One Skillet Wonder

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.

Losing My Religion

I am sitting in a quiet café, settling myself at a corner table with much needed caffeine.  I am preparing to reflect on a subject that has been both delicate yet pressing in my life as I continue to develop into a mature human being. While the subject of faith is and should be personal, I am compelled to share my thoughts and experiences as I feel it has been more present in my life journey than it ever has before.

As I continue down my path to discover who I am and what my soul's purpose is, I have taken a step further from my comfort zone and explored a church service for young adults who can come to learn and worship in a comfortable and welcoming space. I have not always considered myself spiritual and often questioned the idea of organized religion. From high school through college, I had plenty of doubts regarding the Christian faith that led to me have a pretty negative attitude toward anything that had to do with it. Because I felt so strongly about science and the biological evidence that supported our coming to be on this planet, there were many things about Jesus and the Bible that I did not understand. Often times, I wondered if I even wanted to. The one thing I knew I did not want to do was force myself to believe in something that I did not feel and I’ve come to learn that faith is about feeling, no matter what or who you believe in.

I’ve only gone to two services so far, but I’ve connected deeply with each of the messages and I am excited to open my mind and my heart further to fully listen to those messages set before me. This past Sunday was the last of their “Wasted” Series, and the pastor spoke about stepping out of the confined box that religion often puts us in and taking risks in order to transform your relationship with Jesus (or whomever you put your faith into). He explained that Jesus took risks, and in fact rebelled against organized religion. Where religion set boundaries and rules, he set out to break them. Where religion defined social norms and standards, he encouraged the acceptance of all people. And where religion acted as home base, he encouraged adventure in order to look outside oneself to transform and grow.

He related the idea of religion and our potential relationship with Jesus to a dock that sat on a bank of a rushing river. You can stay on the dock-dry, comfortable and safe while the current pulls the water beneath you. But what if you decide to jump into the river? What if you were to put all of your faith into the current flowing around you to carry you to a place beyond what you can see?

The reason, I guess, that I have connected so deeply with this particular message is the fact that the past few months of my life have been full of risks and adventure that are allowing me to transform and grow in ways that I could have never seen. Whether or not this leads me to establish a relationship with a higher power, I am beginning to feel a certain tug the more I allow myself to put my faith into something greater.

“You must lose your religion in order to find faith.” 

 

 P.S these are just some of the many thoughts I have on the subject and I haven't gathered a cohesive reasoning behind them so bear with me! I'm taking my time to learn, explore and ask questions.

Weekend Things

I’m getting better at being a Californian. At least one day out of my weekend must be dedicated to some kind of outdoor activity, whether its taking a drive somewhere new or going on a hike on one of our own trails before dinner. Most of the time, this happens on Sunday, after which I have spent the days before catching up on errands and things I have put off during the week. And the great part about having as many roommates as I do, is there is most likely someone around who wants to join. This weekend, my roommate Mila and I drove just over the Golden Gate to Marin Headlands and Rodeo Beach for a short hike and some amazing scenic views of the City. On our way, we could see the “great wall of fog” rolling in and I hoped that it would clear up by noon so we could soak in some good views. It was a little colder than we expected (no surprise, there) and after our hike, we found a bench near the beach to watch surfers brave the waves and the frigid water. Even with a wet suit, I couldn’t picture my warm southern-born body stepping foot in that cold water. Watching them chilled both of us to the core and our bodies called for a warm revival— hot coffee for me, a chai latte for Mila. Luckily the fog dissipated after noon and the sun brought to life the bikers, cars and sailboats passing over and under the Golden Gate Bridge, allowing a clear view of the City I have really come to love.  Although getting into the city takes a lot of time, gas and money, its always worth the trip to see something new and spend some time with friends away from the farm.

 Speaking of the farm, its tomato season! We have some delicious varieties of tomatoes coming in and ton of basil...which can only mean one thing- PESTO! There isn't anything quite as delicious as homemade pesto with basil straight from the garden.  I think I've been living off of that, tomatoes and mozzarella for about a week or so and I am perfectly okay with it.  Our eggplants are also looking beautiful and healthy and I cant wait for those to come in so I can try some new recipes.  It takes a lot of work to keep vegetables healthy and productive but its so rewarding to harvest the fruits of your labor and turn them into a delicious meal that came straight from the earth and into your own hands.