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From the Co-op Kitchen: Kale Salad

KaleSalad
KaleSalad

It's a-blazing outside and you (like us) probably dread turning on your oven. It might even already feel like an oven in your house, so why make it worse, right? Well, here's a  a great side dish or main course that requires minimal cooking. And now that our local growers have tons of delicious, fresh kale you can get get your ingredients directly from the source- just come on down to the Tuesday Growers Market and buy it from the person who grew it! To make this tangy kale salad you will need: 1 bunch of kale (Red Russian or Green Curly are good choices), leaves removed from ribs 2 cups button mushrooms, quartered 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, rehydrated with boiling water and chopped 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon safflower or olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup safflower oil

KaleSalad2
KaleSalad2

In a medium skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and drop mushrooms in. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms until they release their juice, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl combine the kale, mushrooms and tomatoes. In small bowl whisk the garlic, mustard, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and vinegar. Slowly whisk in oil until well combined. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Add feta cheese and gently toss.

Beet Read: Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

WholeNutrition
WholeNutrition

Join us in reading the July Co-op Good Food Book Club selection, Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell. The Book Club will meet Sunday, July 27, from 7-8:30 p.m. at a member’s private residence to discuss Whole. Email bookclub@moscowfood.coop for more information and directions.

“Dr. Colin Campbell opened our eyes with The China Study. In Whole, Dr. Campbell boldly shows exactly how our understanding of nutrition and health has gone off track and how to get it right. Beautifully and clearly written, this empowering book will forever change the way you think about health, food and science.” So says Neal Barnard, Founder and President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine about this month’s book. The landmark book, The China Study, spearheaded by Campbell, is now known as the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. With Whole, Colin offers up the next course: a fierce reminder of the interlocked nature of human nutrition, human and global health, and society. He continues to advocate that "the ideal human diet looks like this: Consumer plant-based foods in forms as close to their natural state as possible...eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and whole grains."

But he goes on to charge our society, and the healthcare system in particular, with “reductionist thinking” when it comes to human health. Dr. Dean Ornish says he “uncovers how and why there is so much confusion about food and health and what can be done about it. His explanation is elegant, sincere, provocative, and far-reaching, including how we can solve our health care crisis. Read and enjoy; there’s something here to inspire and offend just about everyone (sometimes the truth hurts).”

Campbell is a powerful voice with a respected and important legacy. He’s the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He has more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers and is coauthor of the bestselling the book, The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health.

Come join us to discuss Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition (BenBella Books, 2013) by T. Colin Campbell, on Sunday, July 27 from 7-8:30 p.m. Remember to email bookclub@moscowfood.coop for the meeting location and directions and/or to receive email reminders about the Good Food Book Club. Whole is also available through your local library. Check out the area’s local used bookstores or visit BookPeople of Moscow where Book Club members receive a discount. For more information about the Good Food Book Club, click here.