Somerville Winter Farmer’s Market, Take 1

I was very excited to learn that a Winter Farmer’s Market was coming to nearby Somerville, starting this weekend. I am trying embrace winter this year rather than resist it, and markets like this one make that easier by offering a place for a community to gather and select fresh, local foods. After attending a talk about The Locavore Way, I realized that there are plenty of local produce options in the winter, and I just need to learn to be a little more creative. The book was in my Christmas stocking, and a full review is on it’s way, but of course Amy Cotler encourages markets such as these.

My friend Lee was excited for the market too, so we headed there together on opening day. (Thanks to Chad for the ride!) It was so much more crowded than I expected, which is good for a market. But the crowds also make me a little more self conscious with my camera, so we snuck up to the second level to capture a few photos.

I was really pleased with the variety of vendors at this market. There was fresh produce of course, but also bread and baked goods, grass-fed meat, fish, and other items including wine. I hear that cheese will be featured in future weeks. My haul from the market included yellow and orange carrots, a watermelon radish, onions, apples, potatoes, and a head of cabbage. I also picked up a pork chop from Stillman’s Farm. Finally, we finished up with a taste of Sparkling Chardonnay hosted by Zoll Wine.

The fish vendor was so popular that they were sold out. But don’t worry, we’ll be back again soon. And thanks to Lee for helping me juggle my camera and bags. Let me know how you guys like those beets! We can always go back for more in a couple of weeks.

Spinach and Feta Pizza

When I need a fast and easy dinner, pizza is my go-to meal. And no, I don’t mean take out.

I buy either whole wheat or multi-grain dough, and then separate it into individual portions to freeze. So when it’s going to be a pizza night, I just have to remember to thaw the dough before I leave the house in the morning. This time, I thawed two portions of dough, and a box of spinach.

While the dough was resting on the counter under a towel, I squeezed the water out of the spinach, and mixed in a teaspoon of toasted Garlic Gold and a heaping quarter cup of feta cheese.

It’s important to let the dough rest for a bit so that it stretches easily. When the dough was ready, I shaped each piece into a thin circle, and then added the spinach-feta topping. After 12 minutes in the oven at 400F, it was pizza time. One for dinner, and one for tomorrow’s lunch.

Here’s to 2011

This blog has offered me so many opportunities over the past two years, not the least of which is the chance to really improve my cooking skills. Oh yes, I’ve had plenty of disasters, but I approach the process with genuine enthusiasm, and I am constantly looking for new ingredients, fresh ideas, and ways to improve. It’s important to me to stock my kitchen with healthy ingredients and create satisfying meals. I enjoy cooking for family and friends, and the reason I started the blog in the first place was to have a place to tell people what I was cooking.

But my motivation isn’t to become a famous chef and cook in a fancy restaurant, or have my own show on the Food Network. I am motivated by the impact that food has on health, and the science of nutrition. Over the years, I have gotten better at balancing meals and including multiple food groups. I focus more on fruits and vegetables. I rely less on prepared foods and cook more ‘from scratch’. I eat more plant-based foods, and less meat. I think more about where my food comes from, and what drives the price. And most importantly, I think of what each food offers and what my body needs, trying to create harmony. I want to cook meals that make me feel good.

On January 17, I’ll be taking another step to turn my passion for nutrition into a professional career. I am leaving my job in IT Management to pursue my Master’s degree in Nutrition full time. By the end of 2011, I will finish the academic work, and be placed in a dietetic internship in January 2012. Once that is complete, I can take the exam to become a Registered Dietitian. This long journey began 5 years ago when I stepped into my first college level biology class, wondering if I could succeed as a science student. I have been more successful than I could have possibly imagined.

When people ask me what I want to do when I become a dietitian, my first answer is that there are so many options. I have enjoyed the clinical aspect of my nutrition therapy classes, yet I think there are great opportunities to impact the community in public health as well. I am interested in weight management, diabetes, and women’s health. The more I learn, the more my interests grow.

So what does this mean for the blog? I will still be cooking of course, so I’ll still be blogging about it. I will continue to highlight some of the nutritional aspects of the recipes, but of course taste is really important too. I’d like to focus a bit more on seasonal, local ingredients. And I’ll show you how I fit cooking into a busy lifestyle!

I do hope to move the blog to my own domain, and spruce it up a bit. But all of this takes time, and I need to adjust to some significant life changes. So thanks in advance for your patience, and I look forward to sharing many more recipes with you in 2011! Cheers!

Potato and Leek Gratin

I’ve had this Potato and Leek Gratin recipe in my queue for a while. I remember gratins from when I was a kid, with thin slices of potato, a cheesy cream sauce, and crispy edges. This is a more sophisticated version, with sauteed leeks and more spices.

To make this recipe just a little healthier, I used reduced fat cheese and skim milk. However, the gratin turned out much more watery than I expected. The flavor was almost perfect, but there was a substantial amount of broth in the bottom of the dish. And that is why slotted spoons were invented. I think I would use less milk next time, or perhaps find a slightly different recipe, but I am keeping the leeks!

Balsamic Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

I did a lot of cleaning on New Year’s Day, including my produce drawer. That’s when I found a couple of carrots and parsnips asking to be roasted for dinner. I didn’t follow an exact recipe, but I tossed the cut slices with Garlic Gold, balsamic vinegar, salt, and paprika. Then I roasted them at 400F for about 45 minutes. They were fantastic served with some chicken that I rescued from the freezer. Take a look in your refrigerator and pantry, you never know what you’ll find!

Cold Sesame Noodles with Broccoli

Happy New Year! Did you catch my Top 10 Recipes of 2010? I’ll cover my goals for the year towards the end of the week, so today we’ll get right to the first recipe of 2011.

I saw this recipe for Sesame Peanut Sauce and was intrigued. Tea steeped for 3 hours? Happens sometimes when I forget about my mug. Peanut butter? A daily staple. Garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds? Like ’em all. So on New Year’s Day, my first order of business was pulling this sauce together. And then I used it to make these cold sesame noodles with broccoli. This was a great recipe, and perfect for slurping up while relaxing on a holiday. But this got even better when it sat in the refrigerator for a day, so it will make a great packed lunch!

6 oz. whole wheat linguine, cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water
8 oz. chopped broccoli, steamed, drained, and rinsed in cold water
1/2 c. Sesame Peanut Sauce
Mix noodles, broccoli, and peanut sauce in a bowl. Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Top 10 Recipes of 2010

I had a great time sorting through all the recipes I made in 2010, but it was so hard to choose my favorites. Most of the Top 10 are recipes that were also enjoyed by my family and friends. They are the “crowd-pleasers”, and the ones I will definitely make again in 2011. This year, I added an Honorable Mention category for recipes that aren’t Top 10 for taste, but trust me, the memories of making them will last a lifetime.

Breakfast
This crunchy buckwheat granola is a fabulous topping for yogurt, but could also be enjoyed as a portable snack. And it made a lovely hostess gift this fall in a pretty glass jar tied with ribbon.

Lunch
I made a lot of different lunch wraps this year, but my favorite used this curried cashew spread. It contains healthy fats and protein, and has so much flavor. The spread was perfect with some crunchy fresh vegetables on a whole grain wrap.

Appetizers
I feel guilty reminding you of these appetizers in the winter, but both the zucchini galette and the Tomato, Red Onion, and Basil Bruschetta were instant hits this summer. Seasonal produce, fresh herbs, enjoyed while watching beautiful summer sunsets….don’t worry, I’ll remind you again in July.

Dinner
This Chana Masala recipe got me started with Indian cooking. The spices are so beautiful, and this recipe really expanded my culinary horizons. I am proud to say that it became a dish I could throw together on a whim any weeknight.


I also had to include two different French dishes which are fancy enough for a dinner party, but easy enough for anyone to make: Mushroom Bourguignon, and Coq au Riesling. Plus, they provide the perfect excuse to sip wine while you cook.


Beverages
Speaking of wine, this Spiced Red Wine was a hit at my cookie swap. It’s easy to throw together, sits in your crockpot, and is suitable for any winter gathering.

Desserts
Two desserts really stood out this year. First, the Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes with Mint Cream which my family enjoyed somewhere around St. Patrick’s Day. But these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls were also great, and were well received at two different parties this fall.

Honorable Mention: Recipes I Won’t Forget

There was the great homemade cracker experiment of 2010, which led me to understand just how much salt is required to make a cracker tasty. Then there was the time my family took 25 lbs. of tomatoes and turned them into containers of homemade sauce. And finally, the night we spent making 2 monkey cakes and dozens of monkey cupcakes for my nephew’s 1st birthday party.

It’s been quite a year, and I thank you for sharing it with me. Next week we’ll talk about goals for 2011, and changes in the works, but right now I am off to make a veggie and dip tray to bring to a New Year’s Eve party.

Did I miss a recipe you really enjoyed? Feel free to tell me in the comments. Happy New Year!

My New Lunch Tote

A quick break from recipes to show you one of the things that Santa brought me: a new lunch tote! My current lifestyle requires me to pack at least one, and sometimes two meals when I leave the house. But this isn’t just any old lunch bag, this is a Built NY lunch tote that’s expandable, washable, and adorable! Is it sad that a lunch bag is one of my favorite Christmas gifts?

The first lunch I packed in the bag included: a half baked potato (in the plastic container), a piece of spinach crustless quiche, yogurt, and an orange. And look at all the room leftover in the bag…

I look forward to showing you future lunch bag contents in the future. Thanks Santa!

Polenta Stuffed Mushrooms

My other suggestion for Christmas Eve was polenta stuffed mushrooms. I know that sausage stuffing is perhaps more traditional, but as usual, I was looking for something different. There are a lot of recipe variations online, and I tried to combine the best of them. The end result was great and these were flying off the table when I realized I better grab one myself and snap a picture fast!

2 (10 oz.) packages button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 c. milk
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t dried basil

Place mushrooms stem side down in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, heat 1 T olive oil in a saucepan, and add 1 t minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes, being careful not to burn garlic. Add milk, thyme, and nutmeg, and stir for 5 minutes until warm. Whisk in cornmeal, and cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and add cheese and basil. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Stuff each mushroom cap with polenta.

Just before serving, bake stuffed mushrooms for 10-15 minutes at 350F.

Roasted Beets and Kale

Way back at Thanksgiving, my family planned our Christmas Eve menu. Lists were made on yellow legal pads, guest preferences were weighed, and then the final items were confirmed. I suggested the addition of a vegetable dish featuring roasted beets and kale. Red and green vegetables, get it? My sister claimed no one would eat this, especially in the midst of antipasto, baked stuffed shrimp, homemade manicotti, and ham.

I am happy to say that the dish went over pretty well! It did leave a trail of beet juice and olive oil in the bottom of my Mom’s oven, but she’s come to expect these things when I’m around. I modified the recipe above slightly, and here’s how it went:

6-8 beets, peeled and cubed
1/4 c. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
4-5 cups coarsely chopped kale leaves
1/2 c. feta cheese
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Toss beets, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a baking dish, and bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Add chopped kale, stir, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place vegetables in a bowl, and add feta cheese and balsamic vinegar. Taste and correct as needed. (I added another drizzle of olive oil, and more salt and pepper.) Serve at room temperature.