Fall is here!

So it's been a little while since I've posted. I should share a little background of what has kept me busy and away from the computer (yet more immersed in the kitchen!). At the end of August (almost a month ago!), I moved to an intentional monastic community. I am living with five other adults, two 18mth old twins and my beloved cat Shalom. I have been involved in mission projects in the area including cooking for homeless and street involved people, hymn sing at a nursing home and showing hospitality. Each member of the house has a selected evening when they prepare dinner for the house. My day is Friday, a day that I have set aside as a Sabbath - of rest, reflection and re-creation. Since cooking is my favourite thing to do, it is a joy to set aside a good chunk of the day to meal prep.

I have to say that I was pretty excited the other day to realize that fall is here. I love fall with all it's colours, the cool breeze, and all the wonderful flavours of fall stews and soups and the harvest. I almost literally jumped for joy in the realization that I can use a new section of my cookbook Simply in Season - a book that sections recipes according to the seasonal fruits and vegetables (an awesome cookbook!). I had so much fun picking out recipes for the house.

Yesterday, I made a couple of salads and a kale potato soup (pictured below). The sweet potato salad had a tangy homemade honey mustard dressing while the autumn green salad with pears had a dijon dressing. The kale soup was so flavourful. I steamed it for just a few minutes making it soft, but not too much that it becomes bitter. The soup had only chicken stock and salt to flavour it, but the natural flavours were something else!

Sweet potato salad

Kale and Potato Soup

I also made a granola using up some of the dried fruits and grains in the house. I love homemade granola and it is the perfect topping for yoghurt!

Granola with raisins, cranberries, currants and pumpkin seeds

Last but not least, I made a caraway rye bread. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture so you will have to take my word that it both looked and tasted delicious. I could barely wait for it to cool off from the baking (do you know how hard it is to subject yourself to the smell of baking bread and then have to let it cool? patience has never been my virtue).

Kale Salad - Original Recipe

Kale Salad

I introduced Kale Salad to a group of youth and their families this past Friday. For many it was the first time they have ever seen, let alone tasted, this glorious vegetable. For others, it was the first time they had had Kale raw. I had forgotten that this was a potluck dinner, and so I had forgotten to bring anything from my kitchen. So this is an original recipe.

In keeping with the Christmas theme, I used: Red apples, Red onions, Red peppers and Kale.

The dressing was as follows:
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/2 of vegetable oil (I think olive oil would have been much better)
1-2 tbsp of Mustard
1tsp cayenne pepper

Toss with salad..... mmmmmm.
This salad seemed to win over even those who are not salad people!

Salads Galore!

Spring is time for Salads! Here of pictures I served on "Green night" (which basically came about by me realizing that i served GREEN food only. A yummy sauted kale and peanut butter salad, a spinach salad with carmelized green onions (and spices), and a cool cucumber and snow pea salad with fresh mint and other spices. All were yummy. My favourite was the Kale recipe.This salad was quite the interesting one! It had white kidney beans, warmed, tuna, onions spinach and lots of spices. Quite good and very filling! I highly recommend it!