{dear friend}

Life has been such a busy piece of work these past few weeks. Week days have been about hustling. Hustle here, hustle there, wake up early, make dinner late. GO GO GO all dang day. I feel like such a busy body day in and day out, and mostly this is good, but also, I can’t help but feel the need for a good solid break. Today I got such a day and so, finally, FINALLY, I can sit down to write a little bit down.

I am so excited that spring is officially here. No matter the forecast, the warmth WILL arrive soon and the cold will just be a memory. The beauty in winter is that spring will come. Spring will always come, and that is something that can keep me going for a lifetime.

These days I’ve been cooking and sleeping and swimming and teaching. Not in that exact order, but those are the things that occupy my days. Also, West Coast planning. I could do our West Coast planning ALL NIGHT LONG, and guess what? I do. We’ve got all our accommodations in order, and now we’re planning our adventures— what we’ll eat, where we’ll walk, what we’ll see, e v e r y t h i n g we’ll do. It’s so exciting! And certainly helping me get through this last bout of chilly weather.

Lately I’ve been reading Molly Wizenburg’s A Homemade Life, partly because I love her writing, and partly because a night at Delancey is on the agenda for Seattle. If you haven’t read her blog or her book before, I highly encourage it. She’s got that smooth-like-butter way of story-telling that’s just my favorite– an instant friend, cozy, thoughtful and full of wisdom. Many of her recipes are filled with flour and butter and sugar, which I have plans to try here and there in the future, but yesterday I decided to go for her Ratatouille– a pot full of vegetables that TASTES LIKE HEAVEN.

Ratatouille, inspired by Molly Wizenburg/Orangette:

For the stew:

Extra-virgin olive oil
2 eggplant {see photo above for size}
1 zucchini
I medium onion {chopped}
1 red bell pepper
5 tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Fresh basil {I left this out because I didn’t have any unfortunately, but I bet it’s top notch when you put it in.}

How to make:

{Molly likes to cook all the veggies in her ratatouille separately, so I followed her advice the entire recipe through. I just feel like she’s one of those people you can trust, you know?}

1. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch think rounds and roast them on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. I brushed olive oil over them, and flipped them half-way through.

2. While the eggplant was cooking, you cook the zucchini {in cubes} in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until soft and starting to brown. I used my 3 and 1/2 QT le crueset, which worked out perfectly.

3. Remove the zucchini and set aside, then cook the onions in the same pot, about 15 more minutes, before adding the bell pepper.

4. Add the tomatoes {I cut mine as best I could into cubes– Molly says to remove the seeds, but I just chopped them up {messily} as best I could, threw them in, and said a prayer. All turned out FINE.

5. Next, I minced in the 3 cloves of garlic, added 3/4 teaspoons of salt, the thyme, and the bayleaf. I let those cook in the pot while I chopped up the cooled eggplant into largish cubes, then tossed those in with the cooked zucchini and let it simmer all together for about 20 more minutes– until it was all soft and stew-like.

The finished product was perfect. I removed the bay leaf, had a bowl for dinner, then tucked the pot away in the fridge, excited for my next tasting, as Molly says it’s best on day 2!

{You can find the original recipe in this book— such a wonderful documentation of memories and recipes, I can’t help but smile through each and every page.}

//

Do you have any other favorite veggie-filled recipes? I’m really cooking more than ever lately and I’d love to try some new meals out if you’ve got them for me. Preferably Paleo, but I’m open. Also, do any of you grow your own veggies? We’ve been talking about making a garden out back this year, and I’m wondering what are some easy/favorite vegetables to grow?

If you’re thinking to yourself WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH ANNA, don’t worry, I’ve been wondering the exact same thing. It’s just, cooking is actually really kind of easy, and lately I’ve been all, wow! gosh! Who knew?

Other food-related things that have been on my mind lately:

// I’m excited to share my Ratatouille at a dinner with friends tonight. I made it especially because my friend Edith is in the thiiiiiiiick of Whole30 right now {her words!} and so I wanted to bring something that everyone would enjoy. I hope it’s a hit.

// Yesterday morning, my sister and I had breakfast at Rifrullo Cafe in Brookline and I got the most delicious frittata of all time. It had sweet potato and mushrooms and whatever the seasoning was, it was SO GOOD! Seriously love that place. YUM.

// Because a Monday night is a good a night as any to have dinner out with your blog friends, we’re checking out Alden and Harlow in Harvard Square and I am SO excited. The menu looks divine and I am looking forward to my first drink since February. {MMMMhmmmm.}

// As for the blog agenda this week, I am FINALLY! going to share about Zan and my dinner at Neptune Oyster.  That place deserves it’s own post and I’ve been meaning to share some photos I took there {IN DECEMBER, whoops} for awhile now. THE BEST. Must visit again soon. :)

// And since I have no plans to turn this into a food blog {though it may seem that way} and we’re on the topic of food already, I think I’ll use this here post to compile all the places recommended to me from that time I told you I was going to the West Coast. So many gems! I must write them all down in one place.

Places on my San Francisco TO EAT LIST:

Tartine Bakery
Pizzaria Delfina
Bri-Rite Creamery
Tacolicious
Marlowe
And, obviously, In and Out {I have been dreaming of my return there FOR YEARS.}

And Big Sur:

Deetjan’s {this is where we’re staying, too!}
Nepenthe

AND! Seattle:

Delancey + Essex !
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Ocho
Pike Place Chowder
Dick’s Drive-In
Umi Sake House

All completely indulgent, and beyond amazing, I’m sure.

Ahhh. Delicious food is the spice of life, isn’t it?