Save the Earth: One Day, and Bite, at a Time

A few years ago, okay many years ago, while a wee youngster in high school, Earth Day came onto the scene. To celebrate, our local rotary club sponsored an Earth Day essay contest with a grand prize of $100.

That’s more than I’ll be making on this blog entry, but I did win that essay contest years ago and nervously read my prose to a room of elderly men who probably hadn’t heard of Earth Day before that morning. In the end, it helped pay for my first semester of books in college.

So, here it is, Earth Day 2008 and I once again find myself writing. Since there isn’t a minimum word count this time, we’ll keep it short. And this time, it’s all about food. So here’s how we recommend you celebrate Earth Day – things you can start today to change your ‘eating habits’ in the coming year:

Eat Local: visit your farmers’ markets, join a CSA and support small producers!
As late spring approaches here in the Midwest, many local farmers’ markets are gearing up for another six-month run. And, if you’re too busy to peruse the markets, try subscribing to a CSA – consumer supported agriculture plan. In these plans, you receive a box of fresh, in-season produce at least once a week.

A great resource to start your search is Local Harvest - visit their website at: http://www.localharvest.org/.

Turn Your Thumb Green: plant your own food.
You don’t need an acre to have a great garden. Heck, you don’t even need a yard. With that said, I have an acre and I still find myself planting heirloom tomatoes, herbs, eggplants, peppers and more in large planters on the large, south-facing side of my deck. It has its own tropical microclimate going on and the results are fabulous as long as I (or more likely my husband) water every day. Another advantage, the smaller pots of herbs are brought into my sunny kitchen in the fall to provide small batches of fresh green goodness all yearlong.

Try the Cooks Garden at http://www.cooksgarden.com/.

Recycle: save your scraps, your yard waste and your newspapers.
Turning your local newspaper into a flower or vegetable bed is easier than you think. It’s better to start this in the fall, but you can get good results in the spring, too. Place layers of old newspapers and over shortly cut grass, drench with water, top with mulch and voila, you’re on your way with braking your back removing sod or wasting gas on a sod remover or a garden tiller.

And lastly, celebrate Earth Day by starting yourself a pile of “black gold.” It may not be the pot at the end of the rainbow, but a good compost pile, made up of free used bits such as leaves, yard waste and kitchen scraps will lead to a bright rainbow of produce and flowers in your garden.

According to the University of Illinois Extension Office, compost makes clay-based soils easier to work and plant; it makes sandy soils hold water more easily; and ultimately, compost improves overall plant growth and health.

Overall, composting is also a good way to save money to return the nutrients of yard waste to your garden. For more information on how to get started, visit: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/compost.

- GE, 4/22/08

The Radish

These little red, ruby globes remind me of warm summer days and games of chance – the chance that the next little radish you popped whole into your mouth might be the hot peppery one that’d bring you to tears and tingle on your tongue. My grandmother always planted a large garden each year and nothing is better than a fresh, homegrown radish – but when you have to fix a mid-winter craving, the radish hits its high season around February each year and you’ll find them sparkling like jewels in the produce aisle. In the Midwest, the radish season begins early spring (these are one of the first fresh vegetables you’ll find in area farmers’ markets) and lasts until fall.

A part of the mustard family, radishes are, and have been since pre-historic times, enjoyed the world over. While we’re most familiar with the red, small globular variety, there are also a wide variety of colors from white to red to black and sizes – such as the large Japanese Daikon radish that can be up to two feet in length and sports a white flesh.

Radishes pair well with: horseradish, black pepper, salt, apples, celery, vinaigrettes, chives, parsley, lemon, oranges, wine or sherry vinegar and bitter greens like arugula. They can be enjoyed in salads, as a garnish and in crudités. They are milder in the spring, when they are fresh picked from the earth, and they need to be firm so they are not pithy in texture.

While the French enjoy radishes ice cold with small bowls of soft, creamy butter, salt and pepper for dipping and popping, a lot of us folks grew up enjoying a good old-fashioned radish sandwich of soft white bread, a little butter and sliced radish goodness - One-part dainty tea sandwich and one-part utilitarian snack.

The radish greens can also be enjoyed and both the greens and the radish root are extremely low in calories but high in vitamins. The greens are a great addition to salads and can be cooked along with the roots for a variety of delightful dishes.

It may seem a bit odd to cook radishes but the process softens their bite, concentrates their flavor and the result is a caramelized slightly crispy and savory addition to any meal.

Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Pan-Roasted Radish
An elegant meal for two, the velvety and meaty texture of the sea bass is the perfect marriage to pan-roasted radishes finished in a sauce of butter and vermouth.

1 dozen red radishes (a small bunch)
2 sea bass filets, about one third-pound each
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ to ½ cup dry vermouth

Prep radishes by trimming away most of the tops leaving a bit of stem, then slice lengthwise into halves or quarters for roughly all the same-sized pieces.

Heat one tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sea bass and sear on one side until nice and brown then remove from the pan with the seared side up. Add the radishes and cook until brown and crispy.

Add the vermouth to create a sauce, and then add the sea bass back (seared side up) cover and let steam for 6-8 minutes (checking to make sure vermouth has not completely evaporated away and adding more if necessary).

Uncover, remove from heat and add the last tablespoon of butter to finish the sauce.

Plate and enjoy. Serves 2.


- GE, 4/15/08

Grapes Migrate Off the Cheese Plate

There’s something naughty about a fresh, ripe grape. The way its thin skin is pierced as we bite down to release sugary and sour juices that at once make your tongue shiver and your taste buds dance a little jig. While grapes are a natural guest at any respectable cheese party, the little sweet-tart globules are making their way into main courses.

Any collector or owner of vintage cookbooks has probably scratched their head at some point upon seeing grapes plopped unapologetically into cream sauces and served along roast beast or fowl. While execution may be the downfall in these old-time dishes, the concept is sound. Grapes, either enjoyed as an icy cold addition to a savory dish or heated to release their natural sugars, are popping up in unusual ways.

Take for instance, the season finale of the third season of Top Chef. When faced with the last minute challenge of creating a fourth course, seasoned competitor and chef Dale Levitski paired sliced green grapes with purslane (a succulent, peppery herb often unfortunately viewed as a weed) to create a fresh, herbal bed upon which sat a perfectly pan-seared scallop.

And that’s the key to utilizing grapes in savory dishes – pairing the sweet, tangy and tart fruit with a tender, caramelized and often-salty counterpoint. A variety of cooks and chefs pair grapes with strong cheeses, roasted fowl, strong fresh greens like arugula and spinach, cured meats such as bacon and sausage and of course fresh pork and firm fish.

To caramelize over direct heat, sauté seedless grapes for 10 to 12 minutes over medium to medium-high heat – either on their own or towards the end of the cooking process for the meat or fish to which you’re pairing the grapes. Another great idea is to oven roast bunches of grapes in a 400 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes (lining your baking sheet with parchment paper) to caramelize the grapes’ natural sugar content and concentrate their flavor. These grapes make a sweet and savory – and edible – garnish to roasted meats, salads and even, cheesecakes.

Pick of the Bushel

A visit to an apple orchard is a must during crisp fall days in the Midwest. As the ruby red, blushing pink and zippy green skins of fresh apples entice you to open your wallet here are a few regionally grown apples to look for during September through October:

MacIntosh apples, an old family favorite as they were readily picked in my grandmother’s orchard. A soft apple, they're a little tart and are good for baking and great for making homemade applesauce.

Jonathon apples are tart but they're great for baking and sauces. Eat them while their fresh, they don't store as well as other apples. Honeycrisp apples have a great bite, are nice and juicy, crunchy and sweet as their name implies. They're best for just eating and snacking try them with some brie or cheddar. Mutsu apples are usually larger than most apples and are quite sweet this makes them an excellent choice for eating, baking and making homemade sauce. Winesap apples are quite tart, but as a late season apple, they are store extremely well. Braeburn apples are sweet with a tart ring, they are best for eating, but are good for baking and they also store well. Cameo apples have a great bite and are nice and sweet. They're great for eating and baking and will keep for a few weeks.

Apples can be stored in a breathable bag in the refrigerator or another cool place for a few months. Just make sure to remove any apples that start to soften as they can cause other good apples a shorter storage time.