Peach Fried Rice

When you are looking for a new apartment, there are a lot of things to consider: the price, size, neighborhood, amenities, access to public transportation, etc.  But for me?  It's all about the kitchen. Obviously.

Is there a dishwasher?  What kind of storage are we talking about here?  Will I have space for fermenting kimchi?  Is the apartment close enough that I can walk to a farmers market or a food co-op?  And don't even get me started on access to natural light for photographing food.  That's a whole other post.

I'm pretty resourceful when it comes to space.  For the last two years I've been living in a 460 square-foot apartment with my partner and two cats.  That's a huge feat right there.  But we've definitely outgrown the space and now it's time to move on to something a bit bigger.  But I sure will miss my kitchen...

Peach fried rice is the perfect way to say goodbye.  Whether it's goodbye to a visiting relative, the end of peach season, or goodbye to your adorable little kitchen, I think this dish will leave a lasting impression.

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Glazed Donut Peaches with Vanilla Creme

When you're running your own business, fellow entrepreneurs are more than happy to give you advice and tell you stories about best marketing practices and the nightmare that is tax season.  Business owners will also comfort you with stories of how long it took for their website to go live and how they aren't even on speaking terms with their web designer anymore. (Since my web designer is my partner, I certainly hope my situation has a different ending.) 

Here is something that other people don't tell you about starting your own business... For the first few months, you will probably eat a lot of dessert while sitting in front of your computer stressing out. I'm not gonna lie. I did.  They also won't tell you that soon after your sweet craze you'll look in the mirror and will be horrified by where that dessert ended up. 

Don't worry though.  I got your back.  This week I created these glazed donut peaches with raw vanilla cashew creme so you can enjoy a sweet, delicious treat without all the oil and refined sugars. Finally a donut that you can feel good about eating. 

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Cucumber Peach Salad

I am an ugly crier.  No really.  Remember in Bridesmaids when Rose Byrne is crying and Kristin Wiig says that she is an ugly crier?  She doesn't even know what ugly crying is.

I suppose this wouldn't be too much of a problem except that I tend to cry during movies... a lot.  The Vow?  Yep.  Hunger Games?  Check.  Brave?  Definitely.  And don't even ask me about the Finding Nemo incident of 2006.  That was a legendary ugly crying moment.

Here's the important thing that you need to know as an ugly crier:  how to hide the signs.  No one wants to go out in the world with red, puffy eyes.  No one. So you quickly learn tricks like using chamomile tea bags and (my personal favorite) cucumber slices to calm the eyes.

If you're an ugly crier, I advise you to keep cucumber on hand at all times.  And, if you happen to have a cucumber and a peach handy,  you might want to consider making yourself this salad.  After all, you probably need a snack after all that crying.

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Asian Soba Noodle Salad with Fresh Peaches

Cool: Listening to the Inception soundtrack.

Super cool: Listening to the Inception soundtrack at your office. It will make your life seem epic, promise.

Cool: Watching the sun rise.

Super cool: Watching the sun rise while running along your favorite trail and listening to the Inception soundtrack. Even more epic.

Cool: Eating soba noodles.

Super cool: Eating soba noodles topped with edamame, sesame seeds, fresh veggies, and sliced peaches. Incredible.

Soba noodles are one of my favorite things at the moment.  They are made from buckwheat flour and can be found at your local Asian or natural foods market.  One cup of cooked noodles only contains 113 calories, but has 6 grams of protein!  They don't have any fiber (unlike whole wheat pasta), but when paired with fresh vegetables and beans they make the perfect hearty meal.

One of the perks of soba noodles is that they don't go mushy overnight.  I made a batch of this salad and have been pleasantly surprised to find that it still retains its texture over a couple of days.  I love using fresh, sliced peaches while they're in season, but you could substitute mango or mandarin oranges, or leave it out altogether.  This is the perfect weekday lunch and the only thing that could possibly make it better (yep, you guessed it) is eating it while listening to the Inception soundtrack.  Totally cool.

Asian Soba Noodle Salad with Fresh Peaches
Serves 4

1/2 pound soba noodles
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup  cilantro, chopped
1/2 cucumber, shredded
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

3 scallions, chopped

1 cup edamame
1/4 cup peanuts
1 peach, pitted and sliced
sprinkle of sesame seeds

In a medium pot, fill with water and bring to a boil.  Add noodles and cook about 7 - 9 minutes, until they are fully cooked but not mushy. Once cooked, cool noodles down quickly in an ice bath (or run under cold water).  Drain.

Mix sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, hot chili oil, soy sauce, and sea salt.

Add olive oil to a small pan over low heat.  Sauce garlic and ginger for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add garlic and ginger to oil mixture and toss with noodles.  Mix in cilantro, cucumber, spinach, cabbage, carrot, and scallions.

Top with edamame, peanuts, peach slices, and sesame seeds.  Refrigerate until serving.

Firsts, Lasts, and Baked Peaches

Firsts...
Apples started showing up this weekend. Their little red faces popping up at the market, ready and eager. It was as if they were saying, well it's about time. Yes it is.

Were you at Seattle Tilth's Harvest Fair on Saturday? I hope so. I hope you were one of the people crowding around to look at the most beautiful peppers. Or maybe I ran into you at the book tent where I bought one of my favorite cookbooks, The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Daniels-Zeller. Nonetheless I hope you were there too, taking in the harvest, the last bits of sunshine, and the last bites of summer peaches.

Lasts...
I've mentioned that I'm moving at the end of the month. I'm definitely ready and excited for this change, but moving into a much smaller apartment means giving up a lot. Last night, it meant giving up my kitchen table.

I was okay with this idea. I mean, I was the one who posted it on Craigslist for sale. But for some reason, once it sold it was hard to let go. It's not hard to let go of the physical posession, but rather what that dining table meant. It was the first piece of furniture I bought myself. A lot of life happened at that table. A lot of growing up, change, conversations, and food happened there.

So there I sat for the last meal. Waiting for the person from Craigslist to arrive, reading my cookbook by candlelight, letting go, and making room in my life for what's next to come.

Baked PeachesIt would not have been a proper goodbye without baked peaches. I had always considered myself to be a bigger fan of nectarines than peaches, but somehow that changed this summer. It only seems right to spend my last meal at my dining table eating my new favorite food.

Once you try baked peaches - especially over Coconut Bliss ice cream - it will become your favorite too. Even if you're not fond of the fruit itself, there's something that happens in the oven that makes it absolutely magical.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe for baked nectarines in The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook.
Serves 2.

2 peaches, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar (if you want it sweeter, you can add a second tablespoon)
freshly grated nutmeg
dash of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the peach halves, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, nutmeg, and drizzle with agave. Bake uncovered until very tender, about 30 minutes. Serve over vegan ice cream or yogurt with a dash of cinnamon.