New Roots

Jul 15, 2010 by anotherhealthyhabit

This past weekend I traveled to upstate New York to the Saratoga Springs Farmers Market. I love the atmosphere of Farmers markets, the excitement that comes with knowing you are supporting local farmers and the plethora of colorful fruits and vegetables that are on display. I find that my food is more pleasurable when I shake the hand of the farmer who made it and ask how to best prepare what I have just purchased.

I learned that most of the farmers had pesticide-free farms!! This was a sigh of relief because I just read an article on CNN that the fruits and vegetables deemed the “dirty dozen” contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving if non-organic. Their soft skin is believed to be the reason they absorb more pesticides.

The Dirty Dozen

Celery

Peaches

Strawberries

Apples

Domestic blueberries

Nectarines

Sweet bell peppers

Spinach, kale and collard greens

Cherries

Potatoes

Imported grapes

However, some non-organic fruits and vegetables have little to no pesticide levels. This is because their strong outer layer provides defense against pesticide contamination.

The Clean 15

Onions

Avocados

Sweet corn

Pineapple

Mangos

Sweet peas

Asparagus

Kiwi

Cabbage

Eggplant

Cantaloupe

Watermelon

Grapefruit

Sweet potatoes

Sweet onions

I try to buy organic as much as possible. However, being a college student, I find that the prices make me cringe. I usually splurge on organic spinach and kale if available. I never buy organic apples because the typical price is is almost double that of conventional apples.

With that in mind, I was determined to buy 1) organic and 2) something I had never tried before. This leads to my healthy habit #1: buy and prepare a new vegetable each week. Go crazy! Buy the weirdest looking vegetable at the store and experiment with new cooking methods…you might just find your new favorite food.

I followed my own advice this weekend and bought celeriac (aka celery root) at the farmers market. It was screaming ‘I need a face lift’ a gorgeous looking vegetable….

…I took the charity case home.

Sautéed Celeriac

1 Celeriac root
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3 t. Thyme
2 Cloves garlic, minced
3-4 T. Vegetable stock

Peel the celeriac by slicing 1cm off the bottom of the celeric, roll it into its flat edge for stability, and run your knife down all sides to peel skin.
Dice into ½”-ish cubes
Heat 2 glugs of EVOO on high heat, add celeriac, thyme and garlic. Cook for ~5 min.
Turn heat down to low. Add the vegetable stock and place lid on pan. Simmer for ~25 min. or until the celeriac is tender
Eat cubed or mashed*