Ridgefield Wellness

This one comes from a great cookbook – Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.  Wonderful for picnics!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onions , chopped finely (about one cup)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds , crushed (spice grinder or mortar and pestle)
• fresh ground pepper , to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup quinoa (rinsed well)
• 1 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas , drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or reconstituted bullion)

Directions

1. In a small stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt; saute for another minute.
3. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to very low, cover, and cook for about 18 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water; stir occasionally.
5. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Come Celebrate Local Food and Gardens!

Arranged and funded by Ridgefield GVI

• FOOD

• BEER

• WINE

• MUSIC

• FARM TOURS

When: Sunday, September 12th – 4PM – 7PM

Where: 136 Lounsbury Road, Ridgefield CT

RSVP: email ridgefieldgvi@gmail.com by September 7th.

I wanted to follow up on my herbal oil post from yesterday.  Here is a healing balm that is soothing and refreshing inspired by my friends over at Mountain Rose Herbs. Rub this into sore muscles or apply to minor cuts, scrapes, insect bites, rashes, chapped skin, and other skin irritations that come so frequently during these later Summer months.

Calendula, Lavender, & Shea Butter Balm

3 oz Calendula flower infused herbal oil
1 oz Shea Butter
1/2 oz Beeswax
20 drops organic Lavender essential oil

Melt beeswax, Shea butter, and Calendula oil over a double boiler until melted.  If you don’t have a double boiler, you can do this in a glass or ceramic bowl over a pot of water.  After everything is melted together, remove from burner and mix in the Lavender oil. Quickly pour into tins or glass jars and allow to cool thoroughly before using or capping jar.  This is another great use for mason jars, but you can also get creative and use old candle jars, tea tins etc…

Enjoy.

I wanted to post a recipe for a healing balm that can be used for various purposes over the summer… sunburn, scrapes, cuts, etc… then I realized that herb based oils are a key component.  Here’s how to make your own.  (I’ll follow up with the scrape balm soon, that oil is based off of the Calendula flower.)

You’ll need a glass jar.  I like the mason jars best, like a traditional canning jar.  Make sure the jar is clean and dry.  If you are picking herbs fresh, make sure to dry them out by hanging them for at least 12 hours.  If you have too much moisture in your herbs, your oil may get moldy or just go rancid.

Cut the herbs with a scissors or crush them with a spice mill or morter and pestle, and then fill the jar about 1/4 of the way.

Pour your oil (I like using hemp or olive oil) into the jar, leaving a little room at the top of the jar to help with the mixture. Screw on the lid and shake it up a bit. Place the jar in a warm, sunny windowsill and shake once or more per day. After about a month, strain the herbs out of the oil using cheesecloth, nut milk bag, a mesh paint strainer, or a fine mesh metal strainer.

Pour the clarified oil into a dark glass bottle and store in a cool dark place.  You can cover the mason jar with a towel if you can not find a dark jar.  You can also find cool bottles at yard sales and such… put a nice cork or wax seal on them and give away your oil as a gift.

FILM: ‘What’s On Your Plate?’ & Discussion about School Lunches
At Audubon Greenwich

Sunday, August 8
2:00-4:00 pm

School will start soon and what will be on your child’s plate? Come
ponder the issue while viewing this informative, kid-inspired movie
about healthier, fresher, and more local foods for schools and kids.
What’s On Your Plate? – a film by Catherine Gund with Sadie Hope-Gund
and Safiyah Riddle – is a witty and provocative documentary about kids
and food politics. Over the course of one year, the film follows two
eleven-year-old African-American city kids as they explore their place
in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah talk to food activists, farmers,
and storekeepers, as they address questions regarding the origin of the
food they eat, how it’s cultivated, and how many miles it travels from
farm to fork. Sadie and Safiyah visit supermarkets, fast food chains,
and school lunchrooms. But they also check out innovative sustainable
food system practices by going to farms, greenmarkets, and community
supported agriculture (CSA) programs. They discover that these options
have a number of positive effects: they are good for the environment,
help struggling farmers survive, and provide affordable, locally grown
food to communities, especially lower-income urban families. The film
culminates with a delicious local meal cooked by the girls and friends
they have made along the way. Sadie and Safiyah formulate sophisticated
and compassionate opinions about urban sustainability, and by doing so
inspire hope and active engagement in others. Learn more about this film
at: www.whatsonyourplateproject.org

Following the film, Audubon staff and guest speakers will discuss the
status of school lunches in our region and other food-related topics
relevant to children.

Suitable for all ages. Kids are free. Suggested donation for adults:
$10. Call Jeff at 203-869-5272 x239 to sign up. Space is limited so be
sure to RSVP and save a seat.