"I am a conscientious parent. I am not a HEPA filter."

Here's a remarkably well-written argument, not just for eating organic foods and using organic practices on lawns and farms, but to push for legislation to ban dangerous chemical use. Sandra Steingraber writes:

But Faith and her brother, Elijah, do not live solely within the bubble of my kitchen and property lines. They occupy a much bigger ecological niche, and I cannot verify the agricultural origin of every food item served at every birthday party, summer camp, sleepover, recital, and library summer reading program event. I can’t ensure that every backyard soccer field, every patch of lawn, and every pet in every neighborhood home they run in and out of are free of organophosphates. 
Nor can I stop the wind from blowing.

See the full article at http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6162/

Don't Trust that Organic Label: Another Reason to Buy Local

An article in today's Washington Post reports that the standards by which a food product can be judged "organic" by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has been significantly watered down.

Three years ago, U.S. Department of Agriculture employees determined that synthetic additives in organic baby formula violated federal standards and should be banned from a product carrying the federal organic label. Today the same additives, purported to boost brainpower and vision, can be found in 90 percent of organic baby formula.

This is just another reason to get to know your food by buying local and talking to the people who produce your food. When you go to farmers' markets, don't be afraid to ask questions like, "What, exactly, does integrated pest management mean? Do you ever use pesticides? What do you feed your chickens?" Remember, these foods are about to become part of you, and you have a right to know what's going into your body.

The Great Locavore Meal - Part 2

Well, the meal was an enormous success. Despite the fact that the root veggies came out a little crispy, the whole wheat bread was not completely cooked through, the pork also did not quite completely cook, and I never got around to dipping the strawberries in chocolate, all of the diners were extremely satisfied and happy with the quality and flavor of the meal. I was very pleased by the moist chicken, probably the best I've ever tasted. One diner proclaimed the pumpkin pie to be the best she'd ever had. While it was a huge amount of work, I'd happily do it again.

Here's what I posted to my community about the meal. Note: for those of you who don't know me, I live in a cohousing community with a large common kitchen and pantry stocked with staples like baking powder and spices. We hold common meals three times/week, and I was cooking this as a common meal. Thanks to the cleanup crew for dealing with the messy aftermath! For more on cohousing, see http://www.cohousing.org. Now, on with the post:

Here’s a little more information about the local foods in Sunday’s meal, along with recipes for the bread and pie. Really, I can’t take credit for the fabulous taste of the food. Most of that came from the outstanding ingredients we obtained, so if you want to reproduce that flavor, BUY LOCAL!!!

The pork and chicken came in our meatshare from Chestnut Farm: http://www.chestnutfarms.org/. They were rubbed with canola oil from the coho pantry and seasoned with Maine sea salt and herbs from our garden. I stuffed the chicken with organic onion from Trader Joe’s and apple from the Boston Organics Dogma Box: http://www.bostonorganics.com/fresh/thisweekbox.html to keep it moist.

The vast majority of the root vegetables came from the Dogma Box. The remainder were more organic onions from Trader Joe’s (likely grown in California), locally grown but not organic new red potatoes bought at Pemberton Farms, and locally grown organic parsnips bought at Lionette’s Market (http://www.lionettesmarket.com/). These were tossed with thoroughly nonlocal olive oil, melted garlic butter from Mendon Creamery (not organic but local in Mendon, MA) bought at the Dairy Bar in Davis Square (http://www.kickasscupcakes.com/Dairy_Bar.php), Maine sea salt bought at Lionette’s, maple syrup from Ewen’s (http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=2252) bought at the Dairy Bar, and fresh thyme, sage, and chives from our garden. I sliced the vegetables fairly thin and roasted them a bit too long (almost 90 minutes) at 375 degrees F.

The organic greens came primarily from Pete’s Greens (http://www.petesgreens.com/) bought at Lionette’s with a small contribution of greens and broccoli sprouts from the Dogma Box – all organic. We added the stems from the mushrooms. The dressing was homemade by Alex using locally produced blue cheese bought at the Dairy Bar, a raspberry-infused vinegar we got as a free sample in our Boston Organics box over a year ago, more Maine sea salt, and canola oil from the coho pantry.

The mushrooms were all grown in Pennsylvania. The white mushrooms came in the Dogma Box, and I bought the crimini (not organic) at Pemberton Farms. We stuffed them with sauteed kale and onions that had overwintered in our veggie garden and topped them with more of the local blue cheese.

I made the bread from scratch (see recipes below) using mostly flour from Littleton Grist Mill in Littleton, NH (http://www.littletongristmill.com/), which I ordered through Boston Organics but supplemented with some King Arthur’s Whole Wheat flour from the coho pantry. The eggs were from Pete & Jen’s Backyard Birds of Concord, MA (http://peteandjensbackyardbirds.com/default.aspx) bought at Lionette’s. The butter was Kate’s Homemade Butter (http://www.kateshomemadebutter.com/) bought at Shaw’s. The cream was from Shaw Farm in Dracut, MA (http://www.shawfarm.com/) by way of the Dairy Bar. I also used Maine sea salt and maple syrup for sweetener. All other ingredients came from the coho pantry.

The pumpkin pie was made from pumpkin I had either received in farmshare or bought at the farmers’ market last October, all organic, which I roasted and froze. I simmered it to cook out much of the moisture before blending it up for the pies. Oddly enough, the freezing process leeched most of the orange color out of the pumpkin. I’d never seen that before, but it tasted just fine. Eggs were Pete&Jens, cream and milk from Shaw Farm, sweetened with honey from the Boston Honey Company (http://www.bostonhoneycompany.com/) and just a little Ewen’s maple syrup. I used spices from the coho kitchen. I made the crust using Littleton Grist Mill flour, a Pete & Jen’s egg, Maine sea salt, and ordinary Crisco shortening because I was running out of butter.

The strawberries came from North Carolina by way of Heaven’s Harvest Farm (http://www.heavensharvestfarm.com/). I had planned to dip them in Taza chocolate (www.tazachocolate.com), but the meal had gotten a bit pricey by then, and we were also flagging a bit by the end.

Many people commented that it must have been a lot of work to put this together. Actually, it was pretty easy. With the exception of our outing to Lionette’s Market, which we’d been wanting to do anyway, we got most of the food quite easily. We get our meatshare once/month, Boston Organics delivers to our door, and we make regular stops at the Dairy Bar for eggs, milk, cream, and butter. This is a lifestyle we’ve consciously chosen, to eat locally. For more on why a locavore diet is a good idea, see:

http://www.locavores.com/how/why.php

http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/elc/2006/04/10_reasons_to_e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food

And here’s how to become a locavore:

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/344/locavore.html

http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/elc/2006/04/a_few_tips_for_.html

Recipes:

Honey-Maple Pumpkin Pie

1 medium sugar pumpkin, roasted, or 2 cups cooked pumpkin

Pie crust (below)

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs lightly beaten

¾ c honey, slightly warmed

¼ c maple syrup, slightly warmed

½ c milk

½ c heavy cream

Make pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie pan. In a food processor or blender, combine all other ingredients and blend well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted one inch from edge comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Pie Crust

This recipe is actually intended for quiche and makes enough crust for two pumpkin pie shells or the top and bottom of a fruit pie.

3 c flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 Tablespoon vinegar (cider vinegar is recommended)

1.5 c shortening or butter

~7 Tablespoons ice water

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender or fork. Combine egg and vinegar separately. Add to mixture. Add ice water as needed. Avoid touching the mixture with your fingers! Roll to thickness desired.

Quick Irish Soda Bread (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

Preheat oven to 375.

Sift together in a large bowl:

2 c sifted all-purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Cut into the flour with a pastry blender, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse cornmeal:

¼ cup chilled butter

Stir in ½ to 1 cup raisins

Mix together:

1 beaten egg

2/3 c heavy cream

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Add to dry ingredients and stir well. Knead briefly and place on a greased sheet or in a greased 8-inch round pan. If the latter, press down so the dough fills the pan. Cut a bold cross over the top and sides so the bread will not crack in baking. Brush the top with milk.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow.

Quick Sweet Whole Wheat Bread (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix:

2.5 c whole wheat flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons double acting baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine:

1 beaten egg

½ c maple syrup

¼ c brown sugar

¼ c vegetable oil

Optional: 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange peel

Add the flour mixture alternately with 2/3 c. heavy cream, buttermilk, or yogurt. Note: you may need to add flour if the mixture is too sticky (I added about ½ c more). Pour into a greased pan and bake about 50 minutes.

Restaurant: Kitchen on Common

Last night, we decided to celebrate the vernal equinox by finding a new locavore restaurant and trying it out. My husband selected Kitchen on Common in Belmont's Cushing Square. I drove there directly from work and was hit with a deep sense of deja vu: Kitchen on Common happens to be located just two doors up Common St. from my former workplace, Firespout, a dotcom company long since gone bust.

Kitchen on Common's web site touts it as a restaurant that specializes in excellent food made from local ingredients. They list the following companies as their partners:

• Gretta Anderson/Belmont Farm CSA – Belmont, MA
• Iggy’s Bread of the World - Cambridge, MA
• Baer’s Best Beans - Hamilton, MA
• Vermont Butter & Cheese Company - Websterville, VT
• Coming Soon - Tea from The Thymely Gardener - Belmont, MA

I'm curious to know where the lamb I ordered came from, though there are certainly plenty of local sources. I think I'll email them and ask for the sources of all the ingredients in our meals.

Kitchen on Common turned out to be a small, homey restaurant with about eight tables and two servers, one of whom looked like he may have been related to the owner who was working in the kitchen. My husband had called ahead, and the restaurant had arranged to have a table for us - a kind couple actually moved from a table for four to a table for two for us. They started us with a basket of Iggy's bread, fresh and tasty, but we would have enjoyed it more if we'd had knives with which to spread butter on our bread.

We ordered macaroni gratin and maple-roasted carrots for the kids. My husband and I started with split pea soup. I ordered the Grilled Lamb Steak with Sauteed Cabbage & Israeli
Cous-Cous Risotto, and my husband ordered the Farfalle with Roasted Mushrooms Pecorino and Roasted Garlic Cream, both of which are right up our alleys: my favorite meat is lamb, and my husband loves creamy sauces over pasta.

The food was amazing, consistently excellent. By far the best dish, surprisingly enough, was the carrots. The maple glaze roasted into them was not excessively sweet and served instead to accentuate the natural sweetness of the carrots. My husband and I gleefully finished what the girls could not.

Similarly, the macaroni gratin was some of the best mac'n'cheese I've ever had, with a nice sharp pecorino romano. My one complaint there is that the romano may have been too strong for the girls, because they inexplicably failed to eat it all.

The spilt pea soup, by contrast, was a little disappointing. I think that if it hadn't followed such excellent dishes, it would have been fine, but by comparison it seemed bland. I had expected the bacon to give it a good salty base, but I ended up adding salt, which I almost never do.

Our main dishes, when they finally came, were also wonderful. I never knew that cabbage could taste that good, but it was utterly marvelous, and I actually liked it more than I liked the lamb. The lamb, while tender and cooked perfectly medium as requested, was somehow boring in comparison with the other offerings, like the lovely Israeli couscous, about the size of tapioca with a firmer consistency and in a nice, savory sauce.

The farfalle pasta was surprisingly wonderful due to the excellent quality of the mushrooms. I'm pretty sure they had been dried, but they were moist and tender in the dish with a wonderful wood flavor that was not overpowered by the sauce. I completely fell in love with the dish, and fortunately my husband similarly fell in love with the lamb, so we ended up trading dishes.

For dessert, we got one chocolate chip cookie and one raspberry oatmeal bar. They were served heated, gooey and delicious. It's a testament to how good the main dishes were that we had to take some of the dessert home.

This might have been one of the best meals I had ever had if only the fabulous food had been matched by the service. But the service was frankly terrible. We had no silverware and no water even well after we had ordered our food. Our waitress failed to take our drink order, so we had to wait until she had brought the water to order chocolate milk for the girls and San Pellegrino for my husband.

The food came out very, very slowly. We had them bring out the girls' food first, which turned out to be a horrible mistake because it was another half hour before our main dishes came. Meanwhile, the girls got more and more restive, loud, and cranky. My almost-two-year-old, who is cutting her two-year molars, became increasingly inconsolable. When our food finally came, we had to fight to get the waitress's attention to order dessert so that the girls would have something to munch on while we tried to finish our meal in peace. But then, of course, they heated the desserts, which meant that we were largely done eating by the time they came.

We did not even check the bill, just paid the tab and a straight 15% tip and fled. Now, I know our children were loud and disruptive, but that's exactly when a server should pay more, not less, attention to the table. Keeping the food moving and the kids happy makes dinner a more pleasant experience for everyone in the restaurant. And even if we hadn't had the kids along, I would have considered the service slow. There was actually one couple who had arrived before us and were still there as we left, likely because we rushed to get out as quickly as possible.

This actually seems to be a common theme: we've had a similar experience at Stone Hearth Pizza. It seems like a restaurant can be either local or family friendly but not both, unless you want to pay exhorbitant amounts of money and go to Henrietta's Table. And even then, that's cheating - there's a nearby hotel lobby where high-energy children can run around and burn off the calories they've just consumed. At one point in our meal, my husband turned to me and said, "I miss Boloco," referring to the failed restaurant in Davis Square with a nice kids' corner, now taken over by Green Tomato II, which still has the kid's corner but offers miserable cafeteria-style food.

Ultimately, while we loved the food at Kitchen on Common, we were seriously disappointed by the service. It would be fine for a leisurely meal for two adults, but it's a terrible venue for kids. If you want to your kids to dine on their fare, I recommend takeout.

Readers' Challenge: Where is your favorite place to eat with your children that offers local fare?

In Search of the Perfect Egg

These days, there are so many different types of eggs available, it's dizzying. Even among local eggs, you can choose between conventionally farmed eggs (read: hens stuck in cages), cage-free eggs (hens let out of cages for an hour or so every day), free-running hens (hens never in cages but still confined to a barn), and free-range hens (allowed outside during the day and brought in at night to protect them from predators).

Then, there's what the hens are fed: conventional chicken feed, vegetarian chicken feed (nothing but grain or corn), organic chicken feed, and feed supplemented by whatever the chickens scratch up outside.

But what does all this mean for your breakfast table? Which of these eggs is more nutritious and more tasty? Well, I decided to find out, empirically.

This morning, I compared one egg from each of the following local sources:

1. Country Hen, Hubbardston, MA - free-running hens fed vegetarian organic feed, bought at Whole Foods
2. Chestnut Farm, Hardwick, MA - free-range hens that happily eat insects, bought when picking up meat share last week.
   
3. Coll's Farm, Jaffrey, NH - cage-free hens fed vegetarian conventional feed, bought at the Dairy Bar in Davis Square.
4. Chip-In Farm, Bedford, MA - free-running hens fed vegetarian conventional feed, bought at the farm

I checked the eggs for two critical parameters: color and taste. Yolk color is determined by what a hen eats. A more orange yolk can mean one of two things: a coloring agent such as marigold petals has been added to the feed, or the hen's diet is naturally rich in carotenoids such as beta carotene. Read more about this here.

An earlier taste test between scrambled Chestnut Farm eggs and Chip-In eggs failed miserably due to adding too much water to the eggs, resulting in runny eggs. Note, however, that the eggs on the right, from Chestnut Farm, are much darker in color than the Chip-in Farm eggs on the left.



So this time around, I chose to fry them sunny-side up. Here are the eggs, happily cooking in the frying pan together. They are, starting from the top right and moving clockwise, from Chestnut Farm, Chip-In Farm, Coll's Farm, and Country Hen. Note that the eggs from Country Hen and Chestnut Farm look noticeably more orange than the eggs from Coll's Farm or Chip-In Farm. My husband and I then tasted the yolk of each of the eggs. The yolks from Chestnut Farm and Country Hen clearly had a stronger, better taste and texture. The Coll's Farm yolk had a very mild flavor, and the Chip-In Farm yolk was nearly tasteless. Of the two tasty orange eggs, we both agreed that Chestnut Farm's egg had a slightly better flavor.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Country Hen eggs. I had expected them to come in near the bottom, despite their brandishing of the high-omega-3 content of their eggs. According to them, their eggs are highly nutritious, and judging from the color and flavor of the egg, I have to agree. But here's the kicker: they were also the most expensive eggs. Here's a cost comparison of the eggs from most to least expensive:

1. Country Hen - $2.75/half-dozen
2. Chestnut Farm - $4/dozen
3. Coll's Farm - $3.75/dozen
4. Chip-In Farm - $2.30/2 dozen

For the difference in cost, flavor, and humane treatment, I declare Chestnut Farm the winner. Incidentally, the Chestnut Farm eggs were also, on average, bigger than all of the other eggs, making them an even better value. Unfortunately, those eggs are available only once/month, on meatshare distribution days. When I run out, I plan on buying Country Hen eggs. I'm going to shop around area stores and see if I can't find them at a better price than at Whole Foods.

Reader's Challenge: Got a favorite locally-produced egg? Do your own taste test against Country Hen eggs or Chestnut Farm eggs if you can get them, then let the rest of us know your results.