-
Soup’s On!
Posted on October 20th, 2009 2 commentsTuesday, October 6, 2009
I have been thinking alot lately about comfort food. What does that mean ? For much of my life, food has not given me comfort. I have had ( and still have moments of) a very UNcomfortable relationship with food. It has seemed more like my enemy. Comfort is an emotion and food at its worst, has been a vehicle for numbing anything I might have been feeling. I found some interesting research here. It has taken me many years of therapy, many wonderful meals with loving friends, and my work as a personal chef to get to the point where I can actually enjoy eating, that I can love something I am eating, that I can feel some comfort from it. Soup is one of those things. Since I am basically non dairy, I enjoy “creamy” soups made from coconut milk. The subtitle of this post could be the evolution of a recipe. In my wanderings around the internet, I found this blog and recipe, which was inspired by someone else’s recipe and blog. Of course, I made adaptations and now it is something completely different but related. Sort of like me and some of my family!
Coconut Milk Winter Squash soup4 c water1 T vegetable bouillion1 can coconut milk1 chopped onion1 T finely chopped fresh ginger1 T finely chopped lemongrass ( I recently found a jarred variety!)2 cloves garlic, minceds and p to taste1 c or so of cubed winter squash ( I used Green Kuri)large handful of chopped kalehandful of chopped celery2 c chopped cooked chickenI had some already roasted chicken, so this came together quickly. Put everything together in a large saucepan and cook until vegetables are tender. ( about 10 minutes)Hearty, Healthy, Comforting. -
Garden Interlude
Posted on October 20th, 2009 No commentsThursday, October 1, 2009
Here in Central California, the changing of the seasons can seem subtle. Here are some photos of my garden today. For a variety of reasons, my garden has not received the tender loving care this year that it deserves. Interesting lessons for life, that. Some things have struggled mightily and succumbed. Others have thrived. Others cry out for me to do better! Soon, the rains will come and that will ease the burdens of these plants that do just want to bring beauty and happiness to the world. Little garden, I apologize and thank you for your blessings.I love this cotoneaster in my back yard nestled against the redwood tree. Fall and Winter, it provides orange berries and Spring and Summer, lovely little white flower clusters. And look, the first fall leaf!
This is my Mexican Marigold. When I bought the little 4 in pot, I had no idea it would grow to about 4′x4′ and smells so good. It cheers up my front yard right in front of my living room window most of the year.
See? We do have fall! The butterfly plant is going to seed, ready to spread its beauty throughout the yard and much to the neighbor’s dismay, into theirs!
I inherited this lovely white dahlia from the previous owner. I have been unable to grow any other dahlias!! There must be a mole somewhere who has eaten the others. Shhhh. Why s/he hasn’t found this one, I have no idea.Gardens really are a microcosm of life. There is always work to be done. There is always beauty to be found. Taking time every day to look at both of those things is good.
-
Falling into the next season
Posted on October 20th, 2009 No commentsWednesday, September 23, 2009
Happy Autumnal Equinox! It is fall time. Here in California, we share the same shortening of the days as everyone, but we are still eating tomatoes and watermelon, though they won’t last much longer. I have personal chef friends and colleagues all across the country with whom I share recipes along with many other business related ideas. Gone are the postings of tomato and salad recipes. Our in boxes are full of soups, stews, and winter squash ideas.
Eating seasonally has become as trendy as being a locavore these days. This is a good thing! Eating locally and seasonally is not a new idea. It goes all the way back to caveman/woman days. You ate what you could harvest and hunt. You relished the fresh greens out of the ground in the spring,filled your bellies with berries in the summer, dug roots in the fall,and saved what you could keep over the winter.Fall is the season for harvesting, reaping what we have sown and nurtured through out the summer. Think of this on the physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Fall is a time of balance of the light and the dark, time to work on our own balance, again inner and outer. What in your life is out of balance ?We naturally gravitate away from the cold refreshing foods of summer – salads, juicy fruits, cold and tart. Now is the time for roasting root vegetables, making pots of soup that fill the house with their aroma, sipping hot tea instead of iced, baking.Go to the farmers’ market if you can, or look in your favorite grocery store for what is fresh and in season. Have you ever had a roasted parsnip ? celery root? a yellow or chiogga beet ? When was the last time you ate turnips, if you ever have ?? Roasting root vegetables is a delicious and easy way to enjoy the fall bounty.Roasted Root VegetablesUse what ever vegetables you like or want to try. These work well… carrots, potatoes, beets, parsnips, celery root, turnips, rutabaga, onions. The celery root you will want to peel, but I don’t bother with the rest. Just make sure they are clean and cut out the bad spots. I like bite size chunks. Just make sure you cut everything approximately the same size. Preheat your oven to 400º. Fill a large sheet pan/baking sheet with your veggies. Coat with olive oil ( several Tablespoons), salt and pepper. Depending on your tastes you could add garlic ( whole cloves or granulated), Herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, rosemary. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Check after the first 15, stir and turn over the veggies for even cooking. You want some crispy caramelization. Enjoy. I like the leftovers with eggs for breakfast.
