Hi foodies,
My name is Lisa Wilby and I
recently joined the staff at Greener Village to manage the Teaching Kitchen and
I want to share my love and knowledge of food with you!! Greener Village is
turning into a Community Food Center which is extremely exciting for
Fredericton. A Community Food Center is a welcoming space where people come
together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. A portion of what we
do here as a community Food Center is to provide people with emergency access to high
quality food in a dignified setting that doesn’t compromise their self-worth. People
can learn gardening and cooking skills and develop positive attitudes towards
healthy foods.
Community members find their
voices on the issues that matter to them the most and people find friends and
support.
There are so many things
going on here at Greener Village and we are just getting started. There are so
many opportunities for our community in the area of food knowledge, food
sustainability, food security and what those topics even means.
It is difficult to know where
to even begin.
This January we started offering
cooking classes to our clients and we will welcome and ask for feedback to make
sure we are giving them the information that they most need and want to
receive.
Our Teaching Kitchen will
also be available to rent for meetings, workshops and events. We will have our
brochure online so check us out there or better yet, feel free to come see for
yourself!!
We’d love to show you around
and tell you about all of the exciting things happening here. But, for now I will tell you
about one of my most favourite ingredients…
Turmeric comes from the root
of the curcuma plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh.
It has a peppery, warm and
slightly bitter flavor and it is related to ginger root. It is best known as
the ingredient that gives curry it’s yellow colour but it also gives mustard
it’s bright yellow colour.
Turmeric has powerful
anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong anti-oxidant.
Curcumin, the active
ingredient in turmeric helps with brain function. It also leads to various
improvements that can lower your risk of heart disease. It can help prevent
cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Arthritis patients respond very well to
curcumin supplementation (remember- it is an anti-inflammatory).
It also benefits depression
and helps delay ageing and fight age-related chronic diseases.
That’s right folks- these are
bold claims but in my opinion it is
a powerful food. If you can’t find the fresh stuff, which is not easy to find,
you can use it in powder form. Add it to some of your favourite dishes. It will
add colour, a bit of flavor and a whole lot of benefits. It is related to
ginger, so if you are unsure of what to do with it, add it to anything you
would add ginger to.
This is what ginger looks
like—very similar!
It can also be made into a
tea- with ginger and lemon- great for an
upset stomach- grate or slice the ginger (as much as you want or can handle) ,
add a teaspoon of turmeric to 4 cups boiling water. Simmer and add some
honey and drink. Delicious!
Add a pinch of turmeric to
rice to add colour.
Add some to your scrambled
eggs
Put some in soups and stews.
Flavour a roast chicken with
it—
Make your own curry powder
and go to town!
What is Curry you ask?
Curry is a mixture of spices
and you can easily make your own. It is a great way to use turmeric and get
more of it into your diet and also to introduce your family to spices. Curry DOESN’T
mean hot, it simply means a mixture of spices.
To make the following recipe
into a paste simply add 2 cloves garlic, minced and 1 tsp minced ginger and 1
tlbsp lemon juice.
There are many styles of
curry- East Indian, South Asian, South
East Asian, African, West Indian. Each region has its own blend of spices and
methods of making it and what to add to it.
Milk products, such as
coconut milk are used in some curries to soften the heat factor and yogurt is
used as a condiment served with or on top of curries to add flavor and sweeten
the heat.
Make your own mild East Indian
style curry powder-
2 tablespoons ground
cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger ( optional) or
use fresh if making the paste
Mix
all together and store in an airtight container
Use
this powder to make your own curry dishes. Yummy!!
Recipe of the Day
Easy
Chicken Curry
1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp salt
2 tlbsp veg oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
2 tsp curry powder (see recipe)
1 13 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1 13 oz can stewed tomatoes
Serve with jasmine or basmati rice
Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with ½ the salt
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium to high
heat until hot but not smoking
Brown chicken turning over once, about 5 minutes
total. Transfer chicken with tongs to a plate.
Stir in garlic, curry powder into the fat in the
skillet, then add coconut milk, tomatoes with their juice and remaining salt
and bring to a simmer.
Add back the chicken along with any juices
accumulated on the plate and briskly simmer, partially covered until chicken is
cooked through. About 20 minutes.
Option- Add some raw spinach to the chicken in
the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Cover and let it wilt.
Serve with lemon wedges- a sprinkle of lemon at
the end will add some zing and help to bring out the flavours.
Deelish!
Stay tuned for more recipes and kitchen know-how!
From the
Kitchen,
Lisa
