Weekly Wellness Letter October 6th 2013

[suzanne sanders]

Dive into you kitchen, pull out those pots and pans, pull out those recipes, check out the recipes below.   You might need a few things before you start, make a list, go to the farmers markets, go grocery shopping, seek foods of the fall season, fall spices, warming foods, warming herbs, warming teas and try something new.  Not from a box, not from the frozen food isle, from pure 100% scratch... Even if you do not cook, just try, play and create.  Learning to play with your food and creating healthy recipes, will just put you on the path to greater health.  Just please leave out the bacon! 

Kakai Pumpkin and Acorn Squash: 

Use the Kakai flesh in soups or bake in an oven to use in muffins, cookies, cakes, or bread recipes.

http://www.happyboyfarms.com/our-produce-varieties.php?id=24&ke...

Acorn Squash

Cut open, clean out seeds

Place in a Pyrex baking dish

Drizzle ( or heavy drizzle) with olive oil, butter, brown sugar, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper

Bake until tender 

Last Basil Of The Season

If you have not made the infused olive oil with the basil, you really want to make this one, it is incredibly good!

Let it infuse for about 4 to 6 weeks and then drain. 

Green Tomato Dip

A dip for fresh vegetables, a salad dressing for mixed greens, or a sandwich spread.  

Boiling-water bath canner; four 1-pint jars

8 green tomatoes, washed and cored

4 red bell peppers, washed, halved, and seeded

4 large onions, peeled, cut in half

3 cucumbers, peeled, cut into chunks 

1/2 cup sea salt or pickling salt 

2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar

1 cup organic sugar

2 teaspoons celery seed 

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon mixed pickling spice 

2 organic eggs

1/2 cup organic white flour

3/4 cup organic olive oil 

Grind the vegetables coarsely, using a hand-turned grinder or pulsating motions in a food processor.  You may also chop the vegetables by hand.  Sprinkle them with the salt. 

Cover and let stand at least 8-12 hours to allow the vegetables to "sweat" 

Drain the vegetables and combine them with 2 1/4 cups of the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, mustard, and pepper.  Add the pickling spice tied in a cheesecloth bag. 

pour the vegetables and seasonings into a nonreactive saucepan.  Cook, simmering over low heat, for 30 minutes.  Combine the eggs, flour, and the remaining vinegar in a food processor.  With the motor running, add the oil by droplets in a  steady stream until the mixture becomes thick and smooth. 

Remove the spice bag from eh vegetables and stir in the egg mixture.  Cook, simmering over low heat, until thick.  This should take 56-10 minutes.  

Ladle into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. 

Cap, seal, and process in a boiling water-bath canner for 10 minutes.

Green Tomato Pickle

4 quarts sliced green tomatoes

6 large onions, sliced

1/2 cup sea salt 

6 cups apple cider vinegar

6 sliced peppers

3 diced sweet red peppers 

6 garlic cloves, minced 

1 tablespoon dry mustard 

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 stick cinnamon 

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

1/2 tablespoon celery seed 

2 1/4 cups honey 

Combine sliced green tomatoes and onions.  Sprinkle with salt.

Let mixture stand for 12 hours. 

Wash in clear water and drain. 

Heat vinegar to the boiling point, and add the peppers and red peppers and garlic. 

Then add the tomato-onion mixture. 

Tie the spices in a square of cheesecloth and drop into the mixture.  

Simmer for about 1 hour, or until tomatoes are transparent, stirring frequently. 

Then add the honey

Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4 -inch headspace, and process quarts 15 minutes and pints 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.