By Lynn Crawford & Lora Kirk
New chapters in our lives are inevitable. They are often necessary, sometimes unexpected, but hopefully, exciting and rejuvenating. Moving out to the country in 2020 was life-changing for us… I am finally home and feel like I truly belong.
The calm and peaceful life in the countryside has allowed me to slow down. One of the best things about a slower pace is that I can observe more and align my priorities. Sunrises and sunsets have more meaning than ever before and family is everything.
My days in this new chapter are filled with experiencing in pure amazement the cherished moments as our daughters Addie and Gemma grow up. We started building our family garden together the first year we moved to the country. Kids and gardens are a natural partnership.
While discovering the farmer side of our new life, we have developed a deeper love of vegetables and have been so energized to find new and exciting ways to pack them into our diet. Good food is real food, and we should all eat with intention. Eating plant-based or plant-forward meals is not a fad. It is ages old, and the perfect lasting, sustainable lifestyle that can and will transform your life. – Lynn Crawford
When I was growing up, I could not wait to move to the city; the draw of the bright lights, tall skyscrapers, different restaurants, large supermarkets, and people everywhere.
My attitude changed when I got a bit older and had a family of my own. I looked back on the adventures of my childhood. From these reflections, I wanted to teach and share with our daughters the life adventures that helped make me who I am today.
Some of the best parts of my childhood were the times I spent on my grandparents’ farm during summer vacation. I could not get enough of working in my family’s vegetable garden and then pickling and preserving everything we harvested.
Our family meals were based around the food we grew in the garden. I have so many memories of exploring in the woods with my siblings, picking raspberries along the back lane, and being able to run wild until the sun set. The best memories were just being outside all day long and truly experiencing nature. There were so many life lessons to be learned and shared.
I wanted to teach our daughters how to garden, to give them immeasurable life skills of independence and sustainability—while encouraging them to eat more vegetables. Building our garden has been a rewarding and bonding experience. Planting the seeds, nurturing them, and watching them grow gives us such a feeling of accomplishment. It’s fun work that helps nourish your family and maintain your health.
Caring for the garden is also a perfect way to teach the girls about nature and give them a great sense of pride. Watching them explore and taste what we grow as a family is an experience we will always remember.
From our little garden, we started cooking more plant-based meals. We were inspired by the excitement and the sense of pride that came from watching a tiny seed transform into a beautiful vegetable.
We hope that this plant-based recipe helps inspire you and your family to try vegetables in different ways. And, while it’s not necessary to cook our recipes, hopefully our book will inspire you to grow your own vegetables, whether in a garden or in large pots on a balcony. You just need some good soil, sunshine, and time. — Lora Kirk
CAULIFLOWER TABBOULEH WITH PISTACHIO LEMON DRESSING
Serves 4 to 6
Cauliflower tabbouleh is our grain-free spin on the traditional Middle Eastern bulgur salad. It’s so fresh and light and packed with chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, dill, mint, and of course, very finely grated cauliflower. The pistachio lemon dressing is bright green and tangy, adding a wonderful creaminess to this salad.
Pistachio Lemon Dressing Ingredients (makes about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons liquid honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sumac
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup pistachios, toasted
Salt and cracked black pepper
Cauliflower Tabbouleh Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup sliced mini cucumbers
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and cracked black pepper
Method
Make the pistachio lemon dressing: In a blender, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, honey, mustard, and sumac and blend until combined. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Add the pistachios and pulse until finely chopped.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Make the cauliflower tabbouleh: Grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl and let cool completely.
When the cauliflower is cool, add the parsley, dill, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions. Add some of the pistachio lemon dressing and stir together so that everything is well dressed, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Lynn Crawford is an acclaimed Food Network celebrity chef and bestselling author of several cookbooks. She has over 25 years of culinary experience, including many years as executive chef for the Four Seasons Hotels in Toronto and New York. Lora Kirk is a Canadian chef, restaurateur, and food activist from Toronto. Passionate about healthy sustainable food for children and teaching children to cook, she is a founding member of Little Chefs in the Garden. This organization works to create garden projects for children to participate in planting, harvesting, and preparing fresh food. Their new book, Two Chefs in the Garden, is packed with vegetarian recipes inspired by country living, growing vegetables, and a desire to eat more plants. Instagram: @chef_lynn; @chef_lora
