Published on August 30th, 2008
Fresh sweet corn is one of the highlights of summer.
Crisp, juicy, and sweet, corn has long been a staple of picnics and barbecues. You can fill a bag with corn at the farmers market for cheap, and there is nothing like it.
Too bad we screw it up so often.
At BBQ’s and parties and potlucks, I’ve been served over-boiled corn on the cob, grilled corn that is almost burnt, and corn baked over hot coals until the husks are black. I’ve had hosts ask me “Do think the corn has cooked long enough?”, and I bite my tongue. I want to say “Any cooking is too long for corn.”, but they look so earnest (and they’re feeding me…) The times I have spoken up about it, the reaction has usually been, “You can eat corn raw? I didn’t know that. I thought you had to cook it.”
So I’m here to tell ya, “Don’t grill your corn!”
I think we’re all so used to covering the corn with butter and salt, that we can’t see ourselves eating it without. What does that say about a food, that we can’t imagine eating it plain? Fresh sweet corn has an amazing taste. It doesn’t need a thing added to it.
If you’re planning to serve corn at your barbecue, cut some cobs into pieces and serve as appetizers. Chances are, you’ll end up eating half of it raw. When you need an excuse to eat lots of butter and salt, grill the other half of the cobs.
Happy eating!
Read more about grilling:
Image: WayTru on Flickr under Creative Commons License
Published on August 29th, 2008
Guest contributor Pamela Price is the founder of Red, White & Grew, a blog devoted to “Promoting the Victory Garden Revival and other simple, earth-friendly endeavors as bipartisan, patriotic acts in an age of uncertainty.”
If you’re a full-fledged foodie, then you’re well aware of this weekend’s Slow Food Nation ‘08. Sandwiched as it is between the nation’s political conventions, the first-ever SFN promises to be a palate-cleanser for those of us who regard good food and sustainable agriculture as bipartisan paths to unity. According to the official web site, SFN conventioneers will be invited to Celebrate, Learn and Act this weekend to create a “deeper connection to our food.”
Not surprisingly, and as Kelli Best-Oliver reported here earlier, many SFN events are already sold out. And the major networks won’t be providing round-the-clock coverage for the San Francisco-based convergence (drat!). But don’t feel left out of the party! There are several ways you can stay connected both with the convention goings-on and general spirit. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 28th, 2008
We’re starting a new weekly feature at Eat.Drink.Better. It’s called Thrifty Thursdays, and will offer a quick time- or money-saving tip for your kitchen. Eating good food that also has your health and the environment in mind can be time-consuming and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you keep small tips like these in mind.
Many people struggle to eliminate wasting food, and with the economy the way it is, cutting down on food waste is a surefire way to save a little money. You paid for all that food (or worked hard to grow it yourself), you should be eating it. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 27th, 2008
Plum Creek Mercantileis on to something . . . I am someone who not only packs my own lunch for work everyday, but also still makes lunch (most days) for my remaining teenage daughter who is now a sophomore in high school. I have always regretted the many plastic bags I have used to get my three daughters through school. While I have tried various reusable containers, honestly . . . most of them disappeared, didn’t get into the dish washing cycle fast enough, or were just plain uncool and the kids wouldn’t use them. I’ve tried washing plastic baggies, but the sandwich ones just don’t wash well. ick. I’ve recently purchased some plastic baggies made from recycled plastic and bioplastic. better. But, I’m always looking for new items to contain and carry nutritious food for myself and my not-so-wee ones (anymore).
I’m sure there are other bags like these out there, but honestly, I haven’t run into them yet. The Feed Bags, for lunches, etc. are great for dry goods and sandwiches. They are 100% cotton and are washable. phew. They have a good velcro-style opening, and they seem strong enough to hold the food, but easy enough for little hands to open.
Bulk Food Bags
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Published on August 19th, 2008
We’ve recently joined the whole urban homesteading movement and one thing I’ve been focused on is trying to really up the ante on having a low-waste, self-producing kitchen. I’ve concentrated on wasting less and producing more with local and/or homegrown ingredients. Repurposing waste–finding new ways to use things that would end up composted, recycled, or trashed, has been very rewarding as I rethink and organize my kitchen, refrigerator, and pantry. Here’s six tips I’ve found to turn would-be trash into items easily utilized in my kitchen.
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Published on August 11th, 2008
It’s a great time of year for eating fresh and local, and I’ve been having lots of fun in the kitchen with the produce from our CSA share and Farmers Market shopping. Getting greens into your diet is easy with this one-pot meal. It was a hit at my house, and the only thing that wasn’t local was the oil.
I hope you enjoy it.
Published on August 8th, 2008
I am currently stuck at the car shop, having been towed here this morning. Over my shoulder, the TV is blaring day time game show, Price is Right in between ads for term life policies, diabetes mail order drugs, hemorrhoid medication, and Ex Lax. Clearly, I am the wrong demographic. But I remember why I quit watching TV. My brain cells are starving. I need some Food for Thought like right now. Oh my, the soaps are starting …
But, I Thought You Said “Eat Local?”
While President Bush may have told the nation that eating local was the way to go for the food crisis (despite that whole ethanol, lack of vegetable farm thing), he doesn’t seem to be helping us follow his innovative strategy. According to the American Farmland Trust, Bush is proposing cuts to the 2009 farm bill programs that would have supported local food, conservation and other agriculture programs. These programs were among the few bright spots that kept the new farm bill from being a total loss of reform. Hmm. Kinda hard to eat local if there isn’t any local food. By the way, what happened to that green tie?
Sticker Shock
Rainforest Action Network has organized a protest against products containing palm oil. On August 13, more than 2,000 concerned citizens across the nation will visit local supermarkets. The activists will be seeking out products containing palm oil and applying a sticker, “Warning! Product May Contain Rainforest Destruction,” on these products. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on August 6th, 2008
When you’re shopping at your local farmers’ market or picking up this week’s CSA box, do you get this nagging feeling that there’s something more you can do to promote local food in your community? Feel the urge to active some activism for local food, but don’t know where to start?
Consider Patty Cantrell your local foods campaign advisor. No hidden lobbying agenda or smoke and mirror political agenda, Cantrell wears her passion for growing healthy, economically vibrant communities through strengthening local food channels on an open sleeve. “Food is one of the most powerful ways to push the building of a healthy, local economy,” explains Cantrell, Program Director of the Michigan Land Use Institute and a Food and Society Policy Fellow. “But this requires a significant shift in what economic developers and planners traditionally chase and prioritize, such as smokestack industries.”
Communities with a healthy local food base will form the next generation of desirably, sought after places to live, argues Cantrell. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 24th, 2008
Just had to put in a good word for the oft neglected beet.
My little buddy (seen pictured on the left) has ancestral roots going back to ancient times in the Mediterranean region. Apparently, they were only valued for their leaves originally, but the early Romans, presumably out of boredom or necessity, discovered the sweet, earthy taste of the brilliantly colored root.
Not sure about back then, but now they come in all kinds of colors, including the delicious golden variety.
According to MotherNature.com here are the nutritional highlights of the beet root . . .
Beets (root, raw), 1 cup (135g)
Calories: 58
Protein: 2.2g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Total Fat: 0.23g
Fiber: 3.8g
*Excellent source of: Folate (148mcg)
*Good source of: Potassium (442mg), and Vitamin C (6.6mg)
When I was pregnant with my second daughter a friend got me drinking daily carrot juice with beets and swore by the highly absorbable quality of the relatively small amount of iron found in raw beet roots. I’ve since read various articles that also suggest this and that it is absorbed well into the body because of the beet’s high copper content.
For more about beets and a couple of recipes . . . read on!
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Published on July 2nd, 2008
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agriculture,
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food crisis,
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Landi Simone the ‘Bee Lady’ of Gooserock Farm in Montville, New Jersey goes all out every year to help raise awareness about honey bees and their importance to our agriculture and eco-systems.
Landi, pictured here in her ‘bee bikini’, got together with fellow, bee buddy, Joe Treimel to show off their live bee apparel and accessories. Joe sported a bee beard. This all took place last weekend at the Essex County Environmental Center.
Read more about Landi and what is happening to honey bees in one of my earlier posts. Here’s a crazy story I saw yesterday morning on CNN.com about 12 MILLION honey bees that swarmed a Canadian highway after a truck carrying them flipped over!
My favorite honey & herb sauce . . . Read the rest of this entry »
