Planning (and Planting) for Spring

For those of us in the storm-battered Northeast, where mountains of dirty snow are now part of our landscape, and walking down some sidewalks can still be a challenge, it is difficult to imagine that Spring will soon be here.

But Spring WILL arrive on March 21. Whether “Spring” weather will coincide with the date is another question.

But gardeners are a hopeful bunch, and the gray snow doesn’t keep them down. Many are sketching out their plans for the yard or the vegetable garden, dreaming of colorful blooms and juicy tomatoes to come. 

The most industrious have started their first plants indoors under grow lights.

Some of you know that last year I became a CT Certified Master Gardener.

My mentor, Rachel Ziesk, now a Certified Advanced Master Gardener, was my guide through the process.

On February 17, Rachel began her indoor planting. She also started a blog, “Organic Gardening,” in which she has been clearly outlining each step of her planting process — from what you need for a set up to when to start your different seeds.

Most days she has been making a short post, accompanied by a photo, explaining just what (and what not) to do when starting seedlings on your own. Her first seedlings came up on Tuesday. Yesterday the topic was how to avoid the fungal disease “damping off.”

Check it out. And be sure to tell all your gardening friends about this very fine blog.

Meatless Monday: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro

Last Monday, at the conclusion of my post on Farro (Triticum dicoccum), I promised you a recipe if you came back today. And here it is — my original recipe for 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro

(Serves Two)

INGREDIENTS

1 Acorn Squash

Olive Oil (for brushing on the Squash)

1/2 cup Farro

1/4 cup Pecan pieces

Handful of dried Cranberries

1/2 teaspoon of a flavorful Spice Blend 

[I used Penzey’s Balti seasoning which is a blend of 18 spices] 

2 ounces of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded 

PREPARATION

Cook the Farro. 

• This will take 45 minutes if preparing Farro purchased in bulk. [I used Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro, a slight cheat. The Farro comes from Italy, pre-cooked using steam to preserve the nutrients while saving time for the consumer. Total prep time with this product is only 15 minutes.] 
• After the Farro has cooked, remove the pot lid, throw the Pecans and Cranberries on top of the Farro, and replace the lid. Let everything rest for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the Spice Blend.

Bake the Squash.
Preheat Oven to 350°F

• Cut Acorn Squash in half; remove the seeds. 
• Brush the inside of the Squash with Olive Oil.

• Turn halves upside down onto a metal pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the Squash from the oven.
• Turn the halves right side up and place in individual ramekins or together in a casserole dish for baking. Be careful when doing this; the Squash will be juicy, and the liquid is very hot.

Stuff and Finish.

• Fill the Squash cavities with the Farro mixture.

With and without cheese.

• Top with the Cheese.
• Bake 15 more minutes. Cheese will be melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro is a very nutritious meal. According to the information on the package, one serving of Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro contains 10% of required daily fiber, 1% calcium, 5% iron, and 5 grams of protein. The Pecans and Cheese add more protein, and Acorn Squash is particularly rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce makes an excellent accompaniment. Cranberry Sauce is one of the easiest things in the world to make. You can read all you ever wanted to know about cranberries and how to cook them here. Cranberries are also one of the easiest foods to store for future use. When they go on sale in October, buy a few extra bags and throw them into your freezer where they will keep indefinitely.

Happy Monday. Have a great week. You might want to stay away from those IKEA meat balls today and everyday… 

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: Farro, Italy’s Ancient Grain

Farro (Triticum dicoccum) is a grain in the wheat family that has been cultivated in high altitude regions of Italy for centuries. This ancient grain made its appearance in ground-breaking restaurants on both coasts in the late 1990s. The New York Times Garden Section first wrote about farro in 1997. 

Traditional farro dishes include hearty soups, puddings, and “farrottos,” that are prepared like risotto. Farro also shines as lighter fare in a summer salad with tomatoes.

Highly resistant to disease, farro is typically grown without pesticides and fertilizers. It is rich in fiber (20% DV in one serving), magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E, and is high in protein (6 grams per serving). Since farro is low in gluten and easily digested, it can be eaten by some who are gluten intolerant. 

According to information from the University of Florence cited in the Times article, “Farro is an ancient, unhybridized grain used for thousands of years in North Africa and the Middle East, where farro kernels have been found in Egyptian tombs. During the height of the Roman Empire, farro was used as a primary food and probably even as money.” 

The il Farro restaurant site, which promotes and sells farro products, provides extensive information on every topic concerning farro. According to il Farro, the grain requires special machinery for cultivation and milling, and the per acre yield is 1/3 that of wheat. Thus, fewer acres are devoted to farro, and farro’s price is relatively high. 

Most of the world’s farro comes from two regions in central Italy — Umbria and The Marches, from which many in New Haven’s Italian-American community are descended. 

However, Bluebird Grain Farms in the state of Washington has been growing organic emmer, another name for Triticum dicoccum, for over 30 years. Bluebird Grain’s emmer comes from Rwandan seed from the World Seed Bank.

Caveat emptor; there are “false farros” with which Triticum dicoccum is sometimes confused. Faricella is one; spelt is another. While less expensive, they lack true farro’s nutty taste, and take hours to prepare. Il Farro’s farro comes from the Monterosso Farm in The Marches which strictly adheres to the standards set by the prestigious "Suolo e Salute" Association. Prices from their online store are, well, pricey, but they are guaranteed to be the real thing. Ditto to purchases made on the Bluebird Grain site which offers you the opportunity to buy a 50 lb. bag of emmer ($155.00 + shipping).

Otherwise, follow this tip from an importer quoted in the Times: “look for light brown, cleft grains with subtle white stripes and a little white peeking out of some of the kernels.”

Happy Monday. Have a great week. Come back next Monday for my original farro recipe.

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: You Can’t Save the World If You Are Dead

A few weeks back Jared Diamond (of Guns, Germs, and Steel fame) wrote an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times: “That Daily Shower Can Be a Killer.” Heed his warning. 

According to the CDC, each year one in every three adults 65 and older falls. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury death, as well as the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.

Here’s an easy first step. Buy a tub mat for your own bathroom(s) for sure and some more to give loved ones. [Younger people can fall, too.] This smiley-faced blue one was a bargain at IKEA; the large holes makes it easy to hang up to air out between uses.

Part of a line of home safety products called PATRULL, it was displayed next to an array of bright yellow safety vests with silver reflective stripes, available in sizes from kids to Adult XL. Also a bargain, they will not prevent a fall, but they may keep you from being hit by a car. They are perfect for anytime you find yourself on or near a busy road — whether riding your bike, shoveling snow, picking up trash, planting trees, or crossing 101 in the dark. Keep one or two in your car trunk in case you have an emergency and need to exit your vehicle. These vests conform to established safety standards and are washable up to 25 times.

Diamond’s piece was inspired by his recent experiences among traditional New Guineans who have a “hypervigilant attitude toward repeated low risks,” such as the avoidance of sleeping under dead trees.  I happen to believe that some of the “exaggerated risks” Diamond makes light of in his article — including genetically modified crops, nuclear radiation, and “crazy gunmen” —  do matter. But I realize that you can’t be an agent of change if you are dead or incapacitated because you fell and broke your hip or smashed your head while taking a shower.

Be Safe. Go buy that tub mat (and perhaps a safety vast, and maybe some Yaktrax if it is icy where you live). 

Stay well. Enjoy the rest of what for many of you is a long weekend.

And, please come back on Monday to learn about yet another ancient grain.

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: Chocolate Revisited

When Valentine’s Day fell on a Monday two years ago, I devoted my Meatless Monday post to the history of chocolate and its possible health benefits.

With Valentines’ Day on Thursday [and me a bit stretched from Storm Nemo clean-up] it seems a good time to revisit the topic.

Chocolate is without a doubt on many shopping lists. The health-conscious will be perusing labels for the ingredients. How dark is the bar? Does it contain high fructose corn syrup? Is it organic?

The eco- and/or or socially-conscious shoppers will also be on the lookout for some other designations.

The first is the Fair Trade Certified label. Products bearing this label guarantee that the farmers who grew and harvested the cacao beans (in the case of chocolate) were paid a fair wage.

The second is certification from the Rainforest Alliance. The Rainforest Alliance works in over 70 countries to preserve forested areas while promoting sustainable agriculture, forestry, and tourism, all the while ensuring that those working in protected areas earn a fair income. You can watch their video on vimeo.

According to the National Confectioners’ Association, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day. How we choose our chocolate really can make a difference — to the health of our loved ones, and to the betterment of the world.

Happy Monday. Happy Valentine’s Day. 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.”

Saturday Short Subjects: Found by Nemo

Lots of snow — nearly 3 feet. [34" they say]

Got out the door.

Shoveled a path. [Mostly.]

Snowplows necessitated a detour here.

Highway closed to traffic. 

Hey, Ma, I'm standing right in the middle of the exit ramp!

With streets not plowed, a crime to drive, but not to walk or ski.

Quieter than Christmas here. 

And very beautiful.

Single digit temps on the way…

EOM

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: Veg-Out, Be Happy

Last week Tom Philpott reported in Mother Jones that researchers at Harvard had discovered a strong correlation between the level of optimism in mid-life adult subjects and the amount of carotenoid antioxidants in their blood. You can read the study abstract here.

Carotenoids are found in brightly colored foods including dark green kale and collard greens, and bright orange sweet potatoes and carrots. You can read all you ever wanted to know about them here. 

Home-made Kale Chips

It is not clear whether eating more vegetables make a person happier, or whether optimists are more likely to eat their vegetables than pessimists are.

There is no doubt, however, that vegetables are low in fat and calories, and have no cholesterol. What they do have are numerous well-documented benefits. With the possibility that veggies can also make us happy, why hesitate? Veg-Out today and every day, especially during this dreary month of February!

Happy Monday. 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.

Saturday Short Subjects: Exploring the Grand Canyon without Leaving Home

A trip to the Grand Canyon must be on everyone’s Bucketlist; nearly 5 million people visit the park each year. “A powerful and inspiring landscape, Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size…Unique combinations of geologic color and erosional forms decorate a canyon that is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep…” are the words the National Park Service uses to describe Grand Canyon National Park on the park’s homepage. 

As early as the 1880s, there were proposals to make the Grand Canyon a national park, but the efforts of locals who did not want the federal government restricting what they could and could not do [sound familiar?] blocked every attempt. When Congress finally passed a bill designating Grand Canyon National Park, Ralph Henry Cameron, an entrepreneur with extensive businesses in the area challenged the bill in a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled against him, but it took years to boot Cameron from the Grand Canyon. The entire tale was recounted in a PBS series on the National Parks. You can read it here. 

For many travelers, a visit to the Grand Canyon is likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience—one that will require careful planning. Do you want to ride a mule down to the base of the Canyon? If so, you better plan at least 13 months ahead. Do you want to see the Canyon from the North Rim? If so, be prepared to drive an extra 220 miles. The NHPS website offers abundant advice on trip planning and a fair number of gorgeous images.

Google has gone one step further. Earlier this week they released Exploring the Grand Canyon on Google Maps. 

The images cover more than 75 miles of trails and roads! You can explore places you think you may want to visit (or revisit trails you previously traveled) and traverse scary paths you know are out of your league. Exploring the Grand Canyon on Google Maps is useful for trip planning, dreaming, reminiscing, or armchair exploring for the joy of it.

Have fun. I spent a bit of time on these amazing virtual trails and along the way discovered some unintended Easter Eggs. [Even Google is not perfect.] See if you can find the artifacts of the photographer’s fingers and faded orange baseball cap. [I swear I saw them once but can not find them anymore.]

What you should NOT find are any plastic water bottles littering the landscape. In 2012 the Grand Canyon National Park eliminated the sale of “water packaged in individual disposable containers, including plastic bottles.” Instead, park visitors rely on designated water bottle filling stations installed in high traffic areas of the park.

Have a great weekend. Happy exploring.

[PS If anyone from Google Maps is reading, I am able to carry a heavy backpack and up for mapping other parks as needed.]

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).