The Vitamin C of the North, we may not have citrus trees and schizandra berries but we do have an abundance of wild rose hips. Rose hips are rich in Vitamin C (1000mg/100g) and other flavanoids,polyphenols,Vitamins B1,B2,B3 and Vitamins K and A, making them particularly useful for those long winter months. I love going for walks and balking at the huge juicy rose hips growing everywhere we go. They are very abundant in these parts, as in much of the world particularly North America, China and Europe. During the Second World War, the people of England gathered wild rose hips and made a vitamin C syrup, for general consumption, and in particular for children. Citrus fruits were understandbly very difficult to find during wartime. Not only are rose hips good for the immune system they are also amazing for the skin.
The best time to pick them is after the first frost, then you really get the sweetness that they stow away to burst forth for a relatively small window in the late fall. You can pick them before the frost, just make sure they are nice and red, if you want to sweeten them up just pop them in the freezer. The outer flesh of the rose hip is edible when raw, but you do want to discard the hard hairy seeds. However, if you are drying the rose hips you don’t have to worry about taking the seeds out.
Uses
Make rose hip oil
1 C fresh or dry rose hips, chopped into little pieces (don’t worry about the seeds)
2 C preferred carrier oil such as almond or olive oil
Directions
In a slow cooker add both rose hip pieces and oil and allow to heat on low for 8 hours. Strain with a fine cheesecloth until the oil runs clear. Store in glass jars out of any light. Use as a natural skin remedy, treatment for scars/stretch marks and moisturizer.
Tea
Simply add a few whole dried rose hips to your tea blend and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Alternately you could pulverize your dried rose hips and add the powder to your tea blends instead.
Remove the seeds and any hard bits. Simmer the rose hips in 4 cups of water for about an hour. Mash them all up as they cook. Strain using a fine mesh, extracting as much juice as possible. Return juice to pot and add lemon, sugar and pectin. Ladle into jars and secure lids. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Guess It’s time to get pickin’!
How did the rose ever open its heart
And give to the world all of its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light against its being,
Otherwise we all remain too frightened. Hafiz
These little raw tarts and adorned with the last local fruits of the season, oh how it pains me to type that. The sheer beauty of the grapes, blackberries and plums demanded something precious and extravagant to adorn. What better than a little chocolate tartlet with an intensely amazing creamy centre, no added sugar, not necessary, just an emphasis on the natural tastes present in every bite of bursting fruit. The base is brazil nuts and dates with raw cacao and the luscious filling is the smoothest creamiest vanilla cashew cream sweetened with a touch of wild honey. Absolute perfection I tell you my friends, just do yourselves a favour and make these for the people you love the most. They are little bites of heaven and I thought 12 would be enough to last a few days but I’m sorry to say they are too good and J has already devoured, errm, 5 in the last 12 hours, sigh. It’s okay though, because good things are meant to be enjoyed.
don’t mind my exceptionally old muffin tin…
It was the last farmers market on Wednesday and I went absolutely bonkers and bought ten of everything. I can’t say I hold any restraint or fiscal responsibility when I step foot on market grounds. The colours draw me in and my mind goes a mile a minute thinking of all the beautiful creations I could make and of all the hard work and love these organic farmers put into their food. I must do it all justice, it’s only proper. If I burn the garlic, I burn them, and I just couldn’t do that to these hard working passionate people. The tomatoes are at that point where they ooze unspoken songs begging to be used. The apples have finally arrived in all their glory. Grapes provoke stories of old, that dusty ephemeral morning harvest way back when, frozen fingers and the promise of wine. My mind wanders, I can’t help but swell with gratitude for all this bounty, memories flush of fall times past and how that same feeling always hits me almost all at once. Then I come home and lovingly unpack it all and actually take a picture of the contents of the fridge because it isn’t too often that it is so overflowing with possibilities. Dreams of my own someday garden start to dissipate and I am just content that other people do it, I wish I could cook them all dinner.
The first order of business this morning was to adorn everything with shiny bubbly blackberries. These Cookies and Cream Tarts do more than justice to blackberry beauty. Tomorrow we will bring some of these divine little tarts on a wild mushroom hunt in the proverbial woodland. Please people send me good juju so that I will find the treasure- yes the matsutake or pine mushrooms- they grow here in abundance, if you can find the spots that is. I’ve yet to hit upon a huge score but I know the next big patch could be just around the corner!
1 C brazil nuts (you could also use walnuts or almonds)
¾ date paste, softened in some warm water for a few minutes, or about 8 dates softened in warm water
½ tsp sea salt
2 Tbs+2Tbs melted coconut oil
2 Tbs raw cacao
1 C cashews, soaked for 6-8 hrs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract or ½ a vanilla bean pod,seeds scraped out
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs wild honey
¼-1/2 C water
pinch sea salt
various local seasonal fruit- berries, grapes, pears,plums...
Instructions
In a food processor or blender add the brazil nuts, followed by the soaked dates,salt,2 Tbs coconut oil and cacao. Pulse until the nuts are totally broken down and it looks like brownie batter, nice and smooth.
Fill a muffin tin with this mixture about 1 Tbs per section. You can use paper muffin cups for easier removal. Press the mixture up the sides to form little cups. Put it in the freezer to set while you make the cream.
In a food processor or blender add strained cashews, vanilla, lemon,2 Tbs coconut oil, honey, salt and ¼ C of water. Blend on high until super super smooth, adding a touch more water until desired consistency is reached. You want it to mix easily and be light and creamy.
Remove muffin tin from freezer, if you didn't line the tin you may want to remove the formed cups before adding the filling. Just let the tarts sit out and unfreeze a bit before using a fork to scoop them out onto a plate.
Fill the tarts with a Tbs of cashew cream, top with preferred fruits, or nothing at all.
For a firmer filling, refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Oh yes, this salad is a rainbow of yum- crunchy, zingy, and super satisfying. There are times when I look in my fridge and think I have nothing and it’s like this separate section of my brain chimes in and goes, but wait, you have cabbage, you have leftover roast chicken, you have sesame seeds and carrots, you have yourself an epic Korean style salad! Have I ever told you how much I love kimchi? It seriously is one of my favourite fermented foods, the delightful umami flavour is hard to compare to anything else. You can buy it at most asian markets and health food stores and if you haven’t tried it I urge you to give it a go. Making it from scratch is a little more involved than a basic ferment like sauerkraut but well worth it! I have a recipe for making your own kimchi here, check it out.
I’m not going to lie…the cabbage you see has been waiting to be used for some time now. Thankfully cabbage lasts a long time, because I tend to use it sparingly. Then there are times when the satisfying crunchy nature of cabbage is the only thing that will do. I like to break it down yo’ by really getting in there and massaging the dressing into it, along with the kimchi, this helps make it easier to digest and really helps the umami flavours work their magic.
2 C cooked chicken torn into bite size pieces (I used leftover roast chicken)
4 C purple cabbage, shredded
4 C napa cabbage, shredded
3 medium size carrots, grated
½ C kimchi
2 Tbs sesame seeds (preferably toasted)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 small chile, deseeded and finely chopped, OR 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lime juice
½ tsp fish sauce
1 tsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp coconut sugar or honey
1 green onion stalk, finely chopped
2 eggs, fried to your preference (optional)
Instructions
Combine cabbages, carrot,kimchi and sesame seeds in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix together garlic, ginger, chile, lime juice, fish sauce, tamari, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil and sugar, whisk together until well slightly emulsified (you could also do this in a blender)
Add half the dressing to cabbage and massage it in with your hands until cabbage starts to soften.
Fry your eggs and warm up your chicken in a frying pan with some of the leftover dressing.
Top with chicken, a fried egg, green onion and a generous drizzle of dressing.
Smoothies make me happy, and this one is specifically designed to ward off depression and anxiety, nourish you with mood lifting minerals and make your spirit soar with ethereal delights. To really boost your mood, try this, positive affirmations can have a huge impact on how we feel, this is one of Louise Hays suggestions for depression, I am enough just as I am. It may seem silly but say it with meaning a few times a day and you may be surprised at the peaceful feeling that grows within.
Fall has arrived, I don’t know about you guys but shorter days for me, bring on a bit of the blues. There are so many foods that can help fight depression, an illness that ails more than 121 million people worldwide. I’ve noticed huge differences in my mood when I make sure I’m taking good care of myself. Adequate omega-3, magnesium,vitamin D and probiotics are among the most important tools in your armament for fighting off the blues. Self-love and equipping ourselves with the knowledge of how to feel better on a holistic scale can drastically improve depression and anxiety (and a lot of other diseases). Smoothies are a really enjoyable way of getting those nutrients into your life and feeling happier every day.
2 handfuls of raw cashews are the therapeutic equivalent to a dose of prozac.
Coconut helps fight off candida and parasites which can inhibit good bacteria and cause brain fog.
Organic plain yogurt is packed with probiotics for healthy gut flora which is necessary for serotonin (the happy hormone which is formed in the gut) to pass the blood brain barrier and work its magic upstairs.
Berries are filled with antioxidants and help reduce inflammation and improve digestion.
Bananas are high in the amino acid tryptophan which coverts into serotonin.
Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, a factor commonly overlooked when treating depression.
Bee pollen contains key neuro-nutrients such as GABA, tryptophan and norepinephrine which help to correct brain chemistry.
Elderflowers magical essence adds sweetness and imbibes powerful renewal of energy.
Elderflower Syrup
Honestly, it’s like nothing I’ve done lately works, and it was really bumming me out all weekend. I tried to make 3 different things for the blog and nothing was good enough (I only want to give you the best of the very best!) Frustrated and anxious to DO more and BE better I had to really step aside and pop my own bubble. Hello, this isn’t about perfection, it’s about sharing and growing and learning. I’m not perfect, I burn the roast chicken, I make butt ugly but darn delicious beetroot tarts with cauliflower crust, I dust coconut flour all over the camera and piss off J but whatever. Everybody is going through it, every person is looking at the state of the planet and looking at their children and thinking- wow, how can we change this for their sake? Well I guess my answer to that,from my humble perspective, is we need to love ourselves more, with all our hearts wide open the world can change. Every day is a new day and a chance to improve, whether it be physically, spiritually or mentally, all those realms play a huge part in our happiness. I am enough just as I am.
2 handfuls raw cashews- soaked for 6-8 hours and drained
¾ C fresh or frozen mixed berries
1 banana
½ C plain organic yogurt
3 tsp coconut oil
¼ C coconut flakes
2 Tbs elderflower syrup or honey
1 C water
1 tsp bee pollen, for sprinkling on top
1 tsp chia seeds, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
In a blender add cashews, berries,banana,yogurt,coconut oil, coconut flakes and elderflower syrup or honey. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, you can adjust the consistency by adding more or less water, start with ½ cup and work your way up from there.
Sprinkle chia seeds and bee pollen on top with a drizzle of honey or elderflower syrup
3.2.2802
I would love to hear your ways of fighting off the blues, drop me a line in the comments, by e-mail or on any of my social networks.
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The beauty of flatbread is that there are no limits. You could choose to make a creamy garlic spiked chili avocado mash with smoky red wine chorizo like I did (it’s delicious I promise) or you could use this simple flatbread to soak up egg yolks, scoop hummus,slather with nut butter and apples, roll chicken and greens into a wrap. You know I could go on for at least 12 paragraphs about all the things you can do with a versatile grain free flatbread such as this. But I won’t, that would be annoying and your a lot smarter than that, I know you have your own 12 paragraphs of ideas.
Every culture has some variation of flatbread, scooping up saucy dishes with bread is synonymous with happy times. Aish Merahrah in Egypt, Bammy in Jamaica, Bannock in Native American culture, Bazlama in Turkey, Bhakri in Pakistan, Bing in China, Bolani in Afghanistan, Chapati and Naan in India, Farl in Scotland, Flatkaka in Iceland, Green Onion Cake in China, Himbasha and Injera in Ethiopia, Khanom bueang in Thailand and Cambodia, Lavash in Armenia, Lefse in Norway, Malooga in Yemen, Pane carasau in Italy and Sardinia, Pita in Greece,Qistibi in Tartarstan, Tortillas in Mexico, Tunnbröd in Sweden and Taftan in Iran. There is something innate within human beings that needs flatbread in its dietary spread. Before modern agriculture Native people made similar types of bread using acorns and other nuts and seeds growing wild. This paleo flatbread is akin to the latter, a higher protein more nutrient dense flatbread which will leave your human flatbread desires securely quelled. Soak up the goodness friends.
Now I want to tell you a short but beautiful story, since I’m certain you’ll have lots of time seeing as this flatbread recipe whips up so quickly. There is a village in Iran, where they sit at night and eat Taftan together by the fire. A mother and a father go off to work in the fields for the day, leaving their infant and young toddler with the neighbour girl to look after them. As they walk home from their day the young girl runs up to them, frantic, terrified. The little boy is missing, she was distracted by the baby and lost sight of him. He’s gone. Nowhere to be found. They turn the village upside down, inside out and everyone joins in the search. A day goes by and they haven’t found him yet, a sleepless night for the young parents. The next day they travel to the next village, everyone joins in their search, high and low they look. No boy, another night filled with despair. On the third day the father rounds up some men to go looking in the high mountains. The likelihood of a 16 month old baby getting so far from home is slim, but the will of a parent is impossible to break. They search every cave, every nook and cranny. Then they hear it, a faint whimper, a delicate weeping child, from deep within the cave. It smells of bear and they know it is a den, but they can hear the boy. The men enter, and they find the young boy nestled up against a mama bear, nursed and smelling of milk. Unharmed, the mother bear found the boy and fed him, protected him, and by some miracle the missing baby boy was safe and sound.A gentler universe than this one it seems, but it happened, only a few years back. I can only pray if my baby ever gets lost, that a mama bear will find him.
Inspired by the original paleo naan bread recipe at my heart beets.
3 Ingredient Paleo Flatbreads with Avocado and Chorizo
Author: Chantelle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Makes 2 large flatbreads or a bunch of wee ones
Ingredients
½ C tapioca flour
½ C finely ground almond flour
1 C coconut milk or raw milk
pinch of sea salt
oil or ghee for frying
2 avocados, mashed
glug of olive oil
pinch of salt
½ jalapeño chili, finely chopped
1 clove garlic,minced
a few strips of bell pepper
½ a chorizo sausage, finely sliced
Instructions
Heat a large frying pan and melt some ghee or other fat source, when the pan is nice and hot, add half the batter and spread it around by tilting the pan in all directions. Turning the heat to medium,let it get nice and bubbly and golden brown, flip and let it get golden on the other side.
Mash the avocados and mix in the olive oil,garlic,chili and salt.
Top the flatbreads with this mix and adorn with peppers and chorizo, you could also sprinkle some green onion or parsley, whatevers on hand.
Repeat with a million different topping/dipping variations.
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
