Chez Panisse (recipe included)

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:50:35 +0000

We went for lunch in the cafe. This is a real treat. If you don’t know, Chez Panisse has defined the “eat local, organic, and sustainable” food movement on the west coast and way, way beyond. Award-winning chef Alice Waters is, of course, a legend in sustainable and seasonal and local and a master at making simple food delicious. A blurb about the restaurant: Alice and Chez Panisse have become convinced that the best-tasting food is organically grown and harvested in ways that are ecologically sound, by people who are taking care of the land for future generations. The quest for such ingredients has largely determined the restaurant’s cuisine. Chez Panisse has tried for years to make diners here partake of the immediacy and excitement of vegetables just out of the garden, fruit right off the branch, and fish straight out of the sea.

There is a dinner served in two seatings with a fixed-price menu of three to four courses. The menu changes every night and showcases the season’s finest ingredients sourced from local purveyors. We had lunch in the cafe, which is less expensive and features a menu with apps and a few meat entrees.

We started with an avocado/citrus/beet salad, and this was my favorite item by far. It was perfection: beets and thinly sliced blood orange with the most delicious avocados salted and covered in cracked black pepper, with a simple olive oil citrus dressing. I found the recipe and want to share it here. You could also use walnut oil, which pairs well with beets.

Avocado & Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients
6 medium red or golden beets
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
1 large shallot, diced fine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
Chervil sprigs
1/4 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon chopped orange zest
2 firm ripe avocados

Whisk in 3/4 cup oil and stir in the chopped chervil, lemon zest, and orange zest. Taste for seasoning.

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Leaving the skin intact, cut the avocados lengthwise into 1/4″ slices. Scoop out the slices with a large spoon and arrange them on a platter or individual dishes. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the beets over the avocado slices and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with a few chervil sprigs.

Healthy Bargain Shopping

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:08:55 +0000

Times are tough. But it doesn’t mean you have to shop lean. Here are my tips for budgeting healthfully. Send in yours!

*Do some research. Look for whatever specials are running and plan weekly meals around that. Don’t go grocery shopping without a plan in mind for what you’ll eat that week. This could include a crock pot meal or some other large meat+veg meal that can be eaten on for a few days. Buy a whole chicken or a roast and eat on it for the week with fresh greens or a quick veggie stir-fry.

*Shop seasonally and locally in the store and shop the perimeter. Some markets display states/cities/countries from which they source their produce. It’s usually cheaper to buy closer to home and to buy what’s in season. Here in California, blueberries from Chile are $5 during the winter. If you want berries in the wintertime, buy frozen and defrost.

*With the above said, shop the farmers’ market. If you’re as fortunate as we are here in California, you may have access to many area markets. Again, do your research. There are some very expensive farmers’ markets and some more reasonable ones. Know which ones fit your budget.

*You needn’t buy everything organic. Generally, buy greens, berries, apples, and fruits with thinner skins organic; buy fruits with peels or rinds conventional. Also, broccoli and cabbage usually contain fewer pesticides and are ok conventional too. Always buy organic meat and dairy.

*Don’t assume that everything is cheaper at the Safeway or Kroger or Costco than it is at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. We have Safeway here in California, and while many of their products are less expensive, Whole Foods will have some way better deals on organic salad greens or produce, for example, than Safeway. Trader Joe’s also has excellent deals on certain organics and staples like whole grains and teas. Shop there for the staples and organic meat or fish and then hit the farmers’ market for fruits and veggies.

*Buy in bulk. Many health food stores have bulk bins. Use them.

*Join a local weekly produce box. Seasonal and local and delivered to you (saving time), and usually organic!

*Check out healthy buyers’ clubs. I like Tropical Traditions. (click link)

Holistic Nutrition Bytes » organic

Chez Panisse (recipe included)

Healthy Bargain Shopping