Post Easter Kale Quinoa Salad

It's been about 3 years since I last posted. In that time I've birthed two beautiful boys, completely transformed our backyard garden and play space, planted veggies with my toddler, let him take one bite of many homegrown tomatoes before spitting them out and throwing the remainders like baseballs, worked very hard at my office job, worked very hard at my parenting job, been a less than perfect but loving wife, and cooked hundreds of meals for my family. In the last three years, however, I have not spent much time being creative. Little to no time has been spent writing, crafting, painting, or playing music. The innate desire, or perhaps need, for personal creativity has been calling me recently, and for that reason I've decided to start writing on this blog again.

My two boys at last night's Easter celebration.

Today I sit at the keyboard with a fussy infant strapped to my chest (thank you Ergobaby!). Neither of us slept last night, it's mid day and I'm still in my PJs, and I have twenty pounds to loose before I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Not my prettiest moment, but  I'm thankful for this snuggly baby, I'm happy spring has arrived, and I'm enjoying this season of awakening and rebirth.

Our leftover Easter eggs

Partly in an attempt to get healthy and loose the pregnancy weight, I've recently been making several delicious kale & quinoa salads. I keep washed kale and cooked quinoa in the fridge so they're ready for me to use at any moment. These salads are healthy, light, and the nutrition is excellent for postpartum healing and milk production. My other motive for making these salads is that I have scads of kale that overwintered in the garden, and I want to use it up before planting my spring garden. The salad changes based on what I have on hand and what I'm desiring in the moment. Below is a picture and recipe of what I made today. I definitely recommend it.

Tuscan Style Kale & Quinoa Salad
A couple handfuls of fresh kale 
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of salt
A half cup or so of cooked quinoa (I like the red kind best)
A half cup or so of garbanzo beans
1 hard cooked egg
1 Tbs parsley
1 Tbs scallions
A sprinkling of parmesan cheese
A few Tbs of pesto vinaigrette

Add the kale, lemon juice, and salt to a medium bowl and gently massage the leaves for about one minute. This step is important because it helps the kale to become tender and easier to chew. Next add the remaining ingredients, toss, and enjoy.

Pesto Vinaigrette
1/4 cup vinegar, lemon juice, or combo of the two
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1 tsp honey
3 Tbs prepared pesto

Combine all ingredients and blend on high speed until the mixture is emulsified and you can no longer see evidence of the garlic clove. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to one week.  

Big news and what I'm craving right now!

Big news!  I'm currently growing a baby boy inside my abdomen. It's so crazy, it's so fun, and it's already changed everything.
The second and third months felt like a bad hangover, but now I'm in my sixth month and I'm feeling really good. I'm still working out with my trainer, I'm walking a lot, and really enjoying prenatal yoga.
I'm not riding my bike or snowboarding this winter, which I miss a lot, but neither of those activities feels safe to me right now. Besides, I'd have to change my position on the bike a lot so that I don't knee myself in the abdomen. Ha! I suppose my bikes will be waiting for me this summer after baby comes.

6 months and counting...

At 2 months I was flat-bellied but feeling sick. Ugh.

Look at that forced smile and tired eyes. So glad that part is over!

I've been having intense cravings for certain foods, which is fun and whacky and expected. Topping the cravings list are avocado, eggs, cabbage (especially bok choy), and citrus. The citrus craving was most intense with grapefruit in the first trimester when I was feeling nauseated, but has evolved to cara cara navel oranges now that I'm in the second. Food aversions are few, but they include salmon and on occasion coffee. I know caffeine is not ideal during pregnancy, but my midwife says it's fine for me to have a little to get me going in the mornings.

Here's the meal I'm craving most intensely right now (which means I have it for breakfast almost every day).

Avocado toast with a fried egg and a cara cara navel orange

I tell my husband that I'm turning all that good fat into a baby brain in order to score extra avocado. It works every time.

Recipe testing: Chocolate Chunk Muffins

My dear friend Zoe Nathan is writing her first cookbook, and it's going to be major. The collection will focus on baked goods, and she's asked a few of her nearest and dearest to do some recipe testing for her. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to both help her out, and to preview what's to come in the forthcoming book.

My first assignment: Chocolate Chunk Muffins. They were crispy on the edges, tender inside, and full of good dark chocolate. What's not to love?

I can't wait for this book to come out.

This week in the garden & basil pesto

Scarves, raincoats, and bike fenders have come out of summer storage and that is my cue to harvest and rip out all our summer season vegetable plants. Tomatoes, squash, basil, cucumbers, and tomatillos have all met their final resting place in the compost pile. I've brought the last of summer's bounty inside to eat right away, freeze, can, or to allow green tomatoes (still on the vine) to ripen on the counter.

Disease prevention: I harvest these plants not only so that I can get to them before our cold night time temperatures destroy them, but also for disease suppression. A good fall cleanup is one of the most effective steps we can take to prevent both insect and disease problems in the following growing season. I don't leave any roots, stems, leaves or fallen fruit behind because these residues provide food for vegetable-eating microbes and larvae over the winter, and I'm not interested in hosting the buggers.

To 'handle the harvest', this time of year I typically make a lot of sauces, and either freeze or can them to eat throughout the winter. My most frequently used freezer sauce is basil pesto. Everybody makes it slightly differently, but here's how I do it.

Basil Pesto
All measurements are approximate and exact ingredients will change depending on what I have on hand.
3 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds are all good)
1/3 grated cup hard cheese (parmesan and pecorino romano are both delicious)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In addition to the basil I add olive oil, salt, garlic, a hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino, and toasted nuts (usually pine nuts or walnuts, but today I only had almonds and they turned out delicious).

In a food processor I chop two cloves garlic with a good pinch of kosher salt. Then I add the nuts and combine until smooth. This way I can get the garlic and nuts very fine without having to over process the basil.

 Next I add about 3-4 cups of basil, about a third of a cup of grated cheese, and about 1/2 -1 cup of olive oil.  

I blend until smooth and silky, and adjust the amounts of olive oil and salt to my liking. I typically like my sauce pretty thin and smooth so I use a lot of oil, but you may not like it this way as much as I do. If not, just use less oil. Sart with 1/4 cup and add more until you reach the consistency you like best.

My favorite way to freeze pesto is in ice cube trays. I put 1 Tbs in each square and then freeze for at least 24 hours. I only have 4 ice cube trays, so any extra gets frozen in small tupperware containers. 24-48 hours later I pop the pesto out of the trays and transfer to a resealable freezer bag.   

I (almost) always write the contents and date on the freezer container. I typically think that I'll remember what's inside, and when I made it, but 6 months later there's just no way.
I believe that this pesto will last at least one year in the freezer, but I've never made it past 9 months before running out.

I love to use the 1 Tbs servings to spread on toast for fried egg sandwiches, and to mix with mayonaise for roasted turkey or BLT sandwiches. I defrost the tupperware containers when I want to use it to coat pasta.

What's your favorite way to make pesto? Have you tried it with greens or herbs other than basil? I once was at a dinner party where someone added butter to their basil pesto and it was delicious!
 

The best spinach you'll ever eat

A few years ago a stumbled upon the best spinach variety I've ever had - anywhere. The variety is called "Catalina" and I get it from Renee's Garden seed company. It's not only delicious, but also a reliable grower.

I hate it when raw spinach makes my mouth feel funny, or more specifically my teeth feel funny. Do you know what I'm talking about? Well this variety doesn't do that! Amazing right? It's tender and sweet, and even a bit soft. Like other spinach varieties it grows best in spring, and then bolts (goes to flower) once the temperatures pick up in early summer. At that point all spinach varieties need to be pulled up and replanted for fall harvest latter on in the summer (in Seattle that means mid July).
Spinach like this can't be cooked. I mean, how could you? Lately we've been eating classic spinach salads with hardboiled egg, white mushrooms, crispy bacon, and balsamic vinaigrette. Yumm.

Simple balsamic vinaigrette
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
5 Tbs best quality olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt


Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust for personal preference - everyone likes a slightly different oil to vinegar ratio, so adjust until it's perfect for you. 

Green salad with feta, mint, peas, and cucumber

When the days are warm but not hot, and the nights are cool but not cold, it is prime lettuce season. Now is the time of year when Jacob and I eat big meal salads every day. Despite our constant picking, the lettuce keeps on coming. It grows so lush, it looks like we never harvest at all. Amazing. I grow a 'cut and come again' mix from Renee's Garden This means that I usually harvest the outer leaves from the plants, and they just keep growing. I find this WAY more efficient than harvesting an entire head of lettuce, and having to replant each time.

Lettuce growing like gangbusters in our backyard
garden  as of this afternoon (June 3rd).

To some a meal salad sounds too light to be satisfying, but this shouldn't be the case if you pack it with all kinds of delicious (and not so light) items like chicken and cheese. Such is the case as with this salad, which is an iteration of a Patricia Wells recipe.

This salad is delicious, simple, and oh so fresh tasting. Paired with a glass of wine and some crusty bread, it's perfect for a late spring dinner in the back yard. Here's how I make it:

Green salad with feta, mint, peas, and cucumber
A couple handfuls of fresh salad greens (about 2-3 cups)
1/4 cup diced cucumber
1 Tbs chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup shredded chicken
1/3 cup chopped raw sugar snap peas, still in pods

Toss salad with the juice of half a lemon, a drizzle of your best olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Other items that sound good, but I didn't have on hand today: avocado, sliced radish, salty sunflower seeds, chives.

Kale and apple smoothie

Kale and apple smoothie: yumm or yuck?

Have you ever tried a kale smoothie? I hear people talking about green smoothies all the time, but I'd never tried one before this week. Frankly, they always looked and sounded gross to me. I mean come on, I don't think I want to drink pureed greens! Gross.
Then a few weeks ago, during our regular Monday night "yoga" session (aka stretching and girl time), my friends Amber and Haripurkh were talking about how much they love kale smoothies. Really? They like the way they taste? Then Haripurkh said that she adds apple to hers, uses water as a base, and that they taste sweet and refreshing. My curiosity was piqued.
After searching for recipes on internet, and rummaging through the garden and fridge for ingredients, I ended up with something surprisingly delicious. My girls were right!

Kale and apple smoothie made with
water, lemon juice, and fresh mint

1 cup kale - packed (or greens of your choice)
1 cup water
1 medium apple, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
juice of 1 lemon
2 sprigs mint (10-15 leaves)
1 cup crushed ice

Blend together kale, water, apple, lemon juice and mint until completely smooth. Then add crushed ice and blend a little more, until desired consistency is reached.

The kale doesn't really add that much flavor, it tastes more like an apple, lemon, mint drink. Surprisingly refreshing is right. Thanks Amber and Haripurkh!

Have you ever made a green smoothie? What do you put in yours? I'd love to know for inspiration.

Above are the ingredients for the smoothie I made today. That's 'lacinato' or 'dinosaur' kale in the front and chard in the back (both overwintered in my garden really well). This is the last of my winter kale so I subbed in some chard, and it worked out just fine. There is also a Eureka lemon from California, a Fuji apple from Washington, Moroccan mint from my backyard, and crushed ice from the Cedar River watershed (okay I put that last bit in just to be obnoxious).

'Lacinato' kale seedlings. If I want more kale I have to
wait for these little cuties to grow up!

I have plenty of 'bright lights' chard left in the garden from last year. It overwintered really well, which is perfect for early spring, when everything else is so tiny.

'Bright lights' chard is an assortment of different colors, but I love the fuschia pink!
Can you see the chives tucked behind the chard leaves? I'm so happy it's spring. 

I like to grow mint in pots so it can't take over my garden beds. It's a very aggressive plant!
This is 'Moroccan' mint, which is fantastic in drinks.
If you are a "challenged" or new gardener, try growing mint! 

These apple blossoms are a sign of good things to come. 
Did you know that we got our apple tree for free through 
the City of Seattle? Check it out here: Seattle reLeaf