Organic Beef Heart and Growing Kakai Pumpkins for Hulless Seed

[suzanne sanders]

We have a friend that sells organic beef, his company is Simply Grown Beef and recently he gave us an organic beef heart to try. I will tell you, I was a little skeptical   I had never eaten it before and I grew up not eating the odd parts of a cow.  It sounded a little strange and it sat in the freezer for a while.  As most of you know I have MCS,   My doctor has been after me for a while to put organ meats in my diet.   Like I said this was strange for me.  I new at one point I needed to do this if I wanted to keep getting better.  Thanks to my wonderful 16 year old daughter, Sophia the beef heart was cooked.  

Originally she had plans to cook it on Valentines day, but it did not defrosted in time.  We did have it the next day.   She searched the internet for some ideas, found a great recipe and added her own special touch.  It was served with an awesome salad and organic sushi rice.  My mind wanted to find something odd about it, but it could not.  It was really good and we plan to eat it often.  

Information on beef heart:  

Beef heart is a muscle like other cuts of steak, but more dense with a higher content and additional protein. Beef heart contains all essential amino acids, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. It has more than double the elastin and collagen than other cuts of meat and a highly concentrated source of coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10.  Make sure you purchase organic grass-fed beef rather than grain-fed beef because it may have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Below is the link to the information about how to cook the beef heart: 

http://ruhlman.com/2011/08/how-to-cook-beef-heart/

Something new to grow, that has some great health benefits: 

Do you know where your pumpkin seeds come from?  Almost, all of them come from China.  For me this does not work, mainly because China is very polluted.  Even if they were certified organic I do not eat foods from China.   There is a small farmer that grows this type of pumpkin and sells the seeds at a local co-op.  But, this year I am excited to grow some for my family and CSA.  Down below are a few links with information about this type of pumpkin and there is some nutritional information about pumpkins seeds. 

Kakai Pumpkin-  This pumpkin has a hull-less seeds:

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of essential fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits. From providing protection against serious health diseases such as high blood pressure, arthritis and cancer to promoting healthy skin and improving brain power, essential fatty acids present in pumpkin oil offer several health benefits.  They are also known as Pepitas are a rich source of protein. One ounce of pumpkin seeds contains approx. 7 grams of protein. Their oil is high in phytosterols or plant-based fatty acids and their chemical composition is the same as cholesterol. Phytosterols can replace cholesterol in the body, and help in reducing the blood cholesterol levels.

Information on growing them: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BxXUdRKSAU

Where to buy seeds: 

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=VPU-5002#.USxHO...

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=5701&SENa...