It's Wild, It's Raw, It's Living
You’ve heard of raw food right? The rule of raw is that foods are eaten uncooked, with no heating above 115°-120°, therefore their enzymes are still living and the vital energy of your food remains intact. It is certainly true that our ancestors ate many foods in their raw form, and eating a living foods diet has been coined a ‘return to raw’. Wild foods can provide the raw foodist with a diversity of choices found out their own back door, versus shipping in exotic ingredients from thousands of miles away.
The wild California black walnuts (Juglans californica) are dropping like mad here in the Santa Monica Mountains. These delicious nuts are much stronger in flavor than the cultivated English walnuts that you find in the store. Walnuts in general have some major health-promoting qualities:
1. Walnuts contain a perfect 4 to 1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, and the highest ALA content of any tree nut. Click here to see the reference. This equates to major coronary health benefits, with reduction of cholesterol, no weight gain associated with increased fat consumption of eating walnuts, etc. Click here to read the study.
2. A comparison study of total antioxidant content of nuts, seeds and dried fruits, found walnuts second only to dog rose in antioxidant content…of all plants analyzed. Click here to read the study.
Raw nuts have become a staple part of the raw food diet. Consuming copious amounts of raw nuts can lead to intestinal discomfort and a general imbalance in the diet. So don’t get too nutty! The video above highlights the identification and harvesting of California black walnut (Juglans californica). We are joined in the kitchen by Living Foods Chef Chris J Watts. Be sure to check out Chris’s website to learn more about raw foods, as well as view some of his raw food videos.
Wild Walnut Raw Living Taco Meat
1 c raw walnuts
1/4 c raw wild black walnuts
1/8 c onion, diced
1/4 c red pepper, diced
1/4 c green pepper, diced
3/4 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
Soak walnuts 3-5 hours, or longer. Drain walnuts and process in food processor with spices until mixture is in small chunks. Put into mixing bowl and add diced onion and bell peppers. Serve on a red cabbage or collard green leaf as taco shell. Load up with taco meat, raw salsa, guacamole, and condiments such as fresh corn kernels and shredded red cabbage. I cut Chris’s recipe in half to serve 4.
