Allison, Allison, what do you grow? Lots of fruits, herbs and veggies you know.

This week I am posting photos of my garden. I picked up my beef share this week and now my freezer is very full. I never really had anything but flours in there anyways - but now I can't get anything else in there. 

This week I'm also harvesting some artichokes, shallots, carrots, peaches, rhubarb, fava beans and garlic. Our CSA, Seabreeze is still filling in the gaps of the garden. I've planted some lettuces however, I've been so busy working that I have skipped a few days of watering so they've not germinated :(.


After I make the cobbler, preserves, crisp, pot roast, artichoke dip, and fava bean fettuccine I will post photos and recipes.


I wanted to share how I started my garden and how long it took to get it really producing. 
Our plan:
Amend soil (fall - when the first few rains happen)
Make landscape plans
Agree on what to grow
Research for our soil and climate - plus companion planting and planting for beneficials
Mulch like crazy
Get seeds and starts
Start planting (January - when new year rains start)
Cloche and cover
Check soil and water
Thin sowing
We also planted herbs and lettuces in pots near the house for easy use
Keep up with composting so that we could use it
Books we read:

The Gardener's Table: A Guide to Natural Vegetable Growing and Cooking

http://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Table-Natural-Vegetable-Growing/dp/0898158761/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274658110&sr=1-1

The Organic Garden (A practical guide to natural gardens, from planning and planting to harvesting and maintenance) 

http://www.amazon.com/practical-planning-planting-harvesting-maintenance/dp/1843099640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274658735&sr=1-1

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Rodales-Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Organic-Gardening/dp/0756609321/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274657942&sr=1-7

California Top 10 Garden Guide: The 10 Best Roses, 10 Best Trees--the 10 Best of Everything You Need - The Plants Most Likely to Thrive in Your Garden ... Important Tasks in the Garden Each Month

http://www.amazon.com/California-Top-Garden-Guide-Trees/dp/B002B55XO0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274657824&sr=8-1

Gaia's Garden: a guide to home-scale perma-culture http://www.amazon.com/Gaias-Garden-Guide-Home-Scale-Permaculture/dp/1890132527/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274658406&sr=1-3

Toolbox for Sustainable City Living: A do-it-Ourselves Guide

http://www.amazon.com/Toolbox-Sustainable-City-Living-Ourselves/dp/0896087808/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274658466&sr=1-10

The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!

http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Homestead-Produce-food-quarter/dp/1603421386/ref=pd_sim_b_3

Living with Chickens: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Backyard Flock 

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Chickens-Everything-Raise-Backyard/dp/1592280137/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274658689&sr=1-8

Plus I have had a subscription to Organic Gardening for about 4 years.http://www.organicgardening.com/

How do you really start such a project so that your soil will LAST and be full of slow release sustainable food for your plants? How do you get nitrogen that plants need into the soil without buying heaps of stuff?


Two years ago we bought some Crimson Clover from Peaceful Valley Garden Supply http://www.groworganic.com/. I order most of my seed and starts from there. We had about 6k sq feet in the very back of our lot to create a vegetable garden. The soil in some places was great because the previous owners of our house composted...what genius!


However, most of the area we wanted the garden to be was used as a dumping ground for yard waste and concrete. I must mention we had many mustards growing here. Mustards are really good at improving soil quality, but we wanted to use this space so they had to go. We had to clear this, till the land and plant our green manure - the clover. And we needed to plant the clover around the rain schedule for the fall/winter (Nov). Here in Southern California we don't see a single drop of rain for MONTHS on end - yeah fog here and there but real rain that makes stuff grow - not for 5-6 months straight. But we got the clover seeds out and the rain helped sprout them and up came our field.


It was beautiful and grew very well. After it was about 18 inches high we went out and weed whacked it all. Then my husband tilled it all under. This green then rots in the soil and makes it nice. We had started a compost pile a while before so some of that also went out onto the lot.
I think that thing was tilled at least 3 times, maybe 4. Let me say now - this is hard work, but extremely rewarding.


We weren't quite ready to plant until March, but when we did, many things went in, over the next year and a half we put in an almond tree, another apricot, artichokes, broccoli, corn, carrots, fava beans, haricot verts, olive trees, grapes, squashes, zucchini, leeks, onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes, berries, cherries, herbs, lettuces, tomatillos, flowers for beneficials and cutting. We have apples, nectarines, plums, mangoes, pineapple guava and peach. 


We can eat out of our garden, however, our apples and some of the other fruit trees are too young to supply us with what we need right now so we need to supplement - hence the CSA subscription.


Here's a link to more photos of our garden:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=223531&id=585101538&saved#!/album.php?aid=223531&id=585101538


I'll post those recipes as soon as I make them!

Grocery Bag - reworked

This post was republished to the whole food review at 6:41:35 AM 5/14/2010

Grocery Bag - reworked
I have been busy, so, I'm changing $100 grocery bag. And not the "oh I have so many things to do" busy – the OMG I'm waking up in the middle of the night and working kind of busy. I'm not dilly dallying writing blogs and researching, obviously not, since I haven't posted in a while…I'm working a LOT, and I do like my job to a certain extent, but it is really cramping my style when it comes to taking care of the garden. It will now be 10 recipes I use on a weekly basis – my kids eat them and love them – so may yours. If they don't, please – don't give up – try it 5 times at least….


Here are the things that are also on my radar – i.e. the list of stuff I think about all day long:

• The men in my life – aged 2, 5 and 41
• How in the heck I'm going to educate my 5 year old next year when he's 6 with absolutely no public school choices and not enough money or time to send him to the private schools I like since A. they are stupid expensive and B. it takes an hour to get there and an hour back.
• The state of California spends 94k per prisoner every year and only 7k per student?
• Laundry
• My very unkempt house
• Better do some work!
• Why do people believe everything they read or watch on youTube – if somebody says something in an article it isn't a fact folks – it's an opinion. And when they are misconstruing the facts it is a lie.
• Why do people follow Sally Fallon Morell like a cult? And at the same time you have die hard RAW foodists who follow David Wolfe in the same way? And how come many of the people who subscribe to the Nourishing Traditions way of life are – well – overweight – although they have convinced themselves they are healthy?
• Why don't the people that make "food" products that have no real nutritional value get arrested or sued?
• What would happen if soda was as expensive as alcohol?
• Why does the California legislature think it is okay to cut from Education meanwhile they have tons of public works new construction going on for libraries when we have the Internet?
• How can I make my neighborhood safe for my children? How do I get the gangs out? And to that point – how come so many Californians accept gangs as part of the culture?
• What would really happen if we sent the entirety of illegal workers home? I mean – are we all ready to pay our farm workers 12-15 bucks an hour? And are we ready for the shock at the supermarket?
• I live in California – why in the world do I need produce from any other country or state at my store? Why can't people accept eating with Seasons is better for us? This includes not making chickens produce eggs artificially (did you know that egg producers use artificial light to keep chickens laying during the winter months?). And to that point – it isn't so hard to do free range chickens, disease, deformities and battles would be lessened, you'd just have to provide many a nesting site and have somebody collect the eggs. Sell the chickens when production goes down.
• Do we really need processed foods?
• Why aren't their affordable health plans that are more for people who need preventative care?
• How can I afford to put another storey on my house – and solar panels for both hot water and power? Do I like this house? How can I convince husband to change it?
• Should I start a food not lawns business or should I just start participating in one on the weekends? Wait –not possible…
• Why do these dudes get put on the radio to talk about environmental issues? They sound like Spicoli from Fast Times – not credible!
• How fast can we transition from petrol to solar?
• How fast can California realize they MUST have a public transport option, crack down on cars that are horrendous for the environment, and make it more bike friendly? For all of this sunshine you'd think people would use more human power?
• WHAT's FOR DINNER???

I'm glad you asked brain! This week's grocery bag is a dedication to alternate proteins and sizeable portion control – something that we Americans tend to dismiss. We eat a lot. We eat a lot of meat. No, meat isn't all that bad but we take it for granted. In the poorer nations of the world diets consist mostly of grain. But I'm not talking about your Wonderbread here, or your honey wheat off the shelf. 
So what "grains" does that leave us with? PLENTY! Rice, quinoa, teff, amaranth, corn, and more plus some other flours made from buckwheat, potato, tapioca, sorghum, "garfava" and even more….
The general idea of this week's menu is to minimize animal protein, but not eliminate it, create some kid friendly meals, and experiment with some grains.
So here are the 10 recipes for this week (I wish I had more photos – but I keep forgetting to take them!):
Breakfasts:
applesauce with raisins, dairy free /egg free rice pudding, soaked baked oatmeal, rhubarb crisp, eggs with soldiers (for the egg eaters)
Mains: rice squares with tahini and adzuki bean, veggie tacos, buckwheat stuffed squash, fish sukiyaki with rice noodle
Dessert: Teff Pudding
Apple Sauce with Raisins
½ cup water
½ cup apple or pear juice
2 large apples – peeled, cored and diced
¼ cup raisins, chopped dried figs, chopped prunes, apricots or other dried fruit
1 tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon of kuzu (you can use some cornstarch) dissolved in ¼ cup cold water
Directions:
Put apples, raisins, water, juice and cinnamon in a pot on the stove, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Open lid, stir in the kuzu water mix and stir until slightly thickened. Turn off heat. I let this sit in the pot for about 10 minutes then put in bowls for the kinds and let it sit a little longer until it has cooled a bit.


Rice Pudding
1 cup ricemilk
1/2 cup apple juice
2 cups leftover brown rice
3 Tblsp raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Directions
Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan. Heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until thick and creamy. Stir in vanilla and serve warm.


Soaked Baked Oatmeal (start this the night before)
1 egg
1 1/2 cup oats, old fashioned
4 T maple syrup
1/2 cup milk (rice milk works too)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
(you can also add 1 chopped apple and some pecans or walnuts – or top with toasted pumpkin seeds)

Directions
The night before you want to serve this - combine all liquid ingredients. Combine all dry ingredients. Fold together until combined.
Put into a greased (I use coconut oil) 8 inch square baking pan.
Place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.



Rhubarb Crisp
2 pounds rhubarb, sliced crosswise 3/4 inch thick
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup tapioca flour + ½ cup superfine rice flour + pinch of salt + ½ tsp baking powder - blended
(or ¾ cup of a gluten free flour mix)
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the rhubarb, maple syrup, and 1/4 cup flour blend; set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Cut the butter, ½ remaining flour blend, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon together until pea sized. Sprinkle over rhubarb.
Bake until rhubarb is tender and topping is golden, 35 to 45 minutes.

Eggs with Soldiers
4 extra large, free-range eggs (you can bake these in greased ramekins with a touch of cream, or even add some chopped spinach with the cream – just make sure the egg is still soft.)
4 pieces of gluten free bread 
Directions:
Place the eggs in a small saucepan. Add just enough cold water to cover them.
Place the saucepan on a high heat and bring the boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, time the eggs for desired doneness -- 1 minute 20 seconds for a runny yolk or 3 minutes for a firmer yolk.
Meanwhile toast the bread. Cut the toast into strips. You can crack the soft boiled egg into a little bowl or if you have egg dishes you can set them in, tap with a knife around the top and lift off!


Rice Squares with tahini and adzuki bean

Ingredients
8 toasted nori sheets
2 cups leftover rice
1 T umboshi plum paste or 2 umboshi plums, pitted and mashed (I LOVE umboshi – you might not – try a little at a time – 1tsp may be enough)
2 T tahini
½ cup cooked adzuki beans (I use canned – Eden has no BPA cans)
Cup of cool water 
(you can also add thinly sliced scallion or shiso leaf to this)
Directions
Mix the rice, plum, tahini and adzuki beans together
Cut the nori into 4 squares
Place 4 tablespoons of rice mix into center of one square
Flatten it a bit and fold over the sides, then cover the exposed rice with another piece
Use the water to seal up the nori by dipping your fingers in the water and dabbing the nori
They should be little round nori circles


Veggie tacos – My kids like burgers and fries, of course our version has no bun, but we find ourselves at Islands here in CA every once in a while. I get the veggie tacos every time.
you can make your own corn tortillas or buy them – if you make your own – buy masa harina (I like the blanco) – add enough cold water to make pliable dough. Use tortilla press, rolling pin or your hands to make little round tortillas, cook 'em up on the stove or on the grill (if you do it on the grill, oil the grill a bit and make sure the tortillas will stick together – they need to be thin but sturdy.
Veggies for cooking:
2 T olive oil
½ t cumin
¼ cup veggie stock
Finely chopped onion
1 large garlic clove minced
1 diced zucchini
1 diced yellow squash
1 ear fresh corn
1 can black beans – rinsed
Cooking the veggies: put the oil, onion and garlic in a skillet or wok, sauté until fragrant, add the other veggies and sauté until just browning, add beans, stock and cumin and heat until the liquid is almost absorbed
Put in a dish with a spoon. 
Veggies for dressing – put these on the table in little dishes:
Tomato – diced
Avocado – sliced thinly
Raddish – sliced super thin
Cabbage – sliced thinly
Cheese – grated RAW cheddar
Lime –cut into 4s
You can use come sour cream, salsa, spicy pickles or whatever else you like to dress your tacos with.
Place warm tortillas in a warmer or wrap in a towel like I do and serve.

Islands Veggie Tacos


Buckwheat stuffed squash
4-6 large yellow squash or zucchini

Olive oil

Salt & pepper 
1 ½ cups toasted buckwheat groats – if you need to toast them swirl them around on a pan for 5 minutes – don't burn them.
3 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion – diced fine
1 celery stalk – diced fine
Finely chopped chard or kale
Finely chopped mushroom (button, crimini or shiitake)
4 T Herbs from your garden (parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary)
Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the insides to make boats, toss in olive oil, make sure the oil goes everywhere. Sprinkle with S&P, roast in the oven until top of squash is slightly brown – 20 minutes (no mushy squash please)
When the squash is cooking make the buckwheat:
Bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat but keep covered.
While the buckwheat is resting cook the onion and celery until just cooked (I like mine to still have crunch) add the mushroom then the green (kale or chard) and the herbs – toss together until the greens wilt.
Toss in the buckwheat.
Everything should be ready now. Take the squash out, fill the boats with the buckwheat mixture, put back in the oven for about 15 minutes – let the buckwheat get a brown on top. When done carefully lift off pan and serve. You can use rice or quinoa for this too


Fish sukiyaki with rice noodle – serves 4

I love sukiyaki – I used to eat it all of the time in Australia – funny I don't think I actually had it in Japan. You can make it all in one pot and serve but if you have a tabletop gas stove it is fun to do it on the table –or with the butane stove you can tote this stuff out for a picnic and amaze your friends with a cooked meal right there!
I like to use these really huge cooking chop sticks to put everything in – then your diners pull out what they want – or if serving children you must serve them. If you are chop stick averse – use regular utensils. This is kinda soupy so serve in a shallow dish or bowl.
I like to have some rice handy – so make up about ½ - 1 cup of rice per guest. Before hand.
If you are doing this the traditional way you'll arrange all of the raw ingredients on a plate in beautiful fashion, and as the host, you'll cook it all up in a specific order. If you are doing it for your family – just cook it yourself all at once
First – make your broth and sauces:
You'll need a fish stock – you can buy this or you can make it with bones and fish heads, celery, carrot, onion – I suggest the latter. You need 4 cups of this.
Then the fish:
4 shrimp
4 scallops
4 slices or rings of calamari
4 pieces of lobster
1 piece of firm fish cut into 4 (I like a 1lb piece for 4 people)
Veggies:
½ cup Daikon, ½ slices (can be added to broth at the beginning)
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup red bell peppers, 1" square pieces
½ cup Carrot, thin slices
1 cup Napa or Chinese Cabbage, ½ inch slices
½ cup Coriander Leaves
½ cup Green Onions, 2" pieces
4 Baby corn
1 cup Broccoli flowerettes
1 cup - Enoki mushrooms or shiitakes 
(you can also use 4 chunks of Tofu if you eat soy)
Noodles:
2-3 ounces Rice Vermicelli Noodle
Get some of these sauces for dipping (you can make your own too – but aren't you tired of that already?)
Taisuki
Sweet Chili
Green Seafood sauce
Sukiyaki Sauce (you can make this with tamari if you can't find gluten free)
Put them in little dishes in front of your guests of family – my kids love "dip dip" 
Put it all together:
Put enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan – sauté the onion, cook the veggies, then the seafood, let the guests serve themselves or place in bowls and serve.


Teff Pudding
Ingredients:
1C water
1C apple or pear juice
1/2 C teff grain
3 T raw cocoa powder
2 t vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Directions
In a small pot, bring water, juice and teff grain to a boil, then cover and simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.
In a blender or food processor, blend cooked teff and cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Add additional water if it's too thick. You can pour into a mould or little individual dishes and chill – it is very hearty.

I've already posted the Quinoa Cakes recipe on my last entry – you should try them – they are fantastic!
http://thewholefoodreview.blogspot.com/2010/04/seabreeze-organic-farm.html#links


 

 

 

Seabreeze Organic Farm

We took the 5 year old's class, teachers and some parents to the organic farm where we get our CSA bag from. It was a brilliant day - there will soon be photos.
We toured the farm, then had a brilliant lunch of salad with edible flowers, pizza, sweet potatoes, quinoa cakes, fruit and cake. 
For the tour I put together a scavenger hunt booklet:

It featured all of the farm's amazing sights, sounds and smells. They looked for:

Vertical Farm Planters & Drip Irrigation

Strawberries

Purple Beans

Peach Trees

Edible flowers

Chickens and Eggs

Roosters

Ducks

Blaise (Icelandic horse)

Elsa (Nubian Goat)

Greenhouse

Straw bale house

Worm pile

Sprouts

Here's a link to the photos of the farm:

http://www.seabreezed.com/index.php/our-farm/photo-gallery

and a recipe for those Quinoa Cakes (they are gluten free folks!)

2 cups quinoa, 4 cups broth or stock, 1 c either shredded parmesan or other cheese, 2 cups finely chopped vegetables of any kind, 2 cups sauteed greens, 4 to 6 eggs, 2 T olive or coconut oil.

Cook quinoa in boiling broth for 2 min.  Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  While that is cooking, saute greens until wilted in 2 T of olive or coconut oil.  Beat eggs in separate bowl.  When quinoa is cooked, place in a large mixing bowl.  Add cheese, chopped vegetables, wilted greens, and eggs. Mix thoroughly.  Add seasonings to taste.  Heat frypan to med/high heat.  Place large spoonfuls into the pan and shape into patties.  Cook for 5 minutes or until firm enough to flip.  Turn and cook 5 minutes or until done.  Don't make cakes too large.

Talley uses carrot tops, beet tops, tat soi, bok choi, etc for greens.

you should try to arrange a tour for the CSA you belong to - and if you don't belong to one - find one here:

http://www.localharvest.org

Tacos

Real Tacos are so yummy. I love this version of tacos at home. We use fish or shrimp very often - sometimes I just use veggies! An sometimes tofu is okay if you are wanting meatless.

Shopping list:

1 garlic bulb

coarse salt

black pepper

Chile powder (mild)

light brown sugar

paprika

cumin

little bit of espresso powder (they sell this in tiny bags in the store - already ground espresso coffee)

1 1/2 lb skirt steak

package of 6 inch corn tortillas (about 3 per person)

1 -2 ripe avocado (depends how much you like avocado)

radish

Fresh cilantro

Sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Small head purple cabbage

1 lime per person

some fresh or jarred salsa - medium - red and green

aluminum foil

Start to finish - this whole recipe takes an  hour

Take your steak out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking

Steak will take 30 minutes to marinate:

1. Marinate your steak

Mush your garlic:

take two cloves and mush them with the flat side of a good chefs knife. Get rid of the peel.

sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt and mush again with your knife - mush again and again - then scrape off into a bowl.

Put this in the bowl with garlic:

2 tablespoons mild chile powder

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons smoked or sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder or very finely ground coffee beans

Rub mixture all over skirt steak, and place in a large freezer bag to marinate for 30 minutes. seal the bag tight and beat it on the counter a few times. Leave out on the counter - do not place in the fridge. if you are not cooking straight away you can put in the fridge - however - you will need to take it out 25 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature to get a true medium rare when cooking.

2. Chop up those veggies! (set your oven on 350)

thinly slice radishes (about 1 cup)

thinly slice cabbage (about 1 cup)

cut up the avocado - if you don't know how to do this go here: http://www.avocado.org/how-to-choose-and-use/

chop about 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro

grate about 1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese

put about 1/2 cup Sour cream in a little bowl

wash and quarter your limes

some fresh or jarred salsa - medium - red and green

place all of these back in the fridge until you are ready to serve

3. Put those tortillas in the oven (should be 350 by now)

Wrap tortillas aluminum foil; while grilling steak, bake tortillas until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Cook your steak

Get out a plate large enough to hold your steak

Get some foil large enough to cover your steak

set aside

Heat your grill (high) or a large pan (high) - large enough to put the whole steak (I use my griddle)

put a little olive oil on pan - grill should be okay if it is clean

Take out your steak and cook 3 minutes each side

Put on plate

cover with foil for 5 minutes

4. Set it up

Take out the veggies, cheese and salsa - put on table

Take out the tortillas - put on table (with something underneath to take the heat)

Slice the steak VERY thinly on a cutting board

Transfer to a plate - put on table (with something underneath to take the heat)

Everybody should only need the tortillas to eat but I use forks because we spill quite a bit out!

Yum.

$100.00 grocery bag 04/15/2010

Greetings. Just got more results for the boys and a different rotation diet suggestion – some conflicts – like green pepper – 5 year old never eats these so I was shocked at the reaction but then the other test had no reaction for him but a reaction for the two year old. So anyways (eye-roll). I'll do my very best to give my kids a healthy vitamin rich diet that has about as many variations as possible.

This new menu could last you two weeks – it does for us, considering we eat leftovers for lunch and snacks. I'm not going to include prices – I'm including recipes instead – since the people I know who are using this don't live near me.

So here's the weekly menu – you can substitute the seafood for chicken and tofu for meats if you are vegetarian – or if you eat eggs – use eggs as your main on pasta or poached on a salad. We are avoiding plain eggs for three months and eating eggs in things like bread only once a week.

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast	goat yogurt with fruit (strawberry, apple)	orange upside down cake	brown rice pudding with honey	oatcakes, Fruit with sun butter	cranberry scones	buckwheat crepes with pecan maple syrup and banana	blueberry muffins
Lunch	chopped ham and turkey, avocado, gluten free pretzels	BLT salad	pear, spinach salad with cranberries and light vinaigrette	bean salad	walnut butter, shredded apple and strawberry sandwiches	lentil soup	leftovers
Dinner	Garlic shrimp pasta - olives	Nicoise salad	Pizza - mushroom, garlic, squash, onion	lamb burgers with cucumber relish and potato salad	nabe veggies, brown rice	pork kebabs, spinach salad	Steaks, sautéed mushrooms and onion with mashed pumpkin
Snacks/ Dessert	sweet potato pie						lemon apricot kanten

You can buy or make your own yogurt – if you want some raw goat milk find it here:

http://www.localharvest.org/blog/23181/

A good non-mix bread recipe for French bread which would be great for this week:

• 1 cup brown rice flour
  
• ⅓ cup each soy, quinoa and chickpea (garbanzo bean) flours
  
• ¾ cup each tapioca and potato starch flours
  
• ⅔ cup dry milk powder
  
• 3½ tsps xanthan gum
  
• 1½ tsps sugar
  
• 2 packages dry yeast
  
• 1 tsp vinegar
  
• 4 egg whites or 3 Egg Beaters
  
• 1 cup water
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Put into a bread pan or French bread mold and bake 50 minutes

Orange upside-down cake:

• 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (or 1 T. non-hydrogenated shortening)
  
• 1/2 cup Water

  
• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar

  
• 1 T. vanilla

  
• 2 tablespoons brandy
  
• 1 lb seedless orange pieces pith removed
  
• 6-8 pecan halves (if desired)
  
• 1/2 cup butter (or non-hydrogenated shortening)
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar

  
• 1 1/2 cups Gluten free cake mix (no sugar – if there is sugar in your mix – do NOT use the 1 cup sugar!!!)
  
• 2 Large Eggs (or equivalent egg replacer)
  
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla

  
• 3/4 cup milk (or rice milk)
  

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously grease sides of 8″ cake pan with butter (or shortening).

In medium size glass bowl, melt 1 T. butter in microwave. Pour into bottom of 8" cake pan. In glass bowl, combine water, light brown sugar, vanilla, and brandy. Stir until combined and set aside.

Place oranges in bottom of cake pan on top of butter. Place a pecan half in open spaces. Pour brown sugar mixture over oranges and set aside.

In mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and continue whipping until mixture is well combined and a pale yellow color. At low speed, slowly add the baking mix. Next, slowly pour the milk (or rice milk) into the mixing bowl. Continue to mix while adding the vanilla until well blended.

Pour the batter over oranges. Carefully smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Cool cake for at least 10 minutes. Invert onto cake plate or platter and let it cool

Nabe

• Make 2 cups of rice to serve with this
  
• Kale, collards, cabbage, leeks, or any other greens
  
• Daikon, carrot, or other root veggies (no beets)
  
• 1 strip of kombu
  
• Spring or filtered water
  

Directions

Get out a clay pot or an enameled cast iron

Slice up your veggies in bite sized pieces

Put 2 inches of water in the pot

Add the kombu

Bring to a boil

Add the sliced veggies starting with the harder veggies first that require the longest cooking time

End with the veggies that take a few seconds to blanche

Always keep 2 inches of water in the pot

Serve ½ cup of rice in each bowl and put the veggies next to it

You can garnish with the broth, a little ginger, a little wheat free tamari or chopped chives or scallions

Brown Rice pudding

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
  
• 1 1/2 cups water
  
• 2 cups milk (milk substitute okay)
  
• ½ cup maple syrup
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1 pinch ground cloves
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  

Directions

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed.
   
2. Stir in 1 3/4 cups of the milk, maple syrup, bring to a boil, and let simmer over medium heat until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and butter. Cook stirring over low heat for another 5 minutes. Pour into a casserole dish, or serving bowls, and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. This can be served cold also.
   

Lemon apricot kanten - Keith Michell http://www.amazon.com/Keith-Michells-Practically-Macrobiotic-Cookbook/dp/0892818484

• 4 cups no sugar added apple juice
  
• 1 cup seedless raisins
  
• 1 cup sliced dried apricots
  
• Juice of 1 lemon and rind grated
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 2 teaspoons of agar agar lakes
  

Head the apple juice and add raisins, apricots, and lemon rind, simmer for ½ hour add salt

Sprinkle in agar flakes and lemon juice, stir, bring to boil. Turn off heat

Pour into individual dishes or a nice mold. Leave 45 minutes in a cool place to set.




 

Coupons

I was in the car listening to NPR and some people came on talking about their wonderful coupon site. This woman was touting her website – you pay her to become a member and you may save $100-$300 a month – on WHAT? Seriously? Rice a Roni? Cokes? Doritos? Then the man from the organization that counts who uses coupons said that use was way up. He also said that the Sunday Paper had the best coupons. Hmm – I haven't seen a Sunday Paper in over 10 years. What am I going to do with it?

The first thought that went through my mind was – I don't use coupons. But this may be interesting.

Then callers started in with things like – oh if I don't save 50%off my grocery bill then I'm devastated. Really? What the heck are you buying? Because honestly, I never see coupons for much of the food I buy. For some reason my brain has started shutting down when it comes to processed, packaged, marketed foods. Even the organic supposedly "green" ones.

I must admit – the "coupons" my favorite salon offers to tempt me, but honestly folks, I can't afford to do that right now anyways. I have mentioned them before, in more flush times, and used their coupons for an express facial with a 90 minute massage. Heck, yeah – you know – this is their way of surviving our economic mess. If they aren't around when we come out of a recession will I cry? No. Will I find another salon that made it? Probably. Maybe I'll give it up altogether and use the at home salon techniques my Body and Soul Martha Stewart magazine has taught me – I have plenty of yogurt and honey – supposedly that's a great facial.

For other DIY SPA things go here:

http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/DIY-spa

Coupons are different than a "special" – which is what I find myself buying. Every once in a while there's a 2 for 1 deal on the organic sugar I like, or the store is trying to turn over some inventory on something I like to buy as a pantry staple – like organic, corn syrup free ketchup (although I should be making this myself and will this year) and they'll have a deal, but in general, there's no coupons for apples, carrots, or organic meats.

It has come to my attention that this world thinks coupons are a good thing. Maybe they are when it is 50% off a kid's pair of shoes, or 2 for 1 dinner out at a new restaurant you've been wanting to try, or even diapers – but when it comes to food, cleaning products, pet food and all of those other things you can get at the grocery store it is a scam. My dad used to be one of those guys that made sure the end-cap display looked good – about 40 years ago – and he told me – avoid the middle of the store – shop on the outside, that's where the fresh stuff is, the middle has long shelf life = fillers, preservatives, low nutrition. And all of this coming from the guy who worked for Frito Lay?!

Let me allay your pet food come back right now – unless it is a coupon for the brand you use – it is just a marketing scam to get you to try something different. Most dogs actually need to have a vet visit and get a good recommendation for dog food. Dogs are actually quite sensitive and should eat a balanced diet.

In general, coupons are a way of making it seem okay to buy something you do not need.

There are some great "green" coupon sites:

http://www.pristineplanet.com/coupons.asp

http://www.retailmenot.com/coupons/green

http://www.organiccoupons.org/

But do I honestly need any of that stuff – the answer is NO.

And I bet – if you ask yourself – can I give up 1 pre-packaged food a week and replace it with something fresh? Can I treat packaged items as the treats they are? Or even eliminate them completely?

Can I reach for a fruit or veggie instead of a bag of chips? Yes, you can, and so can your kids. Did you know that your kids may turn their noses up a few times, but eventually they'll get hungry enough to eat something healthy? They will not starve to death if you have a stronger will than theirs. Just offer them a banana, carrots with almond butter, apples with tahini and raisins – you'll be surprised.

Farmers Market shopping can solve a bunch of the coupon battles, you'll stay out of the temptation of the grocery store and have local, seasonal produce (and in some cases, eggs, and meat) to choose from.

I'll leave today with a couple of recipes:

Tuna Nicoise

Serves 4

1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 jars (7 ounces each) best-quality tuna packed in olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, for serving

2 heads Bibb lettuce, pulled in layers of cups

1 1/2 cups nicoise olives, pitted

8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions

Put onions, 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; season with pepper. Toss to combine. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add tuna and its oil to onion mixture. Add lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Gently toss to combine.

Top with olives, eggs, and tuna mixture, dividing evenly. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Serve on lettuce cups with lemon wedges.

Warm Hummus
Adapted from Develi, Istanbul
Time: 50 minutes

4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Coarse salt
2 15 1/2-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons tahini
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon kirmizi biber or Aleppo pepper (see note)
Flatbread for serving.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With food processor running, drop garlic, cumin seeds and large pinch salt through feed tube, and process until minced. Add chickpeas, 2 tablespoons hot water, tahini, oil and lemon juice, and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to shallow casserole, preferably earthenware.

2. Heat butter in small skillet. Add pine nuts and kirmizi biber, stirring briefly, and pour over chickpea mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, and serve hummus warm with wedges of flatbread.

Yield: 4 appetizer servings.

Note: Kirmizi biber, which is Turkish red pepper, and Aleppo pepper are sold at Kalustyan's, 123 Lexington Avenue (28th Street), and at Adriana's Caravan in Grand Central Market, Grand Central Terminal. A mixture of equal portions sweet paprika and cayenne pepper rubbed with a few drops of olive oil can be substituted.

Gluten Free Flatbread

This recipe comes via celiac.com from Arvinder Malhotra.

150 ml tepid milk

275g (10 oz.) rice flour

60 grams tapioca flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

2 teaspoons caster sugar

2 teaspoons dried active yeast

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

150 ml plain/natural yogurt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

In a bowl mix tepid milk with 1 teaspoon sugar and the yeast, then sit bowl in warm place for 4-5 minutes.

Sift the flours, Xanthan gum, salt, baking powder into a bowl or food mixer. Add remaining sugar, oil, yogurt, egg and mix until smooth.

Preheat oven to the highest setting. Make dough into 6 equal sized balls. Roll out balls into a tear shape that is ¼ inch thick (use rice flour if necessary to prevent sticking).

Preheat a heavy baking tray in oven. Remove tray and put the naan on it. Return to the oven for 5 mins, or until the naan puffs up and turns light brown. Place tray under the broiler 30 seconds to 1 minute for extra browning.