Lunchbox Liz

Last week I had a friend and colleague over to dinner. She and I have much in common—our grandparents lived next door to each other in North Carolina; we share the same birthday; her daughter was born in the same Houston hospital that I was; and we work for the same company, although we live in different states. I love the small world syndrome. It makes me feel cozy. She paid me the greatest compliment stating that my turkey soup may have been the best she had ever had and would I post it on the blog. Being agreeable I said, “Sure, it’s easy first you bake a turkey….” and we both started laughing.

A few months ago my husband and I cooked a twenty-pound turkey. We basted it, stuck it in the oven and cooked it for five hours while we puttered around the house. Then my husband sliced the meat off the carcass while I made gravy with the drippings and soup stock with the bones (see post from July 17, 2006 for general instructions on how to make stock). We packed the freezer with one pound packs of turkey, quart jars of stock, and pint jars of gravy. Whenever we need a quick meal I thaw out a quart of turkey stock and a packet of turkey; fry half an onion in 1 tsp of coconut oil in a large saucepan; add 2 stalks of sliced celery, 1 tsp curry, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 chopped apple, and a handful of chopped parsley; then add the stock and chipped turkey and heat to a simmer. I guess the latter is what I think of as the “easy” part.

(This photo has nothing to do with anything, but I do adore my cats. This is Zoe looking out the back door.)

I used to religiously celebrate Earth Day by participating in community events. These days my celebrations are more personal. Today I’ll dig a new bed for all the seeds I have been given over the past year from friend’s gardens. I am not much of a gardener, but I do love digging in the dirt. When I’m digging I imagine that every seed I plant will grow. The earth is pure potential although the reality of my garden is much different.

For me, each day has become more personal. I refuse to let them slip by in a mindless blur. To do this I’ve had to cultivate the notion of limits. This year I’m involved in a book project so that means no training for any triathlons or biking events. My travel schedule has ramped up so that means I may have to have more modest goals about gardening. I am venturing on some hardscaping projects the softscaping will have to wait. (I am tickled that I have finally thought of a theme for my yard. This will be the yard that Craig built—as many elements of its construction will come from Craig’s List as I can manage.) I am also going to have to cut back on my involvement with the farm and blog less. These are all choices I will have to make so that I can joyfully write a book, travel, and garden, and not just endure the process.

Today’s Lunch
LuLu’s L.A.(Lower Alabama) Caviar
www.curtchapman.com/lulu_recipes.htm
Lulu is Jimmy Buffett’s sister. She operates a restaurant called Lulu’s Place on one of the intercostals waterways on the Gulf Coast side of Alabama. My husband and I have a very busy week coming up and this dish makes the perfect grab and go lunch.

6 cans (15oz) blackeyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1/3 c each of green, red, & yellow pepper, chopped
1 c cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c parsley, chopped
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
4 T sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine above ingredients and marinate for 24 hours. Serve with saltines or tortilla chips.

My Japanese friends have a wonderful habit of photographing their food when they travel. I’ve just come back from a week and a half in Florida and have nary a picture to share of all the lovely food that I ate during my travels. Upon our return my husband and I have craved simple meals of brown rice and veggies enjoying the lingering memories of fresh fish, beautiful cuts of beef, and Schnitzel.

Today’s Lunch
Curried Crepes

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp curry
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp melted butter
2 beaten eggs

Wisk together flour, curry, salt, pepper, and milk. Add additional ingredients, wisk. Let batter sit for fifteen minutes to allow the air to settle out of the batter. Heat a skillet on medium and lightly grease with butter. Reduce heat to medium low and using a pyrex measuring cup pour in about 1/8 cup of batter or just enough to cover the surface of the pan. Swivel the pan to help guide the batter. Cook until the edges of the crepe begin to curl, about a minute or two depending on how brown you want them. Using a spatula to lift up the edgeof the crepe grab an edge and flip the crepe wiht your hand, cook for another half a minute. Remove the crepe from the pan and allow to cool on a clean surface. Once the next crepe is cooked you can start stacking the previously cooked crepes on a plate. Crepes can store in the fridge for a little over a week. They are great to use in place of noodles in lasagna or in place of tortillas in roll-ups. I like to place a crepe in a skillet and top it with ham and cheese or broccoli and cheese. Once the stuffing is heated I fold the crepe in half and eat it like an omelet. You can substitute the spices for sugar and have sweet crepes, too!