Recipe - Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is awesome with hummus and pita bread. Yum yum yum!

Tabbouleh
1 cup bulghur wheat
2 large heirloom tomatoes, ripe and juicy
5 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
3 shallots, minced
freshly ground pepper

Place bulghur wheat into a bowl and cover with cold water for 45 minutes to an hour. While it is soaking, chop the tomatoes. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and salt, set aside.
Drain and squeeze the bulghur in paper towels to soak up excess water, then transfer to a serving bowl. Fluff it with a fork, add tomatoes, shallots, mint and parsley. mix the remaining 4 tbsp of lemon juice with the olive oil and add to mixture. Add ground pepper, mix. Place in refrigerator for at least one hour, to chill thoroughly.
Enjoy!

Reiki Class

Last evening we offered a second class, Introduction to Reiki, so that people who had questions or never experienced this alternative form of energy healing would be able to learn more. We had a good turnout again, 9 people. Bethany answered questions, and also performed Reiki on anyone who was interested. Everyone was and thought it very powerful. I'll also be posting a few pictures from last night.
Friday nights we always have guided meditation here at Kindred Spirits Organics. It is Twin Hearts meditation, and we ask for blessings for the earth, all its inhabitants, people, animals and also send blessing thoughts towards war torn areas, areas that are struggling with economy, and for all. Most times we use the prayer to St Francis of Assisi, but last week we did a Buddhist version which was awesome as well. Chandan who is a Pranic healer leads our meditations. Usually there are about 6-10 people who join us, depending on their schedules.

Food Co op

We are exploring the idea of a food buyers co op as part of our shop Kindred Spirits Organics. Our plan is to be able to offer even greater savings on organic food and to be able to offer it to even more people. The thought as well is to offer certified organic farmers a way to market their produce, thus benefiting their lives as well. I would love to see this grow into a large scale community garden to help allow lots of families to grow their own food and to become more self sufficient, and perhaps even a way to farm raise tilapia. I envision gardening classes, compost giveaways, potluck suppers, cooking demos, and so much more. Keeping my fingers crossed...in the meantime, any ideas, suggestions, are greatly appreciated.

Farm market fresh

The outside farm market in Appleton begins in late June and continues through the end of October and it is incredible. Right in the heart of downtown, College Avenue is closed off for several blocks and hundreds of farmers set up their tents and tables, displaying gorgeous fresh vegetables and fruits for sale. The entire street is full of people, literally tens of thousands, walking past the tables, choosing food, seeing friends and neighbors, and enjoying the sights and sounds. The colors of the snap peas, such a delectable green. Beans, green, yellow wax, mounds of them, just asking to be taken home and enjoyed. Tomatoes in every shade, red, yellow, orange, pink, striped, heirlooms bursting with flavor, I can just taste the juiciness. One vendor has the most impeccable fresh homegrown oyster mushrooms, what a treat. There's live music, and delicious street food available as well. T he vendors are local Wisconsin farmers, some travel an hour or so to get here. Lots are certified organic and display their signs and food proudly. Theres free range eggs, lots of flowers, and unusual things like elderberries in season. During the fall, trucks filled to the brim with sweet corn gathers lots of buyers, and pumpkins and squashes add to the delight. Chefs come downtown and buy whats in season, to create mouthwatering dishes for their customers. The farmer market has become THE place to be on Saturday morning, and when its in full swing, I'll post lots of pictures to share.