roasted squash and cauliflower

One of our customers (and a long time family friend) posted about her roasted squash and cauliflower on her blog. Check it out! Thanks Amy D.!

Coconut

My kids went crazy over their coconut. They love to drink the juice and then crack the whole thing open with a hammer and eat the meat out. The juice is really great for active kids and adults.

Here is a video about how to open and use a coconut. 

Have fun!

Daikon

image from    http://www.goodbite.com

Daikon radishes seem to be another super good for you food. Read what natural cook book author, Rebecca Wood has to say about Daikon:

"Daikon cleanses the blood, promotes energy circulation and increases the metabolic rate. It contains diuretics, decongestants and, in terms of phytochemicals, the digestive enzymes diastase, amylase and esterase. This makes it a primary ingredient in a great variety of home remedies.

Regular use of daikon helps prevent the common cold, flu and respiratory infections. Daikon treats hangovers, sore throats, colds and edema, and it helps cleanse the kidneys and decongest the lungs. This restorative vegetable also has anticarcinogenic properties."


Wow! That sounds great! You can eat them raw, grated into soup or salad, or in this easy pickle recipe that I am going to try.

 Overnight Daikon Radish Pickles

Key Lime inspiration

image from http://blog.ordinaryrecipesmadegourmet.com

How about this for dinner?

Honey Key Lime Grilled Chicken

with some of that great Chipotle cilantro rice?

I love key lime juice in my water. It is also great for an dressing or marinade. I might turn the chicken recipe above into kabobs and add in the squash and bell pepper and anything else I have laying around.

And since it is almost the weekend, and the weather is so perfect, maybe a key lime in my Corona? or how about a batch of Mojitos?

cauliflower

image from www.alwayshungryny.com

I have always assumed that because cauliflower was white, it was low in nutrients. Well, I was wrong! Cauliflower is a powerhouse of good, cancer fighting stuff. It is full of vitamin C, folate and even Indole-3-carbinol (slows the growth of cancer cells and helps repair damaged DNA).

If you want to hear an an amazing talk about food and cancer, listen to this TED talk. It is sorta mind blowing actually. We have so much power in regards to our heath.
 .
A few months ago Whole Living magazine had a great set of cauliflower recipes. You can read them here.

And you can always just eat it raw. Most kids love it, too!

Pineapple

image from http://www.drgranny.com/food-nutrition/health-benefits-of-pineapple/

Here is a great article about the health benefits of pineapple. Basically, it is full of digestive enzymes that make it a great ending to a meal. My kids love it as desert. I tried to get pineapples that will be ripe in a few days. Just leave them on your counter until you are ready. They are also great in smoothies and can be frozen with no problem.

This pineapple salsa looks great! All you need is come black beans and frozen corn.

It is also great grilled or added to salads. And don't forget to plant the top and start growing your own!

How do you like to eat pineapple?

What is in the Bag, March 17, 2011

Here is a bunch of green for this St. Patrick's Day! Look to the blog later this afternoon for lots of inspiration and ideas!

pineapple
coconut-with straw to drink! coconut water is crazy good for you! it is like natures gatorade!
daikon radish (more on this later)
4 navels
1 ruby red grapefruit
15 key limes
bell pepper - only 1 :(
 4 baby yellow squash
cauliflower
grape tomatoes
a few jalapeno
kale
romaine
cilantro
green onions
blueberries

Happy Eating! 

More inspiration for this week....

Here is a great recipe that I ran a few years ago. You can even use the corn and zucchini add ins!

How about grilled pole beans?

or pole beans in a more traditional way.

For the eggplant, I usually just cut, brush with olive oil and then roast (in the oven or on the grill). If I can bear to not eat it that minute, I keep it in a glass jar in the fridge and add to sandwiches and pizza during the week.


I think the basil would be great chopped up in your favorite homemade salad dressing. Mine is usually a combo of garlic, mustard, olive oil, lemon and sometimes a splash of fish sauce or maple syrup. The important thing is the ratio (3 oils to 1 vinegar). The rest is up to your imagination.

Collards

I grew up hating collards. We did not really eat them at home, so I mostly had them at school (when the cafeteria ladies cooked meals). Maybe it was the mushy texture, or the smoky hamhock. Anyways, here is my version, which is fast, super tasty and vegetarian.


devein a bunch of collards - This is really easy, you do not even have to use a knife and cutting board. Just hold the collards upside down and rip them off the rib. Then rip them up into bite size pieces. (Rinse them off too)

In a wide bottomed pan, saute some garlic in olive oil. Add in the collards and using tongs, flip around until they begin to wilt. Turn the heat down and cover for a few minutes to finish cooking (you can add in a bit of water or stock at this point if you need to).

That is it! We love them with rice and black eyed peas or with a fried egg for breakfast. Sprinkle them with some vinegar or Chrystal hot sauce to make them really bright.

You can also cook collards in your vegetable soup or even juice them with your carrot juice (that is what I am drinking right now). They are super easy to grow in your home garden too.

Collards are a great source of vitamin C, fiber and have virtually no calories. They are also purported to have cancer fighting properties.

Enjoy! And feel free to share your favorite way to prepare them (even if it includes hamhock:)

March 4, 2011

4 ears of corn
2 strawberry onions (I cut off the tops to save room this week)
baby red onion
4 super sweet oranges
2 poblanos
4 zucchini
4 red delicious apples
4 tomatoes (they are still in crazy mode)
2 Italian eggplant
big bunch of collards
red leaf lettuce
portabella mushroom
pole beans
bunch of parsley
bunch of basil