Spring

BERRY-GINGER COCKTAIL

Sara Forte · November 4, 2014

I went over to her house to pick up some chairs on loan for our dining table. My Aunt Suzy wasn't using them, it will take me months to pick out chairs for our new table, and I like to get Curran out to say hi. I've mentioned my Aunt before - my mom's sister, the only aunt I've grown up close to, geographically speaking, who has been fighting ovarian cancer for six years. She had a beautiful drawing of a skeleton sitting out and I couldn't believe she drew it herself. Actually I could, she's good at a lot of things, art being one of them. As she pulled the drawing closer, she pointed where she had drawn arrows to all the parts in her own body where tumors have grown. She used the technical names of the organs, as you would expect a very conscientious woman would. A lump rose in my throat as she talked about it so matter of factly, like it was no big thing to go through your cancer records and make an illustration of the sick parts of your body that are designed to keep you alive. I didn't say much because it made me sad and I'm certain that as unbelieveably positive she is, it had to have made her sad too. She wiped a few treasured baby toys clean and played with my son and he smiled back at her. I thought of taking a picture because the moment felt important to me, even though I was just going by to pick up chairs, but she has been a supportive, encouraging and generous role model for me, and seeing Curran gaze at her with the affection I feel but infrequently express, was special. But I believe we can take pictures in our minds too, and I'll always hold that image. The drawing keeps popping in my head and I've been thinking about how we deal with grief - how to humbly empathize with someone I love who has been fighting for six long years. That terrible, cliche saying, "live like you're dying" (which we all are at some rate), what does that look like in a practical sense? Not in the hike a major mountain or skydive sort of way, but in the everyday. The small moments.

In this recent interview I read from Anne Lamott she answers a handful of questions about her new book and on life in general. She's speaking on self-consciousness here, but I love theses lines:

"It gets infinitely better as you get older. You’ve lost your parents and some friends, and you feel so amazed and grateful that you still have the gift of life. You figure out that what your butt looks like is 143rd on the list of what is meaningful here, during our brief stay. You throw stuff out of the plane that keeps you flying too low. And yet; and yet. It’s still a struggle."

I've wasted a good amount of time lately concerned about fixing up our house, my post-partum body, our "long term plan" but then I saw Suzy's drawing. What I wanted to tell her was that it's not over. Cancer hasn't won. I'm so proud of her and grateful for the person she has been to me in the thirty years I've been her niece. I have nieces and nephews of my own now, and I hope to be as good to them as you've been to me. This weekend a big group of family and friends are hiking to raise money and awareness for womens cancer research and to celebrate Suzy. It honors a remarkable woman. So, a cocktail. Cheers. Bottoms up. To the strongest fighter I know. May your plane be flying high.

BERRY GINGER COCKTAILS // Make 1 drink

Adapted from Bon Appetit

I know we're all into apples and squash and such but my car thermostat said 76' this afternoon and there are still berries at my farmers market. If you can get your hands on juicy, bright red berries, go for it. Thawed, frozen berries will give you the same pretty color with likely a little less flavor but it's still worth the cocktail, if you ask me.

Lemon Ginger Syrup

4 ounces peeled, chopped fresh ginger
1/4-1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4-1/3 cup agave nectar

Blitz the ginger in a food processor to form a coarse paste. Put it in a saucepan along with 3 cups of water and simmer for 30-40 minutes until reduced by half. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and strain it into a container. Stir in the lemon juice and agave nectar (I used roughly 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup agave. Adjust to your taste). This will make more syrup than you need but can be stored, covered in the fridge for two weeks.

3 strawberries (fresh or thawed frozen berries)
2 oz. tequila
2 oz. lemon ginger syrup
glug of soda water
ice and super thin lemon slices for serving

In your glass, cut up the berries and muddle them in the bottom of the glass. Fill it up with ice. Add the tequila, ginger syrup and a splash of soda water. Give it a stir, taste and add more of whichever you fancy.

Garnish with lemon slices and drink. I suppose you could make a pitcher of this for a party or shower just multiply each ingredients by about eight.

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Appetizer, Entrée, Snack, Spring, Gluten Free

LEMONGRASS + COCONUT SUMMER ROLLS

Sara Forte · October 15, 2014

I have waxed on about how helpful it is to stay on track eating healthfully when you have things ready in the fridge. This usually requires a "cook day," where I just embrace the mess and make about six things that will keep a few days. Always a batch of granola, a treat (recently these! and I'm making these next!), some quick protein like this egg salad or the beach day tuna salad from our cookbook, and a sturdy green salad that can sit like this fabulous kale goodness. I have found this to be especially crucial when working from home (due to frequent grazing) and now having a mini person, simply because I am not always interested in making myself lunch and would rather eat another few handfuls of trail mix and a piece of toast than make a mess and wash dishes. I value home cooked meals, eating wholesome and seasonal dishes, I'm passionate about the art of cooking and the joy there is in feeding people well, but the ebb and flow of life just changes the pace at which I am able to do these things. I know the same goes for you, as I am flattered by the emails I receive from people asking me for recipes that are ideal for travel, to freeze, for sick friends, or to make ahead for busy work weeks. I know our recipe index here is not user-friendly at all and a website make over is totally on the radar, but in the meantime, I will say that summer rolls are sort of amazing for all said circumstances. They keep well for a few days, fit most dietary issues by being gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian and don't need to be warmed which makes them extremely portable.

The thoughtful couple, David and Luise, write the blog Green Kitchen Stories and I am a huge fan of their first cookbook Vegetarian Everyday. They've created a new (incredibly gorgeous and inspired) cookbook that showcases a collection of photos and recipes from their travels around the globe. It's the sort of book that takes you somewhere else and jump started me out of a bit of a rut that was happening in my own kitchen. I was flipping through looking for something that I could bring to my sister in law and her family who are welcoming home a new baby boy. We ended up keeping these rolls because I ate too many to warrant covering them for a full meal, but I will be packaging up a polenta mushroom situation from the book that is perfect as these nights are cooling down. All to say, I keep my cookbook collection pretty tailored and I'm proud to have this beauty on my shelf.

LEMONGRASS + COCONUT SUMMER ROLLS // Makes about 8

Recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Travels

Maybe it is the California girl in me but I would add avocado next time. I like some creaminess with my veggie packed rolls, so just add some thin slices with your collection of other filling ingredients if you wish.

8 ounces extra firm tofu
2 stalks lemongrass, smashed and chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp. maple syrup
juice of one lime

// dipping sauce //
1/3 peanuts or 1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 package rice paper
1 head of butter lettuce, cleaned and separated
1 big handful of mint
1 big handful cilantro
1/2 a cucumber, cut into match sticks
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into match sticks
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
2/3 cup sprouts of choice or grated carrots
sesame seeds, optional

Drain and pat the tofu dry. In a large dish, combine the lemongrass, lime, maple and soy sauce. Add the tofu and marinate for 30 minutes.

To make the dipping sauce, toast the peanuts and blend all the sauce ingredients together.

Arrange all the filling ingredients and prepare a large bowl of warm water. Dip a sheet of rice paper in the water to soften, and lay it out on a damp dish towel or cutting board. Layer a lettuce leafs, a pinch of mint, cilantro, a slice of tofu, cucumber, mango, coconut flakes and sprouts and/or carrots. Fold the top over the filling, then the sides and roll tight to close. Repeat with remaining rolls. Serve with dipping sauce. These will keep in the fridge under a damp paper towel for 2-3 days.

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Entrée, Snack, Gluten Free, Spring, Summer

FIESTA KALE SLAW WRAPS

Sara Forte · July 29, 2014

It's been nearly a month since we posted last and literally it feels like we were just here last week. Every stranger keeps telling me "time flies" or "it'll go by so quick!" As if that's just something you say to moms when you see a little baby. But it's not only that they grow quickly, which they do, but because your time and attention gets so enraptured in this tiny person that it's really true what they say - the days seriously whiz past. The mortgage is due AGAIN? Didn't I just mow the lawn? How are we already out of groceries? I feel like I just had a baby last week but I suppose it's appropriate to jump back into real life now. Real life, but with a newborn. Which, of course, changes absolutely everything.

I'm taking the blame for passing on this personality trait, but Curran is a particular little fellow. The boy knows what he likes and what he doesn't. He's really happy and flirty when he's well rested and has a full belly but he makes it quite clear when his environment is less than ideal. He prefers to be held at all times, has gas volume that rivals that of a grown adult, a natural mohawk inside his infant bald spots and a smile that makes the exhaustion and baby-mind-reading (or lack there of) a barely noticeable speed bump. I just stare at his sweet face and smile back over the complete joy that my son recognizes me. He knows me! Who'd have thought something so simple would make me so happy. I will gracefully admit this season has taken some getting used to. I'm tired and I lose my patience beneath his crying sometimes and I miss when I could just come and go when I wanted, but life feels so much more full with him here. We're living this life of relationship and experience and he is the character in our story that had been missing and it feels so right to have him here.

Meals have been pretty simple lately and I suppose it'll be that way for awhile, but I'm making big bowls of sturdy green or grain salads that we can keep in the fridge and grab when we only have one free hand to eat with. This is my recent favorite so I made it again for you. Hugh added bacon to his, so there 's that, but I think you could add in a variety of different proteins if you prefer. I'm including a picture of our baby Bug, down at the bottom, because he's just the cutest thing and I wanted to show you :)

FIESTA KALE SLAW WRAPS // Makes 4

I try to chop everything small so it's easy to wrap up. They turn out to be a little messy but they taste great. The wrap makes it more filling and portable but the salad can stand alone as a meal as well. I wrapped up a few extras in parchment to keep in the fridge. Note the tortillas will give under the moisture of the slaw so if you're planning on eating it any further than a day away, keep the slaw and tortilla separate until ready to eat.

1 Tbsp. muscavado or brown sugar
pinch of cayenne
2/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 small bunch kale, stemmed and shredded
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup baby tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 small english cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 cup cooked lentils, black or green preferably
1 large avocado, diced
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
juice of two limes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/4 cup sour cream or non dairy sour cream
4 brown rice or flour tortillas for wrapping

In a small, nonstick skillet over medium low heat, warm the muscavado or brown sugar with a pinch of cayenne and salt. Add the pepitas and stir so the sugar sticks to the nuts and they smell toasty - about 5 minutes. Remove to cool on a piece of parchment (or left in the pan is fine).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the kale, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, cilantro, lentils, avocado and feta. Add the juice of both limes, olive oil, hot sauce, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the cooled pepitas and toss everything together to mix.

Warm the tortillas over the stove. Add a spoonful of sour cream down the center of the tortilla, add a pile of the kale slaw and wrap 'er up. Wrap everything in parchment to keep it together for portability or to make in advance and keep in the fridge.

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