Sprouting grains, seeds, and groats is easy, although it does require a little bit of know-how and patience as you wait for the seeds to grow. I have loved eating sprouts in sandwiches and salads, and the health benefits are undeniable. They’re superfoods, packed with nutrition and energy. I love to eat sprouts, but I’m not continually growing them, and I don’t own a fancy sprouter. I do, however, have a glass jar and some fabric that work just fine for when I do have the desire to sprout every now and then.

Here’s how I sprout buckwheat. Continue reading “how to sprout buckwheat groats” »

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Ruth Reichl discovered that “food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were” from Tender to the Bone.

I have always been fascinated by books that discuss food, specifically non-fiction, although cookbooks are a definite favorite. Whether they’re memoirs, centered around the science of food, food history, or even spiritual food beliefs, call me a nerd, but I love learning how food affects us, sculpts cultures and individuals, and dictates so much of our lives and memories. I just recently read (finally) Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A year of food life. I learned a lot and felt inspired while I was reading it and even more so when I finished. I even canned peaches for the first time because of it!  A couple books I have on my list to read include Salt: A world history by Mark Kurlansky and The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K. Fisher.

How about you? Do you like food writing (magazines included)?

What food book have you read lately? What about your to-read list?

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Need some recipes to use up that summer squash? We have been eating a lot of zucchini and pattypan squash in the forms of ratatouille, cakes, fritters, and cookies. This version is is a whole wheat cookie, gently sweet with a little spice. Continue reading “recipe: summer squash oatmeal cookies” »

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We rarely turn the oven on in the summertime, and I love eating peaches raw. But there are times when I want them baked with spices and paired with a glass of cold (almond) milk. Here’s a recipe for peach küchen, a german cake notorious for large slices of fruit gently placed atop the cake before baking. As it bakes the fruit settles and come out of the oven enveloped in a sweet pillow of crumb and sugar. Continue reading “recipe: peach küchen” »

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It’s that time of year again! Local peaches are being harvested from your neighborhood orchards and can be seen (and bought) at roadside stands, farmer’s markets, and even a local grocer. We love eating them fresh, with juice dripping down our arms and chins. Nothing better than a Utah peach in August.

Keep reading to learn some fun facts about these delicious fruit.. Continue reading “in season: peaches” »

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During the height of the local food season, the foods we don’t get in our CSA share we get from roadside stands, farm stands, and farmer’s markets. Five years ago, our little town of Provo had one very small farmer’s market. All the vendors (there had to have been less then 20) fit in a small parking lot across the street from where they now hold the market every weekend. And while it is still considered a small market, with more crafters and artisans than farmers, it has come a long way and will continue to grow as people shop for their food needs directly from the source.

Now the downtown Provo market on Saturday morning isn’t the only market you can go to during the week. Here are all the farmer’s markets (that I know of) in Utah Valley. Be sure to visit one of them this week!

THANKSGIVING POINT FARMERS MARKET
By the Water Tower at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi
Fridays, from August 3 – October 5
3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

PROVO FARMERS MARKET
500 West 100 South (south side of Pioneer Park), Provo
Saturdays, from July – October
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

SPANISH FORK FARMERS MARKET
City Parking Lot, 40 South Main Street, Spanish Fork
Saturdays, from August – October
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

HAPPY VALLEY FARMERS MARKET
The Shops at Riverwoods in Provo
Saturdays, from July 2 – October 15
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

BYU LAVELL EDWARDS STADIUM FARMERS MARKET
La Vell Edwards Stadium South Parking Lot (1700 North Canyon Road, Provo)
Thursdays, from July 28 – October 27
3:00pm-8:00pm

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August is the peak of the summer season. There are so many different fruits and vegetables that are growing around our state. I thought it might be nice to have a list of fruits and vegetables that are in season right now, fruits and vegetables that you may be able to find at your local farmer’s market or grocery store. Continue reading “In Season Right Now” »

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I love using herbs fresh, especially dill. I like to use it in sauces, soups, as a garnish and especially with crisp summer cucumbers. I tried (for the third year in a row) to grow my own herbs and finally they’ve grown enough that I can actually use them! Until they flower, that is. It’s so exciting to have my own little garden, even if it is only a foot and a half wide.

Keep reading to see some facts I learned about dill and check out a recipe we love using it fresh from the garden. Continue reading “herbs: dill” »

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Our family loves chia seeds, for their nutritional value, and the crunch they add to whatever you sprinkle them on. My toddler likes to lick her finger, stick it in the jar of chia seeds, then suck them off like candy or sugar. We sprinkle them on our oatmeal, muesli, on salads, add it to dressings, smoothies, and anything else we can think up.

Keep reading to find out a few more interesting facts about chia seeds. Continue reading “fyi: chia seeds” »

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I love July in Utah.

The holiday and celebration of Independence Day is prolonged with the celebration of Pioneer Day twenty days after the fourth. It means that flags, banners and firework stands are not taken down until the end of the month, and that celebrating with red white and blue food is not unusual, but rather festive. This is the breakfast we had Independence day morning, red white and blue in all the right ways. Continue reading “recipe: banana oat blueberry pancakes” »

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