Nourished Kitchen

Farmhouse Beef and Bacon Stew

Jenny — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:48:08 PDT

In the last few weeks, my family has been traveling. We packed one backpack each, left our little home in the mountains, and headed off on a 6-week tour on the trail of real food – stopping first at a dairy farm nestled against the rolling green hills of Devon in England before moving on, briefly, to London, then to Paris and next to Provence, Tuscany for this getaway, and wherever else the road takes us before we return home.

We drove through the impossibly narrow, hedge-fledged roads through the English country-side before finding the dairy where we camped for three nights at the Aller Family Farm. We roamed the hills, foraged for wild foods, played and cooked on the cabin’s wood-fired stove as well as an open pit outside the cabin. Chaffin Family Orchard out of northern California offers a similar camping arrangement where my family stayed last November.Click Here to Continue Reading.

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How to Make Simple Farm-style Cheese at Home

Jenny — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:14:26 PDT

Each week, from April through November, we pick up 4 gallons of fresh, raw milk from our local dairy. We like to visit the farm that houses our milk cows – all doe-eyed guernseys and jerseys with their pale tan-colored coats and their soft muzzles. Like many traditional foods enthusiasts, my family belongs to a herd share; that is, we collectively own an interest in a small herd of grass-fed cows, and as the owners of the cows, we’re entitled to their milk.

It started slow – a small share that provided about a half gallon a week, then progressed to 1 gallon, then to 2 and now to 4. Dutifully, each week, I skim the cream off of two gallons of milk, leaving the other two whole. I use the cream for desserts and to serve with fruit, while using the skimmed milk for homemade raw milk yogurt or for simple homemade farm cheese – sometimes seasoning it with fresh herbs, and sometimes leaving it plain as I do below.Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Vanilla Bean and Fresh Mint Ice Cream

Jenny — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:35:31 PDT

Real Vanilla Mint Ice Cream tastes of spring with lingering grassy notes that speak of fresh herbs, newly sprouted from the earth. As winter recedes and light begins to return to the mountains, the hens and cows who’ve ceased production all winter long begin to lay their eggs and give their milk and cream once more. The first eggs, milk, and cream of the year begin to arrive in March, sometimes early March and sometimes late March, and after a winter without eggs, milk, cream or fresh things to eat, I favor treats – honey custard or ice creams like this one.

After six or seven months of storage, I finally pull out our ice cream maker, dust it off and set it in the deep freeze to ice over. I use this ice cream maker, and as long as I keep the insert in the deep freeze for at least a full day, the ice cream it churns comes together in about 20 to 25 minutes. I make many ice creams in the spring and summer months: strawberry, sour cherry, sweet cherry and almond, blackberry honey, rose and saffron.Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Beyond Coconut Oil

Jenny — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:11:10 PDT

Coconut is a treat for my little family, something we use judiciously and tenderly. While, 90% of the foods my family consumes arrive from farms and ranches near to home, I treasure other foods, foods whose benefits warrant the distance – cod liver oil most certainly, unrefined cane sugar as a treat, wild-caught fish, and coconut. Coconut reminds me of the tropics, of beaches, of the sea and of warmth – all of which we lack in my humble town tucked far away into the folds of the Rocky Mountains.

I value coconut for not only its luxuriant flavor and excellent application in both sweet and savory dishes, but also for its nutrient profile which pairs rich and healthy fatty acids with protein and fiber. For this reason, I often use its oil and milk in curries and sweet desserts while saving coconut flour for protein- and fiber-rich desserts like the Coconut Flour Cake I always make when birthdays roll around.

Coconut in Traditional Diets

In rereading Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, I was struck by how often the reliance on coconut and coconut oil benefited the health of the South Pacific Islanders who paired coconut products with wild-caught fish, root vegetables, wild greens and tropical fruits. It’s no wonder those who adhered to this traditional coconut-inclusive diet saw outstanding health. Coconut oil is rich in immune-supportive fatty acids like lauric acid, and other saturated fats that, when paired with a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables can systemic wellness and skin health in particular.

In our home, my husband and I emphasize the importance of a traditional, unprocessed diet not only for our own sense of well-being, but also for that of our son. Years ago, when we first began the foray into traditional cooking, one of the first steps we made was to begin including coconut oil, and eventually, other coconut products into our diet.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a softly sweet tropical oil rich in saturated fats like lauric acid which boasts immune-supportive and antimicrobial effects. I take care in choosing coconut oil, as many oils found on supermarket shelves are often extracted through heat or chemical solvents; rather, I prefer and emphasize coconut oils that are processed without heat or chemicals. Minimally processed oils retain a higher level of nutrients and food enzymes, and more closely resemble the oils traditionally consumed by healthy peoples in the South Pacific studied by Dr. Price.

Coconut Spread

After our first few forays into the world of traditional foods, we expanded our experience with coconut beyond coconut oil, to other coconut products like coconut spread. Coconut spread is prepared similarly to other nut butters – ideally delicately handled, prepared raw to maintain food enzymes, and free from additives. Coconut spread is the critical ingredient in my homemade coconut frosting for this coconut cake, though I also often use it as a replacement for nut butter in my son’s sandwiches when he leaves home for daycamps during the summer time. Coconut spread is prepared from whole coconuts, so it retains not only the beneficial coconut oil, but also the protein, fiber and other components of coconuts. It is a whole food in its truest sense.

Coconut Flour and Flakes

We also use coconut flour and coconut flakes which can provide texture and flavor to not only homemade, grain-free desserts and baked goods, but also to savory dishes like curries as well. I sprinkle coconut flakes on sweet baked goods, in replacement of commercial baking sprinkles. Coconut flour, by contrast, is a fine powder-like flour highly suitable for gluten- and grain-free baking. It is rich in protein and fiber, and absorbs liquids readily, for this reason a small bit goes a long way and coconut flour baked goods can be highly satiating.

Coconut Milk, Cream and Water

Second to coconut oil, many cooks use coconut milk frequently, and coconut water is growing in popularity for its thirst-quenching properties and is rich in electrolytes, making it particularly helpful for hot days, illness or recovering athletes. Coconut milk and coconut cream, by contrast, are richer, and fattier – making suitable substitutes for heavy cream and whole milk in custards, soups, and ice creams. Take care to purchase additive-free coconut milks.

Other Coconut Products

My family also uses other coconut products in different ways. While our culinary uses of coconut oil, coconut flour, coconut flakes and coconut milk take most of our focus, we also use coconut products for personal care and cosmetic reasons. The skin is our largest organ, and readily absorbs what we put on it. In my routines, we often use coconut oil or coconut-based beauty products as moisturizers, for oil-pulling or in other applications, and in this way we know our skin care is just as nutrient-dense and safe as the foods I take pride in feeding my family.

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How to Make Ginger Bug for Homemade Sodas

Jenny — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:29:49 PDT

A little jar of ginger bug, a slurry of ginger and sugar, sits on my countertop next to my sourdough starter, where, fed daily, it bubbles and foams. I remove a little bit at a time, no more than 1/4 cup, to make old-fashioned sodas like homemade root beer, ginger mint soda, rhubarb soda and others more familiar to those subscribe to the Nourished Kitchen meal plans who find a new recipe for fermented foods tucked into their meal plans each week.

What is a Ginger Bug and What Does It Do

A slurry of fermented yeast and sugar water, Ginger Bug captures beneficial microorganisms like wild yeasts and bacteria in the same way that sourdough starter does. The wild microorganisms, eat away at the sugar in the Ginger Bug, and produce carbon dioxide as a result. When mixed with a flavored sweet tea, fruit juice or other base, the microorganisms in the ginger bug begin to consume the sugar in the tea or juice, and, as they do, they reproduce and emit carbon dioxide. The result is a fizzy and effervescent, naturally fermented soda that is rich in beneficial bacteria – critical to gut health and immune system function. Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Get 30 Real Food and Wellness Ebooks for $39 (90% Savings!)

Jenny — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:33:15 PDT

I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that I’ve paired up with some of your other favorite real food bloggers to offer Nourished Kitchen’s Grain-free Guide to Baking along with 29 other real food and wellness books in a spring ebook bundle.

Other books include Get Your Fats Straight,Skintervention Guide, Real Food for Real Life, Nourished Baby, Fast Paleo and others. Get the full list of included ebooks here.

You can pick up the whole bundle of 30 books here for $39 (90% off!) through Tuesday, April 23. Check it out.
Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Copyright 2007 to 2012, all rights reserved. Nourished Kitchen, LLC. No part of this content may be republished or reposted without express written permission. Posts on NourishedKitchen.com may contain affiliate links and links to sponsors. Books and other products may be accepted for review. Giveaways are sponsored or feature affiliate products. Please see our disclaimer, comment policy and privacy policy.

Carrot and Leek Soup with Toasted Mustard Seeds

Jenny — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:09:29 PDT

Carrot and Leek Soup is not my vision; rather, it belongs to my little boy who also loves to cook. Much like my husband and I love food, our little boy also loves food. He prepares breakfasts on Sunday mornings, and takes great care in the way he scrambles the eggs or chops the fruit for salad. He also spends time in the kitchen with me, that is when he’s not otherwise preoccupied with legos or Lemony Snicket books.

Kids in the Kitchen

Many people ask me how to get their kids to enjoy real foods, and I answered this question in my talk for the Healthy Life Summit, one thing I invariably tell them is to involve children in the growing, selecting and cooking of foods. Choice excites children, and empowers their love of real food. I often set a small amount of our food budget aside for my little boy – to let him select some foods not only for himself, but also for the whole family. This helps him to understand the importance of his choices and how they affect other people.Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Copyright 2007 to 2012, all rights reserved. Nourished Kitchen, LLC. No part of this content may be republished or reposted without express written permission. Posts on NourishedKitchen.com may contain affiliate links and links to sponsors. Books and other products may be accepted for review. Giveaways are sponsored or feature affiliate products. Please see our disclaimer, comment policy and privacy policy.

Organic 3 Winner

Jenny — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:00:13 PDT

Last week I paired up with Organic 3 to offer a giveaway of $175 in gut-supporting supplements to one Nourished Kitchen readers! And Michelle won the giveaway.

If you didn’t win …

If you didn’t win, you can still pick up the great, natural supplements at Organic3 .

My Super-simple, Never-fail Dinner: Hamburger Salads

Jenny — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:46:54 PDT

There are many days, particularly in spring and summer when we’re so preoccupied with our work on the farmers market, that I have no time to plan a menu, or prepare an elaborate dinner. We’re hungry. We’re tired. We want something immediately. It’s on these days that I lean on one of my favorite simple, no-fail dinners: Hamburger Salads. Impossibly easy, it’s less a recipe and more a collection of ingredients. In the end, it leaves our hunger satisfied and takes only 10 to 15 minutes of time.Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Copyright 2007 to 2012, all rights reserved. Nourished Kitchen, LLC. No part of this content may be republished or reposted without express written permission. Posts on NourishedKitchen.com may contain affiliate links and links to sponsors. Books and other products may be accepted for review. Giveaways are sponsored or feature affiliate products. Please see our disclaimer, comment policy and privacy policy.

Bison Stew with Red Wine and Sweet Bay

Jenny — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:34:22 PDT

Bison stew warms our bellies on the coldest of days. While winter recedes and spring emerges across most of the northern hemisphere, here, in the high country, it continues to snow. Spring doesn’t show her face here until early June, though I did see my first purple-flanked crocus emerge from the earth a few days ago, though crusty icy still clung to its petals and sharp, green leaves. Winter doesn’t leave the mountains quite so easily.

So while spring dances in blossoms and green across much of the country, we settle inside for the cold, snow, mud and wind that marks off-season in the mountains. We rely on warming foods, heavy and robust, like thick Bison Stew. Bison is a lovely meat, like beef, only stronger, saltier and more pronounced. I like to pair it with other robust flavors – tomato, red wine, thyme, rosemary and sweet bay.Click Here to Continue Reading.

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Copyright 2007 to 2012, all rights reserved. Nourished Kitchen, LLC. No part of this content may be republished or reposted without express written permission. Posts on NourishedKitchen.com may contain affiliate links and links to sponsors. Books and other products may be accepted for review. Giveaways are sponsored or feature affiliate products. Please see our disclaimer, comment policy and privacy policy.