This question arises often in my mind. Now, I know what I eat, and most of the time, I am satisfied that I am meeting my nutritional requirements. But when I’m super busy, or when I look around at the supermarket checkout, or notice what folks are leaving with from the “farmer’s market”, I have to ask the question.

How do we do it? The food guide pyramid suggests we consume more dark green veggies and more orange and red veggies. Whole grains are recommended over processed ones. Simple grilling and baking is suggested above other methods.

Try preparing simple meals using fresh ingredients and whole foods.

What are whole foods? Whole and unadulterated foods are those you find at the farmer’s market or around the perimeter of the grocery store. Have you ever noticed the foods that do not have long ingredient lists that you can’t pronounce, are those in the produce section, dairy section and butcher? You can improve your diet immensely by avoiding the middle aisles.

Why eat whole foods? Whole foods have intense flavor and satisfying taste. Vegetables, fruits and grains that are minimally processed boost our energy and maintain our blood sugar levels. Whole and unadulterated foods contain natural fiber that fills our tummies and satisfies our hunger for longer periods of time, discouraging snacking between meals. Foods prepared without a lot of processing and additives don’t encourage weight gain, rather encourage the body to burn calories evenly and consistently according to energy used. Minimally processed foods have their naturally occurring amino acids and enzymes intact, and vitalize our bodies natural processes of cell building and maintenance, keeping us healthy and immune.

A diet that includes simply prepared meals of fresh ingredients from your local farm market or supermarket perimeter can only be good for you and your family. Follow these simple guidelines and eat your way to a healthy lifestyle:

• I encourage recipes that contain five or fewer ingredients.
• I highly recommend leftovers. Cook a simple, healthy meal and plan to take leftovers the next day for lunch, or offer it to the kids after school.
• Prepare single ingredient dishes and save in the refrigerator to be added to snacks, salads and simple dishes later in the week, utilizing what is fresh, healthy and local.

Try this technique with goodies from the farmers market –

Pinwheels – Using healthy, whole grain tortilla shells or flat breads, spread fresh ingredients on the shell, roll up and slice about 1 inch thick. Can be dipped in lowfat sauce, such as lemon aioli, for added flavor!

Suggested ingredients include – one ounce of healthy cheese of your choice (goat cheese, lowfat cream cheese or thinly sliced cheddar), something green (arugula, spinach, basil, leaf lettuce, or sautéed kale or mustard), something red (sundried tomatoe slices, sliced fresh or pickled peppers, pickled beets or radish slices), something kinda spicy (thinly sliced red or white onion or some good, spicy mustard). Add a small amount of meat, if you like (skinless chicken breast meat or turkey) .

Roll up tightly, slice and dip for a healthy, light “whole food” meal.

-Maria

Learn more about our organic farm and farm to table at http://ourlocalfoods.com

Our Local Foods and Chef Sean Brock from McCrady’s Tavern in historic Charleston, SC celebrated the garden this week in an extraordinary way. We hosted “dinner on the porch” as fulfillment of a pretty classy auction item from the coffers of the local fundraiser circuit.

The wonderful meal consisted of vegetables freshly harvested from the damp rows that afternoon, as they were hastily collected in the rain for the evening event.

Guests arrived just as the rain subsided to find the table all set with linens and candles on the screened-in front porch of the cabin that will become our farm store. Mini-lights and citronella lanterns filled the space with a soft welcoming hue of light that said “settle in for a comfortable evening with the chef…”.

With a glass of champagne in hand, poured by the classic Andre from the same restaurant, we loaded into the six passenger golf cart and took a tour of the garden at dusk. The rows were tidily laid to bed, with glimpses of squash blossoms folding in their petals for the evening. The low shadows of the grand oak that stands in the middle of the garden told of a restful day, being that this dinner on the porch was on a Sunday evening in May.

After the tour, and back at their respective assigned seats, each guest was greeted with a celebration of “turnips!” Chef Sean had elegantly attired these springtime tenants in fine fashion. A triptych of preparations, the cylinders of raw root and roasted triangles of the same were sandwiched between a disc of gelatinous seaweed and a silky broth of turnip puree. Sound exciting???

The second course consisted of an explosion of fresh ingredients. Some thirty in number, the collage of freshness was the backdrop (or not) of a simple pan roasted portion of indigenously (from Alaska) harvested halibut. Chef draped the mélange in his version of a pistou, elegantly infusing the palate with fireworks from the earth!

And if this is not more than we could imagine, the next course was “steak and eggs”! A digitally controlled “bain marie” was the cooking method of choice for both, and the results were amazing. A slow and delicate cooking process resulted in texture to sleep on. It turns out that you can cook slowly at a temperature that will not melt butter and keep all the flavor completely intact. Our garden fresh poached eggs were nested in a plump bed of Russian Red Kale. Amazing!

For a finale that was a true celebration of the earth, Chef prepared Chocolate Dipped Carrots! Dig that!

Many thanks to the chef, McCrady’s staff, Joan Perrie, and the lovely dinner guests that spent a Sunday evening in May on the porch at Thornhill Farm.

Today was filming day… which is really good because we want to document what’s going on out here at Thornhill Farm. We had SunbayMedia out to do the filming. They captured the planting that’s going on, the new plants in the hoop house, our take on organic farming- the beneficial insects, compost tea, etc. We also talked about how OurLocalFoods fits into the local economy; specifically, we employ local residents, and sell food in the local area.

We really appreciate the willingness of the local chefs to work with us- including Sean Brock of McCrady’s Restaurant (in Charleston), and Frank Lee of High Hammock Restaurant (in Pawley’s Island). To cap off the filming, the crew went up to High Hammocks restaurant, and watched as Chef Lee prepared 3 dishes that included many of our ingredients, as well as crab and shrimp (always local favorites). The crew was lucky and got to eat Chef Lee’s dishes- report is that they loved the dishes so much that they plan on doing more filming in Pawley’s Island around lunchtime.

Maria