It's not very often I get to have the kitchen all to myself. With nine other roommates, there is almost always someone else making a meal and making a mess so our kitchen often turns into a combination of bumper cars and dodge-the-sharp-kitchen utensils.
But tonight the farmhouse was empty and all I could think about as I went for a jog past our front fields was what I wanted to cook myself for dinner. There is something so incredibly peaceful and fulfilling when you prepare, cook and consume a dinner you created with your own hands; if only it took as long to eat the meal as it does to actually prepare it. My stomach began to rumble and my mouth salivated as I thought of all the possibilities lying right in my backyard. As the summer season draws to a close, the tomatoes have exploded into ripeness and pretty soon, we’ll be canning and preserving them to get us through the winter season. The corn has popped up in beautiful rows and is so sweet, it’s perfect cut right from the cob and lightly sautéed with our green beans. Before I came here, I never touched a beet and I’ve realized that not only are they beautiful when sliced thin to expose their rings of bright purple and pink, but taste amazing when roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Tonight, I was thinking frittata. They are quick, easy and adaptable to anything pretty much anything you have lying around. On my way back to the farm, I plucked a zucchini, a few tomatoes and a small bunch of basil from our garden. The sweet scent of mint teased my senses as I walked by so I had to bring some of that home too.
There was a traditional my mom and I had when we cooked together in the kitchen. We would often enjoy a glass of wine together as we moved around the kitchen, nibbling on our vegetables before throwing the rest into whatever pot or pan we had prepared. I continued that tradition tonight with a buttery chardonnay; sipping, slicing and singing with Dave Matthews.
The worst part about preparing any meal is waiting. After all of the chopping, slicing, mixing and sipping, I didn't want to wait any longer! As the skillet warmed in the oven, a sensuous cloud of basil, oregano and garlic filled the kitchen. Adding a little bit of Cleo milk (our resident cow) to the eggs allowed the frittata to fluff up perfectly and thinly sliced tomatoes rested on its surface.
As I sat and enjoyed what I had just prepared, I couldn't help but think about all I was surrounded by and the enjoyment I felt from just this one meal. It was a reminder to me to not take advantage of the resources I had access to. To walk down the farm and into our fields to grab a handful of fresh and organic vegetables is not something everyone has access to. There are many people here and throughout the world that do not have this opportunity and as I continue to eat from the land on which I live, I will take every bite with a heart full of gratitude.
I didn’t forget about that tantalizing mint either…I take every opportunity that I can to spruce up a good dark chocolate brownie.
No comments:
Post a Comment