I know everyone loves summer produce, so why bother write a love letter to strawberries? We all love berries and melon and corn right? Right.
Another present from my neighbor. I’m going to make ginger lemonade with the juicer.
My own garden is doing pretty well too!
Left to right: lime tree, spinach, tomato, parsley & basil.
And then there’s the other greens…
Kale and chard (in mega need of thinning out).
I had my first salad with them last week.
This delightful lunch time salad had home-grown kale and chard topped in (chilled) roasted potatoes, figs, goat cheese, and balsamic glaze.
Pretty much perfect.
The figs were from the Davis farmer’s market and blew my mind.
I also baked with the peaches from the U-pick farm.
These muffins are kinda a cross between cornbread and muffins. Barely sweet and light yet hearty. I made them gluten free to minimize the FODMAPs (peaches, and all other stone fruit, have FODMAPs FYI).
Since I didn’t want to waste the skin (seems sad to throw it out) I baked it! It started out with the muffins on the same temp, and then I just left it in afterwards (with the oven turned down) to basically dehydrate them until they turned into chips. Kinda cool.
Oh look! More strawberry lovin’…
Raise your hand if you want a recipe.
If you actually raised your hand in the privacy of your own home you are awesome. If you raised your hand in public, get help. Kidding!
Brazil nuts are the base for the dressing. Which I then massaged into previously blanched kale.
Creamy Brazil Nut Sauce [vegan, FODMAPs friendly, gluten free]
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brazil nuts (soaked > 1 day then drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup water (+ more for thinner consistency)
- 1 lemon, juiced (approx 3 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp stone ground mustard
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Directions:
Rinse and drain nuts. Pulse in food processor or high powered blender. Add water and process more. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach consistency desired.
Mine was a really thick sauce, but thinning it out makes it more dressing-like.
I massaged it into the kale, then added the strawberries and mixed it all up.
Delish!
Unfortunately this meal was SO good that I decided to eat it a few times in a row on the same day…aaaand…needless to say, my gut was a little stressed out from all the kale [fiber]. I’ve never really noticed a reaction to kale before, but it is something people with FODMAPs should eat in moderation. Similar to broccoli, it’s rough on the gut (even for people with normal GI tracts!), so I really should have known better.
Continuing the berry themed meals…
This salad was a huge hit. Kyle raved about it and demanded I make it again to bring to a lunch party we have next weekend.
There’s kinda a lot going on in it, but it’s still a simple dish with basic ingredients that are in everyone’s fridge in the summer months.
Recipe to come.
Quickie meal highlights reel in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
- Fried egg with Udi’s granola, strawberries, and almond milk.
- Snack plate with baby carrots, Mry’s Gone crackers, hard boiled eggs, goat gouda, & figs (unpictured almonds on the side).
- Cauli “rice” breakfast scramble with brussels sprouts, kale, celery, and eggs.
- Massive salad with garden greens, hard boiled eggs, avocado, and other veggies galore.
- Cantaloupe
And work eats!
Yes, the days of packed lunches are back. Is it weird that I’m excited to pack my food up again? Returning to work is a whole other matter.
That melon looks soo good. I want to pick it out of the computer! I feel your love of all this summer produce (I also feel your pain of eating kale! Why do tasty things have to hurt damn ibs!).
When you are ready to talk about work, I am ready to listen 🙂
Hey to P x
8 weeks until Portugal!
Cheers
Lori
I can relate not wanting to return to work. I cried the first day I dropped him off and every so often after. But now that I’m home for the summeri thnk he misses his friends. I have to pay for part time to keep his spot and its nice to be able to drop him twice a week for a couple hours. I envisioned relaxing and doing nothing but I run around like a crazy person completing big organizing projects or errands so I do nothing like that when he’s with me.
When I saw you were going back to work, I was secretly hoping we’d have a return to the packed lunches! Love seeing your ideas!
Hope the transition is going well (as well as it can be, at least)!
You have an awesome neighbor!! I want to move in next door ;).
All of your food sounds so good as aways! I would never have thought of doing a salad dressing with Brazil nuts, I do love mixing peanuts or peanut butter with nooch and stuff on dressing so I’m sure the Brazil nuts would be great too. I will write a love letter to berries with you, I have been eating them like crazy the past few weeks.
Isn’t summer produce the best?!?! I can’t get enough!
Ahhhh! I am SO jealous of your garden/plants AND your generous neighbors. But especially your fresh figs. Figs! I love ’em. By the time the get up here they are WAY over priced and not at all local…
Courtney
No pics of P in the past 2 blogs??? Unacceptable sister 🙂
How are you doing diet wise?
I got the colonic which was amazing since my clothes that I thought were tight were loose since it was bloat not my waist. I stuck to sugar free and grain free for 4 days and then went crazy eating spelt cupcakes (3) some with frosting, almond dream ice cream and bbq sweet potato chips. I was up in the middle of the night with major acid reflux, threw up, was on the toilet and ended up resorting to an enema and was sick all Sunday feeling nausea, gassy and just terrible. I did well Sunday with no sugar but then had some more ice cream tonight. Ugh ugh ugh. I am instituting a no baking rule and cannot buy any more vegan desserts. The sad part is that if I stuck to this diet for 3 months strictly I would be able to heal myself but the idea of doing that seems unrealistic and my birthday is in August. I have been good about taking a probiotic though. Tomorrow is a new day.
I need that muffin recipe! : )
Oh man. Just produce at the regular safeway in cali kicks nyc farmers market produce butt. And these pics of your cali farmers market produce make me want to book plane tix. (Oh, yeah- i did already! Is it august yet???) those figs look soooo good, all of the produce does!
I suspect you are someone who thrives with a busy schedule and that your job offers you a kind of fulfillment that you need. I am sure this will be a hectic/emotional/exciting transition for you- and selfishly i’m excited about posts with your awesome packed eats for the day again…..