Village Farms- helping the healthier me
Here come the first glimpses of good weather and we’re eating more salads and thinking about how soon we’ll be on a beach, so it’s time to start being healthier, and quick, lol. This time of year, like most other people, I find myself re-assessing my diet, and thinking that it’s time to try and eat a little lighter and cleaner. Thankfully, out at Village Farms, the greenhouse is in full swing so we have a full range of perfect tomatoes, cukes and peppers to help make that happen.
I’m having a lot of fun with my grill this time of year, and I’m finding that getting a quick char on a ripe avocado brings a nice smokiness to a dish… That led me to come up with a refreshing, wholesome salad of kale and cucumber where the grilled avocado plays the role typically filled by a protein, rather than grilled chicken, fish, steak, etc.
I used the Luscious Seedless Long English Cucumber from Village Farms, with black kale, pumpkin seeds, a cucumber mint yoghurt, and grilled avocado for a filling but super healthy salad, and this has become my go-to dinner when I want to eat light;
Cucumbers are a super healthy choice, because in addition to being a great hydrator, they’re packed with vitamin B’s, anti-flammatory agents, anti-oxidants, electrolytes and fiber, so you’re treating yourself right on a lot of levels when you eat them…
My kids are crazy about the Scrumptious mini cukes, they have them in their lunch every day and again after school as a snack, but one of the ways they go over really well in our house for grown-ups is served with a hummus made with chickpeas and roasted Sinfully Sweet Campari Tomatoes…
This particular Hummus is 1/2 chick pea and 1/2 roasted tomato, so it’s got a nice sweetness to it as well…
recipe for Sinfully Sweet Campari hummus
For quick & easy entertaining, I love to grab old bread, toast it till it’s charred, and smash super ripe Sinfully Sweet Campari tomato all over it until it’s a sopping, tomato juice laden crusty mess, lol. (The kids love that it’s super messy, and I love that the tomatoes they’re smashing and eating are loaded with vitamin A, C, lycopene, beta-carotene, and antioxidants that have been shown to protect your eyesight;)
This is based on a dish I first stumbled on in Barcelona, called “Pa amb Tomàquet“, and it’s stuck with me ever since… it’s been suggested that as far back as the mid 1800’s this was how the peasants would soften up hardened stale bread when the tomato crops were in abundance…
You can step it up by using the Pa amb Tomàquet as the base for a super fresh bruschetta… – Here I’ve topped it with herbed ricotta, dry cured chorizo and sweet peas
recipe for the Pa amb Tomàquet
Last but not least, a spicy salad with lots of citrus and herbs & zip to it, but still super clean and light…
Grilled Sweet Bell peppers, brussels sprouts, hand-peeled shrimp and a chili-lime vinaigrette – bell peppers are also a huge win for a healthy diet – loaded with vitamins A, C, K & Magnesium.
More and more, we’re seeing the benefits of including more vegetables in our daily routine, and with a little creativity, and great produce, that’s not too hard to do, especially this time of year.
If you’ve got a healthy, veg-centric dish that you think is exciting, and you’d like to share, feel free to drop me a msg, i’m always eager to see what you guys & girls are cooking out there at home!!
I’ll leave you off with a little video with some tips & tricks for choosing and handling your tomatoes 😉