Sea Asparagus

I have recently discovered 'sea asparagus' at the farmers market. It is my new favorite vegetable!! So delicate, crispy and naturally salty. The mineral profile of sea vegetables are amazing. Because the ocean contains 92 different trace minerals and these plants are surrounded by these minerals for their entire growing life, these trace minerals are available for you when you consume the plants. In fact, it's said that the mineral composition of sea vegetables (and ocean water) closely resembles that of human blood. Sea vegetables are among the most nutritionally dense foods. Containing about 10 times the calcium of cow's milk and several times more iron than red meat, sea vegetables are easily digestible, chlorophyll rich, and alkaline forming. Packed with minerals, sea vegetables are the richest source of naturally occurring electrolytes known.

One of these trace minerals, so valuable and necessary for human nutrition, is iodine. Unfortunately, iodized table salt is the primary source of iodine. Sea vegetables provide the iodine with out the rise in blood pressure.

Sea vegetables are also a source of unique carbohydrate-related nutrients called "sulfated polysaccharides" that have been studied for their anti-inflammatory affects. Sulfated polysaccharides have also been found to have potent antiviral effects on certain types of viruses.

To prepare the sea asparagus blanch them in boiling water for five minutes then rinse with cold water. I sauteed some garlic scapes and chili flakes in coconut oil then tossed in the sea asparagus for a few minutes and that's it! So delicious and nutritious :-)