Healthy School Lunches / a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) site

Please take a moment to read through and find out how you can be a part of the change that our kids so desperately need.

With Sincere Thanks,
Becks


Healthy School Lunches / a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) site

Let Freedom Ring With Fresh Green Beans and Zucchini

As we all gather this weekend for the 4th...coming up with an original side can be challenging. We all love the corn, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries or maybe even grannies recipe for potato salad! Why not offer yourself or those you share the holiday with, a simple side right out your garden or from the local market??

Right now, my garden is exploding (as many others are) with fresh yummies each day. I am so excited about my green beans and zuccchini!!!! I was searching for exciting new ways to cook them and came across a few recipes that I wanted to share with each of you :)

Let's start with Zuccchini: YUMMMMMMMMMMM...!!!! I love just cutting it up and eating it raw or drizzling it with some olive oil; salt and pepper. However, if you want to WOW the grillin folks...I think this simple recipe of Grilled Zucc's with scallions and lemon should do just that :)

Make room on your grill for about 2lbs. (maybe 6 medium)

zucc's that have been halved lengthwise. Brush them with

about a tsp. of olive oil, grill on each side until tender (5 to 7 min.).

Remove and cut the tender vegggie into 1-inch pieces then toss

them in a bowl with 6 scallions that have been diced up,

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. red pepper seasoning,

1tbsp. olive oil and 3/4 tsp. of kosher salt (+/-). Serve

it up at room temperature! ENJOY!!!

Now a green bean treat!! If you love a little spice...toss some fresh green beans with a cajun seasoning and a touch of olive oil and grill them for about 4min. or until they are tender. YAY!

OR...cook some sliced up garlic with olive oil until they become golden. Toss some green beans that have been steamed on the grill with halved cherry tomatoes and cooked bacon for a little greenie beanie salad. YUM-A-DO!!!!!!

MAY YOUR INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION BE FILLED WITH LOADS OF FRESH EATS!!!!

Cool Off With A Yummy Tomato and Cantaloupe Salad

Tis' the season for melons!!! I hope all of you will try out the watermelon recipe from yesterday. Today I want to share a recipe for a cantaloupe and tomato salad. Mmmmm...

Combine cherry tomatoes (halved) with 1/2 of a cantaloupe (cut up into squares), about 1/4 of a cup; fresh mint, a few tablespoons of EVOO, some kosher salt and black pepper (to your liking).

This usually serves about 4 people but it would be simple to increase the serving amounts if you were looking to share it at a picnic or family gathering. :)

**For those of you with sensitive tummy's, melons (namely, cantaloupe and watermelon) aid in digestion. Which is a wonderful thing because they do neutralize the stomach acids but naturally, those fatty acids must leave the body. Luckily this little summer salad is herbed with mint (which is a natural remedy for an upset stomach) to entice us all!!

ENJOY!!!

A Time to Share Watermelon and Basil

I came across an article in Real Simple magazine and their fresh pick for the month is the delightful herb, basil. There are 5 ways to enjoy basil listed in the write-up. My taste buds watered as I read the recipe for a Watermelon, basil, and feta salad. All thats involved is... cutting up some melon, drizzling it with olive oil, and sprinkle some basil (torn) and feta cheese crumbles; season with salt and pepper. Delight your friends and family at a cookout with this refreshing treat!!!!

Preview the article at www.realsimple.com. It's in the July 2010 edition.

If any of you have other basil recipes you would like to share...please post them :)

HAPPY SUMMER!!!!!

FRESH the movie |

FRESH the movie | 

Digging Up Some History

I grew up in historic Williamsburg, Va...just around the corner from Jamestown. Such a treat to live right across the street from the James River! During the famous VA hot summer months, I remember my mom packing up the sand toys along with some goodies to eat; then with a big smile on her face, getting my sisters and I to the beach just before 11am. A day filled with sand, sun, an occasional boatride and playing in the river with friends...what more could a kid ask for?!?!?!?! How about digging for clams? Every once in a while, our parents would have us dig for clams in preparation for the evenings clam bake. So as the tide rolled out...my friends and I would dig our hands in. Yes, our hands! We would fill our sanbuckets with all the clams our fingers could find. By this time, our little bodies were sun-drained and water-logged; time to head home for a quick clean-up (the clams and kids) so we could head back down to enjoy the local fare. As the sun would set along the river...the dads fired up the coals for the clams (perhaps a fish or two) and the moms would cut open the melons, set out the fresh yummy sides and set the mood with some tunes. We grubbed, we danced around the bon-fire and just enjoyed each others company. Times like that I miss...we lived (even though we didn't have much), we laughed, we shared and most importantly...we looked out for one another. My hope is that this blog can bring people together again. It may not be the same people and we may not always be there together physically, but we can post funny stories, share fresh recipes and practice that sense of community wherever we are and hopefully get families back to enjoying fresh/local foods; whether its from your own garden, farm, or body of water OR local farms/markets. LET'S GATHER AND SHARE!!!!