Good News on Monsanto

I've written before that I don't want to give a dime to Monsanto and their genetically-modified Franken-foods.

Well, it seems I'm not alone.

The NY Times reported on October 4th that it's not just earth-friendly people like me who don't like Monsanto. Some of their seeds are not living up to the hype, and farmers and investors are losing patience.

One of the problems is that weeds have grown resistant to Round-Up, Monsanto's widely-used herbicide. Monsanto genetically modifies their seeds to be resistant to Round-Up, so farmers can spray the chemical on their fields to kill weeds without damaging their crops.

(Let's ignore the fact that Round-Up, brand name for glyphosate, is among the top reported pesticides causing poisoning in many countries. The range of acute symptoms includes recurrent eczema, respiratory problems, elevated blood pressure and allergic reactions, according to Friends of the Earth.)

Now that the weeds are resistant to Round-Up, the farmers have to spend money on other weed-killers. And worry that the chemicals will damage their crops.

(I recommend they find non-chemical ways to weed - machinery, hoes - but then I'm an organic girl at heart.)

Another problem is that Monsanto's genetically-modified (gmo) seeds aren't producing as much as the company thought they would. Monsanto makes deals with farmers that because their seeds will produce more than regular seed, the farmers will give 1/3 of their extra profit back to Monsanto. With their newest most genetically-modified seeds, Monsanto is wanting a 50-50 split with farmers. But the seeds are not producing, so farmers are requesting the less-gmo seeds and are giving less money back to Monsanto.

Now Monsanto stock prices are dropping. Last week, t.v. stock promoter Jim Cramer said that Monsanto might be the worst stock of 2010.

I would be rejoicing, but the bad news is that Dupont's gmo company, Pioneer Hi-Bred, is gaining market share as Monsanto loses theirs.

It seems that there is still too much emphasis on chemicals and genetic modification in the farming community.

I have hopes this will change.

By the way, corn and soy are the two major genetically-modified crops. Don't buy either (any product with soy protein isolate or other soy derivatives, or corn in any form including high-fructose corn syrup) unless it says organic right next to the ingredient. Otherwise put the product back on the shelf.

And keep the faith -- nature will always win out.

Roasting Peppers

The peppers were overflowing the Tutti Frutti stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market last week, and I brought home a big bag of organic red peppers, poblanos and jalapenos.

I froze the jalapenos whole to use in chili and other spicy dishes throughout the winter. They defrost quickly, and still retain much of their heat.

The red peppers and poblanos I roasted and peeled, and then stored individually wrapped in the freezer. They add color and flavor to bean dishes and cobblers -- I feel rich when I have peppers in the freezer.

You might have noticed that I don't use a lot of red peppers on this blog. That's because organic locally-grown ones are only available for a short time each year. The rest of the year I pull them from my freezer - not for eating raw, of course, but for any cooked purpose they are great.

Poblanos are available year-round at Mexican markets, but I prefer the organic ones that only come to the farmers market in the fall. I grew some in my garden this year too - and harvested a dozen over the weekend. These are my favorite peppers - they have a rich flavor and a slight spiciness that I find addictive.

There are many recipes for roasting and freezing peppers. Mine is the simplest.

Roasting Peppers
Rinse and dry the peppers. Turn the gas flame on the stove to high and lay the peppers on the rack above the flame to char. I fit three on each burner. (If you don't have a gas stove, put the peppers on a rack under the broiler.)

Use tongs to turn the peppers as they blacken on each side. When a pepper is black all over, put it in a saucepan and cover it with the lid. Add peppers as they are blackened, and let them sit in the covered pot until they are cool enough to handle. The steam released as they cool helps release the skin.

To peel a pepper, hold it by the stem, and with a small knife scrape off the blackened skin. Do not run the pepper under water - this washes away the flavor. Don't fuss if some of the skin won't come off.

When you've peeled the pepper, cut off the top and then slice down one side to flatten it. Scrape out the seeds and the thickest membranes.

When you've prepped the peppers, put each one in an individual baggie and seal it. Then put them all in one big freezer bag labelled with the date and the kinds of peppers, and toss it in the freezer.

This winter, when you want a pepper, just pull it out and let it defrost in its small bag on the counter. Then chop it and add it to whatever you are cooking. Or toss it with olive oil, garlic and herbs as a quick appetizer.

Inexpensive and delicious - organic roasted peppers from the freezer are great.

Caponata

East Coast Trip Part 2

When we travelled back East in September, we spent most evenings with friends and family. We reminded them beforehand that I'm vegetarian, so everyone planned dinner accordingly.

I never feel bad about letting people know my dietary preferences ahead of time. It gives them a chance to pick up something suitable for me to eat, or cook extra vegetables or pasta to go with the meat. And it lets them be the good hosts they want to be.

I would feel terrible if I cooked a special meal only to find my guests couldn't eat it, so I ask ahead of time if there are food preferences or allergies. And I'm happy to cook or buy food according to whatever their parameters are.

I think the whole point of breaking bread with people is to be inclusive and sharing. And the friends and family we visited did a great job of it, sharing food that both Larry and I enjoyed.

Our first stop was in Arlington, VA, with our friends Ramsay and Bill. We arrived late in the afternoon, a little worn out by our 4 a.m. start, cross-country flight, and the D.C. beltway traffic.

Ramsay set out an Italian eggplant relish with some sliced baguette, and poured a glass of red wine. All the travel stress drifted away, and we settled in for a good visit.

She had made this relish (which I am calling caponata) in August and frozen it. I could not tell it had been frozen and thawed, so good did it taste. So I asked for the recipe, because I love having good food in my freezer.

When we got home I watched impatiently as our Black Beauty eggplant slowly ripened. Finally, on Sunday, we sat by the fire eating this delicious caponata on slices of fresh baguette. It was worth the wait, and it brought back memories of a great trip. Thanks Ramsay!

Caponata
1 eggplant (about 9 oz)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp capers, drained
1/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and sliced

Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Warm oil over medium heat. Add eggplant, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Take the lid off and keep cooking until eggplant is browned, about 10 minutes more. Stir occasionally but don't worry if the eggplant sticks to the pan. It will unstick later and add good flavor.

Stir in celery, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Combine tomato paste, water, vinegar, capers and olives and add to the pan. Cook, stirring more frequently, until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes.

Serve cold or at room temperature. Leftovers will last a week in the fridge, and freeze well for at least a month, probably longer.

An apple a day…

There's nothing like a fresh, crisp apple.

I enjoy one every day after lunch.

It's common to have something sweet after a meal, but I don't do sweets at lunch time. Sugar lowers the immune system for a few hours after we eat it. I don't know what germs I'll be exposed to in the afternoon at my office or running errands, so I prefer to keep my immune system at peak performance.

It doesn't matter whether it's sugar, honey, fructose or corn syrup - all sugars have this short-term immune-suppressant effect.

Now, while an apple has sugar, it also has carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that boost the immune system, so I figure it evens out. Apple juice, applesauce or cooked apples don't have the same benefits as a raw apple.

I find that although I might feel like a cookie after lunch, once I've eaten my apple my sweet tooth is satisfied and my mouth feels fresh - I don't want to put anything else in it.

Fortunately I'm able to get good apples year round at the Hollywood Farmers Market. The varieties change with the season: fuji, gala, pink lady, now the Arkansas blacks are coming in. It never gets boring.

On Monday, I ate my apple for lunch, instead of after. I added it to a salad of soft butter lettuce from Finley farms and freshly harvested walnuts from La Nogalera, with a robust dressing of mustard and walnut oil. Mustard is a great fall flavoring, and it goes well with nuts and apples.

You could add a few cubes of cheddar or a handful of nutty chickpeas to boost the protein content. Vary the other ingredients as you like. The dressing makes enough to dress a salad for four. Any leftover will keep in a jar in the fridge for a week or so.

Robust Mustard Dressing
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp chopped red onion
1 tbsp coarse-grain or dijon mustard
3 tbsp walnut oil
salt and pepper

Whisk vinegar, onion and mustard. Whisk in walnut oil until blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes a scant half cup.

Barley and Mustard Greens

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving Monday night with a harvest risotto of barley, butternut squash, and purple mustard greens.

Canadian Thanksgiving is much less of an ordeal - er, celebration - than the U.S. version. It's the last three-day weekend before winter sets in, so people clean out their garages, test the snow blower, put up the winter bird feeders, and enjoy the colorful fall leaves and crisp air. Dinner is turkey (at least it was at my house). When I became a vegetarian, Mum added a stuffed pumpkin to the table.

This year, Larry used the Columbus Day holiday to clean out the garage. I puttered in the garden. And then we gathered in the kitchen to stir up dinner.

Risotto is usually made with arborio rice, but I read it could be made with barley, which felt more Canadian (even though most Canadian barley is fed to beef). Barley is a nutritional powerhouse which balances blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and improves cardiovascular health.

The purple greens and orange squash were stunning as I added them to the pot, but the purple faded to green as it cooked. Still beautiful, with that little kick that mustard greens have. You could substitute any greens, but boil tougher ones like collard greens and kale separately to be sure they're well cooked and not bitter.

You won't need a whole butternut squash. Keep the leftover piece (with its peel intact) well-wrapped in the fridge for a few days to use in soup or stews.

Risotto requires constant attention. This recipe might have worked if I had just boiled everything together, but Larry and I enjoy the companionship of cooking risotto. There's something about gathering in the kitchen around a simmering pot that makes us feel thankful.

Barley Risotto with Mustard Greens and Butternut Squash
4-5 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup pearled barley (the brown kind from the health food store)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup butternut squash in 1/4 - 1/2 inch dice
1 bunch mustard greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
salt and pepper

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a covered saucepan. Keep it barely simmering on low.

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and barley and cook, stirring often, about five minutes until the barley is lightly golden and aromatic. The oil will be absorbed and you'll be dry-roasting the barley in the pan.

Add the garlic and cook another minute. Then stir in 1/2 cup hot broth. Stir until it is absorbed, then add another cup along with the butternut squash. Keep adding 1/2 cup broth as it gets absorbed. Stir regularly. (This is where I always worry the squash will never cook, but it does.)

After 10 minutes, add the greens, stirring the barley up from the bottom and onto the greens so that the heat compresses them down into the dish.

Keep adding broth and stirring as needed for another 20-25 minutes. The barley will be chewy, and then will suddenly soften and become toothsome. Add 1/2 tsp salt and many grinds of black pepper. Taste, season more as needed, and serve.

Serves 4

Happy Thanksgiving.

White Beans with Rosemary and Thyme

If you have room for just 3 plants on your Southern California patio, choose rosemary, thyme and bay. They grow well in pots, are drought tolerant (their flavor is more intense when they are mildly stressed), and make a big flavor pop in whatever you're cooking. They require a few hours of sun a day to thrive. The bay will try to be a tree. Trim it to the size you like.

I ventured into the rain last night to pick these herbs to serve with the big white lima beans from Lompoc that I buy at the Hollywood Farmers Market. I cooked the beans with bay, garlic, leek and carrots, and then stirred in a pesto of rosemary and thyme at the end. Wow. Served with acorn squash, it made a wonderful fall dinner.

For a quicker version, use 2 cans of cannelini beans. Drain them well and add to 2 cups simmering vegetable broth. Cook until they are warmed through, stir in the pesto, and dinner is served. You can speed up the roasting of the squash by cutting it into wedges, tossing it in olive oil, and roasting it for 20 minutes until tender. Or serve steamed vegetables or greens as a quick side dish.

White Beans with Rosemary and Thyme
1 1/2 cups dried white beans
6 cloves garlic, peeled - divided use
1 carrot, cut in 1" lengths
greens from 1 leek, washed well, (save the rest of the leek for another recipe) or 1/2 onion cut into large pieces
1 bay leaf
4 tsp rosemary leaves, stripped from the stems
1 tbsp thyme leaves, stripped from the stems
1/4 cup olive oil

Soak the beans overnight. (Or do the quick soak method. Cook beans 10 minutes in boiling water. Let stand one hour. Drain and proceed.)

Combine the beans with 3 cloves garlic, carrot, leek greens and bay leaf. Cover with 2 inches of water, bring to the boil, and cook until tender, about 45 minutes, adding some salt and pepper in the last 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking broth. Discard the vegetables. (All their flavor will be in the broth.)

In a mini-chop or blender, mince the rosemary, thyme and remaining 3 cloves garlic. Add the olive oil and purée. (It will look more like salad dressing than regular pesto.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the pesto, beans and reserved cooking broth. Warm over moderate heat. Serve in the squash halves.

Baked Acorn Squash
Preheat oven to 450°. Put the whole squash in the oven and cook 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) until a knife slides in easily. Let the squash cool until you can handle it. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Serve the halves, or cut it into wedges for smaller servings.

Serves 4.

Beans in Coconut Milk

Almost every culture in the world has ways of cooking beans. You could probably eat beans with different seasonings every day for a month and still not run out of possibilities. Who ever said vegetarian cooking was boring?

I recently perused a book called A Taste of Africa by Tebereh Inquai. It's not a vegetarian book, but there were plenty of recipes for beans and vegetables.

This dish from Tanzania is very satisfying spooned over brown rice. I served it with roast beets and carrots for color contrast. Greens would be good too.

It is a real mellow comfort-food dish. Add red chili paste and vegetables if you want a spicier, more Thai-like dish.

Coconut milk gets a bad rap because it contains saturated fat, yet it has many health benefits. It is anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. The main saturated fat that it contains, lauric acid, is also found in mother's milk and has been shown to promote brain development and bone health.

Don't waste your money on low-fat coconut milk. Buy the full-fat version and dilute it half and half with water if you want less fat. Store left-over coconut milk in the freezer.

I like to make this dish with pinquito beans, a small bean native to Southern California, but you can use any bean you like. Larger ones might take longer to cook.

Let this nourishing bean dish soothe you as the fall evenings draw in.

Beans in Coconut Milk
1/2 lb (1 cup) dried beans
2 cups onion (1 large)
1 tbsp oil
2 serrano chiles, sliced (leave seeds in for a spicier dish)
1/4 tsp tumeric
14-oz can coconut milk
1 tsp salt

Pick over the beans and rinse them. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the beans rest one hour in the hot water. Drain and rinse the beans.

Chop the onion and fry it in the oil until soft. Add chiles halfway through. Stir in tumeric and beans. Add the coconut milk and 1 cup water. Cook, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in salt. Keep cooking until tender, another 1/2 hour or so.

Serve over brown rice.

Serves 4-6.