tackling latkes: sweet potato-scallion & potato, onion and apple

i've never made latkes before,

for the purpose of chanukah.

for my culinary school graduation,

i decided that one of my dishes for the

grand buffet, was going to be beet latkes.

when i was done shredding them,

the table,

my apron,

my hands,

the floor and the counters,

were stained red and i was already

over the project. by then, my chef

had convinced me that they could

be served at room temperature, so

that i did not have to struggle with

a la minute preparations - in retrospect,

that part was probably for the best - and

he had an idea that they should be served

over a bed of sliced, raw golden beets.

my memory of that day is this:

while others had the idea to create appetizers,

like, little savory cheesecake bites, cut into

precious squares, i just had to create not only

one, but three dishes, that involved persnickety,

time consuming steps. after making

teeny tiny chocolate tarts and lobster, corn

and chive shot glasses, i spent all afternoon

frying 150 beet pancakes, only to have the

people who ate them, complain that:

1) their fingers were stained

2) they were kind of cold and

3) they didn't realize the raw beets were for

pretty, not for eating.

i was over latkes.

but, then, this year, for chanukah,

i wanted back in.

i want to start making dishes that have

tradition to them and holiday memories

attached. i want to own a portion of the

jewish meals that my family will serve

year after year. i want to, one day, not

be shocked when i'm responsible for

producing an entire holiday meal

on my own.

my mom was thrilled.

my sisters were happy to still

have latkes.

i was kind of scared.

i was worried that i wouldn't

work quickly enough and that the

potatoes would brown. i was worried

that i wouldn't be a good enough

squeezer and that the latkes wouldn't

turn golden, because they'd be too

waterlogged. i was worried my family,

upon eating their first latke,

would turn to my mother, with pleading

in their eyes, and silently beg her to take

back latke making duties next year.

all of these fears - and the fact that i had to

work the day of our chanukah dinner (held

this past weekend, thanks my work schedule

this week) - convinced me to make the latkes a week

early, and pop them in the freezer, to give me

time to fix any mistakes.

i decided to make two latkes:

sweet potato latkes

from gourmet, that i've

been looking at for years

and

melissa clark's apple potato latkes,

featured one week earlier in

the new york times.

and then,

this happened:

(except for the facts that

-i confirmed that i have

a hot [and cold spot] on my burner

-i made myself cook in a freezing cold kitchen

with the windows open to eliminate the frying

smell from the start [didn't work]

-i should have followed my instinct and squeezed

the sweet potatoes before frying, even though the

recipe didn't instruct for that to happen

-it took me all afternoon to make the latkes

-i may have [literally] frozen my husband out of the kitchen,

and then demanded that he come back to help me

squeeze the potatoes, apples and onions quickly,

before making him help me find room in our jam-packed

freezer for 60 latkes)

the whole thing actually went ok.

sure, i've learned you can always squeeze a little bit

more, to really make sure all the liquid is out.

and yes, i'm now more willing to accept that

the first batch of latkes are kind of like the first pancake,

and will never go that well.

but, the latkes tasted like latkes.

in spite of my best efforts, the house smelled

like chanukah.

and this past saturday,

we reheated the latkes

at my mom's, until they were

crisp-on-the-outside,

creamy-on-the-inside.

i watched my family carefully -

no one seemed to be sending

out smoke signals for help.

they ate every single one,

erasing my

beet latke nightmare memories,

in the process.

sweet potato-scallion latkes

adapted from gourmet magazine

this recipe was very basic, and a couple reviewers had complained that they were bland. so, after grating the sweet potatoes, i stirred in a few healthy dashes of cayenne, cumin and coriander, which i think i actually was able to taste, subtly, in the finished product. i did not measure - i just shook in spices, until it felt right. as i said above, the recipe did not call for squeezing liquid out of the potatoes, but i think that was a mistake. i spent the whole time i was making these, trying not to notice the liquid pooling at the bottom. and, i doubled the scallions, but i think i could have tripled them (below, i've written as i made them - doubled).

i also made the decision to double this recipe, which was the right decision. the original recipe was supposed to make 28, but doubling it, i got 30. sure, maybe some of mine were big, but i don't think they were that big. below, is the doubled recipe.

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 bunch scallions, trimmed, cleaned and finely chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

ground cayenne

ground cumin

ground coriander

3/4-1 cup vegetable oil

in large bowl, stir together eggs, scallions, salt and pepper; set aside.

using box grater or grating attachment on the food processor, grate sweet potatoes; transfer to a dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. add grated sweet potatoes; sprinkle with flour and a couple healthy shakes each cayenne, cumin and coriander. stir to combine.

in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 3/4 cup oil until hot, but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 2-3 tablespoons sweet potato mixture into skillet. flatten using back of a slotted spoon (i actually used the 1/4 cup metal measuring cup i was using). reduce heat to medium and cook 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown on each side, turning once. transfer to paper towel-lined plate or sheet pan. add remaining oil to skillet, if necessary.

to freeze: let cool completely. freeze in single layer 2-4 hours. transfer frozen latkes to a freezer safe resealable bag or container. to reheat: heat oven to 400˚f. heat latkes 10-15 minutes, or until hot and sizzling, turning once.

potato, onion and apple latkes

adapted from the new york times

for this recipe, i did something that i never do: i just trusted the recipe. i decided to make it the second i saw melissa clark tweet about it, i didn't bother to research if anyone else made it and i just went for it. it was kind of refreshing. i also doubled this recipe and made the latkes, larger than instructed, but somehow, got exactly the right number (36).

i think that my apples were small, and as i result, i didn't really taste that much apple, but i don't mind, and i would still try them again the same way. i used 4 onions, because they were tiny. also: because i was so nervous about making sure that the apples and potatoes, didn't brown, i asked larry to help me and we turned it into a very fast multi-step process. instead of shredding the onions, potatoes and apples at the same time, i shredded the onions first, squeezed them and then added them to the bowl with the eggs. then, i asked larry to shred and squeeze the apples while i peeled, shredded and squeezed the potatoes. we did not have anything brown, and i recommend it, but if you're cooking alone, there's probably no reason for my crazy version of operation shred and squeeze. (i also realize that my method added work, but it relieved stress, so i consider it a wash.)

here's what i didn't do: i didn't make the cinnamon sour cream that went with it (i'm not really sure why), and since i was making this recipe second, i opted to just keep using vegetable oil, instead of the olive oil.

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoons black pepper

2 medium yellow onions, peeled

4 golden delicious apples

2 large russet potatoes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

vegetable or olive oil for frying

in large bowl, stir together eggs, salt and pepper; set aside.

using box grater or grater attachment on the food processor, grate onion. place onion in strainer; press on onion to release liquid. transfer onion to dish towel; squeeze out remaining liquid. transfer to bowl with egg mixture.

peel and core apples; grate apples. repeat straining and squeezing. transfer to bowl with onions; stir to combine. peel potatoes; repeat shredding and squeezing. sprinkle with flour and baking powder; stir to combine.

in large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/4-inch oil, until hot, but not smoking. in batches of four or five, drop 3 tablespoons of latke mixture into skillet; press to flatten. cook 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once. transfer to paper towel-lined sheet pan.

to freeze: let cool completely. freeze in single layer 2-4 hours. transfer frozen latkes to a freezer safe resealable bag or container. to reheat: heat oven to 400˚f. heat latkes 10-15 minutes, or until hot and sizzling, turning once.

lima bean puree

hi. it's me.

you may remember me,

but just in case...

my name is brooke.

i cook and take pictures

of what i've cooked

and write about what i've

cooked and taken pictures of...

when i have time.

and even though cooking,

taking pictures and writing

rank very high on several lists:

(-things i'd prefer to be doing,

-things i love doing,

-things i'm often thinking about doing),

they also fall high on

another list:

-things i often need to ignore to make

way for life and work.

but, i refuse to give up on this little

blog-that-could, um, maybe-can.

and, i hope you don't either.

because even though it's taken me

almost three months to tell you about

this lima bean puree, i've thought

of it often and have been writing this

post in my head for almost as long.

--

larry and i spent our september wedding

anniversary in new orleans. while that might

sound romantic or sweet or well-planned,

it was none of those things. ok, wait. that's not fair.

let me start over.

we spent the summer trying to find one week

to go on vacation. but, suddenly,

it was almost the end of august

and we had not gone away, nor had we found a

week that would work. i looked and saw one free

five day period - starting tuesday afternoon,

that we could run somewhere, anywhere.

i also realized that this was it - if i held out for a

full week, i'd be waiting until after the first of the

year. we found a place with reasonable

fares and jumped into a half-assed vacation, feet first.

and during that time, we recognized that somehow,

our anniversary

fell during that 5 day period. suddenly,

we were going away for our anniversary.

we made many reservations - determined

not to miss out on the barbecued shrimp at Mr. B's,

the incredible steal of a lunch at restaurant august,

the cochon at cochon - but, still, none for the evening

of our anniversary. i researched, trying not to be

ridiculously indulgent, trying to take the night

seriously. and, then, i found mila.

it was a small menu, which ordinarily turns me

off, but everything seemed just right. so, i read

a few reviews, made reservations and knew

that if the meal was a bust, we would probably

still be a little full from lunch, anyway.

the dinner was lovely.

we enjoyed a gorgeously arranged salad featuring

frisee and cornbread croutons and heirloom

tomatoes and large crystals of sea salt.

they brought us out celebratory glasses of

champagne, that we never would have thought

to order on our own, and i ate a pasta dish that

was decent, if not sorely in need of a squeeze

of lemon.

but, what i fixated on that evening,

and what i continued to talk about in the same

breath as those barbecued shrimp when we got

home, was the lima bean puree that they served

in a little cast iron skillet,

alongside cornbread and sweet potato biscuits,

when we first sat down.

it was so simple.

warm lima beans blended into silkiness,

and lightly flavored with...i had no idea.

i preach that i love crazy combinations and

bold impressions. but, this puree was

neither and i couldn't get enough of

the subtle mystery flavor.

i asked the waiter - who was more than

happy to talk to us after learning that we

were from new jersey, too.

he came back and gave me this:

the lima beans were steamed.

they were then pureed with a pepper vinegar.

hmmm.

that was not it.

i talked about the puree on the walk back

to the hotel, on the plane ride home and

in the grocery store when i bought a bag

of dried lima beans to begin operation recreation.

i researched the recipe and found nothing.

i thought about calling the restaurant, but

let's be honest - i chickened out.

and, then i decided that i had to get started

or kiss my lima bean puree-obsession, goodbye.

for attempt number one, i decided to use

hot chile peppers. i'm not sure why - the puree

wasn't even slightly spicy. but, i really cannot

stand the flavor of bell peppers and i was pretty

sure that if they used them to make the

vinegar, i would have been able to taste it.

yet, i was pretty sure i was barking up the wrong

tree with the fresnos.

i cut the peppers into 1/2" pieces,

crushed a couple large cloves of garlic and

tossed both into white distilled vinegar.

the next day, i simmered the soaked beans

until they were ultra tender and then transferred

them, still warm into the food processor.

(was that a mistake? would limas get pasty like

potatoes? should i have been using a masher?)

and even though it seemed like it was too simple,

i didn't have any other jumping points.

so, i poured in a few tablespoons of the limas'

cooking liquid, a couple of the very spicy vinegar

and a couple of olive oil. i blended with my eyes

half closed and when the mixture seemed smooth,

i gave it a taste. it was...close. very close.

i added another tablespoon of the spicy vinegar,

and then one more for good measure, sprinkled

in a few more pinches of salt and blended again.

oh my goodness.

i did it.

first try.

blind guessing.

completely confused about the crazy spicy vinegar

that gave the lima beans a touch of mystery.

but, here it was, in my food processor.

hot and craving

a sweet potato biscuit.

i made larry - who i think enjoyed the puree

a normal amount the first time - try it.

he confirmed it tasted like mila's.

i was shocked. still am, if you can't tell.

and, then i realized:

no pictures. it had never even occurred to

me to take out the camera for what i assumed

would be a non-event. that was the beginning of october.

it took me until two sundays ago to make them

again, to serve alongside a turkey meatloaf and

shredded lemony brussels sprouts.

i was worried that i wouldn't like it as much.

that i wouldn't be able to get it right again,

that the flavor wouldn't ring true or stand out.

but, from the moment that i tested one lima bean

to make sure it was tender enough to blend, i knew

we'd be ok. better than ok.

i still loved it - subtle, unexpected,

but somehow just right.

just like our anniversary trip this year.

lima bean puree

(kind of adapted from mila's)

i have to warn you one last time, this puree will not knock you over with its uniqueness or its shocking lingering flavor. but, it is a lovely mixture to serve with the intention of slathering on warm bread, or served alongside chicken, fish, or as we did on this night, meatloaf. also - know this: this puree will probably not be your best friend at a dinner party. while, you can keep it in the food processor covered for quite a while, if you try to serve it too early, it does form a bit of a crust on top, as it did at mila.

i reserved extra lima bean cooking liquid and stirred into leftovers the next night before reheating. the flavor and texture were pretty spot-on from the night before.

puree

1 bag (16 ounces) dried lima beans, picked over

1/4-1/3 cup spicy vinegar (recipe below)

3-5 tablespoons lima bean cooking liquid

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

place lima beans in large bowl; cover with at least 3 inches cold water. stir to make sure all beans are submerged. let sit 6-8 hours (you can put them under water before you leave for work and make the puree when you get home).

drain beans. place soaked lima beans in large saucepot; cover with at least two inches water. bring to a boil; reduce heat to a bare simmer and let cook 45 minutes-1 hour, or until beans are very tender, skimming off foam as necessary. (to test beans, halve bean and look: you don't want the center to be any darker than the center. if the bean is the same color all the way through, it's a good sign you're ready to go. then taste it. there shouldn't be any resistance. but, for your most sure-on bet, use this trick i learned from anne burrell: after the first one is tender, check four more. if all five are soft and cooked through, it's time).

before draining beans, ladle out a cupful of cooking liquid. drain beans; let lima sit 10 minutes. transfer beans to bowl of food processor; add 1/4 cup spicy vinegar, 3 tablespoons cooking liquid and olive oil. process 30 seconds, or until smooth. taste; and adjust seasoning, adding more vinegar if the puree tastes too flat or more cooking liquid to smooth it out; season with salt and pepper. blend again, tasting and adjusting as necessary.

fresno pepper and garlic vinegar

5 large fresno chile peppers

3-4 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

cut peppers into 1/2" pieces. smash garlic with back of knife. transfer peppers and garlic to glass jar or container; cover with vinegar and stir to combine. let sit at least one day before using. (note: the next day, the vinegar will be extremely spicy. that's ok - don't let it stop you from using it in the puree.)

masala-laced carrot macaroons

i've probably told this story before,

but i can't find it anywhere on this blog,

so i'll just write about it and apologize

if you've heard this 3-second tale before.

it was senior year of college and i was

sitting in the living room of my college apartment,

talking about how i'm always looking for something

that's different, something that you don't see

coming and going, just something. (to be honest,

i remember that part, but i have no idea what i

was talking about.) my friend turned to me and said,

brooke, sometimes there's nothing wrong

with a plain potato chip. (note: i know we weren't

talking about food.)

i know what he was saying.

sometimes life is not about being different.

sometimes it's about the familiar.

it's about the classics.

the thing is, i never want a plain potato chip.

it's plain. i've seen it before. it offers me very little.

i always want the chip that's coated with

craziness.

and so when i buy a cookbook,

i want one that offers me something new.

yes, i want to one day make

chocolate chip cookies

and

brownies that are classic,

but so good that my kids constantly wish

they're eating mine when snacking on someone

else's (am i nuts? yes.).

but, for now, i want the crazy. i want the recipes

that make me look at food and ingredients

differently, while resulting in desserts that are

surprising and unforgettable

(they should taste good, too).

this, it should be noted, is my philosophy

when finding a restaurant, too, which is why

it takes so long for us to find a place to

eat dinner and why it takes me hours

to research places to eat while on vacation.

surprisingly, when i decided to take home

alice medrich's newish book,

chewy

gooey

crispy

crunchy,

it was for both reasons:

this book is full of the classics

and it offers really interesting twists

on recognizable recipes.

still, the first one that i decided i had to make,

spicy carrot masala meringues, fell into the second

category. they looked pretty simple, but

provided several things that i love:

carrots (reminiscent of my favorite cake, carrot),

garam masala (a new love)

and shredded coconut.

i think - if you are glancing quickly and in a rush -

you might look past this recipe.

it involves grinding almonds,

shredding carrots,

giving the recipe 10 minutes to hydrate,

stirring while set in simmering water,

and ultimately, baking.

but, thanks to my food processor and

a decent mise en place,

i think it took me less than 30 minutes

to get these cookies in the oven.

and, then, i let them be,

worrying about the next thing that

i was making, when really, i should

have focused on making sure these

teeny bundles didn't burn their

bottoms in the oven.

so of course, they got a little too

dark underneath. and i got a little

angry. but then i calmed down and

tried one. and here's what i learned

from these cookies:

1) the carrots really taste like carrots.

while that might sound like a charlie

and the chocolate factory rip off,

i was really surprised to find that i could

taste the strands of carrots in a very different

way than you can when the veggies are

baked into a cake. i'm not a huge carrot lover,

so my first bite worried me, but i persevered.

2) you really can taste the garam masala.

i - someone who wants to jam pack everything

she eats with spice and flavor - worried that

1 teaspoon wouldn't be enough to make an

impression, but i was wrong. the spice comes

after and lingers, slightly spicy, cinnamon-laced

and faintly indian-influenced. (i would say the spice

was most pronounced on the second day and decreased

in intensity on each day forward.)

3) they were a little bit sticky, which is something

i'm not crazy about. i did find that the ones that were

closer to burnt on the bottoms were slightly less

sticky, which made me think that my oven might

need to be adjusted. but, i digress.

4) my family, when offered slightly weird cookies -

with carrots and indian spices woven throughout -

at the same time as brownies, will eat an equal

amount of both. and, i'm pretty sure that at least

some of them, if given a choice,

would reach for a plain potato chip.

masala-laced carrot macaroons

adapted from chewy gooey crispy crunchy by alice medrich

this is how i tackled the recipe: i ground the almonds in the food processor, then transferred them to a bowl. next, i used the shredder attachment on the food processor to shred the carrots into the bowl, which i did not bother wiping clean of almonds, since they were ultimately going into the same bowl anyway. the only thing i struggled with with these cookies was how long i really needed to stir the mixture over boiling water. the recipe said 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture had thickened slightly. i went for the full 7 and the mixture did seem thicker, but when it came time to scoop them into the cookie sheet, the ingredients did not hold together, instead, functioning like separates, coated in something wet. i placed the bowl back over the simmering water and stirred until the mixture was scoopable and was able to form something closer to a batter that kept its shape.

ok, i will tell you this. i read this recipe about 10 times before and while making it. and just now, when i went to type it out, i realized it says, "set the bowl directly in a wide skillet of barely simmering water." that's not what i did. instead, i read "set the bowl directly in" as "place the bowl over a double boiler." most likely, that was where i went wrong. below, i'll write as intended.

also, the recipe called for (a generous 1/4 teaspoon of) lemon zest, but i'm never crazy about lemon in baked goods - save for lemon bars - so i omitted it.

3/4 cup whole almonds

2-3 carrots, peeled

2 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon garam masala (alice also offers that you could use cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut

position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. heat oven to 325˚f.

in food processor, pulse almonds 10 times, or until chopped (you're looking for almonds that are both large chopped and finely chopped). set aside.

on box grater or using shredder attachment on your food processor, grate carrots. measure 1 1/3 cups lightly packed carrot (reserve remaining for another use).

in medium stainless steel bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. stir in sugar, garam masala and salt. stir in carrots, coconut and almonds. set aside 10 minutes, to hydrate the mixture.

bring a large wide skillet of water to a very low simmer; place bowl in skillet. cook 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture is very hot and the liquid turns from opaque to translucent, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom.

use 1 heaping teaspoon measure to drop cookies on two parchment-lined baking sheets. bake 20-25 minutes, or until the cookies are deep golden on the bottom (check by turning up the corner of the parchment paper), rotating the pans top to bottom and left to right midway through baking.

place pans on cooling racks and cool completely. remove from parchment paper and store cookies, loosely covered, 3-4 days.

green smoothie

while we all hold on

(for dear life, sometimes)

to who we are,

i think it's fair to say we become products

of our environment. for me, that means a lot

of things - like lately, my (slight)

obsession with green smoothies.

i had never heard of green smoothies -

much less imagined myself drinking, craving

and researching twists on them - before about

a year and a half ago. one of my coworkers brought

in a smoothie everyday, filled with lots of visible

kale. other people started drinking them. a lot

of people started talking about them. and i kept

thinking, one day, i'll get up the nerve to make one.

i kept it in my head for over a year.

people still drank them, but they didn't talk about

them quite as much. then, in april, i switched jobs

and boom: green smoothies. in my face. all the time.

again. ok, i will make them.

but, i didn't.

until one day, in the middle of may,

i realized that i had almost all of the ingredients

in the house for this one, the smoothie i'm

most commonly faced with. i prepped everything

the night before - i chopped kale, measured spinach,

diced strawberries and sliced dates, even sprinkling

some flax seed in for good measure. the next morning,

i blended the whole thing with a ripe banana and

coconut water, the only acceptable beverage in the house,

and blended. the results were faintly flecked, but overall,

smooth. the mixture, like everyone said,

tasted like bananas. it was pretty good.

for the next few weeks, we set up shop every night.

after dinner, larry would try to clean the kitchen,

and i, as i am apt to do -

stemming kale, hulling strawberries - would

recreate a mess next to him.

the next morning, when larry got up for work,

he would pour a couple cups of coconut milk

(which we found we liked better than the coconut

water when not using a crazy ripe banana) into

the container, add a banana and blend for 2 minutes

before dividing amongst our shiny new smoothie cups.

(mine's the orange!)

his would leave with him. mine would go in the fridge,

ready and waiting for me to fly downstairs, always one

minute later than my 7:20 deadline, and grab it out

of the fridge. it was great - i loved my breakfast,

i felt good about my breakfast and larry was into it, too.

but, then, as i am also apt to do, i got bored.

i wanted to try new things.

so i played around - trying almond milk,

blueberries, mixed berries, no kale, no spinach,

adding ice cubes and more.

i learned this: mixed berries have never been my thing.

but, also, this: i love green smoothies. love 'em.

there aren't many i haven't liked.

but, there's one that has stood out as my favorite.

the one that i wish i could drink every day.

but, i don't because, for many reasons,

it's more of a special

occasion green smoothie.

i can't believe i just wrote that.

this one

doesn't have kale or bananas.

it sometimes uses dates, sometimes agave.

when they're in the house, i add blueberries.

lately, i've been tossing in cubes of melon.

here's what it always features:

baby spinach

an apple or a pear

a couple splashes of almond milk

ice cubes

and a generous half of an avocado.

i haven't been able to decide if i like

apples better than pears. i'm sad that i

discovered the delicious addition of melon

so close to the end of melon season. i'm

very happy that i realized i only need a small

amount of almond milk - just enough to blend

the mess into a cohesive frosty drink - to make

me happy. but, i've made one decision, that i haven't

wavered from since beginning.

i don't measure.

i can't.

early in the morning,

when i need to leave for work and i've

sacrificed my hair time for smoothie time,

the last thing i want to deal with

are measuring cups. honestly,

it annoys me that i have to deal with

a knife and a cutting board. and, by now, i've

gotten pretty good at making a smoothie

that tastes pretty much the same every day.

so, here's what i do. approximately.

i start by placing a huge handful of

baby spinach in the container.

this fills up about half the blender.

then, i large chop an unpeeled apple* or pear,

using all of a small piece of fruit,

or three-quarters of a large piece.

that goes into the blender, too,

pressing down on the spinach.

then, i add about ten cubes of melon,

or a small handful of blueberries.

i spoon in a generous half of ripe avocado**

(and, by this i mean, that when i "halve" the fruit,

i make sure to cut a bigger section for the smoothie)

then, i drizzle in a squeeze or two of agave

(or three chopped pitted dates).

i add two or three splashes of almond milk,

just enough so that i can see about 1/3-inch

of milk on the bottom of the blender.

and, then, before setting the blender to puree,

i top everything with two small

handfuls of large ice cubes.

usually it takes a good 20-30 seconds for

the mixture to start blending. if things don't start

to take shape at that point, i turn the blender off and shake

the container a couple times. if that still doesn't

help everything mix together, i add a little bit

more almond milk. and once everything is combining,

i let the blender run for at least a minute or two, or until

everything is cohesive and smooth.

on the rare days that i've gotten it together

to make my smoothie before i start getting ready,

i've learned that, surprisingly, this mixture

keeps - covered and in the fridge - for at least

a couple hours.

and that's it.

it's green.

it's satisfying.

it makes people ask questions.

(what are you drinking? why are you drinking that?

spinach? avocado? did you lose a bet?)

but, mostly. it makes me immensely happy.***

*you may notice that the apple i used on the day i took pictures was a granny smith. they looked really shiny and beautiful in the store, but i don't recommend using them. they make the smoothies more tart that i like and it would take quite a bit of sweetener to balance it all out.

**don't get me wrong. a fair half of an avocado makes a really good smoothie. but, using a little more than half ensures that the entire thing tastes faintly of avocado. and in my opinion, what's the point of using a good, but expensive and fatty fruit if you're not going to be able to taste it?

***on friday, i made three smoothies - one for me and one for each of my sisters - as a road trip "treat" to drink on the way to our grandmother's house. they drank theirs, but i'm not sure they'd be able to say that these smoothies made them immensely happy. one of my sisters said it took her three sips to realize she liked it, but she came around. i do think they'd say they like them just fine.