I can be a bit of a taskmaster. When I set my mind to a task, I am very focused. This has served me well, but there is a time to throw that all out the window for what really matters. Today I was in the middle of a field as usual, dodging rainclouds in my rubber boots and jacket, when I got a call with a medical concern for one of my kids. Those of you who are parents know that your sole goal in those moments in to make sure your kid is okay. That road to the school seemed terribly long today, and you can bet I dropped my to-do’s like a bunch of hot rocks (into the capable hands of the farm staff) to make sure my child was taken care of. At the end of the day, my family has my very heart and soul, so why is it hard to keep showing them that they are my priority in the day-to-day demands of life? I am in a way thankful for this reminder today, and the child in question is okay for now but having some tests.
Before my day got interesting, I was in the fields gathering some sweet peppers and eggplant. It feels like they are just getting started- unbelievable for so far into September! The celery and leeks are looking nice but still need a couple weeks to get more substantial. At least we can expect them to be ready for our Thanksgiving boxes! I picked some cilantro for a salsa making order last week and I just couldn’t resist sending you all some! Maybe there is some fresh salsa in your future, or some Moroccan Chickpea Stew. I made these with some 3 Ingredient Tea Biscuits. I used this recipe. They are not as fluffy as my grandma used to make (probably because my butter was not cold-whoops), but they are so easy I can actually find time to make them, and using her old biscuit cutter and rolling pin make me feel connected to here now that she is gone. I can’t be the only one who loves using Grandma’s old cooking tools! :).
Moroccan Chickpea Stew- yummy, light, vegan meal
Using Grandma’s tools to make some biscuits. I didn’t even need parchment paper with my well
All ready to eat! I serve these alongside less familiar foods to make the meal more inviting for my kids
Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Great Vegan main dish. Of course, I just had to add some Swiss chard because greens: we need those. A recent study I read showed that people who eat greens daily keep their minds sharper as they age…and the more greens- the more pronounced the effect! So don’t shun your greens- embrace them along with a healthier you.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced (I used garlic scapes- also works great)
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 russet potato chopped into 1″ pieces
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon harissa (I didn’t have this, so omitted it)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (or curry powder if you don’t have turmeric)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15 oz chopped tomatoes canned (I used 2 fresh tomatoes that were really needing to be eaten)
- 15 oz chickpeas canned
- 6 cups canned vegetable stock (made my own from bones from whole chickens, ducks, and drumsticks along with veggie scraps- it cooks up in only 2 hours in an instant pot. Don’t forget to add a tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to get all the good stuff from the bones)
- My add in: 5-6 leaves of Swiss chard, finely chopped both stem and leaf
- 1 lemon juice of
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Directions
-
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
-
Saute onion until translucent and starts turning golden. Add in garlic and cook for a minute.
-
Add in carrot and potatoes. (I added the chicken stock up here so there wouldn’t be any burning) Stir well to combine.
-
To the carrots and potatoes, add the tomato paste, harissa, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric and salt.
-
Add the canned tomatoes and chickpeas and give the stew a nice stir.
-
Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the stew to a simmer.
-
Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked. Add the Swiss chard in the last 5-7 minutes of cooking.
-
Take the lid off, add the lemon juice and cilantro. Stir and serve warm.
Farm Shares
Simply 6 Shares Week 17
Simply 6 Shares
- bunch of carrots
- bunch of radish
- chinese cabbage
- head of romaine lettuce
- field tomatoes
- green beans
Half Shares
- bunch of carrots
- bunch of radish
- chinese cabbage
- head of romaine lettuce
- field tomatoes
- green beans
- bunch of cilantro
- cherry tomatoes
- sweet green and red peppers or alternate (fingers cross they keep ripening all week!)
- rainbow swiss chard
Whole Shares
- bunch of carrots
- bunch of radish
- chinese cabbage
- head of romaine lettuce
- field tomatoes
- green beans
- bunch of cilantro
- cherry tomatoes
- sweet green and red peppers or alternate (fingers cross they keep ripening all week!)
- rainbow swiss chard
- grape tomatoes
- eggplant
- cucumbers
- ground cherries
- dandelion greens
Fruit
- 5 BC organic akine or sunrise apples
- 1/2 pint organic blueberries
- 4 organic avocados
- 4-5 BC organic peaches or oranges
- 4 organic lemons or 1.3lbs BC organic plums
May you keep your focus on what really matters this week 🙂