In the raw

Sheree Clark loves people who are curious about raw food lifestyle. That's how it started for her seven years ago.

“It was around 2006 that I first heard about raw foods and started dabbling in it,” says Clark, a holistic health and nutrition counselor in Des Moines.

While raw food means uncooked - Clark says raw foods are not heated to more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit - it also includes foods that are unprocessed and unrefined.

Most people who call themselves raw foodists are vegans who don't consume white flour, sugar and preservatives, in addition to not consuming meat and dairy. Raw food enthusiasts generally try to consume as much organic produce as often as possible.

“It's avoiding anything made in a factory, for the most part,” Clark says. “It's taking a whole ingredient and not adding to it.”

Clark's diet mainly consists of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and natural fats, including avocados, nuts and seeds. It isn't a long list, but Clark says the possibilities of food combinations are limitless.

“Like any other way of eating, you can be a minimalist or you can be a gourmet,” says Clark, who attended the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute.

It's information like this that will be the focus of Des Moines Raw Food Week, which begins Aug. 19 and continues through Aug. 25. Founded by Clark on 2012, the week-long event is designed to educate, not lecture, people about the raw food lifestyle.

“When I began in 2006, I was the only raw foodist I knew in Des Moines,” Clark says. “I didn't know anyone else who ate like me.”

She launched a Raw Food Meetup in 2007. Today, membership is nearing 900 people. Several Des Moines restaurants offer raw entrees and several local caterers will prepare raw foods. The Iowa State Fair even asked Clark sponsor and judge a raw food category in the food contest lineup: Eating without Heating.

Clark designed the first Des Moines Raw Food Week to coincide with an International Raw Food Day. Originally, she planned to host a raw food potluck in Des Moines, but the international event didn't go far while local plans grew. The potluck never happened, but a weeklong schedule of events centered on raw food did.

“I want to give people the tools to understand the raw food lifestyle,” Clark says.

The week will focus on dispelling the myth that it's difficult to eat raw food, but Clark stresses that people aren't expected to adopt the lifestyle. Instead, she sees the events, which includes tastings, presentations and a movie, as an opportunity to explore raw food on a low-risk setting.

“It's one thing to say ‘That's it; I'm going to go raw,'” she says. “It's not that easy. Raw food can end up just being a phase if you don't approach it right.”

Des Moines Raw Food Week kicks off Monday with a free orientation and food tasting from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Des Moines Central Library, 1000 Grand Ave. The Fleur Cinema, 4545 Fleur Drive, will air the documentary “Hungry for Change” at 7 p.m. Monday night. The cost is $5.

A highlight of the week will be a book signing and presentation by Jennifer Cornbleet, author of “Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People and Raw for Dessert: Easy Delights for Everyone.” The free event at Campbell's Nutrition, 4040 University Ave. in Des Moines, will include raw food samples.

Although the event is called Des Moines Raw Food Week, Clark knows of people who plan to attend from outside the city and the state.

“It's the only raw food week I know of in the country,” she says. “We got the domain name. I'd think if there was another one, they'd have bought it first. It's a pretty big deal for the pork belt.”

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Des Moines Raw Food Week:

A full list of events, including location, time and cost, if applicable, is available at www.rawfoodweek.com

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COLLARD WRAP WITH ZUCCHINI HUMMUS

Yield: 1½ cups; 5 servings

Equipment needed: Blender

INGREDIENTS

For hummus

• 1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon solar-dried sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• Pinch cayenne
• 6 tablespoons tahini (sesame nut butter)
• 6 tablespoons sesame seeds, soaked for 4 hours, rinsed and drained

For collard leaf wraps

• 5 collard leaves, medium to large
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon unrefined salt

DIRECTIONS

For hummus

Combine all the ingredients, except the tahini and sesame seeds, in a high-powered blender and puree. Add the tahini and sesame seeds and puree until smooth and creamy. Spread ¼ cup of the hummus in a softened collard (see method below). Add chopped fresh vegetables and sprouts as desired, and roll. Store any extra hummus in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to four days.

For collard leaf wraps

Prepare the collard leaves by cutting off the stems at the base of the leaf, then using a paring knife, carefully cut the thick bump of stem off the back of the leaf so it becomes flush to the leaf. This will make the collard flatter and easier to roll.

Mix lemon juice and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Take one leaf at a time and coat it in the mixture or brush mixture on leaves with a pastry brush. Place coated leaves into a covered lasagna pan to marinate overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours as room temperature until they are soft and tender.

Rinse and dry the leaves well. Use them to wrap pates, hummus, julienned vegetables, etc. Collard leaf wraps will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Source: Sheree Clark

BLUEBERRY PIE

Yield: 8 servings

Equipment needed: Food processor

INGREDIENTS

For crust

• 2 cups almonds
• ½ cup moist dates, pits removed
• Pinch sea salt

For filling

• 5 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1½ tablespoons honey

DIRECTIONS

For crust

In a food processor, grind the almonds until fine. Add the dates and salt and blend until the mixture binds together between your fingers when pinched. Press evenly into 9-inch glass pie pan and set in refrigerator while preparing filling.

For filling

In a food processor, combine four cups of the berries, bananas and honey. Blend until smooth. Remove from processor bowl and stir in remaining berries. Pour into the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.

Source: Sheree Clark