Animal, Vegetable, Miracle_ A Year of Food Life - Barbara Kingsolver [56]
Last spring when my mom turned fifty she broke her own rule, big-time. None of us minded. What could be better than a long weekend of live music, good food, and friends and family from all over? We spent weeks setting up for 150 guests and trying to come up with a perfect Plan B (which we never really did) if it rained. I was inspired to see so many people in the fifty-plus age group up and dancing well past midnight, grandparents included. I hope I’ll still be dancing—and breaking my own rules—when I’m that age.
Two of our friend Kay’s best recipes from that party are good ways to feature the early spring vegetables, and the only fruits you’re likely to find in May: strawberries and rhubarb.
ASIAN VEGETABLE ROLLS
2 oz. thin rice noodles
Drop noodles into boiling water, remove from heat, and let stand for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
1 cup bean sprouts
10 soft lettuce leaves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
2 to 3 green onions, finely chopped
½ cup mint leaves
½ cup cilantro leaves
8 rice paper wrappers (about 8 inches square)
Lay out noodles and vegetables in an assembly line. Heat a pan of water until it’s almost too hot to handle. Soak one rice paper wrapper in the hot water for 15–20 seconds, then take it out and lay it flat. Flatten out one lettuce leaf on top (this helps prevent other fillings from poking through the wrapper). Next, place a finger-sized bunch of noodles close to one side of the paper and roll that side over the noodles. Continue this same pattern for the vegetable fillings, laying each ingredient parallel to the noodles and rolling the paper over. After the mint and cilantro leaves have gone in, fold the ends of the wrapper in, then fold the remaining side over them to secure. Set roll on a platter, seam side down. Keep rolls moist until served, and separated so they don’t stick together (the wrappers will rip).
Serve whole or cut in half, with your choice of spicy dipping sauce. One simple option is to add a few tablespoons of rice vinegar and sesame oil to a half cup of soy sauce.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP
3 cups strawberries, halved 3 cups rhubarb, chopped
½ cup honey Mix together thoroughly and place in an 8-by-8-inch ungreased pan.
½ cup flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup brown sugar (or a bit more, to taste)
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup butter
Mix until crumbly, sprinkle over fruit mixture, and bake at 350° for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden.
Download these and all other Animal, Vegetable, Miracle recipes at www.AnimalVegetableMiracle.com
MAY OPENS UP MANY MORE POSSIBILITIES IN OUR WEEKLY MEAL PLAN:
Sunday ~ Grilled chicken, fresh bread, and a giant salad of fresh greens, carrots, and peas
Monday ~ Asparagus and morel bread pudding
Tuesday ~ Asian summer rolls with spicy peanut sauce, served with rice
Wednesday ~ Vegetarian tacos with refried beans, pea shoots, lettuce, spring onions, and cheese
Thursday ~ Cheese ravioli tossed with stir-fried spring vegetables, oregano, and olive oil
Friday ~ Chicken pizza with olives and feta
Saturday ~ Frittata packed with cheese and vegetables, salad, strawberry-rhubarb crisp
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8 • GROWING TRUST
Mid-June
Twice a year, on opposite points around the calendar’s circle, the perpetual motion of our garden life goes quiet. One is obvious: midwinter, when fields lie under snow. Our animals need extra care then, but any notion of tomato is history. The other vegetal lull is in June, around Midsummer’s Day. Seeds are in the ground if they’re going to be. Corn and beans are up, cukes and tomatoes are blossoming. Broccoli and asparagus are harvested; peas are winding down.
It isn’t that we walk out into the field on June 10 and say, “Wow, nothing to do anymore.” There will always be more weeds. Everything could be mulched better, fed more compost, protected