the thin chef

Well, that little hiatus from blogging lasted a whole lot longer than I expected it to. I’m still amazed at how quickly a year passes…and how much can happen in the span of 12 months. Like, say, creating a new baby from scratch

I’d like you to meet Hazel Glo, the very best thing I’ve ever “made.” She’s been taking up quite a bit of my time, but I really do want to start blogging again. It will motivate me to get creative in the kitchen again, and have fodder to share right here.

So check back soon. And in the meantime, feast your eyes on this precious girl of mine.

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I know, I’ve been absent again. I’ll be back soon, I promise. Did I mention I’m writing a Florida farm-to-table cookbook? (Along with two more smart, fabulous ladies.) It’s crazy-train time over here as we approach our deadline.

So. More soon, I promise…until then, go find yourself some locally grown strawberries, will ya?

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We love a good brinner (breakfast for dinner) in this house. But it’s not always the most balanced meal to have at the end of the day. I can’t think of many veggies outside of hash browns (and even that’s a stretch) that are typically considered breakfast food.

My solution? Take morning meal staples and add something green to make it healthy. Parmesan polenta is the Italian answer to cheese grits, and it makes a perfect base for vegetables of all kinds. Braised collards are a favorite, but roasted broccoli or sautéed spinach are also perfect toppers that can be swirled into the creamy polenta. Add over-easy fried eggs (or poached, if you’re counting calories) for protein, letting the golden yolks form a rich sauce over the whole bowl. It’s simple, satisfying and something a little different for a midweek dinner.

P.S. If you’re pregnant, or if your immune system is compromised, you should cook your egg yolks completely. And I demand strongly encourage you buy organic/antibiotic-free eggs from local farms, especially if you prefer your yolks runny like I do.

Parmesan Polenta with Braised Greens and Eggs
Serves 4
Look for instant polenta on the pasta aisle, or near the cornmeal and grits.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch collard greens, leaves stripped from tough inner ribs and thinly sliced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup water
2 cups milk (2% or whole is best)
1 cup instant polenta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for serving
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Coarse salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
8 eggs
Hot sauce, for serving

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes more. Add collards, and cook until they turn bright green. Add 1 cup chicken broth and the water. Cover pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring remaining 2 cups chicken broth and milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in polenta. Lower heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and butter. Add coarse salt and black pepper to taste. Cover, and set aside.
3. Fry eggs 2 at a time in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Divide polenta among 4 shallow bowls. Top with braised greens, and then top each serving with 2 eggs. Serve with additional Parmesan and plenty of hot sauce.

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Well hello there. Haven’t heard from me in awhile, huh? I’m back to share some of the things that are currently in heavy rotation in this house. I often get emails and texts from friends asking for advice on what wine or brand of cereal or frozen pie crust I like, so here are a few of the mainstream grocery items that make me happy every time… (and p.s. no one is paying me or perking me to give these shout-outs.)

Fage 2% plain Greek yogurt I used to roll my eyes at the people who spent extra money buying Greek yogurt when I would buy the cheaper regular yogurt and strain at home. Then I tasted Fage, and I am a convert. It’s not the same as straining yogurt at home. Even though this is low in calories and fat, it’s extremely thick and creamy tasting. Honestly, it tastes like full-fat, which would be my choice if I wasn’t concerned about all that artery-clogging cream. Oh, and the 0% isn’t as good. I’ve tried it and, trust me, it’s far less tasty.

Pure maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup!) If I could teach the world to sing, it would be a song about getting rid of fake pancake syrup from our kitchens. I choose few things to be a food snob about, and this is one of them. Now, clearly, since I grew up in Florida, I wouldn’t really know the difference between maple syrups, so I just make sure it’s 100% pure and grade A dark amber. I love it on top of the aforementioned Greek yogurt. It’s an obsession. If you usually put sugar in your coffee, try maple syrup—a trick my mom taught me. Just a teaspoon or so…it’s sweeter than sugar (to me) so I use less. It’s a natural food and it’s not refined…so I feel like it’s a better choice.

Wild Planet Tuna Big lunch salads are a common occurrence at Chez Farmand, and for added protein, our canned fish of choice is this tuna. Besides the fact that it’s sustainably caught and low in mercury,it’s really delicious. Meaty, never grainy or mealy, and not as dry as other brands. We get it at Whole Foods and it is not cheap, but it’s worth it.

Dansk Farms Raw Orange Blossom Honey Do yourself a big favor and get some of this immediately. You know how I said I wouldn’t know the difference between maple syrups? Well, I can absolutely tell the difference between honeys after tasting this one. Dansk is my favorite. It’s so pure-tasting, not saccharine or cloying and just plain good. I find myself thinking of ways to use it…a touch in salad dressings, drizzled on toast, in my tea, on a frozen banana, in smoothies…the list goes on.

Gia Russa Tomato & Basil pasta sauce Yes, this sauce costs twice what Prego or Ragu does. But it’s also much, much better! As far as I can see, this is one of only 2 or 3 brands on Publix or Target shelves that doesn’t have sugar in the ingredients list. It’s light, but has a really nice body to it. Their vodka sauce is also fabulous, but contains a whole lotta cream, so it’s not something I like to have on hand. Because I’ll eat it. All of it.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay and Cupcake Chardonnay No, I am not a wine connoisseur, and perhaps these are not the most high-end choices. But I love these wines. I never used to be much of a white wine drinker, but lately, buttery, oaky chardonnay is my drink of choice. It might even be edging out Champagne (just don’t tell Mme. Cliquot). Both are less than $10, and both are fab on their own and with food. p.s. I’ve heard Cupcake red wine isn’t stellar. Haven’t tried it, but just so you know.

Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties Now, I love pork as much as the next gal. In fact, I probably love it more than she does. But it’s not the best for your heart (or your waistline). I picked these up on a whim because I had a coupon and I hadn’t tried anything more adventurous than veggie burgers. And I have to say, these are pretty awesome. They get super crispy in the oven, and each patty has 10 grams protein and only 80 calories and 1/2 gram saturated fat. But seriously, the best part is, they taste good. They taste like sausage. I swear!

C2O Coconut Water I have fully hopped on board the coconut water bandwagon. It’s like natural Gatorade—only better since it’s 100% natural. It’s loaded with potassium and other electrolytes you need to stay hydrated but it doesn’t have added sugars. After a long workout, it’s so perfect. After a night of too many glasses of Cupcake chardonnay, it’s so perfect. I think C2O is the best tasting, and it happens to be the least expensive at Whole Foods. I prefer the brands that come in cans instead of the little cardboard bottles, because I think those taste like cardboard.

So that’s what I’m loving right now. What are your favorite, go-to grocery items?

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Last week when I went to Homegrown Co-Op to pick up our weekly order, I gasped out loud when they plopped a bunch of rosy-pink hydroponically grown watermelon radishes in my bag. They were stunning. I can’t possibly be the only one who can become totally enamored with the sight of a beautiful veggie, can I?

To me, the best way to enjoy these gorgeous, crunchy, spicy roots is with a sprinkling of salt, and maybe some good, cold butter if you have it on hand. In fact, one of my first-ever blog posts was about this very combination.

If you are fortunate enough to have a local-food grocery in your area, please, please, please support it! Whether it’s a system of weekly CSA boxes or a grocery co-op or even a local-only farmers’ market, try to look there first to source the ingredients you need for the week. I won’t lie, the food can be more expensive. But we are committed to eating as locally and as organically as possible, not just for our health and environment, but because it tastes so much darn better. So we make room in our budget. From my experience, the produce is absolutely not more expensive than Whole Foods and usually not more expensive than the organic produce at Publix (and the bulk of it comes from California). The real value, though, is in the freshness of the food, which comes straight from the farms just a few miles away. So the extra few dollars (and it really is only a few) are 100% worth it.

I hope you’ll agree, and make an effort to shop from your local suppliers. Not just for veggies and fruits, but also for eggs, bread, milk, yogurt & cheese, poultry, beef and fish—all of which are readily available to Central Floridians, and I imagine are available in many other communities, too. Orlando-area readers, here are my favorite sources: Homegrown Co-Op /  Audubon Park Community Market

Other parts of the country, use this search to find one near you. (Just type in your zipcode under the map.)

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I have something to admit. My name is Katie Farmand, and I am a child of Disney. I grew up a half hour away from Walt Disney World, and for seven years of my childhood, my mom worked there full time as a publicist. I visited the parks often, was in countless promotional photo shoots (I was in a Magic Kingdom brochure for, like, 8 years) and—due to the perks of my mom’s job—I even got to meet a few celebrities (including 90s heartthrobs Joey Lawrence and Jonathan from the New Kids on the Block…be still my 9-year-old heart!)

Even though my youth was quite saturated with Disney, I still love it. Call me a nerd, I don’t care. It’s still one of my favorite places. But as I’ve grown up, so has Disney. To me, the most impressive “other” side of Disney is its food. Not only its handful of signature restaurants, which are truly on par with some of the finest restaurants anywhere, but also the annual Food & Wine Festival and its other unique and fun food experiences.

A few months ago, my mom (who still works as a consultant for the company) and I filmed a series of webisodes for Disney.com about some of these food experiences at Walt Disney World. I am a complete novice at being in front of a camera, so I know you’ll keep that in mind as you watch. But it was an enjoyable venture for us, mostly because my mom and I both believe the people in the food world at Disney are incredibly talented, and we want to help bring the spotlight to them.

So, if you have a moment, take a look…and let me know what you think. I still blush when I watch myself, but the crew we worked with made these videos look really great—I hope you’ll agree.

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it’s cold here, which makes me happy…but also makes me long for scenes like this one.

i’ll be back—soon—i promise.

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Busy days lead to quick lunches thrown together with whatever is on hand at the moment. Many times that means pasta with something thrown in from the fridge, be it leftover tofu and cabbage or even a few spoonfuls of chili. Or arugula. My affinity for arugula has recently become a full-blown love affair, thanks to the bags of the spicy greens we’ve been getting from our co-op. Grown just a few miles up the road, this arugula is better than I’ve ever had before. It’s just spicy enough, so nutty, and so very green and crisp because it gets picked the day before I pick it up. Lately, it’s been going in (or on top of) many things that come out of my kitchen.

So for lunch last week, I cooked some pasta, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled it with parmesan, and then topped the bowl with a few handfuls of arugula. I drizzled that with a little oil, and some flakey salt for good measure. Plain, simple, and so good. I liked it so much, I had it the next day, too.

What do you throw together when you’re busy but want something good for lunch?

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Forgive the not-entirely-food-related post. But—all is right in the world…because it’s college football season once again. And that means hot dogs, cold beers, and this guy:

go gators.

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