Food For Thought 9/22

Well Summer is officially over tomorrow, so we can finally start talking about fall food. It is so yummy in the midwest. One of the things I love is that there are still lots of fall crops out and about. And oh man the Apples. The apples are everywhere (please go get you some honey crisps!) Quick tip when looking for ripe apples is if they are heavy in your hand and free of bruising. Color isn’t a good way to tell if apples are ripe, because most apples come in all sorts of colors. If your going apple picking this year (highly recommend) the apple is ready to be picked when they come off easily. Lift in the opposite direction of the stem and it should lift off easily. Apples store best in the refrigerator. Last year I went apple picking and came home with way to much. But I have to say the aples lasted almost 2 months in the refrigerator! Pretty amazing. Fruit has been something I have been really leaning into this year. And I really am pumped about Apple season.

 I have been on a health and wellness journey for quite some years now (maybe 10 years?). I really pay attention to the research and banter that goes on around the topic of fruit and how it affects blood sugar. I have had a complicated relationship with the food group. Mostly because I have been led to believe through different dietary practices that fruit can be loaded with sugar which in turn can spike your blood sugar resulting in weight gain and/or inflammation. I also have researched and have been under the impression that food combining with some fruits and fats and proteins can be really hard on the digestive system. And of course there is the topic of candida (a fungal infection caused by a type of yeast) in the intestines and how added sugar can aggravate this condition. All of these circumstances are things to consider when eating fruit. And none of this is wrong information, however it can be looked at as very rigid thinking. And some avoid fruit out of fear because of these concepts.

For a lot of my recent years I have avoided most fruit. What a shame, because I’ve really been missing out. Especially since I live in such close proximity to the Michigan Fruit belt. The way how fruit affects your body is personal. Fruit should be experimented with and can be looked at and admired as nature's candy. Fruit is wonderful and nutritious, and some people can’t tolerate a lot of it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. Especially since we are at the end of the season here in the midwest. Maybe you live somewhere where fruit is around more, I wish I was you! In the meantime I will be over here with my apples and pears.

  1. Best fruit cookbook

    Pulp by Abra Behrens

  2. Last recipe I made including fruit

    Gluten Free Apple Cake

  3. Best fruit smoothie

    Blueberry Smoothie with Tahini

Simple Apple Salad

By Abra Behrens

Olive Oil

1/2 C green or black lentils

Salt

1/2 C Apple Cider

1 head radicchio sliced in half

1 head belgium endive quartered

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

Black Pepper

2 tart apples thinnly sliced

2oz Pecorino or Parmesean shaved into ribbons with veggie peeler

In a small saucepan heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the lentils and pinch of salt and fry for 1 min, add the cider and cook for another minute until dry. Add 1 1/2 C of water bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender.

Dress the greens with vinegar, olive oil and a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Lay the greens down first on large plate, top with lentils, then add cheese, then add apples and finish with couple more sprinkles of cheese and grinds of black pepper.