Proposed USDA Farm Bill Rule Threatens Food Security and Access to Vital Nutrition Programs
- At December 22, 2018
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
0
Urgent message from Katherine – The new farm bill, signed into law December 20 by President Trump, will serve the public by investing in a strong food safety net, nutrition education programs that promote healthy people, and a robust food system and strengthened economy, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
However, a proposed rule announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture hours before the signing could decrease states’ flexibility to waive work requirements for people who receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“The farm bill, as signed into law, reinforces the inherent link between agriculture and nutrition by fostering access to nutrient-dense foods that promote health and providing consumer education that increases nutrition literacy and life management skills,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics President Mary Russell.
“The bipartisan farm bill ensures the integrity of SNAP, while making targeted improvements for seniors and people with disabilities and modernizing systems and technology,” Russell said.
“Migrant Mother” by Dorothea Lang (Wikipedia.org)
USDA’s proposed rule, however, would affect people’s eligibility for SNAP, which the Academy believes is highly effective in preventing food insecurity and alleviating poverty, and is linked with improved health and lower health care costs.
“SNAP helps one in eight Americans put food on the table and keeps more than 8 million people out of poverty. The Academy supports efforts to ensure states have the flexibility needed to improve people’s food security,” Russell said.
“Access to food is a key component of reducing food insecurity. Nutrition education through the SNAP-Ed program affords participants the opportunity to budget for and prepare healthy foods and maximize their purchasing ability,” Russell said.
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The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
Katherine’s 5th Batch Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Holiday Treats!
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter & Oat Balls Taste Better Than Peanut Butter Cups!
My fifth and final 2018 weekly batch recipe is all about holiday celebrating. This batch is a fun – and messy – activity for children, and adults, of course. They make an impressive gift, or even a dessert or snack for a holiday gathering. They taste like fresh peanut butter cups, but unbelievably … every. single. ingredient … is natural and healthful!
Batches make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen and ease some stress from your life. I feature batch recipes in my books, Diet Simple and Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes. Batches are your favorite delicious, quick and easy meals made ahead of time so that you always have something in the freezer or refrigerator, ready to eat, or serve for guests, on a moment’s notice. And, believe it or not, though it may take a little extra time to prepare the batches on the weekends, it actually saves time overall and calms the daily whirlwind of your life.
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter & Oat Balls
I always at least quadruple this recipe. It’s only four ingredients. It’s fast. It’s simple. These treats are so addictive, they’re gone in a flash, so be on your toes!
A Heaping 1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter (or any nut butter you like, such as Almond Butter)
3/4 Cup Old Fashioned or Quick Rolled Oats
1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
3/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Natural, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)
Chopped Roasted Nuts (optional)
Mix oats, peanut butter and maple syrup. Roll into about 12 or more balls (the smaller the balls, the more chocolate on each one!) and place them on a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper. Freeze about 15 minutes or until set.
Pull the frozen balls out of the freezer. Roll them in the melted chocolate and, if you wish, sprinkle with chopped nuts and/or coconut. Melt the chocolate carefully to prevent it from burning. Use a double boiler and stir until melted, or use a microwave stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
You may need to heat the chocolate again as the frozen balls may harden the chocolate while you’re “working.” Once every ball is generously covered and every last bit of chocolate is used up, freeze until the balls are set, at least 15 minutes.
Pull them out of the freezer and enjoy. You can save them in a plastic container in your refrigerator for three weeks. The more you make, the better!
Adapted from Eating Well Magazine.
Roasted Vegetables: I Promise They’re Tastier Than French Fries!
Roasted Vegetables, if done correctly, become caramelized, golden brown, and taste better than french fries. They also create an artistic presentation. Photo by KevinIsCooking.com
If roasted correctly, this stunning rainbow of vegetables can taste better than french fries. Yes. You heard me! Roasting for the ideal length of time caramelizes vegetables, conveying sweetness and expressing more of their aromatic flavors. They are crispy and golden on the outside with a tender inside. The array of vegetables satisfies your natural urge for a variety of color, texture, flavor and shape, leftover from cave man times, all of which, together, help prevent cravings and provide an array of nutrients, important for survival. Even in today’s space age, you still have that instinct for variety. Add a fruit, such as apples or peaches to create more sweet, if you wish.
My fourth weekly batch recipe, based on what you can find at your Farmers Market this weekend (beets, carrots, potatoes of all kinds, broccoli, and brussels sprouts), is Tastier Than French Fries! Roasted Veggies.
Batches are all about making the most of the time you spend in the kitchen and easing some stress from your life. I feature batch recipes in my books, Diet Simple and Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes. Batches are your favorite delicious, quick and easy meals made ahead of time so that you always have something in the freezer or refrigerator, ready to eat, or serve for guests, on a moment’s notice. And, believe it or not, though it may take a little extra time to prepare the batches on the weekends, it actually saves time overall and calms the daily whirlwind of your life.
Beets, Carrots, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Broccoli Create a Rainbow of Colors, Textures, Shapes & Flavors
Tastier Than French Fries! Roasted Veggies
By Katherine Tallmadge
Use this side dish with anything. It creates a colorful, artistic presentation and adds an assortment of flavors, shapes & textures, delightful to all palates. You can also use them cold in a salad, toss them in a soup, or add them to an omelette. They’re a great batch; they should last for a week.
Some roast better than others, such as cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, mushrooms, winter squash, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, bell peppers, and of course, we all know about potatoes!
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit,
2. Select the combination of vegetables you’d like to roast.
3. Cut the vegetables (and fruits, if used) in similar size pieces so that they cook evenly,
4. Place in a large bowl or plastic bag, add canola oil (it won’t burn at a high temperature like butter or olive oil), salt, pepper, and an herb of your choice, such as fresh Rosemary,
5. Toss or shake until all vegetables are coated (but not too greasy). Pour off any excess oil,
6. Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper (prevents sticking to your pan), and place on the center rack in your oven,
7. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables or shaking the pan occasionally to cook evenly,
8. Roast the vegetables until they are golden brown on the outside, but tender in the center – like a french fry!
9. Different vegetables, cut in varying sizes will take a longer or shorter time to reach perfection.
Katherine’s Weekly Batch Recipe: Roberto Donna’s Stuffed Shells with Ricotta & Roasted Eggplant
Enjoying Roberto Donna’s Stuffed Shells with Ricotta & Roasted Eggplant featured in my book, Diet Simple
My third weekly batch recipe, based on what you can find at your Farmers Market this weekend (Tomatoes, Eggplant, Garlic, maybe Basil, the Ricotta cheese, and something comparable to Parmesan – do some tastings!), is Roberto Donna’s Baked Shells with Ricotta and Eggplant. It is featured in my book, Diet Simple, and a gift from Washington’s most famous, James Beard Award-winning, Italian chef, Roberto Donna, currently Executive Chef at Al Dente Restaurant.
Batches are all about making the most of the time you spend in the kitchen and easing some stress from your life. I feature batch recipes in my books, Diet Simple and Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes. Batches are your favorite delicious, quick and easy meals made ahead of time so that you always have something in the freezer or refrigerator, ready to eat, or serve for guests, on a moment’s notice. And, believe it or not, though it may take a little extra time to prepare the batches on the weekends, it actually saves time overall and calms the daily whirlwind of your life.
Roberto Donna’s Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Roasted Eggplant
excerpted from “Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations”
This elegant dish, always a crowd pleaser, comes together quickly. Though it may be a little more complex than some of my other batches, it’s worth it! Using canned tomatoes and roasted peppers is perfectly fine in this recipe instead of using fresh, to save time. This unique Italian fare makes for an exquisite meal, or appetizer, minus loads of calories. And it can be refrigerated for use later, then re-heated easily with your microwave.
Katherine baking Roberto Donna’s Stuffed Shells with Ricotta & Roasted Eggplant, featured in her book, “Diet Simple”
Serves 4
8 oz. peeled and cubed eggplant, sprinkled with 1 Tbs. olive oil
8 oz. low-fat ricotta cheese
2 Tbs. capers, drained (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (place the basil leaves on top of each other so they’re in a pile, then slice diagonally in thin strips)
12 jumbo shells, cooked, drained and cooled (you may want to boil more than 12, as some fall apart)
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 Tbs. grated Parmesan, optional
Italian parsley leaves for garnish
Olive Oil Spray (optional)
Tomato Sauce (as an option, you can use a favorite commercial sauce):
1 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes, or an equivalent amount of cooked fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup pureed tomatoes from a can, or an equivalent amount of cooked, pureed tomatoes
1/4 cup roasted, peeled, seeded red peppers (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, or an equivalent amount of a comparable cheese from the Farmers Market
Italian parsley leaves for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 450F,
2. Place eggplant cubes on nonstick baking sheet – if you use parchment paper on the pan, the eggplant will not stick. Roast about 15 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from oven,
3. Mix Ricotta with the Parmesan cheese, capers, the and eggplant cubes in mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and 4 chiffonade basil leaves. Set aside,
4. Reduce oven temperature to 400F,
5. Cover baking dish with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick vegetable spray. Fill each shell with about 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese mixture, filling evenly among shells until used up. Place the shells on the baking dish. Brush tops of shells with 1 tablespoon olive oil (or spray with olive oil spray). Bake 10 minutes, or until crisped and golden brown at the edges,
6. Meanwhile, to make tomato sauce, purée tomatoes, remaining basil, rest of olive oil and garlic (or use your favorite commercial sauce). Season with salt and pepper,
7. Heat sauce over low heat, just until warm (Roberto says a simple sauce, without overcooking, is the best),
8. Remove and set aside,
9. To serve, spoon one-quarter of the sauce on the dish (use a heated dish, if possible), and place 3 stuffed shells on top. Drizzle a little extra sauce over each top and garnish with parsley leaf and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Repeat with remaining shells and sauce. Refrigerate if not using immediately,
10. To re-heat, place 3 shells on top of sauce on microwavable plate or a shallow bowl, cover with a glass bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes,
11. If you are serving the stuffed shells as an appetizer, just one shell per plate will do.
Per serving, approximately (depending on the type of Ricotta cheese you use):
360 calories
total fat 17 grams
saturated fat 6 grams
Fiber 4 grams
Protein 12 grams
Dear Katherine: I’m Nervous About the Holidays Approaching with All the Parties and Fattening Food Around. What Should I Do?
- At November 30, 2018
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
Party On!
First things first: YES! You can have tons of fun – and eat your favorite scrumptious and unique holiday foods – with your family and friends and party party party… while still reaching your health and weight goals. I know this is important to you, so it is essential to me to help you do it!
HOW?
Important question! But easier to solve, than you may fear. Since everyone’s life is different, how you handle the holidays has to be individualized.
I’m going to give you a bunch of ideas. Take a listen and choose the ones that fit your situation best. I guarantee you’ll find an answer that is perfect for you.
My “Top 40 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations for the Holidays” on “The Boost with Elena Lipson” Podcast! Just 28 minutes long. It’s worth it …
Please send me more questions!
The holidays are a time for celebrating life and for bringing friends and families together. They also mean many opportunities for socializing, eating and drinking. My belief is that you can do it all, have fun, feel great and still stay in shape and good health during the holidays with just a little planning and support. Besides, what’s the alternative?
This Week’s Batch Recipe: Cauliflower Vichyssoise
Cauliflower Vichyssoise
My second weekly batch recipe, based on what you can find at your Farmers Market this weekend is Cauliflower Vichyssoise. It is a take on the French Classic Vichyssoise – leak and potato soup – substituting most of the potatoes for cauliflower. Even though Vichyssoise is usally served cold, in the winter I serve my Cauliflower Vichyssoise warm.
Batches are all about making the most of the time you spend in the kitchen and easing some stress from your life. I feature batch recipes in my books, Diet Simple and Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes. Batches are your favorite delicious, quick and easy meals made ahead of time so that you always have something in the freezer or refrigerator, ready to eat on a moment’s notice. And, believe it or not, even though you’re spending time putting the batch together, overall, it actually saves time.
Soups are some of the best “batches” in the cold dark days of winter. They’re warm, filling, psychologically satisfying and sate the natural urge for comfort food in the winter. Eating soup also makes it easier to lose weight. How?
Classic studies have found that soups are effective weight loss foods. As long as the volume of a food is high (when water or air are incorporated into the food), people can feel full with fewer calories. In one study, researchers varied the water content in three different first courses to see how it would affect peoples’ intake at the main course. The study subjects were fed either 1) chicken rice casserole, 2) chicken rice casserole served with a glass of water, or 3) chicken rice soup – basically the casserole with water/broth added. The researchers found the subjects who ate the soup consumed 26 percent less, about 100 calories fewer, at the main course, compared to the other conditions, even though all three conditions provided the same amount of calories. As I always say, “A calorie isn’t always a calorie!”
Researchers surmise that a large food volume caused by water, even without added calories, helps us feel more satisfied for several reasons. It causes stomach stretching and slows stomach emptying, stimulating the nerves and hormones that signal feelings of fullness. Also, visually seeing a large volume of food can increase your ability to feel satisfied by it, even though the calories are relatively low. Finally, the larger a meal and the longer a meal goes on, studies show, your satisfaction declines and you lose interest in completing it. Water is the component in food which has the largest influence on how much you eat. This study, and many others like it, find eating a high-water-content, low-calorie first course, such as soup, enhances satisfaction and reduces overall calorie intake.
Cauliflower “Vichyssoise”
excerpted from Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season
Cauliflower is in the species of foods called “brassica.” The brassica family of foods has extremely high nutritional values and contain high levels of antioxidants and nutrients such as vitamin C, selenium, calcium, potassium, folic acid and choline – important for the brain, as well as soluble fiber, which reduces cholesterol and helps level blood sugar. Brassica, a huge category of foods including broccoli, cabbages, mustard seeds and greens, also contain potent anti-cancer compounds which help detoxify carcinogens in the liver before they continue to circulate in your bloodstream. These compounds also aid your immune response with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
4 to 8 Servings
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Leeks
1 Head Cauliflower
1 Medium Potato
6 Cups Chicken Stock (or vegetable stock), fat removed
1 Cup 1% Milk
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
8 leaves Fresh Parsley, Chopped
Blending the cauliflower, leaks and potatoes with my favorite “Cuisinart Smart Stick”
Slice the white part of the leeks, cut the cauliflower into florets and set aside. Heat canola oil in an iron skillet over medium heat. Add sliced leeks, stirring frequently for about ten minutes until soft. Stir in the stock, cauliflower and potato. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about twenty minutes or until vegetables are soft. When mixture has cooled a bit, puree with the The Cuisinart Smart Stick… No mess, no fuss! (or blender or food processor), add the milk. Serve hot in the cool weather, cold in the hot weather. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley.
700 calories in the entire pot of soup
2019 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Chef José Andrés, Serving & Celebrating in My Washington, DC Kitchen
- At November 28, 2018
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
Chef José Andrés serving Smithsonian Folklife Festival “Food Culture USA” chefs and volunteers in my Washington, DC home’s kitchen
Food security promotes peace. The power of food provides people health, and happiness, and can help raise them from poverty, advancing their education and involvement in the world. And that is worth something! This has now been acknowledged by the enlightened nomination of local chef and hero, José Ramón Andrés Puerta, known as José Andrés, for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
José began his American career with the opening of his tapas restaurant, Jaleo, in 1993 in Washington, DC.
At the time of Jaleo’s opening, I interviewed José for the University of the District of Columbia’s Public Radio Station (with a colleague). During that interview at Jaleo, José was generous, enthusiastic, and passionate; I was impressed by his sheer joy about food, life… everything. The small bites he served were delightful. Then, this twenty-something, a fresh immigrant from Spain, shared his future ambitions with us. They were fantastical aspirations only few could imagine, and even fewer could achieve. It seems he exceeded his!
José was a leader and award-winner among Washington, DC chefs soon after he arrived. His talent, energy, and hospitality fueled his popularity; and it grew swiftly, along with his many restaurant openings, and causes in which he founded or participated.
At the end of the two-week “Food Culture USA” Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the volunteer chefs and volunteers celebrated in my large Washington, DC Kitchen (José is in the far right)
I had the privilege of working alongside José on several occasions through the years. During the 2005 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, featuring “Food Culture USA,” and curated by my friend and colleague, Joan Nathan, José and I performed a food demonstration on-stage together (actually, José performed, as I stood beside him agog at his performance). He made gazpacho for the dazzled crowd (mainly a sprinkling of veggies pureed in a sea of Spanish olive oil!)… Something happened that afternoon that I’ve told very few, and it even slipped my mind until putting this piece together: There was a woman at our demo who worked with the Smithsonian who was very surly toward me; she even tried to keep me from talking. She didn’t think the topic of “nutrition” belonged at the festival (that was a general attitude among food enthusiasts at the time, and still lingers today). When José noticed her churlish reaction to me, he took me aside and assured me that I – and nutrition – were appreciated, and he encouraged me to ignore her and get out there and perform! This act of kindness, shown to me during a private, seemingly unimportant moment, was clearly prescient… His goodness has become legendary, and his interest in nutrition and food science is now generally known.
José Andrés Corralling the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Chefs & Volunteers on my Backyard Deck
At the end of the two-week “Food Culture USA” Folklife Festival on the swelteringly hot National Mall (it’s held annually in July!), Joan Nathan planned a thank you celebration for the generous and self-sacrificing volunteers and chefs … at my place. Among them, José Andrés.
José is as down-to-earth as they come. I see him occasionally in the ‘hood, wearing an old t-shirt and jeans (forgive me, José), and always graciously responding to the few who might approach him.
Andrés emerged as a leader of the disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017. He organized a grass-roots movement of chefs and volunteers to establish communications, food supplies, and other resources and started serving meals. Andrés and his organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) served more than two million meals in the first month after the hurricane, according to Wikipedia.org.
“Named as one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ in both 2012 and 2018, and ‘Outstanding Chef’ and ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ by the James Beard Foundation, Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality, humanitarian and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. Andrés’ restaurant group includes 31 restaurants, ranging in a variety of culinary experiences from food trucks to his multi-location vegetable-focused fast casual, Beefsteak, and world-class tasting menus like Michelin starred minibar by José Andrés,” according to Jaleo.com
“Andrés is the only chef globally that has both a two-star Michelin restaurant and four Bib Gourmands. As a naturalized citizen, originally from Spain, Andrés has been a tireless advocate for immigration reform. Together with World Central Kitchen and #ChefsForPuertoRico, Andrés has served over 3.5 million meals in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, reaching communities in need across all 78 municipalities through 23 kitchens. Andrés has earned numerous awards including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of 12 distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities,” according to Jaleo.com
This Week’s Seasonal Batch Recipe: Thanksgiving Turkey, Veggie & Barley Soup
Turkey, Veggie & Barley Soup, an adaptation of Michel Richard’s Chicken, Mushroom & Barley Soup in my book, “Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations”
The second best part of Thanksgiving is leftovers! I try to encourage my clients to focus on healthy leftovers, of course, but perfection is never possible or even a healthy objective. One Thanksgiving, I saved the French Apple Cake dessert for breakfast the next morning (It’s better for your weight and health to eat the most fattening food earlier in the day – Sometimes, it’s all about STRATEGY!). It was one of the best breakfasts of my life!
This is the first recipe in my “Seasonal Batch Recipe” series. My advice: Make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen and ease some stress from your life by batch cooking. I feature batch recipes in my books, Diet Simple and Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes. Batches are your favorite delicious, quick and easy meals made ahead of time so that you always have something in the freezer or refrigerator, ready to eat on a moment’s notice. And it actually saves time. When you get home from work in the evening, just zap the batch in the microwave and Voilà! Instant delicious, nutritious dinner.
Studies show you’re more likely to eat whatever is in your environment. If you surround yourself with yummy, healthy, wholesome foods, that’s what you’ll end up eating. It’s simple physics: You naturally take the path of least resistance. So why not make things easy on yourself? Plan to make a few batch meals, or even just one, this weekend so you and your family will have their home-made favorites at your fingertips all week long.
Let’s take advantage and start batching with America’s favorite holiday-for-leftovers!
Thanksgiving Turkey, Vegetable and Barley Soup
Adapted from Michel Richard’s Chicken, Mushroom and Barley Soup, excerpted from Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations
4 servings
Nothing could be simpler or more delicate than this dish. The flavors are rich and earthy. It contains all the elements of a complete meal. It’s nutritious and filling to boot. I feel honored that Michel Richard provided this recipe for Diet Simple. It fits perfectly as something you can cook, store in the refrigerator and eat for several meals and is a wonderfully delicious addition.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Small Onions, Peeled and Diced
1 Pound Thinly Sliced Mushrooms, or other Vegetables
2 Quarts Unsalted Turkey Stock (defatted)
2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Pearl Barley
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
About 1 pound, boned, skinned and sliced Turkey into bite-size pieces or small slices
About 1-1/2 Cup (about 3 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until translucent, for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms – and/or other leftover vegetables. Increase heat to medium-high and cook uncovered until lightly browned, for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey stock, soy sauce, barley and garlic. Simmer gently for 45 minutes to cook barley and blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. (This can be prepared ahead, cooled, covered and set aside at cool room temperature for up to four hours or refrigerated for several days.)
To serve, bring the soup to a light simmer, add turkey, reduce heat and simmer just until the turkey becomes warm, for about two to three minutes. Ladle into four soup plates. Pass Parmesan, if desired.
Nutritional Analysis:
Calories320
Total Fat5g
Saturated Fat2g
Cholesterol70mg
Sodium1,100 mg
Total Carbohydrate26g
Dietary Fiber6g
Soluble Fiber 1.20 g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.1 g
Sugars1g
Protein 34g
Nutritional Analysis with Parmesan
Calories500
Calories from Fat 200
Total Fat22g
Saturated Fat9g
Cholesterol100mg
Sodium 1800mg
Total Carbohydrate28g
Create Your City Garden – In Pots! 5 First Steps for Autumn
- At November 17, 2018
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
Bright White Birch and Red Dogwood Branches Lend Artistry to Your Winter Garden (Photo courtesy of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, for which Luis Mármol of Dumbarton Oaks consults)
This is the first part of my series on container gardening, because not only is being in nature, among trees, flowers, and fresh air, beautiful – but it is also critical for your physical and mental well being. And, of course, you can create your own bit of nature on your own deck, front stoop, or windowsill… even through the winter, which can be especially challenging, but exciting! I’ve been inspired by my Swedish mother who literally created forests wherever we lived, including today on her condominium’s back deck. Here’s how you can do it… and stay tuned for more …
My “container garden” frames the entry of my city home
Being a city girl – without a yard – I’ve made it my mission to create a beautiful and lush forest boundary, every season of the year, separating my home from the city’s stark pavement just a few feet from my front door, and from the city’s grit, trash, noise, wires, meter boxes and pollution. How? Now that I’m on my third container garden, I’ve realized: Anything can grow in pots! Who wouldn’t love having a beautiful lush garden year-round no matter your circumstances? Imagine… sipping your coffee with the paper, looking out onto a serene sea of nature – from your own townhouse, condo or apartment!
Would you believe I have filled my container gardens with huge evergreens such as six foot magnolias, mountain laurels, hollies, and boxwoods, with heavenly bamboo, and succulents. Also, deciduous trees and shrubs including a ten-foot weeping willow arching over the walkway to one of my decks, pink and white variegated Japanese maples, pink, blue, lavender and white hydrangeas, violet azaleas. All mixed in with an abundance of annual and perennial flowers and herbs. I concentrate on varying shades of green, contrasting textures, and diverse sizes of leaves and plants. I focus on pinks, blues, and lavenders for subtlety, which I believe is more pleasing in a small garden.
My favorite little “bird’s nest” filled with evergreen succulents and surrounded by climbing flowering vines – even now in the Fall!
Even if you only have a deck, a front stoop, or a few feet of brick, you don’t have to lose out on this essential pleasure.
“A garden is as necessary to the human spirit as water and food are,” wrote Rebecca Cole in her book, Potted Gardens: A Fresh Approach to Container Gardening. “A garden is a place where much more than a seed can grow. It is a place of solace, exploration, and experimentation,” wrote Cole. And research bears this out.
Studies show being among nature is critical for your health. For one, it “enhances immune function,” according to a study in Frontiers in Psychology.
“The benefits of nature span a remarkable breadth of health outcomes with evidence for … reductions in … all diseases … from cardiovascular disease, improved healing times, self-perceived general health, reduced stress, reduced respiratory illnesses and allergies… a reduced risk of poor mental health, improved social cohesion, and improved cognitive ability,” according to the American Journal of Public Health.
Luis Mármol, Dumbarton Oaks Horticulturist and Garden Designer on the terrace overlooking the kitchen gardens of Dumbarton Oaks
Take these first 5 steps to creating your Autumn container garden, according to Luis Mármol, Horticulturist and Garden Designer:
1. Drainage: Either make sure your pots have plenty of holes on the bottom, or if there is only a small hole, raise the level of the pot with bricks, a piece of slate, or anything that will help the water drain through more freely. Potted plants need to be watered frequently, even through winter. If they dry out, since their roots have nowhere to go to find moisture, they will die quickly. If you don’t have enough drainage, all of this watering causes deadly root rot, a common problem in pots. Proper drainage also wards off freezing the pot. This is especially important when you have expensive terra cotta containers.
Container by Luis Mármol – Echinacea, Kale, ‘Scarlet’ Cabbage, Strawflower, Viola, Chrysanthemum, Saxapahaw, Agastache
2. Mulch: It will protect the tender plants through the winter, but different plants might need particular protection. Surround tender herbs with gravel to help protect them from the cold winter and promote drainage. Use shredded leaves around the base of trees and shrubs, trying to keep the trunk free of mulch. “Don’t create a mulch scarf for your tree,” says Luis.
For rosemary, if it is in one single container, place 3 or 4 bamboo sticks on the edge of the pot, then wrap the pot with burlap, making sure the top is open so the plant can breathe while reducing the chance of freezing. If the plant freezes, the strong winter sun, unprotected by tree canopies, can destroy the plant. An analogy Luis likes to use, “In the summer, you wake up with the drapes closed, but in the winter, the drapes are open.”
Winterberry sheds its leaves for winter but out pops bright berries through the cold dark days
3. Be Bold! “Think outside the ‘container!'” as Luis says. Use colorful gourds, hay, cornstalks, or turkey feathers for Thanksgiving. Make the holiday theme be your temporary blooming flowers. Try holiday bulbs and use strings of lights through the darkness of winter. Add white birch branches to brighten, or red-twigged dogwood branches for colorful contrast, as did the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID), “stretching from in front of the White House to Dupont Circle,” an organization for which Luis consults. Make sure your decorations are organic. Avoid plastic, as it can crack or fade and make your display look
less natural.
4. Color: Think of adding colorful seasonal peppers which last until the first frost and straw flowers, which tolerate some frost. Plant violas because they will come back in early spring (as opposed to pansies that are not as reliable). Protect the root systems with mulch, which could be as simple as shredded leaves.
Luis Mármol’s Fall container with Red Twig Dogwood. The leaves will provide Fall color, but in the winter, the branches will become fiery red – with Johnny Jump Up Violas at Dumbarton Oaks
5. Think ahead:
Include plants that will bloom through the winter or will have winter interest, such as Skimmia, Heather, and Kale. Evergreens are important for your winter garden, and do well in pots, but keep them interesting… Little Gem Magnolias, Mountain Laurels and Boxwoods. Soft Touch Hollies and Nandinas splash red berries through winter, Sweet Box display fluffy white flowers, Pyracantha sport bright orange berries (but watch out for thorns!) … I really love evergreen ferns, which can be placed wherever you need fillers, and to hide less attractive pots.
More next time…
Today’s Lunch: My Take on the All American Hot Dog
Katherine’s take on the all-American hot dog!
Hot dogs! The all-American classic. My favorite version is a hot dog with mustard & onions. How in the world did I come up with that as a go-to meal (besides it being fast and easy)? Who knows! I never liked hot dogs, or mustard, or onions growing up. But, my tastes changed as I grew up. Children have a natural “neofoodphobia,” that is, they’re afraid of new food. But we grow out of it and experimenting with new foods can become a pleasure (uh, well, with most adults anyway!).
I still don’t really care for hot dogs, but I’ve discovered chicken sausages that are lighter and even tastier. They come in all kinds of different flavors: sweet italian, spicy italian, sun-dried tomato and basil, and more. I’ve never liked regular yellow mustard, but when I tried honey mustard, I was hooked. My Swedish mother swears by Swedish mustard, and I like its mild and slightly sweet flavor, too.
So, this has become my “take” on the All (~90%)-American hot dog with mustard & onions. I start with a chicken sausage, which I heat in the microwave.
My “bun” is usually a toasted 100% whole wheat English muffin, because that is what I keep on hand for everything, from creating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (the peanut butter melts in the nooks and crannies!) to fried or scrambled eggs. Of course, to fit on the english muffin, I slice the chicken sausage/hot dog.
I discovered these wonderfully succulent and sweet mini onions at Quaker Valley Orchards found at either Rose Park’s or Dupont Circle’s Farmers Market. They get chopped and tossed on…
Next, I squirt some swirls of Swedish mustard (I believe it was bought at Ikea) over the top of everything…
I slice up some fresh tomatoes. The Japanese Kumato tomatoes from the grocery store are great this time of year. Add some fresh rosemary from my garden… And Voila!
Bon Appetit!
