Inspired Caprese Salad

It’s been hot lately.  Really hot.  Triple digits for the past week hot.

And when it’s this hot, I usually don’t like to cook and add heat to my kitchen and my apartment with it’s itty bitty insignificant window A/C unit.  So last week I made this.

I guess what you would call an inspired caprese salad.  I was at the grocery store and the tomatoes were looking super fine.  I thought of my soon-to-be-ripening tomatoes at home, and the lovely lush basil that hasn’t bolted. Yet.  All this, while some fresh mozzarella was staring me in the face.  Brilliant.  Picked up some bean salad from the olive bar for an extra kick of protein and I was on my way to deliciousness.

It was pretty easy to chop everything up and toss it in a bowl once I got home.  I added a few more veggies to add some texture and crunch.  Oh, and fiber. Because that’s really good for you.

Inspired Caprese Salad (serves 2-4)

• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup bean salad
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced cauliflower
• 2 large handfuls of fresh basil
• 1 cup roughly cut mozzarella
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• dash of balsamic vinegar
• pinch of coarse sea salt
• fresh cracked pepper

1. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, bean salad, red bell pepper, and cauliflower in a bowl. Mix.

2. Chop or rip basil leaves into small pieces.  Add to vegetable mixture.

3. Drizzle vegetable mixture with olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar.  Add sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Mix together until evenly coated.

4. Add mozzarella, toss gently, and serve.

 

Picking up where we left off

It’s been a little quiet over here, I know.  It’s no excuse, but things have been really busy.  The good news is that said things have started to calm down: my thesis is finished and my new job is a little less new.  Once again, I get to focus on some of the things I love.  These include the following:

Wine tasting.

Visiting farms.

Distributing produce.

Eating locally and sustainably.

As we kick off the summer, July will bring lots of opportunities to check in on our food system.  Stay tuned for more pictures, recipes, reviews, and musings.

Mason Jar French Press Hack

Press this. Literally.

Turning a Mason Jar into a Hyperlocal French Press | Business on GOOD.

Drink it on Wednesday

Gin Doesn’t Make You Sad – NYTimes.com

No, gin is delicious.

Second chance chickens

My friends have a farm, of sorts, just outside Ithaca, NY.  They have a lovely house with acres of property, two goats, a handful of ducks, chickens, cats, a chinchilla, and a wonderful, rambunctious dog named Molly.  The problem with the above scenario, is that they have two roosters who do not get along. At. All.

So last weekend, as we were playing nerdy board games, the problem of the roosters came up.  Roosters are good for a few things- keeping the hens in line (just kidding), making more chickens, waking you up in the morning (is that a good thing?), and soup.  We discussed how one of the roosters didn’t have much longer, and what was going to happen to him.  My friends, farmers though they wanted to be, had never actually killed any of their animals, or anyone else’s animals.  So I offered to help.  They are mostly vegetarian but eat humanely and sustainably raised meat.  This rooster was destined for greatness.

I have a little experience killing chickens.  And after a YouTube refresher (short notice, no friendly farmers nearby), we went outside to round-up the rooster.  He was beautiful, with blue and burgundy feathers, a black copper maran.  And a fat and heavy bird.  We sat with him for a while, and I thanked him for what he had given us thus far.

We stuck him upside down in an altered traffic cone, let him settle, and went from there.  The process of killing, de-feathering, and gutting was an extended one for the inexperienced.  It was easier for me since I had no emotional or any attachment to the bird. I was simply there as a guide, and for moral support for the sympathetic humans.  As he began to look less like animal, and more like dinner, our biological fascination with anatomy took over.  There was a certain matter-of-factness to it all as we continued separating out the edible from the inedible.

But it wasn’t easy by any means.  There’s a cold callousness to death within a harsh reality.  Facing mortality makes me more appreciative of every moment of my day.  The experience reminded me of how appreciative I am of the food I eat.  How it nourishes me and empowers me to share my passion.  How it connects me to my community and something beyond myself.  How it brings people together to share conversations about equality and access, conservation and consumption, local and global.

So, thanks rooster.  For reminding me of all these good things and giving me a little taste of what is yet to come.

Drink it on Wednesday

Photo Courtesy Myer Farm Distillers and Andrea Murray

From field to flask.

That’s the idea behind New York State’s Myer Farm Distillers, where they use organic grain from their organic farm to produce a number of spirits.  It’s a craft at it’s finest.

Drink it on Wednesday

Dogfish Head is located in Delaware and has some of the best beer in the craft brew world.  I’m a particular fan of their 60-minute IPA.  James Beard Foundation Award Nominee Sam Calagione, founder and president of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, did a very fun interview with the James Beard Foundation.  To get a sense of what’s behind the beer, read the interview here.

Drink it on Wednesday

It’s no longer Wednesday. I’m sorry. But things have been super busy lately, and will be for the next couple weeks. I’m sure you understand.

But just because it’s not Wednesday, doesn’t mean you don’t get a drink! And what a delicious drink it is.

Earth Day 2013

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via NASA

It’s Earth Day!   While it’s not a national holiday (though it should be), it is a day that has potentially impactful implications in all our lives.  Earth Day is typically focused on our resources, and recently, there’s been a major focus on climate change.  Here’s a neat infographic about the change in climate since we celebrated the first Earth Day.

Drink it on Wednesday

A few good friends of mine are about to become doctors! No, not the kinds that help people. (Thanks Dr. Pausch’s mom!)  They’re about to be doctors of entomology, a.k.a. bug doctors a.k.a. proponents of sustainable agriculture.  What does that have to do with today’s post?  Well, a celebration is in order of course!  And a double feature nonetheless.

Essentially two variations on a three-ingredient theme, the Negroni and the Boulevardier are two of my favorite cocktails of all time (after the Sazerac of course).  Before we get to the recipes, let’s first digest a little history.