i’m so sorry i’ve been away from the blog for so long.  after a very merry birthday, a bout of illness and some technical difficulties, cooking has been the last thing on my mind for the past few weeks.  it didn’t help that the produce at the market for the last few months has been dominated by dark leafy greens, root vegetables and oranges – lots and lots of oranges.  i had lost total interest in cooking, let alone posting.

but yesterday at the market, everything changed.  summer squash had made it’s first appearance the week before.  and the peas, green garlic and spring onions have been around for about a month already, but what got me absolutely thrilled was to see the summer fruits starting to show themselves.  i scurried over to sweet tree farms to get myself some stone fruits – white peaches, apriums and cherries – and with just a bite or two and perhaps a few whiffs of fresh mint and basil, i was totally revitalizes.  my mind began racing with recipes for all this fresh produce.  so stay tuned!

the market isn’t all about fruits and veggies.  i’ve been talked into buying my weight in hummus, found really great imported olive oil and fair-trade maca, people even give massages at some farmers’ markets.  there are all sorts of artisan vendors, it varies so much from market to market.

i worked at the new sunday los feliz farmer’s market a few weeks back, and my stand was set up next to a classmate of mine with a tea cart.  she runs a small business that specializes in incorporating chinese herbs into accessible and delicious drink products.  she offered these flowering teas to me, which i had seen but never tried myself.

they are made up of bits of tea – green i think – tightly packed around a dried flower – chrysanthemum i think – secured with a small bit of string to hold it all together.  when hot water is added, the tea brews and unfurls into what looks like a bloomed flower.  for each bulb add about 16 oz (2 cups) of boiling water and let steep 3-4 minutes, enjoy!

i’ve had fresh sugar cane juice before, but never the cane itself.  it is usually grown in tropical climates, but this week the family i work for at the silver lake farmers’ market brought their first green sugar cane of the season down from fresno, so i decided to take one for a spin.

similar in appearance to bamboo, the cane has a thick outer skin that must be cut away with a sharp knife before enjoying the juicy center.  the inside can be chewed on as is or cut into a pieces to pass around.  pop it in your mouth and chew to release the lightly sweet juices tucked inside, but be sure to spit out the fiber when you’re done – it’s not edible.

it’s amazing at how subtle the sweetness is compared to sugar as we know it, which highlights the sobering reality that it takes a great deal of the sugar cane to make a surprisingly small amount of sugar – something we can easily take for granted.

for some reason i always thought that oranges were a summer fruit, but much to my surprise they are at the peak of their season right now!  i haven’t gone this bonkers over a harvest since july when the juicy white donut peaches were like nothing i had ever tasted.  like the peaches, i have been toting home upwards of ten pounds of these seedless mandarin oranges every week.  mostly i enjoy squeezing them into a tall glass of the best orange juice i’ve ever had in my life.  but they’re also super easy to peal and pop in your mouth.  i even made a pot of orange spice and red wine marmalade for christmas presents.

enjoy oranges now, while they taste the best.  in fact keep your eye on all citrus, because lemons and grapefruits are amazing right now too.

related recipes:

• blood orange and poppy seed spelt muffins
• lemon lavender cookies
• orange ginger tofu

we’ve been a bit busy since thanksgiving and haven’t had the time to post. but i’ve still been in the kitchen trying out new recipes and rediscovering old ones.  there are a few to come, but in the meantime here are a few previous posts that will help you celebrate the season.  enjoy!

dinner:

• spinach asparagus quiche
• sweet potato latkes with vegan sour cream
• twice-baked yams
• savory brussel sprouts

drink:

• soynog
• simply cinnamon tea
• beet and cranberry juice spritzers
• raw cinnamon sunflower seed milk

dessert:

• ginger snaps
• gooey pumpkin cranberry bread
• chocolate candy cane chews
• homemade pumpkin applesauce
• no-bake chocolate pumpkin pie
• thumbprint cookies
• russian tea cakes
• cinnamon swirl bread

thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the nortoriously carnivorous holiday is probably my favorite chance to prove that vegan food can be comfort food too!  this year i’m bringing you five dishes to impress your friends and family with.  in the meantime, here are a few to get you started:

• herb mashed potatoes with a super simple gravy
• cornbread muffins
• leek and mushroom stuffing
• twice baked yams
• garlic green beans
• savory brussel sprouts
• chocolate pumpkin pie

ginger has been used for thousands of years in chinese medicine to treat stomach disorders like persistent nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, loss of appetite or anorexia.  but it also treats mild lung disorders, like upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis or a simple cold and cough.  it reduces toxicity which means it is anti-bacterial, and explains why ginger is always served with sushi – to battle the bacteria in the raw fish.  and because of it’s warm nature it is used to treat pain caused by cold, as seen in most cases of menstrual cramps, stiff muscles and indigestion caused by cold.

but western medicine prizes the rhizome just as much, labeling it with words like anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antioxidant and anti-cancer.  reduction of inflammation explains it’s ability to reduce muscle and joint pain – such as gout or arthritis – as well as topical swelling.  while anticoagulant means that it reduces clotting thereby helping to prevent strokes.  it’s anti-oxidizing properties reinforce it’s anti-cancer properties since cancer can be caused by DNA mutations caused by oxidative stress.

since i got a juicer i have been drinking large quantities of ginger juice and loving the way it makes me feel.  read on for lots of ways to introduce a little, or a lot, of ginger into your diet.

a few things it might help with…

allergies, anorexia, aphrodisiac effect, arthritis pain, atherosclerosis, back pain, bloating, cancer (prevention and recovery), cholesterol, circulation, clotting, common cold, cough, diarrhea, fatigue after illness, flatulence, headache, heart disease, immunity, indigestion, menstrual cramps, morning sickness, motion sickness, nausea, pain, post-surgical pain and swelling, respiratory infection, sinus infection, sea sickness, stiff muscles, stoke (prevention), toothache, ulcerative colitis.

where to get it…

at the risk of sounding like a broken record, i’ll say it once again: organic is important!  especially when you are using vegetables medicinally.  this is supposed to be a healing substance and if it’s tainted with chemical sprays and fertilizers, it might cause you to feel worse rather than better – especially if you juice large quantities of it, the chemicals become quite concentrated.

so you can go to a grocery store and buy the stuff, but i’ve seen prices anywhere from $6-10/lb.  at all the farmers’ markets i frequent it’s only $3/lb, so the price difference is huge if you’re buying in bulk.

pick roots that are firm with smooth skin if you can.  the all the ginger i’ve seen has light brown skin and yellow flesh but there are different types of ginger so variations in color are not necessarily bad.

how to use it…

juicing – if you have a juicer then wash pieces of the root thoroughly (there may be some residual dirt wedged in the corners), slice into thick chunks and run them through one by one.  you’ll find they are extremely fibrous so they’ll clog your juicer quickly.  make sure to open it up after every few pieces of ginger and clean out the pulp, i like to use it to brew ginger tea.

the juice and the pulp are both extremely spicy, start with a little and increase the amount if you want more flavor, but don’t go over board from the start.

you can do 1-2 ounce shots of ginger for a quick dose, but you’ll want to chase it with some water.  it will immediately bring blood to your stomach and warm you from the inside out.  it will also speed up your circulation temporally, causing you to feel energized and awake, maybe even causing you to sweat a bit.  but this will only last about a minute.

you can cut the juice with some fresh lemon or lime juice and even a little agave or sugar to mellow the spiciness. throw in a few drops of an herbal tincture like echinacea, astragalus or cat’s claw and you’ve got yourself an immunity shot you can do everyday to ward off illness.

for ginger all day long you can throw a few ounces in a large bottle of water and sip on it continuously.  especially good with some lemon or lime juice, the smallest dash of cayenne and maybe a little something to sweeten.

i always suggest using fresh juice as soon as possible after juicing.  it will still be good in your fridge after a day or two, but not as effective.

tea – this is one of the more traditional ways to drink ginger.  fresh ginger can be sliced or grated and steeped in hot water, or you can buy ginger tea which is has been dried.  especially for cases of cold in the body, like stiff muscles or menstrual cramps, i mix some ginger with cinnamon and sip for instant relief.

in the summertime when i don’t necessarily need it’s warming effects, but still want all of ginger’s other benefits, i like to mix it with fresh mint or chamomile, especially when chilled to iced tea!

if you feel like you’re getting sick, especially at the first signs of a scratchy throat, cough or stomach disorders, you can brew a little ginger with a little turmeric (that spice that makes curry yellow).  fresh turmeric is expensive and very hard to find, so the powder is fine, but if you could find it you’d see that fresh turmeric looks almost identical to ginger, but has a much brighter yellow flesh.  they are from the same family and both work wonders on the stomach and upper respiratory system.

ginger is often found in detox teas because it gently promotes digestion, moves bile thorough the gallbladder and can help you sweat toxins out as well.  for a detox tea that is good to drink before bed or in addition to a cleansing diet, mix together any combination of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, milk thistle, black walnut, dandelion, licorice, mint, or burdock.  you can find some of those fresh, some dried, and probably all as tinctures that you can add together.

cooking – if you want to add a little ginger flavor to a dish, whether it be a salad dressing, stir fry or soup, just toss in some grated ginger or a bit of the juice.  once again, start small and slowly add it in as not to overwhelm the dish with flavor.

many recipes call or ginger powder, which might illicit a small reaction, but won’t necessarily treat any disease.  it’s mostly just used for the flavor, which is good too!

here are a few of my favorite recipes the use ginger:

• orange ginger tofu
• spicy carrot apple and ginger soup
• peanut tofu stir fry
• nutritious and delicious mango kale smoothie
• no-bake chocolate pumpkin pie
• ginger snaps

supplements – if you absolutely hate the taste of ginger then you can find capsules or tinctures at your local health food store.  ginger can be used everyday, it doesn’t have any side effects or interactions with other drugs or herbs.  like most supplements, it should be taken with a glass of water.

topically – yes ginger can also be used topically!  either grind it up into a paste or saturate a towel with fresh juice and apply topically for muscle pain, toothache, headache or any kind of swelling – it might sting if it comes in contact with broken skin but don’t worry, it’s antibacterial!

precautions…

anything that changes the chemistry of your body should be used with caution.  always listen to your body and discontinue use if you experience problems.  specifically, since ginger increases flow of bile in the gallbladder, so it might cause complications with in those with gallstones.  similarly, ginger improves circulation and reduces the stickiness of the platelets in the blood, so anyone with a higher risk of bleeding should use it with caution.  and anyone that is pregnant is usually advised not to use the herb in large quantities or for a long period.  anyone with any of these conditions should consult a medical professional before using ginger medicinally.

this post was featured on foodgawker.com

tomato season is coming to an end, but there are still a few weeks left to enjoy all of the sweet, tangy, fresh and juicy varieties of seasonal heirloom tomatoes.  you can find the freshest picks and most different varieties at your local farmers’ markets.  since i happen to sell tomatoes at a few farmers’ markets, i’m offering up these 10 tips for successfully choosing, moving, storing and serving those unique and delicate veggies.  hope they help!

1. organic matters – eating organic produce is important for a number of health and ecological reasons, but with tomatoes in particular the most important reason is taste.  non-organic growing processes use chemical pesticides which are sprayed directly on the tomato’s skin, changing the delicate flavors of its flesh.  make sure your tomatoes are spray-free to ensure a better flavor, texture and health benefits.

2. ask questions – “which are the sweetest?” “which are low acid?” “are these ready to eat?”  “how long will they keep?” if you don’t know much about heirloom tomatoes or don’t know what you want, don’t be afraid to ask questions.  the people selling the produce know the most about it and should be able to help you out.  one of my favorite questions to ask is “which ones are your favorite?”

3. size should match your project - bigger doesn’t always mean better.  tomatoes will keep well uncut, but as soon as you start slicing they begin going bad.  to avoid waste, pick tomatoes that can be used all at once.  if you need to make a sandwich for yourself, small ones – about the size of a golf ball – are perfect.  a medium-sized tomato – like a baseball – is good for topping a green salad.  and baby tomatoes are perfect for snacking on with hummus or dicing into a chunky salsa.  you only need the giant ones if you are serving big portions or making tomato-heavy recipes.

4. texture – don’t judge a tomato on color alone.  there are green heirlooms that are ready to eat, or you can find a red tomato that is so firm it might not be ripe for a week.  they should be slightly soft, but don’t squeeze too hard.  if you want to use them a few days down the line, choose slightly firmer ones.

5. look carefully - examine the tomatoes you choose for any blemishes, bruises, scratches, or breaks in the skin.  natural cracks are okay, but beware of any break in the skin which will cause the tomato to spoil.

6. smell the freshness – truly fresh, flavorful and ripe tomatoes are fragrant on the bottom side, opposite the stem.  usually the sweetest ones more so.  see if you can smell how sweet they are.

7. sample if you can – many times at the farmers’ market they will offer samples.  try as many different types as you can and choose whichever strikes your fancy.  if they don’t offer samples, they will usually let you try the baby tomatoes which can give you an idea as to if the rest of their tomatoes are any good.  if there are multiple tomato vendors at the market you should definitely compare and contrast until you know which are your favorite.

8. pack delicately – pack tomatoes separately in their own bag, or in a small bag placed delicately on the top of a full bag.  don’t simply place them in a bag loaded full of other groceries, they inevitably find their way to the bottom and get squished.  when holding the bag be fragile, mind how you’re holding it, what it’s bumping into or how gently you set it down.

9. store at room temperature – good tomatoes are like red wine, they taste best at room temperature.  you can keep a whole tomato on the counter or in an open plastic bag.  don’t put them anywhere too hot or humid, or where they are too crowded.

10. sharpen your knife – you’ve made it this far, don’t make the mistake of hacking your beautiful heirloom tomatoes to shreds with a bad knife.  use a long, sharp, smooth-edged knife, which will allow you to sweep through the entire tomato in one even slice.  and please, please, please make sure to sharpen the knife right before you begin cutting.  most knife sets come with a sharpener, if you don’t have one buy one and if you don’t know how to use it look it up online, because a sharp knife is probably the most important tool in the kitchen.

that’s all, i hope you enjoy heirlooms while they’re still in season.  and here are a few recipes to get you started:

• baked eggplant bruschetta salad
• tomato and fresh dill omelet
• red quinoa tabouli
• corn salsa
• fresh corn gazpacho

this post was featured on foodgawker.com

summer is all about spending time outdoors with friends and family, while enjoying really great food and drink that accent all of the fresh flavors the season has to offer.  don’t waste a lot of time slaving over a hot stove, entertain and enjoy yourself with these 20 simple recipes for light summer fare!

drink

• sweet basil and mint iced tea
• raw cinnamon sunflower seed milk
• mango kale smoothie
• dragon fruit lemonade

salad

• roasted corn and puslane salad with a creamy dill dressing
• raw seaweed salad
• red quinoa tabouli
• daikon coleslaw
• steamed kale salad with a curry peanut dressing

simple meals

• fresh corn gazpacho
• spaghetti squash with broccoli and leek
• kidney bean and quinoa burgers

snack

• homemade popcorn
• baked curry yam fries
• corn salsa
• tofu-based onion dip
• extra seedy peanut butter granola bars

dessert

• vegan cranberry jello
• raw chocolate pudding
• pluot crumble

even as someone with considerable knowledge of nutrition and a degree in biology, it wasn’t immediately obvious to me just what an antioxidant was or why i was being told to dose up on them so heavily.  but after brushing up on my organic chemistry, i’ve compiled this simple little guide of everything you need to know about antioxidants.

the chemistry of it all
oxidation is a natural process carried out by oxygen or other oxidizers.  they are molecules deficient in electrons so they go around stealing them from balanced molecules.  those molecules are then deficient in electrons and have to steal them from another molecule, and so on.

if left unchecked, the oxidative chain reaction can potentially cause cell damage (like DNA mutations which can cause cancer) or cell death.  it is particularly dangerous when certain compounds become oxidized, for example low density lipoprotein (LDL) which hardens.  if this occurs repeatedly, over time it coats the artery with plaque and cause cardiovascular disease.  but that is why organisms have a large working system of antioxidants, they donate electrons to stop the reaction and prevent damage.

what causes oxidation?
we breathe oxygen every minute, so oxidation in the body is a normal in small amounts.  along with several other imperfections in the body’s mechanisms that develop over time, this is what causes aging.  when oxidation becomes so prevalent that it causes damage, it is called oxidative stress – which can be caused by excessive exercise, poor diet, smoking, pollution or sunlight just to name a few.

oxidative stress is thought to play a role in alzheimer’s disease, parkinson’s disease, lou gehrig’s disease, huntington’s disease, cancer, heart disease, strokes and chronic fatigue syndrome. however, currently it’s inconclusive if the oxidation is the cause or result of the disease.

what are antioxidants and where can you get them?
antioxidants don’t just come from pomegranates – though those are a great source!  you can find them in fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds!

• ascorbic acid – that’s the fancy name for vitamin c.  unlike most other animals, humans cannot synthesize the compound ourselves and must obtain it from food.  luckily you can get a hefty dose from any citrus fruits, strawberries, papaya, brussel sprouts, bell peppers, tomatoes or cantaloupe.
• glutathione – unlike ascorbic acid, this antioxidant is synthesized in the body and cannot even be directly supplemented as it is not readily absorbable through the GI tract.  but increasing levels of cysteine – a precursor to the molecule – has shown to increase concentrations of glutathione within cells.  you can get cysteine from garlic, onions, broccoli, brussel sprouts, oats or wheat germ.

• melatonin – this is a naturally occurring compound in charge of controlling our circadian cycles, which is when we are asleep and awake.  herbs like huang qin, feverfew and st. john’s wart have the highest concentration.
• polyphenols – this is a broad category, with over 4000 different types of molecules, so it’s no wonder you can find them in all sorts of different foods.  punicalagins are polyphenols responsible for pomegranate’s antioxidizing properties, while others can be found in blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, celery, onion, parsley, cilantro, apples, pears, even coffee, red wine and chocolate!
• retinoids and carotenoids – vitamin A is a retinoid and carotenoids (like beta-carotene) are precursors to vitamin A, so they generate the same results.  you can get vitamin A from carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, kale or collards.  get carotenoids like lycopene from tomatoes or watermelon, lutein from green leafy vegetables, and lignan from flax seeds.
• selenium – while selenium itself is a mineral and not an antioxidant at all, in trace amounts it helps to form the center of enzymes that have strong antioxidant properties.  brazil nuts are particularly high in selenium!

• tocopherols and tocotrienols – are the two groups of fat-soluble compounds that lie under the umbrella of vitamin E.  they are important for keeping the fatty layers of our bodies healthy, where the water-soluble antioxidants can’t get. for example the lipid bilayers that surround each of our cells are filled with long chain fatty acids, which can just as easily undergo oxidative stress.  vitamin E is high in avocados, nuts and seeds, spinach, any natural vegetable oil (like olive or canola), wheat germ and asparagus.

the hype
you probably hadn’t heard of an antioxidant or a superfood before the last few years, and there’s a good reason why.  it’s a marketing ploy to mark up prices for a more chic health food market.

for example, products like acai berries have been touted as an miracle cure-all for their antioxidant properties.  but since the fruit only grows in brazil it must be pasteurized or freeze dried before leaving the country, only to be shipped a long way to you.  it hardly retains the freshness or nutritional content of the organic strawberries, blackberries or blueberries you can buy at your local farmers’ market.

i have just listed over 30 fresh foods that contain antioxidant properties, they just haven’t been marketed in quite the same way.  there is no miracle cure, there is no big secret; just eat healthy and live healthy!