Giving Thanks

Mushroom and Spinach Tartlets *Photo Credit: Green Kitchen Stories 

Mustard, Quinoa and Cranberry Salad *Photo Credit Green Kitchen Stories

 Cinnamon Roasted Vegetables *Photo Credit Green Kitchen Stories

Delicata Squash from our garden 

Raw Pomegranate and Cashew Cake *Photo Credit Green Kitchen Stories*

Kale Sage Pesto Tart 

Beetroot Soup *Photo Credit Green Kitchen Stories 

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Hazelnut and Mushroom Loaf  *Photo Credit Green Kitchen Stories 

Apple and Oat Tartlets *Photo Credit Green Kitchen Stories

One of my absolute favorite food blogs is Green Kitchen Stories. As you can see their photos are gorgeous and their recipes- mostly vegan and GF- are delicious! I plan to make many of their side dishes and desserts for this years feast. My father will cook up a wild turkey that he hunted in the fall, and my mom will make her famous creamy mashed potatoes for those who want traditional T-Day fare. In any case, it will be a feast for all and I am so thankful to be able to share it with you! :)


Wild Mushroom Ragout
*inspired by www.saveur.com

Serves 6-8

1 lb wild mushrooms or a mix of whatever you can get at the store
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced 
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup vegetable stock (or chicken if you are not vegetarian), homemade if possible
3 tbsp dry white wine
1/4 cup unsweetened thai coconut milk 
1 sprig fresh thyme or a heaping tsp of dried 
1 tbsp chopped chives or green onion 
Salt and Pepper to taste

Trim mushrooms (keep steams for your next stock. Slice larger mushroom caps into even slices-- keep smaller ones whole. 

Heat oil over med-heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add leeks and garlic and cook till tender-- stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook just until they start to release their moisture. Add wine to deglaze and then the stock and cook for an additional 5 mins or so. Add the coconut milk herbs and salt and pepper. Cook under low heat for 10 mins. Serve as a side dish, with country bread, over pasta or with a roast. 



Simple Green Bean Salad

*Recipe from www.greenkitchenstories.com

Serves 4

1 lb green beans

1 spring onion, chopped

3 tbsp Dijon mustard, preferably coarse grained
2 tsp honey
juice from 1 small/medium sized lemon
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
sea salt & black pepper

a handfull fresh parsley or cilantro

Trim the beans and put them in a sauce pan with boiling water. Remove them after 1-2 minutes and cool down under ice cold water. Let them dry on a towel, then transfer them to a bowl and add the onion. Whisk together mustard and honey. Add lemon juice, vinegar and oil and whisk for about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the beans, use your hands to make sure that they are all covered. Roughly chop the parsley and put on top of the beans. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roasted Vegetables 
*Recipe from www.greenkitchenstories.com 

4–6 servings  

This simple dish takes just a few minutes to prepare; then the oven does the rest of the work. You can throw any kind of vegetable in here; simply adjust the cooking time according to the size.

1 head Romanesco or cauliflower, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into small pieces
2 lb. carrots, halved if large
½ lb. parsnips, halved if large
2 medium sweet potatoes. Cut into thick sticks
2 whole garlic cloves, mashed with the end of a knife
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
5 2”–3” cinnamon sticks
sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°. Place vegetables and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil; sprinkle cinnamon over and scatter cinnamon sticks around. Season with salt. Using your hands, toss vegetables to coat well. Roast until golden and crispy, about 1 hour. (Time will vary depending on size of vegetables.)

Spiced Spinach and Mushroom Tartlets 

*Recipe from www.greenkitchenstories.com Makes 6 tartlets  

Our gluten-free tart crust has the subtle taste of almonds and fresh herbs, and it can be filled with just about anything. One of our favorites is this clove-spiced spinach and mushroom filling. Potato starch, tapioca starch, and all flours are available from Bob’s Red Mill.

Tartlet shells½ cup superfine chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour¼ cup almond flour or almond meal2 Tbsp. potato starch, tapioca starch, or cornstarch½ tsp. sea saltFreshly ground black pepper1 Tbsp. each finely chopped fresh rosemary and thyme3 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil plus more for pans

Filling2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil or olive oil (for frying)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
½ tsp. ground cloves
4 cups fresh spinach
1 leek, thinly sliced (including green leaves)
12–15 crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon

special equipment: Six small tartlet pans

Making the Tartlet shells: Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add coconut oil and 3 Tbsp. ice-cold water. Using your hands, work dry ingredients toward the center until dough forms. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Dough may be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly with plastic and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°. Divide dough evenly into 6 portions. Form each portion into a ball and press 1 dough ball evenly onto bottom and up sides of each tartlet pan. Trim dough flush with edge of pans. Prick bottom with a fork to prevent it from bubbling as it bakes. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Let tartlet shells cool slightly, then invert each pan and turn out shells onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Making the filling  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cloves and cook until onion is lightly browned; add spinach, leek and mushrooms. Cook until spinach is brightly colored, 3–5 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook 2 minutes longer. Spoon 2 dollops filling into each tartlet shell and serve hot.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie (GF, Grain-Free)
*Recipe from www.nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com 

Serves 5-7 

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (or try coconut oil or ghee for a dairy-free option*)
• 1 & 3/4 cups pumpkin puree, preferably homemade
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 4 eggs, preferably from pastured chickens
• 1/2 cup milk kefir or plain whole-milk yogurt (or try coconut milk for dairy-free option*)
• 1/3 cup almond flour, preferably from crispy nuts
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• Equipment needed: blender or immersion blender

1. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat.  Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.  If your butter has been overheated, let it cool before combining it with the other ingredients.
2. Blend together all ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender (don't forget to add the melted butter).  Taste for sweetness, and add more maple to taste if desired. 
3. Pour mixture into a buttered 8-inch square glass baking dish.  Bake in 325 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, until center is set.
4. Allow to cool and then transfer to the fridge.  Best if served cold (if you can wait that long). 

*You may need to add a bit more of the spices if you substitute coconut products for the dairy, as the coconut flavor may mute the spices.

House Rule

In our house "kid food" does not exist. My philosophy has always been: if it isn't good enough for me than it's not good enough for Olive. And why would I make myself MORE stressed by trying to cook or provide separate meals at meal time, or separate snacks at snack time? Olive has only known food as food and not as "ours" and "hers." My father has always said, "No kid has ever purposely starved themselves to death." And it is true. If Olive doesn't like what I am making than she has two choices: eat it or don't eat it-- and 9 times out of 10 she will eat it cause she's hungry! I don't EVER get up and make her a separate meal, fuss over finding something she will like, or cater to her beck and call. That is crazy making and forms really bad habits and power struggles. Even if she doesn't like what I dish up at the very least it is being exposed to new and different things. And the experts do say that children often need to try or be exposed to the same food at least 10 times before they will like it. So expose and try we will continue to do-- sorry Kraft Mac&Cheese. ;-)

Food for Thought

I laughed and cried my way through Dirty Life: on farming, food and love in about 2 days. I loved this book for many reasons, but the biggest one being the longing one feels to be connected to land, food and community in a really primal and basic way. This is the main reason I had to leave New York. When we first arrived in the late spring I could not keep my hands and feet out of the soil. It was as if my body was trying to absorb a major nutrient that it had been deprived of for the last decade. And Olive, oh my, how she has blossomed and bloomed in the most profound ways.
Of course being away from my husband during the week has it's rough moments, but in general I really feel we are all happiest in the environments we need to be in. And our weekend reunions are truly the most sacred and sweetest ever.
1.  Fantastic read for everyone- city slicker  or country bumpkin ;-)  2. Savory Tarts with all our homegrown/gathered ingredients 3. Our dried tomatoes 4. Freshly ground almond flour for the crust  5. The filling: swiss chard, onions, chantrelle mushrooms, and the secret ingredient *ground clove* 6. Our garlic and freshly ground cumin  7. Dried chantrelles from our woods!

Savory Swiss Chard Tart 
*adapted from greenkitchenstories.com 
Vegan/GF Makes one large tart 

Tart Shell:

½ cup superfine chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour
¼ cup almond flour or almond meal (pre-buy or make your own by just food processing almonds! :) 
2 Tbsp. potato starch, tapioca starch, or cornstarch
½ tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. each finely chopped fresh rosemary and thyme (sage is really good too!)
3 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil plus more for pan

Filling:

2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil or olive oil (for frying)
1 med yellow onion, cut in half then sliced thin 
½ tsp. ground cloves
4 cups fresh swiss chard
1 leek, thinly sliced (including green leaves)
12–15 crimini (baby bella) or any wild mushroom, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon; salt and pepper to taste 

Making the Tart shells: Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add coconut oil and 3 Tbsp. ice-cold water. Using your hands, work dry ingredients toward the center until dough forms. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Dough may be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly with plastic and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease pan. Press the ball of dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of tart pan (if it reaches). Trim dough flush with edge of pans. Prick bottom with a fork to prevent it from bubbling as it bakes. Bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. *Try to not let it over cook or it gets very brittle*

Let tart shell cool slightly, then invert each pan and turn out shells onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Or if it seems too brittle (I overcooked mine the first time), then leave in the tart pan and put in a cool place till it's time to fill er' up!  

Filling:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cloves and cook until onion is lightly browned; add swiss chard, leek and mushrooms. Cook until spinach is brightly colored, 3–5 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook 2 minutes longer. Spoon filling into each tart shell and serve hot. 

Enjoy!! 

This Week's Visual DIY.....

1. A quiet place to sit and reflect  2. Hay bales in snow 3. Little Tomten Gnome 4. The drive way at 7:00am 5. Braid 6. DIY cotton face cloth for Olive 7. The view home in afternoon light 8. Lunch: quinoa and beet/walnut salad over greens 9. Juiced! 10. DIY over roasted pumpkin seeds with olive oil, sea salt and cumin 11. Dinner: Curried Lentil Stew, Beet/Carrot/Apple/Walnut salad with a citrus/ginger dressing and gluten free POPovers with thyme and pepper

Gluten Free POPovers 
*adapted from Martha Stewart Living 
Makes 12 in a muffin tin or 6 in a POPover tin 

3 large organic eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk of choice (cow, almond, soy..)
1/ 1/2 cups GF flour mix (I like Pamela's Artisanal Mix)
1 tsp course sea salt
1 tsp dry thyme
Cracked pepper to taste

If eggs and milk are cold, bring both to room temperature, by slightly heating the milk and plunging the eggs in warm water for 10 mins. Pre-heat over to 450F and *place muffin tin in the oven to heat up while you are mixing your ingredients!* Vigorously whisk your eggs and milk together in a large bowl till frothy. You should see bubbles! Add flour and salt to your egg mixture. Mix just till batter is the consistency of heavy cream with small lumps remaining. Quickly and carefully take your tin out of the over and coat with cooking spray. Fill the cups about three-quarters full with batter. Sprinkle the tops with thyme and pepper. Reduce temperature to 350F. Bake till golden brown and dry to the touch- about 15-20 mins. Remove from oven and remove POPovers from the tins immediately. Poke a hole in the side of each POPover with a small pairing knife to let steam release. Serve and enjoy immediately!

Pumpkin.Ginger.Coconutmilk.Rosemary.Sage SOUP!

This roasted pumpkin, coconut milk soup with ginger, rosemary and fried sage was the perfect comfort food this past week with the snow flying and Jack Frost nipping at our toes. I plan to make lots of soups with all the root veggies we harvested this summer. Some how when they are turned into soups you never get sick of them, plus they are a perfect pop of color against the white, snowy environment arounds us. :)

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Fried Sage
*adapted with gratitude from GreenKitchenStories.com
Serves 6-8

1 small pumpkin roasted and pureed, or 2 cans of organic pumpkin
1 can organic coconut milk
3 cups water (add more if needed/desired)
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
1/2 inch-1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated fine
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine
Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste

Remove seeds and roast pumpkin in sections, face down on a baking tray at 400F for 30-40 mins or until skin and flesh is soft. Remove and let cool for 10 mins or so. Scoop out flesh and place in a food processor or high speed blender together with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on high till completely smooth. Add extra water if need and season to taste. Return to pot to warm. Garnish with fried sage and fresh rosemary.

Enjoy!

Perfect cuppa tea....

I fell in love with chai on a six week trip to southern India in 2003, so naturally I was a little skeptical of what rooibos (a caffeine free red bush tea from Africa-- high in antioxidants) would taste like, UNTIL I had a cup at the Brattleboro Farmers Market this summer. Chai-Wallah, a little tea company based in little Guilford, VT, makes THE BEST chai blends outside of India. It's all organic, fair trade and hand blended. I plan to be making their recipe daily till at least May! ;-)

In a small sauce pot add:

1 cup filtered water
1/2 cup milk of choice (I personally like unsweetened almond best)
1 teaspoon Rooibos Chai Blend
Maple syrup to taste (I use about a tablespoon)

Simmer over med/low heat for at least 3 mins -- but the longer the stronger the flavor, which I like. :) Unlike many teas, rooibos only gets better the longer it steeps.

Strain and enjoy!

This week in detail.....

1. What 20 degrees looks like 2. Final grape harvest 3. Birch tree shedding it's "skin" 4. Olive testing out her Pippi Apron 3. Beech nut seeds 4. Gazing out the coffee shop window on a rainy day
5. Chestnuts (not the edible kind but we will do craft projects with them:) 6. Kale Sage Pesto on Almond Flour Crust "Pizza" 7. PIPPI! 8&9. Frosty morning 10. Reading up on Monet before school 11. An unexpected find on a morning walk 12. Roasted Root Vegetable Soup on the stove......


Kale Sage Pesto 
*Adapted from Taste Of Vermont by Melissa Pasanen*
Makes 1 cup-ish

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh sage, diced
1/2 bunch curly kale, de-steamed and chopped into smallish pieces
2-3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup grated parmesan or nutritional yeast (V)
3-4 TBSP Olive Oil

1. Put sunflower seeds in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking occasionally, just until golden and fragrant, about 2-3 mins
2. Place garlic and sunflower seeds in a food processor and pulse just until everything is finely minced
3. Add sage, 1/2 the kale, 1/2 the lemon juice and pulse till minced
4. Add the rest of the kale and lemon juice AND cheese or nutritional yeast, and olive oil. Pulse till combined.
5. Taste and adjust add lemon juice, salt, and oil as needed. Every batch is different! :)

This is great on toast, pizzas, crackers, sandwiches or straight up! :)