Tag: Words from Tristan

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Blog Post(Week of 12/25/16)

Resolving Not To Resolve

I recently came across the concept of Bio-individuality: that each person has unique food and lifestyle needs. Even though I’m still learning and determining where I stand on the subject, I am intrigued by the concept; that there’s no one-size-fits-all diet – each person is a unique individual with individualized nutritional requirements. Personal differences in anatomy, metabolism, body composition and cell structure all influence your overall health and the foods that make you feel your best.

I am a firm believer that if we listen to our bodies, we will know what we need to eat. It’s the brain that makes mistakes. When we get stuck in dietary dogma, we tend to not listen to what our body really needs. As we age, our bodies require different foods, vitamins and minerals. Different cultures eat differently, and different geolocations require different nutrition. But even though each one of us have specific needs, most diets around the world (if not all of them), have the same basic recommendations at their core:

Eat whole foods and use the colors of the rainbow as your guide. This ensures a natural diversity of vitamins and minerals.

Crowd out the bad food, with good food. Eat vegetables and healthy sources of grains, protein and GOOD fats (avocados, coconut oil and salmon oil). By getting the actual nutrients your body needs, you feel more satisfied… and cravings lessen.

Avoid hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, also known as trans-fats. The oil is made by forcing hydrogen gas under extreme heat and pressure into vegetable oil. This creates a moist, fatty substance which is inexpensive and placed into many cakes, cookies, cereals, breads and drinks to prolong shelf-life. Our bodies do not know how to break apart this unnatural molecule and it accumulates in the body.

Drink plenty of water, earlier in the day.  It’s like filling up your gas tank, early on. Being well hydrated benefits the skin, the health of the spine and brain, and all the body processes.

Hitting January 2nd is like going from 60 to zero in one day. The mandatory cheer, cooking, visitors, glitz, glitter, toys, a million chores — have drowned out the drumbeats of our normal day-to-day routines for a couple of weeks — then, over, nothing. What now? In the midst of panic, I tend to turn around and immediately start writing my resolutions for the year, the first one: eat healthier, 2. work-out, 3. read more … did you notice the common denominator? They are all vague. By January 15th, I have already lost the napkin where I wrote them down on and back to old habits I go.    This year I have resolved not to resolve. It’s simple, if I eat good, I feel good. If I go for a walk in the morning, I feel more relaxed during the day.

Achieving goals starts with small, daily steps. As you eat better, you begin to feel better. It all starts by being aware of what works best for you and your health, because being the best version of ourselves benefits us and all those that surround us as well.

The bottom line, the closer we stay to nature, the better. The human body was designed to sustain on whole, GMO-free, organic foods, just as nature intended. The occasional cookie won’t hurt, but getting back to your healthy habits will pay in the long run and let’s face it, isn’t nature amazing? Those bananas right off the tree are sweet as dessert and full of potassium; red bell peppers, a vitamin C powerhouse, so crisp and juicy we can just eat them raw, and the humble onion, your immune’s system bff, that can add flavor to any dish in a matter of minutes.

My final thought on bio-individuality? I believe that as humans we all have the same basic nutritional needs. I agree that different people have different food needs up to a certain point. I think that our health is our greatest barometer. But most importantly, I believe that nature provides us with everything we need to sustain a healthy, vibrant lifestyle!

So, would you join me in resolving not to resolve? Let’s encourage each other to eat better and feel better. To be grateful for what nature has to offer and to protect the very thing that provides us with life!

 

With love and gratitude,

Sara Balcazar-Greene (aka. Peruvian Chick)
Peruvian Food Ambassador
peruvianchick.com
instagram.com/peruvianchick
facebook.com/theperuvianchick

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Family

When I think about Christmas, I think about Jesus, His birth and His life and then I think about my wife and children and our parents and our siblings. Christmas, much like Thanksgiving, draws family together. At least in thought, if not in presence.

At the Farm, times have really changed. We only have four children at home now. I think the last time we had four children at home for a Christmas was 1998 and those original 4 kiddos are all married now! Between 1998 and today the old farmhouse has swelled to capacity and shrunk again. The older married ones have another side of the family to navigate now and have to make choices about where to go and when to come or not. I am thankful for FACETIME!

This year, we were blessed to have had all 9 of our children and their families in for an early Christmas last Sunday. It is a rare day, save a wedding, that the entire clan is able to gather together.

In my mind, I wrestle with the past, present and future. The present is both bitter and sweet, for I know that it will be harder to get on their schedules as life marches on, just as it was for our parents when Joelle and I started our family. But when all of their schedules align, like this Christmas, it is so wonderful!

And one day, Joelle and I will be the great grandparents. And with our strength fading and our love increasing, there will be a parade of progeny that comes by the old farmhouse to visit and extend Christmas wishes. And we will talk about chasing cows, or harvesting lettuce early in the morning so we could go swimming later. Or when this one or that one got their first hit or scored their first goal. And Joelle and I will get to hold another crop of Klesick’s for the first time and beam with pride as our pictures are taken.

Family is the gift that matters most. And it is the same this Christmas as it will be next Christmas.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tristan Klesick

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A Local Fundraiser With Both International and Local Benefits

For the Klesick family and our farm business, being generous is an important core value and our giving tends to follow our connections to the people we know. A few years ago, the Oso mudslide happened and since I have family in Oso, we were able to give more directly to the needs of the community through my local contacts. Then there was the Pateros Fire. Once again we were able to give more directly to those most affected because of our local contacts with some farmers that supply much of the fruit we put in our boxes.

Through each of these tragedies, you, our local customers, partnered with us to make the lives of people you will never meet better. You are a generous bunch! J

And now, we have Hurricane Matthew. A few years ago, some friends from the Stanwood/Camano Island community moved to Haiti to work in an orphanage and at a local medical clinic. When Hurricane Matthew ripped through Haiti more than a few needs surfaced. Haiti is already challenged as a nation and the Hurricane was another blow to an already poor infrastructure.

As a family, we increased our giving to help them meet the local needs in the community they serve, but Maleah, our intrepid 12 y/o, wanted to do more. She reached out to Ryan and Jill Dolan directly and asked what she could to do help. Jill responded:

“Behind our home, up the mountain is the small village of Geffrard, pronounced as Jeffwa. They have one school and it fell down during the hurricane. The students have not had school since the hurricane hit our area on October 4th. There are six classrooms, with a total of 200 students.”

 

With that Maleah leapt into action and here’s how the rest of the story unfolded:

 

A NOTE FROM MALEAH KLESICK

I am partnering with Klesick Farms to raise $500 by the end of this week (12/17). They still need 130 sheets of metal roofing to complete the roof. By partnering with us, together we can help them rebuild their school.

There are two ways to give:

1. You can help by purchasing a Food Bank Box of produce for $28.00. Klesick Farms will deliver the box to the food bank for Christmas and donate $10 to the Rebuild a Roof for a School project.

2. You can donate $5.00 for each sheet of metal roofing. Donate any amount.

Please go to: www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/Haiti and let’s help this community get their kids back to school. All proceeds will go to rebuild the school roof. Any additional monies raised will be used by the Dolan family to operate the orphanage and medical clinic.

 

 

Tristan Klesick

Father of a future Community Activist

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Totally Caught Off Guard

Each week I normally log in about 10 – 12 hours of volunteer work on the Sustainable Land Strategy (SLS) forum. The SLS is a non-regulatory group of farmers, tribal and environmental members who were convened by Snohomish County to promote collaboration and build relationships. There are four Farmers and four Environmental members (two Tribal, two Restoration).

Back in 2010, the goal of then Council Member Dave Somers (now County Executive) was to change the adversarial and contentious relationships between Farming and Environmental groups. No small task! A new way of doing business was needed and so with good facilitation, the SLS began the arduous task of bridging damaged relationships and working together.

In 2015 I was asked to join the SLS and in 2016 became the Ag caucus chair. Terry Williams from the Tulalip Tribes serves as the Fish caucus chair. Terry’s years of service in DC and in Snohomish County have laid a path of trust and collaboration to begin this important work.

Every year the 45 Conservation Districts across Washington State have an annual meeting and an awards banquet. This year I had been invited to speak and talk about SLS and the work we are doing in Snohomish County. I had also been invited to stay for lunch. Though I really needed to get back to the farm and my “paying” job, Monte Marti, the Snohomish Conservation District Director, pressed me to stay. I reluctantly relented. About half way through lunch, the proverbial “light bulb” came on. This was an Awards Banquet!

This year, the Vim Wright “Building Bridges” Award was presented to Terry Williams and Tristan Klesick. I did not see that coming. To be mentioned in the same breath with Vim Wright and Terry Williams is an incredible honor.

Vim Wright served both Colorado and Washington and worked tirelessly to build better communities for people and wildlife (especially non-game wildlife). She served on many committees and founded many more. Towards the end of her life she left her imprint on farming and conservation by establishing the Farming and the Environment program and serving on the Washington State Conservation Commission. The words on the award capture her spirit and the goal of the SLS: “We salute and recognize your continuing efforts in support of conservation through collaboration and working tirelessly with traditional agricultural, environmental and tribal communities on conservation projects and helping to develop a better mutual understanding of one another.”

An award is a moment in time, but without lots of people working together, none of it would be possible. My name might be on the plaque, but as I walked up to receive the award I couldn’t help but think of Joelle, our children, the Klesick team, the SLS team, and you, our Klesick customers. This is an award for the entire Klesick Farm Community.

Thank you for believing in Klesick Farms. Together we are doing great things and I look forward to doing more great things tomorrow.

Farmer/Health Advocate

Tristan Klesick

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Planning for Your Holiday Meal

Planning for Your Holiday Meal

Every Thanksgiving holiday season we offer a special Holiday Box ($40) full of traditional organic Thanksgiving meal items for your celebration. Not only can you schedule a Holiday Box to be delivered the week of Thanksgiving, but it is also available the week before and the week after (available Nov. 13-Dec. 3). You can have this box delivered along with your regular order or in place of your regular order (please specify your preference when placing your order). The box menu is as follows:

Holiday Box Menu

Granny Smith Apples, 5 each.

Green Beans, 1 lb.

Cranberries, 7.5 oz.

Garnet Yams, 2 lbs.

Navel Oranges, 4 each.

Carrots, 2 lbs.

Breadcubes for Stuffing, 1 lb.

Yellow Potatoes, 3 lbs.

Celery, 1 bunch

Yellow Onions, 1 lb.

Delicata Squash, 2 ea.

Remembering Neighbors in Need.

If your celebration includes helping the less fortunate who live in our community, we would like to partner with you by giving you the opportunity to purchase a discounted Holiday Donation Box for only $32, to be given to local food banks the week before Thanksgiving. Last year 122 Holiday Donation Boxes were distributed and this year we’d love to have a greater impact. The volunteers at the food banks have expressed again and again how wonderful and satisfying it is to be able to supply people with fresh produce. You can order a Holiday Donation Box here.

 

Tristan Klesick, Farmer/Health Advocate.

 

Read this week’s How to Eat Your Box! here.

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Thanksgiving

What! It’s time to be thinking about Holidays? Do you ever think how we eat our way through the calendar? November – Thanksgiving; December – Christmas; January – New Year’s Day and the Super bowl (Go Hawks!).

If we are not intentional about what we eat, the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) will be. The GMA has a plan for the holidays: more sugar, more GMO’s and more processed packaged foods. It is almost as if celebrating is akin to more CALORIES and not good ones, either. But how does the “intentional” part work itself out? Well, has Thanksgiving moved for the last 152 years? NO! it is always on the 4th Thursday of November. But every year millions of Americans are going to buy the same sugary, GMO laden foods and wonder why on Friday after Thanksgiving the bathroom scale has moved the wrong direction and that they don’t feel all that great either! It’s probably because sugar is fleeting and the aftermath is lasting.

One blogger encouraged their readers to wear pants with elastic to dinner so they won’t be as uncomfortable when they over eat! Okay, we are all probably going to indulge a little with our family and friends. Maybe this year we should plan for the indulgences by eating more intentionally NOW! Start moving the scale in the right direction now, so that when Grandma offers/expects you to have another piece of pie, you will have created some margin for Thanksgiving. I can hear it now, “No thank you. The pecan, pumpkin and apple pies tasted great. Three pieces is plenty, really.” 🙂

Be intentional now or be intentional later. We are all going to have to be intentional at some point. Here at Klesick Farms we like to say, “Eat Better, Feel Better.” It even works in November.

How to Eat Your Box

We are adding a new section to our Newsletter this week. We are calling it “How to Eat Your Box”. Original, eh? Anna, my millennial menu planner, felt like people just aren’t cooking and she wanted to provide some helpful tips. Eating well is not mystical or complicated. With just a few techniques you can be “Zen” master in the kitchen. In fact, most fruits and vegetables are easy to use and are at their healthiest when minimally cooked or prepared. Check it out here on the blog.

Thanksgiving Donation Program

We are making our Holiday Donation Box for Thanksgiving available for ordering this week. Last year, our Box of Good Food Family donated 156 boxes of high quality, super nutritious food to area food banks. Please consider donating one or more boxes to a family in need. You place the order, we pack it, deliver it and a food bank volunteer gets it to a family in need. Super simple, super effective!

Farmer/Health Advocate, Tristan

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Hope

Hope is a necessary ingredient in the battle against cancer. We must believe that healing is possible and hope is an underlying cornerstone for healing to happen. Without hope, hopelessness is left and we can’t have that; we must have hope.

Since we started sharing about cancer this month, the ground swell of support and compassion has been huge.

Last week, I met Leah, a cancer survivor and single mom of two at the Snohomish County Healthy Aging Conference. Whenever I attend a conference or event, I always bring a box of good food to use as a raffle item. And you know what? Leah’s name was drawn.

At the same time, a young couple from our church just received the heart-breaking news that their under 1 y/o daughter Vivian has leukemia. Ugh! I can’t even imagine the thoughts, fears, and despair that is wracking that family.

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, I would like to continue our cancer conversation and shift it to one day next week. On Wednesday, 11/2, we want to celebrate, grieve, hope and pray with all the people that you and we know who are battling cancer, won the battle over cancer, as well as for those who lost a loved one to cancer.

To do this, we need your help. We need you to send in the names of individuals and families that are fighting cancer. You can share as much of your/their story with us as you feel comfortable. Because sometimes it is helpful to just write down how you are feeling and get your thoughts out.

We are also just as happy to have you share a first name, because on 11/2, when our Klesick Farms team gathers to pray, we know that God already knows the details and we just want to agree with you for healing from cancer and hope to be rekindled in yours and their hearts.

Each of you are also welcome to join us on 11/2 and pray for the individuals and families who are fighting cancer. We will send Facebook and email reminders about the 11/2 details, but for now please click here to submit a name for prayer anonymously, or, email [email protected] the names of anyone you know fighting cancer or DM us on FB so we can gather a list of people to prayer for healing and hope.

Farmer/Health Advocate,

Tristan

 

Recipe: Garlic Butter Mushroom and Spinach Spaghetti

Ingredients:

Olive oil 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons butter 1 bunch spinach, washed, ends cut off Lemon juice, to taste Salt and pepper, to taste 1 package spaghetti Feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta until tender. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat then add the oil. Fry the mushrooms until deeply golden and cooked through. Add the garlic and butter and fry for another 30 seconds-1 minute, until the garlic is a light golden color. Turn off the heat then add the spinach, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the cooked spaghetti and a splash of the cooking water. Stir the pasta into the sauce and add more water if necessary.

4. Serve with feta cheese.

Recipe adapted from simply-delicious-food.com

 

Know Your Produce: Gold Beets

You may be most familiar with the red beet, but beets come in a variety of colors. One variety is orange, known as the gold beet. A descendant of a sea vegetable, golden beets are a nutrient-rich food high in fiber and potassium. The beet greens are more nutritious than the beets, containing twice the potassium and high in beta carotene and folic acid.

The difference between the red and the orange beet is the pigment compound. Red beets are rich in betalain pigment while orange beets are rich in b-xanthin pigment. Though their pigment color differs, their nutritional benefits are the same.

Steaming and roasting bring out the best flavor that the beet can offer. The skin must be peeled, which is easiest after it has cooked, as it simply slips away from its flesh. Beets pair well with cheese, bacon, apples, fennel, citrus, potatoes, shallots, vinegar, walnuts, smoked and cured fish. Beets will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week or longer if their tops are removed.

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Cancer, Continued

I have been using my blog as a platform to talk about cancer the last few months joining our voice to the national campaign making October Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All those pink ribbons are a rallying point for all cancers.

Breast Cancer has the dubious distinction of being the #1 incidence of Cancer for women. For 2016 the projection is for 247,000 new cases or 29% of the 844,000 new cases of all cancer. #2 incidence for women getting Cancer in 2016 is claimed by Lung and Bronchus Cancer, 106,000 or 13% of all new cases of cancer for women.

However, when we look at the number of moms, sisters, and daughters who will die from cancer this year, ironically, breast cancer is #2 on the list of deaths related to cancer for 2016. Lung and bronchus cancer will claim more lives. In 2016 72,000 (26%) women will die from lung and bronchus cancer and 40,450 (14%) will pass from this life to the next from breast cancer. The total projected deaths for women with cancer in 2016 is 281,400.

For Men the #1 diagnosis for cancer in 2016 is prostrate cancer at 181,000 (21%) followed by lung and bronchus cancer at the rate of 118,000 (14%). And similar to the death rates for women, lung and bronchus cancer will claim more lives in 2016 86,000 (27%) and prostrate cancer at 26,000 (8%) of the 314,000 deaths for 2016. You can find more information about cancer statistics estimates for 2016 here www.cancer.org

Bottom line: these are not statistics! They are moms, dads, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and co-workers–people who are loved and who love. Some of them have lost their battle. Others are just beginning their battle.

If you know anyone fighting this disease, please refer them to us. We would consider it an honor to stand with them in 1) prayer, and 2) by discounting their boxes of good. We believe that these two things are essential to healing–prayer and a diet that’s rich in nutrition primarily from fruits and vegetables.

You can also purchase one of our $30 fruit baskets as a gift either for someone who is fighting cancer, or for any reason (a thank you for a teacher, a birthday gift, anniversary, or just because.) For each fruit basket we deliver, Klesick Farms will donate $5 towards our Healing through Nutrition program. We use these funds to discount the boxes of good for people fighting cancer.

Also, for the rest of October we will be donating $5 for every new customer and returning customer that signs up. Tell your friends and help me discount a box of good for a local family battling cancer.

Thank you,

Tristan, Farmer/Health Advocate

 

 

 

Featured Recipe: Roasted Delicata Squash & Onions

Ingredients:

2 delicata squash 1 medium red onion, sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 °F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise, then crosswise; scoop out the seeds. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss with onion, 1 tablespoon oil and salt in a large bowl. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, stirring once or twice, until tender and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, syrup and mustard in a small bowl. Toss the vegetables with the dressing.

Recipe from eatingwell.com

 

Know Your Produce: Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, often overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli. This is one vegetable that deserves a regular rotation in your diet, however, as it contains an impressive array of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals. For instance, it contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has been shown to help kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer.

Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, it is best eaten accompanied by a dip or cut up and added to salads. When cooked, it can be eaten as a side dish, alone or topped with a sauce, such as gratin, hollandaise, or Mornay.

When storing, cauliflower should be left unwashed. Store in the refrigerator, with stem side down, in an open plastic bag or use a perforated plastic bag. This will avoid excess moisture, which causes the cauliflower to deteriorate faster.

 

 

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Cancer

It would be great if no one ever had to hear those words again. Not from a doctor, a spouse, a mom, a dad, a friend, or a FB post.

I remember making a delivery to a customer’s home. I knew she was fighting cancer and would spend a few minutes visiting with her each delivery. Then one day, she wasn’t home at the time of delivery. Do you ever have that foreboding sense in your spirit? I did, she was gone, moved from this life to the next. It still brings me to tears just writing this.

Another time, a longtime customer had stopped deliveries, and I followed up with a call to check in. There was no answer, so I followed up with an email. I got a reply, “Marty died”. I did have a chance to connect with her husband, but what can you say to someone who has lost their wife, the mother of their children and his best friend.

I hate cancer, I hate what it does to people, I hate what it does to families, the carnage it leaves behind can be ruthless, it certainly is no respecter of persons.

If you are battling cancer, please call us, let us pray with you, let us put a Healing Through Nutrition discount on your deliveries. Please let us partner with you and partner with you in your healing by discounting your boxes of good food.

You are one of the reasons we call our boxes “a box of good”. We don’t care why or how you got cancer, we just want to help you battle this disease with high quality organic fruits and vegetables, help you make one less trip to the grocery store, and have one less thing to think about.

What if I don’t have cancer? Be thankful, but you can help others who do? For the next 3 weeks we are offering fruit Gift Baskets with Pink Ribbons for $30 delivered to you or directly to the person you want to bless.

1. Buy one for a friend or family member who’s battling cancer.

2. Or, just buy one or more as gifts. These will make great gifts for anyone, birthday, anniversary, or just because!

And not only will Klesick Farms deliver your fruit baskets, I will donate $5 for each basket sold toward our Healing through Nutrition program and apply a discount to folks fighting cancer. Order today and we will do the rest.

 

Farmer/Health Advocate

Tristan

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If only I had been paying attention…

This has been a remarkable farm season. The weather has been neither too harsh nor too kind. We have had to irrigate very little and the crops have grown well.

It has been a crazy three weeks. We just finished harvesting green, yellow and purple beans. Originally, I had planted two different plantings, with a fairly healthy gap between them. The cool weather in May/June essentially slowed one planting down and so the later planting caught right up. It is sort a like when the outgoing tide meets the incoming tide and everything rises at that moment!

Thanks for eating green beans. We picked over 2,000 lbs. and our customers ate most of them. I can say most of them because green beans are one of those crops that gets “grazed” on a regular basis. They might not be as sweet as raspberries, but when beans are on, they are the preferred snack at Klesick Farms!

This week is a little quieter from our farm. Italian prunes and chard in most boxes; walnuts, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and peppers in smaller quantities. Then there are the cucumbers. This year we planted a new variety called Silver Slicers. They are a white-skinned cucumber and super delish! I planted about 100 seeds at two different times and, oh my word, those little cucurbits make cucumbers faster than rabbits make rabbits, if you get my drift. They are the most productive cucumber I have ever grown.

Ironically, I would have never grown these, if I had been paying attention. Early in the spring I was talking with Ada, my seed representative from High Mowing Organic seeds. We were talking back and forth about what varieties grew well in greenhouse environments and did well in last year’s seed trials. We decided on Manny, a beautiful smooth green-skinned cucumber. Ada also mentioned that Silver Slicers did really well in the trials, too. Because I am always willing to try a new variety, I ordered and split the plantings.

Well, since Ada and I were talking about cucumbers, it didn’t dawn on me that the Silver Slicers were not GREEEEN! Imagine my surprise when they starting “setting” fruit that was white! Talk about a mini heart attack! My mind raced through all the prep work, the fertilizer blend, weather patterns, and I asked myself, “What was wrong? How come they are not green? Is my soil deficient in nutrients?” Thankfully, a quick check-in with Ada calmed my mini crisis. She assured me that the Silver Slicer is a white-skinned cucumber.

I am now so thankful for that oversight. The world has plenty of green cucumbers, so I will make the Silver Slicer a staple for Klesick Farms and we can all enjoy them this year and next!

Thanks for eating locally grown food. You are making a difference one bite at a time for your health and the health of our community.

Farmer Tristan

 

 

Recipe: Mexican Style Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

3-5 ears of corn, husked 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste ½ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper Cotija or feta cheese

Directions:

Prepare a grill, with heat medium-high and rack about 4 inches from the fire. Put corn on grill and cook until kernels begin to char, about 5 minutes, then turn. Continue cooking and turning until all sides are slightly blackened.

Mix together mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lime juice or chili powder if you like. Serve corn with chili-lime mayo and sprinkle with cotija or feta cheese.

Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

 

Know Your Produce: Plums

Domestic plums are crimson to black-red with a yellow or reddish flesh; they are in season May through October. High in vitamin C, plums are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. They’re sweet and delicious—which is why highly desirable things are called “plum.”

Store: If too firm to use, place in a closed paper bag at room temperature for one to two days. Once ripe, plums can be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to three days. Refrigerating plums before they’re ripe results in a mealy texture, so allow firm fruit to ripen at room temperature up to 2 days.

Prep: Remove the pit by slicing all the way around the fruit, starting at the stem end. Rotate each half and the pit should come free.

Use: Plums pair well with both sweet and savory foods and make an excellent accompaniment for cheese, chocolate, and dessert wines.