“This book, and the food and art and plants that live in it, was born out of great longing. From my earliest memories, I was the longing kind–I longed for friends, I longed for boys to like me, I longed for my skin to be darker, my waist to be thinner, my parents to be more normal, my self to be cooler. And when my mother got sick and died, then, too, I longed for things to be different. I longed to feel some kind of home, sometime again. I longed for love.
Then, one day, I longed to stop longing. I wanted to be made of freedom, not fear. What came when I stopped longing was being, pure and wild. Being with food that nourished me. Being with plants and flowers that healed by virtue of their very existence, their wildness. Being, no matter how much my heart hurt.”
These are the opening lines of our friend Lily’s cookbook, and are they ever powerful. Growing up I had every.single.one of those longings (anyone with me?). And like Lily, Alex and I have learned the belonging, self-compassion, and meaning that can come from pursuing natural and wholesome food.
Lily is an all natural bad-ass, and each chapter of her book is themed around an herb or flower. The recipes are vegetarian or vegan and include breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and even do-it-yourself beauty products. We’re huge supporters of growing and cooking with fresh herbs (see our video on growing herbs), so this concept is right up our alley! The book’s photography is gorgeous and the writing inspired. We made this carrot ribbon and feta salad with fresh mint and orange blossom water. It was a very tasty side dish, and the orange blossom water brought a lovely floral essence. We’d never used orange blossom water before and purchased it online; we’ll definitely be trying it out in other dishes.
A huge congratulations to Lily on a gorgeous and inspirational book! You can find more of Lily on Instagram or her website.
Buy the book
Get it >> KALE & CARAMEL: Recipes for the Body, Heart, and Table
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this carrot salad with feta and pistachios, we’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below, or share a picture and mention @acouplecooks and @kaleandcaramel and use the hashtag #kaleandcaramelcookbook on Facebook or Instagram.
This recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the feta crumbles.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 11⁄2 teaspoons orange blossom water 2 teaspoons honey
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 carrots, washed and tops trimmed and reserved
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2⁄3 cup chopped toasted pistachio nuts
- 2⁄3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Combine the oil, vinegar, orange blossom water, honey, cumin, cardamom, the ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and the salt in a jar, seal, and shake to blend. Alternately, whisk the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Use a vegetable peeler, mandoline, or spiralizer to slice the carrots into long, thin strips. Finely chop a handful of carrot tops (resulting in about 1⁄4 cup). Place the carrot strips and carrot tops in a large salad bowl.
- Add the mint and pistachios, and pour the dressing over all. Toss to combine. Gently fold in the feta. Top with mint and extra red pepper flakes, if you want an additional kick of spice.
A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living
from A Couple Cooks http://ift.tt/2oWTnE6
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