I saw a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea;
And oh, it was all laden
With pretty things for thee!
There were comfits in the cabin, And apples in the hold; The sails were made of silk, And the masts were made of gold.
The four and twenty sailors, That stood between the decks, Were four and twenty white mice, With chains about their necks.
The captain was a duck,
With a packet on his back;
And when the ship began to move, The captain said, “Quack, Quack!”
– Mother Goose
Going to the Sunday morning Farmers market is an exciting family event for us. My 3 year old son gets $2 to spend on whatever he wants. He carries his $2 in my falling apart busted old red leather wallet… um… I mean his super awesome red Lightning McQueen wallet. We sample all the juicy sweet fruits, load up our tote bags with fresh produce, and my little guy buys honey sticks and a chocolate cookie. If you haven’t visited your local farmers market… what are you waiting for?! Go! You can support local farmers, get fresh-as-can-be organic produce at good prices, and have fun doing it.
So what to make with my bunches of beets and green onions? I found a great recipe to test out by Bon Apetit. I admit, I made this because I wanted to have colorful pasta, and I ended up with a totally delicious and super healthy dinner that the whole family loved… AND colorful pasta! Win win win.
The great thing about this recipe is that it uses the beet greens. I have never had beet greens before and I love the idea of not tossing them out. My husband recently ordered this new book “The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods” because we are on a health kick right now. I think after having a baby we both need to loose weight! Isn’t that how it always is? Daddy Sympathy weight or something right? We also watched a great documentary called “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”, it essentially sends the message about how veggies and fruits can help heal your inner body. So we bought a juicer and LOVE IT. Anyhow, back to the healing effects of beets… turns out that beet greens are healthier than the beet roots, who knew? I have been tossing out the best part! Here is a breakdown of how fantastically healthy beets are for you:
Beets have a stimulating effect on the liver’s detoxification process. A cancer fighting veggie with a favorable effect on bowel function and cholesterol levels. The beets and their greens together are loaded with calcium, iron, vitamins A & C & B6, folic acid, fiber, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, and iron. Phew!
Although I really enjoyed this dish, it was a little time consuming to prepare. A few tips:
Summary: adapted from this Bon Apetit recipe, I changed it according to ingredients I had.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Well, I finally did it… I made my first Julia Child recipe and I was not disappointed. I checked out “Mastering The Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child from our library. What an incredible cook book, it is actually fun to read! I thought her recipes would be overwhelming and difficult, but there are so many simple recipes with easy instructions to choose from. I must have spent more time flipping through it trying to decide what to make than the actual making.
So… the sweet or the savory? I figured we had enough sweet stuff around here and I should take advantage of the beautiful summer tomatoes showing up at the local produce stand. It was quick and easy to make. The stuffing was kind of crispy but still moist. To complete the meal, I made a simple green salad and picked up a rotisserie chicken from the store. The tomatoes looked so awesome hugging the chicken roast on a platter.
So colorful, quick to make, and delicious… this is a recipe to remember for your next formal dinner!
Note – Depending on the size of your tomatoes, I might recommend doubling the filling mixture.
Summary: from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
This delicious “anytime dish” I make about once a month. We love it not only for its taste, but also for the flood of memories it brings back to us.
It was in the “before kids” time of our lives when my husband and I dropped everything and moved to Switzerland for a year. He worked for a company over there and we lived right in the heart of the country.. Luzern. On our weekends we would just hop on a train and go explore a new town or even country. We went to Italy, France, Germany and Austria.. all just a few hours away. Switzerland is a small country and its regions all vary culturally depending on which country it borders. For example, Basel is close to France and the locals are very influenced by the French cuisine and language. Bellinzona is located close to Italy, and when travelling there we found ourselves speaking and eating Italian. For all the different foods we tried, there is one dish I will always associate as being very Swiss… Rösti.
It was a beautiful sunny morning, we went to the Swiss mountains for a 4 hour morning hike, and when we made it back down to the base we were absolutely starving and found ourselves in a restaurant ordering this Rösti dish. It came out, shredded potatoes with loads of Swiss Gruyere cheese, showcasing a poached egg. It was perfectly toasted in a round iron pan and filled us right up, I mean.. it really hit the spot. I have heard it is served differently depending on what region you are in. But I remember that I had it with herbs and with an egg baked right in the top. So this recipe by Cooking Light is the closest I have come to replicating it.
This pretty Rösti dish would be perfect for brunch… one casserole serves 8 people. We enjoy Rösti for dinner, or for a hearty breakfast, or really any time in between.
Summary: Swiss Casserole made with Potato & Turnip & Eggs
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 40 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
