The Whole Wheat

Oh the farmer’s market. I love you! When I was most recently at the farmer’s market I discovered this sprout mix. It is a combination of alfalfa, clover, and fennel spouts! I had a taste of this and was hooked!

They grow each of the sprouts individually, then a few daysbefore selling they combine them together so the flavors mix and blend. It is really a fantastic way to eat sprouts. You get just a nice hint of extra flavor from the fennel and the clover, but you still have the fresh, mild alfalfa to balance it out.

The mix is fantastic on salads & sandwiches. Do you have any sprout ideas – please share them if so! And if you are lucky enough to find such a sprout mix as this, don’t pass it up!

ETA: This was how they were shown at the market.

Did you know that the American Heart Assosciation actually charges food makers for their endorsement?

I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t eat a food the AHA endorses, but what I am saying is – when was the last time a piece of broccoli told you it was endorsed by the AHA? Or spinach, or those cute little Italian Butter Beans? I bet never. So look beyond labels when you look for food that will be good for your heart!

Source: Pollan, Michael, Unhappy Meals, 01/28/2007

Recently at the farmer’s market, I found these wonderful Italian Butter Beans from Iacopi Farms. I spoke to the lady selling them who said they were her absolute favorites!

I want to start incorporating more legumes into my diet for a multitude of reasons. Sadly, beans are often over looked in our society as “peasant” food. They shouldn’t be because they are quite amazing little creatures:

• they have more protein than any other plant food
• they are very high in fiber
• they help reduce cholesteral
• they are inexpensive
• they are available in a wide range of types, colors, sizes, and flavors

Nifty little guys, no? Along with the suggestions from the farmer’s market and my trusty Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, I prepared them in manner described below. Brad and I had these butter beans with fresh organic brown rice for a light dinner last night after he got off the plane. We both gave them a big thumbs up! The lemon juice gives them a fantastic freshness. Read more »

Paneer is the most common form of cheese used in India. It is a simple farmer’s cheese (meaning it is made by pressing liquid out of curds) that is unaged and acid set. I have always been particularly fond of Indian dishes containing Paneer and with a little research discovered the process to make it is quite simple. So I gave it a try!

All of the recipes I reviewed were remarkably similar: boil milk, add lemon juice or vinegar, continue boiling until curds have formed, then strain and press out remaining moisture. The active time to boil the milk and watch the curds is certainly under half an hour. But watch that milk like a hawk – you don’t want milk scum all over your stove top – yuck! The recipe follows. Read more »

It can be easy to forget about the Farmer’s Market in the winter. Its rainy, cold, and gray. Who thinks of going outside to find produce? In San Fran, a lot of us do! Here are some highlights from this morning at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market in San Francisco.

Fantastic citrus:

Beautiful baby Shitakes:

Winter blooms:

Funny Veggies:

And amazing winter delights:

With every statistic I read it becomes clearer that knowing the signs of heart disease is one of the most important things between life and death.

Timely access to emergency cardiac care and survival is partly dependent on early recognition of heart attack symptoms and immediate action by calling emergency services. In a 2001 survey, most persons (95%) recognized chest pain as a heart attack symptom, but only 11% correctly classified all symptoms and knew to call 9–1–1 when someone was having a heart attack.

Probably due in large part to the fact that only 11% of the population knew the signs, but

It is estimated that about 47% of cardiac deaths occur before emergency services or transport to a hospital.

The National Heart Attack Alert Program notes these major symptoms of a heart attack:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other symptoms. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat or feeling nausea or light–headedness.

Source: Center For Disease Control, Heart Disease Facts