Blood oranges are like the sunset to me!  The colors go from bright orange, to reddish orange and then to a super dark red color…sometimes all in the same orange!  The dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of polyphenol pigments, usually uncommon in citrus fruits.  Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory and help prevent cancer, bacterial infections, diabetes and reduce the risk of heart disease.

This not only is a super healthy age defying salad with the addition of sprouts (here we used broccoli sprouts), it is so easy and quick to make!  Both delicious and refreshing– a perfect summer party salad, for sure; one you’ll crave again and again!  

This is a fun, vibrant, healthier take on the Lebanese Tabbouleh everyone loves.  I switched out the bulgar with colorful cauliflower because you just can’t beat cruciferous for health!  I also omitted the oil, while allowing for just the tiniest bit of salt at the very end.  Adding extra lemon juice and a little garlic elevates the flavor, wonderfully.  Serve with these beautiful Radicchio di Treviso, or Romaine and let your guests eat as a pick up appetizer.

Sangria’s humble roots come from Spain, and is a hugely popular refreshing party drink around the world. This fruity punch usually calls for red wine but can leave you feeling like you want to recline!  We substituted the red wine with refreshing red beet juice, and it’s so delicious and energizing that you’ll feel like partying all night long!

Gazpacho is a super energizing and refreshing first course on a warm summer day. It originated from Andalusia, southern Spain where day laborers working in vineyards, olive plantations, citrus groves, & wheat fields were given rations of bread and oil for their meals. Bread soaked in water made a simple soup, to which oil, garlic &  salt were added for flavor, plus whatever fresh vegetables were available–usually, tomatoes, peppers & cucumbers. This soup helped increase the energy for the workers in the hot sun. Garden of Eydie changed the recipe to increase the nutrient density of the foods and made it even more delicious than the original.

We replaced the processed bread with white quinoa, which has a delicate taste and is chewier, like bread, compared to the other varieties of quinoa. We cooked the white quinoa and added it to the soup instead of bread, and WOW!  the texture is even lighter and more interesting than soaked bread! We also created amazingly delicious Quinoa bread croutons for garnish amongst freshly cut colorful tomatoes, and voila, Garden of Eydie healthier and even more delicious Gazpacho was born!

I was “blessed” this year with two large beautiful Fava Bean plants, which produced about 12 lbs of fava beans. Thank goodness, not all at the same time!  This way I could pick a few at a time, shell them, and use them in a variety of ways: cooking them and adding to salads, or mix with baked mushrooms and other steamed veggies, make fava bean crostini, and grill them for this delicious hummus!  You’ll get just a hint!