Walk Widely. Eat Wisely. Live Gratefully.
Wow! We are surrounded by a bountiful harvest.
The consequence, of course, is that we have to find ways to use it all…and preserve what’s left for future use. So tonight’s adventure included a zucchini-orzo-pepper-goat cheese dish…after we finished putting two batches of roasted beets (golden and red), two batches of beet greens, and a couple of jars of pesto away for chillier days. Fortunately the orzo was quite a reward – reminding us why all our hard work has been worth it!
The evenings are starting to cool off and the days are getting shorter. In just a few weeks I fear we will be faced with the f word…fall.
But for now there is plenty of tremendous produce in the garden to make salad, and we grilled these juicy burgers. Putting a dent in the middle (in tribute to our daughter’s man-friend, we call it “Paulito style”) keeps the patties from shrinking. They didn’t need much to top them off…tomatoes, pickles, a little grainy mustard and some relish.
For the salad dressing:
15ml/1T Dijon
15ml /1T sesame oil
30ml/2T orange juice
Whisk until smooth.
La princessa and her parents left this morning and now the house is eerily quiet. We’re so grateful to have had them with us for a few days, and glad they enjoyed our city by the sea.
Today is also the day we get our diet and exercise routine back on track – so here’s an easy meal to kick things off, for two:
Leftover grilled steak, about 250ml/1c, sliced thin
In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 5 ml each butter and olive oil, and cook, covered, just til tender:
1 sliced onion
2 sliced mushrooms
1 sliced green pepper
Add steak slices and a sprinkling of chipotle powder or a minced Jalapeño.
Serve over 500ml/2c mixed greens.
We’re fortunate to have greens from our own garden, but use a variety to make it more interesting.
Enjoy!
We have almost completed our first year in our home near the ocean, and we continue to have new food discoveries every day. Our woods are full of blueberries – can you imagine picking fresh berries for breakfast, just outside your door? We can’t help but feel grateful.
The recipe for these under the recipe tab – Tuesday (or any day) Pancakes. Just add some fresh berries to the batter after mixing! We served ours with wild blueberry syrup.
We’re back from vacation with a distinct longing for vegetables – which seem to be in short supply when eating in many restaurants. Too much fat, salt and meat has left us hungry for fresh food. As luck would have it, our veggie garden has run rampant, so we have a surfeit of choice.
Our choice? A combo plate of golden beets roasted in balsamic and garlic, green and yellow beans, peas, and beet greens, all steamed. On the side, fish poached in white wine, lemon pepper and tarragon. Feeling full (and full of gratitude that the deer left us something to eat!)
Spoiler alert! We grew neither the tuna nor the ingredients for the dressing ourselves. But we did grow everything else (All seeds from Vesey’s or Halifax Seed) – a satisfying lunch after a morning of post-vacation weeding and laundry! Any combination of veggies would do, but we used:
Simpson lettuce
Vulcan lettuce
Green and yellow beans, blanched
Black Chinese radish, blanched
Golden beets, cooked and chilled
Thinly-sliced red onion
For two, top each plate of veggies with 1/2 can solid tuna in water
Drizzle w lime maple dressing (recipe for 2 – mix all together)
10ml/2 t mayo
5ml/1 t Dijon
Zest and juice of one lime
5ml/1 t maple syrup (we get ours from our neighbours at Acadian Maple)
Now to check the larder and get a few staples before settling in to enjoy what’s left of our long weekend. Happy Natal Day, Simcoe Day, or anything else you’re celebrating!