Hi there,
It’s gloriously sunny today, which is extra welcome after a very gloomy Sunday. I used to love rainy weekends because they were a great excuse to stay inside and get things done…but with a toddler it’s more of a toy/book/art/screen marathon—anything to keep her occupied. Needless to say, yesterday afternoon we made giant batch of popcorn and had family movie time (Moana, what else?).
In other news, here are some fun things to start your week, and I promise I’ll try to not let another month go by without another batch of recs!
Spring produce, unsurprisingly: It’s been a long winter. I practically pounced on the first bunch of asparagus I saw at the market, and did a little jig when I spied rhubarb (only somewhat green) this weekend. With perfect spring produce, you don’t have to do much, which is why my favorite recipes tend to be really simple. We made this raw asparagus salad, which was bright and fresh and excellent mixed with grains the next day. I also love this shaved asparagus pizza, and you can easily apply the general concept to toasts (see above for a version with whipped feta and peas) or a socca. With our rhubarb haul, Rob and I went in two directions, both delicious: he made this rich, flaky galette with hazelnut frangipane, while I kept things healthyish with this date-sweetened roasted rhubarb, which I plan to eat over yogurt for breakfast.
Favas and peas, I’m waiting for you.
Kale sauce!!!: The exclamation points are warranted, I promise. This kale sauce is just the latest winner from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons cookbook and it is stupidly easy, stupidly good—also vegan, crazily enough. It takes maybe 10 minutes to make and is excellent over pasta, grains, eggs, or anything you have lying around.
Hungryroot IRL: Our store has been open for about four weeks and it’s been so fun to meet customers in real life and help them shop our products. (If you were wondering, our top sellers are Black Bean Brownie Batter and Almond Chickpea Cookie Dough, no surprise, Wild Mushroom Chicken Meatballs, Cashew Cheddar, and Plantain Linguini.) If you’re in NYC, we’ve got some fun events coming up, including a very special pre-Mother’s Day workshop with my dear friend Gina (more on that below).
Writing better cards: Last year, my friend Gina wrote 365 thank-you notes as part of her Thank You Year project, with each month focused on a different theme. I was lucky enough to get a couple of these cards and they were some of the most thoughtful and soul-filling that I’ve ever received. Read all about her project here, follow along, and if you’re in New York, join us at the Hungryroot store on May 11th for a how-to on writing extra meaningful notes—event deets and RSVP here.
Gingerbread, the book variety: I’ve been slowly working my way through Gingerbread, Helen Oyeyemi’s gorgeous novel, not because it’s dense but because it’s so good that it’s worth lingering over the descriptions. It’s hard to describe and I’m tired so I’ll just tell you that it’s a bit of fairytale magic realism with modern-day cheekiness and you should definitely give it a whirl.
Startups gone very wrong: On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, The Dropout, a podcast about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, is the audio equivalent of watching a train wreck. It’ll make you angry but it’s also fascinating and, hopefully, a cautionary tale about future too-good-to-be-true ideas.
Easy Mother’s Day gifting: Admittedly, I don’t usually get more creative than cards and flowers for Mother’s Day but this year I’m sending my mom Prose haircare so she can get her own custom set of shampoo and conditioner, and I also love Otherland’s gifting experience (it’s a small thing but the choose-your-own matches are so fun). And Rob, if you’re listening, it would be really nice to have a couple more East Fork Everyday Bowls since they’re the ones I reach for, you know, every day.
And one more thing: How’s this for burying the lede: Lilly’s getting a baby brother in September! I’ve had a thankfully easy pregnancy so far and am feeling great, with the exception of not fitting into my pants or bras. On the latter note, I just picked up a couple of nursing bras from Kindred Bravely and they’re exponentially softer and more comfortable than the ones I wore the last go-around. More pregnancy thoughts to come, and re-sharing our baby bible in case it’s helpful to anyone out there.
That’s all for now. Send any requests or questions my way!
Hugs,
Mollie
P.S. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Hungryroot is extremely useful for parents, especially new ones. All our food is healthy, easy-to-make, and leaves you with minimal dishes. Feel free to use my code MOLLIE for half off your first order.
P.P.S. Old editions live here!