Group Run: Training for Sawtooth Rellay

For the past 13 weeks, Susan and I have been training to run the Sawtooth Relay on June 8. There are six women on our team — Divas En Fuego, which means Women on Fire. Five of us got together yesterday for a Saturday morning group run in the foothills above Boise. Temps were in the low 50 degree F range, making for ideal running conditions as the sunny spring forenoon started to brighten and gently warm up. We completed the 7-mile Hulls Gulch loop together.

These shoes were made for running.

Las Divas En Fuego: Lindsay, Dina, Jen, Susan and Chris

Big, blue Idaho sky forms a vast ceiling above our playground.

Why Not Girls of the Week

On October 24, 2012, Susan and Jennifer were featured on the Why Not Girl blog as the Why Not Girls of the Week. Check it out: Why Not Girls of the Week

“Saying Why Not! to adventures in life is an amazing thing, but finding someone who can share in those experiences is priceless.  Our Why Not Girls! of the Week Susan Tormollen and Jennifer Hernandez met each other while running a local duathalon in Boise, Idaho and found that their common love of healthy living, physical fitness and farmers markets would lead to a lifelong friendship.  Now, in addition to challenging themselves to weekly runs and hula hooping in bike parades (awesome!), they have joined to write a blog Bicycles and Blueberries that chronicle their Why Not Girl! adventures.” Read more …

Let’s make watermelon aqua fresca!

Aqua fresca means summer in my house! (it also means fruit water in Spanish)

Let’s get started: Gather your ingredients–watermelon, 4-5 limes, sugar, water.

Chop 5 cups watermelon. Seeds are fine.

Puree 5 cups watermelon, 1/2 cup sugar, one cup water. Juice limes and set aside.

Strain. You want a clear fruit “water”.

Mix in 1/3-1/2 cup lime juice and 6 cups water. Taste and add sugar and more lime to taste. (For parties with kids, I usually add another 1/4 cup of sugar.)

Enjoy!

PS: For the adults, add a splash of vodka for a refreshing summer cocktail. Or use Watermelon Aqua Fresca as a base for margaritas.

Note: This recipe is from Sunset Magazine. I’ve been using it since it was published in 2005.

The Humble Beet Gets Spiced

When I tell friends and family that I am growing beets in my veggie plot, some of them seem genuinely startled. “You like beets?” they’ll ask skeptically as they wrinkle their noses. In my opinion, the humble beet is one of the most underappreciated vegetables in the garden. I view it as a jewel-colored diamond in the rough. Its leaves make a delicious salad when eaten raw, and they can also be cooked like spinach. Likewise, the plump little orb that pushes its rounded shoulders up and out of the soil when it’s ready to be picked can also be eaten raw or cooked.

A few days ago I found more ripe beets in my garden than I could reasonably consume in a day or two. So I whipped out my Crock Pot and simmered more than a dozen of them in a blend of Geweurtztraminer, honey and the kind of aromatic spices you’d normally use to season apple pie.

The red beets and white beets are the chioggia variety that look like a red and white striped bull’s eye when you cut them open. The deep purple beets are the same rich color all the way through.

After they cooked for about three hours, I portioned the beets into glass jars with the cooking liquid and stored them in the fridge, where they should keep for a couple of weeks.

The next day I made a simple salad using fresh beet tops as a leafy green base, and adorned it with diced red onion, sliced Fuji apple, tiny balls of tangy herbed chevre from Green Goat Dairy, and a couple of sliced, spiced beets. For dressing I drizzled a little of the spiced beet liquid over the salad, followed by a splash of olive oil.

A simple summer salad of beet greens, diced red onion, Fuji apple, herbed chevre, and spiced beets.

The following recipe for spiced beets elevates the underappreciated garden veggie to something so special that even the skeptic’s scrunched up face will soften into an appreciative smile.

Spiced Beets
Adapted from a recipe for “Fresh Pears in Wine” in Crockery Cookery by Mable Hoffman (1975)

15-20 beets, trimmed and peeled
1 cup white wine
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 tsp minced crystallized ginger
2 TBL lemon juice
1 stick cinnamon
10 cloves, whole
10 allspice, whole

Combine all ingredients in a small slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours or until beets are tender when pierced. Store beets in their liquid in the refrigerator.

Three Squash a Day: Grilled Zucchini, Eggplant & Green Chile Sandwiches

Zucchini season has taken hold in my backyard and I’m looking for ways to use three squash daily in order to to keep up with the plant’s production schedule. So far, one of my favorite ways is to make roasted vegetable sandwiches. Served between slices of toasted whole grain bread or stuffed inside a split, whole wheat pita, the roasted trio of juicy vegetables slowly causes the bread to soften as it sops up the flavorful drippings. Garnished with sliced Parmesan cheese or spread with a layer of tangy herbed chevre, these savory summer sandwiches can be prepared outside on the barbecue grill or indoors on a countertop George Foreman.

Grilled zucchini

To make these sandwiches I combined three plump eggplants and three green roasting chiles with three firm specimens from the inspirational bounty growing in the garden.

First, I removed the stem from each chile, then placed them whole on the George Foreman and let them blacken while I prepped the eggplant and zucchini.

Grilled green chiles

Next, I sliced all the eggplants and zucchinis lengthwise into 1/3-inch thick slices. Then I brushed both sides of each slice with olive oil and seasoned them liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the chiles were thoroughly blackened, I removed them from the grill and wrapped them inside a cloth napkin to steam the skins, making them easier to peel when they’d cooled enough to handle safely.

While the chiles were steaming, I grilled the eggplant and zucchini slices in batches on the George Foreman, about 5-6 minutes or until beautifully cooked. And while the vegetables were grilling, I skinned and seeded the roasted chiles and set them aside.

Four slices of whole grain bread were toasted in the toaster, then cooled and spread with a layer of Green Goat Dairy “Flavor of the Week” chevre from the downtown farmer’s market. This week’s flavor was created using green onions and fresh herbs from Peaceful Belly Farms.

Green Goat Dairy herbed chevre

I layered the grilled summer vegetables on the prepared bread, and served them alongside a pint of market-fresh blueberries. A savory, seasonal sandwich like this makes meeting my goal of using three squash a day a little easier.

Sandwich of grilled zucchini and eggplant, roasted green chiles and Green Goat Dairy herbed chevre on whole grain bread

A Different Kind of Egg Salad

What to do when your garden is overflowing with lettuce? Besides giving it away to neighbors and friends, you’ll have days when leafy greens are the foundation for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Green and red lettuces flourishing

On a recent morning I grabbed handfuls of green and red lettuce from the garden bed, pulled a few green onions from the onion patch, plucked a trio of beets, and thanked Ethel and Red for their delicious brown eggs on my way back into the kitchen.

Breakfast Basket: lettuce, beets, green onions, and fresh eggs

I washed the lettuces and beet tops, then prepared a simple salad base. Diced the raw beets, sliced the green onion, fried the eggs and arranged all atop the fresh greens. Seasoned with olive oil, rice wine vinegar and a few grinds of Molly’s Mills “Southern Seasoning” of dried smoked garlic and jalapeno. The result was a different kind of egg salad.

A different kind of egg salad

“It’s hot. And, I don’t wanna cook…but I want a great meal, at home, in my own backyard.”

“It’s hot. And, I don’t wanna cook…but I want a great meal, at home, in my own backyard.”

Ok, not only is that the longest blog headline ever, but that’s exactly how I have felt all week. It’s hot out. I have a TON of vegetables from my garden class. They take FOREVER to wash. And I don’t wanna do it. So, what’s a busy gal to do on a hot summer Saturday, especially a hungry one, who likes great food and doesn’t want to cook?

Easy Summer Dinner! Trout, lentils & leeks, roasted summer veggies.

She FAKES IT!

That’s right! Here is my easy “cheat” dinner that was delicious, and it didn’t take much effort.

First, the entrée: Parmesan Trout. Purchased at my favorite fish store. $6/piece (They bake for 12 minutes in the oven at home)

Second, leftover Black Lentils and Leeks from the previous night. Perfect cold. Scoop and serve. Add a little “pretty” by topping with basil.

Lastly, roasted summer root vegetables–from this week’s garden class harvest. It took about 10 minutes to wash, peel and chop the vegetables, and 35 minutes to bake. The picture above doesn’t do this side dish justice–it was definitely the tastiest thing on the plate.

Overall time to make “Saturday Night on the Patio” dinner: 15 minutes prep (including setting table and plating dishes), 45 minutes of oven time.

Cost: Apx $8 per person + drinks.

Hassle: NONE! Lovin’ summer.

Below are the recipes for the side dishes.

Black Lentils and Leeks

6 leeks, washed, white parts sliced thin

1 Tbs Butter

2 Cups Black Lentils

4 Cups Low-Salt Chicken Broth

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Basil as garnish (optional)

Saute leeks in butter, add lentils and broth. Cook at low simmer fo apx 20 minutes (or follow directions on package.) Tastes great warm or cold. Top with chopped basil.

Love the purple potatoes! (dish in process)

Vegetables: Use what you have on hand (I used 4 purple potatoes, 3 fingerling potatoes, 2 turnips, 3 carrots)

Olive Oil

Your Favorite Dry Seasoning (My favorite is Molly Mill’s Gourmet Italian with lavender, tomato, lemon, rosemary, and garlic)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Chop root veggies to a uniform size — I like 1/3 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil and your favorite seasoning. Roast until crisp on outside. Shake pan once or twice while cooking. Cooking time may vary. I usually plan on 30-40 minutes. Season to taste!

PS: Do you know what a potato plant looks like? I didn’t. Read “The Best Treasure Hunt Ever” to see a potato plant!