Tomato Farmers Getting Screwed

This article really pissed me off. American tomato farmers have been getting screwed by ultimately false rumors from their own government about a salmonella outbreak, and the culprit turns out to be peppers from Mexico. So here’s a small solution. August is tomato season. Make lots of this, bring it to work in a thermos, and toast your local farmers:

Gazpacho:

• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c. sherry or balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 3T olive oil
• 1t cayenne or paprika
• 1t dried oregano
• 1T dried parsley (more if fresh)
• 1 small can V8 or 1 c. bloody mary mix

Blend, then gradually add:

• 1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
•  2 slices day-old crusty bread, chopped (optional)

And if you have tomatoes left, then make some pasta sauce and can it for later. Look for pectin in the baking section of your grocery – it should come w/a bunch of recipes for jams, jellies, etc. You’ll need 2 big pots – 1 for your preserve, 1 to sterilize your jars. Enjoy later.

We’ve been getting a lovely produce bounty delivered fresh to our door, so I’ve been experimenting with making jams (this weekend pickles) with the leftovers

Getting more fruits & veggies in your office diet

I’ve said it before, the office I work in is a carb minefield. Not just sweets people bring in, but multiple delis (the DC kind of deli, which wouldn’t last two weeks in New York because of the slow service and bland food), bagel and coffee shops. The fruit and vegetable selection in these places are always sketchy – a lot of bananas @the counter about an hour or so from going bad being sold for $1 each, for example.

Produce options @work are not that appetizing for a produce lover like me. It’s even more painful because I’m from Northern California and I was used to going to side-of-the-road produce stands and getting the best as well as the closest since the local stands were operated by local farmers.

Just because I don’t like the options I still need to have fruits and vegetables in my daily office diet. So here’s what I do:

• Dried fruit:  these options can be sugary, but the flip side is that you just need a small amount to get a serving of fruit. I’ve also been looking carefully @the ingredients to make sure the sugar in the dried fruit isn’t corn syrup. Trader Joe’s has been a reliable provider. I’ve been combining them with nuts to make my own trail mixes as well as putting them in oatmeal and yogurt.
• Pumpkin butter: I heart pumpkins, any time of the year. Plus pumpkin is really good for you. I’ve discovered pumpkin butter in plain yogurt is very yummy. Here is a recipe to make your own out of canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie filling).
• Jarred peppers, tapenades, etc: I’ve been adding these to sandwiches instead of using mustard, mayo, etc. Even better, the Giant across the street from my office has been having a good clearance sale on stuff from the international aisle, so I’ve been getting them @half price.
• Small salads: speaking of Giant, a couple times a week I load up on light items from the salad bar – mostly spinach, peppers, and mushrooms. I rarely spend more than $1 on this combo. If I have some microwave noodles I’ll throw the salad bar mix in before microwaving.
• Citrus: oranges last a lot longer than things like bananas and apples. I’ve been bringing in one or two from home every day. We’ve been buying them in 5 lb. bags so it’s pretty cheap, even @Whole Paycheck.

The plight of the Localvore in DC

I just read an article in today’s Washington Post food section about how people are basically becoming their own food inspectors, not just reading labels but researching online etc. where food comes from. I can relate to this, as I get frustrated when I see evidence (like @Whole Foods) that healthy food seems to be a privilege (for those who can afford it), not a basic right.

One thing that the article really doesn’t address (but should have) is the example of the woman @the beginning of the story who regularly visits no less than seven stores every week. Where I live, this is pretty normal. This is a regular source of traffic and stress, I think. Going to multiple food stores regularly is a huge time sucker, not to mention the extra gas you need for all of those errands. Nevertheless, we all have to eat.

In Northern VA we have the fortune of plenty of grocery store choices but it’s incredibly difficult to get decent produce @any of them. I’ve gotten rotten avocados @Whole Foods, for example. Tomatos here don’t taste like anything, unless you grow them yourself, and you’re not going to grow many if all you have is a deck. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten truly fresh salad greens @Wegman’s. And there are only two of us @my house, so Costco bulk buying isn’t an option.

I’ve also read and listened to public radio’s Localvore Nation experiment. They’re tracking 15 people throughout the year and the challenge is to eat 80% locally grown/raised food. As an Easterner who grew up in California, it’s no surprise to me that the West Coasters are having a less challenging time of it than the East Coasters. Interesting, but it just doesn’t seem that fair.