Romaine Lettuce: Did You Know...?

There are many lettuce varieties with varying degrees of nutritional value.  Romaine lettuce is often mistakenly considered to not have health benefits, but this is not the case.  A healthy diet requires that we eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, maybe some whole grains, and protein.  A diet consuming only romaine as your leafy green would not be healthy of course, however a salad a day is part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. 

Romaine contains a good amount of fiber, making it a fantastic addition to your diet to clean your digestive track, lowering your risk for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.  Sufficient water intake is required for fiber to "do it's job."  "Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), vitamin K, folate, and molybdenum. In addition, romaine lettuce is a very good source of manganese, potassium, biotin, vitamin B1, copper, iron, and vitamin C. It is also a good source of vitamin B2, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, phosphorus, chromium, magnesium, calcium, and pantothenic acid."   The water content and fiber make Romaine a wonderful addition to any meal, especially if you are in weight-loss mode.

Preparing and Storing lettuce is not the same across the board.  Romaine In order should be washed and dried prior to storing.  Remove any outer leaves that are damaged or wilted, break off the end, soak in a veggie wash solution, preferable in a salad spinner, rinse by soaking in the salad spinner in water, drain, and spin.  If storing, do not cut or tear the Romaine.  Store in a plastic bag, single layered, separated by unbleached paper towels.  Romain can stay fresh up to 1-2 weeks.  Romaine can be eaten raw, grilled, added to soups, smoothies, or juiced.  Romain can also be used as a wrap or filled.  Please click on the button below for recipe.

Thanks for reading my blog.

-Dawn, CHHC, AADP

References

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=61, June 20-26, 2016

http://www.livestrong.com/article/461791-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-romaine-lettuce/  

Hail The Hakurei Turnip

The Hakurei Turnip, also known as salad turnips, is a small white turnip from Japan.  They do not need to be cooked like other varieties, are not as spicy and are much more sweet.     I love turnips, all turnips, but the Hakurei can be chopped raw in a salad, sliced in a sandwich, sliced as a cracker, cubed for a snack.  They are part of the Brassica family-cabbage/cruciferous- like broccoli and kale.  The leafy greens of the turnip are edible, and are actually more nutritious than the turnip itself! Not only are they delicious and versatile, but loaded with vitamins and minerals, however their nutritional value is depleted , as with any vegetable, if you boil them.  Turnips lower blood pressure, and help prevent cancer:

• High in fiber-lowering all kinds of health risks and making you feel full
•  Vitamins-vitamins C, B's (nervous system function, help with fat, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, healthy skin, hair, eyes, liver)
• Minerals- Calcium, potassium, small amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus
• Low in calories-51 calories per mashed cup (200 calories for potato).

 Preparing these turnip are simple.  If you happen to have your turnip with green tops in tact, remove the greens as soon as you can;  the greens will actually leach nutrients from the turnip.  The greens should be washed thoroughly and can be used raw or cooked, thrown in with your salad, soup, sandwich, or sautéed on low heat with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Store unwashed greens in a plastic bag and they should keep for a couple of weeks, but again, the vitamins and minerals are depleted.  

How to eat them?  Wash thoroughly.  I use a veggie spray or soak and use a vegetable brush.

 The Hakurei Turnip should not need peeled.     Don't be afraid to just add them to anything.  Throw them in a casserole or roasting pan by themselves or other veggies in a 400 degree oven, toss with olive oil and roast in the oven, turning with a spoon occasionally.  You don't want to miss these recipes.  Turnips have become quite popular in the New York City restaurants.  Please click on the recipe link below.

Thank you for reading my blog.

-Dawn, CHHC, AADP

Strawberries: A Superfood

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This is such a wonderful time of year.  The flowers are blooming, the grass is green, and strawberries are in season.  There is nothing like a local, organic strawberry picked fresh the same day.  The picture above is not from stock, but is a photo of the organic strawberries picked fresh from Upper Pond and New Mercies farms, here in the Lyme-Old Lyme area. Conventional (non-organic) strawberries have been #1 on the Dirty Dozen list since the list was created several years ago, containing some of the highest amounts of pesticide residue.  These pesticides and chemicals are also found systemically (can't be washed off).  Industrial farmed organic strawberries are not much better.  Buy your strawberries local, organic local when available.  I would like to stay focussed on yummy strawberries; for more information on the Dirty Dozen please click on the button below, and scroll down below the button to read more about the nutritional value of strawberries and how to store and prepare them. 

Strawberries are high in vitamin C.  They also contain large amounts of folate (B9), manganese, potassium, iodine, and fiber.  Strawberries have high amounts of antioxidants and phytonutrients and are considered one of the best foods to eat.  Antioxidants keep the free radicals in check.  Free radicals cause cell damage;  we NEED healthy cells.  Strawberries help lower blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, and reduce your cancer risks.  This berry is considered a Superfood.

Strawberries are delicate and perishable.  They are best stored uncovered on your countertop and consumed within 24-hours, or stored in your refrigerator in a sealed container, preferably in the fruit drawer, for up to two days.  Store them unwashed with stem on and remove any moldy, wet, or damaged strawberries.  Longer than two days, strawberries begin to lose vitamin C and antioxidants quickly, the reason we are supposed to eat them!  Strawberries should be washed, dried as best you can, and frozen if not consumed within two days.

Preparing strawberries is very simple.  Hull your strawberries with a knife, straw, or strawberry huller.  As with all produce, wash thoroughly.  I soak my produce in a solution of white vinegar and water, or use a store-bought produce wash. Remember to rinse well.

Thank you for reading my blog.  

-Dawn

Exciting Asparagus: Our First CSA Share Topic Of The Season (Week 1)

I am so excited.  This week begins the CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture-a food production and distribution system that connects farmers and consumers directly, purchasing "shares") season for us here in the Lyme-Old Lyme area.  This blog is about asparagus: nutritional importance, how to store, how to prepare.  There will also be a recipe or two, just click on the recipe button below.

Asparagus contains the highest amount of folate (crucial for making new cells) and numerous vitamins and minerals.   To keep it in layman's terms and not to bore you, I will skip to telling you why you should eat asparagus and not list all the vitamins, etc.  Asparagus is a healthy choice in most diets.  There are different varieties but green asparagus contains the most nutrients.  Asparagus is low in calories, is a complex carb (what we want and need), is detoxing to the liver (the liver can ALWAYS use the help), and is a natural diuretic (it's worth the pungent odor most of us experience). 

Storing asparagus correctly will not only keep it fresh, but you will prevent the ends from drying out, and therefor, have less to trim and more to eat.  The best way to store asparagus is to trim about an inch off the ends, stand in about an inch of water in a glass jar, and loosely cover with a plastic bag.  Your asparagus should keep in the fridge for up to a week or so, but don't forget to change the water if it becomes cloudy.  

Preparing asparagus is very simple.  As with all produce, wash thoroughly.  I soak my produce in a solution of white vinegar and water, or use a store-bought produce wash.  Remember to rinse well.  There are two common methods to trim asparagus.  The most common is by grabbing the spear by both ends and bend until the spear snaps.  This will give you the most tender part of the spear, but will also waste a tasty portion of it as well.  The second method requires a bit more work, trimming a 1/2 inch off the base and peeling from just below the tip to the base.  The method you choose is a personal preference as to whether or not you enjoy your asparagus more fibrous or more tender.  

Asparagus can be eaten raw, chopped and added to salads or left long for a veggie platter, grilled with olive oil, steamed, sautéed, roasted, broiled.  How long to cook?  It depends on how you like your asparagus, crunch, no crunch.  Please click on the button below for recipes.

Thank you for following. : - )

Hooray for Hubbards!!!!

The size of this winter squash can be intimidating, some growing to 50 pounds, and are not hubba hubba.  But oh my, they are nutritious, versatile, and worth the effort since they yield much flesh.  Hubbard squash is also called "buttercup" and "green pumpkin."  Hubbards are sold in most major supermarkets, but most often sold already cut since they are so big.  They keep for up to six months if stored correctly: remove stem, store in 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit, 70 degrees relative humidity and not with apples.  The easiest way to prepare hubbards:

• Wash
• Cut in half, end to end
• Remove seeds
• Bake cut flesh-side down on a cookie sheet, or peel and steam or boil (much more work)

The original origins of the hubbard squash are not exactly known, however, it is said to possibly be named after Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard, who lived in the 1840's, and gave seeds to her friends, thus making this squash popular. There is a newer hubbard variety called the golden hubbard which does not taste anything like what we would expect from a hubbard, so if you had a bitter hubbard, try a different variety.  The flesh is orange and sweet-tasting.  It is usually substituted for any and all other winter squashes, like pumpkin for pie, and therefore making it ideal for baking and cooking.  

Why you should eat hubbard squash:

• High in Vitamins A: beta-carotene, vision, immune system, normal organ function
• High in Vitamin C: Best known as an antioxidant
• Potassium: can control blood pressure
• Low in calories

Essentially, as a winter squash, hubbards will help reduce the risks of cancer, cataracts, high blood pressure, and is quite nutritious.  Use hubbard in place of any other winter squash or eat is on it's own, sweet and delicious.  Please click on the button below for recipes.

Magnificent Mizuna

Mizuna, also known as Japanese Mustard Greens, looks similar to arugula, but has a different flavor.  It is a delicate leaf with a mild flavor, slightly spicy.  The lettuce is a specialty item and not easy to find.  Look for it at Asian markets and farm markets, still available locally.  Mizuna is a nutrition powerhouse:

• Low in calories
• High in folic acid
• High in vitamin A and carotenoids (nutritive chemicals that exist in plant and animal pigments)
• High in imune boosting vitamin C
• High in iron
• High in antioxidants, which help prevent certain cancers.  

Use Mizuna to power up your salads, or eat it by itself, add to soups, appetizers, sautés, smoothies, juices. 

The Super Sweet Potato

There are hundreds of types of sweet potatoes and a yam is not one of them.  A yam is actually a different tuber all together.   Many of us may not be able to tell the difference between a yam and a sweet potato since our grocery stores  usually label the orange variety of sweet potato a yam.  Sweet potatoes range in color from white, to yellow, to deep orange, to purple.  Afraid to eat them 'cause of their sweetness?  Don't be!!!  The sweet potato is one of those nutritionally dense foods that should be eaten despite their sweetness.   Generally sweet potatoes have Manganese, Folate, Copper and Iron.  The darker varieties tend to have more mineral content like beta-carotene, which is best absorbed when eaten with a healthy fat.  They also have Vitamins C, B2, B6, E, and biotin.   Here are the top 5 reasons to eat more sweet potatoes, whatever their color:

1. Reduce Inflammation- they contain antioxidants which lower inflammation in our body.  Inflammation is the root cause for most illnesses like Asthma, Heart Disease, Gout, etc.
2. Fiber-healthy for the digestive tract and lowering risk of certain cancers.
3. Potassium- maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body which is crucial for  stabilizing blood pressure and regulating heart function Also reduces  muscle cramps.
4. Nutritious- a rich source of dietary fiber, natural sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, carotenoids, Vitamin C, Folate, Iron, and Calcium. They have a low glycemic index.
5. Delicious!-they taste so good!   Add them cooked to smoothies, salads, soups, etc.  Although they CAN be eaten raw it is  NOT a best practice.  They contain a chemical, which is cooked out,  that prevents the proper digestion of protein which can cause GI issues.

Try these recipes: 

The Hip Turnip

As many of you know, my summer blogging is inspired by Upper Pond, an organic farm located here in Old Lyme, CT.  I purchased a CSA share from the farm this year;  if you recall from a previous blog, a CSA is a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.  A farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public, typically consisting of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included, each week throughout farming season.  The advantage to the consumer is eating ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits, getting exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking, developing a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown.  We definitely have this experience with Upper Pond and I am honored to highlight the beautiful foods that they grow, and offer a fresh perspective on how to eat them.  This week I am highlighting the turnip, the young turnip to be exact: white, sweet, crunchy. 

I love turnips.  They are part of the cruciferous family, like broccoli and kale.  Not only are they delicious and versatile, but loaded with vitamins and minerals, however their nutritional value is depleted , as with any vegetable, if you boil them.  Turnips lower blood pressure, and help prevent cancer:

• High in fiber-lowering all kinds of health risks and making you feel full
•  Vitamins-vitamins C, B's (nervous system function, help with fat, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, healthy skin, hair, eyes, liver)
• Minerals- Calcium, potassium, small amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus
• Low in calories-51 calories per mashed cup (200 calories for potato).

The leafy greens of the turnip are edible, and are actually more nutritious than the turnip itself!  If you happen to have your turnip with green tops in tact, remove the greens as soon as you can;  the greens will actually leach nutrients from the turnip.  The greens should be washed thoroughly and can be used raw of cooked, thrown in with your salad, soup, sandwich, or sautéed on low heat with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Turnips resemble potatoes in texture, but exude a bitter flavor, unless you are eating them before they are mature.  

At Upper Pond we have the young, sweet turnips in our share.  How to eat them?  Wash thoroughly.  They only need to be peeled if the skin is tough, which should not be the case with the young turnips.  I like to slice them and use them as a , you guessed it, as a "cracker" topped with chopped Greek olive mix (olive tapenade).  The slices can be added to your sandwich.  Cut them into cubes and add to a salad.  Shred the and make a slaw.  I also love them steamed until tender and smashed with Kerrygold salted butter fresh ground pepper, and chopped fresh parsley.  Don't be afraid to just add them to anything.  Throw them in a casserole or roasting pan by themselves or other veggies in a 400 degree oven, toss with olive oil and roast in the oven, turning with a spoon occasionally.  You don't want to miss these recipes.  Turnips have become quite popular in the New York City restaurants.

Finish Your Radishes!

You may have already realized that the topics I write about this time of year are directly related to our locally grown produce.  Most often I have a specific request.  Toward the end of summer it may at first seem as though it takes a bit more effort to find something interesting to highlight because the popular veggies and herbs have already been mentioned. Having said that we almost forgot the radish!   Do you/did you forget the radish, too?

It seems in my experience that radishes are overlooked much of the time.  Can you remember being told to finish your radishes before you can leave the dinner table?  It seems to be the last thing left on the crudité platter if it is included at all.  The radish is usually appreciated for it’s pretty color and ease of cutting into a pretty flower.  It accompanies but is seldom the main event.  Is this true for you as well?  Today I am featuring the radish.  It IS the main event.  Honestly, never have I considered the radish as a powerful food, until now.  It was not on my radar.  The only reason I have purchased the radish was to add color to my crudité platter.  The only other time I have radishes is when they are included in my CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture- a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.  A farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public, typically consisting of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included, each week throughout farming season.  The advantage to the consumer is eating ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits, getting exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking, developing a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown).  As a member of the cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, radishes have amazing health benefits.  It is time to start paying more attention to the radish:

5 Reasons to eat your radishes:

1.     Detoxifying-helps to break down and eliminate toxins,

2.     Digestive Aid- helps to relieve bloating and indigestion and aids in the digestive process,

3.     Low in calories and high in nutrients,

4.     Nourishing and hydrating- high vitamin C, Folate, fiber, riboflavin, and potassium,

5.     Cruciferous- helps to eliminate the cancer-causing free radicals.  Radishes contain many phytonutrients that aid in cancer prevention.

The radish offers a peppery flavor with lots of crunch.  They come in many shapes and sizes.  Not only are they used in culinary, but medicinally as well, like all real food.  The radish greens can be eaten as well of course.  To keep the radish fresh, remove the greens prior to storing, wash, and wrap in a damp paper towel prior to sealing them in a container or plastic bag.  They can be eaten raw, roasted, broiled, shredded, chopped, sliced.  Don’t forget to eat your radishes today.  Please click on the "recipes" button for some delicious ideas.

Green Beans Aren't Always Green

Beans can be quite confusing: beans, legumes, peas, lentils. They can be divided into two main groups: those that can be eaten pod and all, called snap or green beans, and others that are shelled for their seeds and eaten either fresh, dried, called shell or dried beans.  Green beans, not always green, are the unripe, immature pods of the most tender bean varieties, and are entirely edible.

Green beans, also called snap beans because of the sound their pods make when broken, are called string beans if they have a fibrous string that runs down the side.  Most of our green beans today are stringless.   There are dozens of varieties of green beans and are the most commonly planted type of bean: haricot vert, scarlet runner, winged, and yard-long bean.  Green beans are not always green;  they can also be yellow or purple.  Yellow beans are sometimes called was beans for their waxy color.

One cup of beans has only 31 calories. High in vitamins A and C, a cup of raw snap beans can provide about 17 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A and about 27 percent of vitamin C. Folate is present in snap beans as well and they are very rich source of dietary fiber and many minerals.

How to prepare them?  Always thoroughly wash your produce.  I have both a spray and a liquid.  I use the liquid for soaking, such as lettuce or green beans.  Trim the beans by snapping off the stem of stringless beans, quicker yet, bundle them and trim all at once using a Chef's knife.  There is no need to cut the curled in.  Your beans are now ready be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, blanched is my favorite way, with olive oil and fresh garlic.  You can add beans to just about anything and chopping them gives them more versatility.    

Sunflower Power: Did you know?

The Sunflower has an impressive symbolic history and spiritual meaning.  The flower has devoted it's very shape in worship to the sun, harnessing the sun's energy and will move into perfect position, facing the sun to absorb this energy.  The disc of the sunflower is made up of many little flowers. 

What do you see when you gaze upon the flower?  Many of us see the sun, a beautiful flower, or a reminder that fall is approaching.  Others see the sunflower as the giver of delicious seeds.  I now see this flower as a nutritious plant;  Did you know that most of the sunflower plant can be eaten?  I was thrilled to discover this during my research and should have known that sunflower are among the edible flowers.  A word of caution; edible flowers should be eaten organic as flowers are generally sprayed with toxic pesticides.  I am not able to describe how to eat the sunflower and edible flowers as well as LIVESTRONG.com and TheDirtDoctor.com, so please click on the following two links to expand on your knowledge, your nutrition, your recipes, and your creativity:

Sunflower seeds can be added to anything: smoothies, salads, cookies, eaten by themselves.  Raw is best or lightly roasted.  You can grind them into sun butter.  The petals can be added to any of your salads or veggie dishes.  The stalks can be chopped and used as you would use celery.  Please click on the LIVESTRONG link above for additional ideas to utilize the entire sunflower.

Squash Blossoms

Fresh squash is only available a few short months out of the year, making the blossoms a delicacy.   Squash blossoms are the flowers produced by any number of fruiting vines such as zucchini, pumpkin, and other various types of squash. Squash are technically a fruit. The blossoms are either male, providing pollen,  or female, producing a fruit body (zucchini, pumpkin, etc...) and may even be found attached to a small young squash. Picking the male flowers is most common;  the female flowers will produce squash if left on the vine. If you find you have a bumper zucchini crop for example, picking the female flowers will help curtail your squash harvest.  Harvesting squash blossoms is a timely process and they don't have a long shelf life, so once acquired they must be used almost immediately.

Squash blossoms have a mild floral flavor and are very colorful.  They are most commonly battered and fried, but they can be stuffed with cheese, added raw to salads, baked, added to soups or pizzas.  They can be eaten raw although they exhibit much more flavor cooked.  Squash are popular in many ethnic cuisines, particularly in Mexico and the Mediterranean.

There is not much to write here except that these edible flowers are not only beautiful, but highly sought after, fragile and extremely perishable.  They can be difficulty to find, mostly available at farmers markets, as chefs will buy up the entire selection.  Consider yourself lucky if you have the opportunity to try them.

Garlic, The Nectar Of The Gods!

Garlic!  The nectar of the gods!!  Where do I begin?!?!

Garlic is an herb, and a close relative to the onion.  It just may be one of the healthiest of foods, used not only in cooking but also medicinally.  It literally is beneficial for most disease and illness; I will discuss a few.  1.  It is a CURE for and helps prevent the common cold.  Garlic is a powerful antioxidant with antimicrobial, antiviral and antibiotic properties. For colds and flues, it also provides decongestant and expectorant effects. Garlic has vitamin C, is loaded with enzymes and minerals such as sulphur and selenium. 2. Garlic lowers blood pressure.  3. Garlic protects against cancer. 

Whether you are trying to prevent, reduce, or cure an illness or disease, or treat a condition, eat garlic.  It has been used for both food and medicine for thousands of years.  You can purchase it as a supplement in pill, capsule, and powder form, garlic oil, extract, and garlic powder.  You can also purchase it already minced.  Garlic is BEST in its fresh form, crushed, whether you are using it as food or medicine.

Garlic produces a chemical called allicin, which gives garlic its smell.  Allicin is diminished greatly in aged garlic, making it odorless, such as those in supplements.  Allicin is what seems to make garlic work for certain conditions. Many of us may be discourage from eating fresh garlic due to “garlic breath”.  "The same sulfuric compounds in garlic that benefit your health circulate to the lungs and are exhaled with your breath, leaving you with dragon mouth for several hours," says Sheryl Barringer, Ph.D., a professor of food science and technology at Ohio State University.  You can neutralize your “garlic breath” naturally.  See Dr. Barringer’s suggestions below:

1. Eat Raw Apples

Apples contain an enzyme that acts as a natural deodorant to the sulphides in garlic that cause bad breath.

2. Drink Lemon Juice

The acid in lemon juice neutralizes alliinase, an enzyme produced by crushing garlic that causes our unfortunate odor situations.

3. Green Tea

Green tea is very high in antioxidants called polyphenols. As with the enzymes in the apple, polyphenols cover up the odor-causing chemicals in garlic.

Sheryl Barringer, states that it is best to use the bad breath cures at the same time you’re eating garlic, so add apples to that salad with the garlicky dressing or use  some lemon juice in your garlic dip.

You can also ward off garlic breath by chewing on a sprig of parsley—the chlorophyll in it works as a natural breath freshener.  To help remove garlic stink from your hands and cutting board, try rubbing them with a wedge of lemon or on a stainless-steel surface such as a faucet.

Garlic is celebrated; there are even garlic festivals celebrating the herb in things like ice cream and chocolate.

WebMD

FWx

3 Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Rid of Garlic Breath

By Noah Kaufman | Jul 16 2014

Womens Health

Odor Eaters: Get Rid of Garlic Breath

How to get rid of the pungent smell of garlic breath, and get the stink off your hands, too

Published: February 29, 2012

Tomatoes Are More Than Just Lycopene

Tomatoes are well known for their lycopene, which is most present when they are vine ripened.  The best way to get lycopene, which is in the skin and gives red tomatoes their color, and is also present in yellow tomatoes, is by cooking or processing the tomato (sauce, juice, paste).  The antioxidant properties of lycopene may protect our immune cells from destructive free radicals. 

Tomatoes offer much more than this;  "It is said that there is no other known pharmacy that can cure as many things as the tomato."  Not only are they therapeutic, but useful for health and beauty.  Tomatoes contain vitamin C, which is concentrated in the jelly-like substance that encases the seeds.   Many recipes advise removing the seeds, but to conserve nutrients keep the seeds.  Tomatoes contain vitamin K, which plays a key role in clotting blood and maintaining strong bones.  Vitamin A helps maintain healthy skin, hair, mucous membranes, bones and teeth.  They are extremely diuretic, cleanse the body, help reduce cholesterol levels, prevent infections, eliminate uric acid (gout).

Beauty?  It is believed that tomatoes protect the skin against ultraviolet lights.  Tomatoes and tomato products enable your skin to take in oxygen, delaying aging and wrinkling.  According to studies, lycopene contained in the tomatoes and tomato products is protective against the risk of skin cancer.

Sources:
http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-eats/nutrition/5-reasons-to-eat-more-tomatoes#k19yllk1iKGgk7aU.99

http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#JQBgoaR3dE6IcAmM.99

http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#JQBgoaR3dE6IcAmM.99

http://www.tat.com.tr/en/healthy-red/the-beauty-secrets-of-tomato/

Summer Squash Refresher

Zucchini and Yellow Squash are varieties of Summer Squash.  They can be used interchangeably in recipes. Each can be eaten raw, steamed, roasted, grilled, sauteed, etc.  They can be cut in half, hollowed out and stuffed.  So it is virtually impossible to tire of Summer Squash. 

In this newsletter I would like to discuss using the squash in it's raw state.  Raw, they can be added to a smoothie, giving texture, fiber, vitamins and minerals, a nutritional boost for only about 46 calories/cup.  In a smoothie the squash is undetectable.  They can be made into "pasta" using a vegetable spiralizer, adding to  a salad, can BE the salad, or as a raw side-dish.  The spiraled squash can be cooked and served with tomato sauce. They can be cut into chunks or julienne for a veggie platter or a snack.  You can add these squashes to just about anything, including dessert breads, savory breads, cakes, muffins. 

Have a look below at the nutritional value, similar for both varieties.  Be sure to add to your dishes for an extra boost of nutrition and texture.

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Leftover Lettuce? Get excited about Romaine!!!!!

There is so much you can do with Romaine Lettuce!  It’s not just for salads anymore! Have a look at the nutritional information!