Green Salad of Nectarines, Corn & Peanuts . Sprouted Kitchen
Not in the head space to write much, but I wanted to share this salad we had at a backyard dinner with friends last week before another weekend passed. It was the perfect late summer salad - a place for those sweet nectarines that I cannot get enough of (also been throwing them in my morning steel cut oats with cardamom and salted pistachios. Recommended). It was one of the better salads I've thrown together, perhaps because I wasn't expecting it to be such a delicious and easy combination. I feel like a much better cook when I am not trying hard to be a good cook...that must make sense for those of you who write recipes and blogs about food. It's annoying really, and maybe the demon of people who do creative work for a living. Anyway, here is the recipe, give or take, and I'm wishing you all a full weekend ahead. Heidi's salad looks amazing, I want these wraps, Ashlae's cookies and will never pass up a berry crumble. Go eat outside!
Green Salad of Nectarines, Corn & Peanuts . Sprouted Kitchen
GREEN SALAD OF NECTARINES, CORN + PEANUTS // Serves 4
The first time I made this, I used a mix of baby arugula, kale and romaine. You really can use any greens you like, but if you go with something sturdy like kale, cut it with another soft lettuce as well. For aesthetics and texture contrast, I'm a proponent of mixing lettuces and greens.
When a dressing is this simple, I (lazily, because I don't want to wash another bowl) drizzle everything on top and just toss it well to distribute. Do as I say, not as I do and whisk it all before it that sounds a little haphazard to you. I like to live on the edge and risk a mouthful of mustard in one bite.
2 tsp. coconut oil
1 ear of corn
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
4 cups chopped red leaf lettuce
4 cups mixed greens (I used a 'power green' pack)
handful of roughly chopped cilantro
1 ripe necartine, diced
1 shallot, finely minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup crumbled feta, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup roasted and salted peanuts, plus more for garnish
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
sea salt and pepper
Green Salad of Nectarines, Corn & Peanuts . Sprouted Kitchen
in a small pan, heat the coconut oil over medium high heat. Cut the corn kernels away from the cob and add them to the hot pan with a sprinkle or salt and the smoked paprika. Saute, only moving once or twice so the edges char, for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the corn cool completely.
In a large salad bowl, combine both greens, cilantro, the diced nectarine, shallot and half of the feta, peanuts and cooled corn. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, white balsamic, agave, mustard and a pinch of both salt and pepper. Dress the salad as desired and sprinkle the remaining feta, peanuts and corn on top. Serve immediately.
Green Salad of Nectarines, Corn & Peanuts . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
This small town isn't even accessible by road - you must come in by air or sea. It's not an island, but it functions like one - small population, expensive groceries, lots of boats. Nelly, who works for the Copper River Salmon Marketing Board, picked us up in her old Westfalia van which we packed full of extensive baby equipment that only new parents on their first trip with a baby would imagine was necessary. There is a beautiful thing that happens when you don't have expectations. I was busy with a new baby and a few catering jobs and didn't have time to build any before we left and regret that's unlike me. I didn't know I was going to fall in love with Alaska. It wasn't a destination high on my "must visit" list, which made the beauty and charm all that much more appreciable.
We eat wild salmon. It costs more but it tastes better and I care about the sustainability and quality, so I find the price tag worth it. There is a charming story behind the wild salmon from the Copper River that I felt privileged to get a peek into. The salmon season last a few short months in the late spring/early summer and the fishermen work hard during that season to fish the Copper River Delta. We spent some time on a commercial fishing boat and the job is not an easy one. You must revere the water and the fish; it's what the industry hinges on. What the whole town hinges on, really. The fishermen head out rain or shine and fish virtually around the clock for as long as the Fish and Game Department allows them. Clearly these families fish for a living, but in talking to the the fisherman, there was a united respect they have for the ecosystem which they depend on. The Watershed Project, a local non-profit, is dedicated to preserving the salmon by researching their environment and teaching kids how to preserve their habitat.
We had a chance to meet with a small team that spends the summer along side Childs Glacier monitoring salmon escapement via sonar (literally counting the fish that swim by for months). We had a salmon pot luck with the fishermen's wives, gaped at glaciers and bald eagles and a pod of Orcas, caught some salmon, and enjoyed a tiny bit of the vast landscape that makes the state remarkable. We met so many people who love this town, who care about the salmon and the Copper River, and want to tell its story. What an honor it was to be a part of it for a short week.
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Copper River Salmon . Cordova, Alaska . Sprouted Kitchen
Hugh's photos are gorgeous and it still doesn't do the place justice. This trip was sponsored by Copper River Salmon and all opinions are my own.
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 :)
ZFiesta Kale Slaw Wraps . Sprouted Kitchen
ZFiesta Kale Slaw Wraps . Sprouted Kitchen
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
ZFiesta Kale Slaw Wraps . Sprouted Kitchen
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.
