Published on November 19th, 2009
As we head into the Thanksgiving season, all eyes (and mouths) fixate on that key holiday ingredient: food. From turkeys to pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving gifts us with a list of seasonal traditions that celebrate our love for good food. While these all rank important holiday elements, let’s not miss the key ingredient rooted in the inherent concept of Thanksgiving: gratitude.
A mindset of green gratitude emphasizes positive abundance, relishing the glass half full perspective. An important concept to keep on the front burner, especially as tanking economies fuel table conversations that tend to serve up sentiments of fear, scarcity and deprivation.
Add a dash of green reflection and gratitude to your Thanksgiving table by throwing these three questions on eating and drinking better into the conversation mix: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 16th, 2009
The San Francisco Ferry Market is a gorgeous place to stroll around in if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area for any length of time.
The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:
“is a California certified farmers market operated by the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture“ ~CUESA
The market is open Tuesday and Saturday.
Below are spotlights on a few of their unique vendors in this city building, such as the Far West Fungi shop, and organics from the Farm Fresh to You store.
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Published on November 12th, 2009
As the colder November winds start to blow here on our Wisconsin farm and B&B, Inn Serendipity, I feel a breeze of bittersweet. As I look at the pumpkins, potatoes and other root crops stacked up for the winter, I crave something else: One last taste of crunchy, flavorful garden fresh.
That’s when these Fall Finale Muffins show up on our breakfast table. Grab the last of the apples and pair them with shredded carrots for a hearty, healthy muffin packed with a nutritional boost. Because of the high amounts of fresh carrots and apples, along with dried cranberries and nuts, these muffins take on more of a crunchy produce feel than a typical bread-like muffin. Fall bounty you can hold in your hand.
Make an extra batch as these freeze surprisingly well. Here’s the recipe: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 30th, 2009
With seasons changing yet again, starting a garden might be the last thing on a person’s mind. Not so here in Madison, Wisconsin, where a local group is pushing for more community garden spaces in the downtown area. This isn’t especially newsworthy until you hear where they’re proposing to add the garden – the top of the Madison Public Library.
Community gardens and downtown green space aren’t new ideas, but at a public presentation on Thursday night, members of Downtown Madison Community Gardens, said if their proposal is accepted, the garden would be the first rooftop community vegetable garden on a public library in the world.
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Published on October 29th, 2009
I confess: rutabagas overwhelm me. Turnips come in a close second. As these hefty big root crops pile up on the counter here at Inn Serendipity, I realize I need an easy cooking plan.
Fall crops – from butternuts to beets – require taking out the big sharp knives, the cutting boards, and usually can’t go from garden to plate in ten minutes or less. (Case in point: the yummy, yet rather complex, Beet Burger recipe I wrote about last week). But there’s a reason for that: these types of fall vegetables are meant to store and be savored through the winter months, particularly here in through our Wisconsin winters. Tougher skins and harder insides hold up to seasonal and local eating booty through our lean Midwest growing months, providing the opportunity to still eat fresh year round.
Consider this Roasted Root Vegetable recipe my point of entry into the winter cooking season. Cooked in olive oil with some simple seasonings, this recipe showcases the distinct, hearty flavors of root vegetables. Potato recipes get temporarily bumped off the breakfast plate at Inn Serendipity this time of year as this flavorful, unusual recipe prompts folks to rethink their assumptions about rutabagas and other roots.
Roasted Root Vegetables (Vegan) Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 28th, 2009
Cranberries, the cousin of blueberries, have long been valued for their ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Recent studies show that this berry may also promote gastrointestinal and oral health, prevent the formation of kidney stones, lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, aid in recovery from stroke, and even help prevent cancer. Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, a very good source of dietary fiber, and a great source of manganese and vitamin K. Cranberries are also a source of polyphenol antioxidants, which are being researched for their possible benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system. Fresh cranberries are at their peak during the holiday season between October and December. When in season choose fresh, plump cranberries, deep red in color, and quite firm to the touch. Firmness is a primary indicator of quality. The deeper red their color, the more highly concentrated are cranberries’ beneficial compounds. When the season is over or if you can’t find fresh cranberries but still want all the nutritional benefits, simply look for dried or frozen cranberries at your local grocery store. The recipe included is perfect as a holiday side dish or throw over brown rice to make a complete vegan meal. Trust me, these are not your mother’s Brussels sprouts.
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Published on October 22nd, 2009
For centuries, pomegranates have been used to promote fertility, increase vitality and to lengthen and improve human life. Foods that resembled seeds or eggs were historically thought to be aphrodisiacs. It turns out, those ancient sexual beings were on to something. The pomegranate, with its abundance of seeds, is said to be a symbol of fertility. The seeds of the fruit were often compared to the seeds of life. Nutritionally speaking, the pomegranate offers your body an array of nutrients that will not only increase your overall health, but may just boost your libido and sexual vigor as well.
Pomegranates contain almost half your daily quota of Vitamin C, an antioxidant that is required for at least 300 different metabolic functions in the body. Vitamin C is also a protector from free radical damage and a facilitator of good circulation, which is vital for sexual health and pleasure. They also contain vitamin B5, the anti-stress vitamin needed for proper adrenal function, and vitamins A and E, which help to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Pomegranate oil is now being used in many menopause products to help reduce symptoms, as well as in vaginal creams to help eliminate dryness, which can make sex painful. Pomegranate juice is easily found at your local grocery store, often mixed with other super-fruits, offering you an antioxidant cocktail that is easily assimilated by the body. The seeds are great in cold salads, on (soy) yogurt with some nuts or paired with greens for a sweet and tart delight. Do something good for your body today and try the greens recipes below to increase your overall health and feed your libido at the same time. It doesn’t get much better then that.
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Published on October 21st, 2009
Fall ushers in burger season on our Wisconsin farm. Beet burger season, that it. These veggie burgers are house favorites here at Inn Serendipity farm and B&B. Something about the red color and texture of the beets that cause even the committed meat burger eater to savor the veggie side of the bun.
This is a very adaptable, forgiving recipe—feel free to modify and experiment with ingredients. Carrots can easily substitute for some of the beets. The burgers freeze well (and taste surprisingly good cold), so we usually make a triple batch in a jumbo bowl.
Here’s the recipe: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 15th, 2009
Fresh ingredients go a long way in adding flavor to any dish. The same culinary theory holds outside of the kitchen in other contexts as well, as evidenced at the 13th annual Community Food Security Coalition Conference this past week in Des Moines, Iowa. Over 500 activists from around the country gathered to connect, collaborate and challenge each other on ways to transform and improve our food system, including representation from young women dedicated to a farming career in sustainable agriculture.
As a female farmer myself, running Inn Serendipity farm and B&B with my husband, John Ivanko, in Wisconsin, this increasing blending and crossover between new women farmers with a passion for raising both cabbage and change cultivates a hefty serving of inspiration. These new women farmers grow more than food for our table; they rethink the status quo approach to our food system and provide keen insights into what needs to change.
“As one of the fastest growing groups of new farmers, women can be the change makers that transform our agricultural system into one that provides organic, healthy and fair food to us all,” explains Faye Jones, Executive Director of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) member organization that sponsored two women farmers to attend this conference. Wisconsin women farmers Jai Kellum of King’s Hill Farm and Erin Schneider of Hilltop Community Farm attended the CFSC Conference on behalf of MOSES.“It is important to keep the voice of farmers represented in the national discussion on food and agricultural policy and priorities,” sums up Jones.
Here are four of their tips for politicians to policy makers from Kellum and Schneider to improve our agriculture and food system: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 12th, 2009
With autumn upon us, our seasonal menu has already begun to change. At farmers markets in most areas of the country you can see the abundance of the Fall season. Hearty root vegetables are everywhere and can offer your body an array of healing benefits as prepare for the winter months ahead. The roots of any plant are its foundation; roots support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables offer you these same properties, making you feel grounded both emotionally and physically and increasing your stamina and endurance. Roots are a source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing long lasting energy and helping to regulate your blood sugar levels. Root vegetables also help us to absorb and assimilate the nutrients we eat, just as they absorb and assimilate vital nutrients for plants.
Long roots include carrots, parsnips, burdock and daikon radish. Some of these are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots include turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas. Round roots are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar, moods, and alleviate cravings.
Read more for a delicious Meatless Monday Vegan Roasted Root Vegetable recipe.
Read the rest of this entry »
As we head into the Thanksgiving season, all eyes (and mouths) fixate on that key holiday ingredient: food. From turkeys to pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving gifts us with a list of seasonal traditions that celebrate our love for good food. While these all rank important holiday elements, let’s not miss the key ingredient rooted in the inherent concept of Thanksgiving: gratitude.
