Banana-Fig Smoothie with Kefir and Cinnamon

Hello fair friends!  This little family has successfully made it through the toughest, gnarliest part of harvest in wine country yet another year!  A round of applause and much cin-cining is in order.  But first, can I brighten your morning with a gracefully healthy smoothie recipe?

Since Daniel has been waking at the daunting and dreary 6am hour, I too have been rising earlier to get my coffee and breakfast in before work.  Not quite as early, don't fret.  I'm talking more like the very very civilized 7:30am.  Turns out this ritual is actually a luxury and I'm hooked.  The house is mine, the coffee is sipped with purpose, and smoothies just taste better when they are freshly smoothied (??).  You know.  I peruse all of my online haunts, catch up on emails (email me people!), and try to gear up for the day without rushing about too much.

The smoothie changes based on whatever I have/what is about to turn, but this new one is a keeper.  It is my first foray with kefir, the hip fermented milk drink that has all of the champions of pro-biotics going gahgah gulp.  (I originally typed bro-biotics there and think that would make an excellent title to a short film in which frat boys discuss the benefits of healthy gut bacteria.....)

KEFIR.  It's real weird tasting alone.  I can't recommend it.  Bubbly, sour, viscous milk does not a tasty beverage make.  But!  When blended with a ripe banana, a date, a few figs and cinnamon, you have a balanced and tasty breakfast smoothie.

Fun kefir fact straight from wikipedia: Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.

I unfortunately do not have a skin bag full of kefir at my door for knocking, but I do have a natural grocery store down the way with a whole fridge shelf dedicated to the stuff.

BANANA-FIG SMOOTHIE with KEFIR AND CINNAMON
serves one

1 ripe banana
2 figs
1 date
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup plain kefir
ice

Blend. 

Sprinkle with more cinnamon.  Serve.  

Best with coffee and the morning's news.

Banana, Spinach, and Date Smoothie

Sorry, but it's true.  This beautiful green drink is the highlight of my morning and keeps me happy and energized for hours.  It's easy, cheap, and consistently delicious.  The hint of sweetness from the date balances the jolt of spinachy greenness, all of which blends with the banana into a creamy, refreshing breakfast.  I've made it part of my morning routine to throw everything in the food processor while making coffee and other breakfast snacks.  The only drawback is that blending ice is so painfully loud in the early hours!  Luckily, the result is so wonderful that even Daniel (who is often still in bed) forgives the racket.

Banana, Spinach, and Date Smoothie

for one smoothie

1 banana

1 cup chopped spinach

1 date

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp wheatgrass powder

5 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.  Serve immediately.

Really Delicious Banana Bread for Hectic Mornings

Now that every last grape has been picked, tanked, and put to sleep for the winter, harvest season in Northern California's wine country is officially over.  Recently I've spent a little time reflecting on what worked this year and how I can improve my routine for next year's marathon.  During this autumnal push, our schedule is at the mercy of ripening grapes, sorting tables, and all things fermenting, which means early to work and working late.  To ease Daniel into this uncivilized schedule, I took it upon myself to be the peppy and productive master of the 7am kitchen.  I love mornings and naturally am quite good at rolling out of bed and straight to the cutting board.  There is something mindless (yet wholly satisfying) about making coffee and toast in the morning.  Slowly I awaken, my body adjusts.

Often avocado toast is the favorite.  Bread, olive oil, avocado, lemon, salt.  Substantial without being weighty.  Deceitfully healthy.  Ambitious mornings call for an egg or a slice of cured salmon.  Not so ambitious mornings call for a slice of sweet quick bread, baked the night before.

Despite my talent for early morning competence behind the stove, there are definitely days when I'm overjoyed to spend another few precious moments under the covers, especially when I know Daniel won't be home until I am back in that very same bed, alone.  As life gets busier and busier - and it will - it is an absolute necessity to have a few reliable quick bread recipes that allow you to linger for just a few more minutes before greeting the day.  Where to begin?  Banana, obviously.








































I played around with a lot of recipes to find my perfect banana bread.  I want mine to be full of banananess and quite moist.  And there should be a significant degree of healthiness - if this is going to be breakfast on a regular basis then it better have some nutrients and whole grains.  None of that "but it's a muffin!" when really it's just a piece of cake without the frosting.  That means low in sugar, lots of fruit, and maybe even a little protein.  I tried recipes with honey, applesauce, and one with a splash of bourbon (for that early morning kick, no?).  All were pretty good, but one stood out and forever will be my standby banana bread recipe.  It's beyond easy (it's a make and bake while prepping for dinner kinda bread) and your lover will thank you.  For the extra moments you linger in bed, but more for that delicious slice of breakfast that you'll serve up without a fuss.

DAMN GOOD BANANA BREAD
makes 1 9inch loaf pan

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)
1 - 2 tsp cinnamon
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well
1 just ripe banana,  coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
5 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9 inch loaf pan.

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  

Mix mashed bananas, chopped banana, yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla in another large bowl.  Gently fold banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky.  

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for about an hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool.  Serve at room temperature or warmed with a little more butter. 

A Tart Little Tart

What a beautiful thing a blood orange is.  Deep garnet in color and exquisitely tart in flavor, these gems can brighten anybody's rainy February day.  As a fanatic for fruit, I'm especially taken with them during these lean months.  The colder it is outside, the more my body craves a good jolt of citrus.

A few weeks ago my friend at http://butterdate.blogspot.com/ cooked us a wonderful multi-dish meal that ended perfectly with an orange tart.  Delighted,  I devoured quite a few pieces, and then a few more the next morning.  Gorgeous splashes of citrus are nestled in an indulgent almond cream (one really cannot go wrong when almond cream is involved) and baked atop a flaky, buttery crust.  Pure winter tart heaven.  And quite handsome to boot.

My only mistake was not immediately begging her for the recipe, which is from the beautiful Big Sur Bakery cookbook.  Instead, when the craving hit,  I scanned multiple versions online and finally made sense of the full recipe by taking bits and pieces from each.  Every step was attempted with a little trepidation - I only had so many oranges and going to the store in the rain was not an option - but in about two hours flat I had a dazzling blood orange tart that was deemed wonderful upon the first bite.  Nothing like a tart little tart to perk up your Tuesday.

BLOOD ORANGE TART 

Adapted loosely from Big Sur Bakery

Serves 4 - 8

For Almond Cream: 
1/3 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
3 tbsp salted butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp + 1 tsp all-purpose flour

For Tart Dough: 
3/4 cups (12 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes  
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest of one orange 
5 - 6 tbsp orange juice

For Assembling the Tart: 
1/3 cup orange marmalade (or any marmalade you fancy)
3 - 4 mixed oranges, or more if needed
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Spread almonds on a baking tray and toast until fragrant and just browning, about 7-8 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.  When they are cool, chop them coarsely.

Prepare your tart dough: in a medium sized bowl, combine butter, flour, sugar, salt, and zest.  Using your fingers, cut the butter and combine it with the dry ingredients until the butter is crumbly and the size of small peas.  Add the orange juice a few tablespoons at a time, mixing as you go until the dough is forming a ball and staying together.  It should be just a little sticky.  Turn out onto a well-floured surface and kneed until a smooth ball forms, about a minute.  Cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until very cold. 

Make the almond cream: combine softened butter, powdered sugar, almond extract and salt using an electric hand mixer until well blended and fluffy.  Slowly, add the egg yolk and then the flour.  Mix until well combined.  Fold in the chopped almonds.  It should be almost the consistency of peanut butter.   Keep at room temperature. 

Set your oven temperature to 375 F. 

On well-floured parchment paper, roll out the tart dough.  Don't worry about it looking rustic and misshapen, that's half the fun!  Transfer to baking tray.  Using a spoon, top with the marmalade, leaving a one inch border around the edge.  Cover the jam with a layer of almond cream.  Fold in the edges creating a crust to prevent the jam from oozing out.  Put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Prepare the citrus: using a paring knife, cut off each end of the orange.  Following the curve of the fruit, cut off the pith and peel.  Slice the oranges into thin rounds, removing seeds as you go.  

Assemble the tart: remove it from the refrigerator.  Top with citrus rounds.  Brush crust with beaten egg and sprinkle the whole thing with sugar.  Dot the oranges with butter to avoid burning.  

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until the crust and almond cream are a toasty golden brown.  Cool before serving.  Fabulous for breakfast the next day. 

And every good morsel deserves a delicious sip of something, don't you think?  In this case, I went with color - because why not - and popped some Loire Valley pink bubbly.  I was feeling all sorts of celebratory and knew that a little sparkling rose would do the trick.  This particular bottle is one of my favorites.   From biodynamic Clos de la Briderie, the Purete de Silex Brut Rose is made from Pineau d'Aunis, Pinot Noir, Grolleau Gris, and Groslot Noir - major players in the Loire Valley.  It is smashingly bright pink, the color of the day!  Ripe strawberry, zest, hints of cranberry, a subtle toastiness.  Best sipped while dreaming of spring's promise of sunshine or relishing in winter's citrus bounty.  And for under $20, this bottle is a complete steal.  All smiles.

Too much zucchini.

October has snuck into mid-month at an extremely rapid clippity-cloppity-just-hold-on kinda of pace that has left me bewildered that is is indeed Autumn.  It doesn't help that every now and then Northern California surprises with 90 degree days that are filled sunshine and even a hint of humidity while the leaves are turning very pretty shades of fall.  It's confusing.  What I do know is that tomato season is coming to a close, sigh, and that I can buy gigantic zucchini at the farmer's market for just a dollar because they just need to get rid of them. 

I did this last week, fairly impulsively.  See, at my teensy farmer's market there are only two produce stands.  Tom has the best vegetables and I like his attitude, but I can't just not buy something from Lee, who is patiently waiting two feet away behind his own goods, which are really quite nice too.  So I always purchase something from both.  Last week I went for Lee's 5 lb zucchini.  For a dollar.  It was a behemoth of a squash, and begged for some creativity.  A challenge.  Stuffed squash?  Roasted?  Soup?

First, I decided to simply slice it into rounds, slather it with pesto and garlic and roast it in the oven.  Not only did I only use a third of the zucchini between three people, it wasn't that good.  Too watery and blergh and a little squishy.  I thought about stuffing it with some quinoa or cheese or something, but that all sounded kinda blergh too, so the remainder of the zucchini sat wrapped in the fridge for days.  I couldn't bear to throw it out.  I couldn't bear to cook it and dislike it again.  So it sat.

Until yesterday, when obviously, I had to make zucchini bread.  So easy, so moist, so good for breakfast or dessert or as a mid-afternoon snack with tea.  Chamomile.

ZUCCHINI BREAD with Yogurt and Walnuts
 adapted from many many sources

3 eggs
3/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive.  I used safflower because I had nothing else, weirdly.)
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat, 1 cup all purpose)
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional, but do it!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease and flour two 8x4 loaf pans well.  If making muffins, you'll make 24.  You'll need 24 paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and add oil and yogurt.  Stir well to combine.  Add sugar, then zucchini and vanilla. 

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and walnuts.

Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture and pour into prepared pans.  Bake for about an hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.  For muffins, bake 20 - 25 minutes. 

The end result is super moist, a touch spicy, and really satisfying.  Next time I'll use a smidge less oil, perhaps half a cup instead of three quarters.  The yogurt adds so much moisture that the oil can be cut back.  The whole wheat brings a nutty, toothsome quality that I love, but if you wanted to use only all-purpose that would be fine too.  I found recipes that called for almond flour or oat flour, both of which are interesting but incredibly expensive and I just couldn't do it.  Luckily, this recipe makes a ton of zucchini bread, which will supply the men with an ample breakfast for the next week and took care of my unused squash perfectly.  Check and check.

Next post will be dedicated to ALCOHOL, promise.  I'll get into it soon, but for some reason I've had a mental block when it comes to inspirational wine stories.  Stay tuned with glasses ready.

Good morning!

I just woke up!  Happy 10/10 world, make a wish! 

Fork.  I'm not a huge breakfast person.  I do love all things breakfasty, but don't usually have too much of an appetite first thing in the morning.  Most likely this can be blamed on the fact that I'm usually eating dinner well past normal dinner time.  Last night the pizza came out of the oven at 10:30.  Its a hazard of working late and wanting to cook real food.  No matter, it just pushes all of my meals back a bit. 

That said, one of my favorite breakfasts is a very very simple bowl of homemade granola, preferably with some kind of fruit in it.  Since apples are all the autumnal rage (my local market has the wonderful golden delicious varietal at the moment), I've roasted a few with cinnamon and thrown them in with my granola.  Served with milk, it's a perfect way to start the day. 

OH SO ORANGEY GRANOLA
4 cups oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup marmalade (with the peels)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp coarse kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl, making sure to coat all of the oats evenly.

Spread evenly on a rimmed cookie tray. Sprinkle with more salt. Bake in 20 minute increments, stirring the uncooked oats to the corners to ensure even cooking. When oats and nuts are a toasty brown, you're done! It will take a while, so be patient and DO NOT turn up the oven. You will burn your lovely oats.

Remove from oven and let cool on the tray before putting in an air-tight container.

A beaut!

CINNAMON ROASTED APPLES

Apples
Cinnamon

Turn your oven on to 325 F.  Cut up apples into little cubes.  Toss with cinnamon.  Put on a baking tray and throw in the oven until soft.  Do not over think this.  It really is this easy.

Eat with granola, in oatmeal, with yogurt, by the handful. 

Glass.  I'm a coffee person.  I am also a tea person.  I like hot beverages when the weather is cold and cold beverages when the weather is hot.  Preferably caffeinated, especially with breakfast.

This morning I woke up feeling a touch under the weather.  I'd like to blame my coworker who has been sick all week, but we could probably also look into how little I slept and much wine I drank last night to easily exonerate Max.  No matter, it was a delicious gamay from Olivier Lemasson and every sip was savored.  My under-the-weather morning drink of choice is green tea.  Lately I've been enjoying Yogi Tea's Super Antioxidant Green Tea.  According to the box it helps to combat the effects of free radicals!  Apparently free radicals are unstable molecules in one's system that are produced by pollution, aging and stress.  Yeah, I'll combat those.  Whatever.  Super antioxidant or not, I find this tea simple, fresh, healthy, and with just enough caffeine to wake me up.  I add nothing to it, I'm a bit of a tea purist. 

Green tea is processed using the leaves of this plant, Camellia sinesis.

Tea bag quote of the day: Feel good, be good, do good. 

Play.  Some mornings I wake up and need a touch of inspiration to get me going.  A few years ago my stepfather gave me a gem of a book, and every now and then I revisit it, but always in the morning.  Written by James and Kay Salter, Life is Meals is a delightful book of days.  A year in the life of the food obsessed.  A mixture of recipes, anecdotes, history and curiosities, which the authors have assigned to each of our 365 days.  For example, my birthday is June 24th, which has a little paragraph on the history of feta cheese. 

 This morning's entry is about breakfast, and has this intuitive quote: "To eat well in England, you should have breakfast three times a day." -W. Somerset Maugham.  And so I leave you, to eat my first breakfast of the day.  I suggest you do the same.