Seasonal Eating, Resistant Starch & Picnic Favorites with a Twist

Over the last several months, Amanda and I (Anna) have been leading a Seasonal Eating class at Verdant Health Commission in Lynnwood. During each class, we create recipes to emphasize seasonal and local produce. We cook the recipes, discuss various nutrition topics, and taste test all the food at the end of class. (That seems to be a favorite part!)
 
During our most recent class, we prepared dishes that highlighted a variety of local and seasonal produce for the month of August—corn, potatoes, tomato, cucumber, onion, plums, melon, berries, parsley, basil, mint, arugula, grass fed beef and more! The recipes we utilized were fresh, light, colorful and, of course, nutritious.

First up, we prepared the Herbed Potato Salad.

The recipe for this potato salad was a fun twist on a traditional potato salad, using an olive oil based dressing instead of mayonnaise. We chose to use olive oil, as research shows it helps to reduce inflammation in the body and is great for heart health. The combination of herbs in the dressing offered beautiful color, mouth-watering aroma, and a punch of flavor to the sauce. Additionally, herbs contain a variety of polyphenols (plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties), which research shows help protect against a variety of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more.

Herbed Potato Salad
Serves 4
 
1 pound potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup fennel, chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons cup olive oil
1 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 
In a large saucepan add sliced potatoes and salt. Cover potatoes with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat until the water simmers. Cook potatoes until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 5 to 6 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water and drain. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl. In a small food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, reserved water, garlic and black pepper. Blend until combined and then drizzle onto the potatoes. Let the potatoes rest for ten minutes, tossing every few minutes. Let cool and add the chopped fennel. Garnish with extra chopped parsley and green onions. Refrigerate until serving and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Resistant Starch
During class we discussed the concept of resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of dietary fiber in starchy foods, such as potatoes, corn, grains and beans. When these starchy foods are cooked, and then cooled, the starches form a crystalline structure, which makes them resistant to digestion (hence the name “resistant starch”). By being resistant to digestion, these fibers offer a whole host of health benefits! To read more about the long list of benefits of consuming resistant starch, as well as ways to incorporate more into your diet, check out THIS article!

Next, we prepared the Corn Salad. This dish turned out wonderful. It was full of flavor, crunch, and just look at that color!

Corn Salad
Serves 4
 
2 ears fresh corn
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cucumber, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 cup arugula leaves
Optional: crumbled feta or goat cheese

In a medium sized pot, boil the ears of corn until the kernels are cooked through. For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, honey, sea salt, olive oil and black pepper. Let dressing stand while preparing salad. For the salad, cut corn kernels from cobs once cooked and toss with remaining ingredients except arugula leaves. Let cool in the refrigerator. To serve, transfer salad to large serving bowl. Add the dressing and toss in arugula leaves. Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese, if desired. Serve chilled.

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Color indicates nutrition! Even greater, different colors indicate that the different foods contain different phytonutrients (for example, red/pink could indicate that a food contains the antioxidant lycopene; orange, beta-carotene; purple/blue, anthocyanin). These phytonutrients provide amazing health benefits, stemming from protection against heart disease to cancer prevention.

Slaw-Topped Burger
Serves 4

1 pound grass-fed beef
1 large egg
1/2 tsp both sea salt and black pepper
1.5 cups shredded veggies   (cabbage, radishes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, etc)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of sea salt
4 whole grain buns
Optional: sliced cheddar cheese and ketchup for topping. For added local kick, check out Bear’s Breath ketchup.

The Slaw-Topped Burgers were a big hit as well. We utilized local grass-fed beef, which I picked up from a fruit and vegetable stand in Maltby (Snohomish), Washington. During class we talked about the nutrition and environmental impact of consuming grass-fed beef versus conventional beef. There is research that shows the meat from cows who are pasture-raised contain more omega-3 fatty acids, less omega 6 fatty acids, less total fat, less cholesterol-raising saturated fat (though similar amounts of total saturated fat), as well as more antioxidants. THIS study from 2010 published in the Nutrition Journal is a great example. Additionally, research conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service shows profound environmental benefits of consuming grass-fed beef, versus conventional beef (if you so choose to eat beef in the first place). A myriad of those benefits can be found in THIS article.

Combine the beef, egg, salt and pepper thoroughly. Split into 4 equal portions. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the burgers to the pan and flip when burgers are cooked halfway through. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. While the burgers are cooking, shred desired vegetables into a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients for the slaw dressing. Mix together shredded vegetables and dressing. Toast the buns if desired and add a burger, topped with cheese and ketchup (optional), as well as a generous portion of the slaw. Enjoy!

As a side note, grass fed beef can be quite expensive. One way around the cost is to purchase 1/4 or 1/2 a cow from a local farmer and split the cost with a friend or family member. From personal experience, doing so can cut the cost of grass-fed beef down by about half. The website www.eatwild.com is a great resource to find local farmers who sell pasture-raised beef, pork, poultry and dairy. At the end of the day, though, we have to balance our own personal values with our budget. So of course, do what you can, when you can!

Last but not least, we made a delicious Minted Fruit Salad. This salad was a healthy dessert, that was slightly sweet, fresh tasting, and juicy.


Minted Fruit Salad
Serves 4
 
4 cups chopped seasonal fruit (nectarines, plums, melon, berries, etc)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, diced

Chop the desired fruit and add to a large bowl. Whisk ingredients for “sauce” in a small bowl. Toss with the fruit. Add crystalized ginger and mint and toss again. Chill and serve.

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Thanks to those who joined us for this class! We had a lot of fun, great conversation and, best of all, tasty food! We enjoyed all of our participants and hope you join us for the final installment of our Seasonal Eating series on August 22nd. For more information on class schedules, head to www.verdanthealth.org.

~Anna