"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates

From the 1950s on, the majority of the population began cooking less and less, eating out more and more, and devouring food that was worse and worse. Convenience gave way to quality.

"Cooking" was to many defrosting and heating mass-produced frozen food in a microwave oven. And the results of all this: an unprecedented rise in obesity levels and a not-unrelated climb in health care costs.

But things are changing. More and more people are interested in new cuisines, have a cultural fixation on health and are frustrated with low-quality food. With the economy the way it is today, there is a renewed appreciation of eating and home cooking. And people have an increased awareness of industrially raised animals and over-processed food.

We have become interested in local ingredients. And we have added new words to our vocabulary - localvore, vegetarian, sustainable and flexitarian.

Simply put, we are taking our food seriously.

Last fall, Sonja Bittner, Sequim Medical Associates' nutrition expert, coordinated and hosted the practice's first nutrition seminar. She spoke about disease-fighting foods, portion control and good nutrients.

Kia Armstrong, marketing manager at Nash's Organic Produce, and Lisa Bridge, who owns and operates Rainbow Farm with her husband, emphasized the importance of eating locally grown produce whenever possible - in season it is fresher, unprocessed, retains nutrients and tastes better.

Following the presentations, the audience was treated to tastes of a variety of healthy recipes and then took bags of fresh veggies home.

Here are some of them.



STACY REHLER'S

WONDERFUL KALE SALAD

4 cups kale, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup scallions, chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup radishes, sliced

11/2 cups cherry tomatoes

11/2 cups garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Mix all ingredients; set in refrigerator overnight. Serves four.



DR. SAMANTHA

REITER'S WHITE BEAN, TURKEY CHILI VERDI

3 Italian frying peppers, chopped

1/2 large yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, minced and seeded (I always use the canned ones)

1 cup onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

11/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

11/4 pounds ground turkey

21/2 tablespoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon each chili powder and celery salt

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 (15-ounce) can white beans or great Northern beans

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/8 cup corn meal

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sauté peppers, onions and celery in oil over medium-high heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add ground turkey, cumin and chili powder, stirring until cooked thoroughly.

Add chicken broth, vinegar, celery salt and simmer 30 minutes. Add white beans, corn and corn meal and simmer 15 minutes, adding cilantro just prior to serving.

Serves eight. Serve with Jack cheese and rice or blue corn tortilla chips.



KATE SULLIVAN'S ROASTED WINTER

VEGETABLES WITH CHEESY POLENTA

4 cups cauliflower florets

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

21/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Toss cauliflower, squash and onion in a large bowl with oil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, in a preheated 500-degree oven until tender and browned in spots, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine broth and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornmeal, rosemary and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick and creamy, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in cheese; remove the polenta from the heat. Serve the vegetables over the polenta. Serves four.



Marian Platt can be reached at 683-4691 or mlplatt@olypen.com.