Two days out of the work week, I get to stay home with Sawyer. No doubt, my favorite days. Our usual formula is to do one “big” get-out-of-the-house activity in the morning (i.e. story time, art class, music class, or a trip to the zoo) followed by lunch, nap time, and then one or two activities in the afternoon. For whatever reason the afternoons are the biggest struggle for me. I feel less energetic, less creative, and less inclined to get outside. I remember one day having an antsy and grumpy toddler on my hands (or maybe it was me who was grumpy?) and feeling so at a loss for what to do and so unmotivated to leave the house. We’d exhausted all toys, art activities, and playdough. What really sounded nice to me was to enjoy a quiet cup of tea and a muffin at a coffee shop. The ‘quiet’ part wasn’t really possible, so I thought let’s make muffins together. Thus began a now treasured routine of baking or cooking together usually at least once per week. The items we make vary depending on the day, my energy level, and Sawyer’s interest. Often it’s baking, but other things too like smoothies, pancakes, guacamole, or rice. Sometimes what we make is healthy, sometimes less so. What started as a way to pass the time, really has become a full-circle lesson in food procurement and preparation. Sawyer is almost always involved with our grocery shopping or visits to farmers’ markets and we are now in our second year of having a garden, so I’ve started to see her make connections between the food we bought or grew and when we use it as part of our meals. There is a lot of satisfaction, and truthfully, a lot of mess in teaching her about food and cooking. My biggest hope being that ultimately she will develop into a lifelong competent and healthy eater.
Spring and summer weather always take their sweet time coming to the Pacific Northwest, and so we are just seeing local rhubarb and strawberries in the produce aisle and farmer’s markets. Justin and I have long loved having strawberry-rhubarb crisp on summer nights and I was excited to share this treat with Sawyer a couple weeks ago. Simple to make, even with the help of your toddler. Best consumed with vanilla ice cream or homemade whip.
Sort of a tangent, but I am so saddened today to hear about the death of Anthony Bourdain. Of course a celebrated chef, but what I admired most about him was his infectious love of adventure and his incredible ability for storytelling and pulling you into the entire experience of food and culture without ever leaving your couch and yet yearning to hop on the next flight.
Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go. “
I mean how beautiful is that description?
Notice the W on the spoon in the photo above? It’s a demitasse spoon that is part of a silverware set that my grandmother’s family brought over from Germany (her maiden name is Wallach) when they fled the Holocaust. The perfect size for a tiny toddler hand and mouth and used at most meals. To me, it’s the sharing of meals and little things like an heirloom spoon that is so much the fabric of a family.
But I do think the idea that basic cooking skills are a virtue, that the ability to feed yourself and a few others with proficiency should be taught to every young man and woman as a fundamental skill, should become as vital to growing up as learning to wipe one’s own ass, cross the street by oneself, or be trusted with money. “
RIP Anthony Bourdain. Doing my best to teach my girl these basic skills… at least the cooking part. Still working on potty training and looking both ways.
- 1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and diced
- 1 pound strawberries, halved or quartered if large
- ½ cup (or less) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅔ cup all-purpose or spelt flour
- ⅔ cup rolled oats (get the thick cut if you can find them)
- ½ cup (or less) packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a deep-dish pie plate or other shallow 1½- to 2- quart non-reactive baking dish, and set aside.
- Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, and set it aside while you prepare the topping.
- Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl and stir until combined. Drizzle the butter over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, and then place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any juices that may bubble over). Transfer it to the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown and crisp, and the juices are bubbly and glossy, 40-45 minutes. Set aside to cool briefly, then serve hot or warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whip if desired.
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