Peasant Girl: A Way to Eat

April 6

2011-04-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Papaya and Guanabana smoothie, made with nonfat milk

Lunch: 3 medium sized tortillas stuffed with one avocado, lemon juice, alfalfa sprouts, and salt

Snack: 1 small apple

Dinner: 3 tortillas with one avocado, lemon juice, and sunflower seeds

Dessert: Yogurt

April 5

2011-04-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Yogurt

Lunch: 2 Eggs scrambled in whole wheat wraps with alfalfa sprouts

Snack: Yogurt, Apple

Dinner: Rice Pasta with Kale, Tomato Paste, Olive Oil, and Sunflower Seeds. A few strips of Romano cheese.

Dessert: Apple

Overhaul

2011-04-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

After more than a year of working at a bakery, a pizza place (and when not devouring the things made there, eating horrible food on film sets) I am done.

For the next two months, I am going to document my transition back into the habits I once had.

Here is the general plan:

Breakfast:

Fruit Smoothie or Yogurt with fruit

Lunch:

Hummus and Vegetable Wrap

Egg Wrap

Snack:

Yogurt

Dinner:

Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale

Brown Rice and Vegetables

Fish and Vegetables

NO Sugar

NO Cheese

A few times during this period can I have:

Red Meat

Dark Chocolate

Alcohol

Let's get back to my old self again!

A New Beginning

2010-08-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

Today, I will eat my last fish taco, and focus on being a full fledged Peasant Girl. It begins with Borscht. Tonight. Pictures will follow.

I've been reading plenty of good late 18th century novels lately, many of which depict English country life, and I am humbled by how simple but delicious the meals that are described in these books sound. Boiled chicken with parsley and butter, etc etc..

It reminded me that just because there is a pine nut grown somewhere in the world, and that it tastes good, doesn't mean that I should have to buy it. Let the people of that region rejoice in their pine nuts, and me in my sunflower seeds.

I am well equipped with a Saturday farmers market and a Sunday Rooftop Garden Market just around the corner from where I live.

Meat will be a scarcity and I will be keeping an eye on the fish mongers at the Greenmarket.

It will be a slow transition, and because I work at food institutions during my meal times, it will be especially hard for me to figure out how to balance the food that I may be compelled to eat there, with my plan.

Here are some things I can look forward to in the upcoming month:

Apples
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cantaloupes
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Chard
Chicories
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplants
Escarole
Garlic
Grapes
Green Beans
Kale
Fresh Herbs
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Melon
Mushrooms
Nectarines
Onions
Peaches
Pears
Peas
Peppers
Plums
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Raspberries
Spinach
Summer Squash
Winter Squash
Tomatoes
Watermelons
Zucchini

I think I'm going to be quite alright :)

-PG

On a Mission

2010-08-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Goals for the rest of this month and the upcoming season:

1. Quit Sugar: That means, no sugar. None. No Agave Necatar, no super sweet fruit juice, no nothin'!

2. EAT LOCAL! : Try to buy all produce from local growers.

3. Cook more! Gather recipes.

4. Savor meals.

Making Gumbo tomorrow! Should be wonderful!

-PG

Soup in Summer?

2010-06-15T15:54:00.001-07:00

It cooled down a bit yesterday, and I was craving something spicy and corn-y, so I turned to the time honored tradition of soup.

Soups are wonderful because the wisdom is really true that they only get better the longer they sit in the fridge, and they're also a great way to enjoy a healthy, filling meal that is high in vegetables.

Here is a template for a soup. It's pretty much what I made yesterday:

Spicy Corn and Potato Chowder

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans sweet yellow corn
1 can black beans
5 peeled and chopped medium-large potatoes
5 cups good chicken/vegetable stock
1 dried ancho chile, rehydrated and chopped
1 fresh jalapeno chile, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
cumin
thyme
paprika
hot red chile flakes
salt and pepper to taste

toppings:

sour cream
smoked cheddar cheese
cilantro/parsley
squeeze of lime

Sautee onion, celery, jalapeno, and carrot in olive oil until softened slightly. Add garlic, ancho, and rest of spices to your desirablility. Add in chopped potatoes and toss to coat with spices and herbs. After a minute, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. Then take about half the soup (mostly potatoes plus a bit of broth) and blend in a blender or food processor, until thick, stirring it back into the pot after. Now you may add the drained corn and beans, reheat slightly, and test for seasonings. Dress this soup up well, it really lends itself to fixins.

-PG

A Fruitful Summer

2010-06-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Literally.

It's summer and Peasant Girl is REALLY back this time.

I've been settling into a new place, getting used to the landscape of a life with many changes, and have certainly been letting sticking to my Peasant Girl foundations slip. The reason mostly concerns my DAY JOB, which happens to be working at a wonderful organic Pastry/Cookie shop, which has beautiful, lovely baked goods, that should be an occasional treat, not something one eats every day.

But I digress...

Here are some foods that you Peasant Girls should consider exploring and why:

1. Sunflower Seeds: Cheaper than pretty much anything else, (you can get a big container for a dollar or two) these are amazing sprinkled over pasta for crunch (in place of pine nuts, which are not from a Temperate Climate, and therefore are super expensive), or ground into a nut butter! This is an AWESOME Peasant Girl food.

2. Eggs: Can I say enough? A perfectly packaged product naturally. Try sauteeing any vegetable and placing a poached egg over it. A little salt and pepper ... Done and done.

3. Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs: I realized recently how much breading is comforting. I've been seeing a lot of breaded asparagus around at restaurants I pass, and I pan-fried some green tomatoes the other day, and it was SO good.

From now on, I will be focusing on recipes, and sharing ideas with you.

Today's recipe is for my version of Shakshouka, which is a middle eastern dish that spans many countries. But you can just call it eggs in spicy tomato sauce. This is a cinch to put together in minutes and tastes so good.

Shakshouka (for one)

Need:

2 Organic Cage-Free Eggs
Small can of tomatoes (or the fire-roasted kind. I haven't tried this but I've seen them around!), or of course the equivilent of the fresh, if you have really good ones
1 tablespoon or two of chopped onion
Paprika
Chili Flakes
Sprig of fresh thyme, or some dried
1 Bay Leaf
Cumin
Coriander Powder
Dash of Olive oil

So basically, what we're doing here is cooking on medium heat the onion for a minute or two, then adding your tomatoes, and then your quantities of everything else. (PS - Canned tomatoes usually have SALT added, so please don't add salt unless you need to!) There will be juice. The waiting part of this recipe is turning the heat up a bit, and waiting until a real sauce forms, but not too thick, stirring occasionally. I didn't put quantities of these spices down because I don't use them. Other than the chili flake, all of these are simply my version of this dish. Experiment for yourself!

When a chunky tomato sauce forms, break two eggs into the pan, and wait til they are cooked. If you are brave, it helps to be able to flip them over to quicken and assure doneness. Try and keep the yolks a bit runny though, that's the way it's supposed to be (secretly I like that thick jelly texture myself, when they've just firmed up). Serve with whole wheat bread for dipping and plate cleaning! This is great for breakfast or a quick dinner.

Take out the bay leaf before consumption. This may seem obvious to some, but who knows.

(note: I've also eaten this served over polenta and it rocked)

-Rosalind

Make this! Let me know how it is!

A Peasant Girl Pantry

2010-05-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

A well stocked pantry means that a Peasant Girl will never be without a hearty meal, even if she didn't have time to hit the grocery store.

Things A Peasant Girl Should Always Have Around In The Pantry:

1. Chicken Stock
2. Dried Whole Wheat Pasta
3. Canned Tomatoes
4. Steel Cut Oats
5. Dried and Canned Beans
6. White Whole Wheat Flour
7. Grits
8. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
9. Red Wine or White Wine Vinegar
10. Honey
11. Baking Soda
12. Salt and Pepper

Things a Peasant Girl Should Always Have Around In The Fridge:

1. Butter
2. Milk
3. Preserves
4. Leafy Greens
5. Mustard
6. Eggs

The combinations are endless.

-PG

Back for Action!

2010-05-10T19:51:00.001-07:00

Peasant Girl is BACK after a short hiatus.

And ready for the summer.

What does summer mean for a peasant girl?

Mostly, FRUIT! Summer is the season (for us in the North East) where we get to enjoy all of our favorite berries. Very exciting for a Peasant Girl. Not to mention all of the other delicious fresh produce that is so abundant.

THIS is the time to change your ways, ladies!

-PG

Seasonal Dinners

2010-04-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Pictured Here:

Lunch: Leftover Hominy Soup with a Tangelo/Radicchio Salad

Dinner: All from Union Square Greenmarket! : Seared Scallops, wilted Sorrel, and roasted fingerling Potatoes!

-PG

Spicy Soup

2010-04-19T17:22:00.001-07:00

Usually I'm a fan of sourcing my ingredients locally, but there are some cuisines (namely Asian and South American) that leave me incredibly willing to buy a dried ancho from Mexico, or noodles from Korea.

For both Korean and Mexican food, the draw is the way the flavors blend with the peppers. Both value a good red chili pepper, and both make awesome spicy soups.

Posole is a Mexican soup/stew with a long history you should look up. I was all set to make a quicker version of it using chicken and it turns out the drumsticks I bought were bad. Really bad.

So I ate like a true peasant tonight and ended up with a spicy hominy soup that was still delicious and satisfying!

But here's something closer to what I would have made:

Quick Chicken Posole (Feel free to use pork! By all means!)

2 dried ancho chiles

shredded cooked chicken (please buy good, well-raised chicken. this is a good recipe for leftovers)

fresh cilantro

a lime

chicken stock

tomato paste

chili powder

hot sauce/chili flakes/etc if desired

1/3 bag dried hominy (can use canned if desired)

A few hours before, put the chiles in a bowl, cover with hot water and let soak. Add the hominy (hominy is corn! also interesting and you should look this up!) to a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let soak.

When hominy has rehydrated, drain and set aside. Place the peppers in a food processor along with a bit of the soaking liquid, chili powder, and hot sauce. Puree. Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a simmer. Add the ancho puree, tomtao, paste, hominy, and chicken. Salt to taste.

Serve hot with cilanto, freshly squeezed lime juice, and sour cream.

-PG

Little Pleasures

2010-04-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Finding small joys in your food (and in life!) is a great way to be satisfied and happier.

For me, the way the magenta radishes pair with the delicate fresh green parsley during my lunch made the meal so much more satisfying. And the alternating crunchy, juicy radish with the smooth silky butter? Perfection.

Speaking of parsley, the best way someone starting out redefining their food relationship can begin finding joy in food is by keeping herb plants! The pleasures of watching little herbs bloom on your windowsill is a great little example of the wonder that is nature. Not to mention you'll always have fresh herbs on hand. I have English thyme, French tarragon, Italian parsley, mint, and basil for a grand total of 7 dollars. And I'll never have to buy them again!

Today's Lunch:

A few pieces of whole wheat bread, toasted and topped with unsalted European style butter, fresh sliced radishes, kosher salt, and Italian parsley. A wedge of a special Spanish cheese ended my lunch (I usually try not to buy too many imports, but every once in awhile, something at the cheese counter catches my eye!). Finally, a mug of black tea with honey.

-PG

Musings: Being Stuffed

2010-04-17T06:03:00.001-07:00

There's no use to eating three lovely meals/day if at each one you are going to completley inhale whatever you have prepared and stuff yourself silly.

So, while I've been very good about not eating processed sugar and not snacking, I'm guilty of eating much too much at my meals, not savoring, and ending up a big bloated mess!

So this is what I will work on this week.

How about this for breakfast?

Whole Wheat and Flax Scones

Makes 2 Large Scones, Serves 1

1/2 cup White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur brand! Yes it is whole grain!)
2 Tablespoons Golden Ground Flax Seed (optional? You don't have to, and I don't think it will affect the recipe, but I've never left them out, so be wary)
1 Tablespoon Aluminum Free Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons good cold unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup cold Buttermilk OR regular Milk with a few splashes of light (rice, white, apple cider) vinegar mixed in
A splash of Vanilla Extract

*Be sure to keep many of these ingredients on hand for quick tweaking before baking. The dough texture and dryness are what make a good scone.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare yourself for the best breakfast experience ever. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Have cold buttermilk or milk/vinegar mixture prepared and in the fridge. You can add the vanilla to the milk to make everything quicker. Add cold butter to the bowl. With a long pronged fork, smash the butter into the dry ingredients, until the bowl is filled with little flakes of butter. To be honest, I never measure the butter, I just take a few huge chunks and start going at it. (By the way, butter is good for you. These scones are still healthy.)To scrape fork while mixing, use a knife, not your hands. This does not have to be precise, and while it should be incorporated, bigger flakes of butter mean a flakier scone. After this is completed, quickly make a well in the center of the flour/butter, and add the milk and vanilla. Use fork to gently combine ingredients. The dough should be quite dry, and getting the last bits of flour to pull together should be a small battle. Give the dough a few pushes and squeezes with your hand just to smooth it out and place on the center of a quickly buttered sheet pan. Make a square-ish shape, and then cut in half with a pastry cutter (great investment), or knife to make a classic scone triangle. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until just golden brown all over the top. Enjoy warm with clotted Devonshire cream (or lightly sweetened whipped cream) and jam, or just jam, but definitely include coffee or tea.

-PG

Perpetual dieter? How can Peasant Girl help you?

2010-04-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

I know who you are.

You are an intelligent, modern American woman. You are well educated, well dressed, and have a promising future.

The only catch: you have an unhealthy obsessesion with "health" food. And for the wrong reasons. Under the countless "detox"s and special diets, your real goal is weight loss. It is something that consumes your life, and takes on the role of the elephant in the room. It is there at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any time in between. You may or may not actually need to lose weight, but this is besides the point, because it is getting in the way of your ability to socialize, enjoy yourself, and be able to focus your energy on more positive, meaningful things and relationships.

It isn't helping you at all.

I can't say that I've been there all the way. Not like some of you have. But, I know what it feels like to be an American woman. I know what it means to have socially been brainwashed into thinking that wholesome, natural, traditional foods such as pastas, meat, butter, cream, cheese, whole milk, eggs, etc, are foods that should be said "no" to in daily life. It takes a lot to finally eat butter daily again. And I know.

But, if it helps. I somehow weigh between 10 and 15 lbs less than I did when I ate the way YOU do.

I'd like to propose a different train of thought. Here are some things that will lead you to your goals, which I hope include the mental as well as the physical. You CAN be well again:

1. Addicted to crappy frozen yogurt? You know: the tasteless kind all around the NYC area wherein you spoon high fructose corn syrup laden cereals and candies all in the name of your "health".

INSTEAD: Take a small bowl and fill it with Greek Yogurt. Top with seasonal fruits and a bit of raw honey. Then splash on heavy cream. OR Take seasonal fruits and top with a GENEROUS serving of freshly whipped cream and raw honey.

2. Addicted to veganism? Are you a vegan simply because you think that this will help you lose weight? Have you finally realized that it won't?

INSTEAD: Get to know local dairy, fish, foul, and meat producers. The NYC Greenmarket or your local farmer's market is your friend. While you certainly shouldn't eat meat every day, animals provide us with incredible nourishment and meal satisfaction. A well-raised and healthy animal that is then eaten with integrity is a part of a beautiful arrangement humanity has with mother nature.

3. Not a vegan but can't get over lean meat? Does the thought of beautifully crisped chicken skin make you think about how fat you'll get when you eat it?

INSTEAD: It is just wrong and insulting to limit one's consuming and cooking to the dryest, least tasty parts of an animal. If you are a girl who is afraid of chicken fat and will only cook breasts, consider the Peasant Girl. She savored a gorgeous roast chicken leg, and tossed her potatoes in the pan drippings. Do you want to be her? Or do you just want to stay old neurotic you? Imagine all the meals you would now be able to freely consume.

4. Can't keep your head out of nutritionism?

INSTEAD: The Earth doesn't have a nutritionist. Look there instead for your answers. What's growing/is being slaughtered right now? You will not go malnourished.

5. Can't stop eating all day long? Never satisfied? Always wanting more?

INSTEAD: If I may put this bluntly, this is because the food you eat IS AWFUL. There's nothing wholesome about it. There's nothing healthy about the excessive consumption of entire jars of peanut butter, almond butter, various other nuts and seeds, crispbreads, plates of steamed vegetables, etc, etc. And if these things are consumed on their own and never in the context of a meal, they will never satisfy you. Ever. Try, for just one day, eating three satisfying meals. No snacks. No weird skim sugar-free lattes. Just good, real food.

THE SAMPLE PLAN:

I have devised a sample plan. Try it for one day. Try it without guilt.

Breakfast:

1/2 cup cooked steel cut oats cooked in water, topped with your favorite fruit, raw honey, and real organic heavy cream

Lunch:

Homemade soup of any kind, as long as it has a hearty (read: fat) component of some sort that renders it able to satisfy. Sausage? More cream? Oil? Eat with a whole grain bread.

Dinner:

A plate of whole wheat pasta tossed with leafy greens, tomato, olive oil, cracked chili pepper, salt, pepper, etc. Topped with plenty of cheese.

Dessert: Your favorite fruit topped with cream.

You can be happy, American woman! You can lose weight! You can also eat butter for the rest of your life and not feel weird about it!

And that's really what counts.

-Peasant Girl

Things I Can Improve Upon

2010-04-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

It seems I've been eating more processed sweeteners than before I wrote down that one should avoid them! This is inevitable though. Once anything goes down in writing as an "avoid", I think I subconsciously flock to it.

I will be definitely cutting back starting tomorrow.

Also, I've been OK about meals, but I think I can do even better! And I can also do better about cooking more interesting/satisfying foods as well.

-PG

Being Good to Oneself and Whole Wheat Pancakes

2010-04-09T06:54:00.001-07:00

I've been asked about this project, and much of what I'm asked about is "what" my philosphy preaches to eat. I simply explain that, other than the rules of banishing the processed, and attempting to eat seasonal, local, and home-cooked food, ALL food is game for a Peasant Girl.

Peasant Girl is a WAY to eat. It is a "how", not a "what".

And what is beautiful about this is that the "what" will naturally follow after the "how". If the goal is to enjoy oneself at a meal after having cooked something satisfying, this will be much more successful over Whole Wheat Ginger-Spice pancakes served with Orange Blossom honey, than a bowl of non-fat yogurt with out-of-season fruit and artificial sweeteners, or a plate of egg whites.

If you think "how", the "what" will follow naturally.

This was my morning breakfast today.

Whole Wheat Ginger-Spice Pancakes

(Serves 1, Makes 6 Mini Pancakes)

1/2 cup White Whole Wheat Flour (*see note at bottom)
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
A few generous shakes of Salt
Cinnamon, Clove, Allspice, lots of Freshly Ground Ginger
1 egg ( or 1 tablespoon ground golden flax seed mixed with 2 tablespoons milk)
1/2 cup whole milk
Splash of vanilla extract
A few splashes of white/rice/mild vinegar

Mix all dry ingredients. Combine all wet ingredients. Now mix wet into dry. Voila.

Keep some milk and flour on hand just to make sure the consistency is right. This should be a stiffer batter than you think of with your typical white flour pancake which has a runny, milky batter. This batter will eventually slide off the spoon, but when is placed in the pan, will need a little spreading and shaping. Cook in a skillet (preferably cast iron) with lots of good butter at medium to medium high eat until golden brown. Then flip and do the same to finish. Serve with pure maple syrup or raw honey, like I did today. They really don't need extra butter, but would be great with some whipped cream as well!

-Peasant Girl

* White Whole Wheat Flour isn't a scam: it's made from "White Wheat", which is a different strain of wheat than the "Red Wheat" you're used to consuming. The whole grain of the White Wheat tastes much lighter and more similar to white flour than the Red Wheat and so it is really useful in baking where you want the nutrition of Whole Wheat, but the lightness and flavor of a "normal" baked good. It still requires more liquid, though, so be prepared when messing around with recipes to have to play. Try King Arthur brand.

Taking Time

2010-04-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

I'm getting used to REALLY only eating meals. I kicked the general snacking habit awhile back, but I still would eat a broken cookie at work, or nibble on things around. And it's not easy. The truth is, you will start to feel hungry an hour or two before you eat, but this hunger is not an emergency. It is NORMAL. And the great thing about this plan is that you know you have an extremely nourishing meal ahead.

Another challenge for me is taking time while eating. I tend to always be the first to finish, and this is a habit since childhood that I plan on truly destroying from the core.

Here are some April ingredients I'm especially excited to cook with:

Morels
Crab
Rhubarb

-PG

Musings: A New Value System

2010-03-30T15:57:00.001-07:00

What do American women value in their food today?

1. That it won't make them "fat"
2. That it can be at their disposal quickly and with the least effort on their parts.
3. That there are some "naughty" foods meant to be eaten "in hiding".
4. That there's never a time of day when it's not appropriate to be eating.
5. That prepackaged products will provide them with consistently revamped and exciting "health products" which will be "good for them" according to the latest dogma.

What would a Peasant Girl value in her food?

1. That it gives her the energy to get through her day and stay healthy.
2. That after the time and energy it takes to make it, a delicious meal will be the reward.
3. That food and eating is something to be shared with others.
4. That waiting for a meal ensures satiety, satisfaction, and a higher quality food experience
5. That absolutely NOTHING is healthier and more exciting than fresh, local, seasonal produce.

This is my proposal. Thoughts?

-P.G.

How I Ate Today: March 30

2010-03-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Steel cut Oats cooked with one Bosc pear, sliced, vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Raw honey and heavy cream to top.

Lunch: Rye crispbreads with cultured cream cheese, radishes, parsley, and radish greens to top.

Dinner: As I type, salted water is being brought to a boil for what will end up being a similar rustic pasta dish as last night. A good simple plate of pasta never gets old for me.

-P.G

Musings on Breakfast/Lunch

2010-03-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:

I work at 7am most days of the week, so I pack my steel cut oats in a container. I usually can't get around to eating them until 8, but they somehow stay warm enough. I work at a wonderful bakery and we use Ronnybrook milk products for our coffee, so I have access to incredible heavy cream, which I promptly splashed onto my oats, that had been cooked with a bit of vanilla, blueberries thrown in at the end, and a generous drizzle of raw honey added just before packing up for work.

Here's how to enjoy the oats if you have some place to be early. or won't have time to spent 30 or so minutes preparing them in the morning:

The night before, measure out 1/2 cup of s.c. oats and 2 cups of milk or water. Add whatever spices or flavorings you wish. Bring this to a boil for a bit, cover, and turn off the heat. Go to bed. When you wake up in the morning, uncover, give the porridge a stir, and you'll see that it has pretty much come together. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes on the stove, and then it is ready to be sweetened and eaten.

I love the way the blueberries look against the cream. I also try not to stir the cream into the oats too much. I like having a spoonful of oats and berries with a little pool of cream just next to it. The cream makes the breakfast incredibly satisfying, and I urge you (if you are one of those people using skim milk and sweetening your breakfast with artificial powders) to try just a little bit of something truly wholesome, and realize how much it can brighten your day, and REALLY hold you over until lunch.

I became hungry at the end of work today, and just finished my lunch, which consisted of Rye crispreads that I generously slathered with cultured cream cheese, and topped with smoked salmon and black pepper. I then ate two Bosc pears for a juicy lunch closer.

In the late afternoon I had tea time: an Irish breakfast with a bit of cream.

Dinner was dried rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente, then set aside while I quickly wilted a variety of greens that I had around (radish greens, chard, and kale) in some olive oil. Then, after stirring in a few globs of tomato paste, freshly ground pepper, salt, and chili flakes, I tossed the pasta back into the pot and stirred until a thin, yet rich sauce coated. A bit more olive oil, and lots of Grana Padano shavings finished it off.

Leafy greens should be a main staple in anyone's diet. More on that later.

I had a bit of dark chocolate later. A little bit of anything won't hurt :)

-P.G.

What is Peasant Girl?

2010-03-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

Peasant Girl is going to be a journey, I suppose. Peasant Girl may eventually be a book: a collection of thoughts and recipes that may or may not be pursued for publishing.

What are the ideas behind Peasant Girl?

1. That there are too many "facts" and not enough wisdom about how we should eat.

2. That adopting a more traditional eating pattern, including timing and content, will ultimatley lead to more satisfying food experiences.

3. That food is community, and when eaten, represents MUCH more than just a collection of calories, which is a superficial and pathetic way of determining worth, both food-worth and self-worth.

4. That the modern woman is in desperate need to redefine her relationship with what she eats.

What are some basic rules behind Peasant Girl?

1. 3 Square Meals/Day.

2. No snacking.

3. No counting unless it's measuring!

4. Limit processed or modern foods, especially:

-White Sugar or other refined Sweeteners

-Western Soy Products (Textured Soy Protein, fake meat of any sort)

5. Enjoy and take time.

This is the ANTI-diet. No juicing and carb-avoidance here. I will be eating butter and heavy cream probably every day. I will also be eating fresh seasonal vegetables every day. I will be enjoying meat and fish occasionally, though not every day. The key, though, is that I will be enjoying. And a note: I can say for sure that I will be healthier for it.

And I begin tomorrow:

For breakfast? Steel Cut Oats. Steel Cut Oats are a whole grain cereal, that has been split only into three pieces for easier cooking. If you've been eating "regular" oatmeal, I urge you to try these: they are nuttier and chewier, and much less processed. 1/2 cup dry oats will cook in about 30 minutes on the stove. I will eat my oats cooked in water, topped with wild blueberries and raw honey and drizzled with heavy cream.

Ingredients:

Steel Cut Oats

Frozen Wild Blueberries

Raw Wildflower Honey

Heavy Cream

-Rosalind-