Simple Snacks

Simple snacks with local veggies

If you’re trying to incorporate more healthy food into your routine, here are some easy ways to eat healthier snacks.

The quickest and easiest is to simply eat raw veggies with your favorite dip, like Ranch, honey-mustard, or homemade beet hummus like in the photo below. (For more delicious dip ideas, check out this collection.)

To make healthy snacking easier, have your veggies washed and sliced, and in an easy-to-grab container so you’ll be more likely to choose them over the bag of potato chips.

Veggies in the photo above include:

• carrots

• cucumbers

• multi-colored green beans

• kohlrabi

• multi-colored bell peppers

Other great veggies for raw snacking include:

• cauliflower

• broccoli

• radishes

• salad turnips

• cabbage

• snap peas

• cherry tomatoes

And fruits and berries are great for snacking! You can find local:

• strawberries

• raspberries

• blackberries

• cantaloupe

• watermelon

• apples

• peaches

• pears

You can freeze or dehydrate fruits and berries to make them last longer.

To step up your snacking game a bit (or for fancy appetizers), try incorporating vegetables into dips, spreads, or the beautiful tomato-basil bruschetta pictured below, crafted by one of our CSA members.

photo by Jen Amor

West African Ground Nut Stew

I love trying new foods and especially foods from different countries. I first ran across a recipe for Ground Nut Stew in college when I was assigned to make a dish from west Africa. If you're looking for a hearty soup for a rainy day, definitely try this one. I sometimes make it in a crock pot, which makes it even easier. This is a great recipe to try if you still have some sweet potatoes hiding in your basement from the last CSA boxes last year!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chicken or several pieces leftover chicken, shredded

• 1 T oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 green pepper, chopped

• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger)

• 1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped

• 2 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen, or other greens)

• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

• 2 cups water or broth, divided

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 can tomato paste or tomato sauce

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• cayenne powder to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 cup of the water or broth, onion, carrot, green pepper, ginger, sweet potato, spinach, and garlic to crockpot. Saute chicken (if raw) in oil, then add to crockpot. In a bowl, stir together remaining cup of broth, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and spices. Add to crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 8 hours, until ingredients are tender. Add more broth/water to make a thinner soup. Serve over rice, and garnish with cilantro, roasted peanuts, or hot peppers.

NOTES:

• You can leave out any ingredients you don’t have or don’t like. This is a flexible recipe.

• Substitute chickpeas for chicken to make a vegan version.