COOKING TIPS.
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." First rule of cooking?––don't listen to Carl Sagan. His recipes are impossible.
We as a culture have determined that cooking is an ordeal. It requires a recipe, a lot of money, time and a special skill-set. I assure you, this rumor is false.Because Hannah and I are in the produce business, it's in our best interest to convince the world to cook more. Lucky for everyone, it's in the best interest of the entire world to do so. We decidedly can't afford to eat out all the time and if you care about your health and you're a normal person, you likely can't either. Eating out usually breaks down to one simple equation: if it's cheap it's probably not good for you, and if it's good for you it's probably not cheap. Our answer is to cook for ourselves and, with a little fear of sounding presumptuous, hopefully to convince other people to have the confidence to do the same.If you're in need of a few helpful tips, as so many have expressed to us, we wanted to lend a few we follow:1. MEAT IS A SPECIAL OCCASION.Hannah and I don't eat much meat and when we do we like to know who grew it. Typically, it's not cheap, ergo, only for special occasions. For our daily protein we eat eggs, beans, cheese, lentils or some combination of them. Not an easy transition for a lot of people––myself included––but a necessary one. Fresh beans or lentils just take a little planning. Soak them over night, rinse them, and cook them for a couple hours the next day. Make a lot and put what you don't use in the fridge for the next couple of days' meals. Red Lentils are very fast and don't (necessarily) have to be soaked at all. A little protein goes a long way if your day does not require a lot of physical labor.2. ALL OF OUR MEALS CONSIST OF AT LEAST ONE PROTEIN, ONE STARCH, AND ONE VEGETABLE.Rice is the work horse of starches. Make enough to get through at least two meals. For the first, eat it fresh with some sautéed vegetables and lentils. The second, heat it back up by frying it with some eggs and greens. Any left over, reward your efforts with some rice pudding and honey. Sautéed or boiled potatoes (sweet potatoes or regular) are excellent, cheap starch options as well. I typically sauté potatoes because the pan caramelizes the sugars and adds a little complexity but boiling works, too. And it's definitely healthy. Also, potato salad is a delicious option if you have to pack a lunch. 3. WE BUY FRESH VEGETABLES WEEKLY.We will soon have a garden to pick from, but while we're in the city, we have to buy some vegetables. One bunch of kale or collards or chard lasts us through three to five meals. Extrapolate that however's convenient: if you're a family of four, double it and so on. We definitely get a lot of mileage out of our broccoli or cauliflower as well. Also, save any scraps to make soup stocks. You can make a soup stock out of any vegetables, simmer them for 45 minutes in water then strain out the scraps. Potato soup with milk, kale and vegetable stock is simple and rewarding. 4. BUY WHAT YOU CAN IN BULK.Pretty self-explanatory but it saves considerable money to buy starches and storage crops (like onions and garlic) in larger quantities. Per meal, we use at least one small clove of garlic and half an onion. Add a big bag of beans and red or black lentils, some real salt and a big jar of olive oil. Of course, try and buy what you can organically or directly from a local farmer. If they don't advertise, it's perfectly OK to ask if they spray. Perhaps you have some rules of your own you want to share, or perhaps you flat out disagree with one of ours––please feel free to tell us. We want the world to cook more––let us know what you eat. Hannah and I cook two if not three meals a day for ourselves and we sit down and eat them together. It teaches you a lot about food, about discipline, and about each other to do so. This kind of lifestyle takes more planning and definitely more time in the kitchen, but hopefully in the future it will save you time in the doctor's office––more time to spend with your family.- Jesse.