A Fruit and a Root

I haven't posted our new produce but we have still been sampling a nutritious variety of yummy treats.  I tried a real exotic fruit last week - an apple.  Stop the crazy train, right?  :)  Yes I have had an apple a time or two in my life but not this variety called Lady Alice apples.  It sounded intriguing - it does have a royal title which must mean its impressive, right?  I thought so.   I really like Golden Delicious apples with its bright yellow skin and not as crisp flesh and a nice mild flavor - a tad sweet, very little tart, and comforting, especially with some peanut butter.  I mentioned all this because the Lady Alice apple shares a few similarities. For instance, if you see a Lady Alice apple it looks like a Golden but with a warm pink blush.  And the size just fits the palm of my hand.  The peel feels firm but not like armor (nor a candle - but sadly I have tried an apple or two that couldn't boast the same :( .  I enjoyed this variety and kept the snack real simple.  I cut it up and ate it with almond butter.  For years I have listened to some family members and friends really talk up the Honeycrisp variety.  This is a good stand - in.  I find some Honeycrisp apples to be quite large - I want a snack not a whole pie from one fruit.  Also some of the apples are REALLY sweet and when I find something REALLY sweet - thats almost scary!  So sweet you pucker your lips kind of sweet.  I also have found near the end of their season that Honeycrisp tends to be near flavorless, almost blah.  What's great about a Lady Alice apple is they take awhile to brown - you can enjoy your whole snack and it still be the white crispy slice you cut thirty minutes prior.  Also this is the perfect season for the Lady Alice to make her royal appearance; where most apples are in season during fall Lad Alice is perfectly right and ripe for Spring.  Easy go to snack at hopefully your grocer's.  I also leaned towards almond butter as peanut butter would compete against the apple's own sweetness.  Yummy!

Now unto the root.  Roots in the produce aisle look scary with their gnarliness and dirty exterior but when peeled and prepared they are so tender and delicious.  So this week we tackled the *pound piano* celery root!  These roots can be quite large and in charge.  But a great addition to a roast.  At least that's how we prepared it and loved it!  I am not a huge celery fan.  But its not really the flavor I mind - its the strings and texture.  Raw celery not a fan! But roasted or sauteed celery - quite enjoyable.  One string or snap and I'm done with it.   So celery root quite a nice find.  We had planned a roast for Monday in the crockpot.  Filling meal without too much hassle.  Monday around here we both had to get up early and work all day.  Who wants to mess with dishes after a long day?  So we were going to prep the veggies Sunday night and in the morning would just toss in the roast and turn the knob.  Simple, right?  Sort of.  We both hit that evening lull where you are just ready for bed.  And cutting vegetables sounded like such a chore.  But in all honesty ten minutes from gathering - rough chop and quick clean-up.  We quartered a couple of potatoes, chunked a big onion, and tackled the celery root.  It looks hard to deal with it.  But really a quick rinse and the peel is not tough at all.  Because the surface area tends to be good size you don't have to worry about nooks and crannies like a sunchoke or the tough exterior of the turban squash (I still get tense about that ordeal!!!) . Quick peel and you can immediately smell the celery aroma.  Its flesh has tinges a spring green that peek through the peel but a creamy white inside (closely resembling a potato).  I did read at www.eattheseasons.com mentioned you could eat it raw - but suggested slicing thin matchsticks and possibly blanching it quickly for a creamier texture. My hubby cut the root into cubes and we were ready for the roast.  I really liked the flavor it lended to the other vegetables and the meat.  It had such a comforting flavor - almost cinnamon like - tish sweet but more a warming spice - think warm apple cider on a chilly day.  It has been two days since we made our tasty roast but I just had yummy leftovers and the flavors only deepened.  And for any other diabetics or those seeking low carb - root vegetable but not loaded with starch (at least according to wikipedia and http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/carbcounts/a/celeriac.htm .  Great way to stretch mashed potatoes or make a creamy soup. 

Thinking spring around here but feel like I was eating autumnish :)  Its beautiful weather and we are four days away from our  Strides for Autism walk Saturday, April 14, 2012. We still would love donations to meat our $500.00 goal.  We are past the half-way point - your donation could help us meet or even surpass the goal!!! Please visit https://scautism.org/strides/team/3/ .

May your HealthFULL Journey keep you grounded to your roots but motivate you to always reach for the highest fruit :)  'Til we meet again. . .

Seeing Red

'Tis the season to grill.  My hubby and I had a steak dinner planned as a special welcome weekend supper (and chuck eye was on sale recently).  Yesterday I realized it was Thursday and we had not chosen our new produce for the week.  So I drove to Whole Foods (like I ever need a reason to go here).  Again I have to say summer is my favorite time for produce.  There easily was ten different items for my hubby and I to sample without even searching for the perfect hidden gem. Melons galore, but as the Golden Honeydew melon was last week I decided to branch out.  Then I saw an item I have semi-tried but never in its whole food state, RED CORN (I have tried the patriotic corn chips of blue, red, and white strips. So technically I have tried this product but not officially prepared by my hands)!  Many of us have seen this decoration in numerous homes around the autumn season as it is gorgeous when dried.  But ladies and gentleman this produce is not just for decoration anymore.  It is tasty, healthy, and eye-catching.  First lets start with the eye catching red.  To prove to us shoppers Whole Foods had peeled the husk slightly so we could see the beautifully hued kernels.  I would describe the color as more of  rosy pink then brilliant red.  But I believe, there is a chance the color had started to soak back into the cob. Healthy because we review the common rule of thumb that with most produce; the deeper the color the healthier the product.  Again true in this case as the red reflects the antioxidant qualities that one may find in pomegranates. 

Now unto how do we prepare this beautiful produce that is in its peak season of (June - October)?  How do you like your corn prepared.  I bet this would be delicious in a salsa or a very pretty soup.  We prepared it on the grill.  YUM!  Have you ever had grilled corn on the cob?  So easy.  You can husk it completely and throw the ear on to get a bit of char on the kernels, but watch it.  Because burnt corn is as tasty as burnt popcorn.  Blech!  I have heard of others preparing the corn and wrapping it back into its husk.  We used tin foil after we spread a dab of butter and a few spices like garlic powder, pepper, salt, cayenne, and a tish of paprika.  So good!  Now we probably should have left one of the ears plain so we could have tried the red corn flavor straight forward.  Very similar to typical corn (yellow, white, and bi-color).  The color after this prep turned into a faded brick red, slightly brownish.  Other preps I believe would draw out the brilliant reds more,(for instance salsa I think would be quite eye-catching). The taste for me was altered due to the spices, but I found that they pretty much on par with yellow corn. Although I did read two different blogs and one stated that red was sweeter and the other blog said it was earthier.  I am suspicious that the flavor may have to do with when the corn was harvested.  The texture however was noticeably different in my opinion.  I found the red kernels were a bit crispier with more of a satisfying pop than the yellow kernels when chewing the corn off the cob.  Great addition to your summer meal.  Also how fun for kids (the younger and the older versions) to try in a simple bowl of corn kernels mixed with other colored varieties.

May your HealthFULL Journey have you satisfying all your senses (vision - red, hearing - pop!, smell - grilled produce, touch - bumpy texture, and taste - yum!) while building a healthier you. 'Til we meet again. . .