Justify My Love.

When I talk to friends and family, I hear so many different responses regarding local food vs. the grocery store.  Here are a few examples:

• “What’s wrong with Whole Foods?”
  
• “I buy cage free eggs, organic meat and fresh produce from an expensive store, what’s wrong with that?  Isn’t it the same thing?”
  
• “What am I supposed to eat, if all foods in the grocery store are ‘bad’?”
  
• “Please don’t judge me because I have Cheeze-Its in my pantry!”
  
• “Would you eat this celery stick?” – (asked at a party, vegetable tray within range)
  

 And so it goes.  There are two responses I have when confronted with these questions.  The first is a genuine appreciation for an opportunity to explain my preferable food choices.  The second is panic that I will confuse and bewilder the person with an array of facts, quotes, statistics, and horror stories.  Sometimes, it’s easier to point people to a book and hope they will read it, or write it in a blog, with hope they will understand it (not because you aren’t smart enough, but because I’m not always a clear and efficient writer). 

I want to do all of the above, with eager hope that you will get a copy of In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan, (accessible on my Amazon side bar, on the right, in blue: click click .) and read it, because this book will answer your questions in a professional, well–researched fashion about WHY Whole Foods is a rip-off (mostly), WHAT you should be eating to maintain optimal health and HOW accessible and affordable it is to do so.  He can explain it better than I, so I’ll leave you with a quote as proof: 

“If you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims.  Why?  Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.”

 Well, there’s a start, anyway.  I hope that’s intriguing enough for you to pick up a copy and find out yourself why it’s not really food.  If not, feel free to ask more questions.

 At Athens Locally Grown, my food comes in a clear bag with a sticker that has my name on it and the name of the farm it came from.  There are no health claims on my bag of carrots.  My fresh produce lasts for weeks (when kept stored in the refrigerator in the bags) because it was picked within a day – or even on the day – I came to collect it.  My sister, in Denver, has found a website (Mile High Organics) that will deliver local, organic produce to her doorstep.  Now, I’m not a mother, and I don’t have to travel far to pick up my food, but I can imagine not having to pack up her little boy and drive him to the store, wait in lines, manage a cart, etc. is probably the equivalent to a world where every day is Christmas and it rains roses.  Just a guess.

 Yet I’ve found that the most exciting way to get the message across, besides buying it yourself, (and besides blogging) is to throw a big, fat dinner party with your closest friends and cook with your local produce.  Then, when everyone raves about it, talk freely over a glass of vino about where it came from and why it’s better.  I can’t throw my readers in cyber-world a dinner party though I dearly wish I could.  I hope the recipes provide you with a decent replacement.  

This food has inspired me beyond belief, to the point where I carve out free time to write about it, and I believe that it will excite you, too, because it’s the best.  It has made me stand up and put on an apron (which is amazing), and it has made John drive right past his favorite restaurant and head home instead, because he knows what’s better – and I can’t credit the cooking, really(!)… it’s the food.

So celebrate with it.

 These tortillas were the ground base for our meal.  I’m sorry I don’t have more pictures.  They are fun and use four ingredients: white or wheat flour, non-hydrogenated shortening (we use this brand), canola oil and salt. 

Next, a fresh salad.  Any lettuce will do, Buttercrunch is my favorite.  I use my Swissmar peelers (amazon again) and shred carrots, radishes, squash, cheese (any kind) to a light and thin consistency and toss it all in.  You can then drizzle with olive oil and vinaigrette for your own dressing.  YUM.

Into the tortillas goes ground beef.  Heat a little bit of olive oil in the pan add minced garlic and onion until golden, add beef, salt, pepper, seasoning of your choice, cover until brown.

 When you serve, encourage friends to add the salad to the tortilla and roll up burrito style.  Also, this sauce brings it all together with a big fat punch.  If you want the salad separate, consider a mango salsa to top the meat.  Also, note that you can use chicken, pork or even a vegetarian substitute. 

ENJOY. 

 

Its True Colors.

Let's not be biased here.  I know you're thinking it's all fine and relevant to have color in frozen treats like rainbow Popsicles, but that when it comes to dinner, the staples of a dollop of white, slice of red,  earthen green and crust of brown need to remain intact.  Yet the safety of a strict color palate is tired and trite.  What I'm offering here is a chance to infuse some liveliness onto your plate via the proud, saucy, high kick of magenta.  

I know the above picture looks like a raspberry bled all over my pretty ceramic plate, or worse, that John sliced his thumb and bleeds hot pink, but it's merely our usual staple: beets.  I suspect it must be hard to imagine that girlish coloured sauce was infused with lemony tang from sidling next to fresh sorrel, or buttered to a dense perfection from swimming around with sauteed shiitake mushrooms.  Or even laden with the enticing undertones of sauteed garlic and onion.   Is it hard to imagine it would taste as unexpectedly non-magenta as it looks?  If this dish showed its true colors I believe it would un-blush itself into a creamy, earthy ecru.  

Remember that post, the one where we ate with so little shame I didn't get a chance to take a photo for you?  This is that sauce, except disguised in its hot pink alias.  Some of the fellow enhancers are different too, (we used sorrel instead of spinach, and added the beet's leaves), but any greens that become limp and faint when exposed to the heat of the saucepan will do.  I recommend the beet leaves (as you will be trusting me and using beets), and adding lemon juice if you have no sorrel.    Also, my former recipe calls for creme fraiche, which would be just the thing to knock this dish out of the ball park, but whole milk is a nice substitute and a winner too.

You deserve a better explanation of this dish than I can give so late in the evening, but humor me as I try my best:  This dish is slowly-sauteed onion and garlic (in olive oil), the addition of chopped beet leaves, sorrel, shiitake mushrooms and about 1/4 cup of milk.  After milk is added, the dish is brought to high heat for approximately 5-7 minutes and stirred well, then it rests on low for about 45 minutes.  The beets are steamed to tenderness beforehand, and then when ready to serve, rinsed, stripped out of their skins, diced and added to color the pot with their bright juices.  To tone the dish down with a dose of modesty, everything is then spooned on a homemade tortilla, wrapped up like a snug burrito and devoured.  The only thing you have to do is make sure you aren't wearing any white prior to or during the colorful feast.

Now that you've tolerated me through the explanation of a photograph that merits the reaction of Munch's The Scream, I will reward you with a more edible looking, less frightening photograph:

Well, I tried.  I never said the dish was a beauty, only that it was colorful.  And tasty.  And healthy.  Except for the homemade canola-fried tortillas that I ate too many of which made me queasy.  Lucky for me, the heat of a laptop on my belly is the perfect remedy for nausea.

Pink Beet Tortillas with Sorrel

3 large beets, steamed for 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife

1 large bunch sorrel or spinach (if using spinach add juice of 1 lemon)

3 tbsp. garlic, diced

4 tbsp. onion, diced

large handful of beet leaves (greens only, no stems)

1 cup whole milk

4 tbsp olive oil

salt, (to taste)

pepper, (to taste)

shitakee mushrooms (any amount you desire)

Heat olive oil in a large 9 inch saucepan on medium heat.  When warmed, add garlic and onion until golden brown and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add milk, sorrel, beet leaves, salt and pepper, stir, cover and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.   Lower heat, cover to slowly simmer for 30 minutes.  Add beets (they should be steamed, diced and peeled), stir and mix for 2 more minutes.  Add salt and/or pepper to taste.  Spoon over a tortilla and serve immediately.  

*Hint:  this dish serves two.  Bear in mind that greens shrink a lot when cooked, so add more if you feel your supply is diminishing.

The delicious tortilla recipe is here, courtesy of my favorite gal, Molly Wizenberg.