Gluten-free Gourmand

Here in Portland, the gardening season starts pretty early.  In fact, you could argue that it never stops.  I've been trying to budget my food expenses a bit more, so last week I decided I'd only eat vegetables that I already had, or that I picked from my garden.  Here is most of what I harvested for the week: The orange globes in the background are acorn squash I harvested last year.  The big white roots are parsnips.  The leafy greens are cilantro, kohlrabi, kale and mustard greens that I planted last year - they survived the winter, along with the onion.  I don't eat a lot of vegetables compared to some people, but I was able to get some green in my diet every day last week, and it was all from my garden. I already have some seeds planted in the outdoors and they are starting to sprout up.  I've planted carrots, basil, onion, fennel, chard, lettuce, parsnip, broccoli, kale and leeks.  I think I'll wait a few weeks before planting anything else, but I have the

For people just starting the gluten-free diet, there can be a lot to digest.  Sometimes, the biggest shock to the system isn't about the food itself - it's about how much it costs.  Here are some strategies for easing the blow to your wallet. Cut down on waste .  A recent study found that Americans let 40% of their food go to waste - in spite of having almost universal access to the most advanced technology in quality control and refrigeration in the world.  Have a plan for when you will eat everything perishable that you buy, and don't buy more than you can use. Make what you have .  If you find yourself running over budget in the week, try to see what you can make without going to the store.  Don't have any meat in the house?  Use eggs, tuna fish, peanut butter, nuts or beans for your protein instead.  Necessity is the mother of invention, and you might end up creating a new recipe out of common ingredients that you can use again. Drink only tap water .