annaedqwist

TOMATO SEASON- is here and this is what I want to eat for the next couple of weeks. Why complicate things when all you need is mozzarella, basil, the best olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Basil plus S&P to finish and a good sourdough bread to mop up all the juices with. That’s summer on a plate to me. These gorgeous heirloom tomatoes came from our local farmers market in Rockaway .market ❤️ 🍅 ❤️

Friendly reminder that ‘doing your best’ does not mean pushing yourself to the point of a mental breakdown.” ~Anonymous

Raise your virtual hand if you needed this reminder 👋

Repost from ❤️

FARMERS MARKET- comes from Calabasas, LA this week! Didn’t spot any Kardashian’s but plenty of gorgeous produce including some amazing stone fruit that made it back home in my suitcase.

WATERMELON, CUCUMBER AND FETA SALAD 💦 (GF)- hydrating salads score very high for me in the summer so this one hits all the right notes. It also only takes about 5 minutes to throw together and it’s easily adaptable. Without protein it’s a great side to any BBQ, if I have it as a main meal I like to include some grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon.

Adding foods with high water content to your diet in the summer will help you stay hydrated and energized, cucumber and water melon are some of my go-to’s.

How to make it

Arugula
Cucumber, sliced in chunks
Watermelon, chopped in chunks
Grilled chicken, cubed
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese, crumbled
Pickled red onions
S&P
Pinch of chili flakes
Soft herbs if you fancy, I used bronze fennel

Layer everything in a shallow bowl/platter, drizzle with olive oil. Ready to serve!

WEEKLY ROUNDUP FROM THE FARMERS MARKET- another week and another trip to . This week the star was these delicious strawberries 🍓, eaten with tarragon sugar and sour cream. The peas were also truly scrumptious. And of course there must be flowers, is it the last week for peonies?

ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE SOUFFLE- there was still plenty of fat asparagus spears in the farmers market this week and we had some cheese that needed to be eaten in the fridge so this is what I made. Don’t be scared of making a souffle, just make sure you have everything prepped and ready, oven on and follow the recipe to a T- you will be fine!

This cheesy cloud is best served with a green salad, I’d throw some bitter leaves in there too, and tossed with a mustard tarragon dressing.

The recipe is by and you can find it here

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/apr/20/nigel-slater-easy-egg-recipes-souffle- tagliatelle-cheese-croissants

COOK BOOKS - this cabinet of cookbooks in my kitchen in an endless source of inspiration although I confess that there are more then a few I’ve never cooked anything from. But I sometimes think that’s not the reason why I keep buying cooks book. I love a beautifully shot book, well written words on ingredients and sometimes about the history of a recipe. The ones I keep returning and cooking from and clearly more marked and stained than the others.. some of my favorite writers are Nigel Slater, Rachel Roddy, Ottolenghi...I also adore the Hartwood book which brings me right back to some of wonderful dinners in Tulum.

What are your favorite cookbooks? I’d love a good recommendation :)

BEANS BEANS BEANS -These babies are the true super heroes of your pantry and deserve some praise! I’m trying to include them a lot in my diet, and I love having various beans and lentils as a gluten free option to grains in salads, making them more substantial and filling.

Beans are

✅ highly nutritious,
✅ plenty of protein and fiber
✅ low in fat
✅ cheap,

These large corona white beans are from , if you live in the US check out their website for some truly beautiful heirloom beans. Otherwise I find WholeFoods and farmers markets a good bet for dried beans. Ok you can buy canned beans (and I do too) but cooking your own makes them that much tastier.. one thing to remember when cooking your own beans, don’t salt until they are nearly cooked or your Ben’s will be tough and hard 😬 !!

👉🏼 here is how I cook mine

Soak beans in plenty of water for 2-6 hrs over overnight to help with digestion+shorten cooking time
Make a sofrito of chopped onion, garlic, carrot, celery.Heat olive oil in a large pan and add sofrito, gently fry then add drained beans+ a sprig of dried herb like thyme. Add water to cover 2 inches above. Bring to boil and let cook for 10 minutes on med/high heat. Turn heat down, cover with lid and simmer on low until done 1-2 hrs depending on bean. You might have to add more water as you go! When beans are almost done add salt to the pot (I find you’ll need a lot of seasoning) and keep cooking until soft to your liking.

Let beans cool down in the liquid. I keep this bean broth for soups as it is delicious and nutritious :)

I served my beans drizzled with a green herb oil, perfect on toast, with grilled salmon or as a base for a bigger salad.

PRACTICE- whatever it is you won’t get any the better at it unless you practice.

EGG FRIED RICE (GF, VEG) - if you have some left over rice dinner is never far away. I actually cook some extra so I can whip this up later in the week when I’m tired, short of time and not feeling particularly creative. Add in frozen peas or edamame, a mountain of green onions ( I went a bit overboard looking at this picture) and a drizzle of chili oil. Boom- dinner is done

👉🏼How to make it

Cold cooked rice (what ever style you like) Peanut oil (or other neutral oil) to fry
2 eggs, beaten
Frozen peas or edamame beans
Green onions, chopped
Tamari or soy sauce (gluten free if you like) Chili oil ( I use )
Heat a large pan or wok with enough oil to cover the base. When hot add the rice and peas/ edamame. Fry until well coated with oil and starting to gently brown in spots. Remove from pan. Add the beaten eggs to the pan and scramble. Return rice to the hot pan, season with tamari/soy sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat, add chopped onions and top with chili oil. Serve straight away.

A side of pickled cabbage goes really well with this.

FARMERS MARKET SWOOP- some highlights from our last visit at . The leeks were really the star of the show right now! What’s in season where you are right now?

TUNA AND WHITE BEAN SALAD (GF) - this is such a staple and a typical don’t-know-what-to have-for-lunch/dinner kinda meal. This time I made it in a slightly fancier and more time consuming way by cooking beans from scratch (marcellla beans from ) and making slow roasted tomatoes in the oven (I had some sad looking winter toms in the fridge that tasted of nothing so ..) but essentially if you have a can of tuna and beans you are pretty much good to go. This salad will also make a perfect packed lunch (not to mention being deliciously on the beach). It’s full of fibre, protein+ slow releasing carbs. You can also make it vegan but omitting the tuna. I like to eat it with a mix of arugula and radicchio on the side :)

If you find raw red onion sharp, soak it in a little red wine vinegar for 10 minutes to take the raw onion-y edge off.

👉🏼How to make it
Serves 3-4 ppl

White beans, 1 can drained
Tuna, 1/2-1 can or jar, drained (I use .tuna in olive oil)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, soaked in red wine vinegar for 10 min 2 tomatoes, chopped (see note above)

Dressing, mix together:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
S&P to taste
Chopped soft herbs- basil, chervil, chives,bronze fennel..

Combine everything and serve 🤤