I am uncertain of where the segue of Winter into early Spring occurred, but it's happening here in Georgia. And, here, my heart is pining for those experiencing those nasty, bagnabit, winter storms in seventy percent of the country. Bless the man with the snow plow, snow digg, and snow umph mentality.
Chances of rain is the forecast for the next four days. Rain. Murk. Dirt. Gray skies. These signs of an early Spring are being officiously aggressive. Why all this weather talk? Shouldn't weather talk be used for those awkward pauses in conversations? When I have nothing else to say?
I am trying to be more intuitive of the earth's seasons. Does drafting out a garden for Spring count? Not likely. I need to set those garden books down, and make a proposal of my own: hello, outdoors, my name is Khinna. Obviously, my children are better at reciprocating nature's changes.
My children's curiosity never fails to amuse me, even under blistering, Winter conditions (okay, by my standards), their solicitude for the outdoors is always met with a favoured-by-fortune attitude. Go forth, and conquer. I think it is engraved inside their frontal lobe. Yes, I checked. It is.
While there is much winter playing, there will always be an empty, and eagerly desirous stomach at the end. No, I didn't serve them the *millet bowl that is shown. That was my meal. They prefered a *roasted, tomato, grilled cheese (with basil) sandwich guzzled down with hot, apple cider.
Oh, I love wintertime play, and comfort food.
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Grilled Cheese w/ Roasted Tomatoes
I love the taste of roasted tomatoes, and make my own using Molly Wizenburg's method. You can use canned, roasted tomatoes; drain, rinse, and saute on stove top for 10 minutes.
Making the Sandwhiches
rustic wheat bread
Tillamook cheddar cheese
basil leaves, if you want
Use whatever staples you have on hand.
Assembling the sandwhich. Brush one side of each slice of bread with the melted butter, making sure to coat the entire surface. Place one slice of bread buttered side down on a plate. Place generous layers of cheese on it, or grate the cheese. Add roasted tomatoes. Add basil leaves, if preferred.
Grill them. Heat a large, lidded, dry nonstick skillet over a medium flame. Transfer the sandwich to the skillet, cover and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn the sandwich and cook uncovered for another 2 minutes or until bread is browned on both sides and cheese has melted. If necessary, turn again until desired brownness is achieved on the bread. Transfer to a plate and serve.
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adapted from Whole Living January 2011 magazine
I could not find millet anywhere for some reason. So, I used 1 1/4 cup of Trader Joe's Harvet Grains blend, which tripled the serving size. Store, and eat later. Use any grains you have at hand, red quinoa would be lovely.
