Canning Up Some Local Phytonutrients & Phytochemicals for Winter

If you're already on my mailing list, then you received the September newsletter this morning.  The September newsletter features an article with 5 important tips for boosting your immunity this Fall, as well as a story about canning late summer fruit and recipes for Peach-Ginger Preserves and Peach-Applesauce.  If you didn't receive today's newsletter, you can sign up here.

I realize that my canning stories so far have been all about fruit, but canning veggies is great too.  This afternoon I headed to a local farmers market and got tons of ripe tomatoes and red peppers, and this evening I've been canning them so I can cook with local fruits and veggies this winter. 

Here's what I canned tonight:

• roasted red peppers, in olive oil
• roasted roma tomatoes, in olive oil
• diced field tomatoes with basil

And here's how...



almost done.  maybe 5 more minutes?

Canning Roasted Red Peppers

I used 9 med-lg red sweet peppers (like in the picture above) & 8 red bell peppers.  You'll also need a bunch of olive oil (the amount really depends on how you pack your jars) and some sea salt to taste.

This produced three 12-oz jars, one 8-oz jar, and two 4-oz jars.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Deseed the peppers and cut lengthwise into strips (~3/4-inch wide).
3. Coat in olive oil.
4. Lay out (in one layer) on a baking sheet, skin side up.
5. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Roast at 425 for ~20 minutes (time will depend on thickness of peppers), until softened and just starting to blacken in spots.
7. Add to sterilized canning jars and cover with olive oil.
8. Process jars for 10 minutes, as you would with any canning process.

10 more minutes???

Canning Roasted Tomatoes

I roasted 10 large roma tomatoes (you can roast any kind of tomato, from tiny cherry tomatoes to large field tomatoes, but be aware that the roasting time will be shorter as the size of your tomatoes/pieces gets smaller).  You'll also need olive oil, sea salt, and garlic (if you like).

This produced two 8-oz jars and one 4-oz jar, all well packed.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cut tomatoes into quarters (these romas were large, so I cut each of these pieces in half again).
3. Toss cut tomatoes in bowl with olive oil and salt to coat.
4. Place tomatoes on baking sheet (skin side down).
5. Sprinkle minced garlic over tomatoes -- try to get the garlic directly on the tomatoes; otherwise it will burn to the sheet (this is optional -- it's great without garlic too).
6. Roast uncovered for 1h 45min - 2 hours, depending on size of tomatoes.  Remove from oven when tomatoes begin to blacken around the edges.
7. Add to sterilized canning jars.  Cover with olive oil.
8. Process for ~10 minutes, as you would with any canning process.

Canning Diced Tomatoes with Basil

I used 9 regular-size (med-large) field tomatoes, ~2 TBSP olive oil, & 1/3 cup basil (or 1-2 TBSP dried basil).

This produced four 16-oz jars and two 12-oz jars of diced tomatoes with basil.  Can't wait to use these for making soups, stews, etc. this winter.

1. Chop tomatoes to desired size, saving all tomato juice while chopping.
2. Add tomatoes, 1-2 TBSP olive oil, and basil to large, deep pan.
3. Mix over medium heat for ~10-15 minutes to combine flavors.
4. Ladle into sterilized canning jars.
5. Process ~10 minutes, as you would with any canning process.

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well. 

Get to Your Local Farmers Market -- It's So Good Right Now!

I just got back from one of my local farmers markets (in Portsmouth, NH) and everything was so beautiful that I just wanted to post a quick reminder for all of you to get out there too!

I only have time right now to post a few pics because then I'm off to a (belated) graduation party with a bunch of my fellow holistic health coaches from the Boston area.  So, I hope these pics motivate you to get out to your local market.  I'll post some recipes over the coming week using my ingredients gathered today:

• bok choy
• sweet red peppers
• yellow onions
• lacinato ("dinosaur") kale'
• rainbow chard
• a beautiful variety of cherry and grape tomatoes (check 'em out below)
• garlic
• cukes
• winter squash
• and maybe even the spicy Italian sausage (local, humanely raised/animal welfare approved) I got last week

My Haul.  Can't wait to start cooking!

Recipes to follow.

Do you frequent your local farmers markets?  Do you belong to a CSA?  How's your garden doing? 

Please share with us what you've been harvesting/buying and what you're doing with it.

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well. 

Cool Your Tastebuds with Kolrabi-Apple Salad

Thanks for starting to use the feedback boxes at the end of posts.  I'm hearing that you want more recipes, so here's one more to help you cool down and refresh your tastebuds after those stuffed poblanos.

Last week during my tour of area farmers markets, I bought some kolrabi.  I'd never had kolrabi before and I didn't really know what to do with it.  But I decided to buy some and figure it out.

I got it home, cut off a little piece, and gave it a taste.  I found it to be kind of like jicama in texture, but with a sweetness and a mild veggie flavor (some say it's like broccoli, but I found it to be more like early turnips).  The taste reminded me of a salad I'd made last fall with turnips, radishes, and apples, so I substituted my kolrabi for turnips and made a nice refreshing salad.  Give it a try.  I was never a fan of radishes, but I love them in these salads.  And I think the kolrabi was a great addition.  I'm not so great with exact amounts because I just love to play, but here's my best recreation.  Enjoy!

Kolrabi-Apple-Radish Salad
(This made ~2-3 servings, as a side dish)

• 1-2 kolrabi (sliced, I peeled half the skin off because I wanted to keep some of that beautiful purple color) --- in place of kolrabi, you can use 4 small, sweet white turnips
• 1-3 radishes, depending on your love of radishes (sliced)
• 2-3 stalks celery (sliced)
• 1 small apple, sliced thin
• ~1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
• ~1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Just combine all the sliced/chopped (however you prefer them) veggies in a bowl.  Then toss with lemon, olive oil, and salt to taste.  Eat immediately or chill for later.  Keeps well for a few days. 

Have you tried kolrabi?  Tell us how you like to eat it -- raw?  cooked?  What's your recipe?


Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Try Something New.

Tri-Market Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Over the last 8 days, I've been to 3 farmers markets in honor of National Farmers Market Week 2010.  Okay, you got me -- I'll use any excuse to hit the farmers markets.  I usually head to my local farmers market (in Newmarket, NH) on weekends, but this week I also went to Exeter on Thursday and Portsmouth today.  I love our local market, which happens to be the first town farmers market in our area that was open all winter long, but the Exeter and Portsmouth markets are much bigger and have a greater variety of produce.  I was in heaven!

I got all sorts of wonderful things and have been doing tons of cooking this week.  Tonight, using ingredients from all three farmers markets, I created these Tri-Market Stuffed Poblano Peppers.  I made mine with local sweet Italian sausage (from the Newmarket farmers market), but if you want to make this recipe vegetarian*, just make the veggies without the sausage and bulk them up with some brown rice and beans.  I'm sure I'll be making the vegetarian version soon because they were incredible!

Tri-Market Stuffed Poblano Peppers

(makes 4 peppers, 4 servings)

Here's What I Used:

• 4 poblano peppers [Portsmouth]
• 4-5 leaves dinosaur kale [Exeter]
• 1 medium sweet onion [Portsmouth]
• 8 roasted Roma tomato halves (I roasted my own tomatoes earlier in the week, but you could also use sun-dried tomatoes) [I roasted tomatoes from Newmarket & Exeter]
• 2 cloves garlic [Newmarket]
• 2 sweet Italian sausages (*see above for veggie option) [Newmarket]
• 1/2 cup sharp goat cheese ("cheddar"), crumbled [Portsmouth]
• olive oil to sautee filling

Here's What I Did:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare peppers by cutting in a "T" pattern to remove seeds.
3. Prepare filling by sauteeing onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent and browning, add crumbled sausage and continue to cook until browned, and finally add chopped tomatoes and kale and cook another minute.
4. Stuff peppers with veggie & sausage mix.
5. Add crumbled goat cheese (or sharp cheddar or manchego?) to peppers.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until peppers are browned.

Do you love your farmers market(s) like I do?  Better yet, have you been eating from your backyard garden all season?

What have you created for dinner from your local, seasonal foods? 


Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Eat Local.

"Humane" Certification: More Food for Thought

I just came across this post about Supporting "Humane" Certification (from the Natural Gourmet Institute's blog), and I wanted to offer you the link to continue the discussion about ethical food choices that we started last month.  For some different perspectives on this important and sensitive topic, give their posting a quick read.  And if you feel so inclined, comment here to share with us your perspective.

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  

First Things First: I am NOT a Vegetarian.

I am not a vegetarian.  I am not a vegan.  I am not a raw foodist.  But at some point in my life, for some period of time (ranging from 1 day to 10 years), I have identified with each of those labels.  Today I just am.  I simply try to eat healthfully and ethically and kindly.  Now that we have that out of the way, I'd like to also say this: I am not trying to preach or force my approach on anyone.  Truly.  That is not my intention and it is certainly not my goal with this blog.  I'd just like to share some information and get us all thinking about the choices we make every week.

This weekend I had a difficult and powerful experience.  I saw a video about conventional factory farming -- animals being raised for their milk (that means milk, cheese, yogurt, and, yes, your coffee cream too), eggs, and meat.  I have seen these videos before, but it's been a while.  And, of course, we all hear about the horrible things going on with factory farming -- disease, chickens having their beaks cut off (not all survive the experience), confinement, terror -- but until you see it for yourself, you cannot imagine how awful it is.  I cried.  And I honestly thought I might be sick at two points during the 8-minute video clip. I can't even go into detail for you because I can't bring myself to relive the images in my mind right now.

After watching this video, we heard from Howard Lyman.  Howard is a 3rd generation cattle rancher who became a vegan and now speaks to the public about the atrocities of conventional and factory farming.  He has written a book called Mad Cowboy if you'd like to read what he has to say.  Some of you may have heard of Howard because he and Oprah Winfrey were sued some years back after he appeared on her show, told her some of what goes on at factory farms, and Oprah declared to never again eat another hamburger.  They were sued for disparaging a food product.  Yes, seriously. 

So, why am I telling you all this?  I just got back from the grocery store and as I walked down the refrigerated aisle I couldn't stop thinking that 99% of the products on those shelves originated from places like the ones I'd seen and heard about last weekend.  We each have to make our own choices as consumers, but I wanted to offer a gentle reminder of what's going on before we toss these products into our shopping carts.  I encourage you to learn more about this situation. 

Personally, for my home cooking, I buy organic animal products and/or try to get most of it from local farms. Where I have been less diligent is in restaurants.  So, that is going to be my biggest intention: to ask about the sources of animal products at any restaurant I go to and, if I don't get a satisfying answer, then I'll be vegan for that meal.  For me, this is a small and crucial sacrifice.  I guess I'm writing about this today as much for you all as I am for myself -- I need some accountability so that I keep this intention clear in my mind, and you all are my accountability. Do you ever realize how easy it can be to forget even the important things? 

Here are my suggestions:

• Look into this issue for yourself (but make sure you trust the sources).
• Your best option with animal products is to buy local.  Check out your local farmers' markets, talk to the farmers, maybe even visit the farm.  This is the only way to be sure about what's going on.
• If you can't find a farmers' market or local farm, then products labeled "organic" are your next best bet (although it's true that there have been instances of problems there too). By eating organic animal products, you are also avoiding ingesting any antibiotics or hormones that were given to the animals.
• Also look for "grass fed", "pasture fed", "free range".
• Ask your servers at restaurants where they get their meat, dairy, and eggs.  Are they organic?  Are they local? The more inquiries they get about this issue, the more likely the restaurants are to make changes, once they are aware of the demand.

Again, I did not write this post to ruin your dinner.  I simply felt the need to pass along what I witnessed and to encourage us all to remember that our choices as consumers are some of the most important ones we make. 

Thank you for reading about this sensitive issue and for keeping an open mind.

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Eat kindly.