winter sustainability

My very first blog post was about a dinner I cooked at Elewa Farm in Lake Forest. A year and a half later, I am happy to report on my most recent visit there with the students in the Center for Conservation Leadership . The program focuses on environmental responsibility and activism, and our morning cooking class addressed how to eat locally, sustainably, and healthfully – in the midst of winter.

We spent a good amount of time discussing root vegetables and squashes that can be stored for 2-3 months in a cool environment. Celery root, spaghetti squash, and rutabega were newly introduced to some of the students; I demonstrated how to properly cut them and gave simple preparation tips. We used these vegetables to make a root vegetable hash that accompanied a frittata made with sundried tomatoes.

The favorite recipes seemed to be the carrot muffins and blueberry smoothie.