Oakland Food Policy Council

OFPC Recipe of the Month

July's Recipe

California Panzanella Salad

Summer is here and amongst the delicious smells that are drifting through the markets are fresh heirloom tomatoes and sweet summer melons.  I came up this with recipe a couple of years ago while working at a restaurant in San Francisco.  The contrast of sweet and savory in this salad had guests going crazy.  Put this out at your next family bbq and watch as their smiles widen.

Ingredients:

For the salad base:

1-  4-5lb seedless watermelon

6 large heirloom tomatoes

6 cups arugula

Rosemary Croutons:

1 loaf sweet batard, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup olive oil

8 T butter

8 cloves garlic, minced

4 T rosemary, finely chopped

Dressing:

1 cup balsamic plus 1/2 cup sugar reduced to 1/4 cup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 bunch basil, chiffonade

2 shallots, finely minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut watermelon into 1/2 inch dice.  Cut tomatoes into wedges.  Place in perf pan and allow to drain.

To make the croutons;

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a sauce pan, bring the butter, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary to a simmer.  Toss the bread in the oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place into the oven and bake until golden.  Remove and allow cooling.

To make the dressing:

Mix the balsamic and sugar and reduce.  Allow to cool.  Once cooled, mix the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

To assemble:

Toss the watermelon, tomatoes, and dressing.  Once seasoned and dressed, gently fold in the breadcrumbs and the arugula and serve.

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Recipe developed by chef John Silva from Culinary Eye Catering and Events

Growing up on the sunny slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and spending long summers in the dark red earth of Oklahoma, chef and owner John Silva realized early his love for great food and delicious ingredients. And it has been since these early years that you could find him experimenting and exploring in the kitchen.  Today, John spends his time catering events throughout the Bay Areas as well as teaching cooking classes.  He believes that life's best moments are seen through great food.

www.culinaryeye.com

June's Recipe

Jasmine Rice with Sweet Potato

I love sweet potato, which is what inspired me to create this once upon a time.  It is always so popular that I have made it again and again and I hope you will do the same!  It is delicious and nourishing, great to feature as light fare with steamed or sautéed veggies or with meats or beans for a heartier meal.  It is also nice for those busy and on the go periods of life when you need something healthy and tasty and don’t have much time to cook!  Enjoy

Ingredients:

2 cups Jasmine rice

4 cups water

1 cup grated sweet potato (about one small to medium sized sweet potato)

2 Tbs. butter

black pepper

1 tsp. salt (if using unsalted butter)

In a medium sized heavy bottom saucepan heat butter until melted, add a few twists of fresh black pepper, salt if necessary and grated sweet potato, stir well and sauté for 2 to three minutes.  Then add Jasmine rice and mix well, sauté for one more minute before adding the water.  Once water has been added bring to a boil and simmer on low until the water has reduced to the level of the rice, then put the lid on and reduce the heat to as low as it will go.  Steam with the lid on until the water has evaporated and the rice is done!

Brittany Wood Nickerson is an Herbalist, cook and a strong proponent of local food and traditional diets. A former resident of the Bay Area, Brittany now lives on a small farm in Amherst, Massachusetts where she sees clients and teaches classes in herbal medicine. In her practice she focuses on bringing health and vitality to her patients through their lifestyle and diet.

visit www.thymeherbal.com for more from Brittany.

April's Recipe

Thai Inspired Roasted Asparagus Salad

Nothing says “Spring” like fresh asparagus. We’re lucky in the Bay Area to be living in one of the world’s premier growing areas – the Sacramento River Delta. Now is the time to enjoy this local spring delicacy. And local is key since the fresher the spears the sweeter it will be.

These spears are also a nutrition powerhouse – high in vitamin K, folic acid, potassium and insulin. In general, these nutrients support heart health, detoxification and gut health.

When shopping for asparagus, chose firm stalks that have closed tips. The ends should not be too woody or dried out. After you bring them home, set them in a glass or jar with a few inches of water and place in the refrigerator. Use within a day or two for peak flavor. Before cooking, take the bottom end between your thumb and index finger and bend until it snaps off – this will break off the woody end.

A simple way to enjoy asparagus is to steam for just a few minutes and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle with salt and pepper. For a little more of an exotic take, here is a recipe for an asparagus salad with Thai flavors.

Thai Inspired Roasted Asparagus Salad

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 small red onion, cut into thin half-moon slices

½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 Ttbsp fish sauce

2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)

3/4 tsp lime juice

1 tsp palm sugar (or substitute sucanat or brown sugar)

1 red chili, minced or 1/2 tsp crushed red chile flakes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread asparagus on a cookie sheet with sides; drizzle with oil. Roast asparagus until crisp-tender, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer asparagus to platter; cool.

In a small jar, combine fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and sugar. Screw on lid of jar and shake well until the sugar is dissolved. Add the red chili.

Just before serving, put the red onion and cherry tomatoes in a medium bowl and toss with the dressing.

Scatter the dressed red onion and cherry tomatoes over the asparagus.

Top the salad with the crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Sandy Der is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Chef with a practice in Oakland. In addition to coaching private clients she also does group education talks in government, non-profit and private sectors. www.BetterWayToWellness.com

In her free time, she is digging in her garden at www.PlanetVeggieGarden.com

If you enjoyed this recipe, you can find more at www.TaoDeKitchen.com/Tasty/

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March's Recipe

Coconut Stewed Kale

1.    Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onionand a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add sweet potato, garbanzos, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon and sauté for 2 minutes.

2.    Add 2 cups of water, coconut milk, and salt to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes begin to soften.

3.    While the sweet potato is cooking, wash and chopthe kale.  You may discard the stalk but I like to keep it.  Chop greens into bite size pieces.

4.    Add the kale to the pot and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Greens should be tender and the sweet potato soft.  Adjust salt level and remove the cinnamon stick.

Just before serving, squeeze in lemon or lime juiceand top with fresh cilantro and toasted almonds.  

Recipe submitted by Jamie G. Dougherty

Health and Lifestyle Counselor, Wellness Speaker

www.jamieliving.com

www.jamieliving.blogspot.com

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November's Recipe
Balsalmic Glazed Root Vegetables

It's getting darker earlier, Thanksgiving is right around the corner and some of my favorite vegetables are back in season: root vegetables. If you're being really precise, when you say "root vegetable" you probably mean the entire family of tuberous and taproots: beets, cassava, carrots, horseradish, radishes, rutabagas, parsnips, salsify and turnips. For this recipe, we're going to focus on three root vegetables that are so sweet and delicious when baked: carrots, parsnips and rutabaga.
In general, root vegetables are packed with nutrition. They are filled with complex carbohydrates, phytonutrients, fiber, protein, and key vitamins like vitamin A, C and K. They
are also quite low in fat and have few calories. When baked, the carbohydrates in our root vegetables turn to sugars giving us a sweet treat.

First up, carrots. Carrots come in over a hundred different colors. In fact, ancient carrots were a deep purple. It was only recently that orange carrots became the predominant variety, a change that had a lot to do with the preferences of industrial agriculture. But that's another story. Carrots are a wonderful source of vitamin A, vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.

Second in line is a carrot look-a-like, the parsnip. Parsnips look like a pale, or off-white carrot with a slightly bigger head. They are from the same family as carrots, parsley, fennel and celery and pack plenty of fiber, folic acid, calcium and potassium.

Lastly, we have the rutabaga. The round rutabaga is a cross between cabbage and turnip vegetables. It has edible leaves, and is a purple-cream color. Believe it or not, before pumpkins became the vegetable of choice for Halloween, some people carved rutabagas! These little veggies are high in vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Together, these three pack quite a nutritional punch. Enjoy them all winter long in stews, soups, roasted, baked or in salads.

Balsalmic Glazed Root Vegetables
Serves 4

3 large Carrots peeled & diced into small pieces
3 large Parsnips peeled & diced into small pieces
2 medium Rutabagas peeled & diced into small pieces
1 cup Organic Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbs Organic Olive Oil
2 Tbs Organic Agave
1 Tbs Organic Parsley Chopped
3 sprigs Organic Rosemary

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl toss all ingredients together, but keep the parsley separate.
Using a large, heavy rimmed baking sheet, arrange carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas in single layer on baking sheet. Tightly cover the baking sheet with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, remove the foil (careful of the steam) and stir the vegetables to them coat in the balsamic juices. Remove the rosemary sprigs and the foil.

Return the vegetables to the oven and bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and the juices have nearly evaporated -- about 20 minutes. Once the vegetables are tender and all the juices have evaporated, sprinkle parsley over the vegetables and serve immediately.
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Chef Yulanda Hendrix is the owner of Simply Bliss Catering and Events in Oakland, CA where she provides farm to table meals for clients all over the Bay Area. For more information about Chef Yulanda, visit her website at Simply Bliss Catering and Events.

October's Recipe
The Whole Apple

"Whole" seems to be a word that draws a lot of attention in the health food world. Everything from whole grains, to whole and complete proteins, to the health food mega store Whole Foods. The implication is that a food in its complete or whole form has higher nutritional integrity than one cut down, processed and manipulated. And it is true: the more your food looks like the fruit or vegetable that came out of the ground or off of a tree, the easier it is for you body to break down, assimilate, and digest. A similar concept can be applied to the preparation of whole foods. Fresh, high quality whole foods don't need a lot of ingredients added to them to be complete in nutrition or taste, which brings us to the topic of this month's recipe: the whole apple.

Apples are a complete, delicious food. They contain high amounts of natural sugars, vitamins, minerals and fiber easy for the body to digest, assimilate and process. As with most whole foods, the minute you begin to break down or add more ingredients to the apple, the less complete it becomes and the worse it is for your body. So this fall as the bounty of the apple harvest finds its way into your home, office and kitchen enjoy your apples whole with the skins as a snack and learn to cook delicious and sugar free apple treats!

Baked Apples
For this recipe you may use any variety of apple. A sweeter variety is nice for a dessert dish baked with some cinnamon, while a more sour or tart variety with a bit of black pepper may go well with something more savory. Either way baked apples are a great accompaniment to a meal or served as a dessert or treat on their own. Over time you may also want to experiment baking your apples with other fruits, nuts, seeds or grains. The possibilities are endless, have fun!

Ingredients:
4 to 6 medium sized apples
Pinch of olive oil
Pinch of salt
A few twists of fresh ground pepper and/or ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry whole apples of any variety. Place the cleaned apples into a glass casserole dish and drizzle olive oil over each apple, followed by a bit of the spices of your choice. Then roll the apples in the oil and spices so all sides are lightly coated. Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the apples are soft and juicy. If they are moist and juicy enough, you may cook them uncovered for the last 10 or 15 minutes to caramelize the sugars. Serve apples whole and hot as a side dish or dessert.

As a dessert serve baked apples with fresh home made whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup or honey. Enjoy the tastes and smells of fall!
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Brittany Wood Nickerson is an herbalist, cook and a strong proponent of local food and traditional diets. A former resident of the Bay Area, Brittany now lives on a small farm in Amherst Massachusetts where she sees clients and teaches classes in herbal medicine. In her practice she focuses on bringing health and vitality to her patients through their lifestyle and diet. To learn more about her work, and to find more yummy recipes, visit her webiste Thyme Herbal.

September's Recipe
Spinach and Cheese Frittata

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. In my nutrition classes and in my practice, I counsel my clients to always include a protein, fat and complex carbohydrate with every meal and snack. This ensures we have all the building blocks for our brains and body to function at peak performance. It also provides a steady fuel source to keep us going until our next meal or snack.

This month's recipe fits the bill. This dish can be made ahead and quickly heated for a healthy satisfying breakfast during the busy work or school week.

Serves 6 - 8

8 large eggs
¾ cup ricotta cheese (half a 15 oz tub)
¼ teaspoon salt (preferably sea salt)
pinch of black pepper
1 cup grated cheese (use 1 or more of your favorite: cheddar, Monterey jack, mozzarella, parmesan, Swiss, etc.)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely diced onion
½ cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon fresh herbs (use 1 or more of oregano, thyme, basil, chives or Italian parsley), chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning)
6 cups baby spinach (a 6 ounce bag)
1 teaspoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F.
In a medium size bowl, mix together the eggs, ricotta, salt and pepper approximately 2/3's of the cheese. Set aside.

Over medium heat, heat an ovenproof 10-inch sauté/omelet pan. Add olive oil. Sauté the onions until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and herbs, cook for another minute. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves have just wilted.

Pour egg mixture into the sauté pan and stir with a spatula, scraping the bottom while using a 'folding over towards the middle of the pan' motion. Do this a few times to evenly distribute the spinach through the egg mixture. Turn off heat. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Put the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 -15 minutes or until the egg mixture has fully cooked and the top is golden brown.

Cut into six or eight wedges and serve alone or with a side salad or fruit.
This frittata can be made in advance and heated for a quick and easy meal or snack. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
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Per Serving: 246 Calories; 17g Fat (63.7% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 313mg Cholesterol; 337mg Sodium.
Variations:
Replace spinach with Swiss chard
In place of spinach use 4 cups of chopped cooked broccoli or diced zucchini or combination of your favorite vegetables.
Add ½ cup of sliced cooked sausage or ¼ cup of crumbled cooked bacon

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Sandy Der is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Chef with a practice in Oakland. In addition to coaching private clients she also does group education talks in government, non-profit and private sectors.
www.BetterWayToWellness.com
If you enjoyed this recipe you can find more at www.TaoDeKitchen.com/Tasty/

August's Recipe
Great Grain for the Whole Family

We all know whole grains are good for us, right? They are loaded with fiber, B vitamins for energy, and magnesium which promotes heart heath. However, sometimes they can just taste down right "healthy". And not in a good way! I find that when clients get backlash from children and spouses about whole grains, it ultimately has to do with the TYPE of grain.

For example, short grain brown rice is quite chewy with an earthy flavor. If your family doesn't like brown rice, try and brown basmati or brown jasmine rice. Though still whole grains, these varietals are lighter in texture, deliciously aromatic and more closely resemble white rice in taste. I promise your family and friends will love it and they won't even know they're eating health food. The secret is all yours! Enjoy.

Sundried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Pilaf
Serves 3-4
This is a delicious pilaf to have any time and will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to make extra for a quick lunch or snack.
1 cup brown rice (basmati or jasmine), washed and picked over
2 1/2 cups water
1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped kalamata olives
½ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup toasted almonds
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (reconstituted in water)
Celtic sea salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups of water to boil. Add a pinch of salt and the brown rice to the water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and has begun to separate. Transfer the rice to a large glass bowl.

Add olive oil, olives, parsley, basil, nuts, and tomatoes to the rice. Combine well and add salt to taste. You can also add in a can of blanched garbanzo beans for added texture and protein. Enjoy!
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Jamie G. Dougherty is the owner and founder of JAMIE|LIVING, Health and Lifestyle Counseling, www.jamieliving.com. She is an AADP certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor with a private and corporate practice that offers assistance nationwide. She is passionate about deliciously healthy food and specializes in helping her clients transform their lives through the power of nutrition and self-care. Receive your fill of healthy living tips by following Jamie Living on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/jamieliving. You can also find this recipe atwww.jamieliving.blogspot.com.