Grown up scrambled eggs, Italiano style. Inspired by piles of fresh basil and oregano, a hunk of great chorizo and fresh cheese curds. The seasons first broccoli are out, Italian ribbed zucchini and sweet little baby onions. All of these delights, sautéed in butter, lightly seasoned with black pepper, just allowing the raw flavours of everything to shine. A nice local cheese curd mixed in with slow cooked eggs alongside a pile of summers bounty. Yes please, this perfect breakfast awaits, and it’s way better than an omelette. (more…)
Potent little packages of pure goodness. My heart sped up when I saw two huge bunches of the most perfect italian parsley in our CSA box this week. What a treat, and on top of that, gorgeous fresh mint bundles and long spindly green onions. Wild oregano has replaced grass in our yard, its one of the few things the chickens don’t nosh on. So what does one do when the herbs are all a plenty? Mix copious amounts with buttery rice, summer vegetables, fresh mango and hearty meatballs. Yes, yum.
I didn’t think I was hungry enough to devour a huge bowl of this herbed goodness, but I was wrong. Even with chop sticks it all disappeared pretty fast.
Happy Solstice everyone! I can hear the drums pounding at a nearby local gathering as people celebrate the longest day, the coming of summer. Oh how we look forward to this day on those barren winter nights, they pass so slowly, summer seems to zip by. Before we know it the forests will be awash with ripe berries and hungry bears. Soon the river will be just warm enough to relish in for a plentiful 2 months.
My dad doesn’t cook. My partner doesn’t cook. Something freudian going on? Perhaps. When my pops did cook for us he made stew. Mom said when they met he had about 2 solid recipes under his belt, boston blue fish cooked in a can of mushroom soup and hearty beef stew. When I met J he kindly offered me crackers and smoked sausage, his staple foods. I’m totally blessed to have a loving supportive dad. Whatever he lacks in the cooking department he makes up for in silly jokes and knowing the answer to pretty much every question.
Today I thinned some of the arugula and swiss chard in my garden. The result of this is heaps of delicate, delicious little gems also known as ‘micro greens’. These are the epitome of cute vegetables. One of these, beside my baby boys face and no adorable puppy snuggling a pigeon can compare in cuteness. On top of that, little bitty micro greens make a fine salad, from something most people toss to the side! The radishes were also ready for harvest, big cherry bells full of spice. Purslane starting to crawl it’s across all shady spots, a common weed, filled with succulent omega-3 goodness. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to dig my hands in to the earth. Something in my soul just feels so completed, so content, so filled with wonder and hope for the future. Gardening can seem daunting to some, but I feel it is a really therapeutic and fulfilling use of free time. My dream is to someday have a huge garden with so much extra to give away. That’s what it’s all about, sharing the bounty, spreading the seeds.
I have this secret innate drive to be a hunter. It’s almost a childlike fantasy, since I have no hunting knowledge whatsoever. But there is a group here devoted to the sacred side of hunting, honouring the animal, honing in with intuition, blessing, praising this life which has given itself so that we can continue living. A part of me wants to join this group, but another part is terrified at the thought of killing, I can’t even kill a fish without weeping. Those tears don’t necessarily mean that it’s wrong somehow, they are really tears of gratitude. (more…)
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
