Month: August 2010

A Road Less Traveled

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This is a post I wrote over a year ago, just after launching the beta of NOURISH Evolution. It could have been written yesterday (and its exhortation is still applicable to me today) about being on the other side of so many other things: the NOURISH Evolution redesign, the launch of My Nourish Mentor, growing comfortable with teaching and leading and being on TV. We all go at such a pace it can be easy to forget where we’ve come from. Maybe you, too, are at a place where it would do you good to pause and ponder … what you’ve accomplished, what still lies ahead, who you are. If that’s you, I hope you enjoy revisiting this as much as I did.

For months and months and months I’ve been going at a pace that I knew I couldn’t–didn’t want to—sustain, just to get over the hump. And now that NOURISH Evolution is on its feet in its first iteration, I feel like I’m finally on the other side. Which is very good. One of my goals was to get over the hump before the end of July, when my daughter starts her first days of pre-school, so I can really focus on nourishing my family and friendships.

But I realized this weekend that in order to do that, I also needed time to renew myself.

road-less-traveled

So this morning I woke up committed to taking some me time. I dropped Noemi off at daycare still unsure of where I was headed. Yoga? I thought . . . but my body is sore and a class felt like too much. A walk with Jann? I thought  . . . but Jann’s grandsons are in town and she’s got her hands full. It was early and cool on a day destined to be a scorcher, and I suddenly realized how much I craved being outside, walking, moving, inhaling. I headed towards West Dry Creek to take my usual loop around Brack and Jameson alone; a walk that I know every step of almost by heart.

And then I felt a gentle urging to keep driving up the road; to go someplace I hadn’t been before.

So I did, not much further, just a mile or two. I turned left onto Wine Creek Road, parked at the edge of a vineyard and stepped out to explore. All the elements were the same—lush vineyards, the broad shoulders of St. Helena in the distance, the gentle rise of Geyser Peak—but the perspective on each was different than I was used to and I felt like I was seeing the beauty of this place with fresh eyes. I recognized the scent of crushed fruit and dusty earth that has brought tears to my eyes more than once in the past for the sentiment it stirs in me of a longing satisfied. I stopped to nibble on plump blackberries and plums and marveled anew how breakfast can grow wild by the side of the road.

This place claimed me over a decade ago; it was the first place I ever felt called home to and it’s where I am content and humbled to be raising a daughter I never could have imagined with a husband I never could have hoped for doing what I never would have dared dream.

I just needed to be reminded.

It was a road I hadn’t traveled before—much like the one I’m headed down with NOURISH Evolution—and it was just where I needed to be.

Wheat Berry Salad with Middle Eastern Spices, Grilled Tomatoes & Eggplant

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This wheat berry salad always wows those new to whole grains. The smokiness of the grilled tomatoes, creaminess of the eggplant and haunting complexity of the spice paste create quite a sensation. Soft wheat berries have a toothsome starchy quality that works well in this recipe.

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Melissa’s Cookbook

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Win a free signed copy of Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce!

We love the good folks at Melissa’s for bringing specialty produce and other goodies to markets across America.

And we really love their new book, Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce. It’s brimming with tips and recipes to use everything from apples to herbs to tangerines and turnips. Make a lovely Mediterranean Salsa with end-of-summer tomatoes or Spicy Grilled Corn on the Cob with Parmesan for your next cookout.

We’re giving away one free copy, signed by author Cathy Thomas, to a lucky member.

But you have to play to win.

So here’s the deal. Normally, we’ll have a link here where you can go to the Weekly Giveaway group forum and sign up to win. But we’re having a bit of a glitch setting up new forums at the moment, so just leave a comment here to be entered to win (important: be sure you’re signed in to NOURISH Evolution so we can find you … or sign up, if you haven’t already—only NOURISH Evolution members are eligible to win).

I’ll announce the winner in next Friday’s Friday Digest!

Good luck!

Note: This contest is closed … congratulations, Julie!

Fresh At the Farmers’ Market: Pick a Pack of Bell Peppers

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Sweet bell peppers always seem to be around–and to some degree, they are. You can find them at the supermarket year-round. But this is their peak season, when they ripen in home gardens and flood farmers’ market stands.

With their iconic bell shape and primary hues ranging from green to red, yellow, and orange (you’ll even find shades of purple), these peppers are the workhorses of the kitchen. We reach for them whenever we want to add a little crunch to a slaw or a dash of color to a stir-fry.

I confess that while I appreciate their sunny palette, mild flavor, and lovely texture, I usually make bells play second fiddle to the fiery glamour of their hot chile pepper cousins. That’s too bad, because they deserve the spotlight. Bell peppers certainly pack an impressive nutritional punch. A red bell has nearly twice as much vitamin C as a navel orange; orange and yellow peppers have even more.

Choosing

As with any produce, you want bell peppers that are brightly colored, unblemished, and firm with thick flesh. Green bell peppers are, basically, unripened versions and taste less sweet (some say, bitter) than red, orange, or yellow peppers. Which variety to use depends on what you want in terms of flavor and color.

Using

You can recruit bell peppers to add a background note to all manner of dishes or make them the star attraction (they’ll enjoy the spotlight). Some ideas:

  • An aromatic base: Just as mirepoix (chopped onion, carrot, and celery) is the basis of many French dishes, Louisiana cooks rely on their “trinity” of green bell peppers, celery, and onion as a key ingredient in Cajun and Creole dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.  A version of Italian soffrito calls for sauteing minced green bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil as the first step in many recipes.
  • As a vessel: Stuffed peppers are a standby dinner in many households. Just cut off the top, discard the seeds and stems, and stuff them with a filling (a combo of browned lean ground beef and cooked brown rice or quinoa would work; so would our Easy Rice Pilaf). Bake your stuffed peppers at 350 F for about 15 minutes.
  • In a hot dish: Sure, temperatures are soaring now, but cooler evenings aren’t far off. Bell peppers play very nicely in cozy chilis and curries, like Kurt’s Iowa City Chili and Lia’s Pumpkin Curry.
  • In a sauce or side: To try bell peppers paired with deliciously complex Aztec flavors, make Lia’s Grilled Onions with Chile-Nut Puree. Our Sweet Pepper Confit shows off a variety of red, yellow, and orange peppers cooked over low heat until they’re meltingly tender for a condiment that works as well on sandwiches as it does sausages.

My version of Spanish romesco sauce here puts roasted red bell peppers front and center in a versatile sauce that’s starring in lots of meals at our house this week–pasta, pizza, a dipper for grilled shrimp … give it a try and let us know how you end up using it.

Roasted Red Pepper Romesco Sauce

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Romesco sauce is delicious staple of Spanish cuisine. Our version of Catalonian tomato-red pepper romesco sauce boosts the ratio of roasted bell peppers. There are lots of ways to roast peppers and other items. Lia likes to do it on the stovetop in a comal (a flat griddle pan). You can also throw them on a hot grill (especially good and smoky if you add soaked wood chips to the coals or a smoker box), or use a pair of tongs to hold peppers over the open flame of a gas stove. Since this recipe calls for roasting a fairly large volume, we pop ‘em under the broiler. However you do it, the result is a simple, smoky romesco sauce that you can serve with grilled bread as an appetizer; as a condiment with fish, poultry, or meat; tossed with pasta; or even on pizza in place of traditional tomato sauce. It may just end up being your new all-purpose sauce.

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Picnic Gear Guide

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To me, summer is synonymous with picnic. Sure, there are barbecues. There’s abundance in the garden too. But summer—warm weather of any sort as a matter of fact—makes me crave a picnic more than just about anything.

For Christopher and me, that used to mean an elaborate spread paired to both the wines and ambiance of a certain place (ah, the rigors of living in wine country). Just as often now, though, it means we raid the fridge and head to the Plaza where we can nibble while our daughter roams. It can even mean throwing down a blanket in the garden, as I do with Noemi when she’s cranky; it’s amazing how ‘declaring’ a picnic can lift a mood.

In terms of gear, picnics can run the spectrum. I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite options, whatever your style may be, for our first ever Summer Picnic Gear Guide:

The Basics

  • Fold-up Blanket — We keep one of these stashed in the truck at all times for impromptu picnics. All that’s needed is wine, cheese, bread and friends and you’ve got yourself an afternoon to remember.
  • Recliner – Our friends had one of these at a concert in the Plaza recently and I’ve been coveting them ever since. They’re super-sturdy, adjust to six different positions and fold flat to carry.
  • Mini Grill Grilling — These adorable little grills are small enough to keep in your trunk (along with your Impromptu blanket) with a bag of charcoal. Have sausage, will picnic.

Coolers

  • Minimalistic — Another impromptu winner. Glasses, plates, flatware and a cooler built into a nifty-looking sling-on.
  • Simple and whimsical — There’s something about this sprightly tote that screams BEACH to me. It’s got a lightweight aluminum frame with an insulated, waterproof interior and canvas exterior.
  • Everything-you-need on your back — If you’re more apt to bring a picnic on a hike in the mountains than a jaunt to the beach, then this is the backpack for you. It’s made of 600 denier polycanvas and has plates, utensils, napkins, a cutting board and even a fleece blanket. Just pack it up, pop it on and go.
  • A roller to go — Another has-everything-you-need combo, only on wheels. It’s even got salt and pepper shakers.

Corn and Quinoa Pasta Salad

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This pasta salad was a hit when Alison and I made up a giant batch of it to serve at the Taste of Sonoma event a few years ago. I first made this for a potluck picnic at church and no less than five people came up to me and said, “Did you by chance make that quinoa salad? It was de-LICOUS!” (when pondering what to name it, Sierra even recommended Really Yummy Pasta Salad). And here I was afraid the quinoa would freak people out. Truth is, there’s a lot to love about this salad: a healthy dose of whole grains in the form of quinoa and whole grain penne, a break from basil with chives and parsley, and a lip-smacking tart-sweet balance from the corn and lime juice combo. This pasta salad is a potluck winner, whether you’re making it for a backyard barbecue or a high-end event. And, yep, you can make this pasta salad a day in advance — in fact it tastes even better when you do because the flavors have time to develop.

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