In their book Farmstead Chef, John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist show how easy it is to cook homemade and homegrown meals that help the planet and go easy on your budget.
Enjoy this excerpt from Farmstead Chef featuring tips for revitalizing your meal plans when you need to change things up:
“Even with the fresh garden abundance that gifts us with a daily cornucopia of seasonal produce for ingredients, we can get into a culinary rut. We grow tired of the tossed salads while our zucchini and tomato harvest piles up on the kitchen counter. For CSA shareholders, it’s often the reality of what to do with not one but ten daikon radishes. We feel overwhelmed. After all, the goal in growing our own food or supporting a CSA is to enjoy it, not make compost. Even the zucchini and green beans given away seem to find their way back in a potluck casserole. Others share our great problem. We need a fresh cooking groove.
We’ve learned that any artist needs time to rekindle a creative muse. We home-cooks (and gardeners) need a dose of cooking inspiration too, especially when we have a bounty of fresh fare to savor.
Here are three tips to cure any summer cooking rut that ails you:
- Flip Savory and Sweet
Twist the expected menu and serve a familiar item category in a new way. For example, most folks expect pancakes to be bread-like and sweet, swimming in a pool of syrup. Zucchini Feta Pancakes provide a savory alternative to traditional pancake fare, served “naked” with no syrup or toppings. While we serve these for breakfast, you could readily twist things further and serve them for a quick supper. - Add a Strong Companion Flavor
Adding in a distinct, unexpected flavor to a dish perks up the palette. The fennel in the Savory Frittata or acidic kick from the salsa in Tofu Scrambler showcases flavors unexpected on the breakfast table. - Blend in Fresh Company
Sometimes it isn’t the ingredients or the recipe that grows a bit stale. It’s the company around the table. Add a splash of newness around the table and share the summer garden abundance by inviting someone new over to share a meal. Living in the country with near weekly potlucks along with the B&B activities, we’re blessed with a daily dose of interesting and inspiring people coming through our kitchen, providing the ultimate in keeping life, and food, fresh.”
Want to try the specific recipes mentioned, or read more insights from John and Lisa? Grab the e-book of Farmstead Chef from the COG Shop:
Want even more inspiration for eating and growing organically? Use the special Organically Canadian Resource Hub promo code “OCHUB” at checkout to enjoy 15% off ANY hardcopy book from New Society Publishers in the COG Shop. Check out available books by clicking below: