Meatless Monday: Mashed Potatoes & Turnips

My latest challenge has been to figure out different ways to prepare turnip. (Three large Japanese turnips were in my latest CSA box). The following recipe proved to be a delicious solution. Mind you, it looked just awful (grey mush), but it really was yummy - brilliant alternative to straight-up mash potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes & Turnips
Recipe

No special tips this week. This one's a really quick and simple recipe that you can make with your eyes shut. Sometimes you need those.

Okay, well, maybe one quick note - this is one of those recipes that gives your ingredients in weight (e.g., 1 lb. of turnips). I used my kitchen scale to get the weight exact (cuz I'm anal retentive that way), but if you don't have one (and/or don't have problems with anal retention), two large potatoes and two large turnips will net you roughly the same results.

Got any favorite vegetarian or vegan recipes?? Please share!

Other Meatless Monday posts

Poetry: Almost Unnoticed

Phew! I thought we'd never get here!! It's been a long month, people. I'm not in love with most of the poems I've posted - to be honest, there were quite a few days when I approached the poetry-writing task with a 'just get-her-done' attitude . . . and the results were, well, what would be expected - but, looking back at all 30 poems, there are at least 3 or 4 I genuinely like and think could be pretty decent given a little more time, thought, and revising (e.g., Pirate's Treasure, Monotony, How to Whistle in Prison, and Poking the Dead).

I think I'll look back at this experience as a sort of poetry boot camp - tough, but it reinforced a discipline in my creative writing habits that had waned quite a bit (perhaps to the point of nonexistence!). I have certainly learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses in poetry writing and enjoyed incorporating more creative time into my life. I'm looking forward to writing more poetry without the pressure of daily deadlines. For one thing, it will certainly open up length possibilities - you just can't write anything longer than a few stanzas every day when you've also got a day job!

And one last note - the Academy of American Poets is promoting Poem-in-Your-Pocket Day today. Print out some of the poems they have posted, or print a few of your own favorites, and spread the love! Since I don't get out much myself (since I freelance from home), I'm going to direct people to this blog to share the poems I've created over the past month. (So, I guess my blog is moonlighting as a pocket today.)

I'd also like to suggest you check out some of the work of my favorite poets if you're looking to explore the world of poetry a little more; they are Sharon Olds, Rita Dove, and Louise Gluck.

And here is my own 30th and final poem for the poetry pledge drive, an endorsement for just getting out there and WRITING!


Almost Unnoticed

They say start
At the beginning. I say start
Where you find yourself.
I say be bad at something
You want to be good at
Until you're good or until you
Don't care about being good
Anymore. No more
Perfect words. Just words -
Whichever ones come and please
You. Tell the story, perhaps not
Aching to be told, but sitting still,
Almost unnoticed.

To read other poems or poetry-related posts on this blog, click here.

Poetry: The Love Lesson of the Lemming

Here is poem # 29 for the poetry pledge drive - a love poem . . . ? It's about the cliche and ubiquity of 'I love you' but also about not letting that keep you from making the leap of faith for as long as it may last.


The picture is of me skydiving about 6 years ago (I'm the one on the bottom). I thought it suited the imagery.



The Love Lesson of the Lemming

It's been said, it's been said, it's been said!
Who hasn't said it? Everyone you have
Ever met? Your mother? The grocer?
The train wreck? Why do we all clamor
To be the next lemmings, all convinced
We can fly?

But I've felt that rush from the free-
Fall; I know how the lemming feels
Before impact, how time stretches,
How falling is flying, how everything is
Fine if you don't think
It will end.

To read other poems or poetry-related posts on this blog, click here.

Poetry: Big Hair

I promised a limerick this month, didn't I? (Dammit.) Limericks, which are traditionally bawdy, can be really fun - especially when they're also a little witty. I'm not feeling particularly witty today, though, so you'll have to settle for self-deprecating humor.

Here you are, poem # 28 for the poetry pledge drive, a limerick, a 'shout-out' to my home town. Yes, as a teenager in the 80's, I did indeed have . . .

Big Hair

There once was a girl from Revere
Who had such extremely big hair.
When asked to be clever,
She said, "Well, I never!"
Before flashing her underwear.

To read other poems or poetry-related posts on this blog, click here.

Poetry: Along the Dotted Line

Here is poem # 27 for the poetry pledge drive. In this time of recession and pinching pennies, I give you a piece inspired by coupons.

Along the Dotted Line

For his birthday, or Valentine's
Day, or just because
He deserves it, make him

A love coupon book.
Nothing expresses undying
Affection like coupons. (Void
Where prohibited.)

Include some free naughty
Rendezvous - at least a few
Pages' worth. (Not redeemable
For cash value.)

And a get-out-of-the
Dog-house-free page
For those days

You may regret
Having made the book
For him. (Limit one
Per customer.)

He'll appreciate the thought
You put into it - nothing
Like something handmade
To show you care. (Cut

Along the dotted line.)
Perhaps he'll even return
The gesture some day.
(At participating locations
only.)

To read other poems or poetry-related posts on this blog, click here.

Meatless Monday: Carrot Soup

In a previous post, I mentioned that we were starting to get a box of fresh fruits and veggies from a local farm once a week. So far, it's working out pretty well. Well, pretty well with one exception. Every week so far, in with all the other things in the box, has been a rather large bunch of carrots.

Now, don't get me wrong, carrots are great! Love 'em. Really. It's just that, well, it's been kind of difficult to get through the big bunch of them in one week's time before the next bunch is sitting there in the vegetable crisper drawer in the refrigerator taunting me - "Vhat vill you do vith me dis time, ehhh?" (Yes, my carrots have a very bad Russian/French-Canadian accident.) And, you know - lather-rinse-repeat - I don't want to make the same things with them over and over. Sure, they're great by themselves or with a dip as a snack or hors d'oeuvre, they're yummy shredded and sprinkled in salad, you know how much I love them in carrot cake (see post), and most of us know about their magic in mirepoix (a.k.a., the holy trinity), but, um, . . . yea, then what?

My recent culinary adventure with carrots involved this next recipe for soup, which my husband really loved. I'm happy to share it with you, but then I'm going to have to ask for a little quid pro quo. Seriously, we're talking LARGE bunches of carrots every week for three weeks straight, . . . and I suspect I'll see more come Tuesday. I need your suggestions for other great carrot recipes!

Carrot Soup
Recipe

The recipe author encourages you to play with the consistency until you're happy with it. We made ours pretty smooth and I would recommend that to you too. Why? Because it's great in a bread bowl that way, that's why! Mmm, bread bowls can make even the best soups that much better. I highly recommend. We picked up a couple of sourdough ones at Panera and were really happy with them. After cutting off the top of the little round loaf and coring out the middle, I toasted mine before filling it with soup. *Drool* So good.

The recipe also suggests you experiment with different finishing oils. That's a great idea (and a little evoo did taste good with ours), but I would also recommend adding a dash of vinegar to sharpen the soup flavors and balance it out a little better.


Got any favorite vegetarian or vegan recipes?? Please share!

Other Meatless Monday soup posts:

Pea Soup
Curried Lentil Soup
Tortellini, White, Bean & Spinach Soup

Other Meatless Monday posts

Poetry: Hungry Fencers

Here is poem # 26 for the poetry pledge drive which was inspired by something I do on the weekends.

Hungry Fencers

Don’t look at me,

(En garde)

You were the one

Who was supposed to

Pick it up.

(Attaque)

Yes, but you were the one

Who was supposed to

Place the order.

(Parry, riposte)

Right, but you were

Supposed to leave me

A note with what you wanted.

(Parry, passé)

You mean this

Note, right here?

(Touché )

To read other poems or poetry-related posts on this blog, click here.