The kind of fun where time stops
And a recipe for farro with fava beans and roasted spiced cauliflower
Happy summer solstice!
Below are reflections on this new season, and my recipe for farro topped with fava beans and spiced roasted cauliflower (skip to the bottom for just the recipe).
I keep thinking about time in terms of plants and produce. How many more weeks will fava beans be at the market? Asparagus? The garlic scapes are on their way out. Precious sour cherries are bound to appear any minute. Zucchini blossoms brighten the garden. Soon I’ll scoop up blackberries that taste just like jam from a jar. I’ll be tempted by melons that are grown so far north that they often lack the rose-like sweetness of their more southern brethren. But I’ll buy one anyway. And suddenly it will be late August. I’ll be scurrying to preserve garden harvests, and delicata squash will appear in striped mounds at the market. In the evening the quality of the breeze will be subtly, but distinctly cooler than July’s.
Summer’s warmth slows my body, but its long days and ample bounty make time feel quick, delicate, and uncatchable. Always a chase. Running after another day towards a river to bop into the water and emerge cleansed and calmed from the sun’s rays. The abundance of light presents its own kind of paradox — it asks us to spring forth and take action, while simultaneously slowing us in its thick, luxurious heat.
But on certain days, I hope to find myself in a different pocket of time. The kind of time that seems to only come in the warmest months… like when I recently attended my college reunion.
Reunited with a small group of friends, all day we moved like an organism. Sitting here, sitting there, lying down in a meadow of grass in the shifting shade of a tree, circling up on the front lawn at sunset to watch lasers and fire dancers, falling into an old couch in the college radio station well after midnight.
We moved slowly from place to place, moment to moment. No plans, no particular schedule. At one point, someone mentioned “It’s 3:30” but it easily could have been 10 in the morning or 7 at night. I had no grasp on what part of the day we were sitting in.
Usually, when I’m fully present, joyful, and relaxed, time speeds up. But this was the kind of fun where time slowed down to a stop.
The next morning, I was hit with immediate nostalgia for that kind of summer. Contemplative and whimsical. Expansive and lighthearted. Days where the primary concern is solely: Where can I spend time with curious friends in a patch of shade?
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Solstice is here, and tomorrow it’s followed by the “strawberry full moon.” For the next few days, light will be at its brightest both in the day and night. The first tomatoes are forming on their aromatic branches in the garden, and the lavender is fully in bloom. The farmers’ market is awash with color and sweetness, tables showcase Rainier cherries and early string beans curled into expressive spirals. My kitchen counter becomes a postcard of this point in the verdant cycle of the Pacific Northwest year.
In the vastness of light that we’re graced with right now, I intend to dream up new ways to move from patch of grass to patch of grass. Perhaps it starts tomorrow evening, with the arrival of Shabbat, a day of ritual rest — a day to bask in the merciful embrace of the present moment.
What makes you feel like time has slowed down?
Do you have a minute to help out fellow home cooks?
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The past few weeks, and hopefully for a few more, there have been purple and orange cauliflower, and fava beans, at the Portland farmers market. I’ve been roasting the cauliflower into thin slices, spicing it heavily, and adding it to cooked farro… which I boil in a combination of water and apple cider vinegar for more flavor (a trick I learned from my friend and podcast co-host, Kari). The recipe is below:
Farro, Fava, and Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large head (1 lb) of cauliflower
1 medium red onion
2 teaspoons garam masala or your favorite Indian spice blend
1½ cups farro
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 lb pound fava beans
Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice of ½ a lemon
Olive oil, as needed
Fresh mint, optional
For the tahini sauce:
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
½ cup tahini paste
¼ cup water, or more if desired
Directions:
Prep your vegetables: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Thinly slice your cauliflower (about 1/4” thick), some of the end pieces will crumble, and that’s ok. Everything will crisp up and get caramelized as it roasts. Slice your onion into wedges. Shell the fava beans.
Roast the cauliflower: Add the cauliflower and onion to a sheet pan. Drizzle everything with a generous amount of olive oil, season with spices, salt, and pepper, and gently toss to coat the vegetables. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until deeply browned, caramelized, and tender.
Cook the farro: While the cauliflower is roasting, add 5 cups water and ½ a cup of apple cider vinegar to a medium pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the farro and cook until tender (Trader Joe’s has farro that cooks in 10 minutes or less). Once tender, drain, and add to your serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the fava beans: Using the same pot as the farro (no need to wash it first), fill it ¾ with water and bring to a boil. Add the shelled fava beans to the pot and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the fava beans and rinse in very cold water to immediately cool them. Squeeze the fava beans out of their shells and add them to a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt to the fava beans and toss them.
For the tahini dressing: To a medium bowl add the lemon juice and grated garlic. Add the tahini paste and whisk it together, it will clump up. Add the water, and whisk until smooth. If you like your tahini sauce thinner add a little more water, but know that tahini sauce thickens as it sits.
Assemble and serve: Top the farro with the roasted cauliflower, fava beans, and freshly chopped mint (if desired). Serve drizzled with tahini sauce.
For more recipe inspiration pick up a copy of my debut cookbook Braids, find me on Instragram, or tune into Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy.