Some kale to start...

"The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof."
- Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

I've been talking about starting a blog for...well, a while.
But there are so many blogs, and so many food blogs, out there already, it seemed a bit daunting. What exactly do I have to offer that is so different? I realized, finally, that for me it's not about who reads my blog, or how many readers I get, or offering something entirely new and amazing; if all that comes of this is that I share some recipes and stories with a few friends and family, then great! Because what I actually need from this is the DOING of it, not the outcome. I think about food - and what I could be cooking next - every day and every night, and whether I'm buying it, making it, or just enjoying it, I love it. I OWE it to food - and not just any food, but seasonal, local, and yes, organic food - to show how much I do care. For something that takes up such a considerable chunk of my daily routine (not to mention work hours spent browsing recipes while waiting on hold with big bad insurance companies), it's high time I made it official.

When buying food, I consider several things: how it was raised, how far it had to travel to reach me, how long it's been around, and finally, whether it had any business being produced at this time of year. I like to have a relationship with the food I'm eating, and honestly, it's hard to care about mealy tomatoes from Mexico that took thousands of miles and who knows how many days to get here. Of course, for people in states where snow is a reality for 6 months out of the year, having tomatoes at all in January might seem pretty cool. But, I dare ask, are those tomatoes really worth the effort (and resources)? I haven't touched a fresh tomato in months (because they look gross), and I'm not exactly feeling a lack of antioxidants or vitamin C. It is, after all, the height of citrus season; and do you even KNOW how many good antioxidants are in kale? Plus, ingredients just go naturally together when they were produced at the same time of year. Focusing on season has introduced me to many fabulous foods over the past several years, including kale, sweet potatoes, and persimmons this winter, and fresh shelled peas last spring. And avoiding certain sub-standard out-of-season items that are still offered - even at my local organic market - is actually quite easy (and not just because their quality is so poor). There are many sources of fresh, local, seasonal food in the Bay Area, many of which I will be highlighting in future posts.

That being said, it can be confusing living in CA. Today, after several weeks of rain and several months of relatively cold, gray weather, we had - suddenly and without warning - a day that appeared to be borrowed from last year's spring...or really, mid-summer or early fall, because who can tell the difference around here? But it was WARM and lovely, and there were cherry blossoms out in Berkeley. The type of weather that might start one yearning for produce of a warmer season.



I chose to completely rebel against this prematurely-spring weather by celebrating the last day of January with a SUPER easy, hearty, wintery, all-in-one-pan dish. I discovered it over the holidays in my new copy of Food & Wine's 2009 annual cookbook (thanks, Grandma!), and this will be my third time making it. For those of you looking for a project-of-a-recipe that takes all day and dozens of ingredients to complete, this is NOT the post for you. But I've had several requests lately for ideas for easier recipes, and this incredibly simple combination of chicken, Yukon golds, onions and kale can't be beat. Quite often I enjoy playing with recipes, but there's not really a need to here. I'm adding gorgeous purple potatoes this time, just to change it up a tiny bit, and I like to throw on some thin slices of Meyer lemon from our tree, which get nice and roasty and sweet...but really, this recipe is perfect as is.



Roasted Chicken Legs with Kale and Potatoes
(Adapted from Food and Wine 2009 cookbook)

2-4 bunches tender, young kale, stems and inner ribs removed
1 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, yellow or white, thinly sliced
4 whole chicken legs (about 10 ounces each)
Plenty of extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
   
2. In a very large roasting pan, toss the kale, potatoes and onion with the olive oil. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.
3. Set the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down. Make a slice halfway through the joint between the drumsticks and thighs. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the paprika and set on top of the vegetables. Top with a few thin slices of Meyer lemon.
   
4. Cover the pan with foil. Roast the chicken in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the vegetables alongside.

(And to top it all off, here's a yummy treat from Epicurious.com; super easy lemony, creamy lemon pudding with lemon curd)



Happy eating!