9.13.2012

how i do lunch

there are many advantages of working from home. lunch, on a porcelain plate with a real knife and fork is one of them. i think i speak for all hard-working full-timers, at home or elsewhere, when i say lunch is my favorite time of day. that's when i set aside the work at hand, no matter how delicious, disregard grams and cups and do things my way. a handful of this. a sprinkle of that. lunch is usually made on the fly from whatever i've found in the fridge, at the market or in our garden. today, it's a tiny head of red leaf from the green market. scarlet and watermelon radishes. the season's first galas, crisp and sweet. carrots, raw and fresh-pulled from the ground. a dollop of red lentil hummus, yogurt, olive oil. sea salt. fresh cracked pepper. the anise seeds i found growing in my neighbor's yard, neglected and generous.

lunch is art. self expression. an answer to craving. pure joy.

i wish I could give you a recipe for all these dozens of weekday lunches. better yet, i wish i could sit you down at my counter and make one for you. maybe. one day. kind of dreaming of putting up a 'open for lunch' sign outside.


6 comments:

brynne frei said...

please do! i seriously struggle at putting my own lunches together and would love to learn from an expert :-)

Sarah Copeland said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sarah Copeland said...

brynne,

wouldn't that be nice? I'd love that.

As for learning, I have to say if there's a formula to it, it's something like.....

something crisp and light (lettuce) + something crunchy and filling (raw veggies) + something deeply satisfying (hummus, yogurt, olive oil, spice).

I'd like to think it applies to warm foods, salads, sandwiches and just about anything!

Thanks so much for your comment, and happy lunching!

susan b. smooth said...

hi sarah! i am lucky to work from home as well and lunch at home is one of my favorite perks. i agree that it's such a gift and a pleasure to be able to wing it, to toss a few fresh picked things onto a plate and drizzle this or that on it. keeping it simple and fresh is such a huge benefit of eating at home! your plate looks gorgeous :)

Unknown said...

That lunch looks delicious! I do love lunches at home, though they're more and more rare these days.

With Style and Grace said...

What a gorgeous plate of food! We typically cut up [or roast] veggies and make a protein and a grain in bulk the start of every week that way we can piece together lunches or dinners when we get busy - especially for me, working at home.

My photo
New York City, United States
Sarah Copeland is a food and lifestyle expert, and the author of Feast: Generous Vegetarian Meals for Any Eater and Every Appetite, and The Newlywed Cookbook. She is the Food Director at Real Simple magazine, and has appeared in numerous national publications including Saveur, Health, Fitness, Shape, Martha Stewart Living and Food & Wine magazines. As a passionate gardener, Sarah's Edible Living philosophy aims to inspire good living through growing, cooking and enjoying delicious, irresistible whole foods. She thrives on homegrown veggies, stinky cheese and chocolate cake. Sarah lives in New York with her husband and their young daughter.