The Nose Knows

If you want to taste your meal, ya have ta take care of your nose.

In the West, October is abundant with tiny air particles. It’s dry this year and there have been fires. Dust and ashes. There is always something blooming. Pollen. And the wind. The Santa Ana winds are not the good saints. A piece of mail from a neighbor 4 houses down, rests on my driveway. I imagine many microscopic particles from the neighborhood are there. What I'm trying to say is that I'm feeling a bit stuffy. I could go to the pharmacy or pull out the Netti pot. But I'm thinking of a kitchen remedy, the cure-all, the cider/honey elixir.

2 tablespoons of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and 1 tablespoon of local honey from my Farmer’s Market in a cup of distilled water and drink it down. OR you can ask, What would the Mediterranean’s do?

They’d add some olive oil and a little Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and call it salad dressing. Drink it down with water or put it on a salad? Is there any question which is more appealing?

2 Tablespoons Organic Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons EVOO
1 Tablespoon local honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
Some ground pepper
A squirt of Dijon mustard, as an emulsifier

Whisk it together. So simple you can do it right before you put the salad on the table. You can stir it into some brown rice, you can pour it over fresh fruit. Oh the places you’ll go.

Sticking with the Mediterranean idea I fixed a couple of artichokes for lunch and made a raw cashew hummus to dip them in. I used to sing a song to my girls when they were small, "Down in Monterrey, the artichokes grow.......take a little nibble, throw away the rest." Artichokes are not for a fast food day. They take about 45 minutes to go from pot to table. Alone, they are only 25 calories, and supply potassium, vitamin C, folate, Magnesium and fiber. The calories come with the sauce. So hummus is a good choice, loaded with protein and vitamins.

Raw Cashew Hummus
1 cup raw cashews, chopped
15 oz chick peas with liquid
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons EV Olive Oil
3 tablespoons lemon
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika - if you can find one, chose a smokey paprika

Throw it all into your blender and blend away until smooth. When a whole cashew lodged itself under my blender blade, slowing my progress, I added the 'chopped' direction to my recipe. Compared to other hummus', this one is a little sweet.

Artichoke, cashew hummus and a green salad with apple cider vinegar and honey vinaigrette will make you feel very Mediterranean. It's "in" to eat a Mediterranean diet.