We Like It Raw!

Part of the inspiration for a supply of fresh vegetables is a recent class we took on raw food preparation. The class was taught by our friend Debbie Bennett, a vegan chef who eats 100% raw, who says that most people are not getting enough raw fruits and vegetables in their diet. In her amazing class we learned specific sprouting instructions, protein myths, and incredible recipes--appetizers, main dishes, drinks and desserts. If you're on the central coast and interested in health, well-being, or changing your diet in some way, track down this woman!


Nuts are an easy way to go raw. (Raw is an easy way to go nuts??) If you don't happen to have a nut tree available to you, your local co-op should have several options for raw, organic nuts. Find some clean mason jars, or peanut butter, like we did, pour in the nuts, and then pour in some filtered water. Make sure to leave a bit of room at the top of your jar for swellage, and don't put on the lid! Do this at night, and by morning you'll have enzyme-happy nuts waiting to be dried. You can use a dehydrator, or just leave them near a window to sun.


At first we thought it would be difficult to replace the happy, full feeling one gets from a big plate of cooked comfort food, but we were pleasantly surprised with the contentness of our bellies. We realized that the value of the raw food diet needn't be an all or nothing approach. We introduced the concept slowly by mixing one raw ingredient into each dish we prepared.
Debbie's rawtip was this: Try to eat something raw with every meal. It sounds alternatively daunting and unappealing, but it's possible, and it's a fun goal to shoot for when you're feeling ambitious. Some of our favorites:
--use leaves as wrappers for your favorite breakfast burritos, egg rolls, stir fries
--use leaves in place of chips or crackers for hummos, guacamole or salsa
--poach eggs and lay them on beds of chopped greens
--squeeze lime or lemon juice on chopped chard or kale, and to make it really extra yummy, add avocado
Massage some of the more fibrous greens like kale, beet greens, or chard with olive oil for a minute or two to break down their coarse texture, making them much more palatable. And they're still raw!