Bless Her Heart

Double Take

The boy and I were joking around in the kitchen about the smell of raw tofu.  Unbelievably, this led to him mugging for the camera a bit.  When I was looking through the pictures later, I was hit with another wave of "Holy growth spurt Batman, who is this kid?" 

We have spontaneous long discussions and debate the merits of middle school home work and pre-teen social relationships. I enjoy that he doesn't shy away from talking about sticky subjects...at least for now.  He makes me laugh each and every day...deep laughter that comes from watching his burgeoning comedic explorations. He reminds me each day in so many ways how unique he is and why I am so proud to be his Mama.  Lately, even when the conversation is long or difficult, I am grateful that I can have a reasonable conversation with him that is generally filled with mutual respect for one another.  

I am digging the goofiness along with the meandering conversations we have been having.  I feel so blessed to be on this ride with him...crazy as it is.

Carrots

My love affair with local vegetables continues...check out these incredible carrots from Montesino Farms. They came in my box from Farmhouse Delivery this week, and I almost can't bring myself to cook them.  Just looking at them makes me smile.  Any ideas on a way to prep them so they keep their beauty along with their flavor? I know how to make them yummy, I think...but how can I keep that beautiful color?

 

Simple Foods

We were low on provisions, so I hit the market before heading home.  I challenged myself to only buy 3 ingredients, knowing that I had a few at home to get creative with.  I met my challenge and left the store with butternut squash, poblano peppers and shallots.  I had a bit of rice pilaf mix, so I got a little lazy with the grain...but the veggies turned out to be stupendous.  I peeled the butternut, cut it into 1/2" slices, put it in a baking dish with some butter, salt and pepper and baked it at 375 degrees until it was tender.

Then I sliced up the shallots and poblanos and sauteed them with a bit of salt and butter until they were tender.  I threw in some corn I had at the house.  It was super simple and oh, so yummy.  I've been a vegetarian my whole life and I can spend too much time over thinking vegetable dishes...like I have to prove that they can be dressed up and special to be allowed a spot at the table with the omnivores.    Over the last couple of weeks, we've been stripping away some of the superfluous ingredients and have been getting back to basics.  

 It is really nice to let the veggies speak for themselves.  Not only was dinner scrumptious...but it was so much easier to throw together.  

The Garlic Trick

I'm pretty set in my ways in the kitchen...which is not to say I won't try new foods or flavors, but when it comes to technique, I pretty much already have what works for me.  It's not the fanciest and it sure isn't the prettiest, but at this point in my life learning a new technique seems like too much work...and we've already established that I don't like change much anyway.  However, every once in a while I find a new something or other that DOES in fact make it's way into my kitchen...and I gotta just admit it makes me downright giddy.  Auntie and I were paging through a cookbook by David Tanis called A Platter of Figs, and I stumbled upon a blurb that he wrote about peeling garlic.  He recommends skipping crushing the garlic under the blade of a knife, which is what I normally do.  Instead, he says to pinch the garlic clove on the top and bottom between your thumb and forefinger.  "Yeah, right...if you have burley man hands", I scoffed. I decided to give a try the next day...and you know where this is going...it WORKED! The peel practically comes off in one whole piece.  And since the clove isn't really crushed in the process there is no sticky garlic juice on your fingers. 
Now, you probably already knew about this little garlic trick, but I have been frustrated with sticky fingers from peeling garlic since I was a kid.  Confession time: I often purchase the less flavorful pre-peeled garlic at our local market just to avoid the frustration.  I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have discovered this little trick, so I can use the full-flavored fresh garlic without getting crabby in the kitchen.  Another thing I discovered though,is that it's hard to take a picture of your own hand doing said garlic trick without a bit of blur...sorry 'bout that.  :)

Home Delivery...again.

I know that I have written about Farmhouse Delivery here before...but since we just renewed our subscription, I wanted to just acknowledge how much I love this service. We have been members of a local CSA before, and while we really loved the people who ran the farm, the vegetables they provided each week were not practical for our family.   I realize how snooty that sounds and I wish I could say that my family will happily eat anything...but that's just not my reality.  Farmhouse Delivery brings me a basket that meshes nicely with the way I cook.  There are loads of things that we would normally eat: tangerines, tomatoes, potatoes, lettuces, broccoli, onions...and then they always add things that make me stretch a bit: fennel, bok choy, kohlrabi, russian radish.  

Each week when I unload our delivery box onto the kitchen table I feel like I am opening a gift.  This week when I turned around to see all that I had unloaded I thought to myself, "You've GOT to be kidding me!  Look at how beautiful that is."  I watched Food Inc. the other day and I am feeling stronger than ever about eating locally sourced food.  I strongly recommend watching it, I think it will probably change the way you seed the food chain in this country forever.  I know it has left me evaluating how we as a family can shift our eating habits.  In an ideal world, our family would live a simpler life and I could keep a garden and chickens and provide all of the foodstuffs for our family, but we don't currently live that way...and so we turn to local farmers and food purveyors to provide us with what we need.  It's mutually beneficial because we are helping them continue to grow and as the man said last night, they send us the best sweet potatoes he's ever had in his life.  Win/win.

Potato Leek Soup

Um...I'm sure you are tired of soup collages by now...but the vegetable are so beautiful that I just can resist.  Also, I'm pretty predictable...so there's that.  My kids requested this soup yesterday, and the girl wanted to learn how to make it, so how could I resist?  Potato Leek soup is so amazing.  It has next to no ingredients and it is still so delicious.  Potatoes, leeks, thyme, bay.  And butter and cream if you so choose (yes, please).  This is another great gluten free soup...and can easily be vegan if you choose comparable substitutions for the butter and cream.  I use the recipe from The Art of SImple Food by Alice Waters (see below).  We were eating it as dinner rather than a starter, so I doubled the recipe below.  Also, we choose the variation that she lists below where we puree the soup and then add the cream.  Her main recipe is a rustic version that is not pureed.  But the kids like it pureed because it reminds them of mashed potatoes or something.  We served it with rosemary toast (from Central Market).  The girl chose to garnish with thinly sliced oven fries we made from the same batch of yukon golds.  That's my girl.  :)

 

Leek and Potato Soup (Makes 2 quarts: 4-6 servings)

Trim off the root and and the tough upper greens from:

2 pounds of leeks

Cut the trimmed leeks in half lengthwise and slice thin.  Rinse in a bowl of cold water.  Lift the leeks out of the water to drain.

Melt over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot:

3 tablespoons butter

Add the leeks along with:

2 thyme springs

1 bay leaf

Salt

Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add:

1 pound yellow potatoes, peeled, halved or quartered, and sliced

Cook the potatoes for 4 minutes, then add:

6 cups of water

Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cook until the vegetables are tender, but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.  When done stir in:

1/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

Do not boil one the cream is added.  Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.  Remove the bay leaf and thyme before serving.

Variations:

-Garnish with fresh-ground black pepper and some fresh chives.

-For a heartier soup, use broth instead of water

-Remove the bay leaf and herb sprigs and puree the soup before stirring in the cream.

-Omit the cream, puree the soup before serving, and garnish with a pat of parsley butter.

 

Lita's Minestrone (For Lanell)

I'm not sure if you've heard, but it's cold here in Austin.  Really. Cold. Well...cold for us anyway.  We are a bunch of weenies when it comes to the cold, I realize.  It's currently -24 degrees in Bismarck, North Dakota with a 'real feel' of -42 degrees, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining.  I can't even fathom temperatures like that.  Anyhoo, chilly weather means SOUP around this place and since my friend Lanell has been looking for my mama's minestrone recipe, I thought tonight would be a great night to share such a soup. This is a loose approximation since I never saw her use a recipe for it...but I think it's pretty close.  Also, she usually just used whatever vegetables we had.  So if you have 8 stalks of celery but only two carrots or some such...don't let it stop you.  You can't mess this soup up.

Lita's Minestrone Recipe

Makes about 8 quarts.

2 Tbsp canola oil

6 stalks of celery, diced

1 cup of yellow onion, diced

2 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced or cubed

1 1/2" cups green beans, ends snapped and cut into 1" segments

6 cloves of garlic kept whole

2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed

1 can great northern beans, rinsed

1 large can, crushed Italian style tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (no salt)

3 Bay Leaves

1/2 lb. penne pasta

Braggs, Salt, Pepper to taste

Fresh Parsley, minced for garnish

Grated parmesan cheese for garnish.

Warm the canola oil in a large soup pot (8 quart or so) over medium heat.  Add celery and onions.  Saute until celery is tender and the onions are translucent.  Add 4-6 cups of water and 1/4 cup of Bragg's. Bring to a boil.  Add zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, carrots, green beans and 6 whole cloves of garlic. Once this mixture comes to a boil add 2 cups more water.  Add bay leaves, and Italian seasoning.  Simmer until the vegetables al dente.  Add the tomatoes and beans and stir.  Add more water to bring the soup to the consistency that you would like it at.  Take care to leave room to add the pasta. 

 Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add the pasta and follow the cooking directions.  It's better to undercook this pasta a bit rather than overcook it, as it will continue to heat up and cook when it is added to the soup.  When the pasta is ready, drain it and set it aside.

Make sure to taste the soup along the way, adding more Bragg's or seasoning when necessary.  This soup is one that only tastes better with time.  The longer it cooks the more flavorful it becomes.  Tonight, I assembled all of the ingredients, set it to simmer and then told the man I was leaving for a bit and not to touch it.  I left to go to the bank, went to pick up the girl at my friend Kathie's house, ran by the movie store and then headed home.  Round trip was probably an hour and a half or so.  It was the perfect amount of time.  This soup can be eaten much earlier than that...I'm just saying the longer it simmers the tastier it gets.  And tomorrow?  Fuhgedaboudit.

Anyway, when your soup is ready to consume, add the pasta to the soup pot or to the individual bowls. We add it at the end so the pasta noodles don't get too mushy during the cooking of the soup...but also so that if you have anyone eating with you who has a sensitivity to gluten, you can add the pasta in bowl by bowl, rather than to the whole pot.  

Ladle into bowls and garnish with minced fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.  If you are in a pinch, skip the parsley...but whatever you do, don't skip the parmesan.  It's just not the same without it. :)

As usual, I probably forgot something...so if you have any questions, please ask.  Stay warm, and enjoy the company of others when you share this soup on a chilly, chilly night.  xoxo 

Cauliflower

 Our Saturday farmer's market was full of the most beautiful heads of organic cauliflower this past weekend.  Cauliflower can seem so bland and boring...but with just a few simple ingredients you can create a scrumptious vegetable curry. I also picked up some wheat flour from a local farm while I was at the market.  They ground the wheat that morning!  The girl worked on rolling out the chapatis while I finished up the curry.

  I mis-timed the cooking a wee bit and the cauliflower got a little mushier than I usually like it...but when poured over steaming basmati rice it still tastes oh, so yummy.  I added some pickled garlic and raspberry chutney (both bottled) and some yogurt.  It was a veritable feast o' yummy.

So here's another one of my recipes in approximation:

Masala:

3-4 Tbsp butter or ghee

1 yellow onion diced

5 cloves of garlic diced finely

1 1/2 Tbs. ginger diced extra finely

garam masala or curry powder

tumeric

salt 

pepper

Veggies:

1 head of cauliflower, divided into florets.

2 potatoes, peeled

2-3 carrots, peeled

1 cup of green peas, thawed (or fresh)

water

1 can of diced tomatoes (lazy I know)

sugar to taste

In a heavy skillet melt the butter or ghee.  Saute the onions, garlic and ginger until the onions are translucent.  Add the garam masala/curry powder and the turmeric to taste.  Add the salt and pepper in the same fashion.  Continue sauteing for 3 minutes or so, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

In a large pot add a cup of water, cauliflower, potatoes and carrots. Add masala mixture. Stir to coat veggies in masala.  Add water as necessary.  Cook on medium heat until the veggies are just tender.  Add tomatoes and peas and cook for 5 minutes.  If your curry is too tart add sugar to taste.  That's it.  

As usual, I might have missed something, so just ask if you have any questions.

On a completely unrelated note...

On a completely unrelated and slightly materialistic note I wanted to show off these yummy shoes that my children got me for Christmas.  They did a fantastic job picking out gifts this year (with a little help from Aunty).  I lurv them and I just wanted to share.  :)

30 Days with a Grateful Heart - 30

 Day 30: The Concentrated Moments

When I was a kid I had this way that I signed all of my letters home: ~Smile, ~Inspire, ~Excel.  Each letter home, no matter what the tone otherwise, no matter what the content always ended on the positive.  I always had this desire to shake off the bumps and embrace the better parts.  Somewhere along the way from there to here, I had lost a little bit of my mojo to bring it back around to the positive at the end of the day.  These last 30 days have given me the time to take pause and refocus on the blessings in my life.  Some things are big and obvious in their scope and some things are small and seemingly insignificant...but it's not the things themselves, but the moment spent thinking about how they bring you joy.   It takes some certain kind of courage to allow yourself the moments to just feel purely positive...to remind yourself that even when things are seeming really crappy that there is something around you that you can acknowledge that enriches your life in some way.  It is a way to metaphorically take a breath at the same time you are literally taking one.  We teach our children to take a breath and count to five or ten when they need to regroup.  Spending time each day choosing which gratitude to chronicle literally became a counting of my blessings.  These concentrated moments of gratitude have helped me stumble back to a more organic feeling of positivity, which I realize has been laying dormant for a while...always there but not realizing it's potential.   Thank you for all of the comments both here and on Facebook, as well as all of the emails that you have sent along.  It was lovely to realize the commonalities that we all share and knowing that you were reading helped keep me honest when the days seemed long and like I wanted to be lazy.  Blessings and love to you for 2010...from where I sit this morning it feels like the possibilities are endless. xoxo