Why Veganic Gardening

Veggies First off, let me say this: you do not have to be vegan to do veganic gardening. Veganic gardening is for those who want truly organic fruits and vegetables grown in a sustainable manner. Of course, it helps if you have a working understanding of what vegan is—no animal or animal byproducts. Oh, look! You now have a working understanding of what vegan is! Now we’re all on the same page.

I started to pay close attention to how my food was grown when I found out that mushrooms, one of my favorite ingredients (much to the horror of my mother who despises them), are grown in shit. Usually horse shit. And nothing much else. Well, that just grossed me out. (There is actually a multitude of things you can grow mushrooms in, such as sawdust and straw and coffee grounds, but large commercial entities tend to lean toward poop.)

Have you seen a mushroom before? If so, then you know how close to the ground they grow. On nothing but their stem. And with all those gills and rounded caps with tight little edges that are perfect for hiding things in. Like the shit they grow in.

Mushroom Farm

And then I realized, hey…why am I getting my undies in a bunch over mushrooms when ALL my organic veggies are fertilized with shit? And hey…wait a second! If I’m paying higher prices for “organic food,” why are we feeding fertilizer (a.k.a cow shit) to said organic food that has come from factory farms that may or may not use organic feed but definitely use hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals? That would be like paying for purified water and then storing it in a bleach bottle.

WHO’S THE FOOL NOW?!

That’s when I discovered the practice of veganic agriculture. Like organic farming, veganic doesn’t use any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or GMOs. But that’s where the similarities end. Veganic takes it to the next level and doesn’t use any manure, blood meal, bone meal, feather meal, fish meal, fish emulsion, and shrimp compost…things commonly used not only on commercial farms (and organic food comes from commercial farms!) but also in consumer gardening products like the potting soil and flower food you get at your local hardware store. Yeah, BLOOD MEAL is in your potting soil! Think about that the next time you go to test the soil for moisture by jamming your pointy finger into it. I’m just sayin’.

Cow poop bad!

So why are these things bad? Well, think about. Pesticides and hormones can accumulate in an animal’s body just like it does in ours. Even diseases like mad cow disease can be spread through bone meal. And studies have shown that plants actually absorb antibiotics, causing great concern about antibiotic resistance. So if the food you are feeding your plants has this stuff in it, you might as well serve up a side of Roundup with that steamed broccoli of yours. It’s practically the same thing if that broccoli wasn’t grown using veganic practices.

And there’s one more important component to veganic agriculture that I find very appealing: as much as possible, veganic growers make their fertilizer (more on what fertilizers are used in another post) using what is directly available to them on the land in which they are planting. In other words, the goal is to replenish the biodiversity of the very land being used. If you’re extracting something from the soil, you are robbing it of vital nutrients. If you don’t replace that, then the soil dies...and that’s when you have to truck in fertilizer from an outside resource, thereby robbing whatever land that fertilizer came from from its natural nutrients. See the problem here? Not very sustainable, is it? So by using fertilizer from the land that you are going to be taking from, you are creating a long-term, bountiful cycle of healthy, living soil. Now doesn’t THAT sound like something you want your broccoli to come from?

And that’s why I’m doing veganic gardening. It’s more organic. It’s more sustainable. It’s more low impact. It’s more compassionate. It’s more safe for all involved.

‘Nuf said.

They’re Back!!

My Recipe File FoldersAll is right in the world, once again. When I left Minnesota, I didn’t have enough room in my suitcase to bring back the nine file folders (stop judging) that hold all my favorite recipes I’ve printed off websites or photocopied from borrowed cookbooks. So with great reluctance, I handed the folders over to my dad and asked him to mail them to me. And he did. Via UPS. Which took a week.

Side note: For whatever reason, UPS seems to have a hard time getting to or from Minnesota. I can mail a package to New York and a package to Minnesota on the same day and the New York one arrives TWO DAYS earlier than the Minnesota package. It’s like UPS purposely avoids doesn’t know where Minnesota is and gets lost. Every. Single. Time. Hey UPS, Minnesota is right there between the Dakotas and Wisconsin and above Iowa. And yes, I know those states are easy to ignore hard to find too, but TRY harder! And besides, isn’t there an app for that?

Anyway…

To some, being without your recipe box or book or binder or whatever you store non-cookbook recipes in may not seem like a big deal. In fact, to those who don’t like being in the kitchen at all, you probably see it as a blessing and a grand excuse to go out and eat. I, on the other hand, have been a nervous wreck since they left my hands.

Serving suggestions and more

You see, those folders contain years’ worth of handwritten tweaks, suggestions, changes, comments, and notes on them…something that cannot be easily recreated, if at all. I mean, for the love of sweet Jesus, how am I supposed to remember to omit the called-for three tablespoons of sugar in my absolute favorite Ginger Stir Fry recipe? Or that when at first glance, the Kale, Mushroom, and Polenta Lasagna dish seems like it would pair perfectly with red wine but my notes say a Chard-Viognier is the way to go. Or could you imagine if I tried to make my Tofu Palak in a regular pot instead of the Dutch oven that I noted it should be made in? Oh, the horror! Me in the kitchen without my recipe notes would be like Sarah Palin making a speech without crib notes on the palm of her hand. Sometimes a girl just can’t depend on her memory alone.

Use the Dutch Oven!

So that HUGE sigh of relief you heard around 1 p.m…that was me happily being reunited with my recipe folders. Welcome home, my loved ones. Let’s get cookin’!

As If The Two Can Be Separated: They Can’t

I know the 2010 football season is behind us but I just came across this article in Sports Illustrated that I think is still relevant today. In talking with reporter S. L Price for the article, “Is it O.K. to Cheer?” (Nov 29, 2010), Michael Vick said, “That’s the truth. I had to go through what I went through to be where I am now.”

This prompted Price to reflect:

“People speak of being conflicted about watching Vick, hating his crime and loving his game, as if the two can be separated. They can’t. Think about it: Can it be that only hard time, earned by vile acts, made Vick the player he is now? For Vick to touch greatness, did dogs have to die?

As long as he keeps playing, and winning, those questions and that uncomfortable sensation aren’t going away. We’re seeing something special now but have no choice except to hear, amid the highlight banter and the roaring crowd, a sound rise as if from the cellar. The scrape of tooth on bone: It, too, is a part of every wondrous pass, every perfect decision Michael Vick makes.”

The article is worth a read. Balanced, understanding, yet unflinching in observation, the piece ultimately is less about Vick and more about us. Forgiving Vick is one thing. But it’s something entirely different to emancipate him from his actions, as he and his supporters are asking us to do every time he steps out onto the field.

And that begs the question: What does a second chance look like? After all, Vick was doing just fine as a construction worker after his release from prison.

I bring this up today because I think we are all faced with giving, and receiving, second chances all the time in our own lives. Granted, most of us aren’t personally dealing with someone who maliciously beat, tortured, and killed dogs. But that certainly doesn’t mitigate our situations any. Baggage is baggage. Some of it is heavier than others. Who we choose to offer a second chance to is as personal a decision as who we choose to marry. But Price is right, it says a lot about who we are.

There is a lot of wiggle room when it comes to forgiveness, redemption, and “moving on.” The definition of “transgressions” is a moving target. But there are certain things I stand for and make no exceptions to. If you hit me, you will never be a part of my life again. If you steal from me, I will not even give you forgiveness let alone a second chance. And if you ever harm those who are the most innocent among us—children and animals—you deserve all the wrath this world can unleash on you, including mine.

Not sure what that says about me, but I’m okay with that.

*******************

To New Beginnings

Buds on a willow tree in Minnesota Since returning home from my bender in Minnesota, I’ve had a hard time stepping back into my life as it was before I left. I felt like I had a lot of momentum going back then, with a clear vision of what I wanted 2011 to look like for me. But in the week since I’ve been back home in L.A., I’ve felt sort of lost, unsure of what to do even for the day. I find myself looking for things to do that will fill my time until it’s time for bed…cleaning the house, browsing through cookbooks, grocery shopping, yard work, brushing my cat, going for a walk, checking TMZ obsessively, slowly getting stuff together for the tax guy. These are all things that have to be done (well, except for the TMZ part) but it’s not really doing anything. Things that seemed so clear to me at the beginning of the year now seem unworthy or uninteresting to me now. And I’m very frustrated.

On Monday, Tom Persons from Fruition Organics came over to discuss building a raised vegetable garden in my backyard. Growing my own herbs and veggies (like Emmett and I did back when we owned a home with a lovely yard in Minnesota) has been something I’ve wanted to do here in LA but was never a priority. With all the year-round Farmer’s Markets around here, it was just as easy to get our fill of fresh veggies without having to weed! For whatever reason, however, I decided that the veggie garden thing was going to happen. Right now. Not just this year, but THIS second. This has been the only thing that has remotely interested me since being back and I’ve jumped on it like Gloria Allred to a press conference.

It was so much fun talking to Tom about what I wanted to plant, answering his questions about designs and material preferences, and seeing him get excited about the challenge I proposed: not just an organic garden, but a “veganic” one as well…meaning no animal or animal byproducts. (I’ll write more about this in another post.) He said once we got the beds in (hopefully next week), the veggies will start popping up within a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks!

I’m not sure why, but once I realized that the veggie garden was going to happen, I suddenly felt inspired to get my life back on track…or at least MOVING. And it wasn’t so much that I found inspiration (I wanted to do something. I just didn’t know what), it was more like the ideas and energy I had at the beginning of the year started to suddenly flow again, as if the dam that had been holding them back had been blasted away.

This morning I woke up (with a hangover, mind you…thank you very much EJD and the too-tasty vodka lemonades you make!) and I knew how I was going to re-start 2011. Yes, “re-start,” because that is what it feels like to me. I feel like 2011 was interrupted (damn you Mom’s cancer) and I’ve finally found the remote control and am hitting the play button again. I have a little list, just to get me going, but I have a feeling there will be opportunities and ideas and people that will pop up in my life that may take me down whole other paths. And I’m okay with that. I just don’t want to ever again, even for a brief few weeks, feel like a sailboat without its sails…adrift, powerless, and at the mercy of too many unpredictable factors.

So raise a glass with me and toast to a Happy New Year…again!

She’s Lost a Wombat Worth of Weight!

Wombat My wonderful friend Stephanie has dropped 60 pounds (and no, that's NOT her pictured above!) and I couldn’t be happier for or more proud of her. How did she do it? The old fashioned way: diet and exercise. She watches what she eats and she works out daily. In other words, she has committed to living a healthy lifestyle. Wow…what a crazy, wacky idea that is!

Selfishly, I’ve wanted her to do this for herself for years now. As a fit friend, Steph will be around longer (so we can play together until we’re 100), have fewer health issues (so I won’t have to worry about things like her heart exploding), and will be able to keep up with my own active life (no more easy, one-mile hikes while on vacation together). See how this all works out great for me?!

Anyway, to show my love and support for her new self, I’ve been on the lookout for meal ideas that 1) are well rounded and fit within her diet plan, 2) are quick (she doesn’t have  a lot of time to spare), 3) are fun and easy (she’s a self-described novice in the kitchen who doesn’t enjoy being there in the first place), and 4) use easy-to-find ingredients and require no fancy equipment (see point 3). Oh, and of course everything will be vegan (insert maniacal laugh here).

So my first recipe for her is Chickpea Piccata from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Appetite for Reduction. Emmett and I had this a couple of nights ago and were delighted by its light but satisfying flavors and diverse textures. The dish came together in a snap and is packed with protein, fiber, and iron while low in fat and calories. And the recipe is totally flexible, allowing you to serve it up a million different ways. Don’t have chickpeas? Feel free to use another white bean like navy. Don’t like arugula? Sub spinach instead. Don’t want to deal with pasta? Quinoa would be great as well. And as an added bonus, the only real prep work involves slicing up garlic and shallots…the rest is just measuring things out. It truly doesn’t get any easier than this.

Chickpea Piccata with slight modifications from Appetite for Reduction (and her original recipe can be found on her blog here) Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound whole wheat pasta, such as fettuccini
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup thinly sliced shallots (do not substitute with any other kind of onion or you’ll be sorry)
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced a little thicker than the shallots
  • 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs (whole wheat bread works great)
  • 2 cups veggie broth
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste (I used four twists)
  • Sea salt to taste (I used about ½ teaspoon)
  • 1 (16-oz.) can chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup capers with a little brine (about a generous teaspoon)
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cups arugula

Cooking Instructions:

Fill a pot with water for the pasta and bring to a boil.

Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes until golden. Add the bread crumbs and stir constantly for about 2 minutes or until toasted.

Add the veggie broth, wine, thyme, pepper, and salt. Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let the sauce reduce by half; about 7 minutes.

While the sauce is reducing, add pasta to boiling water and cook until done. Drain (do not rinse), cover, and set aside.

Once the sauce has reduced, add the chickpeas and capers and heat through; about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

To assemble, place the arugula in a wide bowl, top with some pasta, and ladle the piccata over everything. The arugula will wilt to perfection from the warm pasta and sauce.

The dish is a one-stop meal. Because of the whole wheat pasta and the greens, you don’t even need to serve it with a salad or bread. Just dish it up, dig in, and enjoy!

Dear Shallot

Shallot Dear Shallot,

I think I’m falling in love with you. I’ve been using you more and more in the dishes I’ve been making lately and I have to say, you not only impress me, you make me swoon sometimes.

I love  your manageable size. You fit in the palm of my hand like a golf ball but you’re more oblong like an egg. I love that you only have three or four layers. You are beautiful sliced. You are lovely diced. And your texture is delightful. Raw, you’re tender but firm. Sautéed or baked, you still hold your shape.

Shallot life

But I obviously love you most for your flavor. Delicate and subtle but still confident. The regular onions like red and yellow are wild and reckless with their flavors. And the scallion is so one dimensional. But you, well, you seem to be more mature, more secure in who you are so you don’t have to be all showy. And yet, you don’t sit in the backseat. You’re more than happy to be behind the wheel of the car and take my dish where it needs to go.

I’ve been watching you and I think you have a thing for the caper. And you should. The two of you together make for one tasty couple. But you also dig a good dressing...you play well with olive oil, Dijon mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and fresh parsley.

So keep up the good work, Shallot. I look forward to many more culinary experiences with you. In fact, I may try to grow you in my garden this year. I can only imagine how marvelous you must taste fresh out of the ground.

All the best, Barb

How Cool is Tofurkey?

This afternoon, I pulled out of the freezer the latest vegan product that is all the rage these days—Tofurky’s new line of vegan pizza with vegan “cheese” and “meat.” The vegan blogs have been buzzing about this product for a while now but at $7.99 a pop at Whole Foods, I wasn’t doing any back bends to get my hands on it. I knew Emmett was going to be very busy at work when I was in Minnesota and wouldn’t have time to make himself food, so in addition to a plethora of fresh meals and snacks I made him, I also got a couple of these pizzas. When checked the pack of the package for the baking instructions to see what I should set the oven at, I stumbled onto this:

Prep Instructions

Did you catch it? No? Here, take a closer look:

Special Thank Yous

Can you believe it? Right there on the packaging, a food company’s most treasured marketing space (I would know…I used to work for the world’s largest food company), they give a SHOUT OUT to their employees!! On the packaging!! They even name people specifically. How cool is that?! When have you ever seen anything like it?! How awesome must this company be to work for?! THEY THANK THE MAINTENANCE CREW! On the packaging! And some dude who designed the sausage! And they call their production staff the “hardest working…on the planet!” WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT AT THE END OF THE PROCLAMATION!!

I mean, come on, People! Can you image a world were everyone took the time to acknowledge, in a very public way, those who helped them succeed? You see it at the end of books and in movie credits sometimes, and yeah, they do it at the Oscars but in real world, regular Joe Blow situations, that NEVER HAPPENS! And here are the folks at Tofurky giving it up for the regular peeps. I love it.

Tofurky's Italian Saussage and Fire-roasted Veggies Pizza

On a related note, I have to say that I enjoyed the pizza…for it being frozen and processed. I had the Italian sausage and fire-roasted veggies variety. The crust is the bomb! Crisp and crunchy with lots of flavor. The thickness is perfect, too. It’s between thick and thin, which sounds boring but surprisingly isn’t because the texture is so great. I could eat the crust just by itself. But I also like the fact that it isn’t loaded with tons of vegan cheese. There’s just enough to hold all those roasted veggies in place without interfering with the nice flavors of said veggies. I also liked how evenly cut up the toppings were as well as the variety of toppings. And while the red sauce is present, it’s definitely complementary. This is not the healthiest of products out there…810 calories per pizza (I ate half for lunch one day and the other half the next day, both with a side salad). But what do you expect? It’s pizza, it’s processed, and it’s frozen. In a pinch and not as a staple, you’d like this product. I really think Tofurky is on to something here and I hope they come out with more interesting toppings like artichoke, kalamata olives, and spinach (and vegan feta?) or black olives, pepperocini, and onion.

Hey, Tofurky…if you’re looking for a line extension manager, or even just a tester, give me a call!

Things I Love: Artists At Work

I don't know what it is about watching an artist in progress but I am entirely enthralled by videos that show just that. It's like those time-lapse videos of flowers opening up or stars tracking across the sky. Perhaps it's the confidence that is portrayed by a seasoned artist and nature alike that is appealing. Both doing their thing, certain that in the end, everything will be just where it is supposed to be--flaws, failures, and all.

[vimeo 15076572 w=400 h=225]

Wall painting by Supakitch and Koralie at the VÄRLDSKULTUR MUSEET GÖTEBORG / SWEDEN

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JNz8QzFWJ4&w=640&h=390]

Rick & Brenda Beerhorst create in public at UICA live coverage event 2011

Okay...So Winter Can Also Be Fun to Play In

As I said in my last post, I'm finding ways to enjoy winter now that I have a certain amount of freedom from it. Below are just a few pics from the Winter Play Time Activities I've participated in over the past five weeks.

Walking on Eagle Lake with DadWalking on Eagle Lake. And while I can rationalize in my head that it's perfectly safe to walk on the lake in winter, with the it being frozen solid for more than three months and with all the trucks still parked next to fish houses, there's always that nagging "don't push your luck with Mother Nature" thought that runs through my head. I'm just sayin'...

Feeding the birds up NorthRefilling the bird feeders at my aunt's house in Bemidji, Minn. It was -20 degrees but the sun was out and the birds were hungry and it just felt great to be out there (in appropriate attire, of course).

Aitkin CabinGirls' weekend up north at the "cabin" with Nan (who's taking the photo), Stephie, and Heidi. Eating, drinking, cross-country skiing, going for walks, eating, movie, eating, talking, eating, drinking...

Ice FishingChecking out the ice-fishing house. Walking out to Nan's dad's ice-fishing house on Farm Island Lake.

Cross Country SkiingCross-country skiing with Stephie and Nan on a "warm" Sunday afternoon. And hitting up the Maple Grove Tavern for pull tabs, fries, and beers afterwords!

ShovelingShoveling with Mom. Done it twice now with her. I'm not sure what's more impressive... that she shovels while going through chemo or that I shovel, period.

Okay...So Winter CAN Be Pretty

Most people know what a HUGE fan I am of Southern California, especially when it comes to all things outdoors. I've always loved my daily walks around my neighborhood or down to the Farmers' Market or library. I miss them immensely now that I've been cooped up inside hiding from the Minnesota winter. But then I realized I have something good going on here...I can enjoy BEING in winter without having to deal with all the crap that comes with LIVING in winter (like dealing with ice dams on your roof, having to shovel yourself out of your driveway 20 times a month, lugging shoes in your purse to change into once you get to work after walking in boots to the bus stop, winterizing the lawn mower and outdoor plumbing and everything else, etc.). So I decided to stop my cowering, "buck up" (as my neighbor, Raynee, likes to say), throw on some gloves and boots and a big, green parka, head out into the cold, and snap a few shots of winter's beauty...'cause winter really is pretty when you can sit back and not care about your pipes freezing.

Bird's Nest

Cat Tails

Bird Tracks

Bridge between Eagle and Pike Lakes

Feather

Snowmobile Tracks on Eagle Lake

Speaking of Birds...

Winter CardinalOn this particular trip to Minnesota, this little fella has visited me every morning in the tree outside my bedroom and bathroom windows. He calls to his lady and sometimes she shows up too.

Morning CardinalThere's something magical about seeing a cardinal in winter, especially the male. His bright red feathers are a welcome burst of color against the white of the snow, the gray of an overcast day, and the dull brown of a deciduous tree in winter. We likely have cardinals in Southern California but I probably haven't noticed them without such a dramatic color contrast. Well, that and I'm sure he'd be an easy meal to spot for the red-tailed hawk that lives in our backyard!

Birds Have Tongues!

Did you know that? It's not like I thought they DIDN'T have tongues, but it's not like I was running around wondering if they did. Sure, everyone knows hummingbirds have tongues. But other birds? Hawks, chickadees, robins, blue jays, finches, cardinals...they all have tongues! Even the pileated woodpecker, which is what got me onto this whole tongue thing in the first place. Sitting in my aunt's house up north in Bemidji, Minn., a woodpecker the size of Texas landed on one of her bird feeders. "Good god!" I exclaimed, "Look at the size of that woodpecker! And OH-MY-LORD IT HAS A TONGUE!" Pileated Woodpecker

In all fairness to me, my aunt, a lifetime student of nature, was also a bit taken back by the idea of birds having tongues. Off to her bookshelf she went and returned with a bird encyclopedia and there it was...a whole section devoted to the bird tongue. Like humans, birds use their tongues for food--as a tool to scoop up water, as a probe to dig food out of something, as a way to move food around the mouth, etc. But unlike humans, who use their tongue for speech, birds do not use their tongues in communication. Bird songs simply come from the soul...no tongue necessary!

Is this not fascinating? So go ahead, ask the next person you see if they know that birds have tongues and see what happens. I've been doing it all week and it's a hoot (pun intended) to see people's reactions!

Getting Into the Spirit of Things

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Mom and I tackled the driveway this morning and although it wasn't exactly the snow shoveling task of the century (or even of the season), it was still cold, damp, and miserable outside...contrary to what every Minnesotan has been saying for the past couple of days.

Note to crazy people living in Minnesota: 3o degrees is STILL cold even if it's not cold to you considering it's winter in Minnesota. Thirty degrees is BELOW FREEZING! That is, technically, COLD.

Anyway, I haven't shoveled snow in over eight years but I have to tell you this--it's like riding a bike; you never forget how. Of course, Dad insisted that Mom and I were shoveling wrong and proceed to describe to us the right way to do it...as if pushing a shovel across a driveway and throwing the snow over a snowbank requires the mathematical precision of a professional pool player and the scholarly training of a brain surgeon. It's shoveling, for goodness sake. If you get the snow off the driveway, you've done it right. If you do so without suffering a heart attack, broken back, or strained muscle, it's called a success.

I quickly got back into the hang of things, including remembering how much I hate to shovel half-way through finishing the job, feeling muscles I had long forgotten were there, and wiping my runny nose on my jacket without thinking that was gross. Everything you see on me is borrowed...the boots, the jacket, the gloves, the scarf, and the hat. I'm proud to say I no longer own a single piece of winter clothing. Even the long-sleeve shirts I brought with me are Southern California lightweight. I wear my Dad's sweatshirts over them to keep warm.

None of this is to say I'm not enjoying my stay here, but it certainly reinforces my love for living in California. Life is much easier when you don't have to battle the cold and snow. Or, to put it another way, I prefer to battle the heat and the sun.

By the time Mom and I finished the job, the next mini-flurry floated its way back onto our freshly cleared driveway.

Thank you very much, Mother Nature. And thanks for such a "warm" welcome back to Minnesota.

Surreal

This morning, I flew out of LAX, over the ocean as the sun was rising and under the loveliest of weather conditions:

Four hours later, I flew into MSP, over snow-covered landscape, under gray skies, and into bitter cold temps:

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.