The Day of Roast

The kitchen has been chilly, so again I turned to my oven to warm things up. This time, I made sure not to burn my arm (ouch).

To get the party started, I heated the oven to 425 deg F. Then, once the oven had reached the set point and stayed there awhile, I popped in some bread. Since there are only 4 ingredients for the levain, the type of flour you use makes a huge difference. I used 8 oz of organic whole wheat flour (from bulk bin) and 2 oz of organic dark rye flour (Bob's Red Mill) for this bread, and the results were phenominal! Happily, I can find both flours at Monterey Market.

Next up were some delicata squashes and beets. The roasted squash pulp will be a soup, and the beets will probably be eaten with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

The beauregard yams were next in line.

Doing a bulk roasting of all these vegetables is necessary for making sure the boy and I don't eat junk. It is easy for us to avoid junk foods for dinner since we're used to home cooked meals, but snacks are a problem since we associate them with granola bars, chips, and cookies. Redefining snack as whole foods has meant making sure the fridge is stocked with fruits and vegetables that are already in an easy to eat form (peeled citrus, dried fruit, roasted veggies, nuts, and salads).

I'm avoiding processed foods because the more I learn, the more convinced I am that loads of health problems stem from the disconnect between farm/ranch to table, so convenience foods like chips and crackers are a no go over here. Be forewarned that if you eat chips or candy in front of me, I will snatch them from your hands, run as fast as I can, and eat them myself since I am in severe withdrawal. (Those of you who have dined with me know that I am not exaggerating.)

This week's salad was an easy to make celeriac remoulade. Ceriac is such an ugly root vegetable, but it makes the best raw salad.

I made a sauce out of nonfat yogurt, crushed garlic, salt, freshly cracked pepper, honey, and some homemade mustard. This sauce was mixed with grated celeriac and sat for over 24 hours in the fridge to let the flavors develop. It has been helping to quell my cravings for salty chips, since this salad stays crunchy.

I am happy that Spring is knocking on my door, because the green garlic, asparagus, and artichokes showing up at the market are a welcome break from the winter vegetables. I'm ready for change.