Radish Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Sprouting: A Fun & Nutritious activity you can do with kids

Written by Shawna Smith ~ Holistic Nutritionist & Esthetician

It is near impossible to find fresh produce in Canada in the winter months. Most produce has traveled a long way before it makes it to our plates. A great way to ensure you are eating fresh produce with live enzymes …and optimal nutrition is too add some fresh sprouts into your diet. Add them to salads, wraps or any dish just before serving.

Sprouting can be a fun activity to do with your children as they grow quickly and children love to check on them daily.

Where can I purchase seeds to sprout? There are companies that sell packages of seeds for sprouting, they can be found in most health food stores. As well, any organic seeds can be used for sprouting. Ex, quinoa, chickpeas are a couple of options. Your choices are endless.

Here are the general guidelines.

Jar Method

Soak 3-8 hours – Place 1-4 TBSP seeds in a wide mouthed glass jar. Cover jar with screen or mesh and secure with rubber band. Add water, swirl and drain. Refill with water to cover the sprouts and soak seeds for 3-8 hours, over night works well. Drain water. Do not refill.

Rinse twice a day – Rinse seeds by refilling jar with water and gently swirling. Drain water. Invert and prop jar at an angle in sink or bowl.

Ready in 3-6 days – To keep fresh, refrigerate well drained sprouts in a sealed glass container.

Sprouting Using a Colander ~ this has become my favorite method.
Soak 3-8 hours – Place 1-6 TBSP in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak seeds 3-8 hours, over night works well. Then drain in your colander, and rinse very well until the water runs clear. Drain, and then place on your plate to catch any water drippings and cover with a kitchen towel.

Rinse twice a day – Run the colander under clean water twice a day making sure that you are rinsing all the seeds.

Ready in 3-6 days – When the sprouts are starting to shoot, rinse one more time, and leave for another 8-12 hours to completely drain. They should be dry to touch. Then place in a mason jar or other glass container to keep in the fridge. Eat & enjoy!

Safety When Eating Raw Sprouts It’s important when sprouting, even more so if you are consuming them raw, that you use common sense by using clean jars, being careful that the jars and sprouts aren’t contaminated. Never eat any sprouts that smell bad, or are slimy or moldy.

Shawna Smith is a Holistic Nutritionist & Esthetician who is passionate about supporting local farmers and a NHCA Farmers Market Committee Member.
Contact 403-477-8165, shawna@smithshawna.ca www.shawnasmith.ca

3 Benefits of a local Farmers Market

When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, the market is the perfect  place to locate some fabulous food finds for everyone in the family!

Here are 3 reasons to support your Northern Hills Community Farmers Market this summer.

1. Fresh food ~ unfortunately most supermarkets harvest their fruits and vegetables weeks before they are ripe to facilitate for transportation and storage. They are then gassed to encourage ripening before finally ending up on the supermarket shelves. This greatly affect’s the taste and nutritional value of the produce. When you purchase from a local seasonal Farmers Market the term “farm fresh” really means something. Most produce is usually picked the day before if not that morning, ensuring your produce will contain optimal nutrients and taste.

2. Support for local farmers ~ a much higher percentage of your dollar goes to the farmer when purchasing at a farmers market directly supporting your local economy. Many times the same person that you’re purchasing from is the same person that was involved in growing or raising your purchase. Take the opportunity to have your questions answered and build a relationship with the farmers.

3. Lower carbon footprint ~ this can happen in a couple of different ways. First, the produce at the market hasn’t had to travel great distances lowering fuel emissions. Second, walking to your local farmers market is a great way to get your exercise in for the day and reduce fuel emissions.

“A community farmers market is not only an economic engine, it’s also a social gathering place which builds a community.” Anonymous

Shawna Smith is a Holistic Nutritionist & Esthetician who is passionate about supporting local farmers and a NHCA Farmers Market Committee Member.
Contact 403-477-8165, shawna@smithshawna.ca www.shawnasmith.ca

Sautéed Artichoke Recipe

Artichokes can be a pain to work with, which is what deters a lot of people from cooking them. But Jen Dalton has an easy and delicious artichoke recipe! She shows us how to prepare fresh artichokes – ours are from Iacopi Farm in Half Moon Bay, CA – with minimal effort to produce amazingly tasty results. Wow your friends and support your local farmers market at the same time!

www.care2.com/farmersmarket

Starring: Jen Dalton
Director: Chris Smith
Producer: Laurie Peterson
Creative Director: Sabrina Model-Carlberg
Sound & Music: Eric Carpenter

Never buy spring onions again!

I’ve done this, and I end up getting a good 8-10 uses out of the onions. They eventually get to small you can’[t use them anymore!  Tutorial here.

Comfort food for the chilly months

Okay so the onions won’t be spring fresh, but I’m so going to make this tonight! Yumm yumm.

Support your local farmers market!

We want to hear from you!

Take our Poll!!!

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Foodstock 2011

Tomorrow at Kingsland Farmers’ Market is Foodstock 2011 2-4 pm.

Foodstock is a fundraiser for the Canadian Right to Food Trial Legal Defense Fund. A family friendly event that features a series of music, presentations and speakers we believe will inspire Calgarians to take a closer look at our local food system.

Attend or donate and support Calgarians in the movement for our food!

More information on their Facebook page.

Hopes for a New Farmers Market

Welcome! There is a plan for the Northern Communities of NE Calgary to start up a farmers’ market. We are in the planning stages but we would like to be ready by spring. We are excited for this to happen, if you have any suggestions or questions please email us at farmersmarket@northernhills.ab.ca.