10/10/2023
Happy Tuesday - I missed cooking for you guys! I am definitely struggling with returning from such an incredible vacation, but once I really sit in the gratitude I have for being able to do what I love for work, it makes arriving home much easier. And as I mentioned I am feeling more connected to the North Fork than ever with the vast access to local sources of food. In the coming months I hope to dig deeper into that and share all that makes the North Fork so incredible in your weekly meals. I hope you enjoy this week's food.
Just the Tip - How to Make these meals "the best you ever had":
Put your meals in your own tupperware when you return home for maximum freshness!
Add a piece of paper towel to "moist" meals like salad.
Eat your salads first!
Try to heat your food stovetop or in the oven vs. the microwave.
Add a drop of moisture like water or EVOO to meals when heating them covered in the oven so they don't dry out.
Remember if you are ordering 3 or 4 meals, it pays to order the "partial" or "full" order vs. buying a la carte.
Locally Sourced -
The potatoes and carrots in this week's soup are grown and harvested from Indian Neck Farm in Peconic, NY.
The baby kale in the salad this week is from Sang Lee Farm.
Parsley, basil, and jalapeno from my garden!
Apples from Bayview farms. Apples are a tricky one to find organic as it is a difficult fruit to grow without pests! However, I always check with the farmer as many spray infrequently or less than other farms. When in doubt, ask. Also, peel the skin!
Beef in the soup is from North Fork Grass Fed in Cutchogue.
This week's "food for thought":
I couldn't wait to eat this week's soup as it is my all time favorite soup recipe. I will include the recipe later this week in my reminder email. Packed with some local root veg and local grass-fed beef, this one really helps to make the colder weather a little more enjoyable!
You can eat your Fennel salad cold or hot! Saute it on the stovetop or grab it right out of the fridge. Remember kale is a little more "hardy" than most salad greens so adding your dressing 10-20 minutes before you eat it (and massage it in) can really make a huge difference.
Lentil Nachos are back this week! I added sweet potato just because and I hope you love it as much as I do. This is an easy way to share with the family. You can add some pulled chicken, pork, or beef if you are a meat eater, or more legumes if you prefer to keep the party in your plants! You could even save your queso for a little veggie dip later in the week.
I would heat up your pasta with a couple drops of EVOO or water covered on thes stovetop or in the oven.
If you haven't devoured your apple crisp yet, may I suggest running to Fit Foods, grabbing a pint of Coconut Bliss vanilla bean ice cream and curling up on the couch to share this little labor of love with the one you love!
You can apple-solutely heat your chickpea side salad on its own, or might I suggest putting this one over greens and making it a meal for two? You could also add some quinoa, farro, or millet for your whole grains.
Weekly Fun Food Fact
Did you know that the parts of the fennel plant we included in your salad this week are the bulb (chopped) and the leaves (resembles dill)? The bulb of the fennel plant grows deep in the ground with deep roots. Fennel stems grow above ground, grow several feet high, and can produce a yellow bloom.
Fennel is a great source of vitamins A, B, C, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, copper and of course fiber!
It can be used medicinally to calm colic in infants or to treat muscle spasms.
Fennel is in the same family as carrots, dill, and parsley! (I was today's years old when I learned that!)
Did you know that there is sweet fennel, grown inland and what is commonly know as Fennel and there is Sea fennel, grown on the coastlines, and found in Portugal! We tasted it on a hike to the beach with our in-house chef and it tasted just like the sea, super salty! It resembles succulent-type leaves and is commonly used in seafood soups and ceviche recipes.
Try this:
Try eating one meal or snack per day this week without looking at a screen, or multi-tasking in some way. I can't believe what a difference it makes to do this, especially at breakfast (but I know this is sometimes impossible, so do what you can.). Not only does it bring some joy to the meal, but your belly digests with joy too. Did you know that eating while watching screens suppresses your brain's memory of the meal intake? Who would want to forget such a wonderful daily task as eating?!
Try dropping a food rule - so many of us are governed by the overabundance of (mostly mis) information on food and what is "healthy" that it can really diminish the experience of connecting food and joy. Try eating the food you love. For example, I have this concept that "bread is bad" and I often avoid it. However, I love freshly made sourdough and am lucky enough to have a family member who will make it fresh for me. So I am including bread with my breakfast from now on as it brings me so much joy (and did you know that most centenarians live on sourdough!?)
Another week in the books and all thanks to you beautiful souls. Don't forget to place your order for next Monday, the store is open!
xoxox