Watermelon Radish Salad

Vivid colors make your salads come alive. 

I first saw watermelon radishes at my nephew's wedding.  The thin slices adorned a side salad and had everyone talking about the unusual yet familiar coloring.  They have a mild peppery flavor.

serves:  6                           prep time:  15 minutes

6 ounces mixed lettuces, rinsed and dried
2 watermelon radishes, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas

Vinaigrette
1/3 cup light olive oil or canola oil
3 tablespoons white wine or rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl.  Mix together the vinaigrette and add enough dressing to moisten the salad.  Arrange the salad onto plates and serve.  About 175 calories per serving.

- Kim Fielding

Toxic Cleanse Drink



Fresh picked from the garden except the ginger and pears.
This drink requires a juicer or a vita-mix type of processor.

Green drinks seem to be the rave among those who wish to cleanse themselves of impurities within their bodies.  After trying a 21-day green clean, I felt better than I have in years.  My skin cleared up, joints weren't as achy, I slept better, and my normally dry skin was smooth.

The ingredients are variable but the ones I like best are in my garden.  However, green is the word here with regard to what goes into the drink.  This is an adaptation of a recipe I found in the Crazy Sexy Life cookbook and website.  If you don't have pears, use apples. 

This recipe makes about 1 quart.

6 dino (Lacinto) kale leaves
4-6 Romaine leaves
4 celery stalks
2 pears, peeled if not organic
2 cucumbers, peeled if not organic
1 large or 2 small broccoli stems
1 piece of ginger, peeled

Process all in a juicer.

I sip this all morning.  If hunger presents itself, a handful of walnuts helps.  Once noon hits, you can add in whole foods (such as steamed brown rice with vegetables) and save the rest of your drink for tomorrow.  The entire recipe contains around 400 calories and offers one-third your RDA for potassium, lots of B vitamins and minerals, and over 100% of your vitamin A and C needs.

- Kim Fielding

Pear and Kohlrabi Salad

A pear, kohlrabi, and walnuts.

Pears are in season this time of year and the varieties available will delight your palate.  Delicious in salads and desserts, and by themselves, pears have more than 5 grams of fiber and less than 100 calories.  A medium pear makes a great afternoon snack that will hold you until dinner time.

Kohlrabi is somewhat alien-looking with the many shoots coming out of it.  A cultivar of cabbage, one cup of kohlrabi offers almost 5 grams of fiber and about 35 calories.  It has a very mild broccoli-like flavor and can be consumed raw or cooked.

The two are paired with walnuts and a light vinaigrette to create a fresh side salad for chicken or pork.  I originally saw a similar recipe on Our Big Earth website.  Nutritional calculations thanks to Fitday.com.

serves: 2                             prep time: 15 minutes

1 pear, cut into matchsticks
1 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Place the prepared pear, kohlrabi, and walnuts in a bowl.  Whisk together the dressing ingredients and adjust seasoning.  Mix into the salad and serve.

One half of the recipe provides 250 calories, 6 g fiber, 3.6 g protein.

- Kim Fielding