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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

When you are sick of cooking...

When I was a working professional, with a hungry family, I had to be very organized and prepared for days when cooking was out of the question.
Did I pick up food at the take=out places? Yes.
Did I have choices? Yes.

The point is we always have choices. It is just how much energy we are willing to expend to prepare healthy meals.  Even now when I'm retired and have lots of time, I get sick of cooking and planning meals for us two.  I get tired of the same foods; and I get tired of my responsibilities.

So, I do as my ancestors did. I forage.  In the refrigerator. In the freezer. In the pantry. In the garden. Even here on this deck.  Let's do this together, forage on this deck.
Notice lettuces, strawberries, possible tomatoes.
A salad is born.

A can of sardines, or tuna, layered with a slice of cucumber or pickle, on toasted points or saltines, and we  now have a complete meal.  Frozen bananas whirled in the blender with milk or coconut milk, a dash of lavender or almond extract, and dessert is born.
The trick is to think like a hungry paleo woman, foraging,  tasting roots and canes and fruit and adding these to the larder.

Yesterday, I picked some spinach and tender shoots of fava beans to saute and serve with canned beans.
I learned from Jamie Oliver that fava beans leaves are edible! Who knew?
What have you created in your foraging mood?

7 comments:

  1. 'hungry paleo woman' ... it's a great image you've given us this morning! I am forever foraging. My son Carl never knows what he will have for dinner when he walks in the door. I really dislike grocery shopping. I buy in bulk which makes for good foraging! (I was thinking about you when I opened my computer and saw your post.)

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  2. Oh Helen, we could be sisters! So, when are we going to Italy? You know that if I were not paying off my trip to France, I'd jump on the bandwagon today.
    Have a great day, dear one.

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  3. We have time ... I believe that!

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  4. My husband is a champion forager. I make the meals, but he is in charge of the leftovers. The kids get a kick out of a plate with bean salad, a slice of ham, two pieces of tortellini, a spoonful of rice, a piroghi and two spears of leftover asparagus. He spreads everything out on the counter and lets the older ones choose their meal, and then he divides the rest between the two younger ones and himself.
    Enjoy Italy, ladies!

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  5. We used to have a dish called "boy scout stew" which was just a way to clean out the refrigerator. This is the first year that we enjoyed our fava bean shoots and tender leaves, wonderful in a frittata. Soon they will be on restaurant menus! :-)

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  6. Paleo woman foraging -- I love the image! It's so much healthier than hitting MacDonald's. You are so right, Rosaria! A very inspiring post!

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  7. well said Rosaria....
    love it... I like to cook like this... look at what's around and build a meal..
    ... like this f word...
    ciao,
    Sophie

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