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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Recipe: Briannas’s Himalayan Salt-Block Pickled Zucchini

Ingredients:

1 Himalayan pink salt block (Contact Brianna for info on salt block) 1 zucchini 1 tablespoon cane sugar 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (you can also use champagne) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dry dill A few grinds of black pepper

Directions:

Slice zucchini in 1/4-inch thick slices. Don’t make them thinner or they will become too salty.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to make sure the sugar completely dissolves. Add zucchini to the bowl and stir to coat.

Let the excess liquid drip off of the zucchini then arrange on salt block. Reserve the remaining oil/vinegar mixture.

Let zucchini sit for 10 minutes on the block, then turn them over and let them sit for an additional 10 minutes. You can taste one now and assess the level of saltiness. If you want them saltier, leave them on the block for a few minutes longer. Pat the zucchini dry on both sides with paper towels.

Arrange the zucchini on a plate or serve right away right on the salt block. Drizzle with some of the reserved vinegar and oil mixture and garnish with dill. Enjoy!!

Recipe courtesy Brianna’s Nutrition Kitchen LLC.

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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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