Meatless Monday: What Makes a Cheese “Vegetarian”

While researching Burrata for last week’s post, I learned quite a bit about rennet and discovered a few resources to help those aspiring to go truly “meatless” on Mondays to meet their goal.

Rennet in some form is an essential component in the process of making any kind of cheese that can be sliced. Rennet is a coagulant, added to the vat of milk at the start of the cheese-making process, causing the milk to thicken so it can be separated into curds and whey. Rennet contains the enzyme chymosin, traditionally sourced from the abomasum (fourth stomach) of newly-born calves. Chymosin aids the calf in its digestion and absorption of milk; adult cows do not have this enzyme. 

It is widely speculated that the production of the first cheese was, in fact, an accident. The first cheese may have been produced when our ancestors stored milk in a bag made from the stomach of a young cow. The milk would have curdled. The discovery that the curds could be dried and salted led to the creation of a new food, cheese, which could be stored for a much longer period of time than milk could be. 

Today, however, calves are not the only source of the enzyme required for making cheese. There is indeed such a thing as “vegetarian cheese.” A fact sheet from the Vegetarian Society goes into great detail about how alternative rennets (some from bacteria, others from fungi) are manufactured. Research into production of rennet from fungi was apparently spurred on by a prediction made in the 1960s by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that there would be a shortage of calf rennet due to an increased demand for meat. [Chymosin would be absent in calves slaughtered at an older age.] A number of substitutes for chymosin were developed, and today much of the cheese produced is made using non-traditional rennet.

If you love Parmigiano-Reggiano, however, you may be saddened to learn that one of the characteristics required for a cheese to earn this label is that it be made in a fashion unchanged since the process was mastered in the 11th century, which means with rennet obtained from veal calves. Gorgonzola is another such cheese.

If, however, Cheddar, or Jack is what you crave, vegetarian cheese is easy to find. Cabot Creamery Cooperative is one of the regional producers offering a wide array of vegetarian options. The Cabot FAQ page states that Cabot uses “a microbial-based enzyme…approved for vegetarians [which]…also allows our cheeses to pass kosher certification. The one exception in the Cabot product line is Processed American Cheese Slices which are sourced from plants that Cabot does not own. Look for the phrase “Contains no animal rennet” on the ingredients panel if this issue matters to you.

For more Cheese FAQs, check out this page from the California Milk Advisory Board. 

Happy Monday. I hope I haven’t ruined your day. Thanks for reading. 

I often blog on food, food issues, or topics related to growing things 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: Feeling Crafty?

A few days ago, Elm City Market (now at 1561 member owners) tweeted the link to a DIY change purse. The purse’s base is a half-gallon milk or juice carton. How green is that?

The source is the Disney Family Fun site. Click here for the instructions which include a video, a template (which you can get by clicking on the highlighted word “template”) and very clear written instructions.

I tried this project before sharing it with you.

My OJ purse closed…

I have a few words of wisdom to share:  

• Adult supervision (and, quite possibly, intervention) is required. The adult needs to be somewhat crafty, i.e. know how to follow instructions and have a bit of patience. 
• Your scissors need to be sharp; the nursery school version will not work.
• It is easier to cut out the curved parts, particularly the circle, with an X-Acto knife.
• Firm Pressure actually means VERY Firm Pressure. And you should score repeatedly. Milk/juice cartons are very tough [as they should be].

Was this project a success? YES. And, the OJ cap does indeed keep the purse sealed.

Was it easy to make? Not really. It is harder than it looks to make the accordion fold.

And open with change inside.

Pros: 

• You can’t beat the cost of the materials. 
• The purse is very cute. And useful – perfect for holding lots of change for the parking meter. 
• And I don’t think anyone would steal it from a dashboard if it were left unattended.

Cons: 

• If you were considering this as an accessory for an evening out, I would probably say, “Forget it.” But you can be the judge of that.

Have fun, and 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: Burrata – The Most Glorious Leftover

If I’d known what was inside, I would have missed out on the creamy deliciousness that is burrata.

On a recent visit to Cape Cod, we visited the Chatham Farmers Market, where the friendly cheesemongers from Fromage à Trois were offering handmade mozzarella and ravioli and a cheese called “Goat Cheese Burrata,” nicely wrapped in checkerboard tissue paper and sold with the promise “not like any goat cheese you’ve ever had.”

I’m a goat cheese lover, and I’m always up for trying a new local product. The friendly wide-eyed kid manning the table had hooked me. I bought a little package thinking it would be the perfect accompaniment for the Truro Vineyards Cabernet Franc we’d already picked up. [Yes, you can buy wine at Cape Cod farmers markets!] 

Still-life with burrata on a plate and its empty wrapper.

Back at the cabin we opened up the package to discover what looked like mozzarella, but instead of being a ball, it was more like a sack, gathered and crumpled at the top. We sliced it open and found that while the outside was firm like mozzarella, the inside was creamy and lightly flavored with herbs. It was so deliciously rich that we knew not to polish it off in one sitting. We ate over the coarse of three evenings on lightly toasted rounds of cheese bread and some Gala apple slices.

Once vacation was over and I was back home, I googled burrata to learn it means “buttered” in Italian and was originally devised as a way for using up the curds leftover in mozzarella making. The cheese-maker would make a small pouch (instead of a ball) of mozzarella. Then he would gather together the leftover curds, mix them with cream, fill the pouch, and tie off the top.

In reading the label I’d saved from my burrata, I saw that mascarpone was listed instead of cream. Good, I thought, cheese, not cream. But, on googling mascarpone, I discovered its 47% butterfat vs. 36% for heavy cream! 

I also discovered that, despite its fat, burrata, like bacon, is all the rage. Check out this recent recipe from the New York Times for zucchini blossoms stuffed with burrata. 

Nora Singley’s Cheesemonger blog is a treasure trove of burrata facts and includes some great photos. And, if you are feeling adventurous, visit the Sunday Suppers site for instructions on making your own.

Go ahead, indulge. But not too often and not too much. Perhaps with friends. Burrata Beware.

Happy Monday. Thanks for reading. 

I often blog on food, food issues, or topics related to growing things 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.”

EAB Arrives in New Haven County!

They are here. These tiny, iridescent, green invaders were discovered in Connecticut on Monday. The arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) was confirmed on Wednesday USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service (USDA APHIS-PPQ) offices in Michigan and DC, and the news was reported by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in a news conference on Friday.

Connecticut joins 15 other states where infestations of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) have been detected. Discovered near Detroit in the summer of 2002, EAB probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or planes originating in its native Asia.The EAB is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees, of all species, from the Mid-West to New York State and south to Tennessee. It is a small, metallic green beetle, approximately 1/2 inch long to 1/8 inch wide. Adults emerge from the bark of infested trees leaving a small D-shaped exit hole roughly 1/8 inch in diameter. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients.

In anticipation of the EAB's arrival from New York, over 500 purple detection traps, containing a chemical lure, were set up across the state. Traps, however, were not the means by which the EAB’s presence in Connecticut was first detected.

The EAB is a favorite prey of Cerceris fumipennis, a ground-nesting, non-stinging native wasp, which hunts beetles in the family Buprestidae, including the EAB. Scientists from the Connnecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in New Haven have been using Cerceris as a bio-surveillance tool. They recruited an army of citizen scientists as “wasp watchers,” monitoring dusty playing fields adjacent to woodlands for hours on end during the peak of Cerceris hunting time — late morning to early afternoon on hot, sunny July days!  Their assignment? To intercept the Cerceris prey before she (always a female) can get her catch into her underground burrow. If the EAB is in the area, it is evident in the Cerceris catch.

It was a wasp watcher who made the initial discovery at Canfield Park in Prospect, in northern New Haven County. She  caught the Cerceris wasp carrying the female EAB that was sent to APHIS for confirmation. Since Monday, watchers have captured 25 more EABs at Canfield and three more at nearby Fusco Field. Additionally, nine more EAB were discovered in a catch sample submitted by another Canfield Park watcher. This triggered a check of purple traps in the area. While the one near Canfield was empty, another trap in Prospect yielded three, and three more were found in a trap in Naugatuck. Summer surveillance in  Fairfield, Litchfield, and Middlesex counties has not yielded any EAB; the newly confirmed infestation seems to be confined to the Prospect area.

The discovery in Prospect is, however, one of grave concern. DEEP Commissioner Dan Esty stated in a press release, “This is a disturbing discovery and one that has the potential for great environmental harm in the state. Connecticut has more than 22 million ash trees. The presence of EAB here could have a devastating effect on the beauty of our forests, state and local parks and neighborhoods, as well as the state’s wood product industries.” Ash makes up 4% to 15% of Connecticut’s forest and is a common urban tree.

How did EAB get to Prospect? Prospect is a good distance from Dutchess County, New York along the Hudson, where EAB was detected earlier this year. 

Have you noticed the Do Not Move Firewood billboards along the highway? The EAB has great flight potential. Movement of firewood containing EAB to a new location gives the beetle the opportunity for rapid expansion of its territory —  the quickest way to spread the infestation. DON’T DO IT! 

Scientists fear the Naugatuck State Forest in the immediate area is also a likely site for the presence of EAB. Right now the focus is on trying to establish the borders of the current infestation. More purple traps are being deployed. DEEP is establishing a quarantine zone that would  prohibit the movement of certain wood products out of New Haven County, suspend all timber contracts and firewood permits for state forest lands in New Haven County, and maintain a ban that has been in place against bringing any firewood into state parks and forests. 

Thanks to Cerceris and the wasp watchers, we know EAB is here. Have we learned about the presence of EAB in time to save our trees? That is the question.

What can you do? Be alert. In CT, notify CAES (203-974-8474) or email CAES.StateEntomologist@ct.gov if you see the D-shaped hole on an ash tree. For anywhere else, call 1-866-322-4512 or go to www.emeraldashborer.info. And don’t move firewood!

NOTE: I am following this story closely. I was trained as a wasp watcher. I have a 27- year-old white ash in front of my home; I saw it get planted and I have watched it grow up. Check back for more details. I’ll post updates whenever I receive more information.

Meatless Monday: Fresh Nation

At Saturday’s CitySeed farmers’ market at Wooster Square in New Haven, I picked up some info on Fresh Nation, a site with the tagline “Buy Local * Eat Fresh,” which promises to “revolutionize the Farmer’s Market experience.” Fresh Nation makes use of social media to “connect farmers, food artisans, farmer’s markets, and consumers who love to eat fresh local food.”

The idea behind the site is that farmers and artisans use Fresh Nation to maintain an online presence. Fresh Nation customers become members (followers). And producers keep their followers updated on news and special offers.

The older, more established site, buyctgrown, has far more listings. But Fresh Nation goes a step beyond the list, promising to facilitate direct contact between the vendor and the registered user.

Here is how it works: A potential shopper visiting the Fresh Nation site is presented an opportunity to enter a business name or zip code to discover nearby markets, vendors, or artisans. [Identical to the prompt at buyctgrown.] The visitor can then “Join the Nation,” by supplying an email address and creating a password, and create a list of personal “favorites” from the results. The new member is told to expect offers and updates from the “favorites” in a single email. The Fresh Nation site also states that members will be able to place online orders from these vendors for pick-up at the market.

I signed up, found a number of New Haven vendors, and marked several as “favorites.” I’ll let you know what happens next. [Today IS only Monday.]

I then entered a number of zip codes from around the country to get a better sense of the geographical area Fresh Nation serves. It appears to be currently an East Coast site — very well established from the Philadelphia area up through the entire states of New Jersey and New York, making inroads in Connecticut, and just getting started in Massachusetts. 

Check it out, see what is listed for your area, and get your unlisted “favorites” to sign on. Just think. If Fresh Nation really takes off, you will be able to sleep in on market day.

I often blog on food, food issues, or topics related to growing things 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: DIY Insecticidal Soap

For much of this year, as a member of the 2012 Class of the U Conn Extension Master Gardener Program, I have been immersed in the study of plants, their habits, their uses, and their problems. Having completed the course work requirement of my training, I am out in the field volunteering as an intern, and staffing the county extension office under the supervision of my mentor Rachel. In the extension office, Master Gardeners (and supervised interns) answer questions, study samples mailed in or dropped off by clients, report suspected outbreaks to the proper authorities, and dispense advice.

The other day I submitted some sample cuttings from my friend’s rose bush, which were covered with some lively little critters and lots of white fluffy-looking matter. Many other plants in the yard, of several different species, had the same problem. Rachel and I looked under the microscope and, after consulting a number of books and then googling for images, determined that the critters were clearly aphids, soft-bodied sucking insects. Also known as “plant lice,” their most distinguishing identifying feature is the two short cornicles, or tubes, which extend from the end of their body. The ones on the rose sample were of the wooly aphid variety. There are over 1,375 species of aphids in the U.S. and Canada.

Rachel suggested that my friend spray the affected plants with insecticidal soap, repeating every few days, until the aphids disappeared. The soap works by drying out the aphid’s protective outer membrane, or cuticle, and entering their vulnerable cells.

There are a number of products commercially available, but many home gardeners make their own. Here is one such recipe: Nearly fill a clean 1-qt. spray bottle with water. Add 4 tablespoons of Ivory liquid (or some other very mild soap) and mix well. That’s it.

This recipe has many variations. Some call for the addition of other ingredients. Several recommend Dr. Bronner’s, but those recipes call for less soap. The key is to use MILD liquid Soap, NOT detergent, and not too much, or you might harm the plant or the neighboring vegetation. Watch for any damage to the plant, and cut the amount of soap by half immediately if you find some.

This soap is effective on any aphids (including the bright red ones we also saw in huge quantities in my friend’s yard) and other soft-bodied insects. 

Go get ’em, my friends. Happy hunting. 

Stay cool. And 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: Eating Local on the Cape

The Iconic Chatham Lobster

What a week we had at Cape Cod. The air was dry, the sky was blue, and the sun managed to shine through the one daytime shower! We swam. We walked. And we ate…

We enjoyed cake doughnuts and locally-roasted coffee at the Chatham Bakery, onion rings at Liam’s on Nauset Beach, and fish chowder at the Chatham Coffee Company (new owner, same great food).

Mostly we ate in, shopping for seafood and side dishes at the Chatham Fish & Lobster Company, across the street from the cottage colony in which we stay each year.

On Tuesday afternoon we checked out the new Farmer’s Market in Chatham and then stopped at the fish market.

How we feasted that night! At the market we bought our first corn of the season as well as bread, cheese, and wine: Goat Cheese Burrata from Fromage à Trois in Barnstable, Cheese Bread from Pain d’Avignon in Hyannis, and Cabernet Franc from Truro Vineyards (near the tip of the Cape). 

The appetizers.

At Chatham Fish and Lobster, we splurged and bought some cod and their house coleslaw. I confess I do not know whether the cod was line-caught,  and therefore  a Seafood Watch “Good Alternative,” but how could I not indulge in cod on Cape Cod, especially since this cod was caught by day-boaters in the Chatham fleet? We lightly coated the fillet with with seasoned flour, and sauteed it with a chopped fresh tomato (purchased earlier from a hydroponic greenhouse in VT via the local Stop & Shop!).

The main event.

Our view over the lake from the screened-in back porch was a perfect setting. We even had the pleasure of watching a small woodpecker hunt for his dinner as we sipped our Cab. The finest restaurant could not have provided a better meal.

May every one of you have such a wonderful vacation.

Happy Monday. Thanks for reading. 

I often blog on food, food issues, or topics related to growing things 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: Cool Ideas for the Fourth of July

The fourth of July will be here in no time. Parties and picnics await, and whether you are host or guest, quite likely you are thinking about what to prepare for the festivities. 

It’s gotten warm. Diners will be looking forward to cool, refreshing food. Chefs will be looking to minimize time spent in prepping and cooking while maximizing their food dollars.

To help you in your planning, I have pulled together some recipe ideas from past posts that should make everyone happy. They include:

• DIY Ginger Ale 
• Fred Harvey’s Cole Slaw
• Hakurei Turnip Salad 
• Fig and Goat Cheese Sandwich
• Skillet Cake [Yes, you have to bake this, but the prep is really easy.]
• Black Bean and Veggie Salad (from a week ago) 
• And my newest discovery … If you find yourself with some extra watermelon and lots of baby greens, try cutting the watermelon into small cubes and topping your salad with it. French dressing goes particularly well with this combination of flavors. 

Have a great holiday and a great week. Thanks for reading.

I often blog on food, food issues, or topics related to growing things 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.”