Lull

It's the first week of the new year, and unsurprisingly the restaurant is dead. I'm sure pretty much everyone in the industry is feeling the exact same lull in business right now. Every year, the same thing. People are strapped for cash after the holidays and with New Year's resolutions still fresh in their minds even the ones who do come into our store tend to eat lighter and less expensively. For people who are still in the mood to eat out though, this is a great time. No crowds, cash hungry waiters falling all over you, and specials designed to draw customers in such as extended happy hours and prix fixe dinners.

In this quiet time in my job I get to come in little later, leave a little earlier, and be a little less stressed out. Of course, my sales are laughable by last months standards, but that's what happens when you work in a seasonal industry. I enjoy the extra time to spend in the kitchen, but now that I'm on a tighter budget I need to get a little more creative with my ingredients. Thankfully I was able to stock up my pantry last week and since my CSA is still delivering plenty of seasonal food (granted, some of it sourced from organic farms down south a little farther) I might possibly be able to squeak through the grocery store without picking up anything other than the toddler necessities.



In my opinion the best types of dishes to make in such situations are curries, stews, casseroles - homey, and comforting, if a little less refined. The preparation can be as simple and lazy as you make it. The perfect choice for a busy work week, or a lazy day spent on the couch.

This particular dish was invented to use up a few things in my fridge. Just follow the same basic steps and add whatever you want to it - change the ingredients entirely, but it will still be as easy.



Cook alliums (onion, garlic, shallot, leeks) and meat/veg protein in a little oil until they begin to color slightly. Add vegetables that need to be cooked through (make sure they are all chopped to the same sized dice), and add salt, pepper, and a little hint of spices of your choice, stir for a few minutes. Add flavorful liquid (pre-made soup, or stock, or even coconut milk). Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and give it 15-20 minutes, or whenever your most dense veggies are soft. Then add the ingredients that need only a minute of cooking - greens or herbs. Give it a couple of minutes on low heat for your fresh ingredients to soften, then serve with rice, bread, quinoa, crackers, whatever. And voila! A steaming hot bowl of yum.



For my dish I used a little yellow onion and garlic with a 5 grain tempeh. Then I added peeled potatoes, turnips, baby yellow carrots, and an apple. For the flavoring I used kosher salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and about a teaspoon of curry powder. My liquid choice was a premade butternut squash soup - about 2 cups of it. It took 20 minutes for my veggies to cook and then I topped it off with some shredded swiss chard. The curried squash soup base goes really well with jasmine rice.

xoxo

Me