By Lucille Chi •
October 15, 2009
Going to a body and nutrition expert with my husband is one of the best things we’ve done for ourselves. What was the key take away? Warning! Turn Alkaline!
Turn Alkaline? Are we magicians? Well according to biochemists we are! You can change your body chemistry with what you eat!
Chemicals have seeped into foods, air, and water, which in turn lower our system’s ability to control the chemistry of our body fluids, increasing illness and chronic disease.
The sad fact is that most food consumption in the wealthiest nations has shifted from nutritious raw foods to low nutritional value processed foods and we need to shift it back. Now that our total biological terrain is at risk, we urgently need to do some clean up by shifting our body chemistry back to the raw, organic foods it was designed to function on as we’ve evolved.
Below I’ve listed out a quick list of the good foods (alkaline) to treat your body to often…
By John Chappell •
July 7, 2009
A cool summer salad is the perfect side dish complement for a summer barbecue or dinner on a warm evening. Many summer salads are mayonnaise based though and typically not too healthy. Here’s a simple, healthy, and quite delicious antipasto salad.
Here are the ingredients that you’ll need. As always, I strive for the most local and organic products that I can get my hands on.
- 3 cups (2inch) sliced asparagus (about 1/4 lb)
- 3 cups quartered mushrooms (about 3/4 lb)
- 1 cup red bell pepper strips
- 1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
- 3 oz mozzarella cheese cubed (omit or replace with firm tofu, seitan, or soy cheese if you want to make the recipe vegan)
- 1 lb (or a 14 oz can if you’re feeling lazy like I am sometimes) quartered artichoke hearts drained
- 1 (11.5 oz) jar pickled pepporoncini peppers drained
By Lisa Kivirist •
June 25, 2009
June on our Wisconsin farm and B&B, Inn Serendipity, ushers in a few weeks of chaos. Tending everything from gardens to B&B guests, June packs in a cornucopia of duties that take time away from the kitchen and savoring the abundance of the early summer season.
Don’t get me wrong as I truly relish this time of year, when both the days and work lists are long but satisfying. Which is why we need quality fuel, good food to provide energy for the day. This Spring Spinach and Asparagus Pasta ranks our new seasonal favorite, as it blends the tender seasonal flavors of asparagus and spinach with a filling dose of pasta, nuts and cheese, seasoned up with a unique, savory soy sauce-based dressing. Plus it makes a sizeable batch, perfect for easy leftovers throughout the week.
Read on for the recipe and enjoy:
Though you can find asparagus at your supermarket almost all year long, asparagus is actually in season from March until June. Asparagus, a member of the lily family, is quite difficult to grow, causing this tasty treat to be a bit on the pricey side. Asparagus has been used since early on not only as a vegetable to eat, but also for medicinal purposes. Asparagus contains asparagine, a special plant compound, which gives it a diuretic effect, aiding in kidney function. Asparagus varieties include green, white and purple. The white variety is typically milder then the green and the purple can have a subtle fruity flavor. One cup of chopped asparagus has around 30 calories, contains no fat or cholesterol, is low in sodium, and comes chock full of vital nutrients. Asparagus is an excellent source of folate and thiamin (important B vitamins) and is also a good source of fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin C and beta-carotene. The quicker the cooking time, the more flavor the asparagus will have. Their unique taste pairs well with everything from mushrooms to seafood to salads. At your local farmers market, look for bunches that are firm, brightly colored and straight.
It’s that time of the week again: Meatless Monday! While the initiative has recently become popular once again, Meatless Monday is actually a pretty old-fashioned idea! It was first encouraged by the USDA during World War I in an effort to conserve food for US troops fighting overseas, along with Wheatless Wednesday. The campaign was brought back for the same reasons during World War II, along with sugar and gasoline rations.
We might not be in war-time conservation mode right now, but the country’s current climate bears many similarities: Everyone is looking for ways to conserve and cut back. We’re also eager to contribute towards ways to win a different kind of battle, that is, the one against global warming. Many people are even growing their own Victory Gardens!
By Jennifer Lance •
May 24, 2008
At this point in asparagus season, I get a little tired of eating the vegetable every night for dinner. Simply steaming, grilling, or roasting the spears has grown old, so I start to add asparagus to pizza and pasta to ensure my children keep eating from the garden. This recipe for creamy asparagus pasta is light and easy to make, and organic ingredients makes it healthier and taste better.
Light and Creamy Vegetarian Asparagus Pasta
Cook for three minutes less than recommended on the package:
- 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
Add to pasta and cook for three more minutes, then drain:
- 1 bunch of asparagus cut into 3/4 inch pieces
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- 1 1/2 cups organic milk
- 4 teaspoons mustard
- 4 teaspoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or less for kids)
By Beth Bader •
February 26, 2008
In Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, he explains that you can often follow the ripening of a certain vegetable northward, thus eating the exact same thing, in season, for weeks. It’s nice to know this, as I can look southward in anticipation for what will be coming next month. I can also consult a harvest calendar for my zone, and get a head start on recipe planning. Some seasonal eating guides are available at Sustainable Table, but for most, you will need to type “harvest calendar” and your state name into a good search engine.
Of course, I didn’t know any of this my first year of eating local. Thanks to the grocery store experience, I had become very much out of touch with what was in season when. Each week’s CSA bag and trip to the farmers market brought a surprise, and then I had to scramble to figure out how to fix the bounty while it was still at its best.
Early spring crops must be frost-tolerant and hearty to withstand the cooler temperatures. The vegetables that get planted earliest include cole crops like broccoli and kale, lettuces and greens, carrots, turnips, beets and onions also go in the ground in the first month of spring. Asparagus, which is a perennial, has to be planted three years before it can be harvested. (seasonal guide and recipes after the jump).
