seaweed snacks

Chicken Soup For My Soul

2012-02-01T14:51:00.001-08:00

February 3, 2012 The Age Of Aquarius comes to a close. Neptune moves into Pisces where it has not been since 1847. I have been reading about this, curious. So many of my close friends are undergoing deep, primordial-like transformations. Pushed into the deep waters of life. Deaths, re-arranging, letting go, break-ups, career bumps, health issues. Almost no one that I know seems to be untouched as of late.

This has been a tender, tender week for me. My house is either foreclosing or being bought in short sale very soon. Another letting go. The parcel we lived on was 51 acres with three meadows. A community treasure. We were entrusted to steward the land. It was not to be, however. Building the house was a labor of love. A creation that was fully our own, down to the last detail. We designed and built the whole house with blood, sweat and tears and then finally moved in. A welcomed event, since we had spent the previous 6 years living in an old japanese tea house up the hill that offered few creature comforts and no working toilet for much of the time! But, within months, the market crashed, my husband's small business started gasping for air and we faced the struggle of how we would afford the dream. We limped along until we split up, and then it was official that the house was going. We could not afford the mortgage if we were not married. Weeks after our split I called a real estate agent. I cried when she told me that realistically our house was worth about half of what we paid for it due to the state of the housing market, and there was no way out except letting it go. Word traveled like lightening in my neighborhood and what was news and gossip to neighbors was heartbreak to me. And although my ex-husband and I now are virtually strangers to one another, we share this heartbreak equally. A home that represented beauty, socializing, community, friends, neighbors, history, tradition is moving out of our hands now. I feel sad, so sad to say goodbye to that life that was so welcoming to me. A community that was so special and lovely that to say it was a home does not even do it justice. I knew almost all of my neighbors on a first name basis, and it was special in that we were all living in off-grid houses, homesteaders of sorts, foraging a special kind of dream where only those who wanted to live so far off the beaten path do. A wild bunch of old timers, artists, poets, scientists, writers and musicians. A new generation has started moving more into the community now, many of them close friends who are raising families in that wild rural landscape. And while I am happier living in my little rental house in town, surrounded by close friends, love and support, this week I struggle to let go of that big dream we set into motion that touched so many people's lives, as well as our own. The dream that taught me what community means. What kind neighbors mean. What people can do when they come together and take care of one another. And, how life leads us in the perfect direction even though tears and sadness may try to tell me otherwise.

Today I made soup. I needed the warmth. I am tired from so much crying. This recipe has been my chicken soup standard for a while now. It takes about 15 min to put it together and about a hour to cook. I put the chicken thighs in the broth whole and shred them after cooking the soup, but before serving. Unlike most chicken soups, this has shiitake mushrooms and lemon zest to make it stand out. The combo of those two ingredients makes this taste bright and smoky at the same time. You could add onions, leeks and/or garlic if you like.

Shitake Lemon Chicken Soup

2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped shiitakes (stems removed and discarded)
1 cup chopped parsely
1 pound boneless chicken thighs (around 4 thighs)
zest of 2 lemons (I use meyer lemons when in season)
7 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup olive oil

Sautee carrots, celery, shiitakes and parsley in olive oil. Add chicken thighs and stock and cook on medium heat for an hour or more.

Off Grid Dining Hit My Little Town

2012-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Me in my bliss

The "dining room"

Roasted Beet Harissa Soup with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

Juniper, Fennel and Lemon Pickled Carrots

Local Honeycomb, Kale Pesto, Pickled Carrots and Local Bread Appetizer Plate

Butterscotch Pot De Cremes with Homemade Whipped Creme Fraiche

The "crew" xoxox

Hi you. I know, I know, nothing for months. I have been coming along though. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all under my belt. I was a mess for Halloween, pulled it together for Thanksgiving, and Christmas was calm and lovely. During milestones like holidays, I have reflected back on how I spent almost 10 years creating a nest, a false life with myself. Beautiful house, nuclear family, shiny cars, trips. Anyone who looked in through the window of my life would find a warm cozy picture of all of us. I would throw in some kick ass meals to seal the deal. Then the parts that I hid; the feeling that it was not really my life and my partner never really felt like my partner. The more I created an illusion that looked like a successful, happy life, the longer I could keep faking it, lying to myself. I eventually had to face the fear that if I took a look at myself, I was unhappy and too scared to do anything about it. And then because I had not made the decision myself to leave when I knew it was not working, the decision was lovingly made for me. So fast forward to present; I am present with myself as a daily practice. I feel present for my life. I am feeling happy not because I am feeling joy all the time, but because I am still loving myself when I don't. Stumbling around as a human is not longer equaling failure, it is equaling a constant practice to love all the things in front of me. A new authentic kind of love for the world has emerged, and a new kind of love for all those in it. Time is transforming the waves of grief to come less and less. If I feel a wave coming, I notice that I am more apt to pull out a welcome mat and usher it in. I sit with the sadness and everything tends to settle. Even yesterday when I felt a situation to be frustrating, I stopped what I was doing and I just acknowledged it. I am finding that putting awareness toward not changing my feelings moves me quicker out of a feeling I find challenging. I guess that would be calling accepting all that is. Yes, that would be what it is called. A gift I am continually grateful for of the many I have been bestowed the last 15 months.

Above I posted pictures of a local off-grid dining event a friend organized. I was the first chef, and it was a soft opening. I love being the person to help get the kinks worked out. My organized mind works well in new situations like that, but also can trip me up by over thinking things on occasion! But that night, everything fell into place. Truly, it was a magical food night for me. Local farmers were showcased; polenta, kale, beets, carrots, honey and bread all local! It felt sublime to provide guests with a change of food scenery in our little town.
Here is a rundown of the meal:
1. Kale pesto chevre with pickled carrots honeycomb and almonds with fresh bread
2. Roasted Harissa Beet Soup with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
3. Pork Ragu over White Polenta
4. Butterscotch Pot De Cremes with Homemade Whipped Creme Fraiche

I deeply appreciated the opportunity to cook, and since so many of my friends were there it was also like a fun night out. I know word is traveling fast about future events at this dinner club, so I am interested in seeing how it comes together and forms. My close friend Jilan took all the photos I posted. I love what catches her eye. She has an amazing sense of style that radiates from inside her. Her photography has become a wonderful extension of her many talents, and I gush about her on any occasion I can. Her photography blog: 11th and Lombard Photography Blogspot....
Well so long for now. I am creating a new blog as I type this and I can't wait to share it with all of you as soon as it is ready.
xo

An Anniversary...

2011-10-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am coming upon the one year mark of my life radically changing course. I did not think this anniversary would have any kind of impact for me. In fact I thought it would be a relief. I am noticing however moving so quickly into fall, that I remember almost nothing of the weather last year, but vividly remember so much pain that I found almost nothing of my normal life recognizable. I exercised deep trust knowing I would not get lost in that place, and lose myself. I am remembering now, how I choose all of the actors and scenes on the stage of my creation. I am reflecting now at how completely and lovingly I choose to shift everything. I did not understand then how I was the master of my own orchestra. I only saw myself get swept away with heartache, despair, grief and betrayal. I now tenderly thank my past partner for having the courage to gift me so deeply. I thank his new partner for being part of my miracle. I hold myself when more tears flow as I think of how you, me, us, all do such human things to each other. I tried putting labels on everyone's actions this past year in an attempt to skirt my own feelings of loss and responsibility. But I kept on opening to the grief and found that all I had left was the love. And in love for myself, I discovered that all of my disruptions are self-created events to open my heart to more loving. Trying to find our way through suffering, humanness, dualistic thinking; these are the gifts of unimaginable depths. I had no idea a short year ago. I had no idea what I was capable of. I had no idea of the road ahead. I had no idea that it was not about good or bad, right or wrong. It is about the love. How far can our heart expand to accept and love what is happening in front of our eyes? An infinite amount is my answer. And now, as I have said my sad goodbyes to a life and a love I thought would last, I am full of tenderness for us all. I am filled with a knowing that we all have the capacity for transformation from our most difficult experiences. Life is a series of gifts. I am teary with gratitude for all of mine.

Olive Oil Gingerbread Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

2011-09-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to the Eat Real Festival in Oakland. It was a showcase of all things food. There was a place to check your canvas bags in case you wanted to check out music and not be holding your recently purchased jars of local cinnamon plum jam or sauerkraut. There were hundreds of vendors and food trucks selling everything from local sustainably harvested oysters to gluten free cupcakes. Beer sold in mason jars, grass fed and pickled everything. Top Chef alums doing demonstrations of DIY sausage, sourdough demos, and of course the brightest and best small batch coffee and popsicle vendors. Apricot curry popsicle anyone? Thousands and thousands of people patiently waited in long, long lines to get the city's most local food offerings. No plate of food was over $5 either. The affordability keep a great momentum going to sample lots of different foods. I kept thinking that food is what might bring this country together in our diversity of politics, social policy and religion. We all have to eat, right? It was quite a sight. I felt completely at home.

So, I came home from my food filled weekend to cooler temperatures and crisp air. Gingerbread kept coming to mind. Salted caramel kept coming to mind as well. That was a leftover thought of the weekend, because at the festival, the only thing missing for me was Bi-Rite Creamery and their salted caramel ice cream. I would climb a mountain for that ice cream. So, salted caramel it was. On gingerbread. I changed a basic gingerbread recipe around and added olive oil instead of butter. Molasses is dense and strong. I wondered if the grassy flavor of extra virgin olive oil and the addition of cardamom would make it more mysterious. I opted for buttermilk to keep the cake lively, springy and moist. Really, the cake only took about 10 minutes to put together. The caramel took a little over ten minutes and the butter cream another 10. Then, I stood in my kitchen and started forking out pieces of cake, slathering on the caramel buttercream, because I absolutely could not wait until everything was room temperature or say, on a plate. I managed to eat three pieces standing in my kitchen and I realized this cake was not safe in my house. Or really, I was not safe in my house with this cake in it! I proceeded to gift out the rest of the pieces to friends doorsteps to celebrate the arrival of fall.
This cake is as easy as making cornbread. Heavy on molasses, rich on flavor, but light and moist. Powdered cardamom might not be in your spice pantry, but is easy to find. It makes the gingerbread cake a bit more exotic. It is also lovely for making your own chai at home this winter. Or putting in shortbread cookies or in rice pudding. I purposely made a small cake here because gingerbread burnout happens quick. A little goes a long way. Plus, I wanted to make sure there was enough frosting to cover the whole cake.

Olive Oil Gingerbread Cake

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered cardamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

In a bowl, add flour, spices, salt and baking powder. Stir with fork.
In another bowl, whisk egg with fork and add sugar. Add olive oil and molasses and lightly whisk with fork. Add to dry ingredients.
In a cup, mix buttermilk and baking soda. Add to rest of the ingredients. Pour into a buttered dish. This will make 6 cupcakes or a 9x9 pan. I used a slightly larger pan than 9x9 (an oval casserole dish) so that the cake would be thinner for more frosting.!
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes depending on thickness. Use a toothpick coming out clean to test for doneness.

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
(makes about 2 cups)

1 1/2 sticks butter room temperature
1/4 cup sugar

2 tbls. water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. salt

in saucepan, add sugar. Pour water on top of sugar. In a separate bowl mix vanilla extract and cream. Heat on med-high heat without stirring until mixture starts to turn a dark amber color. Remove from heat. Remove from heat and slowly add cream mixture with wooden spoon into hot sugar. Stir constantly until fully incorporated. Set aside to completely cool (about 25 min)

With an electric beater or stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip room temperature butter and salt until light and fluffy (2-3 min). Add powdered sugar and beat a minute more. Add room temperature caramel and beat another 2 minutes. Let cool in fridge for about 20 min. before using.

Saffron Polenta with Fresh Tomatoes

2011-09-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

I took a bath this morning and loved the light streaming in so much, that I got out of the tub, dried off and grabbed my camera. I am having a out-of-sorts day. Yesterday I took my homeopathic constitutional remedy. I am now enduring the lovely healing crisis that sometimes accompanies a remedy. A good sign mostly. When things are off kilter for me, I get into the bathtub.

Polenta is heavy. Sturdy and coarse, it is not meek. I like the earthy smell polenta has of corn stalks and the slight milky odor that reminds me of my grandparents dairy farm as a child. It is hearty the way oatmeal or buckwheat groats are. Not light and airy like jasmine rice or quinoa. My polenta is from my grain share. It has a flavor that is buttery and lively. It definitely is different than polenta that has been sitting in a bulk bin. But, mornings and evenings are becoming more defined with fall's flutters and polenta fits the energy of going more inward. Saffron's muskiness is a great addition to the herbal qualities of polenta and the sweet notes of tomatoes. I do add butter to my polenta. I would rather eat half a portion and have it filled to the brim with everything that is full of flavor and lusciousness than eat a big bowl of something that is not. I encourage you to do the same.

This dish will be on your table in 35 minutes. Slice some tomatoes out of your garden, get the micro-zester out of the drawer and put a hunk of pecorino on a plate. This is hearty. Only eat a little if you find yourself getting nervous....or you could just make this day like the one you have always wanted to live. In this moment, it is all here.

Saffron Polenta with Fresh Tomatoes
makes two large or three small portions

small pinch saffron threads
2 1/4 cups stock
2 tbls. pecorino romano cheese finely grated
1/2 cup polenta (don't bother with the fast cooking kind)
2 small tomatoes
1 tbls. olive oil
2 tbls. butter

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add stock and polenta. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to med-low and add saffron and olive oil. Stir every couple of minutes and turn heat down lower if it starts to splatter while bubbling. Cook and stir for 30 minutes. Add butter and pecorino romano. Stir and taste for salt.
Cook for another 5 minutes or until the polenta tastes tender.
Spoon a small amount into a bowl and top with sliced fresh tomatoes and a little sprinkle of salt on the top of the tomatoes.

Plum Cobbler with Rosemary Cornbread Topping

2011-09-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

walking to the party

Friends

cobbler


Jess on the left...

potency

Oh you potent heart. Big love. Deep sorrow. Angst. Anger. Frustration. Euphoria. Passion.

Sometimes I feel like these things will topple me over. My hand trembled while giving them their invitations. Then getting ripped open to let the light in.

I go out into the world and find others may shield themselves from life’s potency. Buttoned-up lives like seatbelts. Buckled down for life’s big turns, no wind on their face.

You don’t have to distract yourself I say in a whisper. But, I know they are on their perfect road. Come closer discomfort so I can love you more.

All of the blindness in our hearts pushes us into corners, making for our half way experiences. I can’t go back now. I took off the blinders.

So I was there last night in the wine bar with all of that.

Where are my people who would rather not?

Do that.

But do this.

I wanted to dive right intothe fall season that is quickly descending upon us, and thought a baked fruitdessert was a proper choice. The light is changing, and the air is starting to bring what is coming next. I find myself continually taken by surprise andfilled with some uneasiness when seasons change. The change pushes me out of myillusion that there is steadiness in life. Beginnings and endings ofnature's cycles show us in a macro way, how we too have these starts andfinishes. Some easy, some joyful, some painful. But always there. So alas, arecipe for my appreciation of the flux in life. All of it delicate like onlylife can be.

I brought this cobbler to agoing away dinner for my friend Jess. I not so secretly hope she will move fromOhio to our little town. She spent a good part of her summer here with hersister Sarah who is a dear friend. Jess was behind the purchase of a certainpair of silver high heels M bought while with her at a costume store, and theyhave become legendary in my house. M pulls them out almost daily wishing shewere 16 (the age I told her she has to be to wear them out of the house). Sheparades around clanking on the wood floors hoping I will change my mind and lether wear them out sooner.

Jess's going away party wasthemed "comfort food". Roasted chicken, nachos, ribs, potato saladand cobbler. I thought this recipe up one night thinking about the french plumsthat were in my first grain share of the season. A big bowl of purplish plumpjewels on my counter; special fruit I wanted to make something a bit differentwith. Once I had decided rosemary and cornbread would be a nice departure frombiscuit toppings on traditional cobbler, I got to work. I decided to let therosemary steep in the hot melted butter for 15 minutes to ensure the cornbreadwould be full of rosemary flavor. I also opted not to use any thickeners in thefruit filling so that the cornbread would soak up any extra juice. I love thecaramel flavor that lots of butter mixed with sugar in the fruit imparts. I amloving the savory flavor in sweet things trend, so tried this recipe with thatin mind. The first try with this recipe I used french plums, but the cornbreadtopping was too thick. Next try, I doubled the fruit (and substituted pluotsfor plums). I halved the cornbread recipe topping and it turned outgreat. Buttery, full of rosemary flavor and very easy. I cooked the pluots onthe stove first to start the caramelizing. Poured the hot buttery mixture intoa dish and gently spooned the cornbread topping on top.

Plum Cobbler with Rosemary Cornbread Topping

5 cups roughly diced plums(I used Pluots)

2/3 cup sugar plus 1/4 cupsugar

1 1/2 sticks butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

In a skillet, sauteplums with one stick of butter and 2/3 cup sugar. On med-low heat occasionallystir, cook for 20 min.

Melt one half stick ofbutter in sauce pan over low heat with two teaspoons of rosemary. Add 1/4 cupsugar and stir. Set aside for 15 minutes. Whisk egg in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix salt, flour andcornmeal. Add melted butter rosemary mixture. Add egg to wet mixture. In a cup mix buttermilk andbaking soda. Mix with a fork. Add to the flour mixture.

In an 9x12 pan (or a roundcasserole dish close in size) pour plums. Spoon the cornbread mixture ontop.

Bake for 30 min at 375.

Harissa Beet Soup with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

2011-09-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Harissa Beet Soup with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

Our river...

Looking down on a favorite swimming hole

First Day of Waldorf First Grade...lost her two front teeth this summer!

I have taken a wee summer break this past month. Sorry I have been a bit absent. There were rivers to swim in, friends to cook with and a new found freedom in my heart to celebrate. I have come a long way these last 10 months, and forgiveness has been the biggest gift of freedom I have given myself so far these 39 years of mine. Quite a bit of hard work to get there though. I had to give my life a through examination. I feel endless amounts of gratitude to my support system. They lovingly supported my process while never trying to rescue me from the grief or pain. This may seem counter-intuitive, but it made every step I have taken my own.
So, today is a recipe that I think makes up for my absence. It is so phenomenal and simple that it could turn anyone who even questioned beets as a palatable food into a believer. Beets have started coming in my farm share these last weeks. I only do a few things with beets. Grate them raw for salads, roast them or make beet chips. I really like beets, but there are many other vegetables I choose over beets. I mostly cook beets because they are so highly nutritious and are in the vegetable share box. They tend to be a bit earthy, strong and unmoldable. Beets easily over power a dish. And while most people tolerate them, I have found most don't crave them.
This soup could change all of that.
There was not a hint of earthiness in this soup. It was smooth, luscious and not too heavy. The pickled cucumbers cut the creaminess and added wonderful acid. The Harissa spice perked up the whole thing and added nice note of smokiness to it. The Harissa I used had caraway in it, and wow did that bode well. I used a Harissa blend my sister brought this weekend for me to try. It is from a company called See Smell Taste. They gave her a sample to try. She of course is so busy, she has very little time to cook. But, she thought to bring it to me and it is hands down the best Harissa I have ever tried. Danielle is working very hard to launch a soon to be internet superstar called Wantful.com. Most likely you have not heard this company, but you will, because I think it has potential to change gift giving as we have known it. You can order this Harissa from The Gourmet Online store if you would like it right away.
Harissa is a standard in North African cuisine, and it is generally a mixture of chili peppers and spices like coriander, caraway and sometimes mint. It is very popular in tangines, couscous dishes and chickpea dishes. Heidi from 101 Cookbooks has a recipes section dedicated to her Harissa recipes. It has gotten a lot of attention these last couple of years in western food dishes. If you are wanting to make your own, Heidi has a recipe and so does AllRecipes.

If you have little people in your house, this might push spice boundaries. You can half the harissa and see if it is palatable for them. I found the spice to be a wonderful match to the bold beet taste. A note about serving this soup. It is late, hot summer here. 90 degree days. I have no taste for hot soup. So, after I roasted the beets and carrots, I let them cool for 15 minutes before adding to blender, The result was an almost room temperature soup with cold pickled cucumbers on top. Perfect for a hot evening. This is my new gazpacho. That is how much I love this soup!

Harissa Beet Soup with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
makes 4 small bowls (I will be doubling this tonight when I make it again!)

2 cups roasted beets
1 cup roasted carrots
glug of olive oil
salt for taste
1 cup lemon cucumber seeded and diced (a skinned green cucumber is fine too)
2 tsp. champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Harissa powder
zest of lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

Wash carrots and beets. No need to remove skins. Roughly trim off tops and bottoms. Cut beets into fourths. Add carrots and beets to an oven proof baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil (about a tablespoon) to coat and a sprinkle of salt. Mix with your hands. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degree for about an hour, or until the beets are knife tender. Remove from stove, keep tinfoil on pan and let sit out for 15 minutes.
In a blender, add 2 cups stock, lemon zest, pinch salt, lemon juice and harissa. Add the beets and carrots to blender. Make sure you get the olive oil in the pan too. Don't bother with removing the beet skins. Blend for a good 5-8 minutes in your blender. Stop and taste for salt.
In a separate bowl, add chopped cucumber, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar and pinch salt. Let sit for 5 minutes, or up to overnight to pickle.
Dish about a cup of soup into a bowl right from the blender. Add a heaping tablespoon of cucumbers making sure to get a good amount of the olive oil and vinegar along with the cucumbers. Soup should be about room temperature or a little over room temperature. Keeps in fridge for a couple of days too.

Burrata makes it Better

2011-07-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was at Lake Arrowhead in southern California. We were with M's grandparents and aunt. This was not so easy of a trip for me however as it was my ex-husband's father, sister and step-mother whom I adore and love. Families breaking up is like an unending amount of band aids being ripped from thin-skinned parts of your body. My friend and I have been emailing back and forth the last couple of days about this. She is about 3 months ahead of me in her own marriage breakup. We check in on occasion with one another. Is it better for you yet? Has the heartache softened? Are you crying less? Are your afraid your friends are tired of talking about this yet? Dating? Along with the immediate loss of a long term partner, extended family is a whole other ball of wax. I have struggled with feeling replaced and trying to understand how I will fit into families I have come to love when they are not mine, but are for my daughter. I start to cry thinking about how much time, energy and love I put into making connections with my ex-husbands family the past 11 years now knowing that I will most likely never talk to most of them again.

My girlfriend and I have also been talking about the fairy tale we as a society buy into. Girl meets man, man takes care of girl. No one mentions the rescuing, resentment and power imbalances that go along with the current acceptable "successful" marriage template. The power we willingly give away for a version of safety and security that is nothing more than a mirage. I never would have believed someone if they told me how painful a family breaking up is. Life is so mysterious in that way. So much of the most potent experiences are like heavy clouds, bursting with emotions, grief, relief, joy and suffering. We can look at the storm clouds and feel the wind, sense their intensity, hope we can seek shelter, and yet until we are rained on, we can never fully understand the experience. Storms are imperative for nature to survive. Like a forest fire raging out of control, it is necessary to release the precious seeds that only fire can for its ultimate survival. And so it is this for our hearts also. For my heart to grow, I need the storms. So I carry tissues everywhere for my tears. I seek solace in my friends who also seek soul storms and intimately understand their wisdom and power. I cry rivers and know my life preserver is loving the grief. I am sad and tender and open hearted. I am angry and scared and accept that it is ok to miss my life before that was so lifeless. I am thankful that even when it seems that everything is gone, it is also grace wiping the slate clean for our hearts to fill with a new and more authentic kind of love. Saying goodbye can be really hard to do.

After coming back from L.A. I had a dinner party. Dinner conversation with 5 women and 5 kids running around. I feel so lucky coming home. That day going to the coop, I noticed Burrata and the first heirloom tomatoes were in stock. Figs, shiso leaves and nectarines too. A whole dinner ensued that made me feel deep thanks that I have friends who do not shy from life and its struggles. Burrata, while perhaps being an older trend, it still on my top list of summer treats. A mixture of mozzarella skin filled with cream and leftover mozzarella curds, it is a showstopper! Creamy, rich, delicate and flavorful. I served fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes, high quality olive oil, local shiso leaves (mine are growing but not yet ready) sea salt and sliced burrata. A perfect celebration of summer's flavors with very little effort. Burrata is best fresh. It is a guarantee hit for any dinner. Burrata makes it better for me.

Mango Creme Fraiche Salad Dressing

2011-06-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

I was reading David Lebovitz in my facebook feed today and he has posted a link to Cafe Fernando blog story about their recent visit to Chez Panisse. Great photos, fun story. What caught my eye in the story was the creme fraiche dressing on the smoked fish salad with black cod and salmon. Stopped me in my tracks. So guess what I bought today at the coop? Creme fraiche. I wondered what they mixed in the dressing to make it so loose. I thought lemon juice if I had a guess. I tend to overuse lemon juice so I thought mango. On nectarines. With mint, on a salad.
I wondered if the fiber in the mango flesh would ruin the whole experiment. I wondered if the creme fraiche was too thick to blend in my blender. I wondered if it would need acid to cut the fat. Oh the mind chatter of my food mind! I decide to go simple and just blend the flesh of a medium sized mango and 1/2 cup of creme fraiche and a pinch of salt in my blender. It would either work or be a throw-away.
Here is how is ended...a certain 7 year old was caught with a small soup ladle in hand (a spoon was not large enough) scooping out a second "taste" after I let her taste the goods, running into the living room to be alone with her mango creme fraiche. Bottom line: it turned out pretty fantastic. And with THREE ingredients, super, fabulously, crazily, easy to make.
I used nectarines on the salad to add acid. I added fresh mint to the lettuce mix to add some verve and then ate it for dinner. This dressing would be wonderful on grilled fish, crab cakes, or to dip strawberries into. I could imagine a fresh blueberry scone too...oh the list could go on. I think what makes creme fraiche work so well in these instances is the slight sour taste that carries it, but its not overly sour taste. Either way, the hardest part of this recipe is getting out your blender and removing the flesh from the mango. If you don't know how..Simply Recipes has a great tutorial. This made over a cup, plenty for a couple of dishes.

Mango Creme Fraiche Dressing
Makes a big cup

1 med. ripe mango cut and skin removed (about 1- 1/2 cups)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup creme fraiche

Blend in blender until very smooth, about 3 or 4 minutes.
I tossed my salad in a small bit of olive oil before topping with fresh nectarines and fresh mint. I spooned about 1 tablespoon on each salad plate.

Homemade Lemon Teriyaki Sauce...and stuff to eat it with...

2011-06-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

Summer is here. Tank tops, iced tea, nectarines, cherries, light meals, crickets, green everything. Summer means I start having itches for dinner parties on lawns, picking berries with my lady posse and staying up late. Swimming in the river, wide brimmed hats and popsicles. I love that a hot summer day is reason enough to invite people over and drink something with fresh lime juice in it. This summer I want to experiment with some new flavors. Violets most likely. I am also experimenting with my new neighborhood. My two very cool and lovely friends happen to live on the same street as me. I know, the odds against that happening are sky-high, but here we all are. Kate and Sarah are their names. It was sheer luck and determination that we all found places to live together on our lovely one-way, dead-end street. I love it when the stars line up like that! We all have kids. We all just drop by each others houses and hang out. We have dinner together every week or more. Lucky us. The kids loop back and forth from house to house to yard. Like a real old-fashioned neighborhood before stranger danger ruined things!
Sometimes when I make a special dish, I get bummed if we are not all together and it turns out extra special. Tonight that happened. I made lemon, ginger teriyaki sauce. I always make my own because it is so easy and the flavors are light years better than the bottled kind. Teriyaki is all about ingredients, so once you have the essential components, it just needs to simmer. I decided to eat it with grated carrots and turnips, toasted sesame seeds and a poached egg on top. I loved it.
Teriyaki is essentially a soy sauce marinade. Incredibly versatile. An easy way to impress your friends at dinner! This batch makes a modest amount (about 1/2 cup) so if you are cooking for a crowd, double or triple it.

Lemon Teriyaki Sauce:

1/3 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tbls shoyu
1 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 tbls toasted sesame seed oil
1 heaping tsp. fresh grated ginger

Simmer in a saucepan until it coats the back of a spoon. Mine took about 15-20 minutes. Right before it is ready, it starts to bubble become slightly foamy. The sugars are starting to caramelize and the sauce is thickening.

We have Lacto Fermented Soda! (Raspberry and Olallieberry to be exact!)

2011-06-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

She is my fearless taster!

Captivated by the fermentation bubbles!

My first lacto fermented soda experiment is over! It had a slight yeasty, boozy taste. Nice and carbonated. I have not had enough fermented soda to know if this was off the mark. I put slightly more than 1 1/2 cups of sugar in my gallon of soda, which may have contributed to the aggressive fermentation. But, I am still drinking it. Even though no yeast was added, lactobacillus produces carbon dioxide, alcohol and lactic acid as a result of fermentation and I am wondering if my soda is reaching 1-2% alcohol due to this. Now I am making batch number two and I have a good feeling about it. This batch above was raspberry and olallieberry soda and the next one I am making is blackberry ginger flavor. And I am going not going to put more than 1 1/2 cups of sugar per gallon (I added a bit more to make it sweeter this first time) because I think that made it over-ferment. I have wished about six times I had a 1-800 number to call for my fermentation questions. The most tense time of the whole experiment was tasting the soda before bottling for the second fermentation. Would the acidity really prevent pathogenic bacteria from flourishing in the starter culture? Would I start throwing up in 4-8 hours? Dang, those microbiology and mycology classes in college filled me with way too much information. But here is the deal; after my life these last 8 months, a little food poisoning is no biggie. Turns out however that our little friend (who attempted to spend the night last night) had to go home at 1am because of diarrhea and vomiting. So, M and I are drinking lots of soda today in hopes of bolstering our gut flora....
In other news, little M has graduated kindergarten. No more rice and beans day on painting day. No more Fairy Mother passing down her little ones to each child in the class. No more healing gnomes or silk scarves or soup day on fridays. No more chopping vegetables, no more bees wax moldeling. No more good morning dear friends songs. No more waldorf kindergarten. Her fly-away ceremony was heartfelt. Our good friend Jilan came to the ceremony and greeted little M with a bouquet of roses as we watched her fly away to her new teacher. The school moved the next day to our little downtown to occupy the old space where elementary school used to be. It is precious! Now we get to walk to school! It reminds me of the waldorf school in downtown Mill Valley in Marin. A day we will always remember.

Lacto-Fermentation Soda Class

2011-05-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

The lovely Shan Kendall teaching about lacto-fermentation!

Well, things here are coming along. Never had I expected the roller coaster of emotions like divorce brings though. Big, big, big waves. It is as though the universe won't let one little bit of unresolved emotion get by. I am looking in all the nooks and crannies, uncovering all the parts of myself that are coming forward to be set free by my self-forgiveness. Until going through this experience, it has felt like I have had blinders on that shielded me from my own capacity for loving. It has felt a bit like I am reprogramming my dna when in all the moments I want to blame, shame or escape, and I choose not to. Well, I do sometimes at first, and then I go inward by mediating, journaling, listening, processing. It is easier to blame someone else in the moment when have you have a story that your life has been ripped to pieces by their actions. But, then what? You get up in the morning and everything still hurts. Your relationships are still the same. No relief. So, then I know it is time to get back into the sacred waters of transformation and start finding the loving for myself. It has been there, and only there I have shown myself these last 8 months that this is a process of opening my heart and trusting my life. It has shown me that every disruption in my life, every single one, is to get me into my loving. This is a challenge. When I am sitting in the shower sobbing, or losing my house, or playing the story that I was replaced by a younger woman in my marriage, it can be tricky. I have had a lot of help re-framing everything though. It was not about being replaced by a younger woman. It was about reclaiming my authentic life and finding the deeper love for myself. It is a constant re-framing. My moments of this deep knowing are stretching out farther and farther each time I step foot into the waters of forgiveness. The more I forgive myself and my beliefs about myself, the more I let the loving in and the easier it is to come back to that spot. So, how do you forgive yourself? I move into whatever emotion I am feeling and look for the belief I am carrying about myself that is not true. When I hit upon a false belief I am having about myself, I usually can feel it in my body and feel that I have hit a tender spot. It can be feeling unlovable, unworthy, useless, powerless, etc. Then I say "I forgive myself for believing I am unworthy of love". I take a breath and let it go. It has been a process that is not about changing what is in my life, but changing my relationship to my life. I am using my fear to unlock rather than to lock down. I am working in the fields of trusting my disturbances.
Rebecca Skeele has a great website and book "You Can Make It Heaven" that goes into detail how to do this yourself. She also has a radio show I podcast every week. Rebecca mentioned a few shows back about the Mayo Clinic publishing articles about forgiveness on their website . I googled "Mayo Clinic Forgiveness" and quite a few articles showed up. I even saw an article a week or so ago about Lady Gaga's bikram yoga teacher talking about self-compassion! Well, enough about me....

Last night I went to a Lacto-fermentation soda class. It was taught by the local chapter leader of the Weston Price/Nourishing Traditions, Shan Kendall. Wow, she is a wealth of inspiration and information. Along with making ginger soda, kombucha, root beer and fir-tip ale, we ate her sauerkraut, kimchi and her chicken and coconut soup. I was inspired to take this class after being at the Ferry Building a month or so back and buying a bottle of lacto-fermented rose geranium soda made by DrinkWell Softers. Wow! I thought it blew kombucha out of the water. It was the best soda I have ever drank. Drink Well uses whey to ferment their drinks. Shan however, taught us how to use ginger root to make a lactobacillus starter for soda. It utilizes the lactobacillus on the ginger root, along with sugar and pure water. Most of the sugar is eaten away by the yeast which then makes the soda nice and fizzy. Since you were not able to be in class with me last night, I found a website that has a how-to video and instructions and a recipe if you would like to lacto-ferment your own soda at home. I am going to try the blueberry soda. What are the advantages to a lacto-fermented food or drink? It has enzymes and lactic acid bacteria that build up healthy gut flora. Lacto-fermented foods are healing to the gut. They have been a staple food in cultures that typically live long lives and have lower cancer rates that the rest of the world. Lacto-fermented foods are also easily digestible. It is a truly living food. If you decide to make lacto-fermented soda tell me! I would love to hear how it turns out...

Someone Special Had A Birthday Party!

2011-05-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Jilan, a good friend and photographer took this with her ultra-cool camera

Besties

Yesterday was little M's 7th birthday party. I made food for three days for her special day. My little darling had a notebook with the details of how the party was going to go down. She managed to get all her wishes granted. Pinata, garden treasure hunt. friends, music, sun, drinks. I think all bases were covered. I absolutely adore all of my friends, so for me it was a party with them too. I perhaps went a little overboard on the food, but I love a reason to cook. I think that maybe the french onion dip was the winner. There was a lot of feedback about that one. I posted that recipe recently. So easy to make too!
I have been getting into my new garden. I mowed the lawn last week. I have never mowed a lawn before. It reminded me of my friend freshman year in college that did not know how to work a washing machine. Better late than never right? I took extra long to mow because I loved it so much. I am growing some starts as well. Today I started cowpeas, english peas and shiso. I finally am going to have my own shiso plant!

Creamy French Onion Dip

2011-04-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

Many of my holidays growing up were spent at my grandparents house. Easter Sunday always included a ham spiked with cloves, and the very popular french onion dip appetizer. A package of Lipton french onion soup mixed with sour cream along side a plate of celery and carrot sticks. A vivid memory in my mind. I have tried making it from scratch before, mixing sour cream, mayonnaise and sometimes chevre with onions to create something vaguely similar to what my childhood mind remembers. I never was able to get it just right however, until now.
I decided to skip the sour cream and mayonnaise component and instead opted for creme fraiche. I wanted a slight sour taste that had a mostly creamy taste and texture. Mayonnaise has a flat flavor note that I thought would cover the subtle taste of shallots and onion. I was right. Creme fraiche turned out to be the perfect blank canvas for caramelized onions and onion powder. This dip was incredibly easy too. A perfect throwback to the old days of my Easter dinner traditions. Serve with carrot sticks, celery, sourdough toast points or plain potato chips.

7.5 ounces Creme Fraiche (213g)
1 heaping cup finely chopped onions (150g)
3 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots (1.5 oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt (1.5g)
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon onion powder (18g)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (.5 oz)
pinch salt

Saute onions and shallots with olive oil and small pinch of salt over medium heat until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cool in a bowl to room temperature after cooked.
In a bowl, gently mix onion powder and salt into creme fraiche. Add the room temperature onion mixture. Refrigerate overnight, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Super Natural Every Day Book Signing

2011-04-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

When I think of Heidi Swanson, I think graciousness and style. Her book signing was no exception. It was a bit of a blustery but clear night in San Francisco at Omnivore books. The place was packed! Three tables were set up, all filled with Super Natural recipes people brought to share. I loved the metal tubs sitting on the front window ledge filled with chilled Sorelle Bronca Prosecco, which just happens to be my favorite prosecco! Super Natural Every Day is filled with recipes I would want to feed the world with. They are simple in their preparation, but interesting. I think pulling that off is a serious skill.

I especially liked Heidi's mustard recipe. I have been tinkering with mustard in my own kitchen in the last month, and could not figure out why my mustard kept turning out so hot and spicy until I read in her book that if you leave the mustard in the fridge for a couple of weeks the flavors mellow out. There is a lot of very useful information she provides in the book like that, along with online resources, cooking tips and stories about her cooking life. Reading her book, you really feel like you are getting a glimpse into her world.

Heidi's smile lit up the whole room. It was fun night. I just peeked on Amazon and it is currently 29th in the top 100 books!

Booksignings and Happiness

2011-04-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know how living right here in this moment is working out for me; really well. To celebrate, I am going to Heidi Swanson's book signing at Omnivore Books this thursday. She sort of put my Kale Pesto on the map and I am looking forward to supporting her newest book. Plus, you know it is going to be super cool because it is Heidi.
I will try to take photos for you.

Sweet Potato Salad with Miso

2011-03-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

Our St. Patrick's Day Feast!

I am posting a photo of friends. We all came together on St.Patrick's Day. I made my first (and successful..yipee!) corned beef and cabbage. Of course the most wonderful part was spending time with friends. I consider myself very, very lucky in the friends department.

Today I made this salad with sweet potatoes. You could also make it with butternut squash or cauliflower instead of sweet potato. I have increased our miso intake with the possibility of radiation from Japan blowing over the pacific. I really love Japan. One of my most favorite places really. All the dishes I have made these last two weeks with miso have been a celebration for my love of Japan. I thought to post a new recipe today so we can celebrate Japan together. I choose to eat my miso raw (never boil or bake it) to keep all its enzyme goodness intact. It contains dipicolinic acid which has been theorized to detox heavy metals and some radioactive elements out of the body. I personally love it like a cup of tea with a squeeze of fresh lemon, or mixed in a bowl of beans or mixed with cultured butter and spread on a cracker.
So, get your miso on. And, if you want to get technical about it, try for 2 tablespoons a day, which is how much has been theorized one needs to get all the wonderful benefits. I searched high and low for all the goodies about miso. This was my favorite: History Of Miso from Soy Info Center.

I had to share this poem. It was in my email box this morning from my friend Christi. Have you been to her blog yet? http://www.christimider.com. I continually go to her blog for inspiration, and as you know I have required a bit more of that lately. She has this amazing ability to post something that is exactly what I need to hear. She is a very gifted healer.
Well, here is the poem...
below that I am posting the recipe.

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
—Naomi Shihab Nye

Sweet Potato Salad with Miso
makes 2 big or 3 small servings

1 large roasted yam cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes to make 1 1/2 cups worth
2 tbls. toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp umeboshi vinegar
2 tbls toasted sesame oil
1 tbls fresh squeezed orange juice
pinch salt
1 tbls miso
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1 tbls extra virgin olive oil

Roast yam on a cookie sheet in the oven. 375 degrees until knife tender (about 50 min). Remove the skin from the yam after baking. Let cool to room temperature then cut into cubes. Try to handle the cubes as little as possible to keep them intact.
In a bowl, mix umeboshi vinegar, toasted sesame seed oil and miso. Whisk with a fork and pour over the yams. Then add 1 tbls of sesame seeds. With your clean hands, gently mix.

Slice cabbage very thinly (any type you like) and coarsely chop it. Put in a bowl and set aside. Add olive oil, fresh orange juice, pinch salt, apple cider vinegar and 1 tbls sesame seeds. Toss well.

To plate divide cabbage salad into two or three plates and gently top with sweet potato mixture.

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

2011-03-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

You know how some people have totem animals? Every time they see a wolf or bear it somehow represents them? I do that with food. Some of mine; truffles, tomatoes, goat cheese, olive oil and meyer lemons. I love that meyer lemons are seasonal and when they are gone, they are gone. You have to think and dream about them until they come back into your life again. A bit like a food love story. Meyer lemons are all over the place now. They have a sweeter and muskier smell and flavor than year round lemons which makes them more sophisticated and special to me. I had some friends over the other night and I made a butter lettuce salad with this vinaigrette. It really was spectacular. I topped the salad with baked pumpkin seeds and some shavings of hard parmesean. The next day I made more and drizzled it over some oven roasted asparagus. I think this vinaigrette is so versatile, I would eat it over brown rice or with sliced radishes or even over braised endive. The mustard helps emulsify the lemon juice when adding the olive oil so it does not separate like some vinaigrettes I make. That makes it a great candidate as a sauce or a dressing. I used chopped parsley in this. I would also use tarragon in a heartbeat. I would reduce tarragon to 1 tablespoon because of its strong flavor though. My mouth is watering thinking about putting a tarragon meyer lemon vinaigrette over a warm slice of quiche. Wow!
Either way, the flavor can't be beat. This vinaigrette is like the taste of spring coming, a ode to all the daffodils waking up our gardens right now. A sneek peak of what is to come in a few short months.

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
makes around 1/2 cup

zest and juice of 1 meyer lemon
pinch salt
couple of grinds of fresh pepper
2 teaspoons of stone ground mustard or dijon mustard
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
2 tbls. of fresh chopped parsley or 1 tbls fresh chopped tarragon

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, zest, salt, pepper and mustard. While still whisking by hand (I used a fork) slowly drizzle in olive oil and then add tarragon or parsley.

Roasting Asparagus
I trim the bottoms of the asparagus, toss in a small bit of olive oil and sea salt, and bake on a cookie sheet 350 degrees for around 15-20 minutes.

All Moved In!

2011-03-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

I put up a "before and after" photo of my living room. A big transformation took place! I am thrilled with the paint colors I picked and pinching myself every morning when I wake up and realize I can walk downtown in two minutes. It has been a soft landing. M and I said goodbye to each room of our house before the movers came by recalling a special memory for us both. Our friends came during the move to be with us, and provided a massive amount of support. I needed it that day.
My new kitchen is very small and cozy. I am adjusting to the lack of counter space, and loving the vintage stove. I have been cooking little bits here and there. I made a chickpea salad with an orange tahini dressing. It did not make the cut however to share with all of you. There were chickpeas in my grain csa and I have been thinking about them constantly. I will try again soon though.
Right now I am making old fashioned tapioca pudding. We have been craving comfort foods to ground ourselves and isn't pudding just a sure thing for that?
Next up is my garden. I need serious help with that. Although I have a degree in biology and botany, I have no gardening skills. I know I want to plant lemon verbena, shiso and lots of heirloom tomatoes.

The top photo is a little buddha figurine a japanese translator I met while visiting Japan some years back gave me. It has always sat on my little altar. I love how joyful it looks. I have had Japan in my thoughts constantly. I have been deeply moved by the earthquake and tsunami. I have been sending love and light to Japan constantly. Japan, I am thinking about you. I am loving you.

San Jose del Cabo

2011-02-28T22:26:00.000-08:00

Walking on the beach.....

Happy!

View from our room.....

View from the Hilton looking south...

Aunt Danielle with her biggest fan....

View from our cabana at the pool.....

Swim up bar!

No Kindle..just a book for me

Our second dinner at Las Ventanas

Las Ventanas!

Me and M

Just flew in today. I was so sad to leave beach paradise. I did not bring my computer on this trip, so only checked my email a few short times during my stay. It was nice to be unplugged. We stayed at the Hilton San Juan Cabo San Lucas. For what it was, it was perfect. Beach and pool and atmosphere all blended together evenly. I always had in my mind that Cabo was a touristy, party spot, but our week was restful, full of great food and lots and lots of relaxation. I had a very important dream while I was there and it helped me tremendously with my grief and I felt some pretty profound completeness around my marriage ending. I felt more like myself (or rather my new self) than I have in almost 5 months. I ate, swam, thought, wondered, rested and remembered who I am after throwing off some big sad stories I have been carrying around that I just don't need anymore. On the airplane today M and I were talking about how we are moving in 3 days. She said "Mama, aren't you excited? This is what your dreamed about!" While I did not know what dream she was recalling, I have noticed that she has been very symbolic lately, so I took in deeply what she said. I realized that yes, my life radically shifting has been bone chillingly scary, but once I get past that, I am getting the life I have always wanted. Truth, honesty, love, authenticity, my sweet daughter, choices, fabulous friends, health, and community. This trip helped me see that. This trip helped me see my beauty. And from those places comes my passion for creating food and healing and the journey we all take to nourish ourselves.
Well back to the nitty gritty. Here are some funny observations I had on this trip though:

Everyone and their brother except me has a Kindle at the Hilton
Getting a pool chair during a busy week at this Hilton requires secret ninja moves
Swimming lessons for a six year before a big beach trip is worth its weight in gold
Packing 4 boxes of crackers and snacks in our suitcases for the trip was a great idea

Las Ventanas is my dream destination resort...hands down
I have officially recovered from my fear of food borne illness in Mexico
I would love to bring all my girlfriends here asap
I love deserts

Cowpeas with Miso and Arugula Salad

2011-02-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the ordered chaos. I am almost finished!!
Yesterday I picked up my grain share and there was (eureka!) a small jar of hand-crafted miso!! It is wonderfully mellow and salty. It is also soy free; made with purple cowpeas instead. Along with that was a one pound bag of Nigerian Cowpeas. They are considered a field bean or a shelling bean. I would interchange these in this recipe with black-eyed peas, mung beans or aduki beans which are in the genus Vigna along with cowpeas. This genus of beans are creamy, small beans that are easy to cook (60-80 mintes un-soaked). Because everything is almost packed here at my house, I decided to cook these beans that are on hand and thought the wonderful mellow miso would be a interesting flavor component. Baby arugula is at my coop and I knew that the peppery, lemon taste it has would be the perfect contrast. This dish has 5 ingredients! I topped it with the aged cheese also from my grain share, but any aged parmesean would work. I am glad it pulled together because M opened the fridge today and told me "Mama! We have no food in our house!" A favorite pastime of mine is to search the cabinets that have "nothing" in them and find a wonderful dish to make.
My small new house is painted now. The curtain rods are up, and it has been filled with love from all my friends who are showing up in work clothes to help M and I make our new place cozy. I can't wait to show all of you. I am saying goodbye to modern and hello to vintage. I will be honest and tell you Valentines Day was a sad day. I bought my little girl a dozen pink roses though. Showed up at kindergarten pick-up with the bouquet and she was pretty excited. Lemonade out of lemons. I can't do a thing to change people or their choices, but I can change my relationship to them and myself. I am leaving for Cabo on monday. I am bringing my camera, but have not decided about bringing laptop or not. So in case we don't talk until I get back, I will thinking about you.

Cowpeas with Miso and Arugula Salad
makes 4 servings

1 cup dried cowpeas (or mung, blackeyed or aduki beans)
2 cups water (for cooking beans)
4 tsp. miso paste
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup shaved aged parmesean cheese
4 cups baby arugula

Examine beans for rocks before you cook them. Wash them if they are dusty.
Cook beans and water on low simmer covered for 1 hour. Taste for tenderness.

Toss arugula in a bowl with two tsp. of olive oil. Toss with your clean hands to coat all the pieces.

Shave the parmesean so you have at least 4 good shaved pieces for each serving.

After peas are cooked, scoop around 1/2 cup in each bowl and stir in 1 tsp. of miso for each bowl. After mixing in miso, top with arugula and then with cheese.

Moving Update!

2011-02-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

Whew! I am going to take photos to show how chaotic things are in my house with packing, painting and saying lots of goodbyes to our dream home. Three weeks until we set sail to our new abode. I have been diligently looking in town for a rental for M and I (and Charlie our cat) for weeks now. Finally last week a place fell into our lap and it is 4 doors down from my dear friend Kate. What luck! I am in awe at how the universe is working. I manifested the exact vision I had plus more. So, I am cramming in driving back and forth from town, packing, painting, cleaning, organizing and being a mama into each of these pretty winter days we are having. Cooking has taken a backseat. Last night and tonight for dinner was an arugula salad with a piece of toast and an egg. I thought for sure that M. would question egg and toast for dinner two night in a row, but she is on board with the craziness of the moment. I am planning magical things to cook in my new, super-cute vintagey house though. It has an old fashioned white stove with six burners, two ovens and two broilers. I told my new landlord I like to cook. A lot.
So I promise to keep you all in the loop as things unfold. My friends and twin sister are working overtime to help my transition go smoothly. I could not do this alone. I know the life I thought I had was not really built on solid ground. Now my home base is myself, so there is never a question if it is solid. I have noticed that self compassion is one of the most solid feelings I have ever had. It just took a total disaster to wake up to my own loving self. I get to fill up my cup until it overflows. I never need to look outside of myself again to be filled up.
My sister invited M and I to go to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico this year with her. Of course the trip is the week before I move. So, I plan to have everything related to my move completely wrapped up before I get on the plane. I am feeling good about this trip. I am thinking there won't be as many tears as the last couple of months. I am thinking that watching my little girl swim in the pool and say "watch me, watch me" is going to be a big treat.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Shitakes

2011-01-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

I have been cryptic lately in my posts. So, I am just putting my news out there. Along with my recipes, photos, stories and kitchen tips, you have also been reading about my heartache. My marriage has dissolved. Ten years of togetherness has come to sudden end. An unexpected surprise filled with a kind of sadness I had not thought possible. Wave after wave filled with numbness, anger, sorrow, freedom, completeness and struggle are filled also with the knowing I will wash up on dry shore. I have been very lucky to have an entire community of friends and family tenderly holding me as I watch the carefully crafted fabric of my life be torn and stitched back together in a different way. I have wondered about those in the world who go through these experiences alone. I can understand how people could reach for food or relationships or drugs to escape this kind of pain. Running away from suffering seems so natural. Going outside of yourself keeps the pain at a distance. I am not though. I have chosen to dive into the inhospitable waters of my anguish and learn how to swim a new way. And you are here, reading this. So, thank you. All of you.

I packed a lot of boxes today. I am moving in a matter of weeks. So, meals are being simplified. I have one less person to cook for these past months, so my six year old has become my own professional pint-sized foodie companion. I hope I have not created a foodie monster. I am having visions of her starting protests someday in college because the salad bar does not have organic arugula. I think I will be able to keep it under control though. She loves a bagel just as much as she loves croissants. But her flavor palate is very evolved for a little person. Yesterday I had her try goat cream cheese. She loved it. Day before last she devoured a plate of oven roasted romanesco. I feel incredibly lucky that I will know all these little moments of her life. Last night it was creamy cauliflower soup with crispy pancetta. She thought it tasted like a bowl of mashed potato soup (with a version of bacon bits on top?). Simple does not have to taste simple though and this soup is a perfect example. We each had a bowl for dinner. I just ate another for a late lunch. The pancetta really gives this dish depth. The salty with the mellow cauliflower perks it right up. I used butter instead of my usual olive oil to keep it creamy. Since there is no cream, I wanted it to have some richness. So easy, so quick.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Shitake Mushrooms
serves 3 larger bowl or 4 small

1 med/large head of cauliflower
2- 2 1/2 cups stock (I used organic chicken)
pinch salt
1 1/2 tbls butter
3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta (or proscuitto)
2 cups chopped shitake mushrooms

Steam the head of cauliflower until tender. Put in a blender and add 2 cups stock. Blend. If it is too thick, add 1/2 cup more stock. Puree until smooth (about 2 min). Pour into sauce pan and cook on low simmer for 10 min. Taste for salt.
In cast iron (or non-stick) pan cook pieces of pancetta like you would bacon. Remove from pan with a fork when brown and crispy on each side. Add to the pan shitakes and 1 tbls. water to deglaze the pan. Sautee until soft; about 8 min. Chop the pancetta and top the soup with a spoonful of pancetta and shitakes.

Baby Artichokes baked with Bread Crumbs

2011-01-26T20:25:00.000-08:00

Packing up a house is a mixed bag. In some ways I am really happy to get rid of about half of my things. On the other, it is sad to move my life under such sad circumstances. I am resigned to letting the emotions come out as they wish. It has been an exercise in loving for myself. No matter the thought, emotion or conversation I am having, I am doing it with a new found confidence for myself and my struggles. I never thought I could be thankful about my life falling apart, but I am finding that I spend more and more days filled with gratitude and a sense of myself I have never had before. Suffering has been an unbiased teacher that has shown me the way to loving. The biggest gift in my life so far.

And so we have artichokes. I wait for the baby artichokes to show up in the market and then buy pounds of them. It has taken a few years of working with them to feel comfortable cooking them. But I have mastered the learning curve! My secret is trimming them down to the yellow leaves. I cut off the bottom stem and almost the top half. Then I pick off the exterior leaves until I get down to the light yellow ones. If they are not trimmed enough, they are tough when you eat them. I have also tried to oven roast or pan sautee them, but have come to the conclusion that they should be steamed first and then are ready for a second cooking method if you want to impart more flavor. I mostly save baby artichokes for a special dinner occasion. They can get expensive if you buy a lot, and you need quite a few if you are using baby artichokes (I would say 4-6 per person). Today I made bread crumbs with fresh thyme and a buerre blanc sauce to add to the artichokes. Little M kept coming into the kitchen and digging her fingers into the buttery bread crumbs after they had cooled. They have a bit more butter than I usually use, but it was the main dish for dinner tonight. Nice and hearty for cool January nights....

Baby Artichokes baked with Bread Crumbs
makes 4 small portions

12 baby artichokes trimmed
2 tbls butter
1 tbls fresh lemon juice (I used meyer lemon)
1 small shallot finely chopped
pinch salt
2/3 bread crumbs
2 tsp.
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp mustard
1/3 cup white wine

Trim artichokes (see above paragraph for directions) and steam for 10 minutes. Make sure they are knife tender before removing from heat and cook longer than 10 minutes if needed. Cooking time will be slightly variable depending on how big the artichokes are.
In a pan add butter, lemon juice, shallot and heat until butter starts to foam. Add wine, mustard and thyme. Reduce to half and add artichokes (about 4 min). Use a spoon to scoop buerre blanc on top of artichokes until sauce has reduced and has thickened (about 5 min). Remove artichokes and set in a heat proof dish. Add breadcrumbs to pan with buerre blanc and heat through. Spoon bread crumbs over artichokes and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees and bread crumbs start to brown.
To serve set artichokes on plate and scoop a spoonful of bread crumbs on top of each artichoke.

Baked Pumpkin Seeds

2011-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

What a weekend. I spent a good part of it with my friends at the SYRCL Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Think Sundance, only smaller, quainter and no pretense. There were quite a few films focusing on food, farmers and sustainability. I was inspired. I felt hope! One film challenged the audience to know the farmer of one ingredient of one meal a day you eat. I am taking that challenge seriously. What do you think of that challenge? I imagined that it would be pretty exciting to really feel like you are supporting a farmer in your community and wonder if that could change how you feel about the meal you are eating.

Wendy Van Wagner, a local friend, colleague and entrepreneur served kale pesto and beet dip from this blog on crostinis she catered for the gala event for the film festival. I was honored! Mostly because she is a talented chef and teacher herself and owns her own local cooking school In The Kitchen and knows her stuff. Thank you again Wendy!

My recipe this week is from my sweet friend Nikiya. She is a fabulous cook herself. She introduced me to my local grain CSA I belong to. I went to her house one day and her partner Kevin gave me a handful of pumpkin seeds that she had soaked in water overnight and then baked in the oven with a bit of salt. I had to stop myself from eating the whole jar it was so tasty. Salty, crunchy, nutty and satisfying. I have been making them regularly since then and packing them in my bag before I leave the house for a snacks on the go. Soaking seeds make them more digestable and break down the enzymes that make nuts harder to digest. When you bake pumpkin seeds, the seeds puff up and then get crunchy. It reminds me of popcorn in a way. I am not kidding when I tell you that when I made these for a dinner party a week or two back the bowl was gone in less than five minutes and the adults had to stop the kids from taking handfuls and running down the hall to keep them for themselves. A sign of a successful dish! A wonderful snack, but great to put on top of soups, enchiladas, crostinis, oatmeal, chili, granola...a long list of compatible foods. And, this is super easy!

Puffy Pumpkin Seeds
makes two cups

2 cups raw green pumpkin seeds
1 tbls braggs liquid aminos

Soak pumpkin seeds overnight in a bowl of water. The next day, drain the seeds and combine with braggs in a bowl. Spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for around 15 minutes. Every five minutes use a spoon and gently stir the seeds. You will hear them start to pop as they start to dry and puff up. When they start to brown and are crunchy and not soggy at all, they are done. I let mine sit on the cookie sheet until they are cooled and then put into a glass jar for storage.
I use braggs liquid aminos because it is less salty then tamari which I think it overpowering to these little seeds. You could use sea salt too. Since you are not drying the seeds before you bake them, the salt sticks to the seeds. I know this recipe is easy, but you will never go back to traditionally roasted nuts after you try this alternative method.

Mandarin Marmalade

2011-01-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

With good friend Marcellas over holiday break!

Mandarins are here. In my latest grain CSA I received a bag of mandarins and meyer lemons. I really love that winter in California has its own fruit ambassadors. Yesterday, I stopped myself after I ate six or seven mandarins. My daughter ate 4 after school. Oh how I love their tangy sweetness!
I ate those six mandarins before I sat down to meditate. They were on my mind. Meditating and falling asleep give me my best recipes. Today I was inspired to make mandarin marmalade. It was perfect because a dear friend of mine turned 40 just a few days before and I knew he would love homemade marmalade as a gift. I decided to add ginger for the warming properties it has as well as being a digestive tonic which makes it tailored for winter. Marmalade seemed the perfect way to pay tribute to a happy winter fruit. I did not add pectin to my recipe because I used mandarin peels which naturally have a lot of pectin, so just added the mandarins, peels, sugar, ginger and a bit of vanilla seeds. I did not get fussy at all with this recipe. I love rustic angles on food; the more untouched the better.

And with that I will share a few trends happening in my house right now gliding us into the new year...and say that I was in southern california after the holidays and was able to catch up with family and my dear friend, Marcellas!

1. big bowls of heirloom beans drizzled with olive oil and tamari. Good quality olive oil is spectacular drizzled over cooked beans.

2. turning the thermostat down to 60 to save on heating bills

3. taking lots of soaks in my ofuro to warm up from a cooler than normal house (dang! I am going to miss that ofuro when I move!)

4. making popcorn more often because it always seems like such a special treat (don't forget the yeast)

5. Frazey Ford...she is just singing the soul of where I am right now. Great interview and music clips from NPR...

6.The Swell Season... the duo that made the movie Once back in 2006. My favorite song of the album is High Horses

7. cooking dinner listening to #5 and #6.....

8. Sharing special wine with friends before I move that I have been collecting over the last seven years

9. Thinking, dreaming, wondering, manifesting my reality that showcases food, farmers, health and soul in marin county... preferably with the food network or style network ♥

10. practicing "surrender is not about giving up, it is about letting go"..thank you Christi

Mandarin Marmalade
makes a bit over a cup

2 cups mandarins inner piths removed
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed vanilla beans
1 heaping tbls fresh chopped ginger
1/2 cup mandarin skins chopped

I peeled the mandarins with a paring knife. Then I chopped finely 1/2 cup of the skins. Remove the mandarin piths inside. It is a fantastic source of vitamin C, but in this case it will contribute to more bitterness than you might care for. Roughly chop mandarins into 1 inch pieces. Use a sharp knife so you don't lose too much juice on your cutting board.
Add mandarins, vanilla, sugar, skins and ginger to sauce pan. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer for 90 minutes.

Cardamom Butternut Squash Soup

2011-01-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

January could be called the month of our resolutions. In the middle of nature sleeping, we are busy making plans for ourselves. Plans to become better mostly. On one hand it is our job as citizens of this great green earth to make things better. On the other hand, I think the standards and expectations we sometimes set up for ourselves can be pretty intimidating. So instead of resolving to change me this year, I am resolving to be more in my loving about me. My fears, my fails, my mean words, my tears, my wilted cauliflower and too much olive oil on the broccoli, my dingy whites and not folding the laundry quick enough, my sometimes I don't floss even though I know I should, my playing a song five times in a row on the ipod in the car, my occasional hopelessness, my inability to forgive just yet; all of it is going to get more loving than it did last year. The good and the bad are all getting more loving this year.

Because I did wilt the cauliflower tonight. I put it on the same cookie sheet as the potatoes and over-roasted it. And my christmas tree is still up, and my laundry is piled high, and I did not make my bed today. And I cried for about 2 hours. And my suitcase is still sitting by the front door where I left it a day ago. But at this moment, I sit here and am beyond my housekeeping and grief knowing that I stayed in my loving by not judging myself for not getting it done.
I am especially in my loving about how I just turned 39 and not 40 in one of the most craptastic years in memory. Next year will be different though. Stay tuned. It should be good.

Well the day was not a complete wash. I did make soup again today. I roasted a butternut squash yesterday and made soup two days in a row with it. It has been a bit cold here, so I added cardamom along with cinnamon and a pinch of red pepper flakes to make a nice warm, cozy soup. A small squeeze of lemon and maybe a bit more olive oil than I should have were added also. But if that is all I am having for dinner like last night, I go heavier on the monounsaturated fats for good luck. I put it all in the blender with some stock and was good to go.

A note about how I roast squash (all squash). I put it in the oven whole to roast it. I don't slice it, or split it or remove seeds. I am convinced I will cut my fingers off somehow and just put the whole thing (no matter the size) on a cookie sheet and bake it. After it is knife tender, I take it out of the oven, let it cool for a bit and then slice it in half, scoop out the seed and then scoop out the flesh for whatever I am making. It always works out well for me.

Cardamom Butternut Squash Soup
makes 4 servings

3 cups roasted butternut squash
2 cups stock (I used organic chicken stock)
2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
pinch salt
1/2 tsp. powdered cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp heaping red pepper flakes
1 tsp. lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in blender for almost a minute, then cook on simmer for 20 minutes.

Asparagus with Dijon Butter

2010-12-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

Do you have holiday traditions? I find comfort in my holiday rituals. These days my life is shifting so quickly I am needing extra time to center myself, sit in stillness and remain open to the gifts of life. I am finding that the gifts of life may not have the wrapping paper I imagined or am used to, but I am trusting what is inside life's gifts will be exactly what I need.

I am starting a new tradition this year of eating Dungeness crab for our holiday dinner. I know, so Californian of me, right? It is fresh and easy to get where I live though, and a festive addition to a holiday dinner. A few nights ago at my daughter's request, we each said what we are thankful for at dinner. I said I was thankful to live in California. And, as I am planning a move to the bay area this summer, I am especially thankful that I can move to such an amazing place. No more off-grid solar living. No more driving 45 minutes to town. No more driving 3 miles down a dirt road to get home. It is very idyllic living off-grid until you are alone trying to trouble shoot an inverter problem or a broken generator! I will be a 5 minute drive to almost anything I want. A very long way from the outhouse I had at Shobo-an when I first moved here. The things I will miss (and it is a long, long list) are part of the chapter in my life I am closing. I am very lucky that the friendships I have made these past ten years I will take along with me after I move. I hope to lure all my friends to Marin for any amount of time they are willing to visit.

This year I tried a new dish vegetable dish for the holiday. Asparagus is starting to come into season here on the west coast, and I thought to include it in our crab dinner. I told my dear friends last night at Christmas dinner it was a potential blog recipe and to be honest. Thumbs up or thumbs down. I got all thumbs up. I made it twice this week. The first time I shaved the asparagus with a vegetable peeler into thin strands I sauteed. The second time I just chopped the asparagus into 3 inch pieces. I liked it chopped into three inch pieces (less work!). The picture above I took when I shaved the asparagus. I toasted sesame seeds from my grain CSA to top the dish with. Don't forget the sesame seeds. They really add a wonderful nuttiness that contrasts the dijon.

Happy Holidays!

Aspargus with Dijon Butter
serves 4

1 bunch asparagus (bottoms trimmed off) cut into 3 inch pieces
1 tbls butter
1 tbls dijon mustard
pinch salt
2 tbls toasted sesame seeds

Sautee asparagus in butter for 8 minutes. Add dijon and salt. Mix well and cook covered over low heat until tender (about 2 minutes more) Top with toasted sesame seeds.

Going Off-Grid

2010-12-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

Path at Bald Mountain....

When I talk to people about how cooking can add to their lives, I think about a list of tools that make things easier, greener and more exciting for this journey. I get some blank stares when I suggest to folks that cooking most meals at home while still maintaining a busy life is possible. I think back to my grandmother, Mormor. She cooked everything from scratch while being a farmer's wife, mother and running a busy rural house on a dairy farm in Connecticut. How did she do it? How did all of our grandmothers do it? Sometimes I think technology is taking up too much of our space, but I think too that the energy of life is different now and there is room for everything in our busy lives including room to think about and create food that is "off the grid" so to speak. The grid is the dream we plug into or the story we are told by society that we should be following to keep up with the pace of the busy world. I am part of the food revolution that is creating a new dream for how we feed ourselves.
When I first moved to California from Chicago ten years ago, I did not shop at farmers markets and did not subscribe to CSA's. I did not know any farmers. I had never been to a working farm that I ate food from. I did not think about how far food traveled to get to my plate. I was clinical in my approach to nutrition and helping my clients. I relied on lab work, supplement companies and reading food labels. I walked through grocery stores in a matter of fact manner with my clients showing them "how to shop". It is not that I think I was missing the point back then, it is just that my view has grown to encompass all the parts of a person when I think of how they might change their lives in a way they are wanting for themselves. Older, wiser and more heart centered now, I am off-grid in my view of nourishment and I see people's connection to nourishment as just one part of our experience of all things. I say off-grid, but actually what I think is happening is when you pull away from the dream and you plug into what is happening now, in this moment in your body and heart, things change to become more tailored to you and how your journey is unfolding.

So, here is a list of my kitchen essentials. The tools in my toolbox.

1. Pressure Cooker
2. Sharp knives
3. Cast Iron Skillet
4. Micro-Plane Zester
5. Cuisinart (food processor)
6. Blender
7. Olive Oil
8. Sea Salt
9. Hand Grater
10. Love

A pressure cooker is number one. I try to think about how I lived without one, and it boggles my mind. A pressure cooker has made it possible for me to keep the pace of cooking up so that I can remove canned food from my house. It has allowed me to cook things quicker. The thought of having vegetable soup or a pot of beans for dinner without spending 3 hours cooking has radically shifted my cooking perspective. I will go far as to say that I think pressure cookers are the green kitchen tool of the food revolution we are experiencing. A pressure cooker is essential to have if you are eating on a budget. If you are conscious of having to spend "too much time" in the kitchen. If you are trying simplify your life. If you are shifting to eating less meat. If you are increasing your fiber intake. I could go on....
There is a wonderful website: Miss Vickie that is dedicated to pressure cooking. Recipes, cooking times, pressure cooker reviews. I highly recommend browsing the site. Happy Cooking!

Beet Dip

2010-12-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about how nourishment moves through us. And by that I mean how do you shift the idea of nourishment of yourself, family and the people around you to something deeper. It has to be more than just eating the good food. It has to be more than curing childhood obesity. It has to be more than harvesting the corn. Could it be about our hearts? The center of all these things could be an acceptance of ourselves in the place we are in this moment and the loving that happens in this spot. Believing my heart can love it all. The starvation, the disease, the chemicals, the global warming, the jealousy, the anger, the heartbreak, the forgiveness, the destruction, the wonder, the beauty, the solutions. That in my loving there is transformation. The act of my love for all things now is the nourishment. I thought about that yesterday while making my beet spread ....which today I am eating on toast. Watching the fog in the meadow creep up the hill.

You all know I am very lucky to live in California where things are moving at lightening speed in the realm of food, and food consciousness. . There is a great radio program (that you can podcast) on weekly that covers things both in California and beyond called An Organic Conversation. It is hosted by Helge Hellberg and Mark Mulcahy. You can join their facebook as well. A show dedicated to all the things I am sure you will love if you like this blog. Olive oil, canning, flowers, local farmers, food in schools, the environment. You get the point. The recipe I am posting today was inspired from their blog. I made a version of this dip last week and have changed a bit. An unexpected, colorful, vegan dip that is beautiful to look at and eat. It has a wonderful herbal quality that balances the earthy beets. The cashews mellow the whole thing out. I might add that it looks like Christmas in a bowl....I roasted a big plate of beets and used three medium/small beets for this recipe. Beets are in season right now, so it is a perfect time to find them locally. I used my food processor to blend the dip, and it took less than 5 minutes to make after the beets were roasted. Incredibly easy, and very festive. If you bring this to your next holiday party it will most likely be a topic of conversation. It might break some food barriers too. Beets are like that. They cut through the normal with their intensity. But whatever you do, don't let a six year old eat the beet dip on your white couch near your furry white pillows. Try not to let that happen...

Beet Dip
makes about 2 cups

1 1/2 cups roasted beets
1/3 heaping cup raw cashews
2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
pinch salt
1 heaping tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp. ground cumin

Wash the beets and put in an oven safe dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and cover. Bake in oven for one hour at 375 degrees. Test for doneness by piercing beets with a sharp knife. If the knife goes through the beet easily, they are done. Let beets cool and remove beet skins with you fingers. It should slip off. Rought cut into cubes and measure out around 1 1/2 cups. Add to food processor with the other ingredients. Blend until smooth (mine took a couple of minutes)Yum!

Hierloom Lima Beans with Beet Chips and Leeks

2010-12-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit absent from my blog lately. I have been folded up in the deep layers of my heart. I have been surrendering to waves of change. I have been silently sitting, trusting my life. I am cleaning out the closets of dreams, relationships and home. I am digging in the dirt with the divine to create a new picture for myself. I am leaving a place that I thought was love and moving inside myself. Being broke open is an amazing process to experience. I see a space to take big leaps in my life that I would have not had otherwise. Big stuff. A most humble place to be. Everything is being rearranged in my life. The only constant is change itself and the beating of my heart.

So, in the middle of pondering moves to the bay area and appreciating friends and family surrounding me constantly, I have been thinking about cooking. Not actually cooking very much, but thinking about it. I have walked passed the newly filled mason jar of heirloom lima beans from my grain csa for a full seven days and felt no pull to transform them. Today though, I am conquering the lima bean. These beautiful heirloom lima beans are deep purple, yellow and burgundy. I soaked them overnight and then cooked them in organic chicken stock for extra flavor. I sauteed leeks in olive oil until they had nice crispy brown edges and started to soften and give way to the sugars inside. The beet chips I tossed in olive oil and salt and cooked for a quick time in the oven. I think this has similar components as my spring stew deconstructed, but is more simple to put together. I did not use my pressure cooker to cook the beans due to their fragile nature. I wanted to make sure the beans stayed intact and did not fall apart under the high pressure. It is a rainy, cold winter day here in northern california. A perfect day for beans and a fire. A perfect day to be alone with my own loving heart.

Heirloom Lima Beans with Beet Chips and Leeks
makes 2 large dinner servings or 4 small side servings

Heirloom Lima Beans
1 cup heirloom lima beans (any varietal is fine)

3 cups organic chicken stock
water for soaking
Soak beans 6-8 hours. Cook in chicken stock covered until tender on simmer until tender (about 50 minutes)

Leeks
2 large leeks cut lengthwise, trimmed and washed
1 tbls olive oil
pinch salt
Wash and trim leeks. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Sautee with olive oil and salt until brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Beet Chips
(this recipes makes more than the recipe, so use as a snack for lunch tomorrow!)
2 large beets
1 tbls olive oil
pinch salt

Wash beets and trim off tops and bottom. Slice the beets as thinly as you can. I tried for 1/8 of an inch. You could use a mandoline and make it easy on yourself.
Toss in olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until they start getting brown. Cooking times will vary depending on how thin you cut your beets.

To assemble, put a large spoonful of the lima beans in a shallow bowl. (Plate each serving separately)
Add a large spoon of leeks and teaspoon of olive oil. Put a few beet chips on top. Lovely!

Sorghum Buttermilk Crepes

2010-11-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

My grain CSA is rockin. This month in my bag of goodies was a one pound bag of sorghum flour. I have never cooked with sorghum flour before and wondered what to do with it. Turns out it is a very widely used cereal grain in the world. It has a mineral composition similar to corn, but more protein. It is also gluten free. It looks a bit like cornmeal to me and has a nice nutty aroma.
Today I am on carpool pickup. That means I am with two six year olds this afternoon who are almost always very hungry after school. Even after 4 bowls of rice and beans according to my daughter. So I made a stack of sorghum buttermilk crepes to bring a surprise after school snack. I love the tangy, buttery, earthy taste of these. They taste lighter than buckwheat, but have a nice depth to them that crepes made with white or whole wheat flour don't have. The are slightly more fragile than wheat crepes, but the one I filled with chevre for breakfast this morning held up perfectly well when I rolled it up. One thing I love about crepes is how versatile they are. You can fill them like a small burrito or make them into a sweet snack with almond butter, bananas and honey for example. I like mine best plain or with a bit of melted cheese. They travel well and store well too.
I let my batter sit for an hour before I started cooking. You can make the batter and let it sit in the fridge overnight too. I used my trusty cast iron griddle to make crepes. I coat the griddle with a thin layer of butter every couple of crepes to keep everything from sticking. I also use a wide spatula to flip them. A non-stick pan would be wonderful for a cooking project like this if you don't have a well seasoned griddle pan. I let each crepe cook throughly on the first side after I noticed that if I tried to flip them too soon they seemed more fragile. Bob's Red Mill carries Sorghum Flour and sell it online if you can find sorghum flour locally where you live.

Sorghum Buttermilk Crepes
makes about 10 crepes

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil

Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Let sit for at least an hour or overnight in fridge before using.
Pour about 1/4 cup or a bit less onto a hot skillet, crepe pan or non-stick pan. If you have never make crepes before, it is easy once you get the hang of it. Pick up pan and roll it around to get the batter to coat the bottom of the pan in the thinnest layer possible. When the batter starts to bubble and get air holes, use a spatula to loosen the crepe along the edges. Then using a wide spatula carefully life the crepe and turn it over. It takes about 90 seconds for each side of a crepe to cook. I stack them together and cover with a lid or tin foil. If you are still feeling apprehensive about making crepes, there are lots of YouTube videos you can watch that show you exactly how to cook crepes!

Beet Greens and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

2010-10-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Now that fall is in full swing, ovens can turn on, vegetables can roast and we can all feel the warm comfort of starchy root vegetables. Beets are my daughter's favorite. And while I am fine cooking the beet green tops, I get tired of the same old thing. Today while staring at the beet greens I hoped for inspiration. I could not bring myself to compost them, but did not have any desire to eat sauteed greens either. So pesto it was. And since so many of us are carving pumpkins lately, you may have some freshly roasted pumpkin seeds to add to this vegan pesto. I did not add garlic because I find raw garlic a bit overwhelming. I did not add any cheese because I had none in the fridge! I put it on a cracker and handed it over to M to taste who was deeply involved in creating a polly pocket world on the dining room floor. It is a bit weird that my number one taste tester is a six year old, but hey, it works.
She thinks the pesto was "yummy" and the second time she said she likes it because it has a lot of "flavor".
Nice.
So along with our roasted vegetables for dinner (cauliflower, onions, carrots and beets coated in powdered coriander, lemon juice and salt) we are having been green and pumpkin seed pesto on sourdough for dinner. Feels like fall......and I am specially dedicating this post to all my friends who have been a more than amazing presence in my life these days. I absolutely love you all. Thank you. xo

Beet Greens and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
makes about 1 cup

1 cup blanched beet greens
1/4 heaping cup pumpkin seeds
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup olive oil

Blanch beet greens in boiling water for 5 seconds. Remove and run under cold water. Squeeze out water with your hand and add to food processor. I did not remove the stems, just add all of it.
Add other ingredients and blend until combined (about 10 seconds)

Carrot Fries

2010-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

If you like french fries, raise your hand. My daughter might raise both hands. I almost never make french fries at home. Too much effort! I have on occasion made baked sweet potato fries. I find that sometimes sweet potato fries can be too rich, sweet and heavy. Yesterday I thought of making carrot fries. I wondered how they would be tender enough to be a "fry" yet tasty enough to be embraced by a six year old. Seriously, I thought it would be a failed experiment like my momofuku compost cookie redux a couple days back. These carrot fries rocked. Well, if you like nutritional yeast they rock. We are nutritional yeast lovers. Yes, it is a great source of B vitamins, but truly I like it for the taste. I imagined that yeast and baked carrots would combine perfectly, and they did.
The carrot fries were tender, with the perfect amount of salt. A lighter, milder version of sweet potato fries. M asked for seconds last night at dinner. Here is the disclaimer though; they need to be eaten right away. They go soggy as leftovers. You could add fresh herbs to the yeast mixture and have flavored carrot fries. I though chopped rosemary... I have made these twice now. The first time I made them, I put a bit of olive oil on the cookie sheet then heated the pan in the oven before adding the fries. The second time I left the olive oil off of the baking sheet. I thought they both turned out well. I felt like the extra olive oil made the carrots just a little too heavy perhaps. Well, either way you make them, it was a snap to put together!

Carrot Fries

6 medium sized carrots
2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
pinch salt

Cut carrots longways, then slice each half into long pieces about 1 inch thick
Put carrots into salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove from water and pat dry with towel. In a large bowl, toss carrots with 2 tbls. of olive oil. Then sprinkle yeast on top and use your fingers to gently toss the carrots in the yeast. Try to get them all evenly coated.
Heat cookie sheet in oven (add a thin coating of olive oil to pan if you would like) and spread the carrots evenly on the hot cookie sheet so that they are not touching each other. Bake for 10 min. at 425 degrees. Take out of oven and turn them over and cook another 10 minutes. Serve right away!

Pumpkin Seed Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Tomato Sauce

2010-09-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

I know zucchini season is starting to die down. Tomato season is still in full swing though, and I am about to order 50 pounds of roma tomatoes to oven roast and then freeze for the winter. I have sauteed the heck out of all my squash this summer and today I tried something new. Fritters. Who doesn't like a good fritter? I roasted some slicer tomatoes last night with olive oil and garlic and knew a zucchini fritter on top would be a lovely lunch. But it had to be light and easy. I used low fat greek yogurt to bind everything together. I decided to add saffron to the yogurt which I thought would match well with the roasted tomatoes. Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then added it to grated zucchini and chopped pumpkin seeds. Eggs and milk seem to be the binders I see over and over again in fritter recipes. Why not buck the system? And pumpkin seeds? Well, that was a risky move which turned out great! It gave it a fun crunch and mellow flavor. I sauteed the fritters in olive oil for about 4 minutes on each side.
You can use any kind of tomato sauce you have on hand, or make your own. I will be making these again on friday night when we have guests coming over. Kids will love these too!

Fritters
makes around 10 fritters

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped roasted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup low-fat greek yogurt
1 small pinch saffron
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tbls. finely chopped onions
2 tbls olive oil
a big pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

Put yogurt in a bowl and add saffron. Let sit for 30-40 min. and come to room temperature. Mix well.

Squeeze any juice out of grated zucchini with you hands and add to a bowl. Add pumpkin seeds, olive oil, onion and cornmeal. Add yogurt mixture, salt and pepper and mix well.

In a cast iron skillet, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. When pan and oil are very hot (but not smoking because that is too hot) add a heaping tablespoon of fritter mix. Cook about 4 min. on each side. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool.

Making Roasted Tomato Sauce
makes around 3 cups of sauce

slice three pounds of roma tomatoes in half. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and lightly pour olive oil over tomatoes to coat (about 1/2 cup olive oil for three pounds). Crush 4-5 cloves of garlic and lay on top of tomatoes. Roast in oven for about 90 minutes at 350 degrees. After cooking use a food mill to remove skins. Let cool before freezing.

Sprouted Rice Flour Peach Scones

2010-09-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

I joined a grain CSA this year. My first pickup was two weeks ago. Everything came in recycled old shirts fashioned into groovy grain sacks. Pickup is once a month until next spring! There were lots of goodies in my share like jam, whole grain bread, pumpkin seeds, dried beans and their famous breakfast cereal. Everything is grown at their their biodynamic farm just a short distance from my town. I have been a bit obsessed about the breakfast cereal though. Amaranth, corn, millet, barley all mixed together that cooks into an outstanding bowl of whole grains to start the day. I have been putting a bit of cardamom ghee and maple syrup on mine. Today I fashioned scones around fresh peaches, sprouted rice flour and this wonderful cereal. I think the lack of gluten in the rice flour kept the scones soft and fluffy. The cereal gave crunch and texture and I added powdered ginger for spice.

To substitute the breakfast cereal, you can mix equal parts oats, millet and cornmeal. If you have amaranth or poppy seeds add a small bit to your mix too. You will need a total of 1/2 cup of your homemade mixture, so I bet if you go hunting in your pantry right now you will come up with something that works! I am planning on using these for breakfast for next couple of days. My little girl is now six, and she is working her way through trying on 4-5 outfits every morning before school. I tried to have her pick out her outfit the night before, but that is not helping. So, by the time it we should be leaving for school, we are rushing out the door, eggs and toast cold. I am looking forward to not cooking a hot breakfast tomorrow while we feast on peach scones!

Sprouted Rice Flour Peach Scones
makes 8 scones

1 1/2 cups sprouted rice flour
1/2 cup whole grain mixture of your choosing (see above)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 Tbls. raw almond butter
1/2 tsp. salt
5 tbls. cold butter chopped into pieces
1 cup fresh chopped peaches
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. ginger powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder

In a bowl mix salt, grains, flour, baking soda and ginger powder. Add butter and work in with your fingers until the mixture looks a bit like wet sand. Add baking powder, lemon zest, apple sauce, almond butter, maple syrup and stir together carefully by hand. Lastly add peaches and mix lightly. Scoop batter with a spoon onto silpat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. or until edges are brown.

Peach & Fig Tart with Fennel Honey

2010-09-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

This tart was brilliantly simple. I really wanted to make a rustic tart with minimal effort and no refined sugar. I also wanted a crust that was nutty and easy. I have been using local whole wheat flour on the rare occasions I have baked lately. A friend of our family has started his own grain CSA and the local coop sells his flour! The difference in taste between fresh flour and traditional store bought flour is almost startling. Freshly milled wheat has a toasty, almost nutty flavor; a pleasant surprise. I decided to mix wheat flour with almond flour and add some almonds to give it texture. I added butter to my crust, but thought about using coconut oil at first. I am sure that would work as a stand-in quite well.

The fennel honey I had been thinking about this past week. Fennel seems provoke a love/hate relationship for a lot of folks. I really like fennel in all its forms. I wondered if fennel infused in honey would pair well with figs. My infused honey was quite mild and it added a wonderful herbal note that brought out the muskiness of the figs and the perfume of the peaches. And, it was easy to make. I used a mortar and pestle to grind my fennel seeds. A coffee grinder would work well also. I can imagine that this honey would be great for little belly aches or to add to warm tea on cold winter days.
After mixing the ground fennel into the honey, I let it sit for about 3 hours to infuse. Then I heated it up on the stove so it would be easier to strain out the fennel. I used a metal tea strainer from a japanese tea pot, and poured the warm honey into a bowl. It worked really well and the tea strainer removed all the little bits of fennel better than a coarser metal kitchen strainer.
I did not bake the crust first, and I did not let the crust rest or chill before baking. I simply cut the fruit, arranged it in the tart pan and drizzled it with honey. Told you it was easy and rustic! I had two six year olds making manzanita berry tea and mud pies while I was trying to create this, so I took shortcuts to save time and it turned out working well.
One note: The crust recipe makes a bit more filling than my 9 inch tart pan could hold. I used that to make little free form tarts for the kids to snack on. They were very happy about that!
Last week I make some homemade peach ice cream that I wanted to serve with this tart. My ice cream maker broke last year, so I tried making it by hand in the freezer. David Lebovitz has a great article about how to do this...It went very well with the tart!

Peach & Fig Tart with Fennel Honey

6 fresh figs cut into 8 pieces each
4 med. peaches cut into 1 inch long slices (about 8-10 slices per peach)
1/2 lemon zest
1/3 + 1/8 cup honey (you will have some left over)
1 heaping tbls. fennel seeds roughly ground

Fennel Honey
Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle roughly grind the fennel seeds and add to honey. Mix every 30 min. or so and let sit on counter for 2-3 hours. Pour into a saucepan and heat gently until the honey is warm. Pour through a tea steeper/strainer into a bowl and use a spoon to work any remaining honey out of the strainer and into the bowl. Set aside until you are ready to use.

Crust
1/2 cup skinned almonds (I used slivered and blanched)
1/2 cup almond flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbls maple syrup
7 tbls. cold butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt

To make crust, add all the ingredients in a food processor with pastry attachment and blend until it resembles wet sand. Add a little more maple syrup if it seems too dry. Press into tart pan about 1 inch thick. Arrange figs and peaches and zest the lemon over the tart. Drizzle about 1/3 cup of honey with a spoon over the tart. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min.

Tomato Bruschetta

2010-08-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hot, dry wind is blowing around my house right now. A red flag fire danger day today. My house is closed up tight to keep the cool air inside. I am having tomato bruschetta for lunch along with cleaning, laundry and talking to you. You know how when you had the stomach flu when you were a kid and the food you threw up created a lifelong aversion? (mine is soggy iceberg lettuce, my twin sister's is Mexican corn) I actually have thoughts that if I were to ever have to cross tomatoes off my food list due to some unfortunate turn of stomach events, I would revolt. It would be unacceptable. But this summer has been a sick free one, and a cooler than usual one. Lucky us!

I thought not to share this recipe at first. A part of me thinks "oh geesh, tomato bruschetta is so over done, so 1995"....Seems like everyone has their own special way of preparing this dish, but I am giving you mine in case you want to try a new way. I promise it is good. It is a highly requested dish my friends ask me to make. This dish relies heavily on very good quality olive oil and very vine ripe tomatoes. I also use sourdough baguette (are you gasping?). I just like the tang of sourdough over french baguette. I also think a skinny baguette poses a big risk of being too crispy..so look for a soft, fatter baguette. Also very important to my recipe is using garlic on the bread and not putting it in the tomato mixture. Lets the taste of garlic shine through, but not overpower the dish.
This week I topped my bruschetta with fresh burrata cheese which was just food craziness. If you eat cheese and have a place to buy burrata, it will make this dish simply divine. And creamy. And gooey. And wonderful.
So go for it. It only took 10 min. to make this.

Tomato Bruschetta
(makes 4 servings)

1 soft sourdough baguette cut into 1 inch slices
3 cloves garlic sliced into three pieces each
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil (ok, you might not need this much!)
sea salt (I use Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)
3 medium ripe tomatoes

Lightly toast baguette slices. Take a piece of garlic and wipe each piece of baguette with a garlic slice.

Slice tomatoes in half. Gently squeeze the seeds and juice out. Discard. (or save and use for sauces) Slice tomatoes and then dice. Add to a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil for each tomato in the bowl. Add one or two pinches of salt. Taste for salt.

Put a spoonful of tomato mixture onto each baguette slice and arrange on a plate. Spoon a drizzle of olive oil on each baguette and then serve immediately.

Dining in the Field....

2010-08-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Whew. Life has been busy. School started last week. Little M is starting her second year of Waldorf kindergarten. I have been working my way through summer eating heirloom tomatoes on sourdough toast drizzled with olive oil. For breakfast I have topped it with a fried pasture egg. What is your favorite way to eat heirloom tomatoes? My friends mother makes a sweet tomato conserve with her summer tomatoes. Tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and salt stewed until it is a compote and then canned. Her son Cedar and his wife Ruby have been serving this delicious jam at their glorious Off Grid Dining meets Farm to Table Movement dining event all the weekends in August at their farm. A spectacular feat they are pulling off. Ruby is a master gardener, CSA owner and local seed cooperative organizer. The food is showcasing her beautiful farm bounty and local butchers and cheese makers. Cedar is a traditional Japanese carpenter craftsman and musician. He and Ruby built their house. Themselves. Yep. The kind of thing you just want to be a part of. Of course word has spread like wildfire and their dining event has sold out every weekend. Another reason to absolutely love where I live; things like this happen. And better yet, I get to be a part of it.
Locally raised chickens, beef, chevre and honey have all been served. Tamales (Ruby's hand ground cornmeal of course!) topped with chevre made from goats that live just down the hill. Ruby's "hippie" bread made with barley, local soft white wheat and corn. (I could have eaten a whole loaf of that bread by the way...) House cured olives, pickled green beans, handmade white peach sorbet. That is just a sampling what is coming out of their kitchen.
I became involved because they know I love all things food and asked me. I debated over cooking or serving for them. I decided to be one of their servers to make sure every person dining in my presence would have an experience they would not soon forget. I have had years in my early 20's waitressing in various fine dining establishments and that my friends is a skill I still use every day. Well, mostly on a six year old, but I think it has helped her love food even more. I had a great time talking about the grapefruit driven sauvignon blanc going well with the garden zucchini fritters. It was a bit like being on vacation watching 20 or so people a night throughly enjoy themselves at Ruby and Cedar's farm. What a wonderful community event. Friends coming together to eat food they have grown. Passion for all things local. Loving where I live. A special place.

Ruby and Cedar...

My Brother-in-law Ralph the chef helping out!

Entrance to the garden

Ruby making white peach chutney

Local Celebrities...

Dear, dear friends came up all the way from town!

Figs with Vanilla & Balsamic Pickled Onions

2010-08-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Can vanilla be a pickling spice? Today I found out. Yes! Heck yes it can! Mixed with balsamic vinegar as a picking agent, it was delightful! I have mentioned before, that I buy ground vanilla beans. I have noticed in the past months they vanished from my local store shelves. But, it is back now (more expensive unfortunately). If you like vanilla and use it in any capacity, I highly recommend keeping a bag on hand. I can't imagine how I got along with just vanilla extract. And, this dish is a perfect example of how well it can work as a spice in savory foods.
And, like so many of the recipes I create, it is quite easy.
Don' forget the mint though..it really added a wonderful dimension and brightness.

Figs with Vanilla & Balsamic Pickled Onions

1 small red onion (to equal a bit over 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp. heaping crushed vanilla beans
1 tsp mustard seeds
6 juniper berries
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
4 large figs
2 sprigs fresh mint

Thinly slice red onion and place in a mason jar. Add the balsamic, vinegar, mustard seeds, juniper berries, water and cover with lid. Let stand for no less than 2 hours. Shake gently or swirl every once in a while to blend the spices. The longer the better! Will keep in fridge for a week covered.

Slice figs into 1/2 inch slices and spread on plate (1 fig per serving) top each fig with a forkful of pickled onions and top with 4 or 5 small mint leaves.

Kale stuffed with Grilled Eggplant and Avocado Tahini Sauce

2010-08-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

Barbie hair cut leftovers..and a fresh found doll who needed a trim

A photo of the fake press-on nails!!

Yesterdays vegetable box had the first of the season's tomatoes. A basket of sungold cherry tomatoes. Little bursts of sweet tomato goodness. I had to seriously examine my decision to roast them on the grill instead of eating the whole basket while checking my email. In the end I thought it not fair to keep them all for myself and decided to include them in the family dinner.
I started this recipe out wanting to make kale wraps stuffed with eggplant and tomato. I did eat mine like a wrap, but the avacado sauce starting oozing out and I ended up cutting it with a knife. I also wanted this dinner to be super easy. So I decided all the vegetables would be roasted on the grill with my most favorite, most seasoned, most attached to cookie sheet. It was a good decision. I turned on the grill and set my oiled baking sheet loaded with peppers, eggplant and cherry tomatoes and let it be. I did make sure to close the lid of the grill to assist in uniform grilling. Almost 15 minutes later everything was perfectly cooked and ready to fill the lightly grilled kale leaves. Along with the avacado tahini sauce, I was in fresh vegetable heaven.
And here is a funny bit about dinner. M was pretty much not into dinner. She will eat tomatoes in sauce, but will not eat them raw. I promised her these little pockets of sweetness were different. She did try one and said it "was better than she thought it would be". Then I asked her to try the avocado tahini sauce. Let me say first that M's first baby vomit was the night I gave her avocado. She avoids avocado under all circumstances. I did not tell her there was avocado in this sauce however just to see if she could detect it. She could not detect it, and really liked it. Really, this sauce could be smothered on almost anything and it would taste good. Sometimes I have noticed that tahini can be a tad bit bitter. The avacado smoothed out any bitterness and it turned out super creamy.
Other things we have (or rather the six year old) is systematically cutting all her doll's hair. I am posting the photo of her lasted hair cut....and wouldn't you know it was right after I had meticulously cleaned the whole bathroom! Last friday we did the big drive down the hill to the mall. M was given 7 dollars to spend on whatever she wanted. She bought press-on nails. Lord help me. We have been dealing with the press on nails for 4 days now. I am finding them in all the weird places you would expect a little girl to store nails. The bathtub drain, kitchen counter, shag carpet in the living room, the play kitchen sink. She cannot get enough of her nails. I had to take a photo to show you. I am very happy they are pretty short. She is way, way, way into them. Oh, and they turn bright pink in bright light. Lovely huh?

Avocado Tahini Sauce
Makes about 1 cup

1 medium avacado
2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
5-6 tbls. water
2 tbls lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup tahini (I used raw tahini)
Scoop out avacado filling, discarding pit. Add everything in a blender and mix until smooth (about 60 seconds). You may need to add more water depending on how thick it is. I would add the water one tablespoon at a time.

Vegetables

On a greased cookie sheet add 2 medium pepper cut into fourths and 2 small eggplants cut into 4 pieces each. Remove stems from cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt. Grill on a medium high heat grill for about 15 min. with lid closed. Check on your cookie sheet every couple of minutes to make sure it is not burning and your pan is doing ok with the grill heat.

For kale, rub each leave with a bit of olive oil front and back. Grill on a low heat for about 30 seconds each side or until the edges start to brown and the color starts to become brilliant green.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the avocado tahini sauce with 2 pieces of eggplant and peppers. Top with grilled cherry tomatoes.

Peaches with Ricotta, Rosemary and Honey

2010-07-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

I am sure you all have tasted dry, bland peaches before. I always feel a tiny bit nervous when I am picking peaches out at the grocery store. It always seems a bit like a toss up whether I will bring home a bag of treasure or duds. Of course there is Frog Hollow Farms, which as far as I can tell seems to be completely immune to the fate of dry, lifeless peaches. But I can only find those little gems when I am visiting San Francisco, and they are a bit pricey. My favorite regionally local producers of peaches here in northern california are Chaffin Family Orchards, Sunsmile Farms and Bierwagens. Organic peaches grown by local farmers! Yesterday I picked up some of these peaches and they were bursting with flavor and sweet juice. And, of the many ways to eat peaches (canned, frozen, blended, straight, pies, cobblers, jams, compotes, chutneys, salsas!) I have added one more. Hope you like it as much as we did at dinner last night! Not a new dish, but I simplified it by keeping the peach raw and soaking the rosemary in olive oil to soften it.

Peaches with Ricotta, Rosemary and Honey

3 med. peaches
1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta room temperature
1 tbls honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
1 tbls rosemary chopped
lemon zest

Place rosemary in olive oil and let sit for 30 minutes.
Slice 6 pieces of zest off of lemon and cut into 1 inch pieces.
Slice peaches into 1inch slices.
Spread ricotta onto a serving platter. Try to spread ricotta about 1/2 inch thick and 6 inches round. Place peaches on ricotta, and drizzle honey on top.
Spoon rosemary out of olive oil and scatter on top of peaches. Top with pinch of sea salt and lemon zest. This dish is best at room temperature.

Creamy Corn Soup with Grilled Radicchio

2010-07-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were in San Francisco. Two wonderful food events happened. I went to Delfina and back to Bistro Aix which had been closed for months for a remodel. I ate cream of corn soup at Bistro Aix that was outstanding. I really enjoyed the contract of flavors from the sweet, yang of the corn and the bitter, yin of radicchio. When we got home, I picked up my vegetable share and there was a big head of radicchio included. Local corn was at the coop, so it was a done deal. I was going to create my own version of the wonderful dish at Bistro Aix. Radicchio is a bit of an unknown to some people. I am the only person I know who buys it somewhat regularly in fact. Mostly I grill it with olive oil and salt and chop it up for pasta or farro salad. I think I am drawn to it because it is a bit of a vegetable outsider. That means there is a lot of room for creativity. I have sauteed it with pine nuts and orange zest too, which I enjoyed. The bottom line with bitter vegetables in my humble opinion, is to pair it with a bit of something rich. My recipe has a bit of heavy whipping cream, stock and corn. Corn this time of the year is very sweet and tender. I sliced off the kernels, sauteed them in butter, shallots and onion. Threw in a splash of dry vermouth and cream and voila! creamy corn soup. I normally do not used heavy cream for recipes, but I made an exception this week. M loves fresh strawberries with whipped cream so I used a bit of that. I highly recommend Straus heavy whipping cream. It has a wonderful flavor and it is worth the extra money it costs.
Thank you Bistro Aix for the wonderful inspiration, and thank you to my lovely CSA farm for providing the most wonderful head of radicchio I have ever eaten!

Creamy Corn Soup
4 servings

1 tlbs diced shallot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 tbls. butter
4 cups stock (I used chicken stock)
2 ears of corn kernals sliced off
1 tbls dry vermouth
4 tbls heavy cream
fresh pepper and salt
1 cup grilled and chopped radicchio
1 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves

In a heavy bottomed pot, sautee shallots and onion in butter for 10 minutes on med. low heat. Add corn and vermouth and cook for 10 minutes more. Add stock and cream, then simmer for 10 minutes more covered.
With an immersion blender, blend the soup until chunky but starting to smooth out. I blended for about 3 minutes. Test for salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Toss freshly washed radicchio in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Grill on both sides until starting to wilt and brown (about 4 min. each side). A bit of charring is fine. Remove from grill and roughly chop. You want pieces small enough to take bites fo soup with, but not larger. Set aside.

In a blender add basil and olive oil. Blend for 5 seconds. Pour oil through strainer to remove basil.

Ladle soup into bowl and top with a spoonful of grilled radicchio. Drizzle a teaspoon of the basil oil on the soup.

East Coast Visitor!

2010-07-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

Cousin Grace is visiting us for three weeks. Fresh from the east coast a couple days back. As you can see from the top photo, she has some serious fans. My daughter is crazy in love with her, and for good reason. She is awesome.
Today we took her to our local river spot. We who live here find it magical. I think after today, she might too......

Japanese Tea Garden Adventure

2010-07-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

We came to SanFran to get out of the heat. When it reaches 95 degrees and above at my house, I melt. With no air conditioning in my house, I just get crabby. M and I decided to try the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park yesterday, and I am glad we did. It was only mildly crowded and it is right next to the Japanese Tea Garden which may be one of M's favorite places on the planet. As we walked in I heard a little girl say as she passed by us "this is the most boring place ever!" M looked at her in shock and horror and somewhat offended I am sure. This is her special place. Before we called it a day at the tea gardens, we had climbed the bridge 5 times, played follow the leader, looked for secret paths, crossed a creek 6 times, hid under a secret bridge, ate mochi, drank jasmine tea and miso soup.

I think I have mentioned before that M was born in a japanese tea house that we used to live in. I wonder if the tatami mats and shoji screens in Shoboan (the name of our dear home) imprinted in her early memories that started a love of Japanese culture. I have wondered how mothers in Japan deal with delicate rice paper shoji doors like ours, that were continually wrecked by M's little toddler hands. I eventually gave up, and left them tattered and torn until we moved out and then spent days repairing them with a cornstarch mixture as glue and rice paper from the craft store. Getting back to Japan is something I look forward to. This time my husband and I will have our perfect travel companion to share the excitement with!

Mochi Stacks

2010-07-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

Japanese Turnips came in my vegetable share today. Do you find turnips intimidating? I think that I could say that they are not a very popular vegetable. In comparison to carrots, broccoli or asparagus, turnips may not get a fair shake. I know there are turnip lovers out there though. My friends kids fight over them when they show up in their vegetable box. They eat them raw!
So, today I wondered how I could make turnips superstars. Something I would serve at a party. A dish that might make me crave them over and over. They turned out that way, but in the process they turned into a great kid dish as well. I was inspired by a recipe in a Japanese cookbook that combined baked mochi with nori and a slice of cheese. I wanted to see if I could cook mochi on the stove instead of in the oven. It is just too hot to turn on the oven these hot summer days. Turns out you can "bake" mochi on the stove if you use a pot with a lid. Mochi is a sweet, short-grained, very glutinous rice that comes in thick sheets you can bake or sautee. It is also used in sweet confections. I don't use it very often because it is so glutenous and rich. This recipe was a great compromise because although it is rich, a couple of "stacks" go a long way. The recipe is simple. A light sautee of the turnips in a bit of butter (or substitute olive oil) and soy sauce. Slice the mochi and heat in a seasoned pan while covered, and top the whole thing with very, very thinly sliced lemon. I think it would be brilliant to add some chopped rosemary with the turnips too. Easy dinner. Tell me your secret recipes for turnips! I am always up for a new idea!

Mochi Stacks
(makes 4 servings)

1 package of mochi (I used mochi that had hemp and flax seeds too)
4 small turnips or med. sized japanese turnips
1 tbls olive oil or butter
2 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 lemon

Measure out soy sauce onto a plate and set aside. In a non-stick or seasoned pan, heat olive oil or butter on med. heat. Slice turnips into 1/2 inch slices and dunk each into soy sauce and then put in sautee pan for 4 minutes each side. Remove from heat.

Slice mochi into 2 inch squares. Cut each square in half longways so it is only half as thick, but still 2 inches square. Place mochi in a nonstick or seasoned pan on med-high heat and cover. Peek under the lid in 5 min. to make sure it is not burning, or the flame is too low. You will see the pieces slowly start to puff. Keeping the lid on the pan is essential to them puffing. It takes 10 min. (give or take a couple of minutes) for the mochi to puff. Remove from heat and stack a piece of mochi, then a turnip slice and then a thinly (as thin as you can manage to cut the lemon) sliced piece of lemon on top. Repeat if you would like.

Porcini Crusted Tofu with Nectarine Salsa...and the first baby tooth

2010-07-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

Three days ago M. pulled out her first baby tooth. It was a happy and sad moment for me. The sands of time slipping away. I will never look at her mouth filled with all baby teeth again! The tooth was definitely not loose enough to come out on its own. She had decided the tooth was coming out that day no matter what. I thought I could help by attempting to pull her tooth out for her, but that lasted about 10 seconds and I practically starting gagging at the thought of pulling it out prematurely. She took matters into her own hands, and twisted it out with a tissue. She screamed with delight despite the small amount of blood that started filling her mouth. Really, it must have been a good thing because her permanent tooth was already breaking the skin behind the baby tooth.

Tonight I made a great tofu dish. I created the recipe around some local baby bok choy I picked up, and braising greens from our farm share. I have used dried porcini mushrooms before to crust steak and it is fabulous. I thought it would be fun to try it with tofu and pair it with the sweet and tart nectarine salsa. Braising greens of any kind always poses a slight issue for me. Greens always release their juices when braised. This can make them watery. I like my greens to have a lot of flavor, not watery. Two ways of preventing this from happening is to lightly braise them, and then squeeze out excess juice with tongs before plating. Then you can drizzle a sauce you have made and reduced in a separate pan. The other way is to braise the greens and push them to the side of the pan and then reduce the juices in the other half of the pan. In this recipe I did a bit of both of those techniques. The nectarine salsa was juicy with its own flavor so the greens did get a good coating of sauce. I buy porcini mushrooms dried. I use a coffee grinder to make it into a powder. You could add lots of interesting ingredients to the mix...dried mustard or chipoltes perhaps? Porcini mushrooms have a earthy smokiness that I really enjoy. A very distinct flavor. I also use sprouted tofu these days. I cannot taste any difference from regular tofu, and the texture is the same. I pondered grilling the tofu slices, but did not want to risk the fragile slices sticking. I opted for my trusty cast iron skillet instead.

Nectarine Salsa

1 med/large nectarine cut into small cubes
1/2 lime zest
1 tbls. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. heaping chopped red onion
1 tbls. olive oil
1 tbls. tamari or soy sauce
1 tbls. rice vinegar
1 tsp. honey
2 radishes slice thin
1 tsp. salt
1 tbls freshly grated ginger

Slice radishes and soak in a bowl with 1/2 cup water and the 1 tsp. of salt. Let sit for 10-15 min. I do this to take the burn out of the radishes.
In a bowl, combine the nectarines, cilantro, onion, honey, tamari, lime juice and zest, vinegar, ginger, olive oil and drained radishes. Let meld for 10 min. before using.

Porcini Coated Tofu

1 package of tofu cut into slices just shy of 1 inch thick. I cut mine longways so the tofu slices looked like a deck of cards
1/3 cup dried porcini powder (use a coffee grinder to grind into a powder)
pinches of salt
2 tsp. olive oil

I used clean dish towels to dry the tofu slices as much as possible. I wrap the tofu and leave it on a plate while I make the sauce. You want the tofu slices as dry as possible before dredging in porcini powder.
On a plate mix salt and porcini powder with your fingers or a spoon. Dip each side of the tofu into the porcini powder, shake of the excess and set on a plate to be seared.
In a seasoned or non-stick pan, heat olive oil and sear tofu for about 5 minutes on each side on med. high heat.

Braised Greens

5 cups Greens (I used 2 cups baby bok choy and 3 cups mixed greens)
You could use chard, kale, mustard greens, arugula or any greens you like
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp soy sauce

In a deep skillet heat olive oil and add greens and soy sauce. Greens will begin to wild immediately. After about 3 minutes push greens to the side of the pan to reduce the liquid in the pan. You can also remove the greens and reduce the remaining liquid and then pour it on the greens after reduced.

To plate:
Put one forkful of cooked greens on plate. Top with 1-2 pieces of tofu and a big spoonful of salsa.

Red White and Blue Potato Salad

2010-07-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was u-pick raspberries. Today was u-pick cherries. Oh this ripe fruit in california! And, it cooled down to the low 80's yesterday just in time to pick. My girlfriends and I have our own social network of dates, times and farms to pick every summer. It is like clockwork every June. Today at the cherry u-pick, I was the first customer to pick sour cherries. 6 pounds later I was dreaming about my 4th of July pie.
We have acclimated back to life since our airplane ride. M seems ok too. I have thought many times about that family and how they are. It is interesting how life just keeps going, and I have already integrated this experience into my mind.
One thing I realized on my Chicago trip is how much of a Californian I have become. In the ten short years I have adapted to the country life and its pace. Farms, food, rivers, people, weather and style. Perhaps it is age, but I feel that now I have found my lifestyle niche. I am always happy to come home to the golden hills of california.
This week I made Red, White and Blue Potato salad twice. Usually I do not make my own recipes more than once. I know that must sound a bit crazy. It is like I get it out of my system and then move on to the next creation. But I craved this salad so much that I made it three days later. I was telling my friend Kate about it today and she pointed out it was red, white and blue (with green thrown in)!! Red beets, white chevre, and blue potatoes. Duh. How did that escape me? I had thought it a great 4th of July recipe because it was a potato salad. But, this makes it an official 4th of July salad! I realize though, that beets are the deal breaker. My husband for example, does not particularly care for beets. I like them. I do not love them however like my daughter does. But with our farm share starting, we are going to get beets, and I am going to keep eating them, conspiring ways to eat them in the most tasty fashion. So, if you like beets, this might be a great addition to your 4th of July table. I really liked how the sweetness of the beets contrasted the peppery arugula. The potatoes and chevre brought everything together. The snap peas bring an unexpected crunch and sweetness to the whole dish. I imagine you could even add a couple of crumbled hard boiled eggs on top. Well, happy holiday everyone!

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad

2 cups boiled blue potatoes cut into 2 inch cubes (purple would be fine too)
1 cup sugar snap peas (shelled or if tender cut into 1 inch pieces with pods)
1 1/2 cups steamed or roasted beets cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (roasting will have better flavor)
1 4oz. package chevre at room temperature
1-2 tsp. vinegar of choosing (I used cabernet vinegar)
zest of one large lemon
1 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 tbls (or more if needed) good quality olive oil
2 1/2 cups fresh baby arugula washed
salt to taste

I placed sugar snap peas in a colander and poured the potatoes and the water I had boiled them in over the peas to slightly blanch the peas. You could also just blanch them separate if you like. Drain well and set aside.
Place steamed or roasted cubed beets in mixing bowl. Add olive oil, salt, zest, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the potatoes and snap peas. Mix gently and then add chevre. Mix gently to combine, but only a little bit so you still have some little chunks of chevre left. Add arugula and mix again just to incorporate. The heat of the potatoes and beets will wilt the arugula slightly. This is what you want. Potatoes will be starting to fall apart by now, but be careful not to mix too much.

The Plane Ride Home

2010-06-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

We are home. The smell of pine needles baking in the sun, the crickets chirping at night. The endless stars greeted us last night and this morning. And what a trip it was.
Yesterday was a very long day of flying that ended so sadly that it is haunting me today. On the last leg of our trip we took off and I noticed that about 15 minutes into the flight the couple sitting in front of us (yes, just one seat ahead of M and I) called the flight attendant. I could hear something about the elderly man not feeling well. The flight attendant asked what he had eaten and if he was possibly feeling ill with food poisoning. She went and got him a cold compress and put it on his neck. I heard his wife say he was dizzy and had heartburn. I looked at the lady in the window seat next to me and told her he was sick. All I wanted to do was get up and tell someone to give him an aspirin right away because it sounded like a heart attack. Then the flight attendants got on the PA and asked if there were any doctors or nurses on board. A nurse came forward and checked his blood pressure, heart rate and asked questions about what medicines he was taking. I could see from my limited view between the seats he looked very pale. They brought oxygen over and told him that it would help the dizziness. M was watching a movie on my computer and I thought to just leave her in the state of oblivion as long as possible. Then, I believe the man went into cardiac arrest. The nurse was trying to get him to wake up, talking very urgently to him. He lost consciousness, slumped over, and everything moved really quickly. Passengers helped get him on the floor and I moved M to the middle seat so I could shield her view from what was happening. We were basically pinned into our aisle because the gentleman was laid out right beside us. CPR was started right away and it was very frantic. The flight attendants tried to use the paddles to shock his heart but they were not working. We were all crying and praying for him and his wife. People were reaching over to hold his wife who was staring in disbelief. M was scared seeing everyone around her (including me) crying. People behind me asked if we wanted to move back, but that would have required pulling M over rows of seats and she did not want me to let go of her. I told her that they were pressing on his chest to try to get his heart to start working again, and that everyone was trying to help the man who was sick. She kept saying she just wanted to go home and see her cat Charlie. I was really pissed at myself for not having any rescue remedy in my purse! The plane diverted to Salt Lake City and I have never landed so fast before. I had to move the oxygen tank to buckle my seat belt and while doing so was so sad to see this man laying on the floor who had been talking to his wife just minutes before, now lifeless. His eyes and mouth were open, his skin a greenish yellow. I wondered where he was at that moment, and felt immense gratitude for the flight attendants that continually worked on him until we landed. It took 20 minutes for the plane to land after they first started doing CPR with no luck apparently. After we landed, we were at the gate in what seemed less than 60 seconds. My ears were popping after they opened the door and the paramedics came aboard. I heard the flight attendant say they had no pulse for 20 minutes.
People were offering their cell phones to his wife, asking if they could do anything. She left the plane as a weird silence sat in the air and the reality of what had just happened sunk in with the fellow passengers who could not see what was happening until that moment. The worst of it was the aisle on the plane was too narrow to carry him off the plane, so they used a special plane wheelchair. No one was doing CPR while he was being carried off the plane and I kept wondering if he was too far gone or it was precious minutes being lost.
It was a moment in time that has left a startling memory. M saw a person die for the first time. So did I. Today we are going over to grandma's house to have a chat with her about our experience. She is a home health hospice nurse who understands death. I have asked M about how she is feeling about what she saw and luckily she is talking to me about it. Even me writing this blog entry is helping me process what we witnessed. We finally made it home after traveling 12 hours. My husband was waiting for us. I got a nice, big hug. I was really, really happy to be home.

More Chicago

2010-06-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Me and Giuseppe at Ceres' Table

More Chicago fun. Got to visit my friends new restaurant Ceres' Table. It was great!! My friend Giuseppe Scurato and his wife Carolyn opened this little gem. Fresh, local and really solid. The arancini appetizers were especially amazing. Everything on his menu has been really thought out, and I loved how reasonably priced everything was. I have had the pleasure of eating at other restaurants he has worked at in Chicago, but it was special to visit him in his very own space. Still thinking about the tomato water with the hand made goat cheese ravioli....

Today we went to Millenium Park so the kids could run around in the fountain and play under the "bean" sculpture. I thought it was a curious place to take photos. We also made a very important visit to the American Girl Doll Store to pick up outfits. Holy crap that place is a phenomenon. Tomorrow more catching up with more friends and then winding the trip down. Tonight we took the girls to a fancy dinner at Graham Elliot Restaurant (not worth the hype!) and then to an old school ice cream parlor. M had her first hot fudge sundae!

Chicago!

2010-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

I used to live in Chicago. I was 23 and lived here for 5 years with my very closest friend. I sewed all my wild oats. All the ones leftover I did not get to in college that is. I made great friends in the process, and in true form to my capricorn self, they are friends for life. Coming here is always a load of fun and reunions. So, here are some photos from our first day here......

Lemon Cucumber Cashew Cream Soup

2010-06-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Is it hot where you live? It is almost hot here, and lighter meals are taking shape. I am anticipating my vegetable share starting so I can start cooking extremely local. We have had a cool, wet spring and our local CSA farm is starting at the end of June to compensate for the cool weather. In the mean time our local coop is supplying us with local and regional produce that is filling in fine. Yesterday I picked up cucumbers, lemons and cashews to make a summer soup that is light and refreshing and creamy at the same time. I knew I wanted to try to make cashew milk and used Elena's Pantry blog as a starting point. I reduced the amount of water in her recipe and eliminated the agave nectar. I wanted the cashew milk to be on the thicker side because I knew that the cucumber would add a very watery element. Her recipe calls for a vitamixer. I do not have one, so used my blender and then used a metal strainer to remove the small pieces from the milk. It worked great. A wonderful jump into light fare on warm days. Cashews have a mild flavor that blended really well with the lemon and cucumber. I plan on using the extra cashew milk for our oatmeal breakfast tomorrow!

Cashew Milk (adapted from Elena's Pantry)

makes 4 cups

1 cup raw cashews

3 cups water

Soak cashews in water overnight. Discard water and add cashews to blender with 3 cups water. Blend on high until smooth (about 1minute). Using a metal strainer over a bowl, pour cashew milk into bowl and separate any large pieces of cashew that may not have been blended. After the milk has settled either stir in foamy cream that has settled on the top or skim off and compost. I like the creamy foam, so just stirred it in.

Lemon Cucumber Cashew Cream Soup

makes 3 servings

2 cups cashew cream

1 cucumber skinned and seeds removed

salt to taste (I used almost 1 tsp)

zest of 2 lemons

2 tbls fresh lemon juice

1 heaping tsp. chopped shallot

1 tbls lemon crush olive oil (high quality olive oil is fine too)

In a blender add all the ingredients. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a bowl with a metal strainer to catch any pieces that have not been blended. Taste for salt.

Cashew Garnish

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbls tamari

Toast cashews in a skillet. After they are browned, turn off heat and add spices. After mixed, add tamari and stir until spices are coated on nuts and the tamari has evaporated.

Garnish each bowl of soup with a spoonful of cashew garnish and an extra drizzle of olive oil on top. I added a bit of extra lemon zest too. I ate mine room temperature, straight out of the blender. I don't know that I would advise against serving this chilled...on a really hot day it would be great. But, the flavors of the cucumber and lemon really stand out when this is not cold. Perhaps a bit chilled? Any feedback appreciated about this!

The only child

2010-05-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

We are coming home today. Is it ever easy to come home after being in paradise? No.

Yesterday my sweet little daughter made a matter of fact statement that has left me staggered. While getting ready for the pool, sitting in front of the mirror looking at herself, she announced "Mama, my children will never have an aunt or uncle will they?" I thought about it for a moment, and realized that was totally correct. The sting of being an only child. I think about this constantly. I am quite the lone wolf in the mother world having made the decision to only have one child. M never really questioned being an only child, but I have noticed in the last six months she has starting making innocent comments about it. Each time it is a sting to my heart. It is a feeling of incompleteness that I never expected. There are many reasons we have choosen to only have one child. One of the biggest reasons is I had pelvic floor damage (nerve damage actually) from my pregnancy and birth with M. Three and a half hours of pushing during labor took its toll. My physical therapist told me there was no way to know if having a second child would make things worse or keep them the same. Then there is the living in the middle of nowhere with a baby and it makes you feel like you are going crazy feeling. After M was born I suffered from post-partum depression. No one I know suffered from depression after their child was born, and I felt very alone. Everyone I know just basked in the glow of their new baby. I did not. I wanted to flee and get my freedom back. I feel tremendous guilt for having those feelings. I live in the ultimate hippy community that has an unspoken code of motherhood I felt I could not live up to. I was not happy spending every single day with my baby with no breaks. I was not happy living 20 minutes away from my nearest friend (40 min. drive to my other friends) and feeling like that was my only life line to sanity. I could not fathom that my dear mother-in-law could only visit me every three months and give me the breath of life and freedom I so badly needed.
These are all the factors that led me to the decision that I was not strong enough or supported enough to have a second child. Physically or emotionally. I was not cut of the same strong fabric other mothers and friends I knew were. I embraced my single child life with gusto, looking at all the positive aspects. She is really easy to travel with. She gets the attention of both her daddy and mother daily. She has a mother who schedules play dates with precision-like efficiency. She has her own domain at home; a universe not required to be shared with anyone but her visiting friends. And yet, I question it every day. I wonder what it will be like to be old and have the burden of that rest on one child's shoulders. I wonder if she knows that she only has herself while others have siblings.
And now I have arrived to the time in our lives that she too, is questioning.

Terranea Resort

2010-05-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

No cooking this week! My sister invited M and I to spend Memorial Day weekend in Southern California at a new resort called Terranea. It has been open just shy of a year, and it is quite amazing. It is right on the ocean. We have seen dolphins and seals, scuba divers and kayakers. The resort compound is huge! I really like that is does not seem overly crowded and the resort is very open like resorts in Hawaii. There are some special perks that I don't normally see in hotels like complimentary bottled water and lemon water at the pool served in compostable corn based cups! There are hiking trails right on the ocean surrounding the whole resort, and a great pool set-up for children complete with a water slide. The pool is a salt water pool that is heated (very necessary as it is on the cool side right now) and umbrellas for all the lounge chairs. The food so far has been ok, but I am tough sell when it comes to food. There are four restaurants here, so it is nice to be able to stay here and enjoy dinner on the ocean. The spa is fantastic. It has its own pool that is right on the ocean. My sister found this resort on Trip Advisor, and it has very much exceeded my expectations. I have not seen a large, sprawling 4-star type resort in California which makes it very convenient if you don't want to fly to Hawaii or Mexico. The very best part is it is not uptight like the Ritz or Four Seasons and most likely half the price and three times the size and just a nice. Well, here are some photos....

This is the spa pool.....

View from the elevators of the "family" pool

The adult pool and bar......beyond is the ocean cove

Looking back at the resort from the cove

Me and M. Is every photo of me on my blog have this hat and sunglasses in it??

Auntie D and M...

Fun at the restaurant!

View of the cove from one of the hiking trails....

View of the ocean and spa from our balcony.....

Mad Hatter Tea Party

2010-05-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend my friend and neighbor Erin had a bridal shower. It was a Mad Hatter themed tea party complete with blessings, music and prose. Held on a meadow across the road from her house (that she build by hand no less!) a group of women showered her with love and well wishes. She is a woman of many, many talents, so there is a lot to love about her. She is a mainstay in our community, an organizer, peacemaker, lawyer, artist, home builder, daughter and sister. She was the very first friend I made here in our neighborhood. Erin also thinks quick on her feet and is cool under pressure. She would be the first person I would call if calamity hit my house. This dynamic woman has found her soul mate and pretty much everyone I know is just over the moon about it. Her fiance Lars is also my good friend, and he has just as many wonderful things about him as Erin does!
Erin's photo is the one at the top.....see how she is just beaming with happiness?! Thank you Erin for letting us all love you and wish you well on your marriage journey. The world is a better place now that you and Lars have found each other.
xo

Artichokes with Red Pepper Cashew Sauce

2010-05-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

My daughter has embraced artichokes this season. I wonder if it the artichokes she likes best, or the little bowl of melted butter to dip the artichokes in that is her favorite. Tonight she ate three of them. I roughly trim the artichokes, then quickly steam them for 8 minutes in my pressure cooker. Yesterday, I made a sauce from raw cashews and red pepper that seemed a good pairing for artichokes. After cooking the artichokes, I removed the heart, and sauteed it with a bit of white wine, butter and fresh thyme. Topped with the cashew sauce, it was a wonderful appetizer.
This red pepper cashew sauce is very versatile. It would be great on roasted cauliflower, dipping sauce for bread, or sauce to top a meatloaf. It was even better the second day. Very easy to make, and highly recommended.

Red Pepper Cashew Sauce
(makes about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1 medium red pepper chopped into 2 inch pieces (seeds and stem removed)
1/8 cup great quality extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbls tamari
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chopped shallot

In a blender add ingredients and blend. I had to jiggle my blender to get things going. Blend for 5 or so minutes until very smooth. Serve or store overnight to merry flavors.

Artichokes
(4 large artichokes)

1 heaping tbls butter
2 tsp fresh thyme plus a fresh spring
4 large artichokes
1/4 cup dry white wine

Trim artichokes by cutting top 2 inches off top as well as the stem. Pick the outer most leaves off and discard. Steam in a big pot with 2 inches of water covered for 25-35 minutes (or until tender) or in a pressure cooker for 8 minutes. If leaves pull out easily, then you know the artichoke is cooked.
Save the leaves if you would like to eat them, and cut out the artichoke heart. In a sautee pan over medium high heat, add one heaping tablespoon of butter, 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves and 1/4 cup dry white wine. Add artichoke hearts when sauce starts to bubble. Stir to cover the artichokes with the sauce and cook down until the wine evaporates and thickens (about 5 minutes on med. high heat). Plate artichokes, and use a spoon to equally divide the sauce over the artichoke hearts. Spoon about a tablespoon of the red pepper sauce and top with a small sprig of thyme!

Cardamom & Blue Corn Madeleines

2010-05-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

This week I discovered sprouted rice flour at my coop. The same day I also bought some cardamom infused pasture ghee. I have been putting it everything and asking politely if my friends and family would make dishes that include it this week too. Thank you friends for obliging! I have also noticed that ghee is pretty expensive. So, I decided to make my own infused butter that is a step shorter than making ghee, with pasture butter that has just come into season. Organic Valley sells a wonderful version available May-October. I walked around for a day thinking about the perfect companion to cardamom infused butter. Blue corn meal came to mind. I know that madeleines are a high art, and there is a quite specific method to their madness. I adhered somewhat to the method. I used butter, flour, baking powder and eggs. I wanted to try a buttery, flavor laden fat that would sing along with the blue corn meal flavor and vanilla that would cool down the cardamom bite. I also wanted to make a gluten free cake that included sprouted rice flour in place of gluten flour. I was curious how I might use sprouted rice flour and thought it might bode well in a recipe that is light, fluffy and assisted by baking powder for a rise.
Well, these little honey sweetened gems are gluten free and pack a punch. I imagine that David Lebovitz might have some words of wisdom about how far I strayed from the madeleine code of ethics, but maybe he might take mercy upon me and my use of a gluten-free flours. Either way, it was fun to experiment. Next I am going to be baking something with the organic sprouted spelt flour that just arrived in the mail...

Cardamom & Blue Corn Madelines with Vanilla

9 tlbs butter (I used pasture butter)
1/2 cup honey
1 tbls grand marnier
2 tsp. crushed vanilla beans (or a whole bean with seeds removed and added)
12 cardamom pods crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs separated
2/3 cup sprouted rice flour
1/2 cup organic blue corn meal
3/4 tsp baking powder

Combine butter, honey, crushed cardamom pods (I used a mortal and pestle) vanilla and salt
Warm to almost bubbling, then add grand marnier and stir. Set aside for 15 minutes to steep. Strain the vanilla and cardamom pieces out with a sieve, then discard pieces and let strained butter mixture to cool to room temperature. Whisk egg yolks into butter mixture when butter mixture is room temperature.

Combine flours and baking soda in a bowl, and add butter/honey and mix just until combined. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the flour mixture just until combined.

Spoon batter into oiled madeleine forms (I used a baking non-stick spray) and bake at 350 on top rack of oven for 10 minutes.

Meyer Lemon Tofu

2010-05-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Meyer Lemons are deeply satisfying to me. Less tart than regular lemons, they have a rich flavor, soft skin and lots of juice. I randomly pick up meyer lemons in my kitchen just to smell their familar, soft aroma. It makes me happy.
When I thought of this dish, I was thinking about sushi. I used to eat salmon at our local sushi restaurant. It was served with super-thin slices of lemon on top that made it pop with flavor in my mouth. Since then, I have craved sliced lemon in my food. Rind and all. I think the rind is an important texture component, and if sliced thinly enough, it works. Using the whole rind and pith of the lemon fruit also increases the amount of vitamin C you are eating. Although cooking the lemon I would guess wipes a lot of vitamin C out...oh well!
I have stopped eating most fish these days due to heavy metals and over fishing in the oceans, but will still eat an occasional sushi roll here and there. I have also switched over my DHA supplement from fish sourced to algae sourced. DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) has many wonderful roles in the body and cardiovascular health, and I prefer it to all the others essential fatty acid supplements. Studies have shown that the metabolic pathways that metabolize fatty acids are not always intact. So DHA is not always converted from EPA or flax seed oil or other nuts and seeds. It is the conversion of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) in flax oil for example to EPA then to DHA that needed for use in the body, and some scientists are theorizing (and now testing in individuals) that people with family histories that include asthma, allergies, depression and alcoholism lack the enzymes in the pathways to make the conversions of ALA to EPA to DHA. So why not just take DHA and not worry if you are lacking the ability to metabolize essential fatty acids properly? Genova Diagnostics has an essential fatty acid test that can measure a person's ability to metabolize fatty acids. Most MD's are not familar with this kind of science, so don't expect a kind ear if you are planning on discussing this at your next check-up. Sometimes, it is not just a matter that we are eating Omega 3 fatty acids, it is a matter of how well our genetics and environmental factors allow us to metabolize these omega 3 fatty acids into usable metabolically active fats.
Well, now that the science lesson is out of the way, I will get back to the tofu recipe!

I made this dish in my wok, and made sure it was very, very hot. I used a couple of teaspoons of canola oil (good for high heat) for searing the tofu. I only use canola oil sparingly due to the high omega-6 fatty acid content. I waited until the end to add the chard. I wanted it wilted and served it after its juices had caramelized. The slices of meyer lemon were just lovely. The toasted sesame seed oil balanced out the tart nicely. We ate ours with steamed brown rice, but quinoa would be great with this dish.

Sauce
3 tbls mirin
2 tbls rice vinegar
1 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls cooking sherry
2 tbls toasted sesame seed oil
Add to a bowl, mix with a spoon and set aside

Tofu
1 block of tofu (I use sprouted organic tofu)
2 small meyer lemons
1 1/2 cups onions sliced thin (I used spring onions)
1 bunch of chard roughly chopped

Cut tofu into 2 inch or slightly smaller pieces. Pat dry with a towel and set aside. Patting the tofu dry will help it sear and brown.
Cut onions into thin slices and set aside
Wash and trim chard and use salad spinner to remove any excess water
Slice meyer lemons into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices (I had some super thin and others thicker for texture)

In a very hot wok, add 2 tsp of canola oil. When wok is very hot and oil starts to dance around, add tofu and cover wok. Stir tofu every minute or so, allowing each side of the tofu to brown and sear. After about 8 minutes, add the onions, lemons and sauce. Cover again for a minute and then stir the tofu, vegetables and sauce until onions start to brown, are wilted and the sauce has evaporated (about 7 minutes). Add chard and stir in. This will help it start to wilt. After the chard juices have evaportated (less than 2 minutes), serve.

The Sixth Year Is Here!

2010-05-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Here I am in labor, in the horse trough......

Today, six years ago I was in labor. It was about this time I had already been in labor for 12 hours and my midwife came to my house and gave me the unsettling news that I was only 5 centimeters dilated. Me, being the capricorn that I am, had prepared for this moment. Lots of preparation. 8 months of hypnobirthing training. 9 months of bikram pregnancy poses. Perineal stretching. All that was missing was an indoor toilet. We even had the horse trough our midwives brought to our house days before, filled with lovely warm water for me to bliss out in while I was having "pressure surges". Painful contractions were not going to be an experience I was going to have. I had my native american flute music all queued up on my mp3 player. Soup was made for all my "birth helpers". I was ready!

Ok, now I am laughing about it.

Perhaps all my preparation prevented me from having a birth with complications. I did indeed have a home birth. My midwife tells me it was a very "normal" birth. 3 1/2 hours of pushing and 29 hours total, start to finish. It was not pain-free, and it was not easy. None of my labor preparations worked out how I thought. But, my little honey child came bursting out, snorting and crying in one massive push (because I was convinced I was dying at that point, and could not fathom ONE more contraction!) and all that hard work has been worth every single nanosecond to have the force of nature that is my most precious gift, my daughter. In the end, everything about her has been better than I ever expected or imagined. Happy Birthday to my sweet daughter, and happy birth day to me!

Birthday Photos

2010-04-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some images of the lovely party last weekend for M's birthday. I had so much help (thank you sister, gigi, uncle and husband) that I was able to talk to guests and really enjoy my time. We are surrounded by such a lovely community and the biggest hearted, kindest friends and family. Oh, we are so lucky!

Almond Butter Tempeh with Kale Crisps

2010-04-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Jilan introduced me to her mother, Michelle a couple of days back. Michelle told me her recipe for crispy kale while we were on the kindergarten playground, and I have been so excited to make it. Really, when a good recipe gets passed around, it is a cause to celebrate. Thank you Michelle for sharing your dish! And, this past weekend has been all about celebrating my almost 6 year old daughter's birthday with 20 kids at my house, a pinata and the most perfect spring weather one could ask for. One dish on the party menu for the kids this weekend were vegetable spring rolls with a raw almond butter dipping sauce. I wondered about the sauce I had made, but they were gone in minutes off the appetizer table. So, I made the sauce again tonight with seared tempeh, roasted spring onions and crispy kale. I even ate it with some sips of sauvignon blanc that made me happy summer is just around the corner.

Almond Butter Tempeh with Crispy Kale
serves 4 small dishes

Crispy Kale
1 bunch kale
1 tbls olive oil
pinch salt

Trim stems off kale, and toss with olive oil and salt in a bowl making sure to coat all the pieces with olive oil and salt. Use your fingers to do this. Spread on a cookie sheet making sure not to overlap the kale on each other. This will help it crisp evenly. Bake at 375 degrees until the edges of kale are starting to brown (about 7-10 min). Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet or transfer to plate.

Almond Butter Sauce
1/3 cup raw almond butter
2 tbls tamari
2 tbls rice vinegar
1 tbls fresh lemon juice
stir in a bowl until combined.

Spring Onions
3-4 med to large spring onions
2 tsp. olive oil
salt
Trim top off of onions. Slice down the middle and toss with olive oil and salt. Roast 375 for 15 minutes, or until tender, browned and wilted. (I baked mine when I was cooking the kale)

Tempeh
1 package tempeh cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
1 tbls mirin
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp olive oil

In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil and sear tempeh on each side, about 6 minutes. Add mirin and cover for 30 seconds. Toss or flip tempeh so it does not burn. Add toasted sesame oil and toss tempeh gently. When both sides of tempeh pieces are nicely browned, set aside.

To assemble, arrange tempeh on plate and spoon about 1 tbls of almond sauce on top. Drape onions on top on tempeh and stack 3 large pieces of crispy kale on top!

Cooking Class

2010-04-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my cooking class. Lots of kale, endive and radicchio! I was so lucky to have such wonderful participants, full of questions and ideas! I taught this class at a local cooking school that has opened in our town called In The Kitchen. It is a beautiful space, a pleasure to work in. Light, bright and a wonderful place to learn about all things cooking. Wendy Van Wagner opened this space, and when you meet her, it is obvious how talented and knowledgeable she is. After meeting her, I immediately wanted to go have lunch to talk more about food! Our little town really lucked out to have her expertise in our community. There is a wide range of classes available, perfect for every level of cook. It was a great fit for me.

We are over the pox now. It was really worth going through it for the peace of mind knowing she has life long immunity. Of course, it is a bit ironic that a "chicken pox is sweeping the county" kind of story is on the front page of our small town newspaper. I have appreciated all your wonderful comments on this topic.

Hanging In There!

2010-04-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

In the THICK of it. Hundreds of pox and a somewhat tired mother and daughter duo. I got about four hours of sleep last night due being on itch patrol. First night was restless, clingy and weepy. I gave her one dose of pulsatilla and she was asleep 15 min later with no more crying. Yesterday she managed to get a bit of playing in, eat 3 bowls of soup and lay on the couch.
Last night with a white tongue and red tip and constant itchiness, I moved over to high potency rhus tox. She got a four hour stretch of sleep right after.
Today is pure itch. I am using Weleda diaper cream, calamine lotion, colloidal oatmeal and baking soda baths. I am having to remind myself that supposed life-long immunity has an advantage over booster shots and the CDC does not know if the chicken pox vaccine will provide immunity over a lifetime because the vaccine has only been in use since the mid 90's and there has not been living studies longer than 20 years.
We are hanging in there however and the fabulous Auntie D is coming tonight.

Strawberry & Rhubarb Parfait

2010-04-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

So, M woke up with Chicken Pox today! I am pretty excited. She is currently eating udon noodles with butter. She is slightly under the weather, but calm before the storm perhaps? Hasn't lost her appetite though. For her that is always the last to go. No remedies yet, but I am anticipating some Rhus Tox due to her already wanting to itch!

While she was lounging away this afternoon counting her pox, I thought about how inspired I was at my girlfriend's house yesterday. I came over to pick up M from some play time with her best friend, and she had whipped together a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was really wonderful, tart, sweet and in season. Then her partner came home and he let me try a batch of lavender shortbread cookies he had just made the day before. I was in heaven! So today with my over-the-hill strawberries, I made a compote with rhubarb to assemble a parfait. A couple of weeks back I was drooling over Fix Me A Snack's post called Yogurt 101, and this is a spin on her version of Rhubarb Compote with Strawberries. I wanted it to be "sugar" free, but I did add a teaspoon of rose petal sugar from AllStar Organics to the compote because it is so luscious and indulgent, especially paired with strawberries.

Instead of using traditional sugars, I used honey and maple syrup which substituted nicely in the rest of the parfait. The vanilla beans I initially bought some months back because I was so curious how 2 oz. of ground vanilla beans could sell for less than $5. Creating this link however, I am noticing that the website charges over $12 for the same thing! Either way, I love using these ground beans in sauces, whipped cream, cakes.... anything I can get away with. I use a sieve to separate the seeds from the larger pieces and it works nicely to make sure it is not clumpy when I add it to wet ingredients.
I ate this for lunch. I was really impressed with the floral flavors, and how well the greek yogurt blended in with the fruit!

Strawberry & Rhubarb Parfaits
makes 2 parfaits

Compote
1 cup rhubarb cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cup strawberries cut into small cubes
1 tbls honey
1 tsp orange flower water
1 tsp rose petal sugar
very small pinch salt

Yogurt
1 1/2 cups low fat organic greek yogurt
1/2 tsp raw ground vanilla beans
1 tbls maple syrup

1/2 cup toasted, blanched, slivered almonds

In a small bowl, add yogurt, maple syrup and ground vanilla beans. Mix well and set aside for flavors to meld.

In saucepan add strawberries and rhubarb. Add pinch salt and cook for around 8 minutes or until strawberries start loosing their shape and rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and add flower water and rose petal sugar. Cover and set aside for a couple of minutes to let flavors mingle.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add almonds and put on med-high heat. Stir almonds frequently so they don't burn, but brown nicely. This takes about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool.

To assemble, add one layer of compote, one layer of yogurt and one layer of almonds. Repeat so that almonds end up on top. If you are making these ahead of time, wait to put the last layer of almonds until before serving so they stay crunchy.

Sleeping Beauty

2010-04-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Spring Break...it started off with a play and soup, and I am hoping it ends with the chicken pox. The middle parts are filled with a trip to San Francisco.
Here are some photographs of a play the girls created during their time together on Monday. They called it "The Princess Meets The Witch", but I thought is was a lot like Sleeping Beauty. There were costume changes, a dressing room behind the curtain and lots of giggles.

Coriander & Mung Bean Soup

2010-04-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I made sweet potato and mung bean stuffed cabbage leaves. I found it to be so enjoyable, it has not left my mind. Since we have had snow, sleet, hail and rain in the last three days, I thought it was still weather appropriate to make a warm and spicy soup. So, today I made a soup like the cabbage roll filling, only lighter, spicier and easier. I worried it might be too much spice, but went for it anyway. I actually made this soup in our friends kitchen today while monitoring a play date with a 6, 5 and 3 year old. I was treated to a home grown play of Sleeping Beauty (pictures of that are coming soon!) while the soup was cooking in my pressure cooker. As soon as it was done, I offered it as a snack to the budding thespians. The three year old at first refused. The older girls (one of which is mine) agreed to try a taste. Both loved it. It took a bit, but the three year old finally tried it, and liked it as well. Tonight at dinner I made free-range meatballs to add to M's bowl of this soup. She ended up eating three bowls of meatballs with her soup. I was in awe as she kept asking for more. D and I kept looking at each other, wondering how much is enough or should we say "no"? We did ask her to take a break between helpings, specifically saying "ok sweetie, it is time to take a rest, and check in with your belly." She would sit there for 5 minutes, talk about the nature of the universe ("daddy, what came before space?") and ask for more. It took 2 trips to the stove to help herself, but finally she asked to be excused, saying she was done. I started in on the dishes and 20 minutes later she sneaked another from the bowl I was about to put in the fridge for leftovers. Just now on her way to bed, I asked how her belly was feeling.."GREAT MOM!!" she announced enthusiastically. Then she did a sit-up while hanging from her dad's shoulders upside down which she does every night before brushing her teeth and reading books.

Coriander & Mung Bean Soup

1/4 - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped sweet potato
2 cloves finely diced garlic clove
1 tbls. fennel seed coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds (grind in coffee or spice grinder)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tbls. ras el-hanout powder
1 cup dried mung beans
6 cups stock
pinch salt
1 bay leaf
1 lemon (juice and zest)

In pressure cooker or soup pot, add olive oil and onion. Sautee for 5 minutes then add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, fennel and ras el-hanout. Then add carrot, celery and sweet potato. Sautee for 10 minutes and add mung beans, bay leaf and stock. Add lemon zest and juice. Cover and cook 90 minutes in soup pot or 50 minutes in pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, bring to full pressure and then turn down to simmer for remaining time. Season with salt after soup is cooked.

Pear & Sweet Potato Gratin

2010-03-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

I thought of Easter when dreaming this recipe up. Potlucks too. It would be a great dish to make for a special dinner. My sister and I have been making a version of this recipe for years now. Laying in bed last night (one of the best places food ideas manifest for me) I wondered if pears would be a good substitute for apples that I regularly use. Seemed a bit more exotic somehow. I though pear might give it a wonderful sweetness and complexity that apples cannot. I sauteed the onions too, which I usually don't do, and topped with chevre before serving. The pears melted into flavor and the gouda added an earthiness I enjoyed. I drizzled a very small bit of truffle oil on top....and then promptly ate two plates.

To make this a quick recipe, I used my food processor to slice the sweet potatoes and onions, and then shred the cheese. I sliced the pears by hand, sauteed the onions and baked it in a square glass baking dish. You could add cinnamon or lemon zest to add another dimension of flavor as well. I let mine sit on the counter covered for 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven to reabsorb some of the juices. I mixed chevre with a small bit of milk to soften it up. This is optional. I know truffle is just so overdone. I am waiting for myself to be over the trend. So far no luck.

Pear and Sweet Potato Gratin:
makes a 9 inch square pan (6 servings)

1 very large or 2 small sweet potato (5 cups sliced)
2 med. onions (2 cups sauteed)
2 pears (I used bartlett pears) (about 2 cups)
1 clove garlic
1 tbls. olive oil
Gouda (2 heaping cups shredded)
pinch salt
1/2 cup chevre
truffle oil to drizzle

Slice sweet potatoes in food processor. Set aside in bowl. Slice onions, then set aside in bowl. Shred cheese, then set aside in bowl. Mince clove of garlic and add along with a pinch of salt into sweet potato bowl.

Add 1 tbls. olive oil to sautee pan and cook onions on high heat (but not so hot to burn onions) until edges get crispy and start to burn; about 7 minutes.

Slice pears thinly by hand, removing the centers, and set aside.

Pour about a tsp. of olive oil in bottom of baking pan, and then add 2 cups of sweet potatoes. (press down with fingers after each layer to fit it all in) Then add layer of pears, then onions and finally cheese. Repeat all the layers again, and press down with fingers one last time. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 for first 30 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 for another 15 minutes. Then remove tinfoil and cook another 10 minutes to brown the top. Remove and let sit 5-10 minutes with the tinfoil loosely covering gratin.

In a bowl, add a bit of milk to chevre and mix with spoon. Top each piece with a spoonful of chevre, then top with a small drizzle of truffle oil.

I did not add a lot of oil to this dish. The cheese adds enough oil I thought. I also used goat gouda because it was organic and somewhat local. I like the taste of goat gouda, but it does have a goat flavor if you are sensitive to that. Enjoy!

Spring!

2010-03-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a jam packed week.
Friday night was the kids talent show at our local cultural center. We have a kids art camp at our cultural center every August, and Friday night was the art auction and talent show to raise money for this event. The money goes towards scholarships for local children to attend the art camp who may not otherwise be able to afford the tuition. Local artists run the camp and it has been wildly successful. It is a diamond in the rough to have our beloved one room schoolhouse run as a local venue for culture, classes and fun. So my little show stopper daughter decided to join in the fun and sing the song, 'My Favorite Things', while her dad played guitar. Her kindergarten teacher even came to watch her and a fellow classmate, who is a serious guitar prodigy. I thought it was really touching he came to support them both!
The weekend was a birthday party and a trip to the river on the way home. Spring is buzzing, people are out and about, flowers are blooming. Our river is smack in the middle of everything here, and our world somewhat revolves around it in the summer time. Even though the water was freezing cold, M could not help jumping in about 20 times. She screamed with excitement upon discovering the tadpoles, climbed rocks, followed lizards, brought me a heart-shaped rock she found and throughly examined the dead mouse we saw on the trail. She had a long conversation with her dad about all the reasons why she loves both the city and the country life, noting she was happy she gets a hefty dose of both. "I get to climb on rocks instead of a playground and swim in a river instead of a pool" referring to the country and about the city, "I get to hear all the sounds of the city that are like music".

Spring Stew Deconstructed

2010-03-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Marine World near San Francisco. My five year old daredevil wanted to test her theory that she was tall enough to ride roller coasters. She was tall enough for some, and she took full advantage. She is really fearless that way. Good thing she had her dad with her for all the whirly rides; I cannot take spinning! Those kinds of trips always put things into perspective for me. For me, it is a glimpse into how the rest of this country eats and how disconnected I am from that. I noticed this walking past the snack carts and the dilemma we faced trying to eat lunch. I appreciate my reality checks. I appreciate how we are able to bring locally grown food into our home. I value the time I am afforded to cook meals that nourish my family. I am very lucky indeed.
To celebrate this, I made a meatless spring "stew" that went over really well at the dinner table. Still needing a bit of hearty to counter cool nights, but ready for a bit of spring, I wondered if deconstructing a heavier dish would work to lighten it a bit. At dinnertime, little M walked up to the table, stared at this dish for a good half minute and announced "I will not be having dinner tonight." What she did not know, was that dish she was scoffing at had food she normally really loves. I wondered if my experiment had gone terribly wrong! D and I started eating and knew immediately it was a winner. The deconstructed flavors intensified the dish. The olive oil pulled it all together. M sat and watched us for a while and decided to take a bite. She liked it. "I like the bean juice" were her exact words. Ok, I'll take it. Darn! My harsh critic is a pint sized flavor queen. Love it!

Spring Stew!
Serves 4

Beans:
1 cup dried small white navy beans
1 large bay leaf
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups water or stock
In pressure cooker or pot cover beans with water making sure water or stock is at least 1 inch over top of beans. Cook for 45 min by pressure cooker or 90 min. by regular cooking. After beans are cooked, scoop extra cooking water out of the pots. You are looking for slightly juicy looking beans. Take a potato masher or a fork and mash half of the beans. This will allow the extra cooking water to be absorbed by the bean starch and not be runny in your serving dish.

Leeks:
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
1 tlbs. olive oil
pinch salt
In a heavy bottomed pan (I used a cast iron skillet) heat olive oil and sautee leeks on med-high heat until starting to brown; about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool

Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 cup water
In a sauce pan, warm tomatoes and water until simmering. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove from water, drain, and chop finely. Set aside

Vegetables:
3 small-medium beets
3 medium carrots
1 tlbs olive oil
pinch salt
Steam both carrots and beets in a pot with a steamer basket. Make sure to check on the water level, adding more as needed so the bottom of the pot does not burn. I steamed mine for about 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing with a sharp knife. Vegetables should be very soft. Remove from steamer basket and toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt.

To plate dishes, scoop about 1/2 cup of beans into a plate or bowl. Add 1/4 of vegetables mixture, tomatoes and leeks last. Drizzle a small spoonful of olive oil at the end.

Photo Collage

2010-03-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about custard all day today. Asparagus custard with crispy shitakes.
What do you think about that idea? I need to pick up eggs and cream on the way home then. Don't let me forget. Because I do, a lot, and it is the family joke. I used to remember everything, no lists required. I forgot coffee from the grocery store a couple weeks ago. My husband woke up on Saturday, realized my error. Can you imagine no coffee on a Saturday morning? Oh boy did I feel bad. Because you know from my last post I can't just run to the store to get some. I used the old coffee grinds from the previous day. That is slightly embarrassing to admit, but it worked and I drank a mediocre cup of coffee which is better than none. I think he chose green tea that morning. No second rate cup of coffee for him. He is a bit of a purist. See how well we go together? The purist and the worrier. Match made in heaven.
David Lebovitz had an interesting link on his blog today to a new website called Food Blog Forum which is very beautiful and quite full of resources. I especially loved their link to Photovisi for making photo collages. I do not have Photoshop (tragic, I know!) and made a photo collage of this past year using their free website. I think you will like it too. So, here is the collage of randoms from this past year....and I will post the custard if it turns out.

Country Mouse City Mouse

2010-03-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

My twin sister (identical, three minutes apart) and I live very different lives. She lives in San Francisco, and has a high powered job. I have my part-time nutrition practice and the other half of my life is as a stay at home mother. My twin sister does not get home until 7pm some days, and fits in going to the gym around her crazy work schedule. The paradox to this is that she loves to cook. She has some signature dishes that have become family legend. Onion Souffle for example. She does very well for herself, and has shortcuts to help her cope with such little time in the kitchen. When we visit her we usually go out to eat. My country life does not afford much in the way of great restaurants. Only two worth eating at in my small town. I go kinda crazy when I visit her. Really. A bit crazy. She deals well with my enthusiasm. I almost do cartwheels when I walk one block (Only One Block!!!) down to her local grocery store. For me at home, a "little trip to the grocery store" is either 20 minutes to the little country grocery store or 45 minutes to the big store in town. I have adjusted to this. When my friends come visit me and drive the three miles down the dirt road to my house they are usually impressed we can live in such a rural environment and startled that there is just nothing else around. That includes no power. We live in a 100% solar powered house. This is good for my doomsday fears, of which I have a few. I am lucky that my dear husband has worked in the solar industry for ten years now and has tricked out our house to be just as functional as a city house. For instance, I have a dishwasher, and this is a novelty in our community where many people still use outhouses. We used to have an outhouse too, but that is a story for another blog post.
Back to the food.
I wanted to let you know the brands of canned foods that are BPA free. Turns out that Eden Foods has been making BPA-free cans for a decade now. Canned tomatoes are the exception however due to the acidity. I am putting a link to a Tree Hugger article that lists brands that do not use BPA in their canned food. Turns out that Trader Joes has a selection to BPA-free canned food too!

Here is my sister (on the left) and I. (last summer in Paris)...We jokingly refer to ourselves as the country mouse and city mouse. I highly recommend being a twin. We switched classes in high school....tricked the teachers. I was the trouble maker though. My dad can attest to that. Got my mouth washed out with soap when I was 5 for spitting at the bad guy on tv. That is a story I won't be telling my daughter. Don't want her to get any bad ideas from her mother!

Sweet Potato and Mung Bean Stuffed Cabbage

2010-03-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Cabbage came in my winter farm share box this week. It has been a bit rainy and cold so I did not want to make a salad or slaw with it. Instead I made a warm, spicy, sweet savory dish that was wonderful and easy. I mentioned a couple of posts back that I have phased out canned beans and am only using dried beans. I phased out all canned foods actually. Two reasons for this. First, dried beans are less expensive and there is a lot less waste of resources and energy associated with them. Second is the BPA associated with the liners in canned food. Many companies however, are using "BPA-free" liners in cans now which is fantastic.
Mung beans are a small bean in the kidney bean family that require no pre-soaking and cooks in about 50-60 minutes. According to Paul Pitchford in his amazing book Healing With Whole Foods mung beans are beneficial to gall bladder, liver and eliminates damp heat. Great for high blood pressure, skin inflammation, heat symptoms and detoxification. Mung beans are also easy to digest which is sometimes not the case with beans! Healing With Whole Foods is a book I highly recommend for recipes and nutrition information related to eastern traditions. It was a textbook in one of my classes way back when while I attended Bastyr, and has since become one of the most referenced nutrition books in my collection.
I cooked 1/2 cup of dried mung beans in the pressure cooker, mixed it with a cup of sweet potato I had from the previous day, and mixed in some lovely spices. I blanched the cabbage leaves for about 90 seconds each and topped the cabbage pockets with the last can of tomato sauce I had in my pantry. I pondered making a bechamel sauce with the cabbage instead of tomato, but liked how the acid paired with the sweet potato and cinnamon. I used a spice mixture you may have heard of called ras el hanout. I bought mine in San Francisco at Real Food Company. The Spice House sells it too if you are interested in buying it online. The spices really made this dish. The coriander and mustard seeds popped with flavor in my mouth. The cinnamon and sweet potato had a wonderful pumpkin pie taste. Paired with the cabbage, it made a great combination. Enjoy!!

Cabbage leaves with Sweet Potato and Mung Beans

6-8 large cabbage leaves
1 1/2 cup cooked mung beans
1 cup cooked sweet potato
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. ras el hanout
2 pinches salt
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 cup tomato sauce

In pressure cooker or pot add 1/2 cup mung beans and 1 cup water. Cook for 20 minutes in pressure cooker or 60 min. on stovetop. They will be very soft when cooked. After they are cooked, add sweet potato and all the spices along with salt. Mix until combined.
Blanch cabbage leaves for 90 seconds in boiling water. Remove and shake off excess water.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of sweet potato and bean mixture onto the middle top of cabbage leaf. Roll up like a burrito. Set into a lighlty oiled dish. Top with a tablespoon each of chunky tomato sauce. Cook at 350 degrees covered for 30 minutes.

Miso Glazed Fennel

2010-03-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

Fennel. Oh how I love fennel. The longer it cooks the more tender and sweet it becomes. Yesterday I baked fennel glazed with miso and orange zest. Today I used it again to add to a frisee salad. Frisee is curly endive from the chicory family. Frisee is bitter, and because it is so bitter, it is sometimes found mixed with other greens. Our local coop started to carry Frisee a couple of weeks back from a local farm. I have been pining for frisee for years now. I am always drawn to bitter because when paired with a sweet element it becomes a match made in heaven. I am going to be making miso glazed fennel in a cooking class next month and wanted to refine the recipe I have had floating around in my head.

I think I paid $15 for this miso. I have been buying South River Miso for a couple of years now. It has a rich, complex flavor. I washed the frisse and tossed it with a small bit of olive oil and balsamic. The orange zest with the fennel and miso created a soft, rich, buttery consistency that paired well with the bitter frisee.

Miso Glazed Fennel

2 med/small fennel root or 1 large root
1 heaping tablespoon miso
zest of an orange
1 tsp. butter

Wash and slice fennel into medium thickness slices. Toss with the miso in a bowl and transfer to baking dish. Scatter butter on top of fennel and sprinkle with orange zest. Bake covered at 375 for 40 minutes.
Toss frisee with a very small bit of olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Top with 3 or 4 warm pieces of roasted fennel.

Tomorrow I am going post a dish I made last night I am really excited about...Cabbage leaves stuffed with sweet potatoes and mung beans!

Waiting for the Pox

2010-03-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

Chicken Pox is sweeping through our kindergarten classes. Our county is one of the lowest for vaccine compliance in the state of California. I have noticed there are a lot of strong feelings and opinions about choosing to vaccinate children or not. I have selectively vaccinated M since she turned a year old. Chicken Pox however, is not a vaccine I chose to give her. We have been careful to keep her away from parties and large groups since being exposed out of courtesy to adults that may not have immunity. Based on our recent school outbreak however, I am not alone in the decision to skip the Varicella vaccine. I have done due diligence and am prepared if she comes home sick with them. If you are interested, there are very useful homeopathic remedies to help treat the symptoms of chicken pox. Here is what I am keeping on hand...

Note: I am not a homeopath. I am a nutritionist. But, I do use homeopathy for our family with great success. Homeopathy is a passion of mine. I encourage you to consult a homeopath to build your own collection of remedies.

1. Pulsatilla: weepy, clingy, sad, hard to console
2. Rhus toxicodendron: extremely itchy rash, relief from warm baths
3. Bryonia: dry cough with pox, thirsty
4. Apis: pox are puffy, red and swollen
5. Mercurius solubilis: remedy if pox look like they are getting infected
6. Belladonna: red hot flushed face, high fever
7. Antimonium tartaricum: congested cough develops, white coated tongue, may be nauseated

I am expecting that she might go through two or three remedies. I also have some organic juice to make her popsicles. The only treatment I have not bought is colloidal oatmeal. We have a wooden soaking tub instead of a standard bathtub, and it is supposed to be kept clean of soap, shampoo, etc. I think I may just buy some and carefully scrub the tub afterwards. Of course if she gets the chicken pox I will let you all know the remedies that worked best!

Sunday Walk

2010-03-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

We took a walk today to Bald Mountain. It was an absolutely beautiful day. Bald Mountain is a cultural landmark for our community that happens to be a short walk from our house. I went into labor walking to Bald Mountain as a matter of fact! The smell of baking pine needles, the roar of the river in the winter, the sound of wind in the canyon, many things make it a beautiful, unique place. Above is a picture of the view from Bald Mountain. A view no one from here forgets. Our special place...

Mission Accomplished!

2010-03-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

Check out that fantastic outfit. Today striped socks went with pink tie-dye pants that are two sizes too small. The perfect 'learning to bike ride' outfit, because today was the big day she learned how to ride her bike! Because we live at the end of a three mile dirt road, riding a bike is something we must travel to town to do. It got put on the back burner a bit, but this day we were all ready.
It started out with some tears, but we got past it and she soared. A day we will never forget!

Spaghetti Squash with Crispy Sage and Feta

2010-03-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

What do you think about Spaghetti Squash? I spied one last week at our local coop, and put it in my basket. Honestly I usually pass it up because I have found it to be a tad bit dull. Dull is not in my food vocabulary. It has been sitting on my counter waiting to be born into a delicious steamy plate of dinner. Today, while in Bikram yoga, I found myself mentally escaping while sweat was dripping in my eyes trying to hold triangle pose for what seemed like eternity. I started thinking about something more enjoyable; recipes. The other night our friends were over for dinner and they brought some raw feta cheese for our salad. Then sage popped into my mind. Then came Spaghetti Squash with Crispy Sage and Feta. Somewhere after eagle pose but before camel it was decided.
By the way, I use a Nikon D3000. I have only used it for 2 months. Before that was a Canon point and shoot. I have no training at all taking pictures, and you most likely would find me swearing under my breath while trying to shoot plates of food.

Spaghetti Squash with Crispy Sage and Feta

4 servings

1 med. spaghetti squash
2-3 tbls. olive oil
pinch salt
20 fresh sage leaves
1 cup feta (I used sheep feta)

Very carefully, slice spaghetti squash longways. Scoop out seeds, and place flesh down on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until tender when you stick it with a knife.

To make the sage leaves, remove leaves from the stems. Put 2 tbls of olive oil in a bowl and drag each sage leaf through the olive oil, then using your fingers to remove excess oil. Arrange on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Start checking on them after 5 minutes because they crisp fast and burn easily. Their color will turn more grey and if you test one, it will be a bit crispy. They crisp up more after you remove them from the oven.
Drain sage leaves on a paper bag or a paper towel and let cool.

Take a fork and loosen the flesh which will resemble noodles. Scoop into mixing bowl and crumble feta on top. Mix with a fork just until blended. Spoon onto a plate and top 4-5 sage leaves

Roasted Broccoli with Saffron Lime Butter

2010-03-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

I think having a child who really, really loves vegetables is the exception to the rule. Our brains are wired to be satiated from sugar and carbohydrates. That said, I am constantly creating new vegetable dishes that I hope my child and our friends children will eat and perhaps enjoy. One of my dream jobs would to be a natural foods lunch lady (sans the hair net). I get deep satisfaction when children will eat my food and deeper satisfaction knowing it is feeding their bodies well. My good friend told me that her pediatrician's office did a study and 75% of their patients are obese. They are performing cardiac profiles on high risk children and finding high cholesterol in three year olds. Not an easy fix. I have an urge to invite the world over to my house for a broccoli sit-down. Just us, conversation and some very tasty, well prepared broccoli to change their minds about how children are destined to eat. I have very high hopes as you can see.

I have the pictures to prove it may very well work....

I had a plate newly roasted broccoli with saffron butter in the kitchen today. They found it and ate the whole thing. Actually fought over the last pieces. That is our friend there on the left. He is a good buddy of ours since he was born. These two like to make big messes in my house and laugh a lot together. They both really like to eat, which is a good scenario for me.
Well this is a very easy recipe and dare I say it is kid approved too?

Roasted Broccoli with Saffron Lime Butter

2 med. bunches broccoli stems cut off
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small pinch saffron
1 pinch salt
1 tbls butter
1 tbls olive oil
zest of a lime

Place broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with a tsp. of olive oil, or use a Misto sprayer and coat with olive oil. Roast in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown. Remove from oven, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
In a saucepan add saffron, olive oil and butter. After melting the butter, add half of the lime's zest. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the saffron can flavor the oils. Pour over the broccoli and toss. Taste for more salt. Zest the rest of the lime on top before serving.

Grapefruit Cabbage Salad

2010-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had friends over. There were 15 of us, so I decided tacos might be an easy and fun way to please both kids (all 7 of them!) and adults. I had some grapefruits from my friends farm share and thought it would add a bright dimension to an otherwise flimsy cabbage flavor component. I also had purple carrots and lemon crush olive oil to add, which made a great taco filling while being dairy, gluten and guilt free.

Grapefruit Cabbage Salad

3/4 head cabbage thinly sliced (3-4 cups)
3 large carrots grated (about 1 cup)
1 med. grapefruit diced
1 tbls lemon olive oil
juice of a lime
2 tsp. vinegar of your choosing (I used sherry vinegar)
salt

Trim the skin and white off the grapefruit and cut into slices. Remove any seeds and dice into 1/2 inch size pieces. Mix with carrots, cabbage, olive oil, vinegar, salt and lime juice.
If you don't have lemon olive oil, then regular olive oil with a bit of lemon zest works too. I made this salad two hours before serving it, stirring occasionally and keeping it in the fridge until serving it. Cilantro, mint, tarragon, parsley, basil would all compliment this dish wonderfully, and give it a great color.

Why do I cook?

2010-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Michael Ruhlman had a post on his blog today suggesting that fellow bloggers talk about why they cook. Here is my take, and I would love to hear yours!

I cook because:

It is my creative outlet

It grounds me when I am feeling stressed or unhappy

Eating great food is a wonderful, increasingly rare thing
I have a high standard of food quality, and hold myself to that standard

I get bored of food easily, so am constantly trying to reinvent the wheel (recipes)

Eating meals with friends is one of my favorite ways to spend time with people

I love the challenge

I think it develops integrity and mental skills I might not otherwise have

Preparing food from scratch is become more obsolete and I see it as a way of nourishing my soul, body and the world

Flying a Kite

2010-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

The pain and joy of watching a little person grow up.
It is almost too much some days.
I wish for little five year old laughter forever.

This was our visit to Pt. Reyes. It was a beautiful day.
The waves were so large it was scary. We stayed far back from the water.
She learned how to fly a kite. We made sand castles with moats and decorated them with seaweed.
I felt sad she will not always be five.