To humble beginnings (and soba)

Lately I've been thinking about "transition" and "change" and how it plays out in our lives everyday. Our environment is in a constant state of flux and in order for us to feel completely fulfilled, we must be amenable to change as well. Oftentimes, I feel as if morning has become evening within the blink of an eye. Meetings get cancelled last minute, we take on others' responsibilities, or plans change. There are those things that we believe to be true, simply by circumstance. We put in more hours at the office believing that our efforts will result in success only to find out that that promotion was given to someone else.

As I've been in a period of transition in my career, I've had to accept the "mess" of it all. I haven't had much sleep in the past two months, much less time to bathe. It's been a period of discovery for me and recently in this process, I've also fallen off the self-love bandwagon. As a yoga teacher, I profess self-love is the only place to begin a regular yoga practice - you will fall on your face at some point trying to get into crow or handstand, it's a non-negotiable. That doesn't mean that through time and practice, you won't find a beautiful inversion. But oftentimes, success results from humble beginnings. And too often, we take those beginnings for granted. Myself included.

"Beginning" (yes, I'm using it as a noun here) offers us the opportunity to grow, to try and fail and to discover how we want to be and what we want to believe. It's okay to feel off or grumpy about it - growing can sometimes be painful. In the last week, I've had to make a conscious effort to tell myself how wonderful and loved I am and to move forward from a place of faith in my steadfast dedication to myself and my life. Beyond that, there are so many reasons to feel gratitude for life and the potential that comes from humble beginnings. Let's not take our opportunity for transformation for granted and show the world exactly who we are, even when we're in transition.

With that said, I shall move onto the salad. I made this in an effort to truly "feed" my body. When I feel ragged or run-down, I go for soba. This salad recipe was taken from Green Kitchen Stories and it's so life-affirming, I almost feel like I owe David and Luise a personal thank you...so here it is: "Thank you David and Luise! You rock!"

The recipe requires a bit of prep ahead of time as the tofu needs to be marinated but other than that, this salad is a breeze to make. I think it would be a great dish for a vegan potluck (or a yogi potluck) and I'm sure you could also roast or saute the tofu if you don't like it cold.

And yes, even my meat-loving father enjoyed it! True to soba's humble beginning (it's a noodle made of buckwheat flour), it's a no-nonsense dish. Make sure to eat it with people who love you as you are (it also helps if they like tofu and soba).

Soba Noodle and Herb Tofu Salad
From Green Kitchen Stories
Serves 2


buckwheat soba noodles, for 2 persons
½ zucchini (sliced thin, in the same shape as noodles)
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
½ lime, juice

Herb marinated tofu
200 g firm tofu
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 handful of fresh herbs (coriander, parsley or mint)
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

Vegetables & fruits
4 cherry tomatoes
4 small broccolini
1 chioggia beet, thinly sliced
4 tbsp edamame beans, blanched
2 slices melon
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 handful sprouts, for serving

Preparing the tofu: Combine olive oil, herbs, ginger and salt & pepper in a food processor or chop by hand. Drain the tofu, pat dry, and cut into big squares. Pour the marinade over the tofu and set aside for about 30 minutes.

Preparing the noodles: Boil the noodles according to the package. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add sesame oil, rice vinegar and lime juice and stir until combined. Add zucchini noodles and combine. Leave to cool off a bit.

Assembling the salad: Place the noodles in two bowls. Top with tomatoes, broccolinis, chioggia beet, edamame, melon, tofu and sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve!


Notes: We used a red beet instead of chioggia, use whatever you like or can find. If you can't find soba noodles, you could use your favorite pasta. You just wouldn't get the same silky consistency from the pasta as you would from soba. Additionally, if you don't like tofu, you could leave it out but I would substitute it with some extra veggies or meat if you prefer - this is supposed to be a substantial salad but it shouldn't weigh you down either.

Homemade Bread à la Sophie Dahl

Marissa and I were in New York City last week - visiting family, getting lost in Central Park, soaking up the heat and braving NYC transportation all in the name of vacation. It was FANTASTIC!

As soon as we got back, Marissa decided to make a homemade loaf of bread...because, you see, we came back to a still-dreary Seattle and oats, wheat and delicious jam seemed the proper antidote to post-vacation depression.

This recipe comes together quickly and as Marissa likes to say, it's "no-fail" (if you've ever worked with yeast, you know this kind of claim is hard to come by). It's taken from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, one of my favorite cookbooks, merely because of it's simplicity. However, Sophie also shares some of her ups and downs as a child and teen, coming into her own and discovering the ways in which food shapes her experiences - her stories are very personal but also very humorous and dare I say, relatable?

This recipe is actually listed under "Autumn Breakfasts" but seeing as how Autumn seems to haunt Seattle nearly all year long, it seemed to fit the mood. However, if you don't live in Seattle you could still make this because it's delicious! It's best served with butter and seasonal jam but Miss Dahl also suggests it served with "mustard and a big slice of Parma ham." (Note: if it's 90+ degrees outside, don't turn on the oven. This bread is very yummy but not worth the extra sweat - just saying)

 

Homemade Bread
from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl
Makes 1 large loaf

• 4 cups of whole wheat or spelt flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 large Tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 Tbsp honey

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. In a large Pyrex jug, mix together the warm water, sunflower oil and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing them together. Cover and put in a warm place. It should stay for 20 minutes, or until it's doubled in size.

Once it has doubled, stir it with the wooden spoon until the air is gone and it is back to its original size. Trust me on this. Place the dough in an oiled 6 3/4-cup (9x5x2.5-inch) loaf pan and banish it back to the warm place for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F oven.

Put the bread in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how it looks.

Serve with butter, mustard and a big slice of Parma ham - or, if you're like me, simply butter and marmalade.

Dreaming of Croatia

I have to apologize for neglecting you...I've recently completed a huge milestone in my career and it's definitely taken it out of me! Yours truly is now a certified yoga teacher - not related to food, but could be considered the antidote to food, which is in order after reading this post. During the hiatus Marissa and I also went to a Croatian cooking class at The Pantry, an awesome locale that hosts cooking classes and communal dinners.

The creative minds behind The Pantry planted edibles outside, which I haphazardly documented on Marissa's camera (please note that I'm not the photographer of the duo). I really enjoy seeing other edible gardens, especially in the Spring - it reminds me that life is cyclical, things that once were return. And on this particularly (and might I say unusually) sunny day in Seattle, the colors of the garden were awe-inspiring.

Our instructor for the evening was the charismatic Amy Pennington, a Seattle celebrity in the food scene. I have to say, I was humbled by her ease and her ability to make the entire class burst into laughter. We fried fish (see above), chopped, drank (a lot), stretched dough and consumed quite a lot of chicken fat - it was gnarly!

 The menu went something like this:

1. Turnip & Potato Soup
2. Fried Fishes
3. Mlinci & Roast Chicken (Mlinci is a Croatian pasta that is cooked in chicken fat)
4. Apple Strudel

By the end of the evening my belly was full and my head was light - a wonderful way to close the day in my opinion.  We aren't featuring any recipes here, but we thought you'd like to a glimpse into our gastronomic fantasy, for lack of a better term. It was truly FANTASTICAL!

xo,
Natalie & Marissa

P.S. Look for more recipes soon!

No puedo esperar! - Demystifying the homemade tortilla

Friends...I'm giddy. This is our first recipe post!! And I'm so excited about more recipes, stories and food-related finds to share with you in the near future. I could wax poetic about what an awesome journey this food-blogging business will be for hours, but in an attempt to save you from that, I will get right down to it.

Marissa and I find it fitting that the first recipe we decide to share with you is for homemade tortillas - we grew up on homemade Mexican food and I often think about/eat it when I'm craving "comfort". It is, in essence, a recipe wholly representative of our food education: simple, delicious and made with love.

These tortillas are easier to make than your average pizza dough. The only special equipment needed is a tortilla press, which you can find at any specialty kitchen store (we found ours at Sur La Table). We ate our tortillas with homemade chipotle-spiced beans, guacamole and marinated radishes.

These tortillas are pretty small, so I don't recommend using them for tacos, but I imagine they would be a good side for chili or mole. Also, the recipe calls for instant corn masa flour, which is carried at most grocery stores, in the specialty foods or Mexican cuisine aisle.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Adapted from Maseca

Serves 4-8 (Makes 16 tortillas)

• 2 cups Instant Corn Masa Flour (We used the Maseca brand)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup warm water

1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands for about a minute, until a thick dough forms.

2. Heat a skillet on medium heat while you prepare the dough. Divide the dough into 16 balls and put them in a bowl and cover with a damp paper towel.

3. When you're pan is hot, you can start pressing the dough. Line each side of your tortilla press with plastic wrap. Place a ball of dough in the middle of the press and use the lever to flatten.

4. Place the tortilla on the dry skillet, for about 50 seconds on the first side, or until the tortilla starts to crisp. Flip, them and let them cook for another 30 seconds.

5. Store them in a tortilla holder or a warm, dry towel while you finish the rest of the tortillas. Serve immediately.

Welcome to The Foraged Feast!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to The Foraged Feast - a blog about bringing you delicious, accessible and affordable recipes to feed your palates and your bodies. As two young girls (and sisters) who enjoy our food and being healthy, we are always trying and experimenting with new recipes that give us joy and are easy on our wallets.

Here, you'll find mostly vegan, seasonally inspired and lovingly-made dishes. This blog is not meant to espouse a certain diet or way of being, nor are we nutrition experts - we simply enjoy cooking, eating and sharing and believe there is a need for healthy and approachable home cooking.

We hope these recipes will give you a reason to come together with friends and loved ones. After all, the joy inherent in food goes beyond its ability to feed our bodies. Food gives us an opportunity to enjoy the company of others. Break bread and BE WELL!

Happy Foraging,
N & M