This past week has felt about loss and burden. Being on the other side of it, perhaps makes it easier to talk about.
As I mentioned before, we are moving in a couple of weeks and are currently in the preparation phase, the one where you must tackle the clutter, the daunting mountain of things that make up a life and yet do not sum it up.
Part of me just wishes to escape this phase, longs for travel, for an escape, for Greece and France, for Paris at 5 in the morning, for dipping bread in olive oil and tomatoes by a Greek beach, for the discovery of new places and people in foreign lands, for walks in the countryside with no agenda.
As I climb up this mountain, I find myself longing for a flat road.
But this mountain is nothing but a transition, one that is helping me process loss, I suppose. The loss of my life as I knew it and had planned it. And the burden transformation necessitates.
Just like when Pablo started on solid food and I decided we were going to eat as well as he did, I must apply to myself what I have been practicing with him to nurture and support him through his difficulties.
In time of crisis, instead of distracting him, I aim to become very present, right there with him, supporting, putting emotions into words, patient and accepting.
So now I must stand beside myself, as I climb and get anxious, frustrated, exhausted and discouraged. Be present with myself, and supportive, patient and accepting. And later, there might be Greece and France.
Acceptance. This might just be the secret to it all. Unconditional, guilt-free, trusting acceptance. Of oneself and loved ones, of one’s own needs, of help, of feelings, of life’s meanderings. Only then can we see their beauty. Or their purpose.
Through it all, I’m always grateful for Pablo’s gentleness and complete acceptance. His existence is my daily poetry.
As we manage the logistics of the chaos ahead, time for cooking will be very limited. But I realized last week that it wouldn’t occur to me to start eating processed foods, quick frozen meals or to skip the family meals and eat on the run, even then. It’s not an option in my mind. I certainly need the connection, togetherness, and simple beauty of our family meals more than ever. They help me recharge my batteries.
And it’s also not really necessary. What will our meals look like in the next few weeks, as we are surrounded by boxes and limited in kitchenware? Lots of Greek salads and crudités, (the summer season is still blessing us with gorgeous produce), easy pan-fried meats, fish, shrimp, and pan-fried vegetables like zucchini and eggplant. Quick proteins like smoked salmon and sardines and eggs. Lots of things we can make ahead, to have for a couple of days: grated carrot salad, lentil salad, chickpea salad, quinoa, gazpacho. If our meals are slightly lighter, we’ll enjoy a little more cheese, yogurt and summer fruit as dessert.
One very simple meal I’ve been wanting to share with you for some time, but finally was able to take some pictures of before we sit down to eat it. This grilled duck with radishes and cherries offers a great mix of salty, slightly bitter and sweet. If cherries are out of season, you can certainly omit them, it’s also delicious with just the radishes.
So I will post at a slower pace the next couple of weeks as we get settled, and will probably share very simple meals.
And I will be looking forward to sharing so much more from our new home, with a smaller kitchen (yikes!), but such a lovely window for photos, a vegetable garden and fruit trees to boot.
Roasted duck with braised radishes & cherries
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 bunch of radishes
- 10-12 cherries*
- 2 tbsp sugar or honey
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- A pinch lapsang souchong tea
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 small duck breasts
Instructions
- In a medium sauté pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the radishes, the sugar and balsamic vinegar, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring here and there, until they become slightly golden.
- Then add a little bit under 1/4 cup of hot water, and the cherries. Stir, lower heat to medium low, cover and let braise for about 15 minutes. Then, keep warm/covered.
- (At this point, I do a few other things like set the table, prepare our vegetable first course. Then I continue a few minutes before we sit down to eat)
- Preheat your broiler at 500°F.
- Make a salt and pepper rub by mixing the salt and pepper (and some lapsang souchong tea strands) in a bowl.
- Make a few incisions (3 in each direction) through the skin of the duck breasts (but not all the way through the skin). Rub each side with the salt & pepper.
- Place the breasts on parchment paper in a baking dish, skin side down.
- Place in the oven (very close to the heat elements) for about 5 minutes, then turn them over (skin up), for another 5 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let rest with the oven door open for another 5 minutes.
- Serve 2 duck breasts on each plate, top with some radishes and cherries and drizzle the cooking juices from radishes over both.
- Bon appétit!
Good luck with the move – having done something similar earlier this year, I can definitely appreciate the jumble of emotions that the process throughs up. I hope it goes smoothly and you settle into your new place quickly.
Thank you Kathryn for the kind words of encouragement!
Hey Friend!
Firstly, I hope your moving process is going as best as possible..
Secondly, I finally tried the banana cassoulet. It was so good and I don't even think I made it the best that it could have been. Really can't wait to make it again.
I also have a question.. My son doesn't seem to like protein very much. He eats all veggies, which I'm grateful for, but I can't seem to get him to eat meat. He's almost a year old and the only way I can get him to eat protein is legume purees. He used to eat fish, but he keeps shutting his mouth after one bite. Any puree combinations that were a hit with Pablo?
Best wishes for the move day 🙂
Nitasha
Hi Nitasha, thanks so much for the words of encouragement! And I'm so glad you enjoyed the banana cassolette! To answer your question: my first thought is that children do go through phases where they eat more or less of certain foods, their body tells them what they need most at a particular time. And a lot of moms have reported a noticeable shift (sometimes significant reduction) in appetite around 11-14 months mark, which is pretty normal as their growth rate slows down around that age (and there's often a shift in milk intake around that age as well, as solid food progressively becomes more important, and that can come into play as well). Pablo has certainly had phases where he devours all the proteins, and some where he just goes for the vegetables. So wait a couple of weeks to see if you notice a shift, while still offering some protein and letting him decide how much of it to eat. I would definitely not insist or push, or establish any type of stress or pressure around food and mealtimes. As far as Pablo's favorites, he really enjoyed the duck/beans/tomato puree (recipe is on blog if you look up the meat list), also Dover sole/cauliflower puree, sardines and smoked salmon were always big hits. Also if he can have eggs, you might try a vegetable custard (leek chive custard and artichoke flan are in the vegetable list). Or maybe the Spanish tortilla I just posted today. Cheese and yogurt (Greek yogurt in particular) are also a good option/alternatives for protein if that appeals to him. Anyway, hope some of this is helpful! Keep me posted on how it goes!
Thank you so much for your reply!
Two days after I wrote you he started to eat protein. Babies are so funny. I tried the duck puree, and still, to no avail. I stopped doing purees a while ago because he wasn't going for them and it was just creating such a big mess. So I feel lucky because he's pretty good at chewing. He LOVES duck, though, and really, I don't think I would have made it a regular main stay at home if it weren't for your blog (we're even serving it for Thanksgiving). A whole duck is cheaper than a whole chicken…so odd. Anyways, it's nice to hear that Pablo goes through those phases, too. I know it's normal for kids to do this but it's still great to have the reassurance.
Well, I hope your move is going swimmingly.
Thanks again,
Nitasha
I just came across this blog. Wonderful work here my friend. The recipe looks simple and great. May give it a try.