Basic Eating: Food Defined, Not Refined.

Nice New Format

2011-11-06T08:43:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note - this new flipcard format is especially good for an archived blog like Basic Eating! I hope this enables you to take a quicker look around and learn about lots of different foods, book reviews, and thoughts about environmental eating.

Final Post of Basic Eating

2011-08-13T08:59:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

I've come to realize that it's much harder to shut down a blog than to start one. Maybe because starting takes effort whereas ending can happen through effort or lack of effort. I'm afraid that I've lapsed into the latter these past nine months or so, with a smattering of posts. I was tempted by the strange fact that the number of visits seemed to increase since I cut way back in November of last year, which is why I left this as something of a project in limbo.

It it time to move on now, so I will bring the blog to a definitive close. I wrote up a nice little list of ten ways that the blog has changed the way I eat, shop for, and grow food. I hope this list will inspire you, dear reader. I leave all of my old posts up here, for now - but I'm going to deactivate the comments, etc. In no certain order:

Began Eating in Season: This was easier in California thanks to incredibly forgiving seasons, but it has been a revelation to (re)learn that strawberries are only around for three weeks, that apricots might only be around for two...and it makes food special again.
Joined a CSA: This is one of the best ways to get at #1, and to support local agriculture. Yes, we still have some rutabagas in the fridge from January (ok, so much for in season...) but we wouldn't have even eaten a rutabaga if the CSA hadn't introduced it.
Stopped Using Supermarkets: This isn't 100% true, but we are pretty close. Supermarkets have so many wrong things about them that I won't launch into it, but suffice to say that avoiding them is good for quality of life, too.
Started a Garden: I've always wanted a veggie garden ever since I helped my mother grow hers when I was a little kid (this didn't carry over once we moved from Iowa to Massachusetts, thanks to rampant deer). For the past two summers I have been giving it a try with mixed but increasing success.
Foraged for Wild Food: As the series I ran last fall demonstrates, there is more edible food than you might think, even in your own backyard. Now when I see purslane I don't think weed, I think healthy alternative to iceberg lettuce!
Composted and Used the Compost: We've been composting regularly since living in San Francicso, but it wasn't until I got to use my own compost for #4 that I really appreciated why it's such a great thing. My advice - if you have curbside composting (a la SF), still consider making a little pile for yourself, for your very own black gold!
Read and Reviewed a Bunch of Books: Okay so I might have read many of these anyways, but the blog did act as impetus to increase my knowledge about food and the issues behind it.
Became a Regular at the Farmer's Market: This is obviously tied to #3, but I do make it my business to attend every week of our local farmer's market, barring unforeseen circumstances. I don't want to see these go away and I hope my regular attendance and support will help the movement continue.
Ate Less Meat and Fish: I was never a big carnivore but learning about the environmental and ethical implications of how we chomp our flesh these days has decreased my enthusiasm considerably. That being said, we did just join a meat CSA which I think is a nice way of voting with the wallet if vegetarianism/veganism isn't the choice for you, right now. Even so, I can easily say we eat at most 50% of the meat and fish that we used to, and this will continue.
Became More Aware of Brands: Through sites like GoodGuide and books like The Better World Shopping Guide, I have learned a lot about which corporations are "better" (by many different measures) than others. I've also learned about the incredibly convoluted and evolving structures of organic foods companies, sometimes to my chagrin. As a result, our pantry has become a more sustainable place.

Well, that's not it, but enough. Thank you again for reading this blog over the past few years!

Sincerely,
Jeremy Warner

Guest Post: Eating Local: Happy Stomach, Happy Earth

2011-07-16T08:22:00.002-04:00

Going organic isn’t the only way to save the planet and eat healthier. Eating local can bring fresher food to your fridge, minimize your food’s carbon footprint, support farmers in your area, and preserve farmland.

Of course, you probably won’t be able to eat ALL local ingredients day in and day out. The good news is, you don’t have to. Any small step you take to preserve the environment helps. Interested in eating local in your meal planning? Follow these tips and you will be eating local food items in no time.

Join a CSA

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a program which allows individuals to support a farming operation by giving money to farmers upfront in exchange for a weekly box of food. Find CSA farmers on the Local Harvest website. The website also provides lots of information on how to find a CSA program that will best suit you.

Go to a Farmers’ Market

Rather than going through an intermediary to get your food, like a supermarket, go straight to the source. Farmers’ markets allow you to buy directly from the person who has grown your food. Find a farmers’ market near you on the USDA website.

Build a Backyard Garden

If you live in a climate where plants thrive, don’t hesitate to build a garden. Chives, basil, lettuce, carrots, and raspberries are among the easiest fruits, veggies, and herbs to buy. If you don’t live in a plant-friendly environment, try starting an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill.

Find a Restaurant that Supports Local Farmers

Ask neighbors, farmers, or foodies what restaurants carry local products. When you eat at local restaurants, don’t hesitate to ask if their products are locally grown.

So there you have it -- several ways to integrate some local eats into your diet. All it takes is a little extra time to help the environment, and your stomach!

James Kim is a writer for foodonthetable.com. Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services. Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.

Eat Local, Wherever You Are

2011-07-04T09:17:00.001-04:00

On occasion, I've written posts about simple recipes or foods that are particular to one region or another. My limited effort has been happily eclipsed by a Wiki project called "MyCityCuisine.org." This site is impressive and has information about many obscure and wonderful dishes that you might find (or want to find) on your travels. I was contacted by Emilie from the site and she's written a blurb, which I copy here:

MyCityCuisine.org, a Wiki project dedicated to helping answer the question 'What Should I Order?', is currently looking for contributors!! The project's goal is to help travelers discover local foods from all over the world. Food is an integral part of the local culture so naturally tasting local food is high on most traveler's to-do list. However until now there has been no single comprehensive source for this information. The MyCityCuisine project aims to fill this void.

You can contribute to this project in the following ways:

Write a new dish description
Expand an existing dish description
Correct mistakes in an existing dish description
Suggest a new dish to be included
Upload a new dish photo

This site is for those interested in tasting local food, not for someone looking to cook it at home, so recipes aren't required. Visit MyCityCuisine.org to add a dish from your city!!

Take the Oxfam GROW Pledge

2011-06-05T10:27:00.001-04:00

Those of you who follow this blog know that the food system is incredibly complicated in many ways. One frustration (albeit one that I haven't written very much about) is the increasing use of crops for ethanol. This "sustainable" solution has already resulted in spiking corn prices and deprivation of cropland for the more important purpose of making food. With a growing world population, the solution is and will continue to be the retaking of forest and other wild lands to grow more crops. So Oxfam's new campaign caught my eye. They are asking for people to take the following pledge:

Demand that our leaders use crops for food, not fuel.
Pressure Congress to make sure ALL our food aid actually reaches those who need it most—right now, half never makes it.
Hold corporations accountable when they bet on food prices, causing costs to spike and people to go hungry.
Push world leaders to help small farmers, who are facing more frequent droughts, floods, and storms.

Sure sounds reasonable to me - will you sign too?

More information about Oxfam's GROW Campaign

The USDA's "MyPlate"

2011-06-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

Here it is! After a long flirtation with the ancient rulers of Egypt, the USDA has come up with a new graphical representation of what foods and how much of those foods you should be eating. This was released yesterday after many months of secrecy. I have to say, it looks an awful lot like those good old four food groups that I grew up with! How much discussion/lobbying do you think went into the EXACT division of the plate, such that protein gets almost but not quite a quarter of the plate? This is also definitely an internet era plate; if you go to the webpage you will see that it is interactive. I clicked on protein and was glad to see it wasn't all meat, although I'm a bit mystified that cheese is not considered "protein" but rather has its own special place on the table...

Overall, I think this plate is a victory for healthier eating, and is much easier to understand than the confusing and industry-driven pyramid. Let's hope that particular relic makes its way deep into the jungle and is never rediscovered!

Website: Choose My Plate

Hot Cross Buns

2011-04-22T18:20:00.002-04:00

I don't know too much about them, but I've heard that they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday (that would be today). Interestingly, some sources claim that they predate Christianity, and that the cross is in fact a Greek symbol. Whatever the case may be, we came across these while exploring Milford, Connecticut. The bakery is Scratch Baking.

Thanks to Dave for taking this picture for me!

Book Review: Four Fish

2011-04-03T17:55:00.000-04:00

Sarah and I celebrated our six-month wedding anniversary yesterday by splurging on a deluxe French meal at Bistro du Midi, a relative newcomer to the Boston restaurant scene. I decided to try the "authentic" bouillabaisse, which did not contain a one of the five fish laid out by the Marseilles Bouillabaisse Charter. Considering that most of those five fish are caught in destructive and unsustainable ways, that was okay with me.

This delicious soup did contain a hefty chunk of monkfish, which I ate with no small amount of guilt, knowing that this fish was also a poster child, of trawling a.k.a. scraping the ocean floor with a hoe. I learned this distasteful fact reading the book Bottomfeeder, by Taras Grescoe. This book basically utterly depressed me about the state of the oceans, and despair doesn't typically inspire. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to tackle another depletion-of-the-oceans book, Four Fish.

I was pleasantly surprised. Paul Greenberg is an investigative journalist but he's also a fisherman, and as such provides an angle that's often missing from the complicated world of ethical seafood consumption. He also makes a very smart decision by focusing on a small handful of very important fish: salmon, bass, cod, and tuna. In each section he makes the occasional foray into other fish, such as hoki, a "replacement" for the depleted Atlantic cod.

We are living through a very important time in human's relationship with seafood; the next few years will witness the first time that aquaculture (fish farming) accounts for more than half of all fish consumed in world. This is due to the explosive growth of fish farming but also to the stunning collapses of natural stocks throughout the world. Greenberg does an excellent job of framing this transition, all the while keeping the reading enjoyable.

If you eat seafood, and most of us do, then put this book on your reading list now!

1st Harvest of 2011!

2011-03-20T18:22:00.000-04:00

After a nearly six month hiatus from this blog, I've been thinking about posting again. The first day of spring felt like an auspicious occasion, as the gloom and gray of New England winter is gradually giving over to crocus and daffodil and the promise of a real spring!

Sarah and I also took this day as an opportunity for an outing to learn more about the earliest crop to grace New England. That crop, of course, is maple syrup! After consulting with the official website of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, we located a sugar shack a reasonable distance from Boston, which also happened to be close to one of our favorite local farms, Green Meadows Farm.

This shack was to be found on the property of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, and was the real deal - wood fire, lots of steam, etc. We learned all about sugar maples on a somewhat silly tour, and I discovered that the process of getting the sap out of a maple is awfully similar to certain procedures within the purview of a hematology/oncology fellow (sorry, Sarah).

For those of you not in the know (which included me, until today), maple sugaring season is incredibly short, only six weeks long. It is basically the season where temperatures are above freezing during the day, and below freezing at night, and ends right around now. It takes 80+ gallons of sugar maple sap, which tastes somewhat like coconut juice in unboiled form, to make one gallon of finished product.

Read more about maple syrup here, from a post last year.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons

E is for Exciting New Adventures

2010-11-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

I have been writing this blog for a little over two years, including through some very momentous and important times in my life. Through passion and at times a certain tenacity, I've posted around 530 posts exploring what it means to eat simply and possibly sustainably. Recently, through the natural rising and ebbing of my interests, the blog has begun to take a much lesser role in my life. Initially, I thought that posting once per week might keep my interest piqued, but it hasn't been quite enough. While it seems that I have more readers than ever, I think that this is the time for a sabbatical, quite possibly a permanent one.

Given that this might be the last post of the blog, I wanted to review my "manifesto" and add some thoughts that I have developed over two years of intense thinking and reading about food, where it comes from, and why it's so important. If we are going to live in a world that contains safe, clean food that doesn't contribute heavily to global warming or to petroleum stocks depletion, we all have a lot of thinking, reading, and action ahead of us. So here is a recapitulation:

1. Basic Food is Healthy: After plumbing the depths of NutritionData.com, which gets most of its information from the USDA, I can definitely continue to agree with this (nonscientific) statement wholeheartedly. You will continue to hear conflicting reports on whether diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber prevent or delay diseases but these studies will always be flawed because they rely so heavily on individual recall and questionnaires. But even if you don't buy into my assertion, you will probably agree that...

2. Basic Food is Better for the Environment: A more refined statement would be that minimally processed, locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables are good for the environment. Organic means fewer pesticides and less fertilizer, local means less petroleum used in transport, and minimally processed also implies savings on energy inputs. Buy whole foods that never saw the light of a supermarket through your farmer's markets or local CSA's, and give backyard gardening a try. In my rookie gardening year which just concluded, I managed to grow a surprising amount on all of 32 square feet! Meat, by the way, is high impact on the environment whether local or not, so perhaps ethics (humane treatment, etc.) should be your guiding light when and if you do eat meat.

3. Basic Eating is Less Wasteful: It's sort of self-evident, but if you prepare your own food from scratch you aren't going to waste a lot. Sure, you'll have potatoes go bad in the cupboard and bean sprouts spoiling in the back of the refrigerator but you will still come out ahead. The United States and to a lesser extent the world continues to waste incredible amounts of perfectly good food, and that should be a travesty, on all counts.

4. You Know What You're Eating: Perhaps not so true, considering humble foods like cabbages and garlic can have thousands of molecules within, only a few of which have been characterized. But, at least you know what you're NOT eating: MSG, preservatives, chemicals, pesticides (hopefully!) and the lot.

5. Basic Foods Come With Their Byproducts: Yes, carrots have a peel and when they are old, you have to peel them. It's not a joke that this is the sort of knowledge that may be lost in our modern world of "baby" carrots, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and orange juice. It's frustrating to have a pile of orange peels sitting on the counter after making a 1/2 cup of juice, but it's also the real way of things. As a humanist I enjoy having a real world experience, once in a while.

6. Basic Eating Preserves Food Diversity: So true! Mostly, because going to a farmer's market where you are confronted with 30 varieties of apples will probably lead to trying something new and unexpected. Yes, we all have our favorites, but a healthy helping of food curiosity goes a long way. Luckily, many restaurant owners have also bought into this idea and have made deals with farms to supply scarce and heirloom foods, partly through Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste project.

Now for the challenges, which have been made more poignant by Obama's failure to keep agribusiness out of the Department of Agriculture, along with the right tide that just swept the country. Don't hold your breath for a Farm Bill that will be equitable to small, organic outfits. Given that politics will probably continue to fail this movement, it is up to YOU to pick up and carry the mantle of Ecotarianism!

7. Prepared Food is Convenient: True, but it doesn't have to be low quality garbage. If you have a local "fast food" type restaurant that actually has a social mission (such as b.good, around here), make an effort to patronize them. Encourage your neighborhood baker to grind their flour at a local mill. Consider what it would be like to have a neighborhood baker, instead of a Dunkin' Donuts. Do you think 15,000 of these in the United States (apparently the corporate plan by 2020) will be a positive thing?

8. Prepared Food is Cheap: Welcome to the distortions of subsidies and carbon mispricing. If you don't price by what comes out of your wallet, you will realize that prepared foods are expensive. Expensive for society, expensive for diversity, expensive for social justice, and expensive for the ecology of the planet. Here is a value investing tip: unpopular but healthy and basic foods such as dried beans and lentils are in fact quite cheap. You can eat basically for reasonable cash outlay.

9. Food Preparation = Jobs: I've written about this less than any of the other areas, and don't want to comment too much more on it. I realize that growing and harvesting food can be difficult, dangerous, and demeaning work. Sending a round piece of frozen batter through an automated frosting machine a la Krispy Kreme does seem quite a bit simpler. But there's got to be better ways to keep the economy stable and robustly employed than this!

10. Are Prepared Foods Ever Healthier? Besides a few robust examples (concentrated tomato products, nixtamalization) the answer remains a resounding...nope.

Thank you again for reading the blog, especially those of you who have been on board since the beginning! Please take this opportunity to become a fan on Facebook and/or Twitter, or subscribe via a reader, so that you will be notified if and when there are any future posts.

Five Fabulous French Foods

2010-11-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

France may be a vegan's nightmare, but there are some really good eats to be had. Now that I've been back in the United States a little over a week, I can reminisce about five foods I enjoyed that were very, very French. Cheese, wine, and chocolate mousse are excepted from this list since they are generally available here. In no certain order:

Having a Field Day

1. Foie Gras: Yes, I'm aware of the general horror and disapproval of the methods used to produce fatty geese with fatty livers. This is the dogma but I can tell you another side of things. We traveled extensively through the French countryside and saw many, many foie gras farms. We saw what appeared to be happy geese, running around yards, uncrowded, unfilthy, uncaged. If this is misery, I'll take it. Eating good foie gras is basically like eating butter, straight up! Unless you are having foie gras ice cream, which I can definitely say might be the best thing I've ever eaten.

Avant Garde Crepe

2. Galettes: You haven't had a crepe until you've had a galette. These are the traditional savory crepes of Brittany and Normandy. They're made of buckwheat and have a much more powerful flavor than a plain flour crepe. Try the complete.

I do rather fancy butter!

3. Burgundy Snails (Helix pomatia): These hapless creatures sacrifice their lives by the millions to the hungry escargot eaters of Paris. We actually sped through our two weeks in France without eating snails, but I did enjoy their underwater brethren fruits de mer, at the seaside town of Cancale.

Pickled.

4. Calvados: Sarah and I knew that northern and western France were cider country, but we didn't realize that calvados, which isn't the most French of names, is an apple brandy hailing from the region of the same name. Along our travels we came across a cute (and historic) village on a hill by the name of Domfront. In this village were several old school distilling machines made of copper and brass and looking straight out of the Steam Age.

Mmm...Macarons?

5. Macarons: According to some sources these Oreo predecessors have been around since at least the 8th century. We literally couldn't turn a corner in Paris without seeing a display case packed full of the slightly psychedelic cookies. Intrigued, we finally bought a few at the best of the best place, La Grande Epicerie. I don't know...maybe they're an acquired taste? Personally I will stick with macaroons, of the coconut variety.

All images from Flickr Creative Commons.

Book Review: Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris

2010-10-28T00:01:00.004-04:00

One thing we knew for sure going to Paris is that we didn't want to dine at musty fusty multi-Michelin starred restaurants. Yes, yes I know some are surely stellar, but it just wasn't our scene. In fact, we didn't even want to make any reservations, period. So when we came across Clotilde's book, we knew we'd hit pay dirt. Clotilde Dusoulier is the author of the successful food blog Chocolate & Zucchini, as well as a few books. This one is her personal take on what's good eating in Paris, by arrondisement.

One of the best things about this book is that she doesn't stop at restaurants. In fact, only about half the book is devoted to what she calls "Eats." The other half is devoted to "Shops" but only those we really care about - fromageries, epiceries, and the like. Even poissonneries have their own section. She has a few suggestions for culinary bookstores, and places to find cookware etc. Even if you don't have a kitchen at your disposal, it is more than a little fun to stop in some of these authentically Parisian markets!

Her restaurant reviews give you a very personal idea of the decor and cuisine that you can expect, along with useful things like phone numbers and operating hours. She even has a section on how to order in French restaurants for the language challenged.

Highly recommended! Find a copy here.

Culinary Adventures in France

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Sarah and I are back from our honeymoon in France, with the added excitement of general strikes and scattered fuel shortages, considered the most disruptive since the 1960's. While many of the monuments were closed, solidarity didn't seem to extend to the restaurants, bistrots, brasseries, cafes, confisseries, patisseries, boulangeries, fromageries, epiceries, or chocolateries which were happily open to our perusal. While our trip wasn't exactly a whirlwind, it was something like a category 1 hurricane so I feel like I only got a glimpse into how food works in France. So I'm obviously no Julia Child, but I've tried to make a few ecotarian observations, some of which were a bit surprising:

1. Portion Sizes are Huge: Contrary to whatever stereotypes seem to cling to the notion of the French portion size, were were continuously overwhelmed by absolutely huge meals. For the first 3-4 days in Paris we only ate twice per day and were constantly full. No, we didn't go crazy and order 10 course dinners or gorge on bread (okay, we did gorge on bread). A typical example, we would split a salad for an appetizer and a platter putting the Cheesecake Factory to shame would roll out of the kitchen festooned with four slabs of goat cheese, each approximating the size of a full wheel of Brie. Next, something approximating a tenth of a cow along with a heap of fries the size of Idaho came out on a roast beef carving tray. Trust me, this phenomenon was repeated too many times to be a fluke - the French portion sizes are huge.

2. Take-Out is Interdit: After 30 minutes of gnawing at the bovine remnant, we asked to take home the more-than-half which was still left. We were met with a look of consternation as well as a distinct cooling of friendliness. We quickly realized that we had asked for something that doesn't really happen in France, which is to take food home from a restaurant. The obvious upside is that styrofoam and other plastic bogies make much less of an appearance in France. But the not-so-obvious downside is that there's a lot of what seems to be wasted food. The big question, from an ecotarian's viewpoint, is what therefore happens to all this food? Do you know?

3. Meat the French: I knew from advance reading that France was a country that really likes meat. But the extent to which we had difficulty finding any vegetarian options was really pretty astonishing. Even the one time we went non-French and had a buffet Chinois (the usual refuge of a striving vegetarian, with at least one tofu option), there was not a one non-meat dish. The mystifying thing is that we saw plenty of vegetables in markets; they just never made it into a restaurant. Statistically the United States has a higher per capita meat consumption than France (124 vs 101 pounds, from 2002 statistics) but there's a wide variation in there. My hypothesis is that the United States is a country of ridiculously rabid flesh-chewers (truly, the Reds) and more reasonable flexitarians or vegetarians (go Greens!), while the French are constant meat-eaters. Since eating less meat is one of the top three actions you can make to mitigate climate change, seems like both countries need to be a bit more like India - 5.2 pounds of meat per capita, per year.

4. They Live the Vie Local: Consider this - Europe is the most heavily populated continent. France, for example, is roughly the size of California but has twice the population. Then, it's really pretty amazing that they haven't wrecked the countryside with suburbs, like we have in this country. Agriculture, real agriculture, starts just outside city limits. Dairy cows, foie gras farms, fields of buckwheat and corn and cabbages, all are closer to the city centers (even of Paris, a city-region of 10 million inhabitants) than the inevitable American exurb. This will matter, maybe not for 50 or even 100 years, but I think that we Americans will regret the slaughter of our conveniently located agricultural land so that everybody can have a huge pesticide patch (sometimes known as "the lawn") a swimming pool, and a Walmart down the street.

5. Markets aren't Farmer's Markets: Don't get me wrong, I love Farmer's Markets and get most of my fruits and vegetables from them. But they will always be niche here in America, for reason #4 primarily. In France market days are very different. They are bigger and much more heavily attended. But hardly any of the sellers at the markets are farmers, and finding a stand selling food from a single farm is a big time rarity. The purpose of the markets is to bring the food to the people, and the people come to the food. Not all of the food might be local, but the sellers are small time and friendly and knowledgeable. Just about the opposite of those fluorescent warehouses we Americans get herded to!

Look for a book review later this week, and next week I'll write about some of the foods we enjoyed that were truly French. The recipe series will resume later.

Picture taken at Villandry, where the gardens are made of vegetables!

E is for Eiffel Tower, Here We Come!

2010-10-06T00:01:00.004-04:00

At first, I thought I might actually get a post out this week. But the small matter of a wedding and a honeymoon (starting today) have definitely superseded the blog! We are off to Paris to enjoy the sites great and small, not the least of which will be markets, fromageries, charcuteries, boulangeries, patisseries, and maybe a chocolatier or two.

So a bientot, and I'll be back to posting towards the end of October or maybe in early November.

Image of a Parisian market from Flickr Creative Commons

D is for Dal

2010-09-29T00:01:00.002-04:00

If you can learn to make dal, you can seriously consider becoming a vegan. And trust me, making dal is definitely within grasp of pretty much anybody who can boil water. I'm only going to include the most basic recipe here, but variations are endless and this is a great meatless main dish.

History: Dal, which is basically lentil stew, is one of the most important sources of protein to hundreds of millions of vegetarians, mostly living in the Asian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh, etc.). While it would be difficult to pinpoint a time in history when dal came into being, that time would basically be as soon as people figured out how to boil lentils, peas, and beans. Masoor dal, which is made with red lentils, is probably the most common.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 cup dried red lentils
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
4 green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
2 cloves
1 teaspoon black pepper, cracked
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of peanut or some other oil
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Method:

1. Place the lentils and the ginger in a clay pot and add water to cover, by about one inch. If you don't have a clay pot, any metal pot is okay, although the lentils won't cook as evenly or as quickly.
2. Bring the lentils to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Red lentils cook faster than other types.
3. When the lentils are done, heat the oil in a small skillet and briefly saute all the other ingredients except for the salt. Two or three minutes should be enough, your goal is to develop the flavor of the spices a bit, basically to toast them.
4. Combine everything together, salt to taste, and garnish with the cilantro.
5. Serve as a stand-alone soup, on top of rice, or with flaky bread like naan.

Embellishments and Substitutions: There are many traditional dals beyond Masoor dal. The most obvious substitution is to try a different kind of lentil (yellow lentils are a common switch) or another legume altogether, such as a bean or a pea. Some good ideas for additions to a basic dal recipe are tomatoes and other garlic relatives such as onions, chives, etc. Using other accent herbs and spices will of course change the nature of the dish. Experimentation will only lead you to tastier dals!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman.
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

C is for Cole Slaw

2010-09-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

When you think about it, cole slaw is one of the most versatile salads/condiments out there. You've probably had a lot of cole slaw in your life and none of it is ever quite the same.

History: At the most basic, cole slaw is shredded cabbage with some sort of vinegar or mayo-based sauce. The word, in fact, comes from a Dutch word koolslada, which literally means cabbage salad. In one form or another, this is a condiment that's been eaten since at least Roman times. How it became the 2nd most popular condiment in America (just behind potato salad) is a bit obscure to me, but so it is. The recipe that follows is from my grandmother's cookbook. It's a bit unusual because of the heavy dill flavor, but is definitely delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon dry powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (optional)

1 carrot, grated
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 green cabbage, sliced

1/4-1/2 cup mayonnaise

Method:

1. Mix first set of ingredients and let marinate while preparing the cole slaw.
2. Grate carrot by hand or in a food processor.
3. Chop dill and parsley.
4. If using a food processor, switch to the slicing blade and send the pepper and cabbage through.
5. Combine all ingredients and mix with mayonnaise.
6. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

** A bit of food safety advice: cole slaw should be kept no longer than three days if made with mayonnaise, and no longer than five days if made with vinegar. Do not allow cole slaw to stay at room temperature for any longer than two hours.

Embellishments and Substitutions: The most obvious target of substitution for cole slaw is the cabbage itself. An easy switch is to try adding or substituting red cabbage or Napa cabbage (which has a much milder flavor). A popular exchange is cabbage for broccoli, the so-called brocoslaw (yes, it is duly noted that I haven't yet had a post on broccoli - broccoli! - a situation that will be remedied, eventually). If you like a mild anise flavor, try grinding some fennel into the mix. Other ideas might be to try some other fresh herbs and onion relatives, but careful not to overpower the delicate flavors of the cabbage and carrots. I've had cole slaws with raisins or pineapple chunks in them, both of which add a nice sweetness and might obviate the need for sugar. Finally, if you like a little heat, why not replace the bell pepper with a poblano or even a jalapeno?

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. That ain't no KFC cole slaw! from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: 5 Beans to Try

2010-09-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

You can use all sorts of beans to make baked beans, with the obvious point that they need to at least be dried beans. Dark colored beans such as black beans or kidney beans just don't seem like they'd be right, although I can't exactly tell you why. The first two below, you can find anywhere. The last three are all available through Rancho Gordo.

Navy Beans: These have been around at least since the time of the Pilgrims, and are also sometimes called pea beans or Boston beans. They are the quintessential plain white bean. They have also been the official state bean of Massachusetts since 1993. One of the easiest dried beans to find.

Fasolia Gigandes: These are unusually gigantic white beans which were cultivated in Greece. They are also called yiyandes. If you use these, you're going to need to go for the longer side of the initial soak (30 minutes) and test them for doneness; they might need to go more than three hours, but maybe not. One place to look for these would be a Turkish store, which are more common around here, at least, than Greek stores.

Mayacoba Beans: Mayacoba, or maicoba beans are fairly common further south, another name for them being Peruano. They are also just called yellow beans, sometimes. The modern variety has been around since 1978, although yellowish beans have been discovered at sites more than 4,000 years old. These beans were at one point the victims of a bizarre patent dispute, but now have made their way back to the United States as an heirloom.

Cranberry Beans: Cranberry beans, which are unusual but not uncommon, are one and the same as an heirloom variety cargamanto, from Colombia. They belong to the bean "race" Peru, but the exact time or origin I couldn't find. These beans are actually mostly tan, but with a splash of cranberry color in random and interesting patterns. The eyes are white. They have got a velvety texture and pleasing mild taste and are one of the most versatile dried beans.

Vaquero: These neat beans look like a head on collision between navy and black, as envisioned by Jackson Pollock. There are other splotched beans called orca beans, perhaps reminiscent of killer whales. These are more like splotchy cows or horses, and are close relatives of Anasazi beans, so named after the cliff-dwellers that probably first cultivated them.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Images from Rancho Gordo, Wikipedia, and Flickr Creative Commons

B is for Baked Beans

2010-09-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

We've had a cold snap this past week in New England, which is a good reminder that fall and winter really aren't that far away. So what better time to start thinking about baked beans! This recipe will keep the oven running for three hours so doubles as a decent way to heat the house on a cold day.

History: I happened to learn last week on a farm tour of Allandale Farm, that shelling beans don't grow very well in Massachusetts. So it is a bit ironic that baked beans are so closely tied to Boston, a la Beantown. The history of the baked bean is a bit obscure. Beans, as you will recall, are native to North America and as such weren't known elsewhere until Columbus and beyond. In the mid 1500's they were brought to Italy and to France, and the dish we call baked beans is thought to have evolved out of cassoulet. The molasses that was so important to Boston is probably the real reason why baked beans developed such a foothold. Another interesting bit of history is that this was one of the first canned foods, and was provided to the army during the US Civil War.

Main Ingredients:

1 pound dried beans: navy or a similar white bean is usually used.
8 ounces of salt pork or bacon, or 2 tablespoons of butter.
1/2 cup of molasses or maple syrup.
1 small to medium onion, peeled and quartered.
2 teaspoons ground mustard.
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Method (adopted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything):
1. Put the beans in a pot, cover with 2" of cold water, and bring to a boil.
2. Boil for 2 minutes, then turn the heat off. Preheat the oven to 300F.
3. After 15-30 minutes, drain the water from the beans and save it.
4. Cover the bottom of an oven proof pot with the salt pork or bacon or oil.
5. Mix the beans with the sugar, the mustard, salt, pepper, and the onions, and put the whole mixture on top of the fat.
6. Add back the water to cover the beans by one inch.
7. Bake uncovered for three hours, stirring about every 30 minutes. Taste periodically and add more salt, sugar, or mustard as necessary.
8. (only if you used meat) Bring the meat pieces to the top, increase the heat to 400F, and brown them for 10 minutes or so.

Embellishments: This is a recipe ripe for experimentation, mostly with spices and the proportions of the sweet, sour, and salty ingredients. Try curry-type spices, or chili powder if you like heat. Another good idea is to add stock at the end of the cooking and you have an instant soup!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. How to Cook Everything
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: 5 Apples to Try

2010-09-09T00:01:00.003-04:00

With something like 7,500 varieties to choose from, how are you going to select apples for your applesauce? It's hard to go wrong, although if you use a lot of tart apples like Granny Smith, you will probably need to add sugar. With some guidance from PickYourOwn.org, here are five varieties that will guarantee you an excellent sauce:

Gala: Gala apples are party apples - not red or yellow, but a swirling blend of the two. They are the result of a cross between Golden Delicious and Kidd's Orange Red, and were developed in New Zealand in the 1920's. They are firm and sweet with a thinner skin than most apples. They have risen from obscurity in many countries (they were introduced to the United States only in 1965) and now account for 20% of all apples grown in the United Kingdom, for example.

Fuji: These are considered the best for applesauce, along with Galas. They were developed at the Tohoku Research Station in Japan, in the late 1930's. Due to intervening events, they weren't introduced until 1962 but are very popular. They're the 4th most common apple in America, and 80% of China's apples are Fujis!

Jonathan: These are a bit harder to find than the above two, mostly because they aren't the most attractive. When and if you do come across some, grab the opportunity! They were grown by Rachel Negus Higley and named after her husband Jonathan, in the early 1800's.

Golden Delicious: This is an apple I would never pick off the shelf to eat, so it's interesting to learn that it makes for an excellent sauce apple. It was introduced in 1914 as a companion to the Red Delicious but aside from the name, it isn't closely related. It is the official state fruit of West Virginia.

Melrose: This is a coarse-fleshed apple which is the official apple of Ohio. It was introduced in 1944, and is similar to the Jonathan.

A is for Applesauce

2010-09-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

For the next six months, roughly, I've challenged myself to come up with a literal alphabet soup of Basic Eating recipes. Each of these is a framework for turning a basic ingredient into a vital condiment or main dish, usually with ease. If you're new to the blog, make sure you click through the ingredients with links, as these will take you back to other posts I've written about them! This week, I'm launching into applesauce at the same time that the Northeastern United States is launching into apple season. We traveled to upstate New York for a family gathering over the Labor Day weekend, and found several orchards filled with laden trees, like the one in the picture. What a better time to think about one of the ultimate comfort foods!

History: Put fire and apples together and you get applesauce. So presumably this side dish has been with us for a long, long time! At least since canning came about, I figure (before that, most apples probably went into cider). Despite the fact that it's so common, applesauce doesn't have that many cultural connotations. Probably the most well known are as an accompaniment to latkes and other potato pancakes. It's also a traditional accompaniment to pork products in Germany and Scandinavia. Vegans have co-opted applesauce as a butter/egg alternative for baking.

Main Ingredient:

Apples

Recipe:

1. Throw a large number of apples (figure one quart of applesauce per two pounds of apples) into a pot in relatively large pieces. Don't bother to core them or peel them. Any type will do, although many will add some tart ones to brighten up the flavor.

2. Add a bit of water, about 1/2" to the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, covered.

3. Simmer uncovered until the apples lose form. This can take a variable amount of time especially depending on your apples. Figure 15-30 minutes, with occasional stirring.

4. Send the apples through a food mill. This inexpensive device is essential to making applesauce and most have a sieve for chunky and smooth settings. If you object to additional kitchen accoutrements, rejoice in the fact that you don't have to peel or core apples if you use one. If you have a stand mixer, many have attachments which do the same thing (usually called sieves or grinders).

5. (optional) Can your applesauce. If you are doing this, make sure that you don't let things cool for step #4, and follow these very clear instructions from PickYourOwn.org.

Embellishments: One thing that homemade applesauce rarely needs is sugar. But there are many things that can be added to literally spice it up. Generally don't add more than a ground teaspoon of spice to a batch to start; if you're adding another fruit, try starting with a ration of four apples: one other fruit. Here are some ideas:

Cinnamon

Cloves

Green cardamom

Chipotle chiles

Peaches

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Bittman's How to Cook Everything

The Next 180 Days

2010-09-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy September! The character of the blog is about to change quite a bit, for the next six months at least. Why? I'm getting married for one thing, a month from tomorrow in fact! We will be going to France (yes, L.T.!) for our honeymoon, to enjoy some amazing food, among other things. While I do enjoy writing about food, I'll be much more focused on eating the food while in France.

Beyond that, though - it turns out that I've written about quite a few basic foods by this point. The original goal of my blog has been met and exceeded. To be exact, I wanted to learn about as many foods as I could - where they come from, whether they're sustainable, and whether they're healthy. I've learned a lot and have clearly been making better choices in my life regarding what goes in the pantry and what goes in the hatch.

At this point I'm going to start a new "series" which will result in much less frequent posting. I call it "Basic Eating by the Alphabet" although I'm definitely open to other name suggestions! Once a week, I'm going to post a very general recipe which can be made using basic ingredients with many variations. Next week I'll start it off with (A)pplesauce and we'll see where things go from there. I'll usually follow this up with a post on some of the more notable varieties of the main ingredients (apples, in this instance).

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on a less frequent basis but I hope you'll keep checking in! If you haven't already, become a Facebook or Twitter fan or subscribe to the feed so that when the posts go up, you'll know about it.

When else would I get to use this awesome picture? From Far West Fungi at the Ferry Plaza.

Book Review: Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast

2010-08-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

This book was my indispensable helper for writing about wild edibles the other week, and is really a fun field guide. Peter Del Tredici takes an almost entirely different view from the standard "invasive species are bad" mantra. He observes, truly enough, that the invasion has already occurred and that efforts to maintain pristine native landscapes are, in fact, completely artificial.

Instead, he makes an astute observation - that there is an urban ecology, and just like the culture mixing pot of cities, this ecology is a true pastiche of continents and regions. It is also often the only green that inhabits a landscape which could easily look like the surface of the moon.

Take the dry salty margins of interstates, for example. The next time you find yourself driving along the Mass Pike or any other road that slices through urban areas, take note of the foliage growing alongside. The Mass Pike, for example, is completely swathed in ailanthus trees. The effect is that you actually feel like you're driving through a somewhat verdant area, which could just as easily look like an industrial wasteland.

This book contains 200 of the most common plants you are likely to encounter in the urban environment in the Northeast, which he defines as the region from New England down to Washington DC, and west to Detroit. I don't think there's every been a book published quite like it, or at least one that so successfully avoids the pejorative "weed."

A must-have for anyone who is able to tolerate spontaneous landscapes and isn't overcome with the urge to rip everything out to make way for their Kentucky bluegrass heavily fertilized and watered lawn! This is the real "World Without Us" and you can see it in prime time, now. You can buy the book here.

Molecular Monday: Ascorbic Acid

2010-08-30T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ascorbic acid, much more commonly known as vitamin C, was a common feature of many of the wild edibles I wrote about last week. The name ascorbic acid pretty much explains how this vitamin was discovered - "not scurvy." It has been known throughout human societies for thousands of years that certain foods were needed to prevent scurvy, whether they be citrus fruits or even pine needles. The first controlled scientific experiment in history took place in 1747, when James Lind randomized some sailors to receive normal rations, and the other to receive a citrus supplement (lemons and oranges). The citrus consumers avoided scurvy, although the causative factor, vitamin C, wasn't discovered until 1931.

Abundant Sources: The funny thing is that oranges and lemons are very much in the middle of the pack, with 50 mg and 40 mg per 100 grams, respectively. Papayas, strawberries, and persimmons all have more vitamin C (60 mg per 100 grams). Red pepper has almost five times that of a lemon, 190 mg per 100 grams. The heavyweight of the plant kingdom is the kakadu plum, with 3100 mg per 100 grams! Check out the table from Wikipedia for a more complete list.

Structure and Synthesis: Almost every animal can make its own vitamin C, primarily in the liver. Some animals such as reptiles and birds make vitamin C in their kidneys. And then there are the humans. It pretty much comes down to us, the other primates, some monkeys, and the guinea pigs as the only animals that can't make their own vitamin C. Why? Figure it out and I'll nominate you personally for a Nobel prize, I promise.

Mechanism of Action: Vitamin C is known to be an antioxidant in most circles. This may be true in vitro, but it isn't entirely clear that having a bunch of vitamin C on board reduces general oxidative stress. In fact, under certain conditions it can act as a pro-oxidant. What is clear is that vitamin C is a critical cofactor for about eight different enzymes in the human body, including several which maintain the structure of collagen (thus explaining why scurvy is a disease of collagen, amongst other things).

Health Effects: Scurvy is hard but not impossible to get in the developed world. It manifests as bleeding gums and other mucous membranes, loosening of the teeth, and strange bruises, especially on the thighs and legs. These symptoms are of course nonspecific, but if untreated generally progress to death. So the importance of enough vitamin C is clear. A minimum level as suggested by the WHO is 45 mg/day. But what about all those megadoses you always see advertised? First of all, there is good evidence that these high doses don't help with getting over colds. Aside from that, high doses of vitamin C will almost guarantee you diarrhea, and might also cause your body to absorb too much iron, leading to iron overload.

Clinical Trials: There are quite a number of clinical trials ongoing re: vitamin C - 72 to be exact. I couldn't find any coherent theme, but it may behoove you take a look at the list.

Bottom Line: It's critically important to get the minimum amount of vitamin C, although this should be easy to do when eating basic foods, even when you don't have a lot of citrus.

References:
1. Wikipedia

Common Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta)

2010-08-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

(This post is part of a week long blog-a-thon to celebrate Massachusetts Farmers Market Week. This blogathon is sponsored by In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens; please also consider a donation to Mass Farmers Markets. The organization’s donation link is here.)

For the last post of this week, I'm going to go back to that patch of weeds near the front door. Interdispersed among this patch, and perhaps a bit hard to appreciate, is the common yellow woodsorrel, a sight very familiar to many a gardener. But did you know it was edible?

History: Oxalis is a very large genus, with 900+ species. Most of these species are edible and some have been consumed around the world for thousands of years. This one is particular is native to North America, and was used in several ways by Native American tribes. All wood sorrels have a similar look, something like a clover and sometimes even called a shamrock. They usually form seed pods and some form tubers. The common name "sour grass" gives a hint to the taste.

Growing: Again, don't worry - it will grow anywhere where there is dirt and sun. It generally prefers dry dirt which is a little sandy.

Harvesting: All parts of the wood sorrel are edible, at all times in the life cycle.

Eating and Processing: It's not uncommon to find the leaves and the pretty yellow leaves as a garnish in a salad. You can also throw an entire plant into a pot of hot water and get a tisane which supposedly tasted a bit like green beans. If balsamic vinegar is a too distantvore for you, you can try squeezing the juice out of the greens into a bottle for a vinegar substitute.

Health Information: The major constituent of this plant is oxalic acid, which is also found in many other foods in similar quantities, and in others in toxic quantities (rhubarb leaves, for example). You would have to eat a lot of wood sorrel to encounter a problem, as long as you have normally functioning kidneys. If you don't, you run the risk of forming calcium oxalate kidney stones, which are definitely no fun. I found some sources claiming high levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in wood sorrel, but nothing that gave specifics.

Relevant Website: Squidoo

Bottom Line: A tangy treat just waiting to be eaten, and a thirst quencher too!

References:
1. Wikipedia

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

2010-08-26T00:01:00.001-04:00

(This post is part of a week long blog-a-thon to celebrate Massachusetts Farmers Market Week. This blogathon is sponsored by In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens; please also consider a donation to Mass Farmers Markets. The organization’s donation link is here.)

When I wrote the bulk of this post in May of this year, I didn't think I would end up cultivating my very own dandelion plant. But, it turns out that this dandelion has been going strong all summer, thriving in a relatively shady spot near the compost bin.

History: The Common dandelion, or just dandelion, is so common everywhere that it's hard to believe that it was actually native to just one continent, Eurasia, at one point not so long ago. It is now considered "cosmopolitan" which basically means you can find it everywhere!

Growing: There is limited commercial cultivation of dandelions for their greens, but for the most part they are indeed a weed that can outgrow almost anything. The seeds can lie in the ground for up to nine years and still germinate when the conditions are favorable. In order to get yourself a nice leafy dandelion plant, in needs to be somewhat stressed - for example in a shady spot. If you see flower stalks going up, remove them at once so the plant can put all of its energy into leaf-making.

Harvesting: You can take all the leaves you want; a well established dandelion can grow back from a complete beheading - part of the reason they are so tenacious!

Eating and Processing: The most commonly eaten part are the greens, which are fine raw when young, but should otherwise be braised. The flowers are also edible - raw when just buds, or as dandelion wine when open (here is a recipe). Finally, even the roots are apparently edible - when dried, roasted and ground they apparently make a good coffee alternative.

Health Information: Dandelion greens are pretty darn good for you. They obviously have a fair bit of fiber (2 grams in one cup) and lots of vitamin A (112% RDA) and C (32% RDA). They also have a whopping amount of vitamin K (535% RDA).

Dandelion is suspected to have medicinal effects as well. It is commonly thought of as a diuretic, although there are some conflicting results on this end. It may share some anti-cancer properties with the shiitake mushroom. There have been essentially no clinical trials to examine the efficacy and/or safety of dandelion as a medicine.

Sustainability: As long as you nip it in the bud, literally, a carefully placed dandelion will thrive locally but won't take over the entire yard.

Relevant Blog: Urban Forager (NY Times)

Bottom Line: Forget the rumors of bitter taste, try some dandelion greens now!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Dandelion nutrition facts
3. Sloan Kettering info on dandelion

Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album)

2010-08-25T00:01:00.002-04:00

(This post is part of a week long blog-a-thon to celebrate Massachusetts Farmers Market Week. This blogathon is sponsored by In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens; please also consider a donation to Mass Farmers Markets. The organization’s donation link is here.)

From front yard to back yard, a crop of lamb's quarters has happily arisen just beyond my tiny raised beds. I'll admit that I mistook these for weeds in a round of pruning and most of them ended up in the compost bin, but next time I'll be more careful!

History: This ubiquitous weed is often called goosefoot, which is a more generic name that refers to about 150 different species of the Chenopodium ("goosefoot") genus. These plants are known as "pseudocereals" because they produce a lot of little seeds that might look to some like a grain. One goosefoot in particular has gained much importance lately - quinoa. Album is not so often eaten anymore as a seed, but is still eaten quite often in places like India. Lamb's quarters probably originally comes from Europe, but has spread so wide and so far that the origins are not completely clear.

Growing: Don't worry, it will come to you.

Harvesting: Concentrate on the leaves for your dining pleasure and leave the seeds to birds.

Eating and Processing: Similar to spinach, lamb's quarters can be eaten raw in a salad or braised. Here's some instructions from EHow.

Health Information: This may very well be the most nutritious green you will ever come across. One cup of cooked lamb's quarters serves up 281% RDA of vitamin A, 111% of vitamin C, 47% of manganese, and 46% of calcium. It also contains nearly 1mg of vitamin K - 1112% of RDA! And some fiber to boot - 4 grams.

Sustainability: As an agricultural weed it can be a serious pest, causing crop losses of up to 13% for corn, 25% for soybeans, and 50% for sugar beets! In the backyard, it grows without tending, while your spinach might be struggling.

Relevant Blog: Good Earth Health
Bottom Line: Protect your nearby farms and eat lamb's quarters before it has a chance to make seeds and disperse - you probably feel healthier already.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Lamb's quarters nutrition facts

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

2010-08-24T00:01:00.003-04:00

(This post is part of a week long blog-a-thon to celebrate Massachusetts Farmers Market Week. This blogathon is sponsored by In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens; please also consider a donation to Mass Farmers Markets. The organization’s donation link is here.)

For today I don't need to go more than 5 feet from my front door to find the summer treat purslane.

History: This plant goes by some seriously derogatory names - little hogweed and pusley, to name a few. But you will also find plenty of it at the most high end of high end farmer's markets. Purslane is a very hardy plant that can grow in the poorest of soils. It originates from Europe and northern Africa, but there is some evidence that it started invading North America before the Europeans - in the early 1400's!

Growing: Give it a sidewalk crack, a neglected corner, or a pile of rocks - which is where the plant in the picture is growing out of. Purslane is sometimes called a "beneficial weed" because it starts to soften up soil so that other plants can edge in.

Harvesting: Unless you can trust the source of your purslane (such as from your own front yard), it might be best to get this particular green at the market. This would be because many folks consider it an intolerable weed and will go to great lengths to poison it.

Eating and Processing: All of the above-ground parts of purslane are edible: stems, leaves, and flowers. It can be eaten raw in salads, sauteed in a stir-fry, or boiled in a stew. Larger leaves and stems have a mucilaginous quality and can thus serve to thicken stews nicely.

Health Information: According to the USDA nutrition facts, 1 cup of cooked purslane has 43% RDA of vitamin A and 20% of vitamin C. It also has good amounts of many other vitamins and minerals. Then there is the omega-3 story. One cup of purslane, about 100g, has somewhere between 300 and 400 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. This appears to be the most omega-3 to be found in any green leafy vegetable, and while it isn't nearly as much as you might find in a salmon fillet, it's still quite impressive!

Sustainability: While technically invasive, purslane can grow where few other plants of any sort can, in the urban environment. Plus, there is increasing evidence that it holds potential for bioremediation. For instance, it can take BPA and transform it into harmless substances.

Relevant Blog: A Better Way Holistic Health: a post in praise of purslane.
Bottom Line: Let the purslane grow, and eat it, too!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Purslane nutrition facts
3. Simopolous article about omega-3 in plants

Hyperlocalism

2010-08-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

I'm participating in a blogathon this week, hosted by Loving Local: Celebrating the Flavors of Massachusetts. This blogathon coincides with Massachusetts Farmers Market Week, and many of the other participating blogs will be writing about their farmers markets and/or things they can do with the produce from them. I thought I'd take a slightly different angle and go local, really local.

My challenge was to find four edible foods within 50 feet of my door, that I could write about each day for the rest of the week. While this could be something from my tiny 32 square foot garden, or something from a few potted herbs, I wanted to raise the bar even higher! So four naturally occurring edible plants within 50 feet of my front door; that's my challenge.

A bit of background here - as you may have deduced from comments dispersed throughout my blog, I'm not too fond of lawns. What I do like is naturally occurring vegetation, with a few selective tweaks to remove especially unsightly or undesirable (e.g. ragweed) plants. Along the side of our house, we have what you might call a spontaneous smorgasbord of weeds, some of which are quite edible.

Take a look at the picture, which might seem something of a jumble, but has at least three edible species hiding within it! See you tomorrow.

Basically Friday: Bellini

2010-08-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

The first European city I ever visited on my own was Venice, and I fell in love with this pedestrian paradise. I'd vaguely heard of the Bellini prior to visiting Venice, but was much more familiar with the much more common Mimosa. Anyway, I didn't spend the $20+ dollars for a Bellini at Harry's Bar, but I had plenty of them while enjoying the sounds and smells of the city.

History: The Bellini is a fairly recent cocktail invention, with origins somewhere between 1934 and 1948 at Harry's Bar in Venice. Giuseppe Cipriani took a fairly standard Italian drink, peaches marinated in wine, and put his own signature twist on it. The original used white peaches and added a bit of red fruit juice for a particular pink hue. It was this hue that inspired Cipriani to name the drink, after the toga of a saint (or a sunset, depending on your source) from a painting by the Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini. It has gained sufficient renown to be included on the list of IBA Official Cocktails (IBA = International Bartenders Association).

Ingredients:
Prosecco
White peaches, pureed
Raspberry or cherry juice

Method:
1. Pour about 1.5 ounces of peach puree into a chilled champagne flute.
2. Pour about 3 ounces of Prosecco into the flute, gently.
3. Add a splash of raspberry or cherry juice, for a pink coloration.

Image of Bellinis at Harry's Bar from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: Belle of Georgia Peaches

2010-08-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

It was easy to write about the bizarre donut peach for one of my first Heirloom Thursdays post, almost a year ago. But there are close to 2,000 varieties of peaches out there! The peaches that have been rolling into the Brookline farmer's market this year haven't been very well labeled but they have been delicious! I'm personally a fan of yellow peaches for that tangy boost, but a good sweet white peach isn't a bad thing, either.

History: This sweet white peach has a pedigree going all the way back to 1870. Interestingly, peach production in Georgia (The Peach State) didn't really take off until the 1850's, just before the Civil War. The war obviously put the kibosh on the peach industry, which rebounded afterwards. The Belle became one of the most popular peaches to come out of Georgia.

Growing: Because peaches are primarily propagated by grafting, it is hard to say if this is a true "heirloom" that will breed true. That is, if you save a pit and plant it, don't necessarily expect a Georgia Belle to pop out of the ground! But what you get might be very similar.

Harvesting: The peach season in Georgia lasts for about 16 weeks, through mid-August (now).

Health Information: Peaches are generally healthy, although they do contain quite a bit of sugar, about 50% fructose and 50% glucose in the breakdown. Nothing really stands out, but they have a good spread of vitamins and minerals. This is of course assuming that they are eaten whole and raw, not in a buttery cobbler or canned with a surplus of sugary syrup. Peach nectar concentrates the sugars (and the calories) without a boost in nutrients.

Where to Find: You can buy your very own Belle of Georgia from Trees of Antiquity.

Relevant Blog: My Skinny Garden

Bottom Line: If you're looking for a classic sweet white peach, look no further than the Belle of Georgia.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. White peaches (maybe Belles) from Flickr Creative Commons

Wine Grape Wednesday: Glera

2010-08-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

If I'd written this post even a year ago, this grape variety wouldn't have existed. The name wouldn't have, at least. I hope I've intrigued you; read on!

History: Glera has been grown in the Veneto, an area of Italy north of Trieste (and not so far from Venice, of course) for quite some time, possibly thousands of years. It is perhaps related to the famous vinum pucinum of Roman times, although scholarly evidence seems to indicate otherwise.

Worldwide Production: Glera is only grown in limited quantities outside of Italy; inside Italy it is the 30th most important grape out of 2,000 varieties. As you can see from the map below, the growing region is rather small! About 150,000,000 bottles of bubbly come from this grape per year.

Eating and Processing: Glera is not an eating grape, it's a wine grape. The vast majority of glera is used to make a sparkling beverage known as Prosecco. And here's the interesting twist on the name. The grape used to be called Prosecco as well, but the name was changed last year. Why? So that the drink Prosecco could qualify for the highest level of protection within the EU, the DOCG: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. It turns out that the grapes are grown more widely than just in the Veneto, so the name had to be changed. Prosecco, for those of you not familiar, is a much more affordable alternative to Champagne with a fresh, crisp taste. Apparently Proseccos in the 1960's were sweet, cloying affairs; this has changed as of the 1990's, when they started to be exported abroad.

Where to Find: You probably won't find the grape outside Italy but you can find Prosecco fairly easily at any liquor store, and also at Trader Joe's.

Relevant Blog: Broccoli and Prosecco

Bottom Line: I have a fondness for Prosecco and the classic drink that's made from it; I bet you might too!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Production map from ItalianMade.com
3. Image of glera grapes from Flickr Creative Commons

A Garden Visitor

2010-08-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

Living With the Pine Mouth

2010-08-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's been an interesting few days living with this pine mouth syndrome, which seems to have reached its peak but has been very slowly tailing off. Problem number one is that the syndrome has no effect whatsoever on hunger, so I've found myself very much wanting to eat. So here are some of my observations from the trenches, as it were. Feel free to refer back here if you are ever afflicted:

1. The foods that taste the worst are the white ones - foods with white flour, white sugar, or milk in them. These coincidentally include many of the processed foods that I preach against, but still make up a reasonable part of my diet.

2. Mostly sweet foods, like apples, also taste pretty bitter.

3. The foods that taste the best are sour ones. For example some meals that have been close to enjoyable have been unsweetened whole grain cereal with Greek yogurt and peaches, hummus straight up, and a "Mexican" omelette with plenty of tomato and tangy jalapeno salsa.

4. Chewing gum can alleviate the taste, but you can't chew gum 24 hours per day!

5. No, I haven't tried pine nuts while I have pine mouth, and I'm not going to!

Image of somebody who likes bitter food? from Flickr Creative Commons

Pine Mouth Syndrome

2010-08-13T07:22:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning afflicted by the dreaded pine mouth. It took me awhile to figure this out, including some sleuthing within my own blog, where I found this within my discussion of pine nuts: "There are several reported cases of a strange bitter metallic taste occurring 1-2 days after eating pine nuts."

Here's what happened. Two nights ago we bought a large amount of bulk pine nuts from Whole Foods. I sampled these before putting them into the refrigerator, maybe 5 or 10 at most. They tasted a bit peculiar, a bit metallic, but not overtly rancid.

This morning, I treated myself to a croissant from Clear Flour Bakery (once again rated Best Bakery in Boston Magazine, btw). It didn't taste right, in fact it tasted rancid. Again at lunch I had a roll from Clear Flour and this tasted downright rancid. I was becoming convinced that somehow Clear Flour had used a bag of rancid flour and I was even planning to bring this to their attention.

However, the soup I had for lunch was also rancid. As was the ginger ale. And the ice cream from the Brookline Farmer's Market. I even had myself convinced that I was developing a brian tumor at one point, until I recalled the pine nuts.

So what in the world is this pine mouth, and please will it go away very soon! It turns out that the "Pine Mouth Syndrome" has been getting quite a bit of press of late, including stories on NPR and USA Today. This post from MSNBC seems to be a nice summary. But this article from NPR is even better. It describes an even more concerning tale than mine: a rehearsal dinner where pine nuts were served, and the next day the bride found everything to taste bitter! Nobody really knows what thiis pine mouth business is or why it happens, although one theory is that inedible pine nuts (e.g. from red pine) from China are getting into the food supply.

Bottom Line: It's not harmful, but I don't like the idea of all my food tasting bitter for up to the next two weeks. Ugh!

Image from the blog Come for the Wine

Heirloom Thursday: Black Mustard (Brassica nigra)

2010-08-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

One year ago today I wrote about white mustard. The day before that, I wrote about red cabbage, which is actually the closer relative to this plant. Yesterday I had to spice up my cafeteria-provided lunch sandwich with a packet of "mustard" which might have something akin to real mustard in it, but I'm not too sure...

History: Black mustard is a brassica, just like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. It has been cultivated for so many thousands of years that it is considered to be a distinctive species (simply "black" in Latin). The reason it's called black mustard is because the seeds are a very distinctive black color. These are the seeds that you find floating in a "country Dijon" mustard, and have the most pungent flavor of all the mustards. This plant likely originated along the southern Mediterranean.

Worldwide Production: I can't give you an exact number but this is a heavily grown crop, mostly because of the oil that can be obtained from the seeds. Mustard seed oil is a major cooking oil in some countries, including India.

Growing: You can grow these plants yourself in most climates (here's how). Most mustard seed is grown on an industrial scale.

Harvesting: The thing about black mustard is that it apparently has to be harvested by hand. This has led to other types of mustards amenable to mechanical harvesting to become more popular, overall.

Eating and Processing: Black mustard is conventionally the key ingredient to "Dijon" mustard when ground, and "country Dijon" when left whole. It is also very common in Indian cuisine and is called rai; rai is often added to butter (ghee) as a first step in making nearly every Indian dish.

Health Information: Black mustard seeds have a fair bit of selenium, 14% of RDA in 2 teaspoons. Beyond that, there is actually also a fair bit of omega-3 fatty acid, 100 mg per teaspoon. Personally a mouthful of mustard seeds sounds more pleasant than one of flax seeds, although of course it won't be quite as much omega-3!

Sustainability: Black mustard is such a casual grower that it has actually become an invasive species in many areas of the United States.

Where to Find: Pretty much anywhere in prepared form. If you want a bag full of mustard seeds it might be best to go to an Indian market.

Relevant Blog: Black Mustard which is actually a knitting blog, but that's okay!

Bottom Line: Black mustard is the real deal, and is more than just a liquid condiment.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Black mustard nutritional information from WHFoods
3. Image of black mustard from Flickr Creative Commons

Raclette

2010-08-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

In and amongst all the weekends I've been working, Sarah and I have been finalizing our plans for our honeymoon in France. Yes, we'll go to museums and stuff, but the really exciting thing is the food. Especially, the cheese. So as a prelude to a stinky cheese adventure, I was happy to try some raclette at my father's, over the weekend.

History: Raclette is a cheese and a type of dish named after the cheese. Wikipedia isn't its usual helpful self here, merely saying that this is a semi-firm cheese made from cow's milk which is "very good for melting." I knew there had to be more to the history of this seriously funky cheese, and with a little (very little) more sleuthing I found it. This cheese hails from Switzerland although the word is French, meaning "to scrape." Supposedly, somebody left their cheese round a bit too close to the campfire in 13th century Switzerland, and noticed that it was beginning to melt nicely. They scraped (ahh...the scraping reference) the melted part off and smeared it on some pickles and potatoes and the dish raclette was born. I'm a bit suspicious of the story since potatoes are a new world food introduced to Europe in 1536, but it is a nice tale... Nowadays, raclette is arguably more popular than fondue, in Switzerland at least.

Worldwide Production: Raclette is not a protected designation, which means that it can be made anywhere. Actual production numbers are hard to come by.

How it's Made: Raclette cheeses are made in classic rounds, about one foot across and 3" thick. The rounds are aged for 3-4 months and develop a hard beige exterior. This cheese belongs to the broad category of washed rind cheeses which are well known to be stinky!

Where to Find: Supposedly the best raclette hails from one of these four villages: Gomser, Conches, Bagnes, and Orsieres.

Relevant Blog: Ideal Cheese Blog: The post describes a "raclette party."

Bottom Line: Some might find it a bit strong straight-up, but this might be the ideal melting cheese. Yum!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Gourmet Sleuth
3. That's the makings of a party...from Flickr Creative Commons

Jamaica Plain Farmers Market

2010-08-10T00:01:00.009-04:00

Okay, so I made it to one farmers market last week, at least.

To Bostonians and non-, Jamaica Plain is known as the grungy melting pot of the city. In this diverse neighborhood, you will find Boston's only food co-op (Harvest Co-op), as well as a more organic endeavor, City Feed & Supply. You can also find numerous local-food type restaurants, the most well known of which is Ten Tables (haven't been there yet, but want to!).

So I was rather surprised to find that the Jamaica Plain Farmers' Market is so tiny! This market is held on Tuesday afternoons from 12 noon to 5 pm, and is situated in the Bank of America parking lot. Unfortunately, the business of Bank of America continues on unabated, and as a result only a tiny little corner of the lot is actually market. When I went there last week, there were only four vendors: the ubiquitous Stillman's Farm, another smaller produce stand, a tiny bakery stand, and a honey vendor.

That being said, everything was clearly top notch quality. I suspect that some of the vegetables at Farmer's Markets make the rounds, and if you want to catch them early and at top form, this might be the place to do it!

Image of a certain house in Jamaica Plain during the colder season (in 1939), from the Boston Public Library archives.

Farmer's Market Bust

2010-08-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

So much for best intentions. My week of explorations of the local farmers market scene came up pretty much a bust. This is due to the one flaw in the otherwise excellent farmers market system: heat. Humid, moist, muggy, cloying, oppressive heat. The kind of heat that makes fresh veggies happy in their earthen beds makes me a soggy mess. The idea of slogging it by bike to various markets in the midsummer sweatiness of the city last week was just a bit too much.

My heart goes out to the brave farmers manning the booths! I promise I will try to make it to your markets soon!

Meanwhile I've just finished working the fourth weekend of an eight week series and I don't get paid anything close to a professional athlete. So I may or may not get more posts out this week, despite more good intentions.

Image of a hot place, from Flickr Creative Commons

National Farmers' Market Week, 2010

2010-08-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

This week (actually, starting yesterday) is the annual National Farmers' Market Week here in the United States. I intend to spend the week visiting various markets in the Boston area. This also provides me a good excuse to take some time off the blog as I work off my massive sleep deficit. Next week, look for some pictures from my excursions.

'Til then,
Jeremy

P.S. This seems as good as a time as any to solicit some direct feedback, please leave a comment if you have any ideas for features, particular foods, etc. Thanks!

Image from the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers' Market

A Boston Ferry Building Market?

2010-07-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe, but Boston seems to be thinking seriously of catching up with the likes of San Francisco (The Ferry Building), Philadelphia (Reading Terminal), Pittsburgh (The Strip), Los Angeles, etc. The news that Boston plans to build a public food market to feature local and artisanal foods has created quite a stir. When it opens in a year or so, I'll plan to be there!

Heirloom Thursday: Gherkins

2010-07-29T00:01:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned in a comment last week, this blog is a continual process of learning. And so it is with cucumbers. I was glancing back at my original post, from March 2009, where I made the statement "cucumbers are around all year." Not so, of course - unless we're discussing the greenhouse variety. One way to get cucumbers all year is to eat pickles. I was raised on pickles, which are one of those foods like bagels which were once pretty ethnic but no longer. Now that I'm older, I don't really like the dills and bread & butters that we used to eat; I've become a cornichon connoisseur.

History: Cornichons are pickled gherkins. What are gherkins? That, my friend, is a somewhat contentious subject. Some sources say that gherkins are actually a different species, Cucumis anguria. This is probably not the case - these are more commonly called "burr gherkins" and are spiky little balls. Others say that a gherkin is simply a young cucumber. And the majority say that gherkins are a group of cultivars that happen to be little. What is clear is that little cucumbers have been transformed into spicy little pickles called cornichons, served alongside French things like pate, since at least 1820.

Eating and Processing: A lot of white wine vinegar and shallots are what seems to set cornichons aside from ordinary pickles. Be aware, though, that these can range from merely plebeian to absolutely delicious! Here is one of many recipes.
Health Information: Let's be honest - brining a cucumber in a whole bunch of salt isn't likely to improve its nutritional qualities. Although, if you interrupt your pate noshing for a bite of cornichon, maybe they are healthy by the process of subtraction!

Sustainability: Preserved foods of any kind offer a leg up on the sustainability front, for the simple fact that they don't have to be refrigerated, etc. I read an article a few years ago (in Gourmet, maybe?) that all the gherkin production in France was being outsourced to places like India. The weather in India is more fitting for cucumber growth, but some properly lament the loss of a countryside tradition. Of course, the most sustainable way to enjoy gherkins is to grow your own and pickle a few, an effort that may be more than worth it!

Where to Find: My favorite commercial brand is Maille (I'm in agreement with a French chef from San Francisco, read about the blind taste test).

Bottom Line: Whatever gherkins might be, they are definitely best as cornichons!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. What is a gherkin?
3. Extreme closeup from Flickr Creative Commons

Book Review: Small-Plot, High-Yield Gardening

2010-07-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

My first and only complaint about this book is that the title is completely misleading. It is clearly the authors' belief that a "small plot" is a 400 square foot garden (and the book has plans for up to 3,000 square foot gardens!). These are clearly not city dwellers. My garden consists of two raised beds, each two by eight feet, for a grand total of 32 square feet...I have a few more things squeezed into containers but that's about all the space there is, folks.

So a lot in this book, such as creating a mirror-image garden and rotating crops, and leaving 1-2 foot spaces between vegetables so you can weed with a hoe, just isn't relevant to me. The authors' are also quite clear on the two most important requirements for a successful garden: space, and sun. Well, I don't have too much of either, unfortunately...

Okay, so that aside this is still a great book for anybody even the slightest bit interested in starting their own garden. Sal Gilbertie, the owner of the largest herb grower in the United States, had some help from Larry Sheehan, a well-known author. Together they take an unforgiving organic approach to gardening, and the book is stuffed with good advice.

I especially liked the second half, where they proceed chronologically from plant to plant (from the time of planting, not the time of harvest). There is so much good information in here that either I have to copy it out by hand from my copy from the library, or take the plunge and buy the book. With the gentle suggestion that the 2nd edition be called just "High-Yield Gardening."

Wild Grapes (My 500th Post!)

2010-07-27T00:01:00.003-04:00

It's fitting that the 500th post on Basic Eating, which seems like some sort of major milestone, would feature grapes. The first design of the blog had grapes on the logo, and my Twitter page has them in the background. It's a bit of a stretch to say that the blog was inspired by grapes, but one of my first encounters with urban locavorism was a grapevine that I happened across in Venice.

When I was preparing the little space behind our apartment for installation of the raised beds, there was a great deal of growth choking the chain link fence separating us from the adjacent property. As I was clearing some of this out to let more light onto the raised beds, I noticed that one of the vines was a grapevine. With a bit of careful tending, this vine has now taken over the entire fence! Here's a close-up of the grapes, type to be determined...

GEM #20: Recycle Your Potatoes

2010-07-26T00:01:00.001-04:00

This winter, we were confronted with a whole lot of potatoes, courtesy of Boston Organics. We used as many as we could, but inevitably the pantry began to fill with questionable specimens. Some of these sprouted large stalks about six inches long, with some withered-looking leaves clinging to the stalks. I don't have a picture but I found this one on the internet, which is considerably healthier-looking than what we had:

We happened to have a big pot sitting around, so figured there wasn't much to lose and stuck four of these in the dirt, with the stalk sticking just a bit above ground. After a generous watering, nothing happened, so we figured the experiment was a failure. But then...one by one, these tubers started to perk up and even to start putting on new leaves! After a few weeks, we had this:

Then a stretch of pleasant, balmy weather hit the area and our little spuds exploded! Pretty soon they the vines were practically falling over under their own weight:

By July 4th, the vines were looking pretty peaked, thanks in part to the brutally hot temperatures. I was also getting a bit concerned about late blight, because of the way they were withering away. This was an experiment, after all, so I let them linger a bit longer. Finally, this past week was designated as harvest time. One of the four potatoes turned out to be a dud, but from the others:

Bottom Line: We might have gotten lucky, but this is an experiment definitely worth repeating!

Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

2010-07-23T00:01:00.003-04:00

Every morning on my bike ride to work, I pass houses displaying their shorn grass, then houses with mulch-coated dirt garnishing their driveways. Shortly I get to something different - a few houses whose occupants, whether through neglect or intention, have allowed their chicory to grow rampant. A few hundred meters of chicory blooming in the early morning sun and I'm in a much better mood. The picture is a representative example of what I might find, before the heat of the day drives the flowers into hiding.

History: Chicory is native to Europe, and is "naturalized" here in the United States and in Australia. There are two main types of chicory, both of which are cultivated and found wild. The "leaf" varieties include some well known edible crops: Belgian endive, and radicchio (both of which deserve their own blog entries). The "root" varieties have a large taproot that has some interesting uses (see below).

Worldwide Production: 586 thousand tons, much of which is grown for processing of the root.

Growing: Don't mow the lawn, and you will probably have your chicory, possibly after some selective pruning.

Harvesting: If you're going after the root, best to let the plant grow to full maturity. Alternatively if the leaves are your goal, you want them young and tender.

Eating and Processing: The notable thing about chicory is the bitter taste, which attracts some and definitely repels many more. Belgian endive goes through a special growing process to try to decrease the amount of bitterness. Leaves, buds, and roots can all be eaten. The most interesting way to use chicory is to grind up the root, roast it, and use it as a substitute for coffee. Probably only the most dedicated locavore would do this, especially since chicory contains no caffeine. However, the practice of mixing chicory root into coffee is still very much in fashion in New Orleans.

That doesn't explain the remarkably large amount of chicory grown in the world, though. The explanation is that the root contains a large amount of inulin, up to 20% by weight. Inulin is a starch which is used in a variety of ways by the processed food industry, usually to substitute for sugar, fat, or flour.

Health Information: Chicory greens, like most dark leafy greens, are very healthy for you, with decent amounts of vitamins A, C, and K along with smatterings of minerals. The roots don't quite shine as much nutritionally, but aren't unhealthy in any particular way.

Sustainability: If you ship in fresh Belgian endive from Europe, not so sustainable. If you get yourself into your xeriscaped backyard and dig yourself up some chicory root, very sustainable. Your choice!

Where to Find: Backyards, roadsides.

Relevant Blog: Starting From Scratch: Cool idea, three families are trying to survive only on what they can grow, forage, or hunt. Link to a post on chicory.

Bottom Line: Most don't like the bitter taste of the greens, but its still nice to recognize and if you like it, go foraging!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Orleans Coffee Exchange - a source for ground chicory root.
3. Chicory greens nutrition facts

Heirloom Thursday: Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

2010-07-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

The tomatoes aren't just coming, they're here! Each week at our farmer's market, more and more tomatoes are making their appearance. This week, one of the more unusual and tasty varieties was the Cherokee purple.

History: Like most heirlooms, this one has quite an interesting story behind it. It is a so-called "black" tomato, which refers to the very deep, almost chocolatey, color of its flesh. One Craig LeHoullier received a mysterious packet of seeds from this tomato, along with a cryptic note, back in 1990. Obviously such a recent tomato wouldn't make the roster of "heirlooms" but the note reported that the seeds were from a line propagated for 100 years, and supposedly given to the original owner by the Cherokee peoples. And thus the name, for what has become a very popular heirloom, mostly because it tastes so good!

Worldwide Production: Hard to know, given that so many are backyard specimens.

Growing: These are indeterminate type tomatoes, and ripen in 80 days. A healthy plant can get to be nine feet tall, and the tomatoes themselves can weigh 16 ounces.

Eating and Processing: There are so many ways to eat a tomato, but these have such good flavor that they should be enjoyed out of hand or in as simple a recipe as possible.

Health Information: Homegrown tomatoes taste so good that health doesn't even seem to factor. Well, it turns out that they are incredibly healthy, with lots of Vitamins A, C, K, and potassium.

Where to Find: Farmer's markets, for one. If you want to try your hand at growing them in your backyard, try the Seed Saver's Exchange.

Relevant Blog: CherokeePurple.com - a short-lived endeavor, but still!

Bottom Line: These make a mockery out of those croquet balls lurking in the "fresh produce" aisle.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Tantalizing Tomatoes!
3. Tomato nutrition facts

Common Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

2010-07-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend, we headed down to Connecticut for a barbeque with my sister and her boyfriend. On the way, we stopped at a lavender "farm" which had been touted by the Boston Globe and some other sources. This turns out to be a dairy farm (Fort Hill Farm) with extensive gardens propagated by the eccentric but friendly co-owner, Kristin. She found some old foundations on the property, cleaned them out, and started growing lavender within the sun-soaked confines. The result was lovely and I don't think I've ever seen so many bees in one place! Maybe with a host of lavender around, my squash would actually get pollinated!

History: Lavender is a diverse genus, with 39 different species in all. They are all members of the mint family and originate from the Pyrenees region of northeast Spain.

Growing: Lavender is hardy and is one of the more well known "xeriscape" plants. This means that they are naturally drought-tolerant and do well in arid regions without much natural water (such as California).
Harvesting: Once the flowers pop up, they can be clipped off; the main bush lives on.

Eating and Processing: Lavender is eaten in three main forms: 1) as a spice that, once dried, forms a component of the well known herbes de Provence; 2) as part of an herbal tea; 3) as honey, after processing by the bees that love it. Such honey usually carries the scent of lavender through.

Health Information: There are a lot of claims for lavender's ability to soothe the nerves and calm the senses, when used as aromatherapy or as an essential oil. I couldn't find very much about what consuming it as a food might mean.

Sustainability: Excellent potential to replace pieces of the #1 crop in America ("lawn") with appropriate, beautiful, and functional shrubs.

Where to Find: We plan to find some in our yard, very soon (after we plant it...).

Relevant Blog: Discover Lavender

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Soothed and calmed bee, from Flickr Creative Commons

Where oh Where are the Bees?

2010-07-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Molecular Monday: Lycopene

2010-07-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Our tomato plant has a few little nubbins which might turn into actual tomatoes, and the deluge is starting to hit the farmer's markets. So now seems a good time to write about lycopene, which I've written about before but always deserves a second look.

Abundant Sources: The most well known source of lycopene is the tomato, which contains between 9 and 42 micrograms of lycopene per gram of fruit. Red grapefruits, in comparison, contain between 3.6 and 34 micrograms per gram. Other good sources include pink guava, papayas, and watermelons. Gac, a Vietnamese fruit that I hope tastes better than it sounds, has 2,000 micrograms of lycopene per gram of fruit! As far as getting the lycopene out of the fruit and into the human, this is where some processing might be beneficial. Lycopene is tightly bound to plant fiber so much of it may pass through undigested when consumed in raw form. Cooking, and especially cooking in oil, might jostle the lycopene into a more bioavailable scenario.

Structure and Synthesis: Lycopene is a relatively simple molecule built of just carbon and hydrogen, and was first described in 1931. It is basically a straight hydrocarbon composed of multiple isoprene units and technically referred to as a tetraterpene. Plants and some bacteria can make lycopene, and it is the structure itself that yield the characteristic bright red color. Lycopene is an intermediate to beta-carotene (vitamin A); an example of this is scarlet carrots which contain lycopene, whereas regular orange carrots contain beta-carotene.

Mechanism of Action: Lycopene has been shown to be a very powerful anti-oxidant, in test tubes at least. How powerful? Try 100 times stronger than vitamin E, and 125 times stronger than glutathione, the body's natural antioxidant.

Health Effects: So how does this test tube finding translate into real health benefit? The tomato industry made a lot of hay out of this and put forth quite a few health claims which were, ahem, undersupported. In fact, the FDA finally concluded that the evidence out there for the benefits of lycopene was pretty weak and issued this allowable health claim: "Very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests that eating one-half to one cup of tomatoes and/or tomato sauce a week may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim." A recent review out of MSKCC (March 2010) comes to similar conclusions, and even advises cancer patients to avoid high doses of lycopene during chemotherapy due to possible interactions.

Clinical Trials: There are currently 15 recruiting trials, looking at a smattering of different potential benefits of lycopene. Prostate cancer features prominently.

Bottom Line:The health benefits of lycopene are unproven but there can't be much harm in eating the fresh fruits and vegetables which carry this molecule. Make yourself a nice tomato sauce if you want to absorb more lycopene.

References:
1. Wikipedia

Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)

2010-07-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

There doesn't seem like much more New England than cod, and this has certainly been true of the hospital cafeteria, where cod seems to be offered at least every other day. So why is this emblematic fish so firmly in Seafood Watch's AVOID list?

History: Cod used to be one of the most abundant fishes of the northern Atlantic, especially the areas off of the Canadian Maritime provinces and New England. The fishery began to be heavily exploited as early as the 16th century, with roughly 300,000 tons of cod landed per year right up to the middle of the 20th century. Cod played a major role in the development of the colony of Massachusetts, and arguably it was taxation of cod that led to the Boston Tea Party and eventually to the independence of the United States.

Worldwide Catch: 2,700 tons in 2007 (Northwest stocks), down 99% from 1977. ~500,000 tons in 2003 (Northeast stocks) with an allowable catch of 27,300 tons.

Growing: Cod is a so-called top-tier predator, a carnivore living near the top of the food chain. These types of animals, like lions, tigers, and bears, are slow growing and not very common.

Eating and Processing: Cod, usually in dried and/or salted form, is a very traditional component of many European cuisines (Venetian, Portuguese, Catalonian, Icelandic just to name a few).

Health Information: As is the case with most fish, cod is very high in protein. What cod are left actually don't contain very much mercury, despite their high food-chain position.

Sustainability: The Northeast stock, which lives around Iceland and mostly in the Barents Sea, has a large but dwindling the stock. It is the Northwest stock which has really been run into the ground. This fishery has essentially been completely collapsed since the early 1990's. There's nothing particularly special about this story except that overfishing, gross oversight, and flagrant violation of quotas has taken its natural toll. The fate of cod should serve as an extreme caution to fish eaters about the possible (near) future fates of multiple other wild fishes. Look at the numbers above again, and understand why this makes me shudder in anger - an "allowable catch" of 27,300 tons, and an actual catch more than twenty times as much?! Some think that the Northwest cod stocks will never recover, because fish lower on the food-chain have now become the top predators.

Relevant Blog: Mother Nature Network: a post on overfishing.

Bottom Line: I strongly recommend not eating this fish until if and when stocks recover, and/or the actual catches are somewhat in line with those recommended by scientific bodies. Now, how do I get it off the hospital cafeteria menu?

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Cod nutrition facts
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: Cambozola

2010-07-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

As promised it's been an absolutely hectic week, but I have time to squeeze in a quick post. I've also had some time to eat, fortunately, and that includes an occasional favorite, cambozola. I first spotted this cheese when I started living on my own in San Diego, in 1999. I knew I loved brie, and I knew I loved blue cheese, so why not put them together? (P.S. this is an "heirloom" because I've written about brie and blue cheese before...)

History: The name cambozola is NOT a combination of camembert and gorgonzola, the camb- is from the Roman settlement Cambodunum, an early cheesemaking mecca. A similar cheese has actually been around since 1900, but wasn't produced commercially until 1980. It is manufactured solely by Champignon, a German company located in southernmost Bavaria.

Worldwide Production: I don't know, but you can find this in most supermarkets these days, actually.

How it's Made: This soft cheese is made with cow's milk in much the same way that any brie-type cheese is made, with the added inoculation of Penicillium roquefortium leading to the blue cheesiness in the middle.

Health Information: How many triple creme cheeses can really be good for you? Oh well...

Relevant Blog: Lemon and Cheese - a recipe for spinach and cambozola pasta.

Bottom Line: If you like brie and you like blue cheese, trust me, you've got to try cambozola!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Champignon website (in English)
3. Image from the Champignon website

Sporadic Posting Ahead

2010-07-12T18:58:00.000-04:00

I wish I could say it's because I'm enjoying a well-deserved summer vacation. Unfortunately, the truth is that now that I've transitioned to my second year of fellowship, July is going to be a particularly punishing month. Starting today, I'll be spending 14 of the next 21 days on the inpatient bone marrow transplant service. In the little free time I'm going to have, I'll be headed out of town to spend some time with relatives.

So, this means that I'm going to have to take a hiatus from blogging. I hope to squeeze in some quick posts here and there, but don't anticipate getting back to a regular schedule until August.

So enjoy the bounty of your gardens, or your farmer's market's gardens, and check in now and again. See you later!

Image of wildflowers in the backyard - maybe Allium?

Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)

2010-07-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

The Boston area is known for a lot of strangely named places. One of these is the Alewife area of Cambridge, known to most as the end of the Red Line. Sarah and I took a bike ride on the Minuteman Trail over the long weekend, which parallels the Alewife Brook. We learned that the stream is named after a fish called the alewife, and the culinary investigation was off!

History: The alewife is a type of herring native to the Atlantic coast of North America (although the very geeky amongst you may note that the Latin species name is literally "false herring"). The common name comes from the resemblance to the portly wives of tavern owners ("ale-wives"), although I can't quite see the resemblance myself. Anyway, the name very much stuck, although there are some other regional names for this fish as well. It was at one time an important food fish in New England and the Maritime colonies, and is still sometimes used as a baitfish. You will find it sometimes called "LY" in the South.

Worldwide Annual Catch: In 1896, around 22 million individual alewives were caught in the Gulf of Maine. In 2010, when one alewife is caught, it makes news.

Lifecycle: Alewives are one of the few anadromous fish, i.e. fish that spend part of their lives in the ocean and part of their lives in freshwater. They are unable to navigate anything more than mild rapids on their trip upstream.

Harvesting: The favored way to catch alewives was through the creation of a weir. Conveniently, these were much in demand in the 1800's as they are also the way to make mill ponds. There are still multiple weirs all over this area, and now I know one more reason why they exist! These obstacles are able to be overcome by the alewife, but they create bottlenecks where seine nets can be used to corral large numbers of fish.

Eating and Processing: Nowadays you are most likely to encounter an alewife in smoked form, and labeled as generic "herring."

Health Information: Essentially the same nutritional contents as Atlantic Herring. No, the USDA does not have separate information on alewives!

Sustainability: Two interesting issues here. One, you might guess that between damming, development, pollution, and rerouting of streams all up and down the Eastern seaboard, the native range of alewife is severely restricted. This is certainly true, although in less developed areas such as Nova Scotia, this is still an abundant fish. The one alewife that made news, mentioned above, was found in the Bronx River, a place where it was thought vanished for 300+ years! The other interesting story is the invasion of the Great Lakes by alewife. This began as soon as a canal was routed around Niagara falls, and has been a major problem. Various attempts, including introducing Pacific salmons into the lakes, have been tried with some varying success.

Where to Find: You probably won't. Which makes an ethical dilemma about eating a species subject to extreme environmental pressures, well, moot.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Image of an alewife from Wikimedia

Heirloom Thursday: Golden Zucchini

2010-07-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

Summer is very definitely upon us! As I write this, it's in the mid-90's out, and humid. Some might find this tolerable; personally I find solace in summer vegetables like zucchini. So far our little zucchini plants have made some impressive leaves and some flowers, but no luck in pollination...yet. This week we enjoyed some yellow monsters from the farmer's market.

History: Like all summer squash, the ancestors of zucchini come from the Americas, not Italy. However, what we call a zucchini seems to be a fairly recent mutation that did arise in Italy a hundred years ago or so. The little squash then wended its way back to the United States only in the 1920's. At this point only the familiar green form was known; it wasn't until 1973 that W. Atlee Burpee introduced a "golden" variety, produced at Rutgers. This variety is now pushing 40 years so could be considered an heirloom by some definitions.

Worldwide Production: 20.9 million tons, which includes all squash.

Growing: Zucchini are easy to grow, needing mostly water and sunlight. They are pollinated by honey bees, and if they don't get enough pollen the fruits will be stunted. As we've learned to our chagrin, there needs to be at least one male and one female flower open at one time in order for pollination to happen at all! The fruits have a well known ability to sneak up on home gardeners and hit them in the head just like a baseball bat.

Harvesting: The smaller they are, the more tender they'll be.

Eating and Processing: I personally love zucchini chopped into any kind of chunk, brushed with olive oil, and charred on the grill. They are also an essential component to an easy pasta primavera. In desperate times, the home gardener can begin exploring the art of zucchini-boat making.

Health Information: Zucchini are mostly water, more than 95% by weight. Which means that a cup of zucchini only has 18 kcal! The only vitamin that zucchinis have in quantity is vitamin C, with one third of the daily RDA in one cup.

Sustainability: Squash are a great crop that nearly anyone should be able to give a try. More local food = more sustainability, in this case.

Bottom Line: Zucchini are filling yet have hardly any calories, making them a great presence at almost any meal.

Relevant Blog: Chocolate & Zucchini, of course!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Zucchini nutrition facts
3. Image from my personal collection

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus)

2010-07-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

Most of the berries of summer have made their appearance in recent weeks at the Brookline Farmer's Market. The blackberry is no exception. I have to admit it isn't one of my favorites, but I dutifully bought a box to give them another try. Yep, still not a fan - at least not when they're raw and straight-up. They're still deserving of a post, though!

History: Unlike its close cousin the raspberry, blackberry can refer to many different species - up to 375, in fact! This is an area of ripe taxonomic confusion, as some of these should really be considered subspecies. Blackberries have long spread throughout the world, but are generally native to temperate areas.

Worldwide Production: at least 20,500 tons, the bulk of which are grown in Oregon. This may come close to the worldwide production of RIM Blackberries!

Growing: Blackberries are tenacious and getting rid of them can be more of a problem than growing them. Here, for example, is advice on how to remove them without pesticides. Still, the majority of commercial blackberries have some level of pesticide, mostly to treat a fungal disease called double blossom.

Harvesting: Pick your own (PYO) is so popular that there's an acronym. But most are picked by someone else...

Eating and Processing: Here's my complaint about blackberries - I find them excessively seedy. So some alternatives to eating them fresh from the box would be jams and pies. Yum!

Health Information: There's no doubt these are healthy little treats. One cup of blackberries has 50% of the RDA for vitamin C, and 30% (8 grams) of fiber. Other strong points are vitamin K (36%) and manganese (47%). And they have plenty of other vitamins and minerals in smaller quantities.

Sustainability: Some types of blackberries have become serious invasive species. Thus the whole eradication sans pesticide effort. They seem like a decent invasive species to have around (versus, say, ailanthus trees...) but it's still a problem.

Where to Find: Farmer's markets and fields in temperate regions during the summer season.

Relevant Blog: Good like finding a blog that isn't about the RIM Blackberry...

Bottom Line: If you can get past the seeds, this is a very healthy seasonal treat.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Blackberry nutrition facts
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

New Hampshire, 2010

2010-07-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Credit goes to Sarah for capturing this amazing picture of a lupine!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

Image from Flickr Creative Commons

The Humane Alternative

2010-07-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

I have to say, I've become a lot more choosy about chicken and eggs (don't ask me which came first...). It's hard to justify odious suffering for what really comes down to personal pleasure. Fortunately there are some reasonable alternatives out there, and they won't all break the bank. Here is some terminology that is nice to know about, from disingenuous to reassuring. (As a side note, if it ain't labeled in a restaurant, assume it ain't any of these things!):

All Natural, Natural, Naturally Raised, etc: These bullsh*t terms are all over the market these days, usually directly adjacent to a pretty picture of a red barn sitting amongst green fields with a happy sun nearby. Even though I know these terms have no meaning whatsoever and are completely unregulated, they still trick me now and again.

Cage-Free: It sounds nice, although it smacks of Orwellian doublespeak. The idea is that if the "default" is imprisonment in tiny cages, then the obvious alternative is "cage-free." Basically, these chickens can enjoy their (short) lives a bit more, because they can run around a bit in their enclosed shed. Here, though, are a few concerns raised by the Humane Society of the United States:

Cage-free farms typically buy their hens from the same hatcheries that supply battery-cage farms. These hatcheries kill the male chicks upon hatching—more than 200 million each year in the United States alone.
Most cage-free hens have part of their beaks burned off, a painful mutilation.
Hens are typically slaughtered at less than two years old, far less than half their normal lifespan. They are often transported long distances to slaughter plants with no food or water.
While the vast majority of the battery and cage-free egg industry no longer uses starvation to force molt the birds, there are battery and cage-free producers alike who still use this practice.

Free Range: Okay, now we're getting close to the idyll seen in my picture from Monday, right? Well...maybe. As I pointed out, the USDA does not regulate this term except for some minimal effort. This, in fact, is the full definition from the USDA website: "Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside." As others much more well known than me (like Michael Pollan) have shown, this can be as little as a tiny yard off the shed that hardly any of the chickens ever figure out exists!

Humane Certified: Certification appeals to me and to a lot of people. A stamp of approval is probably the closest society will ever get to a contract between producers and consumers, when there aren't laws to enforce decent behavior (a la Proposition 2). Even though stories abound of evisceration of standards, you have to start somewhere. There are several groups that issue some sort of certification of decent treatment; the most common that I've encountered is the "Certified Humane Raised & Handled" label, from Humane Farm Animal Care. They lay out fairly rigorous standards, backed up by a team of scientists, across a whole array of animals and animal products. For example, there is a 31-page document on meat chicken standards (PDF here), summarized as:

Access to wholesome and nutritious feed
Appropriate environmental design
Caring and responsible planning and management
Skilled, knowledgeable, and conscientious animal care
Considerate handling, transport, and slaughter

Local Stuff: The best option is to shorten your supply line as much as possible, so that you can see with your own eyes how the chicken and eggs you eat are treated. If a local supplier is human certified, so much the better. For the vast majority of us who don't or can't raise our own chickens, this is as good as it gets!

Bottom Line: Yes, we'll be having chicken as an option at the wedding, but only after a lot of thought. Finding chicken and eggs that meet "ecotarian standards" can be hard, but it's not impossible!

Relevant Blog: Eat. Drink...Better. I just found this blog, which is right up the ecotarian alley! The link is to a post about labeling.

Image of local eggs from Flickr Creative Commons

Life as a Layer

2010-07-01T00:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I wrote about the death of layers, whose destiny is the stewing pot if they can only remain healthy enough. The sad truth is, that laying hens are probably the most inhumanely treated of all the animals that we depend on for sustenance. Most cows and pigs at least get the occasional pat on the snout; layers can look forward to being jammed into cages smaller than their bodies, having their beaks burned off so that they don't cannibalize their cagemates, having their bones collapse as they develop osteoporosis from lack of vitamin D and exercise, and rubbing all of their feathers off in desperate bids to escape the boredom.

You may say this doesn't apply, that you only purchase free range eggs, but that places you in the less than 5% minority in the United States. The majority of eggs in this country come from battery hens, crammed eight to ten chickens per cage. The battery cage was invented in the 1930's as a way to guarantee access to eggs; the gently sloped floor causes the eggs to roll right out of the chicken's grasp and right into the human's. Such convenience obviously lowers the bottom line and as such it's really no surprise that this method quickly became de facto in the US.

And how about those free-range hens? It turns out that the USDA has no uniform standard definition of what free range is. By some interpretations, if one was to open the door to a battery cage for as little as five minutes a day, eggs from those chickens could be labeled "free range" or "cage free" even if the chickens never bothered to leave the cage.

But finally for some good news, at least in parts of the world. Switzerland has banned battery cages since 1992. And the European Union is about to phase them out, this year. Back here in the good ole' United States, California is the only state to have passed a law "against" battery cages (Proposition 2) and it remains to be seen if this will be followed by more states and maybe some federal regulations.

Bottom Line: Follow the Swiss and don't be neutral when it comes to battery cages and the abject life of laying hens.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Some comments on free range
3. Image of a more-humane-than-the-norm battery operation from Wikipedia

Death at a Tender Age

2010-06-30T00:01:00.001-04:00

For those of you who aren't math inclined or at least don't want to do the calculations, we kill and eat an astonishing number of chickens. In the United States alone:

756,000,000 chickens per month.
9,075,000,000 chickens per year.

The vast majority of these chickens meet their end very prematurely, in part because they've been bred to grow rapidly so that turnover can be equally rapid. Some terminology is in order:

Poussin or Coquelet: A chicken less than 28 days old.

Fryers and Broilers: A reference to the manner in which they are commonly cooked, these most common of chickens are typically slaughtered between the age of 42 and 49 days old.

Roasters: These adolescents weigh in at a solid 6-8 pounds and are allowed to live to the ripe age of 100 days. Because this necessitates more care to keep the chicken alive, they correspondingly cost considerably more per pound than broilers.

Stewing Chicken: These venerable hens are typically layers which have survived the hardships of that particular task for about one year, and still manage to weigh in at an appreciable weight, around 10 pounds. Because they are so old, their meat is tough and they taste best when slowly simmered a la stew. That being said most will agree that they have the tastiest and most complex meat.

So all that being said, how long can a chicken be expected to live under natural conditions, anyway? A tough question given that few chickens have lived under natural conditions in thousands of years, but probably they can live eight to ten years. So even those venerable stewing hens are really not too old!

Bottom Line: If you eat chicken and want it to live at least a little of the good life, consider searching stewing hens which had previously been utilized to produce humane certified eggs.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Statistics from Gristle, edited by Moby & Miyun Park.
3. Prepare thyself for the fryer, chick - from Flickr Creative Commons

CAFO's Should Gall Us

2010-06-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

The history of factory farming is the history of chicken farming. In the 1920's, the discovery and synthesis of essential vitamins led to the possibility of raising chickens indoors. In 1928, the Republican Party ran a campaign for a new age of "Republican Prosperity" which included a "chicken in every pot. And a car in every backyard, to boot." While the Great Depression that quickly followed might have put a dent in the car plan (not for too long, though, as we all know), chicken factory farming took off.

The term "concentrated animal feeding operation" (CAFO) was first defined by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1976, as a follow-up to the Clean Water Act of 1972. The reasons for the definition was to try to get some control over the immense polluting animal factories that previously had no real oversight. A large CAFO was defined, for chickens, as a facility with 125,000 or more chickens.

According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74% of chickens worldwide are raised on CAFO's and these operations essentially account for the vast majority of chicken eaten in this country. There are over 600 large CAFO's in Alabama alone, and many of these have well in excess of 1,000,000 live chickens at any given time.

So first there is the issue of waste - how much is there? Your average broiler in a CAFO will produce 0.14 pounds of feces per day. There are an estimated 16 billion chickens alive in the world at any given time. Some simple math:

Worldwide Annual Fecal Production in CAFO's: 302.5 million tons, similar to the total world output of potatoes!

One of the huge issues here is that CAFO manure isn't put back into the land, as opposed to that from, say, pastured chickens. This is extremely toxic stuff that, in concentrated form, has so much nitrate that it will burn any plant it comes into contact with. This stuff is often stored in lagoons where it might be broken down by bacteria and algae over the years. Of course, there have been numerous episodes of lagoon breaks, resulting in death to millions of fish. The Gulf of Mexico dead zone, a 22,000 square kilometer area of no aquatic life, can thank CAFO's for at least 15% of its regular supply of death-dealing nitrogen (the oil spill, in comparison, is about 20% as big).

And what happens to the chickens who die from the stress of the CAFO environment, before they even hit the slaughterhouse? There's about 7,000,000,000 of these every single year, ~5% of the total. These chickens become the "property" of the CAFO farmer (as opposed to the live ones which are leased from a corporation) and the disposal is at their discretion, usually through incineration in the United States. That at least is preferable to China, where up to 80% of these downers end up in the food supply anyway.

Okay, I'll wrap this up with a comment about E. coli. The contamination of more that 99% of supermarket birds by E. coli, and the resultant one million or more cases of food poisoning in the United States each year, is more the result of slaughtering practices, but these practices have come hand in hand with the CAFO's they support. Basically the crowded conditions guarantee that all chickens will share pathogenic strains of bacteria. They are then slaughtered well in advance of consumption, allowing the feces tainting their bodies to harbor a sizeable population of E. coli. Bon appetit!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Estimating Manure Production
3. Image of an old-fashioned CAFO that has only one floor and has natural sunlight, from Wikipedia.

Chickening Out

2010-06-28T00:01:00.002-04:00

I'm going to change gears somewhat this week and devote the entire week to talking some chicken. There's some background behind this. Sarah and I were initially strongly inclined towards an all-vegetarian menu for our wedding, which is in just a very few months from now. Our families and caterer convinced us otherwise and we are having a choice of a chicken main course...Some couples have angst over conflict diamonds, some over virgin forest-derived invitations. Okay we have some of that angst too, but we have a lot of what you might call humane carnivorism angst.

So this week I'm going to put a spotlight on the chicken industry. Some of this is downright disgusting and I will have some pictures that might offend some. That being said knowledge is the best way to making informed decisions, and perhaps by Friday you will be convinced to put a bit more effort into your chicken and egg purchases, if you aren't already!

For some background read my posts on the chicken here and here, chicken eggs, and California Proposition #2. And here is the layout for the week:

Tuesday: The Environmental Impact of CAFO Chicken Should Gall Us

Wednesday: Death at a Tender Age

Thursday: Life as a Layer

Friday: The Humane Alternative

Image: It's not all green pastures...but sometimes it is, like for these happy chickens in Maryland.

Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

2010-06-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

I'm not the most extroverted of persons, so I always find it a challenge to ask a server in a restaurant for more information about a fish. Recently, we dined in a very fancy Boston restaurant which offered halibut on the menu. My question was Atlantic or Pacific and the server was flummoxed; I settled on the vegetarian entree. It's a big difference, so today I will write about the Atlantic halibut, which is what I presume an otherwise unlabeled fish sitting in a high-end Boston restaurant is.

History: The Atlantic halibut was one of the largest flatfish in the world and lived exclusively in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic. The natural range extends as far south as the Bay of Biscay. This fish was long-lived and could reach lengths of 15 feet.

Worldwide Annual Catch: 35 tons: that's about 200 individual fish.

Growing: Halibut are slow growing fish that don't start reproducing until they are age eight and older. Because they are long-lived and towards the top of the food chain, they are chock full of mercury and PCB's.

Harvesting: Bottom trawling.

Sustainability: Did you notice my use of the past tense and did you take a closer look at the worldwide annual catch? Yes, this is one of the first fish to have been overfished practically to extinction and should serve as strong cautionary note to all seafood lovers. This fish has basically been commercially extinct since 1990, and recently there have been NO spawnings in the George's Bank. So why is Atlantic halibut still being caught and served in high-end restaurants? SeafoodWatch gives this fish an avoid rating, although if you read the report, they actually give it one worse rating that doesn't even show up on the cards - CRITICAL.

Where to Find: I hope you don't.

Relevant Blog: Organic Authority: Pacific vs. Atlantic

Bottom Line: If you come across halibut in a restaurant or a market, ask whether it's Pacific or Atlantic. I'll write about Pacific halibut another time (it's currently NOT overfished) but if you find out that the fish is an Atlantic halibut, consider giving some strong feedback to the purveyor. I know I will next time!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. History of the Atlantic halibut stock
3. Image of halibut from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: Garlic Scapes

2010-06-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

I haven't written about garlic (Allium sativum) since "way back" in October 2008, so it's a good one to review, especially now in the season of garlic scapes. These aren't a variety of garlic at all, but rather part of the plant. A scape is a botanical term for a flowering stalk, and in this case the scape is the long curly stalk that, if left to its own devices, becomes a large garlic flower. Instead, the scapes are cut off so that the garlic plant can concentrate its efforts on making big bulbs.

History: The problem with tracing the history of garlic is that it is for the most part sterile (see below). That said, it is felt to originate from the lands of southern and eastern Asia.

Worldwide Production: 15.7 million tons, nearly all of which is from China (almost 80% of production). The USA, even Gilroy, California - the purported garlic capital of the world - grows only 1.4% of the world's total.

Growing: It turns out that the beautiful scape is best removed, because garlic flowers are almost uniformly sterile. The vast majority of garlic is propagated by taking a clove from a harvested bulb and replanting it. If this is done a month or so before the first frost, garlic will happily re-emerge in the spring in temperate climates. Elsewhere, it can grow year round.

Harvesting: Garlic can be harvested at any point, although the longer it stays in the ground the larger the cloves - to a point. This also increases the risk of attack from pests, of course.

Eating and Processing: Once pulled out the ground, garlic is typically allowed to dry, which greatly extends its shelf life. One common method of "processing" garlic is to leave a portion of the scape on the bulb (1-2 feet or so), let this dry, and braid the bulbs into the easily recognizable garlic plait. Another common thing is to store garlic in oil which is potentially dangerous because the bacteria that causes botulism can still thrive in these conditions. Beyond this, most people know how to use garlic although take note - the more you macerate the cloves (dicing vs. mincing vs. mashing vs. crushing) the stronger the garlic flavor will be.

Health Information: In my original post two years ago, I dismissed the possible health benefits of garlic. The fact remains that this is a seriously hyped plant with a complete lack of solid randomized clinical trials in humans to make any fair conclusions from. That being said, garlic and the purported active ingredient, allicin, are being studied in a few interesting trials now. But here is the rub - it would seem that the active form of allicin is an acid which is formed when cells are crushed (for example, when the garlic is chewed) and that the half-life of this compound is approximately one second. It's hard to think that such an unstable compound could get into the bloodstream and have systemic effects, isn't it?

Sustainability: The pungent sulfurous compound allicin is garlic's natural defense system, and as such this is a crop that needs very little in the way of pesticides. And it's also one you can grow in your own garden with just a little organic input with big rewards.

Where to Find: Anywhere and any time for the bulbs. The scapes are fleeting - get them in the next few weeks if you're around here (New England).

Relevant Blog: Seventh Generation Blog: This post was just put up last week!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Image of garlic scapes from the Brookline Farmer's Market

Book Review: Lasagna Gardening

2010-06-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

One of Sarah's coworkers lent her this oldie but goodie, which I've ravenously read through over the past few weeks. As you can see from my pictures over the last few months, we are enjoying some successes with our foray into urban gardening here in Brookline. We had more space in San Francisco but this space was plagued by wind and shade, and never yielded more than a few scraggly basil leaves.

Still, our efforts thus far have been somewhat ad hoc, with a learn-as-you-go mentality. This is fine and fun as well, but a book with some helpful suggestions, such as how to harvest herbs without killing them, is invaluable. Lasagna Gardening, by Patricia Lanza, fits the bill. This book was published in 1998 (which makes it an oldie but, embarrassingly, significantly more recent that the majority of my music collection...) by Rodale.

The title refers to a method of creating a raised bed with layers of newspaper, mulch, and compost, right on top of what the author derisively calls sod and what most of America calls "the lawn." The goal is to suffocate this pesticide monster and launch a fertile vegetable, herb, and berry patch that will become more fruitful with each passing year. We don't have the room (or sod, for that matter) to do this, but the majority of the book is a listing of high yield, low effort plants with great tips on how to keep your organic garden going strong.

For example, under basil: "Pinch off the shoot tips of your basil every week or two, and your plants will respond by producing bushier growth and more leaves." For rhubarb: "Start pulling red or green stems from the outside of the clump as soon as they are 1/2 inch in diameter. Never take more than one-third of the stems at one time." Just a few of the many practical tips to be found within!

If you enjoy this book, she's come out with two sequels: Lasagna Gardening with Herbs, and Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces.

Opening Day, Brookline Farmers Market 2010

2010-06-22T00:01:00.002-04:00

Molecular Monday #3: Cobalamin

2010-06-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

This vitamin is the central player in the heated debate raging amongst PETA activists and the molar-ry (and maybe even morally) obsessed about whether the human ancestor and indeed the human is an omnivore or an herbivore. Cobalamin, known much more frequently as vitamin B-12, is one of the few vitamins found almost exclusively in animal products.

Abundant Sources: The flesh of animals and dairy products are the only food sources available to humans, with beef liver and clams leading the list. That is, unless you are a cecotrope coprophage. What vitamin B-12 you might find in plant material is poorly absorbed due to competing analogues.

Structure and Synthesis: Vitamin B-12 is a sophisticated organic molecule built on a cobalt atom; the synthetic pathway was worked out in the 1970's (read more here). The only organisms capable of synthesizing this molecule are bacteria; herbivores have the appropriate bacteria in their rumens and can thus be self sufficient. Human gut bacteria do NOT have the capability to synthesize sufficient amounts of cobalamin.

Mechanism of Action: The major function of cobalamin is to regenerate folate to a useful form, so that DNA synthesis and, subsequently, all bodily functions, can continue. Without sufficient amount of B-12, extra doses of folate can overcome this problem, but this only masks another issue. There are several enzymes that are critically dependent of B-12 (MUT and MTR). No amount of folate can compensate for this requirement.

Health Effects: The syndrome of pernicious anemia has been well described in people who can't absorb the appropriate amount of vitamin B-12; folks with a dietary deficiency would be expected to have a similar syndrome of anemia and nerve damage, especially the long tract sensory nerves. This is often accompanied by dementia. Fortunately the normal body stores of vitamin B-12 are sufficient to last for years but someone who has been a vegan for a few years without taking supplements may definitely run into a problem.

Clinical Trials: There are currently 49 active trials looking at the effects of supplemental vitamin B-12. This number is a bit misleading because many of these trials involve the use of vitamin B-12 with certains types of chemotherapy which are known to deplete the folic acid/B-12 pathway.

Bottom Line: This is one case where I will argue against sticking with a Basic Eating diet, especially if you are trending towards veganism. Any supplement should do.

References:
1. Wikipedia

Basically Friday: Bouquet Garni

2010-06-18T00:01:00.002-04:00

(Note: You've probably noticed that for the past few Fridays I've been putting together ingredients in a traditional "recipe" made with Basic ingredients. I'll be labeling these posts "Basically Friday" from now on; enjoy and try these easily modifiable Basic Recipes yourself!)

The French long ago figured out the problem with stringy, unappetizing herb sprigs floating in the stew, and came up with an excellent solution, the bouquet garni. This literally means "garnished bouquet" and there is no one exact recipe. However, the "classic" has several particular herbs and a crafty way of holding them together:

Ingredients:
2 stalks of rosemary
4 sprigs of parsley
4 sprigs of thyme
1 large bay leaf

Method:
1. Cut or fold the rosemary, parsley, and thyme to about 3-4" in length, and line up in a bundle.
2. Wrap the bundle tightly with the bay leaf.
3. Tie the bay leaf with cotton string (hint: don't use colored string, as we accidentally did once...)
4. Throw the bouquet garni in the soup or stew and fish it out before serving.
5. Don't forget to compost the bouquet garni!

If your bay leaf isn't big enough or flexible enough to wrap around the bundle, another option is to take some of the outer (green) leaves from a leek and wrap the whole bundle in there, before tying.

Check out this link for a visual guide to making a bouquet garni.

Image of ingredients for a fantastic bouquet garni, from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla)

2010-06-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

As our Dogma Box (which Boston Organics is renaming, for unclear reasons) becomes flooded with greens and the Farmer's Markets begin opening their doors for the season, chard has once again become ubiquitous. This was truly a new food to me when I first started getting into the CSA thing a few years ago, and one that I've enjoyed getting to know.

History: I've never written about chard so why do I include this as an "heirloom" under my strange definition? Because in fact I have written about the particular species, which as you can tell by the Latin name is nothing but the common garden beet! Beets originated from the Mediterranean region about 4,000 years ago,but chard is a much more recent innovation. The name "Swiss" chard was coined in the 19th century to differentiate this from other types of spinach that were in French seed catalogues.

Worldwide Production: Any statistic here will be flooded out by the sugar beet, also of the same species.

Growing: I haven't tried it yet but apparently chard is one of the easiest plants to grow in a home garden, thriving without much intervention, and sometimes even growing straight through a New England winter with the help of a cold frame!

Harvesting: Leaves are usually picked when they are full-sized but can also be picked when small and tender.

Eating and Processing: Smaller leaves can be eaten raw, in salads. The usual larger leaf has a bitter taste when eaten raw, which disappears completely with any form of cooking. The leaves take on the texture and even the taste of spinach when sauteed, while the thick ribs maintain a crunch akin to cooked celery. And FYI to beet haters, these leaves do not taste like beets!

Health Information: Chard is really healthy for you, no doubt. One cup of cooked chard has 214% RDA of vitamin A, and 53% of vitamin C. It also has quite a lot of iron (22% RDA), magnesium, selenium, potassium, and vitamin K (714% of RDA!!). Then there is the fiber, 4 grams worth (15% RDA).

Sustainability: This is definitely an easily located local food grown with minimal impact.

Where to Find: Farmer's markets or your backyard. Sometimes in a normal grocery store but that's probably shipped in from California and in a plastic bag to boot.

Relevant Blog: Farmgirl Fare

Bottom Line: Get to know chard!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Chard nutrition facts
3. Image of Swiss Chard from Flickr Creative Commons

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

2010-06-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

Our poor thyme plant didn't weather the winter so well and had to be replaced a week or so ago. There was no question about replacing the thyme with a different herb, because thyme is one of our favorite seasonings. Having a fresh and ready supply is essential!

History: Thyme seems to have been used initially as an embalming agent by the Egyptians, not so appetizing. Like so many other herbs, thyme was growing wild in the Mediterranean region long before cultivation started.

Worldwide Production: ??

Growing: Thyme should be relatively hard to kill, as long as the conditions are hot and even drought-like. We never really figured out what happened to our thyme but it didn't survive an indoor over-wintering.

Harvesting: Like most herbs, thyme enjoys being harvested and will grow bushier if you frequently snip off sprigs. Again, like most herbs, the taste is the strongest when harvested in the morning.

Eating and Processing: Fresh and dried thyme is used in a huge variety of cuisines. The only thing I would point out is that the stems remain tough and stringy despite cooking so should be kept in an easily retrievable state. If you are very patient you can pick all the tiny leaves off and discard the stem before cooking.

Health Information: There isn't really any nutritive value to talk about in the quantities that thyme is eaten. That hasn't stopped the USDA from analyzing it and you can look up the facts below. The oil that gives thyme its strong flavor is called thymol and indeed has antimicrobial properties, making it a good embalming agent for mummies! In heavy quantities this oil is probably toxic.

Sustainability: This is another example of an easy sustainable organic herb to grow in your own garden.

Where to Find: Fresh, in your garden. Dried, almost anywhere.

Relevant Blog: Tamarind and Thyme

Bottom Line: It's time for thyme all the time!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Thyme nutrition facts
3. Image of the new thyme plant, let's hope it does well...

Boston...or Seattle?

2010-06-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

Molecular Monday #2: Curcumin

2010-06-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

This interesting looking molecule is the active ingredient of turmeric, the yellow spice that's ubiquitous to Indian cooking and Ayurvedic medicine, and often used elsewhere as a food coloring (in much smaller quantities). That's too bad, because curcumin seems to have some very intriguing properties.

Abundant Sources: Just turmeric. However, the bioavailability of curcumin is very low and you would have to eat practically a boat load to have a meaningful level of absorption (except see below).

Structure and Synthesis: There are three similar molecules naturally occurring, called curcuminoids, of which curcumin is the most abundant. Believe it or not, the synthetic pathway of curcumin was figured out until 2008. It would seem that curcumin is essentially two units of cinnamic acid which are joined together. Cinnamic acid, obviously found in cinnamon, is quite a rare plant product and that makes this molecule quite unusual.

Mechanism of Action: Curcumin has been implicated in multiple cell signaling pathways, several of which are quite important. One is the NF-kB protein complex, which drives DNA transcription and is central to many autoimmune diseases and cancers. Another is the MTORc1 complex, which controls protein synthesis, especially difficult to translate proteins which are central to cell proliferation.

Health Effects: Inhibition of these two pathways could clearly yield a beneficial health effect, by down-regulating the reproductive inclinations of precancerous cells, cells predisposed to autoimmunity, and even possibly cancerous cells. Given the limited absorption of the molecule, the first place to look for an effect is in the gastrointestinal system. Indeed, research has shown the potential for prevention of colon cancer (in rats), induction of apoptosis in human colon cancer cell lines, and reduction of irritable bowel symptoms in humans. A small recent trial also showed that co-administration of piperine (basically, black pepper), might lead to much higher levels of intestinal absorption, opening the door for study of systemic effects of curcumin. Caution: curcumin has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of certain types of chemotherapy (not too surprising, given the way that chemotherapy works) so avoiding curcumin while undergoing chemotherapy is a good idea.

Clinical Trials: There are currently 23 active trials, some in quite advanced (phase III) stages, many of them looking at treatment for gastrointestinal disorders and cancers.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Learn much more at MSKCC's Turmeric Page

Basically Friday: Choo Chee Curry

2010-06-11T00:01:00.003-04:00

This past week, I completed the first of nine seven day stints on the bone marrow transplant service at Beth Israel Deaconess. This extremely busy service has 30+ patients at any given time and most of these patients are pretty sick. As such I was pretty wiped out by the end of the week, and Sarah and I decided that we would celebrate the conclusion of each week by exploring a new restaurant in town. On Monday we headed over to S & I Thai in Allston.

This place is a true hole-in-the-wall, with barely three tables to sit at. We'd heard good things and were not disappointed (unlike at, say, a more well-known Thai place in town...). I decided to make a considered violation of the Seafood Watch avoid list and had the (Atlantic) Salmon Choo Chee.

This is a dish that I've had on numerous occasions but when I tried to learn more about it, not so much luck. This does seem to be a variant of a very traditional Thai dish, Choo-Chee Plah Ga-Pong. Loosely translated, this dish is red snapper in thick red curry sauce. Red snapper, of course, is a fish more native to Thailand than Atlantic Salmon, but given that snapper is even worse off than salmon, I suppose it's not such a big deal to have the one and not the other.

The foundation of Choo Chee is red curry, which is a fairly involved concoction which I will plan to write about on another occasion. Here, more or less, are the ingredients for a classic Choo Chee curry:

Ingredients:
Pink-fleshed fish: best choice is Pacific Salmon
Red curry paste
Coconut milk
Thai basil
Lime leaves
Pineapple chunks
Green or red bell pepper, sliced
Onion, sliced
Jasmine rice

Method:
1. Sautee the onion, basil, and pepper in some oil, along with the fish until moist and flaky.
2. Heat the coconut milk until it's quite hot, then add the curry paste. It will cook in the fat of the coconut milk and thicken, the thicker the better. A splash of fish sauce and ~tablespoon of brown sugar will add nicely to this. Turn off the heat once thickened.
3. Add the pineapple chunks to the thickened curry, along with the onion and pepper.
4. Assemble the fish over rice, then pour the curry over the fish and top it all off with the hopefully crispy sauteed basil!

Relevant Blog: in my tiny kitchen: A recipe for Choo Chee Gung.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Image of (duck) Choo Chee from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: Thai Basil

2010-06-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

Some of my very favorite food is Thai. This may be different now, but there wasn't any Thai food to be found in Iowa in my youth, and the first time I ever tried it was sometime in high school. Since then I've made up for time and consider myself something of an afficionado. One of the characteristic tastes of Thai cuisine comes from the namesake Thai basil.

History: This basil, also called horapa in Thai, is a cultivar of the standard basil plant, Ocimum basilicum. Whether this was intentional selection or not, it manages to retain its flavor much better than some other basils when cooked, and is thus favored for stir fries etc. It is recognizable due to a purplish color and a hint of anise to the taste. Some might also detect a hint of mint, which makes sense because basil is a close relative of mint.

Worldwide Production: ??

Growing: Plant the seeds and watch them go! This type of basil does better in more tropical climates, of course.

Harvesting: According to the herb society of America, if you remove the top set of leaves above a node you will have a sustainable, heavy bearing basil plant. The nodes of basil don't appear to correspond to branch points but you will know the node when you see it!

Health Information: In terms of nutritional health, basil is quite good for you, like most greens. One ounce of fresh leaves has 1/3 of your daily vitamin A and a surprisingly large amount of vitamin K (145%) - those of you on coumadin, take note. Basil does contain a carcinogen, estragole, but it's effects have only been seen at levels more than 100 times higher than standard consumption. There are no particular health claims for basil, as far as I'm aware.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Harvesting basil
3. Basil nutrition facts
4. Report on toxic effects of estragole (PDF)
5. Image of Thai basil from Flickr Creative Commons

Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)

2010-06-09T00:01:00.002-04:00

Whew! I've recovered enough to be able to write a few posts, after all. I've written about nearly every other common citrus except for the lime, so I thought I would complete the circuit. While I haven't seen a fresh lime since our trip to Florida a few months ago, they are always easy to find since they are grown year-round in many parts of the world.

History: There are actually multiple distinct species called limes, and this particular one is most commonly called the "Key Lime," named after those oily Florida Keys. The name is misleading, though, because all limes come from the north of India, in the Himalayan region, originally. From there, the sour varieties have spread throughout the world and make up an important component of Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine just to name a few. There are actually sweet limes as well, but they aren't as common.

Worldwide Production: 13 million tons - that's 29 limes for every man, woman, and child in the world per year - enough for a whole lot of cerveza!

Growing: Limes are one of the easier and more forgiving citrus trees to grow. We actually had a dwarf lime tree for a while in San Francisco, which made bright orange limes! Alas the wind and persistent fog took it. Apparently there are now lime trees that grow nicely indoors, this is something I might be investigating! That being said, citrus can be a bit finicky and while I don't know the growing practices in India, the top producer, there are some tricks you can use at home.

Harvesting: The problem with harvesting limes is that they are actually picked when they are still immature. Most limes will turn yellow when fully ripe, at which point they don't have the flavors which are desired. Too unripe and they aren't juicy. The hint to ripeness is a slight lightening of the green color, at which point they are usually picked by hand.

Eating and Processing: Limes are versatile and frequently used in drinks, as garnishes, and as cooking ingredients for the cuisines mentioned above. Even the leaves are used, much like bay leaves, to add flavor to dishes.

Health Information: If the limeys of the 19th century knew any better, they would have stuck with lemons which have four times as much vitamin C as limes! A standard sized (2 inch) lime has only 32% of the RDA for vitamin C, in fact. That's about it as far as nutrients go, aside from a bit of fiber.

Sustainability: Most of the world's limes come from Southeast Asia, so long distance travel and the associated food miles are a concern. Why not make the investment and grow your own indoor lime for a handy treat at any time?

Where to Find: Everywhere.

Relevant Blog: The Citrus Guy

Bottom Line: Limes, while maybe not on par with lemons as far as nutrition go, lend a unique taste to many cuisines and are fruits worth getting to know.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Lime nutrition facts
3. Image from a farmer's market in Florida, March 2010

Peased to Meet You

2010-06-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Blog on Break

2010-06-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

After seven days straight of working 12+ hour days on our bone marrow transplant service, I'm going to need to take a break. I may regain enough energy to get a few posts out later in the week, and will definitely get a few pictures up from the happily growing garden.

Basically Friday: "Curry" Powder

2010-06-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

Writing about turmeric obviously compels me to write about the most common way of encountering it in the United States, which is through the substance vaguely called curry powder.

History: Contrary to common belief, this is not an Indian creation. Rather, this is one of many spice mixtures, or masalas, which happened to be popularized throughout the Western world in the 19th and 20th centuries. Even the word "curry" doesn't mean anything in particular, although a similar Tamil word kari, means sauce. Curry powders were much more variable until the 1960's, when Indian food became increasingly popular in Europe and United States. At this point a more standardized yellow "curry powder" came into common use. Here is a recipe for "Madras curry powder" from the book Herbs & Spices, by Jill Norman. I think she goes a little light on the turmeric - try adding more!

Ingredients:
2 dried hot chili peppers (cayenne) - optional
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
6 curry leaves (can be hard to find)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Method:
1. Roast the whole spices in a dry frying pan and let cool.
2. Dry the curry leaves in the pan briefly, then add to the whole spices.
3. Grind to a powder, sift, and stir in the ginger and turmeric.
4. Keeps for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

Crazy Recipe Idea: Thai Strawberry Curry: check out the picture!

Image from Foodista

Heirloom Thursday: Mara des Bois

2010-06-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

We were very excited to the find the first local strawberries of the season this past weekend, at Allandale Farm. These tiny sweet berries were grown in Connecticut and I think that they are a variety called Mara des Bois. These are not heirlooms but rather are a cross of four heirloom varieties (Gento, Ostara, Red Gauntlet and Korona) designed to mimic the smaller, less sweet wild strawberries of yore. Jacques Marionnet, a French strawberry breeder from the Sologne region, developed these in 1990. These are too perishable to ship and are thus a true local treat if you find them!

Worldwide Production: 4.1 million tons, that's all strawberries.

Growing: Strawberries need full sun (at least 6 hours per day) and regular fertilizer. The old method was to spread manure by hand throughout the field, and this is presumably what happens with organic fruit nowadays. Conventional growers in the US use a chemical called methyl bromide, which is an ozone-depleting chemical banned by the Montreal Protocol but given a special exemption for "critical use". This chemical allows growers to grow strawberries in the winter, and the result is that the United States still uses around 30% of the pre-ban level of methyl bromide!

Harvesting: There's only one way as far as I know, and that's by hand.

Eating and Processing: Strawberries are typically eaten either fresh or in some sort of sugary preserve or jam. You can find jams that don't have extra sugar added and should try these. Rhubarb, of course, is the ideal companion food but strawberries don't have to be limited to sugar preps, see below.

Health Information: Here is a very sweet food that isn't all that sugary. A cup of strawberries has 7 grams of sugar which makes for 49 kcal. That sugar isn't all fructose - about half is, with the other half being part glucose and part sucrose. That cup also has 150% of your daily vitamin C, and a fair bit of fiber - 12%.

Sustainability: As I mentioned, Mara des Bois can only be enjoyed by locavores, and only in season, making them an ideal sustainable variety.

Where to Find: May through September in much of France, also along the United States West Coast where they have been introduced in quantity, and perhaps locally like we did. You can also buy plants from White Flower Farm.

Relevant Blog: Chocolate and Zucchini: From a few years ago, Clotilde makes up an interesting recipe for strawberry basil pesto!

Bottom Line: There's a special thrill to seeing and eating the first local strawberries. Enjoy!

References:
1. Wikipedia

2. History of Mara de Bois

3. Growing strawberries at home

4. Production data from FAO-Stat, 2008
5. Strawberry nutrition facts
6. Image from White Flower Farm's website

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

2010-06-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

Turmeric is a food that is eaten in heavy quantities every day in India and parts of Southeast Asia, yet is next to unknown here in the United States. This is a shame, because of the putative foods that may have an effect on cancer, this is the one whose mechanisms are the most understood. And if you are a fan of curries you already know how good it tastes!

History: Turmeric is a relative of ginger, and is from the Asian subcontinent. The earliest written reference to turmeric, from about 6,000 years ago, is a medicinal one, reporting that it is a potential curative for jaundice. At one point, during the Middle Ages, it was called "Indian Saffron" and was favored due to the lower cost and similar color, if not taste. Most ancient and modern turmeric production is in the city of Erode in southern India, nicknamed Manjal Maanagaram (Turmeric city).

Worldwide Production: 680 thousand tons, 94% of which is grown in India, which accounts for 20% of all spices grown in India.

Growing: It may be possible to grow turmeric in any hot, moist climate, merely by sticking a rhizome in the ground. But the amount of curcumin in the root will vary widely and is highest in the southern India, which is why that is the region where the majority is grown. Apparently ants don't like turmeric so it can also be a companion plant to deter them.

Harvesting: When grown, the entire plant is pulled out of the ground, with the rhizomes the key target of harvest. The leaves are also used as a wrapping around food in the areas where turmeric is grown.

Eating and Processing: The vast majority of turmeric will be processed by drying out the rhizomes and then grinding them into the familiar yellow powder. In the United States, much of this powder goes into dying things, ranging from margarine, popcorn, potato chips, and I'm not kidding you, orange juice. When used as a food dye, the code for turmeric is E100. The major culinary use of turmeric is in spice powders of all sorts, the most well known of which is called just "curry powder" in the West.

Health Information: As mentioned above, the first use of turmeric was in a medical context. In the Ayurvedic tradition, turmeric has long been used as an antiseptic for cuts and burns, as well as a treatment for gastrointestinal discomfort. Much more recently, the active ingredient in turmeric has been identified as curcumin, and I will write about this next Monday, time allowing (I am on a very busy inpatient service through the weekend...). Outside of the curcumin, turmeric contains an unusual amount of manganese (26% RDA in 1 tablespoon) and a fair amount of fiber, 6% RDA in the tablespoon.

Sustainability: Unknown, but organic turmeric is available.

Where to Find: Finding raw turmeric will be a challenge. Dried turmeric powder is also not that common, as it is so often mixed up into curry powder. Keep in mind that curcumin supplements are not whole turmeric!

Relevant Blog: Turmeric & Saffron: A blog about Persian cuisine.

Bottom Line: If you are going to be a turmeric eater, try a curry and pass on the colored potato chips!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Grow your own turmeric
3. Turmeric nutrition facts
4. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Book Review: Foods to Fight Cancer

2010-06-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

One of my patients lent me this book, whose full title is Foods to Fight Cancer: Essential Foods to Help Prevent Cancer. This book is written by two PhD scientists from Canada, Richard Béliveau and Denis Gingras. When confronted with a book like this, I like to first learn something more about the authors. I was pleased to find that Dr. Béliveau is a well published scientist, with 105 papers registered in PubMed since the first in 2002! Many of these papers are basic science pieces on the effects of things like green tea and curcumin. Dr. Gingras also has 41 papers in the literature, with a focus on matrix metalloproteinases. With this solid scientific background, I was somewhat reassured as I began to read the book.

This is a book geared towards laypersons, especially the first part, which describes cancer and the conventional treatments against it. Of course I am biased, but I found that this part was a bit too simplified and might have been better written by a medical oncologist (hint to the authors!). That being said, I pretty much breezed through this section so that I could get to part two, where they start talking about foods that may have a putative role in preventing cancer (they do not make any claims for foods that could treat cancer.) The foods they talk about are: cabbage, garlic and onions, soy, turmeric, green tea, berries, omega-3's, tomatoes, citrus, wine, and chocolate.

It makes for very interesting reading, although some of the claims seemed a little over the top to me. If you read this book, keep one important fact in mind - the majority of claims ascribed to the chemopreventative properties of foods are based on studies of cells in test tubes or tumor in animals (almost always mice) specially bred to develops tumors. Taking findings from these settings and extrapolating to the human condition is overenthusiastic, to say the least.

For now, let's hope that Drs. Béliveau and Gingras keep up their strong work, and that the 2nd edition has an even stronger scientific basis!

Spudnik Launches

2010-05-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Basically Friday: Spearmint Cocktails

2010-05-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, I've written about so many different foods on this blog that it is becoming occasionally difficult to fill an entire week with single ingredients. So as you may have noticed over the past few weeks, I'm beginning to branch out into what you might call "basic food recipes" - simple and classic combinations of basic foods. This will be a fairly regular feature, as the natural next step in Basic Eating is to actually take the ingredients and do something with them! Today, let's do something tasty with that spearmint:

Mojito

When I hit 21, I was given a copy of Mr. Boston by my sister - the bible of cocktail making. Surprisingly, the mojito wasn't in that particular edition, and I don't think I had one until I moved to San Francisco. But since discovering this muddled drink from Cuba, it's become a favorite. The particular combination of ingredients that make up a mojito were set in place as long ago at the 16th century, and this was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway.

Ingredients:
Spearmint
Rum (light, or white rum is better)
Lime
Sugar, sugar cane juice, or simple syrup (sugar water)
Seltzer

Recipe (from Mr. Boston):
1. Muddle 2 teaspoons sugar and 4 sprigs of fresh spearmint in a glass or mug.
2. Cut a lime in half, squeeze both halves into the glass, and leave half in the mixture.
3. Add 2 ounces of light rum, stir, and fill with ice.
4. Top with seltzer, and garnish with a mint sprig.

More Ideas: 12 recipes from Foodista

Mint Julep

This drink, somewhat emblematic of the South, is rather similar to the mojito except that bourbon whiskey is used instead of rum, and there's no lime. It has been around since at least 1803, when it was recorded as a fashionable morning elixir.

Ingredients:
Spearmint
Good (or not-so-good) Kentucky Bourbon
Sugar, powdered or simple syrup

Recipe (from Mr. Boston):
1. In a silver julep cup or Collins glass, muddle 4 sprigs of spearmint, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of water.
2. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice.
3. Add 2.5 ounces of bourbon, and garnish with a mint sprig.

More Ideas: 20 recipes from Foodista.

Touareg Tea

Looking for a way to drink your mint drink without drowning in alcohol? Look no further than this tea, which is a traditional drink of northern Africa, especially Morocco. Nothing to do with Volkswagen, mind you.

Ingredients:
Spearmint
Green tea
Sugar
Water

Recipe: This is apparently not at all easy to make and might be best experienced at a Northern African restaurant, or the Maghreb.

Heirloom Thursday: Spearmint

2010-05-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

A year ago, I wrote about mint species in general. Now that summer is coming along faster than anybody might think, it's time to start thinking about one of the cooling and refreshing herbs of summer - spearmint!

History: Spearmint, or mentha spicata, is native to somewhere in Europe or Asia. It was so easy to cultivate that it rapidly spread throughout the area, thousands of years ago.

Worldwide Production: 32,000 acres, of which 70% are in the United States.

Growing: Mint is planted in rows but by the second year spreads to take over an entire field. A field is usually rotated after three to five years, due to mint's susceptibility to disease and weeds. Propagation is through runners, making this a vulnerable heirloom without much genetic diversity.

Harvesting: Spearmint is harvested by machine and left to dry for a few days in the field as "hay." This is then picked up by another machine for further processing. Of course if you grow your own mint, just snip a few leaves, best in the morning when the oil production is highest.

Eating and Processing: Most commercially grown spearmint is not eaten, but rather distilled for its oil. This oil is then sent off for a variety of purposes, but foremost to flavor chewing gum and toothpaste. Out in the culinary universe, the most common use of spearmint is probably in marinades for lamb, especially in Indian cuisine.

Health Information: Fresh spearmint has a smattering of vitamins and minerals but nothing to write home about. For example an ounce of spearmint has 23% RDA of vitamin A, 18% of iron, and 16% of manganese. Spearmint and its oil is often used to treat mild gastrointestinal ailments, including stomachache and constipation. A small trial found that spearmint tea lowered the amount of free testosterone in women with hirsutism, through a minor anti-androgen effect. A randomized trial at Montefiore is looking at whether aromatherapy including spearmint has an effect on chemotherapy-induced nausea in children.

Sustainability: Spearmint is considered an invasive species around the Great Lakes and in Death Valley National Park, of all places. Unless you are careful to control it in your garden you might find local invasion as well!

Where to Find: Best to grow it yourself if you want a fresh supply.

Bottom Line: Spearmint - cool, refreshing, and not just in your toothpaste and Wrigleys!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. The Wisconsin Mint Industry page
3. Spearmint nutrition facts
4. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Book Review: Food Politics

2010-05-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

I just finished Food Politics, by Marion Nestle. It took me four months. That alone might be a fair summary, but I can give a bit more detail! Marion Nestle, as many of you probably know, is a Professor of Nutrition at New York University (NYU). She also writes a successful and well-read blog, not surprisingly called Food Politics. She is the author of multiple books, with her first effort being Food Politics, first published in 2002.

Don't get me wrong - this is an excellent book. It's just not a curl-up-in-bed-and-relax type read. Within these pages, you will learn more than you probably ever wanted to know about the stranglehold that food and supplement manufacturers have the general public, and perhaps more importantly, the Food and Drug Administration, in. You will learn that the history of lenience towards false health claims goes back a long time and that the restrictions on these remain rather weak. You will learn that the onus is on the FDA to prove harm of a supplement or food product, rather than the manufacturer proving good, as is the case with drugs. And you will learn that the two word phrase "eat less" has been routinely and intentionally left out of nutritional guidelines.

That said, this is a very cerebral book, more of a textbook than a nonfiction piece a la Michael Pollan or Eric Schlosser. Personally, my favorite textbooks are those that read more like nonfiction, so I think I would have preferred a slightly lighter tone. Still, this is a must read for those serious about understanding the food and supplement industries.

Buy it at Indie Bound!

Weenie Beanie

2010-05-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Molecular Monday #1: Capsaicin

2010-05-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today I'm going to start a new feature, which allows me to geek out just a little bit more than usual. Don't misunderstand - I don't think that eating molecules, such as pills from a bottle, is at all representative of basic eating. That being said, it is clear that the health effects or lack thereof from foods come down to the molecules they are made of, and there are thousands of these which we consume on a daily basis. Most of the interesting molecules that I will focus on are the so-called phytochemicals, which simply means they come from plants.

Today I will start with capsaicin. I'll use a slightly different format: first, I'll list the abundant sources that I've written about (with links, of course!), then I'll say something about structure, something about mechanism of action (if known), something about the health effects of the molecule, and finally whether there are any clinical trials for the particular molecule.

Abundant Sources: Cayenne Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper, Pepperoncini,New Mexico Green Chile

Structure and Synthesis: There are six similar molecules, called capsaicinoids, of which capsaicin is the most abundant. Capsaicin is believed to be a branched chain fatty acid added to a vanillylamine molecule by the chili pepper plant; the location of this synthesis is in the netting that surrounds the seeds.

Mechanism of Action: Capsaicin binds to and opens a receptor called the transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1). This receptor is primarily located in sensory nerves and is usually triggered by heat (greater than 43 degrees Celsius). This explains why capsaicin causes a sensation of heat! This receptor is also located in the brain to some degree, which may explain why many lovers of peppers report a sense of euphoria associated with the extreme heat. Pure capsaicin, by the way, has 16,000,000 Scoville Units - 2000x spicier than a hot jalapeno!

Health Effects: The most obvious effect is pain, but the interesting thing is that capsaicin might also be a treatment for pain. This is thought to be from the mechanism of desensitization - the receptors are overwhelmed and after an initial burn, there is subsequent analgesia. That's the thought anyway, although the over the counter preparations that are available probably don't have high enough levels of capsaicin to actually do this. There is a high dose (8%) patch available by prescription, called Qutenza, and is indicated for the treatment of post-shingles pain (post-herpetic neuralgia). There are a few small trials showing that capsaicin kill cancer cells in a test tube, but honestly capsaicin can kill any cell in high enough concentrations, so I'm a bit sceptical.

Clinical Trials: There are currently 19 trials looking for volunteers, most of which are for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy or other pain disorders.

References:
1. Wikipedia

Basically Friday: Étouffée

2010-05-21T00:01:00.003-04:00

Okay, so a mystery no longer. The yummy dish that I had, chock full of crawfish and cayenne pepper, was étouffée. No, I didn't go to Louisiana - I went to the Reading Terminal Marketplace in Philadelphia. We were down in Philly to attend Sarah's brother's graduation (congratulations, Dave!) and spent some time in one of my favorite spots. This is an old-fashioned market-hall like they only have in Europe and Montreal these days (no, Faneuil Hall most definitely does not count), which has been continuously open since the 1890's. One of the stands specializes in Cajun cuisine, and after tasting the gumbo and the étouffée, I went for the latter.

History: I couldn't find when exactly the first recipe for étouffée came along, but it has clearly been a New Orleans staple for hundreds of years. Unlike gumbo, which seems to allow for a certain latitude, the recipe for an étouffée is relatively more standard. The word is French for suffocated or smothered, referring to the fact that the stew is poured over rice just prior to serving.

Ingredients: In simple terms, there are five components:
1. A roux, which is a mix of fat and flour; crawfish fat and/or butter are often used.
2. The "Holy Trinity" of Cajun cooking: celery, onions, and bell peppers.
3. Spices, including but not limited to cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
4. Meat, classically crawfish and usually shrimp in addition; rarely chicken.
5. Rice.
6. Image (the best one out there) from Flickr Creative Commons

Recipes: Try Foodista for 18 recipes, including some...interesting...ones like venison étouffée.

Relevant Blog: The Culinary Addict

Bottom Line: If you like it spicy and you also like shellfish, this is definitely where it's at!

References:
1. Wikipedia

Heirloom Thursday: Cayenne Pepper

2010-05-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was writing about jalapenos, but it's been seven months and so time to tackle another emblematic member of the pepper family, the cayenne. Over these seven months, the ristra of cayennes that I bought at the end of the Brookline Farmer's Market season has been slowly aging, but nevertheless bringing cheer to the pantry and kitchen during the bleak New England winter.

History: Chili peppers have been cultivated for thousands of years in the Americas, and the cayenne is your prototypical hot little red pepper. If you've ever spiked your pizza with red pepper flakes, or eaten chili, you've been exposed to cayenne peppers. There isn't really any one "cayenne" but rather a group of closely related and highly interbred varietals that look similar and have quite a kick How much kick? Try 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units, getting close to the spiciness of Thai chiles.

Worldwide Production: ~ 1.65 million tons: about half of a pound for every man, woman, and child in the world, per year.

Growing: See below for a helpful link.

Harvesting: Just pick 'em. If you want a colorful edible kitchen ornament, learn how to sew a ristra.

Processing: So, most of the cayenne you will encounter is dried and either in the form of those classic flakes, or ground into powder, which is of course called cayenne powder. Note that chili powder, while primarily composed of cayenne powder, also has other ingredients such as garlic.

Health Information: How much cayenne do you really think you can ingest, without burning a hole in your stomach? Well, if you can choke down a tablespoon, you will have a surprising amount of vitamin A, 44% of RDA. There are some other health benefits of capsaicin, which I will try to write about as a single ingredient, sometime in the nearish future.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Grow your own cayennes (EHow)
3. Cayenne nutrition facts
4. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Louisiana Crawfish (Procambarus clarkii)

2010-05-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

The oil spill has me thinking about Creole cuisine, and I had a chance to have some crawfish the other day (check back on Friday to learn more). This is something I've enjoyed on probably less than 10 occasions, but this diminutive freshwater cousin of lobster tastes every bit as good, if you're into that sort of thing.

History: The word crayfish, or crawfish if you're from the South, is a generic term for any freshwater crustacean that resembles a lobster. As such you can find some crawfish in most any cuisine, to a greater or lesser extent. But the most well known use of the crawfish is in the Creole and Cajun cuisines. The Louisiana crawfish, also known as the red swamp crawfish, is the most commonly eaten.

Worldwide Production: ~25 thousand tons, 90% of which are from Louisiana, and of that, 70% is eaten in Louisiana.

Growing: The majority of crawfish eaten today was farmed in a freshwater pool in Louisiana. There are an estimated 500 square kilometers of such pools (that's five times the size of Quabbin Reservoir, for a size comparison). These particular crawfish can grow unusually quickly, especially in warm waters; they can even tolerate a bit of salinity.

Harvesting: Even though they are farmed, they still need to be caught the old-fashioned way - by baiting and trapping. I can attest from my childhood that crawfish can be caught with bare hands, although I don't generally recommend it!

Eating and Processing: Just like lobster, most of the crawfish is inedible shell. Although the claws and legs have edible parts, practically speaking the only part of the crawfish that is eaten is the tail. They are also cooked much in the same way as lobsters, i.e. boiled alive. Then there is crawfish "fat" which is an orange oil extruded from an organ called the hepatopancreas. This fat is along the lines of butter (about 30% fat) and is used in some types of dishes.

Health Information: A three ounce serving of crawfish meat has a lot cholesterol (116 mg = 39% RDA) and also a lot of protein (30% RDA). There is also ample copper, phosphorous, and selenium. A final nice bit here is that, like any animal product, crawfish has quite a lot of vitamin B12 (44% RDA in those 3 oz.). The crawfish "fat" has extremely high levels of cholesterol. So is this type of dietary cholesterol bad or good? No answers on that one, my friends.

Sustainability: Yay! United States farmed crawfish earn the best choice ranking from Seafood Watch. Not only are they native to the area where they're farmed, but they are often part of a crop rotation with rice which is mutually beneficial. On the other hand, imported crawfish are generally not such a good thing, and earn the avoid sticker from Seafood Watch. This is because the species is potentially invasive in other habitat, and farming conditions are not up to snuff, especially in China.

Where to Find: The crawfish season is March through June (now). You don't need to go to Louisiana to find them but that would be the easiest thing...

Relevant Blog: LSU Ag Center Blog: Do not expect any comments about sustainability here, on this boosterish blog - but it does have interesting comments about the process.

Bottom Line: Crawfish are a sustainable alternative to lobster; if you can get any out of Louisiana, enjoy it!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Crawfish production information
3. Crawfish nutrition facts
4. Seafood Watch crawfish page
5. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

GEM #19: Yell, Don't Mutter "Pannier!"

2010-05-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

Last week, I wrote about an easy idea for decreasing the amount of oil you use on food-related business, which is to consolidate your shopping trips. Believe it or not, this relatively simple action can result in a lot of saved barrels of oil (and if it knocks off a few ugly strip-mall convenience stores, I won't shed too many tears). Well, how about utilizing that other vehicle you probably have in the garage, the bicycle? I will admit, I rode my bicycle regularly for nearly a decade before I realized that the rack attached to the back wheel wasn't just for show.

When Sarah and I arrived in San Francisco, I took the plunge and invested in a pair of panniers, which have been my close friends ever since. Pannier is an old French word that means "bag with a hook on it that attaches to your bicycle rack." No, actually, the original panniers were literally bread baskets that were slung over some sort of beast of burden. Given that most of us no longer own an ox, the bicycle pannier has become the more common item. So - here is the thing. A set of panniers allows you to easily buy several day's or a week's worth of groceries and nicely balance them on the back of the bike. No oil involved, except for the occasional chain lube. Try it.

Note the cost per mile, clearly labeled; from Flickr Creative Commons

Basically Friday: Shepherds' Pie

2010-05-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

After all that trouble figuring out the roots of All Blue potatoes (pun intended), I thought I might have a bit more success discovering where shepherds' pie comes from. Why care? Well, Sarah made an excellent "cottage pie" on Sunday, and the question arose about what, if anything, was the difference.

History: There is quite a bit of information on the origin of these ubiquitous pies, which originally hail from England. The first mention of cottage pie dates back to 1791, when potatoes first began to be used on a widespread basis in England. From the beginning, this was associated with the peasants, also called cotters, who were allowed to live in a little hut on the master's land in exchanges for work. These huts were called cottages and the rest is history... As for shepherds' pie, this is of more recent vintage, sometime in the 1870's. The original meaning, it would seem, is a cottage pie that contains lamb or mutton, as opposed to beef or any other meat. Which makes sense!

How They're Made: These savory pies are made of two simple layers: 1) a meat layer on the bottom, which is mixed with sauteed savory vegetables, and 2) a layer of mashed potatoes. Some versions have the mashed potatoes lining the sides of the casserole dish as well. A New England variant adds corn into the mix, traditionally creamed corn. The meat is typically left-over or cheaper cuts which are minced and browned. The whole thing goes into the oven at the end to get a crispy crust.

Recipe Ideas: Foodista has 31 recipes to get you started. This includes a few vegetarian versions for you sticklers!

Relevant Blog: One Perfect Bite: This is one neat looking variant of cottage pie.

Bottom Line: I'm partial to the New England version, with an extra layer of corn - but that will have to wait until July or so. In the meantime, don't be sheepish and try your hand at a cottage pie tonight!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Image of a cottage pie (with corn) from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: All Blue Potatoes

2010-05-13T00:01:00.001-04:00

One of the cool things about writing this blog is uncovering mysteries about the origins of certain foods. Take the All Blue Potato, for example. About eight of these showed up in our "Dogma Box" last week, and I've been looking forward to some different ways of eating them and wanted to learn more. It is relatively easy to find a place to buy some (see below) but finding out the history proves much harder! Some searching revealed that this potato is alternately named Russian Blue, Congo, and Blue of Sweden. But still no information on origin, and I'm sort of at a dead end, except to find something about these definitely being heirlooms. So does anybody know how long they've been around?

History: Given the importance of the humble potato throughout the world, it's easy to forget that this food was unheard of outside of North and South America prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The potato was brought back to Europe by the Conquistadores in 1536, and quickly spread. All of the varieties of potato, from waxy reds to starchy whites and many other sorts, are the same species. There are thousands of potato varieties in Peru, very few of which have spread throughout the world.

Annual Production: I don't know, but probably most of them go to Terra Chips and onwards to Jet Blue.

Growing: All Blues are easy to find as organic seed, although I would assume they are susceptible, like any potato, to numerous diseases.

Eating and Processing: All Blues make excellent chips, home fries, and potato salad. Just don't make mashed potatoes as they have a good chance of coming out All Grey.

Health Information: These potatoes have got to have something that plain white ones don't, so what is it? The substances that make potatoes blue fall into the category of anthocyanins, and these are purported to be powerful antioxidants. According to one intrepid researcher, blue potatoes have as much antioxidant capacity as kale, brussel sprouts, and spinach! Not only that, but 75% of this is retained after cooking, which often isn't the case for other veggies.

Sustainability: Like any other potato, the temptation and the danger is that these will increase in popularity so much that they become a monoculture potato. Remember to mix and match your potatoes for variety and preservation of diversity.

Bottom Line: Can't get much more basic than a potato.

Where to Get: Seed Savers Exchange. Or fly Jet Blue.

Relevant Blog: Oil Changes: Interesting name, and hopefully completely unrelated to oil slicks...

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. History of and Growing Potatoes
3. Harvest your own potatoes!
4. Potato nutrition facts
5. Yeah, they're the ones in the middle. From Flickr Creative Commons

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

2010-05-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

There are a few foods that I've been meaning to write about for awhile. One of these has been sitting in the middle of our dining room all winter long, uncomplaining at the lack of attention. Finally, I will give our rosemary plant the time in the limelight that it deserves!

History: Like so many herbs, including its mint cousins, rosemary hails from the Mediterranean region. Some interesting historical uses of rosemary were in ceremonies that involved remembrance - especially weddings. It used to be traditional for the bride to wear a crown of rosemary and for the groom to wear a sprig. This custom persisted until about the 16th century and even sometimes still happens.

Growing: It's really not that easy to kill rosemary, so give it a try in your garden today! Rosemary is resistant to pests and also drought tolerant.

Harvesting: Depending on when and how you harvest the leaves, you can turn rosemary into a topiary plant. As with all herbs, the highest essential oil content is in the morning, so that would be the right time to pluck a few leaves.

Eating and Processing: Rosemary retains much of its kick whether fresh or dried, and a little goes a long way.

Health Information: Believe it or not, rosemary is somewhat toxic. For one thing, large quantities of rosemary have been associated with epileptic seizures. I also found a bit out there on possible induction of premature labor, but I'm not sure how true that is. Rosemary leaf is approved in Germany for the relief of mild dyspepsia, and the essential oil is approved for the treatment of muscle and joint pain. How about that memory thing? Conclusive results are lacking. Nutritionally, one tablespoon of fresh rosemary has, well, nothing really!

Where to Find: Grow your own and you will never run short!

Relevant Blog: Rosemary: An Herb With History

Bottom Line: Rosemary, when used in moderation, is a delicious flavoring that can't be replicated any other way.

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Rosemary nutrition facts
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Garden Progress Report

2010-05-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

GEM #18: Consolidate Your Food Shopping

2010-05-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

I have to say something food-related about the recent awful oil spill in the Gulf, which is really a disaster. This is, as they say in the environmental biz, a "teachable moment." So what should we learn from this travesty? The answer is always the same - we Americans are so addicted to oil. It's a funny fact that in most of the news stories that I've read, this simple fact is glossed over or not even mentioned. The discussion is where to get the oil from, not how to use less of it.

Well use less of it! If you use a car to do your food shopping, an obvious way to do this is to consolidate your food purchases into a single, purposeful trip. Yes, those quick trips to the corner market for a quart of milk burn oil, and when 300+ million Americans do it most every single night, it's a LOT of oil.

Okay, so step one is to think about what you're buying and try your hardest to get it all in one go. Look for some more thoughts next week...

Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum)

2010-05-07T06:50:00.000-04:00

One of the first things we bought to install in our newly built raised beds was a package of rhubarb rhizomes. These rhizomes are already producing a surprisingly prolific number of leaves, less than a month after being placed in the ground!

History: Rhubarb originally grew wild along the river Volga and in parts of China. Its use has been documented, mostly as a medicinal herb, for close to 5,000 years. Interestingly, it was at one time more valuable than saffron, cinnamon, and opium poppy, due to the difficulty of transport in reasonable condition. This led to folks like Marco Polo making a lot of money and also figuring out how to eventually move rhubarb to the west. Much more recently, in the 1820's, rhubarb was brought to Massachusetts and from here throughout the country. Most rhubarb grown nowadays is considered a hybrid.

Worldwide Production: Hard to know, since so much is grown in back yards, etc.

Growing: Rhubarb is very similar to asparagus, in that there is just as much going on underground as above. The rhizome survives year to year, and produces leaves in the spring. Over the winter, all stalks and leaves fall off. Rhubarb needs sun, water, and decent but not great soil. The commercial rhubarb industry is pretty small and mostly located in greenhouses.

Harvesting: Stalks are cut close to the ground. Importantly, a few leaves should probably be left behind to keep the rhizome happy. And young plants should be given a few years to establish themselves.

Eating and Processing: The first key point is to remove those poisonous leaves (more below). Beyond that, rhubarb is technically a vegetable but is much more often used as a fruit, usually in combination with strawberries in jams and pies. If you want to be a little adventurous, sautee rhubarb with a stir fry and see if you like it as a savory veggie! I can't recommend raw rhubarb since it is so astringent.

Health Information: Yes the leaves are poisonous, to varying degrees. The major offender is oxalic acid, which can precipitate as oxalate crystals in the kidneys, causing serious damage. Cooking leaves actually makes this situation worse, since the oxalate is made more bioavailable. The leaves also contain high amounts of senna glycosides, which have the ability to act as extremely strong laxatives.

Beyond that, the stalks are pretty healthy, although the sugar in jams and pies will usually negate that. The rhubarb itself has hardly any calories but somehow is still filling, with 26 calories in one cup of raw rhubarb. What carbohydrates there are are almost all fiber (9 grams in one cup) and rhubarb also contains a smattering of vitamins and minerals, notably vitamin K (45% RDA), calcium, potassium, and manganese (~10% RDA of each).

Medicinally, rhubarb is sort of the magic bowel plant, for lack of a more pleasing term. At low doses it causes constipation (through the tannins) whereas at higher doses it causes diarrhea (through the senna glycosides). Beyond this clear medical effect, there is one interesting study of rhubarb extract decreasing the rate of radiation lung injury in lung cancer patients receiving radiation (link).

Sustainability: A perennial that needs little care and thrives in temperate climates? Yeah, that's sustainable!

Where to Find: Rhubarb is one of the earliest "fruits" and is generally available from April through early summer, sometimes a bit later. Greenhouse grown rhubarb can be available as early as February.

Relevant Website: Savor the Rhubarb: Completely devoted to rhubarb.

Bottom Line: Grow your own and make fast friends with legendary jam, or just go out and enjoy some of the earliest fruits of Spring!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Growing your own rhubarb
3. Rhubarb nutrition facts
4. MSKCC Rhubarb Page
5. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Heirloom Thursday: Greek Yogurt

2010-05-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

A year ago this week I wrote a week-long series of posts on milk, so writing about yogurt doesn't seem that outside of my "heirloom" concept. Check out my original post on yogurt even further back in the archives. Today, I'll write about Greek yogurt.

History: As the name suggests, this variety of yogurt comes primarily from Greece and the nearby Levantine area. Just like ordinary yogurt, this is a naturally processed food that has been around for thousands of years. The difference is that this yogurt is strained in some way (usually through cheesecloth) to get rid of the whey. The much denser product has some of the consistency of cheese but remains tasting like yogurt. Very traditional Greek yogurt is made from sheep's milk but good luck finding that.

Worldwide Production: unknown but judging from our local supermarket shelf, it's definitely getting more popular (the NY Times agrees).

Health Information: Just like normal yogurt, Greek yogurt can be made from skim milk, 2% milk, or whole milk. The fat content reflects this origination. As ever, the addition of (usually corn-syrupy) flavorings is sure to make this a less healthy product. I like to buy plain Greek yogurt and add some super-local honey for that sweet kick. The field of clinical trials looking at yogurt (mostly at the effects of probiotics) is hotting up, with 21 active trials at this time.

Sustainability: I would say better than the regular stuff, because there aren't too many flavors and additives making their way into Greek yogurt. On the other hand this is often sold in small single-serve containers which is a less sustainable way to go.

Where to Find: Fage is the biggest brand and even though the company is headquartered in Greece, the yogurt is made right here in the United States. I personally strongly favor Oikos, which is a brand of Stonyfield Farm and fully organic.

Relevant Blog: Nook & Pantry: A nice review of Greek yogurts.

Bottom Line: If you've never tried it, try it. If you have, you're already a convert!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. About different brands of Greek yogurt
3. Image from Flickr Creative Commons

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

2010-05-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

There's no shortage of this particular "weed" in our front yard, side yard, and generally everywhere these days. Last week I braved the great outdoors and obtained a few servings of tasty greens with minimal effort!

History: The Common dandelion, or just dandelion, is so common everywhere that it's hard to believe that it was actually native to just one continent, Eurasia, at one point not so long ago. It is now considered "cosmopolitan" which basically means you can find it everywhere!

Worldwide Production: who knows, although a single flower can make 5,000 seeds!

Growing: There is limited commercial cultivation of dandelions for their greens, but for the most part they are indeed a weed that can outgrow almost anything. The seeds can lie in the ground for up to nine years and still germinate when the conditions are favorable.

Harvesting: All you need is a kitchen scissors and a (not very) sharp eye. Trust me you won't confuse this for anything else.

Eating and Processing: The most commonly eaten part are the greens, which are fine raw when young, but should otherwise be braised. The flowers are also edible - raw when just buds, or as dandelion wine when open (here is a recipe). Finally, even the roots are apparently edible - when dried, roasted and ground they apparently make a good coffee alternative.

Health Information: Dandelion greens are pretty darn good for you. They obviously have a fair bit of fiber (2 grams in one cup) and lots of vitamin A (112% RDA) and C (32% RDA). They also have a whopping amount of vitamin K (535% RDA).

Dandelion is suspected to have medicinal effects as well. It is commonly thought of as a diuretic, although there are some conflicting results on this end. It may share some anti-cancer properties with the shiitake mushroom. There have been essentially no clinical trials to examine the efficacy and/or safety of dandelion as a medicine.

Sustainability: Don't worry, you won't kill off dandelions through overharvesting, anytime soon.

Where to Find: In your yard during the months of April and May in the Northern hemisphere.

Relevant Blog: Urban Forager (NY Times)

Bottom Line: Forget the rumors of bitter taste, try some dandelion greens now!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Dandelion nutrition facts
3. Sloan Kettering info on dandelion

Egg Pizza from Pizzetta 211

2010-05-04T00:01:00.003-04:00