Zucchini - A Swollen Ovary

By definition zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.  In a culinary context, the zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment.

Nutritionally, the zucchini fruit is low in calories (approximately 15 food calories per 100 g fresh zucchini) and contains useful amounts of folate (24 mcg/100 g), potassium (280 mg/100 g) and vitamin A (384 IU [115 mcg]/100 g. 1/2 cup of zucchini also contains 19% of the recommended amount of manganese.  Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower.  Interesting way to view your food, right?

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the proliferation of zucchini is to pickle them. Today's Kitchen Project involved making Zuni Style Pickles.  I start by washing and slicing medium zucchini with a handy bread and butter slicer, a handy tool for "crinkle cut" veges.

Next, I tossed the zucchini with a bunch of thinly sliced onions and shallots, leaving them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

For the pickling juice combine the following in a non-reactive pan and heat to low rolling boil:
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar                                                             3/4 cup white wine vinegar                                                                  1/2 cup sugar
1 teas Tumeric                                                                                    1 teas sea salt                                                                                     Pinch of chili pepper flake
1 tbls  Mustard Seeds

Tightly packing the zucchini and onions into pint mason jars, pour the pickling juice to fill the jar.

Screw the lid down and refrigerate for a couple of weeks.  Many recipes say they will last a few weeks but I've managed to enjoy them up to six months after processing. I like to serve these as condiments with grilled hamburgers or on a cheese and cracker plate as a snack. Enjoy!!

Simple Pleasures of Summer

After spending the majority of the day in the garden, yesterday's heat put a real damper on my desire to cook anything .  However, we had some fabulous leftover grilled veges that needed to be used so I hit the web for some new ideas.  Seems the heat affected my creativity in the kitchen some, too!

The original preparation for the veges included tossing the chunks in olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and a little lemon juice.  We used zucchini, yellow squash, cancer fighting broccoli, cauliflower, red bell peppers,selenium rich portobello mushrooms and onions for the vege mix.  In future I will add eggplant and roasted garlic to the group for an added boost of flavor.  You can never have enough GARLIC afterall.....

Putting the veges directly on the grill for the deeper color that comes from the char is my personal preference.  Of course you can also use a basket if you prefer no grill marks.  We originally enjoyed these veges with tasty braised beef that was slow cooked with red wine, a lot of shallots and creamy polenta.  This was the perfect solution to a dinner party that included both vegetarians and carnivores!

Since the challenge was to use all the leftovers quickly I decided to make a puree soup.  Even on a warm night it was a simple, totally satisfying and filling meal.  I used my fav tool in the kitchen,  VitaMix, filling it 3/4 with veges, added 2 cups of vege broth, a little cream for smoothing out the texture of the puree then heated up to room temperature.  Garnished with a dollop of sour cream, grated parmesian and a krispy kale chip, it was an elegant finish to beautiful vegetables.  There was enough left to freeze for another quick and nutritious meal!

Along the way I ran into a recipe from Fit Bottom Girls that I want to try the next time we entertain. 


Roasted Vege Bruschetta on Crusty Bread, doesn't that sound good?




The simple pleasures of summer! 

Opening This Week: 

  Larry's Produce 

Get out the canning equipment, time to build our pantry with fresh goodness from local farmers!







Cafe Gratitude's "I Am Creamy" Hemp Seed Ranch

With all the spring greens looking for a new dress, Cafe Gratitude has shared their yummy dressing recipe in this weeks newletter.  I love their I Am Grateful cookbook that can be purchased at any of their cafes.

Today's recipe features Hemp Seeds, which can be a healthy addition to your diet. We like their nutty flavor and add them to our morning smoothies or cereal to bump up the protein in breakfast.  Berkeley Bowl and Harvest House carry them in bulk so we stock up anytime we're in Berkeley or Concord. 

Though it is believed by some that hemp seeds contain the same ingredients as marijuana, the trace amounts of THC found in hemp are not mind-altering. Instead, hemp provides a plethora of nutrients that are sometimes hard to find in vegetarian foods. Hemp seeds come in different forms and can be used in a variety of ways in the diet. Allergies to hemp are rare, and so are side effects. Read more...

RECIPE:
"I Am Creamy" Hemp Seed Ranch

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tbl. tamari

1 cup water

1/2 cup soaked sunflower seeds (soak for 2 hrs)

1 cup hemp seeds

1 tsp. garlic

1 Tbl. chopped jalapeno

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp.black pepper

1 Tbl. dried dill

Blend the above ingredients well

Add

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Blend and enjoy as a dressing, dip or sauce.

A Taste of Spring - French Sorrel

I've been seduced by the flavors of Spring greens once again.  Searching for new recipes for our Farm Box Mixed Greens Kit, I found a recipe on Vegetable Matters from 2010. 

An excellent choice for diet-friendly greens, a 1/2-cup serving of fresh sorrel leaves contains 15 calories. The leaves contribute 0.5 g of fat to your diet, as well. Sorrel serves up roughage in the form of fiber, providing 2 g, or 5.2 to 8 percent of recommended 25 to 38 g. This nutrient promotes the health of your bowels, helping to prevent diarrhea and constipation. You will also get 1 g of protein per serving. This amount will not meet your daily need, so be sure to supplement your diet with protein-rich foods to consume 46 to 56 g daily     Read more...

                                                                                                 Flatbread with French Sorrel

1 Flatbread Dough
1/4 head cauliflower, broken into florets
5-6 large French sorrel leaves
2 oz crumbled goat cheese
olive oil, sea salt, black pepper to taste
                                                                                 
Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 420° and put pizza stone in oven to start warming up. Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil and sea salt to lightly coat. Roast on a sheet pan until golden and dark on edges, about 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to cook evenly. Remove from oven to cool.
2. Raise temperature of oven to 500°.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to relax at room temperature for 15 minutes.
4. Boil water and blanche sorrel, no more than 1 minute, then drain.
5. Roll out dough on well-floured surface to an 8" circle. Spread a thin layer of olive oil on dough, then add goat cheese, cauliflower, and sorrel. You may have extra cauliflower, which you can serve on the side. Add more goat cheese on top.
6. Bake until done, about 5 minutes.

The Beautiful Beet

Here at Inspirational Nutrition we love our beets so much that a large bed at  Two Crones Farm has been planted with several different varieties to enjoy fresh from the garden all year round.  Add a little kale, blue cheese and vinagrette to the roasted beauties and you have the perfect salad or side dish.

Beetroot is a versatile vegetable and can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can eat beets raw, baked, steamed and pickled, in soups and salads, or served as a condiment and alongside entrees. Beets go beautifully in any form with duck, pork chops, and even as a little sauté of fresh foie gras. So roast away!!

Sweet and earthy beet juice will fit nicely in your juice diet. A raw or cooked beet salad could become a staple in your raw food or vegetarian menu. And with more than one type of beets to choose from, why not try one of each when you get the chance.

Beets are highly nutritious and“cardiovascular health” friendly root vegetables. Certain unique pigment antioxidants present in root as well as top greens have found to offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lower cholesterol levels in the body and have anti-aging effects.

Fun Facts:

• Beets (beta vulgaris) are a member of the order of flowering plants called Caryophyllales, which also includes bougainvillea, cacti, amaranth, carnations, spinach, and venus fly traps.
• Modern beets are derived from wild sea beets that originated around the coasts of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
• Around 800 BC, an Assyrian text describes beets growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Beets were an important plant for both the ancient Greeks and Romans. Beets of this period were white or black rather than red. The Roman name for the beet plant was "beta" while the Greeks referred to it as "teutlion."
• At first, the Greeks used just the leaves of the plant, both medicinally and as a culinary herb.The Romans used the leaves as a culinary herb and as a medicine and they also used the beetroot as medicine before the Greeks began doing so.
• By the 3rd century AD, the Romans had begun using the beetroot as food rather than just medicine. They are considered the first to have cultivated the plant for the root rather than just the leaves.
• The Greeks presented beets to the sun god Apollo in the temple at Delphi.Aristophanes mentions beets in two of his comedies, Acharneans and Peace, both of which were performed in 420 BC.
• Red beets get their color from a pigment called "betalain." Betalain is also responsible for the red color of bougainvillea and amaranth.
• Pliny the Elder wrote that beets were easily digested but that some doctors believed them to be more harmful to the digestive system than cabbage.
• Some Roman physicians believed that beets needed to be boiled twice if one wanted to avoid gas and stomach aches.  
• The Romans considered beet juice to be an aphrodisiac.  The Romans spread beets throughout the Roman Empire.In 812 AD, Charlemagne issued a "Regulation concerning landed property" that registered beets as something to be cultivated on the Imperial estates.
• Since the 16th century, beet juice has been used as a natural red dye. It was even used as a hair dye.
• The commercial cultivation of sugar beets began in the 19th century in France and Belgium.
• Sugar beets are about 20% sugar while beets or beetroot are usually no more than 10% sugar.
• In Australia, pickled beets are commonly put on hamburgers. 
• Beets are sometimes used to make homemade wine. 
• One cup of beets contains about 75 calories.

Chianti & Wild Rice Beef Stew

When the weather turns and the skys are full of rainclouds, my appetite reaches out for a rich, hearty stew.  This one is inspired by a 2008 Gabbiano Chianti and all organic meat and vegetables.

Made up a day ahead and allowed to "marinate" brings out all the wonderful alchemy that is stew.  Serve with a nice green salad and you have the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals your body craves.

Servings:  8

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups Homemade Beef Stock or distilled water
• 2 lbs Organic, grass fed stew meat
• 1 med. White Onion, chopped
• 4 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 cup Pearl Onions (look pretty)
• 3 Yam, skin on, chunk chop
• 5 Carrots, skin on, chunk chop
• 4 oz. Ortega Green Chilis, drained
• 15 oz Stewed Tomatos
• 3 tbls Dulce Flakes
• 1 teas Sea Salt
• 1 teas Ground White Pepper
• 1 tbls Nutritional Yeast
• 3 tbls Bragg's Amino Acids
• 1/4 teas Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 10 cloves Garlic, peeled whole
• 1/2 cup Wild Rice
• 2 cups Gabbiano Chianti
• DIRECTIONS:

• In a large stock pot, add stock/water and heat to low boil
• Add stew meat with blood from package, return to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir to blend foam into broth.  Chop all veges, stir them into meat & broth.
• Add all spices, stir and return to simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Veges should be soft but not falling apart.
• Add Chianti, simmer low for another 30 minutes.  Stew meat should be soft chunks
• Add Wild Rice, simmer until the kernals pop open (about 10-15 minutes)
• Serve immediately, or quick cool in shallow pan overnight to allow flavors to meld.

Optional Preparation:  Put all ingredients into large crock pot and cook on low 8-10 hours.  You may need to add additional liquid.

Nutritional Info per serving:

Calories  430  Protein:  29.3 g    Carb: 37.5 g   Fat: 14.8 g   Sugar: 8.9 g   Fiber:  6.9 g

Vitamin A - RAE (mcg)	828.54		700.00		118		%
Vitamin B1 - Thiamin (mg)	0.79		1.10		72		%
Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin (mg)	0.87		1.10		79		%
Vitamin B3 - Niacin (mg)	11.95		14.00		85		%
Vitamin B6 (mg)	1.88		1.50		126		%
Vitamin B12 (mcg)	1.90		2.40		79		%
Vitamin C (mg)	23.77		75.00		32		%
Vitamin D - mcg (mcg)	0.00		15.00		0		%
Vitamin E - Alpha	1.06		15.00		7		%
Folate (mcg)	62.53		400.00		16		%
Minerals
Calcium (mg)	103.70		1,200.00		9		%
Iron (mg)	5.34		8.00		67		%
Magnesium (mg)	83.56		320.00		26		%
Phosphorus (mg)	338.10		700.00		48		%
Potassium (mg)	1,241.23		4,700.00		26		%
Sodium (mg)	456.36		1,300.00		35		%
Zinc (mg)	7.31		8.00		91		%

Omega-3 (g)	0.20
Omega-6 (g)	0.47



How to Increase Absorption of Minerals

All nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, sugars, oils, etc. require minerals for proper cellular function. All bodily processes depend upon the action and presence of minerals.

 

Minerals are more important to nutrition than vitamins. Vitamins are required for every bodily biochemical process. However, vitamins cannot function unless minerals are present.

Minerals are needed for healing. Tissue rebuilding occurs more readily when the body has access to the necessary minerals. This is why soaking in water quickly heals wounds, and why, traditionally, health spas are so popular.

Minerals are difficult to absorb into the body. Calcium, for instance, must be taken with vitamins D and C, essential fatty acids and in the proper ratio to magnesium, in order to be digested.

Phytic acid is a substance found primarily in grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds that inhibits your absorption of minerals. People who rely on these foods for iron, magnesium, calcium, or zinc can improve their mineral status by using a simple kitchen technique of soaking.

Why soak nuts, grains and seeds?

1. To remove or reduce phytic acid.

2. To remove or reduce tannins.

3. To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.

4. To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.

5. To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.

6. To break down gluten and make digestion easier.

7. To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.

8. To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.

9. To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.

10. To prevent many health diseases and conditions.

“Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes. The action of these enzymes also increases the amount of many vitamins, especially B vitamins. During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.”