The Vegetarian Guy

Imperial Beach, A Vegetarian Farmers Market

San Diego County Macadamia Nuts

Lamb’s quarters is one of those pesky plants farmers have been trying to eradicate since the beginning of industrial farming.  Probably used as a potted plant in the Victorian era, the edible plant commonly sprints in sidewalks and gardens.  It was only a few years ago that I started seeing it sold at farmers markets.  Up to that point it was used as a tender spinach-like vegetable in traditional foods around the world by herbalists, wild-crafters and foragers.

My first  encounter with lamb’s quarters was in 1971 during a trip to Crete where my aunt was using it in place of spinach in Spanikoptia and in her delicious horta (boiled greens).  I immediately fell in love with the buttery texture of the leaves and looked for it in markets for years afterward.  The next time it was on my plate, a banana leaf plate at that, was in rural India at my friends Pranava and Vanamali’s home.  She had made an unforgettable spinach-style dish using it.  Eventually, I began seeing it in farm stalls at local markets and began using it extensively in rice, sags, shaks, palaks, savories, raitas, breads and dahls.

Two types of Lamb’s quarters are usually sold at the farmers markets; the first is a green variety which farmers routinely treat as weeds and the second is Magenta Spreen, originally from India and often found in heirloom seed catalogs.  They can be found at the markets near the amaranth, red orach and kale.  I have been buying it in San Diego from Suzies Farm, mostly at the Hillcrest Farmers Market and the Little Italy Mercato.  It is best to purchase certified organic because the lamb’s quarters the normally very positive nutrient absorption in this plant makes it a repository for chemicals and toxins leached from the soil.

 

Last week, I was inspired to create an Indian-style dinner with my Hillcrest Farmers Market bounty of vegetables and grains.  The menu included the  Bolivian Red Quinoa I had purchased from Michelle at Conscious Cookery,  Lamb’s Quarters and Coconut Subji and Asparagus, Carrot and Red Onion Curry–there were no left-overs!

Bolivian Red Quinoa

2 cups water
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 two-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Bolivian red quinoa, rinsed

In a 2 quart sauce pan on medium-high heat, cook water, oil, bay leaf, turmeric, cinnamon and sea salt until the water boils. Add the quinoa, bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and reserve until ready to serve.

I wash the lambsquarters, carefully removing the larger stems.  Then peel the white spring onions assemble the remaining ingredients. One of the secrets for preparing Indian food is to assemble all the ingredients in little bowls and plates in order to cook with proper timing and technique. This subji has a buttery texture which is accentuated with the delicate crunch of cashew nuts.  Its enchanting mild flavor and texture wonderfully compliments the red quinoa.

Lamb’s Quarters and Coconut Subji

2 teaspoons coconut oil
½  teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon green chile, minced
1 cup spring onions, chopped
1 cup raw whole cashews
4 cups lamb’s quarters, stemmed
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup organic coconut milk

Heat oil in saute pan on medium-high heat.   Add mustard and cumin seeds and cook until the mustard seeds start to pop.  Stir in ginger root and chile, then add the onions and cover.  After 30 seconds, stir in the cashews and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the lamb’s quarters, lime juice and salt, cover and turn heat to low.  Cook until the lambs quarters are tender then add the coconut milk and cook for another minute.  Serve hot.

This week, Sage Mountain Farm had beautiful fresh asparagus, heirloom multi-colored carrots and sweet spring onions. Asparagus is another springtime super food.  With so many micro-nutrient infused foods available at this time of year, it is a boost Mother Nature gives us to re-energize the body after the winter dormancy.  This dish is full of color and beautifully enhanced by the energizing spices. Served with the Red Quinoa and Lamb’s quarters and Coconut Subji, it adds color and flavor to the meal.  Both dishes have onions, but they are different, stimulating and very mild this time of year.

Asparagus, Carrot and Red Onion Curry

1 teaspoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 ½ cups red spring onions, diced
2 cups carrots, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups asparagus cut into 2 inch sections
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped 

In a 12 inch skillet on medium high heat, cook the oil and cumin seeds until they start to brown.  Add the red pepper, ginger root, turmeric, onions, carrots and curry then turn down to low heat and cover.  After 30 seconds, add the water.  Cook for 5 minutes until the water is cooked out.  Add the lemon, asparagus and sea salt then cover and cook for another 5 minutes until the asparagus is tender.   Add cilantro and serve right away.

 

 

One of my favorite amaranth varieties is red orach,  also known as garden orach, French spinach and mountain spinach.  Red orach was first documented in the New World in 1714 and Thomas Jefferson grew a green variety in his Monticello gardens.  It was discovered as far back as Mesolithic times and was commonly grown in the Mediterranean before spinach became popular;  the  red and green varieties were used to color pastas in Italy due to natural color retention. A member of the salt-bush family, the tender leaves have a light salty flavor which combines nicely with sorrel’s lemony flavor.  The over-sized leaves and colorful presence make orach a favored annual in ornamental gardens.

In San Diego, I first began seeing Red orach in the La Milpa Organica booth at the Hillcrest Farmers Market a few years ago.  Farmer Barry Logan specialized in ancient greens and heirloom vegetable varieties which made his stall the organic anchor of the market.  While La Milpa is no longer operating, the influence lives on. Suzie’s Farm is growing many of the varieties Barry used to sell and I was pleasantly surprised to see red orach a couple of weeks ago and began using it in salads, greens, tarts, pastries and, of course, stuffed dishes. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of cooking red orach, have no fear–it’s easy to work with.  If you can’t find it at your local market, request it, talk your local farmer into growing it and/or plant it in your garden as a culinary ornamental.

Stuffed Red Orach with Pomegranate Molasses

10 large red orach leaves

Filling
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, cooked
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, cooked
1 tablespoon green onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix garbanzos, artichoke, green onion, sea salt and oil in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Place a generous tablespoon of filling on the wide end of a leaf and roll into a thick cigar shape.  Repeat until all leaves are used.

Cook
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons white spring onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Place a ten-inch skillet on medium-high heat and cook the oil, crushed red pepper, onions and garlic until the onions are clear around the edges.  Placed the red orach rolls in the pan, cover and let sear for 1 minute.  Pour in the lemon juice, cover, turn down heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes.  Turn the burner off and leave covered until ready to serve.

Pomegranate Molasses

2 cups fresh pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice

Place a skillet on medium heat, add all ingredients and reduce to a syrup consistency.  Allow to cool before using.  May be prepared ahead of time to use as a condiment.

Serve
Drizzle Pomegranate Molasses onto plate and place a red orach roll on top.  Serve hot.

Notes:
To simplify the cooking process and make it a quick dish, use Eden Foods organic canned garbanzo beans and organic canned artichoke hearts.

I use fresh pressed organic pomegranate juice from Lone Oak Ranch but the recipe will be fine with bottled 100% pomegranate juice.

~P.B. Shelley

Seasonal cycles have ruled humanity since the beginning of time. No matter how hard we try to control them, inevitably everyone must succumb to the laws of nature.  Farmers markets, by definition, work with the earthly cycles of growth and regeneration. When shopping at them, we become partners with the land, locally and regionally.  The food we procure and the interactions at the markets enhance our lives with the energies of the earth and the vitality of communing with it. There is no better time to experience this than the transition from winter to spring. 

Winter

Winter in the Midwest, where I lived most of my life before San Diego, is often brutally cold, yet hardy shoppers come to the markets to buy cold storage items such as apples, leeks, onions and potatoes.  As the farmers gear up for spring, they order seeds, tend to cold frames, greenhouses and hoop-houses in order to get a good start on the season.

In Southern California, the hallmark of the winter season is citrus.  Unique varieties such as Satsuma tangerines, Paige tangerines, Naval oranges, Mandarin oranges, Persian limes, Mexican limes, Kaffir limes and citron grace the stalls of the local markets.  Lettuces, greens, herbs and vegetables are also available in moderate quantities, depending on the location of the farms and the methods used for growing, ie, permaculture, dry farming, hoop houses, plastic covers or other warming techniques.  On rare occasions, usually once every few years, a frost will temper the harvest in the warmest areas.

Since the growing season here is year round, farmers stagger plantings in order to prolong the harvest of tender varieties into months instead of weeks.  Examples of this are arugula, spinach, tat soi, chard and many varieties of kale.  Staggered plantings of garlic, leeks and green onions do the same.  San Diego farmers have to keep their market stalls filled year round, so the approach is very different from commodity farmers who supply their harvests for commercial food production, national and international supply chains

Spring

One of the joys of living in the Midwest is the arrival of spring. The animals and humans share the phenomenon with a flurry of activity. Buds pop up from half-frozen soil, birds are feathering nests and singing, land is cleared then tilled and people are running around in short-sleeves.  It is a time of dramatic change and the collective mood is one of exuberance. I do miss this and hope to experience some of it when I travel to Michigan in late March for my next book tour.

I’ll be be hanging out at the Royal Oak Farmers Market with my farmer friend Don Cinzori of Cinzori Farms who, in addition to having his greenhouse planted herbs and plants, will have green garlic shoots, spinach and leeks. 

Other Michigan spring delicacies to be discovered are morel mushrooms, fiddle-head ferns and asparagus. As spring progresses, baby lettuces, raspberries and sugar snap peas will bolster the drama of spring at the Michigan markets.

In San Diego, spring is different. To say there is no spring in Southern California is incorrect; it has its own unique version. While the markets of San Diego continue to bustle all winter, I always get excited when spring crops start showing up. The warm ever-constant sun brings people to the markets and the romantic days of mid-February to early-March find shoppers searching for the abundant sensual pleasures.

The first sweet strawberries appear at JR Organics in early February.  Depending on the Santa Ana winds and warmth of the sun, the harvest steadily increases until it peaks in May. Giant one and two pound sweetly-fragrant Chanterelle mushrooms from the mountains near San Luis Obispo are sold.

Tender lettuces, baby kale, spinach and green elephant garlic are abundant at Sage Mountain Farms. Young broccoli, radicchio and baby beets are at Suzies Farm. Siberian Kale and cilantro accompany the basil of Archi’s Acres.

Fuerte avocados, chermoyas and guavas begin in February at Korals Tropical Fruit Farm with Kumquats and a continuing plethora of citrus  in March.

Lone Oak Ranch begins to press fresh pomegranate juice. Terra Bella Ranch has the very special Livermore red walnuts, almonds and Chandler walnuts. Spring doesn’t just pop up in San Diego, it comes in like a high tide. The arrival is heralded by the bounty and festivity of the markets.

I encourage everyone to shop at the local farmers markets.  Even during the off-season months, there is much to discover. In addition, we make a community connection, life is enhanced and we are healthier for it.

In the coming months I will be working on a lot of quick and easy to prepare recipes which I plan to share with my subscribers.  So if you haven’t already done so, subscribe to my blog below, or on the upper right hand corner of this page.

See you at the markets!

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After selling Inn Season Cafe in 2002, Sara and I began to restore homes. Our passion was to breath life back into homes built in the 1920s with Arts and Crafts influences and handcrafted before the age of drywall and engineered trusses.  We appreciated styles such as Tudor Revival, Cotswold, Spanish Revival and Craftsman for the romantic concepts they added to daily life.

We restored the homes to their original luster and outfitted them with modern amenities to accommodate today’s lifestyle.

As one may imagine, the area I concentrated on was the kitchen.  I designed each one with the home chef in mind, one who supports local farmer’s markets and enjoys cooking as a form of relaxation.  For me, it was important for the kitchen to be the hub of the home–the place where raw ingredients are assembled to create nurturing meals.

In every house, I created a potager, a kitchen garden full of perennial & re-seeding herbs, culinary and medicinal plants. Mostly, I planted items not easily found at the local farmer’s markets or plants that are best harvested just before serving.  They included: French tarragon, thyme, oregano, sage, mint and fennel, tender greens like sorrel, arugula, varieties of kale and lettuces, and medicinal plants like chamomile, peppermint and lemon-balm.  Time and again, people would be very excited about the gardens and the vision of fresh-from-the-garden vegetables, herbs and flowers.

The potager goes hand-in-hand with farmer’s markets, victory gardens and the entire concept of local food.  Kitchen gardens were a part of our history as much as the local farmer’s market.  When I saw Dennis Stowell at the San Diego’s Little Italy Mercato promoting the concept of the Patio Potager, I was enthused.  The garden boxes, available on a subscription basis, enable one to pick lettuce, herbs and other vegetables at home just before using them.

No matter where one lives, a large home or a small apartment, they can take advantage of the Patio Potager concept, which can be described as a living CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)– a parallel concept to the one I used in my restoration gardens.

After the box is harvested, it is exchanged for a freshly planted one.  Dennis follows the planting cycles so every week there is something new to enjoy and harvest. Few culinary experiences can surpass eating fresh picked vegetables.

If his idea takes seed, it could be a marvelous solution for all the wannabee urban gardeners with limited land, small verandas and busy schedules.

A little piece of the farm comes to you.

In 1981, I visited a 300 acre organic farm in Southern Michigan which housed the Creative Health Institute.  It was there that I was exposed to the early years of Live Foods as directed by the late matriarch of the movement, Ann Wigmore.  The farm grew the grains which became the sprouts in the food; full of life-enhancing enzymes, it was both energizing and healing.  The Creative Health Institute was, and continues to be, a remarkable healing center where life-giving practices are embraced.

Raw or live foods are rooted in traditions which date back to our human origins.  Before refrigeration, fermentation and enzymatic growth in food was widespread in the cuisines of world, including Roman garum sauce, Chinese soy products, Japanese pickles, Korean kimtchie, Indian dosas, Thai fish sauces and Indonesian tempeh. Sometimes cooked, sometimes raw, these foods contributed significantly to the diets of the cultures they came from. The modern raw food diet originally drew inspiration from the proto-Christian Essenes most commonly known as the sect of John the Baptist, a desert-dwelling Judaic group who used the sun to dry their sprouted manna bread.

Raw living foods help stimulate the immune system and facilitate the flow of chi energy throughout the body.  There are countless people who claim it clears the mind, balances the body and heals many illnesses.

The most common endorsement I hear is that the raw foods increases energy in daily living.  Whether one embraces the diet entirely or includes a percentage of raw food, the benefits are real.

There are probably more raw-foodies per capita in Southern California than any other part of the country.  No doubt the weather and year round availability of local fresh foods plays a significant roll.  The sensual pleasures of the palate are plentiful with thoughtfully prepared raw cuisine.  I have seen many raw food chefs to be very good with presentation and flavor.

The farmer’s markets in San Diego feature a number of live food vendors.

Here are some of them:

GreenFix Smoothie Company

Peace Pies

Koral’s Tropical Fruit Farm

Macadamia-Sunflower Hummus is a versatile recipe suitable to serve with any cuisine.  Serve it as a dip or use it as a spread in a sandwich or on a cracker.  The Basil Leaf Rolls are just one of many dishes I have used the hummus with.

Macadamia-Sunflower Hummus

1 cup raw macadamia nuts

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

2 cups water for soaking

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Place the nuts, seeds and soaking water in a container for 2 to 8 hours. Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Serve cold or room temperature.

Basil Leaf Rolls

10 large lettuce-leaf basil leaves
5 tablespoons Macadamia-Sunflower Hummus
1 San Marzano Roma tomato sliced into thin 1/4 inch wide strips

Rinse basil leaves and spin-dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with a clean cloth.  Spread 1/2 tablespoon hummus evenly on each leaf.  Place a tomato slice on one end of the leaf and roll it “roulade-style.”  Repeat with each leaf. Slice into 1/2 inch wide rolls.  Serve right away.

Food and music have always been intertwined, both reflecting vibrations of life.  Our quality of life, health and longevity are determined to a great extent by the food we choose as well as the music we listen to.  I am reminded of this every time I enter the Hillcrest Farmers Market.  Markets like this have been around since man first began living in communities–a social setting where people congregate to swap wares, stories and ideas. Indeed, democracy was founded in the marketplaces (agoras) of ancient Greece; they were the center of every village, town or city.

The sounds of the market contribute to the atmosphere that makes it so appealing.  People talking and farmers hawking their wares are a melodic background to procuring the fresh produce of the day. Often, markets will invite musicians to play, adding a festive tone.

In Hillcrest, one musician stands out among the many talented people I have seen perform.  He is Santiago Orozco, a native of Columbia who resides in San Diego and brings his thoughtful music to the markets of San Diego each week.  The positive message of his music intertwines with the market sounds in beautiful harmony, uplifting spirits and enticing people to return.  It is not uncommon to see people spontaneously break into a dance upon hearing his well-crafted Latin inspired rhythms.

Santiago’s views of music, life, food and community are full of compassion and generosity which are felt each time he strums his guitar and sings his songs.  His music complements my cuisine as it is full of flavor and vitality, at the same time re-assuring and comforting.

In his own words, Santiago talks about his life and music:

Santiago Todo Mundo…

“Life is music. The World is music. This story started in Colombian when I was 13 years old.  I started jamming with a old guitar that was in my home, without any expectations or intentions. Since that time life began to take me down the music path. One day I just woke up and realised my whole life was about walking, swimming and flying into the deep of the music ocean. With music, a passion  for travel started to light my heart. Learning about cultures, people, places, colors, flavors, and views, I started to find myself, and build music from the roots of my travels and experiences.

My music talks about life, the social situation,the people, the experiences, the feelings, love, moments, dreams, in fact, talks about the huge life of every person. It talks about the big World that every human carries inside himself. The beautiful song that everyone is in this short life. I am a singer, guitar player and songwriter. Drawing from reggae and Bossa nova, to Rumba, flamenco, Colombian Styles, ballads and a little bit of rock. Singing songs in French, Spanish, English and Portuguese. My music is a mix of styles from all around the world, soft and calm or full of energy.

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I have worked many years in the music world, solo and with many bands. I am always mixing with the different rhythms of the world. I was born in Colombia, studied in Argentina, and have traveled in Brazil and the USA. I take music from every place and mix it to make a beautiful combination of flavors.

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The most important reason I make music is to give a message, a positive message for the crazy and hard moments of this life . I express many ideas and feelings in songs.  I find it wonderful to share music with travelers and people from different countries, to change the moment for them in their journey, but also for the locals too, for sure! Anyway, every person is a traveler and a walker in some way.  It doesn’t matter if  they go to other places or not.  I think it’s beautiful to share with people from other cultures. I am a traveler also, so I decided to make music with this spirit.  I feel that when you travel, your music get richer, full of colors and flavors. Always learning about the places where you are walking. I make music like a little trip, like a voyage.

My project its called “Todo Mundo” which means all the World, and that is just how I feel about the music, like it is all the World together, a mix, one heart beating, one air, one wave.  Playing from the organic street to stages, acoustic or electric, solo or with a band, my music invites the listeners to travel, dance, feel and think. We are Todo Mundo. We are music, our life is the best song play ever, the radio is the World……”

Nicolina Alves talks about her family farm.  Red walnuts (which I am addicted to) are only a portion of their high quality organic produce.

Strolling through the Hillcrest Farmers Market, one vendor stands out among the vibrant colors of bountiful booths.  Barry Koral is six foot plus, wears a large straw sun hat and frequently dons a colorful Hawaiian shirt.  Beyond the visual, his pronounced voice penetrates the hubbub of the market with timely offers of avocados, Meyer lemons, guava and persimmons interspersed with sage advice.  Drawn to the booth for his addictively good fruit as well as powerfully energetic personality, I make the pilgrimage almost every Sunday.  When he first spoke about how his food is alive and full of nutrients, I recognized the glint in his eye as that of a raw food aficionado.  

My first exposure to live foods was in 1981 when my wife Barbara visited the Hippocrates Institute in Coldwater Michigan to pursue a cure for the cancer she faced.  Ultimately, the illness was not overcome, but the experience kick-started her healing journey holistically in body, mind and spirit.  The experience was both enlightening and invigorating and, since then, I have incorporated elements of live foods into my own diet and food preparation.  A prominent symptom of a seasoned live food devotee is an incredible energy level and the same glint in the eye that I see when Barry speaks. 

Short of doing a proper interview, Barry was kind enough to share the article below which paints a beautiful picture of his contribution to the community.  Meeting him has been a privilege and those fleeting moments of exposure to his good present energy adds momentum to my week.  He helps people connect to the life energies inherent in the earth, often without them having any idea of what is going on.  Souls such as he, help the rest of us understand how to live and breath with the earth, as well as utilize the readily available bounty to increase the quality of our existence.   An example worth following and fruit worth eating!

This is the article Barry shared with me:

Barry likes to express himself through drawing and poetry. I mention to him that I’m fond of his musings and wish to include some samples on my community service website. He happily responds by saying, “You rock my world.” It’s a nice compliment, and it sets me wondering about his way of moving through the world.

For instance, I discover that Barry has a wealth of timely information to share about life, especially concerning his passion for what he terms the “art of living”. In a few days, I’m invited back to his digs, with a close woman friend. This interview is the result of my wishing to know more about the life of this multi-talented artist and health enthusiast.

Amidst a plethora of one hundred seventy five fruit trees, a small art studio, sauna, hot tub, and an assortment of foraged American folk art, I learn more details about the property as Barry bares his soul about how all this came to pass. Mr. Natural, as I call him, confides that his sanctuary is a dream come true. Barry’s purring cat wholeheartedly agrees, and indeed, this attractively designed spacious environ fits the bill. This pearl in an oyster of a location is perfect for personal growth.

Surveying the property reveals that the trees are filled with tremendous life force. Barry surrounds everyone with a ring of rocks gathered from his worldwide travels. Each is a souvenir of his experiences in far away places. The rocks add minerals to the soil, help to retain moisture around the trees, and create a continual flow of energy, reflecting the endless cycles of nature.

One important thing to consider is natural symbiosis, which incorporates efficient homestead design. At its best, this is an evolving adventure into appropriate sustainable lifestyles. The key theme here, as it relates to Barry’s semi-rural lifestyle, is optimization. For example, a pilgrimage to a sacred earthen lair on one corner of the property, dubbed Mount Compost, is the home of a plethora of wriggling earthworms, as well as a lively assortment of microbes – beneficial for both humans and the biosphere. Here is a tidbit of information that most urbanites and suburbanites aren’t even aware of: one centimeter of soil contains as many as one billion microbes!

Much of the planet’s soil is lacking in essential nutrients, such as trace minerals. In an attempt to remedy this, Barry takes care to add specific life-enriching elements to his trees. Mineralized rock dust and compost applied around the base of the trees can greatly enhance crop yields, while maintaining Gaia equipoise. The pleasure is in reaping delectable results. Barry comments: “Watering, composting, pruning, brush removal, leaf raking, and adding more mulch to the soil are really vital to balanced growth and renewal.”

Barry has taken great care to plant very special varieties of exotic subtropical fruit trees. He and his co-workers carefully select the finest, most delectable ripe fruit from his orchard to sell, and the rest is shared among friends or returned to Mother Earth as compost. As a result, his fruits are distributed in various parts of the U.S. and abroad. His French customers, for instance, have access to the finest produce in the world. Barry is honored to be selected as one of their providers.

Barry supports and stimulates the organic food economy. This helps to promote local self-sufficiency and the health of bioregions across the planet. As part of this initiative, every week, he loads large crates of fruit into his van, and drives the produce to the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, where it is displayed in attractive hand woven baskets. He covers the tables with brightly colored tapestries, and puts calligraphic signs in the baskets, each adorned with his creative designs.

Yet this is only the beginning! What would the show be without Barry? Wishing to see for ourselves, a friend and I accompany him on a Sunday excursion to the market. It’s really quite a lively affair. We discover that Barry is among the most vocal of entrepreneurs, entreating potential customers to procure his exotic produce, while educating them about the preparation and nutritional value of the succulent varieties he offers.

There is a constant flow of visitors to his booth. Many wish to know more about the attributes of the exotic fruits displayed. They ask him such key questions as: What is a cherimoya? When is it ripe? How can you tell which one is the sweetest? Do you refrigerate it? What are the best ways to prepare it? Can you eat the seeds? Besides this basic knowledge, there is still much more to fathom about each and every fruit. 

For those truly wishing to be in harmony with both themselves and Mother Earth, the ideal of tailoring one’s lifestyle to seasonal changes is a key aspect to creating and maintaining good health. As an example: ancient Chinese Taoists as well as contemporary ones have recommended eating foods that ripen according to nature’s own rhythmic cycles. Barry adheres to this as it relates to planting and reaping, as well as marketing his produce.

After returning from the market, we get to experience this firsthand as Barry shares more delectable fruits. As always, natural food experience is the best educator. To appease our appetites, we delve into large servings of one of Barry’s favorite fruit compotes, which he refers to as “Holiday Fruit Salad”. Such delicacies as tangerines, papaya, blood oranges, sapotes, and persimmons, garnished with liberal portions of shredded coconut, contribute to the delicious sweet flavor.

Somehow Koral’s Tropical Fruit Farm reminds me a bit of Findhorn; how those with agricultural acumen work closely with Mother Nature, and she responds with a lavish cornucopia of abundant blessings. Concerning the ease by which crops thrive, Barry smiles. His face gradually lights up like a candelabra. It seems that Jack in the Beanstalk might even be a bit jealous at the farm’s natural splendor.

In a bit of a whisper, Barry shares this tidbit of wisdom about his success: “I plant a seed or a tree, and everything pretty much grows wild. I’m a fruit farmer rather than a crop farmer. I choose this lifestyle because I love fruit, the beneficial effects it has on my body, and what I can offer the world through distributing very high quality organic foods. The demand for high quality organic food is tremendous. My initial vision was to be able to take control over my food source and to supply high quality nutrients so necessary for optimum health. I have succeeded.” 

As our interview progresses, I am able to gain a better understanding of his present lifestyle. The results are surprising. After all, not everyone has created their own ecological niche as he has. Barry recommends that each person’s home become a mini-holistic health center. He considers his home on the range to be much more than just a place to hang his cowboy hat and commune with the neighborhood coyotes. His cat ChaCha wholeheartedly agrees! 

There are more miracles to be experienced by consuming more fresh produce on a daily basis. Barry points out that every seven years, all the cells of the human body transform. The process of cellular regeneration, i.e., the re-genesis program of rejuvenation is accelerated by adherence to live food dietary regimens. He endorses models of true sustainability, which include natural boons such as composting, recycling, and everything  organic. He says, “Healthy soil is the foundation for sustainable agriculture. I spent three years preparing the soil before I even planted a tree. My goal is to create a model of sustainability for the benefit of present and future generations. We’re all one, and we’re all connected, no matter what part of the earth we’re on.”

Barry travels widely and lectures about the importance of living and eating as close to Mother Nature as possible. His poetry also reflects his passion for the art of living, which he considers a pure fruit of the imagination, realized during moments of stillness. Barry says that “Writing poetry is one of the many ways I express my appreciation for artful living. Over the years, my life has become much more of an interpretive, creatively satisfying experience.” An example of his original style is witnessed in his poem:

Sacred Moments

A mere glimpse into the higher realms of living

At one with all creation

Envelopes us during sacred moments

A quieting of all inner and outer sensations

Stills the mind to receive from a higher Source

Awakening while living in the physical

Opens receptive hearts 

To the unfolding of flowering beauty all around

This simple landscape reveals an attunement

That allows the soul to reawaken at any moment

To the splendid privilege of being alive

In this wondrous universe

It’s important to note that the physical aspects of healthy living are vital to being well-grounded in our core connection to nature. Barry robustly intones, “Health ultimately comes through being more in harmony with our bodies. This is the natural result of cultivating lifestyles based on positive thinking, and eating a wide variety of vibrant living foods fresh from nature.”

As I reflect on his sentiments, Barry offers more sagely wisdom by stating:

“Communing with Mother Earth is a great rejuvenating tonic. In-depth peace

is my goal. I really enjoy being at my sanctuary. My most favorite thing about the orchard is that I can walk up to the trees and harvest lunch.”

And for those who really love high quality produce, the following fruits can be shipped by FedEx or UPS Ground. Here is the general timetable:

Cherimoyas: November through May

White Sapotes: July through April

Pomegranates: November through January

Persimmons: September through January

Figs: July through September

Passion Fruit: Year round

Avocados:

Fuerte: February through April

Haas: March through December

Mexicola: August through October

Nabal: October through May

Pinkerton: April through August

Reed: April through June

Please call Barry at 760-631-0200 (Office) or 760-455-1261 (Cell) to initiate purchase orders. Email: barrykoral@cox.net.

For those interested in reading more of Barry’s poetic musings, consider logging onto www.sacredimagery.com.

Loren Lewisohn is an eco-adventurer who specializes in international travel, which incorporates bio-regional analysis and the promotion of themes relating to paradigm shift. His websites may be accessed at www.sacredimagery.com and www.ecoarts.orz.