NOURISH Flourish and
®
Volume 4
The Healing Power of
NATURE
THE PLANT HUNTER Cassandra Quave, Ph.D.
TREASURED LANDS QT Luong
FLAVORS of the Season
In This Issue
FEATURES
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54
4
Treasured Lands by QT Luong
16
Our National Monuments by QT Luong
24
Gorgeous Gourds
30
The Healing Power of Nature
32
Chanticleer: A Magical Garden
34
The Plant Hunter: Cassandra Quave, PhD
36
Plants: They Nurture, Nourish, and Heal
42
Mindful Gifting: I Must Go Shopping Today
44
Love Can Be: A Literary Collection About Our Animals
46
Farmstyle Living
48
Build Your Best Life: Time to Declutter
50
We’ve Got Your Back: Military Veterans Helping Others Reclaim Their Lives
52
Creativity and Community: the Gypsy’s Farmhouse
54
Fresh From Open Waters: From Boat to Table
56
Flavors of the Season: Seasonal signature recipes and profiles of notable cooks
59
Chef Bren Herrera: Driven by Inspiration
60 50
FLAVORS OF THE SEASON 55
Alaska Salmon Shares: Gravlox Toast with Shallot Caper Relish One-Pan Greek Cod with Orzo, Feta, and Olives
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Chef Bren Herrera: Lollipop Lamb Chops with Mint and Parsley Relish Seafood Paella
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Big Green Egg Double Smoked Ham with Fresh Pineapples and a Herb Honey Glaze
66
Healthy Sides: Cornbread Dressing, Fresh Cranberry Sauce and Kale Salad
68
Blackberry Brownie Bites
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Jamie Parrish: Raised Southern The Pavlova The Hail Mary Bloody Mary Bar and Candied Bacon Beet and Sweet Potato Pie
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FURRY FRIEND TREATS Zu’s Turkey Kale Meatballs Fig’s Tuna Cat Treats
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78 56
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Shown here: Boccard Point at sunset in the Soda Mountain Wilderness, a 24,707-acre wilderness area within the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument in southwestern Oregon. This wilderness is an ecological mosaic where the state’s eastern desert meets towering fir forests. The biodiversity of the area includes fir forests, sunlit oak groves, meadows filled with wildflowers, and steep canyons. The area is home to a spectacular variety of rare species of plants and animals, including Roosevelt elk, cougars, black bears, golden and bald eagles, and goshawks and falcons. 16 NOURISH AND FLOURISH
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY
Q T LUONG
our national
monuments As the national parks become ever more popular, our national monuments’ vast open spaces offer us places of solitude and inspiration. The rugged experience gives us a sense of the western frontier, where personal responsibility, independence, and self-sufficiency are qualities that matter, where unlimited opportunities for exploration and adventure under a wide blue sky leave you endless room to be your own person. Tread lightly, conserve loudly. NOURISH AND FLOURISH 17
“In 2008, I launched Flanboyant Eats, a food and travel blog documenting my Cuban culture and passion for global traveling. Through the blog, Emeril Lagasse found me and invited me to appear on a new cooking show he was premiering the same year. That was my first time on network TV. I fell in love with it. It made all the sense: a huge platform where I can entertain, educate, and celebrate my culture through dynamic storytelling and delicious food! In 2014, the TODAY show called me, and I became a regular guest for a few years. That’s when everything changed.” “Right in the middle of a global pandemic, I received an unexpected phone call from Powerhouse Productions, offering me my own cooking and lifestyle show on Cleo TV. After spending more than a decade working on being understood and accepted in a space where Black and Latina women are simply not represented, ‘Culture Kitchen’ has become my new platform. The show celebrates my culture, our people, the love I have for our roots. I was very intentional in selecting the recipes for each episode so that any viewer could walk away with more knowledge, appreciation, and interest in my culture and love for global experiences.” “Looking forward, I’m really excited about more TV where food and lifestyle are the centerpiece,” says Bren. “I want to continue using food as a way to keep the culture alive. The big screen is a goal. I’d love to work with Ava DuVernay and a few others I have in mind to pen the deep stories I have about our people’s journey. I want to be a part of the shifting narrative.” Scan code to learn more:
@brenherrera 60 NOURISH AND FLOURISH
Recipe courtesy of Bren Herrera
Chef Bren’s Seafood Paella
Ingredients 1 medium Spanish onion, rough chopped 6–8 garlic cloves, rough chopped 1 red bell pepper, small to medium diced ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 quart + 1 cup fish stock ½ cup white wine 3 Maine lobster tails ½–1 pound head on Texas prawns Kosher salt 1 large tomato, medium diced 2 teaspoons tomato paste 2 cups paella rice (such as Valencia or Arborio) 1 teaspoon saffron threads infused in 1 cup water or oil 10 pieces PEI mussels 10 pieces little neck clams 1 cup calamari rings and tentacles Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish Minced parsley, for garnish Method Heat a 15-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil, and once it gets hot, add in the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic to begin the sofrito. You want to hear them sizzle as soon as they hit the pan! Cook until the onions are translucent. To season, add in the cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and kosher salt and give everything a good stir. Turn off heat. In a separate large sauté or saucepan, add in 1–1½ cups of fish stock and a splash of white wine (you can also use just white wine or water). Place in the lobster and shrimp and bring up to a low simmer, cooking until the shellfish are tender and pink in color. Season with kosher salt as needed. Turn heat back to medium to continue cooking in the paella pan. Add the tomato and tomato paste to the paella pan and stir, and then add in the rice and stir. Pour in the fish stock only to the rice and bring it up to a simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat. As the rice cooks the liquid will be absorbed, so you may need to add more liquid as you go. Season with kosher salt to taste. Halfway through cooking the rice, add in the saffron-infused liquid. Stir into the rice. Then, evenly lay out the lobster and prawns on top of the rice. You can also use the liquid from cooking the seafood and pour it into the rice while it continues to cook. Add and distribute the clams and mussels on top of the rice and continue to cook on a low simmer. In the last 5 minutes of cooking add in the calamari rings and tentacles and cook through until tender (this will be a couple minutes). Sprinkle and garnish the paella with scallions and parsley. Serve and enjoy with crusty bread.
Photos courtesy of Powerhouse Productions
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RAISED SOUTHERN Food, Farms, Family, and Friends
Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) is one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century, who made the whole world fall in love with Russian ballet. Her mysterious smile, incredible grace, and astonishing work ethic made Pavlova a true inspiration for everyone lucky enough to see her dance. Exquisite perfumes and dreamy desserts were created in her honor, while concert halls throughout the world applauded her and monuments to the ballerina were erected long before her death. In 1912, she moved to the United Kingdom and began a new period in her life. She was joined by her one and only love, Baron Victor Dandre, and purchased the Ivy House, a luxurious mansion in Golders Green. Frequent articles appeared in papers and magazines, showing her entertaining friends and taking care of her garden and pond where her beloved swans lived, including Jack, her favorite with whom she loved to pose for photographs. She appeared in countries which had hardly heard of ballet and whose dance traditions were very different. She captivated audiences everywhere with her artistry and her passionate commitment and inspired a whole generation of girls to take up ballet. The famous “Pavlova” dessert was created in her honor, which combines meringue, cream, and berries. It was said “She does not dance; she soars as though on wings.” From this you get the sense that this is a light, airy dessert. Source: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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Jamie Parrish has been creating, entertaining, and cooking for most of his life. Born and raised in the small town of Ty Ty, Georgia, he spent most of his youth roaming around his family’s farm. Creating food and entertaining with a “new Southern twist” with locally grown ingredients is one of his signature specialties. He also loves to travel and bring back culturally inspired dishes from other countries. We recently visited with Jamie at his Atlanta home to see what he has been up to and to photograph some of his amazing creations. NF: So, we know you love to travel and just got back from South Africa. How was traveling during this crazy time? JP: Oh man. It was like a big exhale. I had never been to the continent of Africa, but it was a trip always sitting on the edge of my bucket list. When I found out they had lifted some of the travel restrictions, I was like, “No time like the present!” I loved it there. There are so many similarities in the food. Growing up in the South, we don’t think of the recipes we love—fried chicken, rice and beans, okra—as being African, but they are. And just being in the open plains, seeing those beautiful animals every day, and then coming in and having a great dinner paired with the perfect South African wine; it was a trip I will never forget. The food there has inspired me to try new flavor profiles. NF: We know you love to celebrate and entertain for every holiday and have been on the White House Christmas decoration team for a few years, how did that opportunity happen? JP: A friend sent me the call for volunteers on the White House Twitter account and said I should go for it. I applied. They asked to see a few photos of things I had done in the past, and the rest is history. One of my most cherished moments was decorating the Gold Star tree alongside the mothers and wives of fallen soldiers. It was a special moment in my life. I also do weddings for my close friends, and I keep a seasonal tree up in my home year-round.
“Sometimes, you want a dessert that looks as good as it tastes. This dessert looks ‘fancy’ but is quite easy to make. I tend to serve pavlova when my main meal has been heavy and or a bit salty. The light, fruity pillows of goodness won’t leave your guest over served. If peaches are in season, that’s my go-to topping.” ~ Jamie Parrish
Ingredients 6 large egg whites, room temperature 1½ cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch ½ tablespoon lemon juice ½ tablespoon vanilla extract Cream 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, very cold 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Topping 4–5 cups fresh fruit of your choice Fresh mint leaves, for garnish Fruit syrup of your choosing Method Preheat the oven to 225˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer, beat 6 egg whites on high speed for 1 minute, until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, gradually add 1½ cups of sugar and beat 10 minutes on high speed, until stiff peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy. Use a spatula to quickly fold in ½ tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ tablespoon of vanilla extract. Fold in the cornstarch and mix until well blended. Pipe meringue into 3-3½-inch-wide nests onto the parchment paper using a Wilton 1M piping tip. Indent the center with a spoon to allow room for cream. Bake at 225˚F for 1 hour and then turn the oven off, and without opening the door, leave the meringue in the hot oven another hour. The outsides will be dry and crisp to the tap and very pale cream-colored and insides will still be marshmallow soft. Transfer the pavlova with the parchment paper onto the counter or a cookie rack and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cool, top them with whipped cream and fruit or store them in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days at room temperature (in a low-humidity place). Assembly: Beat the cold whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in the cold bowl for 2 to 2½ minutes, or until whipped and spreadable. Pipe frosting onto the pavlova and top with fresh fruit and any type of pureed jam or syrup of your choosing. Here, we used blackberry jam. Cocktail: Blackberry Ginger Bramble.
Photo by Morgan Rhodes
Pavlova
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