I know it sounds a bit strange, but this was a fun switch-up from the usual salad and one I enjoyed thoroughly!

My goal was to take advantage of the produce that could be sourced locally, even though we are about a month from abundant harvests here in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. What a lovely surprise this was!

(Side note: This was for a {Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard} potluck.)

The cranberries were a tart but surprisingly subtle influence on the dressing, and the hazelnuts were so mild but the perfect fit for this salad. When I enjoy the final bit of leftovers tomorrow, I’ll add some of the fresh cranberries to the top too.

CRANBERRY MARINARA DRESSING INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup coconut aminos
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (or 1/4 cup dried, with no sugar added)
• 1/2 tsp salt

MAIN SALAD INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups kale
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 sweet onion

SALAD TOPPINGS

• Fresh or dried cranberries
• Sundried tomato pieces
• Hazelnuts
• Raisins

For contrast: sesame seeds or buckwheat crunchies

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the sundried tomatoes in water if they’re exceptionally dry. (This step is optional.)

2. Blend the dressing in a blender or use a food processor if preferred.

3. Tear the leaves off of the kale and parsley stems.

4. Thinly slice and massage the onion in 1 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt.

5. Massage the kale in the dressing.

6. Combine kale and parsley with the sweet onion.

7. Add the toppings last for prettier presentation.

HABIT NOTES AND QUICK TIPS

• Make sure to massage your kale “deep-tissue” style rather than “Swedish”! (Meaning: Don’t be shy. Really break down those kale fibers.)
• With the exception of the fresh kale, parsley, onion, and cranberries, everything included is part of my raw pantry on any ole day.
• When slicing the onion in this way, I find that I prefer to slice the entire onion and set aside the other half to use in other recipes. You may also prefer to double the recipe for a larger family or for guests or additional meals.
• I always have buckwheat crunchies on hand. I freshly sprout the buckwheat, then dehydrate it for 8 hours or until nice and crispy. They make such a nice addition to just about anything that needs a crunch or a light-colored contrast!
• The marinara could certainly be used as a traditional marinara would too! In that case, you may like to add the parsley and a few of the raisins into your pasta mix. It’s a nice change from the usual!

I take your privacy very seriously

So even though the Diva (The “Avocado Diva” that is! I’ll tell you who she is in a sec) told me WEEKS ago that for the month of April she’d do something super-nice for our readers, I’m only just now telling you about it.

To be really clear… there are VERY occasional times when I’m an “affiliate” but I like to be straight up about that… and there are times that I’m simply passing on a good thing and don’t get a thing out of it but satisfaction of knowing I shared something super-cool with you.

This is one of those “I just think this is Awesome” times.

So look, I have lots of lofty ideas about food. (I didn’t used to.) I guess I want it all.

But it’s not so simple. An avocado is not just an avocado. A tomato is not just a tomato. You’ve got a lot of components, like chemicals, pesticides, local food, the nutrition, the flavor, etc.

Here in Massachusetts, if we find an avocado, it comes from Mexico. (Is that where they come from where you are too?) I have nothing against Mexico!

But my preference in the world of avocados is to get them from California, from someone I know and trust, and with flavor more unique and/or interesting and/or sophisticated than the “usual” Hass variety you see in pretty much every supermarket.

So, the “Diva” (meaning {The Avocado Diva}) has been telling me for months that I really need to try her heritage avocados. She sources out TONS of varieties from really small local California farms. Finally I broke down, and my gracious. They were amAzing!

Sure enough, I’m hooked. I’m now officially in {The Ultimate Diva Club}. But you already knew that. Ha! Just kidding I’m not really a “diva” except with the avocado thing I guess.

If you want to join too, the Diva will give you your THIRD month free in the {Diva Club} or the {Ultimate Diva Club}. This is ONLY valid if you join The Club by the end of April (next week!).

Super cool, in any case.

Anyways, again, not a sales pitch. I don’t even get extra avocados for telling you. This is my own thing. Just thought I’d share.

(And I’m soooo sorry for those of you in all the other countries outside of the USA who probably can’t order them!)

For EVERYONE, if you love avocados like I do, EVEN if not from the Diva, {here are some recipes for ya}.

If you try the Diva Avocados, lemme know!

I take your privacy very seriously

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a green smoothie ready to go from the previous day. Today, I’ll need to make it fresh… but… Right now, Miss Lilla is asleep beside me. She’d never notice the sound of the blender. But she would notice if I’m not next to her.

I even need to occasionally (even though my leg is up against her from head to toe) press my hand on her chest so she feels wrapped in love.

Here’s why… She’s going through a mental growth spurt now (it’s the 5th “wonder week” which I’ll explain in a moment…). Mental leaps are not easy on little ones. The whole world changes, like it does with, say, going raw!

During a time of growth, we need extra comfort, love, and support!

I remember when I first went raw, I didn’t know that I was personally sabotaging my husband’s ability to support me through it (now I know there are tricks which are not exactly “tricky” but do help!). Every day, it was an argument. He felt defensive about his own diet.

So I left him. No really. I up and left. I was thinking “To heck with this. I don’t need a husband who wants to see me sick!” So we were just “separated” for a time. I stayed with my mom, and my mom and I supported each other through our mutual growth (she went raw too!).

That was more than 5 years ago, and my husband and I are, as it turns out, happily married. I am happily raw. He is happily whatever. My mom is happily raw. My baby is happily 100% breast fed my “raw” milk. It’s all good.

But this makes me think… When the world is shifting… the last thing we need is someone else sabotaging us!

We need

• extra love
• extra warmth
• extra support
• a “security blanket”
• understanding
• someone who’s “been there, done that”

And these are some of the goals of the 21-Day Raw Food Jump-Start. You want to know “how to go raw”. Well, I’ll take you by the hand.

I hope you’ll join us. Registration closes soon!!

Resources:
21-Day Raw Food Jump-Start Program
The Wonder Weeks Basically, there are 10 “mental leaps” consistent from child to child, all over the world. Lilla is in the 5th one, the one that happens at 23 weeks. This is a GREAT resource for moms of kids up to two years old!!

I take your privacy very seriously

This thing was GNARLY LOOKING in the blender. I had to trick myself with the garnish to eat it.

THEN, it was cleansing as could be. I don’t know if it’s that everything was local and fresh and organic, but it really kicked the seat of my pants. I’m a little scared to finish off what I have in the fridge of the local watercress, but I’m probably going to have some for my dinner. (Crazy gal that I am!)

Anyways, call it a blended salad, savory soup, savory smoothie… whatever you call it… it was really surprisingly good. But please garnish it. Please! (You will see what I mean when you make it!)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup watercress
1 cup lettuce
2 large tomatoes
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked in 1/2 cup water
1 cup water
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt

GARNISH

1 Tbsp hemp seeds
3 basil leaves, cut chiffonade (DO NOT BLEND!)

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend, then garnish with the hemp seeds and basil leaves. Top with salt and pepper to taste if you like. Or even some raw parmesan. Mmmm…

I take your privacy very seriously

INGREDIENTS

1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
3 cups chopped kale
3 bananas
2 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend. This one was so darn easy! And it turned out splendid too.

I take your privacy very seriously

THE BEST OF THE BEST GOURMET RAW CHEFS

These guys (and gals) are my absolute favorites, and when we asked you, you actually chose a lot of the same folks too! Do you agree? Who are your top choices? If you want to add to the list, let us know in the comments!!
 

1: Russell James

Can I just tell you, I LOVE RUSSELL JAMES’ FOOD! It’s so beautiful. Truly. I’ll be honest and tell you that I usually only make his recipes when I have a lot of time on my hands, but when I do, every single time, without fail, the recipe is divine.

Just, divine.

In fact, when I was only a couple years into my food journey (this was in 2008), I flew to the United Kingdom just to take a class with him. And I felt it was worth every penny to indulge.

Website: {http://therawchef.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

The international flavor of Omid’s raw food creations is sooo inspiring. I feel like I’m traveling all around the world with his food. Truly. And it’s SO GORGEOUS!!

Website: {http://botanicalcuisine.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

One word: cupcakes. (Her cupcakes are out of this world. But you probably guessed that.) Natalia’s food is not always gourmet, but it always feels gourmet. I was so very pleased when she partnered with us at Uncooking 101, and you can find Natalia KW’s recipes from that delightful week right here.

Website: {http://www.nataliakw.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

Chad, oh Chad. He’s seriously just beyond amazing when it comes to blending flavors and making gourmet foods that feel absurdly indulgent. He’s another one I would travel to attend class with in a heartbeat. I went to London to learn from him at SAF (his restaurant) several years ago and learned more in a short time than I had in any class, to date.

Anything you find him involved with, or any class he teaches (it’s not too often these days) would be worth it. Without a doubt!

Website: {http://rawchef.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

While she does have some simpler recipes too (let’s face it, with all the uncookbooks and experience she has, she has some of eeeeverything at this point!)… Ani’s take on gourmet foods is such a pleasure. One of my first uncookbooks was her “Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen” and I still recommend it as a great starting point, with finesse!

Website: {http://aniphyo.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

Oh, my, GOLUBKA. “Golubka” is actually not “her/their” name, but it’s how we refer to this mother-daughter team. Every creation, every dish, every photograph, every everything is pure artistry. It has so much soul, so much color, so much of everything good in this world.

I was over the moon (you have no idea) when these amazing women wanted to partner with us, and you can find seven days of Golubka’s raw food treasures here.

Website: {http://g0lubka.blogspot.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

Owner of the Matthew Kenney Academy and Restaurant (formerly 105 Degrees), along with the amazing Cafe 118 in Orlando, Matthew Kenney is really taking the raw food world (get it?) by storm. Even though I don’t “need” to, it would be a dream to take classes with him.

Anyone out there been to classes at the Matthew Kenney Academy? I hear nothing but love from their students, which is really no surprise of course!

Website: {http://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

One Lucky Duck. Gorgeous, stylish, funky… she brings her pizzazz to the food and the environment. She’s the co-founder of Pure Food & Wine (which is pretty much THE place to go in NYC for raw foods if you want to indulge), the creator of the fun “One Lucky Duck” enterprise of sorts, etc. etc. etc.

And really… She’s Sarma Melngailis, but simply “Sarma” is enough to imagine her and her food.

Website: {http://www.oneluckyduck.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

I don’t remember how I found Cristina, but it was a ways back, and I remember that possibly even hours passed of me soaking in the photography on her site. Which really means the food. It was all so… special… beautiful… amazing.

And it turns out her recipes are also really darn good. I’ve made a bunch of them, and I’ve been pleased each time. Actually, one in particular (her stuffed heirloom tomatoes, I’ve made MULTIPLE times. You can find Cristina’s week of artistry right here. Just make sure you have some time to peruse. I’m just sayin’.

Website: {http://rawfoodartist.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

You know, I was actually only very recently introduced to Doug McNish. It was really really hard to choose this final chef because so many folks are so amazing at making gourmet raw food. But the more I saw of Doug’s work, the more it became clear that I had no choice but to include him on The List.

Not only is he super inspiring (he lost 100 pounds with this diet!), the way he introduces raw food and veganism to others really resonates with me. I really think he’s one to look out for.

Website: {http://www.dougmcnish.com/}
Get Social: {Facebook} & {Twitter}

I take your privacy very seriously

I have a confession to make, and I’m sharing it because I want to be transparent with you… but also because I know that this might be a help. I have NOT been composting for the last few months but just recently started again.

One day, I felt some shame about the potential of being “found out”. Like I’m this “perfect” (no! I’m not!) Raw Food Guru but destroying the planet and a bad, bad lady. And everyone would then hang me by my toes and toss tomatoes at me!

That’s what clued me in that it was time to take action to do what I knew felt right. All I had to do was go buy a $6, 5-gallon bucket and a $3 lid. It’s next to my trash can and stays closed except when I add food to it. Then when it’s full, I bring it to the local waste facility which also has a space where leaves and such can be dropped off for environmental reasons. I’m sure a local garden would take it too, but that works for me.

It’s shockingly easy.

I “should have” been doing it all along. But you know what… NOW I’m doing it. I can only do my best TODAY. I cannot change the past. And so it is, today I have my bucket.

HERE ARE THE TOP 5 REASONS TO COMPOST:

1/ It’s easy. Really really easy.

It’s not only just EASY, but it’s inexpensive and you can do it anywhere. You’re just using your scraps and waste, and you don’t have to spend money on fertilizer for your garden (if you have one!). You don’t need a big yard for composting. With the right bins you can even compost in a big city, or on a patio or deck.

2/ Limit your contribution to the landfill.

It has been estimated that 50% of the waste in our landfills could be composted. Yes ~ 50%! There are SO many things that can be composted ~ not just grass clippings and fruit and veggie scraps. Some of those things include shredded newspapers, paper towels, cereal boxes. What would you rather see grow? Your garden or the landfill?

3/ SUPERIOR Soil!

And honestly who doesn’t want superior soil in their garden? Compost to soil is just like fruits and veggies are to your body! Compost contains nutrients that are essential to healthy plant growth, and overall it improves the structure and texture of your soil. It helps your plants grow stronger, and it helps develop deeper root systems. It’s better for your soil then any fertilizer or pesticide you can buy…and it’s ALMOST free!

4/ Your plants and garden will LOVE you.

Compost gives you the ability to nourish your plants naturally! Fertilizers and pesticides that are commonly used do not give your flowers, fruits and veggies as many nutrients to grow as compost does. Compost is all natural. Not only does that make it more healthy for your fruits and veggies…it also makes it more healthy for YOU!

5/ It’s fascinating!

It gives you an outlet to empower and educate your kids that their waste can be a resource. It can be a fun hands-on family activity. They can build their compost pile, collect items to use, see how their hard work transforms scraps into fertilizer that helps their plants grow. The entire natural cycle of watching how it works is fascinating and educational in a way that doesn’t FEEL educational.

I take your privacy very seriously

I didn’t add ANY water to this because the fresh foods had so much. It was a SUPER RICH and SUPER FRESH liter+ of green smoothie that left me wanting more and more greens all evening. (Which I enjoyed!)

The parsley is just a clever diversion. There was no parsley included, but I used all the cilantro in the smoothie and wanted a garnish! Ha!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups fresh cilantro
4 oranges
1 cup frozen peaches

I take your privacy very seriously

I was actually shocked at just how purple this one came out with an ENTIRE head of lettuce in it! I had to run somewhere so was pleased it also took LITERALLY maybe a minute or two to throw the whole thing together!!

INGREDIENTS

2 bananas
3 cups frozen blueberries
1 cup water
1 head local lettuce

I take your privacy very seriously