vegetable poetry and snippets of autumn

Autumn is an inspiring time for me; I adore the color palette, the vegetables, the crisp air, the way the light behaves, and the multi-layered style of transitional dressing. Here's a handful of images from the last week; lovely local vegetables ready to cut up for dinner, adventures with friends at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, and sites from my walk home after work today. I like the phrase vegetable poetry and think I'm going to post photos like the one above more often, because they just make me happy.  I'd like to think those vegetables above weave a phrase of their own, the highlights and the shadow creating a unique and natural meter.

Speaking of vegetables, mark your calendars!  On October 17th at 10:30 am at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, I'll be doing a demo entitled "The Ravishing Rutabaga", featuring delicious recipes using the often overlooked and oh-so-delicious root vegetable.  Come for recipes, samples, and to meet me. And, all things willing, I'll have copies of my upcoming recipe collection for sale.  More info on that soon, promise.  I'll remind you as the date approaches.

Okay, ta ta for now. I'm feeling a bit quiet today, so I'm going to let these images speak for themselves.   

     

Happy Summer Solstice

Today's Summer Solstice sun rises over Stonehenge. Image from the Daily Mail

An Invocation of Summer
 by Patricia Telesco

Fireflies and Summer Sun, 
In circles round we become as one. 
Singing songs at magic's hour 
We bring the winds and timeless power. 
Turning inward, hand to hand 
We dance the hearth to heal our land. 
Standing sacred beneath the Sky 
We catch the fire from out it's eye 
Swaying breathless beside the sea 
We call the Goddess, so Mote it be! 

Today is a powerful day. So powerful, in fact, that I awoke at 5:45 am, without a the help of an alarm.  I was alert and alive. Instead of drifting back to sleep, I meditated in my FAR infrared sauna box for 30 minutes, did a little detoxifying skin brushing, took a refreshing shower, then made zucchini oatmeal pancakes and sat down to do a little blogging.

What an amazing way to start the longest day of the year. 

Click to read more ...

Fresh, local, and gluten-free: two farmer's market fresh recipes

Purple kohlrabi and Cultured Kohlrabi "Pickles"

I had quite the day yesterday at the Minneapolis Farmers Market.  I kicked it all off at 8 am on the Fresh & Local Show as a guest.  I was on the Fresh & Local Show last summer and was so flattered to be asked back for another show.  The Fresh & Local Show is sponsored by the Minnesota Vegetable Grower's Association, and features weekly guests to talk about gardening, seasonal produce, and the farmers market. Susan Berkson and Bonnie Dehn, the joyful and knowledgeable hosts, are so much fun, and I loved being able to spend time with them talking about food, gardening, and cooking. As it turned out, one of the other guests, Mary Maguire Lehrman, also has chronic Lyme Disease, so we even got to do a little educating about Lyme.  

The radio program will be available to download online early this week, so check out this link and look for the dated broadcasts if you want to listen! 

After the broadcast, we all sat down and shared in a wonderful fresh fruit tart that I made.  It was covered in fresh fruit, including red currants I picked from my garden, had a rich cashew lemon cream filling, and a lovely oatmeal and coconut flour crust. I'll post the recipe eventually.  In the meantime, feast your eyes!

fresh fruit tart...you'll get the recipe eventually, i promise

Then I hopped in my car and drove to the Minneapolis Farmers Market. I threw on my apron and led my very first live cooking demo for the weekly Market Talk in a segment called "Fresh, Local, and Gluten-Free".  It was so much fun! I used fresh market produce to demonstrate two recipes: Cultured Kohlrabi Dill Pickles and Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic Scape Spinach Pesto.  I also shared hints and suggestions for creating allergy-friendly meals using fresh food from the market and pantry staples.  It was a yummy seasonal food extravaganza!  Everyone watching the demo got to sample my creations.  The crowd loved it - even the fermented pickles!  People really enjoyed the demonstration and were very engaged, and I had a good, consistent crowd through the whole hour-long demonstration.

I was thankful to have two great event organizers, Sandy Hill and Rachele Cermak, to help out that day, serving up samples and prompting me with questions and discussion points. It made my first demonstration much easier to do!   I was happy to see Sandy licking leftover pesto off her fingers after cleaning out the food processor.  Neither of them believed that it was my first time doing a live demonstration, and told me I should have a cooking show, which made me blush. They were very flattering! I think I may be doing another demonstration at the market this fall, so stay tuned! 

Sauteed zucchini with garlic scape and spinach pesto

Click to read more ...

Tomorrow: "Fresh & Local Show" radio guest spot & Minneapolis Farmer's Market demo!

Tomorrow is a big day.  I'll be a guest on the local Farmers Market radio program "The Fresh & Local Show" and will also be doing my very first cooking demo for the weekly Market Talk at the Minneapolis Farmers Market!

Joy of joys!

I was on the "Fresh & Local Show" last summer and had an absolute blast, so I was honored when they asked me to return this summer.  But that was nothing compared to the honor I felt when they asked me to do a live cooking demo!  We have one of the largest farmers markets in the country, and I'm so excited I can barely stand it.  It is like a dream come true!

The radio show will be available for streaming online, so even if you don't live in the Twin Cities, you can join me for the radio program!  Here's all the details, and I hope to see you there.  Wish me luck! xoxo kim  

"Fresh and Local Show" Radio Program, AM950 (Twin Cities) or Stream Online
Saturday, June 19, 2010, 8-9 am CST

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: AM 950 // Stream Live Online: http://www.am950ktnf.com/listen
// Episode available for download after the show at http://www.mplsfarmersmarket.com/broadcast.php

Join long time local food advocate, Susan Berkson and the Minnesota herb lady, Bonnie Dehn, as they explore the realm of fresh and local foods.  Each week Susan and Bonnie will interview local growers and experts to discuss things you need to know about nutrition, gardening practices and what to look for when buying healthier foods. During the Twin Cities' chef segment, they will interview chefs who believe in buying local and using the freshest foods. 

This episode will be broadcast live from the market and I will be one of the guests. I will be interviewed about my blog, my garden, and how I use the farmer's market produce to cook healthy meals all summer long.  

Market Talk Cooking Demonstration, Minneapolis Farmers Market
Saturday, June 19, 2010, 10:30-11:30 am, Minneapolis, MN

Join me live at the Minneapolis Farmers Market after the radio broadcast of the "Fresh and Local Show" for a gluten-free, allergy-free cooking demonstration using fresh farmers market produce. I'll be making  Cultured Kohlrabi "Pickles" and Sauteed Zucchini with Lemony Spinach & Garlic Scape Pesto.  Sampling and recipes will be available. And you'll get to meet me! 

Location: Minneapolis Farmers Market, East Lyndale Avenue between Cesar Chavez Ave and Third Ave North, Minneapolis, MN  Click for map and directions.

Minneapolis Farmers Market website: http://www.mplsfarmersmarket.com/index.php

Tune into "Voices of Lyme Disease" on Sunday, co-hosted by me.

Lyme Disease is more complex than what the back of the bug spray can suggests. Spreading at a rate 7 times faster than that of AIDS, it is estimated that as many as 300,000 new cases will be contracted this year alone, but only about 10% of us will be properly diagnosed and treated. That means that man of us could end up with serious illnesses. 

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month.  On Sunday, May 16 at 6 pm Central Standard Time, I will be hosting a live radio program with fellow fierce Lyme warrior Jeanne Marie Bain to help spread awareness.  We will hear stories from adults, teens, and kids who have been fighting for years to get the right diagnosis, and were surprised to learn that a little tick was responsible for all the chaos in their bodies. They will share insights, humor, and resources they've learned in their fight with Lyme disease and other Tick-borne infections.

If you live in Minneapolis, MN listen on 90.3 FM and in St.Paul, MN on 106.7 FM.  If you live anywhere else, you can stream it live online at http://www.kfai.org/ through Windows Media Player or iTunes.  If you miss the live broadcast, the episode will be available online after the the broadcast for 2 weeks at http://www.kfai.org/waveproject.

I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with Jeanne on this broadcast, and am excited to be able to participate in sharing valuable and meaningful information through the forum of community sponsored radio.  

If you have the time or the interest, please tune in and listen to the broadcast.  You may learn something new about Lyme Disease, you'll hear meaningful personal stories, and you'll get to hear my radio voice, which I'm told is very nice.  ; )

Voices of Lyme Disease

Live Radio Program with Kim Christensen and Jeanne Marie Bain

Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 6 pm CST on KFAI: Radio Without Boundaries

Minneapolis 90.3 FM   St. Paul  106.7 FM  

Online Live Stream:  http://www.kfai.org/

Download after the broadcast: http://www.kfai.org/waveproject

PS - I will also be on the radio June 19 - check out my Events page for all the info!