Harvest Co-op: Nutrition

LET'S GO FOR A SWIM...
More and more people are interested in learning more about vegetables from the sea. Like the mineral rich ocean, sea vegetables hold high quality calcium, iron, potassium and trace elements. No other food found on land or sea packs as many nutrients. In fact, our blood contains the same one hundred or so minerals and trace elements as in the ocean.

SNEAKY, SNEAKY...
Most of us eat processed sea vegetables every day and don't even know it! Manufacturers use them as thickeners and stabilizers in such products as ice cream, instant pudding, whipped toppings, salad dressings, and even toothpaste. But unprocessed sea vegetables haven't caught on much outside of Asia. It's a shame, since they're dense with vitamins, minerals, and protein, yet low in calories.

Most sea vegetables are salty flavored and can be used as a condiment or a snack. They can add a lot of interesting flavor to soups, salads, stir-frys, sandwiches, vegetable and rice dishes. Sea vegetables are dried and packaged.

AGAR-AGAR
Agar-agar or just agar, is a vegetable gelatin used over 1000 years in Asia. It is boiled, pressed into cakes, then dried and flaked. It contains no calories and is used in desserts, jellies and "jello" type dishes called kanten. It is also used in petri dishes. To make your own natural “jello”, use one tablespoon flakes to one cup of fruit juice. Boil, reduce heat, stir in agar, and simmer 5 minutes. Pour over fruit arranged in a mold. Cool until firm.

ARAME
Arame is a black seaweed sliced into long strands. It is and a variety of kelp with a mild sweet flavor and is great with other vegetables. Soak 15 minutes before use.

DULSE
Dulse is red with fan shaped fronds. Dried, it can be eaten raw as "beef jerky of the sea." Sauté in a little oil until crisp to create a mild smoky flavor for a delicious DLT sandwich. It was commonly served in 18th century Britain with fish, potatoes and butter. It is good in chowders. Do not soak first.

HIZIKI
Hiziki or hijiki is a black, curly seagrass that climbs over rocks and sea bottoms. It has a mild flavor and is good stir-fried with other vegetables, making it a nutritious side dish. Soak before using. In the Far East, it is an esteemed food that is said to increase beauty as well as strengthening and adding luster to hair.

KELP
Kelp is the fastest growing plant on land or sea, growing up to 2 feet daily and reaching over 1000 feet in length. Nearly 900 varieties are known, including arame, kombu and wakame (these are packaged separately). Kelp is usually packaged in capsules as a supplement.

KOMBU
Kombu is a sea vegetable whose name is often interchanged with kelp. It is good in soup stocks and stews and is often cooked with beans to make them easier to digest. Soak 15 minutes before use. It is delicious layered with root vegetables in a casserole and sprinkled with a ginger-tamari sauce, then baked.

NORI
Nori, also known as laver, was originally harvested by scraping it from bamboo stalks growing wild in shallow mud flat. It is now grown on the open ocean by seeding ropes and stretching just below the surface. Nori is dried in sheets, similar to old-fashioned paper making. Dry weight is 50% protein. Toast over open flame or burner and crumble on salads, soup, vegetables or rice. Sushi nori sheets are ready to use to make sushi.

WAKAME
Wakame is harvested in Japan and grows in long, thin ribbons. ALARIA is biologically almost identical and is harvested in Maine. Soak wakame only 5 minutes, any longer and it becomes too soft. Remove the spine, and save for soups.

2 green onions, chopped
8 oz firm tofu, cut into small cubes
4 Tbs. white miso
6 Tbs. dried wakame, snipped
½ cup soy mozzarella, cubed
3 tsp. brewer’s yeast flakes

Bring 4 cups Water to a simmer. Add miso, onions, tofu in small cubes, and wakame. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add soy mozzarella in small cubes. Sprinkle on brewer's yeast flakes. Let flavors bloom 30 seconds and serve.

Quick
Wakame
Succotash

1 oz dried wakame
10 oz package frozen succotash vegetables
8 oz crumbled tofu
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. canola oil
2 Tbs. minced chives
2 Tbs. umeboshi plum vinegar or brown rice vinegar

Soak wakame in water for 30 minutes. Drain and steam for 10 minutes until
tender. Snip into 1-inch pieces, removing the tough stems. Cook frozen vegetables and crumbled tofu in a pan according to package directions. Sauté onion in oil until fragrant. Toss with vegetables and wakame. Add chives and vinegar, and let marinate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

3 medium carrots, rinsed and quartered
3 stalks celery, rinsed and quartered
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
6-inch piece kombu (see glossary)
1 bunch parsley stems and/or leaves
1 to 2 bay leaves
½ tsp. dried thyme or herb of choice

In a large pot, combine all ingredients. Add 8 cups cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer 45 minutes.

Pour stock through strainer into clean pot or storage container; discard solids. Even though vegetables have been washed, watch for grit that may have settled at
bottom of pot. For a richer, more concentrated flavor, continue to simmer strained stock, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Cool, cover and refrigerate 4 to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 months.