Changing Seasons

Surprise! Let the summer harvest begin.

There is something magical about the changing of the seasons. From sluggish, hot, ill-tempered summer (too negative?), which beckons us to ice-cold treats, to breezy autumn with its perfect nights and spiced cakes and butternut squash and ciders... Watching the trees let go of their leaves as they fade into the early evenings of winter, when a warm oven puts forth its best work. From chilly mornings that call for a pea coat and a hot cup of coffee to spring, glorious spring: Wherein everything and everyone is rejuvenated, and every recipe calls for asparagus, or leeks, or both.

Here we are, welcoming summer once again. As I type, I feel sweat beads sitting on my legs and am staring out at a summer garden my grandfather would be proud to call his own.

I once read that as a vegetable gardener, you grow accustomed to eating with the seasons—and that after you've eaten one specific vegetable for an entire season, it will take a while before you crave it again. So much so, that when someone suggests you pick up zucchini at the grocery store in December, you wrinkle your nose and gently remind them that it's time for broccoli and arugula instead.

After a few full seasons of gardening (and getting a sizable crop from our backyard), I understand this.

Now that the tomatoes are setting blooms and the cucumbers boast tiny fruits on their vines, covered in bumps (or burps?), I am ready to feed my craving. The season's first zucchini tasted of summer; I am so ready to sit in the backyard with my family and friends and enjoy the season's harvest. I look forward to the more creative recipes that will come by the end of the season; squash lasagna and pattypan pie and chocolate zucchini cake... And more.

I look forward to growing tired of what's growing in our beds; I look forward to uttering the phrase, "Oh, how I long for a brassica!"

Eating with the seasons brings joy to my heart. I hope it does to yours, too.

So bring it on, summer! While I know that 100 degrees is not far off, I am so grateful for the fruits that produce this time of year. I will happily harvest all the squash I can handle, all the cucumbers I can pickle, and the tomatoes I can... can. Or, at the very least, enjoy whatever our plants so generously put forth.

Read more ►

Lemons and Parsley and Capers, Oh My!

Parsley pesto with lemon and walnuts.

This may come as a surprise, but I daydream about my garden all the time.

Shocked, aren't you?

When I noticed the first fruits on the vines, a wave of joy came over me. It's another season, and these plants are beginning to feed us. A few weeks ago when I readied the soil and lovingly set each one in the dirt, eating their fruit seemed so far away.

The zucchini and squash plants, which I purchased as young transplants from a local nursery, have taken off and grown so quickly. The leaves on the zucchini plants are extraordinary—I'd forgotten how big they get, and how the stems are covered in tiny little hairs that prickle my fingers when I reach in. The tomatoes are reaching the heights of their cages and green fruits are appearing amid the blooms. It is simply amazing.

Each bed was readied with organic pest treatment, extra compost, pine straw, and organic seaweed-based fertilizer, and the care we took in this step might be what's contributing to the early success of the summer garden. That and the rain, which hit our plants when they were really young and vulnerable. A little rain goes a long way. I am happy to take joy in these plants before summer really hits us; we've already seen 90 degrees this week and that doesn't bode well for the upcoming months.

Part of me still feels like it's spring, and all the recipes that people up north are putting on Pinterest—asparagus tarts, quiches with leeks, parsley and lemon this and that—had me craving something bright and green.

By the time I got home, I found one more zucchini ready for picking on the vine, and decided to put together an entirely green meal. We still have curly leaf parsley in the garden, which I think is so much more fragrant than its flat leaf cousin, so I cut as much as I could for a pesto. This is one of my favorite tricks; rarely do we have pine nuts and basil in the house, but I do love a good herb pasta sauce. Swapping out the basil for parsley and the pine nuts for walnuts (or pecans) makes for a very springy dinner.

Our first zucchini of the season were prepared so simply: I sliced them into quarter-inch-thick rounds and steamed them, then served them with salt, pepper, and butter for a dish that reminded both Ryan and I of summers on our grandparents' farms.

Steamed zucchini with butter. Welcome to summer!

Pasta with Parsley Pesto, Lemons, and Capers

1 cup fresh parsley (curly or flat leaf will work fine)
1/2 cup walnuts
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup grated parmesan (don't skimp here—use the good stuff)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces (half a package) whole wheat angel hair pasta
1-2 tablespoons capers
2-4 lemon wedges
extra parmesan for grating

Set a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a blender or food processor, blend or pulse the walnuts, parsley, parmesan, lemon juice and zest, and salt until combined. Pour the olive oil in slowly, and blend or pulse. Keep an eye on the consistency of the pesto. If it's a little too dry, thin with more olive oil until it reaches the consistency you like.

By now the water is boiling. Add your pasta and cook until al dente, about four or five minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the pesto. Serve the pasta and garnish each plate with a spoonful of capers, a little grated parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon.

(This was just right for our dinner; the whole grains go a long way toward filling us up. But if you'd like to add a meat component, this dish would be great with some simply baked chicken or fish.)

Read more ►

Wordless Wednesday: First Fruits

Cucumber vines putting out blooms and crawling up the trellises.

Zucchini plants blooming all down the row. 

The first banana pepper!

An heirloom pole bean snakes up its trellis.

A pattypan squash hangs like an ornament on the vine.

Pole beans and edamame look happy together.

First fruits: two zucchini and one pattypan squash harvested today!

Hempseed veggie burger with Texas goat cheese from Hopdoddy. 

Read more ►

Busy? Healthy Food is Quick!

Last week was a bit wild. There were bikes to pick up, donations to finalize, travel plans to be made, softball games, and more. We were running around like mad—how on earth would dinner ever make it to the table?

One of my favorite ways to deal with a busy weeknight and still get a healthy meal on the books is to turn to frozen vegetables. I toss frozen veggies together with anything fresh we have on hand to make a stir fry (more like steamed vegetables) and serve it with brown rice. Last week, I sauteed garlic and green onions, then added fresh mushrooms, carrots, frozen peas, and frozen broccoli.

I take no shame in my frozen vegetable obsession; it's an easy and economical way to get organic foods into any meal. And let's not forget the time I save in prepping these foods: there's no washing or chopping required. Easy-peasy!

Frozen fruits are great, too; I find the prices on frozen organic berries fit better into my food budget. A favorite snack of mine is 3/4 cup organic Greek yogurt topped with chia seeds and frozen organic blueberries. I bring it to work, put it in the fridge, and by the afternoon when I'm ready to enjoy, I drizzle it with honey. The chia seeds absorb the extra moisture from the now-thawed berries and it all mixes together perfectly. 

What do you use frozen fruits and vegetables for?

Read more ►

Crossing the Finish Line

Rolling through Fayetteville; grateful for all these awesome supporters!

Sorry for the lack of blogging last week—Ryan and I were revving up for the BPMS150, a bike ride over two days from Houston to Austin. Since last fall, we have been fundraising and riding toward a cure for multiple sclerosis as a part of Team Amy. There were 18 of us riders on the team this year. We ride in honor of my cousin, Amy, and yesterday we rolled into Austin after 131* miles to greet her at the finish line. (And if you're so inclined, you can still donate here!)

It's been an amazing experience, albeit a wild ride, and we are so very happy to have had the opportunity. Saturday was a brutal ride; 67 miles with gusty headwinds. But yesterday was a gift of a day! It was cool and sunny and just a little bit breezy, which translated to perfect riding weather. 

It was an amazing weekend full of inspirational moments. Being in a sea of 13,000 riders who have all raised hundreds and thousands of dollars (each!) for a wonderful cause... As we came across the finish line in Austin yesterday, I found myself getting misty-eyed. 

What an experience, and what a way to celebrate Earth Day! Riding home on my bicycle 66 miles from LaGrange! And deciding to continue part of my training—commuting by bike to work a few days each week, riding the bus the other days. Sustainable changes all around.

*What happened to those extra 19 miles that would've made it a full MS150? Saturday's winds were so brutal that we started in Waller instead of Katy, trimming off a little more than an hour of riding. To compare routes: Saturday was 67 miles long and took us almost 5 hours of riding time. Sunday's was more up-hill, but even at 66 miles long we only spent 3 hours and 38 minutes riding. What a difference the wind makes!

Read more ►

On Finding Inspiration

gnocchi from Fast Boy on Vimeo.

I had a moment of inspiration in the kitchen over the weekend, when I felt compelled to bake cookies and was rewarded for my act with the smiles on my husband's and friends' faces. And, of course, ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies to enjoy myself.

Being in the kitchen, creating, making something that brings people happiness—that's what I love about cooking. I love the process. The rocking back and forth of the knife, the boiling of the water, the final touches with a sprinkle of cheese.

We all know that not every meal is special; we eat to sustain, we cook something quick and "good enough." We are fulfilled and not always impressed. That's fine.

I am feeling inspired in many ways—to learn new things, try new foods, and expand my comfort zone in the kitchen. When Ryan sent me the video above (gnocchi, knife skills, and giant steaks are all involved in this lovely video from Fast Boy on Vimeo), I swooned.

It brings a certain confidence to a simple potato dish. The home chef cooks with ease and swagger, and serves up a stunning dinner to friends gathered close.

When I cook, I often feel pressure to make it delicious, or beautiful, or both. But sometimes, it's better to make it memorable. Make it an experience. Branch out, try something new, and be confident that even the simplest ingredients can come together in exquisite ways.

What's inspired you this week, in the kitchen and beyond?

Read more ►

Cookies for a Sunday Afternoon

Let's say you've spent your Sunday having coffee with your favorite person and doing little chores around the house. Laundry, a couple of errands, maybe some grocery shopping. And let's go ahead and say it's a cool, cloudy day that's threatening to bless the thirsty earth with rain (maybe).

It's a lazy day, a lovely day. Your husband puts up a game in the front yard consisting of a deck screw, some twine, and a metal ring. The neighbors stop by to watch you swing the ring on a string toward the screw in the tree. It looks simple, but you soon find that the goal of landing the ring on the screw is so elusive that you'll do a happy dance should you make it happen.

Your friends and neighbors stop by to play this new game, a favorite drinking game that you've decided to call Single Ladies (as in, "If you like it then you better put a ring on it.). Your dog sits out in the front yard, too, entranced. Everyone is so very happy. This is the kind of day that demands chocolate chip cookies. So you make them.

And when you do, you make these. Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with flaky sea salt. You eat them straight out of the oven, and they're huge—because you've used your ice cream scoop to measure them out on the baking sheet—and you and everyone else who has one is in love. You pour a glass of milk and settle in. Just one more cookie never hurt anyone.

This recipe comes from Kim Boyce's book Good to the Grain, which I just ordered on Amazon. I found this recipe available online over at Food In Jars, where you can read it too.

Happy baking, friends!

Read more ►

Freshworthy Friday: A New Rule for Antibiotics

They said the food movement was gaining momentum. They said it would begin making an impact. They said it was possibly the thing that could save the environmental movement.

The food movement, the food revolution, a focus on ethical and sustainable food—that's the whole reason Sustainable Diet exists. So believe me when I say I'm excited to hear the food news from this week; while many say it's not enough, it is a start.

U.S. Tightens Rules on Antibiotics Use for Livestock
Gardiner Harris, NY Times
On Wednesday, the FDA announced a new rule requiring farmers and ranchers to get a prescription from a veterinarian prior to using antibiotics in farm animals. Let's all pause for a moment and think about what a great thing this is. The overuse of antibiotics in cows, pigs, and other farm animals has put a strain on the food supply by creating drug-resistant forms of bacteria.

At least two million people are sickened and an estimated 99,000 die every year from hospital-acquired infections, the majority of which result from such resistant strains. It is unknown how many of these illnesses and deaths result from agricultural uses of antibiotics, but about 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States are used in animals.

Initially, the rule is being implemented voluntarily; drug companies will gradually begin shifting their drug labels to prescription only. I think the most encouraging thing here is that something has been done, acknowledging to the public by way of a new law that we have got to change the way we farm our food.

And coming up, here are some great events to take part in, wherever you are:

May 3–10 is Shop Your Values Week
This may be based in NYC, but really this is a great chance to make a difference wherever you are. Shop locally, and purchase ethical, sustainable, organic products and produce! Any day is a great day to take part in Shopping Your Values—and be sure to take a moment to share those practices with your friends and family.

Food Revolution Day — May 19th
Join Jamie Oliver and many, many others to claim May 19, 2012, as Food Revolution Day. Sign the petition and stand up for REAL FOOD at his site. I'm tossing around the idea of an Austin-based potluck; please comment if that's something you readers are interested in and we'll try to make that happen.

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Read more ►

Early Summer Garden Tour

Here's the garden plan which has helped me tremendously. No more impulse buys or super-crowded beds. Well, almost.

I hope this is as much a treat for you as it is for me! (GARDENERD ALERT.) I was so excited to get home to the garden last night and take photos, because I knew it was finally time to show everyone how the plants are doing.

They're alive. Which is fan-TAS-tic. And many of them are blooming!

You may notice a few strange things, like white dust everywhere and random logs in the garden beds. These are attempts at keeping pests at bay. The white dust is both DT (diatomaceous earth) and BT (bacillus thuringiensis), which are organic gardening bug deterrents and seem to be working for now, knock on wood! The logs are an effort to keep the cats at bay—they've been especially pesky in that one bed, since I don't have enough pine straw down to deter them. They love to dig in the beds at night. It aggravates me to no end. These are not our cats, mind you, they're cats that live near us. I've also sprinkled ground cinnamon in all the beds to further deter the kitties. Mildly effective as far as I can tell. It seems the best way to keep them out is to crowd them out.

While I tried to plant all of this from seed, many of my attempts didn't work. So from seed, we have cantaloupe, watermelon, pole beans, edamame (impulse buy, when I found out it was too hot for snap peas!), butternut squash, and yellow straightneck squash. The cucumbers, tomatillos, tomatoes, zucchini, scallop squash, and all the peppers are transplants.

Without further ado... the early summer garden!

And here it is in reality. Don't mind the overgrown grass, that's this weekend's project.

The first tomatoes on the vine—a cherry tomato heirloom variety.

Look how big they've gotten! See the comparison from a few weeks ago here.

A squash blossom early this morning.

Zucchini plants are about to start producing. But see the base of the stem? I'm concerned.  

The tomatillos are getting so big and are blooming like crazy! 

Tomato varieties: Purple Cherokee (3), Black Krim (1), Striped German (1), Roma (1),  Grape (1), Black Cherry (3).

The heirloom variety Purple Cherokee is doing really well so far!

Fin loves hanging out in the garden. Just last night, she stomped on a squash plant to get to a squirrel.

"And Finley, what do you think of vegetables?"

I planted edamame underneath the cucumber trellises; this is a first for me. Fingers crossed!

Look closely at exhibit B: this is a chicken-sized crater, aka proof that the chicken made it into our yard. And there used to be a cantaloupe plant there.

The Original bed, with the cucumbers (almost ready to grow up their trellises), edamame, and the last of the kale.

The trellises turned out so lovely. Pole beans will grow up (heirloom varieties in purple and green) on this side, and the butternut squash are on the other side (squash and beans are companion plants). Edamame take up the front row (which is the only place I squeezed in more plants than I'd planned to). 

Read more ►

The Chicken Who Came to Visit

Speaking of chickens and eggs, we had a momentary chicken buddy this weekend!

Before we could saddle up on our bikes for our Saturday morning coffee date, we were sidelined by this pretty bird. Fin noticed it first; it (we still aren't sure if this is a rooster or a hen; I'd be happy to know!) had been quietly sitting in our front garden bed, minding its own business, when Fin spotted it and went to give a friendly sniff.



In a matter of seconds, we had a lanky, clumsy, curious (but well-intentioned, I assure you!) dog and a terrified, speckled chicken running around our front yard. Before things got out of hand, I plopped down the tailgate and gave Fin the command to "load up." She shot into the bed of the pickup truck, and the chicken clucked and made its way under my car.

By then, a small crowd had gathered. None of our close-by neighbors knew from whence this chicken came, and without a collar or tags, I had no idea how to attempt to return it. So he stayed in our yard for hours... And then we left.

We came home late Sunday after spending Easter with our family, and noticed all the pine straw in the front gardens had been, how shall I say... relocated to form chicken-sized patches. In the back, all the mulch around the garden paths had been shifted around too. Surely, we surmised, the chicken hadn't made its way into the back yard?

But last night, another neighbor confirmed: he'd seen the chicken rooting around in our gardens; I can only hope he was eating all the bad bugs. Eventually the real owners showed up—the chicken had been missing for about three days.

So, I can now say we had a chicken for a weekend. All of us on the street enjoyed the little adventure in urban farming, that's for sure.

Have you ever had a random garden guest?

Read more ►

Many Thanks... And Sustainable Diet News!

Setting a good example... But seriously, gross. 

It's been an exciting few weeks at Sustainable Diet!

First of all, I caught this enormous man-eater normal-sized fish at the family farm this weekend (like how far away from my face I'm keeping it?), then conscientiously objected when it was time to fillet it. It was released back into the tank to populate it with more freshwater bass. But that big catch is not the only reason I'm grinning from ear to ear (while wearing obscenely large sunglasses).

I am thrilled and amazed and encouraged by the readers of Sustainable Diet. Seriously. I'm realizing that more and more of you are out there—SD is finding readership in the vastness of the interwebs. Thank you to all of you who have been reading, commenting, Tweeting, Pinning, and more.

I've been given some fantastic opportunities; first, there was the Twitter event with Good Guide, Practically Green, and more in the last week of March, which translated to lots of great conversation (and link love for SD). The icing on the cake, though, is my first guest post over at Whole Foods' Whole Story blog—all about backyard vegetable gardening.

All this to say that I am so grateful to all of you who have stopped by and read Sustainable Diet; my hope is that it has encouraged and entertained you, perhaps even influenced the way you think about food. And I hope you stick around, because I have many great plans for Sustainable Diet! These plans include, but are not limited to, more garden info, more recipes, and even guest contributors.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks for reading—and sharing. It makes for one very encouraged, happy writer, that's for sure.


And now for something completely different!


A special offer for you wonderful readers: Coco Eco Magazine would like to extend an offer to all Sustainable Diet readers for a FREE digital subscription!

Coco Eco is an online magazine that focuses on sustainable beauty, fashion, culture, and more. All you have to do is go to Coco Eco's site,  click on the subscription link, and scroll down to the free subscription area. SD readers will use the custom offer code SustainableDiet.*


*This is not a paid endorsement; Coco Eco Magazine reached out to me with the invitation to extend this offer to Sustainable Diet readers. So, here I am, extending that offer! Coco Eco encourages a sustainable lifestyle and so do I. Check it out!

Read more ►

Freshworthy Friday: The Chicken and The Egg

Photo by flickr user Gina Pina, licensed under Creative Commons.

After two-plus years of vegetarianism, I branched out for the sake of brisket. A couple of times since then, I've sneaked a small bite of chicken off my husband's plate, and remarked, "I'm kind of over the texture of chicken." It's true; I don't much care for it any more. Eggs are clearly another story.

That said, I'm glad I'm over chicken. Because while I would always, always opt for organic and sustainably raised chicken if I were buying it to cook myself, I might not have that option when eating out.

Which leads me to the news of the day. Pink slime has been all over the news the last few weeks, and now there's more to think about. New studies show that chickens on industrial farms have been fed a mix of caffeine, drugs, and arsenic.

Here's something to consider as we bring our families around a table to celebrate this weekend:

Arsenic in Our Chicken?
The New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristof

What does all this mean for consumers? The study looked only at feathers, not meat, so we don’t know exactly what chemicals reach the plate, or at what levels. The uncertainties are enormous, but I asked Nachman about the food he buys for his own family. “I’ve been studying food-animal production for some time, and the more I study, the more I’m drawn to organic,” he said. “We buy organic.”

I’m the same. I used to be skeptical of organic, but the more reporting I do on our food supply, the more I want my own family eating organic — just to be safe.

Read more ►

If It Grows, It Grows.

Zucchini plants guarded by red Solo cup barriers.

I've been posting "Wordless Wednesdays," with plenty of pictures. But today, I just have a thought to share.

Gardening requires love, patience, work, and the right attitude. It requires that you relinquish a little control, and understand that you cannot predict the future.

I spent a bit of my day worrying about squash vine borers. Last year, all my cucurbits—cucumbers, squash, butternut, and melons—were decimated by vine borers. I didn't even know what they were at the time, but quickly learned that they are the bane to any squash farmer's existence.

With that worry on my mind, I began Googling. I looked up exactly how toxic Sevin dust—the only insecticide that will keep the moths from laying eggs on my squash plants—would be to my garden and for my dog. Hmm, that seems wrong for me, doesn't it?

I made a commitment when we began our backyard raised beds to go at it organically. After all, part of the joy in our gardens is the assurance that, by growing our own food, we are having a positive impact on our environment and on our health.

Chemical pesticides aren't the answer to my gardening worries. I can't control vine borers or the moths that lay them.

For the time being, I will rest assured, knowing that each of my squash plants is lovingly planted in its own little red Solo cup (bottoms cut out; it's a borer-avoiding tip from an expert at the Natural Gardener) and gets dusted twice a week with a dose of bacillus thuringiensis, which is totally safe for pets and humans.

My mom's advice to me is this: "If it grows, it grows."

That advice reminds me daily to step back and understand that much of this is out of my control. I will hope for squash, and will rue the day (should it come) that vine borers attack, but ultimately I will be grateful for whatever the garden decides to give me.

How do you find peace and balance in your garden?

Read more ►

Easter Eggs

Poached eggs with sauteed collards on toast.

I don't remember poached eggs being a part of my childhood—we were mostly a scrambled or over-easy family. Scrambled eggs were served with cinnamon toast (you make a sandwich, see, by folding each full piece of cinnamon toast in half and putting your scrambled eggs in the middle, DUH) and fried eggs, over easy, which were always plopped on top of a piece of toast—one that already boasted butter and jam. Seriously, try it if you haven't already. Toast, butter, strawberry jam, fried egg over easy, salt and pepper, you can't go wrong.

Quiche, breakfast tacos, strata, custards, bread pudding—all egg-based dishes have become a favorite of mine at some point in time. I'm working my way up to an egg-topped pizza, which in my mind tastes exactly like heaven.

Fitting, it seems, though I didn't begin with this thought, that I'm writing of my love for eggs in the week of Easter; eggs are, after all, a sign of spring and of new life and of good things to come.

Meanwhile, maybe I should mention that our neighbor may or may not have two hens nearing egg-laying age and a hand-built coop that he's looking to hand off to someone when he leaves town.

And maybe I should mention also that I've been asking for hens for a while. You see where I'm heading with this?

I should also bring up the fact that the neighbor's chickens do emit an unfortunate smell that woefully wafts into our yard and has made me question this whole chicken thing. Hmmm.

Goodbye, collard greens...

So it may not be happening for us, this whole backyard chickens thing. Which is unfortunate, because I felt like I was SO CLOSE to convincing my dear, loving, supportive husband that we are wonderful candidates for backyard chickens. That I would love them and feed them and collect their eggs and play with them every day.

We'll see where the hen saga lands. In the mean time, I will enjoy organic, free-range, cage free, locally sourced brown eggs that I've lovingly purchased at the grocery store.

This dish is a simple weeknight meal that comes together in a matter of minutes. It's healthy, savory, and delicious, and you can swap out any dark leafy green for the collards (think kale, spinach, mustard greens, beet greens).

I used up the last of the collards from our garden to put this together, which made for a perfect send-off. It's been hard for me to say goodbye to our winter garden because it was so wonderful to us. I enjoyed everything we ate from it, and it just kept giving, despite being savagely attacked by snails in the last month. It is April, mind you, and we've already seen temps in the upper 80s here in Texas, so it's a wonder my leafy greens held on so very long.

By Sunday, I knew it was time to pull the last of the greens (they'd started to bolt and were so ravaged by snails that it was hard to salvage much) to make way for the cucumbers now residing in that bed.

But remember the eggs? And the symbol of new life (and the beginning of a new gardening season)? And the promise of good things to come? We've come full circle.

Poached Eggs with Toast and Greens for Two

1 bunch collard greens, de-stemmed and cut into inch-wide ribbons
4 eggs 
water and a splash of white vinegar
4 pieces of toast (I prefer hearty whole-grain with seeds–extra crunch is nice)
4 slices sharp cheddar
Dijon mustard
lemon wedges
salt and freshly ground pepper

The quick version of the recipe: saute the greens in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until they're done but still al dente. Squeeze one lemon wedge over the greens.

Prepare your toast and top with Dijon and cheddar. Pile the greens on the toast and then poach the eggs. Put the eggs on top and garnish with salt and freshly ground pepper, and more lemon if you like it.

Now the long version.

The trick to this is not necessarily the recipe, which is simple and straightforward (and was inspired by the photos from this post), but the timing. You'll want to have the greens and toast ready to go in time to slide the eggs right on them. Meanwhile, you don't want your toast to get soggy while you're waiting on anything.

The entire meal takes only 10 minutes: I prepped the greens and cooked them for about 5 minutes before turning on the toaster and beginning to boil the water. As soon as the greens were al dente, I spritzed them with lemon, turned off the heat, and covered them. By then, the water was just about to boil and the toast had about 3 minutes left to go. Just as the toast timer dinged, the eggs were done. Assembled dinner and voila! It's all hot and ready to eat.

It really helps to know your egg poaching technique forwards and backwards. Last night, I aced it. The eggs were perfect and put-together and I was happier for it. Here's how I do it:

Crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin. In a small saucepan, heat the water and vinegar until tiny bubbles form (just before boiling). Give the water a good stir so that it is circulating, and then slowly slide each egg in from its ramekin. Cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes for runny yolks (my preference). Carefully remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let all the water drain off.

For a great how-to video, turn to the Kitchn!

And here's another tip: I made a version of this at work the next day. I packed the sauteed greens, some bread, and two raw—yep, raw—eggs in my lunch box. Come lunch time, I used to company toaster and the microwave to recreate my dinner. It turned out pretty great! Here's the microwave poached egg how-to.

Read more ►

What's Healthy, Anyway?

It's not always spelt muffins, home-grown veggies, and green smoothies at our house. We know how to cut loose and enjoy the finer things in life, too. See? Meet the Great Northern ale, made by the brewers at the Draught House in Austin. Ryan was a huge fan—normally, I shy away from hoppier beers. That sunny afternoon, I enjoyed a pint of Alteration from Hops & Grain.

There are things in life, like finely-crafted beers, that are always worth it. But how do you keep the way you eat in check?

Part of having a sustainable diet is making provisions for things you really enjoy. We both love beer, chocolate, cheese, and salsa; all of which we enjoy in moderation. (Except the salsa, which we can both eat buckets of in a single sitting. It's ridiculous. At our favorite Tex-Mex place nearby, the waitstaff know to bring two bowls to the table.)

Many times, people ask me how I do it, how I deprive myself of certain things (meat, Cheetos, eating out during lunch, etc.). But the secret is, I truly don't feel deprived of anything. Instead, I feel grateful that I am able to eat the things I want to eat, knowing they're good for me (9 times of 10). And despite the occasional veggie burger and fries or cheesy plate of enchiladas, I feel like my overall diet—as in the way I eat, not a means of losing weight—is healthy. 

Ryan and I both try to encourage people we know to eat more sustainably, which to me, translates to healthy. It's easy in a place like Austin, where grocery stores are packed with organics and minimally processed foods, and restaurants offer a bevy of options, many of which are locally sourced and seasonal. Even our favorite beer hangouts boast sustainably crafted ales and locally made cheese plates!

We stay healthy by eating wholesome, clean foods. Nothing processed makes its way into our home, and we think twice before eating out.  

But in smaller towns, that kind of selection is not the norm. It's often a choice between two chain restaurants that serve many processed items, or going to the grocery store that's devoid of organic choices and offers minimal whole grain options. 

In that kind of situation, what is best? How do you eat sustainably and healthfully if your options are so dismal?

Here is what we encourage our family in small towns to try to do; in fact, these are the same rules we follow when traveling:

• Follow the sage advice from Michael Pollan: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." 

• Purchase organics, shop at the farmers' market, or grow your own vegetables whenever possible. 

• Eat only free-range, grass-fed beef and cage-free chicken, and sustainably raised/harvested pork, fish, and other meats. Choosing meat wisely is especially important.

• In the absence of an organic option, be sure to wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly; try a vinegar spray to knock out any lingering yucky stuff.

• When eating out, choose a mom-and-pop restaurant over a chain. Try to order real food, not processed food.

• It's ok to cave once in a while. Let yourself off the hook and understand that, despite your best efforts, eating whole and sustainable foods is not always possible day in, day out.

What does healthy mean to you?

Read more ►