Smashed Pea and Ricotta Crostini

I know peas get a bad rep, I think because our grandmothers and their mothers cooked them until they were mushy and bland.  But I'm here to tell you that I LOVE PEAS!  (That just reminded me of the song "I LOVE TOAST" that they sometimes play on the SiriusXM radio station Kid Place Live, anyone out there know what I'm talking about?  I sort of love that song.  Anyway.)  I do, I love peas, because if peas are properly prepared they are bright and fresh and sweet and delicious.  When you "smash" peas with a hint of garlic, fresh basil and good olive oil, the result is perfection.  And then pairing that with creamy ricotta and toasty bread??  Perfect appetizer, your guests will rave.   

Smashed Pea and Ricotta Crostini 

Printable Recipe

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 basil leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, plus more for toasting bread

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 tsp honey

1 loaf french bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut bread into 1-inch diagonal slices and place on a baking sheet.  Brush both sides with olive oil, and toast for about 10 minutes, until it begins to turn golden (flipping halfway through).  In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Prepare a bowl of ice water.  Add peas to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and immediately place in ice water to stop cooking process.  Let sit for a few minutes, then drain.  Place peas, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into a blender or food processor.  Blend until peas reach a smashed consistency.  In a small bowl, add the ricotta and stir in the honey and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Assemble toasts by spreading ricotta first, then smashed peas and sprinkle with more basil.         

Also, pea pesto here and here.

NuSI-funded Study Serves Up Disappointment for the Carbohydrate-insulin Hypothesis of Obesity

A new metabolic ward study tests the idea that lowering insulin via severe carbohydrate restriction increases metabolic rate and accelerates fat loss, independently of calorie intake. Although carbohydrate restriction did modestly increase metabolic rate, it actually slowed fat loss. One of the details that sets this study apart from previous studies is that it was funded by the Nutrition Science Initiative, an organization that was founded specifically to test the insulin hypothesis of obesity and related concepts.

Read more �

Edamame & Sugar Snap Pea Salad

When I travel, I pretty much plan out exactly where I'm going to eat for every meal of the day, oh I don't know, months in advance.  The reason for this is simple.  If you were to crack open my brain, you would see little thought bubbles with images of food inside, menus from various restaurants (that I've memorized), a little fat man (I'm convinced) that controls my lack of willpower, etc.  No really, I'm a scientist, you would actually find all of that.  The point is, I love food, and I know exactly where I want to eat when we land in LA... one of those places being Lemonade.  It's funny what you end up missing when you move, and the market-fresh, seasonal salads at Lemonade is right up there with the sunny weather.  Luckily for me, I own their cookbook!  So I can make the dishes I love in the comfort of my own kitchen (I swear this isn't a commercial).  Like this fresh, vibrant, crunchy Edamame and Sugar Snap Pea Salad with a Sesame Vinaigrette.  Perfect for your next summer BBQ.

You can find the recipe here and purchase the cookbook here!

Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

I�m preparing these quinoa burgers now for tomorrow�s CBC Weekend Morning Show segment.  They are coming along nicely and the Tamarack Quinoa works perfectly with this recipe.  http://www.tamarackfarms.ca/

Quinoa Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers (adapted from Bonappetit, January 2016)

1 small sweet potato
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 portobello mushroom (or 5-8 crimini mushrooms)
� small zucchini
1 small shallot, finely chopped
� teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked quinoa (from about � uncooked) (Tamarack Farms available at St. Norbert�s Farmer's Market and Downtown Hydro Market)
� cup dried breadcrumbs (panko)
1� teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 Pretzel or Sourdough Brioche (Available at Old Church Bakery at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market

Guacamole, tomato chutney, sprouts, etc.

Wash and prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a paper towel in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, until soft, depending on the microwave.  Fastest and easiest method and won�t heat up your kitchen with the oven.

Remove the skin from the sweet potato and mash the flesh with a fork.  Set aside.

Grate zucchini and mushrooms.  Heat a small skillet with olive oil and cook shallot with pepper flakes until translucent.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until moisture has been released.  Transfer to a bowl with cooked quinoa (1 1/2 cups water : 1 cup quinoa, boil, stir and simmer for 15 minutes).  Season and mix with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

Add breadcrumbs (panko), lemon juice and about 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potato, adding more as a binder as needed.

Divide mixture into 4 portions and form into patties.  Heat 2 tbs oil in a medium skillet on medium heat and cook 2 patties at a time, until golden brown.

Serve burgers with Old Church Bakery pretzel buns or Sourdough Brioche with your favourite toppings, guacamole, tomato chutney, etc.

Enjoy!

Two huge new studies further undermine the "obesity paradox"

The "obesity paradox" is the observation that people with higher fat mass sometimes have better health outcomes than lean people, including a lower overall risk of death. Evidence has been steadily mounting that this finding may be a misleading artifact of the methods used to observe it. Two massive new studies add to this evidence.

Read more �

Things to do in July

Dear Food First-ers:



Here a few great upcoming events we thought you might be interested in! Also, stay tuned for some later summer workshops from Food First. 



Grandview Woodlands Food Connection - Garden Party Fundraiser

Thursday, July 7
5:00 - 9:00pm

Britannia Secondary sports field 

Courtesy of: https://gwfoodconnection.wordpress.com 

Gardening and Arthritis: A Workshop from Burnaby Public Library

Monday, July 11
6:00pm
Tommy Douglas Library (7311 Kingsway)

Gardening is a great form of exercise and at this interactive workshop you�ll learn about creative ways that you can make gardening with arthritis easier. This workshop will be presented by the Arthritis Society. Free, but seating is limited. Please register by phone at: 604-522-3971, in-person, or online. 

Courtesy of: www.examiner.com/article/gardening-tips-for-arthritis-sufferers

Seeding the Future: An evening with Vandana Shiva



Dr. Vandana Shiva is a physicist and social activist, widely regarded as the torchbearer of the international sustainable food movement.



Thursday July 14, 2016

8:00pm

St. Andrews Wesley United Church

1022 Nelson St. Vancouver

Tickets: $25

Courtesy of : http://indiansummerfest.ca

Richmond Eats: A Local-Eating Challenge



From August 21 - 27, 2016 Richmond Food Security Society staff and supporters will eat only produce, mean and seafood grown, raised or caught in Richmond (or just off the coast). Details on how you can get involved coming soon! Participation open to those living outside of Richmond. 

Vanilla Pineapple IPA Popsicles | #POPSICLEWEEK

It�s that magical first-week-of-summer time. When everything seems possible, when we shed our winter skins and people ride bikes naked through the streets, the sun sets later and later each night, barbeques and beers on patios are plentiful and stretch past our pre-solstice bed-times, camping plans and picnic plans and beach-day plans are dreamt up and mapped out, and here in the PNW, we wear tank tops and flip flops one day, rainboots and jackets the next, constantly unprepared for the heat or the rain. It�s also the time of year when Billy of Wit & Vinegar hosts Popsicle Week!


Popsicles are one of those things that give me all the nostalgic summertime feels. Childhood memories of being sent outside into the summer heat with frozen orange juice or frozen grape juice on a stick, melting faster than you can eat it. It seems impossible, no matter what sad and awful and hateful and terrible things are happening in the world and the nation and our lives, to not smile when you�re eating a popsicle. Popsicle week came at just the right time this year�I feel like we could all benefit from a few extra, sticky-frozen-sweet smiles this month.    

This popsicle is sort of my ode to the Pacific North Best�a gift to my comrades in the upper left USA who�ve waded through a long, wet, grey, sunless winter. To my fellow Seattleites who know the few months of sunshine we get every summer make the rest of year worth it. It has a bitter hoppy finish that I associate with the northwest. IPAs of course are all over the map, but they feel so PNWonderland to me�piney and woodsy, best accompanied by a flannel shirt, mountains, and evergreen trees. And the pineapple�that�s for those of us who never want to call another place home, but still long for tropical beaches.

I�ve been toying with the idea of a vanilla pineapple IPA beertail for some time now, and with popsicle week here, I decided rather than a cocktail, this would be the perfect popsicle! All the satisfying cool relief and childlike giddiness of eating an icy pop, with the contrast of the sweet tangy pineapple, the warm roundness of vanilla, and the bitter hops that our adult palates have come to know and respect. Note that these aren�t the kind of treats that have a little something for everyone�If you�re not an IPA fan (shame on you) or you�re an actual child, these aren�t the pops for you. There's a real punch in the face IPA-ness about them. Luckily, if you head over to Wit & Vinegar, there are a lot of other options to meet your summer frozen treat needs and wishes.



Why is it impossible to get the sticks in straight!?

Vanilla Pineapple IPA Popsicles
This makes about 1.5 cups more liquid than my 10 popsicle mold could hold. I started to do the maths to cut back, and instead gave up and poured the extra liquid in a glass over ice and was grateful for that decision, instant gratification for those of us that can hardly stand to wait overnight for these pops to freeze. Note that because they contain alcohol, they don't get a really deep freeze, and that makes them melt super fast...but the slushy pop gobbled up really quick before it melted away was my fave part. 

18 oz. pineapple juice *
16 oz (1 pint / 2 cups) IPA **
1 tablespoon agave
1 teaspoon vanilla ***

Whisk ingredients together and pour into popsicle molds. Freeze until solid. Enjoy on a rainy or sunny PNW summer day.

* I used three 6 oz cans of Dole pineapple juice
**I used one from one of my neighborhood breweries� I tried to pick something a little summery and citrusy. If you can get your hands on a citra, that would be the winner
***I used vanilla bean paste, which I think has a deeper vanilla flavor plus I love the specs of vanilla bean (all those little black speckles at the tips of the pops), but regular vanilla extract and/or scraped vanilla bean will work