potato & mushroom tarte tatin

still lovin' me some whole foods.  yesterday, i went to a nearby natural foods store and also a local farmers' market in order to gather the necessary groceries for the week.  the two stores i visited yesterday i liked even better than the markets i went to last week.  they had a better selection overall and had a lot more local produce, dairy products and eggs!  very exciting : )

so last night - excited to use my farmers' market bounty - i improvised a vegetable tarte tatin using potatoes, mushrooms and onions.  it was simple and delicious...and looked really pretty too.  attractive food always tastes better - have you ever noticed that?

potato & mushroom tarte tatin

1/4 shallot, diced
3 small potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
3-4 baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 green onion
salt & pepper
olive oil

preheat oven to 400

1. spray a 10" cast iron skillet (or pan) with olive oil.
2. saute shallots until golden brown.

3. arrange the veggie over shallots in a circular fan design.

4. season with salt & pepper and spray with more olive oil.
5. snip green onion over top with cooking shears.

6. bake for 30 or so minutes until potatoes are tender and golden around edges.

we enjoyed our tarte tatin over local lettuce and topped it with chicken apple sausage, goat milk feta (from another local dairy) and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.  yummy!

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roasted asparagus & brie pizza

omg.  this pizza was truly awesome.  very a-typically as far as toppings go, but what it lacked in tradition it made up tenfold in buttery goodness.
ok, so here's what went down...

earlier in the day i made some super easy, no-knead bread dough.  i know i've shared this recipe before, but if you're anything like me, when i first heard "bread dough", i shunned it in fear.  i always thought homemade bread was an undertaking for only the bravest and most patient of cooks.  i mean, don't bakers have to start working at 3am just so they can open at 7am?  but have no fear - this recipe is truly simple and easy.  it takes about 5 min to mix together all the ingredients, and then you let it rise.  then you mold it and bake.  super easy i promise.  (have i convinced you yet?  here is the recipe.)

back to the pizza.

1/4 of bread dough recipe or 12oz pizza dough
6-8 stalks of asparagus (from a nearby farm)
1/2 shallot
2-3 fingerling potatoes
1/2 small meyer lemon, thinly sliced
3 oz brie
1 tbsp (or 3 tsp) olive oil
rosemary
salt & pepper

1. preheat oven to 400.

2. wash asparagus & potatoes well.  snap the woody part of the stems off of the aparagus and thinly slice the potatoes.

3. place veggies on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil over veggies and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  roast for 10-15 in the oven until asparagus is tender and potatoes are golden brown around edges.

4. while the veggies are in the oven, thinly slice the shallots and saute in 1 tsp olive oil until caramelized.  set aside.

5. sprinkle cornmeal over pizza stone (or baking tray) and spread dough.

6. once asparagus & potatoes are done roasting and slightly cooled, arrange on the dough.  add the lemon, shallots and brie.

7. drizzle final teaspoon of olive oil over top and season with salt & cracked pepper.

8. bake for 25 min or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.  remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  sprinkle with fresh rosemary before serving.

this pizza was seriously delicious.  and the asparagus - both green and purple - from the local farmers' market was so fresh and sweet.  even with the brie cheese, the asparagus stole the show..

whole foods, whole-heartedly

craig and i watched the movie food inc. the other evening.  for those of you who haven’t seen it, the film highlights the substandard and health-compromising practices of the corporate food system in america.  the movie resounded with us.  though much of what i saw on screen i already knew existed (on some level), it struck a chord with us.  and though we’re fairly conscious consumers already – buying little to no processed foods, relying on veggies (not meat) as the star of our meals, purchasing organic whenever possible and diligently lugging our green bags to and from the store – we realized that we can, should and most importantly want to be doing more.  more for ourselves, and consequently, more for our environment.

i love to cook.  (you all know that by now.)  i relish in preparing creative & delicious meals.  it seems only valid to also care (or at least be curious) about who grows it, what methods are used, how it is transported and what overall impact it has on my body and the environment.  now, i’m not going to get all preachy about what you should or shouldn’t do, but for me, it just seems logical to seek out foods in their purest forms.  local, seasonal, whole foods have the greatest nutritive value and the least harmful impact on our bodies and our environment.  not to mention, they support your local community.  that math just makes sense.  simple, whole foods = a simplistic existence (i.e. less sickness, less stress, fewer imbalances)

for a while now, craig and i have been shifting in this direction, but i think seeing food inc. and having the blatant evidence of how toxic our food system is for both our health, our local communities and the environment, tipped the scales further.  now, don’t worry, i’m not going barefoot hippie on you.  but, for me, embracing a more “locavore” existence is the right choice – it actually feels like the only choice after doing some additional research.  a choice that i am ready, willing and eager to embrace to the best of my ability.  this new outlook will cultivate a connection to the food i so love cooking – selecting it with care and getting to know who produced it, preparing it simply and thoughtfully and savoring the natural, nourishing, delicious flavors.  (and fyi, this concept of eating doesn’t mandate that you have to be a vegetarian or vegan – so meat-eaters don’t flee!  it merely encourages reducing your meat consumption a bit because of the toll industrial meat processing takes on the environment and seeking out ethically-raised meat & dairy.  so, simply put, quality over quantity when it comes to enjoying a meaty steak.)

the money/time issue: i’m sure it will be more time consuming and cost a bit more money to eat this way, but those are investments i’m willing to make (finally).  i would rather pay a little extra for clean, cared-for foods than suffer with poor health and unending doctors’ bills & prescription-costs later.  in essence, i kind of feel like i can’t afford not to adopt a more natural & wholesome way of eating.  and lastly, though i whole-heartedly embrace the ideals behind this method of eating, i know it won’t be possible to honor it at all times.  and i’m ok with that.  i know any steps in the right direction are progress and both valid & valuable.  just like with yoga – it’s about practice, not perfection.

i’ll be blogging (obviously) throughout this shift into a more local, whole foods lifestyle – continuing to offer recipes, tips, techniques and recommendations for simply fabulous living.  hopefully, you’ll find yourself as inspired as i am to seek a simpler, more organic existence.  (like the “organic” pun?)

resources to learn more about a natural, whole foods lifestyle:
101 cookbooks blog (and heidi’s book super natural every day)
food rules by michael pollan
how to cook everything vegetarian by mark bittman    
food inc.
lucid food by louisa shafia

so, mavens, what do you think?.

simple broccoli salad

yesterday, i made a broccoli salad inspired by a recipe my mom used to make each spring.  this fresh salad has a sweet/tangy dressing and is the perfect side dish for a brunch or bbq.

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded carrots/cabbage/broccoli
1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp mayonnaise
salt & pepper

1. mix the broccoli, shredded veggies, pecans and raisins in a medium bowl.

2. in a separate small bowl, combine syrup, vinegar and mayo.  whisk.

3. drizzle dressing over veggie mixture and toss.

4. season with salt and pepper.
recipe makes 4 side-dish size servings.

this salad is best if made a bit ahead of time.  cover and place in fridge for 2 hours - overnight to let the flavor marinate.  yum!  the crunchy, tangy, sweet goodness is just fantastic.

on a different note...

i'm looking forward to my friend, cate's, wedding shower this weekend.  keep your fingers-crossed that it won't rain on sunday!  we already experienced torrential downpours the weekend of her bachelorette party... 

what are you up to this weekend?.