S U N D A Y 🌿 on Great Island

Hey friends❣️

Happy Sunday!

So what is going on with our food system? I don't even know what to trust anymore, and my shopping options have been shrinking.

Usually, food recalls are pretty mundane ~ like a batch of cookies missing a peanut or dairy allergy warning.

What’s happening right now is completely different. We’re seeing a surge in truly dangerous bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella.

E Coli in frozen berries? Yuck.

And because our food system is so interconnected, one bad batch of jalapeños or eggs triggers a domino effect that pulls down meal kits, grocery brands, and restaurant chains across the country.

On top of that we've got this crazy weather to deal with. We went out for our annual wild blackberry picking this week only to find that the hot summer temps ruined this year's crop. We saw pretty flowers and some wild apples, but I was looking forward to making a batch of blackberry pie bars.

I guess I'll just have to use frozen berries instead. Oh, wait...

So what's my plan?

For right now I'm focussing on local veggies and I've stopped buying lettuce entirely (I rely on the kindness of gardening friends to share with me.)
I stopped buying sprouts long ago, which broke my heart. Sprouts of all kinds, even homemade, are high risk. (Read about it here.)
And I think I will ditch the bagged salads permanently. I did my research and it's not worth the gamble. (Read about it here.)
Instead, I'm leaning into sturdy whole veggies like cabbage, broccoli, and bunches of kale.
On my week's menu plan is Fall Apple Slaw and Broccoli Honeycrisp Slaw.

And I've started working on a fun project

I'm compiling my personal favorite recipes from the past 15 years and 2600+ choices.

Here are just a few of the contenders ~

Peanut Butter Scones

Pb is the magic ingredient that gives these scones their amazing flavor and texture. The chocolate chips don't hurt, either ;) FYI my Espresso Chocolate Chip Scones are also on the list :)

Loaded Farro Grain Bowl

The inspo for this amazing salad was one I had, of all places, on a plane (when I was bumped up to first class!) I've loved it ever since, it makes lunch for a week!

No-Knead Trail Mix Bread

Changing up the add-ins keeps this bread exciting all fall and winter. It's the reason I have a toaster :)

Ricotta Meatballs

This is a go-to dinner for me, I don't need pasta, just the meatballs, please. (Ok sometimes I'll make some cheesy polenta to go along with them.)

Turkish Coffee Shortbread

If you've been following for a while you know I love these flavors.

This week's recipe update

I have a passion for banana desserts, I just love the soft flavor and the way the banana gives cakes, etc., such a lovely moist texture. This popular cake is from 2014, and the original recipe needed no tweaks at all. The cake is a winner, and definitely worth a look. (It has a hint of cardamom, which goes beautifully with the banana.)