Today's Rewards

Success at the Los Feliz Farmers Market. Green beans, avocado, lemon, cucumbers, onion, strawberries, and brussels sprouts. Oh and thank you Charmed Scones for offering gluten-free scones! GF Lemon with Raspberry and GF Chocolate Chip. Woopee!

Today's Rewards

Well, I had another beautiful visit to the Silverlake Farmers Market this morning. Zucchini, squash, heirloom red zebra tomatoes, grape tomatoes, watermelon and nuts.

And I had yet another delicious dinner this evening from today's seasonal shopping. I love this blog!

Zucchini!

Last night I sauteed sliced zucchini and onions in oil and salt & pepper and ate it with some quinoa. Oh my god! This simple zucchini was delicious! If you are not eating zucchini right now, you are truly missing out.

Cru

http://www.crusilverlake.com/about.html

I went to Cru tonight for the first time and love, love, loved it. Cru is a raw, vegan, gluten-free restaurant in Silverlake. My friends and I enjoyed Bruschetta Rustica, Minted Cucumber Strawberry Salad, Chorizo Tostada, and Mushroom Quinoa Risotto. Everything was awesome but my favorite was the Bruschetta. Please go and savor this delicious, conscious cuisine.

Oh and they also give classes that teach easy raw vegan recipes. This Sunday is taco night with crunchy tacos, plantain chips with a spicy mango salsa and mexican chocolate frozen bananas. Anyone want to join me?

Basil-Blackberry Crumble

from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

2-3 apples, chopped (I used Granny Smith's for tartness)

2 pints blackberries

2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

1 large handful of basil leaves, chopped

1/2 cup honey-or more, depending on tartness of fruit

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the above and put mixture in ovenproof casserole dish. Set aside.

5 tablespoons of flour

3 heaping tablespoons brown sugar

1 stick cold butter

Mix flour and sugar. Cut butter into mixture. Then rub with your fingers to make a chunky, crumbly mixture (not uniform). Sprinkle it over the top of the fruit, bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.

My butter mixture came out much more runny than "chunky crumbly," because I used some margarine on hand rather than butter. The result was still awesome. Have it with a couple scoops of vanilla ice creams. Yep!

Mar Vista Farmers Market

http://marvistafarmersmarket.org/default.asp

I went to the Mar Vista Farmers Market today for the first time. It was lovely and I highly recommend it to those in the area. A great neighborhood Market filled with produce, food vendors, flowers, and even a DJ. I had a great time and now wish I could go every weekend. Thanks Audrey!

Organically Yours

Why buy organic?

Organic fruits and vegetables are tougher creatures than those labeled "conventional," precisely because they've had to fight off predators themselves. If nobody is spritzing chemicals on the predators, all a plant can do is to toughen up by manufacturing its own disease/pest-fighting compounds. That's why organic produce shows significantly higher levels of antioxidants than conventional - these nutritious compounds evolved in the plant not for our health, but for the plant's. The same antioxidants that fight diseases and pests in the plant leaf work similar magic in the human body, protecting us against various diseases, cell aging, and tumor growth.

Four other reasons to buy organic.

1. It avoids pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in non-organic food. There is research that suggests unnatural pesticides and herbicides have a causative relationship with the development of some cancers, birth defects, and nerve damage. Further, pesticide-related health risks to farm works (and anyone living in the area) are eliminated.

2. No genetic modification. Under organic standards, GM crops and ingredients are not allowed. Genetically modified organisms pose serious unknown and unpredictable health and environmental risks.

3. It's good for wildlife and the environment. Pesticides are responsible for a staggering amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide and less dangerous wastes.

4. Reduced reliance on chemical and agri-engineering corporations is good for farmers. It is estimated over one million people worldwide are poisoned by pesticides annually.