This is just a reminder that FFP has moved to a new site at www.freshfoodperspectives.typepad.com. Make sure you re-subscribe at this new site to continue receiving email updates. I just started posting about my last trip to Napa and Sonoma so you don’t want to miss anything!
Have a healthy day.
Jenna
Hello Fresh Food Friends!
I just added the option to email subscribe to my new blog. I know many of you used this tool to follow me. Click on www.freshfoodperspectives.com and the box is located on the left hand side and says “subscribe”. Please take a moment to do this so you can keep up with my new site!
Have a healthy day.
Please take a moment and visit the all new www.freshfoodperspectives.com, subscribe and then share it with a friend.
Thank you so much!
Fresh Food Perspectives has now moved to another web address. Please visit www.freshfoodperspectives.com to continue following the fun!
Go Green!
That’s sounds so great, but how do I do that? You do it one step at a time. When it comes to food and cooking, “being green” can mean eating local, sustainably, and planet friendly.
A few years ago I heard a RD speak about her cookbook and strategies for cooking green. They were really clever and of course, tasty. Below is her cookbook. I highly recommend it, especially if you’d like to be more planet conscious, but not sure how.
Remember to check back in tomorrow for the big surprise I have been telling you about!
Have a healthy day.
Today’s green thing is inspired by my dinner last night. Today, we are talking about fresh herbs – beautiful, green, fresh herbs. Here are some pictures from my humble herb garden.
Herbs have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. We also know that herbs are rich sources of phytonutrients, many of which are antioxidants. You really can’t go wrong with any of them – basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, and dill, just to name a few.
How do I use fresh herbs, you ask? Easy. Add fresh herbs to salads for a pop of flavor. Make a quick tomato basil salad by dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Turn quinoa into a tasty, cold salad by adding red wine vinegar, fresh chopped veggies and parsley. Make your own salsa with cilantro. You can also add a handful of any herb to you smoothie as well.
Growing your own herbs is easy. They are often available in the produce section of the grocery store. Just put them in a pot and fertilize about once a month. If they die, no big deal. They usually only cost a couple of dollars.
So back to last nights dinner. I tried roasted eggplant with tomato and mint. It was lovely! I always want to use mint in my cooking but not sure how to incorporate it without overpowering a dish. This was a great side dish to dinner that had just the right balance of flavors. The topping would go great over anything really, so make it and play around.
Please post about how you like to use fresh herbs in your cooking.
Roasted Eggplant with Tomato Mint Salsa
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 eggplants, medium size, sliced into rounds
salt and pepper
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup red onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes
3 tbsp  fresh mint, minced
2 tsp red wine vinegar or more if desired
I sure do! But there’s just one little problem – I’m not that good at it, or rather, I don’t know how to do it well. The good news for me, and maybe you, is that you don’t have to be a green thumb anymore to grow delicious produce at home thanks to the Tower Garden!!!
I posted about this amazing new, simple way to grow food at home and we are just weeks away from it launching on the market. Next week we are having a guest speaker come to Jacksonville to speak on this new technology and answer you questions about it. I’m really excited. I would love for you to join me and see if this really is as simple as “they” say it is.
The official info is attached, which includes the bio of the speaker. Here is the general info:
What: Tower Garden 101: Join the Locavore
When: Wednesday, March 14th at 7pm
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church 7405 Arlington Expressway Jacksonville, FL 32211
Email me if you are interested in attending – jbraddockrd@gmail.com. If you are not in North Florida, and are curious about this wonderful invention, please email me too. I would love to tell you more.
Get growing!!
(Say that 5 times fast)
Yesterday my friend brought me 2 huge (almost a foot long) sweet potatoes from Mississippi that were still muddy. I love when my produce comes to me dirty. I forgot to ask her how she acquired such gems as we were in a hurry and didn’t get to that detail.
I wanted to cook them last night for dinner, but didn’t want to just roast them like I usually do. I decided to try mashed sweet potatoes because I don’t think I’ve made them this way at home before. They turned out tasty.
Steaming them, as opposed to boiling, helps maintain the water soluble vitamins. I used my favorite bamboo steamer baskets that are super easy to use on top of a boiling pot of water.
Give these a try for a delicious, easy side dish.
Simple Smashed Sweet Potatoes
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp cinnamon (more to taste)
Equipment: Steamer baskets (see link above), pot large enough to hold steamer baskets on top, potato masher
Alternative cooking method: You can easily roast the potato cubes or microwave with just a touch of water till very soft.Â
This week Jackson (my 6 month old) attempted to eat food for the first time. At the beginning,  I seemed to forgot everything I’ve read while feeding him – all that stuff about more food ending up on him than down his throat. Jackson seemed to be clueless as to what to do with the new, strange substance in his mouth. I realized that I have to help him learn to eat.
We have attempted avocados 3 days in a row and it’s still more out than in (his mouth). I think he will get the hang of it soon. He seems to lung at everything I put in my mouth so he has to some clue about it.
I think I will be feeding avocados for 3 more days and then try another green veggie. So far he has not had any negative reactions. Good news! Here are some pictures to entertain you and make you smile. Have a great week!
Mom, I'm not too sure about these avocados
With so much nutrition information out there, sometimes you just need a fresh perspective. Written by a registered dietitian, sports fan and food lover.
Fresh Food Perspectives 