Food 101: Michael Pollan on Oprah

I don't watch Oprah, but yesterday was an exception. It was a big day for food! Michael Pollan was a guest on her show. They chatted about his new book Food Rules and about the movie Food, Inc. I was jazzed to see how many clips from the movie they played during the show.

The show started out with a Food 101 quiz. Really interesting. See how much you know.

It would be impossible to sum up everything they talked about - I'm not that good a note-taker anymore - but there are a couple of quotes I think worthy to mention:

Oprah: "It makes you think. We all have to start paying more attention to what we put in our bodies. Do you know where your food comes from, what's been added, what's been taken out, what happens before a label goes on it?"

Oprah: "The consumer really is the biggest voice behind whether there will be real food or not."

Pollan: "This issue is very empowering, we get 3 votes a day. You don't have to get everyone of them right, but if you get one right a day, buying sustainable food or food that's humanely grown, whatever is important to you, as long as you vote with consciousness, things will change."

The entire episode isn't available online, but you can watch an excerpt here.

Sure, there is a long way to go in getting people to be conscious of what they are eating and where it comes, but this was a giant boost into the mainstream audience.

New England State of Mind

For me, the joy of living in New England is all about the change of seasons. And, in my desire to eat more locally, this means that what I’m eating also reflects this natural cycle.

Spring. Fresh, new growth. There is lots of green with things like fresh herbs, lettuce, swiss chard, kale and asparagus. And, don’t forget the rhubarb.

Summer. Ingredient explosion. My plate is filled with things like: berries, cherries, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, summer squash, corn and so much more!

Fall. Winding down and going warm. Autumn harvest foods include apples, pears, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, onions and garlic!

Winter. Slow and warm. These are foods that take longer to cook. Many of the Fall finds are still around but you also have winter squashes, parsnips, and turnips. Maple syrup may be available year-round, but it is in winter when nature allows us this harvest.

All in all it’s amazing how my body craves whatever is in season at each phase of the calendar. I admit in summer and fall it’s a breeze to be a New England locavore. Winter is my biggest local food hurdle.

Eating fresh, seasonal produce is a good way to connect with the rhythms of the natural world. Not only is it delicious, but purchasing locally grown and seasonal produce is usually wallet-friendly too.

Want to know what’s in season in your state? Check out What’s Fresh Near You from the NRDC. If you’re on the go and have an iPhone download the Locavore App. It auto-detects where you are, shows you fruits and veggies currently in season, gives you farmer’s markets nearby and links to recipes

This is cross-posted as part of the New England Bloggers birthday carnival. See all of the participants in this blog carnival at Thoughts From An Evil Overlord.

Movie Time: The Real Dirt on Farmer John

It's official, I have seen all the films mentioned in the post 5 Food Films Everyone Who Eats Should See on Change.org.

This weekend I watched The Real Dirt on Farmer John. It is the true story John Peterson, a third-generation Illinois farmer who struggles to stay afloat as family farms decline. In the late 1960s he transformed the farm into a hippie commune of sorts attracting hundreds of artists, hippies and other political radicals. When the agriculture crisis of the late 1980s led to the farm's eventual collapse he nearly called it quits.But after soul-searching and wandering, he finds the strength to pull himself together and became a leader in CSA agriculture as head of Angelic Organics. He is endearingly unconventional and his story is moving.



John Peterson is not your typical mid-western farmer and in the end that's a good thing. He was able to reinvent his farm. It gives me hope for the future of sustainability and agriculture.

A Study In Price Comparison

Thanks to Mangochild, writer of the blog Living In A Local Zone, I learned about a study conducted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Iowa investigating the question: "Is local food more expensive than its non-local counterpart?"

In a nutshell: No.

For example, let's say you have a vegetable basket consisting of zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, string beans, sweet onions, tomatoes, and sweet corn. The mean price per pound if those veggies are local was $1.25. The mean price per pound if those veggies were non-local was $1.39.

Note that the study was conducted during peak growing season. It's common sense that if something is out-of-season, there is less of it and therefore costs more. To me this says when a fruit or veggie is in-season buy it locally for optimum value (and taste)!

Anyway, you can read the entire study as a PDF here.

In The Local News

Here are a few of the things I've read lately in local newspapers thanks to CT Environmental Headlines.

Ambler Farm’s programs encourage sustainable practices

Nice article by the Wilton Bulletin about Ambler Farm. Here's an excerpt:

"Ambler Farm’s mission is to celebrate our community’s agrarian roots. Before the birth of our throwaway society, rural communities such as Wilton had no choice but to reuse and recycle everything they could. They grew their own food and hay to feed their animals, created organic compost from garden waste and leaves, stitched quilts from fabric scraps, made felt and knitted.

The programs for children, families and adults offered this winter and spring at Ambler Farm examine and celebrate these industrious and “green” ways in the garden and elsewhere. Discover how we may re-introduce sustainability into our lives." Read the entire article...

Cheesemakers make Cato Corner Farm a cheese destination

The Day had an article about Cato Corner Farm. According to the article the farm produced 50,000 pounds of cheese in 2009! I've sampled their cheeses at the Litchfield Hills Farm Fresh Market. Delicious! Read the article...

Green thumb group wants more community gardens for Ridgefield

Last but not least, The Ridgefield Press had a story about creating a second community gardens for town residents. Read the article...

A Winter Curry

A large butternut squash sat on the counter. It taunted me. It begged me to think of something new to do with it. So, I asked friends and searched the internet. Finally, a few interesting flavor combinations caught my eye. Ah, inspiration at last. Taking a little from here and little from there, I concocted my own recipe for a spicy, flavorful curry. All the measurements are approximate - I just was feeling and tasting it as I went along.

Roasted Butternut Squash Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium-large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• Half yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 12 oz. cooked, diced tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In large bowl toss butternut squash with 1/4 cup olive oil and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the coated squash pieces onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 45 min. to an hour, or until tender.
4. In a large saute pan fry the diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil.
5. Add the garlic, ginger and saute for a minute or so.
6. Add the curry powder and mix it around the pan.
7. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Once the spinach is wilted, toss in the roasted butternut squash.
10. Let everything simmer in the pan for a couple of minutes.
11. Add the yogurt and lemon juice. Stir to evenly distribute.
12. When the sauce is lightly bubbling remove the pan from the heat and serve!

Note: This would be great over rice or served with flatbread.

So, what are some interesting things you do with winter squash?

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday.

Help Get Us Some Applause

Okay, this post is complete self-promotion ... however ... I'm hoping if you've seen and enjoyed my web show The Natural Princess that you'll help the show get some industry applause. And, well, an award would look really nice on the mantle.

Voting ends Jan. 15th!

The Streamy Awards is co-hosted by a consortium of leading new media companies to recognize outstanding achievement for shows produced originally for broadband distribution.

Fans drive the nomination process, and the most-nominated show in each category will be an automatic nominee. The other nominees will be determined by a panel of industry experts, who will also vote to determine the winners.

Thanks for your support.

Food Rules on The Daily Show

Michael Pollan appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night promoting his new book Food Rules. However, I have to admit that staying up past 11pm on a Monday night doesn't happen too frequently! So in case you're like me and you missed it or forgot to DVR it, here is his segment.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Michael Pollan
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

I love Michael Pollan's answer to Jon Stewart's opening question about the overriding rule to follow: "Eat food." It's amazing what a loaded answer that is.

I'm looking forward to reading the book.

Welcome 2010

Another year is upon us ...

My husband and I always "unplug" between Christmas and New Years. This year we enjoyed celebrating the winter holidays for the first time in our new home. It felt especially gratifiying to do a lot of nothing during our hiatus. The power of sleep and rest when it comes to our health is often overlooked. To us part of "being well" is to not only eat well and exercise our bodies and minds, but also occasionally "unplug" from it all. We are rested, renewed and ready take on 2010.

This year I look forward to producing new episodes of my web show, The Natural Princess. Sadly the show, a side project we do in our free time, was truly pushed to the side in 2009 while we focused on our "day job". We plan to catch up and push ahead with the show in 2010. You can help with our plans: Are there CT or nearby NY farms you adore and would like to see on The Natural Princess? Let us know and we'll see if we can get them on camera. Are there ingredients you'd like us to do recipes for on the show? We'll try to get creative.

I also have plans for a garden at our new home. This winter I'll research things and figure out what to plant. Herbs, tomatoes ... Any suggestions? Last year my mother and I had moderate success with a small garden at her house. This year I'll be on my own. Hopefully some of her gardening prowess rubbed off on me.

Let's see what else is on my to-do list: Renew my CT NOFA membership, Get together with a few of my fellow CT food bloggers, develop some easy, interesting recipes for live cooking demos ... there just is so much to look forward to!

What are your plans for 2010?