Can I just talk about food?

It's so good around here lately- it's bordering on a religious experience for me. Seriously. So much of why I do what I do and why I believe what I believe is all about FOOD. This is not a surprise to many of you, but it occasionally creeps up on me. Like, the simple act of sitting down at a table with people that I adore, taking in the precious life that nourishes mine… all of that leads to the much more complex realization that taking care of what cares for you is the foundation of a worthwhile life. Energy in, energy out. The relationship I've built with what sustains my body continues to connect me to what sustains my soul. It's serious stuff, people!

Anyway, a peek into the world of food at the Yoder house, end-of-summer 2012:

Local everything lately. I'm not even really a stickler about it anymore, it's just kind of how we're naturally doing it. I will still jam on some avocados occasionally, but what really helps is that we do all of our shopping between our backyard, the farmer's market, and our co-op. That leaves us with a lot of really quality local fare, and not a ton of choices (which I love). So mostly our menu is born from whatever we have available at the time, which means I'm constantly challenged to create something new and delicious. 


Which really, given the quality of everything, is not that hard to do.

As complicated as this kind of eating may seem to some, it eases so many other areas of our lives. One really concrete example I can think of is the kids. I'm just never worried about what they eat or their health. They just always eat what we do, greens and all. And honestly, there are minimal complaints. I think that a couple of things contribute to this- I think they know that the food we have is the food we have. If they whine for something else, they look in the fridge and see a hunk of cheese and veggies, and that's about the end of it. Also, I think they aren't addicted to refined flours/sugars, which I believe kids to be extremely sensitive to (so sensitive that I no longer keep crackers or pasta or most breads in the house because they turn into little addicts the minute we have a supply).

Fall has hit the air and I was itching to make a soup. I just threw a whole chicken in a pot and it happened. You'll have to forgive the microgreens on top of everything. We just always have a supply and eat them on everything!

More soup. 

Our chickens laying is slowing down, so we've had some store bought eggs lately. We cracked one of our own with one from the store, and I bet you can't guess which is which! Pretty amazing contrast, yes?

Local grapes. They are so incredible, I can't even describe them.

And… tonight's dinner. I was looking in the chest freezer and pulled out a roast- looked at the label and it read "heart". Beef heart. I was sure it'd be good, just like tongue. I prepared it the same way I do tongue, with my family's time-tested recipe. Water, salt, onion, peppercorn, mustard seed, cloves, and a bay leaf. And of course, lots of time.

When I told Vera we were having beef heart for dinner, she was skeptical. It was actually a conversation that brought her to tears and we had a long talk about death/using the whole animal/being grateful for life that gives life… which happens from time to time. After she contemplated the heaviness of death, she was more intrigued than anything else. We had a conversation about the shape of hearts, and her world seemed rocked when she realized the shape and the actual organ were not the same…

Then we went out an harvested and played while the heart was simmering away all afternoon.

Asa helped make this pesto- just arugula and radish greens, garlic, and pumpkin seeds. So good.

When it was done we pulled it out and tested little bits. Vera tasted it and said "Wow! That's good! I thought it was gonna be bad!"

Heart tacos with arugula pesto aioli, onion, tomato, and radish microgreens.

I think I might have to reinstate "Wednesday Food Posts" so that I can keep up on all this stuff. What's new in your food world?

Gracie
Gracie

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