The crisp, tart qualities of purslane pairs beautifully with beets. If you’d rather have your beets two ways, try Mama Kourtesi’s Beet and Greens Salad.
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Author Archives: Lia Huber
Seeking Solitude
I just spent three blissful days in Point Reyes by myself. It’s funny, when I tell people I’m going away solo—often on a silent retreat—I’ll get gasps and eye pops and “don’t you get lonely?”
The answer is no. In fact, in the beginning it’s quite the opposite.
I’ve sought solitude enough now to have discovered that the first step to silence is often a lot of noise. As external distractions diminish, internal chatter becomes a roar. Sometimes, this drives me nuts. On this particular trip, though, I was more like, “huh … interesting.”
And that’s just my voice. I had plenty of others keeping me company too. Brother Lawrence. Jan Chozen Bays. Jesus. Chris Guillebeau (if you haven’t checked out his website or new book yet, do). The silence with which I’d surrounded myself eventually, within a day or so, scrubbed my mind clean—like the ocean scraping back the sand all nice and smooth after a wave has crashed—so that the thoughts sparked by these other voices had room, space, oxygen to ignite.
And ignite they did.
I feel like I’ve had my head down for months and months between launches, conferences, redesigns and the rest of life, and it was a real gift to lift my eyes and see again—clearly—the WHY behind it all.
A total bonus on this trip was how much fun I had. Like belly laugh, big sigh fun. I went for a gorgeous hike up Mount Wittenberg (confession … I wasn’t totally alone on that—several of you joined me on Facebook and Twitter and it was fun to have you along!). I sat on a dune, closed my eyes and listened to the Pacific (did you know that waves are louder going out—that scraping of the sand—than they are coming in?). On the way back inland, I had to stop five times for five separate tribes of little quailies scurrying across the road. I ate oysters. I prayed, unrushed. I laid on the beach for as long as I wanted without having to be anywhere next.
And, despite the 691 new messages in my inbox, the solitude is still a soft cushion around me. Whereas, last Thursday, I gulped lunch while taking care of last-minute to-dos, today I ate my sandwich outside with no greater distraction than the breeze in the leaves and the curious fact that our fig tree has doubled in size since I left.
For anyone who says, “I want to do that!” I’ll offer these few guidelines to seeking solitude that I’ve gleaned over the years.
1) Be deliberate about your time. Both when you plan your getaway and what you do once you’re there. Last year, I took a retreat before a big conference and was distracted during and overwhelmed afterward. This year, I planned my retreat after the big push and felt much more free.
2) Be in the moment. I like to have absolutely nothing planned going into my retreats so that I can respond to what I’m feeling led to do in the moment. This time, especially, it felt like exercising a mindfulness muscle; I could feel myself getting more responsive to the call of the present moment as time went on.
3) Pack light. I am a chronic overpacker. But on solo retreats it’s better to have not enough than too much. Too much gives you an excuse to stuff the hours full of should-dos. Not enough forces you to make do with (and be delighted by) what’s already there … like when I had some time to spare and tilted back my head only to notice tufts of fog were advancing on the blue sky. I ended up “playing” with the shapes for a good 15 minutes.
4) Stay simple. Where you stay doesn’t have to be grand either. I favor hermitages, monasteries and retreat houses, all of which offer humble accommodations at super affordable prices.
It’s important to recognize that pursuing solitude is different than taking a business trip alone. It’s deliberately removing yourself from external interactions so you can hear yourself more clearly and delve down into the essence of you. If, as you read through this, you feel a flutter of curiosity, here’s a place to start. No matter what you want to get out of your retreat or what your faith or belief, odds are there’s a quiet refuge on this listing that’s just right for you.
Honey-Roasted Fig Tartine with Prosciutto
I had a fantastic sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery while in Point Reyes, CA, this weekend that reignited my love of sandwiches … in particular, topless ones called “tartines.” I made this one with leftover Red Hawk from my visit, along with luscious figs picked up en route. Drizzling the fig with honey and popping it under the broiler gives it an impromptu jammy quality; especially good paired with gooey cheese and crisp prosciutto.
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A Brand New Look!
Yippee! NOURISH Evolution has a brand new look! And a ton of fun new features too. We’re still working out the kinks (just went live in the wee hours of Wednesday morning), so bear with us while we sweep up the dust. I promise an official welcome tour next week!
Canal House Books
Do you know these guys yet? If not, you should (and you actually probably already do, even if you don’t know it, since they’ve both been big names in the food media biz for a long time). Their latest book, Farm Markets and Gardens, is hot off the presses with simple, fresh recipes that capture the essence of summer like cold avocado and cucumber soup and grilled branzino. Order here for $19.95 … or sign up subscription style for three books a year for $49.95.
The Language of the Kitchen
I know I’ve been writing a lot on Guatemala as of late. But, hey, there’s been a lot to write about. Like, for instance, the fact that I recently got into the kitchen to cook side by side with Ana Maria Chali Calan this week.
Many of you know that Christopher and I support Ana Maria’s daughter Mayra in her university studies, and I’ve written about what that means to me. But when we first became connected with the Calan family, I never imagined that Ana Maria and I would be teaching a class together here in Healdsburg.
A couple of months ago, although it seems like days, a few of us had a little planning session in my garden about how to bring Ana Maria back to the states. Slow Food Sonoma County had brought Ana Maria here in November 2008, as the leader of the indigenous women’s association AMIDI, to exchange ideas about farming and foodways in Guatemala and America.
One concern that Ana Maria voiced in 2008 was the proliferation of poorly ventilated stoves, which are both a safety and health hazard. As a result of Ana Maria’s diplomacy here, our organization was able to raise enough money to donate 41 fuel-efficient stoves shortly after her return, one to each member of AMIDI. But it didn’t stop there. Guatemalan officials heard about the stoves and went to the village to see them in action. They were so impressed that they decided to install over 6,000 of them throughout highland villages, improving—and likely even saving—numerous lives.
Fast forward—and I mean fast forward (the generous Bowmans sprung for Ana Maria’s ticket and Marilee mobilized everything expertly)—to Thursday, the day after Ana Maria arrived here in the U.S. I’m standing side by side with Ana Maria, I in my chef’s jacket and she in her huipil, and we’re preparing to teach a class together on using stone tools.
She teaches how to grind corn on a metate and hand-pat tortillas. I talked about making salsas and sauces in molcajetes (you all know I’m smitten for mortars and pestles) and then put everyone to work making their own. I even made Sandra’s Pollo en Jocon and got a thumbs up from Ana Maria herself.
This year, Ana Maria’s village faces even graver issues: the village was hit heavily by mudslides after a recent tropical storm. The water system was destroyed, houses were heavily damaged, and crops and fields and livestock were washed away. But she, they, will persevere. And we will be there to support them (if you’d like to help, click here on the donation page we’ve set up).
The language of the kitchen is universal (of course, it helps to have Marilee there translating). It never ceases to amaze me, whether in Mexico, France, Guatemala, Greece or right here at home, how strong and natural the bonds become when people are elbow to elbow washing leaves or shredding chicken or pounding herbs. Bodies relax. Divides disappear. Conversation flows freely … even when spoken in a foreign tongue.
Lia’s Black Beans
These have become our favorite black beans to accompany Latin American meals. I recently made these for a class I taught with Ana Maria from Guatemala and got the coveted thumbs up.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 guajillo chiles, soaked, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight (or fast-soaked in a pressure cooker)
Generous hit of sea salt
2 cups water
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion, poblanos and garlic, and sauté 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown. Add guajillo chiles and spices, and sauté 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add beans, salt, broth and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours, until beans are very tender.
Using a potato masher, mash the beans until there’s a mix of whole beans and creamy mashed beans.
Serves 10-12
Make Your Dishes Do Double Duty for Better Leftovers
One of the My Nourish Mentor crew mentioned during a session on meal planning recently that she loved the tips for getting creative with leftovers … especially now that summer’s here. I agree. Whether it’s the heat or just wanting to squeeze every little drop out of these long days, I’m less motivated to start meals from scratch every night of the week. So I look for ways to make the dishes I do cook do double duty.
I mentioned three ideas for getting creative with leftovers at Thanksgiving. Here are three more geared towards summertime:
- Plan ahead and make extra. While the piece on Thanksgiving leftovers is about using up what you already have, in summertime you have to be a bit more deliberate. Especially if you’re grilling, double the amount so you’ll have leftovers to work with. Alberto’s Marinated Grilled Asparagus, for instance, makes great picnic fare the next day.
- Think cool. Odds are when you do cook, you’ll eat your dinner hot off the grill (or out of the sauté pan). But flip the coin, too, and think of how the leftovers would shine when chilled. Like tossing these Spicy Sweet Shrimp in a fresh Glass Noodle Salad the next day.
- Season boldly. It’s one thing to have leftover steak (yawn). Entirely another to have a Spice Rubbed Skirt Steak to star in South of the Border Steak Salad with Grilled Peppers and Corn Salsa. Boldly flavored foods bring personality to reimagined leftovers later in the week, keeping your meals from being just ho-hum.
What are your favorite “take two” ideas?
Glass Noodle Salad with Spicy Sweet Shrimp
Holy smokes, this Asian noodle salad is yummy! And ridiculously easy to pull together, too, especially if you have extra Spicy Sweet Shrimp on hand–or substitute other leftovers, like Mahogany Grilled Chicken. Packed with flavor yet light and refreshing, this noodle salad is a go-to, one-dish healthy dinner.
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Granita, granita!
The first time I made granita I was in fourth grade. We were putting together a “cultural” cookbook and potluck lunch, and I pulled China and Italy out of the hat. After much deliberation, my Mom and I settled on Choo Choo Rice and Lemon Granita for the spread.
I don’t remember much about the Choo Choo Rice, but I do remember being enamored with granita. Who knew I could make my very own snow cone in our freezer with nothing more than a fork? My tastes have grown up since then, but my adoration of granita remains.
Granitas are a great way to show off seasonal fruits and herbs, and incredibly refreshing—whether as a palate cleanser in between courses, as a mid-day pick me up, or for dessert—in summer heat. Here are three simple steps to making your own:
Step 1 – Make a Flavorful Base – Granita is mostly water mixed with a little sweetener. Where it gets fun is in the juices and infusions you use to flavor the base. I love to use fragrant herbs, like the lemon verbena down below and different variations of basil, but zests and aromatics like ginger also work well. Blood orange makes for an especially colorful granita. You can really get creative here. Just bring the water and sweetener (honey and agave syrup work just as well as sugar) to a boil. Then turn off the heat, stir in the juice and flavorings and let steep for 30 minutes.
Step 2 – Strain and Chill – Once the mixture has steeped, strain the liquid into shallow pan and chill in the freezer for an hour.
Step 3 – Scrape it Into Granules – After an hour, the mixture will begin to form ice crystals. Use the tongs of an overturned fork to scrape the mixture and separate the granules. Freeze for another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the consistency you want your granita to be, scraping two or three more times to keep the mixture nice and fluffy.
While water is the most common liquid to use, I’ve also been wanting to experiment with buttermilk and wine. What’s your favorite flavor of granita?
