Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp

Normally I do not get a fruit share at the co-op, but I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a few pints of lovely blueberries this week! I have to say that blueberries are probably my favorite fruit. And these are big, plump, gorgeously juicy, slightly tart, super yummy ones. I am trying not to eat them all as I type :)

In the spirit of the blueberry season, here is a recipe taken from Yankee Magazine for Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp. I bet it is so good with vanilla ice cream!

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Fruit

• 3 pints blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons flour

Mix the berries, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and flour in a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and butter a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Topping

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter, and pulse the machine repeatedly, in 2- to 3-second bursts, until the mixture is clumpy, like damp crumbs. Transfer the berries to the baking dish, and spread the crumbs evenly over the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly hot. Serve at any temperature, although it is best to let it cool at least 10 minutes.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Saute

Last week I got my first zucchini and squash of the summer from the co-op. I found a super simple recipe in my Heaven's Banquet cookbook for sauteed zucchini. The following is my adaptation for 2 servings:

1 med zucchini / 1 med summer squash
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tbs safflower oil
1 chopped scallion
1 tbs minced herbs from garden (basil, parsley, chives)

Peel and grate the zucchini/squash. I also scooped out some of the squash seeds because I'm weird about seeds in my food :)
Add salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
Place handfuls of mixture in strong paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out water.
Stir in garlic
Heat safflower oil in pan on med heat. Add zucchini mixture and saute for about 5 minutes.
Mix in scallion and saute 5 more minutes until it just starts to brown, but you don't want to fry it.
Mix in minced herbs and serve.

This kind of felt like a pasta replacement, similar to when I make spaghetti squash, but it also had a slight egg taste. Either way it was really good. I served it with a salad made from lettuce and radishes from the co-op, topped with pan fried tofu.

Dean Foods Sells Out Organic Farmers With Release of New "Natural" milk

Breaking News: Dean Foods Sells Out Organic Farmers With Release of New "Natural" Horizon Milk

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Farm Direct Co-op - Week 2

Thursday was my second co-op delivery. I picked up napa cabbage, garlic scapes (3), green lettuce, and I got my choice of either mizuna or pea tendrils, and scallions or kohlrabi. Feeling a bit adventurous, I chose pea tendrils and kohlrabi. I've had tried kohlrabi before, but had never even realized you could eat pea tendrils.

That night after a bit of research I decided to cook the pea tendrils since they don't last long and are best used right away. Most sources mentioned they are common in Asian stir-fries, and some recipes used them raw. Upon sampling the shoots raw, I decided that they were a bit too tough to eat raw and decided to chop them and do a quick stir fry with sesame oil, hoping to soften them up. Although I mostly liked the flavor (Jim did not!), they were way too tough for us to eat. I kept having to spit out the unchewed fibrous clumps. Unfortunately the entire dish was a lost cause.

Wondering what I did wrong, I researched pea tendrils further. Every blog post and recipe mentioned how delicious they were and what a nice subtle pea flavor they added to each dish. Then, I hit upon one post that mentioned that the tendril and tougher stems should be removed first. I think if I had done that, or just used the leaves only, the dish may have been more of a success. Since Jim really didn't like the earthy pea flavor, I doubt I will be giving them another try soon, which is a shame. If anyone has any suggestions, or has had a similar experience, please let me know.

The good news is that I made a fantastic garlic scape pesto for my potato gnocchi. Here is the recipe:

• 3 Garlic Scapes, chopped

• a small handful of organic pine nuts (sorry, I didn't measure- add more or less as you go, per your taste)
• olive oil (again- no measurement, but I would suggest to start with 3 tablespoons and add more as you go)
• Salt to taste

I added all ingredients to my small electric chopper/blender until I had a finely chopped, bright green blend.


I look forward to experimenting with the kohlrabi this weekend. I have to find a good recipe for the napa as well, since we never seem to use up cabbage in time.

Farm Direct Co-op

It's one of my favorite times of the year again- my food co-op has begun! I now get fresh local produce every Thursday until some time in October. I truly love eating with the seasons and discovering new local veggies. I also like how it forces me to cook and eat good food. And I save money at the local supermarket. Not to mention the environmental and health benefits to eating local.

Last week we received red leaf lettuce (2 heads), a pound of spinach, some beautiful bok choy, and a choice of salad turnips or radishes (I chose radishes). So many greens- whats a girl to do? Well, for starters, I've been making salads all week. My father gave me some fresh, peppery arugula from his garden, so I made a mix with the spinach and lettuce, added sliced radish, grated parmesan, and olive oil for a quick healthy lunch. I added most of the spinach to an improv mac and cheese dish, which turned out great (recipe below). Last night I made a miso based, Asian-inspired soup which included much of the bok choy, as well as carrot, broccoli, baby corn, tofu and thin rice noodles. Today, I added lettuce to our sandwiches. And, I still have a head of lettuce, two radishes and a little less than half of the bok choy left. I'll have to invite some friends over for dinner soon to eat up my veggies.

Spinach Mac & Cheese

• Prepare your choice of pasta. I used 12 ounces of a soy, rice, quinoa pasta that was quite nice. Drain and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in pan on a med-low heat, saute 2-3 cloves chopped garlic, some optional red pepper flakes, then add 1/2 lb to a lb of chopped spinach until just wilted.
• Add pasta back to pan
• Here is where the cheesy magic starts :) I added chopped Asiago cheese and stirred until it started getting melty. The amount is subjective. I only used 3 slices of cheese, because Asiago has such a strong flavor. You can certainly add more. Just remember to chop it up small so it melts quickly.
• Add milk or unsweetened soy milk slowly until the mixture gets creamy instead of lumpy and stops sticking to your spoon.
• I also added salt, pepper and a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast.

Make Your Own Flour

I got this article in an email newletter from the Organic Consumers Association today. I wish I had a bigger yard so I could grow some grains. How fantastic would it be to make pancakes or bread grown from your backyard? Maybe I'll try a little corn next year, but oats or wheat would be great.
________________

Homegrown Grains: The Key to Food Security -- How to Grow and Make Your Own Wheat Flour

Freshly ground wheat flour has a high vitamin content; vitamins that degrade all too quickly when exposed to the air. The whole grain flour that we buy from stores is often quite stale and may have significantly reduced vitamin content when compared to freshly ground.

GROW YOUR OWN WHEAT
(from breadinfo.com) Planting a plot approximately 10 feet by 10 feet will, when all is said and done, yield between 10 and 25 loaves of bread. To begin, find a nice backyard plot and choose the type of wheat you wish to plant. In the United States two varieties are grown, white and red. Red wheat is more common. Red wheat also produces bread with a much more intense flavor. Consider the advantages of growing winter wheat as opposed to spring variety. (continue to entire OCA article)

Healthy, Whole Food Grains

Whole grains should be a staple of any healthy, nutritious meal. Because of their increased fiber content, one benefit to whole grains is that they make a meal feel more filling so you stay full for longer. This is especially helpful to those of us trying to shed some extra winter weight. Many grains also come with increased vitamin and mineral content.

Some of my favorites include quinoa, barley, millet, oatmeal and wild rice. I typically purchase my grains bulk at Whole Foods as that is the least expensive option, but sometimes will resort to packaged grains if the bulk version is unavailable. I love how simple grains are to cook. Basically you put the grain in a pan with water and simmer. Its also great to cook extra for leftover or to add to another dish, such as soup or stir-fry.

Quinoa (pronounce Keen-wah) is my new favorite dinner grain, although technically quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like Kale and Swiss chard. I usually just add some garlic and olive oil and have a quick and super nutricious side dish or meal base. Of course, there are tons of quinoa recipes out there. You can add veggies, herbs, nuts or fruit for breakfast. Pasta made from quinoa is also very delicious and available at most health food stores.

My new favorite quinoa dish was found on Vegan Yum Yum (Sweet Chili Lime Tofu w/ Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa). I typically replace the collard greens with kale or asparagus, but even the quinoa from this recipe on its own is so delicious. I made the mistake of substituting ground cinnamon for the cinnamon stick. If you are going to do this, add the cinnamon when the dish is done, or better yet, just leave the cinnamon out.

The World's Healthiest Foods website has some great nutritional info on quinoa and all types of grains.

Famous Vegetarian Musicians

It seems that our society is so fascinated with celebrities. Although I try not to put too much stock in what famous people do in their daily lives, I can totally understand the fascination, especially with musicians and other artists. Here is a brief but impressive list of some musicians I admire, who also just happen to be or have been vegetarians.

• John Coltrane (1926-1967) - jazz legend. "His work 'A Love Supreme' was a testament to the power, glory, love and greatness of God. Coltrane felt we must all make a conscious effort to effect positive change in the world, and that his music was an instrument to create positive thought patterns in the minds of people." - excerpt from johncoltrane.com
  


• Sun Ra a.k.a. Herman Poole ""Sonny"" Blount (1914–1993) - jazz musician. One of the first musicians, regardless of genre, to make extensive use of electronic keyboards. Sun Ra "maintained that everyone should be vegetarian and eat natural foods and large quantities of fruit and fiber." - Space is the place: the lives and times of Sun Ra, by John F. Szwed. Check out this video excerpt from Sun Ra's movie Space is the Place


• Ornette Coleman (1930-) - one of the most influential jazz artists to emerge in the last century. Jim and I were lucky to see him perform at the Newport Jazz Festival a few years ago.


• George Harrison (1943-2001) British guitarist best know as the lead guitarist for The Beatles. He also happens to have written my favorite Beatles song, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.


• Joan Jett (1958- ) Bad-ass American Rock & Roll Goddess. Link to her interview with GoVeg.com
  


• Dizzy Gillepse (1917-1993) - American Jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, composer. Check him out on the Muppet Show here.


• Philip Glass (1937-) - American composer. He describes himself as a composer of "music with repetitive structures". Vegetarian for over 50 years.


• Andre 3000 (1975-) - American Rapper, actor, best know for his work in OutKast. When he was asked what he would do for his last day on earth, he replied, “I’d probably go for a great meal—some broccoli probably, because I’m a vegetarian.”


• Moby (1965-) Vegan. DJ and musician who plays keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drums. His The End of Everything album included an essay about veganism ("Could you look an animal in the eyes and say to it, 'My appetite is more important than your suffering'?)"


• KRS-One (1965-) - American Rapper. Recorded a song "Beef", on the 4th Boogie Down Productions album, Edutainment. Here is an excerpt from the song:

Let us begin now with the cow
The way it gets to your plate and how
The cow doesn't grow fast enough for man
So through his greed he makes a faster plan
He has drugs to make the cow grow quicker
Through the stress the cow gets sicker
Twenty-one different drugs are pumped
Into the cow in one big lump
So just before it dies, it cries
In the slaughterhouse full of germs and flies
Off with the head, they pack it, drain it, and cart it
And there it is, in your local supermarket
Red and bloody, a corpse, neatly packed
And you wonder about heart attacks?

There are so many other vegetarian musicians. Here are some rumored vegetarians that I haven't had a chance to 100% verify...

Barry White, Billie Joe Armstrong, Billy Idol, Bonnie Rait, Brian Bell (Weezer), Brian May (Queen), Chris Martin (Coldplay), Daniel Kessler (Interpol), Fat Mike (NOFX), Fred Schneider (B52s), Jane Weidlan (Go-Gos), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Larry Mullen Jr, (U2), Melissa Etheridge, Mike Gordon (Phish), Nelly, Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Paul McCartney, Philip Collen (Def Leppard), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), PJ Harvey, Prince, Richie Havens, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, RZA, Steve Perry, Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), Weird Al

Fiddleheads Are Here

When I went food shopping yesterday I was happy to see Fiddleheads available once again! Although they weren't organic, they were local and I bought a nice big bag. I think I will either steam them and serve them with wild rice or pasta, or try the following recipe from Vegan Yum-Yum.

Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Morels and Fiddleheads


It is now truly spring for me!



image gratefully borrowed from Libraryman

Mango Salsa

More often than not I don't have any particular meal in mind when I go food shopping. I like to let the fresh produce availability inspire me. This week, I walked into Whole Foods and they had a lovely display of organic mangoes on sale. Mango Salsa was my first thought. Ok, that's great, but what do I serve that with? Hmmmm... mangoes make me think of South America and that made me think of corn, so... Polenta! And black beans. Now that's a healthy meal, and a fairly simple one at that. Here's my mango salsa recipe for your enjoyment. I can tell you, after snacking on it at lunch today, its even better two days later.

I used:

• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed (How to cut a mango)
• 4 tbs of chopped, fresh cilantro
• 2/3 medium red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• diced green chiles- I used 1 small can
• a dash of salt to taste
• 2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve- its that simple. I also topped it on the plate with fresh, cubed avocado and served it with chopped lettuce. If you plan on making this to scoop with tortilla chips, cut the mango smaller.

I do highly recommend making this salsa ahead of time as well, although it was quite delicious fresh.

For the polenta, they were out of bulk polenta grain, so I got an organic, pre-packaged tube. I sliced it in 1/2" slices, sprayed a baking sheet with canola oil, cooked both sides for 10 minutes at 400 degrees (or until slightly brown on both sides). For the last 2 minutes I sprinkled a little shredded cheddar on top and on slice of jalapeno.

*I apologize for the poor quality photo, although I am grateful to Jim for quickly snapping a pic of his plate with his iPhone before we ate it all up.