The garden is in full bloom - bursting with cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, squash, green onions, mint, peppers and more. With so much produce literally at our fingertips, I spent the weekend in a garden bounty cooking frenzy. Last night I had a couple of girls over for dinner and a sleepover :) We made bruschetta with Ren's garden fresh tomatoes, cucumber beet salad from Rachel's garden, caprese with garden basil and tomatoes, and broiled eggplant from the local farmers co-op. Everything was so fresh that it was practically still breathing. We enjoyed our meal on the roof while watching the sunset over the ocean...and with a couple mojitos made with garden fresh mint :)
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| Enjoying dinner up on the roof |
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| Food was ready just in time for the sunset |
The mojitos, by default, led to an afternoon and evening of making food today. I don't ever drink liquor, so the mojitos and the late night jukebox dance party had me recovering in my pjs till 5pm! I didn't feel up to going anywhere today, so I spent the afternoon cleaning the house and the evening making a feast.
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| Random ingredients on the counter meant to inspire recipes |
My first concoction was
Coconut Cranberry Pecan Gluten Free Granola. I had been wanting granola all week long, but hadn't gotten around to making it. I'm glad I did, because it came out yummy!
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| Coconut Cranberry Pecan Gluten Free Granola |
Next up was chocolate - of course! I don't even know what to call these but I would say the closest thing would be
Raw Dark Chocolate Truffles. I actually just threw some cacao nibs, unsweetened cocoa powder, maple syrup, peanut butter, pecans, and coconut in the food processor and then rolled them into balls. I haven't the slightest clue as to measurements as I was using the add, blend, taste, and repeat method. They came out super fudgey and dark...mmm.
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| Raw, gluten free, vegan dark chocolate truffles |
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| Gluten Free, Dairy Free Sprouted Quinoa Power Bars |
After that, I made some gluten free power bars made with gluten free oats, sprouted quinoa, mulberries, pecans, and honey. They came out with a comforting, cozy flavor and texture and should make a good quick snack throughout the week (or at least until Brian eats them all).
I now have snacks and desserts galore! After the snack-off, I took a break to watch the sunset, which was beautiful again! On a side note - on my walk back from the cliffs I ran into a skunk! Luckily he didn't spray me, but it was a bit startling as I had never seen one right in the city!
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| Freshly scooped from the garden |
Round two was dinner. This was the first time in a long time that I cooked just for myself. We have 7 people living in this house and I somehow found myself at home alone for the evening.
Brian is backpacking in mexico, Rachel and Andrew are in LA and the other roomies were all working. I found myself making way too much food out of habit, and rolling over full as I tried to finish my plate. This was the lineup:
Stuffed and Broiled Heirloom Tomatos with a side of gluten free garlic bread from Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakery
Cucumber Tomato Salad with fresh herbs
Cucumber and Herb Yogurt Salad
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| dinner for one |
I always think it's easier to use the same ingredients in the entree and side dishes to cut down on ingredients you have to purchase (or pull from the garden) and prepare. It's amazing how versatile staple ingredients like tomatoes and cucumbers can be. This is a great way to make eating local fun. If you have a flourishing garden or are part of a CSA, you know what it is like to come up with different ways to use up your seasonal veggies. It got me thinking about how the food that's in season matches what we need at the time. Super refreshing and hydrating foods like cucumber and tomatoes are perfect for hot summer days, and warm, filling root vegetables like potatoes and squash are perfect for a cold winter days. God's so thoughful :)
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