Wind Harvested Tomatoes

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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Wild Weather And Comforting Flavors

from Braldt Bralds Studio

The weekend brought some of the wildest weather in my memory to the maritime Northwest. For starters, Saturday was the wettest September day recorded in Seattle since record-keeping began in 1891. Seattle got 1.71 inches of rain that day alone, though we usually only get about 1.5 inches during the whole month of September. My little back deck water meter was full to the top (it holds 4 inches), but I suspect the wind blew it full.

Also unusually, a wild wind storm brought sustained winds of 50 to 60 mph, which was scary enough. Periodically, gusts of up to 70 mph shook the house, rattling doors and windows and making the whole building shudder. Yikes! Here on Bainbridge Island, we were a bit sheltered by the Kitsap Peninsula, but still saw broken tree branches fly past in the night as the wind tried to uproot the world.

Raining Tomatoes

This morning, I walked out looking for damage and found an amazing sight; my tomato plants are still intact, if a bit knocked about, and the deck is covered with tomatoes. Some are ripe and some not so much, so I gathered them up, washed them and dried them and sorted for various uses. I love to add slow-roast green tomatoes to spicy soups, where their sweet-sour tang adds a bright flavor note.

Some split as I gathered them, thanks to all the water they got over the past few days. These I tossed into a spunky bean soup, lively with vegetables. To coax out the most flavor, I sweat the vegetables in just a little oil, adding sea salt to encourage their juices to run and covering the pan to capture and return the steam to the pan. Simmering over low heat, this creates a little sauna for vegetables, intensifying the taste of anything you cook this way.

Spicy Aduki Bean Soup With Green Tomatoes

1 cup aduki beans
1 teaspoon safflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, finely sliced
2 cups green tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/4 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, stemmed.

Rinse aduki beans and put them in a saucepan with 4 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer until tender (20-30 minutes). Meanwhile, in a soup pot, combine olive oil, onion, garlic and salt over medium high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot, reduce heat to medium, cover pan and sweat vegetables for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, cover pan and sweat for 10 minutes. Add spices, stir well, over pan and cook over low heat until beans are tender. Add tamari or soy sauce to taste, then add beans and cooking liquid to the vegetables. Let flavors meld for 15 minutes or longer, then serve hot, garnished with cilantro. Serves 4-6.

A Fabulous Vegan Potato Leek Soup

So many potato soup recipes call for butter, cream, and sour cream but I wanted to make an outstanding version without any dairy at all. I served this one to guests on Saturday, and it got rave reviews. Like the bean soup above, it concentrates flavors by sweating the vegetables over low heat, so you don’t need to add a lot of extra ingredients to get full and luscious flavor. Simple recipes do require excellent ingredient quality, however. Fortunately, any farmers market offers beautiful vegetables at their prime, so finding delicious ingredients is easy. Note that the broth uses all the vegetables scraps!

Vegan Potato Leek Soup

1 teaspoon safflower oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
4 large cloves garlic (about 1 tablespoon when chopped)
2 large leeks, halved lengthwise and chopped
(white and pale green parts only)
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds),
peeled and chopped
1/4 cup garlic croutons (optional)
Or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, snipped

For the Broth

Fill a saucepan half-way with water and set it over medium heat. Put all the vegetables scraps into it: onion and garlic skins, celery ends, leek trimmings, potato peels. Add water to cover and a pinch of sea salt, bring to a simmer, cover pan, reduce heat and simmer while you make the soup. Pour through a strainer when adding broth to the soup. Strain and refrigerate any extra broth for up to 3 days.

For The Soup

In a soup pot, combine oil, onion, garlic, leeks, celery and sea salt over medium high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover pan and sweat vegetables for 15 minutes. Add potatoes, cover pan and sweat for 15 minutes. Add broth to cover potatoes, cover pan and cook over low heat until vegetables are tender. Use an immersion blender (or a large potato masher) to puree the soup, adding hot broth to desired consistency and leaving a few chunks for texture if desired. Serve hot, garnished with croutons (or fresh herbs). Even better the next day! Serves 4-6.

Posted in fall/winter crops, Nutrition, preserving food, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Why Vote Yes On GMO Labeling?

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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Hidden Genetically Engineered Food Crops

This fall, Washington voters will be asked to decide whether foods containing genetically engineered plant ingredients must be labeled.  Initiative 522 calls for clear labeling so consumers can choose to avoid such foods. Just as nutritional information became required to help guide eating choices, Initiative 522 asks for similar guidance for GE ingredients.

Though the terms GMO and GE are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Genetically modified crops (GMO) are as old as hybridizing, because hand pollinating to get a blue rose or a disease resistant spinach is exactly that. Such deliberate crosses are called “cultivars” of everything from apples to zucchini. When breeders hand-cross different cultivars of tomatoes or whatever, the offspring will be genetically modified.

The Natural Way To Make Changes

Bees and other pollinators do this randomly, but humans are usually attempting to improve the crop in specific ways, perhaps to increase flower size or drought resistance. Some GMO plants, such as seedless watermelon, can only be replicated by repeating the cross (no seeds, right?). Others mate edibles from the same family, such as pluots (plums and apricots) and Black Tuscan kale (kale and cabbage).

Thus, most folks aren’t really worried about GMO crops; it’s genetic engineering (GE) that raises concerns. The term GE refers to gene splicing, the transfer of genetic material from a source that is sexually incompatible with the recipient gene and could not occur in nature. Most of us have been unknowingly eating GE foods for at least a decade. Nearly all corn chips, for example, contain GE corn (exceptions are brands containing organically grown corn).

Why Are GE Crops So Dangerous?

Why? Pesticide-resistant crops such as Roundup-Ready corn, alfalfa, canola, cotton, or soybeans are genetically engineered so that famers can spray pesticide on field crops and only kill weeds (at least in theory). Bt-corn is genetically engineered to include a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis, normally a soil-dwelling bacterium commonly used as a pesticide. Since dozens of weed families are now resistant to Roundup, Monsanto requested FDA permission to register 2-4-D corn. An ingredient in the infamous Agent Orange, 2-4-D exposure can damage the liver, kidneys, white blood cells, sperm, and the neurological system. Children and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk, along with people who are frequently exposed to 2-4-D in the work environment. Want some in your vegetables? I sure don’t.

Today, 64 countries around the world require GE labeling of food crops, as do Connecticut and Maine. National polls show that 93% of Americans want mandatory GE food labeling, so why is this issue not a no brainer? An outspoken ad campaign is encouraging Washington voters to vote against Initiative 522. The claims are that the initiative is not simple, but will be costly and complicated to implement. Similar claims were made when nutritional labeling was proposed but today, it is an accepted industry standard. Although the coalition behind Washington’s NO campaign claims to represent farmers, the top five financial supporters are Grocery Manufacturers Association, DuPont Pioneer, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Monsanto Company, and Bayer CropScience. Hmm.

Coming All Too Soon To A Garden Near You

Gardeners have another reason to be concerned. Until recently, all GE crops were grown by farmers. Now home gardeners can grow “insect-protected” and Roundup Ready GE seed corn (sold as the Performance Series and the Obsession Series). This financially insignificant market is probably designed to promote acceptance for GE crops. To protect home garden crops, similar labeling information has been requested for garden seeds, especially those sold by Monsanto-owned companies.

What Can We Do?

Vote YES on Initiative 522. Then vote with your pocketbook.

For more information, visit these websites:

www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org

www.seminis.com/global/us/products/Pages?Home-Garden.aspx

www.occupymonsanto360.org/blog/monsanto-free-seed-companies/

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Having A Vegan Moment

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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What We Had For Lunch Today

photo by Robin Bachtler Cushman

Every now and then, I make something so simple and so satisfying that I am blown away. Lately, the best things I’ve tasted have all been vegetarian, and more to the point, vegan. Perhaps because so many vegetables are at their peak of perfection right now, I want to really taste them. When pure vegetable flavors are masked by cheese or cream or even fish, they immediately take second place.

To let vegetables speak for themselves, I try to strip away the extraneous flavors and let the veggies shine. As I’ve been playing with food this week, I’m noticing that I can use all sorts of herbs and spices without losing the essential vegetable. That clean, fresh flavor only fades when the eggs or meat or dairy enters the picture.

Start With The Best Broth

It’s amazing how much of what’s headed for the compost can be put to use in the kitchen first. When I’m on a cooking spree, I use every bit of scraps from prepping vegetables for broth, and include some fruit waste as well. OK, I never have used a banana peel in broth, but I often toss peach skins, apple peels, and even melon rind into my broth. After all, if you’d eat pickled melon rind, why not let it add its sweet note to a sturdy broth?

I start with a full pan of toss-aways, nothing rotten, of course, but mostly what is not usually considered good eating. Yesterday’s broth included garlic and onion skins and root-ends, all of which help make a rich tasting and darkly colorful broth. I added some carrot ends and peelings, sweet and hot pepper stems and seeds, celery ends and leaves, potato peelings, bits of bok choy and napa cabbage, broccoli and mushrooms stems, ginger peelings, and some green tomatoes. There were also a lot of kale stems as well as leftover broccoli and a few bits of roasted vegetables.

An Amazing Vegan Lunch

A friend dropped by in time to share a bountiful meal with me. We ate slowly, playing with our food in an adult way that included spritzing fresh lime juice on everything from brown rice to spicy vegan dal to perfectly ripe pear slices. We ended up nibbling on dry roasted unsalted organic almonds that tasted perfectly rich and satisfying. My lunch companion was pleasantly surprised to find herself feeling happily full and fully nourished even though we just ate soup and shared a small pear.

After some thought, she announced that my food is respectful. “It tastes like you are really honoring the ingredients,” she said. I was happy to hear that, because indeed, I try to create combinations that work like a good party, each ingredient companion complementing and bringing out the best in the others. When a lot of spices are used, as in Indian food, the desired effect is a crafted and mellow blend that sets off the vegetables, not a series of bright flavors vying for attention.

Here’s our menu:

Robust Vegetable Broth

This tastes lovely all by itself, as I discovered when I poured a glass and took a big swig. That’s what happens when you store barley tea and broth in identical jars…

6-8 cups vegetable scraps (see above)
8-10 cups water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Add water to cover scraps, bring to a slow simmer over low heat and cook for 2-4 hours. Keep tasting until the broth has the flavor you want, then strain it, adding the now-spent scraps to the compost bucket. Makes about half a gallon of delicious broth that’s better than anything you can buy.

Brown Jasmine Rice

1 cup raw brown jasmine rice
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
few flakes dried hot peppers

In a rice cooker, combine all ingredients and cook until done. In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil, add remaining ingredients, return to boil, reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer over low heat until done (35-40 minutes). Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve. Makes about 2 cups.

Spicy Dal With Brown Jasmine Rice

I added an unripe peach (chopped) that introduced a lovely tangy sweetness, but golden raisins or dried sour cherries would work well too.

2 cups split peas
6 cups water
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon each of celery seed, cumin seed, fennel seed, ground coriander, garam masala, and turmeric
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1 bunch curly red kale, chopped
1 chopped peach or apple or 1/4 cup raisins
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 lime, cut in wedges.

In a saucepan, combine split peas and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until tender (40-45 minutes). While peas cook, heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and heat to the fragrance point (about 1 minute). Add seeds and spices and cook for 1 minute. Stir in celery, carrot, kale, and fruit, cover pan, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth, bring to a simmer and cook, covered. When peas are done, pour them into the vegetables with their cooking water, add season to taste with lemon juice, paprika, and salt. Serve with a scoop of brown rice and a squeeze of fresh lime. Makes about 3 quarts. This tastes even better the next day, and freezes well.

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September Fruit Fest

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Ann Lovejoy
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A Fall Fruit Baking Bonanza

As a single person, I rarely baked for myself. What would be the point of making mounds of lovely treats that I couldn’t (and shouldn’t) possible eat by myself? Yes, of course I could make them to share and did. Now, however, I am fortunate to have delightful housemates who love good food and cheerfully eat everything I bake. I can happily indulge in baking orgies knowing that the heavy burden of eating it all will be shared.

September always brings an abundance of ripening fruit, from peaches and plums to apples and pears. This year we’ve got loads of blueberries, which I like to use in both sweet and savory dishes. One of the best things I’ve made this summer is a berry cobbler with a topping adapted from one in Dorie Greenspan’s Baking book. As is so often the case, I find I have to tinker with recipes a bit to get them the way I prefer them, and this one is now our all-time favorite.

An Even Better Berry Cobbler

For one thing, I like to use whole wheat pastry flour when baking, because it has more flavor than unbleached white. Having less gluten, it does handle a bit differently, so I often blend the two half and half as a good compromise. I also use a fabulous local organic cream from the Fresh Breeze dairy, which is especially thick and gives the cobbler dough a crisp-yet-meltingly-tender texture. See what you think:

Fabulous Fruit Cobbler

Use any combination of fruit for this, though not more than one cup of strawberries or it gets too runny. Also, do not forget to use the drip pan or you’ll be sorry (ask me how I know)….

5-6 cups peaches and blueberries or any fruit,
pitted/chopped/sliced as needed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, chopped
1-1/2 cups heavy organic cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a deep-dish pie plate. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a large bowl, gently toss fruit, sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg and spoon into the buttered dish. In a food processor, combine dry ingredients and pulse for a few seconds to blend. Add chopped butter and pulse in short bursts until the butter is fairly well distributed (leave some discernible bits). Place in a large bowl and stir in 1 cup cream with a fork, adding cream as needed to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. On a sheet of waxed paper, gently pat dough into a circle a little smaller than your pie plate. Invert the crust over the fruit, gently patting it into place. Peel off waxed paper and gently make a steam hole in the center of the dough. Bake at 375 F until puffed and golden (about an hour). Cool on a rack for 20-30 minutes (or more) before serving (add some vanilla ice cream if it’s warm). Serves 6-8.

The Sauciest Applesauce

We’ve also been enjoying fresh applesauce, made with just a tad of nutmeg and cinnamon to bring out the autumnal flavors of Yellow Transparent and Gravenstein apples. The first batches I made were very thick, but as late summer rains plumped out the apples, they’ve gotten juicier, so the applesauce is less dense (which I prefer). When my housemate was ill last week, I brought her little bowls filled with fresh applesauce on one side and plain yogurt on the other. I used to make this for my kids when they got sick, since it’s easy to eat and light yet very nourishing.

Fragrant Apple Pear Sauce

When juicy apples drop of their own accord from the tree, they can get a bit banged up. I have a Squeezo Strainer, which cleverly separates out the skins and pips and whatnot into one bowl while directing the clean fruit pulp into another. This makes applesauce or any cooked fruit puree a breeze, and there’s even a special cone for removing the stringy bits from pumpkin pulp. Thus, you can just cut up the fruit, removing only the worst bits, cook it briefly, then crank in through the cone-shaped strainer and you have instantly perfect puree, sauce, or what have you. French farm wives use a small quince to add a subtle flavor and delicate perfume; try a small batch and see if you like it.

Autumn Apple Pear Sauce

6 cups apples, chopped
4 cups ripe pears, chopped
1 small quince, whole (optional)
1/2 cup water
Brown sugar as desired (optional)

Combine fruit and water in a large soup pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, cover pan, reduce heat to low and simmer until soft (10-15 minutes). Put through a ricer or better yet, a Squeezo Strainer (see above), adding sugar to taste. Makes about 2 quarts.

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