Any Given Sunday

Lighten Up

I don’t know about you but I am tired of eating. I got to this place slowly. It began somewhere early in the fall, when every gustatory urge focused on rich and satisfying comfort foods – braised short ribs, pot roasts and hearty stews for dinner; polenta, chorizo and a dozen combinations of frittatas for breakfast, a roast turkey or chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy to “lighten” things up on a Sunday evening. Now that those cravings have been sated, I find myself wanting nothing but light soups, vegetables and salads for dinner.

Tonight is no exception. For this Sunday dinner, we’re going to enjoy a deliciously satisfying golden beat salad with fennel and Meyer lemon vinaigrette, oven roasted parsnips and a vegetable broth soup with soba noodles.

Missing Citrus

Ever since we moved from California to Santa Fe, I've missed the Meyer lemon tree we planted just outside our kitchen door more than anything else (except for our friends). These delicious lemons are usually in season from December to March and are more mild than regular lemons. Fortunately, the Whole Foods market here in Santa Fe is now stocking a healthy crop of the sunny winter jewels so I keep filling bowls with them and finding new ways to use them.

Tonight, we're having a mushroom risotto with juice and zest added and a romaine salad with lemon dressing. I've also juiced several dozen of them for freezing so that they last a little longer...