Fire Up The Senses

In a desperate attempt to triumph over the excruciating boredom that can come from eating a "Garden in the Raw", I had to get creative or fail in my attempt. One of the greatest epiphanies that I have had while on this 21 day raw food journey is; Flame to food is good! By taking away the cooking aspect of what we put in our mouths food lacks one all important component needed to complete the sensory experience....Aroma! Raw foods lacks that symphony of smells, those little beads of flavor that attach themselves to the hot steamy wisps that rise from our food and into our nose, one glorious whiff at a time. If all our senses are not addressed the overall eating experience is far less pleasurable and leaves us unsatisfied. Sure raw foods have their own fresh from the earth scent and yes it is good delicious food but when that is all you are eating......it's like going to the Opera and every performer has laryngitis. Beautiful set, beautiful costumes and when they open their mouths to sing...Nada! I think you get the picture.
This was my attempt in giving the Diva her voice back so to speak and once again regain some of that pleasure that one should joyfully derive from eating.

Raw Vegetable Relish Salad

2 or 3 medium zucchini squash, chopped
2 yellow squash (summer squash), chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ears of corn, cut kernels off cob
4 or 5 button or baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
The juice of two fresh limes (may also add zest and pulp for added flavor)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 head of celery cabbage (Napa cabbage and romaine leaves also work well) tear off leaves and spoon on relish, it ends up being like a finger salad or a crisp veggie taco. This raw veggie relish is also wonderful in a halved avocado or stuffed inside mushroom caps.

Place all the ingredients in a big container (preferably one with a lid). Mix everything well and let sit in refrigerator for at least three hours or better still overnight. This is one of those dishes that gets better and better the longer it marinates. The flavors are vibrant and so fresh on the palate and yes, it has a wonderful aroma.

Relishing the Thought of Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and it’s time to start deciding on which of the family favorites will be gracing the table this year. I was going through my cupboard and noticed a can of the jellied cranberry sauce which I do like but I thought this year I would much rather have my grandmother’s uncooked version of cranberry relish. It has such a nice bite to it. It’s not too tart and not too sweet; it has a wonderful crunchy texture and does a great job at cutting through some of the richness of the other foods and creating a nice balance. What is also great about this relish is that it can last way beyond the thanksgiving fare and grace many different dishes and still be around for Christmas (well maybe if you make a double batch).

Meema’s Uncooked Cranberry Relish

1 lb. cranberries
1 whole orange
2 cups sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon of salt, this is optional but the salt really does heighten the flavor.

Grind cranberries. Grind all of orange (skin too) except inner white part, just the colored zest in food processor or blender. After grinding place in bowl add sugar, salt and walnuts then stir together well. Place in covered jars or covered plastic containers, refrigerate and allow to sit 2 days before using.