Farm Share: Week 5

A lighter haul this week due to the super wet, yucky rainy weather we’ve been having lately.  I don’t think the hailstorms helped any either.

farm share - week 5

In this week’s share was Swiss chard, baby carrot, red Russian kale, red leaf lettuce, green beans and fava beans.

The green beans and Swiss chard got steamed and served with veggie dumplings.  Freshly steamed Swiss chard is so  delicious – I had no idea it could be so sweet.  The fava beans, while a pain in the ass to prep, got put into this recipe for orzo and pea salad with mint.  I used Trader Joe’s grain blend and the fava beans instead of peas and parsley instead of mint.  It came out great with a squish of lemon and makes a perfect summer lunch or dinner side.

I’ve got a recipe tagged for the kale when I get back from another wedding in Long Island this Sunday.  Should be quick and easy to put together and provide a good lunch/dinner for the week.

Also, on a whim I made this tofu strawberry tart. I wanted to keep it simple so I made a regular graham cracker crust.  I also didn’t have a tart pan, so into a regular pie pan it went.  This is a great recipe if you’re trying to get someone to eat tofu.  The texture is just like that of a light, fluffy cheesecake and the homemade strawberry jam is always a crowd-pleaser.  I served this to two picky eaters and they both liked it a lot — and had no idea it was totally vegan.  ::cue evil laughter::

Emo-Vamps and Weak Women: How Did We Get Here?

The internet has been a wealth of  interesting discussions about the relationship between Buffy and Twilight, and I’ve been unable to disconnect from the fascinating dialogue going on, despite my intentions.  As you know by now, I have a very love-hate relationship with Twilight.  I dislike the books and movies, but it’s given me a new space to think and talk (and blog) about a lot of very interesting topics.

The Edward Cullen/Buffy video mashup has been around and web and back again in the past few weeks.  With its pro-feminist, totally awesome Buffy-as- uber-Vampire-Slayer ending, I cheered to see Edward Cullen turn to dust.  Au revoir Mr. Sparkles!

But in the end, isn’t Buffy to blame for the rise of emo-y vampires that women swoon over despite the vamps stalker tendancies and the fact they they’re soulless demons created maim and kill?

What I Read: June 2009

Reviews take you to Goodreads.com and *’s denote particular favorites.  Looking back at the June books, it looks like I didn’t really rate any one very high.  I think I was in a bit of a reading funk since there are two DNFs and it’s pretty rare that I don’t finish a book.

A Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami

Kushiel’s Justice, Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel’s Mercy, Jacqueline Carey

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski

Exhileration!

tripod headstand

Headstand = success!!

With not a rain drop in sight and a morning free, I thought to myself, “What  a perfect day for an outside yoga practice!”  So I fished an old bath towel out of the laundry bin and spread it out under a big oak tree in Ed’s yard.  What a beautiful way to practice.  Physically connecting to the earth made such a difference — especially in being conscious of my core since the real earth feels nothing like a yoga studio floor ::wink::

When I got into wide-legged forward bend, I figured it would be a good time to work on my tripod.  I’ve had issues with inversion in the past, but I was feeling pretty safe and strong today. Setting up head and hands, I  scooted my knees onto my triceps and hung out there for a few breaths. Already feeling pretty pleased with myself, I’m not sure what inspired me to try the full on headstand, but I took a deep breath and slowly brought my legs overhead … AND STAYED THERE.  OMG!!  I WAS IN A HEADSTAND!  And not a panic attack or anxiety in sight!  Literally.  All I could see was the green grass tickling the upside down blue sky.  I didn’t stay up for  very long and made a resounding THUD when I landed.  But holy cow kids, I did it!  I had no idea I had it in me.  I figured I didn’t have the strength to get my legs up over my head, but you know what?  I DO!

Right now I feel on top of the world — strong and capable and so grateful for my body for being strong and my mind for not freaking the eff out like it usually does.

A fellow yogi recently left a Facebook status update saying that headstands are a great way to start the day.  I’m thinking she’s on to something big.

Happy Independence Day!

Farm Share: Week 4

This just keeps getting better and better!  Week 4’s haul included beets, little white turnips, carrots, chicory, snap peas swiss chard, baby fennel and broccoli raab.  I fully confess to eating the entire bunch of chard for dinner that first night.  Gently steamed, it was a plateful of the sweetest greens I’ve ever eaten.

Week Four haul

The fennel was thinly sliced and used in this Shaved Fennel Salad.  I didn’t have any thyme but I had all the rest of the ingredients kicking around.  I will definitely make this salad again should any fresh fennel come my way.  It tastes so much lighter and sweeter when it’s fresh, rather than the pungent, licorice-y taste of the stuff from the grocery store.  The only downside was that while chopping the parsley, I chopped off a good chunk of my left ring finger.  First ever kitchen injury with a knife.  Until now, I’ve prided myself on my knife skills and always having sharp, good knives.  Ah well.  They always says pride comes before the fall.  Guess it’s time to sharpen my knives and be a little more mindful when I’m working in the kitchen.

The snap peas, raab and beet greens traveled with me to Rhode Island, where I’ll be for the 4th of July holiday.  Last night Ed and I sauteed the beet greens with a little garlic – delicious!  (We then watched 28 Days Later, which Ed had never seen.  I’ve seen it a couple times now and it still gives me nightmares.)

We’ll probably cook up the raab in the next day or so – just a simple prep of quick cooking the raab to draw out the bitterness, then sauteeing it with some garlic and onion.  Pretty basic, but will be a great side dish to some sort of healthy protein. 

As for the rest, well, I’m thinking of something southwestern-themed since I have some black beans, brown rice and a bunch of cilantro still kicking around.  I’d like to re-create the cilantro sour “cream” from Veganomicon … so maybe quesadillas or tacos?  We’ll see what I come up with on Monday night!  And then there’s all those lovely root vegetables (beets, turnips and carrots) to roast as well.  This salad really caught my eye the other day.  Perhaps something similar will find it’s way on to my plate.  All I’d need are some sweet potatoes and an avocado.

Have a happy, healthy, fun and food-filled Fourth!

Honeymoon

Vermont Honeymoon

Originally uploaded by kreynard

What do you think, faithful blog readers? I’m seeing a similar sign attached to either the back of Dad’s truck or the fishing boat.

Farm Share: Week 3

Week Three of the farm share brought carrots, mustard greens, Asian turnips, red Swiss chard, Bibb lettuce, escarole, red leaf lettuce and sugar snap peas.  I have an OBSESSION with snap peas and the carrots have got to be the sweetest, tastiest carrots I’ve ever eaten!

Farm Share Week Three

I found a recipe for the cabbage courtesy of a librarian-friend who suggested this amazing lemon coleslaw.

Dinner on Thursday night was a fun meal of quick fried rice (egg, rice, carrot, snap peas, a dash of soy sauce and a handful of spices) scooped into Bibb lettuce cups.  Topped with a squiggle of Siracha and they were positively delicious!

Bibb lettuce cups with fried rice

I’m picking up the last of the ingredients to make cranberry beans anad greens and a slew of dumplings today.  The dumplings are my own recipe consisting of tofu, garlic, ginger, Swiss chard and cilantro.  Stick it all in the food processor, blend, and then make your dumplings.  The local Korean market is the only place I can find to get the right kind of dumpling wrappers, so I’ll be making a visit there this morning!

The only ingredient not accounted for in these recipes are the Asian turnips.  Maybe I should jus roast them with some carrots and use as a salad topper?  Anyone worked with this veggie before?

Movie Review: Food Inc.

Food, Inc.

Saw Food, Inc. last night at the local independent theatre (though I hope it goes mainstream!)

If you’ve read Omnivore’s Dilemma, then this movie will be like preaching to the choir.  However, if you haven’t read Omnivore’s Dilemma, then this is a MUST SEE film.  It distills all the information found in the book, but adds in  so much more.

What struck me were the blatant abuses of the workers and farmers.  The intimidation, fear-mongering and work conditions were appalling.

Most of the film works to shine a light on these dark corners of the food industry: dark corners that make up most of the food we consume on a daily basis, that hide the abuses and injustices of the workers and animals, and the government complicity and willful ignorance that allows these crimes to be perpetuated.

However, the film is not a graphic as some reviews (and the website) have made it out to be.  The news clips shown are the same once we’ve seen on the Nightly News or 60 Minutes.  So don’t let that deter you from seeing this film.

What I liked most about this film is that it gave concrete ways to fix these issues.  Unlike many investigative documentaries that just stir up a whole lot of muck and offer no solutions, Food, Inc. has many solutions and offers viewers many ways to effect small changes that can have big impact.

To paraphrase one of the farmers from the end of the film, “If the consumers demand it, we’ll produce it.”

So consumers, let’s start making some demands for a healthy, sustainable and safe way of getting and eating our foods.

The Food, Inc. website has a lot of great information the Child Nutrition Act and all the issues presented in the film.

On a personal level, I encourage you to visit the Center for Foodborn Illness Research and Prevention, who’s founder is also the sponsor behind Kevin’s Law and the mother of a child who died from e coli poisoning.

There are also so many great resources on how to make sure you are getting safe, healthy and local foods.

Check out eatwild.com to find a farm near you for grass-fed meats and dairy products. (H/T to Carine for the link!)

Also consider participating in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.  It’s great to split the food (and costs) with a friend or another family!  (There are even CSFs — community supported fisheries — now, too!)

Lastly, support your local farmers markets!  One of the best suggestions I heard was to work with your local farmers markets to get them to accept food stamps.  (Some already do!)  This opens up a whole new avenue of healthy, local and safe food for those on restricted incomes.

There’s a lot you can do to help out and each little change we make is one step towards sustainable, safe, healthy food that is good for the animals, the enviroment, the workers and farmers, and us.

Farm Share: Week 2

Seems silly to post this now, since I’m picking up Week 3 today, but I didn’t want this last week to go unacknowledged.  This week I dealt with what will be my summertime food challenge — travel on the weekends.  If I’m away 2-3 days out of the week, that’s 6-9 meals that I’m missing and I worry about the produce going bad before I can use it up.  Anyone know how to can/preserve lettuce?

Also, this posting is sans photos … I was rushing around cooking/traveling all week and weekend that I forgot to bust out the camera to take some food shots.  I promise to be better about that in the future.

This week’s delivery was another round of leafy greens but with a few changes:  cilantro, collard greens, red Russian kale, swiss chard,  napa cabbage,  romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce and escarole.

Week 2's Haul

The first night Timmy came over for dinner and we made sauteed shitake mushrooms and collard greens over creamy parmesean polenta.  Thursday night I cooked for Ed and Carine and grilled the remaining polenta slices and served them with a bouillabaise-type dish with shrimp, escarole, collards and mushrooms in a tomato sauce.  I think I prefer the creamy polenta to the grilled slices.

Then it was away for a wedding in Long Island.

Last night I whipped up a black bean soup and cilantro sour cream from an amazing new cookbook The Veganomicon.  I highly, highly recommend this cookbook even if you’re not vegan (I’m not).  The depth of information on cooking different grains and beans, stocking a healthy kitchen, and the recipes themselves are top notch.  The cookbook now sits along side The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Fight Back With Food as the most-used cookbooks.  There’s so much goodness in all these books that often I’ll sit down and just read/re-read them like a regular book.

The black bean soup came out great and the cilantro sour cream (made from silken tofu) tastes great!

I still have the entire head of Napa cabbage in my crisper drawer and no idea what to do with it that would use up most of a cabbage head.  Any ideas/recipes out there?

Congratulations Lisa & Keith!

This past weekend was the wedding of Lisa and Keith, good friends from college who have had a very long engagement.  Keith’s in the middle of medical school and Lisa is completing pastry school so finding the time to plan, let alone have a wedding has been a challenge.

It was a beautiful weekend and great to see all the friends from college!

The whole crew!

Ed and I have three more weddings this summer/fall.  It’s been great on-the-job training and I can’t wait until it’s our turn!

More pics of the wedding are available here.