I have been on a kick lately of trying to cook strictly with whatever we have on hand, and it has been fun. This is exactly the opposite of how I normally feed us here at the farm, which is to write a big exciting menu and shop for the needed ingredients once per week plus however often we need “little” supplies in between. It’s not that we aren’t pursuing our favorite foods; we are just spacing them out a little. And I am loving the challenge of assembling meals we will (hopefully) love with exactly what we already have, no quick trips to the store. Those add up, you know? And beyond that, we actually get tired of eating the same meals we always crave, over and over. This new method conserves resources and provides some variety. I dig it. Plus, when I finally do go shopping again, it’s so fun to restock a sparkling clean, nearly empty fridge and pantry. I love that abundant, orderly feeling.

Well, today I cleaned out the fridge and saw that for the first time in a long time we were out of all salad materials. Not a single leaf of kale or lettuce to be found. I very nearly drove to town to grab something green, because is it even possible to eat dinner sans salad? But after a mild panic attack I decided to stay the course. It’s kind of a game now to see how many days we can eat well without refreshing our grocery supply, and figuring out an alternative to salad was a fun challenge.

This is what I came up with, and it was delicious! I think my girlfriends especially would love it. See what you think, and of course think up ingredients substitutions of your own!

I love how unlocked my brain feels now. All the slaw things are possible!!

Use What You Have Slaw

Ingredients:
most of a small head of green cabbage
2 medium tart apples
1 large sweet apple
several splashed lemon juice
one glug extra virgin olive oil
minced garlic, 2 or 3 cloves
salt & pepper

Quick & Easy
slice the cabbage thinly in two directions (discard core), then into bite sized lengths
core the apples and cut them into matchsticks (keep the peel!)
add salt, minced garlic, and lemon juice
let all of that marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours
drizzle with olive oil and add pepper
toss well and enjoy!

Honestly you guys, this is really good. Better than it should be considering how easy it is to make. I like that it’s both sweet and tart, crunchy and tender, just a tiny bit oily, and as salty as you want. Being perfectly raw, it’s a great alternative to salad, too. Speaking of raw, the minced garlic left raw is delicious! I love most cole slaw recipes, but to me this is more enjoyable because you’re not swallowing a ton of creamy dressing or anything.

What would make it better? Maybe, poppy seeds? Yep. Slivered almonds? Also, maybe apple cider vinegar? Perhaps. But the raw apples and lemon juice were great all by themselves. In my opinion.

I hope you try it and like it. Now tell me about something you’ve made from a foraging trip in your own kitchen!

waste not, want not
XOXOXOXO

Okay, to be fair, calling this “Lazy W Pumpkin Bread” is a bit of a cheat, for a couple of reasons. First, our little tribe has been enjoying this recipe for many years, since the girls were in Kindergarten and preschool, long before we lived at the farm and identified ourselves as “The Lazy W.” More importantly, this is just an easy variation on another classic from Martha Stewart’s 1995 turquoise cook book. Totally her recipe, made simple for us.

Anyway, it’s a keeper, simple to throw together, and totally open to variations. I hope you try it. Everyone I share it with seems to really love it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons molasses (if I am out I just use really good maple syrup)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling, that’s totally different)
3 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Extras, totally optional: chocolate chips, chopped nuts, flaked coconut, raisins, pumpkin seeds…

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare either cupcake tins or loaf pans. I like to butter my loaf pans a little bit then sprinkle them with both flour and cinnamon. Shake out the extra.

With an electric mixer, cream together the room temperature butter, the sugar, and the molasses (or syrup). Beat in the eggs one at a time until the whole mixture is brightly colored and smooth. Now with a wooden spoon stir in the orange juice and pumpkin puree. 

Sift together the dry ingredients, including spices, and add this gradually to the pumpkin mixture. Mix by hand really well then add whatever fancy additions you crave. Handsome likes it plain or with chocolate chips. Jocelyn and I like it with chopped nuts (pecans are great) and flaked raw coconut. I think it would be fantastic with pumpkin seeds on top, too, though we haven’t tried that yet. Seems like a classy Starbuck’s move, right? Also, I have to be really honest here and say that no one at the W votes for raisins. But that is a legitimate option, so I included it. (eww)

Spoon the mixture into loaf pans or cupcake tins, maybe no more than 2/3 full either way, and bake at 350 degrees for between 20 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the thickness of your pan. I know that is a crazy wide margin, but it just depends. Muffins cook quickly; deep bread loaves do not. No worries; you’ll smell the heavenly aroma just before baking time is finished. The outer crust will harden, crack, and become darker. And when the bread is totally done its center will not be so wet (knife test).

That’s it! Quick prep, no rise time like with yeasted breads, and fast clean up too. I like to think of this as a fairly healthy but still indulgent treat. It tastes great with coffee, milk, or orange juice. It is excellent fresh and hot and slathered with butter but also cold and three days out, packed in your lunch box. A pumpkin muffin topped with pecans and coconut is super energizing.

I highly recommend you try this recipe. And thank Martha, not me.

Over and out.

XOXOXOXO