Garlic scapes are available in the spring and early summer. They are the long, flowering stalks of the garlic bulb and are trimmed off to help the garlic grow larger. They have a potent garlicky flavor and can be used in stir-fries, pesto, soups, and stews. I like to ferment garlic scapes and then add them to a meal as a garnish. You can add other vegetables to the jar if desired. Try carrot sticks, radishes, turnips, or hot chili peppers! 

This nutrient-dense salad makes a perfect light lunch when served over salad greens! Pack a small container in your child’s lunchbox along with a slice of Hearty Seed Bread and a container of organic green grapes for a balanced meal.

These muffins are lemony and not too sweet, perfect to serve for breakfast with scrambled eggs and steamed kale.

Use this enzyme-rich, raw hot pepper relish to top scrambled eggs, chicken fajitas, or quinoa and beans. I use a food processor to quickly chop all of the ingredients so I don’t have to cut so many hot peppers!

Tarragon has a lovely, pungent, licorice-like flavor that pairs well with mustard and chicken. It is easy to grow in an herb garden or can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. Use the extra sauce in the baking dish to drizzle over the rest of your meal. I usually make a double batch of this recipe so I can have leftovers for chicken salad.

This tasty fig jam makes a great accompaniment to an appetizer plate with sliced tart apples and hard cheeses. If you want a beautiful dark, ruby-colored jam, use a darker-colored fresh fig for this recipe, such as black mission or brown turkey figs.

Turnips often get passed by in the market more than other vegetables because most people don’t know what to do with them. Try this alternative to cucumber pickles and you might just fall in love with turnips! I prefer to use smaller sized turnips for pickling, but if you can only find large turnips then cut them into chunks or quarters. 

We like to make this hearty chowder in late summer when the sweet corn and peppers are in abundance, plus it's a great way to use up leftover roasted chicken and cooked quinoa! Use Homemade Chicken Stock or Homemade Vegetable Stock for best results. The raw cashew butter gives the chowder a creaminess without dairy. Replace the cooked quinoa with cooked wild rice if you don't like quinoa.  

Use these tortillas to make quesadillas, soft tacos, or serve them with soups and stews for dipping! They are soft and pliable when warm, but straight out of the fridge, like most gluten-free tortillas, they will crack. All you need to do to make them pliable again is to place one on a wire rack over a pot of simmering water and steam for 30 seconds on each side. I use an 8-inch cast iron tortilla press to get them super thin and then cook them in a cast iron pan. 

When soaked, chia seeds expand and thicken the liquid they are in. You can also make a raw pudding using this method by adding a few more tablespoons of sweetener. I love the combination of peaches, Almond Milk, and grated nutmeg, but you can play around with the ingredients. Try mashed banana in place of the peach and add a sprinkling of raw cacao nibs on top of the pudding. You can also stir in fresh berries and ground cinnamon for another variation. 

If you are new to making sauerkraut, this is one of the easiest recipes to begin with. The food processor does all the work for you—no pounding necessary! Serve a scoop of cultured vegetables with your breakfast, lunch, and dinner! The flavor is very tangy and delicious. Cultured vegetables are rich in beneficial lactobacilli bacteria and enzymes, are alkaline-forming, and are full of vitamins—especially vitamin C. Cultured vegetables help to reestablish a healthy inner ecosystem of gut bacteria, improve digestion, control cravings for sweets, and stimulate the liver.

This stir-fry, rich in cruciferous vegetables, offers significant cancer protection. The anti-cancer effects of these vegetables comes from the phytochemicals like sulforaphane and indoles. These chemicals not only suppress tumor growth, but also cancer cell metastasis. You can add cubed marinated organic chicken or tofu to this stir-fry if desired. Serve with brown basmati rice.

Since we live in the Pacific Northwest, we have access to fresh, wild salmon. In autumn we take our children to local rivers and watch the salmon run while the bald eagles fly above us. If you don’t live in a place with access to wild salmon, use this recipe with another variety of fish that is local to your area.

Lightly steaming your vegetables is a great way to lock in nutrients while increasing digestibility. You can vary the vegetables to what is in season. Serve with roasted halibut or roasted chicken for a nourishing evening meal. 

Who doesn’t love a good milkshake! This smoothie makes a great after school snack for children or a refreshing summertime treat. I like to add a tablespoon of hemp protein powder or pastured beef gelatin to add more protein, but it isn't necessary. Goji berries are bright orange-red berries that come from a shrub that's native to China. They contain a powerhouse of antioxidants, minerals, trace minerals, and amino acids.

I like to make some variation of this recipe at least twice a week for breakfast in the summertime. We pile on the chopped almonds, chia seeds, and raw cacao nibs to help stay satisfied longer! This fruit salad also makes a lovely summertime dessert!

I like to make this sauce toward the end of summer when there is an abundance of vegetables needing to be used. You can freeze the sauce in pint-size jars for future use. I prefer to serve the sauce over baked spaghetti squash, but my children prefer brown rice noodles—either way it’s a nutrient-dense meal! Serve with a large green salad.

Using only a few basic ingredients, and no sweeteners, this recipe tastes like a decadent cake rather than something nutritious. Serve this cake for dessert topped with Whipped Coconut Cream. It is also makes a great after school snack for children along with apple slices and herbal tea.

I like to make this smoothie for an afternoon snack when my children come home from school. If there is any leftover smoothie, I pour it into popsicle molds and freeze. The popsicles are a brilliant, beautiful green! 

My children call this “purple kraut.” The flavor is tangy like regular sauerkraut with earthy undertones from the beet and carrots. You might want to make a few jars at once while you are at it. I find we go through it so fast that it is easier to make more at once. Serve with a meat main dish or bean soup to make it more digestible. I also like to serve this over poached eggs for breakfast.

I like to make a few batches of these just after we go blueberry picking. Making popsicles with freshly picked fruit is an effective way to help preserve the harvest! 

This easy and nutritious salad is best paired with the Garlic Ginger Salmon along with a side of mashed sweet potatoes or cooked quinoa. If you don’t have slivered almonds or have a tree nut allergy, use sunflower seeds instead.

Cashews are a softer nut and therefore do not need to be soaked overnight to be able to blend smoothly as almonds or hazelnuts do. Use fresh cashew milk over a cooked whole grain cereal for breakfast or use it to make fruit smoothies. I sometimes like to make this milk a little thicker by reducing the amount of water to 1 cup, and use it like a coffee creamer in my spice tea for a late night warming drink. If you are not using this milk in savory recipes, try adding a splash of pure maple syrup to it while blending! 

In the northwest hot peppers are grown in greenhouses because our summer temperatures are fairly mild. Hotter weather produces hotter peppers. Nonetheless, our farmer’s markets are brimming with peppers of all kinds from late summer through early autumn. Making your own hot sauce takes very little time and is a wonderful way to preserve the harvest. I’ve kept bottles in the fridge through the winter. This hot sauce can also be canned in small jars using the water bath canning method.

These simple, yeast-free pita breads can be made in just minutes. Use them to make pita sandwiches or use as flatbreads to serve with soup, curried stews, or as a crust for individual pizzas. I like to fill them with Chicken Salad or Sweet Potato Falafels and cultured vegetables and lettuce. My daughters like to stuff them with turkey, lettuce, and sliced Raw Sour Dill Pickles for their school lunches.

I like to keep a few jars of organic unsalted Sunbutter in my pantry for quick snacks and for use in healthy baking recipes such as this one. These bars make an excellent nut-free, vegan treat for your child’s lunchbox!

This low-glycemic, grain-free biscuit recipe is very simple and quick to prepare! Serve them with organic bacon and sautéed kale for breakfast, or with a bean and vegetable stew for dinner. You can also cut this recipe in half and use it to top the Chicken Pot Pie.

Tart cranberries paired with sweet oranges creates a flavorful grain-free rendition of a traditional favorite. Try serving this bread during the holidays when fresh cranberries are in season.

Lima beans are often called butter beans because of their soft buttery texture. They can be found in bulk at your local food co-op or health food store. Be sure to soak them in warm water for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, to aid in digestibility. Feel free to add any vegetables to the soup in place of the yams and peas such as carrots, potatoes, kale, or zucchini.

This thick and rich custard can help to alleviate any chocolate cravings you might be having! It’s really not designed for children—ours think it is far too rich. You’ll need six small ramekins for this recipe, which can be purchased at most kitchen stores or online. I use Dagoba organic bittersweet chocolate, though any brand of chocolate will do—just make sure it’s organic and gluten-free. Serve with a dollop of Whipped Coconut Cream and sliced fresh strawberries.

This soup tastes best just after it’s made. It’s a great option to make on days when you might be feeling a little under the weather. If I have fresh tomatoes in the house I might add one chopped to this soup, but it is delicious just the way it is.

This grain-free granola is packed with protein and healthy fats. With just a smidgen of sweetener to help hold it together and boost flavors you can enjoy this treat for breakfast sprinkled over your favorite dairy or dairy-free yogurt. Top it off with fresh berries or diced bananas for a balanced breakfast or snack.

When purchasing red meat, be sure to always purchase grass-fed, organic beef. This is the most sustainable and nutritious form of red meat. Serve this chili with the Pumpkin Cornbread and a spoonful of raw cultured vegetables to maximize digestion.

A luscious smell fills the kitchen when these grain-free muffins are baking! They are high in protein and low in sugar. Eat one for breakfast with a green smoothie for a vegetarian protein-packed breakfast or share them with your children for a healthy after-school snack.

Use Homemade Pizza Sauce or a batch of freshly made Walnut Pesto and your favorite toppings to make healthy gluten-free pizza! If you don’t have sprouted brown rice flour then use regular, stone ground brown rice flour—they both work great! 

Hummus is a traditional Middle-Eastern dish made from garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) and tahini. I’ve added several anti-inflammatory fresh herbs and a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil for a more sophisticated, nutrient-dense dip. Use it as a filling for a hummus wrap using either a tortilla or a blanched collard green, or serve with a platter of raw vegetables such as sliced kohlrabi, radishes, cucumbers, and carrots!

The key to this soup is a good stock—using a store-bought stock doesn’t even compare in flavor and nutrition to a homemade stock. I prefer to use homemade Chicken Stock but a homemade Vegetable Stock works well too. Serve with Thai rice noodles, zucchini noodles, or a scoop of cooked spaghetti squash for a light meal.

My children adore a salad made with fresh sweet carrots, cucumbers, and garbanzo beans! The apple cider vinaigrette is one of their favorite salad dressings. They also like it tossed with thinly sliced napa cabbage and peeled mandarins—another easy side dish for a family meal. We also use this dressing for making impromptu grain and bean salads.

I was first introduced to kohlrabi when I worked at a local state park the summer after my first year in college. A fellow co-worker, 65-year old Ben, grew much of his own produce and used to bring me sliced kohlrabi packed in cold water. It was so refreshing and crispy! Ever since then I have been enjoying it and finding new ways to prepare it. Use whole milk Greek yogurt or coconut milk yogurt. They both work great!

Leftover brown rice can be mixed with milk and heated on the stove to create a quick, nutritious breakfast—perfect for busy mornings! I will use either freshly made Cashew Milk or Macadamia Nut Milk. If you eat dairy products, then replace the nut milk with raw cow or goat milk. We like to top the cereal with ground raw almonds, a little coconut sugar, and frozen blueberries.