Recently in Food and Farmers Category

As the weather gets cooler and people huddle together more over shared meals, it's the perfect time to break out the wine, especially the red.

I don't know how many grapes are in one bottle of vino, but I imagine it's a fair number.  So, this brings up the sustainability of what's in one's bottle and glass and how those grapes were grown.

Enter organic wines made from organic grapes.  Yum!

And I just tried a selection from Frey last weekend for my birthday bash. Its wines have no sulfites, are made from organic grapes and are farmed biodynamically so that the farm is a haven for nutritious soil and farm animals along with the ingredients that will make your sipping spectacular.

Cheers!

 

So, what is gray water or grey water?  It's all the water you use in your house that will find its way to the sewage treatment plant and, eventually, out to sea--that's dishwater, bath water, washing machine water.

And if you're a true gray water guerilla, you just may be up for a home project that diverts it to your yard.

There are simple, low-tech ways to do this.  I have a watering can in my kitchen which I fill with discarded water from my SIGG bottle, tea pot and kettle, and vegetable steamer. Once its full of grayish liquid, I water the plants with it and begin the process over again.  You can do something similar in your tub as you wait for your shower stream to warm up.

But going beyond that doesn't have to be too daunting.  Susan Carpenter of the L.A. Times spent one weekend and $312 to divert her washing machine wastewater to her xeriscaped (drought-tolerant) yard. You can read her DIY inspiration and tools here.

And, if you're ready to dig in and get your hands dirty, consider contacting or surfing The Greywater Guerillas site.

In the meantime, a watering can, shower bucket, or rain catcher barrel can be an easy, excellent start.

I imagine there are a lot of people having trouble sleeping these days be they congresspeople or Wall Street traders or small business owners or those of us watching a hold-your-breath election and hearing about the 700 billion dollar bail out plan. 

(If getting a handle on what's really going on out there in the financial market helps you get a good night's sleep, I highly recommend the most recent This American Life episode.)

While I find that deep breathing and sleep balm do a world of good, the right dinner can also go a long way in soothing stress and promoting sleep, too. 

According to the Organic Consumers Association, our bodies need to eat Tryptophan (an amino acid) in order to produce serotonin, that feel good, relaxing, anesthetizing chemical that helps us calm down.

So, by eating some for dinner, you might be well on your way to rest.  Among the foods that contain it:

*beans, lentils, and chickpeas

*whole grains (like rice, millet, and barley)

*eggs

*sesame and sunflower seeds

*miso soup

These folks say figs and dates have the big T, too. And, for poultry eaters, I hear that turkey has Tryptophan as well (hence those languid Thanksgiving naps).

Gotta love being able to make yogurt yourself.  And until I can have my own goats, I'd settle for buying goat milk (you pick your dairy or dairy-like nectar) to make yogurt at home.

This yogurt maker makes it easy.  Buy some yogurt to use as a culture starter, then leave your experiment for 8 to 10 hours and you've got probiotic-rich yumminess.

I also love that it comes with six glass (not plastic!) reusable jars for all your future servings of yogurt!

I love this UK website that loves food and hates to waste it.  It tells me that 1/3 of the food bought on that fair isle is thrown out--I'm sure we've got a similar-sized problem here.

The answer?  It's got some--including a portion planner to help you cook just the right amount and the truth behind "best by" and "use by" food dates.

My favorite is their excellent food storage tips behind tab number four. In there, there are five late-breaking tips for making food last, along with oodles of foods you can look up and see the best storage practices to make them stay fresh longer.

Aside from telling me that bananas keep longer in a (reused) bag, that sucking out the air from a bread bag makes the slices inside stay fresher more days, that apples are best stored in the fridge, it also has gems like that soft broccoli can be crisped up overnight by leaving the stalks in water, new uses for old bread crusts and that a great use for too-soft fruit is to boil it and add it to something creamy for an after-meal treat.

Gotta love that.

Farming in the city is not for the faint of heart. Any of us who plants an herb garden or grows her own veggies is a hero in my book.  True urban farming, ala animals and lots of growing things, is a whole different kind of thing.

If you're looking for some inspiration, hard-boiled advice, and rollicking good farmy times, look no further than Novella Carpenter's Meaningful Pursuit blog (formerly Your City Farmer).  She's got goats, chickens, and all manner of barnyard activity on her urban farm in Oakland, CA. 

The oceans are in serious trouble.  From coral reefs disappearing to our favorite scaly friends vanishing, what we can't see can hurt us. According to the article "Fish or Foul" which I read in Utne and is part of the book by Taras Grescoe's Bottomfeeder, through "violent overfishing," we've changed the whole undersea ecosystem. It's notable for what that's added (toxic plankton and way too many jellyfish) as well as for what's missing (big fish we've come to love). 

Trawlers catch anything in their wakes so that our practices are "in effect, clear-cutting the oceans." 

So, what shall we have for dinner?  (First ask your seller or server what it is and where it came from.) 

Here's a list of what should be absolutely off the menu from the article: bluefin tuna, chilean sea bass, Atlantic cod, dogfish, flounder, grouper, Atlantic halibut, monkfish, orange roughy, sharks (see Sharkwater!), skates, Atlantic sole, and tilefish.

What can you eat that's from under the sea? anchovies, Arctic char, Pacific halibut, herring, jellyfish, mackerel, mullet, mussels, oysters, pollock, sablefish, sardines, trout.

As for salmon, shrimp and lobster, they are very complicated indeed.

If you're looking to go organic, but also looking to save money, you can always stick to avoiding the "dirty dozen" of most contaminated fruits and veggies (apples and peaches top the list), making  sure to buy organic varieties of those.  Then, there are a few that typically don't hang on to pesticides too much, so you're safer buying the conventional (hopefully still local) versions.

Get the full list here. 

Or, get a printable PDF to carry with you here.

 

And then there are oils.  When I was getting my monthly massage the other day, I was resting assured that my wonderful massage therapist had told me she uses plain jojoba oil.  But then I wondered, "Is it organic?"  

A sustainability coach I know once told me that pesticides are concentrated in fatty tissues, so buying organic olive oil for cooking and salad dressings is super important--why counteract the health benefits of omega 3's with toxic chemicals?

With that in mind, the same attention should be paid to the oils we put on our bodies as well.  My favorite is jojoba oil, good for all kinds of skin, even the oily variety.  Rumor has it, it not only cleans pores but also can prevent hair loss with a regular scalp massage.

It's videos like this one from goveg.com that make impassioned teenagers become vegetarians.  For good reason.

Even if you're not a vegetarian (admittedly, I'm not after going that route for a couple of years and being frankly quite ill from it--having said that I know many a thriving, robust vegetarian/vegan), choosing where your meat comes from makes a huge impact on the planet, the animal, and, ultimately, you.

By treating our farm animals cruelly, we're setting ourselves up for trouble.  How can eating animals that have been fed food they aren't meant to eat, drugged up with hormones and antibiotics, penned up and barred from doing any activity that biology dictates they do, poked, prodded, starved, and the like not have consequences higher on the food chain?  Aside from any spiritual karmic effects, there's just no way that meat is going to be truly healthy when it arrives on your plate.  I believe it carries with it all that suffering and stress and it goes straight into our own bloodstream.

In addition to only getting meat that comes from people raising it sustainably and humanely, consider exploring companies raising heritage breeds (most of our farm animals are the same breeds, meaning that they're crowding out genetic diversity.  Learn more about heritage breeds here.

I've bemoaned here before that my landlord recently put in grass in the front and back yards of my apartment building.  In Los Angeles.  During a worse than the usual drought. Luckily, there are lots of people out there doing something different.

Lawns have some very good qualities, like soaking up runoff and providing a place for wee ones to roll around, but they don't in any way measure up to planting native plants or fruits and veggies.  

Consider this from Eartheasy:

30% of water use on the East Coast goes to watering lawns.

On the West Coast, it's 60%!

Suburban lawns get way more chemicals dumped on them than farmland, up to 10 times more.

Lawn tools emit more carbon that automobiles (the worst offender, the leaf blower, dishes out 34 times as much).

If you already have grass and want to keep it, you can always use a push mower, water less, and use techniques like grasscycling to make it more environmentally-friendly.  Read more on that here.

But if you want to tread the road less often traveled, you can go beyond grass and actually have your yard space certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a bona fide Wildlife Habitat.  It involves planting native plants and providing water and cover for critters in your neck of the woods--an adventure, but a manageable one, for sure. And the payoff is that you get to provide a sanctuary for wild things that are struggling to find mates and homes in the face of a changing climate and more and more development.  You also get to watch them frolic.

Start your own Wildlife Habitat certification process here.

Tis the season for lavender, that lovely soothing stalk of blossoms.

You can buy some dried bundles from Local Harvest that come straight from organic farmers.  You might even be able to find a farm within a hundred or two miles of you.

Put some on a table or hang it from a ceiling or use it in sachets to keep your undies smelling fresh.

more (free fruit)

Until then, the farmers' market is my best bet.  Unless, as every so often happens, I spy a recently fallen avocado outside of a particular cafe or in the alley behind my acupuncturist's office.  Those are very good days.

Fallen Fruit is a project devoted to mapping out the prime spots for scoring edible delights.  What started in Los Angeles and now consists of just a handful of maps there and one in Santa Fe, can spread to cover the whole continent.  That is, if you go on an expedition of your neighborhood and make a map.  (The reward is whatever juicy goodies you find while you're out.)

See what I'm talking about at fallenfruit.org.

I have nothing against wheat, but it's so widespread in so much that we consume, it's probably a good idea to get away from it once in a while and try something a little off the beaten path.

I've recently been using organic spelt flour as a replacement for whole wheat flour in my baked goods.  Though it's not gluten-free as many people think, it is more nutritious with higher protein and more B vitamins than regular whole wheat, and the kicker is that I like it a whole lot better.  I thought I'd be in for less taste and less texture, but there's actually more--no worries about cardboard.  Also, I could swear that spelt tastes and smells like cinnamon!

Find out more about spelt here.  And buy some, if you like--even better if you can scoop some into a jar at your local bulk bin.

Here's my favorite all-purpose, delicious, so, so easy muffin recipe that I make almost every week, often mixing it up with seasonal fruits:

Mix together (all organic, of course):

1 1/2 C oat bran or almond meal or a combination

1 1/4 C rice milk (or soy or apple juice)

1/4 C oil (I use almond or rice bran)

1/4 C (or less) agave syrup (or 1/3 C maple syrup)

Mix together:

1 C spelt flour

1 T baking powder

Combine.  Then add your choice of fruits or nuts or both.  A handful of blueberries work great, as do diced peaches. But almost anything is delish.

Bake at 390 F for around 20 minutes.  (I usually double or triple this as it doesn't make that many.)

Bon appetit!

That's right, it's official.  July is National Blueberry Month.  Don't just take it from me, here's the USDA proclamation to back me up.

Yes, they're full of antioxidants and yes, they're little exploding bursts of flavor and yes, they're in season.

What better way to celebrate than with pie, muffins, or a handful thrown into your oatmeal?

And, here's some advice on growing them yourself (from someone who lives in Minnesota).  I've got two different varieties--one Misty--growing in pots outside my window and they're doing beautifully.  If you want information on types to grow in CA, look no further.

What has more antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates and hails from the Brazilian rainforest?  You guessed it, acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee).

And now they're in more than smoothie powders. 

To add to all the buzz acai berries have gotten, Veev has blended them with citrus and alcohol for a spirit that has all kinds of kick.

Veev also donates a dollar for each bottle sold back to the rainforest from whence it came, and offsets all of its manufacturing emissions. Read more on its environmental commitment here.

It's highly probable that your grilling will continue beyond July 4th weekend.  Grilling, even just for you or yours on a weekday evening, can add a little sizzle to the week and the meal. (Do remember that grilling can cause the production of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines, especially when grilling meats.  Read more in a previous post here.)

more (blooms in your cup)

Chrysanthemum, beautiful dried yellow and white flowers, is one such tea.

Heralded in China for actually ridding the body of heat, as in a fever or illness and detoxifying the liver, it is a perfect summer treat--sweet and full and a little bit tingly.  Traditional Chinese Medicine also says that, like green tea, it's excellent for dispelling tension headaches.

The word is really beginning to get out there about how our menu choices affect the world.  And while it can be dizzying to make choices between two goods (local and organic) or the lesser of two bads (pesticide-sprayed or trucked 2,000 miles) in a pinch, being conscious about what we put in our mouths and its connection to the wider world is always a good thing.

Check out this carbon diet calculator to see how your food picks impact global warming.  Don't feel guilty--just gather information and assess whether there's anything you'd like to change.

It's not the most user-friendly, but I played around with the "Make Your Own Meal" feature to put together combinations of things I typically eat at a given sitting (unfortunately, no specifications like cage free chicken versus factory farm are included).  The calculator tells you how many carbon points (one gram of carbon is one point) add up with each new menu item.

Happy carbon counting.

If you've seen the excellent documentary, The Future of Food, or are a member of the Organic Consumers Association, then you've heard of Monsanto.

Monsanto is a huge company and the maker of herbicides and the engineer and peddler of genetically modified seeds.  Roundup Ready soybeans are genetically modified to resist the very herbicides Monsanto sprays, those sprays being the kinds of chemicals that are toxic not just to weeds but to you and me and especially farmers.

Now, there's a film on DVD that explores what Monsanto has done, how, and how it's gotten away with it.  There's some pretty shocking stuff in here about what goes wrong when profit is the driving force of agriculture.  And, no it's nut a summer fluff film, but at least it's fodder for changing fall harvests.

And, buy the DVD here.

more (leafy greens)

If you want to get away from the same old vegetable rut, and you're a fan of broccoli, bok choy, and kale, your are delivered.  Chinese Broccoli has a slight bitterness, along with a kind of meatiness to it.  I've been enjoying it steamed and the stalks might be my favorite part (I'm sure stir-frying is delish, too.)

more (real food)

But, luckily movie nights do have something to do with lazy, warm summer evenings. 

In this engaging movie, two best friends from college travel to Iowa where they grow one acre of corn, with the help of Iowa farmers growing a whole load more than that.  It's their story, told inventively, and the story of our food supply.  Without being preachy at all, we get to hear all about what Michael Pollan exposes in The Omnivore's Dilemma, that we're mostly growing a monocrop--corn--that's not even edible but is used for all the "foods" we've filled our supermarkets with--soda and other products that are mostly made from high fructose corn syrup and the like.  Then there's the meat counter where all the cows have been fed, you guessed it, corn, which is terrible for their poor stomachs.

These guys follow the complicated route of corn from its origins in Mexico to our America in the present, showing how we now grow billions of bushels of it industrially in Iowa.  And, they make the whole ride really, really fun.  And, it just might turn you into one of us who scours the ingredients on food labels, trying to figure out what xanthan gum is and proud of ourselves for knowing it's just a fancy name for corn.

Watch an interview from ZapRoot with the guys behind the movie here.

more (plants)

I am also a huge fan of finding found containers to plant in--discarded wooden boxes, bathtubs, whatever works.

But then there are things that are made just perfectly for a certain purpose.  Like the food map container by Food Map Designs that is at the perfect height for preventing grownup back strain while permitting kids to get in on the action. And, it's on wheels!  Oh, and, it's on sale for a couple of weeks right now.

more (fruitiness) 

If you make jam from fresh farmers' market fruit, you can enjoy apricots, peaches, and strawberries all year long.

I admit to never having made it, but that won't stop me from sharing a great resource with you in case you are more jammily inclined.

more (seasonal fruit)

Here's a book that will help you pick just the perfect one (think orange/red color): How To Pick a Peach.  Here's the best part, in it, Russ Parsons goes beyond peaches to pretty much any produce to help you figure out how to pick, store, and prepare it--the subtitle says it all: The Search for Flavor From Farm to Table.  This is an invaluable guide for the seasonal eater so that your lettuce isn't wilted or your celery limp by the time you're reading to dig in and serve it up. Send to a Friend

I am a huge tea-drinker and have recently switched to all loose tea bought in bulk at a local bulk bin where I can fill old apple sauce jars with my favorites.  At home, green, white, chamomile, or a huge bunch of mint leaves steeped in water are known to be in my cup at any given time. 

We all know about the amazing health benefits of drinking tea, namely its antioxidant, cancer fighting potency. Another huge benefit is slowing down and sipping, what happens when you get in touch with the roots of ritual in the Japanese tea ceremony.

So, by using a teapot and some pretty (non-toxic, no lead allowed) cups, you can make tea time more of a practice when alone or serving friends.  It makes the whole process more earthy and mindful--no manufactured tea bags for starters, and a connection to to process.

Plus, if you use an electric kettle (the most efficient option), you can heat it up fewer times in a day because your pot will keep your tea warm for longer--an added eco-benefit.

I really like the offerings from Beehouse, some traditional some modern.

more (urban green)

It all started with one guy and has grown into a whole gaggle of people who go around London transforming vacant, overgrown, or run-down spaces into gardens, all under cover of night, or at least without any official permission.

more (information)

Grist has this great explanation of eight different factors that are going into the why behind the climb.

more (plant foods)

I love baking and never, ever use butter, milk, or eggs, and, most importantly, my creations please the crowd.

I had jury duty this week and while I was struck by many things during my eight hours of service in the judicial system, one that stands out had nothing to do with the court at all.  It was how many business people were carrying food in plastic bags during our/their lunch breaks.

So, here's a reusable bag that looks smart enough to carry with business attire and will keep food warm/cold for four hours--that's about right for lunch hour if you get to work at 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.  It has no PVC or vinyl and has been tested for food safety, not that your food will likely touch the bag most of the time. 

Even just using this to put to go food from a lunchy restaurant would be better than getting a plastic bag with your order if you're carrying out because you have a lunch meeting or like to find a green pasture to sit in while you dine.

It's a small thing, but if every person on their lunch break toted something like this, what a difference it would make.

And if you pack your lunch in it full of organic whole grains and vegetables, you get major extra points.

more (dirt under your fingernails)

Jeanne Kelley is a modern gardener indeed whose Los Angeles garden is home to a goat and chickens in addition to other growing things.  

She shares 150 fresh recipes for all of us, even if we don't own chicken coops.

You can listen to an interview with the writer/gardener/cook from KCRW's Good Food here.

Also, be aware that while grilling is fast, fun, and low fat, it also produces cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines.  Here are the five worst (all meats) from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. So, not only is grilling veggies and plant-based foods decreasing our environmental impact, it's also decreasing our risk of taking in these compounds.

Another of my personal biggies: use reusable silverware and plates, along with cloth napkins for get-togethers.  It makes the whole thing more festive, doesn't contribute to landfill waste, plastic in the environment, or excess packaging, and I find that doing dishes after a party is a great time to unwind and reflect.  I mean, until the last fifty or so years, that's what everybody did, so it can't be that hard.

Cheers to biologically-friendly barbecues.

Consider this: 1/5th of all greenhouse gas is from livestock raising. 1/2 the antibiotics in this country are administered to animals.

He's not actually a vegetarian.  He promotes being a semi-vegetarian, someone who simply increases the plant matter she eats and decreases meat and dairy--something that will help our own health as much as the health of our environment. He also draws parallels between junk food and meaty foods at how they've shaped us and what's behind their propensity.