Day 25 - Salsa and Pizza and Brownies

I've been devouring my lacto-fermented salsa the last few days.  It is so good!  I went to Costco a few days ago and got a big box of ripe mangos that I need to eat before they go bad,  so everyday I cut up a mango and add it to a bowl of salsa.

What is "lacto-fermenting" and why is it good for you?  Lacto-fermentation is when the starches and sugars in vegetables and fruit convert to lactic acid by a friendly lactic-acid producing bacteria.  When you lacto-ferment vegetables, it increases the vitamins, is more digestible, and you get a plethora of good bacteria. 

“The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.” - Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, pg 89

This is very new terroritory for me and I still know very little about it, but I do know this salsa tastes amazing.  I hope to venture more into lacto-fermenting in the future.

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Last night I finally made some food my whole family was able to enjoy.  First, I made "granola bars" - I melted honey and peanut butter together over a low heat, then added rolled oats, poured in a pan, sprinkled with shredded coconut, and let chill in the fridge for a few hours.  They tasted like pure peanut buttery goodness.  My husband and son loved them - the whole pan is already gone!

For dinner I made whole-wheat pizza with organic tomato sauce and organic raw mozzarella cheese.  I've had the privledge of growing up eating the world's best pizza: my mom's home made recipe!  So of course I was comparing mine to hers.  And you know what?  They actually tasted pretty similiar, except that my crust was "wheatier" and I had less cheese on mine (organic raw cheese is expensive, so I was stretching it as far as I could!)

The one on the left is black olives and the one on the right is spicy venison sausage.  A friend of mine gave us some meat from a deer her husband killed -- thanks, Steph! -- and it was PERFECT on this pizza.  My husband's favorite food is pizza, so when I saw him gobble it down and he gave me endless compliments, I knew I had done something right.

For dessert, we had whole wheat brownies sweetened with coconut palm sugar.  They were dark, rich and enjoyed with a glass of raw milk.  They didn't last long either, so no photos. :)

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I had some grass-fed beef and soaked pinto beans that I needed to use STAT, so I threw them in the crock pot with some things I had on hand: celery, carrots, and tomato sauce.  I let them simmer all day and the end result looks and smells exactly like spaghetti sauce.  I haven't tasted it yet, but I have some whole wheat spaghetti noodles in the pantry.... looks like I know what to make for dinner tomorrow. :)