COFFEE RUN!

I spent a lovely morning with Barb driving “up the mountain” to Alto Quiel to buy coffee at Café Suarez. The coffee is fresh from the roaster and only $4.25 pound.

The spider showed up today. I found it on my jacket sleeve as Barb and I were leaving this morning. So, did I say, “Oh, there you are Sweetheart. Let me take you outside,” and walk outside and shake it off? No, I did the get-it-off-of me freak out. Now I don’t know where it is again.

After the coffee run we stopped at a place called Bulk Organics, which is just what it sounds like. I want to purchase almonds from there to make my own milk and ultimately yogurt. I couldn’t buy anything today because I didn’t bring any containers with me. I’ll be back. They make fresh coconut cream on Thursdays. Jane, the owner, gave me a sample. I’ll be purchasing that too. I can just taste it with a vegetable curry.

Turns out Jane grew up in Waubeno, WI (not Waubena as I thought). Small world. I asked her what it was known for. She said, “Taverns.”

Barb stayed for lunch, and I served my first intentional vegan dish. It’s called Ikarian stew. I heard about it on a Rich Roll podcast about plant-based diets. Rich was interviewing Dan Buettner, writer for National Geographic and author of Blue Zones.

While doing his research he visited the Greek island of Ikaria. There he met Dr. Antonia Trichopoulou, a Mediterranean diet expert. He asked her how he could get the small American city of Albert Lea, Minnesota—famous for meatpacking—to eat more vegetables, He knew he had come to the right person. They were sitting at Thea’s Guesthouse, in front of one of her amazing spreads of Ikarian cuisine. Dr. Trichopoulou paused for a moment and then gestured to the food and said, “Feed them.”

Here’s the recipe:

Ikarian Longevity Stew Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried black-eyed peas (or 8-ounce can, drained)
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 large, firm ripe tomato, finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste, diluted in 1⁄4 cup water
2 bay leaves
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
Salt (optional)

My modifications:  I added 1 cubed sweet potato, and topped it off with avocado, cilantro and my basil vinaigrette.

DIRECTIONS

If using dried black-eyed peas: Cover with water and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for an hour.
Drain and rinse. (If using canned black-eyed peas, skip this step.)
In a large pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and fennel, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes.
Add the black-eyed peas and toss to coat with oil.
Add the tomato, tomato paste, and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch.
Add the bay leaves.
Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the black-eyed peas are about halfway cooked (if using dried peas).
Check after 40 minutes, but it may take over an hour.
If using canned, skip to next step after 10 minutes.
Add the chopped dill and season with salt to taste.
Continue cooking until the black-eyed peas are tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and pick out and discard the bay leaves.
Pour in remaining olive oil, stir, and serve.

Barb shocked me as she savored the stew and tried to discern a subtle flavor she was experiencing. I thought, if she gets this, I’m going to be very impressed. When she said, “licorice,” I almost fell over. That’s it! One of the main ingredients is fennel.

I feel fortunate to have arrived late to the plant-based-diet table. There are now so many great recipes and products available. I always thought it would be a chore. I remember a vegan friend, Sue Vincent, telling me that she found it to be an adventure. So, that’s how I’m approaching it. So far, so good.

Michele and I have been trying to get into the same workout room on the FitXR app on the Oculus. We’ve tried a couple of times without success. Tonight we’re going to try it again. Fingers crossed.