Farmer’s Market

A Salty Situation

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Hello Winter! Can’t say I missed you but I sure did enjoy that little Spring teaser we’ve experienced over the last few weeks.

Snowy days are perfect for kitchen projects!

Todays recipe features three simple ingredients

I was first inspired to make herb salts while living in Lima, Peru.

Every Saturday I would walk two miles to the weekly Bio Feria.  There are so many fruit carts and produce markets in Peru, like this shopping cart of avocados that roamed the streets

The Bio Feria is the equivalent of a farmers market here but focuses more on whole grain baked goods, organic products, and prepared food than produce since local produce is everywhere.

One of my favorite products from the market was a “salad” herb salt made from organic herbs and quality sea salt, all ground up super fine and powdery.  I don’t remember exactly what the combo of herbs was but it was delicious on everything!

It is certainly possible to buy herb salts here in the States but they aren’t cheap and they are so super easy to make (and I am such a DIYer!).

Today I made a Rosemary Salt and a Lavender Salt.

Gather your ingredients, I bought all three at Integral Yoga but they can certainly be found at Whole Foods, World Market, or probably any health food store with a bulk sections.  Or, even better, use your own garden grown herbs!

The salt is a coarse grey sea salt.  I only buy sea salt because it is less processed than iodized table salt (regular salt) and kosher salt (table salt with a different size/shape crystal) and thus contains more minerals.

Process the herb first

 

Oh how I wish the scent of crushed lavender could waft out of your speakers right now!  Amazing.

Then add the salt.  The ratio is really a matter of personal choice, I like about 1:1 but you could certainly tip it either way.

I love using coarse grey sea salt for this because it’s a very wet salt and the flavor quickly permeates throughout.  The final texture is also a matter of personal preference, you could go very coarse or very fine or somewhere in the middle, like I did today.

Repeat process to make Rosemary Salt.

Add salt

Choose your texture!

This salt dish lives on our table and the rosemary always empties first!   I have heard that lavender salt is a natural with pork but I don’t eat pork so if you are so inclined to give it a try let me know what you think!  I love it on steamed butternut squash and coconut truffles and Kath swears by it on salad.

I have every intention of creating my own blends but these two are so good as is!

There is no way I am going to meet my February walking goal. 🙁

I am at 58 miles with 7 days left.  Yeah, it’s not going to happen.  No biggie, I think I will drop it down to 85 miles.

On the other hand, my running goal will be met and exceeded!  I am at 23 miles and plan on another at least another 10 over the next 7 days.

No running today though, I already had a hell of a workout with Core Four this morning!  I will be pleasantly sore tomorrow.

Time to give my foam roller some love!

Soda Pop

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A love story.

It all started back in September at the Heritage Harvest Festival.

Tate and I attended a workshop on fermented foods.

Until this day my love of good bacteria, probiotics, and healthy enzymes was limited to kombucha and lots of yogurt.

And then Dawn introduced me to the world of spicy kimchi, tangy sauerkraut, and bubbly kefir water soda.

[well, she didn’t actually introduce me because my dad used to make all kinds of ferments when I was little and he was following a Macrobiotic diet. at the time I just thought it was all “weird” and slightly embarrassing when my friends came over.  oh boy, I can’t wait to embarrass my own future children!]

As soon as I got home I dove into making my own fermented veggies.

I loved the idea that I could use that giant $2 head of cabbage that I bought at the farmer’s market to make some ‘kraut that would last me weeks.  And fiery kimchi soon became a household favorite to add a little zing to any meal.

I ♥ bacteria.

🙂

I have seen improvements in my digestion, appetite (smaller), and a strengthening of my immune system since I added more fermented food into my life.

Back at the festival Dawn told us about making “soda” from water kefir grains and let us sample a few flavors from her cabinet.  Many of you have probably heard of the milk/yogurt drink Kefir, water kefir is the same thing except it ferments in water instead of milk.

In order to make kefir soda you have to have grains, which you can buy or get from someone else because once you start the process the grains multiply and you end of having loads of them.  Dawn was talking about websites to buy grains from when an audience member raised her hand and offered to give grains to anyone in the C’ville area.

I took her e-mail but soon got side tracked by a new love of fermenting vegetables and a cabinet full of kombucha.

The other day I saw the e-mail address tacked to the side of my fridge and decided I would give kefir grains a go.  Stephanie promptly returned my inquiry and said that she would be happy to leave me some grains on her front porch (she’s not home much).

She conveniently lives just a half a mile or so from me so I trotted on over there on Tuesday morning and found this waiting

Directions and everything!  Thanks Stephanie!  I left a little jar of my homemade lavender salt and a thank you note in it’s place.

When I returned home I quickly got to work on my first batch.  And just as quickly finished!  Kefir soda is super easy to make, the grains do 95% of the work!

The hard part is the waiting while it ferments but at least it is much quicker than kombucha (1-2 days instead of 1-2 weeks!).  After waiting 48 hours I eagerly got to work on the second step.

After the first 24 hour ferment

The grains from the bottom of the jar, they remind me of tapioca balls from “bubble tea”

I poured off the watery liquid into clean, empty kombucha bottles and added a splash of homemade grape juice to each

Now I wait.  In a day or so these bottles will start to get all fizzy and be ready to drink!

The flavoring possibilities are endless with popular ones being vanilla and lemon, both of which I am excited to try next!

I am SO looking forward to a 4:30 Vinyasa yoga class this afternoon at the gym!  My body with going to thank me from the inside out as soon as I hit the mat. 🙂

If you are missing COMMENT COMMIT from the holidays, no worries, let’s keep it going on Facebook!  Every morning I will post my workout plan on Gracefulfitness’s page and if you want a little extra push/bragging rights add your workout plan (or accomplished workout) as a comment.