Mushroom Time Again -- SOMA Mushroom Camp Approaches

Winter in Northern California is often like a big playground for those of us who are mushroom hunters. I consider myself part of the lot, although the days that I go out hunting have been limited in the last few years by working too much on "perfect hunting days". I hear the mushroom sirens singing but must ignore them all too often. One of my goals for this year is to get outside at least once a week with my eyes focused on the ground -- at least during mushroom season which lasts until around April, depending upon the weather. While this has not been the best year for mushrooms, it's a heck of a lot better than last year which, to me, was one of the worst that I can recall. (But I am fairly new to this endeavor -- with less than 10 years in.)



No matter what happens in the woods, SOMA mushroom camp takes place Martin Luther King weekend in Occidental, California. And I am one of the lucky people who toils in the kitchen, putting out a couple of wonderful mushroomy meals. I work with Mycochef Patrick Hamilton who does the menu, and I am the kitchen coordinator, or sous chef. This year, I fear that I may be in trouble with our Asian street food menu of 20 dishes that require many hands. But many hands we will have and if I can remember all the names and faces that go with the hands, we will have spectacular results. (Think about joining us next year, in the kitchen or not. It's an amazing weekend.)

My favorite part of camp is when I sneak out the back door to mushroom cultivation -- making oyster mushroom bags to bring home. You can see the results from one of last year's oyster mushroom bags here.




This year I will have my camera with me and hope to get some people and mushroom shots, with the mushrooms easier to hunt down than the people. So stay tuned...

You never know what you'll find in the woods or in the kitchen.

Nuts over Nuts and Trail Mix

People who know me don't hesitate to call me nuts. In fact, my father lovingly called me a "nut job", one of the last things he said on my last visit before he passed away. So I take the term as one of endearment.

I'll admit that I can be a bit nutty and over exuberant about things, especially if they involve "real" food.

I had the immense pleasure of receiving some Braga Farms raw trail mix, roasted, salted pistachios and roasted salted almonds with garlic, all of which are certified organic and come from a small, family farm in California.

The good thing is that I love nuts, and eat them almost every day. The other good thing is that gift or not, I am likely to tell you what I really think because I am a bit of a "nut job."

So, here is my critique of Braga farms organic raw trail mix. It may be one of the best trail mix blends that I've ever had, not mucked up with lots of seeds (like those, too but often they compose the bulk of the mix because they are less expensive) and containing large firm, fresh nuts. It tastes clean, containing walnuts, almonds, pistachios, dried cranberries and large plump raisins (which I believe may be coated with sunflower oil because it's listed on the label but I'm not sure). This stuff is so much better than any other trail mix that I've had which says a lot. It's also a lot more expensive at $8.86 per 8 ounce bag, but in my case, that's a good thing because even when not on the trail, I don't seem to have a limit to how much I can, and do, eat of this stuff. Rating: 5 out of 5 for freshness, taste and overall palatability.

The salted pistachios are good, as good as any that I buy but discernibly better than my usual organic purchases. I am sure, though, that buying the already shelled organic ones is a treat because it makes it easy to add them to dishes, such as my Quinoa with Currants and Pistachios. For just eating, though, I'll stick to those in-the-shell as it slows me down so I don't eat the whole darned bag. Fresh and flavorful but not likely to make the switch to these, mostly due to price. Rating: 4 out of 5. $7.86 per 8 ounces

I hesitated to try the salted garlic almonds, thinking that they'd be very garlicky or have some "fake" taste. But I was wrong. They are addictively delicious, and once again incredibly fresh. When buying nuts, freshness really counts, which is why supporting small farms makes a huge difference. Heck, I ought to know since I live in California, known for its nuts (and kooks). The garlic almonds are lightly flavored and oh-so tasty.

Rating: 5 out of 5. $8.86 per 8 ounces. I've not had flavored almonds with such real flavor.

These products, and much more, are all available from Gourmet Shopping Network .


If I didn't live in such a nutty place and wanted to be sure that I had great products, I would order often from Braga Farms, supporting a small organic farm that has high standards. If you are in the market for great tasting nuts and some dried fruit, check them out.

The Veggie Queen Hears Jonah Raskin Speak on Farmers

For many years, I have wanted to meet Jonah Raskin who is a Sonoma County writer and professor at Sonoma State University. When I read that he would have a booksigning last night at a local Copperfield's bookstore, I knew that I had to go. Raskin has lived in Sonoma County for many years and he grew up near my hometown on Long Island. It turns out that his father, like mine, was an attorney. Unlike my parents, his moved to Occidental, here in Sonoma County, and started farming in retirement.

Raskin and I have a similar love of the land and writing but he took his passion and went out into the fields as fodder for his new book Field Days: A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California published by University of California Press.

I cannot tell you exactly why I didn't buy the book but I didn't so I will have to give you highlights of what Raskin had to say instead.

He made his war cry, Follow the vegetables. He worked at Oak Hill Farm in Glen Ellen, in Sonoma Valley for a year. He then followed chef John McReynolds' formerly of Cafe La Haye in Sonoma to see what he did with the vegetables. Raskin says that McReynolds is a spontaneous cook, which his editor did not believe. If you've seen me at work in person, you can likely tell that McReynold's and I have something in common in the spontaneity department. I often can't follow the recipe that I have right in front of me. That's not what cooking is about -- especially not with fresh vegetables.

Raskin implored everyone to grow, and buy, their vegetables organically even if they aren't certified.

While working at Oak Hill Farm where you'll find the Red Barn store, on spectacular piece of land, Raskin mentioned to owner Anne Teller that everything is connected. That's when he was told about "The Web of Life." I hope that you know about this concept and take it to heart. Everything you do has an effect on the world.

Raskin talked about his toiling in the field with the other farm workers and how he felt initiated into a tribe as they planted 6000 leeks in a day. He said that even though the work was physically hard, that it's harder to sit at a computer and work.

For you writers, rather than write the proposal for the book, Raskin wrote the entire book. He said that it would be easier. But he has quite a few other books under his belt and an editor who must like him. You likely know that I am into self-publishing so the proposal stage is something that I also skip.

The book contains a chapter on older farmers, one of whom is an amazing person that I see from time to time: Chester Aaron, author and garlic farmer. Chester is upwards of 85 and incredibly sharp. He's still farming and writing. I'd love to get my hands on some of Chester's amazing garlic -- he grows about 90 different kinds. Older farmers love what they do, maybe because they are in touch with the earth. Raskin says that they work until the end. What a nice thought.

If you are interested in farming, farmers, eating, drinking, and living, you might find this book a good read. With piles of books awaiting my attention, I couldn't bring myself to get one more on a subject about which I know a lot, and places that I have been for years. I applaud Raskin for taking on the subject and finding that it filled him up in a way that other things might not have.

Please, once again I implore you to pay homage to farmers. We need them for our sustenance.

The greens in the photo above (amazing Dinosaur or Lacinata kale) were grown by Raskin's friend Tom Pringle, who says that he's transforming from gardener to sharecropping farmer. I'll update you on that when I can.

Organic Vegetables Help You Avoid Pesticide Residues

I don't spend a lot of time writing about buying organic but I honestly think that organic is better, especially if it means that you will be exposed to fewer, and less, pesticides. I believe that pesticides are at least incidentally responsible for the huge rise in all types of cancer in the U.S., and likely the world.

Anyone born before World War II did not suffer the pesticide exposure in their youth the way that any post-War babies (now grown-up people) did. The group most likely affected by pesticides are the "baby boomers" as pesticide use was in full swing by the time that they were born.

The 1960s counter-culture wanted a return to more natural processes and it was the rebirth of organic (which it hadn't really been called before because most things were grown naturally). Babies born after that time to highly conscious mothers had the chance for less pesticide exposure but the truth is that we've all been poisoned by pesticides (and let's not forget herbicides, fungicides, and all other cides -- destined to kill something) in the air and water, if not in your food.

But it's not all doom and gloom. You can find out which foods are highest in pesticide residue and avoid them whenever possible. Read this article by The Organic Center to learn which vegetables to avoid.

Here's the list of domestic vegetables with the highest pesticide residues:

1. Green beans
2. sweet bell peppers
3. celery
4. cucumbers
5. potatoes

If you want to learn more you can also take a look at The Environmental Working Group's recently released guide to pesticides and download it to your phone or print it out. It contains the Dirty Dozen (includes many fruits, too, just in time for stone fruit season, so pay attention) and the Clean Fifteen.

I urge you to buy more organic foods when possible but especially the vegetables that eat regularly. What you do most often will have the largest impact on your health.

Happy shopping. And whenever possible support your local farmers, they need it, and you need them. Without farmers, we wouldn't need farms. And then what would we eat?

Oh, A Sprouting We Will Go -- Beans, Grains and Seeds

I have been sprouting beans, seeds, nuts and grains on and off for years. But only recently have I been talking about it with the people that I teach. I thought that it might have been too hippie-like but with the advent of the raw foods movement, along with food safety concerns, sprouting at home seems to be the "right thing to do" right now. There's a chapter on sprouting in RJ Ruppenthal's wonderful book Fresh Food from Small Spaces -- worth getting if you want to grow things.

Here's one of my earlier posts on sprouting.

Well, I am not the only veg RD who thinks that. In fact, Dina Aronson, RD, of the Vegan RD blog has a number of posts about sprouting, with photos. I just wrote about this in my most recent email newsletter. And I have my own photos but I will only post one here.


Until I was teaching yesterday, I hadn't realized that doctors were telling their patients to avoid eating and buying sprouts because they are dangerous. I'm surprised that they remembered that there were food safety outbreaks involving sprouts.


I do not believe that there is anything inherently wrong with sprouting or the seeds. I think that you have to use clean water and maintain hygiene. It's kind of like home canning. Most people get botulism from what they've canned themselves. But that's another story. For now, I'll stick to sprouts. To get the cute sprouter (the Sproutmaster Mini) that you see here, check out The Sprout House online.




Let me know how your sprouting is going by emailing me jill@theveggiequeen.com or leaving a comment below.

Meeting the Rancho Gordo Big Bean Guy at Denver Airport

While snaking through the security line at Denver airport, I spotted Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo bean fame. Just about a week or so ago he was featured in the New York Times. And he still talks to me. That's impressive.

Steve was a presenter at the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) conference in Denver. He was nice enough to mention me during his bean presentation. I felt very special.

So imagine my surprise when I was standing at the Mexican food place in the airport on my way to my Southwest flight, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I was intently studying the menu. "Are you trying to figure out the nutrition of this stuff?" Steve asked.

"No, I want to figure out what I might eat," I replied. Steve had already eaten and wanted some coffee. I wanted to check out my other options so we walked together. It turned out that the Mexican place seemed most appealing -- a better choice than bagels. So we circled around to the Mexican place again where Steve and I talked over my bean tostada with guacamole. It was small and tasty and just a bit spicier than I expected for an airport restaurant.

Steve said that his burrito was quite good. Now, that's like me saying that those vegetables get a B+ for their taste. Steve knows his Mexican food. In fact, as we talked he mentioned that he's now the Big Bean Guy because he's growing so many pounds of them (this has nothing to do with Steve's stature, so don't even go there).

It's almost futile to try to buy Steve's beans at this point because many of them are sold out (but check them out anyway because you never know). He'll have his next crop in the fall. But keep watching because Steve told me that since the Times article the bean farmers are coming out of the woodwork and he should be able to increase production for this year. That means in October or November there could be beans for sale.

Steve is also working with Mexican growers who according to Steve are "beyond organic" because they have to use natural methods for their crops due to lack of money. We talked about how beans are not a crop that is often bothered by a lot of pests. Probably too much work for pests who prefer to attack strawberries as an easy target.

In any case, it was special to share time with the "Big Bean Guy" at the Denver airport. Even though Steve only lives about an hour from my home, we've never had a chance to just chat for 40 minutes. You never know what might come your way --- some heirloom beans would be great. And if you've never had them, there's always later in the year.

Watch for my guest nutrition blog post on Steve's site soon. The preview: beans are very good for you, and for Steve, too.

Nourishing the Nation with Alice Waters

Thank goodness there are people who can tell me when to turn on the TV. If I were like many of my friends, I probably wouldn't even have a TV but I have a teenager, and the two go hand in hand. Also, my husband likes to watch movies.


In any case, I found out early enough on Sunday that Alice Waters, of Chez Panisse restaurant, and now Slow Food and the Edible Schoolyard, fame was to be on 60 minutes. It was a coup of sorts that finally the media cared enough to listen to someone, and not just any someone, talk about (in her words the best that I can recall) how our food is making us sick.


When Lesley Stahl, the interviewer, said that people called Alice elitist, Alice responded by saying something such as "good food should be available for everyone." When they were at the farmer's market (this must have been filmed during Slow Food Nation which was held in September) looking at my favorite Bronx grapes for $4 per pound, Lesley asked Alice about being able to buy food like that, at that price.


Alice said that some people want to buy Nike shoes but she chooses to spend her money on good food. Hip hip hooray. (Obviously, Alice can afford both but likely doesn't wear Nike shoes no matter what.)


For some people food is a choice and for others it is about enough calories in the day. We have to straighten this out so that we insert nutrition into the equation somewhere, some how, for everyone. Think of how we might clean up the health care system at the same time -- now that's a concept.


The final part of the interview was Alice recommending that we have an edible landscape at the White House to show that we care about nourishing our nation. We need food for all, and a return of the Victory Garden. Let the White House lead the way.

First Light Farm CSA Delivers in Sonoma County

Although I have only met Nathan Boone once I can tell you from my experience with farmers, that he is the real deal. One look at his First Light farm, which wasn't even named when I visited, revealed that his fields are planted and grown from, and with, his heart.

I am pleased to announce that he now has spaces in his CSA and will deliver to Santa Rosa and points beyond. He's looking for people to host drop off points, and if you get 10 people to join his community supported agriculture program, you will get 50% off your membership. IMHO, getting 10 people to do anything, especially if it involves money, is tough.

So, rather than think about the money you could save if you could only get 10 people interested, think about the incredible nutrition that you'll receive by signing up with Nathan at First Light Farm.

There are also other local CSAs such as Tierra Vegetables and Laguna Farm but First Light is the proverbial "new kid on the block" and I want to support Nathan's vision. And quite a vision it is.

Since I eschew CSAs because it doesn't allow me to support many farmers, I won't be signing up. I will still frequent the farmer's market. But if you don't, and have been considering having more fresh vegetables in your life, this might be the solution.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask me jill@theveggiequeen.com or contact Nathan. Eating locally grown food is one of the best things that you can do for yourself and the planet.

John Ash Encourages Sprouting and So Does The Veggie Queen

If you read my previous post you know that I had the privilege of taking a cooking class with John Ash. The most amazing part of the class for me was when John talked about sprouting arising from his hippie days.

I have known John about 20 years and I just can't imagine John as a hippie. I'd have to see the pics to believe it. But I did see his sprouter from those days, and it is very cute. He said that he's had it for many years but it was in just fine shape. They sell a similar one on Amazon for $10.95.

John also encouraged people to sprout with the simple method: quart glass Mason jar, cheesecloth and a rubber band. I have used that method often but sometimes substitute a paper towel for the cheesecloth. I also have a green plastic sprouting lid and a wire mesh lid that fits into a quart jar ring.

I tried my green plastic lid most recently, inspired by Ash who encouraged everyone to go out the next day, Saturday, and start sprouting. He brought his "home-grown" fenugreek sprouts to the class in their sprouter. It was a touching moment.

John also talked about how he's not a gardener and how sprouting fulfills that desire to grow something. That's just my style, too. I had no idea we had that in common.

I was remiss in following Chef Ash's directions to start the next day, as I started sprouting on Sunday, not Saturday, by soaking some French green lentils, along with broccoli, radish and mustard seeds, in a quart jar with my new, green sprouting lid. I found that the holes in the plastic lid made pouring the water out a bit more difficult. I also removed the lid to add water to do the twice a day rinsing.

By day 3, the sprouts seemed ready so I took them out of my kitchen cupboard, where they had lived upside down in a bowl, and put them near a light-filled window so that they could get cholorphylled up, and get green.

This morning I had a half-full quart jar of my own beautiful sprouts. I have been sprouting for possibly as many years as John but I'm not sure as he is a bit older than I. I can tell that having,and growing, sprouts satisfies some deep needs for each of us.

And now, on to the next batch -- I have a 1 pound bag of spicy mix so I had better get to it. Might throw in some red quinoa, just for kicks. Oh, the possibilities are almost endless.

Growing sprouts is very exciting and provides almost immediate gratification, if you can wait a few days. It's hard to realize that each bean, seed or nut actually contains the energy of an entire plant that will yield many more. Give it a try.

A photo will appear as soon as I learn how to use my new camera.

10 Things that The Veggie Queen and John Ash have in Common

I was going to write a post specifically about 1 subject when it dawned on me that John Ash and I share a number of characteristics which I wanted to share with you. Not quite as interesting as Letterman but...

Here goes:

1. Our names start with the same letter
2. We both live in Sonoma County -- Santa Rosa to be exact
3. We're writers
4. We encourage people to use local ingredients
5. We're each cooks and not bakers or gardeners
6. We're each irreverent when we teach and love to share stories
7. We've shared the same behind-the-scenes person, who we both adore
8. We support local and encourage others to do the same
9. We encourage farming without poisons, or the Cide sisters as John refers to them (pesticide, fungicide and herbicide)
10. We've both been sprouting in our kitchens for many years

And it's the last one that I will really post about next time. So, be on the lookout for more about sprouting.

The Veggie Queen Asks: Two Dollar Avocados: Yes or No Way?

There was just a report in the LA Times about a shortfall of avocados this spring due to a heat wave last June. It's supposed to be the smallest crop since 1990, and possibly even 1980. So, the big question, is would you pay $2 for an avocado?

One farmer said that due to the economy, people might balk at that. I am very curious about this. So, what do you say? Yes to $2 avocados? Or no way?

I will buy them but not often at that price. I wonder what will happen to people who eat raw which often includes lots of avocados. Perhaps, they all have loot these days and the price of an avocado doesn't matter.

What do you think?

The Veggie Queen's Last Minute Great Gifts To Buy and Give

If you've waited too long to go shopping, or got stuck somewhere in a snow storm, then I have some wonderful gift recommendations.

Check out the Da Vero website and look at their Club Nuovo. It's best for those who live in Sonoma County because they have events at the farm, but maybe it will give you a good reason to come visit my scenic part of the world. I would love for someone to buy this gift for me. You get 5 shipments of the artisan Da Vero products for $175. It's a deal. And Colleen and Ridgely are really nice people. It makes me happy to support my local peeps.

Notet: McDougall followers, please ignore the one that follows.

Another great Sonoma County product that just entered the marketplace is Smoked Olive Oil. It has to be one of the most unique products that I've seen in a long time. I am not suggesting that you just dump olive oil on your food, and it's unlikely that you could afford to with this product, but if you want to flavor your food in a very different way, this does it. Use it sparingly, for cost and waistline savings.

Finally, although it is too late to order my book, The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment, or DVD, Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes, you can still place an order and I will send an email card to your recipient, and get your book and/or DVD in the mail right away. I also still have some Garlic Twists available.

Or just sign your friends and family up for my free email newsletter. No cost to you and plenty of benefit for them -- better health, more recipes and good information (or at least that's what I've been told).

Happy winter solstice and other holidays.

LandPaths Bayer Farm Harvest Festival

Sometimes I like to volunteer in my spare time, especially if I am asked and if it's something fun. I could not turn down the opportunity to cook at a Harvest Festival right here in Santa Rosa. It's in a primarily Hispanic neighborhood on a beautiful site that was an old farm which now sits right in the middle of lots of apartments, located across from a school. The site was purchased by the city of Santa Rosa with Landpaths as the non-partner partner. I worked on a project through the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy that involved the school, the community and the farm so it holds a special place in my heart.

It also is pretty wonderful that 16 families got to have their gardens there this year, plus a community area which yielded produce to sell two days a week. All around this farm is a win-win situation.

As I drove up to the festival I saw so many people walking in, it was quite amazing. It was estimated that 500 hundred people attended.

I cooked a vegetable dish that we named something exotic for the population -- Vegetable Melange du Jour. We could have named it Vegetales del Dia but that wouldn't have seemed so good. I used produce picked from the garden a couple of hours before. It included peppers, squash, eggplant (berenjena), tomatoes, kale, collards and chard, onions and garlic (the latter 2 I brought with me but they were locally grown). I added some Bragg's liquid amino acids to the dish and it was really good. I made a number of fast batches in the pressure cooker that we served on small pieces of bread.

There were kids who came back and asked if they could have more. There were grown women who asked how to cook eggplant. A woman asked the name of the green that I was using which was kale. She said that she'd seen it growing but didn't know what it was.

It was a beautiful warm, Indian summer Northern California day with people enjoying themselves outdoors. And I got to do some awesome education there. I keep gaining clarity that once people try new vegetables and realize that they taste OK, that they are more likely to buy them, especially if they have some idea how to cook them. And that's where I come in, having fun doing it.

Photo by LandPaths -- Craig Anderson.

The Veggie Queen Loves Beans

It is likely no surprise that I love to eat beans. I don't care if they're the green, yellow or purple bean type, fresh shelling beans or dried beans, regular or heirloom. They are all wonderful in my opinion.

My friends, Jill and David, at Crescent Moon Farm did me a huge, big deal favor a while back and picked and labeled about 10 kinds of shelling beans for me that I used for one of my show, tell and taste demonstrations. I had Cherokee Trail of Tears, Painted Pony, 2 types of Cranberry -- one almost white and the other dark red, and a number more. I shelled them and added them to dishes but with only a few pods of each, it didn't add up to a meal. But soon there will be dried beans for sale and I can stock up, if I can afford it.

Yesterday I bought cranberry beans from Tierra Vegetables and enjoyed shelling them to teach a cooking class at The McDougall Program today. I made my soup for a Chilly Fall Night, even though it was the day time. Still yummy with winter squash, peppers, cumin, tomatoes, corn, and cilantro for a garnish. But back to the beans...

I realize that growing, picking and threshing beans is a labor intensive, labor of love type process which justifies the high price but there is a limit to my purchasing power. I consider the heirloom beans equivalent to eating a gourmet meal out in the world. Truth is that I much prefer my special beans to most meals that I can get.

Although yesterday fellow Registered Dietitian Jeff Novick and I ate at Peter Lowell's in Sebastopol where they offer a darned good (but possibly overpriced) macro bowl, with brown rice, beans, vegetables and your choice of tempeh, seitan or tofu. I got a really good ginger-something dressing with it that was really fresh. Jeff didn't say it but I know that he liked my tempeh better than his tofu so next time maybe he'll order that. Jeff liked the dish and the place is the "greenest" restaurant in Sonoma County.

And this brings me back to the expensive beans. If I cook my own rice (not in a nice oven proof crock) and serve it with the beans, vegetables and I'd add some of my very tasty sauerkraut, it would cost me far less than $9.50, even with my $8 per pound beans. Generally a pound of beans will yield from 5 to 7 cups, at a cost of more or less a dollar at the high prices. Add in my rice and veggies and I can have a darned good "gourmet" meal at home for a few dollars. The heck with eating out, except that what happens to the rice and other ingredients in that wood-fired oven is rather magical. And I've got to learn how to make the ginger dressing. And then I'm there.

For now, I wait for heirloom beans to be dry and ready to buy.

Victory Garden Means Something Different to Me

Those of you who read this blog probably know that I walk my dog Bear every day, along a creek trail that backs up to homes. I see many backyards along the way. What I most notice is what's growing: who has a pear tree, where the figs hang over the fence, where to find the most succulent (and clean, if you know what I mean) blackberries and who has a nice garden.

This year I noticed a few gardens in particular. One of them used to be spectacular in its bounty but that was a few years ago. This year I saw just one squash plant, and it seemed to take over. I now see that it is a giant pumpkin-like squash possibly growing as a Harvest Fair entry.

A couple of yards down they plant a garden yearly. Usually there are a couple of tomato plants that shrouded by a PVC cage and plastic early in the season. These plants grow quickly as their home obviously traps heat and keeps them from the frost. This year I saw that the garden also has a summer squash, a number of flowers such as dianthus and a peach tree bearing fruit.

In the yard directly adjacent to the small garden, there was a lot of activity early on with raised beds, large pots, drip irrigation pieces and more. The garden got all set up, the plants looked great and I was certain that this garden was going to thrive, as it was so much lusher than the neighbor’s was. (BTW, I don't think that they actually see each other or their yards due to a large fence between them. This is California where this is common.)

I had tomato envy as I watched daily as their plants grew large, green and strong. However, sometime in the summer, when I saw large red tomatoes in the small garden I saw plants in the other garden start to die back. Now, the raised bed garden is in shambles and seems quite disregarded.

And all of this brings me to my little raised bed garden -- hardly a Victory Garden (which is more of what my mother has) except for me. I’m thrilled to harvest the fruits of my labor. This year it's strictly tomatoes as my two cucumber plants died, and I had to pull out the nasturtium that adopted aphids that hopped onto my tomatoes.

My tomatoes seem to be doing fine except for some attacks by critters who want to claim them as their own. It will be the battle of the wills and wits to see who ends up with more fruit. I am still waiting patiently for the first ripe tomatoes to arrive and it seems as if they will this week. I always hope to have them by the end of August but not this year.

If you live east of the Rocky Mountains, you are lucky, as your summer garden doesn't need watering but mine does almost daily, especially if it is hot, as we don't get summer rain. Despite that, I like to grow what little I can, and just participating in the process is the victory for me.

Another Beef Recall: Whole Foods is NOT exempt

I wonder how many beef recalls need to happen before people realize that eating conventionally raised beef is a bad idea. It's a bad idea, in the same way that eating mass packaged produce is -- there is just too much risk. And somehow the idea that if you bought the stuff at Whole Foods it was going to be pure, is now turned on its ear (or somewhere else).

The latest recall is for 1.2 million pounds of beef that came from Coleman's Natural which had assured Whole Foods that its product was just fine. It turns out that they processed their beef at Nebraska Beef Ltd. which had a recall of 5.3 billion pounds just over a month ago. The reality is that considering the amount of beef eaten, very few people were affected by the E. coli. But truth is, you don't want to be one of them. Either give up beef or buy it locally, from people you know.

I make this point repeatedly -- know where your food comes from, and know the people that grow it or raise it. Doing that will keep you much safer from the danger that exists in the world on a daily basis, especially with something as sensitive as food and your body.

Food safety is a serious matter, and you have the power to do something about it. Buy local, buy organic and make friends with your farmers.

this isn't about me: Cezanne's Carrot: “The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution!”

this isn't about me: Cezanne's Carrot: “The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution!”

You will find me, The Veggie Queen, and my website mentioned on this blog. I just love the quote and can only hope that the day is coming soon although, I suspect that a ripe tomato would more likely set off a revolution but any vegetable revolution, or evolution, will do.

Cherry Picking Home Grown Humor

I have been picking cherries with my friend Ellen a number of times in the past week. Most enjoyably we spent a couple of hours doing this just a few days ago and then for another hour this morning. This morning's picking on Ellen's neighbors' roof yielded about 40 pounds of cherries in a hour. (Wow. Thanks Ellen.)

I can't think of a better way to connect with your food than by picking it with your own hands. There is something about the repetitive motion and the silence in the fields, punctuated with the sounds of buzzing insects and birds, that brings you back to your primal self. I have said it before and I repeat it, "I am a gatherer, and I love it."

I also enjoy dealing with the fruits of my labor and figuring out the best thing to do with surplus. The choices are eating fresh, cooking, canning, drying and freezing. For many things, eating fresh is best but eating too many cherries can be painful. What I mostly do is freeze them but drying would be good, too, although I must get a dehydrator. Think that I will look for one on Craigslist or Freecycle.

Today I am going to make raw cherry pie with an almond agave crust. Yum, yum. (If it turns out great, I will share the recipe in my next post.)

On a completely different topic, this morning I went to buy something for the potluck for the last day of school for my son. I paid by credit card and the young woman laid a napkin down on the glass case and said, "These slips are funny and it's easier to sign them like this."
I said, "Not ha ha, funny, right?"
She replied, "No, they have no sense of humor."
"You obviously do," was my retort.
She shot back, "I grew it myself."
"That's really good," I said, as I fumbled for a dollar to put in the tip jar. Humor like that is priceless but the dollar would have to do.

You know how much I love the connection with growing things, and you can't beat home grown humor, or fruit for that matter.

Tomatoes -- Eat Local, Buy Local, Grow Your Own

As a follow-up to the tomato announcement of last week. The Progressive Grocer reports:

Salmonella Tomato Outbreak Spread to 16 States

Latest word from FDA is that retailers should only sell cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine, no matter the source.

The government agency said consumers should not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes unless they can be sure the tomatoes are from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands, or Puerto Rico.

FDA told consumers to contact the store where they bought the tomatoes to confirm the products’ origin. “Consumers should continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home,” FDA said. FDA said its recommendation do not apply to cherry, grape, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, from any source.

FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators not offer for sale and service raw red Roma, raw red plum, and raw red round tomatoes unless they are from the sources listed above. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, may continue to be offered from any source.

Since mid April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul nationwide, including at least 23 hospitalizations. States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Salmonella Saintpaul is an uncommon type of Salmonella. (End of their report.)

This is just another reason to know where you food comes from and know the people who are growing it. Or grow your own.

Everyone needs to learn how to grow at least one plant. And if it could only be one, then a tomato is a great start. Especially in light of this recent disturbing news.

FDA Issues Tomato Warning -- Grow Your Own

I just read that the FDA issued a warning in New Mexico and Texas for tomatoes because there has been an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul, a more unusual strain of salmonella. The report which I read on Food Navigator News says, "Since late April, 57 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in Texas (24 persons) and New Mexico (33 persons). Patients range in age from 3 to 82 years, and at least 17 persons were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported", said the US CDC.

They aren't sure if the salmonella is linked to a grower, a packing plant or is geographical. What I'd recommend, as usual, is that you grow your own tomatoes or buy them from someone that you know. Shop the farmer's market when possible. So if there's a problem you know that you can go to the straight to the source.

My guess is that there won't be problems. Remember that buying from the industrial food chain seems to be part of a recipe for disaster. And likely, you will have better tasting tomatoes, the closer that they are grown to home. Out the back door may be best but if not, get them from someone you know who is close by.

Summer tomatoes -- oh, joy.