Tomatoes, Tomatoes Everywhere!

Cooking down the tomatoes. Photo by Angela Tague

The days feel like summer, evenings like fall. Welcome to October in the central Midwest.

My garden is slowly dying down and I'm in the process of figuring out what to do with all of these tomatoes! I have red, yellow and orange goodies to put to good use.

Two weeks ago I made a batch of spicy red pepper pizza sauce. Last weekend it was homemade pasta sauce with mushrooms, bell peppers and onions thrown into the mix. I also froze some peeled tomatoes for a future batch of chili or tomato soup.

How do you like to use your end-of-season garden tomatoes?

If you have any tips for making good use of the green tomatoes still on the vine, please let me know. It's to dip down into the 30s this weekend, and I don't want the tomatoes to go to waste!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

What's in Your Tea?

My favorite tea pot filled with ginger and chamomile.

This morning when I let the dogs out, the crisp cool air tickled my nose.

Fall is here.

It dipped into the 40s overnight and will reach mid 70s during the day. On chilly mornings like this, I love to start my day with a cup of hot tea. Although I usually reach for a tea bag, I really like taking the time to make "homemade" pots of tea.

If you think about it, tea can be processed or a "whole food". You never know what's really in a tea bag. I have read about some companies using grass and weeds as fillers.

When I make tea, I add the ingredients directly to the pot, so I know exactly what I'm drinking. This morning I sliced a chunk of fresh ginger root to go with a few dried chamomile flowers. I'm sipping it as I type, and it's delicious!

So, what do you like to put in your tea pot? I'm allergic to caffeine, so I stay away from tea leaves.

My favorite ingredients include:

• peppermint
• chamomile
• rose hips
• ginger
• cinnamon sticks
• honey
• fresh lemon juice

What's in your tea?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Feeling a Little Pickled?

Homemade pickles! Photo by Angela Tague

These hot, rainy summer days have made my garden spiral out of control. The acorn squashes are all ripening at once. My tomato row is speckled with red and yellow orbs of deliciousness and the cukes--oh the cukes!

Over the weekend I spent a few hours creating a new pickling recipe to use up my wealth of cucumbers. The first batch I made was too tart. I love pickles, but not when they make me pucker like a blow fish.

My next batch was much better. Instead of following a recipe, I decided to wing it. I started with 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, 2 teaspoons of diced garlic and 1 cup of raw sugar.

Warning: Raw sugar will turn your brine a pretty/dingy/uncommon caramel color.

After a good stirring to dissolve the sugar, I gave the pickling liquid a taste. It was a touch sweet so I added maybe another 1/2 cup of white vinegar. The pickles are in the fridge now. Hopefully they will be delicious in just a few days!

Have you been making pickles too? What are your tips and tricks? And while we're at it, what should I do with my impending bumper crop of tomatoes? I'm thinking of making homemade pizza sauce to freeze for winter pizza making.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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If Cabbage and Broccoli Got Married...

I'm lucky to have friends who also love to dig in the dirt. Recently a girlfriend gave me a bag brimming with garden-fresh goodies. But, one of the treats looked strange, foreign and unrecognizable.

Kohlrabi at the farmer's market. Photo by Angela Tague

"What's this?" I asked.

I found out it was kohlrabi, a new vegetable to add to my palate. YES! 

I think my last big culinary venture was eating a pummelo, a tropical fruit which isn't easy to find in the Midwest.

How to Eat It!
So, let's get down to business. If you stumble upon a basket of kohlrabi at the farmer's market, grab a few bulbs. This root-like vegetable comes from the cabbage family and looks like a light green or purple turnip.

The University of Illinois Extension office suggests choosing smaller bulbs. The larger the kohlrabi, the more woody and tough the texture. Although I only ate the bulb part of the plant, young leaves can be cooked like other leafy greens.

So, for my first attempt at enjoying kohlrabi, I washed, peeled and sliced the bulbs. I added the crisp, light green vegetable to the top of a chopped salad and it was delicious. The flavor of kohlrabi reminds me of a mild cabbage mixed with broccoli. It was flavorful and complemented the carrots and celery in the salad perfectly.

Have you ever eaten kohlrabi? How do you like to prepare it? Whole Foods Living readers and I love cooking suggestions! Please share below.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living