Renewable Revolution

Nasturmiums: The Prolific Edible Flower

Easy, Colorful Edible Nasturtiums

by guest author - Alice Formiga
 
Colorful, edible, butterfly-like nasturtium blossoms have delighted gardeners and cooks alike for centuries. At different times in their history, they’ve been considered a vegetable, an herb, a flower, and even a fruit! The name nasturtium comes from the Latin words for nose (nas), and tortum (twist), referring to a persons’ reaction upon tasting the spicy, bittersweet leaves. Renaissance botanists named it after watercress, (Nasturtium officinale in Latin) which tastes similar.



The garden nasturtiums we grow today descend mainly from 2 species native to Peru. The first, brought to Europe by Spanish conquistadors in the late 15th to early 16th century, was Tropaeolum minus, a semi-trailing vine bearing spurred, lightly scented orange-yellow flowers with dark red spots on the petals and shield-shaped leaves.


According to Jesuit missionaries, the Incas used nasturtiums as a salad vegetable and as a medicinal herb.

In the late 17th century, a Dutch botanist introduced the taller, more vigorous Tropaeolum majus, a trailing vine with darker orange flowers and more rounded leaves. Since Spanish and Dutch herbalists shared seeds with their counterparts, the pretty, fragrant and easy-to-grow plants quickly became widespread throughout around Europe and Britain.      

http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/nasturtiums.html   

Nasturtiums were commonly known in Europe as Indian Cress or a translation of “Capucine cress”, in reference to the flower shape, which resembles Capucine monks’ hooded robes. Leaves of both species were eaten in salads; unripe seeds and flower buds were pickled and served as a substitute for capers.





(We know now that these pickled flower buds are high in oxalic acid and therefore should not be eaten in large quantities.)

Their ornamental value was also appreciated: flowers were used in nosegays, and planted to adorn trellises or cascade down stone walls. They became especially popular after being displayed in the palace flowerbeds of French king Louis XIV.


Although it is sometimes reported that nasturtiums were introduced to the US by the Philadelphia seedsman Bernard McMahon in 1806, they were recorded here as early as 1759.


Thomas Jefferson planted them in his vegetable garden at Monticello from at least 1774 onward. Interestingly, in one entry in his garden book, he categorized it as a fruit amongst others such as the tomato, indicating that he ate the pickled seeds.

Most nasturtiums grown at this time were the tall, trailing orange variety. Over the course of the 19th century, breeders produced smaller, more compact types that mounded neatly into containers or formed a colorful, less sprawling edge to flower beds. Cultivars with cream and green variegated foliage appeared, as well as the vermilion-flowered Empress of India, with its strikingly contrasting blue-green leaves.


These developments paralleled the gradual shift in the perception of nasturtiums from edible and herbal garden mainstays to viewing them as ornamental landscape plants. 

Monet let large swaths ramble along a walk at Giverny. The flowers and long-lasting leaves were popular in Victorian bouquets and table arrangements.


Nasturtiums were still eaten, however, and were known to help prevent scurvy, since the leaves are rich in Vitamin C.

Later 20th century contributions to nasturtium breeding include the introduction of varieties with spurless, upward-facing blossoms and flowers that float higher above the leaves, perfect for bedding or containers. A full spectrum of flower colors is now available, including single colors—useful for landscape designs: pale yellow, golden, orange, brick-red, cherry pink, salmon, crimson, and dark mahogany. The recent interest in edible flowers, herbs, ornamental kitchen gardens and heirloom flowers has helped keep a full array of old and new cultivars available for every possible use. Here are my top 5 favorites:


Whirlybird: When I plant flowers in my mostly green vegetable garden, I like a cheerful mix of rainbow colors. Whirlybird comes in some of the most interesting shades like cherry pink and mahogany among the usual red, orange and yellow—and it’s easier to clean any stray bugs out of the spurless blossoms! Whirlybirds also produce more flowers than some of the trailing types in richer soil, and their compact habit allows the vegetables enough space.


Amazon Jewel: All nasturtiums illuminate and reflect light wherever they are planted but these variegated beauties in deep red, warm orange, gold, lemon and rose, are absolutely the most dramatic. I like these best to cover daffodil beds that have finished flowering, or in a place where they can ramble and beautify a neglected corner.


Moonlight, with its buttery yellow blossoms, is ideal for those who prefer a more subtle color palette. It’s my favorite vining variety for growing up a trellis; one year, some pale blue morning glories intertwined through the pale yellow flowers and the effect was dreamy.


Empress of India: A collector’s heirloom with unusual blue-green leaves and long-spurred, deep red flowers, Empress of India is beautiful underneath tall summer-flowering bulbs or dahlias. It also matches darker leaved vegetables such as kale or broccoli. Plant it in children’s gardens to attract hummingbirds!

Growing Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are easy to grow, although the saying “Be nasty to nasturtiums” is somewhat harsh: choose a well-drained site with soil that is not too rich in nitrogen (since too much nitrogen results in lots of foliage, but fewer blooms). I like to add compost in very sandy soil, though, to help hold moisture. In areas with cool summers, nasturtiums grow well in full sun, but in hot summer areas, afternoon shade and plenty of moisture give best results.

Press the large seeds directly into the ground after no more frost is expected and the soil is warmed up. In short-season areas, you can start seeds indoors, but this usually isn’t worth the effort, since plants grow and flower quickly once the weather turns warm.   
If you grow trailing varieties on a trellis, help train and tie them up as needed, since they don’t produce clinging tendrils.

Much folklore exists involving nasturtiums’ supposed ability to repel pests due to their peppery taste and pungent scent. In my garden, however, slugs enjoy hiding beneath the shade of their broad leaves (you can collect them there!  ) and aphids adore them. For this reason, organic gardeners often sow them at the base of fruit trees as a trap crop. My neighbor, Dave, plants nasturtiums every season, swearing that they keep pests off his tomato vines. Given the wealth of contradictory information, I’ve concluded that planting nasturtiums will probably not significantly affect the pest populations on your other crops! 



Eating Nasturtiums

For tastiest nasturtium leaves, keep the plants well watered, which helps to moderate the spiciness of the leaves and flowers. I prefer to toss them among sweeter greens like butterhead or crunchy Batavian lettuce, rather than with other bitter greens.




They add a refreshing bite to a classic potato salad with hard-boiled eggs and a mayonnaise dressing, and pair well with seafood. A handful of the bright colored flower petals are delicious chopped into a shrimp or crab salad sandwich filling, and the whole flowers and leaves make a great garnish for a platter of grilled salmon.


Nasturtium Ravioli


After picking nasturtium flowers for eating, make sure to double check that you’ve washed out any insects that might be hiding within the spurs! I prefer breaking the petals into salads rather than using them whole to keep the flavor less overwhelming, but whole flowers make beautiful and festive decorations.

Use the petals to decorate any savory open-faced sandwiches. Children are invariably delighted that the flowers are edible, too!



However you use them, spicy-sweet nasturtium flowers are a wonderful way to introduce edible flowers from the garden to both children and uninitiated adults.

http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/nasturtiums.html



Nasturtium Leaves


Nasturtium Leaves as nutritious food wrappers


YUMMY!   Nasturtiums on cottage chees and crackers!




Link To view all Renee's Garden Nasturtiums below (Amazingly varied cultivar shapes and colors!):
http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/seeds-hm/flowersN.htm#nast

nasturtium

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | DAVID A. BENDER

nasturtium Both the leaves and seeds of Tropaeolum officinalis can be eaten; they have a hot flavour. The seeds can be pickled as a substitute for capers, and the flowers can be used to decorate salads.


http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/nasturtium.aspx#3

Nasturtium officinale (Watercress, not ornamental nasturtium {Tropaeolum majus and T. minus})

Leaves (Fresh weight)

Water: 93.3
Calories: 19
Protein: 2.2
Fat: 0.3
Carbohydrate: 3
Fibre: 0.69999
Ash: 1.2
Calcium: 151
Phosphorus: 54
Iron: 1.7
Sodium: 52
Potassium: 282
Vitamin A: 2940
Thiamine: 0.07999
Riboflavin: 0.15999
 Niacin: 0.89999
Vitamin C: 79


http://www.anapsid.org/resources/ediblenutrients.html

nasturtium Tropaeolum majus

Nasturtium produces benzyl isothiocyanate, a volatile mustard oil with an acrid, penetrant odor. This is hot to taste, and in highly concentrated, pure form irritates the mucosa. Benzyl isothiocyanate may be regarded as a thoroughly fiery, sulfurous compound.

The mustard oil is present throughout the plant but is not immediately perceptible. It only develops its characteristic odor and taste when the tissue is destroyed, e.g. by chewing a leaf or a flower.

The plant "hides" the sulfurous qualities of the oil by binding it to sulfate (a salt-like or saline form of sulfur) and sugar.  The intact plant thus contains a "benzyl isothiocyanate sulfate glycoside."

This, in fact, makes the lipophilic benzyl isothiocyanate water- soluble, so that it can be deposited in the vacuole. Metabolic end products are characteristically "excreted" to the inside in vacuoles. Volatile oil plants often let their material flow freely out into the atmosphere; nasturtium keeps its mustard oil hidden deep inside the cell.

When the plant tissue is damaged, the enzyme myrosinase comes in contact with and is able to act on the glycosides and "detonate the mustard oil bomb," as Zurich plant physiologist, Matile, once put it. Nasturtium is able to control a highly sulfurous compound such as benzyl isothiocyanate in saline form and store high concentrations of it in all its organs.

The morphology shows tension between lush vegetative growth and powerful flowering processes for the whole period of development. In the plant's constituents the opposite qualities of Sal and Sulfur encounter each other.

Medicinal actions

Since the early 1950's, nasturtium has proved widely effective in the treatment of respiratory and urinary infections. Benzyl isothiocyanate inhibits or kills Gram positive and negative bacteria and fungi. To date, resistance has hardly ever developed! 

It is interesting to note that the nasturtium action is exclusively on the lungs, kidneys and bladder, organs that deal intensively with the interplay of air and water.

Urinary tract infections frequently follow a chill, and this can be countered with this "northern" yet thoroughly sulfurous plant.

Compared to phytotherapy, where it is given only by the oral route, nasturtium plays a key role in the Wala acne preparations for topical use. Acne vulgaris presents a paradox in skin metabolism. On one hand hyperkeratosis produces blackheads. The masses of hardened keratin do not dissolve easily.

On the other hand sebaceous gland hyperactivity leads to seborrhea. The excess sebum provides a nutrient base for bacteria which break it down into fatty acids that cause skin irritation. Fatty acids are normally broken down with the help of endogenous lipases in the human food metabolism.

With acne, we have a pathological degradation of fats by foreign organ- isms on the skin, i.e. in the neurosensory system. Inflammatory efflorescences go hand in hand with this.

Nasturtium may be said to be able to overcome the two fundamental pathological processes in acne. It avoids all hardening processes and also has a superb ability to control its mustard oil metabolism, keeping it in its proper place (the vacuole).

http://www.anthromed.org/Article.aspx?artpk=248
 

Research shows the ability of celery juice and celery extracts to lower the activity of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), as well as the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB). Decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1B (IL-1B) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) have also been seen in these studies. All of these four messaging molecules play a key role in the body's inflammatory responses, and keeping them in check is an important step in the prevention of unwanted inflammation.

LONG, DETAILED article here with excellent nutritional information and studies about Celery. It turns out that eating it chopped is DIFFERENT nutritionally from eating it whole!  And don't let the bitter taste of the leaves stop you from eating them. They are important for your health. 

Be sure to use the leaves—they contain the most vitamin C, calcium, and potassium—but use them within a day or two as they do not store very well.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=14

MORE GOOD INFO: Many people assume that celery leaves are poisonous because they associate them as being a member of the same family as nightshade.

Nightshade Vegetables

However, celery is actually not a member of the nightshade, but is an umbelliferae, whose brothers and sisters include carrots and fennel. In any event, nightshade is indeed described as "moderately poisonous," and it is indeed a Solanum, a member of the same family as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. But you can't extrapolate from one member to another and assume that all Solanums are poisonous just because one of them is, (although it pays to check: With some nightshade relations, such as the  potato, the leaves are indeed toxic).

Nightshade vegetables include those vegetables which come under the family Solanaceae. In the early years these vegetables were believed to be poisonous. The poisonous and evil effects of these vegetables gave them the name 'Nightshade Vegetables'. Some believe they grow in shade and are poisonous hence they got this name. Well, as there are controversies regarding its name, the same case is with its harmfulness. Some claim that they are harmful and some say they are not. Let's check out which all vegetables come under this category.


Nightshade Vegetables List
Tomato
Eggplant
Pepper (Except black and white pepper)
Potato
Garden Huckleberry
Ground Cherries
Tobacco
Previously tomato and other plants were used as show plants and were not eaten but later it was included in the daily diet.

Say what, JD?


"Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so."  Bertrand Russell

So, does that mean you DON'T eat the celery leaves because of what you learned in college about the Solanaceae family?

Yeah, I have a very specific working knowledge of what alkaloids ARE and what they DO. Something you failed to mention is that low concentrations of the alkaloids in food products can detoxify your system and improve your immune function. It's all about concentration percentage, something you painted with a rather broad, unscientific "stroke" with the statement about rules being there for a reason. Of course HIGH concentrations can poison you. That's not the issue. We are homeostatic creatures where nutrition is NEVER, unless we are talking heavy metals, about NEVER eating something because it has some alkaloids in it. To advocate total avoidance is ideology, not CFS. Native Americans didn't avoid acorns because of the tannins, they just figured out a way to GET RID OF THE TANNINS before they ate them. 

You've got a Masters Degree in Agriculture and DIDN'T KNOW that the nutritional value of celery changes whether chopped or not, YET you didn't say ANYTHING about THAT.   Rather, you came out with that rather pedantic statement about "rules being made for a reason" (see no ****, Sherlock). I'm not a student in your class and my knowledge of biology is on a par with yours so don't play that high and mighty professor game with me. I expected more humility from a person of your erudition in plant biology.

What's the problem JD? Does your high degree of education inhibit you from admitting ignorance or learning new, valuable nutritional facts.

Do you want to learn a little about alkaloids that is BENEFICIAL to us or do you want to bask in your  Masters Degree and vast knowledge of organic agriculture? Pride cometh before, not just a fall, but a ****pot load of errors of judgement and lost opportunities. 

"... biologically active secondary metabolites, which may have both adverse and beneficial effects in the diet. These include glycoalkaloids, calystegine alkaloids, protease inhibitors, lectins, phenolic compounds, and chlorophyll. Because glycoalkaloids are reported to be involved in host-plant resistance and to have a variety of adverse as well as beneficial effects in cells, animals, and humans, a need exists to develop a clearer understanding of their roles both in the plant and in the diet.

To contribute to this effort, this integrated review presents data on the

(a) history of glycoalkaloids;

(b) glycoalkaloid content in different parts of the potato plant, in processed potato products, and in wild, transgenic, and organic potatoes;

(c) biosynthesis, inheritance, plant molecular biology, and glycoalkaloid-plant phytopathogen relationships;

(d) dietary significance with special focus on the chemistry, analysis, and nutritional quality of low-glycoalkaloid potato protein;

(e) pharmacology and toxicology of the potato glycoalkaloids comprising alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine and their hydrolysis products (metabolites);

(f) anticarcinogenic and other beneficial effects; and

(g) possible dietary consequences of concurrent consumption of glycoalkaloids and other biologically active compounds present in fresh and processed potatoes. An enhanced understanding of the multiple and overlapping aspects of glycoalkaloids in the plant and in the diet will benefit producers and consumers of potatoes."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17090106


Here's some more: 

"Generally, alkaloids are amalgams that do not have any scent and boast of a distinctive outcome on the animals' body mechanism or function. Owing to these properties, alkaloids have significant therapeutic value and form the ingredients of many important medicines. The alkaloids also comprise strong vegetable toxics and sedatives. Substances like caffeine and theobromine that are closely associated with natural purine (substance that can be converted to uric acid in the body) compounds are normally categorized as alkaloids.

Here are a few things to remember.

First and foremost, nearly all herbs enclose some or other kind of alkaloids in their structures. This includes even those plants that are considered to be perfectly safe. Here it is the case of the complete plant being more than simply the total of all its parts.

Second, medications that contain significant levels of alkaloids have a direct toxic impact and hence when anyone takes these drugs in excess they are bound to lead to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea or affect the central nervous system. Since plant alkaloids are natural, they often produce menacing effects of the remedies. On the other hand, synthetic alkaloids are designed such that they do not prove harmful beyond a limit. However, many herbalists are of the opinion that the instant annoyance caused by the medications containing plant alkaloids are an important and necessary part of the stimulating action required for healing from any disorder."

Here's MORE PROOF that what you assume is not the be all, end all of chemical knowledge and mechanisms of alkaloids on human cells from the night shade or WHATEVER family. 

"Over the years, many people have tried to define alkaloid in different forms chemically, but none has been satisfactory. The word alkaloid has been initially drawn from the word ‘vegetable alkali' and was used to express the baseness or alkalinity of a number of initial alkaloidal segregations.

Generally speaking, alkaloids comprise almost all alkaline nitrogenous materials having distinct physiological consequences. All said and done, colchicine and ricinine are not alkaline in nature, while mescaline, ephedrine and muscarine do not enclose nitrogen.

This is despite the fact that alkaloids are conventionally known to be delivered from higher plants, and even animals as well as lower organisms are identified as alkaloid producers. Normally, the majority of the alkaloids are heterocyclic (a compound containing a closed ring of atoms of which at least one is not a carbon atom) in nature. But there are others like mescaline, ephedrine and hordenine that are non-cyclic and these are also often known as ‘protoalkaloids'.

Besides, being venomous - the primary function of the alkaloids in all vegetation appears to be to protect them from grazing animals and herbivorous insects - so far no one has taken the effort to recapitulate the exploits of alkaloids. In fact, each variety of alkaloid has its own distinct quality and this is yet to be summarized by the herbalists. While there is no brief account available of the alkaloids' actions, record regarding the variety and classification of the alkaloids is obtainable and one can have a fair idea concerning them.

There are numerous separate examples of alkaloids and their actions and they generally offer a picture of the substances being poisonous and significantly vigorous. However, these examples do not do justice to the alkaloids as more often than not they are an exaggerated description and paint the alkaloids as infamous substances."

http://www.herbs2000.com/h_menu/alkaloids.htm

Your broad stroke condemnation of alkaloids is  reductionist and unscientific, JDwheeler.  Shame on you. 

Now then, if you want to pursue the ardent sophistry of a 14 kt Gold example of an argumentative ARSE, GIANT PRIDE FILLED EGO that believes humility and/or admitting fault, regardless of the reality of the fault, is a "weakness"( like RE  ), just go to the links and

A: Undermine the credentials of the article writers. 

B: Question the validity of the claims and research as "unproven speculation" and "dangerously irresponsible".

C: Label my response to your comment as "fringe" science, "not accepted by academia with rigorous peer review".   

D: Give me a "friendly" reminder that I am "embarrassing" myself with such "unscientific" claims.   
 
E: OR ALL THE ABOVE. 

But THIS is what a responsible scientist does when chastened for spreading erroneous assumptions:





 

JD,
Prod away! I'm sure somebody might learn something from it.

Green (unripe) Plantains are normally a third again as large as the species of banana eaten in the USA.    They can get QUITE LARGE (you would NOT BE ABLE to eat a banana as large as some plantains in one sitting). However, the ones shipped to the USA are usually just about the same or a bit larger than a large banana.

The above is NOT photo-shopped. I have seen and held plantains this large in my hands. Yep. Plaintains get REALLY BIG sometimes!  It is a fact that, when tourist women see them for the first time, they have a hard time looking away from these specimens of the plant kingdom.

In the green form they are used as a starch like a potato (baked, fried chips, boiled, etc)  and are eaten this way far more often than in the yellow/black (ripe) manner (I.E. the OPPOSITE of how Americans eat bananas). When ripe and sweet they are cooked in many ways from a baked desert to a fried sweet treat to providing a baked sweet accent to seasoned ground meat (think of turkey stuffing) with olives and cheese. They are much sweeter than a sweet potato but less sweet than a ripe banana.

9 Ways To Add Plantains To Your Diet     

by Chris Kresser

Plantains aren’t very popular in the U.S., but they’re one of the most delicious, nutrient-dense, and versatile “safe starches” you can find. Read on to learn nine great ways to incorporate plantains into your diet.

Plantains are a staple in Latin American cooking, but they’re relatively unknown in the US, Canada, and other western, industrialized countries. This is unfortunate, because they’re one of the most versatile starches available (as you will see below). They’re also rich in nutrients like potassium, beta carotene, vitamin B6, and vitamin C, and a good source of dietary fiber.

While I’m a huge fan of plantains, I’ll admit they have a couple of disadvantages as a staple starch, at least in the U.S.: they’re difficult to find in some places (especially organic), and they are shipped from places like Mexico and Central America. I make a big effort to eat locally for many reasons, and that is simply not possible with plantains.

That said, if you live in a place where they are available (try Latin markets if your supermarket doesn’t stock them), they can make a great occasional addition to your diet.


Some green (unripe) and some yellow/black (ripe) plantains


These are NOT over ripe! 
 They are PERFECT for sweet fried plantains! The skin is ALWAYS removed prior to cooking plantains.

Plantains can be prepared in numerous ways, and their flavor ranges from savory to sweet, depending on ripeness. Green (unripe) plantains are savory, while yellow/black (ripe) plantains will be quite sweet. Make sure to use the correct type of plantains called for in each preparation method below.


Fried Plantains

#1: Fried Plantains

This is the method that most people who’ve eaten plantains are probably familiar with, as it’s common in Latin American cuisine. If you’ve ever eaten at a Brazilian restaurant, or spent time in Costa Rica or Nicaragua, you’ve probably had fried plantains.   

Preparation:
Use plantains that are somewhere between just starting to ripen (light yellow) to very ripe (yellow with black spots), depending on your preference. I happen to like them not as sweet, so I go with light yellow/green. Slice them into 1/2 inch rounds, and fry at medium heat with expeller-pressed coconut oil, ghee, lard, or other stable cooking fat.

#2: Plantain Chips

You’ll need a dehydrator (this is a good starter model) to make these, but they’re worth the effort. Plantain chips are not only delicious, they’re also a great source of resistant starch, which has many benefits. And they make an ideal travel snack and addition to your children’s lunch boxes.

(Note that plantain chips will only contain resistant starch when they’re made with a dehydrator, since cooking plantains at higher temperatures destroys most of the resistant starch they contain.)

Preparation:
Buy green plantains, slice into 1/4” rounds, add sea salt to taste, and place in a dehydrator. Dehydrate until crisp.

#3: Plantain Tortillas

This is one of my “secret” uses of plantains, but I can’t claim to have figured it out on my own. I learned the recipe from Simone Shifnadel, the author of The Zenbelly Cookbook (one of my top 3 favorite Paleo cookbooks).

I grew up eating a lot of Mexican food, so I like to have a “taco night” every now and then. When we do, we’ll make seasoned ground beef, prepare bunch of toppings (tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, fresh salsa, etc.) and wrap it all in these plantain tortillas. Yum!

Here’s the recipe, which Simone has graciously allowed me to post here. Check out her book for some other fantastic creations. She catered my book launch party last year, and the food was incredible.

*Make sure you have parchment paper for this recipe

Ingredients:
•3-4 yellow plantains (about 2 to 2 & 1/2 pounds)
•1/3 cup egg whites (2 to 3 large eggs)
•3 tablespoons lard or fat of your choice, melted, plus more for greasing the parchment paper
•1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
•1 teaspoon lime juice

Preparation:
•Preheat oven to 350 F.
•Peel the plantains by cutting off the tops and bottoms and slicing through the skin along the length of the plantain.
•Roughly chop the plantains and place in the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender.
•Add the egg whites, melted lard, salt, and lime juice. Blend until very smooth.
•Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or work in batches if you only have one).
•Grease the parchment paper liberally.
•Using a small ladle or disher, drop four 1/4-cup portions of batter onto each pan, leaving plenty of room between each one.
•Using the ladle and/or a rubber spatula, smooth out the batter into thin circles. Get them as thin as you can while still keeping them intact.
•Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are dry to the touch and just starting to brown at the edges. If using two pans at once, switch halfway through.
•Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to grease the parchment paper each time.

#4: Plantain Pancakes & Waffles

I’ve never been fully satisfied with the Paleo pancakes made from almond and coconut flours. They don’t get fluffy like pancakes should, and many people are sensitive to nuts or the insoluble fiber in coconut flour.

The great thing about these pancakes/waffles is they’re not only gluten- and grain-free, they’re also nut- and flour-free! They’re made with whole plantains and eggs, so eating these is really not that different than having scrambled eggs and sliced plantains for breakfast. Guilt-free pancakes!

And if you have kids, these will be an absolute hit. Sylvie loves them to death.

The recipe comes from Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, aka The Paleo Mom. You can find it here. She’s got a lot of other great recipes for people following an autoimmune Paleo diet on her blog, as well as an autoimmune Paleo cookbook. Check them out!

#5: Smashed Plantains

This one comes from Brendan & Megan Keatley over at Health-Bent, another fantastic blog for Paleo foodies.

This is a very simple—yet nourishing and hearty—recipe. You can use smashed plantains as a savory substitute for mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes.

Check out the recipe here (and make sure to poke around their site for other delicious recipes).


Step ONE in making Tostones.   


Garlic Tostones

#6: Garlic Tostones

Tostones—also known as patacones, chatinos (Cuba), fritos verdes (Dominican Republic), and banan peze (Haiti)—are fried slices of (usually) green plantains. They differ from the fried plantains in #1 in that they are often smashed after cooking, and sometimes twice-fried.

Here is a recipe for tostones that I found online. I would recommend using expeller-pressed coconut oil or ghee for frying, rather than the vegetable oil they suggest. If you are sensitive to FODMAPs, simply omit the garlic.

#7: Plantain Soup (Crema de Plátano Verde)

This is a simple, cheap, and delicious soup that can be enjoyed at any time of year, but is particularly nourishing during the winter months.

Here’s a traditional recipe that you can work from. We will typically add either bacon or shredded chicken—or sometimes both.

#8: Mofongo

Mofongo is essentially fried green plantains that are mashed and mixed with bacon and fat. They can be served as a side with any meat dish, formed into small balls and dropped into soups, or used to stuff meats and vegetables.

Here is a recipe that can get you started. Again, I’d suggest using expeller-pressed coconut oil or lard as the cooking fat rather than canola oil.

#9: Plantain Stuffing

I had to include this one with the holidays approaching. If you’re looking for an alternative to bread stuffing, and don’t want to use a meat-based Paleo stuffing, this is a good choice.

Here is a recipe that looks good. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, substitute a safer cooking fat like ghee or expeller-pressed coconut oil for vegetable oil. (Note: I haven’t tried it myself, but I’m planning on it for Thanksgiving this week.)

There are so many more dishes that I could have listed here, including deserts like Platanos al Amibar, stews like Sancocho, and holiday dishes like Pasteles en Hoja (time consuming, but worth it!). Plantains really are incredibly versatile.
http://chriskresser.com/9-ways-to-add-plantains-to-your-diet


Seasoned ground meat in mashed baked Plantain (Pionono) YUMMY! 

A Decade of Hard Work Turns into Historic Marijuana Victory in Congress

Wisdom from William Duncan Hunter from about a year ago:

"There are four primary reasons Cannabis is illegal. And not just illegal, but the focus of our Government's war on drugs, a civil war, Americans against Americans.

I. There are as many as 200 different medical conditions that respond favorably to marijuana. There is no known plant or compound that is so widely beneficial, with so much potential for market share. Or rather, as it can be grown indoors or outdoors just about anywhere in the United States, it is a market share eliminator. Pharmaceutical companies are the second most powerful lobby in America, behind the Oil Industry. They will do whatever is necessary to maintain control of that market share.

II. Hemp, the unsmokeable variety of Cannabis, is without question the most useful plant on the planet. It is so useful, so flexible, it could be the raw material for a multi-trillion dollar tier of industries, from paper, to food, to clothing, to bio-fuel, to housing material, etc. It can grow just about anywhere, and it does not require herbicides. It would also compete with corn for room in the fields, which means all of corporate Agri-business and most industrial food producers align against hemp, as do logging interests.

III. There are, according to the DEA, 45,000 people in federal jails on marijuana convictions. That does not include state, county and private facilities. There are more than 500,000 marijuana arrests each year. Marijuana laws keep law enforcement and prosecutors busy, and jails full. In addition, treatment facilities benefit from an influx of "offenders", often under-age, who are given a choice between jail and treatment. An industry has sprung up around drug testing, though the only thing such tests are likely to find is marijuana, as nearly everything else (being more objectionable) leaves the body more quickly; and there is no evidence of any kind that shows a decrease in work-production among those who smoke marijuana.

IV. Smoking pot makes people peaceful. Ronald Reagan called it "the most dangerous drug in America," not because the plant is dangerous, but because it can help people stop, think and consider, which is dangerous for the State. Had we all puffed in 1979, we might have reconsidered the idea of turning American Democracy into Plutocratic Empire. It's hard to build and maintain Empire if the people desire peace. Felony marijuana convictions disenfranchise the poor and the peaceful, preventing them from voting. That, and simple marijuana possession, under the statutes of the State, is cause for the State to confiscate everything you own. A constant reminder to those who tend toward peace - we the State have established and maintain the power to destroy you.

Suppose I want to make hemp paper. I can import hemp from Canada, or the European Union, but I cannot buy it from a farmer in the United States? Why? This is a free enterprise system, yes?

The violence of the marijuana trade would decrease to non-existent within a year, if it was legal to grow. But that is not the point, if you are the State. It is instructive that the only people who want to keep marijuana illegal, more than the experts at the NIDA, or Law Enforcement, or big Ag or pharmaceutical peddlers, are big time drug dealers. The flower of Cannabis sativa, marijuana, which is the flower of a weed, is as much as $3000-4000 a pound, more if you sell it by the eighth ounce. It would be about $10 a pound if anyone could grow it, without fear of having their life destroyed by the State.

Hemp is so valuable in real terms that it may prove to be incredibly important to local economies in an age without abundant fossil fuels. American ingenuity loosed on that plant would transform the culture dramatically, in a healthy way. It may prove to be such a prolific plant, that when fully established as a commodity, it could help provide local sustainability and autonomy, even help put an end to the dominance of the centralized Nation-State.

Cannabis prohibition, top to bottom, is a lie. No Republic that rests so fundamentally upon a lie can stand. It is not a Republic when the State perpetuates such a lie. A government that practices such a lie is not fully legitimate. A democracy beholden to such a lie is not fully mature.

We can all agree, smoking marijuana under the age of 18 is not a good idea, at least not in daily abundance. Under observance, for understanding, in a sacred way, is something else entirely. This however, takes maturity to understand, accept and teach, maturity made criminal by the State. The cultural ninnie would rather demonize than understand in a mature fashion, which only makes a thing more attractive to young people who are not attracted to hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

The criminal status of marijuana, because it rests on a lie, makes the growing, selling and smoking of it an act of defiance against tyranny. Though all things in moderation, sayeth the wise sage. Growing, selling or smoking becomes less political the greater the profit, the greater the consumption. With exceptions, of course. Medicinally, I trust you to know what you need. For profit, are you out to feed your family, or are you after bling?

The criminal status of marijuana, because it rests on a lie, makes the prosecution of those laws subject to conscience. But what is conscience, to one whose livelihood depends upon the maintenance of a lie? "

5 Places to Sneak Hemp Into Your Diet


Yes, I know Hemp doesn't have the THC content of Cannabis but the point is that Cannabis is every bit as medicinal and nutritional as hemp is! 

Our justice system is CRIMINAL: 

We’ve reduced the nutrients and increased the sugar and starch content of hundreds of other fruits and vegetables.  How can we begin to recoup the losses? 

SNIPPET:

EUROPEAN settlers were content with this colorful corn until the summer of 1779 when they found something more delectable — a yellow variety with sweeter and more tender kernels.

This unusual variety came to light that year after George Washington ordered a scorched-earth campaign  against Iroquois tribes. 

While the militia was destroying the food caches of the Iroquois and burning their crops, soldiers came across a field of extra-sweet yellow corn. According to one account, a lieutenant named Richard Bagnal took home some seeds to share with others.

Our old-fashioned sweet corn is a direct descendant of these spoils of war. 

Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food   

By JO ROBINSON
 
Published: May 25, 2013

WE like the idea that food can be the answer to our ills, that if we eat nutritious foods we won’t need medicine or supplements. We have valued this notion for a long, long time. The Greek physician Hippocrates proclaimed nearly 2,500 years ago: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Today, medical experts concur. If we heap our plates with fresh fruits and vegetables, they tell us, we will come closer to optimum health.   

This health directive needs to be revised. If we want to get maximum health benefits from fruits and vegetables, we must choose the right varieties.

Studies published within the past 15 years show that much of our produce is relatively low in phytonutrients, which are the compounds with the potential to reduce the risk of four of our modern scourges: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia. The loss of these beneficial nutrients did not begin 50 or 100 years ago, as many assume. Unwittingly, we have been stripping phytonutrients from our diet since we stopped foraging for wild plants some 10,000 years ago and became farmers.

These insights have been made possible by new technology that has allowed researchers to compare the phytonutrient content of wild plants with the produce in our supermarkets. The results are startling.



http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html