Harvest Inspiration

Wow, it's November! Just last week it was Halloween. I only had two trick-or-treaters. So, I am left with a full bowl of brown rice crispy treats. Time has really flown by. This week I was reviewing a group of students as they had their mid-term cooking assessments. Overall they did a great job. They had the task of creating a stock, soup, salad, vegetable main dish, grain and a fruit dessert in three hours. All of the produce to choose from was seasonal and had to be accompanied by a menu, timeline and a nutritional description. Most students made a squash soup, others a creamy cauliflower bisque and one student made a hearty mushroom stew. Quinoa was the grain of choice, while others attempted brown rice, polenta and cous cous. Stuffed, roasted and stewed squash was the repeating theme. One student prepared a Japanese inspired menu of tofu-mushroom burgers, miso soup with daikon, a carrot and radish slaw and grapefruit "jello". Yet another a nicely spiced Middle Eastern stew scented with turmeric and garlic and loaded with cabbage, carrots and turnips, cous cous and crepes filled with spiced apples and topped with a Turkish coffee whipped cream. One student completely flipped the script and presented an array of tasty breakfast treats including a warm fruit soup, a chunky potato hash and a fig-walnut and yogurt parfait. Poached pears and apples were the common dessert scented with cinnamon, clove, star anise and vanilla. Some students opted to bake and one made grilled pears.

When I set these cooking challenges up I often wonder to myself, "what would I have made as a student, and what would I make now?" Some students had recipe cards and others just walked into the kitchen and cooked. This made me think about inspiration. Where does it come from? Why are some cooks more inspired than others, and some need a little more guidance? And, funny thing Cooking Channel began sharing Thanksgiving inspired picture collages, sort of like a vision board of delicious things to come. I was mostly inspired by Aran Goyoaga's pictures. I adore her blog Cannelle Et Vanille. I often use her photography as inspiration for styling my plates. I like her simple, organic, rustic approach to pictures. Along with the whimsical plates and linens she uses, the inclusion of her children in the still life pics is just darling. I decided to create a picture board of my own. I looked back through my blog from times when I cooked in San Francisco, the time I lived on a farm in Illinois and most recently my first Thanksgiving, here in Austin. I have been Blessed to find inspiration in simple things like the pale green shade of baby collards, to the bumpy curve of a just harvested sweet potato to the aroma of a buttery pastry crust that cradles tender, juicy and sweet figs. What inspires you?

From top left clockwise: Baby collard greens from Chicago Green City Market, roasted turkey breast in pepian sauce from my time working at Hands on Gourmet in San Francisco, assorted winter root veggies that I used to create a tagine for Earth Eats website, butternut squash & sweet potatoes from Boggy Creek Farm in Austin, a twist on a Waldorf salad featured in The New Green Grocer Cookbook, pumpkins & squash from Boggy Creek Farm, homemade cranberry-ginger chutney I made while cooking at Heritage Prairie Market & Farm in Illinois, a luscious fig tart made before I taught a series of pastry classes at The Natural Epicurean.