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Sunday morning

mind-energizing

gotu kola

for clarity of the mind, mental expansion

Awakening Gotu Truffles

 grind gotu kola into fine powder in a spice/herb grinder

mix with honey

 roll into a gotu kola truffle

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The Golden Elixir

i finally made ghee

for the first time

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i cannot get enough of its seductive nutty aroma and flavor

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Heat 1 pound unsalted organic butter on medium for 5-10 minutes.
Skim white foam off that rises to the top.
Milk solids will settle at bottom of pot.
Strain through cheesecloth into jars and allow to cool.

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Classic Pot of Beans

In my kitchen, the days of opening cans of beans are pretty much long gone. Of course now and then, cans are there in a pinch...for the occasional pureed bean dip, or for when I'm craving some creamy cannellinis but forgot to plan ahead. I remember my first attempt at cooking dried beans. I had no idea what I was doing. My pretty green flageolets, after boiling for over an hour, turned out partly disintegrated and tough. Disappointed, I didn't even attempt working with dried beans again until a few years later when my dear friend Jesse taught me the basics of cooking a simple pot of beans. Everyone should know how to transform these dried legumes into something rich, creamy and delicious. I am now confident with my bean-cooking skills and I have realized the inherent difference between freshly cooked beans and those that have been sitting in a can. Whenever possible I buy organic heirloom varietals (Rancho Gordo has a wonderful, diverse bean selection, and Community Grains has amazing quality beans as well; I am 100% hooked on their cannellinis), as their flavor and texture far surpass the rest. I love waking up in the morning and putting beans on the stove to simmer. They keep well in the refrigerator for use in a variety of dishes in the days that follow.

The only obstacle that might stand between you and your succulent pot of beans would be not thinking ahead. You must soak dried beans, preferably overnight. Place 2 c dried beans in large bowl and cover with water. Water level should be at least three inches above top of beans to allow for absorption. Let stand uncovered at room temperature overnight. In morning, prepare your vegetables. Dice up around 1 carrot, 1-2 stalks celery and a half or whole yellow onion. Smash 2 cloves of garlic, and mince 4 five inch stalks fresh rosemary. Place everything (along with any other herbs you'd like; I usually add a bay leaf or two) in a medium sized pot with a few tablespoons oil (i switch off among coconut, olive and sunflower oils) on medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for around 5 minutes. Drain beans from their soaking liquid. Add beans to pot, followed by fresh water to about an inch above level of beans. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover pot with lid. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (cook time depends on size and varietal of bean) or until beans are perfectly tender. Remove from heat. Add a few teaspoons of good quality salt to taste. Obviously beans can be enjoyed in infinitely wonderful ways. One of the more simple ways I like to enjoy them while they are still warm is ladled into a bowl with some of their liquid, drizzled with vibrant extra virgin olive oil and topped with some crushed walnuts and a bit of salt.

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Foraged Local Nettle Soup

with Coconut Milk

Spring has begun to gift us with its soft petals and pollen-scented air. I harvested a bag of fresh, young nettles last week, drying most of them for future tea and keeping the rest for immediate cooking. I just attended my first weekend of classes at The School of Traditional Western Herbalism. We held a potluck to ring in the beginning of our program, for which I put together this super simple fresh nettle soup. Rich in minerals, nettles have a characteristic deep, earthy flavor that I absolutely love. They have to be one of my favorite ingredients EVER. If you do harvest your own nettles, be sure to remember that they STING. Their sting is on the mild side, but it is best to wear gloves and be mindful of other bare skin. Their stinging property goes away once they are cooked or dried.

3 Tbsp coconut oil

1 large yellow onion

3-4 cloves garlic

2 shallots

3 yukon gold potatoes

fresh nettles (at least 2 lbs; the quantity I used

was a densely packed plastic bag-

the kind you would find in the produce section)

water to cover

salt to taste

whole organic coconut milk (for garnish)

Before starting the cooking process, make sure your nettles are trimmed and washed and ready to go. I use gloves and kitchen scissors to trim nettle leaves from the more fibrous stems (discard stems). Once trimmed, use tongs to place nettles in a large stainless steel bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and allow nettles to soak for a few minutes, tossing them gently. Remove nettles from bowl with tongs and place in colander to strain. 

Roughly chop onion, garlic, and shallots. Place in large pot with coconut oil over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes. In the meantime, slice potatoes into about 1/4" pieces. Add potatoes to pot. Cook for a few minutes, then add water to the pot, enough just to cover the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add nettles to pot in batches (using tongs). They will immediately decrease in size as they begin to cook and you will be able to keep adding more.  Once all the nettles are in pot, top off with more water so nettles and vegetables are just covered with water. Cook for 5 more minutes. 

Blend the soup in batches, scooping from the pot to the blender until entire soup is pureed. (You can also use an immersion blender or a food processor.) Pour pureed soup back into soup pot and season with salt. Serve soup with a swirl of coconut milk. 

You can alternatively stir in desired amount of coconut milk to entire soup before serving. Toasted, crushed walnuts or almonds are a wonderful addition to the top. I also love sauteed black trumpet mushrooms for garnish. You could skip the coconut milk completely and instead top with a dollop of delicious, whole sour cream (with nuts and mushrooms!).

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endless

exploration begins

(  h e r e  )

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new city

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new textures

+ + + bringing back the blender + + +

red russian kale

apple

lemon

ginger

banana

dates

aloe vera juice

almond milk

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banana

almond butter

almond milk

dates

vanilla

maca

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fifteen minutes

and i'm in

a mossy, lush

wonderland

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all glory

comes from daring

to begin

Eugene Ware