How to eat

I find it curious that we are still seeking the answer to, what is eating healthy? After all the fade diets and miracle pills have we learned nothing? I have my answer, which is really short and simple: eat a bit of everything and move. Now, here is the caveat to my axiom.

I am a great proponent of learning to say yes to more foods – if I have never seen it before I try it, however, the most important aspect is that all foods created, served and eaten should be recognizable; i.e. understanding its relationship to the earth. There should never be foods that have been overly manipulated and packaged by any industrialized food manufacturer in the kitchen – butter over margarine; oven crisped sweet potatoes in lieu of Tatter Tots.  Any canned item in the pantry must have an extremely brief ingredient list (about four ingredients or less), and definitely, read and understand the label. In the winter months when the selection at the farmer’s markets is slim vegetables are going to be frozen rather than sodium drenched and already overcooked tinned ones. Of course, buying organic and certified humane is of great value, though I am greatly sensitive to the cost unfortunately associated with this choice. But part of eating “healthy” is not consuming the drugs administrated widely to our food supply in order to grow stuff bigger, faster, and fuller.

The ultimate healthy eating is not necessarily going vegan, swearing gluten-free because it is the cure, or cooking a pre-historic meal plan. It is finding the foods and style that are appealing and allowing the plate to be dominated by vegetables that you can live with for the rest of your life. Find the pleasure equally in a slab of baby back ribs or a slab of tofu; indulge in the slice of cake and revel in fruit tossed with some snipped herbs. Healthy eating is meant to keep us healthy both emotionally and physically.

We all must eat consciously and understand the amount of calories we are taking in because no matter how “healthy” one supposedly eats, too much is just that.

Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce – yields 4 servings

½-pound boneless/skinless chicken breast – cut into thin strips

4-ounces vermicelli rice noodles

½-hot house cucumber – sliced in strips

1-celery stalk – slice into 1-inch strips

½-pound jicama – peeled and sliced into strips

2-tablespoons chopped mint leaves

½-pound (about 4 pieces) chopped baby bok choy

3-scallions – sliced

Bring 3-cups of water to the boil, and add the chicken strips. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the chicken through a sieve into a bowl that has the noodles. Allow let the noodles soak in the hot cooking liquid for ten minutes, and then drain.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients, and toss with the peanut sauce. Serve room temperature or cold.

Peanut Sauce

3-tablespoons lemon juice (from a ½-lemon)

3-tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)

¼-cup all natural peanut butter

1-tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1-garlic clove

2-teaspoons sesame oil

1-tablespoon rice vinegar

3-tablespoons soy sauce

¼-cup water

Place all ingredients in a blend, and process until smooth.

Damn that chill

Where was the transition? But a week ago I was in a T-shirt with a hoodie at the ready as the sun started to fade. Then overnight, well it was really mid-day, the temperature nosedived making me wrap a scarf around my neck, and figure out where I put the dogs’ jackets.

Fortunately, I knew exactly where I stored the thermal covering for the garden – show’s my priorities. I still have a selection of developing watermelon radishes and various lettuces that I am not willing to lose. The potted lemon verbena, ginger and curry leaf plant had already found a spot in the house in front of the big picture window that affords them a terrific view of the mountains just to the west, hopefully protected until next spring.

I cannot save everything try as I might. Still in the ground, and even putting out flowers, are peppers and green beans. All I can do at this point is take a big bag out to them and harvest. Once I was done I could not believe how many peppers were still on the branch. The preponderance still green, though fortunately most of them were poblanos, which don’t offend me when not ripened. Still, I have way more then I could get through in a week. So, halved and seeded then nestled into freezer bags to be called upon for a winter stew.  And, of course all those habernos needed to get pureed and add to the jars curing in the refrigerator.    

Jicama Salad - serves 6

1 pound jicama - peeled and sliced very fine julienne

2 pablano chilis - seeded and sliced thin

1 jalapeno – seeds removed and sliced very thin

1 small red onion - sliced very thin

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 lime - juice only

1/4 cup oregano - leaves only, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and let sit for half hour or overnight, refrigerated.