.

Place the nuts and seeds, along with the mint and salt, into a mortar and pound until the mixture is crushed. Or pulse in a food processor to a coarse consistency; do not allow the mixture to become a paste.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 month.

Yield: 1 cup.

Edible Giftable: Boiled Cider Syrup

2011-12-13T00:40:00.000-06:00

I can't say enough about how much I love this.

Get a jug of cider.

Put in all in a pot.

Let it boil and simmer down until thick and syrupy.

Put in a pretty bottle or jar.

Give away to nice people and tell them how it will give a cup of herbal tea, a bowl of oatmeal, a stack of buckwheat pancakes, or an apple scone recipe just the right touch.

One gallon on cider yields about 2-3 cups of syrup (or concentrated apple bliss).

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

2011-12-11T22:41:00.001-06:00

I've been a lurker on my own blog the last week, happy to have Tiffany back and then if occurred to me I hadn't posted anything up here is a while. Oops. Time to get back. This week you will get to see a lot more of me. I will be putting up a recipe a day that work as edible giftables. Things that you can wrap up and give away, since, 'tis the season. So swing by this week and I will have some tasty ideas. Sweet and savory.

Until then, back to my ~~obsession~~ love for ethnic markets, and so I thought I would share a recipe to get you out there, if you haven't been yet. Halloumi cheese, a mint-flavored sheep's milk cheese, is something you will most often find in a Turkish or Greek market or somewhere with a great cheese selection. It is salty, tangy and addictive. And just the thing to send an already perfect pan of roasted vegetables over the top.

Tiniest preview of my new dining table. You can see the whole thing later this week when we get the chairs, hooray.

Justin just asked me what I am blogging about and I informed him it was the double potato and halloumi bake I recently made.
His interested peaked, "cake?"
"No, bake. Roasted vegetables and that awesome cheese from the ethnic grocer on Cooper."
Slightly, less excited about vegetables than cake, but still happy. "Well, those roasted vegetables are the best way to eat vegetables."

It is. I won't lie, I roast vegetables all the time around here. Roasted anything vegetable is usually Justin's favorite way to eat them. I was talking with a friend a week and a half ago about her husband who simply does not eat vegetables, because he doesn't like them. So, I started naming off the veg recipes that Justin and the kids like best, and there was a theme. Roasted and toasted in the oven. Asparagus, beets, broccoli , eggplant, onions, parsnips, potatoes, you get the idea... Caramelized, tender vegetables, with a bit of a crisp exterior are all the rage around here.

This recipe is tops. Sweetness from the peppers and sweet potatoes. Tang from the cheese and mellowed, but savory garlic and onion. Pair with bread or grain of your choice and proceed to weeknight dinner heaven.

I did increase the amount of potatoes from the original recipe, since I really did want double potatoes, and I felt the recipe felt scant without them. Tweak the vegetables a bit to accommodate what you can get this time of year, I understand that not everyone still has red peppers happening at their farmer's market or garden. Perks of Texas living.

And as a side note, if you haven't spent time diving into a Nigella Lawson cookbook, do. They are composed so enticingly and are a lovely way to spend an evening.

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake
tweaked from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites

2 large sweet potatoes
2 large red firm potatoes
1 red onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled
4 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the sweet potato into rough 1 1/2-inch cubes and the red potato slightly smaller (1-inch cubes) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly. Halve the red onion, then cut each half into 4 to 6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin. Seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch squares, and separate the cloves of garlic. Put everything into a roasting pan or baking sheet, using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but only a pinch of sea salt.

Bake for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown. You'll need to turn the oven up to maximum heat or light the broiler for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the broiler until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve straight from the pan.

Do What you Know (Part 2)

2011-12-05T21:07:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve spread at my parent's home 2009

Schadenfreude: german word meaning to delight in the misfortune of others.

A couple years ago I was at a holiday gathering of friends. We ate a few appetizers, talked, did whatever women do when they get together. Toward the end of the evening the host brought out a few delicious pies she had bought from a really nice bakery. One by one she went around the room and asked each guest which type they would prefer. After about 10 women were passed slices of pumpkin, apple, or chocolate deliciousness the friend standing next to me was asked which she preferred. Her reply: "No, thank you". A simple phrase.

A chorus of friendly opposition followed.

"oh, c'mon, just have a little piece"
"It's Christmas"
"This pie is seriously to die for, you have to try it"

I knew that this friend had been working on her diet for months, had lost a considerable amount of weight and was trying so hard to do what she felt was right for her body. She started to give in for a second and told the host she would have a tiny slice. I quickly butted in and said "No, she won't". And then I turned and told her that she didn't need it and it wasn't worth it.

And then I sprayed redi-whip on all of those ladies.

Ha ha. I didn't. I love all of those ladies-- and I think I used to be the same way --but let's talk about it. Why does that happen? Why do people like to see others fail? Why are we threatened by another's choice? Why do these sort of scenarios and conversations happen all the time? Men and women alike? (I have known guys to be teased for eating "like girls" when they order salads or eat rice cakes). Why aren't we encouraging each other in healthy pursuits? Do you think it boils down to insecurity? guilt? jealousy that another might be making a better decision than we are?

Schadenfreude??

This friend of mine just so happened to be avoiding sugar. I have had very similar experiences myself when I am not eating sugar. I think that is why I was sensitive to it and showed her my support. (she actually ended up not eating the pie!). I know many members of the church who have been given a hard time about being vegetarian or eating less meat.

There comes a point in our quest for health that we need to cast away all fear of what others will think or say and Do what We Know. When the spirit has testified to us what is right for our bodies, whatever that may be, we need to listen. We need to love our health more than love the acceptance of others who might be interested more in their own security. Pray for the strength to Do What You Know. Surround yourselves with people that encourage you in your healthy pursuits, try to avoid those who pressure you do do otherwise and come up with strategies to tactfully avoid what is not in line with your health goals. Be a supportive friend.

I have more to say, but I will wrap up for this week. I hope all of this is helpful. I would love to hear about your own experiences.

Green Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Potatoes

2011-12-01T00:21:00.002-06:00

I remember when I flew out to Texas to look for a house to rent last spring. I was feeling apprehensive about moving to the suburbs, and afraid of leaving all of the resources of living in densely populated and culturally diverse area behind, i.e. ethnic grocers. I figured moving out of an urban area would mark the end of buying speciality ingredients for ethnic cooking easily and often. I thought I might not see another fresh curry leaf again. So after driving past an abundance of wal-marts, krogers and albertsons that might carry a few things, but not much; I was did a double take when I spied my first ethnic market: International Foodland. A Persian grocery in the middle of Arlington, Texas? What other treasures could this town hold? I felt like throwing my hat up in the air Mary Tyler Moore style and telling myself: You're gonna make it after all. Hope and sunshine radiated me into a perma-grin. I didn't stop smiling for twenty minutes, and then as I continued driving around town, I saw a few more, a vegetarian Indian market (in the city of bbq, no less), two African grocers, a Vietnamese superstore, numerous Mexican markets and a Asian mini-mall, and I'm still counting.

In the midst of my ingredient accessibly nirvana, I was suddenly awed by God's midfullness of me. I had spoken many prayers that Justin would find a job he loved in an area we would love, but felt frivolous praying for a good Indian grocery within 5 miles. And yet, we got all of the above. I'm humored and humbled. And thankful I don't have to take to in the internet to buy whole spices that would cost a fortune if I just bought them in the tiny jars McCormick sells, and all sorts of other hard-to-come-by pantry treasures (like unsweetened shaved dried coconut, epazote, fenugreek seeds and halluomi cheese) I use to make some of our favorite meals.

This Thai-style curry is one of them. A vegetarian friend in San Francisco introduced me to this recipe several years ago. I remember looking at kaffir lime leaves on the ingredient list, wondering where to get those- in San Francisco it wasn't hard. Those leaves are pure magic, elevating this curry to the sublime, and the title of Justin's favorite curry. Then we moved to Baltimore and the Gods smiled down on me when I went to get my sewing machine repaired and their was an tiny-sized Asian grocer next door, with dried kaffir lime leaves. Not nearly as potent as the fresh variety, but who cared? We were back in green curry business. Then one day I took the kids down the pandemonium at Lexington Market (that place is crazy) in Baltimore and across the street there was a Chinese grocery with a kaffir lime tree growing in the front window. I was overjoyed to find them, if fact, I was so giddy, the shopkeeper gave them to me for free. Almost embarrassing, but I guess I know what I like.

kaffir lime leaves

So now I am still on the hunt in my new town. I have found the dried kaffir lime leaves, but still long for the fresh. I might not be completely sated, but I am satisfied for now. Ethnic foods have opened possibilities for me. Through seemingly exotic ingredients and recipes I have found new favorites for myself and my family that teach me to cook in a new way, more in keeping with the proscriptions the Word of Wisdom, and appreciate a wider scope of the abundance of food the world has to offer. I know I say this a lot, but there are a lot of good things out there, and I feel grateful for God's grandeur, variety and imagination as I become more acquainted with them.

In the photo I used baby white eggplants, halved, since my daughter/shopping companion is enchanted with diminutive produce, and I often acquiesce since I want her to be as excited about eggplant and I am. So far, so good. Feel free to swap out the kind of eggplant you like best or can find. I also swap the sweet potato for squash if that is what I have around. And if you can't find those elusive leaves, just up the lime zest, not quite the same, but definitely still worth making.

Green Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Potato

1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
2 T. green curry paste
1 large eggplant, chopped into 1" cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups or one can of coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock or water
6 makrut, or kaffir lime leaves
1 large sweet potato, cubed (about 2 cups)

Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime

Sea Salt

Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan. Add the onion and green curry paste and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle in 1/2 t. sea salt. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the makrut leaves and sweet potatoes and cook for the 10 minutes, or until eggpplant and sweet potatoes are very tender.
Mix in the lime juice and zest until well combined with the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and serve over jasmine rice.

Are you familiar with ethnic grocers? Are there any where you live? And what are your favorite things to buy there?

Do What You Know (Part 1)

2011-11-28T05:00:00.001-06:00

image *

Tiffany here again :)

Patricia Gonsalez was in my first grade class. I remember our first class party well. A big halloween cupcake was placed on her desk. She passed it back to the classroom mom and boldly said, "I can't have it. I am allergic to sugar". That got my 6 year old brain turning... ALLERGIC to SUGAR? I couldn't fathom it. I thought it just had to be the most awful thing in the world. I downed my big chocolate halloween cupcake while Patty ate the popcorn in the little ziploc her mother had packed her.

As I grew up and learned more about medical conditions I made the conclusion/assumption that Patty must have been diabetic. "I'm allergic" must have been something her mother taught her to say to make it easier. And I thought that for many years until recently when I started diving deeper into the many ways our bodies can react to sugar.

I have known for a long time that I have issues with sugar. When I say sugar I mean all manner of refined sugar and sugar substances (corn syrups, etc). My mother has sugar issues, my grandparents on both sides have diabetes. My issues and my mother's issues are similar. We both get crushing sugar related headaches and energy slumps. I get mood swings, irritability and have major focus issues.

I know this because I have experimented with myself. I have gone months without a bite of refined sugar and I feel fantastic. I cave (or purposefully allow it back into my diet) and my health quickly deteriorates. And I mean quickly. I didn't eat sugar the first three weeks of this month (November). I got past the withdrawal period and was feeling great. Then I went on a vacation to visit some family. I allowed myself one night of treats. BAM. I was sick the next day. The headaches were back. I was nauseated and irritable. cravings came back. A few days later was Thanksgiving. I allowed the dessert... I got worse...headaches, impatience, completely unfocused mentally, etc. The crazy thing is that I KNOW this about myself. I know I function poorly when sugar is in my system.

I was once in a sacrament meeting in Montana of all places (I was on a trip with my soccer team in college) and one of the speakers said something I have never forgotten. He said, "Why do we do what we do when we know what we know?" powerful. I loved it. Those words have had so many implications throughout my life, but for this purpose I apply it to what I know about my body. If I know that sugar is crap for me, why do I ever eat it? (I could expand on this but I won't now)

Here are just a few things about sugar intolerances I found out in my research to find out about my own body:

sugar allergies: It is important to know that intolerances and allergies manifest themselves very differently. Allergies are very serious and have reactions like many other food allergies: hives, throat constrictions, swelling, rashes, etc and can even be life threatening. Most people mistakingly think they have a sugar allergy when it is really a sensitivity or intolerance.

sugar sensitivities: People who have sensitivities to sugar will often have several symptoms. These include but are not limited to- fatigue, digestive issues, nervousness, depression, brain fog, irritability, hypoglycemia, and cravings for sweet foods.

here is some more information about symptoms of sugar allergies and intolerances.

sugar hangovers: here is a great link. I learned about sugar hangovers after my oldest son reacted severely after binging on christmas cookies and hot chocolate last year --woke up the next morning throwing up...

Want to guess how much sugar the average person eats in a year compared to just a few hundred years ago? Here is your answer.

I am not going to go on a rant about how bad sugar is for you. This is because it might not be as bad for you as it is for me. It may not affect you. On the other hand, it may and you don't know it. Our bodies are all different. I do know that there have been multiple times in my life that I have visited doctors for migraines, imbalances, mental clarity, etc. and the first (and only) thing they want to do is get me on medication. I am always more interested in the root of the problem. You may be too.

If there are some of you out there that are interested in knowing more about sugar, how it affects your body or would like some encouragement and advice in getting it out of your system, let me know. This may be for you, someone you know, or your children. I am more than happy to write more about my story and what I have learned it if there is interest.

The Word of Wisdom offers a lot of wonderful advice. I think the thing that I love most about it is that it is simple. But because it is simple, all things are not spelled out for us. There is much room for self application and experimentation. Our Father in Heaven gave us these wonderful bodies to use to the fullest potential. I know that what we eat can play a huge role on the efficiency and productivity of our bodies.

This post was written to encourage you in general to take what you know about your body and apply it. If you need to make changes, be brave and do it. Make it a matter of experimentation, of self-discovery, of prayer.

Do what you Know.

Shopping Cart of the Future?

2011-11-22T14:03:00.001-06:00

This one is Lucy's, stuffed with all the essentials.

Researchers from the business school at New Mexico State University had a simple idea. They wondered if a line of duct tape could change the way you shop at the grocery store. For the experiment, all they did was place a line of duct tape across the front half of the shopping cart and said this section is for produce and the back half is for everything else. Well, the test was more than successful. That two foot length of duct tape and a sign on each cart increased sales of produce by 102% of those using the marked carts over the unmarked. And total sales didn't diminish. People still spent the same average amount no matter what cart they were using; they just changed the quantity of what they were buying.

Although there have been plenty of ideas on how to help us shop better, from stars to nutritional indexes, this idea was much simpler. Either it is fresh fruit and vegetables or it isn't, and a line to divide them. Seeing the visual balance keep shoppers in check on their own without any other strategy or intervention.

So next time you head out maybe bring a roll of tape, make yourself and line and fill your cart accordingly. Balance the crackers with the broccoli and the sausage with the apples. A balanced cart will help lead to a balanced fridge and more balanced meals. Pretty cool.

Baked, Stuffed Pumpkin

2011-11-18T10:12:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving has snuck up on me again. I was at the farmer's market last week, when the farmer I buy my eggs from, Busy B's Market, reminded me to be sure to be there next week to pick up the turkey I had ordered for this week. I turned and said, "Really?" I thought it was still early in the month. Apparently not. I was down to just a week to figure out a menu for Thanksgiving and make plans for Justin's parents visit for the holiday. Wow. This month went fast.

Thankfully, I know at least one think I will be making aside from the aforementioned turkey (an heirloom variety I plan to roast with spice rub treatment). This pumpkin will be the showstopper. I made this baked, stuffed pumpkin for the first time a few weeks ago, and have wanted to tell you about it ever since. I loved this. And it looks amazing. It isn't hard to do either.

The most complicated part is opening the pumpkin and gutting it. But anyone who has prepped a pumpkin for carving knows how to do that, it is not hard. Never mind, that I made it harder for myself when I choose a especially thick-walled pumpkin. If you stick to a standard pie pumpkin, it will be easier. Although the blue pumpkin was delicious and beautiful, I'm going with a pie pumpkin for Thanksgiving, its thinner walls will carve up easier and bake faster.

This recipe is extremely flexible. Change the fillings to suit your taste: nuts, (cooked) rice instead of bread is like a glorious risotto and gluten-free, roasted peppers, greens, pears or a change in cheeses I made this one with chunks of bread, Gruyere cheese, fresh thyme, three strips of crumbled bacon, and diced apple. This is a dish where you really don't need the meat, but if you opt for it, a little goes a long way, so choose something flavorful and in a small quantity. For Thanksgiving I am going with less cheese, onion, some celery, raisins, and the classic stuffing herbs: sage, thyme, and marjoram. This year I'm not stuffing the turkey, but the pumpkin. For all the vegetarians out there, go this way instead of the the tofurky. This is the grandest non-meaty centerpiece I have found yet, and everyone will love it, vegetarian or not.

Baked, Stuffed Pumpkin (Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good)
from Around My French Table

1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped

4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped

About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

About 1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that's just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you'll have to serve it from the pot — which is an appealingly homey way to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn't so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I've always taken my chances with the baked-on-a-sheet method, and so far, I've been lucky.

Using a very sturdy knife — and caution — cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o'-lantern). It's easiest to work your knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle. You want to cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot. Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper — you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure — and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled — you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little — you don't want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (But it's hard to go wrong here.)

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours — check after 90 minutes — or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.

When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully — it's heavy, hot, and wobbly — bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you'll bring to the table.

Serving

You have choices: you can cut wedges of the pumpkin and filling; you can spoon out portions of the filling, making sure to get a generous amount of pumpkin into the spoonful; or you can dig into the pumpkin with a big spoon, pull the pumpkin meat into the filling, and then mix everything up. I'm a fan of the pull-and-mix option. Served in hearty portions followed by a salad, the pumpkin is a perfect cold-weather main course; served in generous spoonfuls or wedges, it's just right alongside the Thanksgiving turkey.

Storing

It's really best to eat this as soon as it's ready. However, if you've got leftovers, you can scoop them out of the pumpkin, mix them up, cover, and chill them; reheat them the next day. (Personally, we just cut the pumpkin in wedges and refrigerated and reheated the next day, and it was good, no scooping or mixing).

Seconds Applesauce.

2011-11-14T09:10:00.001-06:00

I used to think applesauce was so hard. Maybe that is because I used to see my mother peeling, cutting, boiling and then ultimately grinding all of the apples through her food mill, the same way she made all of our baby food. And then she canned it all.

Guess what mom? I discovered crock pot applesauce.

I grabbed this bushel of apple seconds at our local farm stand. The bushel basket filled this box and the bag next to it. $8. Can't beat it. I pretty much don't buy anything BUT seconds from our apple farmers. We aren't into apple fashion shows and don't mind a couple blemishes. Beside bruising and the occasional bug friend, apples that have fallen from the tree will sometimes develop a spotty skin. This is nothing to be afraid of. It is a sign of slight deficiency (the apple has fallen from it's source of nutrition). I talked to the farmer about this and he says many people shy away from these apples because they aren't as pretty as their clear skinned sisters. Don't be afraid.

I take these home and put them in the fridge. They last well into a couple weeks that way. If we aren't eating them fresh or baked into something delicious, I peel about 8-10 of them (fill my crock pot to the top), coarsely chop them and put them into the crock pot with a half cup of water and a couple teaspoons of cinnamon and a few grates of fresh nutmeg. I set the crock pot on high for about 6 hours. You can also set it on low before you go to bed. Watch it and stir it after about 4 hours. some apples are softer than others and sauce quicker.

I do not can it. I jar it and put it into my refrigerator. I really don't know how long it lasts, because it gets eaten too fast around here. We took jars to the local farmers and to our neighbors and bus driver. I always make sure I tell them it isn't preserved. I get about three crockpots full of applesauce for an $8 bushel of seconds.

try fresh hot applesauce on whole wheat pancakes or waffles. For an extra special treat whip some fresh cream with a drizzle of honey and put that on top. then you can die and go to heaven.

Chewy Sesame Bread

2011-11-11T08:46:00.001-06:00

Chewy Sesame Bread perfect fall lunch with a bowl of my favorite soup

Soup season is really here. As I type this I am freezing lots of chili from the triple batch I made two nights ago and I have a pot full of stock simmering on the stove tonight for this evening's chicken noodle soup. And, the leaves are finally starting to color and fall around here. I'm so glad, until they really fall and then I will be sorry since we have at least six massive oak trees worth of leaves in our yard to rake up.

This recipe is a family one. This is my grandmother made it, my mom still makes it, and I do too. This is the quickie bread that would get thrown together to round out a meal, or stretch it if extra people are coming over. I like to make it for big groups, since it is a large recipe, and it is easy to do. This bread comes together quickly. And people just like it.

Chewy Sesame Bread

2 cups of warm water
1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1 t. dill
2 T. yeast
4 cups flour (use at least 1/2 whole wheat)
4 T. butter
3 T. sesame seeds

Add sugar and yeast to water. Add flour, salt, and dill, and knead with machine until the dough can "windowpane" or stretch thin enough to let light through without tearing. About seven minutes in a standing mixer. Or about 30 seconds in a food processor. (Or if you are not worried about developing the gluten structure, just stir together with spoon for one minute- my grandma did this.) Cover the dough with a towel or lid on the bowl and let it rise for 1 hour or doubled in bulk. Spread out the dough on 2 oiled cookie sheets. Melt the butter and pour over the dough. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Bake for 25 minutes at 375*, until golden brown.

Thoughts on Apples

2011-11-09T23:12:00.003-06:00

Even though the apples I can get here in Texas are hardly to be called apples compared to the fresh apples available elsewhere in the country right now, I am enjoying them, even if begrudgingly. The farmers' market options are nothing stellar. I buy a basket here and there just to support that their effort, but I am honestly still searching for the best place to buy apples. Whole Foods is pricey, but one of the better options. Costco is the best price for organics, but the variety is limited. And the other grocery stores leave me saying, meh. I just want to know where to buy a Stayman Winesap, Mutsu, or Northern Spy in this town. Is that too much to ask? It must be. Because almost all the apple varieties here are SWEET apples. Honeycrisps are everywhere. Personally, I'm not a fan. I like my apples to have some tang. And that is hard to come by in the grocery store variety. I can find a Pink Lady if I'm lucky. And then there are always Granny Smiths.

So, despite the lack of species variety, I am doing my best to mix it up around here.
I've found my kids' interest in apples soars when I serve it differently. So, I've been rotating techniques on apple butchering. Often I toss whole apples in my bag for easy snacks when we are out, but that isn't always as enticing. And Carter can never finish an entire apple during his super short lunch period along with the difficulties of critical apple biting teeth in transition. So, I must cut.

The kids love it when I will cut apples in halves and cut out the seeds to leave the perfect indent for filling with peanut or sunflower butter.

Rings are all the rage in these parts. Just core and make horizontal slices. This always go directly onto their fingers for easy portability.

Then there are the classic wedges. I go for extreme wedges here. Super thick quarters or wafer thin slices. I personally love the super thins. Especially on sandwiches.

And then sometimes chunks, big and tiny-sized minced (my favorite for my morning granola or oatmeal).

And one more item of business. Peels. I'm leaving them all on, all the time around here. My reasons are mixed. I could preach the goodness of the entire apple, how the nutrition is concentrated in the peel as my dad always told me just to force us to eat the whole thing. It is true and the fiber is a big part of that.
But my choice is also sloth. I decided I am tired of peeling apples. From now on, unless it is crucial to the recipe, which it often isn't, the peels stay on. So far, I've made applesauce, muffins,crisps, cake, pie, scones, curries, sautes, and stuffing with the peels on. And no one complained, batted an eye or refused, even people I couldn't threaten with time-out for insubordination.

I also liked the textural difference. I think that cutting them small enough is the key to this one. Chop your apples smaller or slice them thinner and the peels won't be large, distracting, chewy leathery bits. And when making applesauce I put the chunks of unpeeled apples in my uber-powerful blender and blend them to oblivion and then cook or don't cook the puree as long as I wish. No, straining or food milling, at all. Amen, to less work, more nutrition, and less waste.

How about you, how do you mix it up? And to peel or not to peel?

in my kitchen: the spirit of sandra.

2011-11-07T11:01:00.001-06:00

It's Tiffany/Likely here. I am around so infrequently that I think I should introduce myself when I do pop in. (hi. and a big howdy to sandra)I have realized what a stack of pictures I have in my files of food from my kitchen. Food can just be so beautiful and sometimes I just can't help but snap a picture. I thought this might be a good place to share some of them.

This was my haul from Rousedale Farm last Friday. Steve Rouse (farmer steve to us) is an organic farmer that lives less than five minutes away. I email him often in the mornings and afternoons and ask him what he has on hand to inspire or help finish off a meal I am preparing. We've become pretty good friends.

Last week he mentioned that he was going to be harvesting all he had left and that I could come and take what I wanted. take. He offered it for free, but I did put $10 in the egg box (the box left out for come-and-take eggs and leave $ in the box). There was enough to share and I ended up creating three bags for some friends I was meeting up with that evening for the adult session of Stake Conference. (the carpool van smelled like delicious garlic and chives :)

Sandra (the main author of this blog) moved away from Maryland a few months ago now, but her presence is still here, in the ward, in my kitchen. She left in her wake a strong impression on a lot of people. I thought of her this morning as I processed this produce. My kitchen was humming with black beans boiling with garlic, onions, and a variety of peppers. Whole wheat macaroni on another burner. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes were roasting in the oven. Brown rice in the rice cooker. Garbanzo beans steaming in a large glass measuring cup. Eggplant, peppers, garlic and onions going through the food processor, shredded to become a thick pasta sauce.

All to be turned into our food this week. A layered black bean enchilada dish, butternut squash macaroni and cheese, sweet potato baby food, potato-chickpea curry, and an all vegetable pasta sauce...

And I thought.... dear me. I am turning into Sandra.

and I was happy.

Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash and Fried Sage

2011-11-04T12:23:00.001-05:00

So, it is *almost* fall here in Texas. The weather is getting crisp and cool, I turned on the heater for the first time, but still, no color changing leaves. I may be waiting for another month to get those.

Nonetheless. It must still be fall. And the squashes are among the most beautiful thing at my farmer's market. In the last month I've bought and cooked sweet sugar pie pumpkins, green and white speckled kalbocha with deep orange flesh, nutty acorns, creamy butternuts and a gorgeous blue-gray Jarrahdale that looks as good as it tastes. Squash is edible autumn to me.

I know that butchering a squash is among the most challenging of all produce. They are so hard. Here are some of my solutions. Yes, I really do these.

1.Microwave. Put the entire thing in the mircowave for 1-5 minutes to start the cooking process and soften the beast. Pull it out and it will be MUCH easier to peel and cut.

2.Just drop it. Take it out side and drop in on the sidewalk and it will crack. Then, take it inside, wash it off and away you go.

3. Don't chop. Once you've cracked it in half, scoop out the seed and cook the halves. You can microwave cut side down or bake them in the oven and then easily scoop the cooked flesh away from the peel and use in any recipe that cooks the squash down to a puree or mash as part of the final product.

4. If you do chop, do extra. I love having extra chopped squash in the freezer or fridge for a future meal. Just turn on a podcast you've been wanting to listen to and chop away.

5. If you are taking a "hat" off the top of a pumpkin so you can use it whole, cut at a 45 degree angle, it makes it much easier to remove. And it is safer.

5. When you just don't have time, buy a delicata squash. They are delicious and don't require peeling, just seeding.

Now you have know how to do it. So get cooking.

Here is a recipe I made last week that was a total stick-to-your-ribs kind of dinner. Great stuff. While he was eating this one, Justin, asked how the sage flavor carried so well. I pointed to the crisp, crumbled leaves on top of his pasta. Frying the sage really unlocks the flavor and carries it through the dish with the oil. Fresh sage is pairs so well with squash and is another autumn standard around here. Don't susbstitue dry, rubbed sage. It will not be the same here.

Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash and Fried Sage
tweaked from the kitchn
feeds 4-6
1 medium butternut squash
1 small onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
3/4 pound farfalle or penne pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds, toasted
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Peel the squash. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add half the pasta to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts or sunflower seeds and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

(Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. Split is into two if none of your pans are big enough to accommodate the entire recipe. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

If that doesn't tempt you, here are two of my other squash favorites:

Butternut Squash Lasanga

Calabaza, Corn and Coconut Soup

Do you cook squash? What is the weirdest squash you've ever cooked with?

Two Angry Moms

2011-10-28T14:56:00.001-05:00

Likely, who still posts on here occasionally, asked me the other day if I had seen Two Angry Moms. I hadn't. She said it was recommended by Jamie Oliver, in connection to his Food Revolution Angry Moms.

We started comparing menus at our kids' schools. They weren't good. So long as I am able, I won't be having my son eat there. I haven't yet. But I also know that not everyone can do that. I feel frustrated for the parents that rely on reduced and free lunch programs to help feed their kids, only to have their kids eating rejectamenta (I thank Ratatouille for that word) alongside high fructose corn syrup pumped milk.

I've seen it first-hand and I want change.

Wonder if you or any other parent who cares can make a

difference about what is served in your local schools?

These two women are.

And they are trying to make it easier for the rest of us to do the same.

Check out one of their suggested links that has downloadable ideas and sample letters to get you started if you feel a bit angry too. And be sure to check out the short documentary. It is a good one.

Try Something New: Okra + Tagine of Eggplant, Okra and Olives

2011-10-18T23:14:00.003-05:00

So I moved south this summer, you had to know a post about okra was going to show up eventually. And this is it. There are several vegetables the that just seem synonymous with the geography: black-eyed peas, peppers, melons, and okra. Although I may now be favoring a lesser known favorite cousin, the cream pea over the black-eyed more popular pea (if you can find them fresh, snap them up quickly), I have been enjoying all of these Southern specialties all summer long. And since Texas gets two growing season, the produce started before I showed up and will continue for a while longer.

Okra is beloved in the South, but is often passed over elsewhere. People don't know what to do with it or have had it poorly cooked and decided they didn't like it. I might have thought the same thing. But when I was younger my parents took us on a road trip down to the boot heel of Missouri. Southern Missouri is low down, back woodsy, and fond of okra. I remember trying freshly fried okra served family style at restaurant in town. It was crisp and delicious and I fell in love with the flower cross-section sliced okra made. It was such a cute vegetable.

Aside from being cute on the outside, they are loaded with good stuff inside. Okra is lush with folate (22% of your daily value in one half cup serving), vitamin A, K, and manganese; things you need to keep your mucus membranes healthy, bones strong and your blood clotting enzymes happy.

This vegetable originates from Africa, and is often stewed and pickled. I confess to liking both of these preparations. When you are in doubt of how to prepare an ingredient remember the adage, "what grows together, goes together." Tomatoes and okra, are season buddies and culinary best friends. Just this month at a middle eastern market in town, with a lunch counter, my husband shared an incredible stew of tomatoes and okra. The okra was silky and bathed in olive oil and tomatoes, not at all the slimey, overcooked mess it can become when poorly treated. It was then when I knew it was time for me to start cooking more, and like this.

So when I was cooking a North African tagine for dinner last night, I looked at what was in the pan, tomatoes, eggplant, chickpeas, onions, and I knew the okra I had in the fridge wanted to join the party. It was excellent.

With the some green olives and raisins, it is a classic tagine, and aside from a bit of chopping, an easy dinner. I paired it with some tri-colored couscous I had lurking in the cupboard and a squeeze of lemon, and we declared it a dinner success.

When I make this again I will probably spring for the better olives that would really shine here (I just used the jumbo pimento stuffed ones I had in the fridge) and add some preserved or pickled lemon to the mix as it simmers instead of just a bit of lemon at the end.

Tagine of Eggplant, Okra and Olives

adapted from Didi Emmons

3 T. olive oil

2 cups onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. cumin

6 plum tomatoes, chopped (or substitute good quality canned)

1/2 cup water

1 small pinch saffron

1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 cubes

1/4 raisins

1 cup green olives, pitted

1/2 lb. okra, sliced 1/2 inch thick

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup chick peas

Heat a heavy saucepan to medium high heat, add the olive oil and when shimmering add the onions. Saute for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, paprika, ginger, and cumin and saute fro 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, safdron, eggplant, raisins, lives, okra, water, salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the chickpeas. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve over couscous with lemon (if you didn't add a pickled lemon to the tagine while cooking).

Do you like okra and how do you like to cook it?

Purple Slaw

2011-10-10T00:42:00.001-05:00

I love bright, naturally colored food. And crunch. And vinegar. I love purple slaw. I always hated coleslaw growing up, since I thought coleslaw meant old cabbage in a heavy, sweet mayo dressing. And then I had the most amazing sandwich at a sweet little bakery in Oakland. The owner is a former cook from Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA and uses high quality ingredients, the chickens are free range, the bread comes from an artisan bakery and the olive oil is local. It is real food, my friends, and it is good. And while the chicken was nice, it was the slaw, although green and not purple, on the sandwich that really had me scouring the internet for a recipe. I was all about it.

It was the first perfect slaw that had had. Bright, tangy and not heavy at all. The perfect counterpoint. And the beginning of my blossoming love for cabbage. You can check out my other cabbage love here, here, and here, and one more here too. But for me no cabbage recipe eclipses that first perfect coleslaw.

Slaw became my favorite topping for tacos, and savory sandwiches; and as side for just about everything else. I was addicted. I still am.

The weather is cooling off (finally) here in Texas and brassica is coming back into season for the fall. So grab some cabbage, make a slaw and celebrate with me. And as an added bonus, it keeps in the fridge so another day or so, unlike so many other salads.

At our house we actually like the quick pickled red onion so much that I just keep a jar in the fridge. So, if you are like me don't throw out your vinegar, but just pull out the onions you need, and add more and toss in the fridge for later. They keep for quite some time- they're pickled. Mmm, now I think I want some, right now. (Truthfully, I did just go raid the fridge in the middle of writing this.)

Purple Slaw
adapted from Bake Sale Betty

1 small red cabbage, halved and very thinly sliced (remove the core first)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (sometimes I swap in cilantro here)
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced (optional- and sometimes when I need a slaw fix and I don't have any fresh jalapenos I will just add a touch of cayenne in the vinaigrette)

1/2 cup + 3 T. red wine vinegar (good vinegar makes a real difference here)
4 ice cubes or 1/4 cup very cold water
1 1/2 T. + 1 t. sea salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
11/2 t. Dijon mustard

In jar combine the red onion, 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 T. sea salt, and ice cubes. Shake well and set aside.

Mix the dressing in the salad bowl. Whisk together olive oil, 3 T. red wine vinegar, 1 t. sea salt and Dijon mustard. Slice your cabbage, chop your parsley and jalapenos (if you are going that direction). Add to the bowl and toss with the dressing.

Pluck your now pickled onions from the vinegar and toss into the salad. Enjoy.

Do you feel the same about slaw? cabbage?

The Cheaper Choice

2011-09-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

Photo by Daniel Borris, NYT

I just read Mark Bittman's latest in the Sunday edition of the New York Times. Good stuff. He tackles the common thought that junk food is cheaper than real food.

I highly recommend you read the article, but here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"But food choices are not black and white; the alternative to fast food is not necessarily organic food, any more than the alternative to soda is Bordeaux.

The alternative to soda is water, and the alternative to junk food is not grass-fed beef and greens from a trendy farmers’ market, but anything other than junk food: rice, grains, pasta, beans, fresh vegetables, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, bread, peanut butter, a thousand other things cooked at home — in almost every case a far superior alternative."

"The smart campaign is not to get McDonald’s to serve better food but to get people to see cooking as a joy rather than a burden, or at least as part of a normal life."

The take home on all of this is that it doesn't have to expensive or difficult to eat real food. Anything is better than nothing, you can start by just forgoing processed food one day a week.

Anyone can eat better, whole foods that were designed for our bodies and nourishment, (Genesis 1:29); it doesn't have to be everything at once. Start small, and you don't need to spend more to do it. Yeah, organic and local is great- but unprocessed is the most important place to start.

Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil

2011-09-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I should begin with an apology. It would be much kinder than a command to go make this now. To run and get good tomatoes and basil while they are still around, before the season ends and you have to wait until summer comes again to make this salad to its fullest potential. I could preach to you that this salad is a pleaser, that I haven't meet someone who doesn't like it, and happily consume it. Tell you that everyone will ask you for the recipe when you make it for them. Tell you about how it is among the recipes I like hot and warm and cold, with a fox and in a box, in the rain and on a train. It is just good. And easy. And summer.

But instead, I'll say sorry. Sorry, I've been making this for a year or two now and haven't talked about it here. It was one of those things I photographed, uploaded the pictures and promptly forgot about them until November, when tomatoes and basil weren't really happening anywhere and it would be just mean to talk about glorious summer salads with tomatoes that are sweet as candy when we were getting knee deep in gratins and soup.

So, this year I remembered, just in time. See, I really do get to things eventually.

This is also great for a crowd. I made this for a family reunion this summer and everyone liked it so much, we made again for another meal. That my friends, is success.

I like this salad best with lots of good olives, but I forgot to add them before these pictures were taken. Make the salad as you please, with or without the olives, but just don't just down on the basil. You want it all. It makes this salad sing and not be overwhelmed by the ravioli.

Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil
by Deborah Madison

Serves 4 to 6

This will be even better if you can make it ahead of time, giving the flavors plenty of time to blend together. It would be perfect for a picnic.

1 lb (450 g) cheese ravioli or tortellini
2 lb (900 g) ripe tomatoes
1 x 6-oz (170-g) jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved (optional)
1 bunch basil, leaves torn into pieces
1/2 cup (90 g) olives, pitted and halved
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
red wine vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the ravioli. Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes. (To do this, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, then pour boiling water over them and leave until the skin around the X starts to curl away, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then slip off their skins.) Deseed them and chop them into large pieces. Put the tomatoes and artichokes in a large bowl along with the basil, olives, capers, and oil.

Once the water is boiling, add the ravioli or tortellini and cook according to the package instructions, then drain well. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture in the bowl and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Taste for salt, season with pepper and sprinkle with vinegar to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sunflower Butter + Sunflower Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-09T10:47:00.001-05:00

So I have discussed making my own nut butter here before. And last week I decided to tinker around with making my own sunflower butter. That works too. Which is good to know since it costs about twice to three times as much as a comparable amount of peanut butter. And in all the places I live I have yet to find a place that grinds the stuff fresh in store. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I am pleased with the results. Fresher products are always nice. And you can make them just the way you prefer- for me that means toasting the seeds, sea salt and a bit of honey. The honey is extraneous, but I like it for flavor and consistency. Maple syrup and good quality molasses would also be good candidates as well. Once again, you can make it to your liking and cupboard ingredients.

Sunflower Butter

2 cups of sunflower seeds

2-4 Tablespoons honey

Pinch of sea salt

Toast the sunflower seeds in a skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan to keep the seeds moving and prevent them from burning. When they are fragrant and golden, pull them off the heat. Don't over toast, if the seeds get too dark they will have a faint bitter taste.

Place the seeds in a food processor or blender. Pulse until you have a nice meal-like consistency. Then add the salt and honey and process until the oils release from the seeds and the butter begins to come together. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides and then continue processing. It may take several minutes. Adjust to taste. If you want a looser consistency add a bit of sunflower or another neutral oil to the butter and pulse in. This keeps best in the fridge. If you find if a bit thick to spread, just heat it a bit.

Having lots of inexpensive sunflower butter was just the excuse I needed to create these cookies for my daughter, who is allergic to nuts and will never have a proper peanut butter cookie. I thought these were great, and not a concession to the real McCoy. I froze half the dough to make more next time we need it. This may be our staple replacement for the classic peanut butter cookies.

And while you could leave out the chocolate chips and cross hatch them with a fork to get the right look, I didn't. Another note about sunflower seeds, they often turn green when cooked. The discoloration is the result of sunflower seeds being rich in chlorogenic acid. Most plants only have chlorogenic acid in the stems and leaves, but sunflower also has it in the seeds/oil/butter. Also one of the reasons sunflower is good for you. If you want the green, leave out the orange or lemon juice, it tames the sunflower pigment change. This could be exciting for St. Patrick's day, magic green middles in the cookies.

Chocolate Chip Sunflower Butter Cookie

1¼ cups white wheat or whole wheat pastry or spelt flour (if using red wheat flour, I would go 50/50 with regular flour to avoid too much heaviness)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cup smooth sunflower butter at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips (I favor dark chocolate)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4) Shaped dough into small two bite size balls and place mine onto ungreased cookie sheets, flatten slightly and leave about 2 inches in between.

5) Bake for 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

7) Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Getting Raw

2011-08-31T22:37:00.000-05:00

Some like it raw.

I know that there are many people out there that think that raw is the way to go. Raw, as in eating food as unprocessed and uncooked as possible. Leaving food as is to get the best health benefits possible. Now whether or not that is always true is another can of worms.

I am allergic to many raw foods (oral allergy syndrome) and so eating a lot of foods that way is not always an option for me. I can't have raw soy, nuts and several raw vegetables. My body interprets them as a pollen and my mouth starts to itch and swell. Yet, even briefly cooking any of those foods negates any of the reactions I have to them. So, I enjoy foods in the best way I can.

The raw food I want to talk about today is dairy. I have been buying local, pastured eggs for several years now. Since moving to Texas, I have started buying raw dairy products. I place a weekly order with a co-op that purchases milk from Jersey grass-fed cows on native and forage grass diets grown without chemicals. The milk is really fantastic and I love it. The taste is so much more flavorful than any other milk I have had. I also love their homemade feta cheese, buttermilk and cream cheese (which they have since stopped making- oh, blast).

I will note that this is not my first encounter with raw milk. Drinking it now takes me back to the raw milk I would have at my grandparents' house when I was a child visiting their home and dairy in northern California. They kept it in a huge bucket in the fridge, freshly-tapped from the tanks in the dairy, prior to being pumped into the Darigold tanks and to be taken for pasteurization and packaging. My mom grew up on the stuff.

I am lucky because it isn't so difficult to get raw milk in Texas, in some states it is much more difficult. In Texas you can buy it only from the farm directly. I pay for mine online and pick up from the co-op a short distance from my home in my city. If you are interested in finding fresh, local milk in your area check here.

The difference between this, raw milk, and more-widely available supermarket organics is pasteurization. Most grocery stores, Costco and the like sell ultra-pasteurized milk. A few offer pasteurized milk, I know of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I see these three types of milk as a good, better, best thing. Wikipedia tells me that:

Pasteurization is typically associated with milk; pasteurization of milk was first suggested by Franz von Soxhlet in 1886.^[5] It is the main reason for milk's extended shelf life. High Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurized milk typically has a refrigerated shelf life of two to three weeks, whereas ultra pasteurized milk can last much longer, sometimes two to three months. When ultra heat treatment (UHT) is combined with sterile handling and container technology (such as aseptic packaging), it can even be stored unrefrigerated for 6–9 months.

I think it is noteworthy, that milk is not pasteurized because it is unclean or dirty- but to extend shelf life. So if your milk is coming from a clean, healthy cow eating a healthy natural diet, you will have milk of the same variety. It is when the cow is raised in less than ideal ways is when milk is more likely to have problems where that kind of processing is necessary. While I can see the need for pasteurization in some instances, storage, less than ideal milk, or inaccessibly of raw milk, there are beneficial microbes that are killed off in pasteurization.

There is a lot more here, but I am just not enough of an expert to take this on and I am not a one way or no way about milk. I know that a lot of people can't drink milk due to lactose intolerance, but are able to drink raw milk. I also believe that less milk is a good thing. I don't think animal products are the "staff of life," that category is firmly food from the earth for me.

I know a lot of people go for milk alternatives, and I don't condemn any of them-- except maybe sugared milks posing as health food. Yes, almond milk with chocolate is delicious, just know it is candy. Enjoy it as such.

What are your thoughts on milk? Do you go raw, organic, alternative or no? And why?

Lunch to Go

2011-08-22T22:48:00.001-05:00

School is starting and lots of us are loading up a lunch to go; to work, to school and wherever else. )This photo was from a lunch I packed for a camping trip earlier this summer in the Catoctin Mountains.) The truth for many of us, is that going home for lunch is not a feasible option. So aside from the go-to items like sandwiches, what else should you pack?

Here are some ideas to mix things up from the same ol' routine.

Yogurt or Cottage Cheese Pack some plain yogurt or cottage cheese and jazz it up on your own with a drizzle of brown sugar, a dot of good jam, some chopped fruit or some granola. Or go heavy on the fruit or vegetables, flavor the yogurt with some spices and use it as a dip. Great source of protein.
Eggplant with Yogurt and Dill
Yogurt Romanoff Sauce

Bean or Grain Salad You can make this any which way you love. Take a grain or a bean, add a simple viniagrette, and stop there or continue adding anthing that sounds good from nuts, chopped fruit or vegetables, leftover vegetables (grilled or roasted are fantastic) and herbs or greens- whatever you like. Or just go for refried beans as a dip (I know there are many of you out there with 25 lbs. of refried bean flakes in your garage waiting to be used. Bring them back to life and pack them to go.) Just add in some whole grain dippers. Here are some of my favorites:
Basic Black Beans + Corn Salsa
Black Bean Dip
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Red Potato and Green Bean Salad
Simple White Bean Salad
Bulgur Salad

Homemade Crackers I am aware that this sounds crazy, but it is not. Crackers are easier to make than bread and faster than cookies. Really. Add something to top them with fruit cheese or along side a salad or soup and it is a great lunch- and unlike a sandwich they won't be soggy.
2 Cracker Recipes

Nut Butters and Hummus Toss in a container along with something to dip, apples and nut butter, hummus and crackers and red pepper slices. Anyone remember ants on a log? Go with whatever strikes you or you have on hand. I also run a tight ship on nuts at our house since my daughter is allergic, so I also recommend sunbutter made from sunflower seeds, it is delicious and a great alternative.
Homemade Peanut Butter

Trail or Snack Mix Make your own combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. I have really been loving roasted pumpkin seeds lately. This one is great because you can just keep a bit of it at your desk or in your bag for whenever- it will keep beautifully for sometime.

Hard Boiled Eggs- Maybe you love them for breakfast, but never take the time to make them. Prep in advance and boil several and enjoy them throughout the week. Make a egg salad or just have them plain with bit of sea salt and pepper. Or go all out and make yourself deviled eggs. Just make sure you have a system to identify the boiled ones from the raw ones. My dad made a tragic lunch mistake once, by trying to crack and peel an unboiled one on his desk at work.

Leftovers I found out that my son doesn't always care about temperature and loves burritos so much, he is happy to eat them at any temperature. Same goes for pizza. And there are lots of pastas that are great cold as well as hot. Somethings are great re-invented into a wrap, sandwich or salad. Don't overlook last night's dinner.

Fruit and Vegetables What is in season is always great. But other viable options include dried, freeze-dried, and frozen. If you have homemade applesauce, use it. Fully cooked frozen edamame- we adore it. It is a lunch box staple around here. And if you worry about bruising your fruit- pack it in its own plastic container.

Popcorn and Kale Chips I love a good crunch. Homemade popcorn are kale chips can be cooked in large batches and enjoyed for the week and seasoned to your own taste. Or if you do have access to a microwave- hot popcorn is an excellent and economical option. Just follow the tutorial here- I've done it, it is easy and cheap.
Kale Chips

What other options do you pack to go?

Taxes and Subsidies and is Eating Well Elitist?

2011-08-09T14:43:00.000-05:00

If you have been around here for a while you know that I am a fan of Mark Bittman. (Just search this blog with his name and you'll get the idea.) His cookbook, How to Cook Everything was eye opening for me. I learned how to do all sorts of things and cook some fantastically simple and splendid food. He also pretty well. And I have loved reading his articles in the New York Times as he has lobbied and pushed for whole and unprocessed food. This latest piece, "Bad Food? Tax it and Subsidize Vegetables" was right up there for me.

I've seen so many people scoff at local produce and whole foods as being elitist, since you really can pay more per calorie for whole foods (complete, unprocessed foods) than you do for processed and refined calories. Surely something is wrong with this picture. Why do I pay more for whole grains than stripped down, bleached, bromated and fortified ones? Especially in the cereal isle. It frustrates me endlessly.
Link over and read the article. Bittman has some great ideas that I would LOVE to see happen. And tell me what you think. Do you think that eating well comes off as elitist?

Watermelon Berry Salad + Bonus Melon Tips

2011-08-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

Texas seems to be on hospitality strike. I thought it was so lush and lovely when I visited in May, but now it is August, and we have been here about a month and have yet to see the temperatures stay below 100 in 36 days and we are still waiting for just an ounce of heavenly rain. Indeed, the heat is on. At least the melons are too. It helps me keep my cool, just a little bit. Cucumbers and melons are known for their cooling, soothing taste and sensation to the tongue. Even the Israelites pined from them when they tired of heavenly coriander-spiced manna. (Saying huh? Yep, it was spiced manna. See vs. 7 from Numbers 11.)

So we have melon here. And when we tire of eating wedges of it, which doesn't really happen, but just for variety's sake, I have been doing a few other things with it too. Salad like this one and an agua fresca, but I'll get to that one in a minute. First, a word about cutting.

If you need a lot of melon cubed for a salad or blender drink this is the fastest way I know how to cut it. I picked this one up while I worked in catering in college. I loved spying on the food prep folks, who always knew the fastest way to work any produce into nice pieces for serving platters, salads and cooking.

First, cut in half, scoop out the fleshy guts in the middle.

Then begin cutting off all of the rind.

Slice.

And slice the other direction. You can always lay the slices on their sides before this step and cut again if you want to end with smaller chunks.

But this is the best way to get easy, uniform chunks of any melon. I use this same technique with watermelons- I just only snapped a picture of the cantaloupe. Now that you have your melon cut, here is the salad.

I've seen many watermelon salads with feta and lime, but I was cooking Italian the night I created this and had some ricotta salata left over from this and headed that direction. So here is a melon composition with a more Mediterranean feel.

Watermelon Berry Salad

1 lb. cubed or balled watermelon

1 T. fresh mint, chopped or julienne

1/4 cup cubed or torn ricotta salata

1 T. Balsamic vinegar or to taste

1 cup berries, either blackberries, mulberries or similar (wineberries, if you are Tiffany Ruekert)

sea salt and pepper

Place melon, berries, and mint in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and vinegar. GENTLY fold to distribute the seasonings. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Now for the agua fresca. Agua Fresca is a Latin thing and the best thing to do with overripe and/or excessive amounts of melon. Feel free to play around with other fruits and cucumber too (peel it for this one)- it is delicious and refreshing. If you want to do it perfectly go ahead and strain your puree, but if you just don't care about the solids, skip that step. I often do. And play around with proportions- you may like more or less water or just sub for ice if you still don't care about the solids and want things even colder since it is a heat index of 167 degrees outside and the kids still want to be out there on their swings... just saying.

Melon Agua Fresca

6 to 8 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (or any other citrus you favor)
1 tablespoon sugar or honey (only if your fruit is a bit sour)
Ice cubes
Sea salt (optional)

Lime slices and mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Puree the melon, water, citrus and sweetener and a pinch of sea salt if you are using it. Work in batches if you need to. Strain the solids, and serve over ice.

Enjoy.

Link Love: Eating Rules + Smoothie Chart

2011-07-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

Eating Rules is a fantastic website and resource. Whether you are just getting started eating whole foods or you hug your oatmeal canister already, this site has a lot to offer. Check out some great ideas for eating at home and eating out- which can be tricky.

One thing I love on the site are the flowcharts to help eat well. The smoothie one is especially good. Check it out here.

Height of Summer Squash Pasta with Herbs

2011-07-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

Surprise- it is not a repeat. I am still in flux as we have been in our new place for just a few days and are trying to get settled. I am beginning to get back into the swing of the kitchen, restocking my pantry and freezer and buying herbs to pot outside my kitchen window. I must say, I have missed cooking, but now I am still adjusting to my new place. Remembering where I put things and lamenting that most of the storage is vertical and I am not very gifted in that way and am in want of a tall stool to reach my stuff. I miss my old kitchen rhythm; knowing I could make things quickly, and put things away easily since everything had a place and my cupboards, freezer and fridge were stocked. But it will come.

Tomorrow I am visiting my new farmer's market for the first time. I hope it is a good one. If not I may get more reliant on co-ops and a CSA. If you aren't familiar with those, co-ops are cooperative groups that buy together, with someone to pick up the order, money and distribute the goods at a specified time and place. A CSA, is community support agriculture. A farm sells shares in the advance of the season and in return a customer receives produce throughout the year based on the amount of the money they put up at the start of the season. Both are great for the farmer and consumer, skipping the added time and expense of a middleman, so your food is fresher and your money is going directly to the people who produce it, without paying for distribution or packaging. I can't wait to tell you more about the dairy co-op I just joined. I'll pick up my first order on Monday and report back. I am excited.

In the mean time, here is a new pasta we swooned for. This is a fabulous pasta when the summer squash and herbs are going gangbusters. I would even suggest adding another pound of squash if you have it, this pasta can take it and I like a heavy vegetable to pasta ratio.

Height of Summer Squash Pasta with Herbs
3 large (2 lbs.) mixed zucchini or summer squash, julienned
1 lb. pasta (campanelle or rotini)
1/2 cup diced ricotta salata
1 t. lemon zest
squeeze of lemon juice
1 1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1/4 c. chopped fresh mint
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Saute zucchini in heated oil and butter for 10 minutes while the pasta cooks. Drain noodles and toss hot past with zucchini, lemon zest, juice, seasonings and herbs. Adjust seasonings to taste. Top with cheese and serve.

Partaking of the Divine

2011-07-06T12:52:00.000-05:00

Stopping to see the view at the Utah-Colorado border.

So I am still traveling and away from my kitchen. We drove up the blue highways (the small blue lines on the map) from Texas to Oklahoma, Colorado and finally Utah to spend a week in Park City, Utah with my husband's family. The roads were small and slowed as they went through small towns that major freeways pass by. I loved the getting a real feel for the area, seeing each town as we drove through, and the ease of completely unpatrolled road with generous speed limits.

Since I'm not writing much during the week I thought I would share other things I have been writing with you. I recently published an essay about my experience with the Word of Wisdom entitled "Partaking of the Divine" in the Summer edition of Exponent II. You can read the pdf version online or purchase it here. My essay starts on page 38.

How to Feed a Growing Planet

2011-06-30T15:17:00.001-05:00

This month's National Geographic has a fantastic feature entitled "How to Feed a Growing Planet." Apparently, lots of us are doing a good job of multiplying and replenishing the earth and our population of our planet should increase from 7 billion to 9 billion by the time I qualify for senior citizen discounts. Can we have that many people? Yes, we can, but we might need to change the way we do some things to make the world more accommodating for those who come along in the next few decades. Read more about it and think about what you are wasting. Amazing.

Makes me want to shop at places like this new zero-packaging grocery that is opening in Austin, Texas. We could all stand to waste a less, and I would love buy my groceries this way.

How about you? Any thoughts?

Red Potato Salad with Green Beans and Basil

2011-06-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

I am in my new place in Arlington, Texas and we have most of the boxes emptied and the house is starting to look less like a UPS package holdin g facility. Things are busy and most of my days run into the next because I have been staying up too late getting things done. So, here is another recipe revisit. This is the first recipe I posted here and still my favorite potato salad to date. This was one of the last meals I made before I packed up the kitchen in Baltimore and I am looking forward to making it again. If you can find them, flat Italian green beans really make this salad for me. They have great flavor and look good too. And don't skimp on the fresh basil, dried just won't be the same. If you wanted to mix this up I recommend swapping out the basil for fresh thyme, tarragon or dill.

Red Potato Salad with Green Beans and Basil
I prefer my potatoes roasted- they don't get mushy and the flavor and presentation is even better. Although, I have a confession. Not only do I use meat sparingly, I stretch it. I have good southern ties, so I save bacon fat and there is nothing better than red potatoes roasted in bacon drippings. So you can, but olive oil also works great.

3 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch dice
1 lb. green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
2 handfuls of basil (about a half a bunch), cut in a chifonade
1 bunch of green onions, sliced (use the greens and the whites)
1/2 cup olive oil
4 T. white or red wine vinegar
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper or grains of paradise
3/4 t. dijon mustard
For the salad:
Boil the potatoes until tender 5-7 minutes. Add green beans in the last minute of cooking so the are crisp tender. Alternatively you can roast the potatoes in the oven a 450* for about 20 minutes and add the green beans the last 4 minutes or steam them separately.
While those are cooking whisk together the dressing. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Toss this with the vegetables while they are still hot to absorb as much of the dressing as possible. Add the onions and basil and adjust the seasonings if needed.

This salad can be served immediately or chilled for later.

Wild Edibles and Bright Lights Gratin

2011-06-21T14:14:00.001-05:00

I am in the middle of a move right now and my desk in on the floor, my cookbooks are packed away and my pots get packed in tonight. So, rather than abandon the blog, I will be reprising a few of my favorite posts and recipes in the next few weeks until I am ready to go again. Thanks for sticking around. There will be good things to come from my new kitchen. I promise.

My first memory of someone foraging for food was when I was four or five. I was at the neighborhood park with friends and noticed a family gathering dandelions. Now, at that age I had gathered many dandelions for my ever-appreciative mother; but this family had far more than a fist full. It was if they had grand sum of every thing I had ever picked. And they didn't just have the sunny yellow flowers, they had the greens too. I was shocked- who wanted those? I asked. They did. They were taking them home to cook. Apparently, someone liked those greens.

My first foraging was sweet. I was eight, running around the common water drainage area behind my street during the summer. The honeyed floral smell of the wild honeysuckles became more than tempting. Someone mentioned they had heard you could drink the nectar. I declared it safe enough for me and eagerly pulled off a trumpet shaped blossom, torn of the end and sucked the heavenly nectar out of the little straw. Divine.

The flowers sufficed for awhile. I would often snatch one as I walked by and enjoy the sweetness and redolent aroma of my childhood. But then I found something with more substance. Fruit. Fifteen years later in the center of San Francisco city I found blackberry bushes and then what has become my personal foraging paramount: sour cherries. I knew then that God loved me. Trees full of free sour cherries. The jam. The pies. The surprising lack of competition. I reluctantly told a few people about the treasure I had discovered, but no one else seemed to care or pick them.

Foraged food is as local as it gets. Forget the 150 mile rule, how about the 150 yards rule? It is amazing how much free, wild food is within a few blocks of my house. Face it, to most people foraged food sounds like foreign food. People shy away. Many folks are scared by something new. The funny thing is though, you have seen most all of these plants before, but you haven't seen them as food, but as weeds. Now, here comes the irony. They are better for you than most of the food in your fridge. Some of they things we pull of our gardens and laws are really great food we just don't recognize. At least I know I did.

This year, all of that changed. I have done some research and reading and then I (carefully and judiciously) did some sampling. I have found fewer things to weed out of the garden. In fact I have given one of these volunteers their own garden plot. Here is what I have been eating:

wood sorrel so very tasty. Use it like an herb, it has a zippy lemony flavor. Look for heart shaped leaves. Toss a few sprigs in with a salad or on top of a dish that pairs well with lemon.

Lamb's Quarters are really a wild spinach. The leaves are more delicate and mild in flavor. I really like it

Chickweed mild, earthy great in soups and salads

Honeysuckle break off the end of the flower and suck out the nectar. Nothing to not like.

Mulberries How lucky am I to have these growing within a block of my house? Eat like any other berry. I love to bake with these.

Wild Garlic make certain you have garlic and not another bulb- just take a sniff. The green and the bulb are pungent.

I have also cooked with ramps (wild leeks) but we ate them so fast I forgot a photograph. I only wish their season was longer. I look forward to cooking with purslane as soon as mine gets big enough- I'll give you an update. I hear its delicious. Other finds from late summer include elderberries and paw paws.

But for now here is the most recent wild thing I've cooked: bright lights chard gratin.

This recipe is flexible and a great place to add some wild greens in with the chard. Which is exactly what I did. I put in about 1/2 lb. of lamb's quarters with 1 1/2 lbs. of chard. And then the lovely goat cheese and the the dilled bread crumbs. Oh, heaven. It hasn't been 24 hours and every bit of it is gone already. Dang. I will be making this one again.

Bright Lights Chard Gratin

Deborah Madison, Local Flavors

Bright Light or Rainbow chard is the variety with multicolored stems that are often
smaller and more tender than the big silver leaf or red-leafed chard. It works
beautifully here because of those narrow stems, but any variety can be used, of
course. Other greens can go in with the chard as well, such as quelites (another name for lamb's quarters, nettles, sorrel and spinach. Serve this gratin as a vegetarian main course or as a side
dish.

2 pounds chard, including half of the stems
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons chopped dill or parsley
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk or cream or a mixture of cream and stock
1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

Separate the leaves and chard stems. Wash the leaves in plenty of water,
then coarsely chop them. Trim the ragged edges off the stems, wash them well,
then dice them into small pieces.
Melt half the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has begun to brown a bit, about 20 minutes. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until they’re wilted and tender, another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F and lightly oil a 2-quart gratin dish. Melt half the remaining butter in a small skillet and add the bread crumbs, garlic, and dill. Cook, stirring for about a minute, then scrape the crumbs into a bowl and return the pan to the heat.
Melt the last tablespoon of butter, stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk.
Simmer for 5 minutes, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and add to the chard
mixture. Add the cheese, then taste the mixture, correct for salt, and season with
pepper.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and cover with the bread crumbs.
Bake until heated through and golden on the surface, about 25 minutes. Let
settle a few minutes before serving.

links:
Now you know it's safe Martha Stewart has it
20 items to forage from Eco Salon
A true expert, Steve Brill
Videos and more information at Eat the Weeds

Do you forage?

Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fiften

2011-06-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

Dirty Dozen

Buy these organic

Apples

Celery

Strawberries

Peaches

Spinach

Nectarines
– imported

Grapes – imported

Sweet bell peppers

Potatoes

Blueberries
– domestic

Lettuce

Kale/collard greens

Clean 15

Lowest in Pesticide

Onions

Sweet Corn

Pineapples

Avocado

Asparagus

Sweet peas

Mangoes

Eggplant

Cantaloupe
- domestic

Kiwi

Cabbage

Watermelon

Sweet potatoes

Grapefruit

Mushrooms

This guide was just released from the EWG this week. This list is complied using data released from the USDA. I really appreciate this is because not only is it diffcult to always find, grow, or purchase organic produce, it can be expensive too. Some of these really surprised me, I kind of figured as much about grapefruit and avocados, things with skins you don't consume; but the asparagus and mushrooms are good to know about.

But one thing is for sure. Don't pass up fruits and vegetables because you are worried about pesticides. See it as a classic good, better, best. Eating lots fresh produce is good, "clean" conventionally grown items are better, and organic, pesticide and chemical-free is best. Purchase and eat what you can, just see that you do, because blue-raspberry otterpops are not an even exchange for a handful of the real thing.

Two Blue Muffins

2011-06-15T07:46:00.001-05:00

I interrupt our packing to bring you muffins. Two blue muffins: blue cornmeal and blueberries. I've got things to box, but I keep getting distracted. I am afraid I am going to miss berry season. Berries in Maryland have already begun, our strawberries have come and gone, juneberries welcomed their namesake month and mulberries are heavy on the trees, but I am worried about leaving before the blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries among a few other rarities. The hitch is the seasons, Texas is so much warmer they are already past these early summer gems. Fruit in its season is nothing shy of glorious. The reason why I hate to miss any of it.

I've been clearing out my cupboards and found this blue cornmeal I have been hoarding- I am inclined to do that with specialty ingredients. I guess I enjoy just looking at them, thinking of the things I can make with them since I can't get them easily or often. Cooking with them is also nice and novel. You don't need blue cornmeal, the taste is nearly identical to white and yellow cornmeal, the aesthetics are the biggest difference. So, I had decided when I bought the cornmeal that I would keep it until blueberry season and make these muffins. Unfortunately, I didn't wake up soon enough. By the time I got to the farmer's market they were sold out of blueberries that had made their first appearance last week. So, I consulted the freezer (which if you know about saw my last post about the leftover thanksgiving turkey in June) is where I keep things for extended periods of time. Lo, and behold, blueberries. I made the muffins and got over the fact that those were last year's blueberries, since the muffins left me no reason to be sad. They were light and full of flavor. The perfect muffin for blueberry season, even if your blueberries come from the freezer.

Two Blue Muffins
1 cup blue cornmeal or swap for whatever color you have on hand
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt, thinned with a little milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400º and generously grease 12 muffin cups (1/2-cup capacity). Sift cornmeal, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour liquid ingredients into well, and stir to combine. Fold in berries.
2. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Transfer tin to a rack and let cool 10 minutes before removing muffins.

Kale and Goat Cheese Calzones

2011-06-09T12:42:00.000-05:00

So, we are in the middle of boxing up our entire life to get ready for our big move to Texas; the house is not the way I like it and the kids are climbing our cardboard pyramids as play structures. Since we have two weeks left I am clearing out the fridge and pantry, whittling down the amount of food we either eat, pack or give away. And in the middle of it I forgot I signed up to feed the missionaries. Um, oops. At least they called and reminded me the day of. That was helpful, but I was still humbled to have anyone see us in the process of whole house deconstruction. I also had to take a quick walk to the grocery store to pick up a few things since the contents of my fridge are reduced. I slapped together some pizzas and a summery salad I really liked, and promise to write about later, and called it good.

I made one of my favorites, potato and rosemary, a zucchini and mozzarella, and a classic margherita. Then Justin used some of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey we just found in the depths of the freezer (don't judge too much) to make his own meaty pizza. I wasn't tempted by the freezer aged turkey pizza since I had three delicious veg pizzas to keep me occupied. I probably even said as much. The missionaries powered through the pizza and then scanned through my large collection of cookbooks while we cleaned up dinner. After processing my pizza preferences and cookbook titles, one of the young missionaries asked in slight horror, "You're not vegetarian are you?"

I laughed, grinned and said, "Not quite full-time." He continued to be aghast and waited for an explanation. I try not to be preachy about my beliefs, but if you really want to ask, I'll tell you. I answered lightly, " I decided to take Word of Wisdom at its word."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, eat meat sparingly, among other things."
"Then do you a lot in the winter, it says that you know."
"No, I still don't eat a lot then, I don't think that is quite it."
"But it says to."

Thankfully that was interrupted, but really. Really? I couldn't believe I was being told by a 20 year old, missionary or not. There may have been some lightness in his voice, but he had earnest conviction in his interpretation of the Word of Wisdom. I was humored how he fixated on that bit. Though, that isn't the first time I have heard people do that.

I was in Sunday School last year when we covered the D&C and had the token lesson on Section 89. As the teacher read the verse, the meaty one, there were suddenly mumbles and whispers around the room about how that really wasn't applicable today because we have clean food and refrigeration. Really? Really.

I didn't raise my hand or correct anyone. I'm not the expert and don't want to call anyone out. But when people ask I don't withhold my opinion. Here is the way I see it. Take it for what it says, don't try to reinterpret some hidden meaning or emphasis, or excuses exist in age of freezers. I don't judge what "sparingly" means to you, just don't lose the meaning or message in the words. They are what they are. I will judge what I eat and is okay to me that I can feel correct about, and you do the same for you. I say be conscious and honest with yourself.

Oh, and fridge is also food for produce among other things. And there are vegetables, even in winter.

Here is my favorite calzone I have been meaning to share with you. Kale is available year round, delicious paired with goat cheese. The pungency of the greens with the creamy, tangy goat cheese is a great pairing.
The kale is easy to love here, even if you haven't been a fan in the past. I recommend giving it a go.

Kale Goat Cheese Calzones

1 T. olive oil

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1 bunch kale or about 6 cups chopped

1 cup mozzarella, torn with your hands or grated

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

sea salt and pepper

pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 450*. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, saute the red onion. While onion is cooking, wash kale and remove stems, chop. When onion begins to color add salt and pepper and kale to the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, until kale becomes more tender. Remove from heat and place kale and onion mix in a towel and wring out excess moisture. In the skillet or in a bowl mix in cheeses and adjust seasonings to taste.

Shape dough into a large round or four small rounds. Place kale and cheese mixture on half and fold dough over and seal. Bake on a preheated stone or a baking sheet until golden brown and puffed about 20-30 minutes.

What would you have said?

Try Something New: Juneberries

2011-06-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

Juneberries may be my favorite fruit. These are also one of the many things I forage for. Also known as serviceberries, shadbush, saskatoon or sarvisberries, these lovelies are on right now in Maryland and depending on your area and variety ripen between April and August. These berries look like a blueberry or miniature pomegranate with the "crowns" on the ends of the fruit. The crowns help you know they are safe to eat. No poisonous berries have crowns. But despite appearances, they actually are related to apples. Their edible seeds even look like tiny apple seeds.

Juneberries are an old-fashioned fruit. I asked my parents about them when I first discovered them, who passed me on to my grandparents. The older generation remembered these beauties fondly. They are naturally high in pectin and don't require any addition to make jam or preserves. And the flavor is something you cannot forget. Punchy and bright with a distinct almond note, there is no supermarket equal. If you have found these for sale somewhere you have found a rare gem. They used to be cultivated and distributed on a larger scale but have gotten lost somehow in the last half century. I feel so cheated, that I spent how many of years of my life waiting to discover my favorite fruit can't be bought at the store or market the way it once was. Shame. Now I am left wondering what ever am I supposed to do when I move away from my beloved bushes?

I don't think I can relocate the bushes, but I would love to plant my own. They would be worth it, but there are still drawbacks to juneberries that I haven't mentioned. They take forever to pick. That is mostly because you can't stop yourself from eating them. They are that good. I even pick them slightly under ripe just because I know that they birds will descend on them soon and something this good simply doesn't last. If you can hold out- they are amazing when they turn purple, but me, sometimes I can't hold out that long. These, are one of the Gods' finer fruit creations. So find them if you can, or if not maybe it is time to buy yourself a bush. You can guess what I will be hankering to do this time next year.

Red Meat and Colon Cancer

2011-06-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

In case you were having a hard time taking the "eat meat sparingly" on faith, here are some more facts. The American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund recently report on a variety of factors that appear to increase risk of colorectal cancer, including alcohol, processed meat, and excess belly fat, as well as things that appear to decrease the risk, including exercise, garlic, milk (but not cheese), calcium, and foods containing fiber. The bits about red meat have been getting the most attention in the news, which I don't see as a really bad thing. Dosage is the key word here. The experts are telling us what we should already know and do, eat less meat.

Want quick bit on this, that is easier to chew than the full report? Enjoy this bite from Nutrition Over Easy, "Red Meat and Colon Cancer: Beyond the Headlines."

Roasted Asparagus with Citrus

2011-05-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

So I sat down to write this post on Friday night, but I couldn't. Try as I might, I could not honestly talk about the clean spring taste of asparagus when I had just busted my gut that evening. I organized a pot luck, like I never have before; and if I do so again, it is going to be a while before can do it again in good conscience. I had read in one of Michael Pollan's books that if you took the real time it takes to make junk food you should be entitled to eat it, since you will rarely take the effort to make such a thing.

So, we challenged ourselves and took to the kitchen. There were homemade twinkies, hostess cupcakes, oreos, wonder bread, macaroni and cheese, corn dogs and fig newtons, among other classic packaged goods. All of our recreations were head and shoulders above the originals. We made it all from scratch and came to the party dishing on how long everything took to make. Clearly, these items aren't intended for everyday preparation or consumption. I know one thing for sure when I make fig newtons again I am SO hacking the recipe to simplify them into a less sweet and less time consuming bar cookie.

Anyway, lesson learned and a lovely evening. Thanks for those who played along with me. And on the the asparagus. I made this again on Sunday night and we fell in love it all over again. Asparagus means spring to me and frankly I just don't get tired of it since I know that I will have to wait an entire year until I can get good asparagus again. That being said, I do tire of the same preparation. This one is new to me this year. Lime and asparagus may seem like an unlikely pairing, but it is a fantastic one. And yes, the recipe says citrus and you can simply replace the lime with orange or a more traditional lemon, but I ask you to go for the lime. It is so unexpected and a total taste bud wake up.

When roasting the asparagus remember to not overcook it. keep your asparagus crisp and in shape, don't wait until it bends limply in submission to the heat of the oven. Asparagus should always be served a bit firm.

Roasted Asparagus with Citrus Butter

Local Flavors

1 1/2 lbs. asparagus

1 t. olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh citrus juice

3 T. cold unsalted butter, in chunks

1 t. grated citrus zest

If the asparagus is thin, snap off the tough parts of the stalks where they break naturally. If thick, slice off the tough ends with a knife- you can usually see a change in color where the stalks turn tender- then peel them up to the tips.

Soak the asparagus in cold water while you preheat the oven to 425*, then drain and put them in a gratin dish (They needn't be dry.) Toss with the oil and season with salt. Bake until the stalks are tender when pierced with the tip of a pairing knife, 20-40 minutes depending on their thickness.

Boil the juice in a small skillet until it has reduced to about 1 1/2 tablespoons (or just microwave to the same effect). Remove from the heat, whisk in the better, then add the zest, a pinch of salt, and some pepper. When the asparagus is done remove it to a platter and spoon the sauce over it.

Serves 4, ideally, 2 practically, and sometimes just me.

DIY Power Bars + Lucy Allergy Update

2011-05-17T10:33:00.002-05:00

I recently took my daughter to the allergist for her annual appointment as a human pin cushion. Lucy is 2½ and I have known about her allergies for almost two years now. She is allergic to nuts, and for a while there we thought she might have been allergic to wheat and milk as well. We dodged the bullet on those ones, but after two weeks of cooking without wheat and milk I had new appreciation for those who do go without. There is a real learning curve and I really missed milk since I was nursing at time. I am glad that is in our past.

There is good and bad news from this year's testing. Bad news, her numbers have gone up on peanuts, walnuts and pecans. Boo. That means chances are getting slimmer for her to grow out of those allergies. And hazelnuts also registered for the first time. Ouch. So we are cleaning out the fridge and pantry. Everything on that list is out. We don't want anymore accidental encounters, anything in the air or residue on dishes. We are down to the last jar of peanut butter right now. My son is in mourning. I'm trying not to think about my favorite homemade kind. You better believe I am gorging on the forbidden when I am out of the house without her. Like the luscious apricot hazelnut cake I had at Gramercy Tavern when Justin and I stole away to New York this spring. Justin and I ate a bag of mixed nuts like kids with contraband candy. I would like one again now, please. Unfortunately it has to wait again until I am elsewhere.

But it is not all bad news. Her numbers came back clean for almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, and cashews. Hooray, hooray. More than we could have hoped for. But I can't feed her anything just yet. We are still holding back for another year or so to retest and confirm. We do know what we can keep in the pantry though. Carter and Justin voted cashew butter as their favorite peanut butter alternative. My only complaint is the cost, it not as economical as peanut butter, maybe I should just make it myself and get over it. The truth is I am too lazy to do that all the time and have just chosen to suck it up. Something that works for all of us is worth the added expense in this instance.

I still do a lot of nut substitution. I love seeds for that. I use a lot of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, and occasionally some chia seeds. The have the crunch of nuts and a similar nutritional profile. And I really love them with grains. I love a seeded loaf of bread, over oatmeal, in a grain salad or in granola. I so naturally I have a recipe for you today. I know I have posted about homemade granola bars before and those are nice, these are easier. No baking! The sort of thing you will make in the summer when you cannot bring yourself to turn on the oven. The only caveat is the brown rice syrup, which is not the easiest thing to find. Any natural food store should carry it, and since I have tweaked the recipe to pack in more protein and and less sugar. Brown rice syrup, however is not super sweet and more mellow than other sweet syrups.

Enjoy. These are a staple at our house and Lucy's favorite. I keep them on hand for easy snacks when we are headed out the door and traveling.

Do-It-Yourself Power Bars
adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or any oil to slick your pan)
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts (I sub in pepitas and sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup oat bran
1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal
1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup brown rice syrup (I go halvsies with sunflower butter, but you could use any nut butter)
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Grease a baking pan with coconut oil. If you like thick power bars, opt for an 8 x 8-inch pan; for thinner bars, use a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Mix the oats, walnuts, oat bran, cereal, cranberries, and ginger together in a larger bowl and set aside. Combine the rice syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens just a bit, about 4 minutes. (I just microwave, since I am simplifying wherever possible.) Pour over the oat mixture and stir until the syrup is evenly incorporated.

Spread into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature (I often pop in the freezer for 20 minutes) before cutting into whatever size bar you desire.

P.S. If any one of you sent me Heidi Swanson's new cook book Supernatural Everyday addressed to me by my grandmother's nick name for me- thank you. She died a few weeks ago, and even though I haven't mentioned it here, someone knew and sent me that very thoughtful and lovely gift. I appreciate it and thank you most sincerely.

Today at My Farmer's Market

2011-05-14T20:18:00.002-05:00

I've missed my farmer's market for too many weeks. With all of the traveling I've done lately, I've missed my Saturday morning routine and the high quality food. So, even though Justin is out of town, and the weather beckoned for me to stay curled in bed while the kids played quietly in their room, I got up. I took my toddler and kindergartener out in the dizzily rain to an outdoor farmers' market. Even though they kids worked hard to make sure it was not the easiest market visit I've had in recent months, I was glad we went.

The Gardener's Gourmet farm featured the season's first French sorrel, which, to me is the flavor of spring. And their mesclun mix includes edible flowers, which my kids think is the bee's knees. The asparagus from Mr. Fountain's farm is lovely, and only $2 a pound for pesticide free and perfect. I had to have four pounds, asparagus goes down easy at my table. I am loving it roasted with a bit of a lime vinaigrette lately. And then there were local strawberries, and rhubarb, and locally grown mushrooms, the end of storage apples and the ever-elusive ramps. And the market for pastured eggs with yolks the color of sunshine, is so thick here that can buy a dozen for $2. Amazing. Organic eggs aren't even half that price at the grocery store. I was happy to be home at my market.

If you are thinking that the farmer's market is the place to spend more, you may be wrong. A new study compares prices at farmers' markets and supermarkets. The results may be surprising to those who write off farmers' markets as spendy. Turns out that they are quite comparable and an even better for those who favor organic, pesticide-free produce. So, if price is important to you, maybe the farmers' market is better than you thought. Try it out if you haven't.

Guest Post: How I've Raised the Quality of My Family's Food Without Raising the Budget

2011-04-28T12:19:00.001-05:00

Ashley doing some canning with help from her son, Ethan.

Today's guest post comes from Ashley Clark. I asked Ashley to write this because I was so impressed when I learned how she had improved her family's food WITHOUT increasing the food budget. Ashley is savvy and quick to learn and I am glad she is willing to tell us all how she does it. Ashley is married to my brother, Reid, and they live in Austin, Texas with their two kids.

My husband and I have been married for nearly five years now. When we got married, all I knew how to cook was boxed macaroni & cheese and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. When I was growing up, my sweet mother often asked me if I would like to cook with her, but I always refused because “I’m never going to need to know how to do that.”

It turns out I was wrong. Apparently everyone needs to know how to cook, especially a mother of small children. So I began to learn how to cook simple meals, and progressed to making several meals at home every week. Around that time, Reid and I were both in college and money was tight, so I always bought the cheapest of everything: giant bags of chicken breasts, store brand canned food, apples (whichever one was on sale that week), frozen pizza, milk, etc.

Nearly every meal I cooked centered on meat, and that was how I learned. It was easy to defrost a couple of chicken breasts, cook some noodles or rice, and make a simple sauce. It was simple, quick, and easy. However, once we started having children I started to think more and more about the food we ate. As a mother it was my responsibility to feed my children wholesome and nutritious meals. Additionally, they are 100% reliant on what I give them. If I give them Oreos for every meal, they would eat it. I am responsible for establishing their food habits and maintaining their weight. That responsibility weighed heavily on me and I tried to provide them with a variety of options. Around the same time, my husband came down with a good case of salmonella from an undercooked egg. He was quite ill and ended up in an urgent care clinic to treat severe dehydration. He lost 10 pounds in a week and it took a month for him to fully recover. I started to wonder about our food and realized that salmonella outbreaks are increasingly common these days.

I decided to start learning more about our food system. I watched Food Revolution and picked up Food Matters, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation. By the end I was convinced and wanted to change our eating lifestyle. My husband was supportive of my decisions, but suggested 3 guidelines for my journey:

1) The meals we eat must be delicious.

2) We will never be vegetarians.

3) Our food budget should stay the same as it was before.

I agreed, and off we went.

By using recipes from Section 89, I slowly began to decrease the amount and increase the quality of the meat that we ate. Then I began buying more vegetables, only I tried to buy organic. Finally in the past couple months I have started attending local farmers markets – which I really enjoy and like supporting the local agricultural economy. I have found that our food tastes better, it is more nutritious, and I have lost a little weight. I feel happy serving my kids lunch knowing that the food they eat makes them healthy.

bulk storage

Now, I am still cheap at heart, so in order to keep our grocery budget balanced I have started buying and cooking a few things in bulk.

Here are some of the things I am doing:

Canned Beans

-cost $.80 cents per can (save around $9.00 a month)
-Now I cook 4 cups of dried beans in the pressure cooker and froze them in “can” sized freezer bags – 8 “cans”

Packaged Cereals

– $2.75 per box (save around $20.00 a month)-Cooked Wheat berries with milk and sugar or oatmeal with fruit – I think this is yummier anyways!

Bread
-Store-bought bread-2.49 a loaf (Save around $12.00 a month)
-Grind wheat and bake bread

Pantry Staples
Store-bought Unbleached Wheat/Flour/Sugar – 2.50-5.00 (Save around $24.00 a month)
25 pound bulk bag from cannery

Kid Snacks
-Buy granola bars and fruit snacks- (Save around 20.00 a month)
-Make my own granola or use dried fruit as Ethan’s snacks

Ashley's homemade bread and jam

These small changes save me around $50 a month, leaving more room to invest in higher quality items. Yes, it does take time to make beans instead of buying them but if I do it once a month it takes about 45 minutes. It takes longer for me to drive to Costco and back!I am by no means a gourmet cook but I am on a journey to keep my family healthy and take care of them. If I can do that, then I have succeeded.

Here are some of my favorite breakfasts:

Breakfast Yogurt

3/4 cup- 1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup oatmeal or Museli
1 tbs freshly ground flax with some whole ones for crunch
1 cup – 1 ½ cups frozen or fresh fruit
Sweeten to taste

Green Smoothie

4 oz orange juice
½ cup Greek yogurt
5-6 handfuls of spinach or green leafy vegetable
1 cup peaches
1 cup water or Ice cubes
2 tbs whole flax seeds
Place ingredients in a high quality blender and blend until creamy.

Thanks, Ashley.

Do you have great ideas that are working for you? Ideas and insights about the Word of Wisdom? Please share them. I would love to include them as a guest post if possible. Email ideas to sandrajergensen[at]gmail.com.

Jam Session

2011-04-15T12:11:00.001-05:00

My cherry trees in San Francisco

So, I've been hoarding the fruit I froze last summer to the point that I realize that spring is here and fresh fruit is weeks away. So excited. This also means I can stop being so stingy with the fruit and clean out the freezer. So I pulled out a couple bags of the sour cherries from Baugher's Orchard, to make some jam this morning. Baugher's is one of the few local places to go for fresh sour cherries and also home to some of the best apples (you mustu try the Mutsu) I've ever had. The cherries are excellent, but still not the best sours I've ever had. That prize goes to the cherries I would pick myself in the Sutro woods by my old apartment in San Francisco, and they were free, you can't beat that.

Making jam is a great DIY project and usually far superior to what you can buy. Unless you don't mind paying more for small batch jams made of quality ingredients, (shout out to local favorite and maker of some fine apricot balsamic bail jam, infused spreads). Making jam was one of the first food products I made for myself. Freezer jam require no special equipment, and cooked jam isn't too much harder, but does require jars, lids and such. The only thing I questioned was the massive quantities of sugar. Really. Do you need nearly equal parts of sugar to fruit to set the pectin? No, you don't. Even the pectin billed as low-sugar isn't really that low sugar and offers options for alternative fake sugars instead, which is not what I was looking for.

Then I found this, Pomona's Universal Pectin. This is the stuff I had been wanting without knowing for years. It works with sugar, honey, fruit concentrate and in much lower quantities. The flavor of fruit is not overtaken bay sweetness! Amazing. And you can make freezer jam or cooked jam that you for canning. And you get a lot more jam out of one box of this that one box of the other stuff. I cannot recommend it more. I found it once at Trader Joes, at some natural foods stores, but I can always find it at Whole Foods and on Amazon.

If you are thinking of making jam for the first time, it is nearly rhubarb and strawberry season in Maryland, although it has already arrived in other areas. Have fun. Make jam. Go easy on the sweeteners.

Do you make jam? What is your favorite kind to make?

Food Revolution, Season 2

2011-04-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is at it again, season two has arrived. If you missed my glowing review and the first season, be sure it check it out. I am thrilled that this is as big as it is. Tiffany and I were talking yesterday about the school cafeterias we grew up with and the more recent ones we know of: most of them have lots of room to improve. But this isn't just about school lunches, the show is about changing the way people think about food in the best way possible, as return to real food, in natural shapes and packaging: the way God made it.

If you are like me and never catch anything on tv, watch it here while you are doing something glamorous, the way I do; something like folding laundry.

And just for fun, a tidbit from Jamie Oliver on David Letterman, and a reason to make your own ice cream, or at least read the label.