NOURISH - what does it mean?

In honor of celebrating the harvest and sweet community around the table tomorrow, I have no turkey day recipes for you (so sorry, I'm a student - what can I say?); however, I do have a 3-minute long video for you that I could not resist sharing.

It's an excellent message around whole foods and the whole person with commentary on what "nourish" means --- by several leading and well-respected voices in the food revolution: Jamie Oliver, Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, etc.

If you can't get enough and want to learn more, check out this site: http://www.nourishlife.org/ to get the scoop on the story behind your food. "Nourish Life" is a major media and educational initiative underway that is focused on food and community; it's dedicated to creating a sustainable food future. And for that, I love them.

If you don't have time to check it out now maybe bookmark it for another time? It's worth it. You'll find it in my links section as well.

I hope your Thanksgiving is relaxing and filled with delicious, fresh, in-season whole foods.

Remember to give thanks AND let your first bite be a breath.

Dr. Andrew Weil, I want to HUG you

And I mean one of those unapologetic, deathly squeezing hugs you give someone that you uncontrollably admire and know no other way of saying, “thank you.” Words wouldn’t do Dr. Andrew; for your sake, you are lucky that Arizona is just too far of a drive.

So, I read this fantastic article about “How Plants Are (Usually) Better Than Drugs” by Andrew Weil, M.D. I just breathed this sigh of relief along with feeling so excited I could hardly stay in my skin. And I thought YES, this man gets it!

Plants and whole food are indeed the best medicine. Well, along with quality sleep, sunlight, clean water, fresh air, exercise and some good laughter and good times with people you love.

For the record, I am not opposed to pharmaceutical drugs. I absolutely believe there may be a time and place for them (hence the word "usually" in the title of the article); for now, let's talk about how much I love plants.

And...another man I would hug … Hippocrates, "The Father of Medicine," who is famous for many things but for this dear quote: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” I LOVE THIS QUOTE.

So deep down inside of me, I have this rock hard belief that what we need to sustain a healthy, vibrant life is growing all around us. There is this unique synergy between us and nature, that is far more powerful and effective than anything a very smart man or team of very smart people can technologically synthesize in a laboratory.

If plants, food, animals, us, the ground we walk on, the trees and mountains all around us… we were all handcrafted by the same creator, wouldn’t there be a connection or even a dependence across these created things and beings?

Have you seen Avatar? This movie rocked my world. There were definitely aspects of the film that blew my mind when I observed the culture and connection of the Na’vi people with their planet. It’s most intriguing and something about it resonates deeply.

You will no doubt find more info. on “Pickled” around plants and food as medicine. For now, check out this article by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Here’s a little plant medicine fun fact for ya on the way out:

Meadowsweet – also called “Queen of the Meadow”
Latin name: Filipendula ulmaria (rosaceae family)

The salicylic acid constituent (found in the flowering tops and leaves) from this plant was first isolated and synthesized in 1860, which was later used and developed into aspirin as we know it.

Salicylates: aspirin-like substances that help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

Source: Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier, FNIMH

What did you think of this article?

And is it just me or was anyone else’s mind blown after watching Avatar?

I love My Local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

I’m the teary-eyed girl you see picking fresh flowers, the one you see lost in gaze at the array of culinary herb beds. Not because of allergies or contact issues, but because I can’t believe I get to pick all the herbs and flowers I want. I feel like it’s a crime some days. Ok, there is usually a “2 cup” rule on the basil, but I was making basil, nettle, kelp pesto that week and who is going to tell the crybaby she can’t have 4 cups of basil?

And the flowers, I get to smell them and admire them all week long. They hold nicely in a simple quart mason jar in the center of my small, round wooden kitchen table and they literally make me smile almost every time I look at them. And sunflowers… rows of them, deep yellows, brown, reds, all tall and strong. They are my favorite flower.

Photo by Shelly Nester - Quillisascut Farm

I am seriously sad that the season has come to an end.
In a typical week in September, I would get: a head of lettuce, a bunch of beets, carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, 6-8 squash, head of Chinese broccoli, onions, pumpkins and free pickings of the Swiss chard and kale fields. Again, I feel lucky.

So I should back up… what exactly is a CSA?

I like the way The Root Connection CSA states it, “A CSA is of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm. Members purchase "shares" in the farm's bounty from June to October, and get the satisfaction of reconnecting to the land and participating directly in the food that they eat. “

Pretty simple. You typically pay up front at the beginning of the season covering some of the initial growing cost. Shares might range from $20-$35 a week depending on the CSA. Once a week, I drive to the farm and stuff a couple of bags with fresh vegetables that were harvested that morning. The people that work there are nothing short of awesome and these people know all things gardening, farming and cooking --- thank God someone told me what the heck to do with kohlrabi.

….I mean have you seen kohlrabi? Maybe this is a Northwest thing, but this Virginia girl has never seen nor heard of this pale green, alien-octopus looking veggie until this past summer. It's kind of like a turnip meets a cucumber. It's crisp, sweet and perfect julienned in salads.

Ok, so once I load up on the vegetables, I then have free reign out in the “u-pick” fields to get fresh herbs, greens and flowers. I bring these babies home and enjoy them all week long. One share is usually enough for a family of 4.


This is hands down the highlight of the week. Not only do I love my CSA because I know the food I am eating is coming from rich, pesticide-free, healthy soil, that I am supporting local farmers and sustainable farming practices, but it’s because I get re-centered there.

I walk through aisles of red, yellow and magenta chard and am in awe of how these brilliant colors occur naturally.

I smell the eclectic variety of mints: ginger, pineapple, chocolate and fantasize about what dishes they might find a home in.


I get inspired here.

I reconnect and my stress from the week melts away. I feel peaceful, clearheaded and present. A sense of gratitude sweeps over me, gratitude for fresh air, for the open sky, for the ground beneath my feet and for the privilege of knowing where my food is coming from. Being at the farm reminds me to keep life simple, and who couldn’t use that gentle reminder every once in a while?

Welcome!

In 2006, I had a defining moment when I simply just got tired of feeling crappy, eating boxed and frozen foods and wasting my money eating out. Up until this point, I hadn't really "cooked" much of anything ...so began the kitchen science experiments --- aka dinner. I fell in love with cooking and with whole foods... the magnificent colors of fruits and vegetables, the vibrant taste of in-season produce, their healing and nourishing properties and the empowerment I had in my own kitchen to provide a delicious, homemade, healthy meal for my family, my friends and myself.

In 2007, my brother (at 26) became very ill. I was so desperate to find something health restorative to help his body with this fight for his life. It was then that I realized on a deeper level, food matters. What you put in your body every day does indeed have an effect on your health and wellbeing; and it all adds up over time. I searched and researched for healing foods that weren't laced with chemicals and strange additives to help my brother during this critical time in his life. And despite my many questions to the hospital staff, there were still no answers. I felt woefully inadequate, helpless and simply did not know enough.

This lack of knowledge and options in the realm of natural health and nutrition burdened me. What also burdened me was that the general population in VA didn’t have access to this information either. This lit a fire within me that was unquenchable and it set me on this mission to go get educated at the best school in the US for whole foods nutrition and natural health. My husband and I picked up our roots from Virginia and moved our lives to Seattle, Washington in 2009 so I could earn my degree in Nutrition and Culinary Arts at Bastyr University.

My heart is to share with others the healing power of food, that we are whole beings... mind, body and spirit, so what we eat, what we think and how we connect to each other, to God and to the things around us, they all matter and have direct impact on our quality of life.

While "Pickled" is about simple living, it's also about getting stuck in a pickle. We all want to slow down a bit, eat better, take better care of ourselves, invest our time in things that are important to us, but who has the time? It’s this perpetual pickle most of us are stuck in. I hope to offer some relief, some fresh air, some inspiration, one recipe and one blog at a time.

Here are a few topics you’ll find here at “Pickled”:

- Whole foods recipes and cooking tips
- What food to buy, where to buy it and how to choose good quality food
- Food history, energetics and therapeutic properties
- Balanced meals on small budgets
- Mindfulness and having a healthy relationship with food
- Building your home medicine cabinet with herbs and food
- Tips on organic gardening and living more sustainably

Thanks for stopping by!

All the best,
Shelly