Safe Fun in the Sun Redux

While records were being broken in my region last week, most people were hunkering down in the A/C whenever they could.

The temperature last Friday in NYC — 104° — was the highest ever on that date, breaking a record set in 1957. In Boston, the 103° temperature matched the July 22 record reached in 1926. Some 35 miles from here, the day’s 103° temperature was the hottest ever recorded in the greater Hartford area.

  

As if these temperatures weren’t bad enough, the problems with the heat were compounded by high humidity, leading to extraordinarily high heat indexes. In short, the heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels once you factor in the humidity. This site explains what the Heat Index is and how the formula is derived, provides a Heat Index Calculator, and includes a chart indicating how dangerous it is for almost anyone whenever it is over 90° and even the least bit humid. It was very humid during the heat wave of last week. In some places it felt like 107°. 

We are enjoying a bit of a respite here (although Saturday may be another doozie as my Dad used to say), and nature lovers and those with cabin fever are venturing out once again. I’m hoping for an afternoon at Hammonasset State Park one day soon. 

It’s only been about a month since the Summer Solstice. When the sun is shining, its rays are still pretty direct (i.e. strong) in our part of the world. Check out this interactive graphic to watch how this changes throughout the year.  Early last Summer I wrote a popular post on tips for Safe Fun in the Sun to help you prepare for the season. Most of what it contains still holds true, but there is some updated info on sunscreens which I’d like to pass on to you.

First up:

The 2011 Environmental Working Group Sunscreen Guide was released late in June. 

Second:

Over the past year I have become a big fan of GoodGuide. GoodGuide rates products for Health (of the consumer), Environment (how environmentally friendly the company is), and Society (how the company stands on labor and human rights) on a scale of 1-10. You can read more here. You can currently browse over 115,000 products for their ratings. Each category is also broken down into “Top Rated” and “Bottom Rated” for a quick read.

GoodGuide was founded in 2007 by Dara O'Rourke, a professor of environmental and labor policy at the University of California at Berkeley. Chief Scientist is Bill Pease, an expert in chemical risk assessment and creator of the pollution information resource, scorecard.org., which allows the user to find the biggest polluters in his or her community by entering a zipcode.

GoodGuide is available as a free app for both Android and Apple phones. We gave it a try in a CVS while on vacation when our sunscreen ran low. Use the phone’s camera to scan the barcode of a product in which you are interested, and if it is in the GoodGuide database, you will instantly get the rating.  We learned that the tube of Burt’s Bees sunscreen I had picked off the shelf was rated 7.8 overall (8.0 for health, 8.1 for environment, and 7.3 for society), placing it in the top 15, and the only product on the list actually in the store. We bought it.

GoodGuide is adding more products everyday. If the one you scanned is not yet rated, search GoodGuide by category for a list of similar products in the database, and then check the list against what’s in stock on the store shelves to see what your choices are. If you don’t find what you are looking for, be sure to send GoodGuide a rating request.

That wraps up what I have on sunscreens. Check out my earlier post for advice on hats and the best time of day to stay indoors.

Please protect Yourself. Skin cancer is on the rise; there are now over one million cases diagnosed each year. It can be deadly. But you can also lower your risk by following some or all of this pretty simple advice. Whatever you do, stay away from tanning beds. 

Wishing you good weather and fun times in the remaining days of Summer… 

Meatless Monday: Market Find of the Week…

… is the Hakurei Turnip (Brassica rapa). Yes, these compact, white globes ARE turnips.

I frequently buy from a particular purveyor of organic produce at CitySeed’s Wooster Square Market. His stock of lettuce was so bountiful earlier in the summer (when the days were sunny and cool and rain fell nightly) that he once held a “fire sale” and we enjoyed a backpack full of a variety of baby lettuces at a rock bottom price. This week I was attracted by his huge stack of cucumbers, the sale item of the week. As I was putting a half dozen in my bag, I noticed the display of nicely washed, off-white roots set out for sampling. I munched one as suggested. It tasted like a radish, but without any overpowering zing. The price was pretty reasonable — $2.00 for a generous bunch. I was hooked.

This friendly farmer couldn’t explain the turnip’s Asian-sounding name.  I Googled Hakurei Turnip later, and here is what I found out. Turnips belong to the same species as the plant commonly known as field mustard. Since prehistoric times turnips have been a valuable source of food in Europe — for humans (the small variety) and animal fodder (the larger versions). They were introduced to the New World in 1541. According to food blogger Corky Pollan, “Hakurei are relatively new turnips that were developed in Japan in the ’50s when the country was suffering from severe food shortages due to World War II.”

  

Turnips are low in calories while high in Vitamin C; the greens have about three times the Vitamin C of the root and are rich in calcium and a number of other nutrients. [Any greens still attached to the root and in good shape can be washed well and steamed or added to a stir fry.] 

While no temperature records were broken on Saturday, it was still plenty hot. What I really wanted for dinner was a cool, crispy salad, hence my quest for cucumbers. I found this recipe for Cucumber and Hakurei Turnip Salad online, and I followed it exactly [except for substituting a food processor for the mandoline, which I lack and which is probably too dangerous for me]. I served the salad over a bed of mesclun greens, topped with a bit of Swiss cheese for added protein. This salad was easy to make, deliciously refreshing and satisfyingly crunchy.

I understand that Hakurei turnips can also be roasted, but turning on my oven to bake something that tastes great raw doesn’t seem very green or wise right now. I'm going to stick with the salad for the rest of the bunch.

Next Saturday I’ll be searching for round, yellow cucumbers like the one the farmer was chomping on during our transaction. I was told the cucumber was an heirloom variety, the first one ready for harvest, and that I should check back next week for more. Such a tease! If I do find round cucumbers, I’ll be sure to let you know.   

Until then, stay cool, and please come back soon for more food facts or my latest produce discovery. Thanks for reading.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal  health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Yelping Our Way to the Cape (and Home Again)

Things have changed. I recently switched to a smartphone, and then I discovered Yelp. There’s simply no going back. No way.

Life doesn’t always go as planned, especially on a road trip. Traffic ties up. The sun is bright. The car gets hot. And you need a break sooner than the one you planned at the place you already know.

With Yelp and a smartphone, a world of new adventures opens up. There are so many tools you can use (not while driving, please). Park somewhere or assign the task to the person riding shotgun. Turn on your GPS. Then go to Yelp and search for coffee or restaurants or diners, or whatever you crave, nearby or down the road. You can filter for price or distance. Then read reviews and descriptions to learn whether the beans are fairly traded, the ingredients are locally sourced, the service is quick, the bathrooms clean, or whatever it is you most want to know. Then click for distance and precise driving directions in Google Maps and if you have Google Maps Navigation a voice will magically guide you there. 

That’s what we did on our way to the Cape (for needed breaks), once we arrived there (to see what was new), and on our way back (when we were hungry and then thirsty). And we’re still Yelping now that we are home again. One of us has even found the time to set up an account and start Yelping his own reviews. 

Here are some of our discoveries:

• Bean & Leaf in New London, CT. We never would have pulled off the road in downtown New London without a destination and clear directions. While on I-95, I searched for coffee nearby, read a description, and we decided to give the place a try. It was easy off and easy on. If not for Yelp, we would never have discovered this pleasantly funky café with fairly traded organic coffee roasted on the premises, delicious and reasonably-priced sandwiches, and a relaxed atmosphere.
• The Lazy Lobster in Chatham, MA where we had sublime clam chowder and crab cakes on a foggy day. We’d driven past this place for years, but the owners don’t advertise heavily and you can’t tell much about the restaurant from the outside. Without yelp we would never have realized that the only reason the parking lot is empty at night is that the Lazy Lobster only serves breakfast and lunch! What a find!
• On the way back to CT, we found the South Coast Local (Diner, Dinner & BBQ) in Mattapoisett, MA a farm-to-table restaurant which opened in May.  We had the opportunity to compliment awarding-winning chef and co-owner (with his wife Sherry) Wayne Gibson on the delicious ale-battered cod sandwiches we enjoyed. (So happy to have local fish one more time before returning to the Have). This gem of a restaurant is housed in a Mountain View diner, but diner fare it is not. It features food described by food writers and diners as, “fresh” and “inspired,” and a BBQ menu that has been called “perfect.”  
• We became thirsty just before the RI/CT border last Saturday and I had a craving for Del’s Frozen Lemonade (introduced to us by friends Carl and Polly a few years ago). I found a spot in North Kingstown, a little place with a large shade tree in the parking lot, a nice spot to chill out before the last leg of the trip. Once again, easy off, easy on. Never would have found it without Yelp.

Now, why am I telling you this in my Meatless Monday post? With Yelp you can search using any term you like and thus is a valuable resource in aiding you to honor your Meatless Monday pledge. In honor of MM, I entered “vegetarian” and then “vegan” restaurants within two miles from here. I had no idea just how many choices there are within walking distance. Now I know where to go on Mondays when I don’t feel like cooking.

Give Yelp a try, wherever you are. Here’s hoping you, too, will be pleasantly surprised.

Have a good week, and please come back soon for more food facts, recipes, and my latest edible discoveries.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal  health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Farm-to-Table on the Cape

I was looking for an easy post topic. I knew I’d have writer’s block on my first day back after a restful and fun-filled week on Cape Cod.

My idea sounded simple enough. While I was away a friend had emailed asking for restaurant tips for visitors who wanted to experience New Haven’s Farm-to-Table restaurant scene [more on that in a future post]. That topic would surely make a quick story — not! I expected to find an “official” definition of the Farm-to-Table movement and to move on from there. The best definition I found was at WiseGeek: “A farm-to-table restaurant is a restaurant where the ingredients are sourced as locally as possible…the farm-to-table restaurant trend is part of a larger movement to eat as locally as possible, taking advantage of seasonally available fruits and vegetables and focusing on the environmental and cultural impacts of farming.”

Farm-to-Table has its regional variations. On the Cape it includes fresh seafood brought in by the commercial fishing fleets in Chatham and Provincetown. But the core concept remains the same everywhere: getting fresh local food to the consumer’s table as quickly as possible, in as few steps as possible. 

One of the earliest American Farm-to-Table restaurants is Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, opened in 1971 by Alice Waters. Although Alice did not use the phrase Farm-to-Table, she called for a food economy that is “good, clean, and fair.”  One of the newer faces of the movement is Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant in Manhattan, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Blue Hill Farm in Great Barrington, MA, who trademarked the phrase “Know thy farmer.” Another is Sam Beall, proprietor of Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.

Farm-to-Table dining in a fine restaurant is a rare indulgence for me. But I am always on the lookout for ways I can enjoy Farm-to-Table at home or in a casual setting. Last week at the Cape it was particularly easy to find some new things to try. In partnership with FoodRoutes Network and with the assistance of the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, merchants on the Cape started the Cape Cod Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign. With access to the internet one could view a website with current member listings. If totally unplugged, a visitor could look for the Cape Cod Buy Local sign in the window or in an ad.

With the help of this campaign, we sampled:

• Summer squash, grown at the Cape Abilities Farm in Dennis, and sold at the Farm to Table shop on Main Street in Chatham and
• A growler of India Pale Ale, brewed in Hyannis at Cape Cod Beer, and sold at the Chatham Village Market.

in addition to other local items not part of the official member network:

• Cod caught off the coast of Chatham and sold at the Chatham Fish & Lobster Company         
• Clam Chowder at the Lazy Lobster
• Halibut Chowder at the Chatham Coffee Company 
• Chatham Summer Blend Coffee, roasted at the Art of Roasting in Chatham 

and, last but not least,

• World-famous Onion Rings at Liam’s at Nauset Beach in Orleans. A vacation on the Cape would not be complete without them. Liam’s is a clam shack, open only in-season, no web presence. Check out these reviews on yelp to learn more.

Whether or not local food is actually greener is a hot button topic. 

I know that my last week’s purchases helped support a local economy, undergoing continued strains as Chatham’s days as a fishing community continue to fade into memory. And I can tell you with certainty that local fare tastes great!

Coming soon…more on eating local, wherever you are. Have a great week.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal  health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Happy Fourth of July!

Just in time for your holiday celebration, here is the coleslaw recipe I promised you a while back. It is based on a recipe from a column by Cecily Brownstone which appeared in the New Haven Register, back in the days when everyone read the paper. According to Brownstone, the salad was “made famous by the Santa Fe Railway restaurateur Fred Harvey.”

FRED HARVEY COLE SLAW

Shred one medium head of cabbage and one small onion. 

Cover with 1/2 cup sugar. 

Combine in a small saucepan: 

1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 

1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 cup peanut oil, 1/2 cup vinegar

Bring to a boil.

Pour over shredded vegetables.

Cover and refrigerate.

Let stand at least 4 hours before serving.

My tweaks:

Use a medium Vidalia onion.

Shred two medium-sized carrots along with the other veggies.

Cut the salt by half.

Substitute canola oil for peanut (being mindful of those with allergies).

Note: I have only made this using white vinegar.

Cabbage is readily available year-round. It stores well in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator, so it is easy to keep on hand. It is inexpensive (as are the other ingredients in this slaw), a big plus when feeding  a crowd. Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamins C and K and other nutrients, is low in calories, is purported to have a number of disease-preventing properties, and is Number 11 on the 2011 “Clean 15” List, recently released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). What this means is that conventionally-grown cabbage is one of the vegetables lowest in residual pesticides. [For more on EWG, the “Dirty Dozen,” and the “Clean 15,” see last year’s post.] Be sure to check out the EWG site where you can download your own pocket guide.

I’m sure you are aware that Meatless Monday falls on July 4th this year. Just so you know, I had this post worked out way before Mark Bittman wrote about it in the New York Times and everyone tweeted it all over. Yes, this coming Monday may be a tough Monday to go meatless, especially if you are at a traditional cook-out as someone else’s guest. It’s certainly not the easiest day to begin the Meatless Monday habit.

But take this advice from someone who often rides the guilt train. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you’re an omnivore and find yourself craving a big, juicy, burger, just go meatless on Tuesday this week instead. [Chances are that you are going meatless more than once a week anyway.] Enjoy your Fourth, wherever you are, and whatever you happen to eat. 

Have a good week, and please come back soon for more food facts, recipes, and my latest edible discoveries.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal  health and the health of our planet.”