FOOD A PEDIA
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Almonds
Did you know almonds in the CSA are special and still hold their ability to sprout, unlike store bought?
Simple from Scratch:
Soaked Almonds- From School of Life Member Durga
Traditional cuisines (including Ayurveda) recommend that for digestibility, almonds should always be soaked overnight and peeled before eating-- blanching will not have the same helpful effects as soaking, during which they sprout a little "tail." Sally Fallon recommends soaking almonds and all nuts and seeds overnight in salt water (1 tsp per cup of nuts) and then drying them for 12-24 hours in a dehydrator or low oven (150 degrees.) The salt makes them "extra" digestible.
Almond Spread- CSA Member Elena
Soak raw almonds overnight, then toast in an oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure they don't burn. Once the almonds are toasted, put in food processor. Chop until nuts are finely ground and begin to clump. Add oil of choice (olive is a bit heavy but makes it savory, sunflower is lighter) until desired consistency is reached. Add raw honey and ground celitic sea salt to taste. More of a spread than a butter. Ayurveda states that just seven nuts per day is a serving- so don't go overboard!
For Shakes
Soak almonds overnight. Peel and add to morning shake for a great source of protien and healthy omegas.
More Recipes
Nut Bars (gluten and sugar free sweet snack!)- From School of Life Member Durga
1-1/2 C. nuts and seeds
You can invent your own blend. I used:
Sunflower seeds-- 1/4 C
Pumpkin seeds-- 1/2 C
Almonds--1/2 C.
Sesame Seeds--1/8 C
Flax Seed--1/8 C.
cinnamon, 1 tsp or to taste
stevia or honey or maple or brown rice syrup, to taste-- I used a dropperful and a half of liquid stevia and it was wonderful
dash salt
coconut oil or raw butter --1/2 C, melted
Soak the almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds overnight in salt water. Dry in low oven 12-24 hours stirring occasionally.
(By the way, they are delicious just like that, straight from the oven!)
When ready, put the above in a food processor, and add in the sesame and flax seeds, and cinnamon and salt. If you are using any sweetener other than stevia, you may add it now. Grind them up to granola bar consistency. Melt the butter/oil. If using stevia, stir it into the melted fat. Pour in to the nut mixture, and run machine to mix.
That's it! taste and adjust spices/sweet if necessary. Put in the fridge to harden.
This tastes better at room temperature than cold,so I always take it out of the fridge ahead of time
Apple Cider Vinegar
Nutritional Information:
This is raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar made from biodynamic apples.
Apple cider vinegar has a host of nutritious ingredients including
potassium, magnesium, calcium, trace elements, etc. It is very effective in
detoxifying various organs in the body as well as the blood stream. This
vinegar promotes digestion, assimilation and elimination, and neutralizes
toxic substances in the body. Fatigue, nervous ailments, headaches,
arthritis, constipation, asthma, insomnia are just a few of the conditions
it is effective against. Esp good for indigestion after meals.
See articles linked at the bottom of this page for more amazing benefits and how to use this product.
Food Fun Facts:
A CUP A DAY WILL KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY
Apple cider vinegar has traditionally been known to be beneficial for your
health due to its high concentration of vitamins and minerals. A regular
dose of apple cider vinegar, honey and water can help the body pass acid
crystals, thus preventing and/or reducing muscle and joint stiffness,
including pains due to arthritis. That same mixture has the benefit of
thinning the blood, thereby reducing blood pressure. Apple cider vinegar can
also aid digestion and kill harmful bacteria in the digestive tract. Pure
apple cider vinegar can also be used to wash pesticides and bacteria or
fungus off of fresh produce. Most commercial apple cider vinegars have been
pasteurized and filtered, which destroys much of the inherent beneficial
elements. Look for cold-pressed, unpasteurized and organic apple cider
vinegar.
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4028.cfm
Simple from Scratch:
Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic
Take two teaspoonfuls of honey with an equal quantity of cider vinegar in a glassful of lukewarm water two to three
times a day, in between meals. A reduced quantity can be given to children. (From "Tonics for Health" by the Divine Life Society)
Honey Vinaigrette (Salad Dressing)
1-1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Apple Cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp mustard
1-1/2 tsp honey
sea salt to taste
Mix together all ingredients. Durga recommends making a paste first with the
honey, mustard, and Olive Oil for easier mixing.
Barley
Nutritional Information: This food is a good source of Dietary Fiber, Selenium and Manganese. Strengthening to the spleen-pancreas, barley regulates the stomach and can stimulate the appetite. It strengthens the intestines and blood and benefits the gallbladder and nerves. Barley is used for hepatitis and painful urination and it helps to reduce tumors. (the new whole foods encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood)
Storage Information: Like all grains, store barley in a tightly covered glass container in a cool, dry place, up to one year. Barley can also be stored in the refrigerator during periods of warmer weather.
Food Fun Facts: Barley is a wheat free cereal grain but not gluten free. It is also the most acidic of grains. Barley is wonderfully versatile with a rich nut like flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency, the result of its gluten content. Its appearance resembles wheat berries, although it is slightly lighter in color. Sprouted barley is naturally high in maltose, a sugar that serves as the basis for both malt syrup sweetener and when fermented, as an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages. Barley can be found in the market in various different forms: Hulled barley Hulled barley (the outermost hull of the grain is all that gets removed in this form. While this makes for a chewier grain that requires more soaking and cooking, it also makes for a more nutritious food. Hulled barley is also sometimes called "dehulled barley," and it is the one form of barley what would be considered whole grain), Pearl barley (outer hull is polished off, lower in nutrients), Pot/scotch barley (in between hulled and pearl barley), Barley flakes, and Barley grits.
Basic Recipes:
Hulled Barley is that which is being offered in the CSA share. This form of Barley takes quite awhile to cook, upwards of one hour per cup in 3 to 4 cups of liquid. Pre-soaking for several hours is recommended, and the soaked barley may be cooked in the same soaking water. Add barley to your favorite stews and soups to give them extra heartiness and flavor. Barley can be combined with lentils and other legumes or in any combination of vegetables. Combine cooked barley and healthy sauteed mushrooms for a pilaf with an Eastern European twist.
Other Recipes:
Mushrooms, Carrots and Barley~ CSA Member Michelle Macomber
1½ c. thinly sliced mushrooms
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
a few scallions or ½ a small onion, thinly sliced
¾ c. barley
Warm 2-3 T of butter or oil in a pan. Add and fry above ingredients until all fat is absorbed and barley is slightly browned. Transfer to a baking dish.
2 c. stock
¼ c. raisins minutes
¼ t. ground ginger
pepper to taste
soy sauce to taste
thyme to taste
parsley to taste
Add the above to a baking dish and cook for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and bake until all liquid is gone and barley is fluffy.
Notes: I often add larger quantities of ingredients. Accurate measurements are not too important, as long as you increase stock proportionately to barley.
Green Barley and Kale Gratin~ From CSA Member Cira Canelas2/3 cup barley, rinsed
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 large bunch kale, about 1 ¼ pounds, stems entirely removed
2 TBsp. butter
3 TBsp. flour
1 ½ cups milk or basic vegetable stock
¼ Tsp. allspice
1/8 Tsp. grated nutmeg
½ cup grated gruyere or provolone (I use any cheese)
In a saucepan, add the barley to 1 quart boiling water with ½ Tsp. salt and simmer uncovered until tender about 30 min. Drain. While it’s cooking, cook the kale in a skillet of boiling salted water until tender, 6 to 10 minutes. Drain, then puree with ¼ cup of the cooking water until smooth.
Preheat oven 375F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, whisk the flour, then add the milk. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat, until thick. Season with allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients, check the seasoning, and then transfer to a lightly buttered baking dish or ramekins. Bake until lightly browned on top, about 30 min. if you’ve used ramekins, run a knife around the edges, then unmold them by giving them a sharp rap on the counter. Present them browned side up.
BASIL
Nutritional Information:
A pungent, warming herb, basil is restorative. It helps restore your balance, especially of lung- or stomach-related complaints. Basil is used to treat mild depression, headache, or menstrual pain. It calms the nerves, aids digestion, and treats fevers, whooping cough, constipation, nausea, insomnia, fatigue, colds, and the flu. It is effective against bacterial infections and intestinal parasites.
Basil is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Riboflavin and Niacin, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.
Storage Information:
Herb leaves will keep for several weeks in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator if you are careful to keep all moisture out. Moisture will make them rot and exposure to air will dry them out and make them wilt. A paper towel in the bag will absorb condensation if that occurs, but I have found that after making sure they are totally dry and and the air is dry, that sealing them with a little air in the bag worked quite well. You can also place the sealed bag in the freezer where it will keep for up to a year. Frozen herbs darken and wilt when thawed, but the flavor will still be there.
Food Fun Facts:
Basil was originally native to Africa, Asia, and India, but is now cultivated around the world. Although there are over sixty varieties of basil. three common varieties are Sweet Basil, Purple Basil, and Bush Basil. They all have that distinctive rich spicy smell we all know and love, and can be used interchangeably.
One of the most popular seasonings in the kitchen, basil's wonderful taste and aroma will enhance any food; meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, eggs, and especially the traditional Italian tomato sauces.
Being of the mint family, it is recommended for digestive complaints, cramps, colic, and intestinal infections. Basil has been described as having a slight sedative action, and thus has been sometimes recommended for anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and migraines. Modern medicine hasn't made use of basil and so no studies have been done to test its effects.
Simple From Scratch:
Pesto
4 cups basil leaves
5 or 6 garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts (or walnuts lightly toasted)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
To make pesto you need a food processor. A blender really doesn't work. Place the first 3 ingredients in the processor and run until everything is minced to a smooth paste. Drizzle in the oil as it is running to keep it mixing smoothly. Add the cheese and mix thoroughly.
To serve, add approximately 3 tbsp. of pesto per serving to hot pasta and mix until pasta is thoroughly coated. Serve plain or with steamed mushrooms or your favorite vegetable. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.
Pesto keeps for weeks stored in a plastic container in your refrigerator. Place it in small plastic containers in the freezer for use all year long.
Additional Recipe(s)
Pecan Pesto
From Christy Stebbins, Sandy Spring CSA
Shell the pecans (think of it as a meditation) and chop them with a large bag of basil and 4-6 cloves of garlic in the blender while dribbling in olive oil to your preferred consistency. Besides the regular uses, it makes a great sandwich spread with toasted gruyere on top of the Dakota bread.