Green: Eat Like You Mean It!

The Elusive Perfect Veggie Platter...

So I was hosting a lunch meeting and needed make an affordable, quick meal for about 20 people. The menu was simple:  garlic-parsley polenta (with parmesan on the side to accomodate the dairy-free set), a potato-onion frittata, a simple mixed green salad with balsamic-mustard vinaigrette, and a roasted veggie platter.

Veggie platters can be heaven or hell. On one hand, a good roasted veggie platter can be tasty and beautiful, and can easily round out a meal for a bunch of people. It makes a great potluck item, or a fun appetizer or party plate. On the other hand, a mediocre veggie platter can be nothing but a big disappointment, especially when everything is roasted exactly the same, with no nuance or flavor-boosting elements.

When putting together a veggie platter, I choose veggies that will provide both variety and balance, with a multiplicity of textures and flavor tones. Then I individually roast each veggie, either in an iron skillet or in the oven, finally plating them together on one big platter in as attractive a fashion as I can muster.

The platter above contained the following veggies:
-slices of fennel bulb pan-seared in olive oil, sea salt & black pepper
-whole crimini mushrooms pan-roasted in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt & dried oregano
-sweet potato slices oven-roasted in olive oil & paprika
-green beans pan-seared in olive oil with fennel seeds
-heads of garlic oven-roasted in olive oil, salt & pepper
-sugar snap peas pan-seared in olive oil & seasoned rice wine vinegar
-scallions pan-seared in olive oil & lemon juice

As each item was done, I gave it a place on the platter. Right before serving, I put the whole platter back in the oven for a warm-up. By individually treating each ingredient, I was able to enhance and expand each item's flavor impact. When served together as a a whole veggie platter, each item's particular flavor tone can then play off the others' in perfect concert! The next time you need to feed a crowd, or want to bring something simple yet yummy and creative to a party, try a veggie platter. It's an easy way to experiment with your spice rack, satisfy your palate & impress your friends!

Oh--dessert was a Turtle Cheesecake...

'Wish you were here.

--Sheila

It Just Seemed Like a Good Morning For Crepes...

I woke up on the late side today, unusually, probably due to the fact that I stayed up waaaaay too late last night to watch a movie. The sun was shining, the children were happy, and not ready to get out of my jammies and face the world outside my door, I decided to make crepes.

Crepes are a delightful, delicious and easy breakfast to make, if a bit time-consuming. Today's crepes are cocoa crepes (organic, of course!) with pure maple syrup, whipped vanilla cream, strawberries and blueberries. And yes, they are gluten-free! (Why on earth would I make something so heavenly and not be able to eat it?!?!?)

To make crepes, I combine in one big bowl my flours (in this instance, brown rice, potato, & fava bean) with a pinch of salt, some raw sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and a small bit of xanthan gum. In another bowl I whisked together eggs, pure vanilla extract, low-fat vanilla yogurt, canola oil and water. I poured the wet ingredients over the dry, whisked to combine, and voila! Crepe time!

It starts with a hot cast iron skillet:

And a pour of the batter:

The next thing you know, you've got a tasty crepe hot off the griddle:

A few more pours and you've got a fine stack of crepes, enough, in my case to feed a whole herd of children!

 

Now all you need is some syrup, whipped cream and berries...

Finally, all that's needed is a fork, a napkin and a Cuppa' Joe!

Aaah...breakfast. Enjoy!

--Sheila

Tiramisu (aka Booze Cake!) It's Even Gluten-Free...

Who doesn't love a little pick-me-up, a little sweet something now and again? I know I do, but it's hard, out in the world anyway, to find something really special that I both CAN eat and would actually want to put in my mouth! Let's face it--there's a lot of sub-par gluten-free foods out there. Here's a show-stopping, crowd-pleasing dessert sure to be the life of the party. And I can promise you that no-one will miss the gluten!

The base of this Tiramisu is essentially a wheat-free sponge cake. This kind of cake has a sort of angel cakey flavor, but with a slightly denser and more reslient texture (you know I'm not a user of recipes; for actually proportions and such, find a respectable sponge cake recipe and play with it to make it your own!) I sift together my flours--in this case, a combination of potato, brown rice and tapioca flours with a pinch of xanthan gum--with a little finely-ground sea salt. (For one 8" layer, you'd need about a cup of flour total to about 4 eggs.)

Speaking of which, for this party-sized cake, I used a good 14 eggs, separated.

Into these lustrous yolks I briskly whisked my raw can sugar (about 3.5 or 4 cups). Once blended I added almond extract, Amaretto, Kahlua and Creme de Cacao. Of course, a more traditional Tiramisu would use finely ground espresso, but I like using the Kahlua for the coffee element.

Meanwhile, those 14 egg whites need whipping!

Once the flour mixture has been mixed into the egg yolk/sugar mixture, these beautifully-peaked egg whites get folded into the batter.

Now the better is ready to be poured into greased/floured pans and popped into the oven. For a good sponge cake, you bake for 10-15 minutes at a slightly lower temp (325), then for another 10-15, depending upon your oven, at about 350.

While your cake is baking, make the syrup which will be generously ladled onto the cake. Boil a cup  of water with about 3/4 cup of raw sugar and, yep, more Kahlua, Amaretto, and Creme de Cacao. Let it cool and make your cream filling/topping. A traditional Tiramisu would require mascarpone cheese, which is, indeed, a heavenly thing. I didn't happen to have it in stock and hadn't the time to shop. Instead I used a blend of heavy cream, rich Greek honeyed yogurt, raw sugar, and, indeed, more Kahlua, Amaretto and Creme de Cacao!

Once the cakes were out of the oven and a bit cooled, I took my layers out of their pans. The larger, bottom layer went on the serving platter and got a generous pouring of syrup AND some extra Kahlua out of the bottle for good measure. Meanwhile, I put the smaller cake into the now-empty larger cake pan and syrupped/Kahluaed it up, too.

Once those layers of spongy, liquory goodness where ready, I put a generous layer of (boozy!) cream on the bottom layer.

Now for another layer...

More cream topping...

And there you have it:  a rich, beautiful, delectable, gluten-free dessert destined to please anyone and everyone!

(The kiddies got a booze-syrup/booze-cream-free sugared sponge round:)

Enjoy!

--Sheila

Time to Eat!

I want to rant a little while about time--specifically, about the time it takes to cook a decent, healthy, delicious meal. I cannot TELL you how many times people comment about my food, then say something to the effect of, "I'd love to eat like that, but I don't have time." Frankly, it rankles me beyond measure. The implication is that I, of course, must be positively luxuriating in time, time, nothing but time. Give me a break. I have six kids, a day job, writing projects, music projects, important personal projects and--oh yea--a little catering to do. I know an awful lot about time.

I also know what it means to have a good meal set before you. (And what it means to have a bad one--nothing disappoints me more than crappy food, or even mediocre food that could have been, should have been good...like the dinner out I had just this Valentine's Day. But that's another rant...)

Good, clean, tasty, healthy food should be considered a basic right. And a priority. Who wants to eat crap? And, as the above-delineated busy person that I am, I can attest to the fact that a good meal doesn't have to take all day to cook.

Take my favorite potato skillet dish I eat probably too often. It takes many forms, depending upon what what I've got available.

In this version, I've taken oven-roasted potatoes leftover from the night before, tossed them into a skillet with some chopped celery and garlic, then added in my baby spinach and some goat feta just before pouring it out onto my plate. Big, big yummy!

Here, I started with sliced raw potatoes, then tossed in some sun-dried tomato slices from my pantry and some green peas I had creamed the night before in a chevre-garlic sauce. Of course, I also tossed in some baby spinach 'cause that's how I like it! In both instances, I made good use of leftovers and created a tasty lunch in 20 minutes, start to finish. Twenty minutes. That's not a lot of time, and the result was well worth the little bit of chopping and stirring required.

Just tonight I made myself a nice pot of 4 Onion-Mushroom Soup. (The rest of the family had a hearty beef chili served Cincinatti-style over spaghetti noodles.) While my husband made the family din-din, I set to work on my pot of soup:

I set a pot of water to boil with 1 large carrot and 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped. This was to be the broth base, along with a healthy dash of wheat-free Tamari soy sauce and lots of black pepper (I later removed the carrots and just ate them. If this was to be for guests, I would have taken the time to puree the potatoes into the water, but as it was just for home, I left the potatoe cubes entire.)

Meanwhile, I sliced and olive-oil sauteed some crimini mushrooms and tossed them into the soup pot. Then I chopped one half of a yellow onion, two smallish leeks, and 4 large cloves of garlic. Into the sautee pan they went. Once they barely started to carmelized, they, too, joined the soup pot. I then de-glazed the sautee pan with one small pat of butter and about 2/3 Cup of Sauvignon Blanc. This made a lovely little sauce that was also added to the soup. Then I poured a glass for myself--why not?

With most ingredients now in the pot, I let the soup simmer for a few minutes while I added salt, more pepper, dried parsely flakes and dried oregano. Finally, in went a dash of raw sugar for depth and some sliced scallions.

All things considered, it took about 1/2 hour of my time to slice, chop, sautee, stir, de-glaze, etc. I then had another 10-15 minutes to fill while I waited for the soup to simmer and the flavors to meld. In the end, I enjoyed one tasty bowl of soup.

Now you might ask why I didn't just chop all the veggies, toss them in the pot with some tamari and white wine and let it boil. I could have done that, and yes, I would have had an OK soup. But by taking just a few extra minutes to sautee and carmelize the various ingredients, to pour the wine into a piping hot iron skillet and release the little oniony-mushroomy bits, I was able to have a pot of soup with greater depth and complexity, one that really satisfied the taste buds as well as the gullet.

Yes, it took a little time. Note:  a LITTLE time. Like anything, of course, we put our time and our energy where it matters most to us. I believe in good food. And yes, being an experienced cook, I probably chop and slice and dice and de-glaze quicker than the average home cook. But that only happened because, at home, I cook!

This is not to disparage the time-challenged, or to add any mental stress to people who already feel like they're not eating or cooking well enough. It is, however, to say that we really do have the time to enjoy healthy, savory, good-for-the-body-and-the soul meals in very little of that precious commodity of time. With all of those kids and the varieties of work I do, I'm not super woman. I'm a tired mom and a woman trying to make the most of her life. And that life just works a little better when by body gets what it needs from the food I eat. And so I cook in order to eat well, in order to feed my family well. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I love to cook...but that's another story.

--Sheila

Easy Gluten-Free Meals

Most people in "my world" know I cook, and that I am meat-free, wheat-free and cow-dairy limited. And yet, I eat really, really well--both in terms of nutrition and flavor. As I've said before, if it doesn't taste really good, why eat it? Yet, I must acknowledge that the notion persists "out there" that "specialty diet" food must be expensive, hard-to-make, or be somehow lesser in flavor, texture and overall gastronomic benefits. Not true, I say! Below are a couple of quick meals I have recently enjoyed:

Lime-Infused Green Beans w/ Tamari-LIme Dipping Sauce & Acoutrements:

(First of all, forgive the phone-camera picture with too little lighting!)

To make the beans, I set a pot of water to boil whilst I trimmed the beans. Once the water was ready, I tossed in some sea salt and my beans, blanching until they were just barely tender. I drained them in a colander, ran cold water over them, and put them in a bowl. I tossed in a dash more organic kosher sea salt and a drizzle of lime juice (I keep bottles of organic lemon and lime juice in my frig always handy for when I either don't have the fresh fruit handy or the time to squeeze them.).

For the sauce, I whisked together some wheat-free tamari soy sauce, I dash of lemon juice, a bigger dash of lime juice, a pinch of raw sugar, some red chili flakes, a splash of seasoned rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. To complete my meal, I chopped up an avocado and a bit of red onion, tossing them with olive oil, cumin and lemon juice. I finished off the meal with a nice New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale, and ate the avocado salad with some organic whole-grain corn chips. A fresh, tasty, quick and easy meal.

Next up:  Quinoa Spaghetti w/ Spinach & Garlic:

This is a leftover-lover's delight! I had made quinoa spaghetti with a tomato basil sauce the night before for the whole family, accompanied by some salad and sausage for the carnivores in my life. For this meal, I chopped a generous amount of garlic and sauteed it in olive oil in a 10" iron skillet. In went some leftover quinoa spaghetti and a bit of the sauce. I happened to have a tomatoe in the frig, so I chopped it up and tossed it in. Last I added some baby spinach and more red chili flakes, as I can't face a day without a little culinary heat!

Two fast meals (made in mere minutes!), both delicious and tailor-made for my dietary specifications. Of course, it helps to have a well-stocked pantry. I am NEVER without olive oil, garlic, lemon and lime juices, and a broad array of herbs and spices at the ready. Just the tiniest bit of "extra" effort (come on--how hard can it be to toss on a few sesame seeds or add a splash of lime juice?!?!?) can turn a basic meal into something truly extraordinary. Try it--you'll be sure to like it!

--Sheila

Speaking of Cream, Eggs & Burnt Sugar....

It's Creme Brulee time. I LOVE Creme Brulee and, when I make it, I eat it. Now let's be honest:  I should NOT eat it. The cream is way too much heavy dairy for me, the high egg content is just more concentrated protein than my body likes to process. I suppose I could just eat the burnt sugar, but that would seem somehow frivolous and ungrateful, all at the same time!

One of the funny things about Creme Brulee is just how easy it is to make. In a bowl go some egg yokes and maybe a couple of whole eggs for balance, whisked with a little sugar and vanilla (sometimes I use pure maple syrup instead for an autumn-harvesty maple brulee!). In a heavy saucepan goes the heavy cream and more sugar. Because I use raw can sugar instead of the bleached, processed stuff, I put the pan on super-low heat and raise the temp slowly to be sure all the sugar crystals have melted into the cream. Once the cream is adequately heated, remove it from the heat and let it cool a bit so you don't end up with scrambled eggs instead of custard.

Finally, the sweetened cream is whisked into the eggs, the custard is put into ramekins which are put in a larger pan half-full of hot water and popped into the oven. Once baked, I let the ramekins cool right in their water bath for awhile before putting them to cool in the fridge. Finally, before serving, I sprinkle them with more raw cane sugar and fetch the blowtorch. That's the really fun part!

Of course, the most fun part is using a spoon to crack the sugar "window" and scooping up the sweet custard that lies beneath. It's a full-sensory dessert, really--the sound of the spoon tapping, than breaking through, the constrast in textures, and the heavenly, heavenly flavor. How can you NOT love Creme Brulee???

--Sheila

Party Food With Your Diet in Mind

A few times a year, for the last few years, I have catered the All-School Meetings at City of Lakes Waldorf School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These meetings kick off with a half-hour of gathering and social time over coffee and tea and tasty treats. I've tried hard over the years to not repeat any menus; I don't my "regulars" to get tired of the fare!
    One of my considerations is to be mindful that there are always folks in the crowd who can't eat certain things, like wheat or soy or nuts. I always include a menu board or some such that makes note of whether the dish is wheat-free or gluten-free, or if it's vegetarian, or contains nuts, etc. And I try to make sure there's something for everyone.
    Tonight's menu was something of a "modern Mediterranean" line-up:  For savories there was White Bean & Tomato Bruschetta, Roasted Red Pepper Puffs with Carmelized Paprika Shallots, freshly-made Falafel with my Very Zingy Tzatziki Sauce, and, for dessert, Wheat-Free Coconut-Lemon Dream Bars.

Besides being easy and of infinite varieties, Bruschetta is yummy. Not that I could eat this one, as the bread base was made from a regular wheat baguette from a local bakery. The topping in this instance is a very bright and citrusy mixture of mashed cannelini beans, chopped grape tomatoes, minced red onion and garlic, parsley, sea salt, a healthy dose of organic lemon juice and my "secret" spice blend to make each bite particularly piquant. While it is sometimes too ubiquitous these days, Bruschetta is a fine party food and easy to pull  off. Simply toss your baguette slices in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toast on cookie sheets in the oven. Set them on a serving platter, and top just before serving with whatever your heart (and your palate) desires.

Next up, the Red Pepper Puffs. First, let me say right off the bat that I used puff pastry from the freezer section. While I can make it myself, why?--when there are other folks out there doing a fabulous job who can have it available at the last minute when I'm throwing something together.
    Now I'm not about to give away all my trade secrets, but let me just say that puff pastry is a lovely base for an infinite variety of toppings, and is a nice alternative (or, in this case, complement to) Bruschetta. I thawed it, rolled it out, brushed it with seasoned olive oil, put on a spoonful of my red pepper/carmelized shallot/spice mixture, and popped these savory morsels in the oven for about 15 minutes. What could be easier?

What can I say about falafel and tzatziki, other than they rank really, really high on my list of personal faves. And, if I may say so, my so-called "recipes" for each are truly yummy. For starters, they're both glute-free. And I make it mine with organic ingredients. Further, I don't ever, ever skimp on flavor. I like food with bold flavors, so my falafel is packed with lemon and parsley and lots of garlic and minced onion and, again, my propriety spice blend. Ditto on the sauce--I make it really tangy and vibrant and frankly, I just want to lick out the bowl right now!  But where are my manners...

Last, but not least, are these lovely little lemon bars. The base is something of a cross between a gluten-free shortbread and a pie crust, with a little egg and melted--not cut--butter. I used several flours and shredded coconut for the "bar" part. The topping is a mixture of whipped heavy cream, organic lemon extract, sugar, and lemon curd. Finishing it off is a sprinkling of ground walnuts. If I were making this for a smaller gathering, I would bake it in a tart pan, or maybe make individual tartletts out of it and perhaps include a middle layer of sugar-cured lemon slices. Oh the possibilities!
    When all was said and done, the folks at school enjoyed a flavor-packed menu of healthy, beautiful, tasty foods. The gluten-free set could eat the Falafel and Lemon Bars. The dairy-free folks could eat the Bruschetta and the Falafel sans sauce, the nut-free could eat all the savories, and the vegetarians and soy-free folks could eat it all. And no one was missing a thing!

 

One final note:  Being a wheat-free, other gluten-limited, cow-dairy-mostly-free vegetarian, I often find myself at social gatherings NOT catered by Beth & me where I really can't eat much of anything. That always feels bad. I can't tell you how many times I've attended expensive fund-raising dinners where all I could eat was the (usually mediocre) salad. Who wants to go to a party and feel punished for one's healthy dietary choices and "good food" standards?
    Given that Beth and I share the same dietary requirements, excepting that I am vegetarian and she's not, and that we don't settle for mediocre food in our own day-to-day lives, it is important to us that the world know that "restricted diet" doesn't have to mean "crappy food that tastes and feels like birdsead and cardboard." I feel strongly that, when we serve up our Green offerings, our clients enjoy better, more vibrant and full flavor regardless of whether the food is vegetarian, vegan, or whatnot. We like knowing that everyone can come to the Green table and walk away satisfied in palate and stomach! That's the Green way, after all. 'Hope to see you at the table soon.
 
--Sheila

Some Epicurean Ponderings...

Ah, the chill of January is upon us. After a couple of weeks with the Kiddies off of school, I'm suddenly hooked on days spent in jammy pants and sleeping until, well, later than my usual 6:30 a.m. No need for any major confessions, after all. (Why has no one told me how glorious it is to sleep?!?!)   
    Regardless the cold winds or the lack of light, it is still warm in my Green! kitchen. Beth and & I recently got our families together for a feast, actually, a celebratory New Year's Day feast. What did we do? We ate, drank, and were merry! It was a lovely day. Here are some of the highlights...

First, I made a loaf of rustic gluten-free bread. I admit it was an experiment, but fortunately, my guinea pigs all survived. The loaf had a golden, crusty...well, crust, and a lovely interior with an even crumb and good flavor. Bread I can eat and actually enjoy! Be sure I'll be making it again (if I can remember just what I did in the first place), and no doubt tweaking it a few dozen times...herb & cheese bread? Cinnamon bread? The sky's the limit, after all!

I also made a wheat-free mushroom & leek tart with a creamy herbed chevre custard. Dare I say, "Big Yummy?!?" Here it is, in it's pre-baked glory. I made and baked the crust the day before, as well as sauteed the mushrooms and leaks. On New Year's Morning I creamed the chevre with a bit of goat yogurt and eggs and herbs, then assembled it. I didn't bake it off until about 20 minutes before we sat down to eat. Simple, nourishing, ridiculously tasty, and even beautiful:

Next up, some pan-seared garlic-parsley shrimp. Of course, I can't eat 'em, but I do enjoy cooking them and drinking in the heavenly aroma. To make them, I first marinated the shrimp for several hours in a combo of organic lemon juice, olive oil, lots of crushed garlic, salt, cumin and chili flakes. Just before we sat down to eat, I heated up an iron skillet, splashed in more olive oil, and seared the shrimp. The marinade became a lovely sauce and, near the end, I tossed in a generous handful of chopped parsely. The picture below shows the remnants, the last six shrimpies I re-heated for one child or another on the day after!

To top things off, I also made a white-chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake. For this crust, I ground up walnuts and 100% pure cacao nibs with whatever gluten-free flour was closest in the cupboard, raw sugar, etc. The cheesecake was made from goat cheese and yogurt, nicely laced with white chocolate and marbled with raspberry coulis, and later topped with a raspberry sauce and more white chocolate. Gluten-free, cow dairy-free, yummy AND full of pure cacao anti-oxidants. Who says dessert isn't good for you?

But that's not all. In addition to these delectibles, I also made oven-roasted paprika yam spears served with a lemon-chipotle aoli. Beth whipped up a heavenly platter of roasted veggies, a superb balsamic-roasted pear/arugula salad, a pork loin (herb-marinated and grilled by her husband, Grillmaster Mike Timmer) the smelled divine and, by all reports, was perfect, a wheat-free honey cake for the Kiddies, and some gluten-free parmesan biscuits. (Hey, Beth--isn't it time you whipped out that camera you got for Mike--wink,wink--for Christmas?) And yes, we enjoyed a lovely round of champagne Cosmopolitans, a delicious concoction of fresh-squeezed orange, red grapefruit, and lemon juices spiked with champagne and vodka.  We Green! girls need a little R & R from time to time, after all!
    In the end, we had a wonderful New Year's Day filled with laughter, friendship, and fabulous food. We only wish you could have been there...
    Happy New Year!

--Sheila

Who Likes Eating Green?

I always look forward to Sheila's (Green's) offerings as there is always some unexpected flavor in store, transforming the usual into something extraordinary.

Being a (mostly) gluten-free vegetarian, Sheila's food is a treat. I know it will always be fresh and healthy, but more than that, I don't have to worry about what I am eating!

Sheila is a creative soul in so many ways; her food exudes not just flavor, but love, thoughtfulness and artistry.

-Melanie Ueland, Minneapolis

The food that Sheila prepared for Charissa and Kristin's wedding was by far the best wedding food I've had the pleasure of eating, and that includes my own wedding! I particularly appreciated the vegetable dishes, which were tasty and fresh. I felt like the food perfectly accompanied the occasion and the season, unlike other catering services which enforce a narrow menu, regardless of timing or event.

-Katie Leo, Minneapolis

Sheila catered the food for my daughter's coming-of-age 13th birthday party last June. We worked together to create the menu, based on Sylvia's favorite savory and sweet preferences. Sheila created some delightful taste combinations in the shrimp, cucumber, and dill skewers, the Indian-style spiced rice with currants, the crostini with millions of toppings, and the desserts of chocolate-topped oat bars and fruit custard tart. Everything was fresh and beautifully displayed, and full of bright flavors. It was a pleasure to eat her special concoctions, made so clearly with love. Sheila was very responsive to our requests, and seemed to intuit the kinds of foods we would love to share with our guests. We all recommend her for any catering events without reservation!

-Jessica Crawford and Sylvia Eisenbeis, Minneapolis

Sheila's a delight to work with. For our wedding reception, she tailored the menu to our tastes and budget and put together a table that was beautiful, varied, fresh and flavor-filled. She puts amazing passion and creativity into her cooking, and the meal that she prepared for our wedding reception inspired raves from our guests for weeks after the event was past. The rose cream puffs and the roasted vegetables were particular favorites!

-Kristen Warfield and Charissa Uemura, St. Paul

Sheila's culinary delights are the best. Whether she's cooking for a community potluck or a large festival dinner, her dishes--both exotic and familiar—are crowd pleasers. Did I mention the potato frittatas? Yum!

-Siyanda Elizabeth, Hibbing

Sheila's food repertoire is amazing. Along with superb appetizers, comfort foods and party fare, she creates gluten-free desserts to die for. I wish she was my mommy.

-Betsy Leighton, Minneapolis

The catering services delivered by Green at a friends wedding were the perfect compliment to a wonderful event. The food was both delicious and nourishing - I didn't think the line of people waiting for seconds and THEN thirds would ever end! I'd recommend their services to anyone.

-Adam Fisher, Food Lover

I enjoy food--not just any food,but food made with quality ingredients. And food from Green meets that standard. Actually, there is something more in their food than just quality ingredients. I think their food is made with care and love, not only a love of cooking but a love for feeding and nurturing others. That it does—it not only nurtures my appetite but nurturing my soul. I have hired Green for different needs, including appetizers for large and small parties, full dinner for 12, and for the most amazing desserts for many occasions. I have also enjoyed the food (as does the entire community!) that Green provides for City of Lakes Waldorf School functions.

I appreciate that they accommodate all types of diets and desires. They can meet the needs of vegans, gluten-free and vegetarians without sacrificing taste. This diversity of offerings exemplifies their talent and desire to meet the needs of all those that would like to partake in their cuisine.

I have never been disappointed and always loved my experience working with them. I also appreciate that they give back to their community through a percentage of their sales and by donating food for fundraising events. Green is more than great food, it stands for love and integrity.

-Judy Weber, Golden Valley

Holiday Baking Fun

It's been awhile since we've traversed the blogosphere; life just gets too busy come Winter Holiday  Season. Once we've survived Thanksgiving, it's on to other things at work, home, and school. Take Advent, for example. My daughters' Waldorf School celebrates the onset of Advent with the most beautiful, contemplative "Advent Garden" celebration. Evergreens in spirals, candles everywhere, shells and crystals adorning the pathway, and sublime music floating in from a harp or angelic voice. In this celebration we learn to go within, to embrace the darkness of the season, to find our inner light flickering, glowing, keeping us sure of ourselves until the light returns. We are told to keep things simple in this meditative season.

Hah! At the same time, the biggest event of our collective school life (the annual Holiday Fair) hits us like a 3-ton hunk of quartz crystal, the annual Winter Holiday shopping frenzy has begun out there in the cold, dark world, and the last flurry of activity before Winter Break is underway for the kidies. Meditative? Meanwhile, lots of you are no doubt busy doing whatever it is you do to prepare for whatever it is you celebrate. And doing it in the midst of a recession that has everyone worried.

Wile the world carries on the sub-zero temperatures, we at Green are busy baking for others as well as (we hope!) for our own families. Like a lot of people this year, we're finding more and more people are giving handmade or homemade gifts. A little something sweet (or savory!) on the tongue, nourishing to the body and the spirit, and made by someone who loves doing it--whether the giver themself or someone, for example, from Green! Catering--can be the balm for what ails this difficult time of year. Truth be told, we all have enough stuff. But a pretty little crumb cake or a bag of maple toffee pecans or a plate of holiday cookies really warm the heart as well as please the palate. Check out the Rum Raisin-Craisin Bread Pudding pictured above. Who wouldn't want such a jewel for a holiday gathering or hostess gift? Or maybe you'd prefer the flourless chocolate ganache cake, below...

Whether you bake it yourself or hire us to do it, such simple gifts do more than look pretty on the table and taste good on the tongue. Food means a lot of things--like comfort, nourishment, even time, as in time well-spent to nourish and please our loved ones.

So go ahead and keep it simple this year. Make a little something for someone you love. Can't find the time or inspiration for that chocolate cake or holiday cookie plate? Let us do it for you. It's what we love to do!

--Sheila
(p.s. Bread Pudding and Flourless Chocolate Cake, $24 each. Green is happy to make almost anything for your holiday party or gifting. Contact us at mntimmer@yahoo.com to discuss options and pricing.)