October eats

http://www.jamieoliver.com/newsletter/jfr_oct2010.html

     I miss seeing Jamie on TV and want to support his ongoing efforts. He offers some Halloween treat ideas at the above link. I'm working on my own menu ideas to feed a few fourteen year olds on Saturday night. I will post about them this weekend. I do think we have to make a special effort to counter all of that candy consumption. I still have trouble not overindulging in candy at this time of year, so how can we expect children to be moderate?

     Here is a photo of a rustic apple tart I recently baked. It was adapted from Pioneer Women's recipe, but I used phyllo dough and tried to go easy on the butter so as not to make it too unhealthy, but that meant it came out too dry. I'm sure it would have come out much better using regular pie dough. That was my very first harvest of organic apples that I grew myself, and it was fun coming up with recipes to use.

Before baking.

After baking.

Pumpkin Hummus

     This is a great antidote to excess candy consumption, and an easy to make party food. Lots of supe-rfood ingredients in this version, but of course, you can tweak it as you see fit.

Pumpkin Hummus

2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp (fresh) lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 garlic clove, smashed

     Mash and smash all of these ingredients with a good grinding tool the way hummus has been made for hundreds of years. No need to use electricity. Kids can handle this fun job. Serve in your favorite Halloween vessel, with freshly toasted pita chips and crudite'. If children are at hand, it can be fun to cut the pita bead into holiday shapes using cookie cutters or your own skillful paring knife and imagination. Happy dipping.

Pear and Spinach Salad

     This was one of those wonderful meals that are created with what if fresh and readily at hand. I had a couple of perfectly ripe Asian pears that inspired me. There is almost always some organic greens in my fridge to make a salad with. I also had some good Artisnal bread that wasn't quite fresh, so along with a handful of walnuts I toasted them up in the oven, turning them into croutons with a bit of garlic powder and olive oil.

These were tossed with a homemade dressing made with a couple of shakes each of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and poppy seeds.I threw in some crisp fried onions and some pumpkin seeds.

       It was quite delicious!!

180 days, that's one school year

This is a strange but thought provoking little experiment.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/sallydavies/sets/72157624739645253/with/5059592657/

Apple Ideas

Apple Molasses Bran Muffins

    And another good idea~ 
   These good folks, in a town neighboring mine, deserve a shout out. Please check it out, and maybe try it out;

http://www.freshpict.blogspot.com