Vegetable powders
Friend and colleague, Dr. Tom Cowan, MD, has realized one of his dreams with the creation of Dr. Cowan’s Garden. I talked with Tom during a workshop we participated in October 2019. As in all he does, Tom has been very thoughtful in the farmers he works with, the vegetables he grows, and how they are processed and preserved. The vegetables are harvested at peak flavor and quality and dehydrated on low heat, around 120 degrees. Low-heat dehydration retains most of the vitamin and mineral content of the vegetables. The greens are steamed before drying to release anti-nutrients, and the beets, pumpkins and winter squash are cooked to maximize flavor and digestibility. Once dried, the vegetables are ground into powders and transferred to Miron violet-glass jars as soon as possible. The unique properties of the Miron jars don't allow any visible light to pass through; only the invisible parts of light -- UV-A and infrared -- are allowed in. This is significant because the sensitive substances within are protected against the aging processes that are released by visible light, thus enhancing both their potency and durability. Stored in Miron jars, the vegetable powders will be nutritionally potent for months.
I invite you to consider boosting your nourishing, traditional cooking with Vegetable Powders from Dr. Cowan’s Garden.
Vegetable Powders - all
Check out all of Dr. Cowan’s amazing products here!
Heirloom Grains
If you are going to include whole grains in your diet, they might as well give you the benefits of heirloom grains!
Eat oatmeal? Try 18th Century Toasted Stone-Cut Oats
Fresh and loaded with natural oils, this new-crop oats are so moist they must first be toasted to be hulled. Besides reducing cooking time, toasting produces a burst of caramel alongside a light, clean backdrop of fresh oat flavor. Gluten Free.
Then, learn how to soak them with my laminated, hand-illustrated Preparing Whole Grains and Legumes CHART.
Like grits or polenta? Try Artisan Handmade Fine Yellow Polenta
Classic-style, authentic polenta from new-crop white or yellow flint corn. It displays appealing corn aroma and flavor, and a silky, beaded texture when properly cooked. Gluten Free.
Did you know that corn benefits from being soaked in lime water? Find out how and how much on my Grain and Bean CHART.
Salt
High mineral salt is extremely important for all bodies. Most of our soils are depleted in minerals, so it is essential that we cook with and adorn our food with good quality salt.
Do not be fooled…just because a label says “sea salt” that it is good for you. When I teach classes, I always encourage students (and I am encouraging you) to be a “food detective”! What is a good salt? One that lists on the label (or on their website) all of the trace minerals in the salt. In my book, a good quality salt will have a minimum of 50 trace minerals in it—better salts have 80-100 trace minerals or more! Do NOT purchase any salt that lists “anti-caking agents” or “flow agents” in the ingredients! And do NOT say “it’s pink! It must be good salt!” It probably isn’t.
Here are some of my favorites, because they are clean and they contain the highest amounts of minerals that I have been able to find.
The highest mineral salt that I know of is Baja Gold Salt. I was blessed to be introduced to it at a Weston A. Price Wise Traditions Conference 2 years ago. It contains 90 minerals and trace elements typically found in seawater plus more than 50,000 natural organic compounds. “Baja Gold Sea Salt is produced from the mineral-rich Sea of Cortez and is naturally dehydrated by the sun.”
The next is one I have used for many years, from Selina Naturally, Celtic Sea Salt-Fine Ground for cooking. I also love their Light Grey Celtic, for sprinkling on food once it has been served-also called a “finishing salt”. Great for having on the table, in a small bowl.
And lastly, salt that has been mined from what were deep sea beds, in Utah, Redmond Real Salt. It has the least minerals of these three, but still more than 60!
Don’t be afraid to salt your food! Do be sure to use high mineral salt. Your cells need minerals!
However, most people need iodine, in addition to sea salt! Selina Naturally offers a Sea Salt Seaweed Seasoning. Other good ways to get iodine? Eat seaweed, (just be sure there is no canola or soy oil on it) or put organic kelp or kombu—just an inch or two- in a pot of meat stock when you make it!
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