Refreshed in Nature

A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship.  But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease.  Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves.  No wonder the hills and groves were God’s first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself. –John Muir


This quote, borrowed from a beloved blog I follow, speaks to my own experiences in nature. While cathedrals and churches are some of the most excellent examples of architecture as art, they do pale in comparison to the   original forest!  


This quote also foreshadows an upcoming post of my own, in which I hope to share some of the photos and moments from our recent (international) excursion into nature. In addition to beautiful scenery, this last trip seems to have offered that rare cleansing of the soul that, for me, only truly results from awe-inspiring natural settings.  Words to explain such experiences are still being formed in my heart; I hope to be able to share it with you soon!

French Spring Soup

(I found this recipe a few years ago while I was living in Northern Wisconsin. A friend of mine stumbled on a wild leek patch in early summer and ran out of ideas for leek usage.  This recipe presented itself in an emergency internet search and has been a lighter favorite ever since!)


Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 lb leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 quarts water (8 cups)
3 large potatoes, unpeeled and chopped (smaller, white potatoes are delicious in this soup)
2 large carrots, chopped
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces (soup turns out well with/without, if asparagus isn't available)
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (I've found the soup doesn't need it)
1/2 pound spinach, washed and stems trimmed
1 cup heavy cream (I substitute 1 cup half and half)


Instructions:
 Prepare and slice leeks and onions.

 Melt butter in large stock pot over medium heat.

 Stir in leeks and onions, stirring frequently. Cook until just tender.

 Prepare potatoes and carrots (and asparagus, if you're using it).

 Add potatoes, carrots, and water (also, rice and asparagus, if you're using them) to the pot. Season with salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes until veggies are tender and rice is cooked. (Less if you aren't using rice and/or cut veggies into smaller slices.)

 Meanwhile, prepare spinach by washing, drying, and trimming off stems.

 Stir in spinach and cream (or half and half).

 Cook for an additional 5 minutes or so, until spinach has been incorporated but not turned to complete mush.

 Serve!  This is a pretty light soup, despite the butter and cream.  Rice may beef it up to be more of a meal, but we usually prefer serving it with toast and having a better excuse for ice cream or popcorn later in the evening.

Farmer's Market Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
(For Dressing)
3 lemons, use juice and zest
3 T minced onions or shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup basil leaves, chiffonade (aka, cut into very thin strips by rolling leaves together and slicing thinly)
1 tsp Dijon mustard (a little more doesn't hurt!)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper (more!!!)
1 cup olive oil

(For Salad)
2 cups quinoa (follow package instructions: boil water, add quinoa, simmer covered for 15 minutes, let sit)
4 cups water (for cooking quinoa)
3 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices
Olive Oil
salt and pepper
3 ears fresh sweet corn, cooked
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
crumbled cheese (feta, blue, gorgonzola, etc.)

Instructions:
Combine all dressing ingredients, saving the olive oil. Whisk together well. Slowly add in olive oil. Set aside.

Grill or saute veggies for salad, aside from corn (cut off the cob) and tomatoes (add raw). We strayed from the original recipe because some ingredients were out of season at our Farmer's Market.  I really think you could get away adding any vegetables.

Combine cooked quinoa with salad dressing. Add in all remaining veggies, salt and pepper.  Stir well.

 Serve on salad plates.  It looks especially delicious if you pile it up like a mountain before sprinkling cheese on top.  Also, like most salads of this nature, it is almost better as a leftover the next day-- I think the flavors combine well in the fridge overnight.

Leisure Time

Have I mentioned that it has been an incredibly hot summer?  Our window A/C is great for the bedroom but can't always keep the rest of our 880 sq ft comfortable.  Last weekend, we gave up and walked outside to catch the lake breeze. Eagle's Nest Hammocks are the way to go!

Nectarine and Blueberry Clafouti

from Epicurious, Gourmet Magazine May 1999


Ingredients:
2 nectarines (white nectarines are delicious in this recipe)
1 cup blueberries (we used 2 cups...because we had a ton of wild blueberries that needed to be used)
1 cup fruity white wine, such as Riesling
5 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk (or 2 oz half and half and 6 oz skim milk)
1 T vanilla
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Place washed blueberries in mixing bowl with 1 cup wine (we used enough wine to cover the fruit-- then made Sangria to go with dinner!).

 Slice nectarines into 1/4" wedges and place in wine with blueberries. Soak for about 15 minutes.

 Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, sugar, and salt.

 Slowly whisk in flour until well combined.

 Whisk in milk, butter, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of the white wine from the fruit bowl.

 Remove fruit from wine with a slotted spoon and arrange in bottom of baking dish (remember to grease the dish before adding fruit!)

 Carefully pour batter over the fruit.

 Bake in the upper third of your oven for 55-60 minutes, or until puffed and set in the center.

 Transfer clafouti to a rack to cool.

 Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar. Can be served warm or at room temperature. (This also makes an outstanding breakfast option!  If we had enough eaters in the house to warrant serving brunch, I would definitely include this dish.)

Turkey Goulash

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 T soy sauce
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb pasta (elbow, shells, bowtie, rigatoni, etc.)

Instructions:
I like to start by gathering all the ingredients and chopping all the veggies.

 Here's the chef trick for chopping onions quickly. Peel back the rough outer layers and cut out the darker tan core from the root-side. Stand the onion on end and cut in half from end to end. Lay the onion down on the cut side, as shown below. Cut perpendicularly, across the greenish grain of the onion, holding the shape of the onion together.

 Turn the onion 90 degrees and cut perpendicularly to the cuts you just made (you're now cutting from end to end again).  When you run out of enough onion to hold on to, flip the onion up and finish cutting using the broad base as your bottom edge.

 Alright, back to the recipe. Heat oil over medium-high heat in stock pot.

 Add the ground turkey, onions, and garlic.

 Saute until turkey is cooked (aka not red or pink).

 Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

 Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

 Add pasta and stir well (otherwise pasta on top doesn't cook). Cook 10-20 minutes, depending on pasta.

 When pasta is cooked but still firm, remove from heat. Pull the bay leaf out before dishing up.

 It's delicious and works well as fridge leftovers and leftover lunches.

Home Stuff

I said I would post a picture of our little galley kitchen, so I thought I'd take advantage of posting some other pictures of our sweet little home, too.

See how the oven door, when open, hits the lower cupboards?

We do get sunrises over Lake Harriet (as viewed from our dining room table)

Huge trees outside bring in woodpecker friends

The constant bird activity outside tires this little guy out

Plenty of sunlight for our plants

Our wedding quilt