Quote
"Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before."
- Mae West
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Welcome
 It's pea planting time again. Last full moon I planted sugar snap and snow peas in the garden. It was the perfect time because when the moon is full, the gravitational force that causes higher tides at full moon pulls on the moisture in seeds to help them germinate more quickly. So a full moon is seed planting time. (In case you're wondering, a quarter moon is the time to plant bulbs, as you want the roots to grow downward, so you don't want the upward pull.)
I'm seeing the garlic I planted last fall coming up - some earlier and some later, depending on the variety. Garlic is easy to grow as long as you keep it weeded and grow it in full sun. In the southeast it tends to make bulbs in late spring or early summer, again depending on the type you grow. This year I planted both inchelium reds and silver skinned whites - I mostly try to find varieties that are well adapted to the southeast.
I also started seeds for the late winter/early spring planting - cold weather greens, veggies and herbs such as dill, beets, cilantro, lettuces, kales and collards... but I tried starting them in the house this year, since it's been so cold, and moving them to the greenhouse (I use a small portable hex greenhouse), where they promptly froze and died. So I started all over as soon as it stopped snowing... Cold weather crops are okay if they freeze, as long as they weren't started in warmer conditions - voice of experience!
The best seed starting system I've found, by the way, is the BioDome from Park Seeds. It's truly a reusable system. Here's a link: http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/6529/
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Food Focus: Garlic
Garlic is not only fun and easy to grow, it's a nutritional powerhouse.
Garlic's benefits include:
promotes circulation and sweating removes abdominal obstructions and stagnant food inhibits the common cold virus as well as viruses, amoebae, and other microorganisms associated with degenerative diseases such as cancer is an antifungal (anti-yeast and candida) and pro-biotic eliminates toxins protects against dysentery a drop of garlic oil in the ear will help clear up ear infections
(Caution - garlic is a warming food, and is not for "heat" conditions - red face and eyes, feeling overheated, skin rashes, etc.)
A recent study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that fresh, crushed (not processed) garlic is the form that most benefits the heart.
You can use fresh garlic in basil pesto or you can just add it toward the end of cooking (for example in cooking greens, just cook the onion first, add greens with their rinse water clinging to them, and cook for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in minced fresh garlic, allo wing it to cook just slightly. You can also swallow small garlic cloves whole as a supplement.
Another great way to use fresh raw garlic is in a Ceasar Salad.
This time of year, green garlic can be found in your local farm market. Or you can grow some yourself by just breaking apart a bulb (get an organic bulb - some nonorganic garlic has been treated to prevent sprouting) and planting 5 or 6 cloves in a container. Start with a couple of inches of potting soil, place your garlic cloves on that, and then cover with another couple of inches of potting soil. Find a nice spot in a sunny window and turn a quarter turn every day or two to keep it growing straight.
Green garlic has a milder garlic flavor and can be used in ways similar to green onions. Chop and add to stirfries and salads, or make Green Garlic Soup (see recipe below).
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Recipe: Green Garlic Soup
 1 bunch green garlic
1/2 pound new potatoes (red or yukon gold)
2 medium onions
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
Cut the garlic into thin rounds or half-circles. Unless very tough, the lower foot or so of the stem and leaves are fine to use. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel and chop the onions into small dice. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot, add the onions, and cook slowly until translucent and tender. Salt, and add the garlic and potatoes. Cook these together for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the soup until the potatoes are tender. Check the seasoning. This soup can be served rustic and chunky, or puréed.
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Bookshelf
Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford - Asian Tradition and Moder Nutrition. I studied with Paul at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and he has an amazing command of Traditional Chinese Medicine which is evident in this book.
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News & Events
Invitation to join Laura's Meetup Group
The Atlanta Organic Gardening & More Meetup Group is growing fast! At last count there were 259 "organic enthusiasts".
If you are interested in growing foods organically, or eating organically grown foods, this is the Meet-Up for you. Professional organic/natural farmers as well as amateur gardeners are welcome to come and share their gardening methods, participate in planning,
planting, growing and preparing foods organically.
Here's a link in case you'd like to check it out:
http://organic.meetup.com/99/
Nutrition in the News
Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks on CNN about the need for health coaches in America.
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$50 for helping others
Your referral is the best compliment we can receive at Intuitive Wellness!
If a friend, family member or anyone else you refer signs up for an Intuitive Wellness six month program you will receive a check for $50 as a thank you AND you will have made a difference in the life of another human being.
Is there anything better than that?
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About Us
Laura Brown is a Certified Health Counselor (CHC) and the founder of Intuitive Wellness. Combining the principles of Integrative Nutrition and years of hands-on experience, Laura Brown helps clients tap into the healing power of food in their lives one meal at a time.
Call or email to schedule a free health consultation with Laura:
770-953-0534, or laura@intuitive-wellness.com.
See www.intuitive-wellness.com for more information.
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