I just love to learn how people can grow their own food in creative ways.
Dr. Andrea Levinson, one of my customers at the New Bern Farmer’s Market, grows some of her own vegetables in her home. She even integrates her mini-farming scheme into the interior decor and it works well. Here are a couple of photos she sent.
Click to see details and the wide range of plants she’s growing.
Vertical growing systems are available online, or you can of course create your own from found materials.
Well, sports fans, I just found out we’ve all acquired a new ‘handle.’ We’re all “loca-vores.” Yep, just read the latest newsletter from ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project). Apparently, that’s what they call someone who values eating locally. I like it!
Having eaten my way through a copious helping of microgreens this morning and having also just biked back from the farmer’s market with a basketful of fresh goodies, I feel quite smug about my eating habits and I have patted myself hugely on the back for being a “loca-vore.”
There is a growing trend in agriculture for eating local, sustainable foods, and I am amazed at the number of folks here in Oriental who value eating fresh picked goodies. My microgreens business started out as a way to get fresh, quality produce into a diet controlled by my hectic schedule. Now I’ve got a growing business and I’ve made a lot of great friends. I also feel like I’m part of a well informed, ‘hip’ community that’s serious about taking care of themselves. Thank you all for your support these last few months! And here’s a new recipe to try – take them to your next ‘bring a dish’ party and impress your friends. Happy Eating!
1 small zucchini (preferably a fresh zucchini from the farmers market – SUCH a difference in taste and texture!)
1 cup Microgreens
1/3 to 1/2 cup Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese at room temperature
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of water
Wash the zucchini and slice lengthwise on a mandolin slicer and place slices in a shallow dish.
Add the lemon juice and water together and sprinkle over the zucchini slices. Use your fingers to cover each zucchini slice with the liquid.
Spread the Goat Cheese on the zucchini slices.
Take enough microgreens to form a small bundle with the heads all facing up in one direction and lay the bundle on one end of a zucchini slice.
Roll the zucchini slice up creating a ‘holder’ for the microgreens with the greens sticking up out of the top of the bundle (like flowers sticking up out of a vase). Secure with a decorative toothpick and repeat the process until all the slices are rolled. This makes a tasty treat that looks amazing as well.
I’ve decided to add some recipes that don’t include microgreens. Shock! Why? Because when I first started down the path of vegetarianism, I was never sure how a meatless recipe would taste and – frankly – I was always looking for foods that tasted very similar to the yummy things I grew up eating and still love, even if I don’t want the meat any more.
One of my favorite things to eat (especially on a cold dark night) was spaghetti with meat sauce. Oh how I missed the satisfying, hearty taste of a good meat sauce. Somehow, after becoming a vegetarian, the paltry little puddle of marinara sauce lying on top of my penne or spaghetti seemed like an insult after chomping on a sauce with texture, taste and bite. I tried using tofu crumbles but it didn’t taste right and I wasn’t crazy about the texture. So I started experimenting.
After watching an episode on a local food channel where the chef made a mushroom Bolognese sauce I thought – EUREKA! And thus this recipe was born. Hubbie loves it and I make it often and we eat waaaayyyy too much but oh boy, does it ever hit the spot! And it comes with the official seal of approval of a real Italian girl from Brooklyn– my sister-in-law. She loved it.
Meatless Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
1 package portabella mushrooms, diced small (retain a few to put in the sauce as actual slices)
1 package white button mushrooms, diced small
½ medium white or yellow onion, diced small
1 four oz can ripe sliced black olives (you can eliminate if you don’t like olives)
1 clove garlic, chopped (add more if you like)
2 dried bay leaves
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 jar organic marinara sauce – use the brand of your choice – we love the Harris Teeter Organics sauces
Directions
Using a non-stick skillet over high heat, put the onions in to soften. As they begin to become translucent, add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until tender. I don’t use any oil unless it’s a light brushing with a paper towel that I’ve put a teaspoon of oil on. The onions and mushrooms produce enough moisture as they cook to keep from needing oil.
When the onions and mushrooms have cooked (about 5 minutes) add the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and serve over your favorite pasta. Add a side salad and a crusty loaf of bread and – YUM! – tastes just like the spaghetti and meat sauce that mom used to make but without the meat!
My hubbie was a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy all his life until I informed him one fine day that we were switching to microgreens and vegetables. He’s actually been great about it all and is quite content with the change. Of course, serving meals that closely resemble the comfort foods we grew up without all the fats helps keep us both satisfied with our new vegetarian diets. This meatless mushroom sauce recipe will be satisfying for even the pickiest carnivore.
Here’s a recipe from Elizabeth White that she found on AllRecipes.com. Elizabeth prefers it chilled, but says it’s delicious warm or cold.
Kale – Mediterranean Style
Ingredients
12 c. chopped kale
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Preparation
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer.
• Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
• Add the kale, cover and steam until just tender, 7-10 minutes depending on thickness.
• Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and black pepper in a large bowl.
• Toss steamed kale with dressing until well coated.
• This dish is good both hot or chilled.
Steamed kale is tossed in a bright and lemony dressing in this easy side dish.
From “AllRecipes.com”
My daughter Sarah took me out to lunch recently in Asheville – a great place for quirky restaurants with the most amazing foods! This restaurant was a charming little ‘hole in the wall’ place that used all local and organic products and it was the best salad I’ve ever had!
I’ve re-created that recipe using Microgreens as well as regular salad greens. This recipe makes two healthy sized portions for a delightful lunch. With the potatoes and egg it’s filling enough for Hubbie and the poppy seed or honey mustard dressing makes it seem indulgent because its taste reminds me of deviled eggs. And it’s mostly greens so you can pig out without guilt! Yum!
Ingredients
2 cups mixed organic greens (I prefer romaine and spinach since the crunchy romaine stands up to the heat of the egg and the potatoes)
1 small or ½ large cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped (I also use the tender parts of the stalk)
2 radishes, sliced
½ red pepper, julienned
½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup Microgreens standard blend
2 slices cooked tofu bacon (Morning Star brand is excellent!) cooked, cooled and crumbled
1 medium sized red potato, cubed, salted and peppered to taste and roasted in oven til crisp on the outside and creamy inside
Lastly, 2 eggs over easy (if you don’t like over easy eggs, hard boiled, sliced works just as well)
Directions
Mix all the greens together and divide between two plates. Sprinkle the other veggies over the top. Add the crumbled bacon and roasted potatoes (still warm from the oven) and finish with the over easy egg. Serve with a honey mustard or poppy seed dressing for a yummy salad!
For all the brave souls who came out Saturday December 7th in the wind and rain to the Oriental, NC Farmer’s Market and tasted my Fruit Smoothie “Flavor of the Day,” here’s the very fast and simple recipe. There are hundreds of variations on microgreen Fruit Smoothies, but this is one of my favorites and everyone who tasted it loved it! In fact, they couldn’t believe it contained any greens at all!
1 Cup microgreens blend – I used a combination of Black Oil Sunflower for their complete enzymes and protein, Kale, Mustard Greens & Broccoli for their cancer fighting properties and Daikon Radish for liver support – but you can use any single microgreen or any combination of microgreens that you prefer.
1 Ripe banana
1 Mango, peeled and sliced off the pit
½ Medium sized cucumber, peeled
2 Cups cranberry juice, no sugar added
1 Cup plant based milk substitute (I used Almond)
I simply threw all the ingredients into my NutriBullet, hit the “on” button and let it blend for about 20 seconds and – voila! – instant delicious nutrition. You can certainly taste the pungent flavors of the Micgrogreens, but the sweetness of the banana and mango, the tartness of the juice and the creaminess of the Almond milk still makes this smoothie very sweet and delicious.
If you’ve never heard of a NutriBullet , follow the link to go to HSN and learn about an affordable alternative to expensive juicers.
Note: I use NutriBullet because it’s a remarkable little appliance that does everything as advertised. If you decide to purchase the NutriBullet from HSN I may receive a small commission as an affiliate.
We all love pesto. Microgreens pesto is a delightful twist on the usual. And since many of us are trying to avoid oils you can replace up to half the oil with pureed (cooked) white beans– such as cannelini or navy.
3 cups (packed) microgreens blend
½ cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove minced garlic
1 t. kosher salt
½ cup good olive oil
Wash microgreens (I used a blend of sunflower, red rambo radish, red Russian kale, broccoli and mustard greens).
Place microgreens in food processor (I used a NutriBullet) with minced garlic, pine nuts and salt.
Pulse until greens begin to break up.
Turn food processor on full and slowly add the olive oil until you reach the desired coarseness.
I recommend NutriBullet® from HSN.
Note: I use NutriBullet because it’s a remarkable little appliance that does everything as advertised. If you decide to purchase the NutriBullet from HSN I may receive a small commission as an affiliate. And they even offer an installment payment plan.
“You can’t trap Mother Nature in a bottle.”
Michael Greger, MD writes for NutritionFacts.org and has an informative post about antioxidant food supplements here. We’ve all seen those ads from the supplement manufacturers that boast about how their product has more (fill in the blank with blueberries/cranberries/leafy green vegetables) antioxidant than the actual food itself.
He cites research that shows that “dietary antioxidant capacity intake from different sources of plant foods is associated with a reduction in the risk of (GC or stomach cancer).” Dr. Greger notes that the statement specifies plant foods— not supplements.
On the other hand, research has suggested that relying on the megadoses of antioxidants contained in dietary supplements– instead of the normal dietary intake– increases mortality.
“Jackie has me living on berries and roots,” as my husband would inform any sympathetic ear. I suspect he was only half joking because they say misery loves miserable company.
However he, like myself, has finally come around to know the benefits of a vegetarian diet. The facts have become, to us, irrefutable. Incontrovertible. I’d like to introduce you, too, to the work of the world-renowned clinician and the research scientist who gave us our own personal epiphanies. But first, let me give you some background.
I come from country folk. Uncomplicated. Salt of the earth, hard-working and devout. Among my earliest memories are my mother preparing a traditional country breakfast consisting of fried eggs, sausage and biscuits with gravy. Then we would all go forth and work hard all day. This hearty fare was served every morning. Oh, what wonderful, tasty, artery-clogging meals!
Mom came by it honestly. She was raised on a farm and everybody worked at hard, physical labor. They raised their own cows, pigs and chickens and they were prolific gardeners. I have fond childhood memories of that old place! It was common knowledge then that robust, active lives required robust meals, and Mom continued cooking in the tradition of her people.
When we had vegetables they were often cooked almost to mush, like most other southern country home cooking. (I remember the culture shock at my first Chinese meal– as a 27 year old– when we first moved to New York. I didn’t know quite what to do with those crunchy, wok-fried vegetables at the restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown.)
Fast forward now about 30 years to our 25-year-old daughter. That’s the elder one– a pulled together young woman who my husband and I both lovingly called a “foodie” or a food snob. She is an eclectic vegetarian and has a wonderful eye for the unusual meal. In a case of daughter teaches mother, she nudged me toward the plant based diet. She recommended to me the videos and books titled, “Forks Over Knives.”
Once she and I had a conversation– well, a teaching moment for me– when I was lamenting her perceived inadequate vegetarian diet. “Sarah, you’re in your child bearing years. Honey, you need protein.”
“Mom,” she gently admonished. “Just go watch Forks Over Knives, and if you still want to argue with me, we will.”
And it came to pass that I, too, walked in the light. I was converted and have since become an advocate for the whole foods, plant based diet. I do want to impress upon you that this lifestyle isn’t just another one of those trendy doctor or celebrity diets, destined to run its course and then become sooo last year. I’ve tried my share of those, just as many of you have. I would respectfully introduce you to the astonishing natural lifestyle that could save your, and your loved ones’ lives. You will devour the solid, fact-based information and begin to live a healthier life. Warning– I can attest: it’s not easy to shed a lifetime of habit, bad information and, yes, propaganda but you will find this is powerfully compelling stuff.
If you have Netflix you can view the videos there. If you don’t, click here to view the books, DVDs and Blu-rays so that you can experience your own epiphany. (Note: if you decide to buy any product we may receive a small commission as an affiliate.)
I’m looking forward to provide you with more details in Part 2!
In an article posted in the Life Extension Foundation online magazine, the writer points out the significance of DIM (diindolylmethane) in fighting cancer. The author points out the scary fact that hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on fighting cancer but we do not yet have a definitive cure for this insidious disease. In response to this, many adults are taking matters into their own hands by employing a preventative approach to disease.
So what is this important substance in microgreens? DIM are particular compounds found in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and kale. Scientists have found that they can protect against the cellular changes that can lead to several cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer. Many studies have shown that DIM alters estrogen metabolism in both men and women. And that’s important because cervical, breast and prostate cancers are interrelated to estrogen metabolism.
In the article, the American Cancer Society stated that lack of adequate exercise, combined with poor diet can be linked to approximately one third of all cancer cases among the adult population. They further stated that, with adequate exercise and improved diets, more than 400,000 adults could prevent their own cancers from developing in just one year alone.
That’s a staggering statistic. We truly are what we eat! And we all know that most of us don’t have the time, energy or inclination to eat organic, high quality raw vegetables in the consistent manner that we should in order to help our bodies fight off various forms of cancer.
Microgreens just might be the answer.
