Tag Archive: lemon zest

1. Peas and Bows

   April 30, 2012 7:47 am 48 Comments

   

   I knew we were in the final stretch today while in the market I picked up a bag of garbanzo bean flour and actually hesitated, wondering, will I be able to use all of this by the end of May? As I write this, Shaun is taking pictures of a surfboard and an old printer for craigslist. At the front door there is a bankers box of pots, glasses, and towels for goodwill that we’ve somehow accumulated over the past few years. Books are stacked for sorting, graduation announcements strewn about the table waiting for stamps.

   By now it’s probably a good time to tell; we’re moving to Colorado. The Mountains are calling. We’re going where our heart is, not where we think it “should” be. And that feels so darn great. Many of you have been trying to trace our steps since January, and I should give you all gold stars for your patience as I danced around in circles making and un-making up my mind. Brooklyn? DC? Portland? San Francisco? Denver? It has been a long, tiresome, soul-stretching process. Shaun and I honored it, and each other, by digging through the thicket privately. But there is more…

   

   … since (most of) the whirlwind has subsided, it’s time to let everyone in again. We’re going to Colorado, and in a way you’re coming too (!!). To that, I have to stop and say thank you. Your love, encouragement, and wisdom has enriched my life in more ways than I could possibly put into words. This whole blog thing completely blows my mind. I’ve probably been more vulnerable with you, in this space, than I have ever been with some of the people I call friends in real life. How is that? How does that happen? I think I’m still figuring it all out. Thank you for coming into my life with your unique perspective and light, week after week, and thank you for letting me into yours.

   This is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart. (e.e cummings)
   

   

   Here’s the thing. If you have an hour to kill on Sunday afternoon, try the pasta yourself. But because I love you, because I carry your heart with me in my heart, I urge you to take some shorcuts here. How do I put this lightly, gluten free pasta is… frustrating to work with. Time. Patience. Practice. I set out to make fettucine, but failed miserably. Determined to not let the dough go to waste I made bows, instead. The first batch was too thick, but on second go, I got a great size and texture. If you’re feeling gutsy, try it. I love the nutty taste of chickpea pasta, but I think whole wheat spaghetti, brown rice shells, or any other type of pasta would go brilliantly with the lemony, herby peas.

   Chickpea Bow Tie Pasta with Spring Peas 

   • 2 cups garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
   • 2 eggs
   • 1 tsp salt
   • 2-3 tbsp water

   • 1 lb shelled peas
   • 3 cloves garlic, minced
   • 1 lg. lemon, juice and zest
   • basil, large handful
   • mint, large handful
   • 1/4 cup olive oil
   • salt
   • optional: roasted pumpkin seeds, parmasean

   For the pasta, add the flour to a large bowl, making a well in the middle for the eggs. Crack eggs and slowly begin to whisk with a fork, incorporating the flour until you get a shaggy ball. Add a little water to pull together the scraps. Turn out onto a ULTRA floured surface (on the first go, I went straight onto the cutting board, bad idea, second go, I used an old silicon mat underneath the flour to prevent sticking). Roll out until 1-2 mm thickness.  Cut vertical strips, 1/2 inch thick, then cut horizontally every 2 inches until you have made small rectangles. They should look like stubby, short sticks of gum. Pinch at the center of rectangle on the long-side to create the bow.  Set aside. Repeat. Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook in small batches for 2-4 minutes.

   Place shelled peas into a heavy pan. Add minced or grated garlic and the olive oil. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Tear or roughly chop up the basil and mint, add to peas. Stir to coat for for 1-2 minutes. Add zest of the lemon and the juice just before you toss in the cooked pasta. Finish with a bit of salt, roasted pumpkin seeds, and if you’re into cheese, a bit of fresh parmesan.

   

2. Blessed are the Flexible

   February 12, 2012 9:56 pm 45 Comments

   Last week was a mess of skipped beats. I don’t know if there was something going on with the moon or if my tightrope is undergoing some growing pains, but man alive. Unanswered voicemail. Empty gas tank. Wrong books. Forgotten homework. Burned oatmeal. Molding oranges. Tardy client meetings. Parking tickets. Toothpaste explosions. I seriously was banging my head against the keys trying to write something wise, eloquent for the Beet Cake. Nothing.

   When we threw Tex, our new foster in the tub this morning after a long, wet walk through the park I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched a million little hairs fling from his back and cling to the walls and fresh towels. Oh dear. In the next few days I’m sure I’ll spot some white wisps stuck on the mirror and chuckle again at the beautiful absurdity of it all. Pure goodness. Pure madness.

   Weeks like these keep me humble. They keep me loose. Learning how to ride a bike with a rusty chain is the whole point of being young. You can’t really afford a new one but you make it work. You just keep peddling. Shaun and I have a pretzel shaped magnet on the fridge that reads: “blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” It’s especially appreciated in times like these. I love how we both try to hold each other up to this standard when the circus rolls into town, announced or otherwise. He dragged me out in yoga pants, NorthFace hoodie, top knot, and rubber wellies at 9 pm to hit a bucket of balls on the fairway Saturday night and I tell you what, I’ve never felt more silly and more perfectly human. It was great.

   Embrace the skipped beats. Life is nothing, boring at best, without them.

   This weekend we took Sprouted Kitchen’s mini calzones for a spin, adding butternut squash, and lemon zest. So, so good. The fact that on my calendar I have “meetup / Sara (SK)” marked for friday makes me think that I’m on track to one day do lunch with Oprah Winfrey. Sara has been a constant source of inspiration as I’ve built and grown into this space. Her grace and encouragement has meant more than I think she may ever really realize.

   Keep Reading for Recipe…

   For more Happyolks videos, see 1, 2, and 3

   (more…) «Blessed are the Flexible»

   Squash + Apple Calzones  Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

   • 1 recipe for Mark Bitman’s easy pizza dough
   • 3 cups butternut squash, small dice
   • 3 sweet onions, roughly chopped
   • 3-4 small apples, cubed
   • 1 shallot, roughly chopped
   • 3-4 tbs fresh minced rosemary
   • zest of 2 lemons
   • olive oil
   • ghee (clarified butter)
   • salt/pepper
   • (optional) goat cheese or mozz.

   Prepare the dough about 30 minutes before you plan to cook. Sara used whole wheat flour, and I followed her lead. To make this gluten free, you could alternatively use something from the market, I like this. Preheat the oven for 500′. Combine diced butternut squash, shallots, and onions in a heavy bottomed pot with a pat of ghee or butter. Sauté until the onions are soft and the squash is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Toss in the apples and a dash of sea salt. Stir together and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

   Prepare the dough on a well-floured surface by pressing (see video, pounding with no rolling pin to my name) the dough out into a large-ish rectangle shape. On first go, my dough was too thin — give yourself 1/4″ thickness to work with. Cut into 6 or 8 squares, size depends on how small or large you want to make these dudes. Fill with squash-apple mixture, sprinkle with rosemary and lemon zest. Pull one corner to the other side and fiddle and press the edges to seal everything up. We added goat cheese to a few after the fact, and those were quite good. It’s up to you. Brush sealed calzones with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes until just slightly browned. Shaun suggests warm marinara for dipping.

   

   Music by Bombay Bicycle Club Fairytale Lullaby

3. Guest Post from “Good Things Grow”

   January 8, 2012 5:58 am 46 Comments

   
   When I began blogging in 2010 I was completely blown away by the prolific community of food writers and home cooks who shared their stories and their inspiration on the web. Come to think of it, I barely visited blogs let alone food blogs, until giving it all a go myself… It was one of those “jump before looking how deep the water was first” sort of things. Needless to say, I spent countless hours pouring over gorgeous, articulate web pages, trying to learn as much as I could. Good Things Grow (formerly So Good and Tasty) was one of the first to educate me on this crazy, cool world of food blogs. Beautiful photos, authentic writing, and Jacqui’s detailed consideration to the process of  creating wholesome, seasonal meals was (and still is) incredibly inspiring. I was thrilled and totally honored when she agreed to guest post this week. In addition to her beautiful blog, Jacqui owns and operates her own creative studio, Slide Sideways, with her husband Scott. They make some of the coolest graphics, logos and other goodies on their etsy shop. Thank you Jacqui for sharing this stunning lemon tart. You’re the best….

   Keep Reading…

   (more…) «Guest Post from “Good Things Grow”»

   
   

   Connections are made every day. Sometimes they’re large or life changing. Other times they’re as simple as a smile to a passerby on the street or stopping to observe Spring’s first flowers pushing through the cool, heavy earth. These little connections are made everyday whether you stop to take notice or not.

   One connection that continues to intrigue and inspire me is food. It’s amazing to think that one little seed, when loved and cared for, grows into something that nourishes the body and mind. That those little seeds make a meal that I can then share with friends and family, making even further connections, that soon become memories of those meals and times past.

   When I take the time to photograph a new recipe I’ve made and post it to share with others, who then take the time to read it, I think about all those connections I’ve made with people I don’t even know and it blows me away. I’ve entered their lives in some small way and it feels good. So when Kelsey asked if I would be a guest on her blog, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. The food, photographs, and writing she shares on Happyolks inspires me and it’s another connection I’m glad I’ve made.

   

   This lemon tart is the perfect way to end any meal. The yogurt keeps it light and the lemon is refreshing and bright. It’s on the tart side though, so if you prefer something sweeter you can add a little more sugar to the filling (about 3/4 cup total), although I’m a big fan of tart meets slightly sweet desserts. The rosemary in the crust is very subtle, but adds the perfect earthy touch to make the tart more interesting.

    Lemon Tart with Rosemary Crust

   Created, photographed, and shared by Good Things Grow

   for the crust

   • 1 1/3 cup spelt flour
   • 3 tablespoons cane sugar
   • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
   • pinch of salt
   • 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
   • 1-2 tablespoon ice water

   for the filling

   • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
   • 1/2 cup cane sugar
   • 2 eggs
   • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
   • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

   Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan and set aside.

   Place the flour, sugar, rosemary, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse until little pea sized bits start to form. Add in the ice water, starting with just 1 tablespoon. Pulse a few more times, then check the dough to see if it holds together when pressed between your fingers. If not, add the 2nd tablespoon. The dough may still seem crumbly, but as long as it holds together when pressed it will be perfect.

    Dump the dough out into the prepared tart pan. Starting from the center, work your way out to the sides by pressing the dough firmly into the pan. Make sure you press it up along the sides evenly. Pierce the bottom with a fork a few times and place in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before filling.

   Meanwhile prepare the filling. Place the yogurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then add the lemon juice and zest. Whisk until smooth and everything is evenly combined.

   Pour the filling into the crust and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and only slightly jiggles when shaken lightly.

   Allow to cool completely then place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Tart can be made the day before and kept covered and chilled in the fridge. Serve with fresh whipped cream if you’d like.