It is hard to believe there was a time the seasons did not dictate my diet. Eating seasonally drives all my food decisions now. I truly cannot imagine going back to the random recipe picking and seeking ingredients regardless of the origin, seasonality or cost and nutrient implications from being out of season.
There was a distinct starting point for me. About 5 years ago I met a woman who worked in the health and physical fitness industry. During a conversation it came out that she’d lived in Southern California and had worked for Lesa Heebner who at the time ran a cooking school in her home called ‘Garlic and Sapphires’. She worked with the local farmers in her area to procure the most fresh, seasonal ingredients for her classes. It was my friend’s job to go out to the farmers to pick the ingredients up.
I was enchanted with this entire concept. I went out to find her cookbook, Cooking With The Season (Bob Adams, Inc Publisher, 1994), right away only to learn it is out of print. Not easily deterred when on a mission, I did find a copy and have cooked from it ever since as well as given copies to a number of satisfied friends.
I will share an excerpt from her Forward in the book which seemed progressive coming from 1993 considering where the food consciousness has centered today; but then again some have been wise to this far longer than the ‘Locavore’ movement has been on the rise:
‘Cooking with the seasons….allows us to enjoy foods when they are most flavorful, the brightest in color, and the most abundant in juice and texture – when they are perfect gifts from nature. At this time they need little adornment or fussing with, to impart full, rich flavor. No need to smother fresh asparagus in a fatty sauce, or over-salt a luscious summer tomato. Bare of enhancements, they are at their best, and that’s the best for us’.
The cookbook is very approachable and usable. It is broken up by season and within each seasonal section are groups of recipes creating combinations of complementary dishes to suggest a full meal. Examples include groups like Holiday Dinners and Super Bowl Sunday for winter, Back to School and Halloween for fall along with several other non-themed suggestions. There are lovely, simple hand drawn images strewn throughout the book making it feel as down to earth and charmingly rustic. The recipes too are earthy, each with something special in the seasoning or ingredients making it unique. There is a glossary of ingredients in the back for any unfamiliar terms as well as nutritional information for each recipe.
I tracked down Lesa Heebner, thanks to the miraculous reach of the internet to gain her permission to publish a recipe or two (which she kindly granted). I was honored to make her acquaintance as was she to know her cookbook has been so loved. It is nearly impossible to select of all the dog eared pages, Post It notes with superlatives next to recipe titles to narrow this down but I’ll include a few recipes for the current season to whet your appetite.
Not wanting to be a tease I am giving away a copy of Cooking With The Seasons as well!
TO WIN:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite cooking season AND the seasonal dish you most enjoy.
2. For a SECOND entry, Follow This Blog with Google Friends Connect (see to the right).
3. For a THIRD entry, follow me on Twitter (@BoulderLocavore). If you already are and supply a comment (entry #1), I’ll add in an additional entry for you!
A winner will be picked at random Tuesday November 30. Be sure when you leave your comment you include your email in the comment details when posting OR send me a separate email with your contact email.
This soup is a tried and true favorite that I make often in the cold weather season….
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CAYENNE AND PEPITAS
Serves 8
“Butternut is my favorite of the squashes that begin appearing in the grocery store in the fall, and continue throughout the winter months. It is naturally sweeter than acorn squash, with a more buttery flavor than any of the others. This soup, so creamy and delicately spiced, is truly memorable.
When preparing this soup for Halloween, use a hollowed-out pumpkin as a soup tureen, or use smaller hollowed-out pumpkins as individual soup bowls.”
Ingredients:
· 1 large butternut squash or 2-3 yams (to equal 3 cups)
· 2 cloves garlic finely minced
· 1 medium yellow onion diced
· 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
· 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
· ½ teaspoon ground cumin
· Pinch cayenne
· Low sodium soy sauce to taste (personal note: being gluten free I substitute Tamari)
· 1 cup canned chicken broth or homemade Chicken Stock (an additional recipe included in the book)
· 1 cup evaporated skim milk or low-fat milk or plain soy milk
· 1 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds) as garnish (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Poke holes all over the butternut squash. Bake squash for 60-90 minutes, until very soft. Let cool, cut in half lengthwise, and scrape out the strings and seeds and discard. Or bake unpeeled yams for 1 hour at 425 degrees or until soft.
3. Meanwhile, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil in a 3-4 quart saucepan for 5 minutes, or until onion is clear. Add seasonings.
4. When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh away from the skin and puree it in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic and onion mixture, and enough broth and milk to make the mixture creamy. Make sure to puree it long enough to liquefy the onions.
5. Return soup to saucepan and heat for 1 minute. Serve immediately, topping each bowl of soup with a few pepitas as garnish, if desired.
VEGETARIAN OPTION: For a vegetarian option to the chicken stock, use 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon Bernard Jensen’s Broth Powder, found in well stocked natural food stores.
MARINATED AND BROILED CURRIED CHICKEN BREAST SERVED ON WILTED CHARD LEAVES WITH WARM CURRY DRESSING
Serves 8
The mellow flavors of curry with basil, the sweetness of the cooked garlic and scallions, the rustic tastes of balsamic vinegar and red wine all combine to dress up the down-home qualities of chicken and greens.
CHICKEN
· 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
· ¼ cup lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon curry powder
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
· 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
· 8 half skinless, boneless chicken breasts
CHARD AND DRESSING
· 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
· 1 teaspoon curry powder
· 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
· 3 tablespoons dry red wine
· 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
· 2 scallions, chopped into rounds
· 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
· 3 bunches red or white swiss chard, well washed, and chopped
1. To make marinade, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, fresh mint (if using) and garlic. Pour over chicken breasts, turn to coat, and marinate for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to Broil.
3. To make the Warm Curry Dressing, place the mustard, curry powder, vinegar, red wine, garlic and scallions in a saucepan. Using a wire whisk, blend ingredients together, over a low heat.
4. Slowly stir in the olive oil. Add basil, remove from heat and keep warm.
5. Broil the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning once halfway through. (For a convection oven, broil for 6 minutes-do not turn).
6. Meanwhile, place chard in a steamer basket and steam for 8 minutes.
7. Toss the steamed chard with the Warm Curry Dressing in a mixing bowl. Serve the chicken breast nestled inside the dressed chard.
All recipes reprinted with the written permission of Lesa Heebner.
Ken Teubner says
Fall is the best time of year for cooking due to all of the fresh Fall veggies. My fav in butternut squash soup.
Toni Dash says
Me too!
Annapet says
I love roasted pumpkin seeds on pumpkin soup. Gives the soup another layer of texture and flavors. I'm bent on making pumpkin soup this TG. Thanks for sharing, Toni.
Boulder Locavore says
Thank you everyone for your wonderful and thoughtful posts! I'll be determining a winner after midnight tomorrow (Tuesday November 30) using Random.org and will post the winner on Wednesday.
Never fear! The holidays are here (or near) and while you all are toiling about those on your gift lists, I'm a believer that new, free cookbooks are a spirit lifter. I'll be doing one to two more reviews and giveaways before Christmas arrives. Ho, ho, ho! -BL
Lizzy says
What a wonderful give away!!!
My favorite cooking season is winter/Christmas. I bake all kinds of goodies for friends and neighbors…English toffee has got to be my favorite.
I will make sure I'm following your blog and also find you on Twitter 🙂
Amy says
My favorite eating season is summer…eating fresh out of my own garden is not only delicious, it's also satisfying: knowing that I grew that stuff! My favorite meal: hamburgers on the grill with fresh fried potatoes and corn on the cob. That's about as good as it gets for me.
Angela FRS says
Lovely blog! I would have to go with springtime cooking, especially anything involving asparagus. On a different note, I just finished reading _At Mesa's Edge_ and really enjoyed the read.
Boulder Locavore says
Thanks She's Thrify! But what, pray tell is you favorite cooking season and favorite seasonal dish to make?!
Boulder Locavore says
Happy Thanksgiving to YOU Foodies At Home!
'Tis the season….for angst and gift-giving neurosis in my experience so I thought I'd lighten the load with a little opprotunity for people to get something FREE for themselves! Free and yummy; a great combo!
You too have a great Thanksgiving and I'm sure it will be delish knowing you!
thespicegarden says
For me, summertime cooking is my absolute favorite … my husband and I have a good sized vegetable garden and his family farm has extensive berry beds, so we plod our way through the various patches and fill our garden baskets with the freshest of fresh. The kitchen herb bed helps round out ingredients … we have a standard grace that we share at the table … ' I swear, God, I will remember these flavors in January … thanks for providing for us now!' Is there anything more wonderful than a sliced tomato that is still warm from the garden sunshine drizzled with balsamic and sprinkled with pepper, laying on a bed of mozzarella and fresh torn basil? I can't think of another plate that sums up summer more than this.
She's Thrifty says
I like to keep a potager full of early spring lettuces such as Tom Thumb. Gathering the fresh greens is a simple joy for me. Plus, I'm a bit of a lazy gardener, so a container garden is perfect for me.
As for my favorite seasonal dish, I like to pick a variety of greens and toss with a light dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. If I've grown the lettuces myself, I want the mix of flavors to shine through without competing with other ingredients. Did I mention that I'm lazy?!
She's Thrifty says
The recipes from the book look fantastic. As a cookbook collector of sorts, I can also use a new one. Especially a book that's out of print.
hringoen says
Favorite cooking season is fall – love, love, love making soups – especially acorn squash soup. Besides cashmere sweaters, soups are the best when it starts to get cold outside! Thanks for the giveaway! hringoen@boulder.net
PlayFightRepeat says
Favorite season for cooking: Summer, when the garden is lush. Favorite dish: Pesto Tortellini with almonds and tomatoes, (using basil and tomatoes from the garden).
Second favorite season: Thanksgiving-time. Favorite dish: fresh cranberry relish: blend cranberries, oranges, OJ (and any other fruits you think would work)in blender. It should be somewhat chunky. Our kids love it. A great way to deliver fresh fruits into their little bodies during Fall and Winter.
stephen says
Thanks for the give-away! Favorite cooking season? That's tough. Perhaps my favorite cooking season is whatever season it happens to be. Each season holds it's own joy and struggles. I'm really excited about this late fall season and how it plays out on the Thanksgiving table. The dish I'm most anticipating is a roasted Brussel Sprout, Kabucha squash, and cranberry dish that, for me, tastes like the essence of fall.
Nice to meet you on Twitter and looking forward to reading more of your blog.
studiotentwentytwo says
hmmmmmm……. do I have to pick one favorite season? Each season is so wonderful and unique! Spring with the first sights of new life and fresh vegetables waking up to the world, the end of summer with bountyful harvest of delicous foods and fall with wonderful root vegetables….. it is all wonderful and unique and blends perfectly with the mood of the season that they represent. Okay I will narrow it down to two…. and they are two easy easy recipies but to me the represent summer and winter. Summer I LOVE the absolute delight of fresh greens, fresh tomatoes from the local farmers market, sliced think and laid ontop of the greens and then covered with fresh motzerela, fresh homegrown basil with a sprinkle of good sea salt, pepper and a dash of balsamic YUM a perfect light summer meal. In the winter I LOVE roasting root vegetables and serving them with a polenta dome (Moosewood Cookbook) it has been our holiday meal for years (we are vegetarian and it makes a beautiful and bountiful holiday meal with out any meat)
foodies at home says
You are just a “give away” fool these days! hehe…Thanks so much! I would most definitely say that my favorite season is FALL! In fact I love everything about fall! I love the beautiful colors of the changing trees, I love the smells of first fire in the fire place, I love the clothes….OMG….THE CLOTHES!! And cooking with pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, apple pie, yum….ok…now tummy is rumbling!
Happy Thanksgiving Boulder Locavore!