one of the best ways to gain a little inspiration, or rather a new perspective on things, is to limit what you have access to, and for many of us in rural communities or on small monthly budgets, that’s just the usual every day. and if you’re a seasonal eater, such as our family, this concept isn’t new to you.

i find that building summer meals on whatever i’m harvesting allows me to test out new things, new flavors, new cooking techniques because it’s fun to see just how many things i can create with a basket of peppers or mounds of eggplant. it keeps things exciting and makes me just a little more creative.

i can honestly say that, despite having eaten eggplant every week all summer long, i have, in fact, not grown tired of the (culinary) vegetable because i get to enjoy it in news ways each time i create a menu.

build a bowl!

some my favorite meals are one with a simple base and lots of condiments and add ons. that’s a whole other topic of discussion when it comes to cooking that i’ll elaborate on one day. for now, let me focus on the simplicity of this concept and the pure enjoyment that comes with it.

the majority of work when cooking this way is the prep—chopping vegetables, making sauces, roasting a meat or tofu or veg, making a crunchy topping. for the most part, depending on what you decide to make, the cooking portion of the job is actually pretty minimal. lately i’ve been making lots of taco bowls (but like really good taco bowls), noodle bowls and what i call mediterranean bowls because they always feature some spiced topping, a tahini sauce and chickpeas for some protein.

the mediterranean bowl

my go-to all year long, but especially so when eggplants and peppers are in abundance. this particular combo features perfectly roasted eggplant (sharing the recipe for that below!), blistered peppers, chickpeas, bulgur wheat, pickled beets, a simple fresh salad with lots of olives, basil ribbons, homemade yogurt, green tahini sauce, and my most favorite crunchy topping that i eat on nearly everything—dukkah. the beauty of this bowl is that you can substitute with whatever veggies, beans and/or pickled things you have on hand. i especially love a cauliflower and pickled carrot combo. white beans work nicely if you don’t have or particularly enjoy chickpeas.

cold broth noodle bowl

had some leftover mushrooms from underground forest that i let dry out in my fridge (whoops!), so i decided to save them by making a light mushroom broth, which made me think of a cold, simple asian inspired lunch that, once again, features…perfectly roasted eggplant! here the combo included my most favorite noodles—buckwheat—baked marinated tofu, roasted eggplant, julienned cucumbers and carrots, and also cucumber slices, fresh jalapeño, leftover avocado from theo’s plate, homemade chili crisp and that delicious broth that gets amped with with a little rice vinegar, lime and fish sauce. this meal was 100% easy and so refreshing on a hot summer afternoon.

taco bowls always and forever

look. i know us millennials grew up eating taco bowls in the school cafeteria and, if you were lucky, at least once at week at home, but taco bowls don’t have to look anything like those basic iceberg lettuce, taco packet ground beef, shredded cheese combos we all know and can’t help but love because damn they are so nostalgic. a taco bowl can be as simple or as elevated as you want it to be, and mine most always land somewhere in the middle. this particular combo features some super flavorful home cooked black beans (although canned or jarred will suffice) a charred pepper and sweet corn salad, roasted potatoes, pickled onions, fresh jalapeños, homemade yogurt, homemade salsa, hot sauce (duh!), grilled onions, homemade corn tortillas (so easy and you can make and freeze. just saying.) and avocado. sounds like a lot, but honestly, those pickled onions were made for the previous week’s taco bowls, the tortillas came from the freezer, grilled onions take 10 minutes, and most everything else was cut up fresh. looks extra fancy, tastes so freaking good, and requires minimal work, which is why i resort to taco bowls nearly every time i can’t think of anything to make or when my energy levels are low.

a go-to recipe for the summer-fall season

back when i worked as the chef for rural studio, and nearly every time i make some sort of eggplant dish for an event or private gig, someone always asks how i roast my eggplant, and so i’d like to share a recipe for one variation of my roasted eggplant. the trick is a high heat, a good glug of olive oil and an even cut when prepping. i’m going to do my best to explain how to cut your eggplant depending on what variety you are using, so cut accordingly and just remember to keep the size consistent.

PEFECTLY ROASTED EGGPLANT
Oven temp: 450° / Cook time: 30-40 minutes

1.5lbs eggplant
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder

I do not salt my eggplants. you are more than welcome to, but it’s definitely not necessary. scale the recipe based on your needs.

prep your eggplant. cut your eggplant into large chunks. too small, and the eggplant will either burn or turn to mush in the cooking process. large pieces ensure the edges get caramelized and the insides soft and creamy.

method for cutting an ideal size: if using the classic large purple variety you find in stores, cut the eggplant into 1” thick slices, then cut each slice into cubes/rectangles. Based on the size of your eggplant, one round slice should yield 4-6 cubes/rectangles. If using thinner eggplant, like the chinese or japanese variety, you can just cut into 1” rings and/or half moons.

season the eggplant. place eggplant in a bowl. drizzle with the olive oil, adding more if needed. eggplant really soaks up oil. add in all your spices and toss with your hands to coat each piece.

roast and toss. place on a baking sheet and place in the hot oven. cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss, then cook for another 10 minutes.

how to enjoy. this eggplant is lovely on its own. you can also:toss it in a little vinegar after cooking for a little tang and add fresh herbs to it! / toss it in a nice dressing, add some cooked lentils or chickpeas and fresh herbs for a fresh eggplant and lentil salad. / eat it with pasta / use it to top a platter of hummus.

personally, i find summer to be the greatest season of them all. the season delivers everything i love in life—long light filled days, gorgeous blue skies, the puffiest white clouds, never ending buds and blooms, the freshest produce, adventures big and small, poolside chats, cold beer while cutting the grass, spontaneous drives, porch sitting, lightening bugs, cicadas singing through trees, a weekly watermelon, stone fruit season, basil bunches on every windowsill, farmers market bounties, the wildest sunsets, picnics under shade trees, lounging around to avoid the heat…

…and quick flavorful meals so there is more time for embracing all this glorious season has to offer.

my summer gardens are also a highlight of my life, a practice i’ve carried with me to every place i’ve ever lived since moving out of my childhood home because i couldn’t imagine not having a garden to sow and harvest. we always had a garden growing up, so summer wouldn’t quite be summer without one.

i use my garden as a form of therapy and also a way to cut back on food costs. i force myself to create meals using everything i harvest, and while it ends up becoming a weekly rotation of the same main vegetables and herbs, i honestly don’t mind because i love them so much. that restraint also allows me to be a little more creative in the kitchen. it’s fun to see just how many things i can make with a tomato or an eggplant, with every variety of pepper i’m growing, with all the bunches of basil. it’s a good practice—cooking with what you have.

my most recent favorite meals

here are my top three most favorite meals from the past few weeks. each one highlights the produce from my garden while celebrating the simplicity of a good, quick light summer meal.

perfectly roasted eggplant and tomato with smoky chickpeas

enjoyed over homemade labneh with olive oil and fresh basil. i make my own yogurt every other week from a gallon of organic milk, then strain it for several days until it’s so thick and creamy. it serves at the most delicious base to nearly every summer veg. the yogurt, chickpeas, tomatoes and eggplant are made in advance so all you have to do is plate and enjoy. devoured with homemade za’atar sourdough and fresh egyptian cucumbers.

lemon gigante beans in grated tomato
featured recipe of the post. included below!

i know i’m not the first person to tell you this, but if you aren’t grating up your summer tomatoes, you are missing out! such a simple way to use up one of Mother Nature’s greatest gifts. here, tomatoes are grated then mixed with olive oil and grated garlic, lemon juice and salt for a light, refreshing “sauce” that can be eaten warm or cold. i love a big bean, so i opted for my last two packs of heirloom gigante beans, which got a dressed with a little lemon juice before being dropped onto the tomatoes. i enjoyed topping mine with a quick homemade chili crisp. almost like a chilled summer soup! theo—my now 15-month old who literally started walking as i was typing this post—really, really, really loved this meal.

a simple hummus plate

look. she may not look like much, but by the end of the day, i’m usually wanting something quick and light and on weeks where i forgot to meal prep a dinner option, these hummus plates are a staple. i always make sure i have some sort of dip in the fridge to build from. while this one may not be the world’s most inspiring hummus platter, she sure is delicious and perfectly filling. and look! we used up not one, but two types of peppers—a quick blistering on the stove and voilá! salata baladi (aka cucumber and tomato salad), broccoli paté to use up all that broccoli theo loved and then suddenly hated, chunks of watermelon and homemade chickpea crackers. and for dessert? labneh with fresh fruit for a little extra protein without any added sugars.

a light recipe for your summer table

for this edition, i’ve decided to share my recipe for lemon gigante beans in grated tomato because it is such a simple, refreshing meal that i’ll probably be devouring for the rest of summer. if you can’t find gigante beans, feel free to substitute with lima beans. cannellini beans would also work great. this dish works best with fresh, homegrown or locally grown tomatoes. a good tomato is what makes this dish, so please. no mealy store-bought varieties. you will be disappointed.

GRATED TOMATOES
(about 8 servings)

1 lb ripe tomatoes
1 small clove garlic, grated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

cut the tomatoes in half and grate the cut side on grater, using the larger hole side. you can dispose of the skins or, do what i do and finely mince them with a sharp knife. i hate to waste the skins. whisk in the grated garlic olive oil, and lemon juice.

any extra can be stored and used throughout the week.

LEMON BEANS

3 C cooked gigante beans (or whatever you have)
1 lemon, zest and juice
fresh ground black pepper

place the cooked beans in a bowl. add the lemon juice and zest along with lots of black pepper. toss to combine and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

to plate // spoon desired number of spoonfuls of grated tomato into a bowl. top with as many fresh beans are you like. drizzle with more olive oil. top with chili crisp (optional) and fresh herbs (also optional).

pairs well with // a toasted, buttered slice of sourdough / a good, thick yogurt / pan seared zucchini / thick slices of roasted eggplant / a big fresh salad / grilled chicken thighs / a charred cut of beef / marinated mushroom skewers

over the weekend, my husband and i made a 2.5-hour trek to north alabama with our 14-month-old to view a house in a city we had planned on moving to at one point in time. we’re still trying to move, and anyone who has attempted to move to a new city knows the emotion and stress and doubt that goes into making that decision.

we aren’t making a huge move. just a leap over to another alabama city. a place where we can work and enjoy life with less commute. a place for theo to socialize and have actual things to do. leaving our small rural alabama town wasn’t something we ever considered doing, but now, with a baby and a very busy work life, it’s time to take that leap.

we’ve spent nearly a year deciding where to go, and several months—several long, excruciating, heartbreaking months—looking at homes in two different cities in hopes of at least finalizing a location.

and we did.

after realizing that moving back to a major city might not be the best option for our little family, we finally let go of that vision and returned to the smaller city that started this whole hunt, which is where we spent our saturday exploring, rekindling our love and dreams for that place, and finally, finally, finding our dream home.

a home that checked every single box, a feat so unheard of in the world of real estate. it even has an overlook view; the backyard overlooks the foothills of the appalachians, something we never envisioned attaining because who can afford that? but apparently in this city, we can.

so we talked it all through. we sat on the lawn eating snacks, talking visions for the place, not understanding how a home so perfect could be within our reach. we sat there in the alabama heat making plans, our baby scuttling across the grass on his bright orange balance bike, a toy we have to take with us everywhere we go.

and so we call our realtor on sunday to make an offer, but the listing agent isn’t available. we had a few questions before we officially put it in.

this morning, filled with excitement for what our future could soon look like, i check the property listing on zillow to discover it’s pending, and my chest collapses.

i can feel my heart exit its cavity and sink down, hitting the floor beneath me as the room around me spins into empty space.

what is actually happening?

the house had been sitting on the market for nearly two months, and somehow, the weekend we finally have a chance to tour it, it goes under contract.

i call my husband, somewhat hysterical, and midway through our conversation i hang up and call the realtor just to see what’s happening. probably not the smoothest move on my part, but i am desperate.

we had already planned it all out. we talked about the garden we’d build in the front yard, how we’d watch the storms roll over the mountain, the stars at night, the nature theo would surround himself with. a perfect place to grow up, and a perfect place for us to reset our lives.

we’ve been stuck in a rut for years. pre-baby and post-baby. we just need a fresh start.

are they accepting backup offers? i ask, somewhat desperately.

it’s a cash offer. set to close friday. buying as is. i don’t see this falling through, he says.

and that’s that.

theo is playing in the next room. i have a bowl of chicken thighs marinating in the kitchen sink.

after crying quite a bit more, calling robert to share my discovery, and crying even more, i go grab theo for some comfort.

i have to keep moving, i tell myself. i can’t let this darken my whole day.

with theo on my hip, i heat up a cast iron skillet on the stove, drizzle in a little oil, and wait for it to get hot. i pull the tongs from the magnet strip over the kitchen sink and carefully lay the chicken thighs, one by one, into the hot skillet.

they immediately begin to sizzle.

and that sound, and theo tentatively watching the process, all of that brings me back to breath. i can feel myself settling back into my body.

the chicken sits for seven minutes before flipping, the skin crisp and perfectly golden. they cook for another minute before theo and i place the skillet in the oven.

we venture off to his play area to look at books, to cuddle a little, to play with his train set. i watch him ride his bike around and around and around the house. he nurses a bit, the chicken still cooking in the oven.

the timer eventually sounds and i wander back into the kitchen to pull the pan from the oven. it sits on the counter to rest.

theo will have a little with his lunch later.

he does, and he enjoys it, and it feels good to watch him eat the food i make for him every day.

* * * * *

the rest of the day, i kept thinking about the house.

i still am.

there’s the possibility it falls through. there’s the house next door that might become available someday. there are other homes and other dreams and other versions of our future.

but for a few hours this morning, it felt like the world had collapsed inward.

and then i made lunch.

the chicken thighs turned out house i envisioned. theo ate his share, something worth celebrating as he hasn’t been too interested in eating meat lately.

the house is gone, probably.

but not everything is.

a combination of:

• no sleep. i haven’t had more than 3 hours of consecutive sleep in 14 months. women who have babies who sleep through the night have a totally different experience than those who don’t, and i, unfortunately, do not have one of those sleeping babies. only for a few nights (4 max!) when he’s settled back down from a developmental leap or a major bout of teething will i get a little, teeny tiny more sleep than usual, and on those days, i can feel bits of my old self floating around in my brain.

• trying to move our family to a new city and failing, over and over.

• working a lot and spending the rest of my time being a caregiver.

• disgust with this administration / our country / bouts of existential dread / worrying about the future of the little human i birthed

i’ve pulled away from so many things that i actually enjoy doing—like writing—because my brain just isn’t working at full capacity at this current moment in my life. and while i want so badly to have those moments back, i’m reminding myself it’s just a phase.

this morning, i finished a little early with prep work in my kitchen, so i rushed home to get some computer work done, still having a little extra time, so here i am. writing. thank the powerful female gods.

i took a moment to pull the photos off my camp snap pro (a screen free digital point-and-shoot), a fun little addition to our collection of cameras, and decided to document and share some moments from my kitchen this week where i rolled out and filled 100+ pita pockets for my little traveling eatery, abadir’s.

these savory treats have been a staple since day one, although they’ve seen many iterations before finally becoming what they are today. and while they are a process to make—prepping and cooking all the veg, making the dough, weighing the dough, rolling, filling, folding, crimping, freezing, eventually baking—i do love to make these hearty little treats for people to enjoy.

and to realize that i’ve been making them regularly for 6 years of my life is mind boggling. i think this is the longest i’ve ever committed myself to a project, the project being a self-employed woman in the food industry.

just writing that out made me feel a bit better about my work, which has felt somewhat monotonous lately, only because i have so many other food focused projects and ideas i want to dedicate my time to, but i don’t have the capacity to do it. i have to focus on making money right now and that has been a disappointment for me.

but these pita pockets are delicious and made with such love, and i love so much that people continue to buy these regularly and that people enjoy them, and that i get to be a part of other peoples’ days just by feeding them. that’s a real good feeling, so let me just focus on that.

I have never liked sautéed greens.

Not as a side. Not as a base.
Not as a simple weeknight vegetable.

They always felt like filler. Limp. Obligatory. Soggy somehow? A moral decision.

And yet — a pan of sautéed greens has become my hyper-fixation meal.

This began during a recent trip to Waco, Texas.

We were visiting Robert’s family. I was hovering in front of the refrigerator at his parents’ house, trying to quickly assemble something respectable for Theo (my baby). I’d bought a container of baby spinach and kale at H-E-B earlier that day with visions of bright, virtuous salads for the week. And while hovering there, door open, I realized I could easily cook them down for Theo as greens happen to be one of his favorite foods at this time.

We had nothing else prepared. Having just arrived the day before, I hadn’t done a meal prep for the week. All I had available—a rotisserie chicken and vibes.

So I sautéed the greens for him. Olive oil. A tiny dash of salt. Done.

And because I was starving and hadn’t fed myself properly, I made extra. I fully intended to endure them. To eat them in that martyr-ish way you eat something because it’s good for you and you need to consume something in that moment. But then I took a bite and had the distinct awareness that I had misjudged sautéed greens for most of my adult life.

“These are really good,” I said to Robert, repeatedly, taking in forkful after forkful with such stupendous excitement for the most basic meal. I was having the surprising realization that I’d dismissed something simple for years without ever really giving it my attention.

It was as if I had never eaten sautéed greens before. Which, if we’re honest, I hadn’t. I never really gave them much thought.

And now, for the past few weeks, I have eaten them almost every night.

Kale mostly. Spinach and swiss chard, if I can find any that hasn’t been embalmed in whatever conventional greens get sprayed with before landing in our deeply tragic rural Alabama grocery store. Access is a whole other essay.

The method is the same every time:

Onions frizzled in olive oil until they’re soft and slightly sweet. / Thin slices of garlic. / A heap of greens that looks excessive but collapses into reason. / Organic adobo seasoning I bought at H-E-B and brought home so it wouldn’t fossilize in his parents’ spice cabinet next to something purchased in 1982. / More oil. / A hearty amount of black pepper. / A little acid to finish it off.

And then I build dinner around that pan. Recent meals are as follows:

• Greens with a fried egg and avocado.

• Greens with silky baked chickpeas and parmesan.

• Greens with broiled salmon and preserved lemon.

That’s it.

It is low effort, yet completely satisfying. It requires almost nothing from me — which, in this particular season of mothering, writing, training my body back into itself, editing video, dreaming bigger than feels reasonable — matters.

So why am I telling you this?

Because I think we underestimate the power of a tiny shift in taste. Because sometimes the thing you thought you didn’t like just needed salt. Or oil. A little more attention. Maybe even time to get there.

Because hyper-fixations in the kitchen are often your body quietly saying: yes, more of this.

When was the last time you had a pan of greens that didn’t taste like obligation?

We’re entering shoulder season here in Alabama, which means, if you want to eat local, you’ll have to endure lots of greens. So let this be a testament to the simplicity of this nutritious veg and how they serve serve as the base or the accompaniment to nearly anything you can imagine.

I promise I’ll stop saying greens after this…post. after this post.

a few notes for inspiration

• i like to use a little bit of chopped preserved lemon to really add some flair. you can, of course, just stick to lemon juice and or vinegar.

• i am currently running through a little jar of adobo seasoning on my greens. i use it every time i make them and i think the combination of dried lemon and garlic in this blend is really what gives these greens a deeper flavor. you can use whatever all purpose-like seasoning you have on hand.

• the recipe calls for kale, but you can do a blend of greens like kale, spinach and chard. whatever you use, if they have a thicker stem, chop them up just as you would the kale stems and soften them before adding the leaves.

today i made alison roman’s crisp, hot roast chicken with leeks for lunch. yet another recipe i’ve tested since acquiring her latest book something from nothing. i’m most always in the mood for a roast chicken, and while my past self would designate such a lavish dish for a nice, cozy evening time meal, times have changed in this household.

pre-motherhood, you would most always find me in the kitchen making a lovely meal for us to enjoy nearly every evening. it was actually something i looked forward to (most days). it was a time to unwind, get a little messy, test out new recipes, perfect old dishes, satisfy a craving on a whim. it’s strange to think back to those days. i somehow can’t even remember such a ritual in this household.

evenings are now a rush to get it all done before theo’s bedtime. a walk, a tidy-up, and depending on what day of the week it is, i’m either at my kitchen space in the afternoons or working on projects at home til about 5-ish and would much rather have an evening walk with the family than trap myself in the kitchen as the sun sets outside.

so, dinner is lunch and our evening meal now consists of a giant pot of soup enjoyed all week long or a little egg omelette with something fresh. sometimes it’s a fridge raid—hummus, crackers, leftover roasted vegetables, a handful of nuts, maybe a sliver of cheese, yogurt with berries, orange slivers. not all in one evening, but sometimes, maybe. depending on the level of hunger. come summer time, i know it’ll be a simple salad dish with extra protein and fiber. i’m already dreaming of the plates i’ll whip up (in 15 minutes or less because that’s all the time i can spare.)

our midday meal has become the fancy meal. i’ll cook something so it’s fresh just in time for lunch with plenty of leftovers to reheat throughout the week. two meals each week. that’s it. it just works better that way.

today, in between cookbook writing and tidying up a few things at my kitchen space, i roasted a chicken. the prep took no time at all. simply oil a pan and place the bird on top, add in prepped additions like a halved lemon, onion and garlic head, and a sprig of fresh bay to stuff inside. slivers of leeks around the bird. a handful of somewhat sad gold and red baby potatoes that had started to sprout in the pantry. drizzle on more oil, plenty of salt, lots and lots of fresh ground green pepper (i’ve been out of black peppercorns for weeks now.)

off into the oven to roast, the drippings sizzling and sputtering as i type away at the little banquette we’re in the process of finishing out. a quick pause halfway through for a little basting, and then off she went into the oven again til the skin had crisped and browned. and while she rested out of the oven, i made my current salad obsession to enjoy alongside.

and, at just the right time, the three of us gathered around the table to enjoy a perfectly cooked bird in the middle of the day with crisp leeks, a few bites of roasted potatoes, and a wonderfully bright, fresh salad. it felt so lavish, so indulgent, scooping up bite after bite. one bite crisp and light with salty little capers, others juicy and hot, coated in a golden rich sauce of chicken drippings and olive oil. it was quite the lovely midday meal, i must say. and i continued to think about that meal all day long because it was good and simple and felt like such a treat somehow. even though a roast chicken is nothing out of the ordinary for this household. but to enjoy it at its freshest, when the day is still unfolding.

why haven’t i done such a thing sooner? perhaps this will become our new family tradition.

i’m not sure why, but these past several postpartum months, i have been craving celery, onions and carrots as the base to nearly every single dish i make. perhaps it’s nostalgic, which tracks as the only things i craved during pregnancy (besides giant, greasy, cheeseburgers) were flavors and dishes of my childhood. unfortunately, i’m not talking about meals-from-grandma sorta dishes. i’m talking bowls of SpaghettiOs and ramen noodles, corndogs with yellow mustard, broccoli and cheese from my middle school cafeteria, fish sticks on white bread with hot sauce (a classic family dinner growing up), that chocolate cake from the movie Matilda (am i the only one who thought “damn, that cake looks good”?) and oatmeal with banana, raisins and walnuts.

fortunately i am a freak about ingredients and never allowed myself to consume any of those things because the thought of the little human inside me absorbing those “foods” was something i just absolutely could not handle, but i did consume endless bowls of oatmeal, made the same way every day, sometimes twice a day. that exact combo was one we ate a lot growing up, but my dad would add powdered coffee creamer to the bowls for sweetness and extra flavor. that i eliminated, obviously.

so maybe that whole sense of nostalgia has carried over to postpartum, and i am grateful it’s a manageable craving. i can always find a way to incorporate those three things into a bean, a soup, a nice roasted meat.

it has been my mission (since this craving arrived) to create a truly comforting braised chicken recipe because to me, chicken and the main three (that’s how i’ll refer to them from this point forward) is the ultimate classic combination. and after a few delightful attempts, i finally made a dish that truly satisfied this craving, from the smell of the veg softening on the stove to the nice deep flavor of everything combined.

a one pot meal!

at this stage in life, and most stages really, it sure it nice to have a one pot meal to count on. i think the most time consuming part of this entire meal is 1) browning the chicken which i highly recommend doing because it really adds to the flavor and 2) chopping all the veggies! and then waiting to 55-ish minutes for it to gently, slowly simmer away to peak tenderness. all that time also gives the flavors a chance to fully meld together, creating a rich, bold, deep broth that is so golden and just feels good eating.

when i make this meal, i double the recipe and use a large 4-quart braiser because (let me say it again…) i cook for leftovers. it’s like meal prepping but also cooking yourself a fresh meal in the moment. i highly recommend this way of cooking. advice from a new mother and human who is just busier than she wants to be most days.

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this salad came to be many springs ago when my local farmer had an abundance of kale plants and i decided to make a tabbouleh inspired kale salad featuring whatever spring veggies and fruits i could lay my hands on for a big special gathering here in town.

and then i kept on running with the base of the salad (kale massaged in preserved lemon + olive oil + fresh garlic) until i landed on what is now my go-to method of enjoyment, which involves something fresh, something roasted, something crunchy, something pickled.

i find that, when i’m making a salad, this tends to be my go-to combination because you can just focus on the ingredients you have on hand, creating whatever version works for you in that moment.

and while this salad can take on any season, i must admit that the fall/winter version is my absolute favorite. i find this particular combination of flavors and textures (and colors) is just…really, really good. here i am writing this on a monday evening and dreaming about how i’ll make it again this week, even though i just ate a big bowl of it maybe two days ago?

this winter combo

these are the fruits and veggies i use to make this salad and why they work:

pink lady apples or some other sort of tart, crisp apple. the slight sweetness and the fruity punch really balances out the earthiness of the kale.

roasted winter squash like butternut or go even sweeter with a honeynut. you can also use roasted pumpkin wedges or red kuri squash. for this particular batch, a used a combo of butternut and red kuri. the texture is soft and creamy, a nice mouthfeel with all the crunch and freshness of everything else.

matchstick turnips because they’re peppery and perfect. small, thin matchsticks because you just want a little bit of that flavor. super thinly sliced radishes are a great substitution!

pickled red beets if you have them, cut into small chunks or 1/4” slices. it’s such a nice zing of flavor and the texture is completely different from anything else in the salad.

golden seed and nut crunch which you see sprinkled on top, but any sort of crunchy seed or nut or combo of the two topping will suffice. (i’ll share my golden crunch topping soon!)

fresh dill because i love dill on everything? but also adding fresh herbs to a salad really enhances each bite. you’ll sometimes get a little earthy green bite, then the next forkful comes a bite of dill. it’s such a pleasant experience. use any soft herb you like though.

a nice cheese i actually don’t eat a lot of cheese or dairy, but sometimes i do add a bit to my salad and it definitely adds to the flavor combo by give it a funky kick. you can do goat cheese if you want something a little bolder, but i find the best combo with this salad is a thinly sliced blue cheese or havarti or a simple grated parmesan.

just know—a little bit of each component makes for a good balance of flavors, color and texture.

using the whole kale leaf

this salad method allows you to use the entire leaf, stem and all, which not only saves you time, but keeps waste to a minimum. however, if you are using an older or larger leaf with a thicker stem, i’d recommend either chopping the stem super fine or only using the smaller portion of the stem.

the greens get massaged in preserved lemon, lemon juice, garlic and oil several minutes before serving, allowing the leaves to break down, giving the salad a nice soft, yet crunchy texture. this method also makes for a salad that you can keep for several days in the fridge, so go ahead and make a big batch for enjoying all week long or sharing at your next dinner gathering.

notes for reading before prep + cooking

in case you want to glaze over all the text and get straight to salad making, i’ll understand, but let me share a few notes about this recipe for you to read before you start prepping or referring back to after your salad is ready.

on prepping the greens make sure your greens are washed and dried before chopping. i like to use lacinato kale for this recipe as it’s a little softer, that or white russian, which isn’t as easy to find. green or red curly will also work. just chop it a little more fine. for the lacinato, i do thin ribbons, including the stems for extra crunch.

on making the dressing i’m not going to lie. the preserved lemon is really truly the star of this salad. it’s sweet with that perfect citrus flavor, kinda salty and syrupy, but, if you don’t have preserved lemon, don’t fret. you can substitute with fresh lemon juice. when prepping your preserved lemon, give it a good chop, making it almost paste-like.

roasting the squash prep and cook your squash while you chop your greens and other ingredients. you can also make the squash 1-2 days in advance and top as needed.

on making ahead + storing the greens actually taste better the longer they sit in the dressing. i like to prep my greens and then add my veggies and toppings right before serving. you can make the greens up to three days in advance. just give it time to come to room temp as you want that olive oil to lose its chill. i also like to drizzle on a little more oil and lemon juice right before serving, if i’ve made the salad in advance.

on olive oil + vinegar i don’t measure olive oil or vinegar (ever, really), so use it to your liking. you’ll want some for roasting the veggies and more for dressing the salad. the leaves get massaged with the dressing, so you’ll be using enough to give it shine and for balancing out the citrus zing. the same goes for the vinegar. just a couple of splashes will do ya!

let’s make a winter salad!

bright and colorful with a lovely balance of flavor and texture, this winter salad is a nice change from those hearty cold weather dishes

INGREDIENTS

for the greens
2 bunches / 1 lb lacinato kale, ribboned
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 preserved lemon, seeds removed and finely chopped, see notes above
1 lemon, zest and juice
a few splashes of white wine vinegar
good tasting olive oil
pinch of flaky salt
fresh ground black pepper

for the squash
2-4 lbs winter squash or pumpkin, cut into thick slices or wedges
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
smoked paprika

for the salad toppings
1 pink lady apple, thinly sliced
1/2 lb turnip, cut into matchsticks OR 3-4 radish, thinly sliced
several spring fresh dill, leaves roughly chopped
1 lb pickled red beets, sliced or diced
a nice cheese like grated parmesan or slivers of havarti, optional
several spoonfuls of a crunchy toasted seed or nut or a combination

DIRECTIONS

1. preheat your oven to 400°. prepare your squash. dress with olive oil and spices, place on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet and roast for 30 minutes. remove from oven, flip each squash and cook for another 10-20 minutes until the edges begin to caramelize, the center softens and the meat blisters a bit.

2. while your squash is roasting, prepare your greens by cutting into ribbons, stem, leaf and all. place prepared kale in a bowl. add in your garlic, preserved lemon, vinegar, zest and juice. using your hands, give the greens a nice massage, making sure every leaf is coated, rubbing them between your fingers and giving it all a good squeeze. continue until the greens shrink in size and soften. add a pinch of salt and a hefty serving of fresh ground black pepper and lightly toss.

3. once the squash is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool a bit. now it’s time to plate or, if making the salad in advance, place the greens in an airtight container and store until ready to use. same goes for the squash.

   to serve: lightly toss your turnip or radish into the greens. add in a few slices of apple and toss again. add in more apple and your cheese (if using) and give it another toss. plate your kale + turnip + apple combo adding a few more apple slices on top. not plate a few chunks or slices of beets (if using) followed by roasted chunks of squash. top with dill leaves and several spoonfuls of your crunchy topping of choice. grate with more cheese (if using).

how to serve

this salad is pretty filling on it’s own, but if you need a little extra protein or want to add it to a spread, here’s what i would do…

• my favorite protein with this salad is some simple broiled salmon with a squeeze of lemon

• but a roasted chicken or flank steak also works nicely!

• for a meat-free option, add in some chickpeas or a sturdy lentil like black or french green lentils

• for a simple, light dinner or flavorful brunch, pair this alongside a veggie omelette. i’m talking this kind of omelette and definitely not a diner style omelette. no ham chunks, please.

• oven roasted crispy tofu is also a nice addition and a combo i enjoy quite regularly

today i’m feeling this urge to create and also purge my belongings. definitely two connected feelings—i have so many ideas and desires of projects i want to begin. there’s so much creative energy flowing through me, and i just can’t figure out how to harness it, how to focus on one thing and make it happen. and how to create while raising my son, making sure we have food on the table, finding ways to make money that doesn’t involve me overexerting myself with my very small (and at the moment, silent) business. i need to release something. i think that’s what my mind and body are saying.

and then the need to purge. same concept. i want to delete all 10 email accounts and just have one that i promise i’ll take care of and not let my subscriptions take hold without deleting them everyday. my husband is so good at that and i am absolutely not. i am the person with the email icon on her phone that reads 21,600. i want to throw out my whole wardrobe after trying things on for a photoshoot today. i want to get rid of all the little toys we’ve collected for theo because people keep giving us their hand-me-downs, which i am grateful for, but now it’s starting to overwhelm me. i am not a collector of things.

so i decided to clean out my draft folder on my substack instead because i’ll probably need those old email accounts. i’m sure they’re attached to something important and god forbid i can’t log into some account because i deleted my email address from 2010. and i can’t (currently, in this moment) run around the house throwing things into boxes to donate, maybe burning in this week’s bonfire in our backyard (kidding) because theo is napping so sweetly on my chest, all cozy in his carrier. so, yes. my substack draft folder it is.

but before i delete it all in a frenzy, i must check to ensure there aren’t any hidden gems of writing. turns out i have several posts i started and never finished. an idea that felt good in the moment and then i either never found the time to finish or talked myself out of sharing. like this one from last thanksgiving. i know what sparked it (me taking a break from my family while pregnant for mental safety reasons). i appreciate so much the headspace i was in at that time, and i feel grateful for the choices i made to ensure i could just focus on being pregnant. and it’s strange that i actually forgot that robert and i celebrated our first thanksgiving as three (one not yet earth side) in the comfort of our own space. and i forgot the dishes we made and now i’m remembering that herby chicken and i am so upset with myself for not writing down the recipe or any notes whatsoever. and apparently i was going to share the recipe for my coconut oil pie crust and who knows where that recipe is, which sucks because that was a damn good pie.

but other than that, i love the woman i was slowly transforming into that holiday season, so i want to remember her by sharing my draft exactly how she is. no edits. no nothing.

enjoy.

this post was written the day after thanksgiving, 2024.

This is a very important season of my life. Probably the most significant chapter thus far. For those who don’t know, and honestly that’s probably most of you because I’ve kept the news to mostly in-person conversations, I’m pregnant and have been enjoying every minute of it. And while my mind still seems to be catching up to all the mystical work my physical body has been doing these past five months, the mere thought of welcoming a tiny human into my life feels like the most terrifying, most transcendent venture of this lifetime.

I’ve found that, during this time, I’ve naturally inherited this need for reclaiming my peace. That has involved a big decision to step back from my all consuming small business so I can stay present in this moment. This need has brought back a desire to do things I used to do like quilt and make art and create delicious home-cooked recipes. I’m spending more time with friends and allowing myself space from people who don’t fuel my energy. I’m saying no to obligations that don’t suit me and making choices that align with our future plans.

While this little human isn’t here just yet, this holiday season seems extra important. I want to remain happy and well-balanced throughout this journey, and I want to begin making our own little family traditions, so this Thanksgiving was a nice, quiet day of cooking in the kitchen while my tiny one made his presence known with little kicks. The menu was a simple spread for two and didn’t involve any of the nonsense that comes with most holiday spreads like overly processed ingredients, gravy laden dishes, heavy casseroles. I wanted my favorite holiday dishes—elevated. So, here’s what we enjoyed:

Roasted farm fresh snap beans with a sweet onion gravy from slowed cooked onions in miso and olive oil

My favorite sweet potato casserole which is a recipe by Laura Wright of The First Mess. I don’t change much with this recipe because it’s perfect the way it is. I usually make it all holiday season long.

A bag of organic frozen cherries called for a surprise cherry pie featuring a super flaky coconut oil pie crust that I’ll have to share the recipe with you all later. Or maybe I’ll add it to the bottom of this post.

A very herby birdy: roasted organic chicken covered in a blend of fresh herbs from the farm, roasted to perfection over a bed of seasonal veggies, which made for a delectable gravy.

The end.

A simple, dreamy menu we can munch on for days.

This Thanksgiving has been one of my most favorite ones thus far. The peace and quiet, the time alone to just cook with no pressure of time. Embracing that because life is about to get a little wild, in a good way. But the quiet, the time to myself, that’s about to shift drastically, so I will have this time without question.

no recipes here. it’s all personal and all unedited…

a few days ago, a photo of theo propped up in his hand-me-down babybjörn bouncer, all teeny and tiny, popped up on my phone memories. he was in my old kitchen space, back when i was working as the lunch lady for rural studio, and to see him at that stage, so little and so new to the world, braving the throws of a kitchen with a fresh new mom, i couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt and shock. like actual shock—what the hell was i thinking taking a baby that young to work with me? i don’t want to feel awful about my decision, and truthfully i shouldn’t. it’s not my fault i was forced to go back to work because our state, our country, doesn’t provide proper care for mothers. but that’s a deep and frustrating conversation, and we can’t spiral at this very moment because what good will come from it? and honestly, i was pretty lucky to of had a supportive workplace where theo was welcome and bringing him to work was encouraged.

i decided, that, after several weeks of trying so hard to make it work, it just wasn’t the space for me. the pressure of making food for 30, sometimes 50, sometimes 80+ people 3-4x a week, 2x a day (with a kitchen staff of one at this point because my dear coworker was gracious enough to watch theo while i sweated and suffered over a hot stove, moving from pot to pot to our random office chair to breastfeed, back to the stove in hopes of getting everything out by noon. oh, to write about it now…i am so grateful i left when i did, especially since my meals were becoming less and less appealing (to myself) because i just didn’t have the brain power or the physical strength, much less the emotional capacity to be my clever, intuitive self in the kitchen. i recently found my notebook where i documented my meals each week and i could see the decline happening…

so back to abadir’s i went, which at the time felt good and right. i could create my own schedule, work as little or as much as i wanted (was able to might be the better phrasing). and no daily deadline really cleared some unnecessary anxiety from my day-to-day. above all, i was so very eager to get back to my own work. after having theo, i felt a rush of creative energy. it was invigorating. i had never had so many ideas flow through me—the energy was electric—but with that came so much frustration as there was never enough time in the day to barely hammer away at one vision. but, i kept at it, did a few pop-ups (to survive), dreamt up some fun projects (and did none of them because…time? a baby? a new mom?). i even did a farm-to-table dinner with one of my favorite organizations in Alabama, and while it was exciting and fun, that dinner taught me a valuable lesson about this season i’m in. i just can’t work at the level i did pre-baby. not right now.

and it’s not that i want to. i’ve always felt like i was doing too much with anything i did (in life). blame it on society. blame it on my upbringing and how we were forced to be perfect. how i had to start working so young, cleaning houses in my neighborhood at age 11 and haven’t stopped working since, taking on 2 jobs in high school, 3+ jobs throughout college and grad school. where nothing i did was ever really good enough. do more. try harder.

always doing too much.

and now here i am, learning how to slow down and move fast at the same time because not all of us have the luxury of childcare or a family support system to help raise a baby, and if i’m not working, well, i’m not making money and that is what keeps me up at night. not that i’m materialistic. i really don’t need much. just a roof over my head, enough to cover the bills, groceries and oh, and real health insurance would be a dream. and some decent vacations. i mean, come on.

it’s the end of the year. i did my last pop-up of 2025 and i have absolutely no idea what my plans are for the coming year. i have a vision for where i’d like to navigate this food journey, and i’m looking to the positives to help guide that vision. the things that give me the most joy are the personal moments when i’m sharing food; the jobs that are the most fulfilling hold some deeper connection than just slinging fare at the pop-up table. but alas. how else do i survive right now?

the thing about my job is that it allows me to spend time with my child, so if i’m not working, and most of the time when i am working, i’m with theo, and that is something i will never look back on and regret.

and while sure. i could go out and get some boring ass job doing who knows what, when you balance out the cost of childcare, the health insurance i have to buy into, i’m practically making zero dollars each month and spending zero time with theo (because i’m always working), so i’d rather just keep on doing what i love.

i can see where i’m headed. i can feel the energy and excitement deep within my gut. it’ll take a little time and adjusting to get there because how does one master the art of reinvention in motherhood? every day is so wild.

this moment of clarity (in my food journey) came to me right at the beginning of my pregnancy and the ideas of where to go with it all came rushing throughout, and i can’t. stop. thinking about the future of this venture. but for now, i’m going to hang on tight to the things that bring me the most joy at this current stage and that’s feeding people good food and sharing recipes and food stories, and hopefully. hopefully, that can help pay the bills.

This dish is inspired by all my favorite things this time of year.

Beans, butternut squash, citrus, herbs and that super classic combination of celery, onions and carrots. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with that combo when you’re seeking something comforting yet rich and wholesome.

This is also the time of year where it’s vital that you constantly boost your immunity with all things nourishing, and this bowl of goodness checks all the boxes—ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, lemon and spice. Yes, yes and yes. Oh! And herbs. Let us not forget that perfect finishing of herbs in vinegar.

Now, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. I cook for leftovers.

I wish I could spend my days in my home kitchen just testing out recipes and feeding myself and making enough to feed others too. And I know there’s a way I could do that for a living, but doing the whole social media thing just seems so exhausting to me. I mean, it’s already exhausting and I’m not on it regularly. But let’s get off that tangent and say…I cook for leftovers. That’s how I feed myself and my family every week without the stress of wondering what we’ll put on our plates each day. Look at it as meal prepping every time you make a meal, and the beauty of that is, a lot of dishes can be frozen and saved for later times, which comes in handy during those unexpected weeks of chaos or bouts of exhaustion. Future you will be so grateful.

Now that Theo has started consuming solids, it’s fun to create dishes that we can all enjoy together because we don’t skimp on flavor because he’s a baby. That’s ridiculous. This child loves flavor.

And he loves these beans.

BEAN SEASON, BABY

Who am I kidding? Every season is bean season in my book, but fall and winter are the seasons of cozy beans. Hearty soups and stews. Brothy beans. Bean pies. Beans on thick slices of sourdough toast. This recipe came to me after discovering a gorgeous creamy white bean dish that uses carrots, celery and onion as its base and my brain (gut) immediately craved that combo, so I set to work later that day for a meal prep meal and now here we are. Completely satisfied with the results, and already thinking about the next time I’ll make it.

To begin, we make a rich soffritto—a base of onion, celery, carrot and garlic that’s slow cooked in olive oil. We take it a little further by cooking it til golden and saucy. This gives the dish a deeper flavor and thicker texture. Next comes the spices for toasting and then a rich broth for simmering it all in. And while this dish could absolutely remain as a brothy bean concoction, I find every dish can be elevated with at least another layer or two; think a good crunch, a simple finishing sauce or oil, a dusting of an umami powder. All for the purpose of enjoyment and elevation!

I’m going to include some simple recipes/options for topping this dish at the end of this post. As always, I recommend making larger batches and storing for later use as most things keep well or can be frozen and most always pair perfectly with something else.

In addition to the flavor of this dish, the immune boosting properties of this meal makes it ideal for the cold and wet season. It’s vital we feed ourselves good food during to ensure we’re giving our bodies a fighting chance against all the nasties floating around this time of year. This combination of ingredients is a great gut booster and therefore a perfect immune boost as well. We’re talking onions, garlic, carrots, turmeric, herbs, spices and lemon.

For my batch, I went meat-free and topped my bean bowls with thick slices of roasted squash. You could do the same with any winter squash or pumpkin variety, or for that extra protein, top this dish with a perfectly roasted chicken thigh or something of that nature.

LET’S GET COOKING

A simple meal with tons of flavor, these creamy lemony white beans are sure to become a part of your fall-winter rotation. A few notes about the dish before we get to the recipe—

• Make sure you precook your beans. This can be done in advance and kept in the fridge or freezer (I love making a big pot of beans and saving some in the freezer for later use!). You can also use canned or jarred beans.

• A good homemade broth makes all the difference here! I used a rich chicken broth for my batch, thick with fat and all because that’s where the flavor is.

• You’re going to prep enough carrots and celery for making the soffritto and then later adding in to simmer for more color and texture.

• This recipe uses various layers to enhance the flavor of the dish. While the beans in broth are absolutely delightful on their own, the dish is even better with a sprinkling of something toasty and crunchy and a drizzle of something green. I’ll eventually share my recipes for layered additions that I tend to keep on hand throughout the week, but for this post, I’m going to link you to some options that’ll pair nicely!

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i can’t quite remember what i paired this dish with. i do remember it being a sort of last minute thought because i needed a little protein for the meal and we had several tiny busted tomatoes of Matt’s Wild Cherries—like basket fulls—that needed to be used. these tomatoes are teeny tiny little things, hence why they were all busted as they can be quite a chore to pick.

any time i have an abundance of tomatoes, my fall back method of cooking is roasting them in a deep pan with lots of garlic, olive oil and salt. perhaps a dash of cumin, some coriander (always). it can be used right away for something delicious:

• a pasta

• a roasted chicken

• a top some thick yogurt

and any leftovers can be saved and frozen for later use. a lovely way to savor peak tomato season during those short cold days when our bodies and souls crave sunshine. think of them as sunshine on a plate.

tomatoes + white beans forever

so these tomatoes. they got a good roasting in the oven until they were saucy and extra sweet, and then i had the brilliant idea of stirring some white beans into the mix. not ingenious here really. tomatoes and white beans, in my opinion, were absolutely meant to be together, so it was no surprise the idea came to me. or perhaps there was some underlying subconscious influence because when i took that first bite, my mind immediately thought of fassolia baida: a middle eastern / egyptian dish of white beans in a thick, hearty spiced tomato sauce. we grew up eating this a lot and it was always (and still is!) one of my most nostalgic dishes that i love so, so much.

the flavor combo was there, but this accidental version was much brighter, thanks to a lighter, fresher sauce. it was also a combo that could be enjoyed cold, which was the plan all along. in my mind i was creating a chilled bean and tomato salad, which is exactly what it was, just with the unintentional egyptian flair.

just imagine a sauce that’s rich from freshness, a hearty drizzle of olive oil and lots and lots of garlic. it’s so delightful.

and as i was stirring those sweet, soft roasted tomatoes into the beans, eric brought in some fresh yellow squash from the farm and so i decided to slice them into super thin rings on the mandoline to add to the tomato + bean salad, and it was a very good choice, i must say.

so this recipe gives you a bean salad that’s not typical of your usual bean salad meaning it’s not so jam packed with extra veggies and grains and such. rather, it’s a simple yet flavorful light but hearty bean that can be enjoyed as a main dish, slathered on top a crusty piece of sourdough, enjoyed over a nice olive oil drenched pasta or eaten by the spoonful from a quart container straight from the fridge which is exactly how i devoured it—as little snacking bites throughout the day followed by an accompaniment to a big, veggie salad for dinner.

cooking and preparing

it’s such a simple dish to create. all you have to do is prep your beans and veggies, cook said beans and tomatoes and then toss it all together, so let’s make that happen.

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I have been wanting to change the name of my Substack for months, but every time I sat down to dream up names, nothing would come to mind. And if I wasn’t sitting down thinking about it, I’d forget to ponder over it when my brain works best—during a little kitchen meditation. And then I’d go to write a post, remember that I wanted to change the name, waste several minutes thinking of a new name, and then the cycle would repeat.

Until finally, the other day, while doing a little meal prep, I was contemplating this current stage of my moments in the kitchen, how they feel, what I’m making, what I can’t make or focus on due to limited time. I’m always trying to remind myself that this is just how it is in this season of life, and rather than fighting it, embracing it. And quite honestly, I have been feeling so much better about it all. I really have. I mean it. I like how I’m forced to spend less time in the kitchen because I have to tend to Theo, and how I have to prep meals that are simple. It’s forcing my mind to think in new ways, this limit of time, which has always been there really, just less pressured somehow.

And thus the name came to mind—Kitchen Seasons. Not seasonal kitchen because I feel like the connotation of that ties more to the actual weather seasons.

When I think about the kitchen, I don’t only think about food in its seasons—the tomatoes of late summer, the warm spices of winter—but about the way our lives move through seasons too. Some are abundant, some are spare. Some feel steady and long, while others arrive suddenly and change everything.

The kitchen holds them all. If we are fortunate, it is the space we return to every day, in every season of our lives.

The premise is still the same. Kitchen Seasons is where I’ll share this rhythm: simple, seasonal recipes, yes—but also the rituals, the memories, and the reflections that come with them. A sourdough loaf for the community, a mezze spread for a small gathering, a simple meal to feed your body during a busy day.

Here you’ll find food as a practice of daily living, a record of what nourishes us in every season.

I thought a video would be a good way for me to practice for all the upcoming classes and demos I’ll be leading over the next several months. I’m excited by the idea of doing them, but also slightly intimidated by the whole process. I don’t really see myself as a teacher. I cook because I enjoy it and it’s a very meditative and natural process for me, so teaching seems…challenging to me. But I also think it’ll allow me to tap into a new stage of my cooking practice, which is nice to think about.

I also hope that this outlet will give me some new ways to play. I would love to be more interactive online, but the thought of shooting and editing videos sounds horrid to me. A funny thing to say as it used to be one of my favorite things to do back in the day, but now I want to not sit at my computer ever. So perhaps these very casual, very behind the scenes videos are the solution. Maybe one day I’ll run through a recipe, but for now. Let this be an intro. A hello. How do you do?

This weekend, Theo woke up an hour early. A 5 a.m. rise, which had me feeling somewhat anxious about what the rest of the day would hold. It was Sunday, which is mine and Robert’s one day in the week together and the one day where we can just be and let the day unfold without any plans, any constraints. A day to relax the best we can and enjoy Theo, together, which is something that, now as I’m writing about it, we don’t get to do as often as I imagined we would.

The early morning wake up ended up being a gift, for both of us. With this 4 month sleep progression (reshaping this important developmental milestone in my mind so I feel less overwhelmed by it), we’re trying to build a schedule around total napping hours and wake windows and honestly, it hasn’t been that difficult because Theo has always been a great napper and that hasn’t really changed with this milestone. It’s just the night sleeping we’re struggling with.

So, we got him ready for his first nap of the day just 45 minutes after he woke up very early and he actually fell asleep, and Robert got to lay back down and sleep in until 8:30 a.m. and I got to get up and go take a walk with our dog on a Sunday morning in Greensboro, which is my absolute favorite day of the week here. It is so quiet. No one is ever out, unless they’re heading to or from church, or stopping by Ruan Thai for an after service lunch. Oh, it is an actual dream here on Sunday’s. The walk was much more valuable to me than sleeping in because I rarely get actual time alone, and when I do, I’m at the cottage frantic, trying to get all my tasks done in such a short amount of time—before it’s time for dinner, before Theo needs me. While I try so hard to just enjoy those moments at my kitchen space, I find it difficult to quiet my mind or just slow down because I actually can’t slow down. It’s not allowed right now, and not because I want to accomplish 10 tasks in 2 hours. I’m actually doing way less work than I was in the past. Just 1-2 tasks each afternoon, but somehow this feels even more challenging than those days where I knocked out 6 different things at the kitchen. So, even though I’m alone, I never truly feel alone when I’m there working. There’s always an underlying anxiety—when will I need to rush home? It wasn’t until my bright and early walk with the dog that I came to that realization, and it was in that moment that I felt like I could breathe just a bit better because I was, in fact…free.

Theo wouldn’t need me, I had no tasks to accomplish, no place to be. The sky was the most perfect morning blue, a slight breeze, a golden wash peeking through the trees. No cars or trucks with their big dumb tires with their big dumb mufflers racing past for no big dumb reason. Just me and my dog. The sound of my runners hitting the pavement as I walked in the middle of Main Street because I could. No other sign of human life around. Just leaves dancing in the breeze, fat balls of fuchsia flowers bouncing on the crepe myrtles that line the streets. I took several deep filling breaths as I walked a good long walk, admiring everything, thinking of Theo, looking up to watch how the sun hits the tip of all our ancient trees.

And when I got home to find them still sleeping, I went into the kitchen and cooked, freely. It wasn’t on my agenda for the day, but I think I just needed to be in that space without any sort of pressure. I ended up prepping two meals for the week, both of which are nothing fancy or elaborate. Just dishes that used up some excess produce I had in the crisper and an assortment of pantry staples.

ADJUST AND ADAPT…

To accommodate our rush in the evenings, lunch now serves as dinner and dinner has now become a chopped salad and protein situation. Simple, easy, no fuss. Something that doesn’t require heating up, just some light chopping, the opening of a tinned fish or broiling of salmon. That’s it. We quickly devour it during Theo’s 30 minute evening nap, before our evening walk, with the wind down of the day to soon follow.

Sunday’s meal prep will serve as our dishes for lunch (dinner), and I always aim for those dishes to be high in protein (important for a breastfeeding mom), very nutritious so Theo gets all the vitamins and minerals he needs, and fiber rich to keep me satisfied.

This week’s menu consists of lightly spiced braised carrots in lemon with farro and roasted chicken drums. The second dish—a very green, thick and creamy broccoli and sweet pea coconut soup that’ll get served with some sort of salad. If you’re seeking something wholesome, affordable and quick to cook, I highly recommend this soup, which is why I’ve decided to share it with you all in this week’s post.

As I’m typing this, I just realized that this soup could actually be made from a trip to our local grocery store—the Cost + 10% Food Outlet. Yes. That is what it’s called. A place I only frequent for bananas or the occasional onion. All that to say, the ingredient list is so simple, you can buy everything in good old Greensboro, Alabama1, and the process of making it even simpler.

ROASTED BROCCOLI & GREEN PEA SOUP WITH COCONUT

This recipe will make a bit of soup. About 6-10 servings depending on bowl size and whether it’s eaten as a main dish or side.

EQUIPMENT—

• large stock pot

• a good knife + cutting board

• sheet pan

• emersion blender or high speed blender

INGREDIENTS—

3 hefty broccoli crowns, washed & cut into florets
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
1 bulb garlic
2 lemons, juice & zest
1/3 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1/3 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 C broth or filtered water*
1 16-oz bag frozen green peas
3 Tbsp coriander seed, ground
1 Tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seed, ground
1 Tbsp ground fenugreek, optional
1 tsp ground cardamom
salt + pepper
red pepper flakes, optional
olive oil, for roasting and finishing

*you may want extra liquid if you desire a thinner soup

INSTRUCTIONS—

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Combine your broccoli, garlic, onion and spices (excluding turmeric) on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and use your hands to toss and coat. Really rub those spices in. Place pan in oven and roast for 35-45 minutes or until the broccoli is soft with nice charred bits. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Place your stockpot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add your roasted veggies, coconut milk, beans, broth (or water), green peas and lemon zest to the pot. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Add your herbs and simmer for another 2 minutes.

3. Using your emersion blender, process all ingredients until you have a nice, thick and creamy soup. Add more liquid until you reach your desired consistency. Note—the soup will thicken as it cools and sits in the fridge. You may have to loosen it with more liquid each time you serve it.

4. Squeeze in your lemon juice and adjust spices, salt and pepper to your liking. Give it a stir and allow to cook on low for 5-8 minutes so the flavors meld. Remove from heat, drizzle in more oil and serve and/or store.

AND NOW TO ENJOY

Possible pairings and way to enjoy this delightful light, bright yet hearty soup:

• as always, a crusty piece of sourdough for dipping

• with a dollop of full-fat Greek yogurt on top or a drizzle of kefir mixed in

• paired alongside a fresh chopped salad

• or even a roasted veggie salad will suffice! nothing like eating all the colors in one delicious meal.

• sometimes I like to add a little pop of texture to a creamy soup. some roasted chickpeas would be nice or add a little more green with my crispy kale chips!

• you could even top it with more white beans for a little extra creaminess and protein.

This is a different week for me2. I’m not at Rural Studio. Rather I’m busy in my Abadir’s kitchen space prepping for a pop-up this weekend. Can you believe it has been a whole entire year since I’ve done a pop-up? This exact time last year, I was busy prepping for Alabama Audubon’s Black Belt Birding Festival, which was also my second week opening my very own space, all the while finding out I was pregnant. It felt like just the right time to dip my toes back into my own work this week as we celebrate another year of birding here in the Black Belt. Monday was my first day of prep and it went…not so great. I got everything done that needed to get done, but the simplest tasks took hours to complete as Theo was being somewhat fussy all morning. He’s entered the dreaded 4-month sleep regression and everything we once knew has gone out the window and we’re just figuring it out all over again. As if that wasn’t enough of a test, the town’s power cut out right in the midst of a bake. It was quite a stressful morning, so today we’re changing things up. I’ll be heading to the cottage this afternoon, which is very different for me as I’ve always enjoyed my morning meditations in the kitchen alone. Robert will take over baby duty in the afternoon while I (frantically) attempt to get everything done that needs to be done in 3 hours each day. We’ll see how it all goes.

I will say, though. This morning’s meditation of watching Theo wiggling around during tummy time, nursing him to sleep and bouncing him as I prepped some lunch options for the week was actually very soothing. Maybe this new routine will be a pleasant change of pace for me. Nothing in my life is as it used to be, so let me try my best to embrace it.

With this shift in routine, one thing I’ll have to get back to is meal prepping, which I was once very dedicated to, spending Sunday’s making lunches and dinners for the entire week. I’m trying to find a schedule that’ll work for prepping as I really love my Sundays just as they are right now. They are the one day of the week where I allow myself to not have any sort of schedule. It’s also Robert’s one full day off and I just want to keep that as our day to just be.

So, this morning, while Theo bounced and later napped, I decided to make a dense bean salad in hopes of using up all the cherry tomatoes I’ve been picking from my garden. They are the one thing actually producing in my very wild, very weedy, very annoying garden this year. Trying my best to reframe my mindset and see my garden as a wild and free space—a place that mimics my own season of life that is also wild and rather freeing in ways I’ve never experienced. I still grow a little perturbed every time I walk out there and notice the mound of spiderwort inching closer and closer to taking over the entire garden though…

I wanted a little something different than the usual bean salad, so I raided my pantry and fridge for additional flavor options and was happy to discover some sun-dried tomatoes that needed to be used, plus a tube of anchovy paste, and a tiny jar of capers and olives. I decided to do to a little something on the Mediterranean side of flavor, thus producing a fresh, simple salad that features tomatoes two ways, fresh herbs, two types of beans, and lemon. And rather than tossing in those olives and capers, I decided to fry them up in a skillet before tossing them in with the rest of the ingredients.

I’m definitely one for bulk buying “fancy” shelf stable items when they’re on sale in hopes of having a use for them later. I definitely take after my mom when it comes to shopping sales and racking up some savings, except I’m not filling my pantry with boxes of pop-tarts, sugary cereal or saltine crackers. I say “fancy” because they’re items that we never had in our house growing up, so I always feel slightly elevated when I buy things like capers or olives, artichoke hearts—basic pantry staples, really. Just ones that get overlooked unless they’re needed for a very specific recipe.

This salad comes together in no time. The most time consuming part is frying up the olives and capers, which can be done while you prep the rest of your ingredients. Just leave them searing on the stovetop while you get to work! This recipe also call for a warmed dressing, which will use the same skillet as the olives and capers.

LET’S MAKE A DELICIOUS SALAD

A few notes about ingredients first…

• I used both sun-dried tomatoes in oil and without oil, only because I had two little tomatoes sitting at the bottom of the jar. I added more by using up a handful of sun-dried from a Costco bulk bag in my fridge. I just rehydrated them in some hot water and then tossed them onto the olive and caper skillet right at the end of their frying.

• I used pitted Castelvetrano olives, tearing them into large pieces before frying them in the skillet.

• The only artichoke hearts I had were canned ones in brine. Marinated artichokes would work well here as well.

• Feel free to add a cheese to this salad. I don’t eat a lot of dairy, so I skipped it this batch.

• Another great addition? Roasted eggplant, which I don’t have right now because my eggplant bushes DIED while we were on vacation. Ugh.

OK. Now we can make the salad…

INGREDIENTS

1-15oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1-15oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
7-8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil (half a jar) / 3/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated
1 C cherry tomatoes, sliced
1-15oz can artichoke hearts, roughly sliced
1 C Castelvetrano or kalamata olives, torn
2 Tbsp capers
1 tsp anchovy paste / 2 anchovies, finely minced
2 tsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, juice and zest
several leaves of basil, ribboned
salt
smoked paprika
olive oil
lots of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet on the stove. Add in your torn olives and capers and toss to coat. Allow them to sear and pop, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Cook until olives are a slightly seared with golden bits and the capers have popped open and slightly darkened in color.

2. While the olives and capers and frying, dump the beans, artichokes, onions, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and smoked paprika into a large mixing bowl. Add in the olives and capers once they are done cooking.

3. To make the warm dressing—add the minced garlic and anchovy paste (or minced anchovies if using) into the olive skillet over medium heat and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the lemon zest and stir again. Add in the lemon juice, tomato paste and salt and continue to stir. Keep stirring while adding about 1/4 C olive oil. Cook for 1 minute to allow flavors to meld. Remove from heat and pour over the salad. Toss to combine. Add in the basil, salt and black pepper and toss a few more times.

4. Adjust flavors as needed adding more oil for richness or a splash or two of white wine vinegar (or more lemon juice!) to brighten or zing it up.

   

HOW TO PAIR IT

I have to say…this salad is rather rich and flavorful for such a simple dish and there are so many ways to enjoy it. A few ideas off the top of my head:

• scoop it up with some nice crusty sourdough or a chewy flatbread

• pair it alongside a nice chopped grain salad

• for extra protein, enjoy it with a skillet seared chicken thigh or a fresh cut of salmon

• this would pair so nicely with some boiled new potatoes tossed in olive oil, parsley and lemon

• or eat it all on its own
  
  

I’ve been back at work for several weeks now and while I won’t say it’s not stressful, I will give myself a very hard high five and say “you’re doing such a good job feeding lots of people every day with a newborn strapped to you!”

But my vegetable garden—my prized summer obsession—is riddled with weeds and crops just aren’t producing, which I will blame on this weird weather. I actually had to purchase tomatoes from our town grocery store yesterday because I have no tomatoes from my own garden to enjoy. A summer first! I’m hoping they’re just late because they’re filled with little green beauties. Just nothing ripe to pluck. And the weeds. The weeds! They’ve taken over and there’s nothing I can do about it at this point. This year has been our wettest summer (ever) which has made the weed situation an impossible nightmare.

And it’s just hot. Hot in my giant old house. Hot outside. Hot with a newborn strapped to me while I’m trying to do anything at all like writing this Substack post.

With all that said, I’m doing just fine.

That affirmation is directed to that one woman who keeps being extremely negative about the fact I’m working in a kitchen with my baby and feels the need to tell me this is the easy stage. It’ll get harder (insinuating that I won’t survive for much longer). I appreciate the encouragement…not that I need it, but a little mom-to-mom support would be so nice.

The most important things are getting done each day—Theo is taken care of, I’m getting to work and doing my absolute best, I’m feeding myself and Robert every night and I’m working out daily. And every once in a while I’ll check a few other things off my list, which means I’m knocking life out of the park right now as a fresh new mom. No more measuring my productivity against society’s standards. I’m living a simple life in this stage. I’m doing just fine.

ON REPEAT IN THE KITCHEN
AKA MY NEWBORN MOM KITCHEN TACTICS

While I would love to be a little more adventurous with my home meals, I’ve resorted to a basic, but delicious rotation of the same, or nearly the same meals each week. Thank goodness they’re all really good meals.

My kitchen tactic is to ensure I have a fridge and pantry stocked with items that I can use to create several dishes from the same ingredients: dried or canned beans for smashed bean toast or taco bowls; a braised chicken to eat with salad or shred for something else; homemade or store-bought hummus.

Funny story on store-bought hummus. At one of my pop-ups, a lady saw me eating store bought hummus during my “lunch break,” gasped and appalled, asked in such a tone, “you don’t make your own hummus?!” Like I’m not allowed to be too busy to make my own hummus sometimes. I think about that every time I buy hummus, which I did earlier today because I would rather have some on hand than be forced to make my own if I don’t have the time or energy. You do the same and don’t ever feel bad about it.

Other important staples for me right now: pickled onions or a pickled thing of some sort, tahini and lemons for making batches of white or green tahini, my homemade cumin-sesame chili crisp, salad mix, fresh tomatoes, summer veggies for salads, sourdough discard + spelt flour for my skillet sourdough flatbread, and slices of homemade or bakery bought sourdough tucked away in the freezer.

Please note that this list does not include all my other kitchen staples like spices and such. The every, every day ingredients that go without mentioning.

Here are things I’ve made this past week/weekend, complete with some fancy plating and all because Robert and I deserve nice things and it also gives me five minutes of fun when I’m frantically trying to finish cooking before Theo wakes from a nap or needs to be nursed. I’m also working on a very, very, very special project and I need to work on the plating a bit before the final rendition is shared.

My current summer meal lineup:

• Roasted eggplant with a big fresh salad, a spoonful of beans or lentils, a smoosh of hummus or some sort of dip (whatever I have prepped in the fridge), pickled onions if I have them, blistered shishitos from my garden, a drizzle of white tahini and sourdough skillet bread—the beauty of this meal is that the only prep/cooking time it requires involves roasting a veggie and chopping a salad (and blistering those shishitos if I have them). I almost always have cooked beans on hand (or at least a can in the pantry); there’s usually some form of homemade dip in my fridge/freezer because I like to triple batch things for future use; white tahini is so easy to prep; and my sourdough skillet bread take 5 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to cook. I’ll change things up based on what summer veg I have on hand.

• A braised chicken of some kind—whole chicken or bone-in, skinless thighs only, please! Such a simple method for cooking chicken. No oven required which is what I’m seeking during summer months. Sometimes I’ll get fancy like I did with my braised chicken with garlic and farm leeks (see photo below). Other times I’ll braise a whole chicken and shred it for taco bowls or chicken salad or add it to some roasted veggie salad. But at this stage, I’m going for a simple braised thigh with salad and air-fried potatoes.

• Broiled summer squash with yogurt and blistered tomatoes—more on that one later, later, later on. It’s in the developmental stage for something I have in the works. But doesn’t that sound delightful?

• Taco bowls!—and I don’t mean your basic taco bowl with shredded cheese and ground beef. We’re talking good stuff here like quick pickled red onions, fresh tomatoes, homemade salsa, fiery hot sauce, a braised meat of some sort, smoky pinto or black beans, stovetop charred corn, fresh or pickled jalapeños, and air-fried crispy potatoes over a bed of fresh salad greens. Again, lots of ingredients I’ll have on hand, so when I do, this meal is a go-to. And not all at once. Each bowl varies on what I have prepped and ready to go!

• Smashed beans on toasted sourdough—as simple as a meal can get. Cooked beans fork smashed with fresh garlic, lemon, herbs, salt and black pepper. Spread onto a toasty slice of bread, maybe over a layer of smashed avocado or creamy goat cheese. Top it with some pickled onion or preserved lemon slices. Serve it alongside a big, delicious salad. Ah! So simple.

• Bean salads galore—the combination possibilities are endless. My usual go-to involves torn olives, fresh tomatoes, chunks of fresh cucumber, preserved lemon, slivered onions, fresh herbs, lots of black pepper, ground coriander seed, lemon juice, olive oil vinegar and a spoonful of grainy mustard. Sometimes I’ll add in some sun-dried tomatoes if I have them on hand. Done and done!

I have no idea what the coming weeks will bring as my schedule and headspace is so dependent on Theo. Perhaps this rotation will last a few weeks longer, or maybe I’ll add yet another thing to the mix. I do know that my roasted eggplant platter will forever remain on my summer dinner list as it has been a must each time eggplant season rolls around, way before Theo graced this earth. I love it so much, I made it for my Rural Studio kiddos for lunch one day and then proceeded to eat nearly the same exact meal for dinner that evening (and the next).

The best way to ensure you’re feeding yourself good things is to keep your kitchen stocked with basic essentials, most of which can be prepped quickly and easily and in bulk, and most of those essentials (dips, breads, pickled things…) can also be bought (locally if you can) if you really want to shorten you kitchen time during these summer months. Dinner can be fancy without the fuss. Honestly, that’s the best way to cook. Let the ingredients and simplicity be the star.

Maternity leave is over for this little lady. I’ve eased back into the kitchen at work and it somehow feels like I’ve never cooked in that space before. My brain hasn’t caught up yet and every day I’m wondering how on earth I’ll meet my lunchtime deadline with a newborn hanging out with me in the kitchen. The beauty of my job at Rural Studio (and my own gig, Abadir’s) is that Theo gets to come to work with me every single day. I don’t know how I would have a child otherwise. The thought of leaving him at daycare or being away from him, knowing I would miss so many important moments really was a concern for me. Also, who can afford daycare!? I’m grateful to be at a place that is so supportive of us moms and also provides dozens of babysitters (aka my coworkers and students) for me to choose from each day.

As the days sped by as I prepared to head back to the kitchen at Rural Studio, the anxiety of balancing things at work and at home really settled in. I sobbed to Robert (a lot) questioning how I’d get anything done, fretting over how I’d spend all morning cooking only to come home and spend all afternoon cooking dinner for us. Not that I’m cooking elaborate 4 course meals that require hours of prep and hovering over a stove, but rather extra time for tending to Theo.

The first day back, I couldn’t even wrap my head around being in that space. I stared at all the fresh produce sitting on the counter tops for what seemed like hours, my mind completely blank, no earthly idea of what to make. How strange it is to transition into this stage. Where I was once a human who only thought about things to cook and recipes to test, my brain just isn’t there right now, and I wonder if it will ever get back to that point. If I do think of a recipe, I have to question whether or not I actually have the capacity to make it happen, and that has been quite the punch in the gut. I want to shift my mindset on that by reminding myself it’s just a season, but I can’t help but worry how long this season will last…

I’ve decided that recipes for work will have to be as basic as I can get them. Thank goodness we’re entering the peak of the farm season where fresh ingredients will be in abundance and dishes can require minimal prep. It’s no longer what do I want to make, but what can I make (that’s good, fresh and simple). And the same goes for my home meals because while I would love to spend every minute of the day messing around in the kitchen, it’s not the most comfortable task with a 14.5 lb baby (and growing!) strapped to you, standing for hours on end, doing reverse lunges just to get to the bottom drawer of the fridge.

LEARNING WHAT SIMPLE MEANS

I always said my dishes were simple to make, and they are. It’s the simple techniques and the quality of ingredients that makes a dish shine. But my concept of simplicity in the kitchen has completely shifted now that I’m balancing two kitchens at once. Just how simple can a meal be? I spent my Sunday afternoon scouring my favorite cookbooks, scanning my fridge and pantry for ingredients and creating a list of what will surely be my season of truly simple meals.

The hunt started with One Pot, Pan Planet by none other than one of my favorite food humans, Anna Jones. I use her cookbooks the most out of any cookbooks I own because I’m so drawn to her style of creation. Also, the photography is very lovely and so are her little stories before each recipe. I always seem to discover something new, no matter how many times I’ve flipped through those pages.

In this particular book, she has a whole section titled One Veg where she dedicates pages to one vegetable and features ten simple recipes to make using said veg. I love that concept and while I haven’t cooked from that section much, I have decided that now is the time and I will not allow myself to elaborate on whatever dish I’m making, other than making a side for it or adding a protein or a bread for dipping.

There’s a whole row of gorgeous carrots growing at the farm right now, and since that is one particular vegetable I’ve been craving nonstop since Theo’s birth, I decided to start there—the carrot.

And that’s how I stumbled upon her Carrot Dip recipe, which isn’t quite a dip in terms of the way we think of dips. Rather, it’s cooked carrots smashed into a chunky spread and I decided that would be a perfect base for some zingy beans. Add in a side of my sourdough discard skillet bread (recipe coming soon!) and a fresh salad and there you have it. A delicious simple meal.

The only issue was me and myself trying to add on to everything because that’s (unfortunately) how I operate. The idea of caramelizing some lemon slices in olive for an extra layer of flavor for the white beans—it sounded like such a great idea until I decided I wanted to sit down. And also, the whole point of this journey is simplicity, so I refrained from elaborating and just kept it to a minimum. Everything was crafted at the most basic level while keeping the flavors bold.

I mean, who am I right now?

Not sure how to answer that, but we are definitely learning some lessons here.

ALL THE COMPONENTS

While I won’t be sharing the recipe for my favorite go-to sourdough discard skillet flatbreads in this post, (saving that one for another day) I will be passing along my version of Anna Jones’ carrot dip along with a basic zingy, herby white bean. I did end up adding some kale chips as a topping because I couldn’t help myself. I felt like it needed a little something extra and my kale chips require little time to make, so I made a batch to sprinkle on top and it was a lovely textural addition.

ANNA JONES’ CARROT DIP
from One Pot, Pan, Planet

The original recipe requires an oven for roasting the carrots. I refuse to turn my oven on when the days get hot down here in Alabama, so I skillet cooked mine, going for the same texture with a little browning before smashing. I also added minced fresh tarragon to my carrot smash.

I won’t be sharing Anna Jones’ actual recipe because that’s not mine to share. This is my variation, although not much has changed except for the cooking method, an extra dash of spice and the addition of tarragon.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb carrots, cut into 1/3” rings
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp cumin seeds, slightly ground
1 1/2 Tbsp coriander seeds, slightly ground
salt + pepper
1 lemon, juice and zest
olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (or any herb of your choice)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the spices and cook for 1-2 minutes, continuously stirring to toast and keep everything from burning.

2. Add the sliced carrots to the pan. Stir to coat and then allow the carrots to sit on the heat untouched for about 5 minutes. Stir the carrots and then allow them to sit again. Keep repeating until the carrots begin to golden with some good heavy browning and have softened a bit.

3. Cover the pan with a tight fitted lid and reduce heat to low. Allow carrots to sit for 10-20 minutes until very soft. Remove the lid. Add the salt, pepper and lemon juice and zest and stir to coat. Cover the pan, turn off the heat and allow to sit for another 10 minutes.

4. While the carrots are still hot/warm, sprinkle in your chopped tarragon and then crush everything with a fork, add more oil or lemon if needed and then transfer to a bowl to serve.

Ideas for consuming: Eat with crackers or a nice flatbread / top with beans (recipe continued below) / top with shredded spiced beef / top with something crunchy like chopped toasted almonds, walnuts or dukkah / scoop onto a bed of herbed labneh or thick yogurt / drizzle on some tahini or a nice herb sauce

LEMON BASIL WHITE BEANS

The carrots are sweet and earthy with a simple spice combo. These beans add a brightness to the dish along with a protein boost. This recipes gives you extra beans so you can use them for other things like topping a nice crusty piece of sourdough.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups cooked white beans, navy or great northern
2 heaping spoonfuls whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, ground
2 lemons, juice and zest
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt + black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
fresh basil ribbons

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all dressing ingredients into a bowl, except for oil. Whisk to combine. Add in beans and toss to coat.

2. Drizzle in oil and toss to coat. Add your basil ribbons. Beans will keep in fridge for 3-4 days.

Any extra beans (not used on the carrot dip) can be eaten on a toasty piece of sourdough, added to a salad or tossed in with some pasta for a bean pasta salad!

To plate & serve: Spread a layer of carrots onto a small plate. Add dollops of white beans on top and sprinkle with more fresh basil ribbons (and perhaps some za’atar!), a drizzle of olive oil, maybe a squeeze of lemon. Place some crispy kale chips on top (optional) and use a delicious flatbread to scoop it all up!

And while my last post contained a recipe, and pretty much every post I’ve shared thus far has some sort of recipe, this one will not because I never intended for this newsletter to be a collection of recipes. I want it to be something more than that, but I’ve always been too worried with how people will perceive my work if I share more personal thoughts and ideas, if I do something other than share a dish, which is so ridiculous. Besides, most of my thoughts and moments are tied to food in some capacity, so while you won’t always get a recipe, we’ll still be talking about food.

Hence the title about the quick, spontaneous blackberry cobbler I made this past weekend using the freshest picked blackberries from my place of work, Rural Studio. I was told the blackberries were popping right now, but forgot and was so surprised to see those midnight blue beads glistening in the sun during my herb and leek harvest, which was why I drove out to the farm in the first place. Robert and I quickly grabbed a bucket and went to work picking the sweetest ones we could find while Theo napped in his carrier, shaded from the blazing sun. On the drive home, I decided to make a cobbler and so I did, soaking the berries in water as soon as we got home, gathering whatever ingredients I could find for my spontaneous crust, rushing to get it all done before Theo needed to nurse.

It’s strange how, yes. Things have slowed down so much for me since his arrival. My days are spent nursing, entertaining a rather alert newborn, nursing, carrying Theo on my chest while he sleeps, nursing, nursing and nursing some more, and I will try so hard to fill what little gaps I have during the day with things that will fill my cup.

I’m laughing at myself right now thinking about our final visit with our midwife where I told her I was cooking every free second I got because I’m just sitting around the house “doing nothing,” and she laughed and laughed and laughed and pointed to my baby saying “you’re doing nothing” and I couldn’t help but feel so silly because I’m doing so much. I’m raising a little baby, and while it gives me so much fulfillment in so many ways, and each day I feel closer to this little babe, I still need a little something extra to balance it all out.

So, yes. My productivity isn’t measured quite the same as I can get maybe 1-3 things done outside my motherly duties, and accomplishing those things require an air of urgency and that has somehow quickened the pace, and it’s not necessarily a pace I enjoy. I mean, who wants to feel rushed when they’re making a delicious cobbler or cooking a lovely, fresh meal? Even our morning and evening walks are more efficient because we never know how long Theo will enjoy his stroller ride before growing fussy.

There’s always a rush to get it done, and most times, there’s a break in the middle because Theo jostled himself awake, so the food prep gets pushed to the next nap, at times another day. The writings begin one day and get finished three days later. All of my friends with kids told me things would take a little longer…

Perhaps it’s a good thing for someone who has spent their entire life running. Running from one task to the next, from a long list at work to an even longer list at home. The day is never complete until nearly every items gets checked off that list.

Pregnancy was a different space for me though. Perhaps it was all those hormones raging through my body, the the stress of the day-to-day no longer mattered and I gave myself time to rest throughout each day, reading books on the couch for hours, taking longer walks rather than checking off my tasks, sleeping in a little later. It was one of the reasons I stepped away from Abadir’s. So I could ensure I had that space to take things slow without the worry of a paycheck looming over me.

Yet, for some strange reason—call me naive—I truly thought I’d be gearing back up for a semi quicker pace once Theo arrived. No one knows what to expect with the arrival of a baby. We all know it’s “hard,” but what exactly does that even mean?

I quickly learned…

There is no getting back to it. Rather, I’m molasses, slow and sticky thick. Everything takes so much time, and almost 7 weeks in, I’ve somewhat accepted this new, hopefully temporary reality, and I’m embracing these moments as much as I can, yet I still find myself breaking under the monotony of the same old, same old. One thing I’ve learned is that mothering in a rural area isn’t for the weak. The days truly feel the same when you don’t have a place to escape to, just for a brief moment. No bookstore, tea house, outdoor space that isn’t your own backyard, a space that doesn’t ensure you’ll see every single person you know. I’d love to take tiny adventures with Theo strapped to me that doesn’t require a 1.5 hour drive.

In those moments, I’ve resorted back to cooking. It wasn’t really my plan. Just what came naturally. I’ve cooked nearly every day, even on days when I had no intention of making anything at all. “Today I’ll do absolutely nothing extra,” I’ll tell myself, and then the lull settles in and I’ll find myself at the cutting board once again. On Thursday, I learned that you have to boil tofu in salted water before cooking it and I had to try the method. I was in the kitchen within two minutes of learning this technique. And in case you’re wondering, yes. It makes all the difference.

And in that moment, on the ride back home, the place I have been trapped inside for nearly 7 weeks, after pushing a baby out of me all natural in my own bed, mind you, I grew anxious at the thought of having to go back home. So, I decided to make a blackberry cobbler, and it gave me just the reprieve I needed in that moment. The freshest blackberries handpicked with Theo by our side.

A little something special on a Saturday with an extra step added to the basic instructions—

Step 3) feed your baby.

Living in rural Alabama with one not-so-great grocery store, we’ve learned how to survive on one large shopping trip per month and supplementing here and there when needed. I think the only thing we ever buy at our local store are bananas. Our very rare grocery runs are a little chaotic right now. When we do get to the store, we’re running around frantically throwing things into the cart—whatever is seasonal, on sale and easy to cook with, plus all the pantry staples we’ve run out of, and fruits (lots of fruits) for snacking. We look insane, splitting off to divide and conquer just incase Theo decides to act a fool in the store, which he always manages to do, so grocery trips, which have been pure enjoyment for me my whole life (I love grocery shopping) has become one of my least favorite things as of late. Hoping that changes very soon.

Anyway. During our last frantic trip, I grabbed four heads of cabbage because, even though I didn’t have a plan for them, I knew I could easily create something when the time came. Enter this cabbage slaw, which has been one of my go-to recipes for two years now. Normally I use a red cabbage for this dish, but since we’re on a super tight budget, I opted for the cheaper, equally delicious green cabbage and honestly, both variations are absolutely perfect, so you can decide which route you’d like to take when you make this recipe.

This slaw uses an acid + olive oil as its base. If you are seeking a creamy slaw, I recommend adding a nice thick Greek yogurt to the mix. It would be so delicious, and I’ll give you some brief instructions on how to make that variation in the recipe below.

Other ingredients include tons of fresh herbs, capers for a little salty pop, coriander because I use coriander in everything, a whole preserved lemon and fenugreek.

While fenugreek isn’t a very popular ingredient here in the South, it’s a very common plant used for a variety of purposes, not just in food, in Egypt and the Middle East, and while I love fenugreek, I will admit it wasn’t a staple ingredient in my pantry for quite some time. It was just one of those I never really thought I could use much of, so I rarely kept is stocked and then it just fell out of my rotation until a dear friend gave me some dried fenugreek leaves during a visit. A nice hearty bag she didn’t want to travel with, and since then, this beautiful, flavorful plant has become a pantry staple. I’m always finding ways to incorporate it into a dish.

Roshny, if you’re reading this, thank you for gifting me that fenugreek a few years ago. It’s become one of my favorite ingredients to play with!

Fenugreek isn’t actually a spice, but a legume and falls in the same family as beans, peas and lentils. The leaves of the plant can be eaten as a vegetable or dried and used in number of dishes and the seeds can be dried, ground and used as flavoring. For this recipe, you have the option to use either ground seeds or dried leaves, and each one gives the dish a different flavor. You could even do a combo of both as the seed and leaves have two slightly different tastes.

The seeds have a very sweet, nutty flavor and provide an almost maple syrup like note to the dish while the leaves are a little more earthy and nutty. Some say the leaves are slightly bitter. I don’t sense a bitterness to it, probably due to all that vinegar and lemon in the dressing, but just note that a little goes a long way.

LET’S MAKE THAT SLAW

As with any recipe, I always suggest you adjust your spices and seasonings to meet your preferences. I like my flavors bold, so I don’t skimp on things and my eaters really seem to love that about my fare. You can also create your own combo of fresh herbs to use in this slaw. When dill is in season here, I tend to make that my primary herb. For this batch I used flat leaf parsley, mint and Mexican Tarragon.

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