Photograph: PD Photo.org
Shopping farmers markets, ethnic groceries, and the outer perimeter of your regular grocer is just good sense. It makes for delicious meals, healthy bodies, sound budget, and shopping fun. Good peasant food always includes fresh fruit and vegetables, sometimes raw. Such foods are naturally gluten free and convenient for those with Celiac Disease or gluten/wheat sensitivity. They are easily portable and wonderful when you have to eat on the run.
Gluten-Free Fennel and Leeks in Orange-Cream Sauce, Finoccio e Porri in Salsa della Arancio-Crema, Italian
Fennel is a wonderful, crunchy veggie with a mild licorice flavor. Italians favor eating it raw after a meal to help with digestion. Trim the stalks and the root end, saving the lovely, lacy fronds to decorate the serving dish. Slice the bulbs lengthwise.
It was said among ancient Greeks that the great orators ate a leek a day to keep their voices clear and pure. Leeks were also considered aphrodisiacs and mixed in a salad with toasted sesame seeds and honey, they were served to enhance virility. They have a mild oniony flavor with a hint of garlic. Trim the stems and cut the roots off the bulb. Cut the leeks into one-inch rounds. Place them in a colander and rinse well, being sure to get all the grit and sand out.
The recipe:
2 fennel bulbs
2 large leeks
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of one small, organic orange
2 tablespoons of dry white whine
1 cup of Wild Wood Soy Creamer
1 cup of almond milk
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the vegetables
Cut the fennel bulbs lengthwise into six pieces and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a greased baking pan.
Place the leeks in a saute pan with the olive oil and saute until tender.
Pour the soy creamer and the almond milk into the pan with the leeks and simmer, adding the orange zest and juice. Continue simmering for about 20 minutes to thicken. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, stir well, and then pour the sauce over the fennel. Bake in a moderate 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds and a bit more nutmeg and serve immediately.
Gluten-Free Orange and Olive Salad, Portokalia Me Elies, Greek
Serves Four
Quickly and easily assmbled, this classic Greek salad is an unusual and zesty side dish.
The recipe
2 large oranges, peeled and separated into slices, be sure to remove seeds and pith
20 pitted calamata olives
1/2 small red onion, sliced as thinly as possible
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
spinach leaves, washed
Prepare the salad:
Assemble the salad by mixing all the ingredients- with the exception of the spinach – in one bowl. Cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve the salad on individual plates that have been lined with the spinach leaves.
Gluten-free Fresh Fruit Salad, Macedonia Fresca, Italian
This makes a refreshing end to a meal, especially a heavy one. Figure on at least one cup of fruit per person. Chose a nice variety of seasonal fruits.
The recipe:
assorted ripe fruits, cut into bit-sized pieces
organic sugar, to taste
Marsala, white wine, or lemon juice, to taste
fresh mint sprigs
Mix the fruit in a large bowl, adding sugar and wine or lemon juice to taste. It should not be too sweet, nor should it be swimming in the wine. Let it sit at room temperature for about a half-hour or so before serving. Decorate each serving with a sprig of mint.
We are fortunate to have enough to eat, perhaps more than enough. It is not so for all.
Free Rice for the world’s poor (thanks to Barbara Stone for this site). Play this little word game, and for each correct answer rice will be donated.
http://www.freerice.com/index.php
Check out this site as well:
Visit Barbara Stone at:
The List of Buddha Lists
http://bstonedesigns.com/buddhist_lists/eight_fold_path.html
HudStone Images
