Confessions of a Convenience Packaging Addict April 21, 2010

I have some confessions to make.

My kids watch TV. Educational TV, of course, in limited quantities at appropriate times. But many experts say they shouldn’t be watching any television whatsoever, and the Smart Mom inside my head knows there is some truth to this. But early on a Sunday when my daughter wakes up, the coffee is not yet perked, it’s too early for the newspaper to arrive, and I don’t want her to wake everyone else in the house… I don’t much care what the experts say. I’m not ready to start coloring, play-dohing, reading, and puzzling my way through the 6 o’clock hour of our Sunday morning. So she watches some Elmo, and I try not to fret too much.

It’s the same with my weekly grocery run. I stroll through the produce section, working from my list, and note that I have written “fruit for snacks.” A bag of clementines, check. A bunch of green bananas, check. A half-pint of million-dollar blueberries, check. And then, I furtively glance around to see who is watching before tossing a plastic box of sliced, bagged organic apples into my cart. As I make my way to the cashier, the evil box grins up at me like an early 1980s styrofoam hamburger holder. I quickly cover it with the radishes. The Green Mom on my right shoulder gives a dirty stare to the Busy Mom on the left side. Miser Mom hides behind my shirt collar, whispering to me about how I could have just picked a bushel of apples for the same cost as that little box.

If I were my most amazing self, I would only buy organic, locally grown apples at the farmers’ market and slice them on demand for the kids’ snacks. But no matter how much lemon juice I squeeze or how cold I keep them packed in the lunch cooler, they still turn brown. No one wins in this situation, because I have wasted money and time, they don’t eat the brown apples, and they’re still hungry.

We’re working hard to “eat the rainbow,” and for a family on the go, sometimes shortcuts and convenience packaging make the choice between apple slices or animal crackers much easier. I toss a bag into my purse at 2:00 p.m. when I’m dashing out the door to pick up my son from school, with a toddler in my arms who is still half asleep from her nap. The apples will sit in my bag for almost two hours before she’ll ask me for them in the waiting room of the karate studio, and tah dah! They’re still crunchy, crisp, and white. I’m not sure what kind of magic fairy dust gets sprinkled on the slices before the bags are closed, but there is nothing suspicious on the label, so I don’t much care.

It is not always possible to make selfless choices. I’m buying convenience for a few extra dollars and I feel good about what the kids are eating. It’s not Jim Henson’s furry monsters that the experts have a problem with–it is their delivery method, their packaging, that is controversial. Choosing good health and convenience at the expense of six mini plastic bags in the trash and a plastic carton in my recycling bin every week does weigh on my conscience a little bit. Mother Nature is the only one in the equation who really loses out. I hope she’ll forgive me. Little bags of pre-sliced organic apples (the conventional ones do get mushy and slimy) are like precious jewels in my fruit drawer.

What are your supermarket confessions?

We Got a CSA Share…Now What? April 21, 2010

The wait is over! We have been moved off of the wait list for a CSA share at a local Massachusetts farm. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In a typical CSA partnership, the farmer agrees to provide a season’s worth of vegetables to the consumer (usually known as a shareholder) at the rate of approximately one bag or box per week. Some CSA farms provide other items as well, such as eggs or fresh flowers, and will take back your vegetable scraps for their compost. The farm gets the benefit of an early-season influx of cash, and the shareholder gets the benefit of ultra-fresh local and organic produce ready for pickup every week.

We’re striving to go greener at my house, but our biggest challenge these days is eating healthier as a family. Four family members, two vegetable haters, one fruit hater, four sweet teeth–it all adds up to a big challenge for the head chef. I’d like to increase my family’s overall appreciation of fruits and vegetables through a little bit of excitement about “our farm.”

My children have the amazing luxury of picky eating habits, and I appreciate teachable moments about the miracle of food in abundance whenever I can snatch one. They haven’t the foggiest idea of how food gets to the grocery store. It’s just there. I’m pretty good at making their meals nutritious while catering to their preferences, but we’ve gotten into a bit of a rut that I’d like to dig out of this summer.

Additionally, becoming shareholders means a more convenient opportunity to actually choose how our family’s food is grown. We will be nudged toward thinking more about the quality of care for the earth for future generations. Best of all, being part of a local farm means family time and fun.

Our farm share will cost $650 for 22 weeks, which works out to just less than $30 per week. The looming question is: what will we get and how much of it will be there? My sister in law is skeptical, “What will you do if one week you get three pounds of parsnips?” I hope that won’t happen, but the truth is that I have always planned first and shopped second. The CSA method might work out really well for me–I’ll get my produce first and then plan the meals around it.

Even a seasoned shopper of farmers’ markets and health food stores is likely to encounter challenges when faced with preparing food straight off the farm. The contents of my CSA farm box will be dependent upon the farmer’s field plan, the New England climate, and the effect of specific weather on the crops. But I’ll get by with a little help from my friends: cookbooks and the internet. Cheers to an adventurous and delicious summer!

Fresh from the Farm Recipes
Asparagus and Green Bean Salad
Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad with Buttermilk Herb Dressing
Berries with Lemon & Mint Syrup
Squash & Rice Casserole

Recommended reading: Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables/Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by John Peterson and Angelic Organics

(Always Working Toward) Greener Grocery Shopping April 21, 2010

When I plan meals and shop for my family, my goal is simple: I want the best quality and variety of food based on mostly fresh ingredients, organic whenever possible. I used to sit down once a week with a stack of books and recipes, two sheets of paper, and my agenda book to do the planning manually. Using Plummelo to search recipes and make my lists electronically has cut my planning time in half, but I still run into the same-old shopping problems. Occasionally there isn’t an organic option for an item I need and I must make do with what is available. And I’m fine with that. What frustrates me the most is when I cannot track down something I need at all–in a conventional or organic variety. I challenge you to locate jicama at a “regular” supermarket in the suburbs. Even the produce manager at my local branch of a very large grocery chain had never heard of it!

There are times when I tried shopping the European way: buying only what I need and selecting the freshest foods that have traveled the smallest number of miles between their origin and my table. If I could make myself get used to this, I’d run into “the jicama problem” much less frequently. Inevitably, though, I find myself stumped as to what I’m going to do with the beautiful eggplant I brought home. Then I look at recipes only to find that I must go back to the store to make the eggplant dishes that appealed to me most. Now I’ve traded the jicama problem for an eggplant problem. But jicama/eggplant problems aside, it does work much better for my family if I plan first and shop later. Most of the time I am able to find the items I need.

A decade ago “going green” and buying organic or local seemed like more of a fad than anything; now these concepts are in the vernacular. Families are faced with even more product choices than ever, and the responsibilities can overwhelm the average shopper. Knowledge is responsibility, and I occasionally long for the days when I didn’t realize my mid-winter berry purchases had a true and lasting impact on so many aspects of the consumer food chain. Becoming a locavore has a certain amount of appeal, but I approach the idea with great trepidation as a New Englander used to long, cold winters, surviving on produce grown in warmer climates. I’m not really looking to become a pioneer woman.

I count myself among regular folks who are still a ways from making “eco friendly” our number one priority. I don’t know a single family that doesn’t worry about their two most precious commodities: time and money. My husband jokes that Whole Foods should be called “Whole Paycheck,” and although it is a mindset we are working to move past, he’s absolutely right. Stuff is pricey there. But it’s also the best shopping experience around with the highest quality product selection. Whole Foods’ marketing strategies make shopping with the earth and our health in mind very easy for us. I’ll pay a little extra for that inspiration. We’re on the waiting list for a local CSA farm share. I don’t know if I’m up for the challenge of being presented with a crate of produce every week and then figuring out how best to prepare and serve it. But I know I can use that bounty as the basis to plan my weekly shopping and feel good about it. I wonder if I’ll get any jicama…

On a lighter note, If you’re just in the mood to feel a little green this season, here are a few recipes that will inspire you with their verdant hue. A true vegetable hater tested the Spring Greens and Potato Soup, and he went back for a second bowl! It would make a beautiful first course for a spring dinner party. Chocolate Cannoli Sandwich Cookies are dressed up with a sprinkling of lovely green pistachios. Lastly, when you have to buy a big bunch of cilantro for a single recipe (or are stuck with an exploded herb garden later next season) try Cilantro Pesto as a coating for simple grilled fish or shrimp or a light topping for pasta. If your vegetable drawer is overflowing with leftover arugula or flat-leaf parsley, try that instead for a different flavor.

Green Recipes
Spring Greens and Potato Soup
Chocolate Cannoli Sandwich Cookies
Cilantro Pesto

Rush Hour Shortcuts April 21, 2010

I start each week with grand plans of beautiful dinners and creative leftovers for lunch. But over here at the corner of rush hour and reality is a very busy family of four, and to make our dream meals come true, we have to be dedicated. We’ve gotta do the planning, the shopping, the chopping–and clean it all up afterward. And I don’t mind doing it; but we also need to be at a meeting, drop off at karate, pick up at ballet and make it to our dentist appointments. Cue “The Lone Ranger” theme song.

Celebrity chefs, magazines and cookbooks inspire me to strive toward better end products in the kitchen. But if I hear one more time about homemade chicken stock that I can “just throw together when I keep a bird carcass and vegetable trimmings in my freezer,” I might throw in the towel and call for pizza. Sometimes I like to pretend I’m Rachael Ray making a 30-minute meal, and I’ll really time myself. It’s doable if I’m organized–and many of her ideas are inventive and delicious. The caveat is that sometimes I use every pot, bowl and spoon in my house and subsequently spend an hour cleaning up. After all the time I have spent channeling Rachael, do you think she might let me borrow her staff to take care of the aftermath?

I am constantly looking for shortcuts that cut down on shopping, cooking and cleanup time that will not result in a lower-quality end product.

Three ingredients I rely on that allow me to pull together my favorite dishes on the fly are bottled minced garlic, bottled minced ginger and boxed broths. Sure, garlic keeps for a while, but eventually it does get that green sprout; the stink is impossible to get off my hands after I’ve minced it; and every garlic press I’ve ever owned has kicked the bucket within a few months. A piece of fresh ginger does keep in the freezer for months–just as Rachael says it does. Wonderful! If you can remember that you’ve got it and then find it behind the popsicles.

Homemade stock? I do this after a holiday when I have roasted a turkey. But 360 days of the year at my house are all about boneless skinless cuts of meat that cook quickly at the dinner hour. Homemade stock is just not a regular occurrence. Boxed broth adds flavor to so many things I cook without adding any extra fat.

Purists may balk at the use of these shortcuts. I’ll readily admit that as much of a food snob as I have become, I don’t notice the difference when I’m whipping up a quick sauté at 6:30 on a Tuesday night. Keep an open mind and experiment with these three shortcuts. I have a favorite brand of broth (Whole Foods 365) and bottled minced ginger (The Ginger People), but the garlic seems to be the same no matter which brand I try. I throw it in salad dressings, mash it into softened butter, make garlic bread… my family is none the wiser that I didn’t peel and chop the stuff. I doubt yours will be, either.

Quick Weeknight Recipes
Tortellini, Spinach, and Cherry Tomatoes
Vietnamese Pork & Noodle Soup
Fresh Ginger Cookies

Bring Home The Bacon (But Don’t Fry It Up In a Pan) April 21, 2010

Once upon a time when I was new to a group of friends, a now-dear pal asked about the fruit salad at a summer party, “Is it vegetarian?” I laughed out loud, wondering how a fruit salad could possibly incorporate meat. Little did I know that my gang could find a way to sneak bacon into just about anything. “Bacon makes it better” is a favorite motto. Bacon has gotten a bad reputation as a greasy diner food that has no place in a healthy diet; but cooks can use bacon to add punch to otherwise boring meals without going overboard. I think the larger problem with this salt-satisfying cured pork product is that although it is easy to cook, it’s messy and sometimes painful (splatters! ouch!) with intense cleanup. And the house can smell like bacon for days.

When I have bacon on hand, I will cook a pound in the oven on a Sunday evening and then use it sparingly during the week. If the idea of cooking an entire pound is too much for you, just do one tray and freeze the other half-pound for another week. This method is simple, easy to clean up, and creates amazingly flat slices of cooked bacon. The odor dissipates more quickly, and best of all, you don’t have to stand over a hot stove nursing your splattered skin as you try to turn the slices over. We like to make BLT’s on whole wheat bread with a side of vinaigrette-dressed slaw. This makes a quick dinner on a night when we’re all running out to meetings, practice, and coffee dates. It’s also a perfect solution to a morning playdate that spills over into lunch. When I have cooked bacon on hand I dice and sprinkle it onto baked potatoes with light sour cream to create a restaurant-style “loaded” baked potato; crumble and top creamy soups such as chowders or potato soups for maximum crowd-appeal; and dice and add just a slice or two to big leafy salads with slices of grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak.

My personal favorite? Add the pre-cooked bacon to a quiche for a fancy lunch with friends and add a salad on the side. Once you have mastered the basic method for quiche, the variations are endless. Quiche is elegant for entertaining during the day–even if you have vegetarian guests, because it is just as easy to make two pies–one with bacon or ham, one without. When I made this heavenly Zucchini, Bacon, and Gruyere Quiche, I roasted the bacon in the oven and sauteed the veggies in olive oil. I also used a favorite brand of frozen pie crust to save time. (Cheater method: you can even use pre-cooked bacon!)

In the winter I aim for one type of soup per week. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t see soup as a satisfying meal unless it contains fatty meat products and is accompanied by bread of some sort (sound familiar?), so I try to add things to round out our dinner. I used to stop at a bakery for fresh bread on soup day, but now that I have two busy kids I find that extra stop to be a chore. Savory Bacon and Cheddar Muffins are easy to pull together (you can make the batter the night before and scoop and bake at dinner time) and are a good complement to a soup or salad meal. Vary them by using herbs or other cheeses, or diced ham in place of the bacon if that’s what you have on hand. And one last surprise. No, no, I am not giving you a bacon-laced fruit dish here–instead another rather unexpectedly delicious flavor combination: Maple-Laced Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies. Make them for a tailgate party or any other gathering that includes the meat-loving people in your life.

Simple Easter Brunch March 19, 2010

Planning a real-time holiday meal for a big family with lots of little kids has absolutely shattered all my youthful visions of us laughing together around a fancy dining room table set with china and crystal. My father carving a beautifully roasted lamb, my brothers exclaiming over the silky texture of the chilled soup, the children relishing their Brussels sprouts…it just doesn’t happen. What does happen is that the kids are hungry long before the meal is ready, they need their plates of food dished first, and inevitably have seventeen requests for refills and other accompaniments all at different moments. By the time my sister in law, Mom, and I all sit down to actually eat our own meals, we’re sweating and exhausted. And our chilled soup has actually gotten warm.

photo courtesy of Adlife Marketing

For Easter this year, my solution to the usual chaos is a casual brunch buffet that has foods to please the adults as well as the kids with very few modifications. It is almost 100% Barefoot Contessa inspired, and all recipes can be found on www.foodtv.com except for the dessert and salad.

Peach Bellinis

Fruity Spinach Salad

Scrambled Eggs with Roasted Asparagus

Orange Baked Ham

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Easter Brownie Cups

I’m planning to change the Peach Bellinis for the kids by swapping the champagne for club soda; I even found some plastic wine glasses at iparty, so they will be very impressed.  I’ll put aside a little bit of fruit from the spinach salad for them.  Fortunately everyone loves scrambled eggs and ham.  I’ll need to omit the nuts from the Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe because of an allergy.  Lastly, my friend Eleanor’s genius idea of turning a simple pan of brownies into Easter egg nests would charm even the most hard-hearted adult.  View her instructions at:

http://site.pinkpeppermintpaper.com/blog/2010/03/18/easter-sweets/

photo courtesy of Eleanor Touchet and Pink Peppermint Blogger

The great thing about brunch is that it is so easy to add to and change up without messing with the overall theme of the meal.  If this meal is too sweet for you or you need another dish, try a wild rice salad.  Need more bread?  Brioche and fruit butter or fresh bagels and flavored cream cheeses would be perfect!

Fruity Spinach Salad (serves 4)

6 cups baby spinach

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup mandarin oranges or sliced peaches

1 cup glazed walnuts

1/2 cup poppyseed dressing

1 t fresh lemon juice

1/2 t granulated sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing, lemon juice and sugar. Toss dressing with spinach and place it in a shallow bowl or on a rimmed platter. Decorate with fruit and nuts and serve immediately.

Hello world! March 19, 2010

For many years now, I’ve been saying that when I grow up I want to be a food writer.  No idea how to get started.  Then recently I received an opportunity to become a guest blogger on a fabulous new site called Plummelo.  I’ve started writing and it feels sooooo good!  I have more ideas than Plummelo really wants, I’m sure, and not everything I want to write about fits their theme and tone.  And so I have to conquer my own prejudice that blogging is an entirely narcissistic entity and get rolling.