Fall and Winter Vegetables at the Local Market

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Now that Fall is here it is exciting to share information about foods now available in local farmers markets and the knowledge on how to prepare and cook some of the more unfamiliar but very nutritious vegetables.

All these fall and winter vegetables are excellent for your body with many natural minerals and vitamins. Most root vegetables grown underground are more dense, naturally sweeter and longer lasting, (many up to 3months if kept dry and cool) than above ground (cruciferous) grown vegetables.

In general cruciferous vegetables are bitter, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale. They have many healing properties; good for the digestive system, circulation and inflammation among other benefits; too many to fit in this article!  These vegetables are high in sulfur, calcium, silicon, iron and chlorophyll. The vitamins C, A and E predominate in most of these vegetables and also Vitamin U, in cabbage; the ulcer remedy. Use these vegetables in moderation if you have thyroid problems because they are high in iodine also.

There are other root vegetables I want to mention that are good for you but a little sweeter in flavor such as beets, carrots celery, turnips, parsnips and do not forget sweet potatoes.

Your local market can help you with cooking tips. Buying fresh at the local market in turn helps to support the local small farmer and your local community. Many of your smaller local growers do not use GMO seeds and usually do without pesticides use. Ask at your local market stands when you go to purchase to make sure you are getting the best and freshest produce.

Today, many of your local restaurants and local chefs are buying from the local farmers. I see them there myself quite often! “Our food specializes in not specializing! Our only commitment is to sourcing our ingredients locally. We make everything from scratch and let the seasons tell us what we should do next” says Mary Stanley, of the Turtle Restaurant in Brownwood, Texas.

Many say it is more expensive but I found that the extra $25/month ( per study quoted in Smithsonian magazine)  spent at the market gives me much better nutrition and fresh flavor.  You use less than if bought from a grocery store; where the food was sitting both on the truck and in the store for up to several weeks before you buy it; with lost nutrition and less taste! Your body is satisfied with less food because you have fed it the fresh vitamins and minerals you require.

You can tell stories through the food you buy. Many cultures learn about other global cuisine and their own local experience in their community. This way their products can be sold and money is reinvested back into their community; as in your local market.  “ What I want to prove is that supporting local agriculture has this whole ripple effect across the local economy” says Brad Stufflebeam Founders of Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, Texas

“Vegetables really can carry a meal by itself!” Says Justin Yu, chef at Oxheart in Houston, Texas, creating cuisine that is sourced responsibly, Yu is recognized by New York Times and Food and Wine Magazine.

Recipe: Winter Root Vegetable  Medley

Cut up a variety of your choice:

Red potatoes, sweet potatoes, red or yellow beets, carrots, onions, garlic, parsnips or turnips

Dress with 2 tablespoons of EVOO and 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar  add a few shakes of salt and pepper.

Blend to coat veggies and roast in oven for 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees, add a few tablespoons of water to create steam,  cover the pan for the first 30 minutes and uncover to finish browning. Serve with a green vegetable like  green beans or broccoli! Or even a salad.

Other vegetables dishes, with great nutritional benefits, are available such as Sautéed Greens, steamed Broccoli and/or Cauliflower. Another option are soups. There are some great new recipe books out there for reference.

I agree with Chris Shepherd, a James Beard Foundation nomination for Best Chef of the Southwest, who says “Local is the only responsible way to run a restaurant. It’s respectful to our farmers, our diners, our animals and our city.”

References:

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

www.localfarmers

www.EdibleAustin.com

Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

Cindy Burrows
Cynthia Burrows, M.T. CWC, Herbalist

Cynthia Burrows, from Austin, Texas, owns Cindy Burrows, Natural Health Consultant; assisting individuals with health issues they would like to change. She will set up a program giving choices of foods, herbs, teas and homeopathic suggestions. Cindy is past owner of Nature’s Healing Herbs, an Herbal, Green Tea, and Tincture product line, and a rare product line of Green Tea Foods. She has certificates for Herbalist at East West School of Herbology, and as Wellness Consultant with the Wellness Forum in Ohio.

Cindy is also a Medical Technologist, with a B.S. degree from Mansfield University in Mansfield Pa., she has been in healthcare for over 30 years. In 2005, she started using a new device founded in Europe, Quantum Biofeedback, “an energy rebalancing of the body”, by using our bodies electricity or frequency waves it can detect stress points in the body, she has added this to her consulting practice. She now has her Certification as a Biofeedback Specialist. She helps her clients by working with the synergy of herbs, food, homeopathy, and aromatherapy within her practice. She is a speaker, writer, and teacher. Cindy has been interviewed on TV; about the benefits of Green Tea and has been on radio about her small business tour to Ecuador.

Cindy has been an herbalist for over 20 years and has spent 6 years learning through the East West School of Herbology with Michael Tierra. She has studied Western, Chinese and Ayurvedic Herbs with a strong emphasis on nutrition. Along with many other continued studies of alternative and complementary medicine. She is a Certified Wellness Consultant, through a special program, The Wellness Forum, which has its nutrition program, now part of the curriculum at Ohio State University, providing educational seminars and workshops designed to impart relevant nutrition information to individuals to take control of their own health. These programs give healthier options and choices that can impact your longevity and quality of life. Cindy has been a speaker to many groups and has conducted many of her own classes on food and healthy life style programs.

Cindy has been involved with a hands-on healing program for the past 4 years and offers energy healing, through donation only, to anyone who needs her services.

She is Co-president of the Austin Herb Society and a member of the American Herbalist Guild. Cynthia has been a board member on many programs in the past including; La Sertoma, Arthritis Foundation, Toastmasters International, National Association of Female Executives, Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program, Entrepreneurs Association, and Austin Integrated Health Care Program.

Cindy also loves nature, animals, reading, blending teas, juices, etc.; likes to hike, and work with plants and, of course, cooking., mostly vegetarian.
Cindy has an adventurous streak.
She has organized and taken tours with business and artists groups to Big Bend, Texas, New Mexico, USA, and Ecuador, South America.