Food Lush

Iowa to Pass Bill to Prevent Animal Activitsts

By Natalie

On my drive home today I  heard an interesting segment on NPR about the proposed bill, HF589 waiting for Iowa's governor's signature. The proposed bill is focusing on the fraudulent nature of people obtaining jobs in agriculture industries on false pretenses. Apparently in Iowa, animal activists are being hired in factories and then taking undercover videos to expose the animal cruelty going on at the factories. The penalty would be a serious misdemeanor and a maximum sentence of 1 year in prison.

People who are for the bill believe that the animal activists are trespassing and should be punished. They do not believe that they are infringing on any constitutional rights and have met with many different committees to make sure no rights are being lost. Supporters also claim that people attempting to expose the agriculture industry are trying to bring down the business and hurt the agriculture industry which Iowa heavily depends on.

People opposing the bill feel that this will prevent whistle blowers from coming forward, even those who have worked in the industry for many years. There are also concerns that this will prevent undercover journalism. In addition the question of the violation of constitutional rights.

After hearing this news report more questions were raised for me than answered. Such as, why? Why is the legislature getting involved to protect the agriculture business? Is the problem that wide spread that the big Ag companies need saving? What are they trying to hide?

What's your opinion?

photo credit: http://www.iowacorn.org/

Make This Now: Chimichurri Sauce

By Nora

We had some friends over for dinner the other night and decided to grill Argentinian Beef Skewers with Chimichurri sauce on the side. This was a recipe I had never tried from this awesome grilling cookbook (that i've written about before) and so I really had no idea what to expect. The beef was delish, but what really knocked my socks off was the Chimichurri sauce. Have you guys had this stuff? Have I been living under a rock? The only way I can describe it is it's like a South American pesto sauce, but the base of the sauce is parsley rather than basil (although there is basil in the recipe I tried). It was so delicious that I ended up mixing it in with the Mac and Cheese I served along side the Argentinian Beef. I also spread the leftover sauce on sandwiches, dipped tortilla chips in it, and put it in pork soft tacos. And look how pretty it is!

This was the second batch I made with all the leftover fresh parsley and basil I had. So now I have an entire tupperware container of the stuff waiting for me in the freezer for future use. YAY!

Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped onion, rinsed

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 tsp kosher salt

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the parsley, basil, onion, carrot, garlic and salt. With the machine running, add the oil and vinegar in a steady stream, using just enough pol to create a fairly thick sauce.

What's your favorite side sauce to serve with grilled meat? 

Recipe Round-Up: Hello, March!

By Nicole

[Photo by Beantown Baker]

 

Check out some of the most enticing recipes posted around the web this week. They look delicious and are surely worthy of a whirl in your kitchen and mine

Gorgonzola Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard by Daily Unadventures in Cooking

Herbed Bread Baked in a Dutch Oven by Beantown Baker

Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken by My Life as a Mrs. 

Turmeric Chicken with Coconut Wild Rice by Bev Cooks

Red Cabbage Salad with Walnuts, Feta, Raisins and Warm Mustard Dressing by The Perfect Pantry

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna by The Dough Will Rise Again

Stuffed Cabbage Soup by Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Whole Wheat Pretzel Pockets by Healthy Delicious

Lasagna Stuffed Portobellos by Pink Parsley

Tropical Sunshine Muffins by Elle's New England Kitchen 

Reader Help: What on Earth should I do with a lobster?

By Dani

My hubby is kind of the survivalist/outdoorsy type. He loves a good adventure story, and the man seriously has never found a hobby that he didn't want to instantly embrace and want to spend gobs of money on.

Right now, that hobby is lobstering or "bugging" as the old salty sea dogs call it.

We've been out to catch these guys a few times this season (this is done on a cold, wet pier in the dead of night with lots of stinky dead fish and an unwieldy net, basically it' not for the faint of heart) and last night the unthinkable happened: we actually caught a big enough to eat and keep, legal, edible, real live spiny lobster.

Since this is my first attempt at cooking this fella, the only thing I can think of is this:

So, in an effort to keep myself from being scarred forever by my crustecean-cooking efforts (in fairness, my sweet husband already did the dirty work and I only have a tail in the fridge, no terrifying legs and what-not) what do I do with this thing?

{Photo credit, me and my trusty phone. That's my hubs, looking all excited about his catch. I'm still nervous.}

Organic Brown Rice Syrup, or Arsenic, for short

By Elisabeth

A recent report by Good Morning America stated that there have been low levels of arsenic found in some organic formulas, cereal/energy bars and high-energy foods.

To say I was concerned when I heard about these findings would be an understatement. My son has been drinking organic formula for 11 months now. Luckily, the brand we use, Earth's Best, does not have organic brown rice syrup amongst its ingredients. LUCKILY.

But, that did not stop me from going through my pantry to check the ingredients of other organics products. And what do you know? Clif Kid Z Bars and Cascadian Farm's chewy granola bars DO. PEACHY.

The report stated,

"Cereal bars and high-energy foods using organic brown rice syrup also had higher arsenic concentrations than those without the syrup, the study showed.

"The baby formula findings are concerning," Jackson said. Infants and people who eat gluten-free diets, which are largely rice-based, are most at risk for consuming too much arsenic via food, he explained, while "the risk for the occasional cereal bar eater is low."

Um, my 6 year old has a Clif Bar every day for a snack at school. AND, both the 6 and 3 yr old get Cascadian Farm's granola bars on our way to piano and sports practice. We are not OCCASIONAL.

So, I'm asking you this, dear reader. What do you take from this article? Does this send you in a tailspin like the one I might be having and never touch these products again? Or, is it just like anything else, moderation is key? Or, is this just a crock and we should all sit around drinking brown rice syrup till the cows come home?

Also, what other products out there could I substitute for snacks? (Besides the obvious fruit and cheese stick!)

{photo credit: me}

Reader Help: How to Make My Garden Grow

by Caitlin

Gardening and I have a long history. We always had a garden growing up, and I have clear memories of picking bowls of green beans and tomatoes for dinner. Is there anything like the smell of tomato leaves and dirt on a hot summer evening? I want that back in my life.

My parents were known to make us baby food from what they had in their garden, and when we got older I remember being allowed to help decide what to grow. One particular summer I took a special interest in the cucumbers and watermelons. The cucumbers did great. The watermelons, however, proved a lot of fun to squish between my thumb or forefinger when they were the size of small gumballs, and thus never had a chance to grow into anything edible. You win some, you lose some.

In my many apartments over the years since college I've tried my hand at container gardening, with some successes and some failures. Mostly failures. Basil likes me okay. Tomatoes sort of put up with me. And everything else generally turns out to be a stubborn, dying waste of time and hope.

When my husband and I moved into our house in the summer of 2009 we were SO looking forward to finally having a proper garden. Shortly after we moved in we lovingly out together some garden beds. We clasped our little hippie hands in glee and our eyes misted over while we dreamed of piles of beautiful produce, and benevolent bushels of tomatoes and zucchini given to our friends. No! Please! Another tomato, why I couldn't! Here, take this beautiful, hand-woven basket of heirloom goodness. 

Yeah, here's how that turned out:

 

Photo from allthingschristmasnigeriainnerpages.blogspot.com which...okay.

Of the three summers we've spent in this house, we've only planted a full garden during one of them. (Why are summers so BUSY?) Generally, our herbs have done well. We've found it best to keep them in pots on the deck, else they take over the whole garden: Our basil is the size of a shrub, our rosemary is almost three feet tall, and I'm going to reconsider using oregano as ground cover and lemongrass as filler for the flower beds (Yes, we're still getting fresh herbs in Virginia in February. This insanely mild winter is, well, insane.).

Alas, chard didn't grow past the baby leaf stage and by the time we realized it wasn't going to grow, it was bitter and tough. Tomatoes? We grew four or five different kinds and the only ones to turn red were the baby/cherry tomatoes. And they turned red about 4 at a time. If you have a great recipe that calls for four cherry tomatoes I'd LOVE to have it! Nothing else really turned out, and then we were out of room. Perhaps we need more beds.

The other issue is that there is a rogue band of squirrels living in our neighborhood. I like to imagine them in teeny leather jackets and dark RayBans, prowling the streets at dusk, snapping their fingers in unison, and maybe engaging in a dance fight a local gang of raccoons. They're especially fond of climbing our peach tree, picking the most beautifully ripe piece of fruit they can find, climbing the stairs to our deck, and eating it in front of the doors to our kitchen, while flipping us the bird. If we're not around to watch, they just make sure to leave on our deck a lucious peach with one squirrel-sized nibble removed from it. They're also sure to nip buds and fruits off the plants in our garden beds.

So, dear readers, with all this in mind, I need some help. I really want to successfully grow a garden this summer. Zach and I go through a lot of produce, and it would be a really rewarding thing to be able to grow the things we love to eat in our own yard, and I see it being a hobby I could get into. Do you have a favorite gardening reference - whether a book, a podcast, a wbesite, anything - for beginner garnders? Do you have a recommendation for a place to order or purchase heirloom organic seeds that are wholly untouched by Monsanto's slimy, bioengineered arms?

Any tips on how to keep saucy little squirrels out of your garden and away from your peach tree? I'm worried that the only viable solution is building a chicken wire cage over the beds, which sounds expensive and annoying.

Vegetables we're interested in growing and/or eat a lot of that we'd love to pick freshly out of our own garden: broccoli (so much broccoli. So very much broccoli. It's in my top 5 foods.), asparagus (I know it takes four years, which is why I wish 2009 Caitlin had planted it), potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, sugar snap peas, kale, chard.

Do you have any words of wisdom you'd like to share about growing the above? And tell me, what are you planning to grow in your garden this summer?