Time in the kitchen

How true what Jeremy Rock Smith points out in the current Maranda Pleasant's Origin magazine in his article "The Yoga of Cooking":
If you can make a meal in 20 minutes, but it takes you 3 hours to clean up, that doesn't count as time-saving...
I was also interested in what the fantastic Alice Hart says in her wonderful The New Vegetarian (which is, in case you were wondering, an entirely new book, not a repeat of her also-wonderful Vegetarian), that very few people can really really plan a week's or more worth of marvelous meals very well. In other words, if you have the time, it's certainly not bad just to relax and plan and source fewer meals at a time! I had to do that in Manhattan, because I couldn't carry home a zillion bags from the shop, even though it was just downstairs. Besides, it was so easy to stop into the wonderful shop, which was not only next to my apartment building but to my subway and bus stops, and of course I got fresher produce in the house that way.

Mr. Smith in the same article also speaks of how it's wise to adjust the way you eat to how you're feeling, which of course can vary day to day -- another reason not to plan and source all at once, unless of course you want or need to do so....

By the way, Ms. Pleasant's magazines have the most beautiful food photography and kindest writers! who stand up so strongly for what is right. Here's the one I mention above: https://www.originmagazine.com/ .

and some that show off the food even more, https://www.mythrivemag.com/ :


and https://www.mantramag.com/ :

One-Stage Cookery, c1960

Featuring a margarine they claimed mixed nicely....I'm only seeing it mentioned in UK sites. Some sample recipes can be found at the nice site of http://recipespastandpresent.org.uk/blueband.php .




A Fabulous Summer Tomato Vegetarian Main Dish

This was my first meal ever mostly from my own garden! It was so easy and so delicious!

enough for 1 to 2 people; easily doubled



Do to your own taste of course...

Place in glass bowl and toss
    about 3 plum tomatoes cut into wedges and/or cherry tomatoes
    1 large garlic clove, minced
    4 mint branches' leaves, chopped if large
    4 branches of parsley, chopped with their non-thick stems
    a small handful of baby mesclun
    about ½ cup or bit more of black beans cooked
    generous olive oil
    big pinch chipotle chili flakes
    generous black pepper
You can set it aside for a while at this point if you need to.
When ready to serve, stir through
    a big handful shelled pistachios, roasted and salted.
Taste; add salt if required (my pistachios were quite salty already).
Top with
    a generous scoop of creamy ricotta cheese.
Serve with a favorite bread.

Super adapted from Burrata with Cherry Tomatoes and Minty Pistachio Pesto in the July-August 2017 issue of JAMIE magazine. They recommend pistachio oil instead – I'm sure that would be amazing! I so highly recommend this magazine to perk up your cooking and meals!

People who are doing something for the planet

Just when I was feeling rather in despair at living in a country that an evil person is trying to direct, including attacking the planet itself, I saw in the current JAMIE magazine an ad for this:

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/treeparty/

...And many many thanks not only to them, but to the many people I know are doing so much for our planet in my own country as well.