Guest Chef for Prairie Farm Corps 2017

It was such an honor to guest chef with the Prairie Farm Corps team last week and help them set the farm crew's lunch table! It's my favorite food education location to teach and learn in Lake County!

Introducing this Summer's PFC Kitchen Lead, Chef Aleks Semova (there she is instructing with measuring cup in hand!) She taught us all how to make vegan mayo and a 6 ingredient quick bread. I cannot wait to make them for my home plates!!!

Stay tuned... Her recipes are coming soon:)

I taught the kitchen team how to make my "I Lime You Very Much Tuna Salad" and "Sriracha Egg Salad".  I decided not to bring in the recipes to look at and copy. We simply eyeballed, taste tested and followed our instincts. These two salads are pretty fun to free-wheel (I like to call it "gumption" cooking) and it was really fun to watch them taste, add more and make it their own!

Sriracha = YES PLEASE!

Aleks: "How in the world shall we cut this beautiful loaf!?"

We looked at each other and said almost simultaneously, "ANYWAY WE WANT!"

Before serving the guests and PFC crew, the kitchen team introduces the lunch. They take turns explaining the ingredients, fun facts about the food, how they prepped it all, and perhaps some tid bits on what they learned in the kitchen for that day. Each kitchen team spends two weeks in the kitchen over two months. The rest of the time is spent in the fields learning how to cultivate and grow food seed to farmer's market + plate!

A quick snap shot of my PFC lunch plate.

We also whipped up a simple Radish Butter recipe from Mardi Michel, one of our Food Revolution Super Ambassadors from Canada! A MUST TRY!

Needless to say, there was no bread or radish butter left. Just a little egg salad for leftovers the next day:)

After lunch, Jen and Jeff Miller, the owners and farmers of Prairie Wind Family Farm, presented to the PFC team about their journey into becoming organic farmers. I think I jumped up and down when I found out their team were our lunch guests!

Cheers to becoming a little more food savvy (inside + outside) every day! 

I love everything about you PFC! Thanks so much for having me for the third year running; Time sure flies when you're working hard and having fun. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

It all starts at home plate!

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

Set the Table 2017 | Week 30

Cucumber season = Make your own pickle season! I am crazy about my Mom Brenda's refrigerator pickles. And this marble bowl. Totally obsessed. The Juice? Drinkable. Thanks for passing down your epic recipe to the blog today Mom! 

Mom's Refrigerator Dill Pickles

5 cups water

2 Tbsp sea salt

3/4 c white vinegar

1 1/2 lbs cucumbers 

3 Tbsp garlic cloves (peeled)

4 Tbsp large dill sprigs

1 tsp black peppercorns

1. Put Vinegar, salt and water in a large pot. Heat to boil. Cool.

2. Wash and trim cucumbers.

3. Put cucumbers, garlic, dill and peppercorns in a bowl.

4. Add brine (cooled) and stir well.

5. Leave them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days until they are as sour as you like.

6. Place in jars with pieces of dill, garlic and peppercorns. Store in the refrigerator. 

***************************

• 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 (some new, some repeated). 
• #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 go to's for meal planning organization (the grocery list app features are rad): 1. Jamie's Ultimate Recipes App 2. Sarah's My New Roots Recipe App 3. Rachael Ray's Week in a Day Cookbook.

Week 30's Game Plan:

I'll be in sunny Jamaica for a family wedding! I have never been to Jamaica or to a destination wedding before, so I am just thrilled to be traveling. Welcome to the family Diane! Looking forward to sharing our Jamaican eating adventures and a fantastic local Caribbean recipe for next week's blog! Cheers to THAT!

Wrap it UP with last week's action:

I did not follow my meal plan whatsoever this week. Sigh. I'll be trying Rachel's recipes again when I get back from vaca. Promise.
Thank you Summer for getting in my way. 

Nachos under salad and avocado? Yes please.

Best appetizer ever = Coconut macaroon (Whole Foods) + veganaise with sea salt, lemon zest and fresh chives + fresh crab + more chives.

My niece is the very best sous chef. Taking off the parley leaves was quite a job! Thanks girl!

Katie whipped up Alice Water's Sorrel Cream Sauce (The Art of Simple Food II) for the fresh Cod. It was pure heaven. I will be planting sorrel again next growing season for my kitchen garden!

One of the best plates I've ever put together.

I don't wanna have to say good bye! You are my heart of Tafiti Katie! Diamond Lake is for sisters!!!

And speaking of sisters... This lovely Lacey family crew (5 sisters!) stopped by for a stay on the lake before they head to their new home in San Diego this week. We had a huge family table of waffles to fuel our impromptu lake adventures yesterday (gosh darn I forgot to take a pic!). Lots of reminiscing... back to each other's wedding parties, babies, homes... Where has time gone!?  Looking forward to visiting you in California soon, to making more memories and to gathering together again at your new family table!

Cheers to jumping into gnarly, grand adventures and to lifelong friendships!

It all starts at home plate.

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

ps

My Top 10 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. Come to the table - Join Slow Food USA!
2. Stay on TOP of the global Food Revolution newsfeed.
3. How to Cook With Oils.
4. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat.
5. 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. 
6. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut, your "second brain" happy + healthy.
7. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat.
8. 50 Years Ago, the Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat.
9. Kimbal Musk Says Food is the New Internet. 
10. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Starts With Ignoring the Guidelines (Video)

Set the Table 2017 | Week 29

French Toast Waffles
In the Netherlands, they are called "wentel teefjees."
Go back in time with me to this 2014 post for a slightly different Ambassador Smash version with my friend Terri!

8-10 Leftover Belgium waffles (You can find my waffle recipe in this recent post too)
8 organic, pasture raised eggs (I get mine when I can from Prairie Wind Family Farm or Radical Root Farm). Adjust amount of eggs according to how many waffles you have.
A pinch of sea salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c organic rice milk
3 Tbsp half and half
organic ghee or butter or coconut oil for greasing the pan
Toppings: Fresh fruit, assorted jams, pure maple syrup.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and milks (Use whatever "milk" you want... It all turns out fine, and I usually never measure. The amounts above are my best guesstimate). Heat up a rectangular cast iron griddle or pan and add some butter/ghee/coconut oil to thinly grease pan. Dunk the waffle into the egg mixture, flip once to make sure there is enough egg mixture covering entire waffle. Let some egg mixture run off and quickly place on the hot pan. Flip after about 3 minutes or so or until each side is fully cooked and starting to brown. Add your favorite toppings! My nieces LOVED them, and it sure brought Terri back into my kitchen!

ps The 2014 version is just slightly different, made for a smaller breakfast table (you'll love the lemon zest!) and I adore making BOTH.

Terri sent me these pictures yesterday as I was cooking them up across continents from her. I love them so much, I just had to share them with you too. I think texting with her back and forth made my wentel teefjees taste better. I miss you so much my dear friend!

***************************

• 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 (some new, some repeated). 
• #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 go to's for meal planning organization (the grocery list app features are rad): 1. Jamie's Ultimate Recipes App 2. Sarah's My New Roots Recipe App 3. NEW! Rachael Ray's Week in a Day Cookbook

Week 29's Game Plan:
This week, I am basically following the "1 Grocery Bag, 3 Meals" on pg 336 of Rachael's Week in a Day Cookbook. Below is what I could find similarly online, in case you don't have her cookbook (I highly recommend it for busy lives!). While on Maternity leave, I would watch the Food Network obsessively, making recipe notes after watching Rachael and others, not really "tuned in" to the difference between real & fake food, or how important cooking would someday be for my family table. It's so fun to be cooking with her again... a whole new Food Revolution decade later. 

• Spaghetti with Tuna & Artichokes

• Roast Chicken & Potatoes and Veggies

• Salmon Burgers

Wrap it UP with last week's action:

The week started off with a double birthday bang! First, waffles with a side of legos...

Roller Coasters second.

Katie and my nieces arrived third the next day! Chocolate chip pancakes are right up there on our breakfast list!

Tacos + my Mom's stuffed peppers.

And a silly Sangiovese.

I had more helpers at the Prairie Wind Family Farms CSA pick up! The blueberries barely made it home:)

Eat the rainbow, under an umbrella, during a rainstorm, preferably with a local beer, with someone you love.

Port at my parents' family table! I enjoyed my Mom's dinner so much I forgot to snap a picture... Baked ziti, pesto zucchini zoodles, salad, garlic bread, wine... ahhhhhhhhh.

Another thunderstorm kicked us off the deck and my Mom whipped out her piles of Santa Maria Del Popolo yearbooks. My sister-in-law Vicki had my Mom as a Kindergarten teacher... and I was her 8th grade lunch helper... Such a crazy, cool small school world. My Dad started his record player and played the piano in the background. We danced a little too. 

Here was last night's cook out gorgeousness. Those mushrooms have truffle salt on them:) 

Sushi tonight... and Monday our plan is to get some fresh Cod and make Alice Water's "Sorrel Cream Sauce" to ladle on top. My kitchen garden is bursting with this citrusy, awesome green!

It all starts at home plate.

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

ps

My Top 10 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. Come to the table - Join Slow Food USA!
2. Stay on TOP of the global Food Revolution newsfeed.
3. How to Cook With Oils.
4. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat.
5. 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. 
6. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut, your "second brain" happy + healthy.
7. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat.
8. 50 Years Ago, the Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat.
9. Kimbal Musk Says Food is the New Internet. 
10. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Starts With Ignoring the Guidelines (Video)

It's Video time! A Slow Food Nations Cook Off with Jack Johnson, Ed Kenney, Michel Nischan and Jennifer Jasinski

Thank you Slow Food USA for an incredible Slow Food Nations experience! To Jack, Ed, Michel and Jen - Your passion, friendship, skills and team work on stage was so FUN to watch. Everyone left inspired to make small changes, to fight for food education where ever they might be. I had a ball creating this short video of you all together. It's a real food waterfall!

Be inspired and read more about Jack Johnson and his wife Kim's Kokua Hawaii Foundation here! 

"It all Starts at Home Plate"

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL