The snowy nor’easter that raged through much of the east coast at the end of last week knocked out our power from about 1 pm on Saturday until 2 pm yesterday, Tuesday. The first two nights without power, and therefore without heat, J. kept a fire going in our living room and the four of us slept huddled around it, with lots of blankets. By the third night, we’d packed it in and stayed with my sister- and brother-in-law who live nearby. Thankfully, last night was spent back at home in our toasty, well-lit house.
I was able to pack most of the contents of my freezer off to Lauren (thank you!), so we didn’t have a large financial loss from losing power to our fridge. Still, it’s bare and I need to get to the store today and figure out what we’ll be eating the rest of the week. We are also picking up our final farm share of the season, which will dictate some of my cooking.
On Monday, Merrie and I celebrated our birthdays, many months late. We’d planned to take a cooking course together instead of exchanging gifts, but the first class we registered for, at a local Indian restaurant, was cancelled at the last minute. That loss wound up being our gain, and it’s how we found ourselves at Rainbeau Ridge this week.
Rainbeau Ridge is a farm in northern Westchester (Bedford Hills, NY) that has a small-scale egg operation, organic vegetables, an orchard, and various farm animals (I loved petting the baby goats). They are also a goat’s milk cheese producer. The farm has a presence at local farmers’ markets, and they host lots of cooking classes too.
Nicki Sizemore taught our class on “Vegetarian Side Dishes that Make a Meal.” I’ve taken cooking classes here and there (in college, at the CIA, and elsewhere), but Nicki was the most memorable teacher of all them. I found her to be down to earth, well-organized, smart, and engaging. She was totally comfortable in the kitchen, and made the preparation of five dishes (including one with two sauces) in just an hour and a half seem effortless. Really, it was like you were hanging out with a friend showing you how to make her favorite recipes. She had lots of suggestions for modifying the recipes, and was only stumped when one woman asked about making very low sodium versions.
Nicki made Pea & Goat Cheese Spread with Crostini (using Rainbeau Ridge goat cheese, natch — this was my favorite dish and can also be used as a pasta topping or ravioli filling); Artichokes with Bagna Cauda and Garlic Herb Aioli (I’d never had bagna cauda before, and it was delicious… even though I knew it was chock-full of anchovies); Green Salad with Peas & Creamy Mint & Basil Dressing (she included strawberries and toasted sliced almonds); Tabouli with Chickpeas & Feta (very similar to the types of grain salads I’ve been making lately, like Greek Quinoa Salad); and No-Stir Risotto with Asparagus & Peas (my least favorite; my feeling is if you’re going to make risotto, do it the long way). We all had a chance to sample the food at the end, of course, but we were not given anything (other than the recipes) to take home. In most other classes I’ve taken, you do bring some of the product you make home with you.
My only disappointment with the class was that it was a demo, not a hands-on course. Though Merrie did get to quarter the cooked artichokes, and another participant rubbed garlic on the toasted baguette slices, both Merrie and I mistakenly thought we’d be doing the actual cooking ourselves. Since we both belong to CSAs and do lots of cooking with vegetables regularly, there’s probably nothing more we would have gained from actually doing instead of watching, but it definitely would have been fun! Still, we were both in agreement that it was an afternoon well-spent, and that we’d both be eager to take a class with Nicki and at Rainbeau Ridge again.
Up until the middle of first grade, A. took fruit or an occasional prepackaged treat like a granola bar for snack at school, along with an unflavored milk box. He never complained about missing out on cookies or cheese crackers or whatever everyone else was eating around him, so I kept sending that type of snack. Until one day, when he came home upset, wanting a “cool” snack like everyone else’s. My feeling is that for kids, navigating a day at school has enough social and academic challenges without being distraught about your snack. We were able to settle on a list of items that met my approval (no partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) and his (mostly, “cool” packaging… but homemade treats such as muffins were also OK). Packing a fruit or vegetable with his lunch remained non-negotiable, even though more often than not it still comes home uneaten (see, Packing Lunch for Kindergarten).
I am thankful for the wide range of healthier processed foods available to me at my regular grocery store and specialty shops like Mrs. Green’s. These new SpongeBob Berry Squeezers from Nature’s Child are a perfect example of a food my son and I can agree on. He is thrilled that SpongeBob is dancing around on the package, and I am happy it contains no artificial colors, is calorie-limited (60 calories per pouch) and is at least based on real fruit and fruit juice. Obviously this type of processed fruit isn’t as good as munching on an apple, but it in my book it tops many other snack options out there.
I bought this product with my own money. Nature’s Child has no idea who I am.
I was thrilled to see the Briarcliff Indoor Farmers’ Market back this year. Last Saturday I stopped by and bought ingredients for lunch: pea shoots, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts. I’d never had pea shoots before, but they’re the delicate stalks and tendrils from pea plants. You can eat them raw, like a salad, and they taste like young, fresh peas. We used the pea shoots as a salad base, and then put a mix of wild mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil, on top. Roasted Brussels sprouts went on the side. You can’t help but feel good when you eat a meal like this. Each bite is like a bit of vegetable essence, exactly as that vegetable is supposed to taste on its best day. I am looking forward to many more meals like this this winter.
It’s amazing how much easier access to local produce has become in the past few years. I feel lucky to have so many great local options when my CSA is out of season.
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more about me and CITK, and keep in touch:
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Cheesy Kale Crisps: We rarely eat kale now that our farm share is over, and I want to fix that. I've wanted to try using nutritional yeast, and this recipe looks like a tasty way to do it.
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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