Eat Seasonally and Eat Fresh

I have often mentioned the advantages of visiting your local CSA or farmers’ market for your fresh seasonal produce and organically raised meats, in terms of maximizing the nutritional value in the food and in terms of supporting local businesses. Frequent visits to the farmers’ market can also help you balance your diet, educate your palate (as everyone’s palate is different), and make each dining experience an unexpected adventure in the kitchen.

Spring flew in early this year, and as a result our plates are already displaying beautiful yellow and red veggies (squash and corn and tomatoes, Oh My!). Buying from a farmers’ market will let you take advantage of the freshest produce and tempts you to explore new flavors. When you become bored with the same meals over and over again, I encourage you to let the seasons dictate what’s for dinner. 

As you mull over what to prepare for your next meal or meals, dare to try something that is unique and perhaps challenging to your palate. In other words, try something that is not your favorite. For instance, I’ve been getting beets in my CSA basket lately.  My husband and I are not big fans of beets, but I know that they are very good for you. I know I want to like them, so I want to cook them in a way that will surprise even me.  I  explore ways to jazz up beets by visiting recipe websites like FoodNetwork.com or epicurious.com, searching for recipes that include beets. I have oranges in the refrigerator too; so what can I do with beets and oranges?

When you put those items into a search, you may come up with ten or fifteen recipes that you read through and say to yourself, “Okay, I’ve got all the ingredients for this one and it sounds pretty good,” or you may read reviews – it’s very important to read the reviews – finding that other users liked the recipe even better when substituting a particular ingredient. The roasted beet, onion, and orange salad I found on my search rates very highly, receives good reviews, and those that tried the recipe offered ideas for substitutions in terms of ingredients and preparation. And here, I have to interject my personal substitution of golden beets over red beets for a less in-your-face beet flavor.  You, too, can inventory your pantry, search the Internet, and create something fresh – but it all begins with a trip to the farmers’ market for inspiration.

Until next time, eat well.

Emerald Eggs Tweetcipe

I was working last St. Patrick’s Day.  The menu I was to cook for the nine men who were having a “Guys Only” weekend was set, but I wanted to make one more dish, an amuse bouche, that represented St. Patrick’s Day.  I found the following recipe on www.foodnetwork.com and it did not disappoint!  And, as a kicker, these green deviled eggs are great for the little ones who want to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss (March 2, 1904).  Just add a small slice of shaved ham on top.

Emerald Eggs

6 organic eggs, hard-boiled

1 cup watercress leaves

¼ cup mayonnaise (I use safflower mayo)

2 T chopped scallions

2 T chopped tarragon

salt and pepper to taste

Peel eggs and cut them in half.  Scoop the yolks into a food processor and puree with watercress, mayonnaise, scallions, tarragon, salt and pepper.  Fill a quart Ziploc bag with the filling.  Snip off a corner and pipe the filling into the egg whites.  Sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Keep Fresh Fruit in Season in Spite of the Weather

I heard on John Dromgoole’s gardening radio show recently that fruit trees that bud too early will drop their buds, and they won’t produce fruit in the summer. This last winter was certainly warmer than average across the country, and I think that the expected effects of the mild winter and early spring make for an interesting topic to focus on.

The Cornell Daily Sun recently published an article discussing the phenomenon called “The Jumanji Effect.” This effect resulting from warmer winter weather is demonstrated by the premature awakening of hibernating animals, a “baby boom” within animal populations that do not hibernate, and the subsequent impact of these changes for animal species that directly impact the flora and fauna as well as people. This same phenomenon is what can place apple blossoms, for instance, at risk of freezing, making them unable to produce fruit later on. Irregular weather patterns can affect the production of fruit trees in general. This information shared by the University of Rhode Island explains that fruit trees need cold weather “to promote spring growth.” This concern is echoed by other experts.

Fruit production specialists at Purdue University point out that fruit-bearing trees and plants are weeks ahead of their winter dormancy schedule, placing peach trees, grapevines, blueberry plants, as well as apple trees at risk. One killing frost will destroy these crops for the year. Of course, such an occurrence would affect job stability for those that harvest these fruits and affect the availability of fresh fruit and those goods manufactured from these fruits.

While we all may be enjoying the mild winter – warmer temperatures, lower heating costs, outdoor recreation, and the like – the fruit trees and plants, the animal populations, and other crops are mildly confused. At least for this year, we must hope that weather patterns do not return to normal, so we may enjoy the fruits of nature’s premature labor.

Should you find that the a lack of available fresh fruit drives prices up at the store, exceeding your budget, you still have options to keep fruit in your home and in your diet. Choose produce from a local CSA or farmer’s market instead of produce from the grocery chain. And at the grocery store, choose frozen fruit over canned if your fresh produce options are limited. You do not have to sacrifice quality or shatter your grocery budget to enjoy the freshness of the season!

Until next time, eat well.

Fresh Lime Pie Tweetcipe

It’s been over a year since I’ve visited a former, and perhaps my favorite home. I lived on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands for almost 10 years. I worked as a massage therapist when I arrived there, but during lean times I found some work at a restaurant called The Fish Trap, making cheesecake and fresh lime pie.

Tortola has been on my mind a lot lately, so I’m going to share a simple pie recipe from my Caribbean era. The recipe comes from The Sugar Mill Hotel Cookbook. The Sugar Mill is the nicest boutique hotel on Tortola, and lunching at the hotel’s Island Restaurant, which sits right on the beach on the North side, was always a treat, even for us residents.

FRESH LIME PIE

1 lightly baked store-bought pie shell
3 eggs, separated
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime zest from 1 lime
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup of sugar

Preheat oven at 350. Pour condensed milk into a medium bowl. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with a hand mixer until light yellow and thick. Stir into condensed milk. Add lime juice and rind. Pour into prepared crust. In a clean bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites with cream of tartar until thick and then very slowly add sugar. Beat until shiny peaks form. Spread over lime filling making swirls and peaks. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.

Fun Food Trivia

Anyone who has ever stepped foot into a kitchen knows that it can be an adventure. The meals we create have the opportunity to be magnificent works of art, but they can also be adventures into disaster.

The different ingredients that encompass a meal can often be more unique than we realize, and with every recipe we can learn more and more. For all those kitchen enthusiasts out there, not only can you delight your guest’s taste buds, but you can provoke their thoughts and your own with interesting and amusing food trivia.

Honey

This is a sweet staple for many households, but did you know that it takes about two million flower visits by honey bees to produce a single pound of honey?

Peanut Butter

Not only is peanut butter another very common kitchen item, but a great complement to the aforementioned honey. Ready your milk glasses, because it only takes one acre of peanuts to produce 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

Rice

To produce one ton of rice you need 2,000 to 5,000 tons of water. The average American eats a little more than 24 pounds of rice per person annually, where in France the average is about 10 pounds. However, in Asia, the average consumption per person is an astonishing 300 pounds annually..

Superfoods for superior health

The next time you feel a cold coming on, hesitate a moment when reaching for that orange. Green bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C as oranges, and red and yellow bell peppers have four times as much.

Quinoa is a whole grain in the form of a seed, and a delicious addition to any meal. One cup of quinoa has more calcium and protein than a quart of milk – great news to all who are lactose intolerant. Even better, ounce for ounce, quinoa has as much protein as meat, contains all of the essential amino acids, and has high amounts of iron and calcium. All in all, it comes closer than any other food in supplying all of the nutrients needed for life.

For those who indulge in carrots on a regular basis, you are sure to recall the rumor that eating too many will turn your skin orange. But orange was not their original color of the carrot – they were red, black, yellow, white, and purple. It was not until the 17^th century that the Dutch invented the orange carrot. It is curious to consider those who might have turned purple in the 16^th century after a binge in the garden.

I hope these fun food trivia facts give you food for thought.

Until next time, eat well.

Grilled Campfire Vegetables Tweetcipe

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with a river guide as we hiked through a slot canyon in the Big Bend Ranch State Park. As is my habit, I asked Erica about the food that is served on the overnight rafting trips, particularly the trips that are packaged with a gourmet chef and wine tastings. She described a wonderful array of food that is prepared raw, on the grill and in the cast iron dutch oven. She also mentioned that sometimes the vegetables get short shrift, almost as if they were an afterthought, giving way to the wine, cheese, bread, meat and dessert. Just for fun I put the following grill-friendly vegetable recipes together for her, in case they’d like to jazz up the vegetables, too.

Carrots and Asparagus

Carrots (cut on the bias) and asparagus spears are great travel-friendly vegetables and lend themselves to quick and easy campfire recipes. Here are a few ideas (all ingredient amounts should be to your personal taste):

Wrap cleaned asparagus and/or carrots in foil with butter, salt, pepper, and the zest of an organic lemon. Set the foil packet over the fire to roast – about 15 minutes for asparagus and 25 minutes for carrots. Alternative: Substitute a little brown sugar for the lemon zest.

Asparagus only: Using either of the above recipes, set the packet over the fire just until the butter has melted – about 2 minutes. Turn the packet upside down with tongs to spread the butter over the asparagus. Now open the packet carefully (reserve the butter mixture in the packet) and grill the spears about 90 seconds. Turn the asparagus and grill for another 90 seconds. Place the asparagus spears back in the packet, seal it, set aside and the asparagus will finish cooking. If the spears are thick, then set the packet over indirect heat for 6-8 minutes.

Asparagus appetizer or side dish:

Wrap a single spear (for appetizer) or several spears (for a side dish) in a thin slice of prosciutto. Sprinkle with pepper and a favorite herb (fresh thyme, herbs de provence, smoked paprika) and seal them in a foil packet. Set the foil packet over the fire to roast for about 15 minutes.

Optional garlic dipping sauce that can be made in advance and kept cool:

2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/3 cup plain yogurt
6 cloves garlic, pressed
4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 T fresh dill, minced

Grilled Radicchio & Scallions

Cut a head of radicchio into quarters, keeping core intact. Drizzle olive oil on radicchio and whole scallions. Grill radicchio for 2 minutes on each cut side. Grill whole scallions until marked. Slice radicchio into thick shreds, cut scallions into large pieces and mix. Sprinkle salad with balsamic vinegar, more good quality olive oil, salt and pepper.

Stick To Short List of Ingredients for Good Health

Wouldn’t it be great if all our food came straight from the community garden, local rancher, and our own kitchen?

I love carrots, tomatoes and cantaloupe right out of the garden and I rarely have the patience to let a loaf of fresh, homemade wheat bread cool before I cut off a chunk (especially if there are sunflower seeds inside!). From treating myelf to fresh feta cheese from the local dairy farm to buying local honey (many believe honey helps alleviate allergies), I love to haunt local CSAs and farmer’s markets.

But let’s get real.

Home cooking with local organic ingredients might be the healthiest way to eat, but few of us have the time or inclination to prepare three meals a day from scratch. Homemade bread is wonderful, but even with a bread maker machine, it is time consuming. Even grocery shopping can be labor intensive if you have to go to more than one store or market to find all of the in-season ingredients for more than a few dishes. Inevitably, given the fast paced, I-want-it-now society we live in, we need the convenience of grocery stores and prepared foods to feed our families. After all, one of the benefits of modernization is that we can follow our dreams and not always have to focus every moment on hunting and gathering. I’m grateful for some shortcuts after a long day, and I search them out at the market.

In most markets, the selection of prepared foods is overwhelming, and both the quality and nutritional value of similar foods vary widely. A rule of thumb is that if a food item is in any container other than its own nature-made rind or skin, I read the label. So if there is shrink-wrap, Styrofoam, a can, or a box, then there are probably additional ingredients and processing I want to know about. For example, pre-made flour tortillas could have between four and forty ingredients on the label, depending on where they are made. Some manufacturers use hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium metabisulfite, distilled monoglycerides… What is that anyway? (They are mostly preservatives and stabilizers, but those ingredients sure don’t sound like something I want to eat.)

So let’s eat real food.

Reading labels can be frustrating and takes a bit of extra time, so sometimes it is easier to look at the length of the ingredient list. If the list has more than a handful of ingredients, I just put it back on the shelf and keep moving. Remember to look in the refrigerated sections of the store since the products with fewer ingredients don’t contain as many preservatives and must often be chilled to remain fresh. Flour tortillas made simply from flour, salt, oil, and water (and sometimes a wonderful little squirt of lime) are often available with the cheese and deli items.

Using prepared foods that were made from simple, quality, pronounceable, and recognizable ingredients will make dinner preparation quick and healthy.

Until next time, eat well!