Set the Table 2017 | Week 19

Happy Mother's Day Sunday from CANADA! 

I am sorry to be so far away from you today... I LOVE YOU MOM!! Thanks for watching the kids while I have been away!! Boy did we enjoy this salad together at the Condell Cooks for Life Event last Monday night! 

I just had to share it today as I hope it makes it your family table this week, especially now that asparagus is in season!

Chef Alek's Simple Asparagus Salad

Prairie Farm Corps, Grayslake - Kitchen Lead

Aleks’ spin on Jamie’s Boiled Eggs and Aspargus Soilders recipe

1 lb Asparagus

4 oz Parmesan cheese (block)

2 shallots

¼ c Balsamic vinegar

½ c extra virgin olive oil

2 oz Kalamata olives (3-4 per plate)

Sea salt & pepper to taste

1. Prepare a pot with boiling water. Add a generous amount of sea salt to the water. You can also grill or roast your asparagus.
2. Trim the asparagus and peel if needed.
3. Make the dressing by mixing the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the finely chopped shallots.
4. Boil the asparagus for 2-3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Remove the asparagus from the water and transfer them to serving plates.
5. Cut the olives into halves and arrange on the plates.
6. Spoon over some of the dressing. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips of the cheese and lay them on top each plate.

DEEEEEEE-LLLLIIIIIIIISH

• Each #SettheTable2017 post begins with a featured recipe(s) + upcoming week's game plan followed by a picture diary of last week's chaos. I sign off every post with a handy reference list of my favorite foodie articles. 
• #CatchmyGrit on my Instagram throughout the week to capture the fun, the food and the family table reactions (good and bad). C'est la vie, I selfy-ishly light it UP in pics and videos to keep truckin! 
• New to this series? Here's the STORY behind my #SettheTable2017 food adventures with Pure Barre Kildeer.
• My two go to's for meal planning organization (the grocery list app features are rad): 1. Jamie Oliver online recipes or his Ultimate Recipes App (J) 2. Sarah Britton - My New Roots Blog or Naturally Nourished Cookbook or her RecipeApp (S)

Week 19's Game plan:

• Sticky Chicken with Sweet Tomatoes + Beans

• Taco Day (I'm coming back Tuesday night... so Gonna have to move that badboy...)

• Salmon Fish Fingers (Video link)

• Sweet and Spicy Barbeque Sauce - Jessica Levin (courtesy of Slow Food USA)

• Chef Alek's Simple Asparagus Salad

Wrap it UP with last week's community & family table action (in the USA + CANADA!):

Here are the fresh Prairie Wind Family Farms Spring Produce baskets we raffled off!

And Prairie Wind Family Farm's also debuted their new local meal kits!

It's was a sold out, PACKED (200+) hospital house!

 Chef Rob of Youthage Culinary School with Wauconda High School Health Club student volunteers.

Jackeline of Reprise Coffee Roasters discussing sustainable and fair trade coffee + brewing tips.

Chef Aleks of Prairie Farm Corps.

Chef Lee of Milwalky Trace + Taco.

Chef Shulames from Pilot Light Chefs Organization in Chicago.

Chef John of Pizzaria Deville.

And the next morning at 4:30am... We were off to Canada for the Eating Heritage Festival in Moncton, New Bruswick (just a stone's throw from Nova Scotia!).

Thanks for the pick up Max! Meet the President of Slow Food Cocagne Acadie which hosted the Eating Heritage Festival, Slow Food Canada National Summit.

The seafood chowder is epic at Tide & Boar Brewing.

I had the honor of moderating a multi-generational School Food Panel of heroes who are changing school food game and increasing food security in New Brunswick.

Those are fiddleheads! SO SO GOOD! If you see them at your local farmer's market, you MUST try them:)

A preserved skin of Sturgeon. WOAH.

Now this was FUN! We all marched through town in a Tintamarre which "is an Acadian tradition of marching through one's community making noise with improvised instruments and other noisemakers, usually in celebration of National Acadian Day. The term originates from the Acadian French word meaning "clangour" or "din"."

For opening night, we feasted on roasted and grilled sturgeon!

By far, the most exciting activity I participated in was Disco Soup. Get ready Lake County... We are going to have so much fun together doing this!

Crazy ridiculously good = Macaroon + Mayo + Lobster.

I conquered the 55 ton Shediac Lobster!

Prepping for the FREE Kids' Tasting Event.

We went through a journey of bitter, sour and sweet! Broccoli cress, snow peas, pea shoots, brussel sprouts, sorrel, rainbow carrots, Gage Town apples, dried apples, apple cider (sparkling & regular), chocolate coconut macaroons, tarts, sauerkraut (juice too!), and 4 flavors of hummus (garlic, dill pickle, cilantro & jalapeño, curry) with from scratch pita chips. It was INCREDIBLE!!

And then it was time to sample some tiny bubbles:) I will now be buying Canadian sparkling wines thank you very much!

This is what over 500 pounds of fresh, local seafood looks like.

Amazing work chefs!!

Meet Alison Bell, the first delegate I met off the plane (She is a member of the Columbia Valley Chapter which hosted the Summit last year).  I just low your slow food snail dress - Thank you for inspiring me this week! 

Heather Pritchard, Slow Food Canada President says thank you to this years organizing team, Sarah Short and Maxime Gouvine.

My Slow Food hat and dancing shoes are off to YOU!

And for one last lovely shoutout, it was lovely to meet you Dennis the Prescott - I LOVE your message and your delicious food stories.

It's not about perfection.

It's about the journey.

It's about gathering, cooking and eating.

Nice and slow.

Canada I will never be the same. 

Thank you for your grit. 

It's in my mitt. 

Now let's keep eating and dancing till the sun don't shine.

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

ps

My Top 7 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. "Why We Need To Be Weirdos To Be Healthy" (My goal: 80% weird. Daily reality = 20-100%)
2. How to Cook With Oils
3. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat
4. The EWG "Clean Fifteen + Dirty Dozen produce guidelines helps you save money + reduce the pesticides and herbicides (Antibiotics harmful to our gut microbiome + mycobiome) at home. 
5. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut-brain happy + healthy
6. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat
7. 50 Years Ago, the Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat