Spring Picnics and why Productivity Doesn’t Always Look Like Working (plus recipes for plant-based “feta” brined with wild herbs and a wild garlic soda bread)
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Are you the kind of person who takes work a little too seriously, and can maybe get caught up in working to a point of burnout or illness? I am. I always have been. It feels a little strange to admit this, but I actually love to work. Of course, it helps that my work is also my passion, but even when I have had other jobs I have still found ways to go above what was expected or asked of me. Even back to primary school I have been a good worker. I’m proud of my work ethic. I’m proud of my passion and my focus. But I often forget just how important all of the other aspects of life are - rest, social time, maintaining relationships, or just giving my brain and body a break. Whether you push yourself like I do or you are pushed by your boss or your family, I’m writing today about how vastly important it is to do entirely non-productive things so you can be more productive when you need to be. One of my biggest suggestions: preparing a spring picnic, of course!
There’s a certain episode of the lighthearted show Parks and Recreation that I think about a lot. (Don’t worry, this only has spoilers for that particular episode.) After the main character Leslie Knope has spent weeks stubbornly working on a big project that ends up being a huge success, she feels a lot of pressure to do something just as spectacular right afterwards. In this episode, she decrees a mandatory work retreat in which all of the department goes camping in the woods to brainstorm ideas together. The other attendees roll their eyes and say “Leslie, we already know you have the best idea. Just tell it to us already so we can go home.” It’s then that Leslie sheepishly admits that she’s got nothing and claims to be just another one-hit wonder. After a series of camping-related mishaps, they end up in a little BnB instead, where Leslie is stubbornly trying to get her compatriots to pull an all-nighter with her to find the right idea. Eventually her boss locks her in a bedroom so she has no choice but to rest and actually get some sleep. The next morning she is bright-eyed and re-charged and FILLED with ideas, all of them great.
Life is a series of ebbs and flows, of pushes and pulls. If we push push push all the time, eventually anyone would get burnt out. There is a reason fields sometimes sit fallow between livestock grazing or farming. There’s a reason we need weekends and days of rest and why the nights are longer in winter. Some people can re-charge on a structured basis, with various daily, weekly, or monthly ritualized activities (like morning yoga or montly spa trips), while others -- particularly those with chronic illness -- have to be more accomodating of the messages their body is sending them day by day.
Sometimes I go into a fallow period where I’m not able to read or write or work on any projects. It’s usually tied to the depression I get during bad flare-ups of my chronic illness or exhaustion after treatments. I usually fight that need for rest at first, which is about as productive as hitting my head against the wall repeatedly. When I finally finally allow myself to truly rest, I feel better. My creativity returns. My grit comes back too.
Resting, for me, looks like not expecting anything of my mind or body and just doing what feels good. Sometimes that means watching a goofy TV show without any guilt that I’m not watching something more productive like a documentary. Sometimes it means just laying in bed listening to music and dozing in and out of sleep. Often, it means spending a day in the woods, wandering and foraging and moving at whatever pace feels best. I bet you have your own way of truly resting too. Maybe exercise is a rest for you in terms of stress or emotion. Maybe there’s a favorite movie that is particularly soothing. Maybe you get a massage. Maybe you take your time to cook a delicious meal or bake a treat to share. Whatever rest is to you, it is just as important as productivity. (Ironically, it has taken me years of chronic illness to understand that for myself.) Just remember that the only sustainable way to stay productive is to also stay balanced, and that includes plenty of time spent being “not productive.”
This time of year, one of my absolute favorite ways to sink into that glorious non-productive joy is to have a picnic. The first picnic of the season is a delightful affair. A warm spring day, a blanket to sit on, and a few delicious treats are all you need to breathe in the magic of springtime. Below I’ve shared recipes for a marinated plant-based treat inspired by feta cheese and a beautifully bright green soda bread flavored with ramps or wild onions. A few days before your picnic you can take a little walk to gather some wild herbs and prepare both the “feta” and the brine. (Then put the “feta” in the brine once it has set.) On the day of your picnic, bake the soda bread - quick breads like this take only a few moments to get into the oven. While the bread bakes, I get picnic supplies rounded up, or just turn on some music and either listen to it from a restful place or do a little kitchen dancing. I remind myself that this is about pleasure and rest, not productivity; and thus I am off the hook for trying to do any work while I move with the pace of the bread itself. Let yourself become immersed in the experience, in watching cheese set and dough rise. Then grab some lemonade or a bottle of wine and go somewhere delightful and have a wonderful time being completely and entirely unproductive.
Plant-Based “Feta”
I hesitated listing the name “feta” for this recipe, but it’s the closest approximation of taste and texture. Rather than masquerading as a perfect substitution for feta cheese, think of this flavorful and just-crumbly-enough mixture as its own delicious treat! It can be crumbled over salads, folded into wraps, or marinaded with olive oil and herbs for a delicious picnic treat. This recipe is based on this great plant-based recipe by the Plant Power Couple, adapted to my own palette. This recipe makes a large block to enjoy, with plenty to give away as well! If you want to make a smaller batch, just halve the recipe. This needs to set up overnight, so plan ahead!
Ingredients:
1 16oz block extra firm tofu
⅔ c. refined coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. Lemon zest
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. brine from a jar of green olives (save the olives for the recipe below)
2 tsp. Kimchi or sauerkraut juice (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp. White miso
2 tsp. Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp. Dried bee balm, crumbled
Directions:
Drain the tofu well by placing it on paper towels. Meanwhile, line a 7 x 5” mold with plastic wrap.
Crumble the tofu into a food processor and add everything except the bee balm.
Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about X minutes. (If it still looks separated, keep blending until it comes together.)
Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings as needed. When you’re happy with the briny kick of the feta, stir in the bee balm.
Pour the mixture into your prepared container and smooth the surface. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Marinated Feta Cheese: Makes 4 pint jars - plenty to give as gifts!
The briny and herbal flavors of the Mediterrenean are re-created here with wild herbs and spruce tips. This marinated cheese is delicious on its own or paired with some chewy bread. The quality of the olive oil you use is important: make sure to use extra virgin olive oil. If you taste some on its own, it should taste fresh and grassy, with a peppery bite you feel in the back of your throat. (Acid tempers that bite, which is why you don’t taste it in salad dressings.) Speaking of, don’t toss the oil mixture when the cheese has been eaten! Just whisk in a little bit of dijon mustard and red wine vinegar for a fantastic salad dressing.
Ingredients:
16 oz fresh feta cheese, or recipe above
1 c. brined green olives
2 c. high-quality extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of two lemons
1 tsp. Red pepper flakes
2 tsp. Black peppercorns
X fresh new-growth yarrow leaves (which are less bitter after spring rains), 2 per jar
Small handful wild fennel fronds
Small handful fresh thyme stalks
A couple of young spruce tips per jar
Directions:
Cut the feta into ½” cubes and pit the olives, if they aren’t already pitted.
Mix the olive oil with the lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black peppercorns.
Layer the feta, olives, and herbs equally into X jars. Top with olive oil mixture, making sure to disperse the spices evenly. Let the jars sit at room temperature for 4-8 hours before eating. After 8 hours, refrigerate any uneaten cheese. (Just let the jar come back to room temperature before serving again.)
Wild Garlic and Greens Soda Bread
This bread gets its lovely color and savory flavor from ramps, also known as wild onions. It’s really important to consider sustainability with this plant! Due to over-harvesting, it is a threatened species. Make sure you only harvest on private lands or purchase from sustainable growers. Harvesting a leaf or two from the plants is more sustainable than digging up the whole plant, but only harvest from one out of every ten plants. You can also substitute wild garlic, garlic mustard, nettles, or other spring greens!
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped wild garlic greens (or ramps leaves)
½ c. non-dairy plain yogurt
¾ c. non-dairy milk
1 Tbs. lemon juice
4 c. plain flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Sea salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Add the wild garlic/ramps to a high speed blender with the yogurt, milk, and lemon juice. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and bright green.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until it just comes together into a sticky dough.
Drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking pan. Flour your hands and pat the top smooth, then cut a cross in the top about 1” down. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
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Join me for a little winter night magic as we bake this cake full of rich seasonal flavors and black cocoa!