Photo essay: Brooklyn Food Conference

Chickens, honeybees, local farmers and politicians could all be food this weekend at the first ever Brooklyn Food Conference - a free event advocating a healthy, sustainable, and just food system.

If there was one clear message from the event it is the need to support small farmers. I got to meet my local growers and gain insight on how trade policies and legislation effect our local farmers here and across the world.

Special thanks to Nancy Siesel for providing these photos of the event.

Improving my fish literacy

Last week at The Strand bookstore, the universe came to my aid.

On top of a pile of perfectly stacked new titles stood a misplaced, used copy Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking by Mark Bittman. This book by the NY Times bestselling author, was largely foreign to me, as it was published over 10 years ago.

Still the book is very relevant and is a great resource for anyone who would like to cook more seafood. And for me personally, I can’t think of a more appropriate book to supplement my kitchen know-how. Other than the wild salmon, tilalpia, and trout fillets I use from my food co-op, I am largely illiterate when it comes to what’s available in the aquatic kingdom.

This book I believe will change that. Similar to cookbooks I enjoy, Fish is arranged by ingredient – each chapter outlining everything you need to know about a fish – from Perch to Mackarel to Sable.

Bittman's tips on how to shop for fish, inspired me to pay a visit to my Greenmarket fishmonger in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza. I was in search of mackarel, a fish like salmon that is high in Omega 3s. Per his advice, I made sure the fish kept its vivid, rainbow-like color to ensure its freshness. [It did]

I asked for a pound of mackarel fillets, using half for dinner that night and the rest the next day. [Unfortunately, mackarel does not keep or freeze well. So make sure to use it up when you purchase it.]

I tried two of Bittman’s recipes – the Broiled Mackarel Fillets with Mustard Butter was my favorite. It was delicious served over Lundberg’s wild rice blend and some green beans.

The whole experience was so enjoyable, that I plan to make a weekly ritual out of visiting my fish stand every Saturday and trying somethign new.

I love the idea of supporting my local fishermen, who sustainably fish our waters and do not freeze or ship their catch long distances. I also love the taste!

Broiled Mackarel Fillets with Mustard Butter
Taken from Fish by Mark Bittman

Serves 2

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
Two 3/4 to 1-pound mackarel, filleted, skin on

Grease the bottom of a baking pan; preheat the broiler. Cream the butter with the mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, pepper, and half the parsley. Spread the fillets with about half this mixture and broil, about 4 inches from the source of heat, for about 5 minutes. Brush the cooked fillets with the remaining mustard butter and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Planet health: Reducing my paper consumption

Have you seen The Story of Stuff yet?

Since it was posted online a couple years ago, the film which makes a compelling case for reducing our consumption, has received over 10 million viewers.

I was reminded of the film and its case in April's Body & Soul magazine, which features an interview with Annie Leonard, the Environmentalist and Sustainability Expert behind the film. To sum up her view: "We're trashing the planet. We're trashing each other. And we're not even having fun doing it."

As someone who's rather eco-conscious, I took this article as a reminder to revisit my footprint. Yes, I've been doing great on the recycling front. In addition to sorting my paper and plastics each week, I compost my food scraps and recycle plastics not taken by the city to the Park Slope Food Co-op every second Saturday.

While commendable (pat on back), I must admit I haven't given as much thought on reducing my consumption. So I decided to look at my paper consumption, most of which floods my mailbox each week, and figure out a plan to clamp down. So far this morning I have:

• Canceled the delivery of my phone book by visiting yellowpagesgoesgreen.org. If half of us do that, we could save 10 million trees a year.
  
• Wrote to my landlord about posting a "no menus, flyers, ads" sign on our building to reduce the solicitations we receive. Park Slope residents can pick up a pre-made one from the Park Slope Civic Council.
• Canceled my subscription to a magazine I no longer read. And putting out old issues for people to take, rather than sending them right to the recycling bin.

This is in addition to:

• Collecting scrap paper, and feeding the blank side through my printer
  
• Signing up for electronic bill paying through my bank/credit card company
  
• Opting for no receipt when I make withdrawals at the ATM
  
• Calling catalog companies to remove my name from their mailing list

I love how these are all simple things we can all do, without causing too much pain. In fact, you'll notice that most of what I listed is unconscious consumption - stuff we didn't even ask for in the first place. So what's stopping us?

Just remember - the positive improvements we make to our planet (more trees, clean air/water, good quality soil) directly leads to higher quality food and better health for us all.

To my green friends out there, I'd love to hear from you. What have you done to reduce your consumption?

From NYT: A farming story, in numbers

If you've ever pondered a more simple existence, moving to the country and growing your own food, you're not alone. Just don't quit your day job.

On Sunday, the NY Times ran a story "Farm Living (Subsidized by a Job Elsewhere)," publishing figures that support this trend. From 2002 to 2007, the total number of farms increased (4 percent), as did the number of farmers reporting an additional income (65 percent). There were also loads of other interesting stories in the numbers, some good some sad.

Encouraging signs:

• The number of organic farms increased by 50 percent from 2002 to 2007
• American farmers are becoming more diverse - female farmers increased 30 percent and Hispanic farmers increased 10 percent from 2002 to 2007

Yet, it's clear there is also another story in this article - farming is a tough business:

• Of our nation's 2.2 million farms, 900,000 reported income of less than $2,500
• 5 percent of our total farms produce 75 percent of our agricultural output
• The average farmer is 57 years old!

I think it is essential that we support our small farmers. For anyone who's shopped at a farmers market, it is clear that they bring more than better tasting fruits and vegetables to the table. They also foster a sense of community. I literally think New Yorkers who take up arms if the city ever threatened to close down the Union Square Greenmarket.

Small farmers are also stewards of our agricultural traditions and heirloom varieties. As someone who use to work for a large food company, I am certain the possibility of 'one tomato to feed them all' is highly possibly if we let the suits takeover. Let's not forget the potato famine in Ireland was caused by growing only one strain of potato.

I support my local farmer by buying from local Greenmarkets, the Park Slope Food Co-op, and my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Anyone else feel strongly about the need to support our local farmers? What else can we do to support them?

New group class in Brooklyn

Attention frustrated New York home cooks:

I will be leading a fun, new group class in Brooklyn entitled "Get of your rut: Get into the kitchen" starting in late January. It will be upbeat and interactive with a focus on creative, health-supportive cooking.

For more information, please visit my website.

Warming up to root vegetables

It is just over 30 degrees here in Brooklyn. So it should come as now surprise that yesterday marked the end of the growing season, and with it my CSA share.

Gone are the strawberries and bright colorful fruits and veggies from when the season opened in June. This week's loot was noticeably more rooty. With veggies like potatoes, carrots and celery root.

Normally, these ingredients don't sound all that appetizing, but surprisingly I've been craving them recently. If these hardy foods can stand up to the weather, well then, perhaps they can help me stand up to it too.

I think all root vegetables do well with a nice roasting. Yesterday, I took several of my roots that had been collecting for a while (potato, sweet potato, turnip), and made a great meal with them. I simply cut them up, and threw them in a roasting pan with some olive oil, salt and thyme. Then put them in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or so, taking them out halfway through to mix. I served with some broiled fish, brown rice and garlic collard greens. Yum!

I also enjoy making soups with root vegetables (see my recipe for Celery Root Soup). I'd love to hear other creative ideas too. Please share!

Bad apple or prized find? The lure of the wormy apple.

These are not the kind of apples you fight for in the store or see pictured next to proud, grinning farmers. Yet, there was something about these bruised, neglected, harbingers of fall that captivated me.

They sat, dejected in a box labeled "take em or leave em" at my local CSA. Many I am sure, passed on the chance to acquire these ugly ducklings. Not me. I know how rare it can be to find an organically grown, New York state apple in these parts. Apparently, the climate here makes it tough for organic growing methods. Even my organic-loyalist the Park Slope Food Co-op, carries "minimally treated" ones.

I also should be clear - this was no charity case. I wanted to see what all the rage was about. I've been curious about wormy apples ever since Amy Hepworth, proudly bit into a wild untreated apple before a packed audience at the Park Slope Food Co-op last year. Amy, who supplies the minimally treated apples available for sale, declared her preference for the maggot-ridden ones, even going so far as identifying the pests she was consuming. Her statement got the attention of New York magazine which profiled her in its August issue, entitled "How Farmer Amy Hepworth Became a Cult Hero to Foodies."

Ever since, I've wondered if we were passing on the good stuff. I mean if the farmers and pests like them, shouldn't we? So I had to try them (the apples, not the pests - sorry, I am not as adventurous as Amy).

I took my knife and cut up an apple. And yes it was delicious! Sweet, crisp, juicy... all the important attributes I look for. Absent was the 'waxy' taste I find so common, and have come to accept.

As a CSA member, I am a stakeholder in my farm. Which means, like Amy Hepworth, I feel a special connection to all that grows from my farm - whether or not it is photogenic. I am sure I would have a different mindset if I shopped at Whole Foods. Fortunately, the good stuff comes to Brooklyn!

Planning my week, at least the meal part

I love a good challenge. And every week I am handed one when I pickup my CSA share. Yes, lots of great produce direct from the farm. But what do I do with it?

This week I picked up some beautiful tomatoes (six different kinds!), green beans, corn, zucchini, carrots (purple ones!), red peppers, potatoes, lettuce, garlic, peaches, and apples.

I don't know about you, but I really don't want all this produce to go bad. So the first thing I do when I get home is make a plan. This includes taking an inventory of my produce (old and new), and then brainstorming a bunch of tasty possibilities. I like to use a chalkboard to list all this.

Here is what mine looks like as of today --->

Possibilites for this week include: Gazpacho, Fennel and Apple Salad, Corn Chowder, Carrot Halwa, Tortilla Espanola, Zucchini Cakes, and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Tofu. Anyone else getting hungry?

Some of these dishes I have made before. Others I have not. I'm not even sure if I have all the ingredients that I need! And that is okay. I usually look up the ingredients later - either finding a recipe in one of my cookbooks or on the Internet (Google is truly amazing for this).

For added fun, try doing this with your partner! It is a great creative exercise and will bring you two together around food and meal planning.

Oh and it helps to have a well stocked pantry. Hmm...mental note for future post. :)

Nuts: nature's perfect food

Are you nuts about nuts? I am.

And fortunately, as a health counselor, I can disclose my consumption of these guilt-free. [You should see the messages from my advisers after yesterday's ice cream disclosure.]

Nuts are nature's perfect food: a healthy balance of fat, carbohydrate and protein. Which makes sense if you consider that a nut is basically a seed and contains everything necessary for a plant to create life.

Nuts are extremely compact and durable, which make them very convenient for modern life. It is no wonder they are so prevalent in trail mixes and energy bars.

Fellow nut lovers can rejoice when they visit the Tierra Farm booth at the Park Slope Farmers Market (Sunday @ 5th Avenue and 4th Street). Tierra Farm is a small, privately-owned producer of organic nuts based in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. My current favorite is the Organic Dry Roasted Sea Salt & Onion Cashews. Very addictive! Other favorites include Garam Masala Cashews, Roasted Pistachios, and Tamari Roasted Almonds.

Nuts are one of the few sources of healthy, plant-based fats. They are high in desired monounsaturated fats and essential fatty acids. All of which are important for healthy skin, hair and nails. As well as memory and cognitive function.

However, like all foods, nuts should be eaten in moderation. The foods are rather calorie dense. I recommend just a few at a time. You'll find yourself satiated surprisingly faster than most snack foods.

We all scream for Blue Marble ice cream

Ice cream, it seems, has once again become in vogue for health counselors.

The shift in our universe is largely thanks to Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. Here ice cream is handmade from local organic milk. Chocolate is fair trade organic. And the bowls and spoons are all compostable.

I was tipped off to the place by my friend and fellow health counselor, Angela, who has been visiting the store a little more frequently than she would like. Both of us, it seems, have been craving ice cream lately. So I recently decided to visit the store with my sister, Nina, who was visiting.

This conversion didn't come easy though. It had been almost a year since I've indulged in the stuff. Part of my attempt to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet. Blue Marble's commitment to quality sourcing did ease my guilt a bit. However, I would be lying if part of me, didn't still think what I was doing was 'bad.'

So I put on my health counselor hat. Why might I be causing my craving for ice cream? Or rather what was my body trying to tell me? Perhaps I need to cool down. Or be less strict with my diet. Or maybe I just need more fat.

I realized there was some truth in all of this. My success in eliminating most processed foods from my diet over the last year had brought with it significant weight loss. More so than perhaps my body was ready for! Ice cream, while not the only source of fat, was actually beneficial in helping me return to balance.

The whole episode reminded me that it important to have a flexible attitude towards food. And there are no universally good or bad foods. Yet, don't get my wrong, most of us eat too much ice cream and sugar. But if you want to indulge, why not choose the best?

I recommend the Mocha Chip. :)

Yummy food comes from yummy compost

I've officially caught the compost bug.

I never thought I'd get much satisfaction from dumping smelly food scraps into a bin of other smelly food scraps. But sometimes I surprise myself.

I now bring my raw food scraps (i.e. fruits, vegetables, egg shells, tea bags) to the Garden of Union community garden every Thursday in Park Slope. The scraps are then processed into compost that is used to nourish the vegetables and other plants in the garden with essential minerals.

I love the concept of making some useful from something we have no use for. We recycle paper and plastic. Why not food? Food waste accounts for the largest component of our trash each year. Composting also reduces our need for chemically laden fertilizers, most of which are derived from oil.


If you are interested in composting, check with your local sanitation department to see what options are available in your area. New Yorkers can drop off their compost at the Union Square Farmers Market every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. There are also several other community gardens and ecological centers around the city that will gladly accept your goodies.

I store my food scraps in the freezer. That way, you can enjoy the benefits of composting without the stink factor. You can also buy a special compost bin that has a carbon filter. I then make my weekly trip to the Garden of Union (Union St between 4th and 5th Ave) on Thursdays. I simply look for the marked bin, add my scraps, and cover with sawdust. And that's it! I'm doing my part to reduce my footprint, and yes, make yummy food!

The local season begins!

I'm officially into summer. I just picked up my share of produce from my local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). This week we were treated to strawberries, red lettuce, bok choy, chard, turnips, radishes, scapes, and parsley.

When you become a member of a CSA you pay upfront for a share of a particular farmer's harvest for the season. The season lasts 22 weeks from now until mid November. Every week is a mystery. You get some familiar items (e.g. strawberries) and some unfamiliar ones (e.g. scapes).

I personally love the challenge of figuring out what to do with my produce. It is also a great way to connect with your fellow CSA members. Gotta good recipe for these turnips? What is the best way to store my bok choy?

And how cool is it to have my very own personal farm? Answer: Super cool!