The Naturalist Blog
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The Naturalist Blog *
Gift Guide: For the DIY-er!
By Emily J, Customer Service Specialist
Do-it-yourself wellness gifts are the ones that keep on giving! Not only is the present itself beautiful, but it encourages activities that emphasize relaxation, stress-reduction, and creativity.
The Budding Plant Parent
For the person in your life who wants to grow a lush indoor urban jungle. Foolproof watering system that can survive any self-proclaimed plant killer. Green thumb not necessary, only water! Great way to brighten up a windowsill, desk, dorm room, or anywhere that needs a little sparkle.
Terracotta Grow Kit in Prickly Pear or Healing Aloe. Comes in a cute terracotta pot that does not require soil, so no mess! Created with a hydroponic system known as “wicking,” which brings water and nutrients up to the plant's roots, so if you over water or forget to completely, your plant will be fine. This is as easy as it gets!
Paired with Down to Earth Basics Plant Mister- Both chic and funky, this is delightful glass mister will keep any plant happy and flourishing.
The Epicurean Expert
When you come over, they always have something delicious simmering, they’re never afraid to try a new cuisine, they know where a farmers market is on any given day, here’s what to get this DIY culinary connoisseur:
Now Real Food. Sprouting Jar with 3 small jars of bulk Mountain Rose Sprouting Seeds- Alfalfa, Broccoli, Wheat Grass- Add a homegrown pizazz to their provisions. Great way to jazz up their avocado toast, salad or smoothies! This is fabulous for both new and experienced culinary artists. This Jar includes instructions and recipes.
Modern Sprout: Hydro Grow Kit. Cultivate an indoor herb garden with this Modern Sprout Hydro Grow kit, fresh basil for that delish pasta sauce or lavender for a soothing tea, both would be a delightful gift for your foodie friend.
Modern Sprout: Herb Pull & Pinch. This handy bamboo kitchen tool has four sharp beveled holes that quickly strip herbs and leafy greens from their stems into the integrated dish. Easy to use and makes for the freshest of garnishes.
The Fermented Friend!
Crazy for Kombucha? Kooky for Kimchi? Silly for Sauerkraut? I think you know where I'm going with this,its the perfect present for your pickled pal (sorry,not sorry)!
A lifetime of Kombucha with Homebrewing Kit and Scoby by Revival Homestead Supply: Not only are you gifting them something they already love but you are going to save them tons of money on their ‘bucha budget! This brewing jar contains everything but the scoby (don’t worry we got that!). Now, They can finally make their ultimate brew!
Bulk Jars & Regency Naturals Cheesecloth: These two items are the bare essentials for any fermentation or canning. This would pair well with the book, The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz (Winner of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Reference and Scholarship, and a New York Times bestseller) a highly praised and incredibly in-depth guide to all things fermentation, they will be a pro in no time.
The #Selfcare Sweetheart kit
Are 80% of their Instagram posts of them wearing face masks or bathtubs full of colorful bath bombs? Take their self care game to the next level with these DIY staples!
Many home body care recipes call for these items:
Coconut Oil
Shea Butter
Cocoa Butter
Beeswax
Essential Oils
Rose buds, calendula, lavender.
Mason Jars or tins
Lip Balm Kit by Revival Homestead Supply : This nifty kit offers ten DIY natural lip balms that can be customized to the makers choosing! Plus it only takes 30 mins and won’t break the bank. Fun for all ages and skill levels.
New to the diy Natural Beauty game? Don’t fret, Wild Beauty by Jana Blankenship is a straightforward guide of self care recipes to get them glowing and relaxed this winter.
Gift Guide: For Your Zero-Waste Bestie
By Meghan B, Customer Service Specialist & The Naturalist Contributor
‘Tis the season to ditch the plastic and eliminate unnecessary waste! Whether your friend/family member is a zero-waste newbie or an eco warrior, these thoughtful gifts will help support a more minimalist lifestyle that doesn’t compromise on quality or function.
Bees Wrap
Upgrade from undesirable plastic wrap and sandwich bags to cute and reusable Bee’s Wraps. Made in Vermont from 100% biodegradable materials and packaged responsibly. Use and maintenance is simple, mold and seal the wrap with the warmth from your hands and a simple cold water rinse to keep clean. With a wide range of sizes you can cover food containers, wrap a loaf of bread or stow your sandwich away. The Explorer Pack is a great place to start for anyone looking to reduce single use plastic consumption and feel that zero waste joy, again and again and again... you get the point!
Eco Bags
These reusable Produce and Bulk Bags from Ecobags are just the thing for anyone looking to move away from pesky plastic bags. The package of three comes in multiple sizes offering versatility to store produce and bulk items from rice to broccoli and beyond. Adorned with delicious vegetable graphics and made of 100% natural cotton these bags will be a helpful addition to any zero waste lifestyle.
Bambu Travel Utensil Set
We all eat on the go and reusable utensils are a necessary tool for the fast-paced, zero-waster. Bambu makes remembering your reusable utensils simple with this all in one Travel Utensil Set with Eco-Conscious Pouch. The cork pouch keeps the utensils together and tidy in your bag or lunch box. Go ahead and cut disposable cutlery for good.
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher
Plastic water bottles? Is this 1999? Who needs them when you can refill your own water bottle, with clean, pristine water over and over. With a 100+ gallon filter life (approximately 474 Klean Kanteens) the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher removes on average 99.7% of harmful tap water contaminants. Proudly built in the USA and extensively lab tested you can confidently give the gift of safe drinking water while adding to the 450,000,000+ plastic water bottles Clearly Filtered users have already saved. Happy Hydrating!!
Modest Mylk
Plant based and zero-waste! Modest Mylk’s Mylk Bases are a great way to get your plant based milk with zero waste. Each 11 oz, recyclable jar makes 336 oz of plant based milk and saves 11 aseptic cartons from being sent to the landfill. Available in four yummy flavors, Vanilla, Unsweetened Oat, Unsweetened Macadamia and Unsweetened Cashew. Simply blend 1 Tbsp of Modest Mylk with 2 cups of water and store in refrigerator. A delicious, nutritious zero waste must have.
Gift Guide: For the Coffee/Tea Connoisseur
By Andrea, CN Customer Service Specialist
The holidays are a time where I think of home the most. If you have never met a Honduran before, I will tell you the one thing that holds true for us all: we take our coffee very seriously. No smell brings up happier memories than that of a pot of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. A typical day in my house included a cup of coffee every morning with breakfast - and likely after every other meal, too - and a cup of tea before bed.
Dew Brew-In-Mug
This mug is a must-have if the tea lover in your life is constantly on the go. It comes with a basket infuser so that they can seep their tea for as long or as little as they want. It also comes with a stainless steel lid so that they may take it with them to work, school, or wherever! If you’re looking to pair this gift with a little something, I recommend Tamim Teas, which are delicious loose-leaf mushroom teas that come in a variety of flavors.
Coffee by Tandem Coffee Roasters
This Portland-based company does an amazing job at bringing coffee beans from all over the world right to your home. We Hondurans love our coffee so much that we don’t really go out of our way to export much, so I’ve found it pretty hard to find a good replacement living in the US. To my delight, however, Tandem carries Honduran beans! Grown in El Cielito, Honduras and roasted in Portland, Maine; David Munoz is a delicious light blend that will allow you to gift a little piece of my home to the coffee lover in your life. Tandem also offers beans from Guatemala and Ethiopia, plus seasonal blends and more awesome stuff!
GROSCHE Oxford French Press
Ditch the single-use coffee filters and opt for the more sustainable, much nicer french press! When I first got mine I was a little intimidated, but after the first week with it it became my most prized possession. Simply add a heaping tablespoon of ground coffee for every cup of hot water, let it seep for a few minutes, press and voila! It’s also great because you can add more or less coffee to tailor the brew to your taste. Alternatively, in the warmer months I like to let the ground coffee and water mix sit in the fridge overnight and press it in the morning for a delicious cold brew.
Brew Your Own Kombucha Kit
If the tea lover in your life is also a big DIY-er, this is the gift for them! Kombucha is a fermented, sweetened tea that has many health benefits aside from its delicious taste. This kit includes everything you need to make your first brew, including live SCOBY, which can yield an infinite amount of brews. Also infinite is the amount of flavor combinations you can come up with by adding fruits and/or herbs when bottling your brew… the sky’s the limit with this gift!
Ceremonial Matcha + Matcha Tea Whisk
I personally received this as a gift a few years back and it still remains one of my favorite presents I have ever received. Energizing yet grounding at the same time, matcha is an antioxidant powerhouse that has been used to enhance the experience of meditation for years. If your loved one gets unpleasant jitters from coffee, this might be a great alternative for them. I also love sweetening it with a little bit of honey, of which we have a beautiful selection at Cambridge Naturals that I invite you to browse through as well!
Gift Guide: Treat Yourself to these Treats
By Eric, CN Shift Lead + The Naturalist Contributor
Sometimes the best gift is the one you give yourself. Stave off the holiday season scaries with a little treat - and you’ll be crossing off that gift shopping list in no time! If you need an indulgent pick-me-up or a luxuriant calm-me-down, here are some tasty suggestions. Believe me, you’re worth it!
Honey Mama’s Chocolates
Each of the flavors is comprised of amazing natural ingredients. My favorite is the Cocoa-Nectar Bar, which includes raw honey; organic, sprouted almonds; and organic, raw Peruvian cacao powder. They are available in our refrigerated section, and they start melting as soon as they warm up. This is further incentive to eat them as soon as possible and quickly enjoy the mood-enhancing benefits of raw chocolate. Oh, and they are unbelievable delicious!
Vital Leaf CBD-infused Chocolates
Cambridge Naturals stocks several brands of CBD chocolates. My current favorite is Vital Leaf. Each bar contains a respectable 30 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD which, for most people, would be about two servings. But good luck stopping yourself after eating half of one of these tasty dark chocolate treats.
Rancho Gordo Premium Crimson Popcorn
Fun, heirloom popcorn. In my experience, every kernel pops. It’s crunchy & good. This proves I can suggest a non-chocolate treat! Consider popping corn with our reusable microwave Popper. It’s quick, easy to clean, avoids oils and works really well to pop every kernel.
Peanut Butter Halvah Heaven
All natural ingredients - this delicious halvah is highly reminiscent of Butter Fingers crossed with Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies. It makes the perfect gift for your gourmet food loving friend! Halvah Heaven is made in locally Rockport, Massachusetts by a women-owned company.
The Republic of Tea’s Beauty Sleep Chamomile Rose Tea
Includes an amazing blue flower called Butterfly Pea, which contains collagen-promoting anthocyanins. It has relaxing chamomile, delicious hibiscus and the complex flavors of schizandra. And, it’s blue!
Cambridge Naturals has lots of other self-indulgent goodies to discover, from grain-free chips and dairy-free dips, to organic, dried fruit and raw, sprouted nuts. So come in and reward yourself for whatever you need rewarding for.
No More Crunchy Knees :-)
By Eric, CN Customer Service Specialist + Shift Lead
For the first time in 40 years, my knees don’t crunch. I am 56 years old, and my knees feel better than they did when I was 20. This is a brand new development; my knees have only been flexible and healthy since I began working at Cambridge Naturals a year ago. What’s my secret? Is it basking in the friendly glow of my coworkers? Is it the huge quantity of our high-end organic, fair trade chocolate that I consume daily? Perhaps, but I think a much more likely reason is the healthy oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids that I’ve been taking every morning.
Omega-3s are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that our bodies can’t make. We need them for cell membrane formation as well as for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, the contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation.
Every morning, I eat a capsule containing a modest amount – 500mg – of omega 3 fatty acids. If I were addressing a specific condition I might take more, based on the advice of my doctor. In my case, I take omega-3s because I am a vegetarian and I know they are deficient in my diet. While fish eaters get a nice dose of omega-3s naturally, I take Ovega-3, a plant-based omega-3 supplement.
There are three types of Omega-3 fatty acids important to human physiology: ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is abundant in nuts and seeds. To a limited degree, your body converts ALA to the essential EPA and DHA forms of Omega-3, but this conversion is thought to decrease in efficiency as you age.
It’s the EPA and DHA Omega-3s that I take my Ovega-3 supplement for. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is widely recognized to offer cognitive support and support for the developing brains of children. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is thought to offer, among other benefits, support to your body’s response to inflammation. It’s the DHA that I suspect is helping with my formerly crunchy knees.
When customers approach the Omega-3 oil section of the store, they may be overwhelmed with the choices we offer. All of the brands are well-sourced. I always advise people to follow the advice of their healthcare practitioner when contemplating dosage, and then to consider whether they would prefer a liquid or capsules, and in the case of a liquid, whether added flavor is important. In addition to the fish and krill oils, there is a selection of plant-based Omega-3 supplements, which are derived from marine algae. Below those on the shelf, as well as in our refrigerated section near the probiotic supplements, are flax and other plant oils that may provide ALA or other healthy oils, but not EPA and DHA.
As a daily part of my job, I am frequently squatting to straighten and re-shelve products. I am continuously thankful for my healthy knees. And, I am living proof that your joints don’t have to get crunchier and stiffer when you age; with proper care, they may end up feeling better than they ever did when you were a crunchy 20-year-old.
This blog series is for general health information only. This website is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Users of this website should not rely on information provided on this website for their own health problems. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.
Packed Lunches That Pack a Punch!
By John B, CN Assistant Grocery Lead
Well, it’s back-to-school time already and here in Cambridge the air is positively abuzz with student activity. Among the least exciting things about the yearly return to academic mode can often be the lunches. Whether you’re a parent planning for your little ones or a student living on dining room grub, we all can get pretty despondent about square pieces of cardboard masquerading as “pizza”, reheatead chicken fingers, and mystery meat.
Thankfully, packing hearty and healthful lunches that taste good whether they’re hot, cold, or room temperature is easy with help from our grocery section and our fine selection of reusable food containers! Below, you will find 5 recipes to get you started, each with a suggested container in which it can be stored and transported. Hope you find it helpful!
Mashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich in Beeswrap Sandwich Wrap
Ingredients:
Dan’s Bread Whole Wheat Sourdough
1 15.5oz can Chickpeas
2 stalks Celery
2 Carrots
3 Scallions
1 Avocado
A handful of your favorite leafy greens
1 cup Magic Bites Hummus thinned with 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Dark Horse Fermented Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Living Intentions Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
1 teaspoon Cambridge Naturals bulk garlic powder
1 teaspoon Lakewood Organic Lemon Juice
Maldon Sea Salt and Cambridge Naturals bulk black pepper to taste
Dice the celery, scallions, and carrots. Roughly mash the chickpeas (some should still be whole, for aesthetics and texture). Add the carrots, celery, scallions, mustard, hummus mixture, pumpkin seeds, lemon, salt, and pepper to the mashed chickpeas and combine. Scoop the mixture onto your Dan’s Bread and top with avocado and greens. Voila! There should be enough of everything for several sammies. Store in Beeswrap Sandwich Wrap.
Wrap up that sammy nice and tight!
Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl in W&P Porter Bowl
For the Bowl:
1 cup Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice, uncooked
1 to 2 large Sweet Potatoes
1 large head Broccoli
2 tablespoons Oleamea Sogukoluk Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Cambridge Naturals bulk sesame seeds, toasted
Maldon Sea Salt and Cambridge Naturals bulk black pepper to taste
For the Dressing:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons South River Sweet White Miso
2 tablespoons Dastony Tahini
1 tablespoon Crystal’s Own Honey
¼ cup Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Spectrum Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Oleamea Sogukoluk Olive Oil
Cook your rice according to package instructions and preheat oven to 400. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Cut tops off broccoli and separate into bite-sized florets. Peel the broccoli stems and cut into 1-inch pieces. Coat a large tray in olive oil. Layer sweet potatoes on tray and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until beginning to brown. Toss, and add broccoli. Roast another 10 to 20 minutes, tossing one more time if it’s cooking unevenly. While veggies are roasting, prepare your dressing: Combine ingredients and blend until smooth. Assemble bowls: Scoop some grains into each, then pile on your sweet potatoes and broccoli. Coat lightly with dressing and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Store in W&P Porter Bowl.
W&P’s colorful to-go bowls will make your lunch the envy of the office.
Soba Salad with Honey Ginger Dressing in Klean Kanteen Insulated 16oz Food Canister OR Hydro Flask Insulated 18oz Food Flask
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Crystal’s Own Honey
2 tablespoons Spectrum Sesame Oil
2 inches ginger, peeled and grated
7 ounces King Soba Sweet Potato Buckwheat Noodles
2 carrots
1 cucumber
1 endive
1 tablespoon Cambridge Naturals bulk sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon Cambridge Naturals pine nuts
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
In a small bowl, lightly whisk aminos, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and ginger. Peel and slice the veggies to uniform size (about half inch pieces). Cook your noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse noodles under cold water and drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix your noodles, sauce, and veggies, as well as the sesame seeds, pine nuts, and chives. Store in Klean Kanteen Insulated 16oz Food Canister OR Hydro Flask Insulated 18oz Food Flask.
Keep your lunch as snug as a bug in a rug
Coconut Sweet Potatoes with Wild Rice in LunchBots Stainless Steel Leakproof Food Container
Ingredients:
8.5oz Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice
4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch pieces
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1 can Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup Once Again Organic Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon Entube Curry Paste
2 teaspoons Nutiva Coconut Sugar
Fresh basil (optional)
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish and set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions. In a medium saucepan cook sweet potatoes, covered, in enough water to cover for about 8 minutes. Gently combine sweet potato, rice, and edamame in casserole dish. In a large skillet combine coconut milk and onion. Bring to boiling, reduce, and simmer for 3 minutes. Whisk in peanut butter, red curry paste, and coconut sugar until peanut butter is melted and smooth. Pour coconut mixture over vegetables and rice. Bake covered for 15 minutes and uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Top with basil. Store in LunchBots Stainless Steel Leakproof Food Container 3 Cup.
Soon the robots will be making our lunches, too
Curried Chicken Salad in U-Konserve Divided To-Go Stainless Steel Container
Ingredients:
1lb boneless chicken breast, cooked and cut into cubes
½ carrot, shredded
1 stalk celery, thin sliced
½ cup Cambridge Naturals Curry Cashews
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup Cambridge Naturals golden raisins
For the Dressing:
½ cup Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise
¼ cup White Mountain Bulgarian Yogurt
1 tablespoon Lakewood Organic Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons Cambridge Naturals bulk curry powder
½ teaspoon Crystal’s Own Honey
Maldon Sea Salt and Cambridge Naturals bulk black pepper to taste
Whisk dressing ingredients. Combine everything else in a large bowl, pour dressing over the salad and toss. U-Konserve Divided To-Go Stainless Steel Container.
We have no witty caption for this one, it’s just super awesome.
Celebrating Juneteenth!
Image via Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
Are you familiar with Juneteenth? Over the last couple of years, members of our staff have called our attention to this historical event that rightfully deserves its own national holiday.
Juneteenth (June 19th) marks official end of slavery in the United States, and so in many ways, should really be our national “Independence Day”. News of the Emancipation Proclamation, which became official on January 1st 1863, did not reach Texas (whether intentionally or not) until two and a half years later, on June 19th, 1865, when over 250,000 enslaved black people were finally freed.
Our nation’s history of black slavery is gruesome, abhorrent, and still very much with us today. Juneteenth marks the very beginning of our progress towards liberty and justice for all, and we have a LOOOONG way to go.
To celebrate Juneteenth is to celebrate our collective freedom and humanity. It’s about time that we made it a national holiday.
For more on the history of Juneteenth (thank you, Sawyer!), see:
To support organizations doing the work of racial justice, see:
The Magic of Flower Essences
By Eric, Customer Service Specialist
I’ve been familiar with Bach’s Rescue Remedy for many years. You may know the one - a little yellow box… a few drops and your stress level seems to quickly drop. Dr. Edward Bach invented Rescue Remedy in the 1930s. Although Cambridge Naturals also carries individual flower essences from Bach, Rescue Remedy remains the Bach company’s only multi-flower preparation.
Recently, Cambridge Naturals started carrying a line of flower essences from The Flower Apothecary. These are multi-flower preparations with names like Pure Love, and Crisis Intervention, that utilize combinations of flowers to address a condition or concern. Outside of Rescue remedy, I was completely unaware of flower essences when I tried The Flower Apothecary’s Pure Confidence. It was like magic for me; I couldn’t believe how powerful the effect was.
What are flower essences?
Flower essences are akin to homeopathic remedies; they work on a vibrational level, instead of the bio-chemical level of most tinctures. From The Flower Apothecary’s website:
Flower essences works on the premise that every flower has a particular healing attribute in the form of a vibrational frequency. Similarly, an emotional imbalance also has a vibrational frequency. So if an individual is fearful, they may ingest the flower essence that floods their body with vibrations of courage in order to counteract the fear and begin to resonate in a state of courage and fearlessness. This is called sympathetic resonance and is the science behind this system. Can you think of a time that you felt better simply by being around a happy person? Vibrations can be contagious and flower essences are a way to acquire the positive vibration of a particular flower.
For many people, consulting with a flower essence practitioner to figure out the right combination of single flower essences from Bach may be the right route. But for people who don’t have the time to invest or whose situations seems to match the pre-made mixes, the Flower Apothecary provides a wonderful and convenient alternative.
There are many natural modalities to address health and wellness concerns. If you aren’t achieving a desired result from extracts and supplements, you may wish to try one of our flower essences formulas. Because they are essentially water energized with the property of flowers, they are among the safest natural remedies to try.
Disclaimer: Nothing in this website is intended as, or should be construed as, medical advice. Consumers should consult with their own health care practitioners for individual, medical recommendations. The information in this website concerns dietary supplements, over-the-counter products that are not drugs. Our dietary supplement products are not indended for use as a means to cure, treat, prevent, diagnose or mitigate any disease or other medical or abnormal condition.
It’s bbq season (finally!)
By John B, Assistant Grocery Lead
Whether you’re using wood fire, charcoal, or are strictly about that “propane and propane accessories” life, the time of year has finally come to dust off the ol’ grill, grab your best tongs, and invite your friends and family around to crack some cold ones, blast some tunes, and feast most heartily! This means it’s time for another round in what has become something of a series for me here at The Naturalist, my epic BBQ meal plans! These four recipes, packed with amazing natural ingredients you can find here at CN, will satiate a crowd of about six with surprisingly little effort on the part of the grillmaster or grillmistress.
My apologies to vegetarians and those who keep kosher, as half this meal plan is out-of-bounds, I’m afraid. Don’t let it stop you from trying the cauliflower steaks and grilled strawberries. You should also check out my prior ALL-VEGAN BBQ post or just come by our Porter Square location, where I will happily suggest recipes to you in person all day long!
One last thing before we get started: you may not know this about me, but when I’m not dropping knowledge about healthy, natural foods I am both a DJ and musician! As such, I’ve included a great little Spotify playlist of BBQ music for you to enjoy while cooking and eating. What is BBQ music, exactly? Can’t say I know for sure, but it definitely spans genres, continents, and decades in search of something fun, sunny, and a little saucy. Enjoy!
HONEY MUSTARD GRILLED PORK CHOPS
INGREDIENTS:
6 6-ounce pork chops
½ cup Crystal’s Own cranberry honey
3 tablespoons Primal Kitchen dijon mustard
3 tablespoons grain mustard
3 tablespoons Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon South River sweet white miso
1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Maldon Sea Salt to taste
CN bulk black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Marinate the chops in a mixture of all the remaining ingredients for at least thirty minutes (overnight for maximum flavor) and grill over medium-high heat, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
LEMON PESTO SHRIMP SKEWERS
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb medium or large frozen shrimp, deveined and thawed
3 lemons, thinly sliced
8 Bambu bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
Cadia extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Maldon sea salt to taste
CN bulk black pepper to taste
½ cup Dan’s Power Plant Fauxmaggio pesto
DIRECTIONS:
Pre-heat grill to medium-high, skewer shrimp and lemon slices, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until shrimp is opaque and lemons slightly charred, roughly 4 to 5 minutes. Brush with pesto and serve.
LOADED GRILLED CAULIFLOWER
INGREDIENTS:
2 large heads cauliflower
¼ cup Cadia extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon CN bulk garlic powder
½ tsp. La Chinata smoked paprika
Maldon sea salt to taste
CN bulk black pepper to taste
2 cups Neighborly Farms green onion cheddar, shredded
Primal Kitchen ranch dressing, for drizzling
2 cups Phoney Baloney coconut bacon
2 tsp. finely chopped chives
If You Care aluminum foil
DIRECTIONS:
Remove and discard leaves from cauliflower heads, then trim the stem so cauliflower can lie flat on the cutting board (leave the core intact). Cut each cauliflower in to “steaks” about ¾ inchthick. Reserve any loose florets to cook with the steaks. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat the grill to medium. Brush one side of each steak with your olive oil mixture and place the brushed side down on a grill. Brush the top sides with the olive oil mixture and cook until tender and charred in spots, about 8 minutes per side. Top each steak with cheese and cook until melted. Toss extra florets in the olive oil mixture and grill, turning often, until charred and tender, about six minutes. Drizzle steaks with ranch and then sprinkle coconut bacon and chives on top.
GRILLED STRAWBERRY PINEAPPLE SKEWERS
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb strawberries
1 pineapple, skinned and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 tbsp. Organic Valley butter, melted
1 tbsp. Crystal’s Own Blueberry Honey
1 tsp. lemon zest
8 Bambu bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
Maldon sea salt to taste
Lakewood lemon juice, for drizzling
DIRECTIONS:
Thread strawberries (stem to tip) and pineapple chunks onto your skewers. In a small bowl, whisk melted butter, honey, lemon zest and salt. Brush mixture onto your skewers. Heat grill to medium and grill on each side until slightly charred, brushing continually with butter mixture as you go. Remove from heat, drizzle with lemon juice, and serve!
Celebrating our 45th Anniversary!!
Can you believe it’s been 45 years?! Cambridge Naturals was founded in 1974 by Michael and Elizabeth*, at the ripe young age of 23, and we are still proud to be local, family-owned, and independent. And, we’re so lucky to have many customers who’ve been shopping with us from the beginning!
To celebrate, we’re pulling out all the stops the weekend of May 3rd - 5th (Friday - Sunday) at both locations, with special flash sales, events + tastings, raffle prizes, and more!
We’ll be updating this blog post with specifics, so stay tuned!
*Would you look at these two wild + crazy kids?!
