My husband and I spend a lot of time in Vermont. We love the mountains, the dirt roads, the occasional bear and winters full of snowmobiling. But one of my favorite things about going is exploring the farms and country stores for new foods to experiment with when I can leisurely cook our dinner for just us two, instead of our normal family of six on busy weeknights.
A couple weekends ago while in the Green Mountain state, we sat on the deck having breakfast when the next-door neighbors drove by and waved out the truck window, they slowed to a stop and yelled out that they were headed to the Wardsboro Turnip Festival, and we should check it out. "How Vermonty!" we thought, "we're in". We got dressed, headed out and arrived at the Turnip Festival just as our neighbors were leaving. "Try the turnip soup!" our neighbor told us, "You wouldn't think it, but it's delicious".
Now, I'll tell you honestly that I hate turnips. My parents always made mashed turnips (they still do) and I have always hated them; the bitter flavor, the bland texture, they're just not my thing! But curiosity got the better of me and I gave it a shot, we bought a bowl of soup to share. I made that face, the one where you know you're about to eat something you dislike, preparing myself.
It. Was. Delicious. I couldn't believe I was eating anything turnip, it was creamy and flavorful and simple, letting the vegetable flavor do the work. I had to know more, did my parents just not know how to prepare turnips all these years or was I missing something?
Consulting a turnip expert at the festival, I learned about the Gilfeather Turnip, a Vermont treasure. This turnip is an interspecies cross between a rutabaga and a true turnip. Sweeter than a traditional turnip, it matures later (Autumn after the first frost) and was the fiercely guarded secret of John Gilfeather, who sold them by the cartload starting in the late 1800's. Thankfully, the seeds made it to a couple who continued the legacy after Johns passing in 1944, and in 2016 the Gilfeather Turnip was proclaimed the Vermont state vegetable.
At the festival, I purchased my several pounds of turnips and set about making a soup to share with you all, using our Olive & Thistle EVOO. I encourage you to head online if you are a gardener and grab yourself some Gilfeather Turnip seeds, you won't be sorry. And if you can't wait to grow them yourself, hop online and search Gilfeather Turnip to order from some New England farms who offer them. My soup recipe (adapted from the one I sampled that day) will be on the website, and just an fyi, I made the soup for my parents and have given them the recipe, just for future reference. Happy Autumn, it's soup season and I couldn't be happier about it!
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For so many people, this has become the yearly routine. We have developed the ultimate love/hate relationship with our bodies and food; and the diet fads have us all believing different things about how we should eat. Fat in our diet is often considered the enemy and the cause of weight gain but the truth is the body needs a certain amount of fat and certain kinds of fats to function properly. The right fats boost your energy, support cellular renewal and cardiovascular health, among many other benefits. Healthy fats are not just something you should allow every now and then, they are essential daily to give your body the fuel it needs and the building blocks for optimal health.
While everyone is different, a good rule of thumb is to have a minimum of 30% of your daily calories come from lipids (fats and fatty acids), but the right kinds of lipids are the key. You are probably aware that there are three main types of fatty acids: Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. While similar in their chemical structures, each has a complex function and play different roles in the body. Polyunsaturated fats contain the Omega-6 fatty acids, which are derived from foods like corn oil and sunflower oil and Omega –3 fatty acids, which come from foods like fish, shellfish, walnuts and flaxseed. Monounsaturated fats contain the Omega-9 fatty acids which are found in (my favorite source) extra virgin olive oil, avocados and almonds.
In this family of lipids, balance is an important factor to make sure you’re getting the most supportive nutrients for your body. For example, most Americans eat way more foods with the Omega-6 fatty acids and don’t get nearly enough of the Omega-3 or Omega-9 fatty acids. These essential fats have a direct impact on our health and well-being, in fact, 60% of our brains are comprised of fatty acids, making it crucial to get these nutrients each day.
Now you’re thinking ‘What does this have to do with my bathing suit?’. Well, in addition to being essential for your brain health and cardiovascular function, good fats (especially those monosaturated Omega-9 fatty acids) serve to help you maintain or achieve your ideal weight. We all know the dangers to our health when our body fat is too high, we risk heart health, high blood pressure, diminished energy and more.
Incorporating EVOO into your diet is a great start to managing your health and weight. It makes you feel fuller for longer, that’s that healthy fat actually telling your body to shut down the hunger hormone, causing you to not think about snacking all day. It also is a great liver cleanser and detoxifier, and a healthy liver is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight. Countless studies have shown the connection to extra virgin olive oil and weight loss and improved overall health. So don’t believe the big FAT lie. Have a shot of EVOO, get into that bathing suit and have a great summer!
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The famous Greek poet Homer once called olive oil 'Liquid Gold' and he was right in more ways than one! First, during his lifetime (most likely the 8th century) olive oil was five times more expensive than wine and almost three times more expensive than other seed oils popular at the time. A primary export of Mycenaean Greece, it is likely that olive oil was used as a type of currency or barter payment for for other high value items, a real Liquid Gold!
The second way Homer was right is in the golden health properties found in olive oil, most notably in what we now call Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Modern medicine has scientifically confirmed what those in the ancient world already knew, extra virgin olive oil is one of the most important nutrients in the world. Study after study has conclusively shown that EVOO is a fantastic source of powerful antioxidants and essential healthy fats. Specifically, EVOO contains over thirty types of phenolic compounds, those mighty antioxidants that help protect against free radicals which can damage the cellular renewal process and expose us to the risk of disease and pre-mature aging. I don't know about you, but I can't think of a more delicious way to protect my health and (hopefully) turn back the hands of time by adding (or increasing) my usage of EVOO in my kitchen.
Sadly, the fact is there are so many un-certified and even fraudulent extra virgin olive oils flooding the U.S. market. It was important to me to ensure I was using the highest quality and most healthfully delicious EVOO available. Once I found it, I decided to start this company and share it. I know you'll love it as much as I do, so check out our fantastic extra virgin olive oils, delicious balsamic vinegars and our custom spice blends and get cooking. You'll love the flavor and the healthy choice you're making!
Welcome to Olive & Thistle!
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