now i know that I have already touched briefly on the amazingness of the micro plane. sure it is great for lemon zest, but it has some other really great (and important) uses. if you don't yet have one of these handy guys you can purchase one HERE. 

i know what you are thinking... why on earth do i need this wand of grating magic when i already have a grater?

here is why. the ridges of the micro plane are a bit sharper and more defined making it optimal for not only harder cheeses, but also for citrus, garlic, ginger and cucumbers. and that's just what i have come up with so far. 

when i'm looking for just a bit of cucumber juice for a cocktail or for some shredded cucumber for some dip or baking, the micro plane is the tool for the job. 

we know it's a perfection for zesting citrus. that citrus zest can be used in pretty much anything. from meat marinades, to salad dressing, to cakes. you are only limited by your imagination. 

the micro plane is ideal for fine grating hard cheeses. if you want that beautiful, snow looking parmesan or pecorino, you NEED the micro plane. 

i love finely grated ginger and ginger juice is AMAZING for you but oh so hard to chop up. using your micro plane creates that fine ginger great for marinades, sauces and juices that you can't achieve any other way. the micro plane separates the good root from the fibrous bits. 

the micro plane works just as well when you want really fine garlic.

and i know what you are thinking. they must have paid her to say this! nope. i just can't live with out my micro plane and you NEED this kitchen game-changer. 

xo, a

my thirty first birthday is this thursday and it has me feeling particularly reflective. as the new year approaches, in between fruit platter deliveries and baking a dozen cakes, i've been taking stock of where i'm at in my life and preparing mentally for where i want to go. and i've come to a great conclusion. i'm content. sure, i have a long way to go till i've accomplished all my dreams, but my life is beautiful and i have so much to be grateful for. i changed my entire life and somehow managed to land on my feet. 

last year was such an emotional roller coaster. starting two new career paths was physically and mentally challenging. as i look back, starting a catering business and teaching again at the exact same time was a bit aggressive. but hey, i've always been a bit aggressive. but now, things are feeling very settled. comfortable. i'm living the life i dreamt of living and it feels even better than i thought it would.

one of the best moments i've had over the last few weeks was a trip to my friends jackie & scott's home where they have a fantastic organic garden growing. we spent the twilight hours talking about organic gardening, the process of how we grow and look at food as a society and the struggles and triumphs of growing your own. i came home with baskets of the most beautiful lemons, beets, sage, oregano, cilantro, basil, jalapeno, red & romaine lettuce, chives, green onions and radish. i can't wait to see what their spring and summer harvests bring. 

in the mean time, i'm working my way through my stockpile of fresh produce. after weeks of consistent catering and delivery, i have a lot of odds and ends i need to use up before they go bad. i'm always looking for things i can make and keep on hand for a few days. and i love soup no matter the season. with all the fresh herbs i have in my arsenal now, i knew a delicious veggie soup was the way to go. you can always doctor this soup up with what you have on hand. and if you needed to make it a bit hardier, you could always add some chopped up chicken or turkey or even some noodles. 

kitchen sink veggie soup
serves: 6-8
prep time: 15 minutes
active time: 40 minutes
total time: 55 minutes
ingredients: 1 brown onion, diced into .25 inch pieces. 2 carrots, diced into .25 inch pieces. 2 celery stalks, diced into .25 inch pieces. 2 tbs olive oil. 2 cups potatoes, diced into .5 inch pieces (i used small boiling potatoes but you can use what you have on hand, smaller potatoes work great). 1 cup chopped beet greens or chard (swiss or rainbow). 1 cup tomatoes, diced .5 inch pieces. 3 garlic cloves minced. 2 green onions, finely chopped. 1 tbs fresh sage, finely chopped (1 tsp dried sage if you don't have fresh). .5 tbs oregano, finely chopped (.5 tsp dried oregano if you don't have fresh). .5 tbs thyme, finely chopped (.5 tsp dried thyme if you don't have fresh). .5 cup dry white wine. 6 cups good quality chicken stock (you could easily make this vegan by using veggie stock). 1 tbs kosher salt. .5 tbs freshly ground black pepper. 

start by combining your carrot, celery and onion in a large pot over medium heat. 

drizzle your veggies with your olive oil and season with a few pinches of your salt and a pinch of pepper. 

cook until the onions are translucent. about 7-10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. 

add in your tomato, green onion and garlic. season with another couple pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. cook until the garlic is fragrant. about 1-2 minutes. 

add in the potatoes, herbs and greens. season with another couple pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. stir well to combine.

pour in the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half and the alcohol has burnt off. about 5-7 minutes. 

pour in the chicken stock and season with the remaining salt and pepper. bring the soup to a boil. once the liquid boils, reduce it to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. about 15-20 minutes.

serve hot, or cool completely and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

xo, a

kitchen sink veggie soup
serves: 6-8
prep time: 15 minutes
active time: 40 minutes
total time: 55 minutes
ingredients: 1 brown onion, diced into .25 inch pieces. 2 carrots, diced into .25 inch pieces. 2 celery stalks, diced into .25 inch pieces. 2 tbs olive oil. 2 cups potatoes, diced into .5 inch pieces (i used small boiling potatoes but you can use what you have on hand, smaller potatoes work great). 1 cup chopped beet greens or chard (swiss or rainbow). 1 cup tomatoes, diced .5 inch pieces. 3 garlic cloves minced. 2 green onions, finely chopped. 1 tbs fresh sage, finely chopped (1 tsp dried sage if you don't have fresh). .5 tbs oregano, finely chopped (.5 tsp dried oregano if you don't have fresh). .5 tbs thyme, finely chopped (.5 tsp dried thyme if you don't have fresh). .5 cup dry white wine. 6 cups good quality chicken stock (you could easily make this vegan by using veggie stock). 1 tbs kosher salt. .5 tbs freshly ground black pepper.
start by combining your carrot, celery and onion in a large pot over medium heat. drizzle your veggies with your olive oil and season with a few pinches of your salt and a pinch of pepper. cook until the onions are translucent. about 7-10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. add in your tomato, green onion and garlic. season with another couple pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. cook until the garlic is fragrant. about 1-2 minutes. add in the potatoes, herbs and greens. season with another couple pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. stir well to combine. pour in the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half and the alcohol has burnt off. about 5-7 minutes. pour in the chicken stock and season with the remaining salt and pepper. bring the soup to a boil. once the liquid boils, reduce it to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. about 15-20 minutes. serve hot, or cool completely and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.