Where the Wild Things Are!!!

Can't wait! Can't wait! Can't wait!

Maurice Sendak's amazing children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, is being adapted into a feature film, directed by none other than Spike Jonze. The hip factor does not stop there: author Dave Eggers collaborated with Jonze on the script; Arcade Fire's song, "Can't Wait" backs the just-released trailer; and music by Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be featured on the soundtrack. Wha, WHA???!!!

It's going to be a long wait until the film is released on October 16th, 2009.

Thinkin' of a Master Plan...

One reason to be thankful for the recession? I have had to get creative in thinking of business ideas, career opportunities, and how to bring in some cash. My part time photography business is still going successfully, but I am ready to expand my career.

I am very interested in the ad/branding/graphic design industry. After researching some ads on CraigsList and realizing that I don't have very much experience in that world, I decided to pursue an internship with a friend's company: guruuve.

Guruuve is owned and operated by two amazing, smart and creative women, Sharon Backurz and Jeannine Axelson. They were more than happy to have an extra hand at the office. When I contacted them, they were in the process of brainstorming ideas for their website, which is currently a glorified "under construction" site at this point. I came at just the right time, as they were looking for assistance with styling the front end of the site as well as someone to photograph all of their products. They are teaching me the basics of the Mac as well as instruction in InDesign. Luckily, I have tons of experience in Photoshop, so "indie" does not feel extremely foreign to me.

I am one of those people that is overflowing with ideas. I need to keep a notebook with me so that I can write them down when they come to me. Luckily, I had a notebook with me for my latest two ideas. I won't reveal them here, but I will say that one is an idea for a book that I plan to work on with my good friend, LV, and another is a business idea that my husband and I are inspired to work on. LV has another book idea that we are excited to collaborate on as well.

With so many people unemployed, it seems to me that this is a great opportunity for people to explore new careers through internships, volunteering, taking classes, etc. I know that can be tough to find the time when people's basic financial needs are not being met. Putting food on the table trumps pursuing your dreams, but I wonder how many people would benefit from taking this time as an opportunity to reflect and then act on where they would like to go.

Do we all feel like we are still searching for who we want to be when we grow up? Maybe now is the time to figure that out and go after it.

Produce & recipes, week two!

The list this week is a bit more challenging for me. I love peppers, but P absolutely doesn't like them at all. I am still not sure what I will do with those. I like celery, but I was unsure of how to create a whole side dish out of it. I might make cream of celery soup (sub the cream for almond or soy milk) so I bought a celery root, which incidentally is one ugly root!

I have some definite recipes I am making this week and then I'll wing it at the end. I have a few ideas.

Again, we'll have the fruit for snacks and dessert.

Produce box:

Snap Peas

Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes

Broccoli

Rainbow Chard

Hass Avocados

Red Bell Peppers

Red Cherry Tomatoes

Celery

Romaine

Lettuce

Strawberries

Navel Oranges

Cameo Apples

Mangos

Here is our menu:

Rainbow chard with raisins, pine nuts, and hard boiled eggs and served over brown rice:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Swiss-Chard-with-Raisins-and-Pine-Nuts-231509

Repeat of last week's romaine topped with stir fried shrimp and snow peas (snap peas this week). We used romaine for the greens, instead of watercress and arugula. I also candied the walnuts (recipe at bottom of note), and tossed the greens in a little olive oil & white wine vinegar before adding the toppings. Vegans could sub tofu for the shrimp. That recipe was a HIT!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Stir-Fried-Shrimp-Snow-Pea-and-Walnut-Salad-11911

Chilled soba noodles with snap peas and tofu or shrimp. The reviewers on epicurious suggested that you avoid cooking the dressing, just whip together and toss all ingredients at the end:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chilled-Soba-with-Tofu-and-Sugar-Snap-Peas-242834

Stir-fried suagar snap peas & cherry tomatoes, roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes and veggie burgers or baked true cod. Last week, we baked fresh true cod in lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, salt and paprika. It was awesome! I got it fresh from Uwajimaya and it was only $7.99 a pound. yum.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Stir-Fried-Sugar-Snap-Peas-and-Cherry-Tomatoes-5828http://www.recipezaar.com/Roasted-Rosemary-Fingerlings-218656

Hmmmm. Now for the broccoli, peppers and celery.

One dish I thought might be interesting is to make quinoa and then create a fried rice-type dish with the rest of the veggies and the quinoa. It would probably be yummy with mango mixed in. I have never done this with quinoa, but I am guessing it will work.

If I don't do that, I will make celery soup, roasted red peppers for a side dish and open faced broccoli melts (using sheeps' milk cheese). The open faced broccoli sandwiches come from Moosewood's Simple Suppers, my favorite vegetarian cookbook. Below is a recipe for roasting the broccoli, which might be really good prior to melting a big slab of cheese on it. Otherwise, I just saute it in a pan with a little spray oil and seas salt, so it gets a little crispy while it softens.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Broccoli-with-Garlic-and-Red-Pepper-351031http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Red-Bell-Peppers-231977http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cream-of-Celery-Soup-996

BTW the lacinato kale salad and the shimp salad from last week were everyone's favorites. The greens from the farms are absolutely incredible.

Recipe for candied walnuts, which I tripled so that we had plenty (found on the web):

1/4 cup nuts

1 T sugar

1/4 t salt

1 t walnut or olive oil
preheat oven to 350

toast nuts in oven, about 5 min, or until fragrant.
while nuts toast, in a small bowl, stir together sugar, salt, oil.toss toasted nuts in sugar mixutre and stir.

heat small skillet on med heat, add nuts & sugar mixture, stirring regularly until sugar caramelizes, abt 5 min.

Cool on parchment paper.

Lebanese Lentils & Rice with Caramelized Onions (Injadara)

I'll post up upcoming recipes for this week as soon as I get that organized. In the meantime, here is the recipe for traditional Lebanese lentils & rice. I added a modern twist of caramelizing the onions, instead of frying them (traditional). This is a very simple and satisfying dish.


This would be excellent topped with toasted pine nuts and raisins, but it is yummy just as it is.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups dried lentils
1 ½ cups brown or white rice
5 cups water for lentils
3 cups water for rice (or per directions on the rice)
Salt & pepper

2 large onions
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons cooking sherry
2 Tablespoons sugar
Salt

Yogurt or sour cream (optional)


1. Cook and caramelize the onions, according to the directions below.

2. While onions are cooking, cook the lentils and rice:

3 Rinse lentils and pick out any stones. Put water for lentils and the lentils into a medium pot. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, and cover. Simmer for about 25 minutes, or until lentils are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook rice according to directions on bag.

Caramelize the onions: heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in vinegar and sugar; cook until onions are browned, stirring often, about 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

On a large platter, layer first the rice, next the lentils and finally the onions.

Serve with yogurt or sour cream.

Makes about 6 servings as a main course.

Menu & Recipes based on Full Circle Farm's produce box this week (be quiet, tummy!)

We are starting our first organic farm produce delivery this week. I am so excited to make some new recipes! I spent a few hours last night and this morning coming up with a menu for the week based on the box contents. Listed below is what we will receive this week:

2.25 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
3 each Garlic
1 each Broccoli
3 each Tomatoes
1 each Romaine Lettuce
1 each Eggplant
0.75 pound Snow Peas
2 each Yellow Onions
1 bunch Lacinato Kale
3 each Hass Avocados
1 pint Strawberries
6 each D'anjou Pears
6 each Braeburn Apples

Menu & recipes:

roasted eggplant & tomatoes w/feta, stuffed in pitas (with a side dish of quinoa)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Herb-Roasted-Eggplant-with-Tomatoes-and-Feta-240367

kale w/ feta (or ricotta salata if I can find it) & brown rice (+ pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, hard boiled eggs)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940

shrimp & snow pea salad (will use romaine for the greens instead of arugula & watercress)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Stir-Fried-Shrimp-Snow-Pea-and-Walnut-Salad-11911

buttered carrots & snow peas; mashed Yukon gold potatoes & baked fish (tbd from Uwajimaya)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Buttered-Snow-Peas-and-Carrots-11146http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mashed-Yukon-Gold-Potatoes-with-Goat-Cheese-and-Basil-5156

broccoli risotto (from Moosewood, Simple Supers cook book)

lentils & rice w/caramelized onions

The recipes are mostly found on Epicurious.com. The lentils and rice dish is a traditional Lebanese recipe, which I am altering with caramelized onions instead of crispy fried ones. The broccoli risotto is from Moosewood's Simple Suppers.

Our family has dairy issues, so we substitute goat butter and either goat cheese or sheep's cheese for the dairy versions.

We will be using the fruit as snacks and/or dessert. The avocados will be added to eggs, salads and maybe just to some toast with mayo, cheese and sea salt for a tasty sandwich.

Wish me luck with these new recipes! Hopefully the kids will enjoy some new flavors.

http://www.fullcirclefarm.com/

Photo of the kids and one of their honorary grandmothers; taken at her organic farm in Missoula, MT, in the summer of 2008

Overdue: Photos from R's 12th bday

It's hard for me to believe that my son is now twelve. He is an amazing young man; full of creativity and energy and empathy. I am so proud of the person he has grown to be and I eagerly anticipate the man he will become.

I love you, R! I love you more than you will ever know.