Michelle - I greatly enjoyed reading this! From the little birds to the reader salad adaptation to the article on squats it was written with both eloquence and education in mind. :)
Hi Grace! This absolutely made my day—thank you! I'm so grateful you enjoyed it. I love weaving together the little joys (like the chickadees!) with the practical, everyday things that nourish us—whether that’s a good meal, movement, or seasonal rhythms. Your kind words mean so much, and I’m so happy this resonated with you! Thanks for being here :)
Hi Natalie! You're so welcome! I'm glad you found it interesting. Hope it adds a little more movement to your day. I know it has in my office setting, too!
I made the pickled fennel salad for dinner last night. I have never cooked with fennel before and the taste surprised me. I substituted blood oranges for the grapefruit since they are in season here and are so sweet this year. I have to say that I Loved this salad - the mix of textures & tastes - crunchy cabbage, salty fennel a bit softer, texture / sweetness of the oranges and the creamy addition of avocado. This was a surprisingly Big winner for me.😋😋😋. My hubby was ok with it as a nice change but doesn’t like fruit in salads so no oranges for him - but he didn’t complain so coolness! I also made the strawberry chia jam as strawberries are in season here right now. I have made this before but the other recipe has you cook the berries a little. I found this one to have a more “bright” taste (thinking maybe the lemon juice) and it set better where the other recipe is more of a sweet / syrupy taste and texture. I like the both! Had the jam with yogurt, sesame & pumpkin seeds, and a couple kernels of bee pollen (a super food recommended in the book) for breakfast.
Hi Dee! I love hearing this! It’s so fun to try an ingredient for the first time and be pleasantly surprised—I’m glad fennel turned out to be a win for you! And blood oranges sound like a perfect seasonal swap. I also love that you experimented with the strawberry chia jam! Your breakfast sounds so nourishing—bee pollen, seeds, and yogurt make such a vibrant combination. Sounds like a delicious week in your kitchen—thank you for sharing your experience!
I enjoyed looking through the cookbook choice this month and really wanted to try the Pickled Fennel, cabbage and grapefruit salad. Alas I live in small town northern Alberta and while there is occasionally fennel in my grocery store, no such luck this month. It's on my list for future fennel finds!
Instead I made the Red Onion Lentil soup since I had most of the ingredients except green anise seeds. I added a splash of sherry, it was very tasty. Thanks for the cooking inspiration!
Hi Cherilyn! Thank you for sharing! I love that you were drawn to the Pickled Fennel, Cabbage, and Grapefruit Salad—it sounds so bright and refreshing, but can be tough to come by. I hope a future fennel find lets you give it a try!
I’m so glad you made the Red Lentil Soup and adding a splash of sherry sounds like a wonderful touch. A little acid can go a long way in making the flavors pop. It’s always fun to adapt recipes based on what’s available. Thanks for cooking along this month—I appreciate you being here!
Hi Jennifer! I love that you tried the lentil soup! Ginger is such an unexpected but wonderful addition—it really does add a lovely depth of flavor. Thanks for cooking along with us this month and for sharing!
Ohh Rachel, I think you'll enjoy this book! I love that it's divided by seasons and that the salads are categorized as: sides, stars (mains), and sweets! Excited to see what you try with what's in season in Cali!
Thank you, Julie! I couldn’t agree more—it's so exciting to see a growing community of gardeners here on Substack. Grateful for the work you're doing to bring us all together!
Michelle - I greatly enjoyed reading this! From the little birds to the reader salad adaptation to the article on squats it was written with both eloquence and education in mind. :)
Hi Grace! This absolutely made my day—thank you! I'm so grateful you enjoyed it. I love weaving together the little joys (like the chickadees!) with the practical, everyday things that nourish us—whether that’s a good meal, movement, or seasonal rhythms. Your kind words mean so much, and I’m so happy this resonated with you! Thanks for being here :)
Thank you for sharing the article on the Squats, very interesting and I am happy to have a reason to squat at the office now :)
Hi Natalie! You're so welcome! I'm glad you found it interesting. Hope it adds a little more movement to your day. I know it has in my office setting, too!
I made the pickled fennel salad for dinner last night. I have never cooked with fennel before and the taste surprised me. I substituted blood oranges for the grapefruit since they are in season here and are so sweet this year. I have to say that I Loved this salad - the mix of textures & tastes - crunchy cabbage, salty fennel a bit softer, texture / sweetness of the oranges and the creamy addition of avocado. This was a surprisingly Big winner for me.😋😋😋. My hubby was ok with it as a nice change but doesn’t like fruit in salads so no oranges for him - but he didn’t complain so coolness! I also made the strawberry chia jam as strawberries are in season here right now. I have made this before but the other recipe has you cook the berries a little. I found this one to have a more “bright” taste (thinking maybe the lemon juice) and it set better where the other recipe is more of a sweet / syrupy taste and texture. I like the both! Had the jam with yogurt, sesame & pumpkin seeds, and a couple kernels of bee pollen (a super food recommended in the book) for breakfast.
Hi Dee! I love hearing this! It’s so fun to try an ingredient for the first time and be pleasantly surprised—I’m glad fennel turned out to be a win for you! And blood oranges sound like a perfect seasonal swap. I also love that you experimented with the strawberry chia jam! Your breakfast sounds so nourishing—bee pollen, seeds, and yogurt make such a vibrant combination. Sounds like a delicious week in your kitchen—thank you for sharing your experience!
Thanks for introducing me to Why We Cook...interesting!
Absolutely! I hope you enjoy it, Ellen!
I enjoyed looking through the cookbook choice this month and really wanted to try the Pickled Fennel, cabbage and grapefruit salad. Alas I live in small town northern Alberta and while there is occasionally fennel in my grocery store, no such luck this month. It's on my list for future fennel finds!
Instead I made the Red Onion Lentil soup since I had most of the ingredients except green anise seeds. I added a splash of sherry, it was very tasty. Thanks for the cooking inspiration!
Hi Cherilyn! Thank you for sharing! I love that you were drawn to the Pickled Fennel, Cabbage, and Grapefruit Salad—it sounds so bright and refreshing, but can be tough to come by. I hope a future fennel find lets you give it a try!
I’m so glad you made the Red Lentil Soup and adding a splash of sherry sounds like a wonderful touch. A little acid can go a long way in making the flavors pop. It’s always fun to adapt recipes based on what’s available. Thanks for cooking along this month—I appreciate you being here!
I made the lentil soup from My New Roots. It called for ginger which I did not expect and it added a wonderful depth to it.
Hi Jennifer! I love that you tried the lentil soup! Ginger is such an unexpected but wonderful addition—it really does add a lovely depth of flavor. Thanks for cooking along with us this month and for sharing!
I'm excited for this month of salads -- downloading now!
Ohh Rachel, I think you'll enjoy this book! I love that it's divided by seasons and that the salads are categorized as: sides, stars (mains), and sweets! Excited to see what you try with what's in season in Cali!
I think so too, I love a salad!!!
Were you able to find an ebook version if the cookbook? I’m not seeing it available digitally.
I just downloaded Michelle's document, but will order the hardcover, I prefer a physical copy!
Thanks Michelle! Glad there are so many gardeners coming to Substack 🌿 🌿 🌿
Thank you, Julie! I couldn’t agree more—it's so exciting to see a growing community of gardeners here on Substack. Grateful for the work you're doing to bring us all together!