End of Year Farmer and Food Inspirations

After almost two weeks of nearly constant togetherness with at least one or two folks outside of our usual foursome, you would think the kids and I might take a break last Friday and just chill out at home. Perhaps address the mountains of laundry or vacuum the living room floor. But no, I decided I would go to the gym first and then we would visit Melanie and her kids in West Seattle. The kids loved it at the gym, and I had a blissful workout during which I finally finished the chapter on Love in Eknath Easwaran's book called Original Goodness. It was full of amazing quotes and ideas: two favorites were "When the lotus blooms, it doesn't have to go looking for bees" and "Life is so generous a giver, but we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or hard; remove the covering and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love, by wisdom, with power." Do you think I was the only one at the gym reading Original Goodness?? Rhetorical sidenote: what kind of super-nova nerd am I, anyway??

Then we were on to Melanie's. While Lucy and Sophia immediately became completely absorbed in playing and Jasper became completely absorbed in Owen's toys, I was inspired by Melanie and her meal-planning. She had planned delicious meals for the week ahead. So, I decided we would do that, and Rob and I did on Saturday. Then we went to the farmer's market on Sunday and found many ingredients there for our week's menu. Here is what we're having, and what we found at the market. Nothing makes me happier than taking food from the dirty, calloused hand that grew it, and then offering our money to that same hand. It isn't not quite as sacred, I suppose, as getting my own hands dirty, but it is the next best thing.

Our New Year's Week Menu:
Sunday:
Creamy Cauliflower Soup (from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook - wlnc - this is made creamy by cashews and it is quite delicioso)
Sauteed Kale (super yummy with olive oil, coconut oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar and tamari)
from local farms: leeks, garlic, cauliflower, kale

Monday:
Winter Vegetable and White Bean Soup (wlnc)
from local farms: onion, garlic, carrots, shallots, jeruselum artichokes, delicata squash, savoy cabbage

Tuesday:
Southern-Style Black-Eyed Peas (from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - with my addition of a thick slice of ham chopped up)
Collard Greens
from local farms: onion, garlic, ham and collard greens

Wednesday:
Chicken Verde Enchiladas (wlnc)
from local farms: onion, garlic, chicken, spinach

Thursday:
Composed Salad of Quinoa and Chickpeas with Kale and Lemon Tahini Dressing (wlnc)
from local farms: kale and garlic

Friday:
Lemon Millet Patties (wlnc), Kidney Bean Casserole (joy of cooking), and Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro Vinaigrette (wlnc)
from local farms: cabbage and carrots

More pictures soon as well as notes on New Year's resolutions, Lucy, and Jasper.