Sea sides: add a sliver of arame or dulse to soups, stews, or salads for a fresh new flavor and a nutritious boost

Natural Health, Sept, 2007 by Jill Gusman

WHEN MORNING light hits kombu, it looks like it's dancing in the waves," says Barbara Stephens-Lewallen, a "wildcrafter" who harvests sea vegetables in the waters off Mendocino County, Calif. At sunrise, she and her husband, John, wade in at low tide, working with knives and bare hands to collect seaweeds like nori, wakame, kombu, and sea palm. After drying and packaging their catch, they ship it to kitchens across the country.

"Seaweed has been part of the Native American diet here in Northern California for centuries," says Barbara. "One of our favorite North Coast dishes is panfried nori served with salmon and fried bread." Indeed, sea vegetables have been part of the culinary tradition of many cultures. Ancient Koreans sent sea produce, prized for its medicinal qualities, to the imperial court of China; in 600 B.C., the Chinese writer Sze Teu declared them "a delicacy fit for the most honored guests." In Ireland, dulse is added to potato dishes; fishermen in South Wales have been known to roll sea vegetables with oatmeal and serve them fried alongside bacon and eggs; vast quantities of carrageen seaweed are harvested in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia to use as a gelling agent in pudding, ice cream, and pie filling. The harvesting of sea vegetables is a thriving industry, fueled by increasing demand for this versatile and nutritious "super food."

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long recognized and valued the medicinal properties of seaweeds, categorizing them as salty and cold--characteristics that can loosen phlegm and dissipate nodules and cysts. More recently, Western researchers have found that sea vegetables are loaded with phytochemicals that may help protect against cancer, heart disease, the common cold, and osteoporosis, as well as cleanse the digestive system. High in iodine (essential for thyroid health), sea vegetables are also chock-full of vitamins (especially A, B, and K), calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. Many varieties also contain up to 50 percent soluble fiber, which helps regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels. In 1964, a groundbreaking study at McGill University in Montreal revealed that alginic acid, found in abundance in seaweed, can bind with dangerous heavy metals (such as mercury, barium, cadmium, lead, and radioactive strontium), rendering them indigestible and causing their elimination.

Sea vegetables can add a variety of colors, textures, and flavors (from mildly sweet to deeply salty) to cooking. Nori is the dark-green seaweed that wraps many sushi rolls. Burgundy-colored dulse can be pulled right out of its packet, lightly dry roasted in a skillet, and put into a sandwich. Wakame, the green vegetable found in miso soup, is also the main ingredient--mixed with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame seeds--in a classic seaweed salad. Dark, thick strips of kombu have been called "nature's MSG" for their ability to flavor soups and stews. A luxurious Thai dessert, woon ma praw orn, consists of brightly colored agar jelly with coconut milk.

"My all-time favorite seaweed recipe," says Shep Erhart, a wildcraffer from coastal Maine, "is the 'DLT': You panfry dulse in olive oil and make a sandwich with lettuce and tomato. The fried dulse has the crispy consistency and saltiness of bacon--minus the pork." Erhart, who has been harvesting sea vegetables since the early '70s, also recommends a simple, slightly salty "green tea" made with flakes of dried sea lettuce and hot water.

You can find quality sea vegetables at most specialty food stores. To ensure food safety, look for small companies--such as Medocino Sea Vegetable Company (sea weed.net) or Maine Coast Sea Vegetables (seaveg.com)--that bear the USDA Organic label or use the word "wild" on the package. Some larger international seaweed companies have been known to harvest without regard to pollution levels and with little concern for how plants are cut, ripping them up with big machinery that endangers future crops and fish populations. Smaller companies that are certified organic tend to harvest only during the appropriate seasons, in clean waters, and rigorously test their produce for toxins. To harvest your own seaweed, it's best to book an excursion with experienced harvesters. But be prepared: it's called wild crafting for a reason. "The seaweed we harvest grows on rocks in the inter-tidal zone, where the tide washes in and out," says John Stephens-Lewallen. "The waves can get pretty wild."

LEARN MORE: Visit natural dozens of healthful, satisfying dishes.

Toasted Dulse with Baby Arugula Salad
Serves 4

1/2 cup loosely packed dulse
4 cups baby arugula greens
1 1/2 cups finely sliced green
cabbage
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons raw apple cider
vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch black pepper
8 1/2-inch slices of goat cheese log

1. Heat a small skillet on low heat
for 30 seconds. Tear dulse into bite size
pieces and place in the skillet.
Gently stir with a wooden spoon
until dulse turns brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from hot skillet into a
bowl until ready to serve salad.

2. Place arugula and cabbage into a
salad bowl, toss.

3. To make the dressing: In a small
bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar,
shallots, sea salt, and pepper. Toss
dressing with salad.

4. On 4 individual serving plates,
place 2 slices of goat cheese opposite
each other. Place 1/4 of tossed
salad in center of each plate. Add
1/4 of dulse on top. Serve.

Per serving: 234 calories, 22 g fat
(6 g saturated), 4 g carbohydrates,
5 g protein, 1 g fiber, 144 mg
sodium (6% Daily Value).

Spiced Apple Cider Kanten
Serves 4

3 cups apple cider
1/4 cup agar flakes  1 cinnamon stick
3 clove buds, crushed
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 small Granny Smith apple, cut
into small dice
1 small Gala apple, cut into
small dice

1. Pour apple cider and agar flakes
into a small saucepan. Let sit to
minutes.

2. Add cinnamon stick and clove
buds. Over a low flame, slowly
bring to a boil, whisking several
times. Lower heat and simmer 10
minutes more.

3. Remove cinnamon stick. Add
coconut milk and agave nectar. Stir
well. Turn off heat.

4. Combine both apples in a small
bowl Evenly distribute the apples
into 4 small glass bowls. Ladle hot
cider on top of apples, filling bowls
1/3 full.

5. When steam is no longer rising
from the bowls, place them in the
refrigerator to firm up, about 30 to
40 minutes.

Per serving: 167 calories, 2 g fat (1 g
saturated), 39 g carbohydrates,
<1 g protein, 1 g fiber, 21 mg sodium
(<1% Daily Value).

Arame with Tofu and Soba
Serves 5

1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch
cubes
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced
a tablespoons ginger juice
4 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons tamari
6 ounces soba noodles
1/2 cup lightly packed arame
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-by-3inch
length strips
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-by-3-inch
length strips
4 scallions, sliced thin

1. Place tofu into a medium-sized bowl. Add
water, garlic, ginger juice, 3 tablespoons
maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon tamari. Set
aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil.
Add soba. Cook until al dente, about
5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. While soba is cooking, put arame into a
small bowl and fill with cool water. Gently
stir. Drain. Repeat. Fill bowl with fresh
water to cover arame. After 5 minutes,
drain soaking water. Add remaining 2
teaspoons tamari. Set aside.

4. Place tofu with marinade in a 10-inch
skillet. Bring to a boil, lower flame to a
simmer. Add arame. Cook until liquid has
evaporated, about 15 minutes.

5. While tofu and arame are cooking,
make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk
together sesame oil, rice vinegar, remaining
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, mustard,
and sea salt. Set aside.

6. Add peppers and scallions to the skillet
and stir welt. Layer on top of cooked
noodles and cover with dressing. Stir well
and serve.

Per serving: 358 calories, 16 g fat (2 g saturated),
45 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 5 g
fiber, 406 mg sodium (17% Daily Value).