Cooling treats: Sweet-Tangy Taboule and Mint-Cloud Pudding

Summer has officially arrived and with it a keen interest in cooling food. Here are two recipes, which offer just that:

Sweet-tangy Taboule

(serves 1-2)

juice of 1-2 medium lemons

1-2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup soaked (or sprouted) sunflower seeds (*see how below*)

1 medium apple

5-7 dandelion leaves (including stem) or 1-2 large handful(s) fresh parsley (including stem)

Handfuls are a funny thing since hand sizes vary. Play at will with these ingredients and measurements. That's half the fun!

Mix together the liquids, ground herbs, and salt. I like to put them in a medium-sized metal bowl (relative to my hand size) and swirl them with one hand.

Sprouting edible seeds is a wonderful way to reconnect with the Earth and if you want a tiny taste of gardening, this is your ticket. Here are instructions for sprouting:

Soak 1/2 cup sunflower seeds in at least twice that amount of filtered water overnight in a glass bowl or mason jar.

6 to 8 hours later, pour off water and feed it to your houseplants.

Rinse seeds well in cool water.

This makes a bit more than 1/2 cup germinated seeds. If you want to, can let these sit for the day and they will grow a tiny tail, officially transforming them to "sprouted seeds." This is not necessary for this recipe. Sprouting makes them a bit more nutritious.

Core and chop 1 medium apple. I enjoy the crisp tangy kind some days and the more sweet variety other days. You might check out your local farmer's market in season to see what tastes yummy to you.

Chop the dandelion or parsley. Chiffonade, then rough chop works nicely if doing so by hand. In processor, pulse this a few seconds until get bite size chunks (smaller with parsely).

Mix apple and sunflower seeds with the dressing. Add chopped greens and mix in.

This salad is quite refreshing, especially when served chilled.

Here's a light dessert, a variation on one concocted by live food teacher Gabriel Cousens called, "Mint Wizard Whip." I call this one:

Mint-Cloud Pudding

(serves 4)

1 cup coconut water or raisin soak water

1-2 tsp vanilla "flavor" (glycerin based if possible rather than alcohol "extract")

1/2 cup packed mint leaves

1 medium apple, cored, unpeeled

1 medium avocado

1-2 tsp coconut oil (Nutiva brand, for instance)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1-2 Tbsp amber agave nectar (or raw honey or maple syrup)

This recipe is a marvelous opportunity to appreciate worldwide convergence as the ingredients come from all over the world. In my experience, eating "healthy" on all scales is an ongoing exploration of questions like, "what do I mean by sustainable?" "by healthy?" etc. Cost and availability of ingredients are also factors.

Coconut water is a treat. That said, if you soak raisins in filtered water overnight, then strain and save the "soak water." This sweet water will do nicely and you can enjoy the plumped soft raisins in another dish.

There is ongoing discussion of what forms of liquid sweetener are "healthy" and "sustainable." Feel free to check out the dialogue.

Place all ingredients in a blender.

Blend on "smoothie" setting or until consistency is smooth

Adjust ingredients (esp. sweetener) until taste suits your fancy.