About Garlic Scapes

Check out these curly Q’s of mild garlicky goodness!

Garlic scapes only offer themselves to us for a couple weeks out of the year, making them very desirable. They are the flowering portion of the garlic plant, and they are like a mild-tasting garlic-flavored green bean. Use them to make a pesto or sauté them in oil for a simple side dish. They shine all on their own!

Garlic scapes offer similar health benefits to garlic bulbs, but are at the markets 2-3 weeks before the garlic bulbs are even ready for harvest, let alone cured and ready for sale and storage.

Garlic contains a phytochemical called allicin that is both antiviral and antibacterial. Allicin loses this potential once it is cooked, but even cooked garlic is still therapeutic for our cardiovascular system.

Garlic is one of the world’s oldest medicines, and the ancients believed it could eliminate toxins from the body. This has been proven in modern research to be true, because garlic contains sulfurous compounds that are beneficial to our liver’s detoxification system, helping to rid our bodies of environmental toxins that would otherwise accumulate in our fatty tissues.

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Posted on June 17, 2015

Kia’s Shortcake Drop Biscuits

Better take care of that strawberry shortcake craving while the season is here!

These biscuits are easily prepped in 10 minutes, and take less than 15 to bake, so they’re a go-to for last minute desserts. Feeding a crowd? Double the batch, by simply doubling all the ingredients.

1 1/2 cups Nash’s soft white wheat flour
1 1/2 cups Nash’s red wheat or triticale flour
1/2 cup Nash’s wheat bran (optional)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold/frozen butter, grated
1 1/4 cup buttermilk or raw milk (use 1 1/2 cup milk if you use optional bran)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients, and then thoroughly work in grated butter. Add milk and mix into thick batter using wide strokes. Don’t over-mix. Drop biscuits onto ungreased baking sheet, and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until just showing some golden color. Makes about 15-18 biscuits.

Tip: Omit the sugar for savoy breakfast biscuits.

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Posted on June 16, 2015

Kia’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s your favorite flour to use for these amazing cookies?

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve eaten these nutritious cookies before for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack! Sweetened with honey and loaded with nutrient-rich grains, dried fruits and nuts, Kia’s Cookies are as easy to make and share!

1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup applesauce or pureed squash, etc.)
1 large glob peanut butter or almond butter (approx 1/4 cup)
1 cup honey
2 eggs
1 splash vanilla
1 1/2 cup Nash’s wheat flour (white, triticale, or red)
1 cup Nash’s wheat bran
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
Extra goodies: approximately 1/4 cup each dried cranberries, raisins, nuts, flax seeds, crystallized ginger, chocolate chips—you get the idea.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Let butter soften on the counter, then add peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and eggs, and mix well. (Honey measuring tip: quickly coat measuring cup or spoon with olive oil, and then portion honey. It will slide off tools easily, with no mess.)

Combine dry ingredients, except for extra goodies. Add to wet bowl and mix thoroughly. Then mix in extra goodies.

Eat some cookie dough, while also spooning some onto baking sheet. These cookies don’t spread too much when cooked, so shape accordingly. Bake for 15-18 minutes, and don’t overcook! Makes about 24 cookies.

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Posted on June 16, 2015

Ful

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

Ful is considered the national dish of Egypt and it is eaten at all times of the day, but it is most popular at breakfast.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mint (can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 3/4 cup cooked fava beans
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Warm the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, and salt, cover, and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft (about 7 minutes). Add the mint and cumin and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Adapted by Virginia Newman from The Moosewood Restaurant’s Low Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective.

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Posted on June 12, 2015

Strawberry Gelato

Aww yeah, strawberries are back! Sounds like this summer will be a hot one, so be prepared to cool down with strawberry gelato.

3 cups cut-up strawberries
6 cups milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
12 egg yolks, beaten

Place berries in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth.

Combine 3 cups of the milk, sugar, and egg yolks in a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture coats a spoon. (To test, dip a spoon into the custard and draw a line with your finger through the coating. The custard is done when the edges along the line keep their shape.) Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining milk and pureed berries.

Cover surface of gelato mixture with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight until chilled. (Or, place saucepan in a sink of ice water to cool quickly; then cover and chill for 2 hours.) Freeze mixture in a 4- or 5-quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions. Ripen for 4 hours.

We thank Better Homes and Gardens for this recipe.

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Posted on June 11, 2015

Kia’s Tahini Balsamic Salad Dressing

Here’s an easy, quick homemade salad dressing with wonderful, complex flavor.

Although this salad dressing has ten or eleven ingredients listed, it’s actually really simple to make, and can be infinitely adjusted to suit your tastes, or what’s in your pantry/fridge!

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
2-3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely diced fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, etc)
1 tablespoon stone-ground or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup hemp oil (optional)
35 twists on the pepper grinder
3 lemons, juiced (or limes)
2/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1-inch nub of ginger, finely grated (optional)

Shake, shake, shake, and you’re done!

Combine everything in a quart mason jar, screw lid on tight and shake vigorously for about two minutes. Done!

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Posted on June 5, 2015

About Spinach

Spinach is extremely high in Vitamin K, which is an important nutrient for bone health. Vitamin K1 helps mitigate the cells that break bone down, and our intestines convert vitamin K1 to vitamin K2 which helps our bones to retain calcium.

Spinach also contains folate, which is essential for brain development and functioning. Low folate status is associated with cognitive decline in aging populations. Folate is also an important nutrient for detoxification, in that it supports the liver’s detoxification enzymes to help rid our bodies of environmental toxins.

Spinach also provides a number of phytochemicals that offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits for our bodies. Surprisingly, spinach is also rated as a good source of omega-3s, an anti-inflammatory fat.

Additionally, spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Popeye was right on—spinach is a powerful nutritional package!

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Posted on June 5, 2015

Spinach Feta Brown Rice Bowl

Here comes the spinach!

Here is a nice easy spring dish and a great way to get spinach in for lunch or dinner. Try substituting Nash’s wheat berries for the brown rice for a more local option. Soak it overnight, drain, and then follow the directions below.

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 cup plain brown rice or Nash’s wheat berries
1 onion or 1 bunch spring onions
1 large bunch of spinach
1 bunch or large handful fresh dill
Salt
2-4 ounces feta cheese, diced

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saucepan over medium flame. Stir in rice (or pre-soaked grain) and heat gently, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/8 cups water to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook for 45 minutes.

While rice cooks, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Stir in chopped spinach, dill, and a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is just wilted (about 1-2 minutes). Stir feta and spinach into the cooked rice. Adjust salt if necessary.

Recipe adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini, published by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition.

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Posted on June 5, 2015

About Field Peas

Dried field peas are available all year long. They belong to the same family as beans and lentils and, like them, are a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, and a very good source of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber.

Soluble fiber helps to prevent constipation and digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis. It also helps lower cholesterol and is of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders, since the high fiber content stabilizes blood sugar levels and prevents them from rising rapidly after a meal. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, legumes like dried peas can really help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy.

Dried field peas also provide good to excellent amounts of five important minerals, three B-vitamins, and protein—all with virtually no fat. As if this weren’t enough, dried peas also feature isoflavones, phytonutrients that act like weak estrogens in the body and whose dietary consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer.

In addition to their stellar fiber content, dried peas also feature other heart-healthy nutrients. They are a good source of potassium, which may decrease the growth and development of blood vessel plaques and is also good for lowering high blood pressure.

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Posted on June 1, 2015

Yukon Potato Pancakes

This is a quick and easy go-to recipe in the Buggy household, where they work hard and play hard!

6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons organic safflower oil
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, smoked paprika, rubbed sage and garlic powder to taste

Peel and thickly grate potatoes, put a hand full of the grated potatoes in the center of a cheese cloth and wring it out to get the excess moisture out of the potatoes, repeat till all the potatoes are dry. Mix with salt, pepper and your choice of herbs and spices.

Warm pan on medium-high, add oil then spread the potatoes evenly over the pan. Flip when golden brown and brown on the other side. Serve with organic ketchup and eggs.

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Posted on June 1, 2015