Archive for November, 2009

Every November I make Pumpkin pies. Usually a lot of them, as we have friends who love them. We buy organic pumpkin close to Halloween, don’t carve them and then roast them right before Thanksgiving.

To roast them, I cut them in half and scoop out the seeds – we make toasted pumpkin seeds with those – then I quarter the pumpkin. Put the pumpkin quarters on a baking sheet and roast at 350º for around an hour until nice and fork tender. It will vary depending on how big the pumpkins are.

Once they’re roasted, let them cool, then scoop them out of the skin and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. You can refrigerate the puree for up to three days or freeze it. We use the puree for pies mostly, but also pumpkin bars, cookies and muffins on occasion.  Using fresh pumpkin is less expensive and much more delicious as well.

Here’s our favorite recipe. It makes two, 9-inch pies. Quite often I double it and make four.

Ingredients:

3 cups pumpkin puree – we use fresh but you can of course, used canned pumpkin (not pie filling).

¾ cup Honey

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie seasoning

1 tsp. salt

4 organic eggs

1 cup milk  – we use raw milk but you can use any kind, even rice or soymilk

2 pie shells – we usually use whole wheat

Mix ingredients in the order given.

Pour into pie shell and bake,

10 minutes at 450º

40 minutes at 350º, or until firm and set.

Let cool to room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  You can also wrapped the cooled pies well and freeze.  Enjoy!

Read more, great posts at Pennywise Platter Thurdays here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/12/pennywise-platter-thursday-123.html

Read more, great posts at Real Food Wednesday here: http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/12/02/real-food-wednesday-december-2-2009/

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.  We had dinner at home with friends and family gathered here.  It was a wonderful holiday.  I am thankful for our family and friends.

We made our first Heritage turkey, which was very good and made our usual holiday side dishes, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans and cranberry sauce. We found an organic cranberry sauce this year, which was wonderful. I am thankful for the amazing meal we enjoyed together.

Today we are making a turkey broth, with a recipe from Tender Grassfed Meat, by Stanley Fishman. I am grateful to Stanley for writing this book. We are using it more and more in our daily cooking.

Last June we got four baby chicks.

This is Goldie getting a tummy rub. It alway put her to sleep when she was little. When the girls were bigger we move them to their coop.  I love this coop and highly recommend it if you are in a suburban area and would like a few backyard chickens.

The girls are our pets. I bring them oatmeal mixed with kefir every morning. They are loved and spoiled! LOL   Every morning when I bring them breakfast (they have organic chicken food available at all times in their coop), I check for eggs. Lately I’ve been telling the girls they are slacking as they’re now 24 weeks old and we still haven’t had any eggs. This  morning when brought breakfast out, as I do everyday, I checked the nest.  And there was a beautiful green egg!  We have two Barred Rock chickens and Two Easter egger chickens and we were convinced that that Luna, one of our BR’s would be the first to lay.  Barred Rocks lay brown eggs. But low and behold, sweet Goldie was fussing in the nest and she was the first to lay.  It was very exciting.

Now along with the fresh organic vegetables from our garden and the great box of fruit and veggies from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, we are on our way to having fresh organic eggs. I am thankful for our eggs!

And, last but not least, I  am thankful for Moms For Safe Food.  I have learned so much and met so many great people since starting Moms.  I am grateful for all the other food bloggers and writers who are helping to teach people what real food is and how to prepare it.  I am thankful for all of you.

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving – Sheri aka Mom

I do look forward to the day that there’s no GMO’s left. It’s time to encourage our farmers to grow real food. We can all do that by buying organic & pesticide free food from our local farmers – Mom

Monsanto guilty in ‘false ad’ row

France’s highest court has ruled that US agrochemical giant Monsanto had not told the truth about the safety of its best-selling weed-killer, Roundup.

The court confirmed an earlier judgment that Monsanto had falsely advertised its herbicide as “biodegradable” and claimed it “left the soil clean”.

The company was fined 15,000 euros (£13,800; $22,400). It has yet to comment on the judgment.

Roundup is the world’s best-selling herbicide.

Monsanto also sells crops genetically-engineered to be tolerant to Roundup.

French environmental groups had brought the case in 2001 on the basis that glyphosate, Roundup’s main ingredient, is classed as “dangerous for the environment” by the European Union.

In the latest ruling, France’s Supreme Court upheld two earlier convictions against Monsanto by the Lyon criminal court in 2007, and the Lyon court of appeal in 2008, the AFP news agency reports.

Earlier this month, Monsanto reported a fourth quarter loss of $233m (£147m), driven mostly by a drop in sales of its Roundup brand.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/8308903.stm

Monsanto GM-corn harvest fails massively in South Africa

South African farmers suffered millions of dollars in lost income when 82,000 hectares of genetically-manipulated corn (maize) failed to produce hardly any seeds.The plants look lush and healthy from the outside. Monsanto has offered compensation.

Monsanto blames the failure of the three varieties of corn planted on these farms, in three South African provinces,on alleged ‘underfertilisation processes in the laboratory”. Some 280 of the 1,000 farmers who planted the three varieties of Monsanto corn this year, have reported extensive seedless corn problems.

Urgent investigation demanded

However environmental activitist Marian Mayet, director of the Africa-centre for biosecurity in Johannesburg, demands an urgent government investigation and an immediate ban on all GM-foods, blaming the crop failure on Monsanto’s genetically-manipulated technology.

Willem Pelser, journalist of the Afrikaans Sunday paper Rapport, writes from Nelspruit that Monsanto has immediately offered the farmers compensation in three provinces – North West, Free State and Mpumalanga. The damage-estimates are being undertaken right now by the local farmers’ cooperative, Grain-SA. Monsanto claims that ‘less than 25%’ of three different corn varieties were ‘insufficiently fertilised in the laboratory’.

80% crop failure

However Mayet says Monsanto was grossly understating the problem.According to her own information, some farms have suffered up to 80% crop failures. The centre is strongly opposed to GM-food and biologically-manipulated technology in general.

“Monsanto says they just made a mistake in the laboratory, however we say that biotechnology is a failure.You cannot make a ‘mistake’ with three different varieties of corn.’

Demands urgent government investigation:

“We have been warning against GM-technology for years, we have been warning Monsanto that there will be problems,’ said Mayet. She calls for an urgent government investigation and an immediate ban on all GM-foods in South Africa.

Of the 1,000 South African farmers who planted Monsanto’s GM-maize this year, 280 suffered extensive crop failure, writes Rapport.

Monsanto’s local spokeswoman Magda du Toit said the ‘company is engaged in establishing the exact extent of the damage on the farms’. She did not want to speculate on the extent of the financial losses suffered right now.

Managing director of Monsanto in Africa, Kobus Lindeque, said however that ‘less than 25% of the Monsanto-seeded farms are involved in the loss’. He says there will be ‘a review of the seed-production methods of the three varieties involved in the failure, and we will made the necessary adjustments.’

He denied that the problem was caused in any way by ‘bio-technology’. Instead, there had been ‘insufficient fertilization during the seed-production process’.

And Grain-SA’s Nico Hawkins says they ‘are still support GM-technology; ‘We will support any technology which will improve production.’ He also they were ‘satisfied with Monsanto’s handling of the case,’ and said Grain-SA was ‘closely involved in the claims-adjustment methodology’ between the farmers and Monsanto.

Farmers told Rapport that Monsanto was ‘bending over backwards to try and accommodate them in solving the problem. “It’s a very good gesture to immediately offer to compensate the farmers for losses they suffered,’ said Kobus van Coller, one of the Free State farmers who discovered that his maize cobs were practically seedless this week. “One can’t see from the outside whether a plant is unseeded. One must open up the cob leaves to establish the problem,’ he said. The seedless cobs show no sign of disease or any kind of fungus. They just have very few seeds, often none at all.

The South African supermarket-chain Woolworths already banned GM-foods from its shelves in 2000. However South African farmers have been producing GM-corn for years: they were among the first countries other than the United States to start using the Monsanto products.

The South African government does not require any labeling of GM-foods. Corn is the main staple food for South Africa’s 48-million people. The three maize varieties which failed to produce seeds were designed with a built-in resistance to weed-killers, and manipulated to increase yields per hectare, Rapport writes.

From: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/270101

Here’s another great article about Monsanto from Dr. Mercola, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/21/France-Finds-Monsanto-Guilty-of-Lying.aspx

Read more great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/11/real-food-wednesday-112509.html

We ordered some wonderful grass fed beef recently and one of the cuts we got were short ribs. They need to be cooked long and slow, and are best eaten the next day.  They’re SO good. Short ribs are an inexpensive cut of meat, we paid $3.00 a pound and four pounds made six servings. The meat is similar to brisket, but even better. 🙂  Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans and you have a delicious and comforting meal.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

These braised ribs are even better the next day–on their own or inthe delicious sandwich that follows.

Original Recipe by Tom Valenti, chef and co-owner, Ouest, New York City

SERVINGS: 4 SERVINGS, PLUS LEFTOVERS

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 pounds grass fed meaty beef short ribs on the bone

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 organic celery ribs, coarsely chopped

1 organic carrot, coarsely chopped

1 large organic onion,coarsely chopped

1/2 cup organic tomato paste

5 thyme sprigs

3 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

1 quart organic chicken stock, homemade is preferable

2 cups dry red wine

1/3 cup white vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325°. Heat 2

tablespoons of the olive oil in a large

enameled cast-iron casserole. Season

the ribs with salt and pepper. Add half

of the short ribs to the casserole and

cook over moderately high heat until

browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the

ribs to a plate. Repeat with the

remaining oil and ribs.

1.

Add the celery, carrot and onion to the

casserole and cook over moderate

heat until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook,

stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes.

Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay

leaf and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2

minutes. Add the stock, wine and

vinegar and bring to a boil. Return the

short ribs to the casserole, then cover

them and braise in the oven until the

meat is very tender, about 3 hours.

2.

Transfer the ribs to a platter. Strain the

braising liquid, pressing hard on the

solids; skim the fat. Season with salt

and pepper. Serve half of the ribs with

some of the sauce. Reserve the rest in

the remaining sauce for sandwiches.

The short ribs can be refrigerated in their

sauce for 3 days.

from: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/red-wine-braised-short-ribs

Read more great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-november-20th

We make hummus a lot, and with teenagers in the house, it goes fast!

This is our basic recipe and we play with it a lot. You can make it to taste and experiment with different herbs. We’ve made parsley hummus, chive hummus, spinach hummus – we always use garlic, and sometimes scallions.

Recently we’ve tried taking the skins off of the chickpeas, after they’re cooked. This is time consuming but makes a wonderfully smooth hummus. If you have time, it’s worth the effort. You can also used canned Organic chickpeas, but chickpeas are so easy to cook and it’s less expensive too.

Basic Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups dried chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)

2 tablespoons whey or lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

2-3 heaping tablespoons tahini ( sesame seed paste)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice – we usually use the juice of one large lemon

1/4 to 1/2 cup cup olive oil

1 teaspoon celtic or sea salt

Directions:

1. 1.Cover chick peas with warm water. Stir in lemon juice or whey, cover and let sit overnight on your stove.
2. 2.If  you want to take the skins off, drain, rinse and pick off skins. Otherwise drain, add fresh water to cover and bring to a boil simmer for at least 2 hours and up to 6, until the chickpeas are very tender.  Drain – and save about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid for the hummus.
3. 3.Put the garlic and any herbs/spinach you are using into a food processor or blender and blend until  minced fine.
4. 4.Once the garlic/herbs are processed add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Process and blend. If you need more liquid you can use the reserved cooking water or more olive oil. Taste.
5. 5.You can add more lemon juice, salt or olive oil. If you like it spicy you can add some cayenne pepper or black pepper. We’ve been making hummus for years and we still vary to taste. You can serve it with crackers, bread, pita bread or celery. Enjoy!

Avoiding GMOs—It’s Harder than You Think

By Stanley A. Fishman, Author of Tender Grassfed Meat

Want to avoid GMOs? You’re not alone. Polls consistently show that 90 percent of the people polled would not buy a product if they knew it contained GMOs.

Perhaps that is the reason that the United States government has made it illegal for manufacturers and sellers to label a product as containing GMOs.

While 90 percent of the people would not knowingly eat GMOs, it is likely that over 90 percent of the American food supply contains GMOs.

Even Organic Food May Be Contaminated with GMOs

I used to think that I could avoid GMOs by buying organic. Sadly, that is no longer true. Seeds from GMO crops are blown by the wind, or transferred by insects, and can contaminate non-GMO crops, even organic crops.

I learned this the hard way. We buy all of our milk and cream from an excellent local dairy. I was recently shocked to learn that the owner of the dairy had tested the organic grains he bought for his herd, and found that one-third of the grain was contaminated by GMOs. He now tests every lot of grain he gets before feeding it to his cattle. I had thoroughly investigated the dairy, researched their methods, philosophy, and feed. I was convinced that their products were free of GMOs. I was wrong.

The contamination of the Canadian flax crop by GMO flax was described on this website on November 9, 2009. https://momsforsafefood.org/Blog/Entries/2009/11/9_Entry_1.html

The situation has been made worse by the weakening of the organic standards. It used to be that the word “organic” meant that everything in the product had to be 100 percent organic and that no GMOs were allowed.

The new organic standards, adopted during the Bush Administration, created three different definitions of organic:

1)“100 percent organic” means that all ingredients in the product must be organic.

2)“Organic” means that no less than 95 percent of all ingredients in the product are organic. The remaining 5 percent do not have to be organic.

3)“Made with organic ingredients” means that at least 70 percent of the ingredients in the product are organic. The remaining 30 percent do not have to be organic.

I’ve seen conflicting information on whether the non-organic ingredients contained in organic products must be free of GMOs.

The contamination of organic crops by GMOs has become such a huge problem that a major effort is under way to test organic products for GMO contamination and to create a non-GMO label.

GMOs Are Everywhere

It is estimated that over 91 percent of the soybeans, over 75 percent of the corn, over 70 percent of the canola, and over 80 percent of the cotton grown in the United States is GMO. Oils made from soy, corn, canola, and cotton are commonly added to processed foods. These oils constitute the vast majority of “vegetable oil” used in the United States. Many other substances made from GMO soy and GMO corn are added to processed foods. Conventional vegetables are often coated with a wax that contains oils made from GMO soy and/or GMO corn.

GMO bacteria and other GMO substances are used in the manufacture of many medications. GMO soy products are often added to supplements. Pesticides containing GMOs are often sprayed on crops. Several artificial sweeteners contain GMOs.

How to Avoid GMOs

Since GMOs are so pervasive, it is hard to avoid them. But it is not impossible. Here are some tips that I use to avoid GMOs:

Avoid Processed Foods

Almost all conventional processed foods contain GMOs. An exception would be processed foods that state they have no GMOs. Even organic processed foods may contain GMOs, due to the contamination of organic crops by GMOs.

The only processed foods I buy are labeled 100 percent organic and do not contain any of the most common genetically altered crops, such as soy, corn, canola, and cotton. I will not buy something that contains “vegetable oil,” as vegetable oil almost always consists of soy, corn, or canola oil.

Eat Only Organic (Or the Equivalent) Dairy Products

Conventional dairy products almost always come from cattle that have been fed GMO feed, such as soy and corn. Some conventional cows have been injected with genetically modified bovine growth hormone. It is important to research the dairy you use to make sure that it really is organic, or the equivalent.

Eat Only Grassfed and Grass-Finished Beef, Lamb, and Bison

Conventionally raised beef, lamb, and bison are usually fed GMO feed.

Eat Only Organic (Or the Equivalent) Produce

Conventional produce is often sprayed with GMO pesticide, and/or coated with wax containing GMO oils.

Don’t Eat Anything Containing Soy, Corn, Canola, or Cotton

Because so many of these crops are GMO, even the organic versions are often contaminated with GMOs.

Only Eat Seafood that Is Wild Caught

Farmed fish and other farmed seafood are usually fed pellets made from GMO soy.

Do Not Use Artificial Sweeteners

Some artificial sweeteners are made with GMOs. If you must use a sweetener, stevia is a natural non-GMO substance.

Only Use Organic Sugar Made from Sugar Cane

At least half of the sugar in the United States is made from sugar beets. As of 2008, most of the sugar beets used for making sugar are GMO. While a Federal judge has recently ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture violated the law by approving the use of genetically modified sugar beets without first having a comprehensive report done on its environmental impact, the Court has not yet, to my knowledge, prohibited the actual sale and growing of these GMOs. Sugar made from sugar cane, is not GMO.

Know Your Source, Buy Local

One of the best ways to avoid GMOs is to buy as much of your food as possible from local farmers and ranchers who do not use GMOs. You can actually ask them how they raise their crops and animals, and find out exactly what you’re getting.

Be Informed and Be Vigilant

Knowledge is power. The biotech industry is constantly trying to introduce new GMO crops and the only way you will know about it is by checking the news on a regular basis. The conventional media is not interested in exposing the existence of new GMOs, and your best source is the Internet. There is no better place to start than this website.

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-november-13th/

I highly recommend Stanley’s cookbook, we use it all the time. – Mom

Curried, Orange Ginger Chicken

This was the first time I cut a chicken down like this and it wasn’t too hard. Prep time was only about 15 minutes and the chicken is cooked in 35-40 minutes. It was really delicious – the sauce makes the dish.  I only had blood oranges, which is why they look so dark in the picture – but they worked. We served it with a fresh green salad and baked sweet potatoes.

Whole chickens are much less expensive then buying individual parts, and if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby they have very reasonably priced organic chicken.

Ingredients

3-1/2 pounds Whole Organic, Free Range Chicken

6 slices Fresh Ginger

2 teaspoons Kosher Or Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoons Ginger Powder

1 teaspoon Curry Powder

1/2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Oil

1/4 cups White Wine

1 whole Orange, Cut Into 4 Sections

Preparation Instructions

Preheat your oven to 475F.

1. Turn the chicken breast-side down. Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, begin cutting 3/4″ to the right side of the backbone and cut all the way to the other end. Repeat with the left side.

Discard the backbone (or save for stock). Lay the chicken flat on the cutting board, skin side up. Use the palm of your hands to press down on the breast to break the rib bones and flatten. Pat the chicken on both sides very dry. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, ginger powder, curry powder and pepper.

2. Heat a large oven-safe frying pan (I prefer cast-iron) large enough to fit the chicken over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Carefully lay the chicken skin side down in the pan. Scatter the ginger and oranges around the bird. Let cook for 2 minutes. Turn off stove, place the entire pan into the oven for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and carefully turn the bird over so it is skin side up. The skin should be browned. Return pan to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast not touching bone is 165F. Remove the bird from the pan and tent with tin foil to keep warm.

4. Keep the orange wedges. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings from the pan. Place the pan onto your stove top and turn the heat to medium-low. Pour in the white wine and scrape the surface of the pan to loosen any bits. Squeeze 2 of the roasted orange wedges into the pan and reduce sauce by half. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here, http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/11/pennywise-platter-thursday-1112.html

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here, http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-november-6th/