qatesiurade I'm a homeowner!!!
Sunday I work ten hours, come home at 8 p.m. and feed on leftovers from the fridge. BUT, since I’ve been working on a goal sort of like this for a while without stating it here, they’re pretty amazing leftovers.
Usually my big cooking night is Thursday. I’m not just experimenting with dishes; I’m experimenting with really trying to live by the advice of people like Russ Pollard and Michael Pollan (odd pairing of names, that, phoenetically speaking…) to eat seasonally and eat locally. Locally is limiting in Wyoming, especailly this time of year, but seasonally I can definitely do!
My first few go-arounds I experimented with ROOT VEGETABLES. Of course I like carrots and potatoes, but what about beets…turnips…parsnips…rutabega? I found a recipe for chicken stew with rutabega. The other ingredients – yams, dried figs, homemade chicken broth – really made it flavorful and interesting and I think I found a new favorite recipe that night. Next I found a recipe for roasted root vegetables with rosemary and balsamic vinegar. That turned out also, to be yummy – and I’ve always turned my nose up at beets especially – and went nicely with a very simple baked pork chop.
I’ve also finally tried recipes I’ve had around for years. I have rather an exotic cookbook collection for a Wyoming girl but have barely scratched the surface of what’s there. Yan Can Cook’s West Lake Beef Soup was a hit with my friend that came over for dinner. Added a dessert of homemade vanilla yogurt with a swirl of what was supposed to be pomegranate freezer jelly that turned out more like pomegranate syrup and it was a helluva meal.
I’m especially glad to be doing this now as I also find myself preparing to buy a house. It’s made me give a LOT more thought to what I want in a kitchen now that I get to choose.
