Cauliflower is the Sweetest, Mildest Tasting Vegetable

Cauliflower really is a flower the big, lumpy white ‘head’ that we eat is a cluster of flower buds nested inside a cabbage like plant. It is believed that cauliflower is the sweetest, mildest tasting member of the cabbage family, but home gardeners grow it far less often than the other brassicas. Perhaps it won’t tolerate either very hot or very cold weather, so there is only a short season before and after the summer heat in which you can grow it. Or most varieties need to be “blanched” their heads covered with leaves while they’re maturing. Unblanched heads turn green and don’t taste as good as white one.

Yet cauliflower certainly has its place in the garden. It is a good source of calcium and other vitamins, it freezes well, it is expensive to by in the store, and it is not difficult to grow if you know and respect its need for a steady supply of water. There’re even purple headed varieties that look like broccoli when cooked but taste nonetheless like cauliflower and do not need blanching.

Select a Site

You should select a sunny well drained spot where other cabbage family vegetables have not grown recently. Space requirements are the same as for cabbage.

Select a Soil

Provide the same soil conditions that you’d for other brassicas. The soil should be fairly rich, particularly in nitrogen and potassium. The pH should be 6.0 to 7.0. And plenty of organic matter should be incorporated into the soil, so that it will retain moisture. It is best to dig compost or well-rotted manure into the soil the fall before planting.

Planting

Cauliflower can take a little frost at the very beginning and the very end of its life, but not much. It really needs at least two months of cool but not frosty weather to come to maturity. This means you can plant it in fall or late winter in warm climates. In cold ones it is usually a fall crop of which there can be many successions, each a week or two apart. Plant fall crops from late May to early July, depending on how cold your climate is. The idea is to allow two to three months between the time you set it out and the first frosts. Purple head cauliflower takes longer about 85 days to harvest.

Well, for spring crops start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before setting the plants out. Keep the seeds at about 70 degree if you can, with a steady supply of moisture. The roots do not like to be disturbed in transplanting, so use peat pots. When they’re about six inches tall they can be planted outside, as long as it is no earlier than three or four weeks before the last expected frost. You can set the plants outside to harden off several weeks earlier. Set the plant about 18 to 24 inches apart. Build a saucer of earth around each plant to help it to hold water and use cutworm collars fall crops of cauliflower can be down directly in the garden, but to save space use a cold frame or the “nursery bed” section of your garden to get late plants started, and then transplant to their growing place. Otherwise sow them in hills and thin them to one seedling per hill.

Growing

The most important thing about raising cauliflower is to keep the growth going. It cannot sit out a hot dry spell. If it is dry, give the soil a good soaking to the depth of about six inches. Mulch will also help keep the soil moist. If the heads still are not growing bigger, top dress the plants with liquid fertilizer. The white flower head that emerges is called a “curd” or a “button” when it is egg sized, blanches it by bending over the big leaves that surround it so that they cover the curd; then tuck them in on the opposite side, breaking the ribs of leaves to keep them from springing back. If the head still doesn’t stay covered, tie some leaves together at the top with a string or rubber band. The idea is to keep light and moisture out but let some air in, and also leaves some space in which the head can grow. The heads should not be covered when the plant is wet, or they may not. Water the ground around the plants and keep the soil water constant.

Pests and Disease

For pests and disease treat cauliflower the way you would broccoli, cabbage or Brussels sprouts. Root maggots are sometimes a problem in the fall crop.

Harvest

Check the heads from time to time to see if they’re large enough about six inches across but still tight, with the buds unopened Some varieties have larger heads up to 12 inches so consult the information on the seed package or in the catalog. When they’re ready, cut them right away, just below the head, and either use them or freeze them. If you pull up the plant, roots and all, it will keep in a cool cellar for at least a month.

Varieties

The snowball varieties such as snowball and snow king are large headed late crops. But “Super Snowball” ‘Snowball Improved’ early white snow crown hybrid and snow king hybrid mature faster. Self blanche has leaves that curl over the head by themselves purple head is a popular purple variety.

Cilantro is Sweet-Smelling Herb Which Has Healthy Reputation to Healing Spices.

Cilantro, also known as coriander or “Dhania”, is a sweet-smelling herb with wide, subtle lacy leaves and a pungent smell. It belongs to the apiaceous family also recognized as the carrot family which includes of plants like celery, parsley, cumin, parsnip and carrot. This delicate herb has its origin in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor (Turkey) regions. The nutritional profile of coriander seeds is diverse from the fresh stems and leaves. Because leaves are mainly rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K, with moderate content of dietary minerals. 

Even though seeds generally have lower content of vitamins, they do deliver significant amounts of dietary fiber, calcium, selenium, iron, magnesium and manganese. The plant normally grows up to a height of 1 to 2 feet and possesses dark green, hairless, soft leaves having a capricious shape which are broad at the base of the plant, and slim and feathery higher on nearby the flowering stems. Coriander seeds have a health-supporting reputation that is rich in the list of the healing spices. In many parts of Europe, coriander has traditionally been brought up to as an "anti-diabetic" plant. However in the Asia, it has traditionally been used for its anti-inflammatory properties. 

In the United States, coriander has recently been studied for its cholesterol-lowering effects. Moreover all parts of the plant are edible, and it is the fresh leaves and dried seeds are most widely used in cooking. However Cilantro seeds are round to oval in shape, yellowish brown in color with a flavor that is aromatic, sweet and citrus as well as slightly peppery. Their seeds are usually used as spice. Moreover different people may observe the taste of coriander leaves contrarily. Those who like the Cilantro say it has a refreshing, lemony or lime-like flavor, while those who distaste it have a strong aversion to its taste and smell, likening it to that of soap and bug. Like other spices coriander is available throughout the year providing a fragrant flavor that is reminiscent of both citrus peel and sage. 

The fruit of the coriander plant comprises two seeds which, when dried, are the portions used as the dried spice. But when it gets ripe, the seeds are becomes yellowish-brown in color with longitudinal ridges. Coriander seeds are available full or in ground powder form. Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, South Asian, Mexican, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Super Food You Need To Know About Lucuma Benefits

Lucuma is pronounced (loo-koo-mah), also known as the “Gold of the Incas” and is so common in Peru. And they mostly use in ice cream flavor and even trumping vanilla and chocolate. Lucuma (Pouteria Lucuma) is a super healthy fruit that has been eaten by Peruvians since 200 A.D., but modern science is just now getting a clue of how nutrient-dense this fruit actually is and how it could offer great healing potential. Europeans discovered Lucuma in the fifteen century, calling it “egg fruit” due to its shape and since the flesh of the fruit is the same color as an egg yolk. 

Lucuma tastes like a combination of maple syrup and sweet potato to some, or a mango crossed with an apricot to others. Though the fruit can be hard to come by owing to the fact that they grow at altitudes of 4,500 to 10,000 feet, the powder can be obtained from numerous health food stores. According to the Peruvian people, Lucuma is a symbol of both longevity and fertility. 

Although it doesn’t rate as high as other foods on the ORAC chart such as sumac, another super food in its own right with an off-the-charts ORAC value, Lucuma is full of necessary nutrients and can be used as a healthier substitute for sugar. The super food Lucuma is available in powder form here and mostly used in desserts, lending its naturally caramel flavor to anything from smoothies, raw cheesecakes, cookies, super food balls and, of course, ice cream. Its tree is called lucumo, and in Ecuador, the tree is called lugma.

Here’re some useful benefits of lucuma, as well as its nutritional profile:

1. Lucuma is highly useful in beta-carotene, perhaps you might have guessed with its yellow-orange color that lucuma is rich in beta-carotene, an imperative source of vitamin A which human bodies need for better vision, supporting cellular growth, and even assisting with immune system reactions. Beta carotene may well protect against other cancers as well, including esophageal, liver, pancreatic, colon, rectal, prostate, ovarian, and cervical cancers due to its strength as an antioxidant.

2. Lucuma is a natural sweetener and it can sweeten foods without spiking blood sugar, and it comprises beneficial nutrients that sugar alone lacks. Lucuma is also an awesome natural sweetener being low in sugars and low on the glycemic scale, but adding a subtle sweet flavor to your dishes.

3. Lucuma is well iron with rich as it improves the transportation of oxygen into cells and is an energetic nutrient to pregnant and breast-feeding women. Proper levels of iron contribute to energy levels as well. 

4. A vegetarian source highly rich in niacin (Vitamin B3) however most meat-eaters get their B3 from steaks and chicken, vegetarians and vegans will love this vitamin from lucuma. This nutrient helps in digestion, muscle development, and the regulation of stress and sex hormones. 

5. Lucuma is super fiber rich food, which can aids in digestive system work properly, plummeting constipation and bloating. 

6. Lucuma is very helpful in wound healing and anti-Inflammatory cinnamon, ginger, and lucuma smoothie for a healthy and tasty treat. 

7. Lucuma Nut oil is anti-viral and anti-bacterial which can also prevent colds, flu, and other viral or bacterial diseases, possibly making it a sound substitute for pharmaceutical antibiotics in many cases.

Ten Reasons to Add Chia Seeds in Your Diet

Chia seeds come from a flowering plant in the mint family that's native to Mexico and Guatemala, and history recommends it was a very imperative food crop for the Aztecs. Chia seeds are remained in regular use in its native countries, but were largely anonymous in North America until expert Wayne Coates started studying on chia as an alternative crop for farmers in northern Argentina about 29 years ago. Coates began his researcher on chia in 1991, and since then has become a supporter of the petite seed's health benefits. However; the human trials are limited as is often the case with food research, but the anecdotal evidence of chia's positive health effects include improving energy, stabilizing blood sugar, aiding digestion, and dropping cholesterol. The tiny chia seed which comes in either white or a dark brown and black color also has a vast nutritional profile. It comprises calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, and is a rich source of healthy omega-3 fats. Moreover as an added benefit, chia seeds can be eaten whole or milled, while flax seeds have to be ground before consumption in order to access their health benefits for example.

Ten Reasons to Add Chia Seeds in Your Diet

1.      Chia Seeds are being studied as a potential natural treatment for two type diabetes because of its capability to sluggish down digestion. The gelatinous coating chia seeds develops when exposed to liquids can also prevent blood sugar spikes.

2.      Well, you know just a 28gram or one-ounce serving of chia has 11 grams of dietary fiber about a third of the suggested daily intake for adults. Adding some chia seeds to your diet is an easy way to make sure you're getting a good amount of fiber, which is imperative for digestive health.

3.      Chia seeds are packed with omega3 fatty acids, with roughly five grams in a one ounce serving. These fats are vital for brain health. There's better conversion of omega 3s into the plasma or into the food than with flax seed," said researcher Wayne Coates.

4.      Chia Seeds gets stronger your teeth and bones, and serving of chia seeds has 18 % of the suggested daily intake for calcium, which puts your well on your way to keeping bone and oral health, and preventing osteoporosis.

5.      Manganese isn't a well-known nutrient, but it is very vital for our health, as it is very good for your bones and reliefs your body use other indispensable nutrients like biotin and thiamin. Therefore one serving of chia seeds, or 28 grams, has 30 per cent of your recommended intake of this mineral.

6.      With 27 per cent of your daily value for phosphorus, chia seeds also help you maintain healthy bones and teeth. Phosphorus is also used by the body to synthesize protein for cell and tissue growth and repair.

7.      Chia seeds also make a great source of protein for vegetarians and don't have any cholesterol. One 28gram serving of these super seeds has 4.4 grams of protein, nearly 10 per cent of the daily value.

8.      Chia's stabilizing effect on blood sugar also fights insulin resistance which can be tied to an increase in belly fat, according to Live Strong. This type of resistance can also be harmful for your overall health.

9.      Tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey, is also found in chia seeds. While tryptophan is responsible for that strong urge to nap after a big Thanksgiving dinner for example, it also helps standardize appetite, sleep and improve mood.

10.   According to the Cleveland Clinic, chia seeds are really helpful in improving health of heart, and have been shown to improve blood pressure in diabetics, and may also support healthy cholesterol while lowering total, LDL, and triglyceride cholesterol. All good news for your ticker!

Get Majority of your proteins from plant based foods

You should consume about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Get the majority of your proteins from plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds and beans.

Great sources of plant-based proteins are:
·     Avocados
·     Beans
·     Buckwheat
·     Chia Seeds
·     Chick Peas
·     Dark Leafy Greens
·     Edamame
·     Green Peas
·     Hemp
·     Nuts
·     Quinoa
·     Seitan
·     Spirulina
·     Tofu
·     Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Try replacing these with the animal based proteins you usually consume. It will not only be easier to regulate your protein intake,but it will improve your overall health as well.

Chia Seed