Buy Fresh Buy Local Celebrates the Harvest

Not sure what to do today? How about joining local foodies at a Buy Fresh Buy Local Harvest Celebration event? On the Outer Cape, you can learn about cranberries in Harwich or grill oysters in Eastham at Mac's Seafood. There will also be farm tours at Eldridge Farm in Brewster from 11 to 2. Or, journey down to the Falmouth area for fun activities in pumpkin patches.

Food has been on my mind a lot of late. Did you know that the nutrient value in foods is diminishing? Read why in Mother Earth News.

Also of note this week, Time Magazine reports that the Environmental Working Group will rate 10,000 foods for safety. The new database will be similar to Skindeep for cosmetics.

Finally, how do these dishes sound? Zucchini Manicotti w/ Herbed Almond Cheese, Hail Kale Caesar Salad, Living Lasagna, Sun Burgers, Thai Stir Fry w/ Basmati Rice & Almond Butter Sauce, and, for dessert, Pumpkin, Key Lime & Mudslide Pie? Yum! They're all available starting this month at 141 Bradford, in Provincetown. FarmMaid Food's Katie Reed has a new gig. She's serving up great raw dishes Sunday from 9 to 6, as well as every other day of the week. Check it out!

Bottoms Up!

Yesterday, on an impulse, I decided to offer our guests from Brooklyn, Jenna and Rob, green smoothies as part of their organic breakfast. They indicated they were willing to serve as guinea pigs for Chez Sven's brand new raw-foods drink. I went into the garden and picked a few Swiss chard leaves, as well as a sprig of mint. Into the Vitamix they went, along with purified water and frozen bananas. Less than a minute later, I was able to pour the mixture into the elegant glasses I had picked up at a thrift store last week. Had I used kale, the color would have been bright emerald, rather than olive, but the taste did not change much. I carried the drinks over to the breakfast table. Down the hatches went the green smoothies. Rob made some delightful remark about feeling healthy and how good the drink was, but I forgot to write it down. Rats! I was too busy drinking my own smoothie. It was yummy!

Raw Foods Chef Reinvents Breakfast

A week ago I took a Raw Foods Fundamentals course at Preservation Hall, taught by local raw foods chef Katie Reed of FarmMaid Foods. I enjoyed the experience so much that I returned Sunday for “Breakfast Reinvented.” The class did not disappoint.

“The power of raw foods comes out with breakfast in the morning,” Katie said, busy cramming a variety of green veggies into her Vitamix.

There was curly kale, organic celery, core-less apples, a fistful of cilantro. With a flick of the switch, her machine began its high-speed blend. A smile spread across my face as I thought of all the enzymes and vitamins in the green juice I would soon be drinking. “Carrot Splendor” followed the “Get Up and Go.” I can see why raw foodies get inspired to eat fresh and raw for the whole day. These concoctions even taste healthy!

Apparently most people need more veggies than the usual diet provides. Memo to self, Add veggies to diet. Katie explained why: “They provide a highly accessible form of nutrients.”

A mother and daughter team had joined the class as we moved on to a strawberry kefir smoothie, a drink that was truly yummy.

“Kefir is super nourishing. If you get sugar cravings, drink this,” Katie told us.

Next, we admired a bottle of black and white high-protein chia seeds. Chia porridge is served raw but can be warmed for cool fall days.

“Chia is good for heart health, prostate and breast cancer,” Katie was telling us, adding the final ingredient to the blender bowl, Goji berries. The porridge looked festive (see above). Apparently athletes consume it, too.

“I’m amazed,” said Ann-Marie, on the next stool. “I wasn’t anticipating liking this one.”

Then Katie taught us how to make no-cholesterol vanilla almond milk. In this photo, she is squeezing kale but obtained milk from the blended, pre-soaked almonds the same way. The residue in the Rawsome Creations nut milk bag can be turned into almond flour. If juicing pulp remains, it can be turned into veggie crackers.

“Raw foods is not a diet really, it’s a lifestyle,” Katie explained.

I’m glad the raw-foods philosophy can be embraced without obligation to eat only raw. I can see adding a lot of these recipes to my repertoire and reaping the benefits as Sven and I grow older.

At the beginning of class, a woman had rushed in off the street, unable to attend class that day. She purchased three bags of raw granola instead. Our final lesson was making it. Katie began by draining raw buckwheat groats that had soaked overnight and shredding two apples. The raw granola also has coconut, sprouted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and Medjool dates as a binder. But, since a dehydrator is involved, I don’t think I will make raw granola any time soon. I just invested in a Vitamix!

Prez. Hall Hosts First Raw Foods Class

Yesterday I took a Raw Food Fundamentals class at Preservation Hall, offered by FarmMaid Foods. The course was taught by Katie Reed, who explained how food allergies had led her to a radical change in diet and a near total embrace of raw foods. She announced that the two-hour course would provide basic recipes and tips towards sustaining a raw food lifestyle. Since I have heard eating raw foods leads to improved health, I was all ears, as were the other five ladies who had signed up for the course.

First off, Katie showed us how to make a green smoothie with a Vita-prep mixer. We all got to taste and, I must say, it was delicious. (I will make mine in my Cuisinart.)

Next on the menu: kale salad. We learned how to massage the greens, which changed texture and reduced in volume. Katie shared her special dressing with vegetable base and warned us against vinegar, which ends all enzyme activity. Katie added slices of cucumber and orange peppers, cherry tomatoes, then finally sprouts and hemp seeds. Check out how pretty the salad looks in this paper bowl! The dish was so good I requested seconds.

Ever made sauerkraut? If not, you should learn. Boy, was it easy! Several of the attendees helped Katie massage one pound of organic cabbage to which one tablespoon of salt had been added. Then the chef wrung out the shredded cabbage and placed it in a mason jar, just covering with the rendered liquid. She pointed out how economical this sauerkraut is: the cost of one pound of organic cabbage!

Finally the potential raw food converts were treated to an uncooked brownie, whose main ingredient was walnuts. I noted the rocking motion of the food processor, which Katie explained helped keep the walnuts from turning to butter. Would I be able to imitate her technique at home? I sure hope so!

Katie admitted that it is hard to source ingredients on the Cape. She had brought some of the nuts and cacao powder, necessary for the desserts, and made these crucial ingredients available for purchase after the course.

While cooking, Katie spewed raw food tips. For instance, refrigerate your walnuts lest they go rancid and use a certain type of Agave instead of sugar. She also recommended several raw food cookbooks, which we all duly noted.

Prez. Hall will host more raw food classes this fall. Already scheduled, “Asian Fusion” and “Breakfast Reinvented,” next Sunday. Guess which one I’m taking!