Breakfast of Champions

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No - No you people of the 70's and 80's (myself included), it is not Wheaties!

So what is this concoction on the plate and in the bowl?

  • Local, pasture raised eggs fried to the perfect, "still liquid" yolk state,
  • Wild leeks chopped and placed on top, and
  • Local, pasture-raised, goat milk cheese, slightly melted, on top...  and in the bowl?
  • Kraut made from Kent Family Farm's root veggies, cabbage, and burdock with added: fresh wild leeks from around the corner and up the hill; then I added dandelion greens, nettle tops*, and chives from the front yard.

Yummy, cell nourishing way to start the day!

*The nettle tops were raw, chopped very finely.  Yes, nettles will leave the characteristic "sting" on the tongue and back of the throat... but it is very mild, barely noticeable!

Stinging nettles have been used for urtication. Urtication means flailing the affected joints with nettles for the relief of arthritis and like conditions.  So eating raw is a 'lil self tongue and throat therapy!  Who would want arthritis of throat and tongue?

face

Winter Food Blues

It is that time of year... I am sick of winter root veggies, squash, and cabbage.  I know, on the tail end of it, there IS good things coming.  I get impatient. I long for the green things sprouting out of our local soil.  To survive until the local farmers and my garden has some stuff to offer up, I play around with food. (Truthfully, I play around with food all the time.)

I am waiting, very impatiently, for the wild leeks.

I do have tiny stinging nettle tops poking up in my garden.  I have popped off a couple of nettle tops and indulged in the raw green-ness of it.  They are so young that they leave no sting behind on the tongue or in the throat.

Dandelion greens are out there too.  All survival food to nourish my cells and my soul!

So a dear friend turned me on to Balela, a Mediterranean salad. Immediately I thought: "What a fun idea and release from winter food."

davids

David's recipe, displayed above:

Ingredients:  all ingredients are organic

  • 1 15-oz can black beans
  • 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 stocks green onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (white or apple vinegar should suffice)
  • two organic tomatoes chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint
  • unrefined sea salt & pepper to taste

 

mine

My improvised Balela, using what I had on hand:

Ingredients: again, all organic

  • 1 15-oz can kidney beans (no black beans in my cupboard)
  • 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup organic lemon juice, Lakewood Organic from the Potsdam Coop
  • Chopped chives from my herb garden
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar from Martin's Farm Stand
  • about 25 frozen cherry tomatoes from The Kent Family Growers winter CSA, thawed and chopped in 1/2
  • 2 tbsp chopped oregano from my herb garden (no parsley yet!)
  • 1 tbsp lemon thyme from my herb garden (no peppermint, deer ate it!)
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • unrefined sea salt & pepper to taste

Just before I indulged, I placed pine nuts on top and some sheep milk feta.     Very YUMMY!

I know David is eating and enjoying Balela, as well, in LaFayette!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Winter Food Blues Recipe... how I Spring up the root veggie kraut to make my taste buds sing (instead of them whining about more winter food and thinking the green stuff will never grow!).

Hang in there... local, spring food is right around the corner!