Sometimes, in the fall, I like to talk about how even though I really dislike winter, I look forward to the break.
To anyone who will listen, I romanticize how I will sit in my big chair, drinking tea, reading books, and how I will write a really stellar garden plan. I also complain about how there will be nothing to eat, how I will probably end up with scurvy, and how my vitamin D level will plummet.
And then I find myself in the middle of winter, also known as conference season, and notice my tune has changed. On both accounts. The stacks of books are still on a pile next to my big chair, mostly unread and I am panicking about how I have not ordered my seeds yet (but am still planning a garden even bigger than last year). And the plan, at this point is to figure it out when the time comes. Stellar.
The other thing that did not materialize is the scurvy. Far from it actually. It turns out, that like every other winter I have lived here, there is a winter farmers’ market, and winter buying clubs. There are more vitamin packed leafy greens and root vegetables than I could possibly need. And one of the things that I notice, in the winter, is that I am so thankful to have the fresh veggies (and dairy and meat), that I don’t waste much, and I spend my Sunday’s in the kitchen without any garden guilt. So I thought I’d share a favorite winter recipe with you. The winter bowl can be made for any meal of the day, and you can change it up as you like!
¼ pound spinach, sliced into ribbons
1 cup cooked wheat berries (substitutes: rice, beans, or quinoa)
2 eggs, poached or hard boiled
1 large misato radish (watermelon radish), diced
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Cook wheat berries:
Cook one ½ cup wheat berries with 3.5 cups water over medium heat for about one hour (they should be chewy, but not hard)
Just before wheat berries are done, poach your eggs
Boil water in a small saucepan with a splash of vinegar, crack egg into simmering water for three minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon
Fill two bowls with spinach
Pile half cup of wheat berries on each bed of spinach
Add egg on top of wheat berries
Sprinkle bowl with diced radishes and feta cheese
Break your egg and mix it into the salad
Optional: add a bit of your favorite salad dressing