Scaring Away Waste

Tonight millions of orange skinned leering faces will peer from windowsills, or perch guarding doorsteps. Their sharp features, gleaming in the autumn night, will welcome witches and warlocks, and greet gobbling and ghouls. But over time their faces will wrinkle, the chiseled features that terrorized small humans will soften and sag. What begins as a slow and graceful decline, hastens to a rapid fall. Ultimately, most end up in the rubbish, destined for landfill. A sad end to the mighty jack-o-lantern, I know.

Millions of pumpkins meet that fate each Halloween. While some lucky few make it into a backyard compost, 18,000 tones of organic matter is literally trashed annually in the UK (so just imagine the US...). The crazy thing in my mind is that most pumpkins are perfectly edible. While I'm sure you want to let the fanged face linger in front of your house, it is perhaps a wiser and less wasteful move to salvage the usable flesh (and compost the rest) after this day of trickery and treating. Here's what I ended up making with a slice of pumpkin:

Chocolate Chunk Cucurbites*

1 cup pumpkin purée (about a 6inch slice from a medium pumpkin with a decent amount of flesh, roasted, skinned, puréed, and then allowed to train through sieve for 30 minutes)

1/2 cup oil (sunflower or perhaps melted coconut)

1 cup unrefined sugar

1 tbs maple syrup or dark agave

1 orange, zested

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tbs arrow root powder

1/2 cups rolled oats

1 tbs cinnamon

1 tsp all spice 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or chocolate chunks 

1. Whisk together oil and sugar until viscous. Add pumpkin, zest, and syrup, mixing until smooth.

2. Sift in flour, arrow root, salt, soda, and spice. Incorporate but don't overmix.

3. Fold in oats and chips or seeds (or both?!). If too much like a batter than cookie dough, add a bit more flour or oats.

4. Preheat oven to 175C or 350F. Dollop tablespoons of dough onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Read More

Pumpkin Power: energy.gov/articles/turn-your-Halloween-pumpkins-power

Pumpkin Rescue: www.hubbub.org.uk/Event/pumpkin-rescue

Eating Pumpkins: www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/30/452856477/are-we-wasting-millions-of-jack-o-lanterns-that-we-could-be-eating

*teehee, winter squash are Cucurbites! And many of the winter squash we designate as "pumpkins" are Cucurbita maxima (with some exceptions).

To Five Years - Happy Blogiversary

Lately, I've been feeling old - edging up to thirty, ushering in a new set of fresh starry-eyed post-graduate students, coping with chronic hip pain, oh and you know, celebrating My Munchable Musing's fifth year of existence. It was resurrected from a previous blog in order to fill an intellectual niche during post-graduation underemployment. As you can imagine, a lot has happened and changed in those intervening five years, and the blog has evolved accordingly. I don't think that 23-year-old me, living with the parents, would have seen myself living across the Atlantic, though perhaps would also not have been surprised about the other international wanderings.

View of a 'castle' on the Ghanaian coast, which
acted as port of departure in the slave trade.

The most recent wandering took me to Ghana for the summer. You may have read the other couple of posts on the topic, but I have not told you about the groundnuts. People in Europe don't do peanut butter ... and they definitely don't harbour this almost irrational desire to eat a peanut butter sandwich when you need a comfort food. But Africa is different. Ok, so maybe they don't consume PB&J in quantity, but the groundnut (AKA peanut) is a common ingredient in soups and stews. Another transplant from the Americas onto the continent, groundnut has become an important source of protein and nutrients across the developing world (where most consumption takes place).

What is more fascinting is the connection between current American consumption of all things peanut and our tumultuous historical connection to West Africa. After introduced to the region by the Portugese, peanuts were used to sustain African slaves on the arduous journey to the Americas. It stuck, and is conspicuous in the culinary tradition that developed among Southern African American communities. Over time (and with the help of George Washington Carver in the early 20th century), the little legume made its way into the mainstream of American cuisine and diet.

But let's bring it back to Great Britain, which is what I actually did. On my last day in Ghana, I was sent packing with two jars of freshly ground peanut butter. Somehow, my precious cargo made it through the intervening two weeks of intense European travels (complete with buses, trains, and a ferry), to arrive safely in Oxford. The joy of real peanut butter (as opposed to what is passed as such here) was insurmountable, but I felt like some fusion with my surroundings was necessary. And thus, the Groundnut Jammer was born. If you are unfamiliar with Jammy Dodgers (as I was until recently), you probably did not grow up in the UK. This sweet snack is composed of raspberry jam sandwiched between two shortbread biscuits. Simple, yes, but a veritable institution, like Oreos in the US (though the latter predates by about 50 years). With a bit of my Ghanaian peanut butter and some British jam, these turned out quite well, and served as an excellent way to celebrate another blogiversary!

Groundnut Jammers (~12 sandwiches)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter (use natural for best results)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt (only if unsalted peanut butter)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

~1/2 cup raspberry jam (or filling of your choice)

1. Whisk together oil, sugar, and peanut butter (and maybe vanilla) until smooth and uniform.

2. Sift in flour, salt, and baking soda, combining until the dough no longer has dry bits, but is not sticky (may add more flour or a little bit of almond milk to adjust the moisture content).

3. On wax paper or a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out circular forms about 3-4 inches in diameter. Using another cutter or the rim of a spice jar, remove 1-inch diameter circles from half of the biscuit forms. Reroll and repeat until all dough is used. 

4. Place cookies on a lined baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes (until edges brown) in a 180C/360F oven. Remove and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

5. Match up the circles and donuts. Place 2 tsps of jam on the circular biscuit and then cover with the donut. You're done; enjoy!

Frugal Foodie on a British Pound: My Kitchen Cabinet

I'm leaving on a jet plane, and while I do know when I'll be back again, it won't be to the same house or kitchen. Thus, one of the primary goals of the past week or so has been to use what remained of my pantry. As you all know, I do love to bake, and so you can imagine what my shelves held - enter:

Rachel's Kitchen Cabinet Cookies. 

1/3 cup vegetable or nut oil

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup almond or soy milk

3/4 cup golden granulated sugar

3/4 cup whole meal flour

2 cups mixed oats/meusli

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbs cinnamon

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

50g really dark chocolate, chopped

Any other bits and bobs you have on hand (eg pretzel pieces; flaked coconut; dried cherries; banana chips; flax seeds; etc.)

1. Whisk together oils, sugar, and milk until turns viscous. 

2. Fold in flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon only just. Then add oats and mix-ins. Should be sticky be hold together.

3. Dollop dough in blobs on lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes at 175C (~375F). Remove when still soft and allow to cool completely, unless you're going for that warm and crumbly effect.

So with that out of the way, you may be wondering why I'm abandoning the Mecca of shared houses that is my current residence. It so happens I am en route to Ghana to chat with cocoa farmers and glean some insight into how climate change might impact how they manage their farms. Blog posts may be a bit scarce for the next three months, but I'll try to post updates and photos.

Until then, enjoy the summer and the bounty of veg and fruit of the season!

Friday Coffee Break: Making Vegan Videos

Let me preface this by saying that I don't usually just throw a video up and call it a day. Also, I don't normally base an entire post on the premise of veganism. However, let's just say that this little series made me particularly happy and makes light of what many vegans take way too seriously - their 'diet'. Isa Chandra Moskowitz (of Veganomicon fame) moves into new media, trying her hand on-set. While she is quite amusing, the chocolate chip rosemary cookies on Make it Vegan enticed me enough to watch the other episodes.

Swamped with work this week (you may not have noticed, but nothing happened on Wednesday...), but hope to be fully functional next!

Fifty Second Friday: Gift of Giving

Purim, one of the liveliest and most entertaining holidays on the Jewish calendar, takes place this weekend (Sunday, to be more precise). It celebrates how the Jews of Persia escaped extermination during the biblical era. As tradition dictates, every year we read over the story of how Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai outmaneuver the evil Haman to save their people in the city of Shushan, Persia. We dress up in costume, make loud noises every time the name of Haman is mentioned, and generally have an uproariously good time.

But the holiday also has its serious side, and it is largely about giving thanks for what we have. The word 'purim' itself means 'lots' - as in a lottery. It's important here to take a moment to think about your own lot in life. One of the mandates of Purim is to exchange mishloach manot (mutual gifts of food) and give mattanot l'evyonim (charity to the poor). Even the poorest among us are expected to give what they can. This is a perfect opportunity to take a step back and think about the amazing people in our lives, the little things for which we have to be thankful every day, and how to give back (build up good karma)!

All Jewish holidays have certain characteristics in common. They begin at sundown and end at sundown; they usually involve the Jewish people overcoming hardship or persecution; and they revolve around food and drink of one kind or another. While on Purim one is expected to drink until the distinction between Mordechai and Haman is blurred, it is also customary to bake hamentaschen cookies - in the shape of Haman's three-pointed hat - to give out as gifts of food. Of course you know I can't turn down any chance to make tasty treats...

Hamentaschen (gf, vg)

Adapted from Eric Miss America. 

1/2 cup earth balance or chilled coconut oil

3/4 cup sugar (if using raw or coarse, food process first)

zest of one orange

3 tbs almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs applesauce

1 tbs cornstarch

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1/4 cup arrowroot

1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup almond meal

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Assorted fillings: get creative! Jams, nut butters, chocolate, etc. For some off-the-beaten-path ideas, click here.

1. Use a large bowl, and cream fat and sugar until fluffy (or at least well-combined). Add in zest, milk, and vanilla. Continue to mix until smooth.

2. Whisk together applesauce and cornstarch. Set aside.

3. In a smaller bowl, mix all draw ingredients. 

4. Incorporate applesauce "egg" into oil mixture. Then, in three parts, mix in dry ingredients until dough begins to come together and a ball can be made. Cut in half, and put one segment covered in the refrigerator.

5. Roll out the other half on parchment to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter or empty tin can (I used a glass ~4in diameter) to cut out circles. Place a dollop of filling, about 1 tsp, in the center of the circle. Fold in sides to create a triangle, and pinch edges close. 

6. Place on lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until starting to brown and centers begin to bubble. Remove and allow to cool completely!

Happy Purim and Chag Sameach!

Fifty Second Friday: Sandwiched

I was recently reminiscing about all of the old junk food that characterized the 1990's. Yes, you read correctly, because as any child, I looked forward to the brightly colored and sugar-laden treats my mother would on occasion pack in my lunch. The mere mention of Squeezeit fruit drinks (with those twist off caps), Lunchables cheese pizzas, and Dunkaroos bring back memories of elementary school lunches. TV shows, video games, and pop songs also are fun to add to the mix, but really food is most strongly connected to memories...perhaps because it is something that is more deeply connected to our senses. 

Positive associations or otherwise, it's amazing how strongly sometimes these memories and feelings can be tied to foods of our past. As a child, it was almost like a right of passage, a badge of status, to have a bag of gushers or a hostess snack pack in your lunch. And it is never the baby carrots, or the apple slices, or even the yogurt (unless it was the neon-swirled Trix variety) cup that stands out. It's amazing to me how these priorities have become so distorted that products not even resembling 'food' feature number one on consumers' priority lists.

Now all of that said, I had this craving a couple of days ago for little cookies with a layer of creamy frosting spread on top. But unlike during my childhood, the thought of a dunkaroo was more than slightly repulsive. Instead, I whipped up a batch of slightly sweet peanut butter crackers (gluten-free) and some chocolatey white bean spread. Together, they went together quite nicely to make around 5 or 6 sandwiches.

CocoNutter Butter Sandwiches

 

PB Crackers

2 tbs smooth peanut butter

1 tbs oil (canola, safflower, grapeseed, etc.)

1 tbs agave nectar

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Combine peanut butter, oil, and agave in a medium mixing bowl with a fork until smooth. 

2. Add in additional ingredients, using more flour until the dough sticks together. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Roll out the dough so it's about 1/4 inch thick. 

3. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately cut into rectangles or squares. Allow to cool completely.

Chocobean Cream

1 cup white beans

1 tbs creamy peanut butter

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tbs almond milk (unsweetened chocolate is best)

3 tbs cocoa powder

1-2 packets stevia (depending on how sweet you want it)

2 tbs agave

1. In a food processor, combine peanut butter, coconut oil, milk, agave, and white beans until smooth. Add in cocoa and stevia until it's well-incorporated. If too thick, add another tablespoon of almond milk.

2. Spread a layer on one of the cooled crackers. Top with a second cracker. Enjoy!

Find more fun goodies at this week's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekends.

Best of MMM: Ignorance is Bliss

It's always a good idea to end the week on cookies. And in this case, it's a good idea to end the week not thinking about the impacts of those cookies. Sometimes you just need a day off.
---
...and knowledge is power. I suppose both of these can simultaneously be true, but I think that is not the case for food. While it may seem better to remain blissfully ignorant, enjoying tasty (ok, that's relative) and cheap food, it comes at the cost of a healthy body and environment. But at the same time, it is often overwhelming to confront the growing pool of information and think twice (or thrice...) about every piece of food that enters your mouth. As one who constantly reads about news and events related to food and agriculture as part of my job and at home, I tend to let these issues dominate my thoughts. Let me give you a peak into today's musings and the food item that led to them tonight.

I am confused. On the one hand, the food movement in this country seems centred around local and season products. Slow Food USA has blossomed in the past few years, emphasizing freshness, flavor, community, and traditions. The number of farmers markets in the United States more than doubled in the past ten years!

But getting your produce from the local market is not the be-all and end-all. First off, food miles (or the distance your food travels) is not the largest consumer of energy in your food (USDA found household preparation and processing to be the culprits). Second, farmers market produce does not necessarily equate to low pesticide or fertilizer use. However, it does offer the opportunity to ask the farmer these burning questions in person, and form a closer and more trusting relationship with the producer of your food.

Many farms are taking the organic or alternate production methods route. Organic certification sets specific standards for non-chemical fertilizer and pesticides, as well as no genetically modified organisms. Biodynamic agriculture and agroecology are two other approaches that attempt to work within the natural ecosystem function to produce food.

Finally, we happen to operate within a global food system. That means we can easily obtain coffee, cane sugar, chocolate, spices, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, etc. from anywhere in the world. With such power comes responsibility. Ecolabels are one way of helping consumers make more informed decisions about the social and environmental status of certain products. I've written a lot about fair trade lately, so I will refer you to those posts for more deets. In almost all cases - farmers markets, organics, fair trade, etc. - a slight (or not-so-slight) price premium may be realized in order to internalize the external cost of environmental degradation and social inequities.

But it's a complicated food world to navigate, despite Michael Pollan's Food Rules. And there are times when your wallet looks little haggard, the bank account a little slim, and you just don't want to know where that coconut came from. So, I present to you the cookies made in preparation for a hike, from ingredients for which I know nothing of the origin except the grocer. Now I don't often toot my own horn, but I have to say that this were quite exceptionally tasty little morsels.

Ignorance is Bliss Cookies

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbs molasses

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs ground flaxseed

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2/3 - 1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 - 2/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1. Mix all liquid ingredients together. Add in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Then mix in seeds, fruit, and chocolate.

2. Spoon out mixture onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. Should make close to four dozen medium cookies. Bake at 350F for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool before consuming!

UPDATE! These hardy cookies served as fuel for the hike my friends and I did in Shenandoah National Park. The seeds, oats, peanut butter, and whole wheat flour gave them nice flavor and a little more substance. Check these and more healthier recipes out at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!

What's Cooking? First Strawberries!

May 14th and I have just tasted my first strawberries of the season. Not the (often) chemical-laden fruits shipped in from California all year 'round. These are true, organic, DC metro-area strawberries. It is with great anticipation that I await my own farm stand bringing strawberries to market, as the weather warms and summer starts making cameo appearances.

So, I'm pulling out a favorite of mine to repost for this week. It is a twist on a classic thumbprint cookie. Moreover, it combines the most important ingredients of a strawberry spinach salad: spinach, almonds, and of course the berries!

Strawberry GREEN THUMB Print Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Yield 2 Dozen

3 tbs Oil
¼ cup Almond Butter
¼ cup Agave Nectar
1/3 cup Turbinado (or other unrefined) Sugar
3 tbs Almond Milk (unsweetened)
¾ cup Food-Processed Spinach (measure after chopped)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tbs Ground Flax Seed
¾ cup Coarsely Chopped Raw Almonds
1 cup Almond Flour
1/3 cup Rice Flour
2 tbs Tapioca Starch
½ tsp Sea Salt
¾ tsp Baking Powder
¾ tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Strawberry Preserves

 

1. Mix together wet ingredients. Add flax seed and let sit for a couple of minutes
2. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated.
3. Use a tablespoon or mini ice-cream scoop to portion out 24 cookies evenly onto a silpat or parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350F for 8 minutes. Press center of each cookie down to make the “thumbprint.” Fill with strawberry preserves.
5. Bake for another 4 minutes until starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool until firm

Also, with excellent timing, Gena from Choosing Raw supplied a recipe for a nutritious smoothie that combines the power of strawberries and cocoa!

Find this and other wonderful treats on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!

Thirty Second Thursday: COOOKIES

*om nom nom nom*

So, my sister came to visit me for all of 36 hours this weekend, before heading back west for work. You can imagine in that period of time that a good deal of eating had to take place. We brunched at the illustrious Founding Farmers and dined at Busboys and Poets, filling in the empty slots of time with my yoga class, some museums, and Midnight in Paris on the computer. After scoping out some really delicious-looking oaty cookies at Teaism, we felt we must whip up a batch of late night cookies.

 You can add just about anything to these, but the key to the flavor is tahini! You also need to make them really large...because that is how it goes at 10 o'clock at night.


Tahini Monsters (8-9 large cookies)
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1 tbs molasses
1 tbs agave
2 tbs tahini
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cup rolled oats
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all-spice

1/2 cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
Anything else you have handy or so desire to include (shredded coconut,  dried cranberries or cherries, etc.)

1. Whisk first six ingredients until viscous.
2. Add next six ingredients and mix with a spoon, until just combined. Add any other mix-ins.
3. Make large patties (about 3-4 tbs dough). Spread on a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350F 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Allow to cool (or not...) and then enjoy with a large class of non-dairy milk :)

You can check out more somewhat sensible desserts at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

What's Cooking? Ginger and Spice and Everything Nice...

The holiday season is officially upon us. Now, I am not one to revel in the holiday spirit - decorating to excess; turning up the Christmas (or Channukah) music; and basking in the commercialization of religious observances. But I like to bake and I like cookies. So when I decided to throw a board game party, I really could not omit gingerbread cookies from the menu! Sadly, I am currently unable to consume said cookies; therefore, I created an alternate, gluten-free, sugar free version that is in no way, shape, or form remotely like gingerbread. If anyone has suggestions for non-sugar molasses substitutes, I'd love to hear...

Gingerbread Flowers (vg, from Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar)
Cookie on the left. Might post recipe later, but might not be appropriate, since I did not alter it in the least!


Ginger Chews (vg, gf, sf)
3/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger (or to taste)
1/8 tsp concentrated stevia powder (or to taste).
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs coconut oil, melted

1. Combine almond meal, millet, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and stevia
2. In a separate bowl, mix ground flax and almond milk, letting sit for 5 minutes. Add to flours, along with tahini and melted coconut oil. Add more milk as necessary to create a non-stick dough ball.
3. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour. Then roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles. flowers, gingerbread people, whatever. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 8-12 minutes until beginning to set. Should still be pretty soft.
4. All to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray, before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Wellness Weekend has some really marvelous submissions, with a lot of squash involved!

Thirty Second Thursdays: A Caffeine Jolt

My friend is amidst qualifying exams for her PhD work in mechanical engineering. This means months and months of studying for three thirty minute technical oral exams at a white board; in other words: months of long hours and late nights. So, in her final weeks, I sent off a batch of these tasty (caffeinated) cookies!

Jumpin' Java Chip Cookies
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant hazelnut coffee (or plain + 1 tsp hazelnut extract)
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs ground flax
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Whisk together sugar, oil hot water, and instant coffee until coffee is completely dissolved. Add vanilla and flax, allowing to rest for a minute or two.
2, Sift flour, salt, and baking soda over wet ingredients. Mix only until combined then fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon tablespoons of dough onto a lined/greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until starting to brown and set, but still pretty soft to the touch. They will harden as they cool. 

"Dangerously delicious...satisfyingly crunchy" -RZP

You're Invited!

This time of year, the proportion of zucchini in my diet peaks, although lags slightly behind tomatoes and peaches. While I enjoy it simply prepared, roasted or sauteed, sometimes it is necessary to infuse a little something extra. My fellow DC bloggers, Victoria of the District Chocoholic and Valerie of City|Life|Eats, have invited any interested blogger to participate in a Zucchini Chocolate Blog Party. Yes, you heard me right, a celebration of two spectacular edibles!

The idea is to share a recipe of your choice that involves chocolate and zucchini. It can be sweet or savory, use any type chocolate or summer squash, and ascribe to one of four challenges:

• Challenge: A recipe using chocolate and zucchini
• Plant-Based Challenge: A vegan recipe using chocolate and zucchini
• Gluten-Free Challenge: A gluten-free recipe using chocolate and zucchini
• Ultimate Challenge: A vegan and gluten-free recipe using chocolate and zucchini

Based on my track record, you can probably guess what I chose. My situation was complicated slightly due to the fact that I am residing at my parental units' home, but I managed to scrounge up a few ingredients and make use of the large patty-pan squash from Sunday's farmers market. Some leftover frozen cherry halves were icing on the cake. Enjoy!

Chococherry Zucchini Cookies (yields 12ish large, vg, gf)

1 cup grated zucchini

1/4 cup vegetable oil (can substitute applesauce for lower-fat version)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup brown or turbinado sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup almond meal

2/3 cup oat flour (or other gluten-free flour)

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Cherry halves - about a dozen

1. Grate zucchini into a bowl. Add oil, sugars, extract, and cocoa powder, mixing until uniform.

2. Combine rest of the dry ingredients until it all comes together. For cookies, the dough should be pretty thick, so add more oat flour as needed. If you decide to make mini cakes, it can be a little more batter-like.

3. Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough onto a lined cookie sheet. Press a thumb into the center of the cookie, and the place a cherry half in the dent.

4. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until outside of cookie set. Allow to cool before consuming... or, plop a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream on top and dig right in!

I think this is one of those "bake your cake and eat it too" moments.

Ignorance is Bliss

...and knowledge is power. I suppose both of these can simultaneously be true, but I think that is not the case for food. While it may seem better to remain blissfully ignorant, enjoying tasty (ok, that's relative) and cheap food, it comes at the cost of a healthy body and environment. But at the same time, it is often overwhelming to confront the growing pool of information and think twice (or thrice...) about every piece of food that enters your mouth. As one who constantly reads about news and events related to food and agriculture as part of my job and at home, I tend to let these issues dominate my thoughts. Let me give you a peak into today's musings and the food item that led to them tonight.

I am confused. On the one hand, the food movement in this country seems centred around local and season products. Slow Food USA has blossomed in the past few years, emphasizing freshness, flavor, community, and traditions. The number of farmers markets in the United States more than doubled in the past ten years!

But getting your produce from the local market is not the be-all and end-all. First off, food miles (or the distance your food travels) is not the largest consumer of energy in your food (USDA found household preparation and processing to be the culprits). Second, farmers market produce does not necessarily equate to low pesticide or fertilizer use. However, it does offer the opportunity to ask the farmer these burning questions in person, and form a closer and more trusting relationship with the producer of your food.

Many farms are taking the organic or alternate production methods route. Organic certification sets specific standards for non-chemical fertilizer and pesticides, as well as no genetically modified organisms. Biodynamic agriculture and agroecology are two other approaches that attempt to work within the natural ecosystem function to produce food.

Finally, we happen to operate within a global food system. That means we can easily obtain coffee, cane sugar, chocolate, spices, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, etc. from anywhere in the world. With such power comes responsibility. Ecolabels are one way of helping consumers make more informed decisions about the social and environmental status of certain products. I've written a lot about fair trade lately, so I will refer you to those posts for more deets. In almost all cases - farmers markets, organics, fair trade, etc. - a slight (or not-so-slight) price premium may be realized in order to internalize the external cost of environmental degradation and social inequities.

But it's a complicated food world to navigate, despite Michael Pollan's Food Rules. And there are times when your wallet looks little haggard, the bank account a little slim, and you just don't want to know where that coconut came from. So, I present to you the cookies made in preparation for a hike, from ingredients for which I know nothing of the origin except the grocer. Now I don't often toot my own horn, but I have to say that this were quite exceptionally tasty little morsels.

Ignorance is Bliss Cookies

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbs molasses

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs ground flaxseed

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2/3 - 1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 - 2/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1. Mix all liquid ingredients together. Add in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Then mix in seeds, fruit, and chocolate.

2. Spoon out mixture onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. Should make close to four dozen medium cookies. Bake at 350F for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool before consuming!

UPDATE! These hardy cookies served as fuel for the hike my friends and I did in Shenandoah National Park. The seeds, oats, peanut butter, and whole wheat flour gave them nice flavor and a little more substance. Check these and more healthier recipes out at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!

My Mizuna

Though spring officially began two weeks ago, the cold weather and rain has made it seem anything but. This changed on Sunday when I bought my first spring salad greens! Mizuna is a slightly pepper mustard green, native to Japan. It is cold-tolerant and enjoys wet weather...perfect to follow April showers. For the first time since fall set in, I've been able to have tasty salads for lunch again! Apples, toasted sunflower seeds, and a light vinaigrette.

The month of April, also plays host to holidays that celebrate the rebirth of spring (among other things): Passover and Easter. The former we will talk about in more detail as I embark on my week of raw dieting starting the 18th. Easter, however, was celebrated today with a traditional Middle Eastern cookie, the pistachio ma'moul. Mine were veganized (and gluten free) and made in a madeleine pan!

Dough

2/3 cup semolina flour (or cornmeal if gluten-free)

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/3 cup oil

soy milk as needed

1. Whisk oil and sugar until well combined.

2. Fold in flours and gum, adding milk as necessary to form a ball of dough.

3. Refrigerate while making the filling.

Filling

1/3 cup simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 cup pistachios

1. This is really hard...whiz together simple syrup, zest, and pistachios in a food processor until a chunky paste forms. Done.

2. Roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper. Cut out circles, squares, or whatever shape fits your mold, fill with nut glop, and top with a second piece of dough.

3. Back at 350F for 15-20 minutes until edges start to brown.

ENJOY! And check out Spunky Coconut's holiday recipes and roundup (to be posted)

Maize, Models, Megillah: Climate Impacts on Corn and a Holiday

Shifting gears from tropical commodity crops to domestic staples, let’s talk a bit about corn. No, not the sweet corn on the cob we like to nibble at the dinner table. We are discussing the cereal grain, one of the big four: wheat, soy, rice, and maize. And the United States is by far the largest producer in the world, almost double the output of China (FAOStat 2008). One of the true natives to the Americas, corn enjoys a pervasiveness in our food system experienced by no other crop. It receives the greatest amount of subsidies (followed by wheat) and is found as an ingredient in almost any processed food – high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, you name it.

Despite its importance in our present food economy and feeding the world (particularly its livestock…), corn promises to be a crop hit hard by climate change. A new paper in Nature Climate Change (by a Stanford researcher, woot!) analyzes historical data to predict the impact of rising temperature and changes in precipitation on yield. With adequate water, plants experience a 1% decline in yields for every degree above 30C, and 1.7% under water stress at the same temperature (mid-90F and above). Also check out the coverage by The Economist.

While this paper examined data from Africa, the findings are indicative of the pending hurdles in production. Under current climate projections, African maize production will experience yield losses 65-100% of the time under 1C temperature increase. While this definitely does not bode well for Africa, another study at Cornell and the University of Tokyo indicate that for the U.S. and Chine, slightly less plentiful rainfalls might actually increase yields. I suppose only time will tell…

It also happened to be the Jewish holiday, Purim, this weekend. So I celebrated by making cornmeal Hamentashen! Really, that is all I did to celebrate ... no dressing up, no noise makers, no drinking excessively. Just recovering from a day of yoga training and baking vegan treats.

Corny Hamentashen (gf/vg, yield: 18 cookies)

Dough

2/3 cup cornmeal

½ cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup millet meal

1/3 cup rice flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup turbinado sugar

½ cup evaporated cane juice

½ cup oil

2 tbs ground flax seed

1/3 – ½ cup hot water

1 tsp lemon extract (optional)

1. Pour water over flax seeds. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk with sugar and oil until emulsifies.

2. Add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Form a ball. Roll between two sheets of wax paper until about 1/4 inch thick. Use a tin can to cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

3. Place a tablespoon of filling the center of each circle. Fold to create a triangle, pinching the corners of dough to seal.

4. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Consume irresponsibly (considering we're celebrating a holiday on which one is supposed to get drunk)

Fillings

Tomato Jam

Raspberry jam

Strawberry jam

Adzuki bean paste

Chocolate chips (+ peanut butter?)

Portable Protein: Adzuki Beans on the Go

Did I say I was going to blog less because of yoga? Well, perhaps I underestimated my need for a stress relief outlet, seeing as I posted only two days ago and have another one planned for Tuesday. Well, I won't complain if you don't.

Tonight's culinary adventure was inspired by this month's SOS Kitchen Challenge, focal ingredient being adzuki beans. I have played around with these little red beans before, and been underwhelmed by their mild flavor and tendency to fall apart. Then, I came to the realization that this makes them an excellent carrier for other flavors. And so here we have my sweet AND savory pocket-sized edibles.

Coconut Adzuki Gems

sweet bean puree

2/3 cup cooked adzuki beans

2 tsp coconut oil

2 tbs dried unsweetened coconut

15 drops liquid stevia + 2 tbs agave nectar (adjust for your taste...I have an almost insatiable sweet tooth; you could also use honey for a stronger flavor, if you swing that way)

pinch sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. I'd add the sweetener a bit at a time in order to gauge how much you actually want to put in. Keep blending until pretty smooth.

cookie conduit**

1/4 cup millet flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

2 packets stevia (or 1/4 cup sugar)

1-2 tbs coconut milk

1-2 tbs canola oil or coconut oil

1. Combine dry ingredients until uniform color achieved. Add oil and milk, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together and is just slightly sticky (can add some more milk or water as needed).

**Also, this dough is really unexciting, which is why I described it as a "conduit." For more exciting cookie-age, sub in coconut flour or almond meal for the rice flour.

Taste of the Orient Pocket Pies

miso adzuki filling

2/3 cup cooked adzuki beans

1 tbs miso paste

1 tbs wheat-free tamari

1 tbs tahini

1. Food process. Everything. Taste. Add more of any of the last three ingredients if desired. Not much to it.

tahini dough

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp canola or sesame oil

2 tbs tahini

water to reach desired consistency

1. Combine dry ingredients until uniform color achieved. Add oil and tahini, making sure the latter is well-distributed and incorporated. Add water a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together and is just slightly sticky.

Baking Directions for Both Recipes

1. Roll dough out on a baking mat. Cut out circles of desired size (2-3 inch diameter is probably a nice size).

2. Mound a little of the filling in the center of one circle, so there is about 1/4 inch perimeter of dough visible. Wet this area with a little water. Place another circle on top and pinch edges closed. Brush tops with some coconut milk or oil, if desired.

3. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until just starting to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool ever so slightly. Consume.

For some other adzuki options, check out:

Adzuki Butternut Squash Soup

Adzuki Bean Salad

Bean-Filled Collard Wraps

Mushroom Adzuki Dip

Adzuki Mousse Cupcakes

Sprouted Adzuki 'Pizza'

Dare to Bake: Cooked Cream

First of all, let me apologize for what may already be obvious; I will not be posting as regularly (aiming for once a week) as usual until mid-April. I am training to teach yoga, and it is taking most of my available brain space and time. That said, I am still baking and staying connected with sustainable agriculture, so I might resort to shorter blog posts in order to maintain frequency. Stay tuned.

In other news, happy Daring Bakers February reveal day! The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

I have been meaning to make Panna Cotta for a while now, and this was finally the excuse I needed. Panna Cotta, an Italian classic literally translating to "cooked cream," is a light and pallet-cleansing dessert. The first and only time I've actually eaten the dessert was at Il Pirata in the Cinque Terre, Italy. It was smothered in chocolate and strawberries, and decidedly not vegan (see photo above). My creations this time are, however, and also represent yet another contribution to this month's SOS Kitchen Challenge on Stevia.

Oaty Almond Florentine Cookies

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 cups oats

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup)

10 drops liquid stevia

2 tbs almond milk

1 tbs ground flax seeds

pinch salt

melted dark chocolate

1. Combine oats, almond meal, and flax seeds. Mix in oil, agave, stevia, and almond milk. Let sit for a couple of minutes and then stir again.

2. Drop silver dollar size gobs of oat mixture onto a silpat on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes until just starting to brown.

3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before sandwiching melted chocolate between two cookies and refrigerating.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

1 cup soy milk (I used Westsoy nonfat plain)

15 drops liquid stevia

1/3 vanilla bean, scraped

1/2 packet vegan jello (can also use agar, but I haven't before ~1 tsp per cup milk)

1. Bring milk to a boil. Add stevia and vanilla bean. Pour into a bowl and add jello powder and whisk until dissolved.

2. Pour into whatever molds you are using and refrigerate until set. Bravo!

Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (I used kabocha squash, but butternut would also be lovely)

1/4 cup soy milk

15 drops liquid stevia

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1. Heat pumpkin and milk in the microwave for 1.5 minutes. Stir in spices (variation: 1/4 tsp ground cardamom) and stevia. Whisk in gum until fully incorporated.

2. Pour into molds and refrigerate until set, about an hour. Unmold and enjoy!

Sta Serra, La Mia Cucina Italiana

Food-wise, a Mediterranean week is hard to beat. And tonight is no exception, considering we're hitting the shores of Sorrento and the hillsides of Siena. That's right, tonight my kitchen was transported to Italy (well, a few nights ago, but we'll just pretend).

My first concoction comes to us from Tuscany. This central region of Italy is situated on the west coast, housing not only some of the main tourist destinations, but also picturesque hill towns and productive agricultural lands. Known for its wine, olive oil, and bread, there is no better picnicking region! My dish, however, left out wine and bread. Ribollita soup is a classic wintery stew, stock-full of kale and crusty bread. 101 Cookbooks has an alternate version, but the principle is the same. Being kale-less, I used regular (and not "Tuscan") cabbage ... and being bread-less, I used purple potatoes. That said, it was so tasty (forgot to take photos of the finished soup)!

And then I baked! My plan was to make biscotti all'olio d'oliva, nociolle, e limoncello. Sorrento, a coastal town in the south of Italy, is the home of the lemon liqueur called limoncello. The Amalfi Coast is a favourite spot of those on beach holidays. It also has some claims to fame, on the footsteps of Pompeii, a train-ride from Napoli, and decked out in amazing cliff-side beaches. Sadly, I had neither hazelnut flour nor limoncello. So, here is my makeover:

Biscotti di Mandorle e Caffé

150 g All-Purpose Flour

100 g Almond Flour

40 mL olive oil

40 mL vegetable oil

70 mL espresso

30 mL Kahlua (chocolate liqueur or amaretto would also be lovely)

90 g sugar

1. Whisk together oils, espresso, liqueur, and sugar.

2. Fold in flour and almond flour.

3. Form spoonful balls of dough. Place on greased cookie sheet and pat down.

4. Bake at 325F, for 12-15 minutes until slightly brown.