I want to buy a farm. Like many Americans, I’d love to grow my own food. Not only does this save money in these challenging times, but it’s a sure bet that harvesting your own produce at its peak will pay off in an abundance of nutrition for a healthier you and your family.
Though I’ve yet to find the perfect property, I decided to prepare for my inevitable transition to country living. Last week, I signed up for my first gardening class with a local culinary gardener. Nöel Lopreore leads a "Plant a Culinary Garden with Bardessono" course this spring to teach us how to "grow our own" in the Napa Valley, where I live. My classmates ranged from a Bardessono hotel guest who had recently purchased a 4-acre farm in San Diego (and didn’t know much about gardening), to a local landscape architect who was there to extend her design expertise and embrace more of the hands-on aspect of gardening. I fit right in.
I signed up just in time for the "Get Started" class this week, where we learned about soil and proper environment (sunlight, moisture, temperature – who knew the soil in those little pots needs a little heater for starting nightshade plants such as peppers and eggplant?). The highlight was planting our own seeds to get our summer garden party started. We'll reconvene in a few weeks with "Transplant " class when our baby plants will be transferred to new soil and larger pots. We’ll even learn about organic fertilizing.
I obviously can’t wait to harvest the tomato and fennel seeds I just sowed before I create a recipe to share with you today. But I do promise a recipe this fall with tomatoes and fennel from my garden. Who knows? Maybe they’ll have been harvested from my own farm by then.
Featured Recipe from Healthier You
If you’ve been watching this season’s "The Biggest Loser," you know that both Maria and Michael are proud to be 100% Italian-American. Unfortunately, most of the food they had been cooking and eating at home was not the healthiest. Maria and Michael agree that with the help of "The Biggest Loser" they can find ways to substitute old world unhealthy ingredients with modern healthy alternatives. Here is an absolutely scrumptious recipe they created this season at The Ranch.
Michael and Maria’s Mexican Turkey Burgers
These burgers are so tasty, you don’t need to add condiments! I like to prepare extra burger mixture, form it into single-serving patties, and freeze. This allows me to prepare a quick lunch or snack on the go. Serving these burgers on whole grain buns kicks up the fiber content or wrap them in romaine lettuce to enjoy them "protein-style". Skip the unhealthy fats in mayo and top these juicy burgers with a few slices of creamy avocado and fresh salsa…yum!
Makes 6 burgers
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Ingredients:
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, mushrooms, cilantro, onion, Bell Pepper, cheese, seasoning and garlic. There will about 24 ounces (1-1⁄2 pounds) of mixture, or 4 cups. Divide into 6 (4-ounce) patties.
Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, or until the inside is no longer pink. Serve on Sandwich Thins topped with avocado, salsa and yogurt (instead of sour cream).
Nutritional Analysis
Per serving (burger only): 120 calories, 23 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates (0 g sugars), 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 30 mg sodium
With bun – 220 calories each
With bun, avocado, salsa and yogurt – 280 calories each
Posted with permission from The Biggest Loser: 6 Weeks to a Healthier You, due in stores March 16.
