Thirsty Thursday: Cooling Off

It continues to be crazy here in the District, so today I will let these lovely photos do most of the talking (1 picture = 1000 words, right?). What do you get when smashed peaches and basil meet? Heaven in a glass, for sure. My one tidbit, which you can now google to your heart's content, is the distinction between types of fleshy fruit. In fact, there are two basic kinds: the berries and the drupes. Now, we all kinda know what a berry is - multiple seeds, surround by the flesh (just fyi that you are eating a plant ovary...). So, an eggplant or a kiwi are considered berries. On the other hand, drupes have flesh around one, hard seed or pit, say a peach or plum. Don't let this drupiness get you blue, but rather rejoice in the very seasonal-ness of this tasty breakfast concoction. Put up your feet and enjoy!

Peach Basil Cooler

2 small, very ripe peaches, quartered

4-6 leaves basil

1/2 cup cool hibiscus tea

1/2 cup spinach leaves (optional)

Dash lemon juice (optional)

Blend away and serve. I'm on Raw Food Thursdays, Wellness Weekends, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays this time around!

Thirsty Thursday: A Ruby in the Rough

Is it coincidence that the longer my day job relates to the high-level, big questions related to agriculture and environment, the more this blog tends to harbour my musings on the most local-centric, quotidien of topics? I promise that this is not based on what prompts the most page views, although the spike when a recipe gets posted is quite encouraging. But I think this is a natural counterbalance to thinking in less concrete and tangible terms throughout the day, just as teaching yoga or going for a swim is a counter to sitting at a desk (even if that sitting happens on an exercise ball...). To be perfectly honest, while My Munchable Musings began largely as a way of putting pen to paper about environmental topics related to food and agriculture, it has become a rather selfish endeavor, a means by which to maintain my sanity, a venue to share a love of produce, markets, and baking.

But in all seriousness, there is much to be said about and learned from the local. For me, discussing those beautifully ugly heirloom tomatoes, or the fantastic new variety of green, is a way to internalize the direct experiences with our massive and complex food 'system'. Yesterday I mentioned that this week is a celebration of farmers markets, and all that that carries with it - the feeling of community; support of local economies; an understanding of the life of food prior to entering one's house; and of course appreciation of the farmer his/herself. And then there is the produce itself.

Summer in DC may be humid and hot, with mosquitoes galore a vestige of what was once a swamp. But summer, particular the month of August, brings with it such bounty longed for during the other 300 or so days of the year. Young root veggies, where the vibrantly rouged beets are still exceptionally tender and sweet. Ears of corn easily eaten fresh, void of grill or pot. And then there are the peaches; the juicy yet fragile stone fruit that seems to be the epitome of summer. Understandably, I trek home every Sunday with more peaches than one petite person could feasibly consume in one week, but I do make a decent dent. Here is one way I manage...

Ruby Peach Refresher (how corny sounding...)

1 peach

1/2 banana (or add an extra peach, instead...)

1 small red beet, thinly sliced

1/2 cup hibiscus tea

5 drops (or 1/8 tsp powdered) stevia

1. Puree using your handy dandy immersion blender (or one of those fancy stand blenders, if you happen to have one...). Enjoy!

On top of it this week, Wellness Weekend here I come (and a new one, Raw Foods Thursdays)!

Another Year, Another...Pie?

A stand-in for a slice of pie?

Yes, it has been all of two weeks since I posted to the blog (gasp!), but perhaps in my defense I should note that this is the first time since 2010 that I have written something for my birthday (which, by the way, was a nice musing and you should check it out)! And while this birthday is not particularly notable - 27 being a pretty unremarkable mid-twenties age - entering the next year of life is always a fun time to reflect. Sometimes on deep, earth-shattering issues, and other times on the simple pleasures in life. 

Growing up, I was one of those kids who rarely had birthday cake at her parties. We did ice cream cake (which is a complete misnomer), brownies, cupcakes, mud cups, cookies, and I'm sure others. But I have never much cared for cake. Yet one of the sweets I love - second to good dark chocolate - is pie. And more than eating said pie, I love to make them (which could be why I have so many darned pies on my blog)! It should come as no surprise, then, that for a little birthday potlucking this weekend three pies made an appearance and were completely consumed. 

You know how much I enjoy a good history of food lesson. So, I dug up an older Time magazine article on the history of pie just to get my facts straight and my ducks in a row (going into the baking fully armed with knowledge). Not surprisingly, the first pies were savory - full of meats or seafood - and can be traced back to Greek and Roman times. Not until the final years of the 18th century did sweet pies begin to take hold, and in the States there was no looking back. Despite most of our favorite pies having roots across The Pond, it seems that Americans have embraced the humble shelled dish as one of our own, and continue to pay homage to both our beloved classics and burgeoning innovations.

Now, I wish I could say that my own creation was some amazing gluten and sugar free, raw, macrobiotic example of culinary magic. Alas, this was my traditional, whip-up of white shortcrust and crumble topping. The pie does, however, reflect the amazingness of mid-July in the mid-Atlantic region. At the moment, rhubarb season is winding down, peaches are winding up, the few delicate apricots that made it through our bizarre spring weather are absolute gems, and somebody relatively nearby grows pecans (ok, so perhaps a friend's grandfather down in Florida...but still).

Spiked Rhubacot Peach Pie

Crust

2 cups white, unbleached flour (can sub half whole wheat for hardier flavor)

3 tbs granulated sugar 

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup ice water w/1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Combine flours, salt, and sugar. With a fork, mix in oils until the dry mixture is completely coated and has almost a wet sand texture.

2. Mix in liquid mixture as needed, so that the dough will form a ball, but not be extremely sticky. Only mix until the dough comes together so as not to overwork the gluten. 

3. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer to a deep-dish greased pie pan and fold/crimp edges. Put into the refrigerator.

Filling

2 cups diced ripe peaches (~4 large-ish)

1 cup diced apricots (~5 medium)

1 cup chopped rhubarb

1/4 cup bourbon (brandy would also work; optional)

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

3/4 - 1 cup sugar (evaporated cane will work nicely)

1 tsp vanilla

1. Simple, while the crust is resting in the refrigerator, mix everything together! Pour into pie pan. Place into preheating 350F oven.

Yeah, I was cute 24 years ago...

Crumble Topping

1 cup oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup pecans, broken

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar (evaporated cane/raw is lovely)

Vegetable or nut oil to consistency

1. Add crumble to the top of pie. Bake another 20-25 minutes until crust is just getting golden and filling is starting to bubble.

2. Remove. Let cool slightly for the filling to gel. Consume with a large scoop of non-dairy vanilla almond or coconut frozen delicacy.

On that note, I suppose it's time to sign off. Here's to another year of eating good local and seasonal food. Here's also to a year of more changes (don't want to jinx myself, so more to come in the next couple of weeks).

What's Cooking? A Dose of Ginger

Daylight hours are still scarce; temperatures continue to drop; and trees are bare of any remnant foliage. When the world didn't end on the Winter Solstice a week and a half ago, I resigned myself to yet another winter, and yet another season of nagging colds taking advantage of a weakened immune system.

Ginger, a root in the same family of plants as turmeric and cardamom, has been used across the ages for use in medicine and spice. As would be expected considering its relatives, cultivation of the root originated in South Asia, spreading to East Africa and the Caribbean. Ginger grows in tropical, subtropical, and humid climates, which could be why it fares well in the Mid-Atlantic during the muggy summer months. I stashed away a bit of our harvest of fresh ginger in the freezer for later use, to brighten up a winter day.

Ginger Sunshine Shake

4-6 slices frozen peaches

1/2 orange, peeled

1/2 medium banana

1/2 cup plain almond milk

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp agave (optional)

Well, this is super-easy. Just blend! Add water as needed for consistency. 

Also, if you have a good amount of the fresh stuff, you make David Lebovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake, which is phenomenal! Add an extra teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar instead of the egg, and you should be golden!

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, anyone?Also check out Raw Foods Thursdays! (there's something every day now :)

Thirsty Thursday: A Dose of Vitamin C

A most amazing raw pecan pie with coconut whipped cream

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Following standard protocol for one of my trips up to the Big Apple, I have developed this nagging cough. Now I can never understand the impetus for this ailment, as my trips are pretty tame - consuming large amounts of yummy vegan food, practicing yoga, and walking nearly everywhere. One hypothesis is that I have a mild allergy to the city itself; another is merely that the bus ride to and from the city is a breeding ground for all sorts of unpleasant microbes (sure, like that one is plausible...).

So after eating my fill of the exquisite raw pecan pie at Quintessence (I will figure out how to replicate it) and a satisfying brunch at Caravan of Dreams, among other tasty exploits, I now must suffer the consequences. In an attempt to combat my apparently compromised immune system, I have begun dosing myself each morning with a healthy serving of vitamin C. This imbibable cocktail of fruits and vegetables will hopefully help me overcome my current state of malaise.

Sunny Side Up Smoothie

3 small carrots, chopped

4-6 slices frozen peaches

1/2 banana

1/3 cup orange juice or water

1/3 cup almond milk

1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp dry)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Simply add everything to a blend or use an immersion blender, and let 'er rip until carrot has been minimized. Enjoy as a cheery start to the day!

This puppy is going up on Wellness Weekend, too!

Best of MMM: Local Flavor

Today is a momentous and bittersweet occasion. It is our last day at market for the year, and really until the spring rolls around again. For me, it will likely be the last Fall market in Washington, DC. With applications in, I don't know where my next steps will take me, but that path will undoubtedly be outside of the DC metro area. That said, I have grown to love the local flavor of the region, the change of the seasons, and how each one brings something so completely new. This post from back in 2010 captures the discourse around locavorism. And while the photos I threw in from this fall reflect our current harvest, the recipe following provides a taste of what I looked forward to for the past three summers.
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First of all, I apologize for neglecting all of you and my blog. While my time has been consumed by finding lodging, my heart has been yearning to play in the kitchen. To revel in summer's bounty and the wonderful local food options. Oops, did I say local? About a week ago, an OpEd in the esteemed NY Times gave locavorism a bad rap. Fortunately for me, there are some very vocal proponents out there.

So, Stephen Budiansky (a name I had never heard of before) wrote a scathing article arguing the pointlessness of eating locally. Ouch. But his myopic critique of this food movement left me less than satiated. While he makes a couple of good points, his wanton disregard for all other externalities associated with the production, distribution, and consumption of food boils my blood:
"The relative pittance of our energy budget that we spend on modern farming is one of the wisest energy investments we can make, when we honestly look at what it returns to our land, our economy, our environment and our well-being."

Stay calm. We have some food advocates on our side! Grist ran a stream called Food Fight, that let some big names (and others a little smaller) take their best shot at Mr. Budiansky.

Jennifer Maiser, founder of Eat Local Challenge, encapsulates the entire issue of food very nicely, say: "We need to pay attention to how we get to the farmers market, how we treat our food when we get it home, and how much food we waste. But eating locally is a joyful step in the right direction -- for our economy, our community, and our local sustainable farmers."

Elanor Starmer, the Western Region Director at Food & Water Watch, tackles the idea of voting with you fork and your wallet. She advocates "getting involved in the policies that shape our food system ... We can't buy our way out of the problem if we don't have any choice about what we buy."

Others talked about the joys of tasting local and seasonal produce, feeling a sense of community, and supporting a local economy - even as a way to buffer future risk of the implosion of our current industrial and fossil-fuel reliant food sector. This is definitely a two-way street, and self-proclaimed foodies can often come off as self-righteous and too inflexible. We both have areas for improvement, but that shouldn't be cause to throw in the towel.

Food-system analyst and executive director of Crossroads Resource Center, Ken Meter, concluded so poetically, that I will end this quasi-rant with his last line: "I build a new food system because the one we have is so fundamentally broken, even at low oil prices, and because we have no choice but to build a new one."

Another good rebuttal was published on the Seattle Local Food Blog! Why did I leave, again?

With all this talk of local local local, I felt justified in including my experience at the DC "State" Fair this morning. While the fantabulous pie I entered did not win (who's judging this, anyway?), the amazingness of the Columbia Heights and nearby community coming together - in this case eating copious amounts of pie - was well worth the toil. The pie received good reviews from all who tried, so let me know what you think!

Cardamom Crumble Peach Pie

Crust:

1.5 cups All-Purpose or Whole Wheat Flour

0.5 cup Fine Cornmeal

2 tbs Brown or Turbinado Sugar

Pinch Salt

1/3 cup Oil

1/4 cup Water (perhaps more, depending on consistency)

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet, working together gently until just forms a ball. The dough should be soft. DO NOT over-knead or the gluten will cause tough crust.

Filling:

3 cups Peaches (white preferred), sliced

¼ cup Agave Nectar or 1/3 cup Turbinado Sugar

1-2 tsp Cardamom, ground

2 tbs Tapioca Starch (or organic corn).

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

Combine all ingredients. You're good.

Crumble:

1 cup Flour

½ cup Almonds, chopped

1 tsp Cinnamon, ground

¼ cup Turbinado Sugar or 3 tbs Agave

Oil to consistency

Same as above. Should start clumping.

1. Let crust bake in preheating oven to 350F.

2. Add fruit. Bake another 15 minutes.

3. Add crumble. Bake another 15-20 minutes until crust is just getting golden and peaches are starting to bubble.

4. Remove. Let cool slightly for the filling to gel. Consume with a large scoop of non-dairy vanilla soycream or LOCAL ice cream. Haha.

Fifty Second Friday: What a Peach!

Photo credit: USDA/ARS

Imagine the sticky sweet nectar of an August peach running down your chin, dripping off your fingers to the blazing pavement below. The taste of ambrosia remains on the tip of your tongue as the last bits of luminescent orange flesh cling to the pit, that rock-like interior you always secretly hoped would grow into a peach tree of its own. But this magic is fleeting, the almost other-worldly sensations evanescent, blink but a second too long and the season may have disappeared before you ever knew it arrived.

The waning of peaches is the true barometer of the arrival of autumn. But it feels more like the loss of a close friend. Unlike many other fruits in this day and age, a good peach is hard to come by outside of the late summer months. According to a recent NPR article, the ephemeral peach is just so because of its frail exterior, so prone to microbial incursions and easily wounded. They don't ship or even transport short distances very well. So we are confronted with a bounty of the summer's best produce, bursting with flavor, and no storage capacity. This is also the time of year during which I head home each Sunday from market laden with 10 lbs of blemished and bruised fruit. Some I eat, some I cut up and freeze, and some I use for baking. 

Power-Packed Peachy Picks

1/4 cup applesauce, homemade preferred
1/4 cup almond milk, vanilla

1 tbs + 1tsp mild-flavored oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1-2 tbs agave nectar

15 drops stevia (or to taste)

3/4 cup red lentils, cooked until tender, puree until smooth as silk

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp all-spice
1/2 cup five grain oatmeal, dry

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup almond meal

1 pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 peach at the height of ripeness, chopped to bite size chunks

1/4 cup walnuts, broken to pieces (optional)

1. Combine applesauce, oil, vanilla, sugar, stevia, and lentil puree until smooth.

2. Mix in spices, flours, salt, baking powder and soda. Add peach chunks and nuts.

3. Pour into mini muffin tins (makes about a dozen) or little ceramic ramekins (about 6-8).

4. Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes until just setting. Allow to cool. Enjoy for a satisfying breakfast or snack.

Check out more healthful treats on Wellness Weekends.

Thirsty Thursday: Cool Down

Summer is flying by at an alarming rate. It's hot and humid, and often all I want at the end of a long day is a cool and refreshing drink. Luckily, summer is full of juice-dribbling-down-your-chin goodness to combat the heat of the day.

This weekend I came across some exciting new fruits to play with this summer. The Delice de la Table, or Delight of the Table, is a French heirloom variety of cantaloup melon. It dates back to the 19th century and is a rare find in the U.S. 

 

It is the resurfacing of such interesting agrobiodiversity that really differentiates a farmers market from a grocery store. Most people seem contented with a narrow range of apples, bananas, and oranges, perhaps with a melon thrown in during the summer. But there is such a wide world of  flavor profiles, shapes, and sizes within the world of fruits and vegetables, that is seems such a pity to limit ourselves (check out farmer E. on NPR's heirloom tomato segment). One of the beauties of trying locally-grown heritage varieties is that you are branching out beyond the realm of mass-produced, grocery industry, to something akin to purchasing a handmade piece of jewelry. So enjoy the fruits of summer, and try going out on a limb to try something new.

Summer Melon Cooler

1/2 small cantaloup (or other melon variety you might find at market)

1 very ripe peach or nectarine

1/2 cup sparkly water

1 tsp agave nectar (optional)

1 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)

1 splash lemon juice (optional)

1. Blend all ingredients together until it reaches the desired consistency.

Find more tasty and healthy summer treats on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekends.

On another note, for the next couple of months the blog will be in low production mode. I am attempting to study for the GRE and start working on graduate school applications, and need slightly fewer enticing distractions. Look for at least one post per week, and hopefully we will return to normalcy come fall.

Fifty Second Friday: Using Last Year's Bounty

Welcome to the spring-time limbo land. During the winter you don't expect much from the farmers market - maybe some hardy greens, some root veggies, and a bag of cold-stored apples. In the summer there is often a plethora of choice from stone fruits and berries, to delicate greens and thermophilic peppers and eggplants. Come autumn, we understand that the major production season is winding down. But spring, oh that is a tricky season. You sit, breath held in anticipation of the best and brightest, as it creeps into season. At the same time, weather is still widely variability, start dates for first harvest unpredictable, and leftover pickings from summer and fall still sitting patiently in the freezer or jarred under one's bed. 

So that's where we are. A bag of frozen rhubarb, a jar of canned peaches, and one sad end-of-storage-season granny smith apple.

Several Season Crumble

1 medium apple, chopped

1 cup peaches, cubed

1 cup rhubarb, chopped

2 tbs tapioca starch

1/3 cup turbinado sugar (or can sub agave or stevia to taste)

1 tbs cinnamon

1/2 tsp all-spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup rice or other gf flour

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup walnut oil

3 tbs agave nectar (or turbinado)

1. Toss together fruit, sugar, tapioca, and spices. Put into a casserole dish. Combine all crumble ingredients and then pile on top of the fruit.

2. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, until top crispy and starting to brown and fruit bubbling.

3. Serve warm with, hmm, some non-dairy vanilla ice cream?

Check out more health bites on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!

Fifty Second Friday: Drink Your Greens

"Are you drinking salad dressing?" one of my co-workers queried earlier today, as I sipped a creamy green-studded concoction. That doesn't sound too appealing, but my peachy, orange, spinach smoothie does! Winter is a time of a hardy greens and root vegetables; but it is also citrus season in California and Florida. My biggest local produce downfall this time of year is the Cara Cara Orange bags on sale at Trader Joe's...I am only human. So, using the last of my precious stock of frozen peaches and some of the organic spinach from the farmers market, I pureed up a tasty morning milkshake!

Another Peachy Green Smoothie!
1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1 small orange
1/2 cup spinach leaves
1/4 cup almond milk
1/3 cup non-dairy yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 drops stevia/1 tsp agave (optional)

1. Blend together. Enjoy!

I'm up on Wellness Weekends and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, too.

Heirlooms in the Garden

An heirloom can be defined as "something of special value handed on from one generation to another." Many of us are in possession of an item of this sort, such as a piece of jewelry or dinnerware. The same principle can be applied to seed varieties, pass down over the course of centuries, from generation to generation. And like your grandmother's ring, the seed passed down reflects the conditions under which it was developed (though, you also end up with a greater diversity of crops, while one ring tends to remain a single ring). Heirloom vegetables and fruits harken back to a day prior to the industrialized methods of farming that reward uniformity, and if any of you have seen those ugly heirloom tomatoes, you know what I mean!

I can't seem to stop writing about peaches and tomatoes, can I? Perhaps that is because they are so flavorful and wonderful at the moment. Perhaps that is due to the large quantities of the two fruits I have been consuming. Either way, it is always nice to incorporate in a new flavor or two to change things up.

Well, A Couple Cooks recently posted a delicious recipe for an heirloom tomato and peach salad! Very summery - refreshing and nourishing. The photo gracing the blog emphasizes how the deep red of the tomatoes contrasts nicely with the vibrant yellow flesh of the peaches and makes the green of the mint pop (and the couple themselves make a pair of beautiful bloggers!)

Though a really simple and quick recipe, I made a few changes to suit my mood and herbs on-hand:

1 heirloom tomato

1 large peach

3-4 leaves basil

dash of white balsamic vinegar

pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt

Five days more to Portland!

A Belated National Can-It-Forward Day

My kitchen has been getting a lot of use on Sunday afternoons. After we pack up at the farmers market at around 1:30pm, I stuff my bike basket full of overly-ripe produce items and race up the hill to my apartment. Then, I proceed to spend the entire afternoon processing the bulk of seconds peaches and tomatoes acquired at the aforementioned market. Whew.

Well, yesterday happened to be National Can-It-Forward Day! While I have to admit that my usual summer canning activities did not differ, I thought I would take a moment to extol the benefits of canning. Canning as we know it really only dates back to mid-19th century, but the premise behind it and other older food preservation methods are the same: make the months of bountiful harvest last during times when plants won't grow. Why do I can? When you see the tables overflowing with tomatoes and peaches at the market, it is a hard to suppress the urge to bottle it up! And honestly, when one's favorite fruits come out in droves too great to consume in one sitting, there really is no other option. And thus we come to the Sunday canning adventures.

Slicing and freezing peaches was my go-to up until this point. Last year I had a good five or six gallon freezer bags of peach slices to tide me over through (half) the winter. However, because of limited freezer space, I have jumped into the marvelous world of canning fruit. Peaches packed in a light, vanilla bean infused, sugar syrup. Yum. Crossing my fingers that they are a success. Learn more about preserving stone fruit here. As for the tomatoes, you can read about my exploits with those last year. I have that canning venture down pat!

What a Peach

I'm not a large person. Standing just over 5'1" (yes, that 1/4 inch makes a difference!), let's just say I'm actually pretty small. So perhaps it is not all that surprising that I like small things - dollhouse furniture, kittens, gelato spoons, and yes, tiny tupperware. In fact, my use of said compact containers my sophomore year of college, that my friends began referring to these (and later other things) as "Rachel-sized."

You are probably thinking, why is she telling us this, and what does it have to do with peaches. No, I have not stumbled upon some amazing petite peach. Instead, I have stumbled upon large quantities of the fruit. Working at a farmers market offers the tremendous benefit of supplying with (almost) more produce than I know what to do with. However, unlike on the west coast, the majority of the fruits are not certified organic.

The difference in climate is partly to blame for this discrepancy between east and west. Tree fruit on the Pacific coast tends to be grown in dry regions, such as the San Joaquin Valley in California and the eastern parts of Washington and Oregon. Conversely, on the Atlantic side of the country, fruit-producing areas are hot and humid during the summer months, the perfect weather to encourage fungi and insect pests that decimate crops. That said, my peach bounty comes from Toigo Orchards, which practices Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM does not prohibit the use of pesticides, but rather stresses the importance of synergies between different land management practices (such as cultivating beneficial insects).

With all that said, I still was left with this dilemma of peach abundance earlier today. I know, boohoo, poor Rachel. Alas, I am but one person (and everyone seems to be absent from my office this week) and I had a good many very very soft peaches needing immediate attention. So what did I do? Make a half-dozen Rachel-sized pies, of course!

Rachel-Sized Honeyed-Vanilla Peach Pies (7-8 pies; vg)

crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3-1/2 cup oil

1 tbs cider vinegar

water as needed to form a ball

1. Combine all ingredients but water until well incorporated. Add water little by little until the dough just forms a ball. Do not kneed or overwork.

2. Roll out dough on a silpat or wax paper until a little less that 1/4 inch thick. Cut out circles about 4in diameter. Place in greased large "deep dish" cupcake molds (about 2in diam)

filling

2 cups diced, very ripe, peaches

2 tbs honey or agave

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup tapioca starch

3. Combine all ingredients. Let sit for five minutes. Fill cupcake tin with fruit, but try to avoid the liquid.

crumble

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup pecans

1/3 cup raw sugar (could also use agave)

1/4 cup oil

2 tbs applesauce (optional)

2 tbs coconut (optional)

4. Mix together all ingredients. Crumble on top of mini pies.

5. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, until fruit bubbles and crumble is lightly browned.

Chocolate Fail and Slight Indulgence

Yes, there should have been another chocolate company interview. No, this is not it. Hopefully, I will deliver next week. Instead, I decided only to indulge slightly with Amy's weekly lineup at Simple Sugar and Gluten Free.

What did I make? Breakfast. I took two farm-fresh peaches, one half banana (Whole Trade), a quarter cup vanilla almond milk, and a handful of wine berries from my farm stand! This resulted in an interest variation of a peach melba smoothie. YUM :)

A Hodge-Podge of Foodie Fodder

Remember when I used to post an entry several times a week, with photographs and commentary? Well, that was before I moved to DC and searching for housing and a job turned my life upside down! But just because I'm not posting obsessively, does not signify the absence of food issues from my life. In fact, a few recent articles struck an internal chord.

First off, the case for organics. There has been some serious debate over the extent of health and environmental benefits of organic produce. Sure, using no synthetic chemicals has its upsides, and the state of the soil largely dictates the quality of the produce. But there are organic pesticide and herbicide alternatives that have consequences for the environment, and the supposed nutritional leg-up of organics is questionable.

A recent study at Washington State University, a well-respected institution in the agricultural realm, supports the points favoring organic superiority. While the study only tackled strawberries, it did so in a comprehensive manner, considering nutritional quality, health of the fruit, flavor, and even genetic diversity (as an insurance measure against climate change). And, seeing as California's use of a known carcinogen in strawberry production was such a hot topic a couple of months back, these results actually have direct and immediate application.

Switching gears to more of a social issue...Being on a pretty tight budget this past month has put a crimp on my organic acquisitions (though, all of my produce is farmers market sourced), but the latest developments in the grocery world may alter my other purchases. Trader Joe's (along with Whole Foods) is my shop for nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and other random things I eat. Exposure of farm-worker's rights transgressions, from poor working conditions to allegations of slavery, has left TJ's shoppers with a sour taste. And while I would not dream of purchasing the tomatoes that seem to be at the center of the dispute, the failure of TJ's in the social responsibility realm could very well be a deal-breaker. I'd be interested to find out what factors enter into your choice of grocery stores, and whether something like this would severely impact your shopping!

Well, if all this ethical musing is getting you down, take comfort in the end-of-season peaches. In my attempt to attract people to my hall-way at work, I have started baking random treats. However, my transient and unsettled state in life (oh, the elusive affordable DC housing...) has left my baking in a state of disrepair. Never fear! My attempt at some interesting cookie-like pastry yielded this week's:

Just Peachy Muffin Drops - when life gets you down, peaches are there to make things better!

1/3 cup oil (maybe a little less)

1/2 cup peach sauce - like applesauce + a little sugar (use homemade...and not TJ's)

1/3 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries

2/3 cup turbinado sugar

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Combine oil, sugar, and peach sauce with a whisk until well-mixed.

2. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients, but don't over-develop the gluten.

3. Add the raisins. Drop spoonfulls on a greased baking sheet or into muffin tins.

4. Bake on 350F for 20-30 minutes until golden. Let cool...if you can, but serve relatively warm with soycream or cold with tea.

Perhaps not the most outstanding creation I have developed, these cookies-turned-muffin tops are pretty sweet and go really well with morning tea! Likened to a light scone, they are best made with peach sauce from those fruit smashed on your bike ride home (can personally vouch for the improved taste from the marred fruit).

I apologize for the lack of photographs, but promise to deliver on this week's produce of the week (TBD). Cheers!

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