Meatless Monday: Why I Joined CT NOFA

Today is not a typical Meatless Monday. It is Occupy Our Food Supply’s Blogger Day of Action, a day in which journalists and bloggers from around the nation are calling for the reclamation of our food systems from industrial agribusiness. It seems an appropriate day to tell you why I have recently become a member of CT NOFA, the Connecticut chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association.

I am a city dweller. I will never farm on my tiny city lot. So why join a “farming association?” CT NOFA is far more than a membership organization for farmers. In short, “CT NOFA is a growing community of farmers, gardeners, land care professionals, and consumers that encourages a healthy relationship to the natural world,” a not-for-profit which “encourages the growth of a sustainable, regional food system that is ecologically sound, economically viable and socially just” as one of its missions  You can read more here. 

CT NOFA has been on my radar for some time now. Its executive director, Bill Duesing, is well-known in the Green scene in my area. He was founding president of CT NOFA as well as founding chair of the New Haven Ecology Project and its Common Ground High School.

Under his leadership, CT NOFA became one of over 80 plaintiffs in a preemptive suit by organic seed growers, farmers, and farmer organizations to prevent Monsanto from suing farmers or seed producers should their crops become contaminated by Monsanto’s patented seeds. The suit, filed in March of 2011, is titled organic Seed Growers & Trade Association (OSGATA), et al. v. Monsanto. You can read more about the suit here. 

On February 1, Bill Duesing represented CT NOFA and its members at a hearing in Southern District Court in lower Manhattan on Monsanto’s motion to dismiss the suit. You can read the details in Bill’s blog post on the day’s activities. 

More recently, CT NOFA rallied its members to lobby AGAINST a bill raised in the CT legislature which would modify the ban on the use of pesticides on school grounds, and FOR a bill which calls for labeling of foods that contain or might contain genetically-engineered ingredients and for instituting “best practices” for farmers who choose to grow genetically-engineered crops. CT NOFA is not trying to prevent farmers from choosing to use genetically-engineered seeds. It is seeking to preserve the rights of farmers and consumers who choose not to take that route.

I support CT NOFA’s efforts to provide a safe, secure food supply in my state. That’s why I intend to be a dues-paying member from now on. I hope you’ll consider joining me as a new member of the association. Check it out. There’s a new category — introductory membership of just $15 for your first year. 

Have a great week. “See” you next Monday.

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.”

Saturday Short Subjects: Gleanings from Master Gardening

Those of you who know me personally are likely aware that since January I have been on the road to becoming a Certified Master Gardener. In Connecticut, Master Gardeners do educational outreach as part of the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. But you have to earn the title before you can dispense advice. There are many steps to certification. First up is 16 days of intense coursework. In New Haven county we meet each Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm. At each session a different expert comes to speak on a particular subject. There are handouts, quizzes, assignments. As I knew before I signed up for this program, how well a plant does depends a great deal on its environment. Soil, light, water, temperature, and the other inhabitants of its space all have a great influence upon the plant's ultimate success or failure. There are lots of topics to cover. Whatever our area of interest, we are expected to be familiar with all of them.

Two sessions ago the topic was Entomology. Insects are major players in the plant and animal kingdoms. How huge a role do they have? Here are just a few of the many things I learned on Entomology day:

• Over one million species of insects have been described, but estimates range from 1-30 million more are undescribed.
• Insects inhabit every niche in terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
• There are 4500 species of cockroaches. Only 4 are pests.
• Termites and cockroaches are closely related. A termite queen loses her wings and becomes an egg factory. Her king lives with her. She can lay 2,000 eggs a day for 45 years. [I guess the Orkin guy doesn’t have to worry.]
• Mayflies are used in water quality assessment. If you have a lot of mayflies you are doing well. The mayfly emergence at the Great Lakes can show up on doppler radar.
• Forensic entomologists use insects that inhabit decomposing remains to aid them in their legal investigations. [There is an order for when different species show up at a corpse.]
• What tool does a stumped entomologist use to identify an unfamiliar specimen? The same as the rest of us — Google search.
• Western cultures are the only ones which do not include insects in their diet [knowingly, anyway]. Perhaps we should. There are certainly plenty to go around. They are a good source of protein and fiber. The speaker said roasted insects are pleasantly crunchy and have a nutty taste.

That’s it for today. I’m off to the CT Flower Show.

Please come back Monday for the Blogger Day of Action post I am planning. Have a great weekend.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).

Meatless Monday: Healthier Options for Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras is tomorrow, and for many that means a day of celebrations which include rich foods such as paczki, beignets, and pancakes. Mardi Gras provides an opportunity for a final day of fat and carb binging before the penitential season of Lent begins.

I have never eaten an authentic beignet, and I bet not all have you have tasted a paczki, but everyone knows pancakes. They have been around for centuries. Olney, England has held pancake races since 1445, and residents there will continue the tradition tomorrow. Last year I recounted a brief history of the Mardi Gras custom of eating pancakes, speculated on how the Olney races came to be, and sent everyone to IHOP for free pancakes. I also included a recipe for a healthy-ish pancake with historical roots of its own — cornmeal pancakes as prepared at the Boothe Memorial Park and Museum in Stratford, CT. The pancakes are easy to make; the biggest challenge  will be finding cornmeal that is non-GMO. 

A few days later, after learning just what was in those restaurant pancakes, I apologized and advised everyone they would be better off staying home and making their own. The nutritional information showed that chain pancakes were loaded with fat and salt and low in food value. The key to a better pancake is to reduce the white ingredients, increase the whole grains, and to cut the salt and fat.  As an alternative, I  included  a recipe for vegan banana pancakes  (from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz via my friend Cher).

This year I offer up a family favorite. I could doubtless tweak it to make it even healthier, but I leave that experimenting to you. This recipe has been around since my days of feeding a young, picky eater. Even left alone, this recipe is far better for you than most pancakes eaten out.

Oatmeal Pancakes 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup of quick-cooking oats

1-1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

• Whisk all ingredients in your sturdy mixing bowl until smooth. (You can thin the batter with some extra milk if it is too thick).
• Heat and grease your griddle. (To see if the griddle is hot enough, splash with a few drops of water. If the bubbles bounce around, the temperature is perfect.)
• For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle.
• Cook until pancakes are puffed and dry around the edges. Turn over and cook until the other side is delicately browned.
• Serve with maple syrup.
• You can refrigerate leftovers [This recipe makes lots of pancakes.] and microwave for later use.

Breakfast for supper can be a fun, healthy, and inexpensive tradition, particularly during a school vacation week when your kids might stay in their pajamas all day. Google “healthy pancake recipes” and see what turns up. Look for options where whole grains outweigh white ingredients, where fruit replaces some of the sugar, and where fat and salt are low.

Happy eating!

Have a great week. “See” you next Monday.

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.”

Saturday Short Subjects: Back to the Start

For some of you this may be old news. If you watched the Grammy Awards last Sunday and stayed tuned during the breaks, you saw this revolutionary “commercial” for the Chipotle chain. “Back to the Start” tells the story of one farmer’s return to the way things used to be. In the course of the two minute film, an aging farmer has an epiphany, leading him to tear down the factory compound his farm has become and return it to the way it was when he started out. This film is remarkable not just for the message it promotes — the return to sustainable farms — but when it was aired — on primetime TV during a popular awards show. I should also mention that the Chipotle logo only shows up once, in tiny form, on a truck, at the end of the clip.

Like the tune? That’s Willie Nelson performing Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” The song is available for purchase on iTunes. Proceeds benefit The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which is “dedicated to creating a sustainable, healthful, and equitable food future.”

Many news outlets wrote that the film upstaged some of the performers [although not Adele]. Here is what Advertising Age had to say. The ad has been on YouTube since August, and also aired in some movie theaters. Here is a video about the making of “Back to the Start.” 

Chipotle is proof that a chain can succeed using sustainable sourcing of ingredients and serving healthy food. To read more about Chipotle in one of my past posts, click here. 

Have a great weekend.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).

A Message of Love

Couldn't resist turning this store window display into a message of love 

for all my followers today…

Who knows the window?

Meatless Monday: They Came, They Bid, They Swapped

Slow Food Shoreline’s Food Swap on February 4th was such a success that it will likely become a a monthly event. When food lovers arrived at at New Haven’s Woodland Coffee & Tea, wares in hand, the group’s full board was there to greet them. 

These eggs did NOT come from a store!

The empty table was soon filled with items for trade. There were eggs of many colors — lots of them — from backyard chickens, baked goods, jams, and even some limoncello. Nothing to trade? You were out of luck. No cash allowed. 

People perused and mingled, had some coffee, and talked until the bidding opened. They placed their bids, then talked and drank some more. When the time was up, the swaps were made. There were smiles all around. One kind soul shared her extra fruit butter with everyone, even with those who had arrived empty-handed. The traders left happy and inspired for next month. Here are details on how the Swap works. You can see more photos from the first Swap and other recent events at the group’s facebook page.

There’s no stopping Slow Food Shoreline’s enthusiastic board. They staffed a table at the opening day of “Big Food: Health, Culture and the Evolution of Eating,” a hands-on exhibition at Yale’s Peabody Museum through December 2012. Prior commitments kept me from checking out Big Food on its first weekend, but look for a blogpost soon.

Slow Food Happy Hour returns tonight, February 13 from 5- 7 at New Haven’s Soul de Cuba and the “Life is Sweet” Vegan Cupcake Class is coming up at Katalina’s  Cupcakes on February 25th. 

If good, healthy food is important to you, look for a chapter of Slow Food near you. In New Haven we are fortunate to have such an energized board running our brand new chapter. They know how to work hard and have a good time. 

Have a great week. I hope to see some of you locals at one of the next Slow Food events in and around New Haven. I’ll “see” the rest of you back here next Monday.

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.”

Saturday Short Subjects: Solar Storm = Eye Candy in the Extreme

Early on January 24th, NASA issued this press release: “The coronal mass ejection CME collided with Earth's magnetic field a little after 10 AM ET on January 24, 2012. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has categorized the resulting storm as ‘strong’ — or S3 (with S5 being the highest) — storm. Solar radiation storms can affect satellite operations and short wave radio propagation, but cannot harm humans on Earth. Auroras may well be visible tonight at higher latitudes such as Michigan and Maine in the U.S., and perhaps even lower.” NASA was able to capture the flare: a short video follows the press release.  

As a precaution, Delta and American airlines rerouted planes that normally flew over the North Pole for 24 hours fearing that communications could be disrupted. In Scandinavia, optimistic photographers got ready to record the show, and they were not disappointed. Just search for Northern Lights 2012 on YouTube or Vimeo and you will see what I mean.

Thanks to a tweet from @grist I was alerted to perhaps the best of the best of these videos — “Aurora 2012,” by Christian Mülhauser, posted by Grist List editor Jess Zimmerman on February 7.

The film was shot in Norway on January 24 at the height of the storm.

Aurora 2012 from Christian Mülhauser on Vimeo.

Check out the NASA site for more information on solar storms and some fantastic still images. Be sure to visit the NASA Solar Storm FAQ page for clear, concise answers to many questions, including: “Is the world going to end in 2012?”  [The answer to this one is a click away.] Warning: If you are at all interested in astronomy you could spend a lot of time here.

Have a great weekend.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).

Meatless Monday: The Wonderful Arctic Char

Fish? On Meatless Monday? I know some of you at least may consider meat without feet not meat. And many others of you are flexitarians. All I promise on Monday is a post on food or a food issue. This post covers both, so here goes.

In October I wrote about attending a talk by Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food. Greenberg proposes that there are better, more sustainable choices to fill the need for each of the fish he follows in his book — salmon, sea bass, cod, and tuna. His choice for salmon is the arctic char. He writes, “The arctic char is from the same taxonomic family as salmon, has pretty good feed conversion ratios, rich flesh, and most interestingly of all, because it frequently finds itself crammed into close quarters when its natural arctic lakes freeze, it has high disease resistance and takes extremely well to high stocking densities—densities that are necessary to make out-of-ocean aquaculture operations profitable. And this is exactly what’s happening with char. Most are grown in re-circulating, above ground tanks in Iceland and Canada.”

A couple of weekends ago I spotted a small package of Arctic Char, “farmed in Iceland” in my store’s frozen food section. The footprint seemed a little large, but I knew Monterey Bay Aquarium had listed Arctic Char as a Best Choice in its newest Seafood Watch© guides, and any fish I choose to eat has to travel from somewhere. I brought some home. I wasn’t quite sure how to cook it, but I knew I’d be able to find out more online. Icelandic USA did not disappoint. Here is a link to an entire page of Arctic Char recipes. And here is a page with species and nutrition information. 

While many Super Bowl viewers were chowing down on wings, we were dining on Roasted Provencal Arctic Char served over orzo [instead of polenta]. The ingredients were not difficult to assemble, the recipe called for the fish to be cooked from frozen with skin on making things incredibly easy, and the directions were totally accurate. Seventeen minutes after I put this dish into my oven in a cast iron skillet, we had a delicious feast. The char flaked like salmon. The flesh was slightly milder in taste and peeled away easily from the skin. It took so little effort for such a wonderful meal that I’ll be keeping a package or two of Arctic Char in my freezer from now on.

Roasted Provencal Arctic Char

Now that I've had such great success with Arctic Char,  I’m keeping my eye out for Barramundi, Greenberg’s sustainable sea bass alternative and also a Seafood Watch© Best Choice when farmed in the US in fully recirculating systems. It’s being raised not far from here in Turner’s Falls, Massachusetts. Stay tuned…

Have a great week. “See” you next Monday.

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.”

Saturday Short Subjects: If a Tree Falls…

With the Academy Awards coming up on February 26, the films nominated for best picture and best actor are filling big screens across the country. While the contenders for best documentary are more difficult to find in theaters, what you may not know is that two of them are available at Netflix for viewing online. I have not seen Hell and Back Again, but I have watched If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, and I’m very glad I did.

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front is the unbiased examination of the case against members of one cell of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) for crimes of arson in the Western part of the US in the 1990s. The film focusses in particular on former environmental activist Daniel McGowan, his evolution from nonviolent protestor to arsonist, and how he came to be convicted and jailed as a domestic terrorist. The film alternates between the point of view of the prosecutors and that of the subjects of the government’s round-up, with the tale of McGowan at its heart. Filmmakers Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman interweave archival footage, interviews with both ELF members and the government lead prosecutor and the lead detective, and intimate scenes of Daniel McGowan and his family as they await the outcome of his trial and sentencing.

Whatever your point of view on ELF when you start to watch this film, I suspect you will come to realize that the players in this particular story can not be judged strictly in black and white. You may find yourself struggling to define the word “terrorist.” The closing lines from the case’s lead prosecutor say it all. 

You don’t have to take my word for it. You can read what others have written here, here, and here.

Don’t miss this film.  

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).