Project Consumption part II (of IV): Beets

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I would never give away my beets. They are incredible. If I wanted to buy them, I wouldn’t know where to go.

I ate them tonight much as I have previously. Steamed with dirty skin intact.  After steaming, the skin melts off under running cold water.

 

Steaming the beets. Notice the dirty skins intact.

 Eat the beets plain without any other flavoring.

Tonight, I sliced the beets and placed them on a bed of thingly sliced fennel (from the current week’s subscription). Then, I drizzled it all with olive oil and sprinkled with feta cheese. Delicious!

 

 Golden beets on a bed of crisp fennel. Notice the beautiful pattern of concentric circles of the golden beets. This pattern is more difficult to see with the more conventional purple beets.

What’s left?

2 zuccchinis

1 summer squash

Project Consumption, part I (of IV): Tomatillos

Not sure if I was more interested in trying Freecycle or putting my neglected tomatillos to good eating. Whatever the reason, I listed my tomatillos with Palo Alto Freecycle. To my surprise, I received five responses, all interested in these little husk-wrapped tomato-like green fruits.

Now, it’s one thing to make arrangements for a time/location to exchange a couch or other furniture, but to go through such hassle just for tomatillos? Wow, that really makes a statement about the value of farm fresh items. I almost changed my mind about giving them away.

However, I should note that two of the respondents were actually members of the Two Small Farms CSA. They wanted more tomatillos. Now, I really wanted to keep them for myself.

I ended up giving them away to a woman who biked over from Palo Alto. I chose her because she was the only respondent who provided a phone number. Not sure if she was the perfect recipient. For one, she answered a very cut-and-dry ”I don’t know” when I asked her what she was going to do with the tomatillos. It’s as if she would’ve answered a Freecycle post that offered Wonder bread.

I wish I would’ve saved the tomatillos for one of the two respondents who also belong to Two Small Farms. I regret the lost opportunity to share their experiences with the CSA subscription — and to learn about their great plans for the tomatillos.

Then, I felt even more regret when Joyce told me about her success with tomatillos and how easy they were to prepare.

“I am no longer intimidated by tomatillos,” she says.

Wish I could say the same. I’m still tomatillo timid. Until next time….

What’s left?

two beets

two zucchinis

one summer squash

stay tuned as this saga continues…

Pesto, It’s Not Just For Basil Anymore

Maybe I’m the last person in the world to find out, but I don’t think so. Pesto is not only a yummy sauce for pasta and pizza, but also a great way to use up certain types of greens. Wait, let me rephrase that in a more optimistic tone: Pesto is a great way to enjoy and appreciate the bountiful offerings of the farm. How’s that?

Anyway, my first foray into non-basil pesto was with the CSA offering of sorrel. I had never worked with sorrel before, so consulting the Two Small Farms website for guidance was a must. I saw the word “pesto” in the title of the recipe and off I went, throwing garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil into the food processor.

A few weeks later, Joyce found a recipe for kale and walnut pesto. Another chance to eat pesto while using up the week’s greens. Joyce’s kale pesto was delicious. My attempt was good, but a little grassy. The recipe calls for parsley, along with kale.

What’s pesto? Greens pureed along with pine nuts/walnuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. Go crazy. Experiment. Use whatever greens that need attention. Let me know how your brocolli pesto turns out (or maybe not).

Just this past week, I happened to have some mint, chives and cilantro. To that I added some basil. Pesto for dinner.

It’s Been A Baaaaad Week

I just came back from Joyce’s house with my week’s allotment of veggies. That’s good, and all, except for that I’ve barely made inroads with last week’s allotment.

Monday Night Panic

It’s usually Monday that I realize that Wednesday (the day of CSA delivery) is just around the corner. I had only used up the tomatoes. Some went into the Greek salad that I shared with neighbors on Friday. Lyndon and I enjoyed the rest of the tomatoes with Hainan Chicken, which we also had with the sweet fish sauce that’s served at Vietnamese restaurants.

The only item I managed to use on Monday night was the Hungarian wax chiles. I threw it into a recipe for Mongolian Chili, which I ended up throwing away because the ground lamb smelled sour. You know what they say, “when in doubt, throw it out”.

Tuesday Night Catch-Up

Chopped up half of the celery and tossed it into a pot, along with onions, carrots, chicken broth, tomato sauce and dried rosemary. Soup that’s perfect for Lyndon’s cold.

Wednesday Night Frenzy

I’ll never forget the words of the nun at St. Anthony’s in San Francisco, “Everything goes in a stew”. We were a bunch of grade school kids at the most ritzy private school in San Francisco, delivering canned goods to a homeless shelter. One kid asked, “What do you do if you only have one can of peas?”. She was referring to the fact that the soup kitchen feeds hundreds everyday.

The nun’s answer is now answering my question, “How do I use all of last week’s veggies tonight”. Yes, stew. Tuscan Beef Stew, to be exact. I’ve made this specific recipe a few times previously. It’s not only yummy, but also gives me the opportunity to use up whole bottles of red wine, which we can’t drink anymore because they’ve been incubating during the summer in a warm closet.

What’s in the stew? Last week’s radishes, the radish tops, beet greens and celery. To that I added carrots and onions from the grocery store.

What’s left?

two beets

two zucchini

one small summer squash

a bunch of tomatillos

This situation calls for Project Consumption…

Delicious Cauliflower. No Longer An Oxymoron.

You heard about it right here: Cauliflower can be incredibly delicious. How? Braised with tomatoes. I got the recipe from the Two Small Farms website.

The Making of "Tomato-Braised Cauliflower": (left) the starting material; (right) in the pan with onions and tomatoes, ready for braising

TOMATO-BRAISED CAULIFLOWER
This is an excellent side dish, but it also makes a great sauce for pasta, or when topped with shave Pecorino Romano Cheese, a delicious appetizer.

1 head cauliflower (@ 2.5 lbs) or 3 smaller romanesco heads of cauliflower
3 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onions
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 fresh or dried bay leaves (I used dried rosemary)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups cored, peeled and seeded, tomatoes or one 16 oz can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and seeded.
salt

Pull off the cauliflower leaves and cut out the core. Break the cauliflower head into florets no larger than 1.5″. In a large casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower, bay leaves, and peperoncino and season lightly with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, crush the tomatoes by hand. Add the tomatoes to the cauliflower and cook, covered, until the cauliflower is very tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about another 30 minutes. Check the cauliflower after 20 minutes. There should be just enough liquid to lightly coat it. If there is more, finish cooking the cauliflower uncovered. Season with salt and serve hot. 

I ate this relatively simple dish with a little sprouted whole wheat flour spaghetti, along with fresh cracked pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.  I’m sure the dish would be equally delicious with any kind of pasta or rice.

What A Sight

I couldn’t help but stop my meal preparation and take photos of these beautiful scenes.

Purple cauliflower (from this past week) and yellow cauliflower (from two weeks ago) sit washed and ready for cooking.

Yeah, purple and yellow seems to be nature's more popular theme. Here, purple beet greens and yellow chard on the chopping block and ready for washing.

This Is How It Came Down

I warily approached the plastic bundle. Admittedly, it looked much more imposing than it really was. Deep breath. It’s not so bad, Laura.

Ok, romaine lettuce…Take out, chop into bite-sized pieces, wash and dry in the salad spinner. Put in fridge. Now it’s ready for eating at anytime.

Strawberries…Wash and hull. Start eating as I deal with the other items. My husband, Lyndon, helps me to polish off the rest.

Golden beets…ooo, what a treat. Rip off the greens of both beets. Place beets into pot with the two red beets from last week. Add water. Cover. Simmer. (Don’t even worry about washing or peeling. )

Beet greens…group together with the lacinto kale. All these greens could be cooked together as a greens/bulghur pie, African peanut butter stew or other recipe that I’ve found are generic for all kinds of greens.

Beet greens and lacinto kale….place in dry plastic bag and place in fridge. It’s good for several days.

Carrots…ah, Joyce ripped off the greens part for me. Perfect. Leave in bag along with the purple cauliflower and sweet peppers.

Tomatoes…in paper bag, dump out on to counter. Lyndon enjoys one before going out on a run with my dog, Abigail. Wash three, cut in half and top with olive oil and balsamic glaze. Perfect for dinner. All other tomatoes go back into the paper bag and into the fridge. I know that tomatoes are best stored OUT of the fridge. But, without air conditioning and the current heat wave, the tomatoes are actually BEST stored IN the fridge.

Beets…after simmering for 20 minutes, rinse under cold water as the skin nearly melts away with slightest pressure. Eat. Wow. Pure gold, these golden beets. (Yes, I reluctantly shared with Lyndon.)

Last step…Wipe down counter. All those veggies leave a smattering of dirt on the counter. There’s no better evidence that the veggies are indeed straight from the farm.

Another Week, Another Load

Aaaaaaaaagriculture Anxiety. How's that for a new term to coin? Sometimes the weekly deliveries can seem overwhelming. Everything is in raw, unpackaged form. No easy convenient, pre-washed, ready-to-eat packaging to fall back on.

Each week’s load is usually fraught with more anxiety than anticipation. Joyce didn’t come to deliver my share until nearly 10 pm last night. I must admit that I was hoping that she forgot. I just wasn’t ready to deal with it all. But, arrive she did. And I reluctantly accepted. The plastic bag went straight into the fridge. Tomorrow is another day.

About 20 hours later, that day is right now, this evening. It’s not that I don’t value the veggies. But, dealing with them is true work with all the washing and sorting. Usually, I have to separate veggies that have more staying power versus the more fragile lettuce and strawberries. The strawberries are picked so ripe that they don’t last more than a day.

I’m looking at the bag of veggies right now. It’s looking at me. Siting there on my kitchen counter, the bundle dares me to take the first stab. It’s challenging me to plunder its riches. How can I resist?

Method to My Madness, part II

An article from a recent issue of The Economist, “Food for thought: Eat your way to a better brain“

It’s based on recent research that examined more than 160 studies related to the effect of diet and neurology. Published in the July 2008 issue of Nature Reviews Neuroscience, the research offers great insight into how you can eat your away from Alzheimer’s Disease and/or just staying sharp into the golden years.

Here’s the story from The Economist’s issue of July 17, 2008 with my comments in green.

Cognition Nutrition It Rhymes!
Eat your way to a better brain

CHILDREN have a lot to contend with these days, not least a tendency for their pushy parents to force-feed them omega-3 oils at every opportunity. These are supposed to make children brainier, so they are being added to everything from bread, milk and pasta to baby formula and vitamin tablets (and tortillas). But omega-3 is just the tip of the nutritional iceberg; many nutrients have proven cognitive effects, and do so throughout a person’s life, not merely when he is a child.

Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a fish-loving professor of neurosurgery and physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles, believes that appropriate changes to a person’s diet can enhance his cognitive abilities, protect his brain from damage and counteract the effects of ageing. Dr Gómez-Pinilla has been studying the effects of food on the brain for years, and has now completed a review, just published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, that has analysed more than 160 studies of food’s effect on the brain. Some foods, he concludes, are like pharmaceutical compounds; their effects are so profound that the mental health of entire countries may be linked to them.

Last year, for example, the Lancet published research showing that folic-acid supplements—sometimes taken by pregnant women—can help those between 50 and 70 years old ward off the cognitive decline that accompanies ageing. In a study lasting three years, Jane Durga, of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and her colleagues found that people taking such supplements did better on measures of memory, information-processing speed and verbal fluency. That, plus evidence that folate deficiency is associated with clinical depression, suggests eating spinach, orange juice and Marmite, which are all rich in folic acid. Marmite? Huh? What I do know is that the CSA provides regular doses of spinach.

Another suggestion from Dr Gómez-Pinilla’s review is that people should eat more antioxidants. That idea is not new. Antioxidants are reckoned by many to protect against the general effects of ageing. Vitamin E, for example, which is found in vegetable oils, nuts and green leafy vegetables, has been linked (in mice) with the retention of memory into old age, and also with longer life. The CSA sends plenty of leafy greens like chard (of all colors), kale, spinach and leaves of all kinds. I don’t mind. As long as they don’t send cardoons, I’m good.

Dr Gómez-Pinilla, however, gives the antioxidant story a particular twist. The brain, he observes, is peculiarly susceptible to oxidative damage. It consumes a lot of energy, and the reactions that release this energy also generate oxidising chemicals. Moreover, brain tissue contains a great deal of oxidisable material, particularly in the fatty membranes surrounding nerve cells.

That suggests, among other things, the value of a diet rich in berries. Berries, berries, berries. It’s gotta be good stuff! These have been shown to have strong antioxidant effects, though only a small number of their constituents have been evaluated in detail. One group that has been evaluated, the polyphenols, has been shown in rodents to reduce oxidative damage and to boost the ability to learn and retain memories. In particular, these chemicals affect changes in response to different types of stimulation in the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is crucial to the formation of long-term memories, and which is the region most affected by Alzheimer’s disease). Another polyphenol, curcumin, has also been shown to have protective effects. It reduces memory deficits in animals with brain damage. It may be no coincidence that in India, where a lot of curcumin is consumed (it is the substance that makes turmeric yellow), Alzheimer’s disease is rarer than elsewhere. Curcumin once again! (It’s the active ingredient of turmeric.) Got get some curcumin. Maybe I’ll try to find some curcumin capsules. Just swallow. Easy. FYI,

Peas of mind You can definitely hand it to The Economist for having smart and funny headlines.
Though the way antioxidants work in the brain is not well known, Dr Gómez-Pinilla says it is likely they protect the synaptic membranes. Synapses are the junctions between nerve cells, and their action is central to learning and memory. But they are also, he says, the most fragile parts of the brain. And many of the nutrients associated with brain function are known to affect transmission at the synapses.

An omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for example, provides membranes at synaptic regions with “fluidity”—the capacity to transport signals. It also provides “plasticity”—a synapse’s capacity to change. Such changes are the basis of memory. Since 30% of the fatty constituents of nerve-cell membranes are DHA molecules, keeping your DHA levels topped up is part of having a healthy brain. Indeed, according to the studies reviewed by Dr Gómez-Pinilla, the benefits of omega-3s include improved learning and memory, and resistance to depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia. None of these are picnics. Omega-3’s are staying in my diet — and in my daily regimen of supplements.

Omega-3s are found in oily fish such as salmon, as well as in walnuts and kiwi fruit, and there is a strong negative correlation between the extent to which a country consumes fish and its levels of clinical depression. On the Japanese island of Okinawa, for example, people have a strikingly low rate of mental disorder—and Okinawans are notable fish eaters, even by the standards of a piscivorous country like Japan. In contrast, many studies suggest that diets which are rich in trans- and saturated fatty acids, such as those containing a lot of deep-fried foods and butter, have bad effects on cognition. Rodents put on such diets show declines in cognitive performance within weeks. I’ve never known walnuts and kiwi fruits to be rich in omega-3 oils. You can fit walnuts into your diet as a toasted snack. Just toss with some olive oil, maple syrup and maybe a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg or other sweet spices. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Keep a careful eye on the oven. Too much time can mean burnt sugar.  

In the past few years, several studies have looked at the effect of adding omega-3s to people’s diets—particularly those of children. One such, carried out in the British city of Durham, was controversial in that it was funded by a maker of children’s omega-3 supplements and did not include a control group being given a placebo. Despite the publicity this study has received, Ben Goldacre, author of a book called “Bad Science” that includes an investigation of it, says the results will not be released.

Work by other researchers, however, has suggested such supplements do improve the performance and behaviour of school-age children with specific diagnoses such as dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder and developmental co-ordination disorder. Moreover, although more work is needed to elucidate the effects of omega-3s on healthy school-age children, Dr Gómez-Pinilla says that younger children whose mothers took fish-oil supplements (which contain omega-3s) when they were pregnant and while they were breast-feeding do show better cognitive performance than their unsupplemented contemporaries.

Eating well, then, is one key to a healthy brain. But a word of warning—do not overeat. This puts oxidative stress on the brain and risks undoing all the good work those antioxidants have been up to. For those who would like a little practical guidance, The Economist has some suggestions for dinner (see menu). So why not put the Nintendo brain trainer away tonight, and eat your way to intelligence instead? I couldn’t have said it better myself. Bon apetit!