It’s been a heavy week, hasn’t it? Every night my heart is heavy as I read the news and wonder which statistics* will be enough for things to change. We’ve been turning to late night hosts like John Oliver, Samantha Bee, and Jimmy Fallon for some levity and it does help to listen to a good rant or two at the end of the day.
It makes me think about an alarming story I once read about Easter Island. The article, meant to make us think about our environmental impact, talks about the adaptability of humans as a cautionary tale for anyone waiting for an environmental crisis to stimulate a behavioral change: as the people of Easter Island exploited the resources, they just kept learning to make do… eventually with rat meat. One worries that we’ll all just continue to “make do.”
I have no clever segue out of that somber start, only that I’m encouraged by how many people seem to want to stop the making do.
I’ve also got some Friday links of note and the promise of the weekend…
When I asked Sasha Swerdloff what she’d like to contribute to the In Season series, she asked if she could wait to get back to me until after paying a visit to her Sunday local farmer’s market. “I picked up some beautiful favas at the market,” she reported back. “I was thinking about either a tartine with leeks and lemon and herbs or something with a mint sauce.” In the end, she came up with something that brought together the best of both (and is stunningly beautiful to boot).
Fava Bean Tartine with Mint Pesto by Sasha Swerdloff of Tending the Table
Makes 4 Tartines
For the Fava Beans: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 leek, white part only, sliced into ¼ inch rounds 1 cup shelled fava beans ½ teaspoon salt
For the Pesto: ¼ cup mint ¼ cup parsley ½ cup toasted hazelnuts zest and juice from ½ lemon 1 clove garlic ¾ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon salt
To Serve: 4 pieces focaccia bread sheeps milk yogurt freshly cracked black pepper
How To
Prepare the Favas: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the leeks and sauté until soft. Add the fava beans and salt and continue cooking until the beans are bright green. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the Pesto: Combine the mint, parsley, hazelnuts, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil and salt in a food processor and pulse until a coarse puree forms.
Assemble the Tartines: Toast the bread. Top each slice of toast with some pesto, a generous spoonful of the favas and leeks, a few dollops of yogurt and some black pepper.
Deceptively simple and so beautiful, Sasha. Thank you! And thank you to Sarah Ann Noel for her help coordinating this series.
Sasha grew up on a farm in Oregon where she played in the woods, learned to forage, ate carrots straight from the dirt, collected fresh eggs, and helped in the kitchen with the cooking and canning. Sasha believes that our daily food choices are some of the most impactful choices we make when it comes to ethical and sustainable living. With her blog, Tending the Table, she hopes to educate readers about our food system and inspire them to eat better for themselves and for the planet. She enjoys following the seasons and cooking with whatever nature provides. Her recipes are mostly vegetarian and often vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free and are grounded in her knowledge of Ayurvedic cooking. Sasha lives in Seattle with her husband and two dogs.
This post is sponsored by Snowe. Read on for a reader giveaway and discount.
Last year I was introduced to Snowe, a collection of beautiful, timeless (uncomplicated and practical) home essentials made from high-quality materials. We’ve been using their sheets (among other things) ever since and couldn’t be happier. Okay, to be specific, I couldn’t be happier then those rare occasions when I get to sleep in in them, but they feel pretty wonderful all the time.
So when we started choosing the furnishings for our cabin, my mind went right to Snowe. Crisp linens and fresh towels are pretty essential to a good getaway, in my book. But this time around, I took it a step further: spa-like bathrobes.
The whole idea behind Snowe is that stocking your house should be easy. They put together a Foundation Collection around four categories—Drink, Eat,Bathe, and Sleep—with exactly what you need, and not an excess of more. Simple styles that last through trends; well-made luxuries that last even when used every day.
My hope is to stock the cabin with simple, well-made items. Not too much clutter. And we’re adding things slowly. Towels and robes that feel special and luxurious, but which will stand up to a lot of use and washing are a part of that.
I took these photos up at the cabin just after Mother’s Day, when everything arrived—and they’ve felt just as special on every visit since.
As they say at Snowe, “Sometimes the cliché gets it right. In design and in life, simplicity drives the best experiences.”
If you’d like to give Snowe a try, I have doubly good news!
First, Snowe has agreed to extend a 20% discount on anything from their site to readers for two weeks. Use the code Hither&ThitherXSnowe at checkout through June 30, 2016.
And they have agreed to giveaway over $500 worth of product between TWO winners! Each winner will receive 2 Bath Towels, 1 Bathrobe, 1 Shower Curtain, and 1 Bath Mat—each valued at $260. Enter to win below by June 22nd (with your name and email). One entry per person, however users can follow Snowe on Instagram for an additional entry after submission.
This post is sponsored by Snowe, “home essentials you hold in your hands and instantly know have been made the right way”—now with a registry option. Thank you for supporting the site!
Update: The giveaway in this post has ended. But! You can still get a 20% discount on anything from Snowe’s site. Use the code Hither&ThitherXSnowe at checkout through Thursday, June 30, 2016.
