Where to even begin. This summer we traded our San Diego routine for Europe the entire month of July. When asked, “How was your trip?”
The response that always comes to mind is, how amazing it was to get out of my usual routine and come back to, what felt like a blank slate. Then, gear up again with what resonated and I wanted to hold on to, as true for me.
So there’s that.
We’ve got some folks around us who’ve had Halloween decorations up for a week+ already (we’re talking 7 weeks out from the holiday). Granted, stores were decked out with spooky decor since August, so who can we really hold responsible for this? I read that this was the earliest year Starbucks released the never-escaping-the-jokes pumpkin spice latte. It was like 90+ degrees for a good lil’ bit in San Diego and while my fall sweaters may have been calling, there was no way it was happening. It’s only a matter of time before I’m manually turning on the heat in the morning.
But, the weather has finally broke in Southern California & the perfect ‘locals summer’ is upon us and weather everyone dreams of all year, has arrived. It’s honestly… it’s pretty perfect. While I can roll my eyes at the speed in which holidays have been pushed up and consumerism has taken over…
For now, there’s a sweetness in returning to a familiar season that I’m so grateful for.
Kitchen-Sinkin’ Quichin’
I’m a huge fan of something I can make, have on the counter for a bit and let people come and take slices as they are so inspired. Quiche seems to work well in our house for that. Also, it’s been absolutely amazing to throw together scraps of whatever is in the fridge. Left over BBQ corn, tomatoes, parsley and some random cheeses? Quiche. Goat cheese, a zucchini, 1/2 a green pepper and herbs? Quiche. (You get the idea)
I’m looking forward to trying out a vegan quiche with some tofu situation. I am more curious than anything. &, would be nice to have in my back pocket for any potential vegan brunches or family in town. There’s a lot of versions out there, but I think at some point I have to dive in and get to experimenting. Regardless, if you’re an egg eater, highly recommend getting a pass into quiche town. It’s great.
“Well, what do you use for your crust on quiche?”
— I’m so glad you asked.
Go-To Sourdough Discard Crust
I’ve shared this before, and I’ll share it again. This recipe IS my go-to for so many recipes and so many reasons (it’s so easy to put together, the crust profile is excellent, uses up my SD discard and I’ll take all the probiotics). I make a batch just to freeze one and bake one. It’s been great for all the quiche-ing and now also fall galette-ing.
'The Perfect Loaf' Sourdough Discard Pie Crust (link)
Oh the versatility!
In the spirit of Fall, I tried out NYT Cooking Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Galette (gifted 4you recipe link). This was a real winner. 10/10 recommend.
I couldn’t even get a photo before we cut into this one. It’s simplicity in it’s savory fall flavors was so much fun. I had a bit of mascarpone left over from another recipe I added to the goat cheese, which I love for future versions of this with ‘whatever soft cheese is left over in the fridge’. Also, easy hack would be to buy a Boursin and just use that. Holy yum.
Breakfast Solutions
Has anyone in your life recently told you they are focusing on getting a lot of protein? Shocker. Does it feel like the whole world is discovering this ‘new concept’ of nutrition? We’ve all become part of this ‘social collective’ and it’s only extrapolating into conversations I never knew I’d have with people.
Tofu + Kimchi Breakfast scrambles & back to routines
An empty fridge. I know it might sound counter intuitive, but it felt like a fresh start. Like a fresh full tank of gas but in reverse. I’m finding a ‘calm’ in only buying what I need at the moment and *not* having my fridge fully stocked at all times. It forces me to use what I have (hence the quiche party) and I feel so good for it. I was off soy for a long time, but recently thought to myself… but why? (It was the fact that the soy bean crop is one of the most GMO’ed out crops, too much soy messes with estrogen, and ironically, even as a life long vegetarian, I would buy it and it would sit in my fridge because I didn’t know what to do with it until I ultimately had to throw it out). But the dawn of a new era is upon us.
I’m so here for the protein content of tofu + I only buy organic. Basically, I just stopped gripping on tofu and embraced its immense versatility.
I’m super duper pro-probiotic so any sneaky fermentation is a-okay by me. Someone once told me they liked the Trader Joe’s kimchi. It’s just one of those things that has stuck in my head that at some point I just had to try. I did, + it’s okay. I wouldn’t buy it again, but am happy to have checked off that box.
Some flavor fun notes:
I’ve found I really like adding nutritional yeast to my scrambles and! surprise spice:
Asafetida is a traditional Indian spice. the dried sap exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula, perennial herbs of the carrot family.
Did you know there are some parts of India in which they do not cook with onions typically, this is kind of like the ‘added onion-garlic flavor’. I do find myself adding it into a lot of lentil dishes I make at home and kind of just randomly, it’s one of those spices I’ve really come to appreciate.
Reading:
I love so much about this cookbook, this author, the composition of this cookbook… the stories and the writing. I feel like I want to be part of this community of people she shares her food and memories with.
I’ve only made one recipe so far, but I’m pacing myself and picking one a week to try out. I’m definitely devouring this one like a novel.
Listening to:
It’s been a minute since I’ve listened, but recently went back to the The Row Playlist (MK+A). They put out monthly playlists and I’m 100% here for it. When I catch bits of their fashion shows, the music is always great. I think their philosophy, their branding and overall what appears to be a very conscious choices to put out into the world company, their playlists are no exception. I’m totally finding gems. Enjoy.
Till next time :) Thanks for reading. It means a lot.
Cheers,
Justine
P.s. If you’re not a sourdough person - it took me a moment to really get into and understand how to incorporate into my life. If you’re at all curious or have questions, it’s one of my most favorite things to chat about. Let’s talk. xo