keep calm and drink juice {a walk through our garden}

Ahhh, Friday. After sleeping in, working out, tutoring a student and making two recipes for my upcoming raw vegan desserts cookcook - creamsicles and coconut pineapple bites - it was time for green juice. And what better place to enjoy the sweet nectar from Mother Nature than in my own glorious backyard? Bees were buzzing, birds were chirping and the sun was beginning to set so I figured I should take some pictures while I walked around barefoot with my mason jar of living juice. 

Our radishes are growing so fast! My mom has been picking them daily and putting them in our dinner. I am not in LOVE with radishes but I do enjoy their fresh crunch and vibrant colour. Our lettuce is also probably ready to nom down. I think I'll make a salad with them this weekend and load it up with peppers, local strawberries, chickpeas, miso tahini dressing and raw organic olives; I shan't be sharing.

The juice recipe I share today (scroll to the bottom if you want to skip my ramblings and just grab the recipe) is one I have been making everyday because it is just so good. Usually I add a ton of things to my juice, and it's always different. But this one is simple and it's all I crave. It is bright green, refreshing, light, sweet and basically addictive. This is one thing you WANT to be addicted to, trust me.

Our collards are little babies right now, but soon they will grow to have huge leaves; I plan on making raw burritos and wraps with them! Mmm... now I want a burrito. What else is sprouting up through our freshly tilled soil? Kale, beets, pak choi (aka bok choy), garlic, onions, strawberries, oregano, and a bunch of other herbs. We recently bought a mini green house (although we plan to build our own large one soon) to grow our tomatoes and basil this summer. They need just a taaad more heat than our other crops. I seriously cannot wait for the tomatoes and basil to be ready for devouring because I WILL devour them. I put basil in everything and our baby tomatoes are essentially candy. 

shining spirit green juice: serves one

4-5 cups spinach
2 apples
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 cucumber
4 pineapple slices 

Wash, peel and chop as needed. Put everything through your juicer, alternating the spinach with the fruits. Strain if desired, then sip outside with your honey bee friends. 

fruit popsicles with coconut milk

Simplicity is vital for happiness, and deliciousness. That is why this delicious recipe is going to make you so happy. They are almost too easy to make and almost too good to eat. Of course, I made and ate them anyway. You should too. 

The ice cream is just coconut milk and raw cane sugar. You can use whatever sweetener you like; I am sure date paste, raw agave, maple syrup or bananas would all work. You can use the canned coconut milk found in stores or make your own, using this recipe I found. I was really excited to learn that you can make your own raw coconut milk at home (although when you actually think about it - it shouldn't be a surprise). I will be doing this next time. I am probably going to drink the entire concoction right away, self-restraint thrown out with the coconut husk shavings...

I just cannot resist coconut. 

I poured the sweet coconut milk into popsicle molds filled with frozen fruit and thyme (I have since learned that it was not thyme I picked, nor rosemary, but lavender. You can use whatever herb you like.) The combination is an explosion of wholesome goodness in your mouth, and I mean that in the best way imaginable. I'm learning that my favourite herbs like basil, rosemary and thyme, pair wonderfully with my other favourite foods like berries, citrus, and other fruit. I suppose I shouldn't be shocked; these raw plants are all best friends in nature so it makes sense that they taste magical together.

Today was a perfect day for photographing (and gobbling down) these popiscles. The sun is still shining and soon I plan to march into the garden and start planting for the summer! On the agenda: tomatoes, basil, kale, spinach, lettuce, beans, potatoes, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, cucumber, bell peppers, eggplant, and more. Elsewhere in the yard we have goji berries, figs, strawberries and blueberries all tentatively growing. There is nothing like a salad fresh picked by you from your own soil. You realize that food is not just something we put in our mouths - we are meant to have a relationship with it. You and your plants grow together and then become one when the time is right. 

Hurrah for symbiosis.

fruit popsicles with coconut milk: makes twelve

Ice cream:

400 ml fresh raw coconut milk (or 1 can of store-bought) 

1/4 cup raw cane sugar (or preferred sweetener, to taste)

Other ingredients (use however much you need):

Frozen fruit

Finely chopped thyme, rosemary, basil or other fave herb (optional) 

To prepare the popsicles: fill popsicle molds with small pieces of fruit and chopped herbs (don't forget the popsicle sticks!) leaving room for the ice cream to fill in. 

To make the ice cream: blend the coconut milk and sweetener until smooth. Then carefully and slowly pour into your popsicle molds until they are full. Set in the freezer overnight or until frozen solid - then take them out and lick them clean in the warm sunshine. 

garden herb salad

i beg you, grow your own tomatoes. they're pretty easy as long as you don't over water them... and they taste HEAVENLY. really... they should be golden with holiness, not red. i've been eating them like candy. some of ours are cherry tomatoes and some are larger. either way - ridiculous.

today i made a salad with rainbow chard, oregano, basil, and tomatoes from the garden. i also added some bell pepper, dried figs, avocado, and leftover gardein. the dressing is sooo good. it has mustard, miso, walnuts, garlic and fresh basil in it. sweet basil is probably my favourite herb. i left whole leaves of oregano and basil with the rainbow chard greens too, i think it's lovely when you get a bite and suddenly it's a herb-filled explosion of flavour!

garden herb salad with tomatoes: serves one

salad:

4-5 cups rainbow chard (or your fave greens)

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes

1 bell pepper

1/4 avocado

handful basil leaves

handful oregano leaves

2-3 dried figs/dates

dressing:

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon miso 

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 dates

2 peeled garlic cloves

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 

handful of walnuts (around 1/4 cup)

handful basil leaves

water, as needed

chop up the greens, tomatoes, pepper, avocado and figs. set aside. to make the dressing, blend all the ingredients together, adding as much water as needed. pour the dressing onto the greens and mix in. top it off with the remaining goodies and enjoy!

garden kale salad

we have so much kale in our garden.

this is not a problem though, i could eat it all day... and i do. i use it in smoothies, wraps, kale chips, soups, and salads! mainly in smoothies though. so yesterday i figured i make it into a salad instead of the usual green smoothie. oh wait - i had a green smoothie for breakfast.

but still.

dino kale is a bit bitter and tough for regular salad greens so what you do to make it all nice, soft and flavourful is massage your dressing in and let it sit for a few minutes. i did that while i cut up my other salad ingredients. they included: THE BEST TOMATOES EVER, grown on our deck. i also added some bell pepper, beans, and gardein because well... i like the taste. my dad thought i had put real chicken in the salad for a second. hah.

garlic kale salad: serves one

salad:

1 large organic tomato

4-5 cups organic dino kale

1 organic bell pepper

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (or throw in some nuts to keep it raw)

1 serving of tempeh or gardein (optional) 

handful of raisins

dressing:

1 tablespoon miso

1 tablespoon mustard

2 dates

handful of walnuts

3 peeled garlic cloves

1 tablespoon tamari

water, as needed 

chop the veggies and kale, set aside. to make the dressing blend all ingredients until smooth. i hope you like it! then massage the dressing into the kale and let it rest for a 5-10 minutes, getting soft. put the tomato, pepper, raisins, chickpeas/nuts and protein on top and enjoy!

garden life

i adore our yard. it consistently provides us with such a bounty of sun-grown nutrition, colour and love. if everyone had their own garden, the world would probably be a more peaceful and understanding environment! good vibrations, maaaaaaan.

my dad got a new barbeque this summer (it's huge) and we've been taking full advantage of it. the weather has also been great so at least once a week we harvest a bunch of veggies from the garden and grill them with herbs. the rest of the produce we get from the farmer's market.

and for dessert? fruit. we've got goji berries, strawberries, blueberries, and figs - all that satisfy my sweet tooth as naturally as you possibly can. i seriously implore you to grow some of your own food; even just a few basil plants or some kale will do to get you into the mindset of having harmony and a symbiotic relationship with mother nature.

that's all for today! keeping it short and sweet. here's some calming sounds to help you relax this afternoon.

don't worry, i'll be back with delectable recipes real soon. BUT FIRST - i'm going on a cross-country motorcycle trip with my dad. i know, i know. i am so grateful for this life!

namaste.

.

friends & salad

i've been eating a lot of salad lately. our greens are growing like crazy so i can run out to the garden and pick some lettuce and spinach whenever my heart desires. my friend christine came over yesterday and we made a lovely mix of greens, cucumber, tomato, olives and mushrooms. it was nice to catch up with her, since we hadn't seen each other in awhile.

she's all cool and awesome so she made this photo:

i also added some oregano, basil and cilantro. i think sweet basil may be my favourite conventional herb. my mom's is cilantro. i tear the herb leaves up really small, so it's lovely when you get a bite of salad and every now and then there's a hit of basil or what ever.

mmm...

oh goodness. i just ate a salad (a lot like the one above) but these photos are making me want to make another. i think i actually might. because after i finished eating the first one (just now) i went into the kitchen and realized my friend amber had left two avocados as a gift.

because she's the best.

she's also all hip, so she took these trendy hipster pictures last night: 

as far as salad goes, it's pretty much the greatest thing ever. except maybe for avocados. so when you combine them both - it's almost too much to handle. almost.

i'm definitely going to go make another giant salad now. 

i hope you have an amazing weekend! here's an easy and delicious recipe for you:

green love salad: serves 1-2

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cucumber

1/2 cup mushrooms

4 tb olives

1/4 red onion

5 figs

1 handful of fresh herbs like basil, oregano, cilantro, lemon balm, rosemary, etc. 

5 cups or more of fresh, organic greens like lettuce and spinach

chop up the tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, olives, onion, figs and herbs to your liking. set aside. 

in a big bowl, pour a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the greens and mix them up with your hands, coating them all with the dressing. throw on the chopped goodies and enjoy! 

this is best enjoyed outside on a sunny day, right beside your garden.

i usually add hemp seeds and sometimes salt and pepper. 

oh! and avocado. duh.

a new garden!

Over the long Easter weekend, we put our garden reno plans into action.

My mom has been wanting to install raised beds for awhile now; it maximizes your garden space, sunlight and it's more efficient for watering and picking - especially compared to our old garden. It was lovely, but frankly-speaking it was a big patch of dirt with a stone path winding through it.

 

So it begins...

We are the definitive do-it-yourself family... I would explain further but really, we just do everything ourselves. My dad is an engineer and has always loved creating and building stuff, I take after him and usually I'm the one helping him with projects. We built the Zen Den together, for example.

 One box, two box...

... three box, four!

On top of installing FAB-PRO new raised beds from beautiful wood, we laid a brick pathway between each box as well. It's so pretty and now it looks like we are hard-core gardeners. 

Which we are. 

Once it's summer, I'm going to paint on the end of every box; decoratively labeling the contents like "herbs", "vegetables", "greens" and what not. Should look uber cute. 

I am very excited about this new garden, mostly because I have WAY more room to plant my greens and berries. I will be planting loads of - you guessed it - rainbow chard, dinosaur kale, and spinach.
My favourites <3 Plus some strawberries (YES!)

We're also gonna plant carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, beans, zucchinis, etc. Ya know. West Coast schtuff.

All and all - it was a bit of hard work to get the garden done but now that it is, I think we're all really looking forward to the improvement once it starts producing. Besides, it's so pro-looking now, even with no plants in it, it looks stellar.

If you are thinking of renovating your garden, GO FOR IT! Even if you don't have the space we do (we are blessed with a gorgeous, enormous yard) you can still have your own garden sanctuary. Buy a planter for your window and grow flowers, herbs or berries. If you have enough room for a patch of dirt - grow food in the patch of dirt!

There is nothing like walking barefoot into the garden, picking a few leaves of kale, going back inside and adding them to my smoothie, then coming back out and sitting by the kale still growing - while drinking it in. Ultimate connection. 

Tonight I have been making some nut cheese, and I'll let it age for about 2 or 3 days. I am betting it will be way too delicious for words. I'm also making another CHEESECAKE! Get ready =) You guys know you love it. It's definitely a favourite around here.

Much love - Em.

nature's fertility (in our own backyard)

This season we had an in interesting collection of harvests.
Our kiwis have finally started to grow! We've had the plant for about 7 years and it's never produced fruit before... or even flowered. But this summer we were getting itsy bitsy, baby kiwis! Perhaps next year they'll be edible! It's one of my favourite fruits so I am quite anxious.
We were able to pick all our grapes... getting the last of them today. They make the most refreshing juice you've ever tasted. Unfortunately it wasn't a very hot summer so they didn't get as much sun as they should. But they're still tasty, just not as dark. I think they're so lovely-looking.

Much to my despair; our figs did not ripen before the winter came =( I was really looking forward to eating fresh figs from our yard. But again, there just wasn't enough sun to get them past their green stage. And figs are one of those fruits that don't ripen after being picked. So... maybe next year I'll get to taste that fresh fig =/
I also picked the last of the kale and swiss chard, and that's about it. Last of the season's abundance! See you in spring, garden.

Had to add this last picture =) I WISH it were from our yard... but we cut down our apple tree a few years ago because it was infected. These are from the CSA that we get bi-weekly - fresh, local, organic apples!!! You really can tell the difference. 
In addition to grapes, kiwis, figs, and greens; in the according seasons we also grow/have grown blueberries (the reason I live!), strawberries (oh yeah... I live for these too), carrots, onions, garlic, pumpkins, pears, cherries, apples, potatoes, beets, beans, and many more plants I can't remember at the moment. Who says you can't grow your own food in the city!?