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A Seed Primer

By On May 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment

We read and hear a lot of different terms in regards to our fruits and vegetables – heirloom, organic, hybrid, and GMO (genetically-modified organism). I thought I’d give you a brief run-down so you can begin to decipher what it all means…and why you should search out some and avoid others. Let’s take a look at [...]

We read and hear a lot of different terms in regards to our fruits and vegetables – heirloom, organic, hybrid, and GMO (genetically-modified organism). I thought I’d give you a brief run-down so you can begin to decipher what it all means…and why you should search out some and avoid others. Let’s take a look at a few definitions so we can better understand what an heirloom seed is compared to a hybrid or genetically modified seed.

Heirloom

‘Heirloom’ – like your great-grandmother’s brooch or your great-uncle’s cello –  generally refers to something passed down from generation to another. Heirloom seeds are from a plant that has been passed from one generation to another, cultivated and preserved because of its value. The value could be flavor, productivity, adaptability, or a combination of desirable characteristics. Many heirlooms have a legacy reaching back three centuries or more. These seeds are almost always the most prolific, most flavorful, and most dependable varieties.

Open-Pollinated

‘Open-pollinated’ is a term sometimes used interchangeably with heirloom; however, they are not synonymous but they are related. An open-pollinated seed is simply a seed that can be harvested from the plant, saved, replanted, and the same variety will grow year after year. Open-pollination is how heirloom seeds are produced. But not all open pollinated seeds are heirloom, as there are open-pollinated varieties that are not old enough to be considered heirlooms.

Organic

‘Organic’ denotes a crop grown to a strict and regulated set of standards, including not being treated with pesticides. The certification process includes inspections of the fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping and periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the required standards laid-out by the USDA.

Hybrid

A hybrid seed is produced by artificially cross-pollinating two genetically distinct plants of the same species, such as two different apples or two varieties of tomatoes. The cross-pollination is done manually and the farmer or gardener has to purchase new seed every year. Hybrids are typically bred for higher yield, greater uniformity, improved color and disease resistance. Flavor, historically, has not been a characteristic when selecting characteristics for new hybrids.

GMO

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds have been altered using DNA from completely different species and organisms to produce traits such as resistance to herbicides. Some GMO corn, for example, creates its own herbicide in its roots. The major crops that are currently genetically-modified are corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat.

Why Choose Heirloom

Many people come to heirlooms for nostalgic reasons. They are searching for flavors that they remember from their childhoods. Flavor has been one of the major reasons for the preservation of specific varieties. It’s the classic conundrum: quantity vs. quality. Thank goodness quality is making a comeback.

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Raw Beets, Roasted Rapini, and Green Garlic Gazpacho

By On May 13, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Days like these make me want to pack a picnic, grab a book, and hit the beach. Here’s a book, by Mark Bittman, that will get you thinking – about how you eat, how you cook, and whether or not you could be a part-time vegan. Food thoughts from my nightstand…about Bittman’s VB6.

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Days like these make me want to pack a picnic, grab a book, and hit the beach. Here’s a book, by Mark Bittman, that will get you thinking – about how you eat, how you cook, and whether or not you could be a part-time vegan. Food thoughts from my nightstand…about Bittman’s VB6.

The contents for tomorrow’s boxes are listed below. Bear in mind that there may be some variation in the boxes…and we’re not quite sure which items will be included in the grandes versus the chicas. But, rest assured, whatever is in your box will be fresh, organically-grown, and delicious!

Veggies: kale, chard, lettuce, strawberries, carrots, spring onions, beets, rapini, parsley, green garlic, radishes 

Goods: Beeswax candles from Bell Tree Farm in Carmel Valley 

News Items: We are looking to recruit someone who will take salinas boxes from Monterey or PG to Salinas every Tuesday, for a substantial discount. Let us know if you are interested!

Here are a couple of recipes to inspire you to get cooking…[click on the title for recipe post]

1. Raw Beet-Celery Root Salad

Photo by Camilla M. Mann

2. Panko Roasted Rapini

3. Green Garlic Gazpacho

Photo by Camilla M. Mann

Enjoy the rest of your week. And let us know if you make anything with your Fogline Farm goodies that you absolutely love!

~Camilla and the WE Cooperative Team

 

Food Thoughts From My Nightstand

By On May 13, 2013 · Leave a Comment

I read voraciously. My nightstand looks like the leaning tower of Pisa. No joke. Reading settles my mind and gets me ready for sleep. But it also invigorates me, stretching my mind and presenting me with new ideas. I guess I should specify that I read a lot of non-fiction.

Most of the time, the [...]

I read voraciously. My nightstand looks like the leaning tower of Pisa. No joke. Reading settles my mind and gets me ready for sleep. But it also invigorates me, stretching my mind and presenting me with new ideas. I guess I should specify that I read a lot of non-fiction.

Most of the time, the volumes are food-centric. I love anything by Mark Kurlansky, who has written tomes about salt, cod, oysters, and a fascinating portrait of food in America before we had interstate highways. And I just finished two books about bees and honey while I wrapped up an article about local beekeepers. But it’s my latest arrival that I wanted to share with you.

I recently cracked the cover on Mark Bittman’s Eat Vegan Before 6:00. Having been a fan of Bittman’s for awhile now, I probably would have bought it anyway. But I was intrigued by his flexible, sort-of vegan stance. I was a vegetarian for a greater part of a decade. But vegans…those people are hard-core. “Sort-of” or “part-time” wouldn’t be how I would describe any vegans that I know.

I can never follow a diet. So, to restrict myself to a regimen without meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients while avoiding leather and wool, suffice it to say, I’m not that disciplined. 

While I can’t adhere to a diet like that, I can embrace the message of his book: eat more fruit , vegetables, and whole grains; eat less meat and processed foods; and enjoy your favorite foods occasionally.

That sounds utterly reasonable and do-able. And getting a CSA box definitely helps with that; my veggies for the week are all right there, ready to eat. Now I just need to get my caseophile-driven cravings in check.

What are you reading?

 

California’s State Vegetable

By On May 6, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Less than a month ago, listeners to KGO Radio in San Francisco voted, through social media, to designate the artichoke as California’s State Food. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom made the official announcement not long after the people rallied for the artichoke. Other nominated foods included almonds, avocados, garlic, crab, Sourdough bread and grapes or wine. [...]

Less than a month ago, listeners to KGO Radio in San Francisco voted, through social media, to designate the artichoke as California’s State Food. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom made the official announcement not long after the people rallied for the artichoke. Other nominated foods included almonds, avocados, garlic, crab, Sourdough bread and grapes or wine. But the yummy thistle prevailed!

Kori Tuggle, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville, declared the timing serendipitous. ”It’s the perfect time as we are just hitting the peak of artichoke season in Castroville, the artichoke capital.”

Artichokes. Photo by Camilla M. Mann


Stay tuned for an artichoke tutorial and some great recipes. And, if you are interested in learning more, you can always head over to the Artichoke Festival on May 18th and 19th.

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Eating Al Fresco

By On April 29, 2013 · Leave a Comment

We live in an amazing place. Steps from the beach, surrounded by State Parks. We drive past wildflower-dotted hillsides. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the daily grind, that I forget to look at the ocean as I drive to work. Can you imagine? I’ll bet you can.

When the weather warms and the [...]

We live in an amazing place. Steps from the beach, surrounded by State Parks. We drive past wildflower-dotted hillsides. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the daily grind, that I forget to look at the ocean as I drive to work. Can you imagine? I’ll bet you can.

When the weather warms and the sun stays up longer in the sky, I grab my family for al fresco meals. It might be a barbeque on the beach or a brunch in the park. But it’s always a nice change of pace and gives you time to relish the season. Wrangle some friends and whip up some fresh, finger-friendly dishes.

Picnic at Andrew Molera State Park, Big Sur

What are your favorite foods for a picnic?

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Cooking is a Process

By On April 23, 2013 · Leave a Comment

When I learned to cook in Italy, the woman who taught me insisted that she would teach me how to cook…but not by sharing recipes. She would show me processes. What she meant by that was – if she showed me what to do with dandelion greens, I could use that same process for chicory, [...]

When I learned to cook in Italy, the woman who taught me insisted that she would teach me how to cook…but not by sharing recipes. She would show me processes. What she meant by that was – if she showed me what to do with dandelion greens, I could use that same process for chicory, spinach, or whatever greens I had. So, I’m going to pass on that sentiment to you: cooking is a process.

If you find a recipe you want to try, don’t stress out if you don’t have all of the ingredients listed. 

Here’s an example, if you find a recipe that lists kale but you only have chard in your fridge, use the chard. If a recipe calls for leeks but you only have shallots or onions, use those. Substitute, swap, and breathe easy!

 

Eat with Open Eyes

By On April 15, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Not only do we inhabit a temperate Mediterranean climate, can be hiking beneath redwoods in under an hour, can have sand between our toes in less than ten minutes, and enjoy locally-grown, organic produce year-round, this community hosts some really fantastic events. We’re lucky that way.

This past weekend, the Monterey Institute of International Studies [...]

Not only do we inhabit a temperate Mediterranean climate, can be hiking beneath redwoods in under an hour, can have sand between our toes in less than ten minutes, and enjoy locally-grown, organic produce year-round, this community hosts some really fantastic events. We’re lucky that way.

This past weekend, the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) presented the 2013 TEDx Monterey to a sold-out crowd. My 10-year-old son and I attended because a good friend of our family was speaking…and we love TED /TEDx talks.

Photo by Camilla M. Mann

What an event! Picture a teacher who allows his students one day a week to work on a project that pursues a passion of their own; a singing fisherman who leads urban foraging tours in the Bay Area; a 15-year-old girl who may have just discovered a cure for cancer; and a wheelchair-bound woman who SCUBA dives in her custom chair. It’s not everyday that you are inspired, riveted, and brought to tears. I think I’m still trying to digest all that I heard and all that I learned that day.

I want to share a few thoughts from one of the talks that we watched on the screen. Forgive my techno-UNsavvy; I couldn’t get the file to embed. Click on the link, below, to watch Ron Finley, Guerilla Gardener…

Ron Finley’s February 2013 TED Talk, Long Beach

Ron described how he began gardening in the shared, public area in front of his house, how he saw food as the problem and food as the solution. “South Central Los Angeles is the home of the drive-thru and the drive-by. Funny thing is, the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys,” he asserts. By planting seeds and providing tools for healthy eating to his community, Ron is nourishing a healthy food culture in South Central L.A.’s food desert.

Planting Cauliflower. Photo by Camilla M. Mann

And I could not agree more with his assessment of how to get kids to eat vegetables: offer it to them! He claims, “If kids grow kale, kids eat kale. If they grow tomatoes, they eat tomatoes. But when none of this is presented to them, if they’re not shown how food affects the mind and the body, they blindly eat whatever you put in front of them.”

Case in point – when we were up at Fogline Farm last month, my family helped Farmer Johnny plant cauliflower and leeks. My son dug in the dirt, gently pressed the seedlings into the rows, and happily chatted about what we could make when these lovelies appear in our CSA box later in the year. “Mom,” he declared excitedly, “I can’t wait to eat the cauliflower that I helped to plant!”

I think that sentiment is true for adults as well. I urge you to put fresh foods on your table and eat with open eyes. 

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Eat a Rainbow

By On April 8, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Do you remember the first time you said or did something – maybe with pride, maybe with horror – and you saw your parents? Last week, as we were cooking through our CSA box, Dylan, my 9-year-old, looked at his plate and observed, “Mommy, there are a lot of colors on this plate.” Out [...]

Do you remember the first time you said or did something – maybe with pride, maybe with horror – and you saw your parents? Last week, as we were cooking through our CSA box, Dylan, my 9-year-old, looked at his plate and observed, “Mommy, there are a lot of colors on this plate.” Out of my mouth came, “It’s always good to eat a rainbow.” Oh, my! I have become my mother.

Our plates were always colorful when I was growing up. Though I am not a nutritionist, my mom’s explanation – when I asked why it’s always good to eat a rainbow – makes a lot of sense to me. She explained that different colors in food indicate different nutrients. For example…

Many RED fruits and veggies are loaded with lycopene and anthocyanins that may combat heart disease and decrease the risk and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older. In this week’s box from Fogline Farm, we’re getting strawberries.

The best-known nutrient in ORANGE foods is beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that is good for eye health and can also help protect your skin from sun damage. YELLOW fruits and vegetables also teem with carotenoids and have an abundance of vitamin C. We’re getting Meyer lemons.

Thinking green should be a way of eating as well as a way of living. GREEN leafy vegetables are a rich source of minerals – iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium – and vitamins – K, C, E, and many of the B. Go green! So many greens in this week’s box – kale, chard, spinach, and mint.

BLUE, INDIGO, and VIOLET fruits and vegetables are extremely high in antioxidants. The nutrients in these foods seem to protect your blood vessels, cartilage, tendons and ligaments from damage. The vitamins and minerals in these foods can also help with memory function and urinary tract health.

I hope these have nutritional benefits inspire you to embrace eating a rainbow. You don’t have to have all of the colors on each plate. Just make a concerted effort to include several colors throughout the day. This week’s box from Fogline Farm will certainly help provide some of your colors.

~Camilla and the WE Cooperative Team

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Subscriber blog about WE Cooperative CSA

By On October 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment

http://simplitarian.blogspot.com/2011/09/pick-up-shhhh.html?spref=fb

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://simplitarian.blogspot.com/2011/09/pick-up-shhhh.html?spref=fb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the Chickens

By On June 6, 2011 · Leave a Comment

As you know, a few of the WE Cooperative members keep chickens.   It’s been an interesting experience to get to know chickens as I observe my young flock of 13.  I thought I’d introduce my chickens. My daughter and I hatched some of our chickens from eggs, using an incubator.  It was an amazing experience to [...]

Cuddling Petal

As you know, a few of the WE Cooperative members keep chickens.   It’s been an interesting experience to get to know chickens as I observe my young flock of 13.  I thought I’d introduce my chickens. My daughter and I hatched some of our chickens from eggs, using an incubator.  It was an amazing experience to watch chicks peck their way out of an egg as they hatch!  My six year old immediately adopted the runt and named her Petal.  Petal likes being held, and is quite calm compared to the other chickens.  When establishing a flock, it’s important to have chickens come together at a relatively young age, so that there’s no tormenting the younger chickens who might be introduced later.  I presume it’s a food scarcity thing…  Since we only successfully hatched four chicks, we bought the remainder from a local feed store, and luckily for us, they were the same age (8 weeks) as our chicks, so the integration was painless and easy.  I did notice there were cliques, but no fighting, and “our” four chicks roosted together in the evening.  Eye to eye with Isis, the chicken.

Chickens start laying eggs when they are around 4 to 6 months old.  They like a little privacy, a dark, protected place in which to lay their eggs.  As the chickens seem to like to sit on their eggs, and I’m taking them out to eat them and provide them for the “goods” subscribers in the WE Cooperative CSA, I bought little wooden eggs for their nesting boxes that they can sit on in lieu of hatching their own. However, they don’t seem to like them as much as their own.  I’ve seen other chicken owners use golf balls, and the chickens didn’t mind, so perhaps it depends on the chickens.  I’m going to buy some porcelain eggs and see if that’s more similar to real chicken eggs to keep my chickens happy.

In addition to chicken food and bugs, the chickens eat all of our fruit and vegetable scraps.  They love kale, peas, avocados (including the skin!), popcorn, grapes and strawberries.   When I put the food down, they each try to reach their favorite bits first, and quibble over their favorites…

Enjoy the eggs!  We sure do!

–Colleen

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