Blikki Magazine ~ April / May 2013 No. 3

Blikki

Blog + Wiki = Blikki ~ The Sustainable Lifestyle Magazine

THE

Lycopene

the Rock Star

Super-Antioxidant

TOMATO ISSUE 13 DELECTIBLE RECIPES YOUR WHOLE FAMILY WILL

ENJOY!

p. 8

p. 14, 32

Grow Mom Roses for

Mother’s Day! p. 45

Sweet Tomato Jam p. 20

NEW! Download Recipes Instantly p. 7

April/May 2013 blikki.com

February / March 2013 blikki.com

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Contents 10

33

8

38

45 The Recipes:

Blikki® - [b’lik-kee] April/May 2013

5 8 10 38 42 45 51

Editor’s Note Live Well with Lycopene For the Love of Tomatoes 10 Gluten-Free Grains Growing Tomatoes in Containers Growing Roses for Mother’s Day Soul Food

50

14 16 18 20 21 22 30 32

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Raw Pizza with Spinach Pesto - GF Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat - GF Sun Dried Tomato & White Bean Spead - GF with Black Olive Rye Bread Sweet Tomato Jam - GF Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits Tomato Ice Cream Marinate & Roasted Tomato Garlic Hummus Raw Pasta with Tomato Sauce & Spicy Nut Balls Sweet Tomato Cake Mixed Vegetable Korma Raw Corn Tortilla Tacos Summer Tomato Lentils Quick Bites! - Gluten-Free Coconut Pancakes

©2013 Blikki.com, All Rights Reserved. Blikki® is the registered trademark of Blikki.com. All other marks are either trademarks, service marks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted, copied or distributed in print or on-line without prior written consent.

The statements and products featured in this publication and/or on this site may not have been evaluated by the US Food & Drug Administration. The statements and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The articles written are from the author’s viewpoint and or opinion and may not necessarily reflect he opinions or views of Blikki, its owner, publisher, or editors. Articles are copyright of the author and used with permission.

Contributors

Maggie Perry has written articles for ‘World of Interiors’ ‘Gardens Illustrated’ and many other publications. Her travels introduced her to worldwide cuisines and her love great food, inspired her to opened a cooking school in Marrakech. Maggie and her husband (Clay Perry) are writing a book on heirloom vegetables.

Dr. Laura Figoski, is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) practicing in San Francisco, CA. Emphasizing nature-based, individualized and holistic recommendations, she provides naturopathic primary care with a focus in heart disease and diabetes. Ultimately, her mission is to help her patients find or regain peace, joy and ease.

Kimberly Nagy is an award-winning writer, editor and storyteller--and the co-founder of the international literary magazine, Wild River Review. Her forthcoming book, The Triple Goddess Trials, is a literary exploration of love, career, creativity and motherhood, and brings the wisdom of ancient mythology to modern life.

Leslie Cerier, “The Organic Gourmet,” has been teaching the art of farm to table healthy and delicious cooking at some of the finest eco lifestyle centers in the world.

Leslie is a national authority on glutenfree cooking and baking specializing in local, seasonal, whole foods and organic vegetarian cuisine.

Dreena Burton has been a vegan for almost 20 years. Always passionate about creating nutritious recipes, she is an advocate of using the “vegan basics” (beans, nuts, seeds, whole-grains, fruits and vegetables) to create dishes that are healthy and delicious!

Emily von Euw. My mostly raw, always vegan lifestyle is something I am proud to share, and my recipes are the best way to do that.

On my blog - This Rawsome Vegan Life - I provide recipes that are kind on the planet, animals, and your body.

Adele McConnell is here to rock your foodie world forever by empowering you in your kitchen.

Adele coaches clients world wide, works with restaurants and cafés to integrate vegan food on their menus, teaches private cooking classes, and has completed her first published cookbook, to be released mid 2013.

Julie West loves sharing the wonderful world of vegan foods and healthful eating and living. She began a vegan lifestyle in the early part of 2011 and hasn’t looked back. Since then Julie has become passionate about creating healthy vegan dishes, some 100% raw, and sharing her lifestyle.

Alina Niemi is an author, illustrator, and artist. Her latest book is My Attitude of Gratitude Daily Journal: A Blank Gratitude Journal with Prompts to Help You Express Thankfulness and Appreciation. She is eating soup at every meal for an upcoming cookbook and grateful for lots of soup-friendly weather.

Rita Calvert’s passion for food has taken her into just about every aspect of the food world — chef, restaurateur, specialty food producer, gardener, photographer, writer, food stylist, event producer, farm-to-table food activist, and educator.

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Editor’s Note It’s Spring!

Can you believe that we’re in the second quarter of the year already?! How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions?

Debbie Walsh has been vegan for 5 years and was vegetarian for 13 years prior to that. She started her vegan recipe blog, maplespice. com in 2008 which now has over 330 recipes. Originally from the west coast of Canada she now lives in Cork, Ireland with her husband and 11 year old son.

Emiko Davies is a food writer and photographer who, after spending seven years in Tuscany, is now based in Melbourne with her sommelier husband.

She writes for Australia’s leading restaurant guides and has a blog where she indulges her thing for historical cookbooks and regional Italian cuisine.

In every issue, our highest priority is to share healthy, delicious recipes, because we believe that eating well is one of the most important things you can do to build and maintain good health. Our recipes are delicious first, and then just happen to be meatless. We literally search the world to find bloggers and chefs that are creating the best tasting, healthy versions of your favorite meals.

This month, for example, some of our recipes are from chefs in India, Ireland and Australia. And because May is Celiac Awareness Month, we’re sharing lots of mouthwatering gluten free recipes as well.

But wait, there’s more! We know our recipes will make you look good and feel great, but we also want to encourage you to experience a bit of “soul beauty” with the soul/body connection article written for us by Kim Nagy. And while you’re embracing your inner beauty, why not “eat your medicine” too? Everyone has heard the terms super food, antioxidant and lycopene. These terms sure sound important, but what do they really mean? Dr. Laura Figoski helps us to understand why we should eat foods high in lycopene So as you cook up a few of our recipes this month, don’t be surprised when your family and friends say, “That was vegan?!” Yep, our recipes are that good.

If you find our e-zine useful, click here to tip us a few dollars to show your love and support.

Bon Appetit!

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Converting Measurements Because our readers are all over the world, you may need a conversion table before you prepare our recipes. Below is a great link and a conversion table from their page to get you started: Converting Recipes to Metric Measures (visit The Metric Kitchen web site for full details).

Liquids (and Herbs and Spices)

Weight

Liquids can be converted to liters or milliliters with the following table. Small volumes (less than about 1 fluid ounce or 2 tablespoons) of ingredients such as salt, herbs, spices, baking powder, etc. should also be converted with this table.

Do not use this table to convert other non-liquid ingredients.

Weights can be converted with the following table. Note that the ounces referred to in this table are not the same as fluid ounces.

To download any of our recipes, click the Download Recipe button. d Downloae p Re ci www.blikki.com - 7

Live well with Lycopene Laura Figoski, ND

F

or all of you gardeners out there, who toil away all spring and summer, you know, there is not much better than a ripe gardenfresh tomato: the deep colors, the richness of flavor. This delicacy is not just a summertime indulgence, but is actually a powerful medicinal food, whose health benefits can be reaped anytime of year.

The source of a tomato’s deep red pigment is also the same molecule that provides many health-promoting effects. Its name is lycopene.

In the same nutrient family as beta-carotene and vitamin A, lycopene is a fat-soluble carotenoid. It can scavenge loose electrons known as free radicals and thus protect your tissues from oxidative damage.

For this ability it is known as an anti-oxidant. A recent article in the Natural Medicine Journal stated, “clinical studies demonstrate that a lycopene-rich diet (including tomato sauce-based dishes for 3 weeks) protects against oxidative DNA damage.”

Antioxidants are important for protecting us against many chronic and degenerative diseases. Lycopene is a rock-star antioxidant and

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may play a significant role in treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, liver disease, cataracts, and male infertility. Scientific research supports these health effects.

• Eyes and Vision: Lycopene has strong effects on vision and protecting the eyes from damage that can lead to cataracts or macular degeneration.

• Cancer: Also, evidence suggests that cancers of the pancreas, colon and rectum, esophagus, oral cavity, breast, and cervix could be reduced with increased lycopene intake.

• Prostate Health: Lycopene concentrates in the prostate and has shown effects on prevention of prostate cancer as well as benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• Cardiovascular Disease: Artery clogging plaques form when oxidized LDL cholesterol invades the blood vessel wall. Lycopene, present in the blood as well as the blood vessel wall can inhibit the oxidation of LDL and reduce/ prevent plaque development.

Clearly, lycopene has some tremendous health benefits. While supplements are available, they are often expensive. As always, the first and best source for vitamins and nutrients should be your food.

And good news: cooking does not damage lycopene. In fact, cooking tomatoes actually helps raise the bioavailability, so your body can make more efficient use of the lycopene that is there. Also, lycopene is not soluble in water so cooking and crushing tomatoes (as in the canning process) and serving in oil-rich dishes (such as pasta sauce or pizza) Product

greatly increases assimilation from the digestive tract into the bloodstream. Lycopene in tomato paste is four times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Thus, processed tomato products such as tomato juice, soup, sauce, and ketchup contain the highest concentrations of bioavailable lycopene.

Additionally, for the intrepid or curious chef, lycopene is not limited to tomatoes. It can be found in other red fruits, like watermelon, papaya, pink grapefruit and pink guava. So, jump in, get cooking and enjoy the full benefits of lycopene.

Lycopene (mg/100g)

Lycopene (mg/serving)

18.6

23.3

1/2 cup (125g)

Tomato Juice

9.0

22.0

1 cup (243g)

Tomato Soup (Condensed)

10.9

13.7

1 cup (245 g prepared)

Spaghetti sauce

Watermelon

Serving Size

4.5

13.0

1 wedge (approx. 1/16 of melon)

Tomato Paste

28.8

9.2

2 tablespoons (32 g)

Guava

5.2

8.6

1 cup (165 g)

Canned Tomatoes

2.7

6.5

1 cup (240 g)

Tomato powder

46.3

4.6

10 g

Raw tomatoes (red)

2.6

3.2

1 medium (123 g)

Tomato Ketchup

16.7

2.5

1 tablespoon (15 g)

Pink Grapefruit

1.4

1.7

1/2 fruit (123 g)

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Release 18 (2005)

References: V. Kalai Selvan, MPharm, PhD. Lycopene’s Effects on Health and Diseases: A comprehensive review of the literature. Natural Medicine Journal. 3/1/2011.

Fernandez MM, Afshari NA. Nutrition and the prevention of cataracts. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2008;19(1):66-70 Giovannuccci E. Tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene, and cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature. J Natl Canc Inst. 1999;91(4):317-331 Vrieling A, Voskuil DW, Bonfrer JM, Korse CM, Van Doorn J, Cats A. Lycopene supplementation elevates circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 and -2 concentrations in persons at greater risk of colorectal cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(5):1456-1462.)

Jian L, Lee AH, Binns CW. Tea and Lycopene protect against prostate cancer. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(Suppl 1):453-457 Schwarz S, Obermuller-Jevic UC, Hellmis E, Koch W, Jacobi G, Biesalski HK. Lycopene inhibits disease progression in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia. J Nutr. 2008;138(1):49-53 Wu WB, Chiang HS, Fang JY, Hung CF. Inhibitory effect of lycopene on PDGF-BB-induced signaling and migration in human dermal fibroblasts: a possible target for cancer. Biochemistry Society Transactions.

2007;35(5):1377-1378.

Hung CF, Huang TF, Chen BH, Shieh JM, Wu PH, Wu WB. Lycopene inhibits TNF-alpha-induced endothelial ICAM-1 expression and monocyte-endothelial adhesion. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008;586(1-3):275-282

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Photo ŠClay Perry

Maggie Perry is a contributing author who lives in England. Below is an excerpt from her forthcoming book on heirloom vegetables. Her book will be published later this year.

W

hilst climbing the Acropolis to the Parthenon, through Plaka in Athens as the afternoon sub abated, I saw an ancient waiter sitting quietly in the shade, eating a Greek Salad. Great chunks of roughly cut deep red tomatoes sharing a simple earthenware bowl with feta cheese from the mountains and sliced white onions sprinkled with fresh oregano and crushed salt. His meal glistened with olive oil in the soft evening light, a hunk of crusty bread rested on the table. He was relishing this

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simple food, probably eaten with every meal of his life, but always enjoyed anew each time.

This made me think of simple pleasures that enrich our lives, often without us being aware of them. The tomato, a delicious member of the Belladonna family, certainly enhances our meals. A personification of sunshine, it originated in the highlands of Peru.

One species, Solanum Lypopersicum, a small

For the Love of Tomatoes

by Maggie Perry

ornamentally as they were thought poisonous.

yellow cherry tomato, was taken to Mexico and cultivated by the Aztecs of Central Mexico, perhaps as early as 500BC. The Spanish explorer, Cortes, took this variety to Europe in the early 16th century, although Christopher Columbus could also have taken them to Spain in 1493.

At first, they were called pomo d’oro, “golden apples”. They were planted and used

The tomato was also introduced into the Caribbean and the Philippines by the Spanish and from there, it spread to Asia and thence to the Mediterranean. It flourished in these climes and was being eaten by the beginning of the 17th century but for some arcane reason they remained a table decoration in the area around Florence until the beginning of the 18th century.

Gerard, who published his famous Herbal in 1597, was suspicious of the plant and believed it to be poisonous but by the mid 18th century, they were being widely devoured. www.blikki.com - 11

John Barker, British Consul to Aleppo in the early 18th century is to be applauded for taking the plant to Syria, thus changing the cuisine of the Middle East. It arrived in Persia via Turkey and Armenia and has flourished

cumin and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Finely chop two tablespoons each of fresh coriander, fresh parsley and pound four cloves of peeled garlic with 1 tablespoon of salt in a pestle and mortar. These are not

reduce the heat and spoon in and around the aubergine, spreading the cut part into a fan. Serve this with hot crust bread. A perfect marriage of two Belladonna beauties. This sauce can be used in many ways, but this is something special.

Gazpacho from Spain, is another dish that has the tomato as its base. Served in the shade on a hot day, it is a simple and delicious dish.

My dear friend, pianist and composer Juan Gallego-Coin from Granada has kindly given me his recipe for this wonderful cold soup.

ever since in the ideal climate of these regions.

For me the hot Mediterranean sun has produced the best cooked tomato dishes, the rich spices and herbs of the region being a glorious adjunct.

At my riad in Marrakech, we make a tomato sauce from a recipe of Fez. Moroccans grate tomatoes, a revelation to me, no peeling – just an empty skin left in the hand.

To the deep red juice of a kilo of grated tomatoes, add a teaspoon of powdered ginger, 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons of powdered 12 - www.blikki.com

exact amounts; as with all cooking, taste and adjust to your palate.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add the mixture.

Cook fiercely, stirring constantly until the sauce is reduced to a dense and sticky pure essence of tomato, plopping and bubbling, and suffusing the air with its delicious aroma.

At this point, a peeled, poached aubergine is introduced. Having left its stem and calyx attached, quarter the fruit leaving the top intact and use the stem as a handle. Place the aubergine in the now-simmering sauce,

Find a beautiful bowl and seat it on a bed of cracked ice, for firstly we eat with our eyes. Ladle into rustic bowls and serve with crisp golden croutons and perhaps on the side a huge tomato salad made from a mix of tomatoes of every hue and shape, add what you will. Anchovies, freshly picked basil leaves, torn chunks of creamy Mozarella, finely chopped shallots, all gleaming with olive oil, a crunch of sea salt, freshly milled black pepper and a generous squeeze of lime or lemon juice. There you have the taste of the Mediterranean in a bowl, crusty bread, starched napkins a jug of cold white wine beaded

with moisture and a posy of freshly gathered wild flowers complete the meal.

Tomatoes were probably introduced to North America from the Caribbean where they have thrived and flourished. They were written of in the early 18th century and Thomas Jefferson imported some seeds from France, having eaten them there. A precursor to Campbell’s soup and Bloody Marys. The North Americans are guardians of numerous heirloom varieties and are helping to protect the past and care for the future.

Thousands of varieties are grown worldwide but I suggest we protect our heritage by sourcing these older plants. Tomatoes are happier in warmer climates, but will ripen on a sunny balcony or under glass.

When growing food, I have always learned more from asking the locals than from books. One part of a country can be a month behind in soul temperatures, north Norfolk in the UK being my

learning curve. Make your choice first for flavour then beauty. Exciting varieties are now readily available. All colours and shapes can be grown, from palest yellow, through reds and stripes to nearly black. They can be tiny little balls, pear-shaped, ribbed and irregular, like plums or great big fat red beauties. There is a vast choice. The joy of picking and eating one’s own food is one of life’s great pleasures.

Pleat these jewels with a ground cover of basil and mind, which deter pests, help to retain water in the soil and are ready to join the aromatic fruit when harvested, warm from the vines.

Tomatoes can be bottled, canned, dried and pickled.

I have pureed surplus fruit in the blender, or in a glut frozen it and used in winter in soups and stews. Be adventurous and talk to fellow gardeners. I have learned much from elderly

locals who have no book knowledge but innate skills and are in touch with their instincts. When I needed my horse paddock harrowed, I asked the local farm manager for help, when would be come?

“When the day is right, I’ll come” and he did. This is a natural knowledge we need to regain.

If you don’t wish to eat fried green tomatoes, place one ripe tomato amongst the unripe on a sunny window ledge and they will all ripen.

Lastly, eat and enjoy in all their guises, for tomatoes are full of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which is thought

to be a protection against various cancers, urinary tract infections and cardiovascular problems. They are also a rich source of Vitamin C. {B}

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ith w a z z i Raw Pach Pesto Spin

ree F n e t u Gl sy of life e t r u o

an eC Recipwsome veg a this r

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The Recipes

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Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat Gluten Free

Recipe Courtesy of The Simple Veganista

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(Click Here for a Gluten Free Bread recipe)

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d Downloae Recip

Sun-Dried Tomato & White Bean Spread (GF) with Black Olive Rye Bread Recipe Courtesy of Maple Spice

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Sweet Tomato Jam Gluten Free

Recipe Courtesy of Emiko Davies

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Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe Courtesy of Domestifluff

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to a m o T eam!

Ice Cr of urtesy o C e p Reci Niemi a n i l A

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d Downloeas Recip

Raw Pizza with Spinach Pesto

1 cup walnuts 1 teaspoon salt & pepper makes four small pizzas 2 teaspoons dried basil (or a handful of Photos and Recipe courtesy of this rawsome fresh, lucky you) 1 tablespoon agave/ vegan life maple syrup or a few dates Every saturday for as 1-2 tablespoons water, long as i can remember, as needed we have family video 1/2 onion, sliced night. This entails 4 peeled garlic cloves pizza for everyone and a good movie or spinach pesto: two. Since adopting a 4-5 cups organic vegan diet, my family spinach has naturally stopped 1/2 cup raw pine nuts eating most processed 1 peeled garlic clove foods as well as most 1/2 teaspoon salt & animal products. Most pepper of the time our meals are 1/4-1/2 cup water, as vegan now. Yahoo! So as needed you would assume, our 1 teaspoon agave/ pizza nights now include maple syrup or a vegan pizza (which is couple dates always delicious). The toppings: carnivorous men of my 3 mushrooms family are usually merrily 1 bell pepper surprised with the taste.

1 tomato This week I decided 1 teaspoon GF tamari to make a raw version 1 teaspoon fave dried because, ya know... Raw herb blend food is totally rad and stuff.

To make the crust: pulse all ingredients crust: in your food processor 1/2 cup each of hemp until it sticks together seeds, raw pumpkin (and tastes delicious!) seeds and sunflower Now divide the mixture seeds 24 - www.blikki.com

into four and shape each of them into your desired pizza crust shape with your hands on dehydrator trays or parchment paper.

Dehydrate (or cook in your oven at the lowest temperature) for 4-5 hours, or until crispy.

To make the pesto: put all the ingredients in your food processor (no need to wash it after making the crust) and process until it reaches that yummy pesto consistency - not totally smooth, but still quite creamy. Mmm. Put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

To prepare the veggies: cut them all into thin slices and mix in with the tamari and herb blend.

Marinate them in your dehydrator (or oven) until they are soft and taste freaking amazing.

Put it all together: when the crusts are finished, gently spread the pesto on all of them, followed by the veggies. If you have any raw vegan cheese that would be a tantalizing addition for

your taste buds.

Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat Photos and Recipe courtesy of The Simple Veganista Fairly simple...just slicing, dicing, pureeing and pulsing. So fresh and good. I always feel the best after eating meals like this! Don’t forget to add some raw Lime Cilantro Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ on top for even more added deliciousness, or simply add some avocado slices to round it out even more.

Vegetable Chili: 3 cups tomatoes (I used roma and grape) 1 small red bell pepper (orange would be great too), diced 1 large celery stalk, diced 1/2 yellow or red onion, diced 1 small zucchini, diced 1 corn off the cob 1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced cilantro (as much as you like), chopped

1 - 2 teaspoon chili powder, to taste 1 teaspoon cumin 3/4 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

a tablespoon at a time if needed. For thicker cream use less water, for thinner use more. I found that I needed to add more water to get to my consistency.

Prepare vegetables and combine all ingredients in large size bowl. Place 1/2 or so of the mix into a food processor and blend until pureed.

Return puree to diced vegetables and toss well.

You may also like this without the vinegar. I tried it and it was good without the extra bite, especially for those who don’t usually care for vinegar. You may want to add extra lime juice or lemon juice to replace the vinegar.

Nut Meat 1 cup walnuts 1 cup mushrooms To serve, place vegetable 1 tablespoon cumin 2 teaspoons coriander 1 teaspoon GF tamari, bragg’s or nama shoyu, or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste Place all ingredients into food processor and pulse until crumbly. You don’t want to over blend or it will be a paste.

Lime Cilantro Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ 1/2 cup cashews 1/4 cup water, give or take 1/2 lime. squeezed 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 clove garlic few sprigs cilantro pinch of mineral salt Add ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until smooth, I used a blender. Add extra water

chili in bowls and top with nut meat adding any additional garnishes you like. Serves four, or two generously. Store left overs, if there is any, in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Chili will last for five to six days. Nut meat will last up to two to three days, depending on the freshness of the mushrooms. Before eating let sit at room temp as it tastes best this way.

Sun-Dried Tomato and White Bean Spread with Black Olive Rye Bread Serves 6-8

Photos and Recipes courtesy of Maple Spice This is a lovely spread, or dip, perfect in sandwiches and oh so easy to make! As much as it looks like a houmous it isn’t really, there’s no tahini or any other nut or seed paste here and I’ve used cannellini beans as they

give a smoother texture than chick peas would, especially without the tahini. For the sun-dried tomato element I have used a store bought tube of sun-dried tomato puree that I use quite often. It’s not pure sundried tomato but rather has 65% sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower oil, olive oil, capers, hot chillies, oregano, garlic, salt and wine vinegar.

(If you live in the UK or Ireland it’s Epicure SunDried Tomato Puree.)

This doesn’t make this recipe product specific

however, you could easily just use straight sun-dried tomato puree and maybe adjust the seasoning as you see fit, but I’m sure it’ll be just as yummy! I further add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (the type packed in oil) to add some texture.

1 x 400g can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato puree - see note above. about 2 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil.

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt* 2 Tbsp water * I would start with 1/8 tsp of salt and add to taste from there as different brands of puree and beans will have different salt levels.

I use unsalted beans packed just in water for reference.

Place the beans, puree, garlic, salt, lemon juice and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides then add the water and process again until really smooth. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and pulse until mixed in. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate.

Continued >

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d Downloeas Recip

Black Olive Rye Bread Makes 1 loaf

Don’t let the two-step process of this special round loaf scare you.

The first step takes a mere 10 minutes and is key to developing the loaf’s deep granary flavour. Spraying the oven in the initial stage of baking produces a thick, chewy, deep golden crust.

Ingredients: 3/4 cup (175 mL) warm water 2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all purpose flour, (approx) 1/2 cup (125 mL) whole wheat flour 2 tsp (10 mL) salt 1/3 cup (75 mL) halved pitted oilcured black olives Sponge: 1 cup (250 mL) rye flour 1/2 cup (125 mL) allpurpose flour 3/4 cup (175 mL) warm water 1/2 tsp (2 mL) active dry yeast or quickrising yeast Preparation: Sponge: In bowl, stir together rye flour, all-purpose flour, water and yeast. With wooden spoon, beat until smooth and thick.

Cover with plastic wrap; let rise at room temperature for at least 12 hours or for up to 24 hours.

Stir warm water into sponge. Add 2 cups (500 mL) of the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt, stirring until shaggy dough forms.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface.

Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding enough of the remaining flour as necessary, about 10 minutes.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Grease rimless baking sheet; set aside.

Punch down dough; gently knead in olives.

Form dough into ball; place on prepared pan.

Cover with damp tea towel; let rise in warm draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

With sharp knife, cut 3 shallow slits in top of loaf. Place in centre of 400°F (200°C) oven.

With spritzer bottle, spray cold water onto walls and floor of oven (avoiding light bulb) until steam fills oven, about 10 seconds.

(Instead of spritzing the inside of the oven with water I placed a tray of

water in the bottom of my oven and I did end up with a lovely crisp and chewy crust.)

Quickly close oven door to trap steam; wait for 5 minutes then repeat steaming with spritzer bottle of cold water.

Bake until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, 55 to 60 minutes. I brushed some vegan butter all over the hot crust when I took it out of the oven. It gives a lovely gloss and great flavour.

Transfer to rack and let cool.

Vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways and seeds scraped (Artusi actually calls for vanilla essence, but how much nicer is a real vanilla bean?)

Remove the skin of the tomatoes by first scoring a cross on their bottoms, then blanching them in boiling water for a minute or two then plunging them into cold water – the skins will peel right off. Cut them into quarters and with a teaspoon, remove all the

Sweet Tomato Jam Photos and Recipe courtesy of Emiko Davies Artusi recommends using mature, round tomatoes and points out that it’s difficult to calculate the correct amount of sugar for this recipe because it depends in part on how watery your tomatoes are, so use the measurement below as a guide and adjust if you need. This recipe makes around 500 grams of jam.

1 kg of mature tomatoes 300 gr sugar Juice and zest of 1 lemon

seeds. Chop the tomato flesh.

In a large pot dissolve the sugar in a little water (precisely “two fingers” worth of water in a glass according to Artusi), add lemon juice and zest. When the sugar has dissolved, add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil, without the lid.

Stir every now and then, watching for any seeds that you may have missed. Just before the jam is done, scrape the vanilla in to the jam.

To test when the jam is ready, drop a teaspoon Continued >

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of it on a cold plate and tilt it slightly – if it runs off the plate and is syrupy, it’s not ready; if it holds the blobby, jammy shape that jam should be, it’s done!

Pour into small jars and seal.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits Makes 10-12 biscuits

Photo and recipe courtesy Domestifluff Making the perfect biscuit, or at least my

opinion thereof, doesn’t require a blend of half a dozen different types of gluten free flours and who knows what else. Thank goodness for that, right? When I simplified the ingredients, I got the results that I wanted.

I realize that this isn’t always the case with gluten free recipes, but I knew it was a good omen when I picked up a cooled biscuit and it felt much lighter than it looked. Believe me, this was a rarity during my year and a half in search of my favorite gluten free biscuit.

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Ingredients: 1 cup cornstarch 1 cup brown rice flour 1 tsp. xanthan gum 4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 4 Tbsp. butter, unsalted, chilled, cut into small cubes 1 cup buttermilk 2 egg whites cooking spray 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or by lining them with foil and a light coating of cooking spray.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, add cornstarch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Combine with a fork until ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mix. Add the chilled butter cubes and work the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture has a sandy, crumbly texture.

3. In a small measuring cup, measure the buttermilk and add the egg whites. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixture of dry ingredients and butter and work with a fork until just combined.

This is a wet, slightly sticky dough, and you can easily make these into drop biscuits if

you’d like at this point, but I personally prefer to use cutters to make the biscuits. If you’re using the “cutter” method, then spray your hands with cooking spray and turn the dough onto a floured or non-stick surface (I just use another sheet of parchment paper), forming it into a 3/4 inch thick disc. Spray your dough cutter (I use a 2 1/4 inch round) with cooking spray and cut as many biscuits as you can from the dough, reforming and cutting until the dough is gone.

4. Move the biscuits to the baking sheets and place in the oven.

Immediately lower the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Serve warm. The biscuits also store well in the freezer.

have a harvest, but I haven’t had the good fortune to be able to try that yet.

1 can (14.5 ox, 411 g) dice or whole tomatoes, organic preferred 1/2 cup (125 ml) tofu 1/3 cup (84 ml) oil 1-1/4 cups (313 ml) nondairy milk 3/4 cup agave nectar (188 ml) or sugar (150 g) 1 Tbsp (15 ml) peeled and minced fresh ginger 1/4 Tsp (1 ml) cinnamon 1/4 Tsp (1 ml) ground cloves Make sure the tomatoes you are using do not contain pepper, onions, garlic, or vinegar. Drain the tomatoes and discard the liquid.

Add the tomato pieces and remaining ingredients to a blender.

Blend about 1 minute, until well blended and there are no longer large chunks of tomato.

Chill.

Tomato Ice Cream

Churn according to your manufacturer’s instructions. {B}

Photo and Recipe courtesy of Alina Miemi Another refreshing favorite, although I think it tastes like cold tomato soup. If you grow your own tomatoes, this might be nice to try when you

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Recipes and Photographs Courtesy of Plant-Powered Kitchen

Marinated and Roasted Tomato Garlic Hummus soy-free, oil-free

Hummus purists beware, I am taking liberties with this classic dip once again. We’ve all had roasted red pepper hummus – at least I think most of us have, right? And, many of us have had roasted garlic in hummus.

A combination of tomatoes, garlic, herbs and a tangy marinade, roasted until softened, and the flavors concentrated and sweetened. It’s this roasting process – with the herbed marinade – that makes the flavor in this dip so special. No need for oil in this recipe, because the garlic cloves are tucked into the cavities of the tomatoes, which keeps them moist.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs roma (or other) tomatoes, cut in half and juices gently squeezed out (see note) 8-9 large cloves garlic, cut in quarters or more 2 tbsp balsamic 1/2 tbsp tamari (or coconut aminos for soyfree option) 1 tsp blackstrap molasses 2 tsp dried oregano leaves 2 tsp dried basil leaves 1/8 tsp sea salt freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 cans (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (this is about 3 1/2 cups) 3/4 – 1 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste, sometimes I use 3/4, other times I need 1 tsp) 1 -2 tbsp tahini (I like 1 tbsp, but you might like it creamier with 2 tbsp) Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Place tomatoes cut side up in a glass baking dish (or small rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper). Insert the garlic pieces into the seedy portions of the tomatoes (to keep them moist while roasting). In a small bowl, combine the balsamic, soy sauce or aminos, molasses, oregano, and basil. Drizzle mixture over tomatoes.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper over top of the tomatoes. Place tomatoes in oven, and bake for 40-45 minutes until tomatoes are very soft and a little caramelized. Remove from oven and let cool.

While cooking, add the chickpeas, salt (starting with 3/4 tsp), and tahini to a food processor. Puree to break up. Then, add the cooled (or slightly warm) tomatoes, scraping all the juices from the dish/parchment with a spatula. (There is a lot of flavor in those caramelized juices, so get them off and into the processor!) Process until well combined. Taste, and if you’d like extra salt (or pepper), add and puree through.

Roma Tomatoes Note: I like using Roma tomatoes because they are dense and meaty, with less seeds than other tomatoes. If you have other beautifully ripe tomatoes, you can substitute – the dip may be a little looser with the extra moisture.

Serving Ideas: Serve room temp with wholegrain crackers, breads or tortilla chips. Try using in a wrap, using a sprouted tortilla or collard/ lettuce leaves. Or, make a “hummus salad” – assemble a veggie-dense salad, and then top with a mound of this hummus. Use as a layer on pizza, topping with veggies of choice, and olives and capers. Try baking the mixture until heated through, and serve over quinoa, rice, or other whole-grain, and top with sliced avocado.

Ideas: Top your hummus with rehydrated sundried tomatoes, sliced green onions, pitted olives, or sliced green onions.

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This Rawsome Vegan Life

Raw Pasta with Tomato Sauce & Spicy Nut Balls Gluten Free

Love Food Eat

The Raw Co

ato m o T t Sweeake withnd C Oil a Olivne namon Ci

Cooking with Siri

Mixed Vegetable Korma

The Sprouted Kitchen

Summteor Toma s Lentil

e

Gluten Fre

ooked Vegan

e a H l t t h e y G Enjoy

Ra Co r Tortiw lla Tacno s G luten Fr ee

Tom toes a

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Raw Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Spicy Nut Balls makes 2-4 servings

Photos and Recipe courtesy This Rawsome Vegan Life I really love the presentation of food, and I had fun with this dish. The noodles were ridiculously easy to make, just slice them on the mandoline and you have the most beautiful, living, fresh pasta you’ve ever laid eyes on. Sauces for me are usually a blend of tahini or other raw sprouted nut butter, some miso, some spices and herbs. For this dish it was more focused on tomatoes to get that spaghetti and tomato sauce with meatballs feel.

The nut balls were a mix of nuts and a bunch of spices. I put curry powder on almost every savory meal I make, as well as cinnamon.

And chopped garlic, of course! I shaped them into balls and dehydrated them the day before.

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We had two gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from the farmer’s market lying around so I used them on the outside of the noodle pile for a “frame”. Pinched off some basil from the garden, set up the nut balls, and voila! I think my family may have been a bit jealous.

1 Carrot 1 Bell Pepper 1 Zucchini 1/4 cup Almonds 1/4 cup Walnuts Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, etc. and other spices 2 cloves garlic Olive oil (or water) Pinch of salt & pepper 1 Tomato Basil, Oregano, other spices 1 clove garlic 2 Tb sun-dried tomatoes Olive oil (or water) Pinch of salt & pepper 1/2 cup mushrooms Noodles: Slice all the veggies very thin on a mandoline (or by hand),

into noodles. Sprinkle on a little olive oil an salt and set aside.

Nut Balls: In food processor, pulse almonds, walnuts and garlic until they’re in a very rough flour size. Add spices of your choice and salt (cumin makes a big difference... it makes it taste like taco meat!)

Then add olive oil until the mixture is crumbly, but sticks together when you shape it.

Shape it all into nut balls and refrigerate for an hour or so. Or you can dehydrate them for 2-4 hours (what I did).

Sauce: Process tomato, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatos, garlic, salt, and your choice of spices until it’s like a thick sauce.

Add olive oil until you get the consistency you want.

Assembly: Pour sauce onto noodles and mix well, until all are coated.

Serve with the nut balls.

Enjoy!

Sweet Tomato Cake with Olive Oil & Cinnamon Photos and Recipe courtesy Love Food Eat I sometimes get out of control when I see fresh produce at very reasonable prices! I end up buying so much that my refrigerator has no place left for anything else. Just last evening I saw that tomatoes were all over the market. They were beautiful, red and fresh! I love tomatoes (do I say this about too many vegetables?) without thinking too much I bought LOTS of it!

This tomato cake doesn’t have eggs, butter and all purpose flour! It has only whole wheat flour, olive oil, lots of tomato and cinnamon!

It’s Vegan, healthy, and unbelievably good! My husband couldn’t believe he was eating tomato cake!

Ingredients: Dry 1 ½ cups of whole wheat flour

1tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1tsp cinnamon A pinch of salt ¾ cup white/brown sugar

doesn’t need a special occassion to be made.

With rice or roti, it serves as a delicious accompaniment leaving you wanting for more.

Wet 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Give it a try and Enjoy with your family & friends.

Blanch the tomatoes, skin them and deseed them. Chop them finely. Make sure you drain most of the water from it. Too much water might make your cake too soft.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients well.

Drop the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix till combined.

Don’t over mix or beat it. Spoon into a greased pan. I used a 9 ½ inch round pan. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25 to 30 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Mixed Vegetable Kurma/Korma Photos and Recipe courtesy Cooking with Siri This recipe is a luscious Vegetable Kurma which

Ingredients: For the masala: 1 cup fresh coconut, cut into small pieces 1.5 tbsp poppy seeds 2 tbsp dry roasted cashewnuts 3/4 tbsp coriander powder 1.5 tbsp sesame seeds 3/4 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp tamarind extract 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced & fried in a tbsp of oil until golden brown (use only half of it for the masala) 1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste water

Other ingredients 1 tomato 2 cups mixed veggies cut into almost equal sizes - potato, beans, carrot, bell peppers 1 tomato, chopped 2 tsp red chilli powder (or less based on the desired spice level) 1/8 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp tomato ketchup 3-4 tbsp canola oil Preparation: 1. In the blender jar add all the ingredients listed in the “masala” list with enough water to make a fine paste.

2. Heat oil in a pan and

add rest of fried onion with tomato. Saute for few mins and then add all the vegetables. Cook them until done, not mushy just tender. Season with turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.

3. Add the ground masala to the vegetables.

Cook on low-medium flame until oil separates on the edges. Mix in tomato ketchup and cook for few more minutes.

4. Serve with roti or rice.

Raw Corn Tortilla Tacos Photos and Recipe courtesy The Raw Cooked Vegan I was inspired by a corn tortilla recipe in Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis. I changed up the ingredients just a bit by using smoked paprika and

less chili powder. I filled these babies with my Lemon Cashew Cheese, then fresh avocado, chopped tomatoes, onions, fresh jalapeno, arugula and fresh chopped basil. Awesome!

Continued >

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You will need a dehydrator for this recipe Ingredients: 3 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 3 ears of corn, or frozen corn, thawed 1 and 1/2 cups yellow or red bell pepper 3/4 cup flaxseed, finely ground 2-3 TBS Lime juice 1 tsp ground chili powder 1 TBS smoked paprika 2 tsp cumin seeds, ground 1 and 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt In a food processor, process corn and bell pepper. Add ground flaxseed, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, cumin and salt. Process until almost smooth.

Divide batter in half onto two dehydrator trays lined with teflex or parchment paper. Dehydrate at 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours.

Flip onto empty mesh lined tray and peel away teflex or parchment carefully. Dehydrate another 3 to 4 hours until pliable.

Cut with kitchen shears into squares and fill with your favorite fresh ingredients!

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they are cut side up, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes (325°F, 162°C).

SUMMER TOMATO LENTILS Serves 2 as entrée

Photos and Recipe courtesy of the Sprouted Kitchen Laguna Beach has their farmers market on Saturday, so that was my first stop this past (real) weekend. You know, once I got out of my fluffy taquito. I can travel to others during the week if need be, but I find it much more charming to walk to my market, canvas bag in hand- it fits the Saturday picture I paint in my head. I joined the people hovering around the testers enjoying the sweet smell of stone fruits on little toothpicks. Hugh lingered in the background twittering about how ‘the hippies were looking at him funny.’

There is so much produce in season right now; I grabbed a few favorites to fill my mini fridge, along with some incredibly fragrant baby

tomatoes that I thought would be great in a big bowl of lentils. As they delicately roast in the oven, the sweet flavor becomes more pronounced.

1 Cup Lentils 1 Lemon, zest and juice 1/3 Cup Goat Cheese 2 Large Shallots, peeled and sliced thin 3 Cups Baby Tomatoes 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil 1/3 Cup Chives, Finely Chopped 1/3 Cup Basil, Chopped 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard 1 tsp. Garlic Salt Fresh Ground Pepper to taste Note: I cook my lentils in unsalted water, as salt is said to toughen the beans- they will taste most fresh if the seasoning is added at the end.

1. Cut tomatoes in half.

On the baking pan, toss with 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil and garlic salt.

Turn the tomatoes so

2. Rinse and drain the lentils, pick out any scrappy pieces. In a medium pot bring 1½ cups water to a boil, add the lentils, turn down the heat to medium and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Test the beans for doneness; the liquid should be absorbed, add more if they are not soft to your taste. Put them in a large bowl and crumble in the goat cheese so it melts in the warmth. Add the lemon zest and juice, and gently fold to coat. v3. While lentils are cooling, make the crispy shallots. In a small saucepan, heat up 1/2 tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add the sliced shallots and cook about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides.

4. Gently fold the dijon mustard, remaining olive oil and fresh black pepper into the goat cheesey lentils. Add the basil and chives, roasted tomatoes and crispy shallots. Add salt to your preference. ~ Serve in a pita or butter lettuce wraps! {B}

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GET EVEN MORE FROM BLIKKI MAGAZINE “Like” us on Facebook to enter our giveaways Are you a blogger or chef who would like to be featured in our gorgeous magazine?

Please e-mail: HippieDiva@Blikki.com

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Photo courtesy Tracey Eller

10 Gluten-Free Grains for Everyone

Leslie Cerier

E

veryone can benefit from eating a wide range of gluten-free whole grains.

Gluten-free cooking and baking goes beyond just replacing the few popular gluten grains such as wheat, barley, triticale, and rye in favorite recipes. It is a celebration of the earth’s bounty.

There are more whole grains that do not have gluten. More choices, more whole grains and whole grain flours can mix and match with local, seasonal produce for an endless variety of daily meals.

Amaranth is a tiny, slightly nutty flavored ancient grain. The Aztecs believed it held the secret to long life and vitality and celebrated holidays by eating toasted amaranth. It’s a complete protein, has more iron than most grains, and is also a great source of many other minerals. Whole amaranth is delicious on its own or cooked in combination with other grains in pilafs, and in warming morning porridges with oatmeal, dried fruits, and coconut.

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Teff nutrients concentrate in the germ and the bran and because it is so tiny, smaller than the period at the end of this sentence, the germ and bran make up almost the whole grain, making it impractical to refine, so any form of teff is a whole-grain product, by default. It offers fairly high-quality protein, but like most true grains is somewhat lacking in lysine.

It’s high in fiber, iron and some of the B vitamins and is also a good source of calcium, and other minerals. Teff’s tiny grains have a texture like poppy seeds and a mildly sweet flavor reminiscent of chocolate, hazelnuts, and molasses. (The flavor of ivory teff is milder.) Whole grain teff cooks quickly (just fifteen to twenty minutes) and blends well with a wide

Quinoa

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variety of vegetables, seasonings, other grains, and fresh and dried fruits.

Buckwheat is a complete protein, rich in iron, selenium, and zinc, and a fair source of B vitamins. It cooks very quickly (just fifteen minutes). Buckwheat groats are white to pale green and have a mild flavor. You can cook them as is, sprout, or roast them, and buy them already roasted, also known as kasha. With its eastern European roots, kasha is a natural in stuffed cabbage rolls, in croquettes, marinated salads, and kasha varnishkes, a dish made with sautéed onions and pasta.

Corn is unusual in being both a fresh vegetable and a grain available in a rainbow of colors, each with a slightly different nutritional profile, so mix it up and cook with different varieties.

Like amaranth and quinoa, corn has a long history of cultivation in the New World and was venerated as a sacred food. Because all varieties of corn are low in tryptophan and lysine, it isn’t a complete protein, but all varieties of corn are a good source of magnesium and thiamin, and a fairly good source of a few other minerals and B vitamins. Corn grits, millet and teff can be cooked together in the same pot since they all take 15-20 minutes. Corn grits and polenta are delicious for a quick breakfast, or at any time of day. For a super main dish made with grits, add sautéed onion and kale.

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Quinoa, similar to amaranth and buckwheat, doesn’t come from a cereal grass, so it isn’t technically a grain. Like most of the other pseudo-grains, quinoa is a great source of protein— one of the best plant sources, in fact—because it contains all of the essential amino acids and is rich in folic acid and several minerals. Like corn, quinoa comes in a rainbow of colors: tan, red, and black. Each has a slightly different texture and flavor, but generally speaking, quinoa has a light sesame-like flavor and cooks in 15 minutes. It tastes great on its own or mixed with other grains, and it works beautifully in stews and salads.

Millet is a small, round, yellow grain originating about five thousand years ago in China, where it is still a staple. Like most grains, it tends to be a little low in lysine, so it isn’t a complete protein. It is, however, a great source of magnesium, and a fair source of other minerals and some of the B vitamins. Millet has a wonderful sweet taste. You can toss it into any soup or stew about twenty minutes before its ready (this is a great way to thicken a dish that’s turned out too thin.) When cooked, it sticks together, and once it cools you can slice it, making it a great choice for polenta, croquettes, and loaves.

Oats are often grown in close proximity to wheat and also often processed in the same facilities. For those with wheat intolerance, this shouldn’t pose a problem. However, if you have celiac disease, be sure to look for packages labeled gluten-free, which are carefully processed and packaged to avoid cross-contamination.

Oats have a variety of health benefits. They can help lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and prevent heart disease and cancer. They

also enhance immune system function, help stabilize blood sugar, and may even be helpful for insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, and a variety of other health problems. Oats are a complete protein, high in fiber, thiamin, and minerals. Oats make a delicious breakfast cereal, cooked alone or with amaranth, teff, or goji berries, coconut, or whatever dried or fresh fruit you like, and maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Whole grain rice is fairly rich in fiber, niacin, a few other B vitamins, and several minerals.

But when it’s processed into white rice, almost all of its valuable nutrients are lost, so it offers little beyond starch. For those on a gluten-free diet, rice comes to the rescue as pasta in the form of numerous types of Asian noodles, as well as a few good brands of rice pasta that you’ll find in most natural food stores. Rice has been bred to survive and thrive in a broad range of conditions, leading to countless varieties in existence today.

Sorghum, also known as milo, is a small round grain with the texture of pearled barley. While it isn’t a nutritional powerhouse compared to other grains, it is a good source of iron, potassium, and fiber, and also provides a few B vitamins. It’s even lower in lysine than most grains, so the quality of its protein isn’t as good. When buying sorghum, look for sweet white sorghum. It’s the best-tasting and most digestible variety. And don’t be put off by “white” in the name. That’s not white as in refined; it means the grain itself is a pale color.

It has a flavor similar to untoasted buckwheat, and a texture that makes it a good stand-in for barley. Try it in marinated salads, pilafs, and soups.

Wild Rice is a better source of protein than most true grains, containing a fairly good amount of lysine. It’s also high in many minerals and some of the B vitamins. It has a delicious nutty flavor and a pleasantly chewy texture. It blends well with other varieties of rice, making it a natural for pilafs. True wild rice has defied domestication, so most of the wild rice sold in the United States is from hybridized versions grown in rice paddies in Minnesota and California. Support the natives (plants and human) and seek out truly wild rice.

Worldwide, gluten-Free whole grains truly are the foundation of a healthful diet—healthful not just for us humans, but also for our planet.

Because many varieties of gluten-free grains are more closely related to their wild cousins than the hybrids we’ve come to rely on, they can often be grown more easily, using less intensive methods. Some gluten-free grains are drought resistant, requiring less land and less water to produce high yields. Others grow in harsh conditions, arid uplands to moist tropical settings. As a bonus, many of them offer superior nutrition and higher-quality protein than wheat and other common grains.

That means more net nutrition from the same amount of land. And best of all, this approach to easing our impact on the planet offers a delicious culinary adventure. {B} Adapted and excerpted with permission from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook By Leslie Cerier (New Harbinger Publications 2010). Photos of grains in scoops courtesy of nakedfoodmagazine. com www.blikki.com - 41

Growing Tomatoes in Containers Rita Calvert~The Kitchen Gardener Cook

Tomatoes are the cornerstone

Photos courtesy Rita Calvert

for my kitchen garden and perhaps for most folks because the just-picked vibrant hue and aroma is incomparable. Now we have so many options to choose it’s easy to go overboard.

Growing your own tomatoes along with herbs is the best way to save the big bucks. Since chefs know that, they either grow their own or have a farmer or two nearby. Well we’ll just grow it ourselves! I’m gearing up to grow enough to make the salad above many times over the summer since the fresh mozzarella is also available at farmers markets.

I was talking to a busy mom the other day who confessed to having a ‘black thumb’ since she has two young children. The answer to this one is start a small container garden and grow proven high yield stress-free tolerant tomatoes like Sweet 100 which yield an incredible amount of tiny sweet little guys–perfect for a Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce, Smoked Tomatoes or simply for snacking (especially for those too busy families).

You CAN grow any tomato in a pot, if you do it right! With containers, you can grow tomatoes almost anywhere.

They provide additional flexibility in that you can control the growing medium, which will protect plants from pests and diseases. Not to mention that you can achieve amazing results that you could not have achieved otherwise just remember they rely on you for all of their needs.

All tomato varieties can be grown in containers. But the bigger the plant size, the more maintenance is required to upkeep the plant. It took 42 - www.blikki.com

master tomato grower Cynthia Sandberg of Love Apple Farm four years of trial and error before she perfected her technique. Do your homework by reading this advice from experienced gardeners. Here are the high notes from an assortment of experts: The Container Use at least a 15 gallon container.

That size is 18” tall and 17” wide.

Anything smaller will hamper the plant’s ability to produce fruit and remain healthy. A half wine barrel is about 25 gallon capacity, and that will hold two plants. A 15 gallon container will hold only one plant. The container must have drainage holes.

Some people use Earth Boxes, which is ok, and some people have had good success with them, but, you need a larger soil volume than they have.

A plastic pot will not dry out as rapidly as a clay pot and will require less watering. If you use black or dark-colored plastic for your container, at some point around mid June you will need to start shading the dark color from the sun. If you don’t, no amount of water will keep your tomato happy.

Place a round fiberglass screen of the same shape and size as the pot in the bottom to prevent soil from washing out of the holes and to prevent pests from entering. Other options are half whiskey barrels, black plastic pots and bushel baskets.

Soil Mix Because these plants are being grown in containers, you can mix the soil to the exact requirements, giving

on the outside of the container (if that’s possible) where they could be set firmer into the ground or even tied to the rail of a deck, for wind protection. Pruning might be necessary if the plants are growing way too big.

Growth

is getting big and the weather is getting hot. You need more water at this point. You may end up watering once a day. When a tomato is grown in the ground, it never needs watering that often.

But in a pot, it does (once the plant gets big and the weather gets hot).

Place the container in a site with full sun and protection from the wind. Check the plants daily for watering needs by sticking a

After the Harvest

finger in the soil. Tomatoes in a pot are heavy feeders, and every time you water, you are washing nutrients out of the soil. To combat this, you’ll need to fertilize regularly, preferably with either fish emulsion or seaweed extract.

Once a month is good, but every other week, applying the fertilizer at half-strength, is better. This will provide a constant source of nutrients for the tomato plants.

Check plants daily for signs of insect and disease infestation. Keep mature fruits harvested to induce continued fruit formation.

SEED SOURCES

Now it’s time to begin compiling those stellar recipes. {B}

Photo courtesy Rita Calvert

you better growth and production. They require a loose, welldrained soil generous in organic matter. A good mix consists of one part each of potting soil, perlite, sphagnum peat moss and compost. Garden soil should be avoided as it is likely to be infested with soil pests. When using compost, make sure temperatures during the composting process were high enough to kill pest organisms. Add a slow release fertilizer by following label recommendations to each pot. This provides additional nutrients slowly over a longer period when there is active growth and fruit production. I learned that fish emulsion (quite pricy) or 2 big handfuls of fish meal per container.

Planting Fill the container three-fourths full with the soil mix. Select stocky, vigorous plants and position the plant close to the stake (stake info below). You’ll want to bury the stem (to just below the lowest set of leaves) as well as the roots. New roots will grow along the buried section of stem, making for a healthier plant. Once you have the plant set at the proper level, fill in around it with potting soil, firming lightly as you go. The soil should go up to about an inch below the rim of the pot to allow room for watering. Start by watering once, wait about 10 minutes, then water again, wait, then again. It takes a lot of water to completely saturate the potting soil. Even if you see water draining out of the holes, that doesn’t necessarily mean the root ball is soaked. if the soil settles, add more soil.

Staking and Pruning The tomato in the pot will need staking. Stakes for container tomato plants should be set up

Continued Watering Along about July 1 another thing happens, and that is the plant

John Scheepers: http://www.kitchengardenseeds. com/ Magic Garden Seeds: http://www.magicgardenseeds. com/seite?wg=1043 West Coast Seeds: http://www.westcoastseeds.com/ Heritage Harvest Seed: http://www.heritageharvestseed. com/ Plants of Distinction: http://www.plantsofdistinction. co.uk/ The Ark: http://stores.arkinstitute.com/ StoreFront.bok www.blikki.com - 43

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This invigorating tea tree, mint, and salt-based scrub revives and softens your feet while removing dead skin and rough spots.

This lemongrass citrus wash stimulates your senses and leaves your skin feeling clean, refreshed, and ready for the day.

THE CLEANSER

1oz $12.95

IndieLee.com

© Paul Barden

Rosa Gallica: Charles de Mills

Growing Roses for Mother’s Day Article and Photos ~ Paul Barden

At

best, cut flowers are a fleeting pleasure; after a few days, all that remains is a memory and perhaps a few photographs. A gift of roses is undoubtedly one of the most iconic of Mother’s Day gifts.

It is such a shame that they just don’t last.

That doesn’t mean the ultimate gift for Mom can’t be reimagined and turned into a gift that lasts for decades.

I’m talking about planting the rose bush itself. I suspect few readers know that there are rose varieties in commerce whose origins date back to 19th century Europe, sometimes referred to as Heirloom or Old Garden Roses.

Empress Josephine herself grew many of these “antique” treasures herself at her home at Malmaison. www.blikki.com - 45

(Josephine may have been the first genuinely obsessed rose grower, collecting roses from all of Europe for her garden, sparing no expense.)

Although the classic Hybrid Tea is not to be found among the Old Garden Rose genre (the Hybrid Tea had not yet been invented; that would have to wait until the Chinese roses made their way into the hands of hybridizers), there is a wealth of bloom styles and colors to boggle the senses. And get this: Unlike the Hybrid Tea, with its well-deserved reputation as a “chemically dependent Diva,” most of the Old Garden Roses have far superior health (no Blackspot!) and are much more able to thrive in all but the coldest of regions. (Link to USDA Zone Map: http:// planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/) If it is your unwavering goal to choose a “classic florist style” Hybrid Tea for Mom’s garden, then you need not read past this paragraph, for these cut flower types are the least suitable for a low-maintenance, organic cultivation scheme. For many decades, the rose industry has produced Hybrid Teas by the millions for sale in the US because they are what people buy, yet they are the most troubled of all, and the least hardy in cold climates. Now, that is not to say that there are no Hybrid Teas appropriate for American gardens, but choosing the right one is going to require some effort on your part; don’t just grab a $5.00 bagged ‘Peace’ at the local discount store, stuff it in a hole, water it once or twice and expect bushels of perfect roses; you are almost guaranteed to be disappointed. Selecting the right Hybrid Tea for your garden is all about choosing what is most likely to succeed in your region, your microclimate.

That said, simply asking the question, “Will this rose do well in my climate?” is insufficient. What you want is to connect with other successful rose growers in your area and seek specific recommendations. (The local chapter of the American Rose Society can likely help: www.ars. org.) Case in point: in my Pacific Northwest garden, the majority of modern roses— Hybrid Teas in particular— are very prone to disease and must be sprayed with fungicides to keep the foliage healthy. (Thankfully, this “better living through chemistry” paradigm is quickly being retired in favor of a “choose what succeeds in your 46 - www.blikki.com

conditions” approach.) However, I have found a few Hybrid Tea types that do very well in my garden, among them ‘Tiffany’ (a classic!), ‘Savoy Hotel,’ and ‘Belinda’s Dream.’ While these are great roses in my garden, they may not do as well for all gardeners in my region, which is why it is important to consider “microclimate”—that pocket of conditions specific to your garden that is very much a “recipe” unique to your chosen planting location: sunlight hours (exposure), air movement, soil conditions, water availability, and extremes of cold/heat.

If you are willing to forgo the Hybrid Tea as your choice, there are scores of superb Old Roses just waiting to take up residence in Mom’s garden, but you still have to select appropriate varieties for your climate. In general, the Old Garden Roses (let’s just call them OGRs) are much hardier, more robust plants with fewer cultivation needs, but some classes are suited to warm climates, while others are better for regions with “real” winters. There are clear standouts in each class of OGR, and it is these exceptional choices that I will recommend. Read on.

Rosa gallica: These roses are the ones I mentioned earlier; the French bred (and to a lesser degree Belgian, and German) roses of Empress Josephine’s garden at Malmaison. They are all Spring-blooming selections flowering for four to six weeks in late May through June. The Gallicas are thicket-forming roses, growing into spreading clumps, much like Raspberries do. Their growth habit is generally rounded, fairly compact four to six foot tall, with blooms ranging from white through dark purple, and a number of spectacularly striped varieties as well.

Most are winter hardy to USDA zone 4, and many have a nice fragrance. Diseases are rarely a problem

Rosa Damascena: Mme. Hardy

© Paul Barden

season long and one of the best fragrances of any rose on Earth! Two superb once-blooming types are ‘Mme. Hardy’ and ‘La Ville de Bruxelles.’

NOTE: Gallicas and Damasks require a cold winter dormancy period to flower properly, so they are not appropriate for climates where winters never accumulate more than a handful of cold days. A general rule is: If you cannot grow chill-dependent fruit trees where you are, then the Gallica/Damask group is not right for your climate; choose Chinas (or Teas) instead!

Miscellaneous: ‘Stanwell Perpetual.’ This wonderful soft pink rose is one of the few Hybrid Spinosissmas that bloom reliably all through the growing season. It has an outstanding fragrance and is completely trouble-free. A large shrub, it will eventually grow to 8 feet or so.

Chinas: If you live in a warm climate such as Southern California or Florida, then the Chinas are going to be a more appropriate OGR for you, as these thrive in “winterless” climates where they grow year-round, blooming nonstop. Recommended varieties include ‘Slaters Crimson,’ ‘Old Blush,’ and ‘Louis Phillipe.’

Hybrid Spinvosissmas: Stanwell Perpetual

© Paul Barden

with the Gallicas, and once established in the garden, they need little care except a good watering during Summer dry spells.

Reccomended varieties: Tuscany Superb, Charles de Mills, Marianne, Rosa Mundi, Duchesse de Montebello.

The Hybrid Gallica ‘Marianne’ is included on the list of recommended varieties because, although of recent breeding, it is still classified as an Old Garden Rose, and has been proven to be an excellent disease free shrub in many different climates, cold ones especially (winter protection not needed!). It also brings a nice yellow/ orange color blend to a group otherwise dominated by pinks and purple hues.

Rosa Damascena: The Damasks have the added romantic charm of being the roses grown in Bulgaria for rose oil production. In some cases, the same variety has been grown for well over 100 years, solely for this purpose! (Kazanlik is one of these.) This class includes some that bloom all season long, and some that bloom for a few weeks in late spring only. Some of the “onceblooming” types are exceptional plants even if the bloom period is fairly short. Most will produce more flowers in their bloom cycle than the average modern hybrid does in the entire year! Recommended repeatblooming types are: Quatre Saisons, ‘Indigo,’ ‘Jacques Cartier,’ and R. damascena bifera. If you can find it, ‘Duchesse du Rohan’ is a great rose, with blooms all 48 - www.blikki.com

Rosa rugosa: While not really OGRs, the Rugosas are among the sturdiest, most carefree of all roses, hardy in all but the most brutally cold climates, and disease-free. Although the Rugosas aren’t always generous with bloom during the hotter months, they do flower from spring through to frost, and most have an intoxicatingly rich, Clove-like fragrance.

Great varieties: ‘Hansa,’ ‘Rugosa Magnifica,’ R. rugosa rubra/alba, ‘Belle Poitvine,’ and ‘Blanc Double de Coubert.’

For further research and tutorials to prepare you for planting your new roses, I recommend Paul Zimmerman’s Fine Gardening articles on rose cultivation and care: http://www.finegardening.com/blog/roses How to plant an own-root rose: http://www.finegardening.com/item/22733/ buying-planting-own-root-roses The differences between own-root and grafted roses explained: http://www.finegardening.com/ item/22659/video-the-difference-between-ownroot-grafted-roses Preparing a bed for planting roses: http://www. finegardening.com/item/22069/preparing-a-newrose-bed A good place to start your search for Heirloom Rose types might be Rogue Valley Roses: www.rogeuvalleyroses.com {B}

© Paul Barden

Rosa Gallica: Marianne

© Paul Barden

Rosa Rugosa: Hansa

© Jon Dodson

Rose Garden

© Paul Barden

Rosa Damascena: Kazanlik

Rosa Gallica: Tuscany Superb © Paul Barden

Quick Bites (super fast recipes )

Photo & Recipe Courtesy of Vegie Head

Gluten Free Coconut Pancakes Serves 4

1/2 cup Organic Buckwheat flour 1 cup Organic Coconut flour 2 heaped tsp gluten free baking powder 1/2 cup Organic Desiccated Coconut 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp Organic Almond Butter 3 1/2 cups Organic coconut milk 1 tsp chia seeds soaked in 3 tbsp water* 1/2 cup coconut sugar Organic Coconut oil to cook Organic Shredded Coconut flakes, sliced banana, berries and agave/maple syrup to serve

d Downloae p i Re c

1. Warm a non-stick pan over a high heat 2. In a large mixing bowl, sift buckwheat flour, coconut flour and baking powder, add desiccated coconut, cinnamon and combine 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond butter, coconut milk, chia seeds and coconut sugar 4. Add the wet to dry ingredients and mix well; do not over stir. It will be a thick mix.

5. Lower heat and add a small amount of coconut oil to pan 6. Ladle a few spoonfuls onto the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned, then carefully flip 7. Continue until the mix is used, keeping the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven 8. Serve with coconut flakes, banana, berries and syrup

50 - www.blikki.com

Soul Food

Got Soul Beauty? Beyond Aphrodite and the Judgment of Paris Kim Nagy

T

he quest for aesthetic beauty speaks to a profoundly human craving--the hunger to be seen and judged worthy of desire.

Remember the Judgment of Paris?

According to Greek myth, a wedding (hosted by none other than Zeus) prompted a dangerous beauty pageant between Athena, Hera and Aphrodite, masterminded by Eris (goddess of chaos), who felt slighted for not being invited to the event. The golden apple of victory inscribed “to the fairest” went to Aphrodite, but only through bribing the judge, Paris (the King of Troy) who she promised the most beautiful woman in the world.

Aphrodite’s offer accepted + Helene kidnapped = a disastrous war.

Soul beauty, in direct contrast to the temporary victories of exterior glamour provides a more enduring (and arguably more lastingly attractive) quality, welcomes natural chaos, and is not determined by genes or even whether one uses bribery or botox but rather through the practice of our free will.

Practice, you ask? Well, yes, because feeling beautiful on the inside depends far more on, say, beholding the hues of spring flowers, pausing long enough to say thank you to your colleagues, feeling a wave of graciousness in opening the door (and offering a real eye-level smile) to a friend or stranger, or even allowing the sting of failure to merge with the ecstatic force of learning among countless other available acts—no matter the shape of your nose or the height of your cheekbones.

Much as the Buddhist practice of “cultivating the li” unearths natural human wonders simply by remembering to behave decently toward one another and nature, cultivating soul beauty reminds us we can grow a spiritual essence that is movingly, timelessly beautiful.

Soul Beauty: Seven Crucial Ingredients Gratitude: The words “thank you” can shift a feeling of obligation to gratefulness. The act of naming our blessings reminds us what those gifts feel like up close.

Kindness: The quickest way to feel your own warmth is to offer it to

others. Say hello, smile, offer to help and follow through. Notice how gratifying it can feel to give your full presence.

Salt: To live fully means taking chances.

You’re likely to make mistakes. Forgive yourself and remember that your soul benefits when you choose the color, texture and flavor that comes with learning.

Unknowing: Dare not to know all the answers. Notice what stirs within you when you begin to look with wonder at say, your desk, kitchen, garden, friends, rain, the sky, etc.

Affection: When it comes right down to it, love works best as a verb. Remind the most important people in your life that you care.

Sacred Reciprocity: On the other hand, don’t give away your most precious resource to those who can’t honor it. Choose relationships that lift all parties into more satisfying realms.

Rest: Make room for silence and pause every day. Whether you meditate, pray or stare at the wall, your soul will thank you. {B} www.blikki.com - 51