Happy harvest!
I love to eat at this time of year. Hearty soups and stews, roasted meats, baking — it all seems better in the fall.
We are so fortunate that here in the Lower Mainland we can continue to have fresh locally grown food all year round.
Let’s have a look at what is readily available right now and some new ways to prepare it.
• Zucchini: This seems to be one of those never-ending vegetables. Goodness knows they grow like weeds. But they are also versatile, lending themselves to both light summer fare and heavier winter cooking. I like to grate them and keep bags in the freezer for baking. One of my favourite savoury uses for grated zucchini is to sauté it with some good olive oil and a bit of onion, then place it in a shallow baking dish. Cover it with some yummy sharp cheese and pop it under the broiler until the cheese melts — it’s a fast side dish. Did you know that zucchini are a great source of vitamin C, B6 and potassium? Potassium counters sodium, making it an important mineral in regulating blood pressure. Surprisingly, zucchini have almost as much potassium as a banana.
• Potatoes: Taters are another great source of potassium and they are also readily available at market now. Two of my favourite varieties are Siglinde and Yukon Gold. Siglinde are also known as German butter potatoes and are fabulous for roasting. Yukon Gold are great for mashing. My go-to for potatoes is Forstbauer Farm. Something about growing organically and biodynamically makes for magic when you taste them.
• Beets: So now that it appears I am writing about potassium, we need to look at beets. Beets are another better-than-banana source. One cup of beets will give you 518 mg of potassium as well as 34% of your daily allowance of folate — amazing. If you have read this column before, you know how I feel about beets and you also know that I am a convert as long as they come from the Forstbauer. I recently created the most incredible appetizer with every single element coming from the market. Simply slice and toast a baguette from Bread Affair, spread it with Golden Ears Neufchatel mixed with a bit of Aji chunky chili sauce, top with a slice of Cawston Market Farmers pear and a slice of roasted Forstbauer beet, and finish with a drizzle of Phamily Table sweet chili Gold. Super easy and delicious.
• Swiss chard: Last but not least, Swiss chard is another outstanding source of potassium and is versatile, too. It can be served raw or cooked. Chop it into a hearty green salad or simply sauté it with a bit of olive oil and garlic. It’s actually the superstar of the potassium world and also provides more than double the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A.
All in all, a trip to market in the early fall can make for a delicious way to keep your blood pressure stable, to say nothing of how wonderful it is just to be there. And that is good for your blood pressure, too.
Karen Curtis is the Lemonade Lady (www.kicslemonade.ca) at the Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam farmers markets. Her column runs monthly.
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Carrot, Beet & Apple Salad
• source: The Endless Meal
Carrot Beet & Apple Salad is a fresh take on coleslaw. The cumin vinaigrette is so flavourful. This mayo-free side dish is perfect for your summer barbecues and winter dinners alike.
INGREDIENTS
2 large carrots
1 large crisp apple
2 medium beets
For the dressing:
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
¾ tsp ground cumin (I use cumin seed, toast it and then grind it with a mortar and pestle — makes a huge difference)
A good pinch of sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
Using a mandolin with a ⅛ blade, shred the carrots and apple and place them in a large bowl. Shred the beets with the mandolin, then rinse them under cold running water 3-4 times — this will help them to not bleed their colour through the salad (if presentation isn’t important when you’re serving this, you can skip this step). You can also grate the veggies; the taste will remain roughly the same but the presentation will be quite different. Add the beets to the bowl with the carrots and apple. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat well.
