Jul 15, 2010
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*
* The celeriac will have the consistency of mashed potatoes but will be very reminiscent of celery in flavor.
** Mashing would make a great vegan alternative to mashed potatoes.
…What do you think?….Top-notch vegetable-surgeon in the making?
I ran into Meagan selling her nut butters. They are so good!!
What is the scariest looking vegetable you have ever tried? Do you buy organic fruits and vegetables?
I followed my Healthy Habit #1, went crazy and bought two new vegetables that I had never tried: garlic scapes and Patty Pan squash. I have seen garlic scapes all over the blog world (Ange and Meagan) in the past month and decided they were a must-have. I can’t wait to make something with them!! I also bought some apples, swiss chard, candy onion and blueberries. Oh how I love summers…
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