Potatoes Roasted with Rosemary (photo by Clara Natoli, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Joe and Chris Miller decided to open up the fields of their Colorado farm “to anyone who wanted to pick up free vegetables left over after the harvest.” It was their way of saying thank you to their customers, but an Associated Press report published by the Denver Post says “40,000 people showed up” and “the fields were picked so clean” the couple had to cancel the second day of the open harvest.
“Some people parked their cars along two nearby highways to take to the field with sacks, wagons and barrels.” According to the report, they came to collect “free potatoes, carrots and leeks.”
The AP article says the Millers “opened the farm to the free public harvest for the first time this year after hearing reports of food being stolen from churches.” Farm operations manager Dave Patterson “estimated some 600,000 pounds of produce was harvested.”
If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: Thousands pick up free vegetables on Colo. farm
Americans in droves will be gathering with family for a Thanksgiving Day feast, but millions of families will need help this holiday season just to stay fed. Rising food prices and a tough job market have food banks across the country struggling to keep up with a rising tide of people in need of help.
Even in 2007, before the economy took a turn for the worse, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said there were 36.2 million Americans struggling to get enough food to eat. About one out of three of those people went hungry at times. Many of those people have steady work, but it doesn’t pay enough to meet rising costs for housing and food. An article published by Reuters says the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has seen demand rise by 41% from a year ago. Similar circumstances have been reported by food banks in Massachusetts, Arizona, Texas and many other states, but “donations aren’t keeping up.”
Local food drives are excellent for getting healthy food to hungry people and raising awareness among the more fortunate, but there are other ways to help. Feeding America is a nonprofit organization, formerly known as Second Harvest. The organization has a food bank locator on its website to make it easy to find a place nearby where you can bring food for those who need it.
Bringing food to a local food bank is a big help, but writing a check can be a very effective way to fight the problem. “For every $1 you donate, Feeding America helps provide 20 pounds of food and grocery products to men, women and children facing hunger in our country.”
To learn more about how you can help, find a nearby food bank, and make donations go to: Feeding America
If you’d like to read the Reuters article cited above go to: Will food banks need a bailout?
Thanksgiving arrives this week and the winter holidays are fast-approaching. It's the time of year when Americans tend to dine out more than usual and put on some extra pounds. Here are some tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for eating well when eating out:
• As a beverage choice, ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks without added sugars.
• Ask for whole wheat bread for sandwiches.
• In a restaurant, start your meal with a salad packed with veggies, to help control hunger and feel satisfied sooner.
• Ask for salad dressing to be served on the side. Then use only as much as you want.
• Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.
• Order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.
• Choose a “small” or “medium” portion. This includes main dishes, side dishes, and beverages.
• Order an item from the menu instead heading for the “all-you-can-eat” buffet.
• If main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, try one of these strategies to keep from overeating:
• Order an appetizer or side dish instead of an entrée.
• Share a main dish with a friend.
• If you can chill the extra food right away, take leftovers home in a “doggy bag.”
• When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
• Resign from the “clean your plate club” – when you’ve eaten enough, leave the rest.
• To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugars:
• Ask for salad dressing to be served “on the side” so you can add only as much as you want.
• Order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies.
• Add little or no butter to your food.
• Choose fruits for dessert most often.
• On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, low-fat string cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts to help you avoid stopping for sweet or fatty snacks.
Get a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and level of physical activity to get a personal eating plan: MyPyramid Plan
Catfish Filet (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
The National Organic Standards Board has voted to allow fish to be labeled as organic when up to 25% of the feed is non-organic. The Board advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The vote marks a sharp contrast with the labeling standard for all organic meats. The feed for meat must be 100% organic in order to be legally labeled as organic.
An article in USA Today says there are three main objections from environmentalists and organic food advocates to the vote by the National Organic Standards Board:
• Fish labeled as organic could be fed food up to 25% non organic food, even though all other livestock labeled as organic can only eat organic feed.
• Fishmeal used to feed farmed fish labeled as organic could be made from wild-caught fish, some of which can have high levels of mercury and PCBs.
• Open net cages could be used to raise fish labeled as organic. Critics say such cages can flush drugs, disease and parasites directly into the ocean, which can harm wild fish and other marine life.
Urvashi Rangan, PhD, Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst at Consumers Union is quoted in a press release as stating,
It’s a disservice to the organic program and to consumers that the NOSB is ready to undermine the organic marketplace which relies on a higher bar for environmental health practices being met. Fish labeled as ‘organic’ that are not fed 100 percent organic feed, come from polluting open net cage systems, or that are contaminated with mercury or PCBs any measurable level, fall significantly short of consumer expectations.
The controversial decision will now go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has the authority to issue a final ruling.
If you’d like to read the USA Today article cited above go to: Organic fish decision is controversial
To sign a petition objecting to the vote by the National Organic Standards Board go to:
Organic Consumers Association Petition
Along the Dead River a Native American guide says a prayer & hands out tobacco as an offering of thanks to nature (photo by Greg Peterson)
Written by Greg Peterson
Teenagers, an American Indian guide and volunteers recently held the fourth annual planting of wild rice in a project aimed at restoring the once abundant grain to northern Michigan. The groundbreaking Manoomin Project has teamed hundreds of at-risk teens with American Indian guides. Together, they’ve planted over a ton of wild rice since the summer of 2004.
Wild rice disappeared from Michigan over a century ago and is a vital part of Native American ceremonies and traditions. Manoomin means wild rice in Ojibwa. “You are the first ones to bring wild rice back to the area,” the teens were told by American Indian guide Dave Anthony of Marquette, Michigan. Centuries ago, American Indians moving inland from the east coast settled around the Great Lakes.
“We were told at one of the stopping points that we would find food that grows on water and that is what we call Manoomin. It’s the wild rice you are planting,” Anthony said.
“This is very, very significant - this is a gift from the Creator,” said Anthony, who attends Northern Michigan University and belongs to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa (Ottawa) Indians based in Harbor Springs, Michigan. “Wild rice is the original North American grain and is very nutritious.”
Manoomin is a difficult crop to plant; conditions must be ideal. Besides facing the hurdle of a late planting, the wild rice is a favorite food of geese and other wildlife. Still, the seeds that reach maturity through the harsher weather will be more likely to thrive in future years.
Manoomin Project volunteer Tom Reed of Marquette said the at-risk youth volunteer to plant and study wild rice "in lieu of community service." The teens are taught respect for themselves, nature and American Indian customs while planting wild rice at seven remote lakes and streams in Marquette and Alger counties.
"This is about educating the kids and not about punishment," said Reed.
“We had a good time planting wild rice,” Native American Don Chosa said of his work with the teens. He said some teens arrived angry because it was something they had to do, but they started to enjoy it and by the time they were done with one year of planting wild rice they were willing to come on a volunteer basis the following years.
“They learn how to plant, harvest and cook wild rice and they learn how to take water samples,” said Chosa. “A lot of them hadn’t been outside very much - so for them it was a good experience because it was miles and miles of hiking and mountain climbing.”
The project is sponsored by the Superior Watershed Partnership and the Cedar Tree Institute, non-profits based in Marquette; and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC).
KBIC elder Glenn Bressette of Harvey met with a group of at-risk teens and explained how he had similar problems when he was a youth but overcame issues like scrapes with police, and drinking alcohol, an addiction that was exacerbated by “a lot of prejudice in Marquette.”
The Manoomin Project falls under the umbrella of the Earth Keeper Initiative, a faith-based coalition of adults, university students, and the leaders of 9 faith communities with 140 churches and temples. It was founded by Rev. Jon Magnuson. Recently, the Earth Keepers/Cedar Tree Institute were declared one of the 15 hardest-working faith-based non-profits in America by the Acton Institute and World Magazine. It was the the second year in a row they received that honor.
The Earth Keepers hold an annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep that has collected 370 tons of household poisons and other waste turned in by 15,000 Upper Peninsular residents across northern Michigan on the past three Earth Days.
To learn more about The Manoomin Project go to: The Cedar Tree Institute
To view videos of Earth Keeper activities go to:
1. Manoomin Project Music Video
2. YooperNewsman
To purchase wild rice hand-harvested by Ojibwe communities on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
Wine Tasting Cellar (photo by Álvaro Daniel González Lamarque, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Good news has been in short supply in these recessionary times, but BBC News has reported that at least “prices of some of the world's most revered wines are falling sharply.”
The drop in price for a case of twelve bottles of the 2005 vintage of Bordeaux's famous Chateau Lafite Rothschild from $15,720 to $11,790 (that’s $982.50 per standard-sized bottle), doesn’t exactly have us describing it as an “affordable” wine, but vintages bought by ordinary wine lovers have also been declining.
It seems wine lovers everywhere are benefiting from the trend toward lower prices. According to BBC News, “…the fall back in prices - and therefore demand - appears to be worldwide.”
If you’d like to read the BBC News article cited above go to: Wine prices go into the red
Fishing Boats at Sunset (photo by Michelle Kwajafa, courtesy of morguefile.com)
It’s become clear to foodies who love wild fish that a lot of wild seafood that was once widely available and affordable, including cod, salmon and striped bass, have become much tougher to find. There’s plenty of farmed seafood, but much of it lacks the rich flavor of the wild versions and industrialized fish farming can pose environmental and health risks, and deplete wild fish stocks used to feed farmed fish.
The good news is that something can be done about it and some action is already taking place. According to a fine article by Mark Bittman in the New York Times:
…with monitoring systems that reduce bycatch by as much as 60 percent and regulations providing fishermen with a stake in protecting the wild resource, it is happening. One regulatory scheme, known as “catch shares,” allows fishermen to own shares in a fishery — that is, the right to catch a certain percentage of a scientifically determined sustainable harvest. Fishermen can buy or sell shares, but the number of fish caught in a given year is fixed.
Mr Bittman explains that not all fish farming is bad, “China alone accounts for an estimated 70 percent of the world’s aquaculture — where it is small in scale, focuses on herbivorous fish and is not only sustainable but environmentally sound.”
The bad news is that if steps are not taken to protect ocean fisheries, which are already being harvested at their maximum levels, wild fish stocks may be depleted entirely by 2048.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: A Seafood Snob Ponders the Future of Fish
Tur-Duc-Hen Stuffed with Louisiana Cornbread
The holidays are almost here and what to serve to make this season special is on the minds of many. Cranberry sauce from a Colonial recipe and truly wild rice harvested as it has been for centuries by Native Americans are just a couple of specialty foods available at AmericanFeast.com that can make this year's feast a memorable one.
 
Authentic cranberry sauce and wild rice, known as Manoomin and "the food that grows on water" to Minnesota's Ojibwe communities, are perfect accompaniments to a savory turkey. You can opt for a wild turkey like the ones feasted on by the Pilgrims, but Louisiana chefs have created more recent holiday traditions, Cajun Fried Turkey and Tur-Duc-Hen. A Tur-Duc-Hen is prepared by boning a turkey, a duck and a chicken, then stuffing the duck in the chicken and the stuffed chicken into the turkey. But that is not all, the three-bird concoction is then stuffed with Louisiana style cornbread dressing, or shrimp and crawfish dressing.
 
Lots of families have traditional side dishes made from recipes passed down through generations to fill out the main course. Those dishes are always a comforting delight, but there's still plenty of room for hors d'oeuvres and appetizers. An artisanal red spruce cheddar from Wisconsin is a great American classic to serve family and friends. And a platter of crafted cheese can be joined by gourmet treats that folks aren't likely to encounter in their everyday lives. The sweetness of raw comb honey can be a spectacular addition to a cheese platter. For guests that like a garlicky spread, serve an artichoke ambrosia to nibble on while they await the main course. If you want to add a little luxury to your selection of hors d'oeuvres, putting out some paddlefish caviar harvested from the fresh waters of Tennessee is bound to impress.
 
Then there is dessert to think about. For many it wouldn't be right to let the holidays pass without savoring a slice of pumpkin pie, but a pumpkin cheesecake from a New York family that has been baking gourmet treats for generations can be a nice variation on that venerable favorite. Another fine twist on an old favorite is one of Maine's wild blueberry pies. Unlike the larger cultivated blueberries usually sold in supermarkets, wild blueberries are tiny and really are wild, having crept over Maine's rocky land naturally.
 
Dessert just wouldn't be complete if fresh-brewed coffee was not on hand. To satisfy the gourmet coffee drinkers at your table pour them a cup of pure kona coffee, cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa of the Big Island of Hawaii.
Of course, whatever you serve your family and friends this holiday season the best treat of all is just getting the chance to spend some leisurely time with those you love. Their company is a more comforting treat than even the most delicious holiday foods.
If you'd like to order any of the delectable treats cited above go to:
Colonial Cranberry Sauce
Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin
Tur-Duc-Hen Stuffed with Louisiana Style Cornbread Dressing
Tur-Duc-Hen with Shrimp & Crawfish Dressing
Spicy Cajun Fried Turkey
Red Spruce Cheddar - Aged 7 Years
Comb Honey
Artichoke Ambrosia
Fresh Paddlefish Caviar
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Maine's Wild Blueberry Pie
100% Pure Hawaiian Kona Coffee
Besse the Dairy Cow (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
There was a time a couple of decades ago when the mention of cheese in the U.S. brought to mind single slices wrapped in plastic. No longer, crafting artisanal cheeses cherished by foodies is now ardently pursued by small producers across America.
Many of those taking up the craft have come from corporate jobs. They’ve opted for rural lifestyles that include plenty of hard work, but in settings they find well-suited to living well and raising families. An article in the Wall Street Journal describes the journey of Brenda Jensen of Wisconsin’s Hidden Springs Creamery. She was once “a manager at a global packaging company” who took the plunge into cheesemaking after “25 years in the corporate world.” At this year's annual American Cheese Society competition, her Hidden Springs Creamery won six awards, including two first-place honors.
Ms. Jensen is hardly alone in her pursuit of cheesemaking perfection. The Journal article says,
According to the American Cheese Society, which represents artisanal and craft cheesemakers, the number of cheesemakers who have joined the organization has more than tripled in the past seven years, from 426 in 2001 to 1,346 in 2007. And cheesemaking has attracted producers from non-food backgrounds. Jeff Roberts, author of "The Atlas of American Cheese," found that almost a third of artisanal cheesemakers in 2006 had come from other careers ranging from doctors to dotcommers.
The article quotes Mike Gingrich of Uplands Cheese Company on the appeal of turning from office to dairy farm, "It's a desire to do something outside of the corporate world, to do something with nature, to do something on your own."
Acccording to the Journal article,
Mr. Gingrich spent several years as an executive at Xerox Corp. and on a venture capital team before settling into the dairy business nine years ago. His Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese won two American Cheese Society "Best in Show" awards. "I have never been in a business like this where your customers are helpful, where your competitors are helpful. It's not as cutthroat."
Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese
If you’d like to read the Wall Street Journal article cited above go to: From Corporate to Camembert: Cheesemaking Lures Newcomers
To purchase Mike Gingrich’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese go to: Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese
To view a selection of artisanal American cheeses go to: Artisanal & Crafted Cheeses
Jeff Serves It Up at the New Orleans Night Party (photo by Rick Tango)
Our company delivers food straight from America’s best family farms and most creative kitchens because we believe the great variety and superb quality of American foods deserve recognition among the world’s best.
We think our visitors want to know about the unique qualities of our food, the people who make it, and the sustainability of the methods used to produce it. They’re food lovers who are concerned about both personal health and the health of the environment. We want to provide the most up-to-date information we can find and present it in the most entertaining way we can.
In this 4-part, podcast interview American Feast’s Doug Ferber interviews Jeff Deasy, the company's Founder & President, to hear more about the company and some of the American specialties offered on the web site.
To listen to Part 1 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 1
To listen to Part 2 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 2
To listen to Part 3 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 3
To listen to Part 4 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 4
Golden Gate Bridge (photo by Kevin Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Denizens of the beautiful City by the Bay share the country’s concerns about unsure times ahead, but in the city recently named one of the world’s top ten culinary destinations there are plenty of sweet comforts available.
The San Francisco Chronicle has provided a wonderful guide to offerings from Bay Area pastry chefs suited to “calming nerves” by satisfying the city’s collective sweet tooth. The Chronicle’s Stacy Finz took on the enviable task of seeking out traditional desserts, such as cupcakes, that folks turn to “when the world becomes an uncertain place.”
Among the places Ms. Finz notes for serving soothing desserts are Mill Valley’s Buckeye Roadhouse and San Francisco’s Candybar, Citizen Cake, Orson and Citizen Cupcake. She writes that they can expect plenty of worried though eager customers “at least until the economy rebounds.”
If you’d like to read the San Francisco Chronicle article cited above go to: Sweet dessert relief for diners
Fresh Kale (photo by MissyRedBoots, courtesy of morguefile.com)
If you're feeling stressed by uncertain times you’re not alone. Fortuinately, there’s ready advice on what to eat to cope with worrisome events.
Last Thursday we noted that Real Age had come up with a list of seven foods that battle anxiety. Berries of all kinds, guacamole, mixed nuts, oranges, asparagus, chai tea, and dark chocolate made the Real Age list.
This week, the Dallas Morning News has provided a list of five foods recommended by Karen Lukin, spokeswoman for Whole Foods Market in Dallas. Yogurt, salmon, whole-grain carbohydrate, blueberries, and leafy greens, such as broccoli and kale, made the list “for reasons that make sense. Plus, they taste good.”
If you’d like to read the Dallas Morning News article cited above go to: 5 foods that alleviate stress hunger
Grapes on the Vine (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Last week wine tasters from the Wall Street Journal reported being “fascinated with the growth, not just in size but in quality” of Oregon’s Pinot Noirs over a decade of sampling.
This week an article by Dana Tims of The Oregonian reports that “Early indications, say winemakers around the state, are that 2008 could go down as one of the best vintages of the past decade.”
“First, meager autumn rains” and then, “cool daytime temperatures” made for conditions that were “virtually perfect” for growing the state’s celebrated Pinot Noir grapes. A great vintage will do more than just please wine lovers, as Oregon’s commercial wine ndustry "now generates $1 billion annually.”
If you’d like to read The Oregonian article cited above go to: Oregon winemakers expect 2008 to be a vintage year
Free Grazing Cows (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Farsighted chefs were some of the first to embrace the use of local, seasonal foods as essential to the menus they offered their guests. That movement has been flourishing for years and spread throughout the country.
According to an article in USA Today, it is becoming increasingly common for chefs and farmers to work together to plan a growing season to produce ingredients desired by chefs, including “pesticide-free produce and hormone-free meat.”
High fuel prices have made turning to local farmers for produce that would otherwise have to be shipped in from afar an economical and eco-friendly choice. It also allows the chef to serve the produce when it is at its peak freshness, most flavorful, and most nutritious.
Kevin McCarthy, the chef at Lake Placid Lodge in New York, likes that the money he spends on local produce goes into his local economy. The USA Today article quotes him as saying, "We're driving down streets that are paved because the money stays in the community."
If you’d like to read the USA Today article cited above go to: Chefs, local farmers sow partnerships
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