Green Inspiration #2

Upon an invitation to brunch, a Canadian friend told me she would bring me a surprise from her farm in Canada. She arrived with a green bottle in hand, an amber liquid slowly defrosting inside, which unbeknowst to me at the time, was both entirely glamourous and, obviously green.

The bottle contained home-made maple syrup - organic, natural, preservative free. The flavour was clean, light, and pure and reminded me of school trips to maple farms, trudging through the springtime melt, eating maple sugar atop a cone of snow. 

Production details were vague, but altogether very glam:

"What?!?!? You MAKE maple syrup?"

"Oh no! We have people that do that for us!"

A glam response if ever I've heard one ... and the finished product is a green girl's godsend. Maple can be used as a more natural sugar substitute (although it still contains sugar), and the process of making maple syrup is easy and doesn't require any special machinery (just a few basic tools and some time). Depending on the how it's made, it can be sustainable and environmentally friendly. For more information on how to tap your own maple trees and make your own maple syrup, check out these videos (of course, both a maple tree and a cold winter are required):

When given my bottle of Canadian maple syrup, I was told that I would need to use it quickly as there were no preservatives. A short week later, as my husband drained the last of it, directly from the bottle to his mouth, we realised that this warning was unesscessary for Canadians who love maple syrup so much that they have been known to drink it .... yes, drink it ... like, in a shot glass ... I've said too much ...

Let's Sail Away

 

This past summer I had some amazing opportunities (hence why posting has been light/absent), and as the nights get longer and the days get colder I am harkening back to a warmer time. Towards the end of the summer, an old friend invited me to go sailing (in Canada) with her and her husband (note: to clarify, my friend is not old, we've just been friends for a long time).

 

The glamour girl in me pictured white decks, tanned skin, breton tops and a cocktail (most of which was true), but my inner green goddess rejoiced when she learned the basics of the 27 foot Catalina sailboat and what the afternoon would entail.

 

 

Thankfully not eco-preachers, my friends are, however, eco-friendly, and small details had been well thought out. For example, solar panels (and energy collected on the beautiful sunny day that we sailed) powered the safety lights required on boats in Lake Ontario. I was told the the lights inside the cabin have been replaced with LED bulbs so that they draw less energy from the boat's battery, and there is a solar camping shower (for days when a dip in the lake is TOO refreshing). The motor (when winds are too low) uses diesel gas and has only needed refilling three times in the four years my friends have owned the boat. Solar lights provided illumination (and a touch of romance) after dark, and with the sails open, no power was needed other than the wind. 

 

 

 

 

 

How refreshing it was to have the sun on my shoulders, the breeze in my hair, whipping over the lake at 10 knots (I was entrusted with the steering wheel on more than one occasion), and the sounds of nature avoiding competition with the humming, buzzing or intolerable droning of a motor. We were able to speak to each other in a civilized way, instead of shouting over a loud whir.

 

Reaching our destination, the sails were lowered, a hammock hung from the main mast, and a general sense of peace and contentment ensued ... or was that the G&T in my hand, ice cubes chinking quietly as the hammock rocked gently from the subtle waves below? I am happy to say it had nothing to do with the G&T, and everything to do with the quiet calm of sailing; this is the watersport of gentlemen and ladies. It is peaceful, refined, and at the end of the day I was as relaxed as if I had been worked over by three Thai masseurs for an hour. A quick dip in the cool clear water, and my life was complete.

 

 

 

 

My hosts provided healthy snacks (veggies and hummous), and a beautifully barbequed vegetarian dinner courtesy of a small BBQ on the back of the boat (nothing like a portobello mushroom burger on the open water), and I couldn't contain my excitement or gratitude for the chance to experience something so wonderful. 

 

Sitting on the deck on the way home, watching the sun glow a fiery red as it slowly sunk behind the shore, I knew that my friends were on to something very special. 

 

 

 

Van Morrison sums it up best:

 

“hark, now hear the sailors cry,
smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic...” 

Mystic, indeed!

 

 

GG rating - good for Spelt Supporters, providing you have access to a boat and don't get seasick on open water.

Green Inspiration #1

I have recently become incredibly excited about vegetables. I'm not sure how it happened, but I have become the eccentric woman in WholeFoods screaming "YES!!! ORGANIC KALE!!!" or giving the organic market stall-minder a panic attack when she sees my crazy eyes heading for her and her oversized organic beetroot and leafy greens. In an effort to share my excitement, I present new category of post .... "green inspirations" .... which will mostly be exciting vegetables (not a oxymoron, I assure you), the occasional recipe, and anything "green" that has inspired me recently.

Green Inspiration #1

  

Avacados are one of my favourite foods - I eat them as often as possible. They are so rich and creamy that they feel indulgent, but from what I've read, are actually quite healthy. When I'm detoxing, they are usually my 4pm afternoon treat and they often get me through the afternoon slump without resorting to sugar, chocolate or carbs. 

The other day after making a batch of vegan pesto, I wondered what I could put it on besides crackers, bread or pasta. I spotted a perfectly ripe avacado beckoning from the fruitbowl. Voila, spinach basil pesto à l'avacado bowl. The pesto recipe comes from the book "refresh" by Ruth Tal with Jennifer Houston, based on recipes from the restaurant "Fresh" in Toronto. It's incredibly creamy and rich for a pesto without cheese. I added some lemon juice, because ... well, I add lemon juice to everything I cook.

Enjoy!

Spinach Basil Pesto

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch fresh basil, stems removed

2 cups packed fresh spinach

lemon juice, to taste (optional)

Blend all ingredients except spinach and basil in a food processor until smooth. Mix in basil and spinach, scraping sides if needed. Store in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer (if it can get past your mouth!).

Avacado Pesto Bowl

This couldn't be easier....

1 ripe avocado

few spoonfuls of spinach basil pesto

Cut in half one ripe avocado. Remove stone. Spoon pesto into avocado pit until full. Eat with a teaspoon and a modicum of will power.