thoughtful consumption

This week we baked cookies and a double batch of biscotti. And we made French toast. So we’ve happily used up most of our egg stash.

The strawberries, apples, and carrots we just ate as the spirit took us. Healthy snack food!

We’re leaning toward making a pecan pie with the pecans plus some of the cane syrup from a few weeks ago. These pecans are nice and big, so cracking them won’t take long.

The sprouts and the lettuce were added to last week’s lettuce and some Asian turnips to make lunchtime salads. I always feel virtuous when I eat sprouts.

The red cabbage became cooked red cabbage with apple. Here’s the recipe. Sorry there aren’t any measurements. It’s pretty easy to taste and correct as you go, though.

Red Cabbage (It should have a more descriptive name, I guess, but that’s what we call it.)

• Shred the cabbage and place in some cold water.

• Dice an apple and an onion and sauté them in some olive oil.

• Scoop the cabbage along with the water that clings to it into the sauté pan. Cook covered for 10 or 15 minutes.

• Add some bacon pieces, red wine vinegar, and apple juice. Cook 20 minutes more. If it’s too tart, add sugar.

My last batch didn’t turn out so well; I’m thinking it’s because I didn’t have any apple juice and substituted sugar and water. It was better with some more vinegar added afterwards.

The other cabbage recipe I mentioned earlier is my mom’s 7-day coleslaw recipe (’cause it keeps for seven days). Please note that it needs refrigerating for several hours before serving. (I failed to note this the first time I made it, and, boy, was my coleslaw strong.)

7-day Coleslaw

• Place a head of shredded cabbage, 2 sliced medium onions (sweet is best), and 1 bell pepper cut into strips into a bowl. (We leave out the bell pepper.)
• Pour 1 cup of sugar (or less) on top.
• Boil together 1 cup vinegar, ¾ cup oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp celery salt, and 1 tsp dry mustard.
• Pour mixture over slaw and mix.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Both of these recipes come from a recipe binder my mom made me years ago.

It’s one of my favorite things in my kitchen.