www.eatlocalchallenge.com

www.eatlocalchallenge.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. he simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."

- Francois Auguste Rene Chateaubriand

Cooking class!

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All We Can Eat - Q&A: Anya Fernald on eating real

All We Can Eat - Q&A: Anya Fernald on eating real: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

30 min. meal makeover

We see it on the Food Network, it has made Rachel Ray a household name, and it invites busy people to believe that we really can do it all.  The 30 minute meal has become as American as sliced cheese singles. When I think of American food the first thing that comes to mind is convenient. We have created a food culture for ourselves, one that caters to our education, careers, and raising families. We have been force fed the idea that cooking from scratch is an ancient tradition and that homemade is something only our grandmother's generation had time to do. I decided to challenge that theory and dissect a "30 minute meal" recipe, localize the ingredients, and prove that a single girl with two demanding jobs, two dogs, and high rent, really can do it all... from scratch!

This is the recipe that inspired the challenge...

• 1 small eggplant (about 10 to 12 ounces), cut in 8 slices
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup instant brown rice
• Sliced green onion (optional)
• 1 15-oz. can navy or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 26-oz. jar roasted garlic pasta sauce
• Crumbled Feta Cheese (optional)

Eggplant has been calling my name at the market. I don't usually cook with eggplant but when I see something new at the market my mind instantly wonders into Alice in recipe land. I recalled seeing this eggplant recipe on my Yahoo home page (30 min. meals sponsored by Walmart) and decided it was the perfect recipe for my slow it down challenge.  The first amendment I made to this recipe was ditching the instant brown rice. Just start your rice first. It takes 45 minutes but by the time you are actually ready to eat, you will have fluffy, steaming, whole grain brown rice (stove top is totally fine, no need for a rice cooker). Bulk brown rice is super cheap and always available. Next, I replaced the canned beans ($1.59 for littler over a cup) with bulk white kidney beans ($1.79 for a whole pound). I soaked the beans over night (at midnight when I got home from working a double shift at my restaurant job, it took 2 seconds), and started cooking them at the same time as I stated the brown rice. I had garlic,onion and two tomatoes on hand so I used them to make a quick chunky tomato sauce, I added a splash of the red wine I was drinking for a little extra flavor! I had made bread a few days prior so a quick trip to the blender with the leftovers plus a pinch of garlic salt made for some pretty awesome fresh bread crumbs. I mixed in a handfull of corn meal which added to the texture of the breading for the eggplant. My medium sized, local, organic eggplant cost $1.50 at my local farmers market. I priced out eggplant at Whole Foods,  one small conventionally grown (from California, region was not specified) eggplant cost me $2.06.

Already, I have saved money and have tons of leftovers! The meal was fresh, local,delicious and only took 15 minutes longer to prepare than the American home cooked time limit of 30 minuets. It would have been so mediocre had I followed the suggested recipe. I fed three of my friends with my version of the recipe plus I made a cold white bean salad with the left over beans. I had leftover brown rice for two days and had this perfect leftover breaded eggplant and sauteed pepper salad for dinner the next night! The sauce drizzled over the top is my new favorite salad dressing, my homemade yogurt mixed with curry powder, that's it!

Slow food, homemade, from scratch, equals flavor galore and leftovers for days! A little extra prep goes a long way. If I can find the extra 15 minutes, so can you :)
Happy slow cooking!

Fresh fig and homemade almond milk smoothie!

Market day :)

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Love this quote

Food is so primal, so essential a part of our lives, often the mere sharing of recipes with strangers turns them into good friends. ~Jasmine Heiler

Things that make you go hmmmm...

I had finally learned my lesson! After working countless weddings without proper nourishment, I made sure to wake up a 1/2 hour early yesterday morning to allow myself time to pack a few snacks before we hit the road. Katie and I were headed to Walnut Creek to work my most anticipated event this season. I knew we were in for a long day so I packed granola, almonds, dried apricots and four baby apples from the farm stand. We were 45 minutes into our road trip when I realized I had left the snacks on my kitchen table...

We made it to Walnut Creek with a half hour to spare before it was time to greet our bride. I knew my quaint little farm stand was a world away and we didn't have time to search for a heath food store. There it was, one block ahead of us on the left... STARBUCKS! Did we have to? No, but we needed a coffee fix and a snack before we started our marathon day.

The words "healthy", "fresh" and "whole grain" were plastered across  the packaged deli items like headlines. There was no way in hell I was going to eat anything containing meat or eggs from the friendly neighborhood corporate giant (no offense) so I opted for the "Napa" cheese, fruit, nuts, and crackers. The fruit was three thick slices of red apple. The red skin on the apple was bright and flawless and the flesh was as white as snow. It was then that remembered something I had learned about pre-sliced fruit in a college nutrition class, never eat it! I warned Katie about the forbidden fruit and she decided to forgo consuming the little preservative sponges as well. So, as I sit here writing this, nearly 34 hours of oxygen exposure later, I am frightened to announce that the franken-apples are still pearly white!!!

These are the apple sitting in the bright sun less than 10 min. after opening.

We sneaked away from the wedding with the sole purpose of checking on the apples... These are them 3 hours after opening and sitting in my hot car! 

We needed to run an errand for the bride and I was secretly kind of happy because I wanted to check on  the apples. 7 hours later... zero browning!

When I returned home, 28 hours after purchasing the pre-sliced red apple, I decided to do a little experiment. The apple on the right was cut less than 2 min before I took this picture, and already turning brown! Hmmmmm????

Free Recipe @ Santa Cruz Local Foods - Recipes: Raw almond crust berry pie! (Raw Vegan) - Powered by Maian Recipe v2.0

Free Recipe @ Santa Cruz Local Foods - Recipes: Raw almond crust berry pie! (Raw Vegan) - Powered by Maian Recipe v2.0: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Homemade yogurt :)

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FWD:the eggs are good & so are the tomotoes with the purple basil!

the eggs are good & so are the tomotoes with the purple basil

Mark Hyman, MD: Why Quick, Cheap Food Is Actually More Expensive

Mark Hyman, MD: Why Quick, Cheap Food Is Actually More Expensive: "we should never mistake what is habitual for what is natural

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Raising Parents: How I invited my folks to join the sustainable food movement | Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy

Raising Parents: How I invited my folks to join the sustainable food movement | Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

I remember you!

I have been flipping to today in my virtual day planner for weeks. I pre-meditated our meeting, rearranged appointments, declined a lunch date, even told a little white lie just to get you all to myself. I loved our walk on the beach and even kind of enjoyed helping you un-pack from your trip to Chicago.  I was in heaven at the farmer's market! The sun, which has been a stranger to us this summer, was illuminating the plums, peaches, heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, squash, and kale like a spot light in a conventional supermarket at midnight. I was so grateful that we were there alone. Time seemed to be standing still, allowing us to catch up with our vendor friends, sharing recipe ideas with fellow slow foodies and spending ten minutes choosing three perfect plums. I also loved planning tonight's menu with only you in mind. Summer squash and Brussel sprout curry over quinoa and a heaping side of delicately wilted greens served with a slice of fresh from the oven garlic bread, gluten free of course.

I vowed and succeeded to spend the entire summer working and saving money, then I thought of something... I've missed you and after spending the entire day together I passed by the mirror and realized that you are actually me!      

The moral of the story is... take care of your self, eat well, cook well, live well. Everything else will fall into place..

Sheryl Crow issues two pages of 'environmental' demands for tour, report says | OnTheRedCarpet.com

Sheryl Crow issues two pages of 'environmental' demands for tour, report says | OnTheRedCarpet.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

FWD:

Raw almond producers fight fed rules

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hsu-E5ADxOZncGDLy9anHHyZHjHQD9HIFBJG0

reason to panic if it's not organic!

"Warning!!! Do not eat safeway precooked chickens! I have the worst food poisening and to top it off I fainted twice & busted my lip! Scary..."

Um, yeah! This was my friend April's facebook status today! Poor thing! 

beauty products - The Kind Life

beauty products - The Kind Life: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Celebrate Local Food During National Farmers' Market Week : TreeHugger

Celebrate Local Food During National Farmers' Market Week : TreeHugger: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

chickpea flour crepes! vegan and gluten free, soo easy to make!

Stopping to smell the roses

It was another one of those weekends. My infinite to-do list was coiling around in my mind like register tape gone wild. I was excited about Kamila's baby shower but those four hours I was going to spend watching my friend open gifts were as precious to me as the tiny pairs of delicately gift wrapped socks were to my friend. My mom and I carpooled to the shower. On the ride over, I exposed my less than enthusiastic attitude about attending.  I had so much  to do before work that night. She reminded me of how dear a friend Kamila is and suggested that we make an appearance and possibly sneak out early. The doting audience was cooing and awing as Kami joyfully showed off  onesies, bibs, and blankets, all in matching sets of two for the twins! She had already opened our gift so I figured it was a good time to make our get away. While all eyes were on the mommy to be, my mommy and I graciously thanked the hostess and slipped out the front door. I felt a tinge of guilt for ditching the shower buy I knew Kamila was blessed with an abundance of support.

Now back in the car, Mom asked if I wanted to make a quick trip up the road to buy some fresh eggs. She often stops at this little chicken farm on her way home from work and has been dying to take me. Her being my Mom and all, she is fully aware how passionate I have become about the origin of everything I consume. Mom has been mentioning the little farm where she gets her eggs for some time now, yet it is only recently that I have shown so much interest in accompanying her. I was familiar with the weathered road signs lining Old San Jose Road offering various produce and eggs, it had just never dawned on me to actually stop. My Mom, Patty, well she stops!  And I love her so much for that. 

I was impressed by Mom's navigation skills. A tiny sign that read "range eggs" was like a mile marker  signaling us to turn down  Doreen's unassuming driveway. We were in sight of the gorgeous, 1960's style farmhouse when I made mom stop her Prius so I could jump out a take a picture of what I thought were baby turkeys (turns out they were turkens!). I captured the moment and we proceeded forty feet to the bluish gray house.

 

There was a door bell on the gate. I let mom initiate the ring as she was the more experienced consumer of farm fresh eggs. Within seconds, a lovely, mature woman came to the door. Mom expressed her interest in two dozen eggs though was rejected and offered only one. Doreen sells one dozen eggs per customer to insure everyone who wants eggs will get them. I was completely content with sharing the hot commodities with my mom. As a single girl whom just fell off the vegan wagon, I can only eat so many eggs. Mom and Doreen exchanged one dozen eggs for five dollars and fifty cents. A pretty good deal considering that Doreen had personally gathered each and every one of those eggs just hours prior to our visit. She encouraged mom and I to take a walk around the property. I was briefly reluctant, my mind momentarily drifted to my laundry, my broken cell phone and the ticking of clock, 4:30pm was coming at me like a tsunami. I figured that technically we should still be at the baby shower so my laundry and broken cell phone would be awaiting my return either way. 

Mom and Doreen

I ditched my anxiety and chose to enjoy the unforeseen afternoon I was now spending with my mom on Doreen's chicken farm. We first noticed the beautiful rose garden, then made our way over to the aviary which also housed a magnificent Koi  pond. It was then that Doreen joined us and became our tour guide. She pointed to the turtle napping on a rock next to the pond, she introduced us to the rabbits, and to Lucy, the family dog. Meanwhile, there were chickens every where! They roam freely around the property, talk about free range chickens! Every door to every coop was wide open with the exception of one because the hen  inside was caring for her newborn chicks. They seemed to be the happiest chickens in the world. 

 

 

We walk and Doreen talks about her life at Lovely Creek Farm. Lovely Creek runs through her property and into Soquel Creek. Doreen and her family have lived on this farm for sixty years. They raise chickens for eggs and meat, two cows for dairy, and a melody of fruits and vegetables. Doreen makes yogurt, soft cheese, and hard cheese once a week and will slaughter a cow for meat if enough friends and neighbors show interest in sharing it. On our way back to the car, passed the rose garden again. Doreen invited us to smell the unbelievably fragrant flowers as she educated us about the different varieties and growing habits of her well parented beauties. It was so peaceful spending that borrowed hour at Lovely Creek Farm. Mom and I thanked Doreen and headed 2.5 miles back

to reality. I'm so glad that we stopped to smell the roses.

 

We made one additional stop down the road at Everett's Family Farm. A different, though equally pleasurable experience. We meandered through the self serve farm stand and scored on some amazing fresh goat cheese, plums, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, and kale... All grown mere steps from where we purchased them. It doesn't get more local than that!!!!  

             

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Amazon.com: The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient…

Amazon.com: The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient…: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"