Happy Earth Day Weekend!

This weekend, there will be Earth Day celebrations all over the world.  Protecting our planet should be our responsibility, but all too frequently we are guilty of disregarding the places that we live.   

Caring for our planet is everyone's responsibility, and on Earth Day, small steps are probably the best ones to take. A small step would be to plant something.  A small garden is a great idea, especially if you have children to help with the planting.  

 Watching their food grow is a great way to teach children that food doesn't come from Kroger, but actually out of the ground.  This doesn't have to be a large garden, but just adding a few plants to your surroundings can improve the environment.  

Even container gardens are a lot of fun for children.  

Today I had some gorgeous produce from Specialty Produce and turned it into a roasted ratatouille that I'll serve tomorrow night with a grilled flank steak.

Before

Roasted Ratatouille

Serves 6

2 red onions, coarsely chopped

One red bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped

One orange or yellow bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped

4 Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound) cut into 1/2-inch 

If Japanese eggplant aren't available, use 1 pound of purple eggplant

 12 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 Roma tomatoes, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dried herbs de Provence

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

  

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, or silicone baking liner. 
2.  In a large bowl, toss the onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.   
3. Spread the vegetables evenly over both sheets.
4. Roast, for 20 minutes, stir the vegetables, and roast for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to color and are tender. 
5. Transfer the vegetables from baking sheet to a large bowl, taste for seasoning and adjust with additional, salt or pepper.  
6. Toss the vegetables with the basil and parsley.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 
7. The ratatouille is actually better the next day, reheat in a skillet on the stove top. 

Smokin'

If you can't plant a garden this weekend, head out to your local farmer's market and buy some local vegetables, you'll be so glad you did. 

Happy Earth Day weekend everyone!  Be kind to the earth!

Reviews: Consider the Source

Remember this guy from the movie Rattatouille?  He didn't adhere to the "Thumper principle"---- Remember Thumper from the movie Bambi?

While we have been on this trip, I've had time to read reviews of different restaurants and hotels, and books on the internet.....and have decided that the power that we have to downgrade or to comment on someone elses' work gives us incredible power, and as they say, power corrupts.

As you can see in this scene, this critic whose name is Ego (how apt is that?) loved being in charge, having the power to destroy a restaurant with one bite and then the stroke of a pen, until he was reminded of being a child and having his mother cook for him. 

Where does our capacity to hurt  others come from?  Is it our desire to be better than someone else, who has spent years developing a business or a lifes' work in print or the arts, or is it just that we don't want to compliment someone on a job well done because we haven't been given the same courtesy?  I've yet to figure it out.....I've made it a point not to comment on others unless it is to encourage or to urge others to visit somewhere that I think is extraordinary.  There have been a few times when food (Charlie Trotter airline food? No thank you I'd rather eat McDonalds!!) has been so bad that I need to warn you, but other than that, I try to be Thumper in my writings.

Why bring up someone's mistakes, or their shortcomings. or have them slip on a banana peel?.......it doesn't serve any purpose but to be mean spirited.....I guess I'm referring to Amazon reviews of books, and Trip advisor reviews.


The Trip Advisor reviews by people who travel in Europe are the ones that are especially damning, since those that write them have obviously looked at Europe as USA East, and expect everything to be the way it is back in East Oshkosh (my apologies to those in East Oshkosh)  Complaining because the restaurant won't prepare something off the menu (come on, how many times does that happen in the states??) or that the bed/bath accommodations aren't the same---IT'S EUROPE!  If you travel anywhere, it's an adventure, it's not more of the same.....there is discovery, there is adventure and there is the joy of meeting others and understanding that we are all the same, our languages are different.

So next time you take that pen in hand, remember who you are writing about, and why you are writing---

Today is hot and stuffy in Umbria and we are waiting hear if our son will be coming to join us---he's been quite ill in Indiana, and we are waiting to hear what the Doctor says this afternoon--the 6 hour time difference is a bummer when you want your news NOW!  Until next time, when I have a few recipes for you (did someone say wild asparagus canneloni?), buona sera.