I have been posting to this space on-and-off for fourteen years now, which is insane. In that time, I have watched social media explode, and the ways in which we post consequently evolve. One of the things I have noticed as of late, is a return to short-form content. More akin to the old days of blogging when people shared simply for the sake of sharing. I am here for it.
Over the years I definitely fell victim to thinking that every post had to have dozens of photos and lengthy – SEO compliant – descriptions to be “valuable”. The latter is actually part of the reason I abandoned this space for a time. I simply no longer had the energy. I am happy to report though, that I want to start sharing again; bits and pieces of my life, recipes or “concepts” that might inspire you to cook more at home, garden discoveries, and the people, pieces, and places that I love so much. I hope this post will serve to do just that.
If you have been following along from the beginning, you know that come summer, I will undoubtedly be out picking fruit at one of the many farms/orchards in my area. One of my favorite being Swistak Farm, in Verona, NY. I grew up visiting the farm with my sister, Mom, and Grandma, and am so happy that we can now carry on that tradition with my precious nieces.
And while I can typically eat copious amounts of strawberries plain, fresh from the field, I have also enjoyed making both sweet and savory creations with them. The bowl above was a true standout! To make it, I used:
Wild rice, cooked in chicken broth; I like this brand of rice.
Jones Family Farm chicken tenders (the best), marinated and grilled in this Strawberry BBQ Sauce
Fresh-picked, small-sliced strawberries, of course
Pickled rhubarb; recipe via eyeswoon
Arugula
Diced cucumber
Parsley pea tendrils; a new favorite addition to my garden
Fresh mint
I whisked a small amount of the rhubarb pickling vinegar with raw honey, and extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle over the top.
Even though I listed specific items/ideas here, this is only meant to be an outline of a really delicious combination; feel free to experiment!
