"What Would You Like To Celebrate This Season?" I've featured R.W. Knudsen several times on Gratitude Gourmet because their drinks are the perfect, healthy compliment to a variety of meals. R.W. Knudsen Family has great Celebratory beverages with flavors like Sparkling Cranberry, Sparkling Kosher Grape and Sparkling Organic Pear, and the festive flavors are made with all-natural, 100% juice for a holiday choice you can feel good about. There are no added sugars, artificial flavors or preservatives, and are elegantly packaged in champagne-style bottles. Open a bottle for a holiday toast that the whole family can enjoy, bring to a party as a host gift, or add a splash of color to your holiday table. Gratitude Gourmet Giveaway Opportunity! R.W. Knudsen Family and Gratitude Gourmet have partnered on a special gift this season. Just Provide your thoughts on: "What You Would Like To Celebrate This Season?" on our Facebook Page or Comment on this Blog Post and you may win a variety of R.W. Knudsen Celebratory beverages to enjoy with your family. There will be 3 Winners so Enter Today! Join our Gratitude Gourmet Healthy Food Box Monthly Delivery Program, and Receive Free Shipping on deliveries to your home or office. As an added bonus for joining now, you will receive one delicious box of Gratitude Gourmet Chocolate Pralines as our gift to you for the Holidays. These are convenient, healthy gifts containing vegan and mostly organic sweet, healthy snack, cereal, and soup product surprises for $19.99 each month with free US shipping. SUBSCRIBE on our HOME PAGE HERE, and your first box with your Chocolate Holiday Gift will be delivered as soon as possible for the holidays. Enjoy! Bellini A Bellini made with Prosecco and Peach Puree is a Great Holiday Drink! What's your Holiday Drink recommendation? Please share on Facebook with a Picture if you have it. If your drink is chosen as one of our favorites, we'll let everyone know on Facebook and place it and your recommendation on our Gratitude Gourmet Drinks Page! Cheers! Nominate Gratitude Gourmet for the Social Impact Crunchies 2011 Award, sponsored by Techcrunch. Gratitude Gourmet was founded in May 2008 to bring awareness on food & climate emissions - we've spoken around the US & World. Organizations, journalists & magazines took note & published articles based on our work & asked us to speak at conferences. We also enjoyed our opportunity as a Stanford Engineering for Good Class GreenTech Advisor. More information about Gratitude Gourmet's Work is here. Thank you very much in advance for nominating us here, Mary Trefethen Winery I really enjoy hearing Winery Owner Stories. Here are some Trefethen Napa California Winery Video Stories I captured during the Napa Walnut Harvest Visit, including the fact that each employee goes home with fresh produce from the Vineyard's working farm, and how the Winery preserves an old Walnut Tree and plants the vineyard around it. During the Holidays, Vineyard Partners receive a bag of Walnuts as gifts. The Tree is also home to visiting raptors, bees, and sometimes a mother coyote and pups. I've also included a few pictures including one with Mollie Katzen, co-creator of the Moosewood Restaurant near Cornell University Ithaca New York and Cookbook author with millions of books in print, and named by the New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time. Dr Roizen also spoke this same evening (see video) about taking his family to the Moosewood Restaurant to experience healthy vegetarian food. I also enjoyed my experience at Moosewood Restaurant while visiting Ithaca for a Conference. I think you'll enjoy these 2 Videos. Cheers!! :) All California Walnut Harvest 2011 Stories and Videos by Gratitude Gourmet
1. Dr Roizen speaks on US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes & US Economic Competitiveness 2. Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy’s Walnut Emulsion Recipe 3. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup 4. California Walnut Orchard Visit - Farmer Introduction - Walnut Shaker 5. Chef Todd Humphries Recipes: Celery Salad & Walnut Bread Pudding 6. Videos: Trefethen Winery Stories - California Walnut Harvest Celery Salad Here are Two Great Recipes from the Walnut Harvest Tour Dinner at Trefethen Winery catered by Chef Todd Humphries. Note if you want non-dairy options, here are some substitutions: - instead of eggs, you can use ground flaxseed and water - instead of milk and cream, you can use Almond or Soy Milk - instead of cheese, you can use a variety of vegan cheeses Enjoy! Celery Salad with Gorgonzola Dolce, Dates, Creamy White Balsamic Vinaigrette and Walnut Shavings For the celery salad: 1 head of celery, separated into stalks and washed (about 12 stalks) Salt and pepper 5 - 6 ounces Gorgonzola Dolce cheese, cut into about 24 small pieces or cubes 12 – 14 Medjool dates, pitted and cut in bite sized pieces Reserved celery leaves 1/2 cup walnut shavings, or finely chopped California walnuts* For the creamy white balsamic vinaigrette: 1 teaspoon orange marmalade 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper *Note: A micro plane grater is useful for producing walnut shavings, as is a rotary grater with a slicing blade. Otherwise, use finely chopped walnuts. Remove and set aside about 1/2 cup, more or less, of celery leaves from the tops of the stalks. To prepare the celery salad, use a vegetable peeler to peel the rounded side of the larger, outside stalks to remove any stringy fibers. Slice the celery very thinly and put it in a large bowl (you will have 5 – 6 cups of sliced celery). Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Refrigerate the celery until you are not assembling the salad right away. In the meantime, prepare the Vinaigrette. To prepare the vinaigrette, place the marmalade and mustard in a bowl and mash them together with the back of a spoon. Whisk in the vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to form a smooth emulsion. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks. Add the vinegar mixture to the cream and fold together until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To assemble the salad, drain and discard any accumulated juices from the celery. Add the dressing and stir to coat the celery evenly. Divide among six salad plates. Garnish each plate with about four pieces of cheese, several pieces of date and a few celery leaves. Sprinkle shaved or finely chopped walnuts over each salad. Serves 6 Nutrition information per serving: 396 calories, 8g protein, 42g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 23g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 6g monounsaturated fat, 6g polyunsaturated fat, 44mg cholesterol, 323mg sodium Recipe Courtesy of Chef Todd Humphries Walnut Bread Pudding Walnut Bread Pudding with Anglaise Sauce Ingredients: 2/3 cup California walnuts 3 cups heavy (whipping) cream 1/4 cup chopped dried candy cap mushrooms* 1 egg 2 egg yolks 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 10 ounces (about two-thirds of a 1-pound loaf) brioche, crusts removed 2 tablespoons dried currants 2 tablespoons golden raisins Maple Walnut Anglaise Sauce 1/4 cup California walnuts 1 1/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream 1/2 cup whole milk 1 tablespoon finely chopped dried candy cap mushrooms 6 tablespoons maple sugar* 4 egg yolks 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon vanilla *If maple sugar is hard to find, brown sugar may be substituted, though it will not have the subtle maple flavor. Walnut Bread Pudding *Note: Candy cap mushrooms are available in some specialty markets and farmer’s markets. Though they can be omitted if you can’t find them, with their intense maple flavor and aroma, they are worth seeking out, and they impart a unique quality to this pudding. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them, stirring once or twice, until they are well browned but not burned, about 8-10 minutes. Combine the cream, mushrooms and toasted walnuts in a saucepan. Bring the cream to a simmer, but do not boil, then set aside, off heat for 1 hour to infuse the cream with the mushroom and walnut flavors. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Whisk in the cream mixture, then add the vanilla. Pour the mixture through a strainer--to remove the walnuts and mushrooms--into a clean bowl. Before assembling the bread pudding, have the oven preheated to 350°F, and butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Have ready a larger pan that will hold the 8-inch pan comfortably, and a pot of simmering water. Cut the brioche into bite-size cubes. Spread half the cubes in the buttered baking pan. Sprinkle with half the currants and raisins. Top with the remaining brioche and sprinkle with the remaining currants and raisins. Pour the strained custard over, then press down gently on the brioche, so it absorbs the custard. Cover the baking pan with foil and set it in the larger pan. Pour enough simmering water in the larger pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Place in the oven and bake about 25 minutes. Rotate the pan, turning it front-to-back, and bake about 20 minutes more. Remove the foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until the custard is set and the top is very lightly browned. Cool before serving. Cover and refrigerate the pudding for storage. If you wish, it may be reheated in the oven before serving. Makes one 8-inch square pan, serves 12 Maple Walnut Anglaise Sauce Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a preheated 350°F oven, stirring once or twice, until well browned but not burned, 8 – 10 minutes. Combine the cream, milk, mushrooms and toasted walnuts in a saucepan. Heat until the milk is very hot but not boiling, then set aside off heat for 1 hour, to infuse the cream with the mushroom and walnut flavors. In a large bowl, combine the maple sugar, egg yolks and salt. Whisk vigorously for a minute or two, until quite thick and pale. Bring the cream infusion back to a simmer. Very slowly stir or whisk it into the egg yolks, adding it by dribbles at first to warm the yolks gently. Return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, to just below the boiling point. The mixture will become foamy, as it thickens slightly and you begin to see wisps of steam. Do not boil, or the egg yolks will “scramble.” Remove from heat and immediately pour through a strainer—to remove the walnuts and mushrooms--into a clean bowl. Continue to stir the sauce for a minute, then add the vanilla. Cool completely before serving. Cover and refrigerate the sauce for storage. Makes about 2 cups, serves 12 (about 2 tbsp each) Nutrition information per serving: 521 calories, 10g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 38g total fat, 21g saturated fat, 11g monounsaturated fat, 5g polyunsaturated fat, 207mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium Recipe Courtesy of Chef Todd Humphries All California Walnut Harvest 2011 Stories and Videos by Gratitude Gourmet
1. Dr Roizen speaks on US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes & US Economic Competitiveness 2. Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy’s Walnut Emulsion Recipe 3. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup 4. California Walnut Orchard Visit - Farmer Introduction - Walnut Shaker 5. Chef Todd Humphries Recipes: Celery Salad & Walnut Bread Pudding 6. Videos: Trefethen Winery Stories - California Walnut Harvest California Walnut Orchard Visit 2011 Here's our group picture during our 2011 California Walnut Harvest Event. Below you'll also find videos of the Orchard Owners describing the Walnut Harvest and Walnut Shaker Vehicle, along with more photos from the event. After this Tour I appreciate even more both the Walnuts and the hard work the Orchard Farmers do. Also note the heart-shaped Walnut. (It's an interesting coincidence that Walnuts are also heart-healthy). During this Visit, I asked Dr. Roizen why there are more folks allergic to Peanuts vs Walnuts, and he mentioned that when people are exposed to hydrogenated oils such as in many peanut butters, more people seem to have allergies to peanuts. Basically eat closer to the whole food - Good Lesson. Enjoy the California Walnut Orchard Visit Article! All California Walnut Harvest 2011 Stories and Videos by Gratitude Gourmet
1. Dr Roizen speaks on US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes & US Economic Competitiveness 2. Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy’s Walnut Emulsion Recipe 3. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup 4. California Walnut Orchard Visit - Farmer Introduction - Walnut Shaker 5. Chef Todd Humphries Recipes: Celery Salad & Walnut Bread Pudding 6. Videos: Trefethen Winery Stories - California Walnut Harvest Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup12/5/2011
Mary Vincent & Chef Cindy Pawlcyn Chef Cindy Pawlcyn, owner of Brassica Napa California, prepared a gourmet Mediterranean and Turkish Lunch during the California Walnut Tour. Here's her recipe for Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot and Sweet Peppers and Pomegranate Syrup. Also enjoy the short videos of her Brassica outdoor fireplace and wines served as well as Lunch photos below featuring: -The Garden -Persian Spiced Walnuts & Walnut Garlic Spread -Dolma-Walnuts (in place of pine nuts), fennel pollen, and mint stuffed grape leaves -Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Paprika & Aleppo Pepper Sizzle -Vegetarian Pasta -Dessert and Coffee Ingredients 2 large sweet red peppers (12 ounces) 1 tablespoon water 2/3 cup lightly toasted California walnuts 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 2/3 cup toasted sourdough bread crumbs 1 or 2 red jalapenos, seeded and minced 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground cumin seeds 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup 2 tablespoons lemon juice Preparation Roast peppers over a grill or gas flame, turning frequently until charred all over. Seal 10 minutes in a plastic bag, peel, seed, and chop. In a food processor, mix chopped peppers with 1 tablespoon of water. Process to a moist paste. Set aside. Pound walnuts with garlic in a mortar. Stir in bread crumbs and jalapenos. Continue pounding until all ingredients are blended. Mix in the pureed peppers. Gradually mix in the olive oil and season with cumin, red pepper flakes, pomegranate syrup, and lemon juice (use additional lemon juice if pomegranate syrup is unavailable). Taste and adjust with salt and lemon juice. Let stand several hours or overnight for flavors to blend and mature. Serve with croutons or on flatbread wedges or crackers. About 1 ¾ cups, serves 12 (2 tbsp each) Nutrition information per serving: 100 calories, 2g protein, 5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 9g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 4g monounsaturated fat, 3g polyunsaturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 19mg sodium Recipe Courtesy of Chef Cindy Pawlcyn All California Walnut Harvest 2011 Stories and Videos by Gratitude Gourmet
1. Dr Roizen speaks on US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes & US Economic Competitiveness 2. Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy’s Walnut Emulsion Recipe 3. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup 4. California Walnut Orchard Visit - Farmer Introduction - Walnut Shaker 5. Chef Todd Humphries Recipes: Celery Salad & Walnut Bread Pudding 6. Videos: Trefethen Winery Stories - California Walnut Harvest Chef Touhy Dean & DeLuca Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy prepared his Walnut Emulsion Recipe for the California Walnuts Event. Note that the ingredients include anchovies, however, several guests on the tour mentioned eggplant is a great substitute to make it vegan/vegetarian. Let us know if you have other ideas for veggie substitutions. Ingredients 2 cups toasted California walnuts, in halves or large pieces 2 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) coarsely chopped anchovies packed in oil (eggplant added by Gratitude Gourmet) 1/3 cup water, plus more if needed 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/4 cup walnut oil 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon, more or less, Kosher salt, or ¼ teaspoon plain salt Preparation Put the walnuts in a food processor with the anchovies (eggplant added instead by Gratitude Gourmet), water, vinegar and walnut oil. Blend until smooth, stopping a couple times to scrape down the sides of the container with a rubber spatula. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. The puree should be the consistency of a softly whipped cream, not peanut butter. If it seems too thick, add a little more water and pulse or blend until incorporated. Season to taste with salt. If not using immediately, refrigerate in a covered container. Makes about 2 cups, serves 12 (2 tbsp each) Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michael Tuohy All California Walnut Harvest 2011 Stories and Videos by Gratitude Gourmet
1. Dr Roizen speaks on US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes & US Economic Competitiveness 2. Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy’s Walnut Emulsion Recipe 3. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup 4. California Walnut Orchard Visit - Farmer Introduction - Walnut Shaker 5. Chef Todd Humphries Recipes: Celery Salad & Walnut Bread Pudding 6. Videos: Trefethen Winery Stories - California Walnut Harvest Dr Roizen and Mary Vincent - Napa, CA Dr. Roizen, Institute Chair, Chief Wellness Officer Wellness Institute Cleveland Clinic, founder of eleven companies, co-inventer of a drug recently approved by the FDA, and author of a series of highly popular #1 New York Times bestsellers, recently visited Napa, California to celebrate the California Walnut Harvest Festival and spoke on a variety of topics including US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes, and how the increase in chronic US Disease is affecting US Economic Competitiveness/ Jobs. I videotaped Dr Roizen's complete presentation, and a portion of it is below for reference. Please note that since the presentation took place in the evening at a winery, the video is dark, but you can hear Dr. Roizen's important insights. I've covered Dr Oz and Dr Roizen's great work before with Rocco the Cowboy Story and Video. Dr. Roizen was the 'Enforcer' and ensured Rocco ate healthfully and exercised regularly, and as a result, Rocco's heart disease was reversed by going Vegan. Dr Roizen also states in the video that you affect genes and cancer by your food choices and the importance of meditation. He also mentions the importance of Lifestyle Treatment for Breast and Prostate Cancer, and Studies show that Food Changes, Walking, Tobacco Avoidance, and Mediation reduced tumor size. I also spoke with Dr Roizen and shared Gratitude Gourmet's mission, and he responded by saying that at the Cleveland Clinic it's impossible to find a piece of red meat. Stay tuned for more videos and news from this event. All California Walnut Harvest 2011 Stories and Videos by Gratitude Gourmet
1. Dr Roizen speaks on US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes & US Economic Competitiveness 2. Dean and Deluca's Chef Touhy’s Walnut Emulsion Recipe 3. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Turkish Walnut-Garlic Spread with Hot & Sweet Peppers & Pomegranate Syrup 4. California Walnut Orchard Visit - Farmer Introduction - Walnut Shaker 5. Chef Todd Humphries Recipes: Celery Salad & Walnut Bread Pudding 6. Videos: Trefethen Winery Stories - California Walnut Harvest Join the FUN Online Gratitude Gourmet Social Health Challenge! In addition to Gratitude Gourmet's personal and planetary health news, interviews and science and nutrition reporting, we've embarked on Eight Daily Goals incorporating healthy eating, sleep, green, and exercise goals. Join below and invite your friends to the Gratitude Gourmet Social Health Challenge. Have fun and we have nice prizes too for the most active and successful participants! :) |