Produce of the Week: Minty Morsels and a Meaty Movie

Summer is such a fantastic time for produce lovers. So much good, fresh flavor over-flowing! One little leafy plant, often considered a weed as it rapidly takes over all available space in your garden, adds a nice clean taste to summer meals.

Mint, genus Mentha, spans an extensive range of species and varieties. Due to a rhizome (runners) rooting strategy, they spread quickly and are hard to oust once established. Spearmint, one of the most popular varieties, has a long history dating back to biblical times. Mid- second millennium, it was touted in England for its use to relieve ailments (especially digestive ones) and aid wound healing. Even today, many of us enjoy sipping mint tea (fresh mint leaves steeped in water are fantastic) when a stomach ache comes on.

Well, this month's SOS Challenge embraced this tasty herb. I had several lofty dessert plans, including something chocolaty or fruity. But, alas, I went the savory route with a light tabouleh dish. This recipe does not really require proportions and such; it's more based on ones own tastes.

Height of Summer Tabouleh

1 cup bulgur wheat

2 cups boiling water or vegetable stock

2 medium tomatoes

1 large cucumber or several small ones

Handful of mint, chopped

Dash of white wine vinegar

Coarse sea salt, to taste

Olive oil, optional

1. Pour boiling water over bulgur. Let sit for an hour or so, until all the liquid has been absorbed into the grain.

2. Add chopped veggies, herb, vinegar, and salt. Toss. Dish out. Enjoy!

Wow, that was pretty simple! My minty dessert that evening was a delightful figgy dish. Make it vegan with either cashew ricotta (whiz some raw cashews, silken tofu, lemon juice, and pinch of sugar in a food-processor) or non-dairy vanilla yogurt. I'm a honey-eater, but agave would be fabulous, as well.

And since mint spreads like an epidemic, I'm sure if it's growing in your back yard, you have plenty more of it. Celebrate the end of summer and the peak of eggplant season with this minty dish from Calabria from Scratch.

Make Heidi's amazing Moroccan Baby Carrots or her Curried Apple Couscous...yes, I am drooling right about now. Smitten Kitchen has a lovely Mango Slaw recipe, and keeping on the sweet stuff, check out NY Times Mint Sorbet! And don't worry, Bobby Flay has us covered in the beverage department, with a nice refreshing Mint Mojito.

So now that you are all nice and situated with your refreshing drink, lounging in the remnants of summer sun, take a chance to watch my friend's awesome video on CAFOs and our commercial livestock industry. He brings up excellent points about the accumulation of waste and its impacts on the surrounding environment.

A Fowl Affair

It's all over the news these days - the failings of our industrial food system. Peanut products in early 2009, spinach in the spring 2010, and ground beef earlier this month. In fact, the government has an entire website devoted to keeping updated information on food recalls! So, it's not particularly surprising that eggs were next on the roster.

This is not any old recall, though. With headlines covering NPR, the BBC, NY Times, EVERYWHERE, this is something special. Mr. Jack DeCoster is a serial offender in the food atrocities realm. From human rights violations (working/living conditions, etc.) to environmental infractions, this large egg operation is the poster child for bad behavior. It doesn't help much that DeCoster looks the part of a dirty old man, too.

August 18 marked hundreds sick with Salmonella and 380 million eggs recalled. As of today, over 500 million eggs have been recalled, and more reports of illnesses are expected as eggs in circulation are consumed. Thankfully, speedy action is underway...to remedy a problem that started in MAY!

But kids, let me tell you, these eggs get around. According to NPR, "The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp. It wasn't immediately clear when the eggs were produced and distributed." Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is really difficult to figure out where the eggs you eat come from, not to mention how the chickens are treated or impact the surrounding environment.

Salmonella is one of those illnesses you grow up hearing about - "don't eat the cookie dough, honey, there are raw eggs in it." Yadda, yadda, yadda; we all did anyway. However, now I would tread lightly and warily. Salmonella enteritidis is a bacterium that, when ingested, can cause individuals to develop a fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Sounds fun. As far as chickens contracting the bug and spreading it to others and their eggs, well that is largely correlated with the health and sanitary standards of the operation (read: how much are they mucking around in their own feces). Large industry fails in these departments, which could be why a UK study essentially showed that 'happy' chickens don't harbor as much salmonella!

If this all doesn't convince you to pay more attention to where your farm-fresh eggs originate, I don't know what will. Remember, an egg from a local, happy, outdoors, chicken with access to bugs and grass probably costs a pretty penny more than a factory farmed one, but the external costs of polluting the environment, mistreating the animals, and compromising human health are extraordinarily high. There is almost always the option of getting your own chicken or two to ensure some fantastic eggs (Seattle just upped its limit to 8)!

Photos will be back on Monday or Tuesday! :)

Produce of the Week: Exploiting a Backyard Garden

When house-sitting, one normally expects the usual burdens - taking in the mail and newspaper, feeding the cat, walking the dog - but eating large quantities of produce is not generally on the agenda. However, that is the predicament in which I found myself these past two and a half weeks. Tomatoes, cucumbers, basil ... out of control!

As such, I decided to fall back on a tasty fruit for this week's produce. Now, most of you have probably eaten this delicacy, but most often it is found in dried form. Only last summer on my happy little Italian farm did I truly grasp the beauty of a fresh fig. Yes, ladies and gents, figs come juicy and ready to eat off of a tree!

The common fig, Ficus carica, falls under the same genus as the strangler figs you would find in tropical rainforests, who take over a healthy tree leaving a hollow hulk of ficusness behind. But besides having some crazy relatives (don't we all), fig trees come from a long and noble line. First recorded over 10,000 years ago, figs predate our staple grains of wheat, barley, and rye. Fossil evidence places them in the Jordan Valley, where they represent one of the first instances of agricultural cultivation!

Figs played a central role in the diet of Egyptians and Grecians alike. Evidence of their abundance appears in both ancient literature and the archaeological record. A sacred fig even found its way into the myth of Romulus and Remus, the founding twins of Rome! While the Mediterranean civilizations - and shortly before the common era, China as well - were lavishing themselves with this honey-sweet fruit, Northern Europeans did not enjoy the bounty until the 16th century. Around the middle of that century, the fig made its way up to Great Britain, and then it jumped over the Atlantic to North America in the later 18th century.

High in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, these little beauties are healthful desserts! Oh my, so many delightful possibilities:

* Fig and pear tart, with a bit of honey drizzled on top.

* Tartelette has some beautiful crumbles for the ogling.

* Take the non-vegan route, and make yourself a nice mozzarella and fig panini!

* Also great in salad.

* And if you are going to go the dried fig route, this roasted fingerling potato recipe sounds fantastic!

Finally, on my to-make list, Figs Stuff with Bulgur and Cranberry Salad (from The Book of New Israeli Food).

10 Fresh Figs

100 g bulgur wheat (cooked as directed; use soaking method)

1/2 cup dried chopped cranberries

1 cup carrots, coarsely grated

1 tbs sesame seeds, roasted

3 tbs pecans, chopped

2-3 tbs fresh coriander

Pomegranate seeds to garnish

1. Mix bulgur and all ingredients but figs.

2. Halve the figs, scoop out some inside (add to filling mix), and then heap the salad inside. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and enjoy! Mmmm...would be good with a little honey and lemon or orange juice!

Or, take the simple approach, and just pop one in your mouth au natural!

Peachy Keen and Blueberry Pie in the Sky

That's how life should be. But, it's more complicated than that. I am realizing this as my job/housing search intensifies, as I face an impending trip back home if I fail, and how much I really want to be independent, actually WORK, and have some stability in life.

Well, I guess that is why I turn to food. I always know that I can't fail with fresh peaches, tomatoes from a backyard garden, or a good helping of chocolate. so, between engaging in present work and fretting over the uncertain future, I've been meandering around farmers markets and putting the kitchen to good use. A friend from college and I even took this morning to hit up a local you-pick blueberry farm (I only regret not capitalizing on the yoga, as well).

The fresh peaches also continue to remind me that it is summer, though waning quickly. This brings me to one of the purposes of this post, the Mac Attack Challenge. This month's theme was to choose a favorite summer-time film to create your macaron around. Oh dear, there is only one movie that can hold that place in my heart: Gone with the Wind. Yes, I am a hopeless romantic with idealistic notions of historic periods and a peculiar fascination with the Civil War.

Well now, how does one put a GWTW spin on a French delicacy? Here is my line of thinking: Gone with the Wind takes place in Georgia, from Tara to Atlanta. Georgia is known for its peaches. Peaches are in season and make excellent preserves. Preserves go well in sandwiches, even if two cookies play the role of bread. Aha! What about a delightful Vanilla Peach Macaron (AKA "Tomorrow is Another Day Macarons") ?

Cast:

Overly-ripe, partly smashed peaches (from Pennsylvania, not Georgia) - Central Role

Almond Meringues - Supporting Actors

Cameos: Chocolate Macarons with Cinnamon-spiked Chocolate Ganache - Essential Pick-Me-Up for a discouraged house-hunter

Stay Tuned for produce of the week: making the most of a garden that's not mine. Also exciting, trying to decide what to enter in the DC "State" Fair's Pie Contest (cupcakes aren't really my thing)!

Boston Pops - Gone With the Wind (Tara's Theme) download

found at bomb-mp3 search engine

My Love Affair...

For the past year I have been waiting with bated breath. From tall, dark, and slender to fair-skinned and rotund, variety abounds. Some people stick up their noses and others relish and savor. And though you may find this dashing heart-breaker (and you know it is) in cuisines from around the globe, this nightshade (a cousin to tomatoes and potatoes) finds its origins in India or thereabouts.

No, all you ladies out there hoping for a sappy romance, I am just speaking of my infatuation with eggplant. Crazy enough, this guy is actually a berry! Bitter and spongy, both texture and flavor of the eggplant improves considerably with (quite) a bit of cooking. And why am I so excited? As heat-loving flora, eggplants require long periods of sunshine and hot days. It is quite a treat when August and September roll around with the bulk of the crop!

So while Solanum melongena has made its rounds on the kitchen table for a good 4,000 years, it slowly worked its way into the Arabic world (9th century), Spain (as early as 4th century), and Northern Europe (13th century). Over the course of this world tour (if you count the eventual migration to the New World), aubergine has become a star player in man culinary traditions. For a nifty time-line of Eggplant's stardom, visit this random page (wow, that was eloquent).

Ok, so what does one do with an eggplant? Well it really depends on the type and your own mood! I'm still gobbling up a rustic stew/ratatouille dish with potato, eggplant, tomato, and fresh basil, thyme, and oregano. Heidi at 101cookbooks has a version of my throw-together meal with a few extra ingredients.

Smitten Kitchen has some tasty options, with a grilled eggplant pizza and a tart take on Ratatouille's ratatouille. If we are sticking to more of the Mediterranean theme, stuffing your fatty eggplants with some couscous is not a half bad idea!

If you happen to obtain an Asian eggplant - Chinese and Japanese come in a long skinny style - then you will want to stick with those flavors. Also, make sure you cook these puppies until they are closing to falling apart! Miso Eggplant, go Indian-style, or just stir-fry a bunch of veggies up with some soy sauce. Honestly, just visit FatFreeVeganKitchen and you have it made!

Obviously the sky is the limit, but if you are pressed for time and don't want to try something too crazy, a simple pasta dish is always nice. Roasted eggplant also makes a nice dip (baba ganoush, anyone? Alas, if only I had time to cook more! 

A few photos coming soon to a blog (namely this one) near you!

Musings on Hunger (and Over-Indulgence): Stuffed and Starved

I have never experienced hunger. Sure, noon rolls around and I feel a little rumble in my stomach, but that’s not the same thing as a chronic emptiness and under-satiation. Well, over one billion people world-wide suffer from undernourishment and hunger. This does not even take into consideration famine events that result in fatalities and acute instances of hunger. About a month ago now (I know, tardy on the posting), I read a fabulous work that brought this subject more to the forefront of my thinking.

Raj Patel has done much of the thinking and researching for us on this topic. Stuffed and Starved addresses the inequities between the billion overweight and the billion underfed. But Patel also traces the evolution of our food system, of which the most notable transformations have occurred within the last century. With the advent of mechanization and chemical additives, the way society on a global scale approaches food has moved drastically from life-giving sustenance to capitalist consumer product.

His historical and political/economic analysis of the underwriting factors causing ailments of poverty and affluence blew me away. He looks at everything from increasing incidents of farmer suicides (yes, he commences with this cheery topic) to free trade agreements to the chemical and botanical components of what we eat. One of my favorite chapters detailed the birth and rise-to-power of the supermarket. And while you must read with a critical eye, as Patel most definitely falls firmly on the anti-industrial food system side, he introduces a wealth of issues to munch on (haha, pun intended).

One chapter speaks largely to the efforts of “conscious consumers” and how those to fairly trade and shop Whole Foods (sorry friends) may fall short. Patel posits that the latter, specifically, is “essentially trying to “refashion” our food system under the current large-scale infrastructure” (p.311). And although the Slow Food Movement now seems to epitomize “the kind of eating that is transparent and socially embedded in a way that industrially-produced food can’t be (p.281)”, that and other alternative foodie channels are often criticized as being elitist and upper-class. Considering the portion of my income that I now spend on food, I can understand where critics are coming from!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Raj Patel
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

By now, I think it’s clear that our food system is not only global, it is complicated. We think a lot about putting our dollar towards products that best support our values (and, unfortunately sometimes, our means), but rarely do we really contemplate how we arrived at a food industry so far removed from its roots and so bent on commercial gain.

There are many more topics in the book that are fascinating and simultaneously disturbing: the marketing campaigns and consolidation of large agri/food business (p.101; 104); the problems with the green revolution and how the second green revolution (genetic engineering) may not be the cure-all we hoped it would be (p.125; 136); and why our current food system is so darn vulnerable (p.294). It’s not all doom-and-gloom, and Patel does provide action items to make us all feel like we can DO something (p.303-315). But while consumers alone can make some impact, much of what needs to happen is on an institutional and political level.

Patel, Raj. Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System. Brooklyn, NY: Melville House Publishing, 2007.

So, sitting at home cross-legged on the sofa, munching on some cucumbers and tomatoes, I can say that I have been hungry but never HUNGRY.

Resources:

Stuffed and Starved Website

Stanford University’s Program on Food Security and the Environment

United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization

Farmers Market Finds and Banana Breads

Day 5 in Washington, DC has come and gone. It seems like ages since I flew in, but I have really barely had a taste of the city. Literally. DC has an over-abundance of food delights. Most of those will have to wait until later, because this week my project focused on farmers markets. I may have failed you slightly, by only attending 2 markets, but I've been a little busy settling in and whatnot!

Sunday marked my first time at Eastern Market near Capitol Hill. It was spectacular, and I got there rather late in the day! So many produce and craft stands. I managed to buy a few pounds of beautiful peaches and juicy black plums, hailing from West Virginia. Isn't it incredible that produce can be driven to market from two states away on this coast?

No markets on Monday or Tuesday, although I will probably frequent the one in Crystal City after work on Tuesdays. Today I popped by Georgetown on my bike ride home (11 miles, baby; I know I'm hard-core!) and happened upon a cute little four-stall market. Ok, I may have planned this, but it was quaint, nonetheless. I managed to pick up some beautiful eggplants from a farm just outside of Chester, MD. From Quaker Valley Orchards (near Gettysburg, PA) I picked up an adorable little melon. The sample won me over...

For more, Grist had a recent article on the blossoming of farmers markets in this country!

Finally, I have an abundance of tomatoes and lemon cucumbers from the house I am watching for three weeks. Obviously this produce would spoil during this time, so I have no choice but to eat it. So sad. Besides tasty cucumber-tomato salads, this flavorful veggies/fruits are excellent in wheat bulgur with a little white wine vinegar, sea salt, and basil!

I also baked for the first time in my new location! These horribly black bananas were hanging out on the counter, and so once again, what's a girl to do? Make banana bread, of course. Now that I have two beautiful loaves out of the oven, I only have one problem: I don't like banana bread. Although, this recipe is adapted from one my friend says even banana haters will like.

Banana Bread (veganized and w/Cranberries and Walnuts)

2 cups unbleached, AP flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp all-spice

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2/3 cup unrefined sugar

3 bananas, ripe to the point of being black

2/3 cup plain soy, coconut, or home-made :) yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 walnut or pecan pieces

1. Mash bananas with yogurt. Add sugar and vanilla and mix until not too lumpy.

2. Carefully fold in all dry ingredients. Once just incorporated, add mix-ins.

3. Spread between two mini loaf pans, greased and floured. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool a bit and then enjoy!