Late Summer Farmers Market

There is never a time when I am more thankful for our farmers than late-summer.  I am deeply grateful for all of their hard work spent beneath the blazing sun in the fields, loading produce into trucks, and standing at the market.  Long-hours, tired bones, hard work, I appreciate you....

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CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

By now you all know that I am a big advocate of eating locally and seasonally as much as possible.  And if I haven't gotten you to shop at the farmers market already, then I just don't know what to do...  Except, maybe, introduce you to a CSA?  (wink, wink)

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it is an amazing option for busy people who want to eat healthier and need a more convenient option than vising the local market.  Many farms are now offering CSA "shares" to the public.  When you purchase a CSA share, you partner with that particular farm to receive fresh produce each week during the growing season. Usually the CSA share is delivered to a local drop point (not necessarily your house) so you simply stop by and pick it up on your designated day. 

The wonderful things about buying a CSA is that it provides you and your family with incredibly fresh, delicious, and varied produce during the growing season while supporting a local farm.  Since you are subscribing and purchasing a "share," you will usually receive 5 - 10 % more produce than you could buy at the market for the same cost.  Partnering with one farm also gives you the chance to really know the people who grow your food and develop a relationship with that farmer.  Pretty cool, huh?

There are many different types of "produce delivery" services out there, which is different from a CSA.  Usually in a CSA, all of the produce is coming locally from one farm (e.g. you won't see any oranges in your Washington box) and you receive the produce that is ripe for harvest this week.  This means that you will have to be a bit flexible as you won't be able to pick and choose what you receive from week to week.  But, this also means that you will be exposed to trying new vegetables that you might not see otherwise!

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Late Spring Farmers Market

I am so excited for summer this year and it feels like the sun can't come fast enough.  But, it's still spring here in the Pacific Northwest.  Luckily there is already an amazing mix of local produce available at the farmers market.  

For most of the year, we have an abundance of carrots and root vegetables.  I love the fresh, baby carrots of spring that taste so tender and sweet.  These are wonderful eaten raw with a dip like hummus or simply roasted to bring out a bit more flavor.

Fiddleheads, fiddleheads, fiddleheads.  I love that word.  Fiddleheads are uncoiled ferns, a true springtime treat.  If you've never heard of them, you can read more about them here along with a simple recipe.


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Roasted Radishes and Greens

I'm not going to lie to you.  Sometimes it's okay to eat your feelings.  Really, it is. And everybody does it on occasion... (right?!)

Sometimes it's okay to eat your feelings when you're feeling under the weather because it's grey in Seattle. Again.  In June.  And it's pouring buckets of rain everywhere.  And you just wish you lived anywhere else but here.  But that's too bad.  Because you live here. Then it's okay to eat your feelings a little, I promise.  (Especially if you eat your feelings with one of these.)

Then there are those moments when you want to recover from eating your feelings.  Sure, it was a little fun while it lasted, but now it's time to get something healthy and fresh in there pronto.  Sounds like you need some roasted radishes my friend.


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Farmers Market Beans (and social change)

Last month I had the opportunity to attend two amazing conferences:  one on farm-to-school education and another on hunger and obsesity.  I don't know about you, but the amount of scary statistics out there overwhelms me.  52% of fourth graders in the United States now qualify for subsidized lunch?!  1 in 3 children in the United States is obese?!  In United States over the last 30 years, the prices for vegetables and fruit have increased 120% while soda has only increased 20 - 40%?!  The U.S. is now raising the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to diet-related diseases?!  All I can say is Holy. Crap.

If this bums you out as much as it does me, I think it's time to make a change.  There are a lot of messages out there about how to fix our food system and I think it's natural for us to feel overwhelmed.  But, the reality is that change starts with us.  I was inspired by one of the speakers at the conference, Ellen Gustafson, founder of The 30 Project and Change Dinner. I appreciated her message that we can make an impact each and every day and the place to start is our dinner table.

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Roasted Delicata Squash

Remember a few weeks back when I told you about my plan to slow down for the last few months of 2011 and get my priorities straightened out? Well, I've done some thinking, some meditating, and some soul searching and I've decided that it is time to go back to school and become certified as a holistic health coach.
 
For those of you who don't know anything about my background, I have a BA in Psychology and Women's Studies from the University of Washington and I graduated with my MA in Organizational Development from Antioch University. In my time at Antioch, I focused my studies on life and executive coaching, organizational wellness, and came to realize my intense passion for food (thus, starting this blog). The next step in my life will involve strenghtening my coaching style, starting my own practice, and diving even more into the world of nutrition, health, and wellness. If all goes as planned, I will begin working with clients later in 2012 and graduating in January 2013. Let me tell you... I couldn't be more excited!

I also couldn't be more excited to tell you about these little squash. These little delicata squash are not only tasty, but they are super adorable. The prep is incredibly simple: slice them open, scoop out the seeds, and roast. They don't need much else - just a little oil, salt, and pepper will do the trick. And, when they are roasted just right, the skins are tender and absolutely delicious. Serve these up as finger food at your next holiday gathering or add some lentils and greens and make a meal out of 'em. You won't be disappointed.

And, if you haven't already entered my Hurraw! Balm giveaway, please be sure to do before Saturday, December 3rd at 4 pm Pacific Time.

Roasted Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

Delicata squash

Oil for roasting (any oil that can tolerate high heat will work: avocado, almond, canola, grapeseed, or safflower are all great.)

Freshly-ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice squash open lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Coat with a little oil, salt, and pepper.  Place on a sheet pan (with the insides facing up) and roast for about 20 - 40 minutes, until tender.  (Squash vary in size so the amount of cooking time will depend on how big your squash is.)  You can tell when you squash is done when it can easily be pierced through with a fork.  Serve warm from the oven.

Farmers Market

This weekend I spent the day browsing through the Farmers Market in the University District of Seattle. With my recent traveling I haven't been doing much shopping at the market and I've been missing it these past couple of weeks.  Since I have another trip coming up soon I had to promise myself that I wouldn't buy a bunch of vegetables that would end up going to waste in the fridge.

Let me tell you, it was hard to keep that promise.  I mean, is there anything more beautiful than fresh produce from the market?  And the peppers, ohh the peppers...