Tips to Keep Your Kitchen Cool in Vermont

You love to cook, but find that the heat of the summer makes cooking a miserable experience!  Use these tips to keep cool while being able to make healthy choices.

1.  Emphasize foods that require little to no cooking like fresh fruits & vegetables, cold salads , nuts and seeds.

 2.  Get inspired by raw foodists – people who live a lifestyle where most, sometimes all, of their food is uncooked or not warmed above 115 degrees.  Why?  All raw foods contain enzymes, the energy of food, that are important in the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients.  Over heating and over cooking foods destroys these enzymes, preventing your body from getting the maximum benefit from the foods you eat.  There are many websites online where you can learn more about the importance of raw foods and find recipes.

 3.  When cooking indoors, cook during the coolest part of the day : early morning and at night.  If you need to cook during the day cook foods that are quick, like steamed veggies, and make a large batch so you don’t have to cook again.

 4.  Cook foods outdoors on the grill, or use your cast iron pots/pans as you would indoors.

 5.  Invest in a toaster oven: they are smaller and generate less heat.

 6.  Use your blender for smoothies, blender drinks, popsicles, and raw soups.

 7.  Learn how to ferment foods.  buy the book, wild fermentation: the flavor, nutrition and craft of live culture foods, sandor ellix katz.