Tag: The Farm at South Mountain

  • Arizona Winter Farm-to-Table Cooking Class Experience at The Farm at South Mountain

    Arizona Winter Farm-to-Table Cooking Class Experience at The Farm at South Mountain

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    Let’s take a look at the beautiful intuitive Farm-to-Table Winter Harvest Cooking Class with Farmer Billy Anthony and myself at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    We’ve all heard the terms: farm-to-table, eat local, eat with the season, and plant-based.

    This class was truly an authentic farm-to-table plant-based cooking class, right in the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm.

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    The week before the cooking class experience, Billy and I walked through the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm and begin to strategize on food to harvest for the class, including all kinds of roots, greens, herbs, edible flowers, and other surprises.

    Taking into account what would be growing the day of the class, we created the draft menu direction for the class. Since there are quite a few different roots growing we decided the participants would create a few appetizers to enjoy with the roots, along with an intuitive green pesto with the greens of the day! Plus, since one of my very favorite desserts is a raw carrot cake, and carrots are “in season” we decided to add it to the menu.


    Our Arizona Winter Menu Direction

    • Appetizers
      • Green Pesto
      • Hummus
      • Olive Tapenade
    • Roots for “Dipping” : Carrots, Beets, Turnips, Radishes
    • Dessert: Raw Carrot Cake

    The morning of the class, Billy harvested the beautiful fresh produce, including:

    Greens

    • “Hail storm Arugula”
    • Shungiku (Chrysanthemum Greens)
    • Pea Tendrils

    Roots

    • Tropical Black Carrots
    • Mixed Beets: Detroit, Cylindra, Golden
    • Purple Top Turnips
    • Purple Daikon Radishes
    • French Breakfast Radishes
    • Black Spanish Radishes

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    Herbs

    • Micro-cilantro
    • Rosemary
    • Mint

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    Citrus

    • Lemons
    • Grapefruit

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    It was a little dreary in Phoenix the morning of the class, so we decided to hold the class right in the Soil & Seed Garden, where we could stay dry under the roof, in the event of rain. Take a look at how we created our “farm-to-table kitchen set” right in the garden!

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    Billy started the class with a Farm Tour to see where the roots and greens for the culinary creations are growing in the Soil & Seed Garden. And, the “lucky” participants harvested beautiful edible flowers.

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    The Soil & Seed Garden Tour with Lead Grower Billy Anthony

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    Melanie’s view during the Farm Tour, with the just-harvested Shungiku and Arugula.

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    “Lucky” class participants harvesting edible flowers to garnish their culinary creations.

     

    During the hands-on class, Melanie guided our guests to prepare the dishes and to plate them beautifully.

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    In awe, the Tropical Black Carrot Cake. Appetizers: Green Pesto, Tapenade, Hummus. Veggies.

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    Still in awe…the beauty of the Tropical Black Carrot Cake.

    So much creative joy…

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    We then enjoyed the beautiful culinary creations in the beauty of The Farm with our foodie community!


    Raw Carrot Cake Recipe

    Adapted from “A New View of Healthy Eating” by Melanie Albert

    Carrot cake has been a favorite of mine for decades. As much as I love the aromatherapy of cooking raisins with cinnamon and nutmeg for a baked carrot cake, I love the simplicity and freshness of a raw version of carrot cake.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour in water, then rough chopped
      • Do not soak if dates are soft and moist
    • 2 cups carrots, shredded (Tropical Black / Purple Yellow, Orange)
    • 1 ½ cups apple, minced
    • 1 ½ cups raw cashews or pecans, ground into a fine meal
    • ½ tsp cinnamon, freshly ground
    • ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
    • ½ tsp cardamom, freshly ground
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Garnish: Raspberries, blueberries, mint, edible flowers, and dehydrated grapefruit, oranges, and apples.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Gather mise en place.
    • Soak dates.
    • Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and combine gently with hands until the mixture forms a ball.
    • Press dough into springform pan.
    • Garnish with berries, mint, dehydrated grapefruit, edible flowers.
    • Refrigerate for an hour.

    Arizona Winter Farm-to-Table Pesto

    Simple pesto with local Arizona greens and herbs, enjoyed with Winter root veggies.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup Shungiku (Chrysanthemum Greens)
    • 1 cup “hail storm arugula”
    • ½ cup fresh micro-cilantro
    • 2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 tsp lemon zest
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
    • ¼ cup Arizona pecans, fresh cracked
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Place all ingredients except organic extra virgin olive oil into food processor.
    • Pulse to desired level of thickness.
    • Stream in olive oil little by little until smooth.
    • Taste and add extra garlic, lemon juice, or herbs to create a taste that’s right for you.
    • Enjoy with Arizona Roots

    Enjoy Arizona Herb Pesto.

    Arizona Root Veggies & Edible Flowers

    • Purple Daikon Radishes
    • French Breakfast Radishes
    • Purple Top Turnips
    • Beets: Detroit, Cylindra, Golden
    • Tropical Black Carrots

    2020 Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreats


    2020 Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Experiences at The Farm with Lead Grower Billy Anthony and award-winning cookbook author, Melanie Albert.

    Classes held at The Farm at South Mountain, 6101 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona

    To Purchase, click below on the class dates:


    Special One-Time Event

    Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Full Moon Ceremony at the Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert and Patricia Federico

  • Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain Fall CSA Recipe: Arizona Fall Green Pesto

    Experience Nutrition: The Farm at South Mountain Fall CSA Recipe: Arizona Fall Green Pesto

    by Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking Expert, Award-winning Cookbook Author, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    I’m honored to intuitively create recipes from the produce in The Farm at South Mountain CSA grown at the Soil & Seed Garden.

    Farm-to-Table Intuitive Cooking. Each week, right after Lead Grower Billy Anthony and Grower Michael Schultz, have their ideas for the crops that they’ll be harvesting, they text the list to me and my creativity begins. With farm-to-table and intuitive cooking, we really do first see what’s available from our local farmers, then taking into account simple cooking techniques, begin to develop a recipe direction for the CSA.

    Creativity Flows. After picking up the CSA at The Farm (less than a mile from my home) the creativity begins. First, I look at all the goodies. Then, I begin to organize the food to create the dish. this is when my creativity begins. Sometimes, or I should say, many times, there are produce which I have not previously prepared, and I get really excited.

    Pesto Inspiration. This week, when I saw the green herbs and greens, I immediately decided to create a simple pesto. I was inspired by the combination of the aromatherapy of the lemon basil, the “good for us” omega-3 rich purslane (a weed that grows naturally here in Phoenix), and the sage (which I have never used in a pesto) as the base of the pesto.With the addition of a nut (almonds) for crunch, and an “acid, fat, salt” dressing, the pesto came to life in my mind.


    Soil & Seed Garden, Fall Week 2 CSA. October 26, 2019

    Enjoying our beautiful Phoenix evening at The Farm at South Mountain, while picking up the second week of the Fall CSA…


    Now, the beauty of our Fall Week 2 CSA.

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    The Farm at South Mountain: Soil & Seed Garden: Fall 2019 Week 2 CSA: 10.26.19

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    The Greens and Herbs: Chard, Lavender, Lemon Basil, Purslane, Eggplant, Radishes.

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    The Soil & Seed Salad Box.

    Fall CSA Week 2: 10.26.19

    • Farm eggs
    • French breakfast radish
    • Soil & Seed Salad Box
    • Ichiban eggplant
    • Lemon basil
    • Northern lights chard
    • Autumn sage
    • Goldbergs purslane
    • Spanish eyes lavender
    • Decorative pumpkin / gourd

    Soil & Seed Garden Fall Green Pesto

    A pesto is a quick, delicious dish to create with the Soil & Seed Garden fresh herbs and greens. This week’s pesto inspired by the lemon basil is perfect in a Chard Wrap.  I’ll also use is as my “green sauce” in a Raw Deconstructed Lasagna.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 cup lemon basil leaves
    • 1 cup purslane leaves, chopped
    • 5-6 sage leaves
    • ¼ cup almonds, rough chopped
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • ½ tsp lemon zest
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Garnish: Radishes, Chard
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    Fall Green Pesto Mise en Place. Simple. Beautiful. Fresh.

    Simple Steps

    • Gather mise en place (get all ingredients organized)
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    All ingredients are ready for the Fall Green Pesto.
    • Place lemon basil leaves, purslane, sage, almonds, lemon juice, and lemon zest into food processor.
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    All ingredients, except olive oil, into the food processor. Pulse 8-10 times.
    • Pulse 8-10 times, until desired level of chunkiness
    • Stream in olive oil and pulse a few more times.
    • Enjoy on a raw cracker, wrapped in chard leaves, or with other dishes, such as a Raw Deconstructed Lasagna.
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    The simple, fresh Arizona Fall Green Pesto.

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    Enjoy the Fall Green Pesto as a wrap with the Northern Lights Chard.

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    Enjoy the Fall Green Pesto as a snack on a Raw Cracker (this one Pumpkin Seed Turmeric) with French Breakfast Radish.

    Click here, if you missed the Soil & Seed Garden Fall CSA Week 1 Recipe

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    The Radish inspired salad with the radishes at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain.

    FARM-TO-TABLE PLANT-BASED COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM with Melanie Albert and Farm Operations Manager/ Lead Grower Billy Anthony

    I am so honored to be leading hands-on intuitive cooking classes at The Farm at South Mountain for the 4th year. For the classes this season, Lead Grower Billy and I will be walking the Soil & Seed Garden the week prior to each class to develop the food strategy for the classes. Billy will harvest the morning of the classes, and you’ll have the opportunity to intuitively prepare dishes, guided by Melanie.

    November 3, 2019, 11am-1pm. Click to purchase tickets.

    December 8, 2019, 11am-1pm. Click to purchase tickets.

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    SEDONA PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT: November 15-18, 2019

    In September 2019, I hosted the first Sedona Plant-Based Cooking Retreat. Based on the life-changing retreat with incredible cooking, hiking in Sedona, and friendships, I decided to host the next retreat in November. Learn more on www.ExperienceNutrition.com/sedona-retreats/ 

    Or, to answer your questions about the retreats, please feel free to contact me (Melanie Albert): 602.615.2486 or Mel@MelanieAlbert.com

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  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with The Farm at South Mountain: Green Hummus

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table with The Farm at South Mountain: Green Hummus

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    Each week I have the incredible opportunity to intuitively create recipes with the beautiful food so passionately grown by urban farmer Billy Anthony in the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona.

    This week I decided to experiment with hummus and the Soil & Seed Garden’s Chrysanthemum Greens and Onion Dill, enjoyed with Roasted Diplomat Broccoli and Radishes.

    Let’s take a look at the Winter CSA in March 2019

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    The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden CSA, March 2019

    Especially inspired by the Chrysanthemum Greens and Onion Chives

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    Green & Red inspiration for this week’s intuitive dish.

    Winter Farm-to-Table Hummus and Roasted Veggies Recipe

    GREEN HUMMUS RECIPE

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    • ⅓ cup chickpea water
    • 3 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste or sesame seeds)
    • 2 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice (or lemon juice)
    • 3-4 stems Shungiki (Chrysanthemum Greens)
    • 8-10 Onion Chives
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
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    Green Hummus Mise en Place

    Simple Steps

    • Place all ingredients (except olive oil, greens, and chives) into high-speed blender (such as Vitamix) or food processor.
    • Blend until smooth.
    • Add in the greens and chives, and blend.
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    Adding the Chrysanthemum Greens and Onion Dill to the base hummus.
    • With food processor running, stream in olive oil.
    • After the hummus has been blended, taste and add more of any of the ingredients to suit your taste.

    ROASTED DIPLOMAT BROCCOLI & RADISHES RECIPE

    Simple Ingredients from the Soil & Seed Garden

    • 10-12 radishes, sliced
    • 3-4 Diplomat Broccoli stalks, sliced
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    The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden: Diplomat Broccoli. Radishes.

    Other Simple Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
    • Slice veggies into bite-sized pieces.
    • In a bowl, gently coat veggies with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
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    Lightly toss veggies in olive oil with a pinch of sea salt.
    • Place veggies on parchment-lined flat sheet pan, flat side down with veggies not touching.
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    Mindfully place radishes and broccoli on parchment-lined flat sheet pan.
    • Roast for 12 minutes.
    • Flip veggies.
    • Roast for another 12 minutes.
    • Plate veggies with the hummus.

    Mise en place for the Hummus. Broccoli. Radishes.

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    Mise en place (all ingredients in place) for the Green Hummus. Broccoli. Radishes.

    The plating of the hummus…

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    Enjoy Green Hummus with Roasted Broccoli and Radishes for Snacktime.

    INTERESTED IN PLANT-BASED COOKING RETREAT IN SEDONA, September 13-16, 2019. CLICK TO LEARN MORE

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    Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


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    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon

     

     


    Another look at the Mise en Place for the Green Hummus. Diplomat Broccoli. Radishes. Plus, Red Beet and Red Dragonfruit Hummus for plating.

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    Plating Mise en Place: Hummus. Diplomat Broccoli. Radishes.

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: More than Kale Chips. 5 New Leafy Green Chips!

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: More than Kale Chips. 5 New Leafy Green Chips!

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    More than kale chips. We can dehydrate all kinds of leafy greens to make chips.

    This week I experimented with 5 different beautiful greens from this week’s CSA at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, grown by urban farm Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden.

    When leafy greens are in season, I invite you to experiment with dehyrating them and notice which you prefer. I absolutely love shungiku (chrysanthemum) and loved this floral green dehydrated.

    Simple Recipe: Leafy Green Chips: More Than Kale Chips

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    Leafy Greens

    • ½ bunch mizuna
    • ½ bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum)
    • ½ bunch roquette arugula
    • ½ bunch spigarello
    • ½ bunch cauliflower greens
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    Leafy Greens: Mizuna, Shungiku, Arugula, Spigarello, Cauliflower

    Cashew Cream

    • 1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked in water for 2-4 hours
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tsp roasted garlic powder
    • ½ tsp dry basil
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2-4 tbsp water, for desired creaminess
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    Cashew Cream: Mise en Place

    SIMPLE STEPS

    Cashew Cream

    • Blend all ingredients in blender or processor.
    • Add water, as needed for desired creaminess.

    Dehydrated Leafy Greens

    • Tear out any large stems in the leafy greens.
    • One variety of greens at a time, place leaves into a large bowl.
    • Add a few tablespoons of cashew cream to the greens.
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    Place greens and cashew cream into a small bowl.
    • Gently massage cashew cream into the leafy greens.
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    Lightly massage the cashew cream into the greens.
    • Spread greens onto dehydrator screen.
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    Mindfully spread greens onto dehydrator screens.
    • Dehydrate at 125 degrees F for about 3 hours.
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    Dehydrate greens at 125 degrees F for about 3 hours.
    • Test for desired crunchiness.
    • Dehydrate longer to suit your taste.
    • Enjoy as a snack.
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    More than Kale Chips. Enjoy all kinds of leafy green chips.

    The Five Winter Greens

    • Shungiku, often known as edible chrysanthemum, is one of my favorite flavorful greens. These greens, popular in Japan, are aromatic and floral tasting. Shungiku are generally eaten raw or gently cooked to enjoy their crunchy texture and flavor.
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    Shungiku: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.

    • Mizuna, another Japanese green is a member of the mustard family, a little peppery, yet milder than arugula. These are growing in the Learning Garden at The Farm.
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    Mizuna: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.

    • Roquette Arugula, one of my favorite greens, a little spicy, nutty, and sweet, adds exciting flavor to all dishes. Arugula is enjoyed both as salad greens, as an herb, and now as a dehydrated chip.


    • Spigarello, technically in the broccoli family, looks like a spiral kale. Enjoy spigarello gently sauted or massaged with a simple acid-fat-salt dressing in a salad.

    • Cauliflower greens. Yes, there are the edible greens that grow on cauliflower. Enjoy!

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    Cauliflower Greens: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.

     


     Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”

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    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: Arizona Winter  Three Greens & Citrus Salad Recipe

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: Arizona Winter Three Greens & Citrus Salad Recipe

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    This week’s intuitive culinary creation was inspired by the fresh, vibrant Winter Greens & Citrus from The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), grown passionately by urban farmer, Billy Anthony.

    So often we sauté greens with a little olive oil, garlic, and sea salt for a nice side dish. Since The Soil & Seed Garden greens were so fresh and vibrant I decided to experiment with eating several different greens in a simple raw salad. And, I’m so glad I did. This salad is one of my very favorites. The textures and combination of citrus and mint are outstanding. Hope you try it.

    The salad features Shungiku, Minutina, and Mizuna greens, Arizona navel orange, ruby grapefruit, and an Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, imported to Arizona by Chef Chris Bianco.

    The Three Winter Greens

    • Shungiku, often known as edible chrysanthemum, is one of my favorite flavorful greens. These greens, popular in Japan, are aromatic and floral tasting. Shungiku are generally eaten raw or gently cooked to enjoy their crunchy texture and flavor.
    • Mizuna, another Japanese green is a member of the mustard family, a little peppery, yet milder than arugula. These are growing in the Learning Garden at The Farm.
    • Minutina are long, slender, spiked leaves with forking antler-like horns. When harvested young, the crunchy leaves of minutina taste a little like a mix of parsley and spinach.

    The Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    In addition to the greens, I’ve been experimenting with an organic extra virgin cold pressed olive oil that local Phoenix Chef Chris Bianco has recently imported from Italy. The oil, from the Pugila region, is a single variety pressed from Peranzana olives. Chef Bianco has mentioned that some of the olive trees are 400 years or more years old.


    Arizona Winter Greens & Citrus Salad

    This salad is perfect for the fresh Soil & Seed Garden vibrant mild tasting greens and citrus.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 large handful shungiku (chrysanthemum)
    • 1 large handful minutina
    • 1 large handful mizuna
    • 1 navel orange, sliced, juiced, and zested
    • 1 ruby grapefruit, sliced, juiced and zested
    • 1/4 cup snap peas, sliced on diagonal
    • 3-4 sprigs fresh mint
    • 2 tbsp kalamata olives
    • 1 tbsp capers
    • 1/4 cup pecans
    • ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil

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    SIMPLE STEPS

    SALAD DRESSING

    • Squeeze ½ of juiced orange and ½ of juiced grapefruit into mason jar. Approximately ¼ cup juice total.

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    • Pour in twice as much organic extra virgin olive oil as juice.

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    • Shake the jar.
    • Notice if the dressing needs more acid (grapefruit / orange) or fat (olive oil) to suit your taste.
    • Add pinch of sea salt.
    • Add few mint leaves.

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    • Shake jar.

    PLATE THE SALAD

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    • Place greens, snap peas, olives, capers, pecans, and mint leaves in a large bowl.

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    • Gently pour the dressing onto the greens.
    • Hand toss to coat the greens with the dressing.

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    • Plate the salad with slices of orange and grapefruit.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Let’s take a look at the final salad..

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     Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA


    BB-002-MelanieAlbert-TomShanahanTheFarm-Feb17-2019

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


    Mel-Billy-Grid-1

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


    BB-04-A-06-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuilding-Lasagna-IMG_2111

    Click to Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Click to Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


    Join our Simple Daily Plant-Based Eating Tips Facebook Page

     

  • Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: How to Add Beauty to Olive Tapenade

    Experience Nutrition: Farm-to-Table Recipe: How to Add Beauty to Olive Tapenade

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    This week’s intuitive culinary creation was inspired by beautiful Winter Veggies from The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The Farm, a local urban farm in Phoenix, Arizona, is a few minutes walk from my home and I enjoy the simple beauty of The Farm, along with the beautiful produce grown on the property.

    As much as I love roasted root veggies, we can enjoy raw roots (like radishes, beets, and kohlrabi) and a quick arugula salad to elevate simple olive tapenade appetizer.

    Let’s take a look at the Winter beauty of The Soil & Seed Garden, passionately farmed by urban farmer Billy Anthony.

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    The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Winter 2019

    The Greens, Purples and Citrus in this week’s Winter CSA from the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain.

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    The Farm at South Mountain Soil & Seed Garden Winter CSA: Greens, Purples, and Citrus.

    And, the beauty of the purple kohlrabi growing at the Soil & Seed Garden.

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    The Farm at South Mountain Purple Kohlrabi.

    Olives and Tomato Tapenade Recipe

    Sun-dried or dehydrated tomato and olive spread is a tasty topping for farmers’ market fresh raw veggies.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 ½ cups Kalamata olives, pitted
    • ½ cup sun-dried or dehydrated tomatoes, soaked in water (Used previously dehydrated Campari tomatoes from McClendon Select Farm in Arizona)
    • 2-3 green onions, sliced (I’itoi’s onions)
    • 2 tbsp capers
    • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (Blue Sky Organic Farms)
    • 2-3 tbsp olive oil, as needed (Chris Bianco, Pane Bianco Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
    A-03-tapenade-IMG_8738
    Mise en Place: Olive Tomato Tapenade

     

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Gather your mise en place.
    • Roughly chop the sun-dried or dehydrated tomatoes; drain oil, if needed.
    • Mince garlic.
    • Add garlic and olives to food processor and pulse until fine, not paste-like.
    • Remove olive and garlic mixture from the food processor.
    • Place sun-dried or dehydrated tomatoes in food processor and process until fine.
    • Add capers and parsley and pulse a few times.
    • Mix olive/garlic mixture with sun-dried tomatoes/capers/parsley mixture with a fork.

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    • Add olive oil until you reach desired consistency.
    • Fold in green onions.
    • Enjoy the tapenade on veggies or raw crackers.
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    Olive Tomato Tapenade


    Quick Marinated Root Veggies Recipe

    With fresh veggies, a little olive oil, salt, and fresh herbs, create a beautiful olive tapenade appetizer.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 3-5 red or purple radishes
    • 1 purple kohlrabi
    • 1 purple daikon radish
    • 2 cups arugula
    • 1-2 tbsp olive oil (Chris Bianco / Pane Bianco Italian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
    • 1-2 green onions (I’Itoi Onions)…sharp peppery flavor
    • 1 spring fresh dill (Blue Sky Organic Farms)
    • Pinch sea salt
    A-01-veggies-tapenade-IMG_8726
    Soil & Seed Garden: Radishes, Purple Daikon, Purple Kohlrabi, I’itoi Onions, Wild Arugula.

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Thinly slice radishes and kohlrabi with a mandoline.
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    Thinly slice radishes with a mandoline.
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    The beauty of Red Radishes, Purple Daikon & Purple Kohlrabi.
    • Spread the veggies flat on unbleached parchment paper.
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    One view of mindfulness in the kitchen.

     

    • Gently spread a drop of olive oil on each veggie.
    • Sprinkle a few grains of sea salt onto each veggie.
    • Sprinkle onions and dill onto the veggies.
    • Let the veggies marinade for about 15 minutes.
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    In awe of the marinating veggies.

     

    • Plate tapenade with the veggies.
    • Enjoy with arugula tossed in a simple salad dressing (lemon, olive oil, sea salt)

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    A look at the final Tapenade &  Marinated Veggies

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    Olive Tomato Tapenade. We eat with our eyes first.

    Enjoy the Olive Tapenade, Marinated Veggies, Wild Arugula.

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    The Soil & Seed Garden Arugula. Tapenade. Marinated Veggies.


    Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating:  Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”


    COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONABB-01-A-13-VisitPhoenix-ExperienceNutrition-TeamBuliding-MelanieDessert-IMG_2119

    Purchase Tickets for the Get Clear for the New Year Vision Board & Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Saturday, January 12, 2019, 1-3pm

     

     


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    Purchase Tickets for Whole Foods for Addiction Recovery with New York “Spiritual Adrenaline” Author Tom Shanahan and Phoenix cookbook author Melanie Albert. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, February 17, 2019, 11am-1pm


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    Purchase Tickets for Spring Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, March 3, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     

     


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    Purchase Tickets for Raw Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Intuitive Cooking with Melanie Albert and Soil & Seed Garden Farmer Billy Anthony. The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, April 7, 2019, 10:30am-1pm

     


    BB-05-Kids-MelanieAlbert-A-DSC_0453 (2)Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, February 10, 2019, 11am-noon


    Purchase Tickets for Farm-to-Table Kids Food Art Cooking at The Farm at South Mountain with Melanie Albert, Sunday, March 24, 2019, 11am-noon


    Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.


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