WFP: Seasonal goodness

Posted On June 9, 2010

I’m just going to go with "WFP" now, rather than "Wednesday Food Post"… just because that makes sense and I can be lazy like that. 🙂

Today I was thinking all about how great it’s been to make the commitment to eat more locally. I can’t say I’m a complete locavore, but I’m on the path. It’s really done nothing but good things for me, too. I’m more creative with my cooking, I have a more varied and healthy diet, and I’m getting back in touch with what is truly available to me. But more than anything, I’m starting to see how much I took food for granted in the past. Simple stuff that I used to just regularly pull off the shelf can now seem like a decadent treat- a once a year delicacy that brings us all together with a smile. If there’s anything that I think is missing in our modern way of eating, it’s gratitude for what sustains us.

A few of the things that have me smiling:

Fresh asparagus. It’s on its way out, but I have loved it. It’s also one of those things that I think is almost better that it’s rare. I would not appreciate this vegetable nearly enough if it was around all the time or stored well. It’s really a unique and delicious (and under appreciated) vegetable. Now fresh tomatoes? I could eat those like apples year-round, but I digress. My favorite way to eat asparagus this year has been grilled just until tender. Crunchy and slightly charred, tossed with a little butter or oil and salt and pepper. Below are some grilled asparagus with sesame, green onion, a little tamari and olive oil, salt and pepper… 
 

 

Lettuce. I’m just really happy about lettuce.

Fresh strawberries. We went for our first picking yesterday, and it was great. There’s nothing like a warm strawberry right off the vine. Vera had a great time, and talked about it the rest of the day. Just… yum.

I made a strawberry clafouti last night, but forgot to get a picture of it baked. It’s a French recipe that’s like a cross between a custard and a cake- pretty good! It came out something like this. I’m going to play around with it more, with all the fresh fruit that’s coming our way. Next time I’ll definitely serve it with a little whipped cream. It was ridiculously easy, too. Just fruit tossed in a little cornstarch (to keep it from bleeding into the custard), eggs, milk, vanilla, and just a little sugar and flour. Super easy and good for you!

Strawberry smoothie. I’m going to be having lots of these, and they are a great way to use stored frozen berries throughout the year. There’s nothing like a mid-winter fruit smoothie when you get that fruit craving. 

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Oh yeah, and I wanted to update on the lacto-fermented beets and radishes. So good! They turned out very well, and the flavor just keeps getting better with time. Vera loves them, although I have to take off her shirt when she eats them- they’ll really stain! I really like to eat them as a side dish with my lunches- they are really refreshing and so so good for me. I’m excited to do more traditional pickling, especially now that radishes and carrots and all sorts of things are coming into the markets (and will soon be ready in my garden!). I’m actually planning on doing a lacto-fermented strawberry-rhubarb jam in the next few days. I’ll let you all know how that one turns out!