today at the farmers market I discovered a new leafy green.  semposi, which is like collard greens but a bit sweeter, is definitely my find of the week.  leafy greens are essential in our diets, offering a tremendous amount of chlorophyll, iron, calcium, and vitamins A & C.  they’re sweetest in the colder seasons after a nice frost, so this is the perfect time to get your leafy green party on.

I based my meal (recipe below) on what I found at the farmers market, plus a ltitle inspiration from my current work at Spice Market.  there’s nothing more delicious then sitting down to a homemade meal whose ingredients all come from local farms – you can literally taste the freshness.  the apples & pears came from Breezy Hill Orchard in Straatsburg, NY, and the Semposi & Sunflower shoots came from WindFall Farms in Montgomery, NY. 

this dressing is great with the Fall Salad below, but can also be used with raw lettuce salads or even as a sort of dipping sauce. 

Spicy Candied-Ginger Dressing

yields ¾ cup

 

¼ cup EVOO

4 teaspoons minced cayenne pepper

1/4 cup diced candied ginger

1 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons agave

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup water

3 tsp lemon

2 scallions, chopped thin (whites only)

1.  Add all ingredients in a blender and blend well.  Chill before using to allow flavors to develop and dressing to thicken.

 

Fall Salad

serves 4 side portions

 

5 cups chiffonaded semposi

1 teaspoon EVOO

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 medium radishes

1 apple

1 pear

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup spicy candied-ginger dressing

sunflower shoots for garnish

1.  Chiffonade semposi by placing leaves one on top of the other & cutting out the spine. Roll width-wise into a log, and slice into 1/4” pieces.

2.  Bring a pot of water to a boil; once water is boiling heat a sauté pan on medium-high.  Blanch kale in boiling water for about 45 seconds, strain immediately.  Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to hot pan and add strained semposi. Saute on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, mixing in salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3.  Julienne the apple & pear (cutting into long, thin strips) either on a mandolin or by hand.  Thinly slice radishes either length or width wise. 

4.  Combine apple slices, pear slices, radishes, both seeds & salad dressing and mix well (adding more dressing if desired).  Arrange semposi on a plate, top with apple & pear mixture, and add sprinkle sunflower sprouts on top.  Enjoy!

 

 

Sweet Alternatives: Salad Dressing & Sweetened Nuts

For anyone looking to healthify their life, there is one essential change which must be made: eliminate white sugar from your diet…altogether.  This can be hard, because white sugar is hidden in sweet and savory foods alike, often so much so that it is one of the first ingredients. 

White sugar (and brown sugar too, since it’s almost just as processed) is truly detrimental to your health. While naturally found sugar contains many healthful vitamins & minerals, the refining & bleaching process in sugar strips them all away.  However, your body needs them to metabolize the sugar, so it ends up stealing minerals from other parts in the body, like your bones & teeth.  When they say sugar rots your teeth, they mean it.

White sugar is also highly concentrated, which causes a peak & drop in blood sugar.  As you consume sugar your body begins to break it down and it gets in your blood stream – but you can only metabolize so much of it at a time.  When you’ve metabolized as much as you can, your blood sugar plummets, and whatever hasn’t been metabolized gets stored as fat.

Not scared yet?  White sugar interferes can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, suppresses the immune system, can contribute to eczema in kids, can affect the body’s mineral balance, promotes weight gain & obesity….I could go on and on and on. 

Why not try sweeten up a different way?  The two alternatives I use the most (besides raw honey & pure maple syrup, which I use as well) are sucanat and agave.  Sucanat (also called Rapadura) is like an unrefined brown sugar, and has 80% sucrose as compared to the 99.9% sucrose in white sugar.  Sucanat has a slighty earthier taste and does not dissolve as well, but I use it as a substitute in everything from coffee to chocolate chip cookies.  Another great alternative sweetener is agave nectar, which is concentrated cactus juice.  Agave has a low glycemic index and therefore hits the blood stream slower than other sweeteners, so the pancreas reacts with less panic.  It has a very sweet but neutral flavor, so you can add just a bit of it to whatever you’re making and it won’t alter the flavor profile. 

Below are two simple recipes which use agave as the sweetener – a Sweet Green Dressing & Agave Sweetened Nuts.  Get some fresh greens from your local farmers market and enjoy a sweet & healthy salad sprinkled with sweet-savory nuts & homemade dressing!  Your body will thank you for setting aside the white sugar.

Sweet Green Dressing

yields ¾ cup

 

3 teaspoons chopped mint

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon agave

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients to a blender or immersion blender.  Mix well, until smooth and creamy, adding more water if necessary.  Store in fridge for up to a week.

 

Agave Sweetened Nuts

1 cup roasted, unsalted nuts – pistachios or cashews work well

1 ½ teaspoon agave

½ teaspoon salt

pinch cayenne

 

Preheat oven to 375. 

Roughly chop nuts and mix well with remaining ingredients.  Spread out on a pan and bake for 5 minutes, stirring once so as not to burn.

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, allowing nuts to harden as they cool.  Sprinkle over salad or yogurt, or eat plain as a snack.

 

cool off with some quinoa

here in NY we seem to have skipped spring altogether and jumped right into summer. while the feverish heat wave of last week has finally broken, we are still a mass of sweaty, tired people. all day the sun radiates over this island, trapped between the tall, metallic bodies of buildings which tower over us, leaving people and animals alike looking haggard.

of course air conditioning is one way to stay cool, but don’t forget that the food we eat has a significant impact on the warming and cooling of our own bodies. I recently conjured up a little summer grain salad packed with protein, vegetables and yummy flavors, but also felt light and refreshing. the main ingredient is quinoa, one of my favorite grains. if you haven’t tried it yet then beware – you may very well be hooked after this.

quinoa is a whole food which means that all of its edible parts are in tact. the endosperm, germ & bran are all present, wrapped up in a tiny, almost minuscule grain. in refining processes the germ & bran are often removed, leaving a starchy, nutrient-deficient product behind. not so in quinoa. you can actually see the germ wrapped around its little body, and when cooked properly it pops off into its own curlicue, giving quinoa a deliciously gentle crunch.

of all the grains, quinoa is highest in protein – in fact it is the only grain which is a complete protein. it has a rich essential amino acid profile and is packed with vital nutrients including B & E vitamins, iron and phosphorous. it is easy to digest and therefore doesn’t leave you feeling heavy or overly full. so what’s the catch? nothing at all. easy to make, takes in other flavors well, and ridiculously good for you.

the recipe below calls for two types of quinoa which give it a beautiful, rainbowy color. feel free to use just one kind of quinoa, or change up the vegetables for whatever’s in season.




Colorful Quinoa & Veggie Salad
Yields 5 1-cup servings

½ c regular quinoa
½ c red (Inca) quinoa
1 ¾ c water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
½ bunch asparagus, blanched
2 c packed spinach, torn in bite-size pieces, blanched
½ c kumquats, quartered
¾ c dried cranberries
¾ c crumbled feta
salt & pepper to taste


1. Heat small saucepan on medium flame. Add olive oil and garlic, stirring so as not to brown. Mix in turmeric, coriander, cumin, cayenne & salt and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Pour in quinoa, stir once to incorporate, and cover pot. Bring back to a boil and lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed.

2. Remove quinoa from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, blanch asparagus in salted water in a large saucepan for 45 sec – 1 min. Remove from heat, run under cold water, then lay out on paper towel to drain.

4. Blanch spinach, squeeze out excess water, and chop into bite-size pieces.

5. Mix quinoa, asparagus, spinach, and remaining ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.