Food Riot

World's Best Tuna Salad - By Yours Truly

Best Tuna Salad on the Planet:

1 can chunk light tuna in spring water, drained

½ apple, diced (granny smith or another tart variety is best)

1-2 tbs. chopped onion

1 tbs. chopped cilantro

2 tbs. chopped pecans

Juice of ½ lime

Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Mix in a bowl and serve with crackers or toast.

Serves one as meal, two as appetizer.

I am finally back in my beloved Denver and am fully engaged in Phase III of my four phase life plan. Phase III is all about changing habits, particularly my eating habits. First and foremost, I have reclaimed vegetarianism... or, rather, my own form thereof. I am still eating fish and will eat whatever a host sets before me (graciousness is more important than holding to a diet), but I am completely avoiding all other meats in my own home.

This is not because PETA has finally crept into the doorways of my heart. Quite frankly, I am far more concerned about the treatment of my own species, particularly the starving ones. No, I've cut out red meat and poultry for two other reasons: 1) My body simply feels better without them clogging up her intestines and arteries, and 2) all of the corn, soy and other produce that could feed millions of hungry humans is, instead, feeding livestock... guzzling billions of gallons of fossil fuels to do so.

That said, it should be obvious that, if my body tells me it needs animal protein, I may be infrequently supplementing my diet with locally raised, grass fed meats such as Colorado ostrich or bison. I will also buy only locally produced, free range eggs and cheeses. (My first purchase to this order, made last night, was apple wood smoked goat cheese from Boulder! I can't deprive myself of goat cheese!)

To my delight and surprise, Safeway now has clearly marked their locally grown produce and other products! Imagine how thrilled I was to walk into the store and immediately find Colorado cantaloupe?! In fact, there were so many Colorado-grown cold vegetables, spring fruits and baby herbs and lettuces, I had to start pulling things back out of my cart! Thank you, Safeway, for making this life change so much easier!

For less than $70, I was able to buy strawberries, melon, potatoes, tomatoes, two kinds of lettuce, asparagus, radishes, cucumbers, pine nuts, eggs, bread (locally made, but unfortunately not grown), organic bulk rice, fresh Parmesan, honey, jam, yogurt, butter, ice cream (Boulder again) and, of course, my staple goat cheese! (I also purchased a ginger root, a few organic limes, and several cans of tuna, which pushed my budget up to just over $75. But, hey, for a first try, I'd say 93% isn't bad!)

While in KCMO, my friend Pete Dulin inspired me to start using more ginger, more cilantro... more herbs and spices in general... and less salt, fat, and sugar. This, along with my new diet and local lifestyle, have already planted the seeds of creativity where cooking is concerned. I've only been home 1 1/2 days and already I've created three deeply satisfying meals I might never otherwise have gifted myself.

The first, made quickly Tuesday night after the long drive back from Missouri, was inspired by Pete's own "Asian Tuna Salad" and the herbs that were waiting for me in my own garden. Cilantro was the key! (So were the few items left in my cupboards.) No, apples are not in season... and surely I won't be buying them again until autumn. Still, they were already in my fridge and needed to be consumed. Waste not, want not. The result of my experiment is the recipe I've shared at the top of this post. It was so good, I had to make it again for lunch yesterday!

Last night, I baked a piece of salmon that has been frozen for centuries in Melanie's, then Tom's them my own freezer! Talk about a gas guzzler! Alas, it needed to be eaten, small as it was. I made up a quick salad with a little lime juice and sea salt, toasted some pine nuts and roasted asparagus, and baked the fish with a lime juice, ginger, and cilantro marinade. Holy heck, was it delish! With a little fresh bread and some strawberries, it was a nutritionist's dream meal!

And talk about color!

Erin's photo assignment this week is about colors, and capturing as many of them as possible in a single image. My meals over the last day and a half have provided just those images! My breakfast this morning (shown in the two images in the middle of this post) was a flavor and color riot!

Everything on my plate was locally grown/made except for the ingredients used to bake the bread. The mint and basil came straight from my own amazingly glorious garden, making it taste all the more special and rich.

It's not difficult (or expensive) to eat more mindfully and sustainably. In fact, all of the local farmers' markets open this week, making it even easier to buy fewer gas guzzlers, support our local food producers, and spend less money. Safeway, too, has made things all the less challenging.

For help starting your own food revolution, check out THIS WEBSITE.