Soffritto Sister Diaries | A Fremont Garden Tasting - Chermoula

The Summer, this garden tasting, Terri's trip... it's pretty far away now, but at the same time, everywhere for me. 

I don't know when I'll see you again in person Terri, and that's what's so hard about finishing this Summer garden tasting series together today. 

I finished our video this morning after you sent me your completed blog. It was so hard and so wonderful at the same time. The true essence of the mullies isn't it? So hard to jump in but so worth it in the end. Terri's blog today was so beautiful! It made me cry... again.

AND now we are celebrating! The most anticipated garden tasting recipe is finally here! 

TERRI'S CHERMOULA! 

Thanks for being so patient with us and we sure hope this tastes as good in your kitchen as it did in our Fremont Community Garden that beautiful, hot day. Terri and I know it will be a new family table favorite!

Enjoy hopping over to Terri's delicious blog for the recipe and please feel free to tag us if you make it for your family table on Facebook or Instagram. We would love to see all the fun you're having with your beautiful food - You inspire us too!

Until we meet again, I'll be keeping up our shenanigans "on the line" - AND thank heavens for Facetime!!! #Supersunite!!!

To the mullies we go...

XoxoL

ps

Cheers to Jamie's Food Revolution for forever connecting us!!! Jamie is up in Canada this week talking to supermarkets, charities and politicians - anyone who will listen - and I'm excited about the good signs coming out of the meetings. In watching his message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I found that he also sent a message to President Obama too! I tweeted to @JustinTrudeau yesterday directly on how I think he can help lead the North American Food Revolution -  Why not? We have nothing to lose and everything to gain... well... except for our countries' waistlines and our childrens' health -----------> JOIN US.

pps

"Everywhere" is a song I fell in love with after watching the movie "Practical Magic" back in the 90s. I bought the soundtrack and played this song over and over... Today, I believe in lots of practical magic in the kitchen. The song begins with the random quote: "Most women and children can perceive higher frequencies of sound than most men." Terri, you and I connect on another frequency and we have found BIG MAGIC together... the kind I thought only happened in the movies:) MUAH!

Soffritto Sister Diaries | A Fremont Garden Tasting - Lemon Zucchini Ribbons

 

Zucchini noodles are one of my favorite things to make and eat. And it was certainly one of the favorite dishes at our Fremont Community Garden tasting event! Garnished with garden flowers and pantry item staples from Mundelein's very own Corner Health Foods Store it was truly a work of edible art!

I hope you enjoy Terri's beautiful Lemon Zucchini Ribbon recipe today and we hope you are inspired to eat a little more from the garden each week - "More guts more glory" I say!

Feel free to tag us in your zucchini ribbon creations on Facebook or Instagram - We'd love to see what you make - it lights us up to see YOUR plates!

Zoodles up Terri!!

To the Mullies we go,
xoxoL


ps

After I bought the above zucchinis from the Prairie Farm Corps stand at the Libertyville Farmer's Market, we powered down some of dear Jared's Nomad Food Company pies today... man were they good. And the Aqua Frescas?!?!?  Pure raspberry, farm honey and lemon balm heaven in a jar.

The Soffritto Sisters | A Fremont Community Garden Tasting Event

These were the pictures I took last May as I shopped alongside my "Soffritto Sister," Terri Salminen at her favorite farmer's market in Amsterdam. I am so excited to pick her up at the airport TODAY.

And I'm thrilled to announce we have a super fun garden event planned this weekend! 

Terri and I will be visiting garden manager Alicia Dodd and friends at The Soffritto Sister's Garden Tasting Event (Facebook event page) on Sunday July 24th from 10:30am-12:30pm during normal volunteering hours to help inspire YOU to grow, prepare and eat your beautiful raw garden produce. 

We are keeping it SIMPLE:) Terri and I will prepare a few raw, simple and delicious recipes for you to enjoy samples, recipe ideas, cooking tips and more! What underutilized, beautiful produce and edible flowers can we inspire you to cook with? We'll be creating dishes straight out of the garden for everyone to taste - We can't wait to meet you! Our recipes will be posted on the Food Revolution Lake County Facebook Page (to save paper of course!) and also given to the community garden recipients. 

All are welcome to this FREE, kid friendly event. 

The Fremont Township Community Garden is a multi-functional garden space that provides produce to the township food pantry clients and low income seniors and provides opportunities for enjoyment and learning for the entire community. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to cook at the garden! For more information on volunteering opportunities with the garden manager Alicia Dodd (she is INCREDIBLE!) or anything else, visit www.fremontgarden.org and/or their Facebook page here.

I can't wait for our Summer 2016 adventure in Lake County to begin! Local farmer's markets WATCH OUT... Our plan is to shop for good local food and cook our little fannies off together! (Hmmmm I think I better delete some content off my phone to make room for all the pics and videos we're going to take!)

And Terri, I'm kinda sad you won't have to push me around everywhere this time:) But thanks to the inspiration you gave me in the Netherlands, we will have our own BIKES to get around on this Summer!!!!

Vroom vroom.

To the mullies we go...

xoxoL

Food Revolution Day 2016 | Lake County to the Netherlands

Golly gee willacker! Summer is in full swing and it's time to take a look back to one the best months of my life. I hope you enjoy my diary of Food Revolution Day 2016!

I celebrated Food Revolution Day for the first time on Aces Day at West Oak School on May 4th and for the second time at the Liberty Prairie Plant sale on May 14th. Ambassadors Christina and Sara and I braved the unusually brisk weather (yes it snowed!) and we passed out recipes to inspire market goers to buy kitchen garden ingredients together. I am one lucky girl to have passionate teammates like them!!

And then I was off...

I flew standby out to Europe (so crazy thankful to my friend Susan!), got bumped, stayed overnight in Detroit but finally took off on a London flight. And it sure paid off...

It was a very unexpected detour, but on the way to Amsterdam (via the City London Airport), I got to meet the lovely Jo Creed and team, visit Food Revolution Headquarters and sip tea at Fifteen London. Pretty amazing hiccup that I am so very grateful for!

Even thought there was not enough time to cook with them, I got to see a little bit of the Hello Fresh cook off event with Food Revolution team! What fun and what an incredible team building idea to promote employee food education + workplace wellness!

After a final epic picture, and a good bye promise to come back again soon, I finally arrived in the Netherlands to see my dear soffritto sister, Terri Salminen! 

This is how we roll! Terri + me in her "bakfeit" (cargo bike). Yup I fit just fine in the front.

In partnership with Hutton Europe, Terri's first Food Revolution workplace wellness event went off without a hitch. Chef's Damien Sawyer (left) and Damien Taylor (Executive Chef) were amazing to cook with! I loved connecting with the Hutton team and the Microsoft employees; The energy was fantastic and everyone LOVED the FRD inspired recipes we prepared for them.

Find, prepare and eat all of 10 FRD Recipes! Here is one of the beautiful plates of salmon I prepared and served with my team at Terri's first event at Microsoft NL!

Our second cooking event was located at SAS Institute B.V. Which was absolutely Gorgeous.

Wack the pomegranate! I prepared and served Jamie's SuperFood Salad. YUM.

Gosh I love watching her work! Terri prepared her beautiful ricotta, risotto and strawberry dishes for the employees to enjoy and be inspired!

I made crafty handmade tags for each of our chefs and bloggers who led cooking stations at Terri's Food Revolution Day 2016 Food Symposium (A better description would be a pop up cooking market event!) Over 350 people came to Fifteen Amsterdam event including 50 school children. It was simple amazeballs and I will NEVER forget being a part of epic free food education gathering.

Here is a link to my previous post explaining the who/what/where/how of the FRD event.

I hope you enjoy our video!

I love your face Thomas!!!

20 years ago me and Annemiek went to High School together (she as a foreign exchange student). It was absolutely INCREDIBLE to see her again and catch up after all these years! Thank you SO much for coming to see us Annemiek!!!

It was truly incredible. The work, the effort, the volunteering... I never could have imagined this level of talent and passion spreading and teaching at the same time. We were all so tired, so content, so happy to be together here in our celebration circle. I wish I could go back! Terri, your vision and organization impresses me like know other, I will follow you to the ends of the earth my dear Super Ambassador and Soffritto Sister!

To Chef Ramone Otto and Chef Damien Taylor: Without you both, this would not have happened. I am one lucky girl to have had the honor to cook and play with you both. Thank you for everything. And I sure hope we meet again!

Amsterdam, Haarlem... You have captured my heart.

I even got to cook with her at her beautiful workplace!

I treasure our friendship Terri. You are my soffritto soul sister and I cannot wait to see YOU in July! GET HERE!!!!!!

I'll be seeing you around town, on my fun new Dutchie bike (Found at Higher Gear!) Bringing a little part of Netherlands BACK baby.

To the mullies we go,

xoxoL