This fresh summer salad was inspired by the pickling cucumbers purchased at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. When I purchased the cucumbers I was planning on making some quick pickles. Instead, I ended up enjoying them as a raw snack and this fresh salad.
Enjoy the video of the salad…from farmers market to table…
Chopped Cucumber Salad
Inspired by the beauty of the cucumber…
Simple Ingredients
1 small cucumber (Crooked Sky Farm)
1 tomato (Crooked Sky Farm)
1green pepper (Crooked Sky Farm)
1 green onion
1 cup yellow beans (Steadfast Farm)
Simple Steps
Slice all veggies in unique shapes and sizes.
Basil Garlic Lime Dressing
Simple Ingredients
½ lime, juiced
2 tbsp organic extra olive oil
3-4 basil stems (Melanie’s garden)
1 garlic clove, minced (Blue Sky Organic Farm)
Pinch sea salt
Simple Steps
Place all ingredients into small blender.
Blend until desired level of smoothness.
Dress the Salad
Place all chopped ingredients into a medium bowl.
Pour dressing over the veggies.
Gently toss to coat all veggies with the dressing.
Salad Food Art
Plating Mise en Place: Mindfully gather the salad, garnish, and bowl for plating
Mindfully plate the chopped cucumber salad with extra slices of cucumber, tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Enjoy!
Another view…the beauty of the Cucumber Salad
As you may be aware I am getting ready to announce “The 5-Day Beautiful Food Art Challenge”.
If you’d like to be included in our e-mail to learn more about the Challenge, please fill in your Name and E-Mail below. Thanks!
Happy to share with you this week’s (01.30.2021) recipe intuitively created with the CSA from The Farm at South Mountain, right here in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.
WOW Recipe 66!
Every week when I pick up the CSA at The Farm, I pause and enjoy the calm, grounded beauty.
Beautiful Kale at The Farm at South Mountain.
GRAFFITI CAULIFLOWER ROASTED & SAUCE
I am in awe of the beauty of the beautiful purple Graffiti Cauliflower and also love carrots! Hope you enjoy this recipe to enjoy the cauliflower two ways: Roasted and the new Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Roast the veggies.
Make the sauce.
Mindfully plate.
ROAST CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS & GARLIC
Roast the veggies and garlic for the sauce. Save some of the cauliflower and the carrots to enjoy with the sauce.
One type of food at a time, place carrots and cauliflower into small bowl. Toss with olive oil and sea salt.
Place carrots and cauliflower (not touching) onto parchment-lined sheet pan.
Cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt. On parchment-lined sheet pan.Carrots ready to roast.
Place garlic on pan (touching to stay moist).
Roast 12 minutes.
Flip the veggies.
Roast another 12-15 minutes.
GRAFFITI CAULIFLOWER SAUCE.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 cups roasted graffiti cauliflower
4-5 roasted garlic cloves
3 tbsp Meyer lemon juice
1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest
2 tbsp olive oil
Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce Mise en Place.
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients, except olive oil into food processor.
Cauliflower Sauce: All ingredients into the food processor.
Process for about 2-3 minutes.
Scrape sides, as needed.
Stream in olive oil and process for another minute.
Cauliflower Sauce. Process. Then stream in olive oil. Process again.Food Art: The beauty of roasted carrots and cauliflower. Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce.
MINDFUL PLATING
Place Graffiti Cauliflower Sauce on the plate.
Top with the roasted carrots, extra cauliflower.
Garnish with the sesame seeds and calendula edible flowers.
Graffiti Cauliflower Plating Mise en Place
ENJOY
Enjoy the simple beauty of the Cauliflower Carrot Food Art.
One more look at the Graffiti Cauliflower Food Art Dish.
Pause. Enjoy.
To stay in touch, join us on our our new Plant-Based Food Art Facebook page for daily inspiration, food art, and please feel free to ask any plant-based farm-to-table questions. CLICK HERE FOR THE FACEBOOK PAGE
Happy to share with you Recipe 62 for The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I’m so honored to create recipes with the beautiful produce, herbs, and edible flowers our local Arizona farmers grow.
This week’s recipe was inspired by The Farm’s cauliflower and cauliflower greens and peppers. Make a simple, delicious sauté to enjoy with pasta or even brown rice or quinoa. For this dish, I enjoyed the saute with a local Arizona chickpea pasta.
The beauty of edible calendulas growing at The Farm at South Mountain.
Cauliflower Saute Recipe
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Sauté the veggies.
Cook the pasta.
Mindfully plate your dish.
Recipe Serves 2
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup cauliflower
2-3 cauliflower leaves
3 peppers
3 small tomatoes
½ white onion
1 tbsp garlic, minced
¼ cup Kalamata olives
1 tsp capers
5 spring fresh dill
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Veggie Saute IngredientsChop the Veggies. Mise en Place.
SIMPLE STEPS
Slice all veggies.
Pre-heat saute pan on medium.
Add olive oil to coat bottom of saute pan.
Add onions to pan. Saute 4-5 minutes.
Add garlic. Saute 1 minute.
Add peppers. Saute 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes. Saute 2 minutes.
Add pinch sea salt.
Add cauliflower, olives, and capers. Cover pan. Saute 5-6 minutes.
Add dill. Saute 1 minute.
Add cauliflower greens. Saute 2 minutes.
Mindful Plating
Mise en Place: Cauliflower Saute. Chickpea Pasta.
Enjoy plating the veggie saute with pasta.
Toss pasta with a drizzle of olive oil.
Plate the sautéed veggies with the pasta.
Garnish with fresh dill and calendula flowers.
Enjoy your Cauliflower Saute. Pasta dish!
The Farm at South Mountain CSA Recipoe 62: Cauliflower Saute. Chickpea Pasta.
Hope you are enjoying the recipes intuitively created for the CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Please fill in the form if you are interested in a Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Food Art Experience for your organization. Right now we are offering fun, virtual “cook-along” experiences.
So humbled and honored to be featured in the media over the years. And, really excited to start 2021 with two beautiful, very appreciated highlights in our Arizona publications. And, thrilled to shoot a farm-to-table cooking tv segment with the nationally syndicated tv show The List and with the City of Peoria in 2020.
Natural Awakenings, January 2021: “Create Food Art with Sprouted Spelt Arizona Winter Veggie Flatbread.”
I’ve been writing plant-based farm-to-table recipe articles for the Natural Awakenings Magazine for a few years, and am happy to share with you the January 2021 article: “Create Food Art with Sprouted Spelt Arizona Winter Veggie Flatbread.”
This article highlights the philosophy of the new Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Food Art Movement and features one of my favorite, fun-to-prepare, delicious meals: Farm-to-Table Veggie Flatbread. Thanks so much to editor Tracy Patterson for the opportunities to showcase beautiful food ideas on your publication.
It is my pleasure to share with you Recipe 60 created with The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for December 26, 2020. Enjoy the Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Winter Arizona Flatbread.
One of our key philosophies with Experience Nutrition and Plant-Based Food Art is to start with local farmers beautiful produce, herbs, and edible flowers. When we cook with our local farmers’ just harvested produce it is fresher, more nutritious, and it has not traveled thousands to arrive at our local grocery stores.
Supporting our local farmers by purchasing a CSA is an easy way to enjoy fresh local produce, while supporting our local farmers.
Let’s take a look at quiet December 2020 beauty of The Farm.
Winter CSA Week 6: 12.26.20
Turnips: Root & Greens
Kale
Swiss Chard
Grapefruit
Lemon Basil
Eggs
The Farm at South Mountain CSA: December 26, 2020The sign of the times…the Coronavirus Pandemic, 2020.
Roasted Roots & Greens Flatbread.
One of my very favorite meals is a beautiful seasonal flatbread with the veggies our local farmers are growing. This flatbread was inspired by the turnips and kale that have been growing at The Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm, along other local root veggies: carrots and sweet potatoes. Hope you enjoy creating a simple no-yeast flatbread along with the roasted roots with turmeric, and hemp seed cream.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Make the flatbread.
Roast root veggies and kale.
Make the hemp seed cream.
Mindfully plate your flatbread and enjoy.
SIMPLE SPROUTED SPELT YEAST-FREE FLATBREAD CRUST
Enjoy creating this simple flatbread when you don’t have time to wait for yeast to rise.
1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (spread on dough prior to baking)
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat Pizza Stone
Place pizza stone into the oven.
Pre-heat oven at 390 degrees F.
Pre-heat the stone for about 5 minutes.
Make the Crust
Pour the flour, baking powder, and sea salt into a large glass bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients with a fork to combine.
To the bowl, add 3/8 cup water and oil.
Gently knead with hands for 3-4 minutes until the dough forms a ball. Add additional water or flour, as needed.
With hands, flatten out the dough on floured parchment paper.
With parchment paper on top of the dough, roll thinly (about ¼ inch) with a rolling pin.
Pre-Bake the Flatbread Crust
With fingers, gently spread 1 tbsp of olive oil onto the flatbread.
Carefully move flatbread crust to the pre-heated pizza stone.
Bake flatbread crust for 5 minutes.
Remove pizza stone from oven.
Top the Flatbread Crust
Spread cashew cream on the top of the flatbread.
Add roasted veggies.
Bake the Flatbread
Place flatbread back onto the pizza stone and place it into the oven.
Bake for about 8 minutes.
Remove flatbread from the oven.
Top with kale.
QUICK ROAST ROOTS
Recipe Serves 2
We’ve previously shared this simple roasted roots culinary technique. It’s a great method to pre-cook veggies for flatbread.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 turnips
4-5 carrots
1 large sweet potato
1 large white onion
1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Simple Roots for Roasting
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice all veggies into small pieces.
Place veggies into roasting pan.
Drizzle veggies with turmeric, pepper, sea salt and olive oil.
Roast 12 minutes.
Toss the veggies.
Roast another 12-15 minutes.
Roasting Roots Mise En Place.Roots in the pan, with turmeric, black pepper, sea salt, and olive oil.Roasted roots. 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.
QUICK ROASTED KALE
Toss kale with drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. Roast on parchment paper for about 6-8 minutes. Toss at about 3 minutes.
HEMP SEED CREAM
Quick seed cream to use for a cheesy-tasting sauce for the flatbread.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
¼ cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp water
Pinch sea salt
Hemp Seed Cream Mise En Place.
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients into a small blender.
Blend for about a minute or two, until creamy.
Add more water, as needed.
Add additional lemon juice or sea salt to suite your preferred taste.
Hemp Seed Cream: All ingredients into blender. Blend about a minute or two.Simple Hemp Seed Cream.
Mindfully plate your flatbread and enjoy.
First, set you plating Mise en Place: Flatbread, Roasted Roots, Roasted Kale, Hemp Seed Cream.
Flatbread: Mindful Mise En Place. All set to “plate” the flatbread.
Pause and enjoy plating your Flatbread.
Bake for another 8 minutes after plating the flatbread.
Enjoy!
Recipe and article created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona; Speaker; Award-winning Cookbook Author; Creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement.
If you are interested in a virtual (or future in-person) Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Cooking Food Art Experience for your organization, please fill out the form and Melanie Albert will be in touch with you.
It’s such an honor to create recipes for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at The Farm at South Mountain. The Farm is a beautiful organic farm right in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.
Let’s take a look at the beauty of The Farm and the incredible veggies growing right now in mid-December 2020.
Winter Broccoli at The Farm at South Mountain.The simple beauty of Broccoli.
Enjoy the Kale at The Farm
For the CSA members, Winter Week 5: 12.17.20
The Farm at South Mountain: Winter CSA 12.19.2020
Scarlet Turnips: Root & Greens
Corn-on-the cob
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Meyer lemon
Lemon basil
Romaine lettuce
Meyer lemon
Peppers
Eggs
Winter Scarlet Turnip. Corn. Bok Choy Saute Recipe
This week’s recipe was inspired by the incredible scarlet turnip, corn-on-cob, and the lemon basil!
Hope you enjoy creating a simple veggie sauté to enjoy with chickpea pasta for a great gluten-free veggie dish. Add the Meyer lemon while sautéing to caramelize the veggies.
I was so excited to create this recipe, that I actually prepared it within 2 hours of bringing the veggies into my kitchen.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Sauté the veggies
Cook pasta.
Mindfully plate your sautéed veggies with pasta, seeds, herbs, and edible flowers.
Enjoy the video for this beautiful, tasty recipe.
VEGGIE SAUTE TIPS
Use the simple veggie sauté culinary method to easily cook all kinds of veggies.
Pre-heat the saute pan before cooking.
Cook the veggies step-by-step to layer the flavors.
Start with onions for the flavor base.
At the end of cooking, add the greens (bok choy) and herbs (lemon basil) to gently cook.
WINTER VEGGIE SAUTE
Recipe Serves 2
Use this simple veggie sauté method to cook the fresh CSA from the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
Winter Veggie Saute: Beautiful Veggies from The Farm CSA
3-4 green onions (not in the CSA)
2-3 small peppers
1 corn-on-cob
½ broccoli stem
1 cup turnip, sliced
1 cup bok choy
1 stem lemon basil
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ Meyer lemon, juiced
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Slice all veggies and corn off the cob.
Pre-heat sauté pan on stove top on medium.
Add olive oil to coat bottom of the pan.
Add the onions. Sauté a few minutes.
Add peppers. Sauté a few minutes.
Drizzle pinch of sea salt onto the veggies.
Add corn on cob. Sauté a few minutes.
Add broccoli. Sauté a few minutes.
Squeeze Meyer lemon and stir to de-glaze the pan.
Add turnip. Sauté a few minutes.
Add bok choy and lemon basil. Sauté a minute.
Veggie Saute: Ingredients
FOOD ART: PLATE THE DISH
Enjoy plating the veggies with layers of veggies and pasta.
Garnish with pine nuts (or other nuts), a green onion, sliced raw turnip, and lemon basil leaves, and edible calendula flowers.
Veggie Saute: Plating Mise en Place
ENJOY YOUR WINTER VEGGIE SAUTE DISH
Arizona Winter Veggie Saute
ENJOY OUR PHOTO SHOOT BEHIND-THE-SCENES
Interested in creating a Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Food Art Program (Virtual and in Person when the time is right), fill out our Form. Look forward to talking with you.
This week’s recipe #58 for The Farm at South Mountain CSA was inspired by the incredible turnip and corn on the cob! When I arrived at The Farm, I was excited to see Chef Dustin Christofolo with the huge, beautiful turnip. The root of the turnip turned out to weigh 2 1/2 pounds! I was also really excited to see the corn-on-the cob in the CSA, as I’ve been watching the corn grow for a few months.
Let’s take a look at the incredible turnip with Chef Dustin Christofolo!
Up-close look at the huge turnip! The root weighs 2.5 pounds!
The beautiful corn crop growing at The Farm this Winter.
In awe of the Dinosaur Kale, which is so fresh, green, and grassy tasting.
Hope you enjoy roasting the turnip, along with kale and turnip greens, corn-on-the-cob to create a simple, tasty veggie bowl. Create a simple “acid, fat, salt” salad dressing with the Meyer lemon to add citrus freshness to the dish.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Make a batch of quinoa.
Roast the veggies.
Make the salad dressing.
Mindfully plate your veggie bowl with quinoa, walnuts, and edible flowers.
Use the video as a step-by-step guide to prepare this beautiful, tasty, farm-to-table bowl.
All Recipes Serve 2
ROASTED VEGGIES
Use this Roasted Veggie method to easily cook all kinds of veggies at the same time!
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup turnip, sliced
1 corn-on-cob
2 small peppers
3-4 kale leaves
3-4 turnip stems with leaves
2 tbsp rosemary, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut turnip and pepper into small pieces.
Slice corn off the cob.
Slice the kale and turnips greens into strips.
In a small bowl, toss each type of veggies with olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary.
Place veggies onto parchment-lined sheet pan.
Turnips on one tray, not touching.
Other veggies on another tray, in small piles.
Roast turnips for 12 minutes.
Toss the turnips.
Roast the turnips another 12-15 minutes.
Roast the corn, peppers, and greens 12-15 minutes.
MEYER LEMON SALAD DRESSING
Create a simple “acid, fat, salt” salad dressing with the Meyer lemon.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1.5 tbsp Meyer lemon juice
½ tsp Meyer lemon zest
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Put all ingredients into a small bowl.
Thoroughly emulsify with a whisk.
Use the dressing with the veggie bowl.
PLATE THE VEGGIES
Mindful Plating Mise en Place.
Experiment with plating the veggies two ways.
Place veggies and quinoa in a bowl side-by-side and drizzle with the salad dressing.
Mix the veggies and quinoa all together with the salad dressing.
Garnish with walnuts and edible Calendula flowers.
Interested in plant-based farm-to-table cooking experiences…virtual for now…and later in-person…please fill out the form!
I am so honored to intuitively create recipes for The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members. And, I’m happy to share this week’s Winter Arizona recipe with you, which was inspired by the beautiful beets and the incredible herbs: Thai Basil & Kaffir Lime Leaves.
Hope you enjoy roasting the beets and using them in my, now favorite hummus. Make a small batch of the pesto for contrast to the hummus.
The plant-based cooking video shows you step-by-step to prepare this incredible, tasty, healthy dish.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Soak the garbanzo beans the night before you plan to create the beet hummus.
Cook the garbanzo beans for the hummus.
While the beans are cooking, roast the beets.
Next, toast the pine nuts.
Make the pesto.
Make the hummus.
Mindfully plate the beet hummus and pesto with the CSA Swiss chard and sweet peppers.
All Recipes Serve 2
THAI BASIL & KAFFIR LEAVES PESTO
Create a simple, delicious pesto with this week’s Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup Thai basil leaves
1 tbsp Kaffir leaves, minced
¼ cup pine nuts, dry toasted
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Toast pine nuts in dry pan on stove for about 2 minutes.
Place all ingredients, except olive oil, into a small blender.
Blend for about a minute.
Add the olive oil to the blender and blend another minute.
ROASTED BEETS
Use this Quick Roasted Veggie method to easily cook roots.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 beet roots, sliced
2 tbsp fresh Kaffir lime leaves, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut beet roots into slices.
Mince Kaffir lime leaves, taking out the stem.
Place beets into roasting pan.
Drizzle with olive oil, Kaffir lime leaves, and sea salt.
Roast for 10 minutes.
Toss the beets.
Roast another 10-12 minutes.
ROASTED BEET HUMMUS
Create this simple, delicious, beautiful hummus with The Farm’s beets.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 beets, roasted
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
¼ cup tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp minced garlic
Pinch sea salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
SIMPLE STEPS
Place beets into food processor and process for about a minute.
Add all other ingredients, except olive oil.
Process for 2-3 minutes.
Stream in olive oil and process another 1-2 minutes.
Enjoy with CSA sweet peppers.
Plant-based farm-to-table recipe intuitively created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Award-winning cookbook author, Creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement.
Happy to share with you this week’s recipe video for the Winter 2020 CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, right in my neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona.
The recipe was inspired by the beautiful beets, scarlet queen turnips, and rosemary. And, of course, the pecans that grow right at The Farm.
Enjoy this video of the Roasted Beet & Turnip Bowl, and use it as a guide to create your own Roots Bowl with beets, turnips, tossed salad greens, and a few of your favorite salad extras, such as cashew cream, figs, and blackberries for a fresh Winter dish.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Roast the beets and turnips with the quick roast method.
Prepare the Simple Cashew Cream.
Crack the pecans.
Make the simple acid, fat, salt salad dressing and toss with the greens.
Mindfully plate the roasted roots, salad greens, pecans, Cashew Cream, and your favorite extras.
Enjoy Cooking!!!!
Recipe intuitively created by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO of Experience Nutrition, Award-winning cookbook author, creator of the Plant-Based Food Art Movement. Leader in wellness, integrative nutrition, and culinary for 15 years.
I am so honored to intuitively create recipes for The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members, And, I’m happy to share this week’s Winter Arizona recipe with you.
As many of you are aware, I live in a wonderful area of Phoenix, Arizona with incredible urban farms right in my neighborhood, including The Farm at South Mountain. For four years I’ve been teaching hands-on plant-based farm-to-table cooking experiences at The Farm and have been intuitively creating recipes with the weekly CSA box. This week is actually Recipe #55!
Excited to meet the new farmers at The Farm…Olive, DJ, Nicole, Meredith, with Melanie Albert.
The Farm at South Mountain…Olive, DJ, Melanie, Nicole, Meredith
The Winter CSA for November 21, 2020 includes:
Detroit Red Beets
Purple Daikon Radishes
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Curly Leaf Lettuce
Lemon Basil
Eggs
The Farm at South Mountain CSA: 11.21.20
BEETS & DAIKON RADISH BOWL
This week’s recipe was inspired by the beautiful beets and purple daikon radishes. Create your Veggie Bowl with the beet roots and greens, daikon radishes, Lemon Basil Cashew Cream, quinoa and walnuts for a beautiful Winter dish.
Steps to Prepare the Dish
Roast the beets, daikon radishes, and green onions.
Prepare the Lemon Basil Cashew Cream
Sauté the Beet Greens.
Plate the roasted roots, sautéed greens, Lemon Basil Cashew Cream, and walnuts.
Enjoy the Beets Bowl video for step-by-step visuals of the cooking process. Scroll down for the recipes.
All Recipes Serve 2
ROASTED BEETS, DAIKON RADISHES & GREEN ONIONS
Roasted Beets & Daikon Radishes
Roast the Winter roots for your simple-to-prepare, tasty farm-to-table veggie bowl.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 beet roots
2 daikon radishes
3-4 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp dried herbs, such as Herbs de Provence
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut beet roots, daikon radishes into unique shapes and sizes.
Place roots (beets and radishes separately) and onions into a small bowl. Coat with olive oil, dried herbs, and sea salt.
Place roots, not touching, on parchment-lined sheet pan.
Layer onions on parchment-lined sheet pan.
Roast for 12 minutes.
Flip the veggies.
Roast another 12-15 minutes.
SIMPLE LEMON BASIL CASHEW CREAM
Create this simple plant-based cream with the lemon basil to enjoy with roasted roots.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked in water for 2-4 hours
¼ cup lemon basil leaves
2 green onions
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Pinch sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients into food processor.
Process until chunky.
Stream in olive oil while processing.
Process to desired level of creaminess.
SAUTEED BEET GREENS
Create this quick sauteed beet green side to enjoy with the Roasted Beets and Radishes Bowl.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
Tops of 2 beets, sliced (greens and stems sliced separately)
2 green onions sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
Pour olive oil into pan.
Add onions.
Sauté for 3 minutes.
Add beets stems.
Sauté for 1 minute.
Add beet greens.
Add pinch sea salt.
Sauté for 3 minutes.
NEW Online Plant-Based Food Art Program
Interested in learning more about plant-based cooking and creating beautiful dishes, I invite you to register for our new 3-Day Food Art course. Learn how to prepare the recipes and create beautiful dishes: Avocado Tartare, Roasted Veggie Bowl, and Raw Carrot Cake. CLICK TO REGISTER.
Looking for a “healthy” Sweet Potato with Broccoli and a Cheesy Sauce?
Based on a request for a “healthy” sweet potato and broccoli dish, I’m happy to share with you a Roasted Veggies Sweet Potato Bowl with Hemp Seed Cream.
Local Farmers Veggies. In addition to the sweet potato, the dish was inspired and intuitively created with our local Arizona farmer, Crooked Sky Farms, green and yellow beans,heirloom tomatoes, sweet potato, and purple pepper.
Beautiful late Summer veggies from our local Arizona farmers.
Learn to Roast Veggies. When we cook healthy plant-based meals, one of the simple culinary techniques is roasted. We can use this simple method to cook whatever our local farmers are growing. The dish will be beautiful and tasty every time you make it.
Hemp Seed Cream. The hemp seed cream is a simple-to-prepare, tasty, healthy cream that works well as a plant-based sauce for sweet potatoes. And, it can even be used as a cheesy flavor on home-made flatbread.
Roasted Veggie Sweet Potato Recipe
Use this recipe as a guide to create your own Roasted Veggie Sweet Potato Bowl. Bake the sweet potato and roast veggies that your local farmers are growing.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 sweet potato
1 cup green or yellow beans
1 heirloom tomato, sliced in rounds
1 pepper, sliced
1 stalk broccoli, sliced
1 slice cabbage
1 lemon, sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Garnish: Few leaves fresh basil
Veggies all set to chop.
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice veggies.
Place veggies on-by-one into a small bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.
Toss to coat all parts of the veggies.
Place veggies onto parchment-lined flat sheet.
Roast for 12 minutes.
Flip the veggies.
Roast for 12-15 minutes.
Bake the sweet potato another 10 minutes, until soft.
Chopped veggies.
Veggies, olive oil, and sea salt.
One-by-one toss veggies with olive oil & sea salt.
Veggies mindfully placed onto parchment-lined sheet pan.
Roasted Veggies!
Simple Hemp Seed Cream
As a plant-based alternative for a creamy sauce for the sweet potato and veggies, this hemp seed cream is quick and simple to prepare. The hemp seeds offer healthy fats and protein, while the nutritional yeast adds B-12 and a cheesy taste to the cream.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
¼ cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp water
Pinch sea salt
Hemp Seed Cream: Mise en Place
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients into a small blender.
Blend for about a minute or two, until creamy.
Add more water, as needed.
Taste.
Add additional lemon juice or sea salt to suite your preferred taste.
Hemp Seed Cream ingredients in blender.
Blend for 1-2 minutes.
Creamy Hemp Seed Cream
FOOD ART PLATING
Place sweet potato into a bowl.
Drizzle hemp seed cream onto the sweet potato.
Layer the additional veggies into the bowl.
Garnish with fresh basil.
Plating Mise en Place
Food Art Plating: Sweet Potato Bowl
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It’s tomato season in Arizona! And I love it. Over the years I’ve noticed that at the beginning of the season, our farmers are growing a few handfuls, then a few pounds, then a few hundred pounds of tomatoes each week. It’s actually quite amazing that our local farmers have each figured out their own process to grow tomatoes in 100+ degree days.
Thanks so much to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market for your commitment to our local Arizona farmers and bringing beautiful food to our community. This week, thanks to Crooked Sky Farms for the heirloom tomatoes and corn on the cob. And, thanks to Blue Sky Organic Farms for the green onions, parsley. – Melanie Albert
I hope you are inspired by these three very different ways to prepare and enjoy tomatoes.
Raw. Cooked. Dehydrated.
Tomato Salsa. Corn on the Cob. Peppers.
Quick Tomato Sauté. Olives. Capers.
Dehydrated Tomatoes.
Enjoy the video with all these tomato recipes…
Tomato Salsa. Corn on the Cob. Green Peppers.
For a simple, refreshing salsa, choose a few tomatoes and peppers, aromatics such as garlic and onions, along with citrus, a fresh herb and sea salt. If your local farmers are growing corn, add corn to the salsa. Use this recipe as a guide for your own intuitive tomato salsa.
Mix and match with what your local farmers are growing to create your salsa. For sweet salsa, use bell peppers in any color: green, yellow, orange, or red. For a mild pepper taste, try Anaheim, or a more spicy pepper go for the jalapeno. Use lime or lemon as citrus to sharpen the flavor of the salsa. Experiment with different fresh herbs such as dill, basil, cilantro, or even mint.
Enjoy the salsa as a side salad, taco topping or with a baked sweet potato. And, remember the flavors in the salsa marry together the second and third day.
Simple Ingredients
2-3 tomatoes
2 peppers
5-6 green onions
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
3-4 sprigs fresh dill
Pinch sea salt
Optional: 1 corn on the cob
Farm-to-Table Tomato Salsa: Ingredients
Tomato. Corn Salsa: Mise en Place.
Simple Steps
Chop all veggies.
Place all ingredients into a medium-size bowl.
Toss.
Taste.
Add more salt or lime juice to suit your taste preferences.
Plate and enjoy.
Tomato Corn Dill Salsa
Tomato Sauté Recipe
In a few minutes, create this very simple, tasty, aromatic tomato sauce to enjoy with pasta. Choose a few local ripe tomatoes. Quickly sauté the tomatoes with onions and garlic to create a sweet aromatic sauce for your pasta. Add in Kalamata olives and capers for added depth of flavor. For a gluten-free pasta, experiment with chickpea pasta.
Simple Ingredients
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Kalamata olives
1 tbsp capers
5-6 sprigs parsley
Pinch sea salt
Tomato Saute: Ingredients
Tomato Saute: Mise en Place
Simple Steps
Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
Place green onions in pan, stir, cook for about 3 minutes.
Add garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and sea salt.
Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover for about 2 minutes.
Add Kalamata olives and capers. Cook 1 minute.
Add parsley. Stir. Cook 1 minute.
Toss with pasta.
Plate and enjoy.
Tomato Saute. Pasta. Plating Mise en Place.
Tomato Saute. Chickpea Pasta.
Dehydrate Tomatoes
Dehydrating fruit and vegetables concentrates the flavor. With tomatoes, they become very sweet and beautiful. During tomato season, be sure to dehydrate local tomatoes to enjoy later in the year.
Simple Ingredients and Steps
Choose a few beautiful heirloom tomatoes.
Thinly slice the tomatoes.
Place tomatoes on dehydrator mesh sheet.
Dehydrate at 125 degrees F for about 6-8 hours.
Enjoy as a snack or food art.
Dehydrate Tomatoes: Place sliced tomatoes on dehydrator sheet.
Tomato Food Art
Stay in touchwith us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenutritionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
Sedona Retreats. If you are interested in a self-care get-away in Sedona in September 2020, let me know. At this point we are planning on holding our Fall Plant-Based Cooking and Self Care Retreat with private rooms for all guests. Click to take a look at our Fall 2019 retreat. Or, send me a note (Mel@MelanieAlbert.com) if you’re interested in attending the 2020 retreat or in creating a retreat for a group of your friends.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
Thanks so much to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market for the opportunity to share a few beautiful summer salads with our local Arizona farmers early summer produce. Having shopped the market for 15 years and leading cooking demos at the market for 4 years, I am honored to be part of our local farmers community.
Thanks to the farmers market and our local farmers for your continued commitment and hard work to provide beautiful, fresh produce and local products to our community during the Coronavirus Pandemic. We all appreciate you and all the farmers and vendors.
Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market: Summer Veggies
Looking forward to the Fall when we can continue our “Shop the Farmers Market” Cooking Demos.
Meanwhile, I’m honored to share two simple, refreshing salads – Tomato Gazpacho and Chopped Salads. Hope you enjoy the recipes and have fun preparing and enjoying them with your family and kids. – Melanie Albert
Enjoy the Summer Salad Cooking Video featuring our local Arizona farmers produce and then create your own Tomato Gazpacho and Chopped Veggie Salad with your family and kids.
Summertime Tomato Gazpacho Recipe
A fresh, cold tomato gazpacho is refreshing, especially on warm days. Make this quick cold tomato salad with our local farmers tomatoes and cucumbers for a tasty summer side dish. Be sure to experiment with all kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
Simple Ingredients
4-5 medium tomatoes, rough chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and rough chopped
1 medium Armenian cucumber, rough chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice and lime zest
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt, to taste
Tomato Gazpacho: Farmers fresh ingredients
Simple Steps
Place tomatoes in a large bowl.
Massage with hands to break down tomatoes.
Add sea salt, lime juice and zest, and garlic.
Mix well.
Add all other soup ingredients to the bowl.
Mix well.
Taste and season with sea salt.
Top with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Enjoy!
Refrigerate leftover gazpacho soup and enjoy the next day for an even more flavorful salad.
Tomato Gazpacho: Mise En Place
Arizona Summer Tomato Gazpacho
Summer Chopped Salad Recipe
Simple Ingredients
Chopped Salad
1 carrot, cubed
2 cups, green beans, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 corn on cob
Summer Chopped Salad: Mise En Place
Dill Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
½ fresh lemon juice, approximate ¼ cup
½ cup olive oil, twice as much as the lemon juice
2-3 stems fresh herbs, such as dill
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp stone ground mustard
Dill Honey Mustard Salad Dressing: Mise En Place
Salad Dressing Simple Steps
Pour lemon juice in a small jar.
Add olive oil.
Shake. Taste.
Adjust with more oil, of too much acid; adjust with more lemon, if too much oil.
Add sea salt.
Add honey and mustard.
Shake.
Taste and adjust with any ingredients to suit your taste.
Summer Chopped Salad
Place all veggies into a bowl.
Pour dressing over the veggies.
Gently toss.
Enjoy your fresh salad.
Arizona Summer Chopped Salad
Have fun plating your Summer Salads…A few ideas to get you started. And, take a look at the video to “see” the plating.
Summer Salad: Mise En Place
Tomato Gazpacho. Armenian Cucumber
Arizona Summer Chopped Salad
Chopped Salad: Another View
Chopped Salad. Classic Hummus.
NEW: Corporate Wellness Healthy Eating Programs
In light of the Coronvirus and safety, rather than in-person cooking experiences, we are now creating custom plant-based cooking videos with “cooking kits.” To learn more contact, Melanie Albert at 602.615.2486 or Mel@MelanieAlbert.com
UPDATE: Sedona September Self-Care Plant-Based Cooking Retreat
At this point, we are planning on holding our Fall 2020 culinary and self-care retreat, keeping in mind safety and limiting the number of participants. If you are interested in the September 18-21, 2020 or a custom retreat for your group of friends, let me know, Mel@MelanieAlbert.com Click for a glimpse of our beautiful Fall 2019 Retreat
Getting started with our mindful chopping for our fresh Tomato Gazpacho and Avocado Tartare.
WOW! Yoga at Cathedral Rock. Dreams come true!
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenutritionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
What an honor to intuitively create recipes with the beautiful produce grown by hard-working, passionate farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.
This is the final CSA recipe of the season, Recipe #54, and I’m so happy to share a Summer recipe with you, inspired by the peaches and apricots growing at The Farm. At this point, the farmers are focusing on summer crops, including tomatoes, which I’m really looking forward to.
Self care at The Farm. While picking up the CSA to create this week’s recipe, I was mesmerized by the breath-talking Autumn Beauty Sunflowers.
For the CSA Members, the May 16, 2020 Share includes:
Roots: Beets, Carrots
Greens: Salad Greens, Swiss Chard
Veggies: Zucchini
Fruit: Grapefruit, Peaches, Apricot
Herbs: Lemon Basil, Mint, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary
Eggs
The Farm at South Mountain CSA: May 16, 2020
Recipe: Simple Peach Apricot Salsa
This week’s recipe was inspired by the peaches and apricots. It’s a simple, fresh recipe to enjoy with hummus, or as a topping for fish or chicken.
The Farm at South Mountain: Arizona Peaches
Serves 2
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
5-6 peaches
5-6 apricots
¼ cup grapefruit juice
1 tbsp grapefruit zest
4-5 mint leaves, minced
Not from The Farm CSA
¼ cup white onion
2 mini red peppers
Pinch sea salt
Ingredients: Peach Apricot Salsa
Mise En Place: Peach Apricot Salsa
SIMPLE STEPS
Mince all fruit and veggies into small pieces.
Gently toss all ingredients.
Taste and adjust with additional grapefruit juice and sea salt to suit your taste preferences.
Peach Apricot Salsa: Mix Ingredients
SIMPLE PLATING
Enjoy with hummus, or as a side salad.
Peach Apricot Salsa. Classic Hummus.
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenutritionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreats.At this point, we are planning on hosting the Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Cooking Retreat in Sedona, September 18-21, 2020 and also customizing for small groups “when the time is right” in the next few months. Please let me know if you’re interested in learning more about the retreats. Click for information about the retreats and beautiful photos from our September 2019 retreat.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
As always, it is my honor to create recipes with the produce grown for the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) by passionate farmer Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden, at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.
It is especially touching this week, during the Coronavirus Pandemic while we are all staying at home, and cooking more. And, in Arizona we are transitioning from the Spring to the Summer crops, so we still have roots, along with summer crops, such as zucchini. – Melanie Albert
When I picked up my CSA this week, The Farm felt very still and calm, in align with the quietness of our Earth…a little video capture:
For the CSA Members, the items in the May 9, 2020 CSA include:
This week’s recipe was inspired by the peaches, and paired with beets, carrots, and grapefruit. Since grapefruits are still available, enjoy a simple dressing with a few extras: honey, mustard, and mint.
Serves 2
Roasted Roots & Fruit
Enjoy creating this dish, inspired by The Farm’s sweet fruit and roots: peaches, grapefruit, beets, and carrots.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 peach
1 grapefruit
1 golden beet
1 red beet
5-6 small carrots
Not from The Farm CSA: ½ red onion
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP honey
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Chop all veggies in small bite-size pieces.
Veggie-by-veggie toss in olive oil and sea salt.
Place veggies, spread apart on parchment-paper lined sheet pan.
Place grapefruit and peaches on parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with ¼ tsp of honey.
Cook for 12 minutes.
Flip the veggies and fruit.
Cook another 10-12 minutes.
Honey Grapefruit Dressing
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
2 TBSP grapefruit juice
1 ½ tsp honey
1 ½ tsp stone ground mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
6-8 mint leaves, rough chopped
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Into bowl, place grapefruit juice, mustard, vinegar.
Whisk until blended.
Add olive oil.
Whisk until blended.
Add more acid (grapefruit juice) or fat (olive oil) to balance.
Add sea salt. Whisk.
Add honey. Whisk.
Add mint. Whisk.
SIMPLE PLATING
Mindfully plate.
Place grapefruit slices on plate.
Layer veggies and fruit on top of the grapefruit slices.
Dressing Options: Drizzle dressing on top of the veggies. Or, when eating, use dressing as dipping sauce.
Plating Mise en Place…
Plating…
The beautiful, tasty Arizona Spring Roots & Fruit Dish
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenturitionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
We are now beginning to think about Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Experiences for Fall 2020…hands-on cooking, team building, catering. Please reach out to me to brainstorm ideas for your organization. Contact Melanie Albert at 602.615.2486 or Mel@MelanieAlbert.com
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
So beautiful…one more view of the Arizona Roasted Roots & Fruit and our incredible sunset.
It is again such an honor to create recipe articles for the Natural Awakenings Magazine, Phoenix and Northern Arizona during the last few years. And, I am humbled to contribute to the important May 2020 issue during the Coronavirus Pandemic, to bring a little joy to our lives, with beautiful food. – Melanie Albert
Recipes in the Natural Awakenings, May 2020 article include: Three Beautiful, Simple Plant-Based Recipes
Enjoy mindfully and intuitively creating these simple dishes. Take time to appreciate the beauty of the food, the mindfulness of the cooking process, and the final food art of your culinary creations.
Simple Avocado Salsa. Intuitively create with the veggies, aromatics, and herbs in your kitchen. (Today’s recipe.)
Simple Avocado Salsa
I hope you are inspired by this simple to-prepare, tasty avocado salsa, along with “food art.”
Enjoy the video with the steps to prepare and plate your own avocado salsa.
Serves 1
Have fun intuitively creating your own avocado salsa with the veggies grown by our local farmers and available right in your own refrigerator. With the avocado as a base, add in your choice of aromatics (onion, garlic), citrus (lemon or lime), favorite veggies, such as carrots, green or red peppers, radishes, cauliflower, tomatoes), and a fresh herb (basil, cilantro, marjoram).
Thanks to my Arizona farmer friends for the beautiful produce in this Avocado Salsa.
Blue Sky Organic Farms, Litchfield Park: Grafitti (purple) Cauliflower, Green Onions
Pinnacle Farms Phoenix: Mini-Carrots, Spring Garlic
Add all other ingredients to the bowl and gently mix all ingredients.
Simple Avocado Salsa: Mise en Place
Simple Plating
Place ring mold onto plate or bowl.
Scoop avocado salsa into the ring mold.
OPTION: If you do not have a ring mold, place a mound of the avocado salsa onto the plate.
Garnish with basil leaves and mini-tomatoes.
Enjoy!
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenturitionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
I’m feeling that very soon we will ease out of our Coronavirus Stay-at-Home, so if you or your organization is looking for a live in-person hands-on interactive plant-based cooking experience, I’m happy to chat with you to explore opportunities. Feel free to call (602.615.2486) or e-mail (Mel@MelanieAlbert.com) – Melanie
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
Again this week, I’d like to honor our local farmers and farmers’ markets in Phoenix, Arizona who are continuing to bring our “essential” beautiful food to us during the Coronavirus Pandemic. We truly appreciate you.
As always, I am so honored to create recipes for the CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, a small urban farm about half a mile from my home in Phoenix, Arizona. In early May our farmers are transitioning from the “cooler” to “warmer” weather crops. So this week, many farmers are harvesting end of the Spring root veggies (carrots, beets), along with the early Summer veggies, like zucchini.
This week I was totally inspired by the beautiful 2 pound 5 ounce (yes, I weighed it) Costada Romanesco Zucchini. I intuitively created a simple Zucchini Salad with Cashew Cream featuring The Farm’s grapefruit and fresh mint and lemon basil. I invite you to use this recipe as a guide to create your own Zucchini Salad with a nut cream prepared with fresh herbs and citrus available at your local farmers’ market, farmers, or grocery stores. – Melanie Albert
Enjoy the video that showcases the steps to prepare the salad including how to:
Prepare a refreshing Raw Cashew Cream.
Spiralize zucchini.
Peel carrots for salads.
Mindfully plate with fresh veggies and edible flowers.
Let’s take a look at The Farm at South Mountain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
The May 2, 2020 CSA, with the transition from Spring to Summer:
The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden CSA, May 1, 2020.
RECIPE: Raw Cashew Salad. Cashew Cream.
Ingredients: Zucchini Salad. Cashew Cream.
Serves 2
Cashew Herbal Cream
Inspired by The Farm’s grapefruit and fresh mint and lemon basil.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water, 2-4 hours
2 TBSP grapefruit juice
1 TBSP grapefruit zest
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 stems of mint and lemon basil
2-3 onion green onions, sliced
Pinch sea salt
Mise en Place: Cashew Cream.
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-soak cashews in water; rinse the cashews prior to using in the recipe.
Place all ingredients into food processor.
Process until smooth.
Spiralized Zucchini
Spiralize the zucchini and peel the carrots for the salad.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
¼ zucchini, spiralized
1 carrot
SIMPLE STEPS
Spiralize the zucchini with a spiralizer.
If you do not have a spiralizer, use a veggie peeler to thinly slice the zucchini.
Slice the carrots with veggie peeler.
Costada Romanesco Zucchini. Spiralized.
Zucchini Salad
SIMPLE STEPS
Toss the zucchini and carrots with the Cashew Cream.
SIMPLE PLATING
Ingredients
Zucchini Salad
1 Swiss chard leaf
3-4 fresh herb leaves: mint, lemon basil
3-4 mini-tomatoes
1-2 green onions
Zucchini Salad: Plating Mise en Place.
Simple Steps
Mindfully plate.
Place Swiss chard onto the plate.
Layer the tossed zucchini onto the Swiss chard.
Add the garnish ingredients.
Enjoy.
Enjoy a few plating views of this simple, delicious, beautiful “summer salad.”
Zucchini Salad. Sunflowers.
Zucchini Salad. In the Garden.
Zucchini Salad. On the Video Set.
Stay in Touch. Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenturitionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
Please reach out if you are interested in future plant-based farm-to-table cooking experiences, or catering. Look forward to collaborating when “the time is right.”
Honored and happy to create the Recipe #51 for the CSA at The Farm at South Mountain, right here in my neighborhood. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to create new recipes for the CSA members, with ideas on how to prepare the veggies, fruit, and herbs in their weekly CSA.
During our Coronavirus Stay-at-Home, with everyone cooking more at home, I am happy that our farmers are still working so hard to bring great food to our community. I’m also grateful that our Arizona farmers’ markets are still operating as “essential grocery stores.”
Yesterday (Friday) afternoon, when I picked up this week’s CSA at The Farm, it was 99 degrees in Phoenix, and my AC was not working, so I decided to create a Raw Dish with the CSA veggies. Although, not at all planned, I then wanted to experiment with a cooked dish with those veggies as a base.
I hope you enjoy creating a simple Raw or Cooked Zucchini Lasagna, along with a Raw Hempseed Cream.
Enjoy the video for a glimpse of The Farm at South Mountain, where we are transitioning into our Summer growing season, along with the Raw and Baked Lasagna recipes.
Spring CSA Week 7: 4.25.20
For the CSA members, items in the CSA include:
Roots: Beets, Carrots, Purple Daikon Radishes
Greens; Glacier Lettuce, Salad Greens
Veggies: Zucchini
Citrus: Grapefruit
Herbs: Basil & Dill
Aromatics: Green Onions
The Farm Eggs
The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden. CSA 4.25.20
Raw Zucchini Lasagna
This week’s recipe was inspired by our warm Arizona weekend and the Soil & Seed Garden zucchini. The Raw Lasagna recipe features the end-of-season purple daikon radish and carrots. Enjoy with a Grapefruit Hempseed Herbal Cream.
Lasagna & Hempseed Cream Ingredients
Ingredients: Zucchini Lasagna. Hempseed Grapefruit Herb Cream.
Lasagna Veggies
Prep the zucchini, carrot, and daikon radish, and enjoy Raw Lasagna with Grapefruit Hempseed Cream.
Serves 2
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
¼ zucchini
1 carrot
1 daikon radish
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch sea salt
SIMPLE STEPS
Thinly slice veggies with a mandoline or veggie peeler.
Place veggies, not touching, on parchment paper.
Drizzle veggies with olive oil and sea salt.
Let the veggies sit for 10-15 minutes.
Save the veggies to create the veggie lasagna.
Hempseed Grapefruit Herb Cream
This raw hempseed cream was inspired by The Farm’s grapefruit and fresh dill, lemon basil, and green onions. This Hempseed Cream can be made very quickly since we do not need to pre-soak hempseeds, and you can add flavor with whatever herbs you have in your kitchen or garden right now.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
½ cup hempseeds
¼ cup grapefruit juice
1 TBSP grapefruit zest
¼ cup olive oil
3-4 stems of dill, lemon basil
2-3 onion green onions
Pinch sea salt
Mise en Place: Hempseed Cream
SIMPLE STEPS
Place all ingredients into food processor.
Process until smooth.
Add water, as needed, for creamier sauce.
Raw Hempseed Grapefruit Herb Cream
SIMPLE PLATING
Layer the zucchini, carrot, daikon radish and the cream.
Garnish with Glacier Lettuce and fresh dill and lemon basil.
BONUS RECIPE: Baked Zucchini Lasagna
Since I ended up with extra ingredients from the Raw Lasagna, I decided to cook a really quick and easy baked version of the lasagna. Hope you enjoy this version, as well.
SIMPLE EXTRA INGREDIENTS
All ingredients from the Raw Zucchini Lasagna
1 tomato, sliced
2 small sweet peppers, sliced
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Layer all ingredients into a baking pan.
Cook for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenturitionaz and tag us #experiencenutritionaz on your Raw and Cooked Zucchini Lasagna dishes and other plant-based culinary creations.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Cooking Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
During our coronavirus stay-at-home, a simple to prepare lunch, breakfast or snack, is an “avocado tartare.” You might call it avocado salsa with a few extra veggies. I hope this avocado recipe guide inspires you to create your own beautiful, delicious avocado tartare with whatever vegetables are in your kitchen. – Melanie Albert
To these base ingredients, add in a few veggies – any kind – available at your local farmers’ markets, local farmers, or grocery stores. Some ideas: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives.
The plant-based cooking video guides you through the simple step-by-step process to prepare the avocado salsa. And, for reference, you can printout the recipe.
Avocado Salsa Recipe Guide
Use this recipe as a guide for Avocado Salsa with whatever veggies are in your refrigerator. This is a great recipe to experiment with intuitive cooking, where we choose a few vegetables, herbs, and aromatics we are attracted to and enjoy our creation.
Serves 1
Simple Ingredients
1 avocado
2 tbsp green onions
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp Meyer lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
1 carrot, sliced
3-4 cauliflower florets
Optional garnish: few broccoli stems
Avocado Tartare: Simple Ingredients
Simple Steps
Chop all ingredients
Toss all ingredients into a bowl.
Mix avocado with a fork.
Add Meyer lemon juice and sea salt to the avocado.
Mix all ingredients with a fork.
Mindfully plate.
Enjoy
Aocado Tartare: Plating Mise en Place
Since I love Avocado Tartare’s so much, I’ll continue to share some of my intuitively created dishes with you, to give you more ideas on how you an mix-and-match veggies, herbs, aromatics, and citrus.
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenturitionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Cooking Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.
Now that we all all cooking more at home, it’s a great time to learn a few simple culinary (it’s cooking!) methods.
With a plant-based way of eating, we do eat a lot of vegetables. With this in mind, it’s important to know several different simple culinary skills to prepare vegetables, such as roasting, steaming, sautéing, and raw.
One of my favorite ways to cook veggies is roasting. With this method of roasting, we cook the veggies spread out “distancing” in the oven to brown the outside, while keeping the center a little soft. We can roast all kinds of veggies which gives us a nice variety of tastes, textures, and colors. – Melanie Albert
Today’s roasted veggies were created with produce from local farmers: The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, and Blue Sky Organic Farms, Litchfield Park, Arizona. All of the veggies were in CSA’s (Community Support Agriculture) offered by the farms during our Coronavirus stay-at-home.
In Arizona, we are so fortunate that our farmers and farmers’ markets are considered essential grocery stores. Thus, we still have the opportunity to purchase beautiful food from our farmers, and they can continue to harvest and sell to our community. Thank you!
The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, April 2020
Farm-to-Table Spring Roasted Veggie Bowl
Enjoy this tasty roasted veggie culinary method and create a bowl with brown rice and beans for a perfect lunch. Use this recipe as a guide to roast crispy on the outside and soft on the inside veggies. Choose a few of your favorite vegetables from your local farmers that are right in your kitchen and enjoy roasting beautiful, tasty veggies at home.
Roasted Veggie Bowl: The Veggies, Olive Oil, Sea Salt
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
Blue Sky Organic Farms
1 fennel, root sliced
1 spring green garlic, sliced
1 leek, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, sliced
3-4 cauliflower florets
3-4 broccoli florets
The Farm at South Mountain
2 beets (golden and red), sliced
1 radish (breakfast), sliced
1 turnip ( scarlet) sliced
Grocery Store / My Pantry
1 sweet potato, sliced
2-3 TBSP organic extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Extras
Plating: Brown rice, beans
Garnish: Edible flowers
SIMPLE STEPS
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop all veggies into equal-sized pieces.
One-by-one, place veggies in a bowl.
Coat veggies with olive oil and sea salt.
Chopped veggies ready to be coated with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
Place veggies flat side down on unbleached, natural parchment-paper- lined flat sheet pan.
Veggies “social distancing” on the parchment-lined sheet pans.
Cook for 12 minutes.
Flip.
Cook another 12-15 minutes.
Roasted veggies. Ready to be mindfully plated.
Enjoy as a veggie bowl.
TOP 5 TIPS TO ROAST VEGGIES PERFECTLY EVERY TIME
Coat the chopped veggies thoroughly with oil.
When placing on unbleached parchment paper, be sure the veggies do not touch each other.
When placing veggies on parchment paper, place flat side down, so the side of the vegetable can brown.
Flip veggies about half-way through the cooking process.
Pay attention to veggies while they are cooking, as they cook at different speeds. More dense vegetables (like beets and sweet potatoes) take longer to cook than water-rich veggies, like onions.
