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秋冬的蔬菜種類逐漸稀少,但馬鈴薯、菠菜、胡蘿蔔、甘藍菜家族 (例如 Kale)、菇蕈 等耐寒菜蔬,仍興高采烈的茁長,餐桌上每天的食物,完全根據當天菜園的供應無窮變化著。吃當季、在地蔬果的好處是經濟、營養,而且永遠配合我們身體的健康需求。
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許多在地蔬菜,連種子店都不見得買得到了。例如園中的 Kale,兩年前是滿地如雜草般生長的野菜,無意中生採入口甜美,見羊兒也愛吃的不得了 (山羊是天附異稟的神農),知道必是好東西,於是在它秋天結實後,搓出如芝麻般的種子,四處灑在山坡和菜圃中,他們就這樣長成如大樹一般,四季都長葉子,霜打後更是甜美,吃都吃不完,還得隨時剪枝,以免長得太快太高。
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根據美國營養科學協會研究,每天最好食用不同的植物蔬果,吸收足夠的營養素,這些食物,你其實不必知道維他命的成分,單靠視覺分辨即可。
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例如,紅、黃、菊色的胡蘿蔔素家族 (或例如羅勒等香草),可以保護細胞、防禦癌症;
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籃紫色的多酚 (如黑莓、藍莓、葡萄),可以抗氧化與防老;
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深綠色、黃色的蔬果 (如南瓜),尤其紅色,口感辛辣,有著許多的抗氧化劑,可阻礙膽固醇吸收、抑制腫瘤生長的植物醇‧‧‧每樣在地蔬果,都經過世代細微的生物演化調控,許多化學成分,我們甚至尚無法完全知曉或複製,例如一球綠花椰菜,卽含有千種以上的化合物,是任何維他命,都無法涵蓋完全的。
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每天除了巡視菜圃,也偶而巡山,除了發現新的狐狸洞、野鹿、浣熊的大便,知道它們仍常來造訪之外,就是隨手採擷野花,妝點本已多姿的廚房窗台。
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