A bundle of basil showed up in my CSA share this week.  I shuddered a bit thinking about that same herb growing somewhat recklessly in our backyard, used sparingly for sandwiches and seasonings.  But with an additional bundle wrapped and ready for use, I needed a recipe to quell the basil surplus.

Food surplus remains a focal point for the debate over the health of our country and our food supply.  Many experts argue that U.S. agriculture policy has promoted the overproduction of certain farm commodities, like corn and soybeans. As with most items in excess, you look for new and novel ways to use it.  For the food industry, this meant converting commodity items into ingredients for calorie-laden, nutritionally-void processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages that have infiltrated television advertisements, supermarket and convenience store shelves.  Quite simply, this overproduction has led to excess consumption accelerating the obesity dilemma we face today.

If you have time, check out the recent report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that attests to the struggle fruit and vegetable growers confront under current federal agriculture policies.  The report examines the current Farm Bill and includes recommendations for policy change in many different areas to help ensure a plentiful supply of healthy foods well into the future.  I found this statement in a research article published in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition particularly powerful:

“If tomorrow every American woke up and refused to consume anything but the foods recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans, there would be a catastrophic food shortage.  Although the USDA guidelines recommend the consumption of fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet, the food system falls drastically short of providing enough fresh fruits and vegetables to meet their recommendations.”

In digesting all of this information, I can’t help but feel spoiled and very fortunate.  While processed foods and tempting treats indeed crowd the supermarket aisles where I live, healthy, fresh options also abound – nary a sign of a suffering fruit and vegetable industry.  With a weekly CSA share, numerous farmers’ market options, and a nice amount of basil and tomatoes growing in my backyard, it seems I’m never at a loss for nutritious food.  There’s even a surplus at times; and that’s when I’m in the kitchen the most — because, like modern agriculture, I need to find a new and novel way to use the excess food.

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Many root vegetables have tasty, edible greens. Instead of tossing them into the compost or trash, consider them a bonus to the roots and cook them up.

Edible greens you may have not known about include turnip, radish, and beet leaves. Beets are actually the same species as chard, just a different variety. The greens taste almost identical. Kohlrabi and broccoli leaves are also good as cooked greens.

Carrot leaves are also edible, though they are so strongly flavored that you should think of them as a seasoning rather than a vegetable. Use them as you would dill or fennel leaves. A great simple recipe is carrots with carrot tops: slice carrots into rounds, steam until tender, toss with minced carrot leaves, butter or olive oil, and salt to taste.

The scrap ends of many vegetables and herbs make great additions to homemade vegetable, poultry, fish, and meat soup stocks. Get a bag or container going in the freezer and add to it until it is full. If going for the poultry, fish, or meat stock, add bones to the veggies. (By the way, sometimes the fishmongers at the farmers’ markets will give you a bag of stock bones and fish heads for free if you ask).

Your stock bag or container can include any unused green parts of leeks and scallions. Celery leaves are another great addition. The heel ends of carrots and onions, after you’ve chopped up the parts you’re using in a recipe, are also great in stock. Cut any fibrous roots off the onions (onion skins are fine and add good color to stock). Make sure there is no dirt clinging to the carrot ends. The stem ends of tomatoes, with a bit of tomato pulp and skin attached, are also good for the stock pot.

When your freezer container is full, place the contents in a pot, add water to cover and simmer very slowly for 1-8 hours (a slow cooker is handy for this). Use the shorter time if making a vegetable or fish stock (1-2 hours), and 4-8 hours for meat and poultry stocks. Strain, and use for soups and sauces. Freeze some for future use, or process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 20 minutes (note: a pressure canner is essential for this. You cannot safely process bone or veggie stocks in a boiling water bath).

You can make wonderful corn stock from the cobs left over after the kernels have been sliced off or eaten. Simmer the cobs in just enough water to cover for 1 hour. Remove the cobs. Freeze the stock, or process as for other stocks, above. Use the sweet, flavorful stock to make  corn chowder.

The stems of aromatic herbs including basil, tarragon, sage, thyme, and oregano make wonderful herbal vinegars. Once you’ve stripped off most of the leaves for another use, loosely pack the stems and any remaining leaves into glass jars. Cover with vinegar, put lids on the jars, and let steep for 2 weeks. Strain out the stems and leaves and enjoy your herbal vinegar in salad dressings and marinades.

Failing to Distinguish Organic, Local, Seasonal, and Humane

Turns out, the author had no idea what he was talking about. It became clear very quickly that Kluger did not differentiate between organic (a word with specific legal meanings, as defined by the USDA) and everything else having to do with the Profood movement. He conflated organic with local, seasonal, small-farms, and grass-fed (when talking about meat). He managed to roll all those different ideas up in a single sentence, without even acknowledging the differences. Talking about the “organic-vs-commercial debate over meat”, he cites the nutritional advantages of eating grass-fed beef, never mind that not all (or even most) organic beef is grass-fed, nor is all grass-fed beef organic. The two standards are completely different.

Nevertheless, he does emphasize the importance of choosing organic when eating meat, dairy and eggs, for ethical reasons…oh wait, organic and humane are completely unrelated too. Damn.

Talking about vegetables, Kluger made a point of arguing that organic is not necessarily superior, mainly because some organic veggies are sprayed with bio-pesticides anyway, and the extra cost of manure fertilizer and other inconveniences doesn’t make up for the hassle, especially since there is no ethical issue with eating inhumanely raised carrots. He leaves us undecided, pointing out that “you can start a lot of arguments about whether organic crops actually have better, fresher, more complex flavors than industrial crops do, but without a double-blind test, there’s no way to know.” I agree completely with that statement. If your only criteria is ‘organic’ vs. non-organic, then it would be pretty hard to tell, since most organic-certified food is grown on an industrial scale. I can still get organic tomatoes in December, and they taste about the same as conventional tomatoes. However, the tomatoes I buy from the farmers market in the middle of summer are so mind-blowingly full of tomato-ness there is no comparison.

Still, Kluger’s warnings not to assume only the best for organic foods is legitimate. Consumers ought to be aware that organic foods may still have high environmental costs, and that they may not have better nutritional profiles. You can see this by buying organic bananas in New York. Definitely not local, definitely not seasonal, but still organic. But if he is going to help consumers navigate the misleading and confusing claims of food companies, he might want to clarify his terms. By associating organic food with small, local farmers and seasonal eating, Kluger is himself misleading readers.

A Chip on the Shoulder

The thing I don’t really understand about these articles is the glee they seem to take in bashing the Profood movement. It becomes clear pretty quickly that the standard line – organic/local is just another hippie trend and not all its cracked up to be anyway and we’re delusional if we think it will actually help in the long run – is mainly a way to be controversial. Kluger starts his article artfully building some suspense, leaving us hanging and wondering if organic can be redeemed. He then proceeds to argue that, yes, organic (which here means small-farmed, grass-fed or pastured) is much better for you, the environment and animals.

This concession is pretty short. Most of the article is taken up arguing why organic in the case of vegetables is less obviously a good thing. He cites some nutritional studies, in which organic veggies were shown to have similar levels of key markers as conventional veggies. While admitting that the study didn’t take into account certain vital micronutrients, he takes this as evidence that the extra cash spent on organic food for the sake of nutrition might be better spent on other things. Of course, he doesn’t specify whether that organic test apple came from Wal-mart’s Organic bin, and originally from Chile, or if it came from the local apple orchard up the road.

Asking the Experts

The next article in the feature also took the stance that organic food is over-hyped. And to prove it, Ozersky, the author, decides to review the opinions of eight chefs in taste and cook test comparisons. He points out that, “While the organic or small-farm product won more often than not, there were a few surprises.” I was expecting an upset or two, with non-organic coming out on top. Not so.

There were two draws. One was a carrot. The other was goat cheese. Both chefs said they liked the organic, just not significantly more than the supermarket.

One ’surprise’ was that the preferred beef was not grass-fed. It was grass and grain fed. Fair enough.

At least Ozersky gave a passing acknowledgement of the fact that organic and small-farmed are different things, though that didn’t come into play in the actual chef tests. I guess if they had used a supermarket organic tomato instead of a locally grown one, the outcome would have been different, but as it was, the organic, locally grown tomato won out over the supermarket variety.

Media and Marketing Hand-in-Hand

It’s not that I have problems with the fact that locally sourcing all our food may be impossible, or that local, seasonal or organic food may have similar taste and nutrition to conventional food. While I don’t actually believe that is the case, I grant others the right to argue it. What I do have  a problem with is confusing terms and concepts that actually make a huge difference when you’re talking about food. Based on the two articles mentioned here, your average reader can expect to hop down to the local Wal-mart, pick up an organic tomato, and have it taste like Italy in the summer.

Of course, disappointed tastebuds are the least of our concerns. Implying that organic produce always comes from small farmers tells people that by buying organic, they are supporting their local farmers and can lead them to make poor purchasing decisions. When it comes to animal rights ethics, the implication is that organic beef and milk comes from cows grazing contentedly on summer grasses, and organic eggs come from happy hens clucking around barnyards. Furthermore, from reading this article, I’d think that buying and eating organic beef is guaranteed to give me all the benefits of eating grass-fed beef, including the improved fatty acid profile. That’s a health concern, and therefore a very personal issue for a lot of people.

Informing Confusion

Overall, as I’m sure I’ve made clear, I was disappointed in the Time feature. Time took an issue that it had a great opportunity to clarify for a large number of readers, and actually worsened it by failing to make key distinctions that have a very real impact on peoples’ buying decisions, their conscience, and their health. Both articles play right into the hands of large food corporations, who use the organic label and cookie-cutter images of bucolic farmyards to lull consumers into acceptance, all the while getting them to spend a bit more.

I’m not going to tell people what to buy or eat. And I don’t expect Time Magazine to either. But I do expect a well-read and well-known media outlet to at least help inform people. That’s all I think is reasonable to ask of people: that they be informed about their food – where it comes from, how it was raised, what impacts that has on society and the environment. People can buy organic Chilean apples (I do when I must), but at least they should be aware that it’s not the same thing as a local apple in season, from a farmer who knows her trees and respects the land.

Comments? You know where to leave them.

- (**

Image source: Digital Wallpapers on Flickr

So why did Bill and I dine there tonight? It all started with Chef Jeff Kudrna at the Holland Farmers Market Chef Series demonstration back in June. He said Clearbrook is taking a new approach to their menu: local, organic, and seasonal. And, according to the menu, the Dining Room at Clearbrook emphasizes “organic, sustainable, and naturally raised products, sourced locally whenever feasible…and in collaboration with our friends at The Summertime Market in Douglas.”

Because it changes frequently, the above link may not be current if you live in the area and want to dine at Clearbrook. Here’s a photo of the menu we were given at dinner (tough to read, but at least it’s authentic!):

Let me say a little more about the menu….One thing I really like is the descriptions of the dishes, including the source of the food. For example, I enjoyed the Green Salad tonight, which was made with organic mesclun greens, Visser [Farms] blueberry vinaigrette, and D’s blueberries.

Bill had the Bean Salad with Coach Stop Farm house-cured smoked bacon.

And, there are choices for samplers like me, such as the Salad Flight with its trio of salads: the Green Salad, the French Salad, and the Bean Salad. Plus, all the entrées are offered as small plates, for less than half the price. This is a really great way to share several offerings from the menu, or simply eat light, especially since the portion sizes are more than adequate. After all, one of the flaws in our culture, I believe, is that we are conditioned to eat way more food than is necessary. I love that Clearbrook gives us smaller plates.

That said, I had all intentions of ordering a small plate but I just couldn’t resist the Local Small Farm Natural Beef Tenderloin full entrée. (Twenty years ago, I couldn’t have imagined those four adjectives preceding Beef Tenderloin on the menu. This is so important today in a world of industrialized food!)

Bill enjoyed the Roasted Stuffed White Marble Farms Pork Chop.

It just shows how being in the right place at the right time can have a big impact on your dining choices. If I hadn’t gone to the Holland Farmers Market Chef Series on June 19, I wouldn’t have heard the key words that made me want to go to Clearbrook: local, organic, seasonal. Thanks to Clearbrook and Chef Jeff Kudrna for giving us what we want: happy food!

I’m a big fan of kale, which you might have noticed if you’ve seen my collection of kale recipes on my blog. And, it’s one of those vegetables I can get throughout most of the growing season in Michigan.

I first got hooked on it when I had lacinato kale (or cavalo nero, i.e., black cabbage) in Tuscany. Also called Tuscan kale, it’s my favorite variety. Since I’ve had some success with curly kale in my garden, I use that occasionally in risotto, soups, or baked into kale chips.

But this year is the first time I’ve tried red Russian kale–that beautiful red-stemmed, lobed-leaf variety.

I found it at CJ Veggies at the Holland Farmers Market.

Along with Eaters Guild, where I got the blue potatoes, they are one of several organic vegetable vendors that sell produce at the market.

This simple recipe is a great way to combine vegetables in season into one dish.

Red Russian Kale and Blue Potatoes

All I did was steam the potatoes for about five minutes in the microwave on high. Then I sliced them into pieces about 1/4-inch thick.

Going along with the red and blue theme, I chopped a whole red onion, which I always get from the Boeve Farm at the Holland Farmers Market.

I put both the onions and potatoes into a skillet with some olive oil to saute until nicely browned. Because the potatoes were steamed first, they were already tender.

While the onion-potato mixture was cooking, I blanched the kale leaves by boiling them in salted water for about four minutes and immediately plunging them into an ice bath, then into a colander.

Once the onions and potatoes were nicely browned, I chopped up the kale and put it into the skillet, adding salt to taste.

This medley made a delicious and nutritious accompaniment to Pork Piccata (recipe coming soon!).

Interested in other ways to prepare kale? CJ Veggies gave me a handout with suggestions, which you can pick up from them at the market if you live in the area. Here are the highlights:

• Make a kale salad
• Add it to a fruit smoothie
• Grill or bake it for kale chips
• Add it to mashed potatoes
• Saute with olive oil and garlic
• Add it to scrambled eggs
• Add it to stews and soups
• Use the stems in soup stock

Thanks, CJ Veggies, for the great ideas, and for growing a variety of kale for us to enjoy in West Michigan!

Eggs are a serious subject in our household.  With a fiercely competitive egg toss at our annual family barbecue for year-long bragging rights, and having married into a family that made a small fortune on a few chicken houses dedicated to egg production, eggs make their way into more than a couple rounds of conversation.

Serious conversations around eggs are quite extensive, actually; much of it around the myriad of claims, labels, and terms besieging the industry.  An article in The New York Times breaks down carton claims to help consumers determine how hens are raised, what they are fed, and extra benefits the eggs might provide.  This article from the Humane Society is also educational.  Terms that explain how hens are raised may prove to be the most valuable when it comes to choosing eggs, if not the most controversial.

Take a recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry that found free-range eggs to have increased amount of pollutants than eggs from confined chickens.  Not only did the definition of “free-range” come into question, but many wondered the overall relevance of a study that took place in Taiwan, an industrialized, highly populated island where environmental contaminants may be more prevalent — although this is an increasing concern in the U.S.

And then there’s the evidence that eggs from pasture-raised poultry contain less fat, more vitamin A and significantly more omega-3 fatty acids.  “Pasture-raised” is a term not regulated by the USDA, but one that is gaining momentum to help distinguish these food products as more animal-friendly.  Yet the significant price differential begs the question – is it worth it?

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I’ve grown herbs in window boxes, indoors, on the back steps of my apartment, in hanging baskets attached to a chain-link fence, and even in cracks in pavement.

Growing Herbs in Containers

Almost every herb can be grown in a container provided that it has a depth of at least six inches and—this is important!—drainage holes. It is essential that the plant’s roots do not sit in mud, and the only way to ensure that is to provide a way for excess water to drain out of the container. Use a potting mix rather than topsoil or garden soil. Potting mixes include ingredients such as perlite, which are additional insurance for good drainage.

I’ve made containers out of almost everything, including old vegetable cans that I punched holes in the bottom of!

Where to Grow Herbs

The first consideration is to make sure you plant your herbs (or place their container) in a location that matches the light requirements of the plants. Some herbs such as oregano, lavender, and rosemary thrive in full sun. Others, including chervil, lemon balm, and cilantro prefer part sun or even part shade. My friend Miriam, who lives in Israel, reminds me that in climates that are dry as well as hot in the summer even herbs that are usually described as needing full sun might prefer a little shade. Information on the light requirements of individual herbs can be found online.

Windowsills and paved-over areas are obvious candidates for container herbs, but there are other options. I have some potted thyme and cilantro that I grow in pots I’ve hung on a chain-link fence, for example.

Low-growing herbs such as thyme tend to have shallower root systems than larger, upright herbs. These can be grown in the spaces between stepping-stones or pavement. Put a little good potting mix into the space and keep your plants well watered for the first two weeks to give them a chance to start growing new roots (the shallow soil will dry out quicker than in other growing situations.

In addition to hanging containers from fences and handrails, there are many innovative containers available for vertical gardening. The simplest of these looks like those shoe racks that are made to hang in a closet, the ones with lots of pouches on a flat piece of fabric. And in fact, you can use one of the ones made for shoes. Hang the whole arrangement flat against a wall. Cut some small holes in the bottom of each pouch for drainage, fill with potting mix, and plant an herb in each pouch.

If you have no outdoor space at all, some herbs can be successfully grown indoors. I’ve had the best luck with parsley, chives, cayenne and other chile peppers, and cilantro. Indoor herbs require much more light than they do when grown outdoors. If you don’t have a window that can provide at least six hours of direct sunlight, opt for plant lights. There’s no need to buy the expensive ones marketed as being specifically for plants: a cheap fluorescent light works just as well (incandescent light bulbs, however, do not). Make sure that the light is no further than eight inches from the tops of your plants. To make your life easier, you can put the light on a timer (set it to be on for at least ten hours).

I wish you much success with your delicious, aromatic, homegrown herbs…wherever you decide to grow them!

My husband and I recently decided to road trip to the Virginia oceanfront and visit my niece.  From the D.C. area, this is a trip that should take a few hours… unless it’s summertime, in which case it takes a few more.  After sitting in traffic for about two hours, we were painfully aware of the fact that we’d only gone 45 miles. So we did what we’re glad not too many other people do: hopped off Interstate 95 and hit up a country road, leaving the congested, bumper-to-bumper world behind us.  I couldn’t be more glad that we did.

City mouse, country mouse…

This may sound a tad myopic, but I had no idea what this part of Virginia looked like.  I’m rather caught up in the bubble of city life, farm stands in the middle of intersections like Dupont Circle, and patio gardens decorating the high rise condo units all around me.  In fact, there’s lots and lots of country in the state I live in- and it’s not all that far from where I live!  As we detoured from the major traffic and drove along a winding road, I passed one farm after another.  There was acres and acres of corn fields, horse stables, and little farm stands dotting the road.  I saw stores with names like Big John’s and it occurred to me that everyone in that area knows exactly who Big John is.  There were no Starbucks, but there was Anne’s coffee shop where the tiny parking lot was packed with cars and locals drinking coffee on the little front porch.  Every other intersecting road was a dirt road with a modest sign announcing the farm that could be found by making the turn.  The town grocery store was no bigger than a doctor’s office and sold everything from wine to band-aids.  There was no slinky-effect traffic.  No horns urging people to move faster.  No line of cars in front of us nor in back.  No beeping, honking, loud music, swerving 18-wheelers… nothing. Just us and our own little country road.

And so we stopped…

There was no way I was going to make it down this road without stopping at a farm stand. Where we stopped was nothing more than a little wooden stand with barrels of watermelons, ambrosia cantaloupes and other vegetables run by one young girl accompanied by a couple of friendly dogs.  Our little city car was no match for the John Deere we parked next to.  We immediately got our hands on a huge watermelon, some cucumber, corn and a basket of vibrantly red tomatoes.

Three salads…

With all the fresh produce and a mere week before my husband and I leave for vacation, I had to get creative.  There’s only so many ears of corn smothered in butter we’re willing to eat and while watermelon is amazing all on its own, there is no way we’ll be able to tackle the whole thing without fancying it up a bit.  These three salads are great accoutrements to chicken or fish.  The best part about the corn salad is that it can easily be altered to suit your style without compromising the taste. The cucumber salad is so versatile it can be eaten on it’s own, tossed on top of a sandwich or wrap or even mixed into a more traditional salad.  I recommend the watermelon salsa alongside fish or chicken or mixed into a dark leafy green salad. It’s sweet and salty flavors are unique but seemingly perfect together. At any rate, make them your own and enjoy the produce of the season.

Corn & Bean Salad

• slice the kernels from three cobs of corn that have been steamed
• about 1 cup of lima beans or edamame
• 1 can dark kidney beans
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• about 1/2 small red onion
• chopped herbs such as chive and parsley
• juice from 2-3 limes
• course salt & pepper to taste

Toss together all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Watermelon Salsa

• about 1 1/2 cups watermelon cut in bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup or so of chopped red onion

Mix ingredients together and chill.

Cucumber Salad

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, sliced down the middle and cut in very thin slices
• about 1/3-1/3 of a red onion, sliced thinly
• about 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• just under a tablespoon of sugar

Toss together onion and cucumber and mix in the vinegar and sugar.  Best if allowed to marinate a few hours or even a few days.

Check out Holly’s blog: My Life Through Food

Asian Carpcake

The recent finding of an Asian carp near Lake Michigan may not seem like news to many, but for those who understand the threat this non-native species poses to the lake’s ecosystem, it’s a big issue.

Asian carp were introduced to this country from China as a way to control algae in fish farms and sewage treatment facilities. With heavy rainfall, the fish were flooded from their ponds in Arkansas and Mississippi in the 1970s. The fish have worked their way north, and now account for up to 80 percent of the biomass in parts of the Illinois River alone.

A single carp can grow up to 100 lbs. in size and is a voracious feeder — consuming up to 40 percent of its body weight daily in the tiny organisms that comprise the base of river and lake ecosystems. They literally starve out the native species.

While $10 million in electric fencing has failed keep the fish out of the Great Lakes, one solution is to attack the fish with a different type of weapon — a fork. Considering the way overfishing has impacted populations of bluefin tuna and other species, the McCarp — and eating to eradication — may not be such a bad idea for once. Ironically, some of the fish are being exported back to China as food.

The main barrier to getting it on the menu here in the states is its bony structure and the name — carp. Most of us who have eaten domestic carp species can tell you: they taste a bit like the name sounds, just reverse the “r” and the “a” in the name.

Thus, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is currently working with Chef Philippe Parola to create a recipe , literally, for the situation. Parola says the fish, now marketed as “silverfin,” actually tastes good, like a blend of scallops and crab.

Ready to try, um, Silverfin? Here’s some tips and recipes:

Smoked Asian Carp Savory and Sweet

Carpitas Fajitas [pdf]

Poached Silver Salad Sandwich

Cleaning and Boning Asian Carp

Semi-aquatic Rodent Stew

Asian carp aren’t the first invasive species to find their way into a Louisiana kitchen. Nutria, a South American rodent once prized for its fur, were first introduced into the bayou in the 1930s by fur trappers. Today, the non-native rodents do so much damage to the marsh ecosystems that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries pays local trappers to hunt and kill the animals. The program has had a lot of success. Original estimates of nutria-damaged wetlands were upwards of 80,000 acres. That estimate is now just over 8,400 — a significant improvement.

What hasn’t been completely successful is a market for the meat, at least for us northerners. Touted as “naturally low in fat and cholesterol,” some Louisiana natives say the braised water rat tastes quite good. While I haven’t had nutria myself, I’m pretty sure it’s better than possum or raccoon — neither of which I personally recommend from experience.

Recipes for Rodent du Jour:

Nutria Ragondin Sausage Jambalaya

Smoked Nutria and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Enola’s Smothered Nutria

Squirrel!

Grey squirrel found its way into UK and subsequently into the local butcher shops when it became a threat to the indigenous red squirrel population both in competition for food and due to the fact that grey squirrels carried a pox that was killing off red squirrels who were not immune to the new disease.

Fortunately, red squirrels have begun to show resistance to the pox and the grey squirrel population “controls” were successful in helping control their numbers.

The large-scale market-hunting approach definitely has drawbacks, like say, near extinction as we’ve learned from whale hunting and the like. Yet, judicious culling of an invasive species is sometimes necessary. Especially when there is no danger of that species becoming extinct — at least not judging from my own backyard population and garden damage. And, if you really want to be “green,” wasting the meat that results is, well, wrong.

For a period of time in 2008, in fact, squirrel was quite the trendy UK menu item,, the most favorite dish being Squirrel Pasty. While I have to disagree from personal experience with the description of the meat as being “a cross between lamb and duck,” it tastes far more similar to lean rabbit, which is pretty good. Even celebrity chefs like John Besh have prepared the free-range rodent. His pick is “Squirrel Gumbo.”

Here’s some appropriate recipes in case you find yourself out hunting. And, no, it’s not legal to shoot the ones in your garden when you live in suburbia. Tempting, but not recommended.

Chicken Surprise (I guess the surprise is that it’s not chicken …)

Bushytail with Autumn Apples

BBQ Squirrel (because barbecue sauce makes nearly everything taste good. REALLY.)

Backyard Salad Bar

If you find you are more of a gatherer than a hunter, you can still do your part to enjoy the culinary rewards of “invasive,” but local, species in your own backyard. Just remember that Roundup does not make good salad dressing. So, if you spray, skip the yard buffet.

For those who have resisted yard chemicals and weed the old-fashioned way, you’ll be happy to know that there are edibles in them thar hills. The most common one we can all identify is likely the dandelion. I got a pretty good giggle when I saw these on sale at Whole Foods for $3.99 a pound. Obvious uses are salad greens.

Another tasty and lovely “weed” is pigweed, or the better name, amaranth. Some species are really not a weed at all, but a source of grain. Other varieties have edible leaves, which have a pleasant earthy taste and are commonly consumed by some Asian cultures.

My favorite weed is the edible variety of purslane. Succulent, tangy and seriously one of the healthiest plant sources of Omega-3s, this one should go on your must forage list.

Be sure you know your “weeds” before the harvest, however. Many plants in the backyard are toxic, especially decorative plants such as hydrangeas and certain lilies. Here’s a few tips on what you and your kids and dogs should avoid eating.

Ready for those wild greens? Here’s some recipes:

Fried Green Tomatoes with Purslane

Amaranth Salad with Blueberries and Goat Cheese

Bon — and green — Appetit!

This past Sunday marked the second week I volunteered at the Skippack Farmers’ Market, collecting email addresses for the weekly newsletter and handing out recipes with a seasonal produce guide. By virtue of the word “volunteer,” I do not expect anything in return.

But I’ve found that giving a few hours on a Sunday morning, food and knowledge are your bounty.  I come home with complimentary fresh olive bread from St. Peters Bakery, cheese from Goot Essa, and discounted first-of-the-season apples and white peaches from Stauffer’s Fruit Farm.  I learn that lettuce doesn’t like hot weather, and this summer has been challenging for the raspberry harvest — cooked by the sun before they’ve had a chance to be picked.

While we are working to grow the Skippack market, there’s been a noted boom in the number of farmers’ markets across the country, as well as the number of advocates and organizations rallying to support family farms and the sales channels they rely on.  A recent Civil Eats article tackles a report published by Farm Aid, “Rebuilding America’s Economy with Family-Farm Centered Food Systems” that suggests farmers may be the cornerstone to an economic upturn –  “A dollar spent at a farmers market can generate $2.80 for the community’s economy.”  The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, recently proclaimed the week of August 1-7 “National Farmers Market Week” in recognition of the numerous benefits of farmers’ markets, such as increasing access to healthful foods, developing local and regional food systems, and reviving communities.  Now we just need policy makers to take heed; perhaps dedicate staff to manage and grow markets and/or provide incentives, grants and subsidies to create and sustain farmers’ markets in certain areas.

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