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