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Regional
Keeping it Real
by Derek Shaw
*Photo: www.MikeBrownPortfolio.com
A homeless woman in a wheelchair strolls down the aisle of North Park’s farmers market in San Diego. Vendor after vendor refuses her until she meekly approaches the booth owned and operated by 26-year-old JP Alfred.
“I’m looking for something to eat,” she begs.
“Do you like quinoa?” asks Alfred, referring to the sprouted grain that’s gluten free and high in protein.
The old woman stares blankly at Alfred.
“Do you like salad?”
She nods.
“It’s like that but with kale and seaweed,” he said, handing her a complimentary bowl. “Enjoy. It’s raw, vegan, gluten free and made with lots of love,” smiles Alfred, his pearly whites gleaming from a beard of dreads.
Based out of Ocean Beach (affectionately known to locals as OB), Peace Pies now distributes its tasty goods across San Diego County. Making weekly appearances at five farmers markets, give Peace Pies a try on Sundays in Hillcrest, on Tuesdays at the University of California, San Diego, on Wednesdays in OB, on Thursdays in North Park and on Saturdays in Little Italy.
“I’ve always wondered why there’s not more good, clean food at farmers markets,” comments Alfred. “Some fried, processed food from Costco is basically resold, but there are conscious people too…I wanted to form a good relationship with those farmers and reap the benefits.”
Following each market’s conclusion, grinning vendors approach the Peace Pies booth with a sack of produce as Alfred boxes up a cinnamon roll with agave icing. The barter system is a benevolent exchange, and Alfred doesn’t let a thing go to waste. He composts all the scraps and leftovers, and this spring, Peace Pies will incorporate homegrown ingredients from its own garden.
Alfred once worked at People’s Organic Food Co-op in OB where he developed recipes, prepared organic meals and honed his knowledge of raw foods. The ethics of member discounts and fair trade are tenets to which Alfred not only subscribes but lives by.
Raw foodists argue that humans have been developing an evolutionary addiction to cooked foods for thousands of years. Our internal processing, indeed programming, tells us that we need processed foods to survive. Vegans and vegetarians, however, defy that myth, especially those who pursue the raw food diet.
“Raw is war,” Alfred declares. “Cooking food changes its chemical composition…as soon you ingest toxins, your body starts detoxifying; therefore, if you’re not consuming those toxins, your body won’t be forced to go through that constant repair process.”
The human body is a resilient engine, but treated well, it can potentially run longer and better than previously imagined. The theory behind a raw diet is that your body’s natural systems are freed to do other work like improving your complexion, strengthening teeth and potentially fighting disease.
Many people have the misconception that they cannot derive fullness or satisfaction from merely eating their greens and grains. Alfred’s culinary concoctions defy the non-believers upon ingestion (and digestion). Most of his first-time customers don’t even realize they’re even raw, much less vegan or vegetarian.
Banana berry coconut and the not-so-traditional apple pies are fan favorites. Pizzas kneaded of flax seed zucchini crusts, cashew-based cheese and fresh veggies are superb. Collard wraps of sunflower seeds, bell pepper, onion and dill are so tasty that some think they’re eating tuna.
The 2005 Journal of Nutrition found that raw food consumption lowers total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. A raw diet is generally low in sodium and high in potassium, magnesium and fiber. Raw foodists tout everything from increased energy to mental clarity and even gray hairs restored to their original shade.
Eating raw doesn’t necessarily mean the food must be cold. In fact, anything can be warmed up so long as it doesn’t exceed 104 degrees. Microwaves are off-limits, but heating food by using a dehydrator or even the warming plate of a coffee maker is fine. Heating food above 120 degrees Fahrenheit is believed to destroy enzymes that could otherwise assist in digestion. Granted, the preparation of raw food can be time consuming—but so is cooking.
There are plenty of ways to make food palatable without heat. Soaking nuts can soften or extract the shells without steam. Sprouting seeds, beans and grains substitutes the need for cooking. Peace Pies occasionally offers such savory and sweet specialties like raw falafels, fettuccine alfredo, tostadas and strudels.
“Raw food is my gift to others,” Alfred believes. ”People can eat well without sugar, flour, additives and preservatives.”
Peace Pies will soon open a walk-up storefront at its Ocean Beach headquarters, which includes an upstairs kitchen built from scratch. Alfred believes that raw foods should be eaten the day they’re prepared, but limited wholesale and special orders are available. Look out for a cookbook later this year.
Get a piece at www.peacepies.com or give JP Alfred a call at 619.618.6960.