Heart health and food

My current house fragrance is fresh bread—one of my favorite natural scents. It’s not only that the aroma is so enticing, but it also signifies such a satisfying experience. Beginning with only yeast and water, I feel privileged to participate in this miraculous process of putting together simple ingredients that result in something to good.

I’ve been thinking anew about good, healthy food and how it feeds us during the past week. My nearly 77-year-old father had a minor heart attack that led to quadruple bypass surgery. As the surgeon mended him to extend his life, Mom and I sat in an education session for family members of heart patients.

Not surprisingly, the part of the class that most interested me came from the dietician. Her directives were simple:
1) Avoid trans fats.
2) Use sources of fat that are made of no more than one-third saturated fat.
3) Limit salt intake to no more than 2400 mg daily.
4) Increase fiber in the diet.

It’s all basic, good advice that’s good to review from time-to-time to see how your diet compares. But I wanted to say, “There’s so much more! What about eating fresh food from local sources so you get a high-dose of nutrients and good taste? Can we talk about tasty, natural sources of fiber instead of an over-the-counter meal supplement? Where do we find recipes with all of these items detailed? Yes, I understand how to read the label on a package but isn’t it better to prepare the item from scratch when possible?”

I understand that it’s not possible or even advisable to provide people with all the nutrition information we need in one, 45-minute class. I appreciate the advice she did give. And I think that a 77-year-old man shouldn’t deprive himself of foods he especially likes, even if they don’t fit these guidelines. But anyone who wants more information about how food can help in the fight against coronary artery and heart disease, or any other malady, cannot depend only on one class. Seek out more from reliable sources. Make an appointment to speak further with a dietician or nutritionist. Don’t stop with one, short class because food offers so many possibilities for living vibrantly. You can find some recipes specifically related to heart health from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Warm, whole wheat bread fresh from the oven might be just the right snack to re-energize you after your daily walk. What are you waiting for?

Don't forget it's still spring

We've had a beautiful, early spring in Kentucky where the temperature has soared into the 70s and the sunshine has lured me repeatedly to the garden. But as I watered the tomatoes, peppers and parsley that I've been nurturing inside under a grow light and in the window, I wasn't tempted to put them into the garden. Outside, the broccoli and cauliflower are quite happy, along with the greens and peas, but the danger of a freeze hasn't yet passed us.

We were reminded of that this week when the weather forecasters warned us to cover tender plants that a freeze could harm. Jim and I went out in the dark to cover the strawberries, which already have little, green berries on a few of them. The next morning, the ground glistened with frost. The sheet we used seemed to do the job although a few of the strawberry leaves need to regain full health. The shallots that came up next to them (I must not have dug them all last year!) didn't mind the cold.

In the meantime, I made use of our former greenhouse by turning it into a pea trellis. The babies at its base give me hope that we'll have bowls full of sweet peas in June, or maybe even in May.

I keep reminding myself that this is Kentucky and the weather can be quite fickle. The tomatoes might like some days outside in the sun, but that doesn't mean it's time to put them in the ground. So for now, I'll weed the flower gardens, which have begun to bloom with delicate Columbines, fragrant Lillies of the Valley and frilly Irises. Enjoy this spring.

Need a treat for Easter? Make Pawpaw Ice Cream

As I searched through the freezer for the treats I preserved months ago, I decided it was time for another pawpaw recipe—this time, ice cream. As soon as the weather gets even a little warm, my tongue craves that wonderful, good-bump inducing flavor.

We use a Krups ice cream maker that was a wedding gift and it makes the process simple. Remember to freeze the cylinder for at least 24 hours in advance. The recipe was easy and turned out especially well. We used fresh JD’s Country Milk and Cream purchased from Marksbury Farm Market; I’m sure it heightened the rich flavor.

PawPaw Ice Cream

Stir together:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cream
¾ cup sugar (scant, even 2/3 cup would work)

Pour into ice cream maker and begin.

Stir together:
1 cup pawpaw puree
smidge of vanilla (maybe 1 tsp., I just poured a little in)
smidge of lemon juice (again, maybe 1 tsp.)

When mixture in maker begins to thicken but isn’t a soft ice cream yet, pour in the pawpaw mixture.
When it has made a “soft” ice cream, you can taste. You’ll want to eat it all right then but please, prolong the pleasure by putting the rest of it into a plastic container and freezing it. It’s wonderful as a harder ice cream as well.
Top with your favorite nuts and homemade sauce. We tried pistachios with chocolate sauce. It makes me want a bowl right now!

Checking in with the wellness diary

I made it. Every day for the first three months of the year, I recorded information about my “wellness” as I had outlined back in January. I still have to fully examine my findings but even before that is complete I can say for certain that I have learned something useful about myself.

First, I always heard if you can do something for 30 days, it will become a habit. That is definitely true. At the end of every day, I’ve been recording what I’ve eaten, my time with God, the steps on my pedometer, etc. It’s become such a habit, and definitely a useful one, that I just purchased a new steno notebook for the next three months.

The habit is useful because recording these items every day has made me more mindful about my wellness. For example, when I get to mid-day, I find myself pulling the pedometer out of my pocket to see how I’m doing. I might take a longer walk at lunchtime or get up from my desk more often if I’m far from reaching my desired daily steps. When I want to eat seconds because it tastes good, not because I’m still hungry, I reconsider. After all, I’ll have to write it down. And when I find that my energy is low or my mood isn’t the best, I try to record what I think led to that. Too much work? Unpleasant colleagues? It’s good to contemplate what it was that made the day turn in the wrong direction.

It’s also been interesting to begin considering differences in my personal patterns as the seasons change. Since learning more about the Eastern philosophy of living with the seasons, I do pay more attention to now my body and spirit react to differences in weather and amount of daylight. Upon entering spring, the energy surged in my body and I’m prone to being active until sunset, which of course is later. It feels good to be outside in my garden even after I eat supper.

How about you? If you’ve been keeping a wellness diary, please do share some of your observations.

Polenta with Winter’s End Vegetables

I missed posting a simple recipe last week so here we go with a two-parter that includes polenta and a vegetable mixture that I made up on Sunday. The polenta recipe is basically the same preparation for instant polenta that you’ll find in many places. Jim and I ate this on Sunday with salad, meat and baked potatoes. Today for lunch I served the leftovers with salad. It made a nice size meal for lunch.

Polenta
Prepare polenta by combining 1 ½ cups simmering milk with 1 cup instant polenta. Cook, whisking continually, minutes. Add another ¼ cup milk if it’s too thick to spread. Add 3 TBS butter and 3 TBS freshly grated parmesan cheese. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Grease cookie sheet with substantial sides. Spread polenta to ½ inch or so. It will not cover the entire sheet. Put into refrigerator to set.

When vegetables below are almost ready, remove polenta from refrigerator. Cut into squares or rectangles, whatever shape you like! Melt 2 TSP butter on griddle. Heat griddle then cook polenta until golden on each side.

Winter’s End Vegetables
Chop ½ large red onion, 1 medium carrot and 1 celery stalk. Sautee in olive oil. Peel and cut small cubes of a small butternut squash. Chop 2 garlic cloves. Add squash and garlic to softened vegetables and continue to cook. Add a little more oil if needed. Chop 8 canned San Marzano tomatoes. When squash has begun to soften, add tomatoes and some of their juice. Continue to add juice as needed. Chop a few capers and add. Add salt to taste. Add a generous teaspoon of dried basil and the same of dried parsley. Taste for seasoning. Cook until squash is soft.

Top polenta with vegetable mixture and a little parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Preparing for bugs and productivity

Bugs and soil. The productive garden needs to have beneficial insects but not those that are destructive. It also requires fertile soil with the proper pH for what you are growing. With the sun shining beautifully on the garden this past weekend, I began exploring how to optimize both of these this year.

It was the blueberries I planted that prompted me to first search out help with the acidity of my soil. The bushes we first planted produced berries but never thrived. I want to be sure the soil is at the correct pH level this time. I was happy to find a pH meter in the gardening section of one of the stories I frequent. I promptly purchased it, read the instructions and tested our soil. As I suspected, it’s not acidic enough.
I had already added organic matter, which my organic gardening book had recommended. I wasn’t sure what else to add to keep the garden organic so I began my search, finding the same recommendations repeatedly: pine bark mulch, pine needles, cottonseed meal and sulfur. This article has more insight.

It sounds like this will be a longer-term process than adding a simple amendment immediately, but I believe patience will pay off.

The other research I picked up over the weekend was a start to which herbs and companion plants might diminish garden pests. I experimented with this last year on a small level and the only bugs I had trouble with were squash beetles. I’m more serious about it this year. Our winter wasn’t as cold as usual and spring has come early, ideal conditions in which some bugs will thrive. For now, I’ve planted some herb seeds in pots for later transplanting. As the sun shines I’m sketching out my planting plan for this year, experimenting with different arrangement to maximize the benefits of companion planting.
Before I sign off today also want to revisit the question of safe seeds to use. So far I’ve identified two sources that I feel safe recommending because of their company philosophies and statements: Johnny’s Select Seeds and Seeds of Change.

If you have recommended sources for seeds, or any other gardening advice to share, please post it in our comments so we can all continue to learn.

Make a little taste of Ireland

When Jim and I spent a week in Ireland, we both fell in love with the country and its food. Breakfast was always substantial with eggs, an accompanying meat and bread and some strong Irish tea or coffee. It’s the kind of breakfast that energizes the visitor who wants to explore all day. Later in the day, after an afternoon tea break, we would search for a pub or more elegant restaurant to enjoy a feast of an evening meal. There were always mashed potatoes, usually served over or under the meat or another vegetable.

For all the wonderful places we dined, Jim’s favorite was the Irish version of a highway rest stop. We looked around the few historic buildings in the area then headed into the cafeteria for lunch. Jim still talks about his smoked salmon sandwich, which couldn’t be easier to make.

Irish Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Choose a bread that you like to eat toasted. Toast two slices.
Spread cream cheese on your toasted bread. Chop chives (or dill) from your garden and sprinkle over the cream cheese.
Add smoked salmon.
Top sandwich with second piece of bread and enjoy.

Of course you can experiment with adding your favorite condiment, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, sprouts, lettuce or any other favorite sandwich topping. However, first try the simple version. Sometimes the pure flavor of simple ingredients is impossible to best. If the smoked salmon is good, it truly needs very little to go with it.