Chilled Mint Tea

If you are getting as much heat as we finally are in Seattle, then my chilled Mint Tea is the clean and refreshing drink you have been craving!

Mint is one of the most widely used herbs in culinary traditions throughout the world. Read more about the cooling effects and other benefits of mint, along with my recipe for Iced Mint Tea, at Naturopath.ca.

Tandoori Tofu Kebabs

Who says only meat eaters have fun barbecuing?! These Tandoori Tofu Kebabs are so flavorful and easy to make that even tandoori meat lovers will happily eat them!

Tofu is something I cook in many, many, many ways. Tandoori Tofu Kebabs is one dish you'll rarely find in an Indian restaurant, although when they taste this great, they should be insanely common! They are a healthy and delicious way to enjoy wonderful grilled Indian flavors, and any Indian food lover would love them.

You can eat Tandoori Tofu Kebabs freshly grilled and all by themselves -- like my husband Brian ate half of the lot -- or you can eat the tofu in wraps, or with curries and rice, or you name it!


I used:
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chana flour
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon freshly grated garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru powder (a blend of ground cumin and coriander seeds)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
salt to taste
rock salt and lemon to garnish


My method:
1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a big bowl or a Ziploc® bag, then toss the cubed tofu in it. Taste the marinade and adjust it to your liking before you toss in the tofu!
2. Let the tofu marinate for up to one hour, or two if you like bolder flavors.
3. Soak your skewers in water, and preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
4. Thread the tofu on skewers, and let the skewers hang by the edges of a deep, lined baking pan to catch the drips. Yes, it will be a bit messy!
5. Let them bake for about 7-10 minutes, just as long as it takes for the tofu to crisp up nicely on the outside. Check to see if you need to rotate skewers, making sure the tofu is cooking evenly on all sides.
6. Sprinkle with rock salt and lemon juice, then serve hot, or incorporate the tofu in the dish of your choice.

Tip: Use the rest of your marinade to make tandoori vegetables or anything else you please!

Wholesome Berry Crisp

Oh, I eat a lot of oats! because they are so good for you, but also because they smell and taste delicious when baked into a fruit crisp. I really enjoy making different crisps every so often with fresh, seasonal fruit. They are light and easy to make, and they also keep in your fridge for some time -- if you can stop from eating them!

Here with its recipe is a Wholesome Berry Crisp I made for Naturopath.ca.

Good Food Is On the Rise

We recently saw the film "Good Food" at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). I won't give away all the film's story, neither do I want to formally review it. I do want to say this film was important to watch -- really for everyone who eats :)

Its SIFF description included: "This lively tour of various Washington State farms and ranches that have adopted healthier organic methods in raising their products offers several lucid arguments in favor of smaller, more efficient farms, and purchasing locally grown crops." If you are in Seattle and have some dough for a night out while supporting our local farmers, you can enjoy a fund-raising dinner at Rover's restaurant on June 17th. There you can also meet the film makers and some of the featured farmers.

What we learnt from "Good Food" was not necessarily surprising, but it was amazing. Film makers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young brought us lessons straight from the source - our farmers! with vivid scenes and personal stories. The film made more real all the hard work put into our food. It featured Alm Hill Gardens, Alvarez, Blue Bird Grain, Blue Heron, Skagit River Ranch, M and B Orchards, Marra, Billy's Gardens, and more.

Because we saw "Good Food" at SIFF, after the screening we met directors Dworkin and Young, and farmers Gretchen Hoyt and Ben Craft, the folks behind Alm Hill Gardens. It was wonderful to hear first-hand that like so many other local farmers and ranchers, they work not to get rich, but for the good of the community! Ben shared more of Alm Hill's story: when they first produced raspberries, several decades ago, their only options were selling to canneries or distributors. Neither type of corporation cared whether the food was organic and neither gave them the personal, community connection they craved.

Then Alm Hill found Pike Place Market in Seattle, where for more than 100 years the motto has been "Meet the Producer." Pike Place Market was their first chance to sell directly to the people. Selling at Pike Place kept them in business, proudly if barely, and they have now sold there for more than 25 years.

Today with the rise of farmers' markets all over Cascadia, Alm Hill and many others are really seeing the fruits of their labor. Washington State alone now has over 100 farmers' markets. An amazing number, isn't it? Good food is on the rise! Good food also has a bright future, as Growing Washington, a non-profit 501 c 3, is helping to carry Alm Hill's legacy into the future.

Sustainability is not only an environmental issue, it is also about our economy -- it is building markets that work fairly for both producer and consumer. You can do your part just by buying more food directly from farmers and ranchers. Don't give your hard-earned money to the middle men and profit-takers at large, corporate brands and grocery chains. Small farms produce higher quality foods and incredibly, they do it more efficiently than large industrial farms because they have much less waste per acre. Our entire food system would be more efficient, more sustainable, and healthier for everyone if it was based on small farms using modern, organic methods.

Are there limits to eating local? Well, there is no way I am giving up a good mango when I see it, and we can't grow them in our climate. I will buy almost all my foods locally, though and I am always looking to reinforce my commitment.

Finally, there is that most human reason -- that we instinctively and personally want to meet the producers, just as they want to meet us. The farmers we saw in the film and talked to afterward wake up at 3 a.m. to load their trucks. This labor of love is not done just to pay their bills and they're certainly not getting rich. They do this to see who is buying their produce and to learn what we think about it after we do. They love to hear how much we loved their spinach, or that our kids ate peas for the first time because they were so fresh and wonderful :)

Don't we all feel the same, that we want to know what went into our food and we want to meet the people who grew it? Farmers' markets are a win-win in so many ways.

Just this past weekend, I talked to a local rancher, Eiko from Skagit River Ranch at the Ballard Sunday Farmers' Market, who I had seen along with her family in "Good Food." I had to tell her that I was so happy to see the chickens where my eggs came from, and all the dedication they had to bringing their best to market. She gave me the biggest smile and a heartfelt thank-you. I'll never forget that connection. When tempted to grab a carton of eggs at the grocery store, I'm now sure to hold out for the farmers' market, as well I should.

Here are a few future show times for "Good Food" while it is playing around Seattle. If you can take a long lunch break and want to catch a free screening, go to the Seattle City Council's Brown Bag Lunch viewing on July 9th.

For more about eating local and connecting to the source:

• The Washington Farm Link is operated in conjunction with Cascade Harvest Coalition


• Growing Washinton is a non-profit with many programs in sustainable agriculture, economic and societal health, and cultural preservation


• Seattle Chefs Collaborative "works with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. Our members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies." Seth Caswell, chef of Stumbling Goat restaurant has been on the forefront of this.
  


• Gleaning Project recovers local surplus produce to feed the hungry in Whatcom County


• Sustainable Ballard is my neighborhood's organized effort toward general sustainability

Some night this summer, I would love to show "Good Food" on a large screen, outside in our backyard. I will decide the date based on the response I get to this post. Anyone for an outdoor summer movie?

Heart Smart Carrot Muffins -- Eggless n Butterless!

I had been getting bored with what I could buy for breakfast at and near my work. I wanted something quick but wholesome, and to mix things up, also something home-made.

I also was getting tired of so many stick-of-butter recipes, which are not so great when it comes to cholesterol. It all led me to invent my Heart Smart Carrot Muffins. Their deliciousness and texture come from whole wheat flour, olive oil, and yogurt!

Check out my recipe at Naturopath.ca.

Our Edible Garden

[Romaine, Sungold Tomatoes, Strawberries]

We have been so inspired at times, and yet so angered at times, by what is available to eat around here. Due to both our frustration and for wanting to be a part of the solution, we started to grow some of our own food. When I say "around here," I mean Seattle and the region we call Cascadia. Click the tag Cascadia to see my posts featuring regional foods and issues.

We had other reasons, too, like the cost of food, the environmental benefits of growing organic food, and Seattle's encouraging urban gardening scene. We are vegetarians, and we spend most of our money on the green stuff -- vegetables, herbs, and fruits!

[Siegerrebe Wine Grapes]

I mentioned in my post on Earth Day, 2008 that I would be at Seattle Tilth's Annual Edible Plant Sale, and I was, and it was wonderful! My shopping list got longer as we walked through rows and rows of edible plants on a cold and rainy day. I really wished I had a rainproof camera that day, just to document how much fun it was to be in Seattle. It was the part of the city I really enjoy and appreciate being a part of. Little kids played in the dirt, while parents and others shopped away among aisles of edible plants. The smell of sweet, vegan Mighty O Donuts frying in the background filled the air. It rained softly, steadily, and the plants actually seemed happy.

As always, a bit of rain did not dampen the spirits of Seattleites -- who are proud of their environment, and take every chance they get to make it better. A lot of people (and I mean a LOT of people!) grow their own food in this city. Many attempt to live sustainably and eat healthy, organic produce. Even so, I still know some who simply don't care, and even some who think global warming is a myth!

[Carruth Sculptures from Daunhauers, Lavender, Birdhouse in our yard]

The biggest step most of us can take toward a sustainable food system is probably to eat more local foods, and that includes growing our own food. Around here we have many P-Patches or community gardens and CSAs or Community Supported Agriculture programs. We also have abundant natural and educational resources for growing our own beautiful food. So why not give it a shot?!

I am reading and hearing only more about how governments allow corporations to market harmful and untested foods -- for the skinny on that, read the book Skinny Bitch ... I am almost through it and will probably blog about it more some day. I am disgusted by how politics has controlled what we eat, trading our health for corporate profit and our future for their short-term gains -- we so need better local and national Farm Bills! At least around here, Farm to School laws and related government action continues to change for the better.

[Mint Julep, Spinach, Garlic Chives, Cilantro]

I know that I cannot honestly avoid every single, disagreeable ingredient if I want to casually, socially eat where I work and play. My husband and I do vote with our dollars by supporting restaurants we know are using local, organic, and otherwise sustainable foods. When we eat home-prepared foods, though, we control what we grow and how, or what we buy and from whom.

[Spearmint, Thai Hot Peppers, Basil, Zucchini]

Gardening really does have a fun side to it, besides. You anticipate the warm summer all the more when you have a garden you are rooting for and a harvest to look forward to. It has already been fun eating our food, with how much effort and love we put into it. As beginning gardeners, we are appreciating and learning more from our local farmers when we visit farmers' markets, too. They have always been happy to answer questions and encourage us along the way :)

[Greek Oregano, English Thyme, Calendula, Edelweiss Lavender]

Our Edible Garden is:

1. Sungold Tomatoes -- see my Sungold Orange Marinara
   
2. Spinach
   
3. Romaine
4. Yellow and Green Summer Squashes, AKA Zucchini
5. Tri-star Strawberries -- see my Strawberries on Biscuits
   
6. Siegerrebe Grapes
7. Greek Oregano -- see my Orzo Stuffed Zucchini
   
8. English Thyme -- see my Stuffed Sun Isand Squash
   
9. Garlic Chives
10. Cilantro
11. Spearmint -- see my Chilled Mint Tea
12. Applemint -- see my Applemint Gimlet
    
13. Mint Julep -- see my Mango Power Pop and Fizz
14. Purple Basil
15. Italian Basil -- see my Simple Basil Syrup
    
16. Thai Hot Peppers
17. Edelweiss Lavender
18. Calendula
    

Below is a beautiful garden sculpture given to us by one of Brian's grandfathers. From his garden to ours, it is reminding us of one of life's most important lessons -- Celebrate Life! & live it to the fullest :)

Hazelnut Chocolate Loaf

I am tired, frustrated, and really did not feel like finishing another, more beautiful post that I had started tonight. It is just cold and crappy in Seattle lately, and everything is annoying the hell out of me. Then there are people you have to deal with who make it worse all day long.

Ever felt like that?! Well, this post is for all the brickheads I am tired of dealing with, though of course I won't name names. Sometimes life is one hurdle after another, and you try to remember to jump and smile over each hurdle, even though you just don't want to! Thankfully, pushing through a tough time can have its rewards, even when they're accidental.

This Hazelnut Chocolate Loaf is one of my creations that I did take good photos of, and it tasted great, but I just didn't write down the recipe. Now *I* feel like a brickhead!

This loaf also felt like it weighed a ton of bricks. When I cut and photographed it, even its texture reminded me of bricks. It actually was an attempt at brownies that I had screwed around with so much that it turned into this dense Hazelnut Chocolate Loaf.

I don't typically care for brownies much, because they too often feel like an undercooked slab of dough that I can't finish chewing! My American husband loves them though, and I guess I don't blame him, because gooey brownies are so common in this country and they are easy as hell to make. Maybe because my dislike for a gooey brownie is so strong, I don't seem to have the skill for making them gooey from scratch. Sorry B, let's just stick to an organic boxed mix -- Dr. Oetker wasn't bad, right?! ;)

This Hazelnut Chocolate Loaf was also crunchy and had a bite to it. I cut it into small slices to control the portions of this indulgence, but then a friend from work and I ate most if it ourselves :-P

For now, I will keep jumping the hurdles and maybe I'll see a ray of sunshine soon!