RawFoodBlog

I stumbled across a PBS show by Dr. Joel Fuhrman this morning and wish I had seen the whole thing. Here are the tidbits I caught. Isn’t he the vegan doctor that got Bill Clinton to turn vegan?

Women who eat mushrooms, like one a day, have a 75% reduced rate of breast cancer. More mushrooms than that increases the percentage. Of the women who ate mushrooms, the ones who also ate greens increased to an 89% reduced rate of breast cancer. Mushrooms soaked in that Braggs Braggberry dressing are pretty good.

And adding nuts or seeds to your salad increases the effectiveness of the salad nutrients. Fats should be eaten with the salad not separately. And salad should be your main meal of the day.
Here is where we know Dr. Fuhrman from – 20 min video attached from Raw For 30 Days.

http://www.rawfor30days.com/VideoSeries/?page_id=28

Thanksgiving Sides: Salads

via Serious Eats

by Maggie Hoffman on 11/5/10
Salads are a light spot at Thanksgiving, a palate cleanser between turkey and stuffing and, well, more turkey and more stuffing. They’re also an opportunity to get a little creative, since tradition is a little looser when it comes to fresh lettuce (though lots of us like to include fall specialties like pears, apples, and nuts in the mix.)

Looking for some Thanksgiving salad inspiration? We’ve got it right here.

* Pizzeria Bianco’s Fennel and Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

[Bon Appetit]
* Spinach and Persimmon Salad

[Sunset]
* Warm Mushroom Salad with Hazelnuts and Pecorino

[SE]
* Shaved Fennel Salad with Mushrooms and Parmesan

[Orangette]
* Frank Stitt’s Arugula Salad with Chanterelles and Pears

[Gourmet]
* Apple-Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

[Bon Appetit]
* Fines Herbes Salad with Verjus Vinaigrette [SE]
* Asian Pear Salad with Pecans [Sunset]
* Orange, Fennel, and Olive Salad with Red-Pepper Flakes [Martha Stewart]
* Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing [Eating Well]
* Zuni Cafe’s Radicchio Salad [SE]
* Chicory, Tangerine, and Pomegranate Salad [Chow]
* Salad with Roasted Pears and Walnut Vinaigrette [Pithy and Cleaver]
* Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad [Bon Appetit]
* Winter Greens Salad with Kumquats [Delish]
* Salad of Frisee, Pears, Pomegranate and Persimmons [Food Network]

Best Way To Keep Greens Fresh? The Bath Towel Method

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/longlasting-greens-how-to-keep-salad-greens-fresh-126732?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+apartmenttherapy%2Fthekitchn+%28The+Kitchn%29

2010-09-13-SaladGreens1.jpgSome friends of ours are salad eaters of the sort we can only aspire to be. Every week, they prepare their own mixes of arugula, red oak leaf, boston bibb, romaine, and even chard – a massive production taking up all their kitchen counters. When it comes to keeping those greens fresh, they’ve developed an unusual technique.

2010-09-13-SaladGreens2.jpgAfter methodically trying everything from vented plastic containers to layers of paper towels, our friends finally landed on a method that uses large bath towels. Of all things.

They prepare their greens by cutting them into bite-sized pieces, washing them en masse, and shaking off the excess water in a salad spinner. Then they spread the greens out on clean bath towels to air dry for a few hours.

2010-09-13-SaladGreens3.jpgWhen they’re ready to store the greens (or they need their counters back), our friends simply roll the towels up with the greens inside. The rolls are secured with rubber bands and stored in the bottom shelf of their fridge. Each night, they unroll just enough greens for their salads the next day and then bundle them up again.

The absorbent towels do a great job of keeping the greens moist but not damp so they stay fresh and crispy all week long. Our friends have been following this method for years now and swear by its effectiveness. Since they’ve also been eating salads every day for years, we trust their opinion!

What’s your preferred way to store salad greens?

Related: 5 Tips for Making a Week’s Worth of Salads on Sunday

(Images: Emma Christensen)

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-ways-to-use-cucumbers.html

Common Chickweed: Stellaria media by www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/steme.htm

Weed Description: Prostrate, winter annual that is found throughout North America except for in the far west.   Common chickweed is primarily a weed of turfgrass, lawns and winter small grains.Seedling: Cotyledons are ovate, 1-12 mm long by 0.25-2 mm wide, with a slender reddish hypocotyl that is sparsely hairy.

Leaves: Arranged oppositely, oval or elliptic in outline.  Leaves range from 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches in length, are light green in color and smooth or possibly hairy toward base and on the petioles. Upper leaves are without petioles (sessile), while lower leaves are long petiolated.Roots: A shallow, fibrous root system.

Stems: Usually running prostrate along the ground, rooting at the nodes, with the upper portion erect or ascending and freely branching.  Stems are light green in color and with hairs in vertical rows.

Fruit: An oval, one-celled capsule, whitish in color, containing numerous seeds.Flowers: Alone or in small clusters at the ends of stems.   Flowers are small (3-6 mm wide) and consist of 5 white petals that are deeply lobed, giving the appearance of 10 petals.