CSA Share Week #11 Summer Squash Salad, Creamy Pea Salad & No Bean Hummus

Week #11 of my CSA share!!

We have a lot of variety this week.  Our weather has been pretty dry here so our peppers are not as plump as they should be, but there is an abundance.  Many of the bell peppers pictured here were not in my regular share.  They are what are called seconds.  Seconds are always freebies.  Our farmer will send a crate or two of them and members are free to take as they please.  :)

Pictured top left and clockwise:

2 cantaloupe (1 is a second)

red beets

bag of salad mix

12 ears of corn

variety of bell peppers (we received 2 in our regular share)

2 onions

garlic bulb

parsley

basil

applemint

celery cuttings

bunch of carrots

In the center:

kale

summer squash

1 pint of blackberries

Italian Squash Salad

2 yellow summer squash (pictured below) shredded

1 green pepper chopped

carrots shredded

red onion diced

1 large clove of garlic

black olives sliced

oregano

basil

thyme

Himalayan salt

Organic Balsamic Vinegar

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

topped with raw sesame seeds

This is a summer favorite!!  My husband said it tasted like pizza...I think he meant it had the flavor of pizza.

A good friend was cleaning out her garden before they left for vacation and gave us this box of green beans, squash and a green pepper . 

Thank you!! 

The green beans are delicious and you can see we put the rest to good use!

Creamy Cheezy Pea Salad

1 bag of frozen peas or you can use fresh

1 red bell pepper

red onion diced

1 large clove of garlic

Daiya Cheddar Cheese (vegan)

Vegenaise~just enough to moisten

I order my Daiya Cheese from my co-op.  I get a five pound bag and divide it and keep it in the freezer until ready to use.  This saves us money by buying in bulk.  This cheese is vegan and melts very well. 

Here is a list of info from Daiya's website:

Cholesterol free

Trans Fat free

Dairy free
Free of all animal products (Vegan)
Free of common allergens including:
Dairy (casein and lactose), soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconut)
Free of Artificial Ingredients
Free of Preservatives
Free of Hormones & Antibiotics

Kosher

The full list of ingredients are as follows:

Filtered water, tapioca and /or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor), annatto, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).

My Daily Green Juice!

cucumber

celery

swiss chard

lemon

ginger

liquid stevia

 

NO BEAN HUMMUS

no measurements~I just tossed this in the Vita-Mix

1 zucchinni unpeeled

big spoonful of tahini

about 1/4 c. ground raw sesame seeds

lemon juice

1 red bell pepper

1 large garlic clove

Himalayan salt

Blended and poured half into one container and then added:

one small hot pepper

blend until smooth

CSA Share Week #10 and what to do with Celery Cuttings, Swiss Chard and Pumpkins Seeds!

Another bountiful share from our farmer.  I neglected to add the six additional cucumbers I received...but as you can see there is barely enough room.

Pictured clockwise starting in the top left corner:

cantaloupe

swiss chard

12 ears of sweet corn

cucumbers

variety of tomatoes

2 onions

variety peppers

chives

basil

clery cuttings

parsley

Eggplant on top of herbs

salad greens in the middle

Celery cuttings are the beautiful deep green top/leaves of the celery plant.  If you didn't know any better you might think that it is parsley.

If you know me, you know that I love celery for it's many wonderful benefits, which include a good amount of Vitamin C, it has the potential to lower  blood pressure, stop tumor growth, it is diuretic with both sodium and potassium so it helps regulate fluid balance, it is anti-inflammatory, it aids in digestion it also helps in the elimination and prevention of urinary and gall bladder stones.  Follow this link for more detailed infomation on the benefits of celery juice. 

Today I made Tabbouleh with celery cuttings a a few sprigs of parsley to receive the benefits from the celery and to use up some of our CSA goodies.

You can also dehydrate or hang and dry the celery cuttings and place them in a glass jar to add to soups or you can grind them up and use as a salt substitute.

Tabbouleh

approximately 5-6 c. of celery cuttings chopped fine

handful of chives chopped fine

2 heaping t. dried mint

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2-3/4 t. cumin

6 T. lemon juice

6 T. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 med cucumbers de-seeded and chopped in small pieces

3 medium red tomatoes de-seeded and chopped in small pieces

Himalayan Salt to taste

mix together and let sit to allow flavors to blend.

I massaged my salad a bit prior to adding the tomatoes as celery cuttings are not as delicate as parsley and this helps to break them down a bit and wilt them.

This is a picture of my sons lunch that he will be taking to work tonight...alone with some tabbouleh.

If ou click on the picture to enlarge it you can see the pate in the roll up I tilted one up on the side.

Pumpkin Seed Pate Roll Ups

3 swiss chard leaves cleaned and de-stemmed~sit aside

In the food processor:

1 1/2 c. raw pumpkin seeds that have been soaked for 4 hrs/drained and rinsed

ginger to taste

3 T. dried onion

Bragg's Liquid Amino's to taste

Chinese Five Spice to taste

water to blend

I found a similar recipe on the internet some time ago but do not have the source. 

This pate always comes out delicious and it is highly nutritious. Pumpkin seeds have magnesium & zinc.  They are anti-inflammatory, improve bladder function,  help prevent kidney stones, a treatment for parasites, provide prostate protection, cancer prevention and they help treat depression.  Here are some brief details and remember to do your own research!

For the roll ups.  Lay out the chard leaves and spread the pate on one end, top with mashed avocado that has been mixed with a little lemon juice, diced sweet peppers, tomatoes or whatever you like and then roll them up!  Enjoy!!

Date Bites

 aka God's Candy

pit medjool dates and stuff with favorite raw nut!

I like pecans in mine.

Remember to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces today!

Breathe deeply

Be thankful

kind

and

Smile!

Raw Corn Salad/Salsa

This past week in my CSA share I received 12 ears of corn.  Some of my family enjoys their corn on the cob the traditional way.  Heated up on the stove, which is fine.  I like to try to consume much of my food intake RAW.  Most people are totally unaware that you can eat corn raw..but you can.  I like to shave it right off the cob after cleaning it.   You can toss it into a salad, in a roll up or eat it out of the hand...you can even leave it on the cob and eat it that way!

I decided to make one of my favorite ways to eat it!

Raw Corn Salad/Salsa

6 ears of corn~cleaned and shaved off the cob

1/2 of a red onion corsely chopped

1/4-1/3 c. jalapeno's diced

splash of lemon juice

cilantro to taste

Mix and let marinate to allow the flavors to mingle

you could also add a dash of salt

other optional ingredients~diced red sweet peppers, diced celery or any other veggie you have on hand

you could leave out the jalapeno's and add the other veggies plus a bit of olive oil so that it is more like a  salad  rather than hot salsa

You might want to make a corn soup or chowder...

place it in the Vita-Mix and add water, salt, garlic, jalapeno, avocado, a little lime juice and blend

Be creatvive and Enjoy!

Juicing and loving Crispy Dulse

Ingredients for my juice today:

top left~clockwise

celery

swiss chard & zucchini

peeled cucumbers

broccoli and ginger

100% organic Volcano lemon juice

 (there is the juice of 40 lemons in this bottle.. $3.89 at Costco!)

This made 1 gallon of Green Juice

Bottled and ready for the fridge

Mid afternoon meal~

Cheezy Kale Salad

Beet Salad

Not Tuna Pate

Cabbage with olive oil, lemon juice and Himalyan salt

Topped with Spicy Cheese

After the picture I sprinkled granulated dulse on top and then ate it with strips of dulse...lovin me some crispy dulse

This is my Dulse!! 

 A yummy Sea Veggie

Dulse is full of Iodine... the natural kind...

(I do not eat iodized salt, it will harden your arteries)

and potassium, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A

When you crave something salty and chewy..like jerky...just eat some dulse!

Ice Cream For Breakfast!!

Inspired by a fellow blogger at Raw Food Passion I decided to make some Blueberry Ice Cream last night.  I modified her recipe at bit, so here is my version:

Blueberry Ice Cream

In Vita-Mix:

1 c. frozen wild blueberries

3 frozen bananas

a little raw almond milk to blend until you get a soft serve consistency

I varied my speed from 3 to 6

Then we topped it off with unsweetened coconut & crushed pecans and a Blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce

1/2 c. frozen wild blueberries

1 t. agave

blend to desired consistency

I left mine a bit chunky for texture

This morning after walking with our neighhood ladies I decided to have a bowl of fruit...thoughts of blueberry ice cream came flooding back...so I decided to make a fruity ice cream with the bowl of mixed fresh fruit I had on hand.  I made this one with a pudding like consistency.  You could add more frozen bananas for make it firmer

In Vita-Mix:

2 c. fresh mixed fruit (strawberries, kiwi, mango, oranages)

1 frozen banana

blend to get desired consistency

Topped with pecans and unsweetened coconut

This is one of many benefits of eating a raw food diet.  You can treat yourself to yummy foods and still be eating healthy!!

Remember to Smile today

Breathe Deeply

Move your Body

Drink lots of Water

Be Thankful!

Thanks for taking time to read my blog!

CSA Share Week #9

Share Week #9

starting with top left and clockwise:

1 dozen ears of corn

spearmint

swiss chard

chives

broccoli

celery cuttings

green bean

5 summer squash

garlic bulb

basil

parsley

In the middle:

6 cucumbers

romaine lettuce

Oh my!! I could hardly believe it when I opened up my bags!!!

God's Abundance!!!

Fun in the Kitchen Today!!

Today is my day in the kitchen.  I had a lot of produce piling up from my CSA.

Above are the ingredients for my green juice today and a jar of sunflower seeds soaking to make some not tuna pate.

Green Juice 

celery

cucumber

zuchinni

swiss chard

kale stems

ginger

lemon juice

liquid stevia 

Don't forget your Greens!!!

I also made a batch of raw almond milk.  We use it in our smoothies everyday!

Here is my fixings from this morning.

Top left and clockwise.

Beet Salad

Cheezy Kale Salad

Spicy Cheese

chopped tomatoes

kohlrabi sprinkled with dulse

center~not tuna pate

stuffed mini peppers with the not tuna pate

cabbage salad

shredded cabbage to use later on roll ups or in salads

LUNCH!!

it was sooo good!!

Cheezy Kale Salad

1 large bunch of kale cleaned, de-stemmed and shredded

in blender:

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. Bragg's liquid Amino's

1/2 c. filtered water

1/3 c. tahini

1/4 to 1/3 c. of  raw sesame seeds

2 garlic cloves

Himalayna  salt to taste

1/4 c. nutritional yeast

blend until smooth and pour over kale massage and let sit in fridge or eat right away if you cannot wait!

Spicy Cheese

2 c. soaked and drained sunflower seeds

1 red bell pepper

1 dried chili pepper

1/4- 1/3 c. lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

cayene pepper to taste

salt to taste

water to blend

place in Vita-Mix and blend until smooth

Cabbage Salad

1/2 head of shredded cabbage

sit aside

Citrus Dressing

 juice of one orange

 1/4 c. lemon juice

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2-3 T. raw agave

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

heaping T. of ground dried chives

  2 garlic cloves

salt to taste

blend until smooth and pour over cabbage

let marinate in fridge

I used some of the dressing to marinate my kohlrabi, and also poured it on top of my shredded beets.

Not Tuna Pate

(Inspired by Penni Shelton and Dara Dubinet recipe~Save the Tuna Heirloom Stuffed Tomatoes and modified)

2 c. soaked and drained raw sunflower seeds

3 c. diced celery

4 diced mini sweet peppers~chopped

1 T. dried powdered chives

handful of dulse chopped up in Magic Bullet

1/4 c. coconut oil

1 t. garlic powder

1/4 c. dried parsley

salt to taste

I placed my ingredients in the Vita-Mix and set it on 4 and plunged it until desired consistency. Place in bowl and add more chopped celery.

Stuff mini sweet peppers

Raw Birthday~ Strawberry Cheesecake

Today is my son's birthday and this was his request.  I thought you might like to see it!

RAW

Strawberry Cheesecake

In food processor~

1 c. soaked and dried raw almonds

1 c. pitted medjool dates

pinch of salt

blend until sticky and press on bottom of a springform pan

Filling

                       1 1/2 c. raw cashews~soaked for a couple hours and drained

  1/3 c. lemon juice

1/3 c. extra virgin coconut oil~melted

 (set in dehyrator if needed)

1/3 c. raw honey or raw agave

1 t. vanilla extract 

2 twist o Himalyan Salt

Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth and creamy..you may need to scrape the sides down
after assembly~cover and place in freezer until ready to eat. Then sit out for a couple minutes before slicing.
I added the strawberries and placed it back in the freezer until we were ready to eat. 
You can use any berry or chocolate sauce drizzled over each slice

Think Organic is not Important? Watch this experiment

CSA Share Week #8 Lots of Green!!

This is our 8th week!! 

Starting in the bottom left corner:

basil

bag of salad greens

parsley

large bunch of kale

celery cuttings

head of romaine

peppermint

applemint

bag of green beans

chives

5 cucumbers

3 summer squash

in the center

grape/cherry tomatoes

head of broccoli

Can you say abundance?

God is good!

 .

Infused Water & Getting Fruit-y

Infused Water~

Thank you Penni Shelton of Raw Food Rehab

This batch of water includes

fresh spearmint

1 organic navel orange

goji berries

liquid stevia

I placed this in the fridge overnight and it was ready in the morning.

I waited to add the stevia to each glass.

Fruit Salad

strawberries

kiwi

mango

navel oranges

celery

red bell pepper

spearmint leaves

My lunch for tomorrow...Fruit Salad on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce

and sprinkled with dulse...

CSA Share Week #7, Green Lemonade & Fruit Salad

Pictured from top right~

red potatoes

basil

summer squash

spearmint

green cabbage

swiss chard

bag of mixed salad greens

red beets

I also ordered 2 bunches of kale and 2 heads of romaine~but they are not pictured

This morning I got to play in the kitchen for a bit...

Did you know you can juice zucchini? 

They make your juice nice an creamy...

Green Lemonade

2 bunches of celery

3 cucumbers

1 zucchini

1 bunch of beet greens

1 c. of lemon juice

big piece of fresh ginger

liquid stevia to taste

Fruit Salad

1 pineapple

1 box of strawberries

3 kiwi

4 navel oranges

big handful of goji berries

My daughter made this smoothie for her b-fast

looks like someone is watching you! 

My daughter sighted this Owl Butterfly(oops, she says that it was a moth) in our front yard,

of course this picture does not do it justice.

It was quite beautiful.

God's creation is marvelous!

Praise and thank Him for all His Blessings today!