New Music, Simple Food

An interesting week it has been. I had long and busy days at Farmers Fresh along with a couple of lovely surprises. I was asked to play at an event(more about that later) and also helping a little with Empty Bowls.  I basically stayed at home most of the week working on music and getting various chores done. My miniature African violets I got in 2011 have finally started reblooming. I repotted them in some handmade pots by local potter Heidi Lewis a few months ago and they have been thriving.

For the event on Saturday, I was asked to provide about 45 minutes of music and also perform the 18th variation of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini. I spent the week brushing up on a few of Mozart’s sonatas, Chopin nocturnes, some Bach and Haydn but the bulk of my practice time was devoted to the 18th variation. This is a piece I have always wanted to perfect and add to my repertoire so Saturday’s event was just the push I needed. To have productive practice, I must have nutritious food and lots of coffee.

My favorite brunch last week was roasted kale and potatoes, poached eggs, grilled cheese and a big pot of French Press coffee. The potatoes I simply cubed and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. When done, throw in the kale to wilt it and it’s ready.

The poached eggs I made my “usual way” with a little vinegar. For the grilled cheese, I used Publix “plus 5″ bread and Cabot sharp cheddar. A simple and healthy brunch to sustain me through hours of practicing.


When having a busy week, I like to make a big pot of soup that is ready to go whenever I need food. For last week, I made a simple potato, kale, white bean and celery soup. It’s been just the perfect comforting dish on the cold and wet nights. I also made a large pan of roasted cabbage. Simple slice up a head of cabbage, drizzle with oil and season with pepper, dried herbs and salt. Roast in 400F oven till slightly brown and tender.

For the soup, sauté celery and onion in some olive oil, add diced russet potatoes with peel on. When vegetables begin to brown, add some chicken stock or water. Store-bought low sodium chicken stock works well here. I happen to have a good bit of homemade stock I made recently so I used it. When the potatoes are tender, I then add a can of beans including the liquid and shredded kale. I used the Red Russian variety this time. The various types of kale I’ve been getting from local farms have been quite good lately, consisting of mostly young and tender leaves that cook up in a flash.

When the kale was wilted, I added some chopped dill and seasoned the soup with salt and pepper. We enjoyed the roasted cabbage and soup with a Chicken Pot Pie I made at Farmers Fresh. It was a most wonderful dinner, and I had lots of leftover soup to eat throughout the weekend. I am still on my “use up stuff in the pantry” mode and so last week used up some beans, chicken stock and potatoes.

The Rachmaninoff piece proved more challenging than I expected but with lots of nourishing food and a little company from Socrates my practice companion, I was able to get it ready to perform Saturday evening. I even squeezed in a quick rehearsal Saturday afternoon with two vocalist for an upcoming wedding. After the event, there was no rest for the weary, I embarked on a little late night baking session, a batch of cocoa nib and pecan cookies. Instead of making soup like I do each year for Empty Bowls(which was the following day), I volunteered to bake up some treats to give to the volunteers. I made the dough earlier in the week and Saturday evening was spent slicing, baking, cooling and wrapping cookies.

It was quite the week, I am currently enjoying a slightly more relaxing week, back to blogging and relaxing a bit. The sun came out Sunday, Empty Bowls was a success with over $26,000 raised for the local soup kitchen thanks to a lot of hardwork from our local artist and community at large and I enjoyed a lovely excursion soaking up the sun Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for details.