Meatless Monday: Thinking Beyond the Turkey

Thanksgiving Day will soon be here. Omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike are thinking about vegetables — whether as the centerpiece or as the sides for their Thanksgiving Day meal.

Last week I proposed the rutabaga for your consideration. 

This week I’m sharing the recipe for my Thanksgiving dinner contribution for the second year in a row— Acorn Squash Casserole. This is a dish of my own invention, devised when I had some excess acorn squash late in the season and, after much flipping through cookbooks and searching the internet, I could not find a recipe I liked . 

It was featured as a Meatless Monday recipe on March 26, 2012. The post in which I bragged about my fame has received one of my highest page counts (fast approaching 1000), with readers from all over the world. I guess I’m not the only person who ever wanted to make a squash casserole! I encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday page, where you will find the nutritional information for my dish, and to explore the site, so rich in valuable content.

Here is the recipe as I submitted it to Meatless Monday. I’ve been making it ever since, and I haven’t changed a thing. [Sorry, vegans, I don’t have substitutions for the dairy products.] It can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled and can be either a centerpiece or a side. 

I hope you’ll give it a try. 

Acorn Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 acorn squash
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt (Part skim may work, but do not use nonfat.)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• Black pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Halve the acorn squash. 
• Remove the seeds.
• Brush the insides with olive oil. 
• Turn upside down onto an ungreased baking sheet. Roast in the oven until tender. (Begin checking after 30 minutes.) 

• Oil a 1 1/2 qt. casserole.
• When the squash is tender, scoop out the insides. 
• Combine the squash with the yogurt, onion, melted butter, and freshly ground black pepper. 
• Turn the mixture into the prepared casserole. 
• Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• Turn oven up to 375°. 
• Bake until bubbly, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Happy Monday! 

Have a great week. And a wonderful holiday. Eat well (but not too much).

I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening 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: Looking Ahead to The Day We All Shop Small®

Fast on the heels of Black Friday comes a quieter, gentler opportunity for shopping. Each year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday® celebrates small business in communities across America. Started by American Express in 2010, the number of participants has grown steadily over the years. It is estimated that $5.5B was spent by consumers who shopped on Small Business Saturday® in 2012. For this year’s campaign, AmEx has partnered with the USPS, Foursquare, and Twitter.

Why shop local? There are a number of very good reasons— from supporting business owners who are your neighbors and fellow taxpayers to building community. Perhaps the most compelling reason comes from an economic study conducted in Portland, Maine in 2011. Researchers found that every $100 spent in locally owned business contributed and additional $58 to the economy of Portland. In contrast, only $33 was returned to the local economy for each $100 spent in a chain store.

Here is a sampling of the local shops you’ll find if you visit my neighborhood on the edge of downtown New Haven — and I haven’t even mentioned the coffee shops and eateries: Taft Cosmetics, Katahdin Furniture, Knit New Haven, Gilden’s Jewelers, Foundry Music Company, Audubon Strings, DelMonico Hatter, Ferrucci Fine Men’s Clothiers, Luck & Levity Brewshop, Devil’s Gear Bike Shop, Elm City Market Co-op… get the idea?

So… next Saturday, get up from your chair. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Discover your local stores. Do some shopping. 

You’ll: 

• Support your community
• Get some exercise
• Lower your carbon footprint

And, I just bet you’ll meet some very nice people in the process.

Mark it on your calendar: November 30, 2013, Small Business Saturday® The Day We All Shop Small®.

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: Getting Familiar with the Rutabaga

The rutabaga is one of the many vegetables my generation, the baby boomers, never really knew. Perhaps parsnips, turnips, cabbage, bulgur wheat, barley, and lima beans (to name but a few) reminded our parents too much of the Depression or the rationing that followed with WWII. Inexpensive and easy to store, such crops were the backbone of many a meal where protein was served as a side, if at all.

I grew up eating carrots, corn, green beans, peas, potatoes, spinach, and squash. I never served these “lost” foods to my family because, frankly, I did not know what they were.

The food movement has piqued interest in these forgotten crops. Once common but now exotic items are piled high on the tables of the farmer’s markets —  kohlrabi and turnips, golden beets, and celeriac — all waiting to become the next kale.  I’ve been coaxed into trying many a new thing and have enjoyed them all—even stinging nettles. 

This week’s experiment came directly from the produce aisle — the rutabaga, or the “Swede.” With Swedes on my husband’s side and Canadians and Yankees on my mother’s, it’s rather remarkable that I was, until today, so unacquainted with this vegetable.

I’ll be honest, for years I mistakenly thought the rutabaga was a large variety of turnip. In fact, rutabaga (Brassica napus L.; Napobrassica group), a member of the Cruciferae family, is a natural cross between the cabbage and the turnip. 

Cultivated in Sweden since the 17th century, it was later introduced in Britain. The English colonists are the ones who brought the rutabaga to the new world. Cultivated for both animal fodder (the greens and the roots) and human consumption, the rutabaga was an extremely popular crop in the US prior to the Civil War. According to the University of South Carolina’s American Heritage Vegetables site, one acre of land could yield 1 thousand bushels of rutabagas!

The rutabaga is a cool weather vegetable, best in the fall, sweeter if harvested after a frost. It is an important crop in Canada, where it is grown for both domestic use and export.  

The rutabaga is not much to look at, with its pitted lunar surface, not quite round shape, and irregular bands of color. Because its top is trimmed at harvest, it is normally dipped in wax before shipping to prevent moisture loss. 

While they may not be pretty, I discovered that rutabagas are very tasty — sweet and savory at the same time. They are often diced and added to soups or stew or served mashed as a side dish, alone or with another vegetable. Carrots mashed with the rutabaga is popular in Sweden; the British like to mash rutabaga with potatoes.

Renowned chef James Beard was fond of the rutabaga. In his masterpiece, American Cookery, Beard called the vegetable’s “stronger flavor” “most delightful.” He prepared it simply:

• Peel the rutabaga.
• Cut into small pieces and cook covered in boiling, salted water over medium heat until just tender.
• Mash well.
• Add 4-6 tablespoons of melted butter and plenty of pepper.

Note: One large rutabaga serves 4.

I opted to do pretty much the same.

However, 

• I chose to add 1 low-salt vegetable bouillon cube to the water instead of salt.
• I saved the stock for soup when I drained the rutabaga.
• I also read that the flavor would be better if the lid was raised a few times during the cooking. I did this.

The rutabaga did not mash quite as smoothly as potatoes do, but it was very tasty and colorful. I will definitely try it again.

Low in calories and fat free, rutabagas are an excellent source of vitamin C, and a good source of potassium, fiber and vitamin A.

As fresh produce goes, the rutabaga is a bargain. It also stores very well — a week at room temperature, two weeks or more when refrigerated in a plastic bag. 

For more information on the rutabaga and some great recipe ideas, check out the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare site. 

Thanksgiving is coming. Consider the rutabaga this year.

Happy Monday! 

Have a great week. Eat well. 

I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening 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: Healthy City/Healthy Climate

Collectively we caused the percentage of carbon dioxide in our air to rise. Collectively we can work to bring it down.

That is the premise behind New Haven’s Healthy City/Healthy Climate Challenge, launched last Wednesday in a public event at ArtSpace.  

Healthy New Haven/Healthy Climate Challenge is a collective effort of local organizations including the New Haven Bioregional Group, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven,Common Ground, CT Fund for the Environment, Yale Office of Sustainability, and New Haven/Leon Sister City Project. 

To respond to the challenge of climate change and to improve the health of the New Haven community, the groups propose a challenge of their own — pledge to take action that will have immediate positive impacts on local quality of life, and will help mobilize local institutions to create more sustainable, efficient infrastructure.

The pledge requires a commitment to take five steps:

1. Two days of walking, biking, or public transit a month
2. Choosing the 100% renewable option on his/her electricity
3. Two meat-free days a week
4. Recycling all glass, cans, paper, and plastic and composting
5. Joining an environmental action alert list

The site suggests websites and other resources to help achieve these goals. 

The organizers urge everyone to “take a lead in creating a healthier lifestyle and community…be realistic, make a plan, and celebrate moving ahead.” They predict we'll all save some money and become healthier as we work to make the world a better place.

I signed on today, and I hope you'll join me on this journey, wherever you live.

Let’s do this thing, together.

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: Celebrating Regional Traditions

And, they’re off… In the quest for the ultimate meal, Thanksgiving Day chefs everywhere are pulling out their trusty cookbooks, notebooks, and boxes filled with family recipes — the traditional tools for holiday menu planning.

Slow Food USA reminds us that there were regional celebrations in honor of the harvest long before 1941, when the last Thursday in November was declared as the legal Thanksgiving Day. Here is the interactive regional map of the USA Slow Food USA recently posted. Click on a region, and you will see a variety of recipes from harvest celebrations unique to that place. The Northeast has the most offerings. While  Nasaump may not find a place on your holiday table, Stewed Pompion might. As a New Englander, I encountered many surprises as I traveled West on the map, finally arriving in Hawaii. I don’t expect to try the recipe for Kulolo, but I enjoyed watching Uncle Val and his family making a very large batch.

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to thank your family farmers in your area — by shopping at farmer’s markets and farm stands or by purchasing foods labelled “local” at the supermarket.

Do you have a memory of a natural food you once ate but can no longer find — say a certain type of squash or dried bean? Slow Food’s Ark of Taste project “travels the world” collecting such products. “The Ark was created to point out the existence of these products, draw attention to the risk of their extinction within a few generations, invite everyone to take action to help protect them.” You can find these foods listed alphabetically in the Slow Food Ark of Taste online catalogue. Here you can read about the history of the food and its nutritional value. Because some farmers have made the decision to propagate distinctive foods at risk or in danger of extinction, you may, in some cases, be able to purchase these products. If that is the case, a link will take you to the LocalHarvest site with sources for the item. 

If you would rather just shop, go directly to LocalHarvest where you can shop by category with the options either to purchase online or to locate the closest retailer for whatever you desire.

Have fun. Happy planning!

Happy Monday! 

Have a great week. Eat well. 

I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening 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: How New Haven Voted Last Tuesday

The candidate we supported in the 2013 mayoral race in New Haven was not elected last week. Justin Elicker fought a good fight, was gracious in defeat, and thanked all of his supporters for their efforts on his behalf. 

The winner, Toni Harp, had the backing of the Democratic Party, including public endorsements from the governor and CT’s US Congressional delegation. Yet the race was far closer than many had imagined it would be. Toni Harp received 11,363 votes to Justin Elicker’s 9,425 votes — a difference of less than 1000 votes [Thanks to Helen Bennett of the New Haven Register for sharing the official results.]

The weather was perfect on Election Day —  blue skies, seasonal temperatures. Yet, the next mayor was chosen by just over 29% of New Haven’s voters. That’s correct. According to Bennett’s figures, a mere 21,120 of the 72,278 eligible to participate in the election chose to vote in this year’s mayor’s race. 

What a shame.

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: Love at First Bite

Think you don’t like beets? Try my Golden Beet Salad, and I just bet it will be love at first bite.

I had roasted and marinated the beets in advance. [Read more here.] With the beets in the fridge, last Monday’s Meatless Monday dinner was a snap! A few simple steps later, and I had this beautiful dish.

• I warmed the beets slightly in the microwave.
• I prepared a generous portion of my favorite salad greens and put them in a bowl.
• I diced some red onion and sprinkled it on top.
• I added the warm beets.
• I crumbled some goat cheese over the beets, melting the cheese slightly. [Feta works, too, but it is saltier.]
• I drizzled a little extra balsamic vinaigrette over the salad.
• [Normally I add some dried cranberries, but I forgot them this time.] 

There you go! Serve with some thick slices of a hearty bread, and you have a meal!

Happy Monday! 

Have a great week. Eat well. 

I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening 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: Get Out and Vote

For many of us this coming Tuesday, November 5, is a very important day — Election Day. In my city of New Haven, Connecticut, we are voting to elect a new mayor for the first time in 20 years!

How the citizens of New Haven vote will have a dramatic impact on the city’s future. Will they vote the party as usual, or will they vote for change? It may well turn out to be a scenario in which every single vote counts. I know I will be at the polls first thing in the morning, and I will be devoting Tuesday to helping my candidate. 

Most of us have had the right to vote since we hit the age of 18. For that we owe the hard work of those brave individuals who fought long and hard to win this right for all Americans. 

Only white, male property owners were eligible to vote in the first presidential election in 1789 (6% of the population). 

The 15th Amendment passed in 1870 declared that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." In reality, it took the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to preventing southern states from any longer finding ways to disenfranchise black voters.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement began in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, but it took until August, 1920 to pass the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. For photos of the gutsy women whose protests and arrests made the amendment’s passage possible, visit the archives of the Library of Congress. Just think, this happened less than 100 years ago!

Naturalized citizens have to study and pass a test in order to earn the right to vote. Here are the 100 questions on which the citizenship test draws. Did you know all these answers? 

Have a nice weekend. And, don’t forget to vote on Tuesday.

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).