so. i’ve been dabbling into the depths of raw foodism. i’m not necessarily ready to give up my oven anytime soon, but i love the idea of millions of tiny, untouched vitamins and minerals coursing through my veins. for a food to be considered raw it cannot be raised to temperatures above 105F; doing so denatures the protein cells, causing a number of nutrients to be reduced (although sometimes it enhances nutrients, like calcium in dark greens). now, as i was saying, there is something extremely appealing and organic to the preparation of raw foods, like salting ribbons of zucchini to break down cell walls to produce a “noodle” texture, or applying acids to leafy greens to wilt or “cook” them. its a slower preparation time, waiting for things to sprout, wilt, dehydrate, or soak, but all of the waiting really makes you appreciate what you’re about to put into your mouth.i took two of my favorite foods and put them to use in recipes that really showcase their flavors: sweet peas, and kale. i’m new at this, and couldn’t fathom shelling 4 cups worth of peas, so i used frozen. but at least my hearts in the right place.
Creamy Pea Soup
serves 4
4 cups shelled peas, divided 3/1
2 medium, firm-ripe avocados
1 tbs miso paste
4 green onions
3+ cups water
this is really hard guys. combine the everything but 1 cup of the peas, and the green onions in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. chill if desired, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish each bowl with 1/4c fresh peas, and 1 sliced green onion.
raw pea soup!
Strawberry Balsamic Kale
serves 4
ideally, you would make this at least 6 hours ahead of time to let the acids in the vinegar break down and soften the kale. the longer it sits, the sweeter it gets!
2 bundles kale-i used about a pound of red kale
1 pound strawberries
about 1/4c balsamic vinegar (idk if it counts as raw)
about 1/4 c oil (any light tasting oil is cool)
1/2 c raw walnuts
black pepper.
start be de-stemming your kale, and ripping or chopping it into bite sized pieces. in a food processor combine 1/2 pound of strawberries, 1/4 c walnuts, and the balsamic vinegar. process until smooth and add enough oil to thin. toss the kale with the dressing, and try to really squeeze it in with some tongs. let this hang out in the fridge for 6-12 hours. plate the greens and season liberally with black pepper, and garnish with the rest of the berries (sliced), and the nuts (chopped).
