As I was shooting my photos, I realized that recently my posts have been gravitating around food... and my blog wasn't supposed to be a food blog... and I have never been a good cook (it has always been my man's honor)... But the more I think about it, the more I convince myself that food is one of the greatest simple pleasures in life... The more I think about it, the more I realize that almost every memory of my childhood relates to food, in one way or another - the best chicken soup that my granny cooks with chickens she farms, the porridge in the morning made with milk from the neighbour's cow, the best ever veggies, fruits and herbs that come directly from the garden, mom's stew on the first cold day of fall, the homemade birthday cakes, the dinner on the table that despite your schedule, it is a meal that must be shared with the whole family...
The more I think about food, the more I understand that food is not only a basic necessity for our physical well-being, but more so, a shared pleasure that plays a significant role in people's perception of happiness and feeds human souls, a safe harbor that gives a sense of belonging and dignity...
It makes a difference when you eat your meal by yourself or you share it with somebody else, right?
When someone asked the film critic Roger Ebert, who was no longer able to eat and drink, if he misses it, he wrote one of the best articles about it. "... So that's what's sad about not eating. The loss of dining, not the loss of food. It may be personal, but for, unless I'm alone, it doesn't involve dinner if it doesn't involve talking. The food and drink I can do without easily. The jokes, gossip, laughs, arguments and shared memories I miss. Sentences beginning with the words, "Remember that time?" I ran in crowds where anyone was likely to break out in a poetry recitation at any time. Me too. But not me anymore. So yes, it's sad..."
One of my favorite things to do is to prepare a meal alongside my husband, to set a table and to share it with my family and friends. The table and its simple pleasures, the ordinary art of sharing food, time, stories, tears, hope, is what sustains life and nourishes my soul. It took me time and experiences, especially of a mother, to come to that conclusion...
Then, something else is coming to mind - I can't remember my grandma talking about "healthy" eating. It never occurs to her that what she is cooking will not serve our bodies. Today, we are obsessive about our diets and often see food only as body nutrition and contradicting results of scientific researches. Yesterday, the coffee wasn't beneficial for my health at all, today – it is...
Our sons are begging for ice creams and a piece of cake while we are waiting on the drive-thru lines or eating in the cars, the food in the stores is full of ingredients we can barely read unless we are chemists, processed foods have become more the rule than the exception, we suffer from eating disorders, we eat fancy dishes we can't pronounce... the joy has been taken out of food, the eating has become more of an afterthought... we know more about food and less about our physiological health...

It is time to return to a place of harmony with food, when eating is meant to nourish and sustain not only the individual but more so, the family and the community.

The answer seems simple to me: eat like our grandmas' generation have ever eaten, "eat the blessed earth", enjoy the seasons' abundance, buy from the farmer's market if you don't have a garden, practice moderation and mindfulness, invite to your table and share with others...

Today on our table, our safe harbor, you will find the taste of early summer and I am more than happy to share it with you. My blog is about simple pleasures, after all...


See what grandmothers cook around the world here.






Green and Yellow Bean Salad 


Ingredients:

400 g green and yellow beans, ends trimmed
1 cup rainbow heirloom tomatoes, or any other tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, minced
1 avocado, sliced (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook beans in a large pot of boiling water until tender-crisp, about 2-5minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and transfer to a large serving tray with tomatoes, onion, avocado, and basil. Whisk oil with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss salad with dressing and serve.









Kids Friendly Wrapped Green Beans

Using a store-bought dough, you can create a wonderful, appealing snack for your picky eater.
Heat oven to 375F. Grease a baking sheet. Unroll dough. Sprinkle basil over each piece of dough. Place the tender-crisp green beans over one side of the dough and roll. Toss each bundle with black pepper or sesame seeds. Bake for about 15- 20 minutes.



Thank you!



Sharing at Seasonal Sundays/ Our Sunday Best