Fast "Food" Experiment

Food should be alive, and therefore it should die.

                                                             - Michael Pollan

Artist Sally Davies' Happy Meal experiment has been getting a lot of media attention lately. But if you haven't seen it, you really should. Davies bought a McDonald's Happy Meal six months ago, and instead of decaying, (as food should!), it only hardened and became like plastic. Draw your own conclusions!!

Daily Mail article about the Happy Meal Project

Green Tomatoes

It's hard to believe that October is already here! Things have been so busy around here that September was a blur. The weather has suddenly become very fall-like, and I'm wondering if all the tomatoes growing on my vines are going to have a chance to ripen. Fried green tomatoes are, of course, a classic way to eat those unripe tomatoes, but I have found tons of other recipes on the internet. Salsa, pickles, relish and even cakes! I'm going to try out some of these recipes over the next few weeks. I'll share any good ones that I find. If you know of a good green tomato recipe, please share!!

Chutney Recipe

At this time of year, when apples are in season, I like to make Mango-Apple Chutney. This chutney is fantastic on grilled pork chops! I make a large batch in my slow cooker and preserve the chutney in half-pints.

Mango-Apple Chutney
makes approx. 4 pints

2 c. apple cider vinegar
6 c. apples, skinned, cored and cut in chunks
2 c. mangoes, skinned and cut in chunks
2 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. golden raisins
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. mustard seed
1 c. slivered onions
1 tbsp. orange zest

1. Pour vinegar in slow cooker. Cut fruit into vinegar. Mix in remaining ingredients.

2. Cook on high for 2 hours, covered. Lower heat to low and cook for 5 hours, uncovered. Stir occasionally.

3. If preserving, process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

Peach Preserves

Fragrant boxes of ripe peaches were everywhere at the farmers market this weekend. I couldn't resist! I decided to try making peach preserves - something I love but have never made before. Looking through recipes, I found that most called for a large amount of sugar. The average amount was 2 cups per pint! I don't like super sweet jams and preserves; I want to taste the fruit. I found a low-sugar recipe and tweaked it to my liking. The result was delicious!

Spiced Peach Preserves

makes about 3 1/2 pints

12 c. fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

3 c. sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

8 oz. liquid fruit pectin

1. In a large pot, combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally.

2. Continuing to stir occasionally, boil for 15 minutes and, using large spoon, crush peaches into smaller chunks.

3. Add liquid fruit pectin to boiling mixture.

4. Boil for an additional minute, stirring, until mixture thickens.

5. Remove from heat and put mixture into prepared jars.

6. Preserves can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If canning, follow canning procedures and process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Canned preserves can be stored up to one year.

I would encourage you to try canning. The Ball company makes canning supplies and sells instructional books. They also have a website, which I've listed under Helpful Websites on the right, along with The National Center for Home Food Preservation's website. (Sterilization and proper procedure are important when canning. Follow instructions carefully!)

The Taste of Summer

It was worth the wait. The first ripe tomato from my garden was eaten with much ceremony and gratitude. Nothing tastes of summer like a sun-ripened tomato. Every day, more tomatoes appear, promising a bountiful, if late, harvest. I ate the first plump treasure in a Caprese salad. It made a perfect summer lunch.

                                      

Caprese Salad

serves 1

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 large tomato, sliced thinly

3 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

1 fresh basil leaf, thinly sliced

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Arrange slices of tomato and cheese on a serving plate. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Sprinkle with basil.

The Egg Recall

The current salmonella outbreak, linked to eggs, highlights the dangers of factory farming. Two egg farms are the source of salmonella infecting several states (13 states at last count.)  When you read how many brand names these eggs have been sold under, you understand how food packaging can give the illusion that there are more companies producing our food than actually are. The FDA is warning that the salmonella scare isn't over, and more brands may be recalled. To keep up-to-date on the recall, there are several websites that you can consult, including the two below:

Egg Safety Center

Federal Food Safety Information

In my opinion, this egg recall underlines the importance of finding quality, local sources for our food.

Tomatoes!!! (Finally)

Better late than never! My five tomato plants are starting to bear fruit!! I've counted 20 of the little jewels growing and more blooms are coming on. All of this is happening in spite of my overzealous pruning. My parents stopped by one day and tried to hold back their laughter while they explained my mistake. My plants resembled tomato trees instead of the bushy plants they should be. My dad pointed out that a "sucker" is a small branch growing in the V formed by two larger branches. These are the only branches that should be pruned.

Next year I will know better! But all is not lost and soon I will be tasting a homegrown tomato from my own garden!