Sparce Abundance

The fridge doesn’t remain stocked nowadays.  The consuming rhythms of the farm leave less time for redundant runs to the grocery store, therefore less impulse buying and less clutter on the refrigerator shelves.  Basically, we’ve been living off of whatever eggs come out of the chicken coop and vegetables come out of the garden, plus frozen meat from the farmer’s market and good fats, like drippings from frozen, pastured bacon and mail-ordered coconut oil.  I make a big soup with homemade chicken stock, and we eat off of it for 2 1/2 days.  I’ve always been one to eat a soup breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I’ve noticed my husband doing this lately, too.  There’s no other option.  A run into town takes 10 solid minutes each way and the pickings there are mostly fast-food nonsense.  A run to Whole Foods hot bar, which used to be our cafeteria on days I wasn’t cooking, takes 20 solid minutes each way, making it an occasional treat. The upside of this empty shell is the increased appreciation for the foods we do cook, less waste.  And, the lack of clutter is beginning to clear way for survival routines, like making soup every Tuesday night and hitting the local farmer’s market on Thursday evening, where I can pick up fish for Friday’s dinner.  I’m also trying to carve out space on Friday afternoon for kitchen chores, which I’ll honestly look forward to all week!  These blocks of routine suit me just fine, in fact, they help my slightly scattered brain relax and settle-in.

Oh, and the moral of the story? We eat a heck of a lot of whatever is in season.  And right now, we’ve got heirloom beets coming out our ears.

Today’s dish sprung from one of those moments where I stared at a pile of beets and was hungry.  I swear the best things come when your back’s against the wall.  Each time a private cheffing client or my own family threw me a curve-ball with a food allergy or dislike, new things were born, like Coconut Banana Muffins (no gluten), Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (no potatoes) or Squash Noodles with Red Sauce (no pasta).

Sauteing beets makes them extra sweet and adding bacon fat creates a rich, deep flavor that I finished off with a generous handful of fresh chives for a contrasting brightness. I’ve since made these beets 4 times, so I think I like ‘em, and I hope you do, too.

Click HERE for the Caramelized Beets with Chives recipe…

Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in the Sowing Millions Project by Real Food Media on behalf of Seeds of Change. I received product and exclusive content to facilitate my post. However, my thoughts and opinions are my own and not of those of Real Food Media or Seeds of Change.