pardon our mess!

Sustainable Diet is undergoing a facelift. And while I'm working behind the scenes, it may look a little funky around here. Pardon the mess; I'll have it back up and running soon, with plenty more to offer!

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"is it local?"

For weeks, friends who know me well had been asking if I'd seen Portlandia yet. No, I hadn't, and what makes it so great?

"Oh, it's just funny and it kind of reminded me of you."

And then I sat down to watch an episode. The clip above, in which the couple dining insists on learning more about the chicken, Collin, they're about to order and presumably then consume, hit home. As I was laughing, I wondered, "Is this what people think of me?"

I get it. I snub my nose at non-organice produce (and when presented with it, I have to remind myself that I've eaten conventional produce before and this one more time won't kill me). I would rather eat a frozen veggie meal from a reputable vendor who offers organic options than eat at a sit-down chain restaurant. I have shunned meat for more than two years because of my beliefs about the food industry.

And I agree, I'm not all that far from the Portlandia characters who insist on visiting the farm where their meal was raised.

I understand that my way of eating may seem strange to some people, but it's really quite simple: for health of mind, body, and planet, I choose to eat the way I do. I'm a discerning consumer because I want this one singular thing I can control (what I do and do not eat) to be as healthful and enjoyable and positive as I can make it.

That's all.

Now excuse me, I have a farm to visit.

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freshworthy: in the news

Here's what has caught my eye this week. The third story is especially riveting.

USDA To Require Healthier Meals In Schools With Updated Nutrition Standards

NPR, Allison Aubrey

I do not have children of my own yet, but I do have a younger sister and niece, and worry for their well-being in schools. When watching Jamie's Food Revolution a year or so ago, I was appalled by what passed for food in school cafeterias. That said, I understand there is plenty of red tape to get through... But I seriously doubt that anyone would come right out and say that bureaucratic systems and government-backed subsidies linked to food industry lobbyists are more important than the health of our children.

Which is why this article gives me hope. I remember pizza day in elementary, and how I chose to eat at the snack bar in both junior and senior high school. Many a day, my lunch was simply a bag of Doritos and a bottle of Coke. Seriously. I cringe to think that kids are doing that younger and younger, and am heartened to see that the USDA is making requirements. It's a good read, and it's a cause anyone who cares about food issues should get behind.

Organic Milk is Getting Pricier, Harder to Find

NPR, Renee Montagne reporting

What I'm about to say might surprise you, and let it be known that I am not made of money so my argument is not stemming from deep, bill-lined pockets. But I believe that we as consumers should expect to pay a premium for organics. I, for one, find it extremely important that organic standards are upheld, especially in dairy and meat production, and would happily fork over fifty more cents for a gallon of organic milk if it meant that those dairy farmers were better able to do their jobs and provide for their own family. Doesn't that seem fair? If we want organic farmers to stay afloat, they need to be making living wages.

The point being, I am already choosing to purchase premium foods and I understand that the price points are competitive and also necessary. Does that make me want to go back to milk pumped with growth hormones? No way. It makes me shop smarter, maybe shirking some goods I don't need (like chocolate bars for "rough days") so that I can continue to purchase the high-quality, organic, ethically and humanely produced items that are so very important to me in my everyday diet.

Of Meat And Men

Texas Monthly, Katy Vine

Let me say that I haven't even read this story yet. But the image of two of the nation's best (it's been proven, trust me) BBQers on the cover of Texas Monthly, flanking a foot-thick wooden cutting block piled high with sausage, brisket, ribs, and more pepper than you can shake a butcher knife at, makes my mouth water.

That I grew up eating the BBQ in one of the state's most famous burnt-wall, smoke-fired establishments makes it even harder to turn my eyes away from the spectacle.

My vegetarian self has not wavered in the more than two years since I last ate red meat. But as this story progressed, and more and more free BBQ (post-photo shoot or not) showed up in our office kitchen, it started: the disdain for disallowing myself something so good. Something delicious, and meaty, and, as one friend put it, my birthright as a native Texan.

Damn, I miss brisket.

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composed salad: avocado, citrus, and greens

Tiny clementines

It should come as no surprise that I am enjoying our winter garden. Every day has brought a new surprise, from tiny Brussels sprouts to baby carrots that I'm too smitten with to pick. Of course, today it hit nearly 80 degrees; we can hardly think of this as winter.

The garden harvest: one turnip, lettuce, and kale.

Nonetheless, winter greens are thriving and we have sweet, colorful baby lettuces aplenty. After telling one neighbor last week that I, "Couldn't grow a turnip to save my life," I pulled one from the bed that was a bit bigger than a golf ball and tender (and sweet) enough to eat raw. Mom, I hope you're proud!

Inspired by the garden harvest and an impulse buy of 5 pounds of clementines, tonight's dinner was a fetching composed salad. If you'd like to throw together your own composed salad, here's a start:

Avocado Citrus Winter Salad

1 ripe avocado, sliced
5-6 clementines, peels removed and then sliced or sectioned (just for the pretty factor; you can just peel them)
Dried cranberries
Walnut pieces
Lettuce
Roasted garbanzo beans (roast in olive oil at 400 for about 15 minutes and add salt)
Citrus juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Combine everything in a manner that pleases you, and enjoy! Try it with grapefruit, too; it's tangier and a bit more lively. The walnuts and avocado add some brain food and the garbanzos make for a good healthy protein. And let's face it, pretty food is just more fun to eat!

A composed salad for wintery months.

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the cheese experiment

Well, what would YOU do if someone gave you a full, fresh gallon of raw organic cow's milk from a dairy only a few miles from their home?

If you're me, you almost immediately decide to finally check that cheese-making item on your to-learn list off.

Last weekend, I was graciously gifted a gallon of raw milk from Dyer Dairy in Georgetown, Texas. A few short hours later, I was sent home with very clear instructions, a small packet of rennet, an instant-read thermometer, and all the encouragement I needed to put everything together into a successful homemaking adventure.

I began the cheese making late Saturday night; my husband was conveniently out of town and I knew the kitchen would be mine in which to run my science experiment.

It was near midnight when I began sterilizing my stock pot and readying the ingredients, and after midnight by the time I stirred in the rennet and left the pot to rest on the counter for twelve hours.

Though the rennet and its accompanying instructions were technically meant for goat's milk (resulting in chevre), I had it on good authority that I could attempt the same with cow's milk. A few Google searches later, I could only assume that this cheese is called "bovre," but still have no idea how to pronounce that.

If you speak French, let me know.

In any case, it couldn't have been a simpler process and the end result was quite surprising. After sterilizing my stock pot and other equipment, I slowly heated the gallon of raw milk to 86 degrees, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once it hit 86 degrees, I removed it from the heat and stirred in the rennet. I covered the pot and let it sit overnight without disturbing it (even a bump can affect the cheese). Twelve hours later, I carefully opened the pot to find curds and whey.

The curds had set to a consistency much like that of sour cream or Greek yogurt. At this point, I was supposed to cut the curds with a knife into cubes; I forgot to do so, and went straight to the part where I ladled it into the makeshift cheesecloth (a flour-sack kitchen towel works perfectly).

The hardest part of this entire endeavor was finding a way to suspend my flour-sack dish towel high enough so that any remaining whey could drain out while it sat in the fridge for 6 to 12 hours.

I managed to wrap the towel around a spoon and suspend it in a mixing bowl (photographed above) that just fit into the fridge. Every couple of hours I drained the bowl of its whey. About 8 hours after putting the cheese in the fridge, I unwound the flour-sack towel to find a very mild soft cheese.

It has the consistency of chevre but not the tangy flavor. Salt was a necessity; I also took some and rolled it in fresh herbs. The cheese is lovely with crackers and nice as a salad topper. It's a lot like cream cheese, actually, so I'm going to see how it does in a cream-cheesey recipe.

Having a positive first-time experience means I'm looking forward to more cheese-making in the future, and perhaps even a class!

It ain't purdy, but it's tasty. Have you ever made cheese? I hear mozzarella is a cinch, too, so maybe that's next!

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freshworthy: in the news

Introducing a new feature I'd like to continue once a week. Food in the News, which I'm calling Freshworthy.

Here's what is going on in the food realm this week (ok, maybe last) that I found worth reading:

Meatless in the Midwest: A Tale of Survival

New York Times

I found it hard to be vegetarian while traveling for work in places like rural Kentucky and Tennessee (though not in their urban centers, like Louisville). Hell, it's hard to be one right here in Texas, where I'm faced nearly daily with the threat (promise?) of a perfectly-smoked brisket. Just this week, an email went out to our entire staff just after 9a.m.: "Free BBQ in the Kitchen!"

Full disclosure: I should also admit that I sometimes practice a "Don't ask, don't tell" approach when ordering anything fried or bean-related. Because come on... a tiny piece of pork fat in my charro beans really won't kill me. What do you think?

How to Eat Without Putting on the Pounds

NPR

Did your grandmother ever tell you to chew your food 27 times before swallowing? Well, this article explores the benefits of "mindful eating." I totally get it, but more often than not, I'm too ravenous to practice "mindful eating" and go straight to the "mindless chow-down."

We're Eating Less Meat. Why?

Mark Bittman, New York Times

Meat-eating in America is down more than 12 percent since 2007. Why? Sure, we can look at rising prices and diminishing demands as a few culpabilities. But Bittman (a food hero of mine) argues that we're eating less meat because we want to. And heaven forbid we take matters into our own minds to make that decision. It's a fascinating opine and worth the read.

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fresh cut

As far as gardening seasons go, I have to say that winter is one of my favorites. Counterintuitive, yes, but between the rain and the hardy cold-weather plants, it's taking very little effort on my part to have a productive garden.

Our bok choi, which is measuring at about 15 inches round, has been perfect for stir fry (with grocery store carrots, celery, broccoli, and ginger). The collard greens have made their way into this savory cobbler with cornmeal biscuits, and the lettuce makes for a perfect last-minute lunchtime salad. It's amazing what can be done with such a smattering of leafy greens. They inspire creativity in the kitchen, and save money at the grocery store. They replenish themselves and grow back bolder and braver with each cut.

What's not to love? Here is our bed of collards, chard, spinach, and kale. I planted these together, so that no matter what I cut can be interchanged in recipes fairly easily; kale works in smoothies just like spinach, and all of them can cook down in a saute pan. So far, so good:

And now, we've got little heads of broccoli and the tiniest brussels sprouts arriving. I'm simply giddy with garden joy! Look how precious they are! It's fascinating to me to see these things grow; even a farm-raised gal like me didn't know how many of the brassicas grew in their own environment. The brussels sprouts especially surprised me, with their tiny buds showing up overnight, it seemed.

Here's some broccoli about to bloom...

And here's a head on another plant, about 4 inches around. Gardening folks say to harvest it when each little leaf-ette is about the size of a match head, so we're close to enjoying this for dinner.

The garden brings such joy in such small, leafy packages. How's your garden growing?

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