     
SHOP GOODIES: SEPTEMBER  Autumn is preserve-making time, and we've been very busy this year... You'll find a vastly increased range of own-made jams, pickles and chutneys, as well as many own-made dips etc. The cafe is also making far more cakes and biscuits than ever before.
Lots of the ingredients used in the above (though obviously not in the cakes) has been grown on our land in Chew Magna, which is soon to be transformed into a community farm.
Currently from the farm we have:Lettuces (Roger, cos and green oak, red lollo), Coriander, Parsley, Basil, Baby Chard, Pumpkins, Green Hokaido Squash, Delicata Squash, Courgette, Romanesque, Purple Spouting Broccoli, Tomatoes, Bercol Kale, Curly Kale, Leeks, Potatoes (Orla, Aaron Victory), Red Cabbage, Swede, Beetroot, Parsnip, Carrots and Autumn King Cabbages. Pic: This September's Organic Food Fair in Bristol - our stand was an amazing display of colour and variety.  AUGUST 2009
As well as produce from our own land, Woodbarn Field in Chew Magna (see below), we're also highlighting a number of other in the store, as well as selecting and promoting some "health foods of the month". Come and see what's on offer! Miso Miso is essentially a flavor enhancer that may be one of the most nutritious and healthy foods available. We are so lucky to have an amazing source of live, un-pasteurized miso right here in the UK. Not only that but Source Foods use local ingredients wherever possible. You can replace salt in any vegetable recipe with miso. Add it to the cooking water to enhance the flavor of rice and add it to any soup or stew you are making. It even makes a really satisfying tea/broth. There are several distinct flavors so be sure to experiment with them to find your favorite. See Jamie's nutrition tips for August for more about phytoestrogens and miso. For miso recipes, see www.miso.co.uk  A Vogel Mini greenhouseIf you haven’t tried sprouting before then now is the time. Sprouts are mini plants, one stage up from seeds. Pound for pound sprouted seeds contain more nutrients than any other food known to man. They contain high levels of natural enzymes, proteins, minerals and trace elements in a highly absorbable form. They continue to grow on your kitchen shelf right up to the time when you pick, rinse and eat them. It doesn’t get much fresher or local than that.  VIRIDIAN OIL OF THE MONTHSports Performance Oil ‘Viridian’s Sports Performance Oil has been specifically formulated to help meet the nutritional demands of the physically active. This blend of essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega 3, 6, and 9 coupled with medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) provides an ideal energy enhancing, fat burning formula to support optimum sports nutrition and help assist weight control’.  VEGETABLE OF THE MONTH: KALEFresh from our own field in the Chew valley, we deliver an historical powerhouse of the nutrition world. It has been cultivated in this country for centuries as it is perfectly suited to our climate. Low in calories, it is one of the most nutritious foods around. Packed with vitamins A, K and C, full of fibre and calcium, there are a host of health benefits attached to kale. Mostly I’d say it has a perfect nutritional profile to promote healthy bones and muscles. To cook it make sure it is trimmed of its rough stalks and then cook it like cabbage, sauté it, steam it or stir fry it. It is definitely best eaten when its hot and just cooked as its not so nice when it gets cold. I enjoy it most in soups or broths. RECIPES & NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Facts about kale Facts about other seasonal vegetables Kale with garlic, parsley and parmesan Curly kale with mashed potatoes Penne with kale, roasted onions and gorgonzola Kale Pesto Pasta 
Oil of the month | Grains of the month | veg of the month 
JULY'S OIL
Viridian 100% Organic Ultimate Beauty Oil 200mlA balanced rich source of 3:6:9 fatty acids including GLA. Contains a broad range of potent antioxidants including vitamin E and carotenoids. Essential fatty acids are required for the health and maintenance of cellular integrity and membrane fluidity. Take daily alongside Viridian’s Ultimate Beauty Complex Veg Caps for the ultimate in hair, skin and nails. JULY'S GRAINS This month’s products of the month can be found in our bulk bins and pre packed area. Some are also available in tins or as flours. The common thread between them is that they generally contain good levels of nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. They are rich sources of soluble fibre (the best kind) and are low sodium, high potassium foods.  OATSWhat better way to start your day than a bowl of porridge or soaked muesli. Oats are low GI so they release their sugars slowly into the bloodstream giving us longer, more sustained energy to tackle the morning and prepare us for the rest of the day. There are numerous studies highlighting the health benefits of a regular serving of oats. They have been shown to: Lower cholesterol Stabilize blood sugars Reduce hypertension Improve bowel function Improve athletic performance And many, many more. Families in Scotland used to cook large amounts of porridge, allow it to cool in the ‘porridge drawer’, and then slice it and take it to work for sustenance. For a wonderful take on this, try this banana and oat cake recipe, it doesn’t get any easier. Adding ground seeds, fresh or dried fruit and spices such as cinnamon can enhance the flavor, texture and nutritional value of your breakfast. Try the soaked oats recipe for a wonderful and quick start to the day.  CHICK PEASChick peas are a wonderful and extremely versatile food. The Mediterranean diet is hot news in the nutritional and medical world and chick peas form a main component of it. Available dried, tinned and ground as flour and used in salads, hummus, falafels and a large number of wheat free recipes. They are a good source of protein and both kinds of fibre as well as folate and calcium. Have fun with the gram flour pancakes recipe using savory or sweet fillings. RED LENTILS 
Lentils contain an average of 26% protein making them an important part of any vegetarian diet. This explains their popularity in the Indian sub continent that has large vegetarian populations. Lentils are often mixed with grains such as rice in order to provide a ‘complete protein’.
Red lentils contain a lower percentage of fibre than green lentils and because of this many people find them easier to digest. Lentils are also one of the best vegetable sources of iron making them a great addition during pregnancy or adolescence.
Experiment with the Dhal recipes. Don’t worry too much about the quantities; just concentrate on the flavor by adjusting the spices according to your taste.
QUINOAOften thought of as a grain, quinoa is actually the seed of a plant related to green leafy vegetables like chard and spinach. Quinoa is a very new food here in the west and there are many stories and theories as to why that might be. Some say that as the Spanish conquerors attempted to gain more control over the native South American population the cultivation of quinoa was outlawed, often punishable by death and leading to its scarcity. Others say that they simply didn’t recognize the importance and nutritional quality of quinoa preferring instead the coca, potatoes and tomatoes etc. So just what is so good about quinoa? It’s low in sugar and starch and high in fiber and unsaturated fats. It contains many essential vitamins and minerals and also a very high percentage of complete protein. When cooked it readily absorbs the flavors around it making it ideal to bulk out meals and salads. 
JULY'S PRODUCE (OWN GROWN BY US)
In my mind Better Health is in large part achieved by eating fresh and healthy foods with a high nutrient content. That means food that is farmed or grown in healthy conditions and has the shortest journey from plot to plate. That to me means no fertilisers or pesticides, no air miles, no intensive farming, the least amount of processing and food that is free range and local. Here at Better Food we can offer you plenty of that! It doesn't get much fresher than our organically farmed produce, from Woodbarn field, Chew Magna. We are on an idyllic site over looking Chew Valley lake, with fertile, nutrient rich soil, that helps us grow produce to supply the Better Food shop and the Better Food vegetable boxes [veg box weekly content is here].
In July we have an abundance of produce from the Woodbarn field such as;
Melanie Taylor
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