Great Stories Early June {Friday Five}

It's shaping up to be another warm day, with thunderstorms crashing through the sky already. I recommend lazing near a fan and reading these thoughtful articles from across the Internet.

1) When Adventurous Eating is Really Just Picky Eating in Sheep's Clothing by The Yummy Mummy could have been written about my daughter, and quite possibly your child(ren).

2) I have met the venerable Lori, aka Twixlen, the subject of Kate's new series, The Food In This Town. I can't wait to see who Kate profiles next.

3) CMH Gourmand featured Latitude 41 last week, one of my favorite restaurants in town. I totally agree with his assessment that Chef David Maclennan brings great substance to the downtown dining scene.

4) The summer issue of Edible Columbus arrived this week. The bright and juicy cover photo reminds me that this wild weather will yield handsome crops soon.

5) On the more serious side, Laurie David reported that the Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, and other groups sued the FDA in late May for allowing factory farms to overuse antibiotics in meat production and the expense of human efficacy for such drugs.

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A Locavore's View of MyPlate

Article first published as Where's the Local and Seasonal in MyPlate? on Technorati. First Lady Michelle Obama made news last week when she introduced the USDA's new nutrition representation, MyPlate. The color-coded memory devise shows a plate half full of fruits and vegetables. Grains are recommended to fill slightly larger than a quarter of the plate with small portions of protein and dairy.

The visual representation has been hailed as a vast improvement to the previous pyramid scheme. Vegetarians are praising that the word meat has been updated to protein, recognizing that protein can be found in many foods. Dietitians are pleased that the 'eat sparingly' category that once included sugar and fats has been removed entirely. Choosing whole grains and drinking water regularly is clearly suggested in the USDA's written explanations.

But one ideal is completely missing from the MyPlate USDA information: local and seasonal. No mention is made of where to purchase meal ingredients, yet sourcing has a great impact on individual and environmental health.

Locally-sourced produce is picked at the peak of ripeness, containing the most nutrients and best taste possible. When a peach travels from South America to Ohio, for instance, fuel cost is high whereas buying locally saves considerable environmental resources.

Seasonal availability is another important consideration in making healthy food choices. Eating only what is in season makes families choose a wide variety of produce, a top recommendation of dietitians. Fortunately in most states, local dairy and meat is in season year round.

Contrary to popular belief, shopping the local farmer's market is actually more affordable than buying at a grocery store. Buying locally returns money to the local economy in greater percentages than choosing national chains.

The evidence is clear that eating locally and seasonally is best for personal, environmental, and economic health. Perhaps the next iteration of MyPlate will include preference for local food sources.

Added to Simple Lives Thursday, 47th Edition.

Swainway Urban Farm

Innovative. Compact. Sustainable. Friendly. Swainway Urban Farm is a new model for growing.

Settled on a large lot in Clintonville Ohio, Joseph Swainway and partner Jess Billings (of Jess Bee Natural lip balm fame) have a half acre empire dedicated to growing edibles in an earth friendly way.

Their farm grew out of a desire to provide themselves with healthy fresh food. As their interest deepened, their garden grew to the point of being able to give and sell the excess to friends and family. Soon, restaurants came calling and Swainway Urban Farm was born.

In 2011 the farm applied for and received Organic status by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.

Minimizing garden inputs is one goal of the farm. Joseph maintains several large compost heaps designed to produce rich organic matter to return to the soil. Part of the motivation for growing edible mushrooms was to use the spent mushroom beds in the compost. The enzymes found in the mushroom compost 'closes the loop', as these nutrients are unavailable from traditional plant compost.

The farm was also founded to be an educational resource for home growers and healthy eaters. Jess and Joseph are eager to share gardening and cooking advice at their Clintonville Farmer's Market stand. They are participants in the Clintonville Farmer's Market children's program where kids visit and help work on the farm. On August 7 from 2-4 pm the farm will be open for a tour through OEFFA.

Joseph and Jess gave intern Keara and I a tour in mid-April. The farm was in the midst of seedling production. Heirloom seed starts grew under artificial light and then were transfered to the large greenhouse. They were transplanted into four inch pots for selling at the Clintonville Farmer's Market and Clintonville Community Market.

Joseph and Jess also grow a wide variety of produce for restaurant chefs and farmer's market shoppers. From early spring through the fall, the farm provides radish, kale, and pea shoots. Shitake mushrooms have been a popular item for years and this spring Joseph debuted oyster mushrooms. Lettuces, herbs, greens, tomatoes, carrots, and more are available seasonally.

Keara had this to say about visiting Swainway: "Rachel introduced me to two amazing, hard working farmers, Jess and Joseph. They live in an urban area and yet are still driven to have the most sustainable lifestyle possible. I was in awe of their backyard as they used every inch they could for gardening purposes.

Never before had I thought that such comprehensive farming was possible in urban Columbus. Seeing how they went about it I could tell they put an enormous amount of work into their extensive garden. Jesse and Joseph obviously care deeply about a healthy lifestyle for themselves as well as the Earth. Witnessing how they live makes me want to let everyone know that even though you might live on a street by a busy city with long rows of houses adjoining your house doesn’t mean that you can’t have a significant farm in your backyard."

Added to Hearth and Soul 51.

Strawberry Picking at Schacht Farm Market

We picked strawberries today at Schact Farm Market. Given the interest on facebook and twitter, I wrote a quick profile for those looking to pick strawberries this season.

Schacht is a family farm located in south east central Ohio. The easy drive to their location took thirty minutes from our home in Clintonville.

The farm is well organized as a pick your own operation. Guests are invited to bring their own baskets (yay for reusing!). Buckets are for sale for $1 each if you do not have your own. Wheeled carts are available for families or those wishing to pick a large quantity.

Ample signage directs pickers to the open rows and friendly staff are ready with recommendations about the best place to find berries. The rows are clear of weeds and hazards.

Each pound of strawberries costs $1.99 when picked yourself. In a half hour of picking, I collected 8.5 pounds of berries (the large wicker basket pictured above) for $16.92. I later measured this quantity to be about eight quarts which made two half sheet trays (two gallon bags) of frozen strawberries.

When I asked about pest management, the owner told me they aim to be a low impact sustainable farm. They do use chemicals (mostly fungicides in the case of strawberries) when necessary to minimize crop loss. Some applications they use are common to organic farms, though Schacht Farm is not certified organic. Schacht prefers to rely on healthy soil to create strong plants resistant to pest problems.

The farm also sells pre-picked home grown produce, including rhubarb I couldn't resist. Eight quarts of pre-picked strawberries are sold in a flat for $30 first come first served, meaning you save about 50% by picking your own.

Strawberry season will last only another week or maybe two for 2011. View seasonal updates on the web or call 837-4663 to find out what is ready to pick next.

Schacht Farm Market 5950 Shannon Rd. Canal Winchester, Oh 43110 http://www.schachtfarmmarket.com

If you go:

• Call ahead to be sure they are open for picking.
• Bring water to stay hydrated.
• Wear sunscreen and clothing to be protected from the sun.
• Bring your own baskets or buckets.
• Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, checks, and cash are accepted. SNAP benefits and senior coupons are available.

Need ideas for strawberries? Here are the Hound favorites:

How to Freeze Berries

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Honey Berry Jam

Easton Farmer's Market {Friday Five}

Yesterday Lil and I went to the grand opening of the Easton Farmer's Market. It is located in the parking lot behind Fado's on the south east side of Easton. An impressive 50+ vendors will line the spacious lot from 3-7 pm every Thursday. Here are five things we enjoyed today: 1) Space: For the farmer's sake, I do hope there will be crowds eventually, but as a consumer I love being able to easily browse the stands without lines. Parking is also free and quick to find at Easton.

2) Entertainment: Lil had great fun picking out colors for her flower with the patient and entertaining Randy from Ballooniacs. He graciously made Lil a butterfly backpack after the flower popped. While the balloon exchange was going down, I enjoyed the quality but not overly loud live music.

3) Variety of Vendors: There was a wide selection of food makers and farmers selling the standard dip mixes and baked goods to those offering natural produce, artisanal cheese, meat and beautiful flowers. If I lived closer to Easton I could easily buy everything I needed for my family's meals, save baking staples and Snowville milk.

4) Local Matters: Columbus' premier food-centered nonprofit is playing an educational role at the market. They had both a children's 'play with your food' activity and adult 'mystery basket' demonstration on Thursday. Each week will feature a new theme to their outreach.

5) Excitement: The Easton market is well organized and staffed with energetic people. More than one vendor mentioned new seasonal products (like Ohio cherries!) they will be bringing to future markets.

I predict that this market will grow beyond expectations. We will certainly return.

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Homemade Biscuits From The Freezer

At the Tayse family Xmas extravaganza, Grandma Joyce, of Rhubarb Crunch and Ginger Snap fame, inquired about freezer biscuits. She is a fantastic biscuit maker, trained by the best I've ever known, her mother (my late great grandmother) Leona.

Now living alone, she would like to have a biscuit or two for dinner but doesn't want to consume a whole batch. She could buy some of those dough boy frozen ones, but she is too thrifty (like all good Tayses) to spend more than a dollar a dozen. What's more, she suspects they don't taste as good as her own.

Always up for a challenge, I set out to find out the best way to store homemade biscuits in the freezer. The next time I made biscuits, I froze two before baking (raw) and two after baking just before they were browned. Holler in the comments if you want the recipe I use - it's a standard from Betty Crocker.

This weekend, I took all four biscuits out of the freezer. I immediately put one raw and one baked in the toaster oven, preheated to 350 degrees F. The baked one I pulled after about five minutes when the top browned; the raw baked for about 25 minutes until the top was brown. The other two were allowed to thaw in room temperature, and then I baked the thawed raw dough for 20 minutes until brown.

Both frozen-raw biscuits had less than desirable texture, though the rich buttery taste remained. Neither rose to the height of the pre-baked biscuits. You can see that in the biscuit pictured below and to the right, the raw frozen one, the fat pooled in pockets rather than lofted the flour into flaky layers as usual.

The pre-baked biscuits held their flaky texture and tasted great. Lil judged the one reheated in the oven as the very best and I agree. The thawed and not re-baked biscuit was perfectly passable.

My advice to Grandma and any person wanting to save the trouble of baking a mess of biscuits for a small gathering is this: bake a large batch of biscuits, removing what you wish to save for later just a minute or two before they are fully 'done'. Freeze these on a cookie sheet and then pop into a freezer safe bag, squeezing out the air. When you later wish to eat a biscuit, cook one in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or until brown on top.

Added to Simple Lives Thursday 46.

Preserving at Wild Goose!

In partnership with Wild Goose Creative, I am pleased to announce a new series of home preserving classes. Join me on third Tuesdays from 6:30 - 8:30 to preserve local fresh foods by freezing, canning, drying and curing. Each workshop will include hands on experience, tastings, recipes, and a sample to take home.

Schedule

6/21: Jam Canning -  We will use a seasonal fruit to make jam and freeze berries. The basic water bath methods in this class are the same as those to can jelly or fresh fruit.

7/19: Tomatoes - What to do with an excess of tomatoes? I will teach how to make and can sauce, demonstrate dehydrating, and share recipes for canning-ready barbecue sauce and ketchup.

8/16: Pickling - Using traditional vinegar and lacto-fermented methods, we will create pickled cucumbers and peppers.

9/20: Apples - I will share my favorite ways to enjoy apples year round including dehydrating, canning applesauce, and storing long term.

10/18: Home Charcuterie - Learn how to make pancetta and bacon at home with no special tools or equipment. Alex and I will also demonstrate how to make sausage and sample a variety of home cured meats.

Pricing

We are offering several pricing options, starting at $30 per class. Choose the whole series and save over 10%.

Visit the Wild Goose Creative Preserving Series page to register. Class size is limited, so sign up today to fill your jars and freezer this summer!

Wild Goose Creative

Wild Goose Creative is about a lot of things. It’s about sustainable partnerships and artistic collaborations. It’s about giving artists resources and facilitating their work. It’s about creating a space for people to experience art and engage each other. Mostly, Wild Goose Creative is about building a vibrant community of people who care about art and who want to change the world.

The Wild Goose gallery and class space is located at 2491 Summit Street in Columbus, OH 43202, just north of Ohio State University campus.

Laurie David & Asata Reid on Food, Health & The Environment

BlogHer Food ended Friday with a keynote from movie producer, author, and activist Laurie David and chef turned educator Asata Reid. What follows in a recap of their informative and inspirational discussion on family dinner and living green.

Laurie and Asata each had an 'aha!' moment that led them from carrying on their lives and drove them to engage in environmental activism.

For Asata, the moment came when she surveyed the shopping carts of fellow shoppers in a big box store one day. She saw baskets filled with boxed, canned, and jarred stuff. It hit her that if you gave some people five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day, they wouldn't know what to do with it. She figured she must break down cooking skills into manageable bites for the busy family.

Laurie was called to examine the consequences of societal choices when pushing her child in a stroller one day. Standing on a street corner, she felt surrounded by gas-hogging SUVs. It was the first time she considered that as a mom, she had to protect resources her child might need, not to mention her personal health, by advocating for more eco-friendly practices.

Later, when her daughters were teens, Laurie recalls a single family dinner. Her girls were sitting around the table discussing life hours after dinner concluded. Unlike other families who feel disconnected, Laurie's was not. She felt she had done something right to insist on the family dinner ritual.

Family Dinner

"Every issue I care about crosses the dinner plate," Laurie asserted. Her family rule was that everyone must come to dinner Monday through Friday and sit down together. "The whole point of dinner is to sit and talk," she said.

Asata agreed. "How are you a family if you aren't scheduling time to be a family together?" Statistically, Americans have found time for internet surfing and video games, and some of that time could be used for dinner. Laurie believes, "everything you worry about as a parent is solved by family dinner."

Truth, Picky-ness, and Table Topics

Kids are becoming overweight and diabetic at alarming rates. Children deserve to know the facts about food. "You gotta tell kids what food does for you," Asata said. "Give them that information." Both women agree that talking honestly about food, the good and the bad, gives children the foundation to make their own decisions.

Many parents deal with picky children. The chef and home cook agree that it takes awhile to build a palate. Parents must give their child a chance to develop, not indulge in picky desires. Kids need to be repeatedly introduced to unfamiliar foods.

At the dinner table, Laurie and Asata encourage their kids to take one bite of each food. Then they guide the conversation away from food and towards more friendly topics. They play games like "What I like about you" where each family member compliments others. Laurie's book The Family Dinner includes dozens of conversation starters.

How To Change Food Habits & Make Green Decisions

If a person wants to change their food habits, Asata advises gathering passive information through blog feeds or magazines so that healthy menus and recipes are ready at hand. Buying organic improves the health of the environment and individual. Families can start new rituals, like meatless Monday, to take a small step towards sustainable eating.

Making greener decisions that relate to the dinner plate can be equally simple. Eat seasonally and you will reduce transportation resource use. Look at what you eat a lot of, i.e. where the biggest impact can be made, and make better choices there. If you family consumes a lot of broccoli, for instance, pledge to buy organic.

Give your children opportunities to understand the political aspects of food decisions. Pick berries and meet farmers. Talk about current events. Laurie encourages parents to view "every meal as a teachable moment."

Be a change agent by starting at home. Then, influence your circle of friends. Laurie believes it is "incumbent on you to teach others." Sometimes, she says, "we have to get a little mad, have to get a little activated...and push for change."

Added to Hearth & Soul 49.