The Cat Box

“The Last Lean Americans,” a story in the October issue of 5280 examines Colorado’s obesity rates which at about 15 to 20 percent are the lowest in the country. The article discusses Colorado’s geography, our lifestyles, and our population’s propensity to exercise as factors for our low obesity rate.

The magazine editors collected health tips from readers and among them are; “Pick your poisons carefully – moderation is key,” and “Eat real food. Remember: It’s OK to be a food snob.” The one that caught my eye though was “Don’t eat anything that comes out of a box.” Well, doesn’t everyone know that???

When asked what kind of food they bought, 13% of readers polled said they try to buy local, 6% said that they try to buy organic, and a whopping 40% said that they try to buy organic, natural, and local! And why not with the ever-increasing opportunities to buy locally grown food in Denver and Boulder.

On Saturday I hit the Heirloom Gardens stand at  Highlands Farmers Market and bought beautiful heirloom tomatoes grown in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) gardens in my North Denver neighborhood. They are beautiful, delicious and satisfying. They taste amazing tossed with a couple handfuls of fresh and piquant (grown in my neighborhood) arugula in a simple olive oil and lemon vinaigrette.

1 clove garlic mashed

1/2 lemon + 1T water

2T olive oil

1t Dijon mustard

Here is a link to the Heirloom Gardens blog where you can learn all about growing and raising your own food. There  are instructions for  roasting  winter squash. Delicious!

http://heirloomgardens.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!