I must confess that I have never put much thought into how brussel sprouts grow, whether in the ground or on trees, but it turns out that the truth is so very much cooler than I could ever have imagined (Just google brussel sprouts stalk for more pictures). My parents became part of a CSA (that is, Community Supported Agriculture) a couple years ago by buying a "share" (a membership or subscription, if you will). They have spent the last couple summers receiving boxes upon boxes of fresh vegetables filled with flavor and vitamins, and, along with that, a "food education." Just simply identifying the many varieties of leafy greens they bring home every week can be a fun challenge. With the help of my sister's fantastic cooking skills and a bit of ingenuity we have all benefited from this CSA affiliation by learning about a whole new level of plant-based YUM.
From both the CSA shares and ever more adventuresome shopping experiences at the local grocery stores, I've been exposed to kale, kohlrabi (German turnip), collard greens, purple (heirloom) potatoes, and celeriac (celery root). The brussel sprouts' experience occurred over break (technically still 2011... whoops) and reminded me of my goal of living more naturally, a goal that seems so very easy in the summer when fresh fruits and vegetables are carted into our house by the boxful. But with a little bit of planning and determination, I'm back on track with my baby steps towards natural living. My latest adventure was making my very own almond milk.
Steps: (from Vegan Planet)
1. Soak 1 pound almonds in 4 cups of water overnight. 2. Drain the almonds, catching the liquid to be used later.
3. Put the almonds (I did it in small doses) in a blender, add liquid, and blend.
4. When it's a nice, slightly chunky liquid, transfer it to a cheesecloth and squeeze all of the smooth almond milk out.
5. Add sweetening to taste (though it's super yummy just as is) and store the dried almond crumbles (aka the cheesecloth leftovers) in the fridge for use in other recipes (ones that call for almond meal and the like).
The process itself was an adventure, with a great deal of effort going into not breaking the blender, and it was also a bit of a mess... But, in the end it worked out perfectly. Next up, homemade rice milk!
For most of the experiment I was thinking: I'm not sure this is how it's supposed to work but if it sounds right, looks right, smells right, it must be right. Right?
As much as I wish I could sit in the kitchen all day making every last food item I could ever desire, that's just not practical. So, to go along with my natural-eating frenzy, I have decided to take a little leaf out of my sister's book (I swear I'm not copying you Nani! Just doing something very similar...) and adapt one of her past ideas of eating food with only 5 ingredients or less. So, my goal is to find or feature a new food item every week that has five ingredients or less. The whole point is to go grocery store searching for foods that I eat regularly and require no more cooking on my part (cereals, breads, snacks) but, unlike the average prepared food item, don't have a list of ingredients four miles long that include "natural flavors" or "sodium acid pyrophosphate" (what the heck?!). First up is Angie's Kettle Corn. I am thoroughly in love with this stuff, thanks to my friend Jen who introduced me to this yummy snack at dinner a couple days ago. And just look at those ingredients!! Alright, so not super healthy necessarily, but still better than something that makes me think of self-combusting flammable liquid...
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