How to Eat Like a Hobbit

You won't believe this, but I came across an article on How to Eat Like a Hobbit. What a fun idea!   It begins like this:

Wild strawberries by my woods

If there is one area of life most people can change in order to return to the Shire, in a metaphorical if not literal sense, it’s their eating habits. You can live in a 20-story high-rise in Manhattan or Paris and still adopt a Hobbit lifestyle when it comes to eating. That’s because Hobbits are different from most of the enslaved subjects of Mordor not only in what they eat… but also in how and why they eat it. Hobbits, along with most of the free peoples of Middle-earth, eat pure, naturally-grown, mostly wild foods from their own gardens or nearby fields: lush berries, fresh bread, cheese, cold meats, mushrooms (lots of those!), wine and beer. They eat frequently, usually in groups and often accompanied by poetry readings and songs. Hobbits are not vegetarians but they have a varied diet of whole, local foods, including Nimcelen, the hobbit version of potato salad; Soroname, a warm soup filled with pasta, meat, tomatoes, beans and onions; and Lembas, Elvish waybread. They drink wine and, when they can get it, such invigorating liquors as Ent-draughts and Miruvor, the life-giving and energizing elixir of the Elves. Food has a spiritual as well as a biological purpose for them.

It's a long article and gets a little political, but towards the end there is a section on practical suggestions that are interesting.  Just click here to read more.

Backwards day in the Shire -
 the moon was out before sunset

Tonight I ate like a Hobbit.  I made a pot of Leek and Barley soup that was mild (bland?), but pretty good.  This was the first time I remember using a leek so I looked up a tutorial on how to clean them.  They are notorious for being very dirty because of the way they grow, but once you know the trick, it isn't too bad of a job.

3 Tablespoons olive oil          1/3 cup parsley, minced
1 cup barley                           Salt to taste
1 carrot finely grated               7 cups water
2 leeks, sliced                         1 boullion cube (opt)
1 bay leaf                                chopped mushrooms (opt)

1. Heat oil and add barley, stir 1 minute.  Immediately add carrots, leeks, bay leaf,  parsley, salt and water.
2. Cook over low to medium heat for 40 to 45 minutes - until barley is tender.  Add more water if needed.
3.  Add optional ingredients during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

After dinner, it was such a lovely evening, I decided to go for a stroll out  in the Shire. On the path along the woods  I found wild strawberries that were blossoming.  If  I go out every morning when the flowers are done and check for ripe berries, I might be able to get a few.  Usually the critters get there first, but I'm going to give it a try.

Golden sunset over the Shire-
 probably means rain tomorrow