Ask a Farmer: Green Beans

 

What should we look for when choosing green beans at the Farmers Market or in a grocery store?

La Esperanza Farms:

"Choose fresh, well colored beans that snap easily when bent. Don't pick any beans that are have dark spots on them or ones that are shriveled."

How should I store my green beans?

"Refrigerate green beans in plastic bag, use within 1 week."

For those of you who are on our meal plan we will be using these wonderful healthy beans this week. To read about the nutritional value of green beans go to Powerfoods on this site.

 

French Onion Dip vs. Hummus

WHAT ARE YOU EATING?

French Onion Dip from a Packet vs. Sprout Hummus

 

French Onion Packet:

You know the kind, grab a packet and a container of sour cream and your done. Know What You Are Eating:

Ingredients:

ONION, SALT, HYDROLYZED CORN GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN, AND WHEAT GLUTEN, DEXTROSE, YEAST EXTRACT, CORN MALTODEXTRIN, AND SPICES.

Reference: article from Livestrong:

Herbicide

Hydrolized corn gluten has been shown to be as much as four times more effective than CGM for controlling the growth of weeds and other unwanted plants. The application of the corn proteins to plants inhibits root growth of germinating plants without side effects to mature plants until you reach a concentration around 80 lbs. of CGM per 1,000 square feet of soil. When applied correctly, weeds will form a shoot but no root system, and thus die shortly after germination.

 

Human Consumption

Hydrolized corn gluten and CGM are safe for human consumption but are rarely used for such purposes due to their taste. A 2001 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" found that spaghetti prepared with CGM had a high protein content and similar cook weight to control-group spaghetti. However, the researchers found that increased concentrations of CGM produced a stronger fermentation flavor and thus decreased the overall flavor quality of the spaghetti.

Animal Consumption

Though not preferred by humans, hydrolyzed corn gluten and CGM are used in animal food as a protein supplement. One 1995 study published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" titled "Evaluation of Corn Gluten Meal as a Protein Source in Tilapia Diets" found that experimental diets for the farm-raised tilapia containing CGM produced higher weight gains than standard commercial diets that did not contain CGM.

Expert Insight

According to the EPA, CGM and hydrolyzed corn gluten are not known to be toxic to humans in any way and can be eaten regularly if chosen. These products have also not been identified to have any toxic effect on other mammals, birds or fish. When used as an herbicide, hydrolyzed corn gluten has been shown to be particularly effective against "crabgrass, creeping bentgrass, smart weed, dandelions, redroot bigweed, purslane, lambs quarter, foxtail, barnyard grass, and Bermuda grass," the EPA states.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/305982-what-is-hydrolyzed-corn-gluten/#ixzz2CDtBnCdL

 

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EATING:

Sprout Hummus

This yummy dip packs a wallop of flavor and nutrition

Adapted from Mother Earth Living

1 cup sprouted beans, peas or lentils

2 T tahini

2 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, tot taste

1. Boil sprouts for 10 minutes until soft. Drain.

2. Mix with remaining ingredients by mashing with a fork, or use a food processor.

3. Serve with seasonal vegetables, or toasted pita bread.

 

Sprouts , their Health Benefits and Chemoprotective Properties.

Sprouts have many valuable attributes in relation to human health. Back in the 1920's, an American Professor named Edmond Szekely put forward the concept and way of life of Bio-genic Nutrition

He classified sprouted seeds and baby greens as the most beneficial foods and recommended that they make up 25% of our daily food intake, calling them life-generating Bio-genic foods which he claimed offer the strongest support for cell regeneration.

In our daily life, various factors transpire to create free radicals within our bodies.

Free radicals are highly unstable oxygen molecules needing an electron to stabilize their entropy (chaotic state).

By stealing electrons from healthy cells the causal effects of this are the breakdown of vital biological structures and the alteration of DNA and RNA (a process called per oxidation).

Once this has occurred, the affected cell will only reproduce the altered version.These superfoods are a powerful source of antioxidants (minerals, vitamins and enzymes) which assist in protecting against this damage.

A healthy body is alkaline (i.e not acidic).Bio-genic foods have an alkalizing effect on the body.

Raw foods contain oxygen and regular consumption of raw bio-genic foods with their abundant oxygen is valuable to health.

Double Nobel Prize winner Dr Otto Warburg found growth of cancer cells were initiated by a lack of oxygen and these cells, along with viruses and bacteria, could not live in an alkaline and oxygen rich environment.

Bio-genic foods are a good source of essential fatty acids (the average western diet is generally deficient in these) which play a major role in the immune system defenses and are one of the highest food sources of fiber.

When these superfoods are grown to the chlorophyll rich two leaf stage, it has been shown they have been effective in overcoming protein-deficiency anemia.

Some women have found that daily consumption of these superfoods has given relief from hot flushes and supported hormonal function.

The supply of vitamins (B complex and C) existing in seeds can be increased by the sprouting biochemistry over several days by 100% to 2000%.

This biochemistry modifies the array of minerals in sprouts so that they are in a chelated form which is more easily assimilated in the body.

It also denatures protein into the amino acid building blocks so that we can digest them in half the time of cooked foods.

Reference: http://www.sprouts-as-medicine.com/

It’s Your Choice Which Do You Choose, French Onion Dip from a packet or Sprout Hummus?

 

Granola & Oatmeal

 

 

My definition of power foods are nutrient dense foods that offer your body more than taste it contributes to good health and your healthy lifestyle. Oat grains are de-husked, and heated to stabilize the oat groats. This process brings out the nutty flavor that oatmeal provides. They are then milled to produce either fine, medium or coarse ground oats. Rolled oats are steamed then flattened. Steel cut are small broken groats that sometimes are steamed and flattened. Steel cut are said to be the best type of oatmeal for your body, but they do take longer to prepare. Quick oats are small pieces of oats steamed and flattened. Instant oats are precooked and dried and then sugars or artificial flavorings may be added. Oatmeal if consumed daily will lower your blood cholesterol because of its soluble fiber content. Oatmeal provides a high content of complex carbohydrates and water soluble fiber that encourages slow digestion and stabilizes blood sugars. This is why you feel full after eating oatmeal.

You know I am a big fan of slow cookers, well you can make your steel cut oatmeal in your cooker overnight and it will be ready for you the next morning. Or if you don’t have a slow cooker, just simmer the oats in the top of a double boiler for 5 minutes the night before, cover the pot and go to bed, (be sure to brush your teeth) next morning just reheat. Just follow the instructions on the back of your steel cut oatmeal add either low fat milk or water, set your slow cooker on low and go to bed. In the morning you can add any type of berries, banana’s, honey, chopped apples, a tiny bit of natural cane sugar or pretty much anything you think sounds good with oatmeal. Eat oatmeal every morning, so be sure to add it to your grocery list. And if you find it easier to buy the instant oatmeal that's fine, any oatmeal is better than no oatmeal.

When Andrew and Addison were little I used to bake them my recipe for oatmeal cookies, well they are more like granola bars instead of bar shape I made them cookie shape, but they would think they were cookies. With a glass of milk and a navel orange, it is a complete breakfast and the kids think they are having dessert for breakfast. I’ve included my recipe for oatmeal cookies. Okay, now lets talk about granola. I love granola, you can buy it in the cereal aisle, or the organic section of your market or you can make it on your own. I prefer to make it myself, because then I know how much sugar I put into the recipe. I eat granola several times during the week, sometimes I put in on top of my yogurt, or I add skim milk to it for a cereal, or I keep a bowl of it on the counter as a healthy snack. You can package it in a zip lock baggie and take it with you.

The beautiful thing about granola you can add almost anything to it, here are some of my suggestions; nuts, seeds, flax seed, dried fruits,(be careful if you have diabetes, dried fruits are high in sugar), chocolate covered raisins or nuts, coconut, you can really experiment with anything. In Europe they serve Muesli, just so you know, muesli is a high-protein Swiss cereal. It differs from granola in that the grains are not pre-toasted or mixed with oil or sweetener.

Here is my Granola recipe:

Dry Ingredients:

6 cups of flaked or rolled grains

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

tiny bit of salt

Wet ingredients:

1 cup dried fruit, I use cranberries or raisins

1/2 cup safflower or canola oil

1/2 cup honey, or maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 300*F. Toss the dry ingredients but not the dried fruit, then add the oil and honey toss again. Spread mixture on two cookie sheets, (those are the side flat sheets you have in your pantry), be sure they are clean, and bake until golden brown, but you have to turn the oats every 10 minutes so it cooks evenly, so use your big spatula  not the rubber one that will melt but the plastic one. Then after 30 minutes, add the dried food and let it cool. Then store in a tightly covered jar. If you want a more low fat granola, omit the oil and toast everything as suggested. You can even reduce the honey if you would like.



Here are the cookies I allowed my kids to eat for breakfast.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)
•1 1/2 cups of Large Flake Rolled Oats (smaller flake is ok too)
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/2 tsp baking powder
•1/2 tsp salt
•2 Tbsp Cinnamon
•1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Wet ingredients
•1/2 cup honey
•1/2 cup oil (corn, grape seed or olive) * you can also use some applesauce to replace some of the oil if you wish*
•1 Tablespoon Molasses
•1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
•1 tsp Vanilla

•1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
•1/2 cup walnuts, be sure to chop
1.In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2.In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray–your honey won’t stick).
3.Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn’t binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.
4.COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.
5.Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).
6.Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet (I recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper). Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.
7.Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze well.

Fact Tuesday: Losing Weight

 

 

 

It seems like everyone asks me how to lose weight. Well if you know me well enough you know I don't believe in diets that restrict any "real" foods. But I highly recommend people to stay away from prepackaged foods.



 

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you will need to burn 3500 more calories than you eat that week. Losing one pound of fat a week is a sensible goal, but it requires a reduction of 500 calories per day. You can do this by increasing your calorie-burning activity or by eating fewer calories -- or both. It is easier to achieve it with the combination of increased activity and eating less. Exercising enough each day to burn 300 to 400 calories is a good goal for the exercise portion of your weight loss plan.

 

 

 

 

Belgian Endive

Belgian endive is an excellent source for Vitamin A which is an essential vitamin to help with good eye health and vision and may protect the eyes from getting cataracts. It is also a good source of folate, which is beneficial to pregnant women to help protect against birth defects. Belgian endive is also high in Vitamin C which is an important vitamin in boosting the immune system and help fight off infections. It is also a good source of calcium to help build strong teeth and bones. Belgian endive is an excellent food to eat to help protect against heart related diseases as it is low in cholesterol and saturated fat. It is also an excellent food to eat for dietary fiber which helps to maintain a healthy digestive system.

Teachables to your kids: Teaching children about healthy foods can help them understand why they should choose to eat healthful foods. Eating healthful foods will help their bodies stay healthy and grow strong. Talking about each vitamin, what it can help improve and where to find that particular vitamin can help make the theory of the different types of vitamins real to children.
Vitamin A: Good for eye health. Ask your child, “Why do you think eating something for eye health is a good choice?”

Let you children have fun with Belgian Endive, place a small amount of tuna salad in the endive and make a Endive Boat. Experiment with other foods to put with endive. [rad-hl] share with us your creative ideas to prepare with endive. [/rad-hl]

Top 10 Healthy Foods in Your Pantry

1. Unsalted Nuts
2. Low Salt can of Beans any type!
3. Cans of Tuna or Salmon
4. Steel-cut Oatmeal
5. Whole Grain Cereal
6. Olive oil
7. Whole Grain Pasta
8. Green Tea
9. Quinoa
10.Dark Chocolate

Orange Juice vs. An Orange

Does orange juice from concentrate [private] (without additional ingredients) have the same benefits as fresh orange juice? 

The more processing that a food undergoes, the more potential there is for nutrient loss. Any juice will have fewer benefits than an equivalent amount of the whole food from which it is made (provided that there are whole food parts-such as pulp-never making it into the final juice). For example, whole, organic oranges always provide better nutrition than freshly squeezed organic orange juice, unless all of the pulp that would have been eaten with the whole orange was also consumed in the freshly squeezed juice.

Freshly squeezed organic orange juice provides better nutrition than organic orange juice made from concentrate because it takes processing to manufacture orange juice concentrate. However, the differences here may not be very dramatic. One cup of orange juice from concentrate, for example, contains about 100 milligrams of vitamin C and 40 micrograms of beta-carotene (according to the USDA's SR19 nutrient database). The same cup of freshly squeezed orange juice contains about 125 milligrams of vitamin C and 80 micrograms of beta-carotene. 

Even though processing does have an impact on the nutritional value of whole oranges, I do not believe that organic orange juice from concentrate is a bad dietary choice. Many supermarkets do carry cartons of fresh, organic orange juice that is not made from concentrate. If that is not available, I think that an organic orange juice made from concentrate is still a very high quality drink compared to dozens of other choices (such as fruit drinks and soda pop), and it provides a very significant and worthwhile amount of many nutrients. 

With all fruit juices, you do need to be more careful about the amount you consume than you do with whole fruits. Many people wanting a snack would naturally eat one whole orange and then stop. In that one medium-sized orange, they would get about 100 calories and 18 grams of sugar. On the other hand, it's not hard to find a 16-ounce bottle of orange juice in many stores, which will provide about 225 calories and 42 grams of sugar![private]

reference:

The World's Healthiest Foods 2011

 

 

Ask a Farmer

I decided to add  Ask a Farmer blog to our site. I often find myself probing farmers with questions "What's the best way to tell if one of these is ripe?" and "How do you like to prepare this?" for cooking inspirations. So each week I will share with you what I asked a farmer!

I  met a wonderful farmer from La Esperanza Farm, her name is Juanita.

"Whats the best way to store peaches?" Answer: Leave them on a counter away from direct sunlight. Wash right before you want to eat the peach.

She even gave us a recipe check it out its called Peggy's Okra Cornbread.

1 package of White Hush Puppy Mix

6 T oil

4 cups okra, cut in to 1/4" thick

1 tsp each of  salt, pepper,

tobasco to taste

2 eggs

1 cup milk

Peggy heats a 10" skillet cst iron on top of the stove with 1/2 of the oil in pan with 1 T corn meal. When corn meal turns brown pour batter into skillet and place in oven.

Another option is to use a 13x9 pan, be sure to grease first.  

Preheat oven to 350*

Bake 45- 60 minutes